Sky Talk, May 2010: Volcanic Symbolism

"Be empty of worrying.
Think of who created thought!
Why do you stay in prison
when the door is so wide open?"

Rumi

Astrological symbolism is like a sublimely beautiful celestial musical score resonating with inner and outer events in our lives.

Late in December, Saturn and Pluto aligned in a challenging square formation, and as the energy intensified, seismic activity began to activate the fractures in our earth’s crust in a place called Eyjafjallojokull.

Volcanic eruptions have sculpted and transformed the landscape on our planet for centuries. And on April 15th, the day of the New Moon in fiery Aries, a powerful eruption flung plumes of ash into high into atmosphere, as volcanoes do. Strong winds scattered the particles generously over the earth. And at that moment in our human evolutionary journey, these clouds of volcanic ash brought our attention to our dependency on technology - and our connectedness to our Earth, and to each other.

It was Mercury, (winged messenger of the gods, in mythology, and symbolising transport, communication, and the trickster) in Retrograde, in the earthy sign of Taurus from 19 April - 13 May, that signified the very literal grounding of 95,000 aircraft during the six-day shut-down. This mantle of ash cost the aviation industry more than $1.7 billion. The airlines, already vulnerable due to the global financial crisis, were said to have lost $200 million a day. There were financial losses for thousands of business owners, farmers, and travellers, who were confined in airports or cities, far from where they wanted to be.

Stories of love, compassion, and tremendous generosity glowed like fireflies across cyberspace. People offering up their homes to weary travellers, driving the sick thousands of miles to a hospital, sharing food and blankets, reaching out, connecting to one another.

Yet the symbolism of the astrology suggests a need to look deeper at what happened during the six-day-airspace shutdown. Could this be an opportunity to question our naive sense of invincibility, or our petulant adolescent desires for instant gratification? Could we choose to see this "biggest shutdown of European airspace since WWII" as a time to reassess and revaluate our assumption that oil reserves will last forever?

As Europe ground to a virtual stand-still, there was no more coffee from Brazil, kiwi fruit from New Zealand, tulips from Amsterdam. No quick flights from London to Barcelona. Then the aftermath - who was accountable for the cost - Venus and Mercury then still in the sign of in Taurus a few weeks ago (money and how we think and communicate about what we value.)

The planet Jupiter (inflation and expansion) amplified the powerful and unpredictable energy of Uranus (unexpected shocking events that liberate us in some way) opposite Saturn (limitation, delays, confinement, shutdown, and these two energies come into close range again on April 26th, calling us all to move away from old ways and embrace something new in our lives. Saturn - Uranus came back into the 4th exact opposition around midnight on April 26th, and Greek bonds were cut to "junk status" - the Euro contagion spreading. So now it is time to dig deep and see Change as an opportunity to shed and to grow.

If we accept the idea that nothing is "outside ourselves" – we are at the centre of everything that unfolds in our lives. The energies within and without are revealing something about a need to move from the Old ways of being into the New: Saturn is still in face-off with Uranus for some time now - reflecting the conflict or uneasiness so many of feel our lives right now, especially those of us in our early 40s. These two energies are amplified by the transit of Jupiter towards the end of May.

The question we need to ask ourselves at this time is: Have we deluded ourselves (the Neptune Chiron energy in Aquarius) that we still have plenty of time to sort things out in terms of how we are living on this planet? Have we naively persuaded ourselves our leaders and authorities have all the answers? It took six costly days for the regulators to reach their conclusion about the impact of the ash. By the time you read this, planes will once again be flying beans grown in Chile to supermarkets in Dublin, strawberries from Egypt to England. I wonder. How long can this go on?

May 14th New Moon in Taurus

May 28th Full Moon in Sagittarius

We are at a fateful threshold. Today at this New Moon in earthy Taurus, send positive healing thoughts and heart-felt prayers to the planet. Do this each day, until the Full Moon on May 28th. Focus your attention on your home, your immediate neighbourhood, your town, and on South Africa; envision this Beloved Country as peaceful, with people well-clothed and fed, and safe. Our environment and all the animals and birds that live here too, flourishing, in balance with the human beings who share their space. Send blessings and prayers for wisdom to all our leaders.

Use the lunar cycles as visual markers to events that are unfolding in the Perfect Time and in the Perfect Way to remain focused and conscious and in respect and awe of our beautiful planet and all living things.