At the moment we are still experiencing the effects of a Mutable Grand Cross where Mercury (in Gemini), Jupiter (in Virgo), Saturn (in Sagittarius) and Neptune (in Pisces) are all in mutable signs at a 90º angle to one another - forming a huge cross or square.
Mutable signs are all about change. Change, change, change. Let's take a moment to review what we mean by 'mutable' signs...
The Three Modalities
The
three modalities describe the mode or
way an energy flows. In astrological
terms an energetic quality, or modality, is either Cardinal, Fixed or Mutable.
Cardinal
energy has a creative quality to it. It is the energy of Spring and creation.
Cardinal signs usher in new ways of doing things, and carve out new pathways.
Going ‘where man has never gone before’, exploring new frontiers, being at the
forefront of evolutionary processes is a quality of cardinal consciousness. The
challenge for cardinal signs is they may experience restlessness if they have
to stay with one idea, plan, job or project too long. The cardinal signs are
Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn.
Fixed
energy has a stabilizing quality to it. It is the energy of Summer: a
place-holder energy that stabilizes forms for the duration of their lifespan.
Fixed signs have the ability to create structures and hold them in place. If
water needs to be channeled from A to B we need a structure, a canal, to get it
there. This ability to create structure, channels, frameworks etc. is a
hallmark of fixed consciousness. The challenge for fixed signs is change,
getting stuck in a rut or fixed way of thinking is a possibility, and
stubbornness can be a problem. The fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and
Aquarius.
Mutable energy has a dissolving, changing, quality
to it. Mutable signs are agents of change. It is the energy of Autumn, as old
forms are broken down to release their energy. Flexibility, changeability,
movement and adaptability are qualities of mutable consciousness. The challenge
for mutable signs is to create structure and stick at something to completion.
The mutable signs are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces.
So this mutable cross is bringing huge change as things that no longer serve us are being dissolved and changed... whether we experience it as welcome or not, depends on us: on whether we can get in alignment with the changes that are happening... or whether we resist them.
One of the biggest challenges of this mutable cross will be to our fundamental belief systems. Mercury rules our mind, Jupiter wisdom, Sagittarius is the sign of religion and belief systems, while both Sagittarius and Neptune can bring idealism. We are more likely during the influence of this cross, to get caught in debates, arguments and challenges especially around religion or belief systems. So if we can be prepared so that we can see what is happening, we will be more able to step out of the dynamics and move to a higher state of awareness.
Here's something I wrote in an earlier post that is especially pertinent to these times:
Changing Beliefs
A
popular concept these days is changing beliefs. “If we change our
beliefs we will change our reality”. This is true to a point, when we
change our beliefs, our perception of reality will shift significantly.
But how easy is it to change beliefs? Can we just wake up one morning
and say, “I don’t believe that any more”. If we could, then there would
be nothing to do because the change has already happened. The
hardest thing to change is something we really, really, believe. Those
are the things that usually have to do with our sense of self. Notice
how often you get agitated, or defensive. When we experience an
emotional charge, it is usually when something we believe is being
challenged in some way. We may not even be aware of what that is.
Beliefs are sometimes so deeply embedded that we don’t notice we are
believing them. An example might be “people should be on time”. So
imagine you are very punctual. You believe it is very important for
people to be on time, for work or for any other appointment. So you go
to great lengths each morning, allowing extra time, to make sure that
whatever happens, you will not be late. Now you can see that you have
invested a lot of time, energy and thought into this belief. Maybe you
find yourself thinking, “I am punctual”. Maybe you take great pride in
being punctual and it is on your resume. This belief is becoming so
strong that you have woven it into the fabric of your personality. Now,
not only do you believe the thought “people should be on time”, you are
believing that punctual is who you are. We
have just outlined the stages of the mechanism through which we develop
a ‘false’ identity: we become attached to our thoughts, so they become
strong beliefs, and then we think it is ‘who we are’. They become part
of our identity. Now
imagine you give your friend a lift to work, and they are never ready
on time. Now you will find yourself becoming agitated, whenever they are
tardy. It might appear as though your agitation is a result of them
‘making you late’, but if you look closely you will see that the root
cause, is your own underlying belief that “people should be on time” and
more importantly, your identification with it. So when your friend is
late, your very sense of self is threatened. The ‘fault’ is not in your
friend, but in your false sense of self. Catching
ourselves in the moment that we become agitated (or any other
emotional charge), is one of the most beneficial things we can
experience, because as soon as we realize that we are emotionally
charged, we can bring mindfulness to ourselves and our situation, and
explore what thought or belief we need to change or let go of. We cannot
truly change a belief without being mindful enough to clearly see this
process by which we became attached to the belief in the first place.
One of the books that really helped me to be more mindful of my own reactions was Byron Katie’s "Loving What Is" -.
It has been around for a few years now, but actually applying it in
practice in our daily lives, to challenge our beliefs is still very
powerful. If it’s sitting on your bookshelf, it might be time to take it
down, dust it off, and have another look.
The
more we stop blaming others, and examine our underlying beliefs, the more
relaxed we become. It doesn’t mean we start being late! It does mean we
can be more at ease with whatever is happening, and experience less
stress. We can still do our best to be on time, and if it doesn’t
happen, we don’t need to have stress, high blood pressure and a heart
attack! Take care, especially during this Mutable Grand Cross, to be mindful of what you think and what you say and ask yourself, "Is this really me? or Am I being swept along in an unconscious collective, energy dynamic?" These are especially good times to say nothing! Zip the lip, sit on your hands, and spend more time in meditation, until the storm passes!
|
