the cardinal grand cross…

by | Apr 4, 2014 | Astrology Blog

even if you are not an astrologer and not familiar with astrological configurations, you likely have heard about the grand cross coming. simply sitting with imagery of a “grand cross” brings interesting things to mind. personally when i hear these words i think of jesus’ crucifixion! i know that is not a pretty image to keep in mind as the astrology this month unfolds, but if you can think of jesus’ crucifixion as more akin to a transformation and death preceding rebirth- then you are more on the money.

the astrology we are in the midst of has been building for a while, so whatever occurs personally and collectively this month has been a long time coming. it may SEEM out of the blue, but it’s not. it’s been brewing beneath the surface and peeping up every now and again to make itself known.

the beginning of this astrological cycle starts in the 1960’s when uranus conjoined pluto in virgo- commencing a period of time associated with rebellions, revolutions and awakenings. i was not alive in the 60’s but i have read about them and i know and love people who were born during that time or lived during that time. i have a sense of the energy as being radical and revolutionary- a time where seeds planted around freedom, shift and consciousness took root.

we are currently in the second phase of that cycle that began in the 60’s. from 2012-2015 uranus squares pluto, but this time in cardinal signs (aries and capricorn respectively). cardinal signs have more fire, verve and intensity then mutable signs- so the energy is amped up quite a bit right now. the 5th of 7 uranus/pluto squares is exact this month- but what we have going on that makes this month so potent is the fact that retrograde mars in libra and jupiter in cancer are also involved. so they take the uranus/pluto square and make it into a mars/jupiter/uranus/pluto grand cross. essentially all these bodies are involved in intense relationships with each other (squares or oppositions)- pitting their respective energies against each other in intense and friction oriented ways.

jupiter has been involved with the uranus/pluto square since august of 2013- so we have been in this frequency for a while. jupiter is the planet of benevolence, growth and luck- and when placed in cancer he is exalted (cancer is one of his favorite placements). yet jupiter rules overgrowth and excess, so jupiter getting involved in the uranus/pluto square can result in more fuel being thrown on an already hot and heavy fire. in truth, if you can look back to fall of last year- can you see how certain intense situations in your personal life as well as in the world have gotten considerably heightened?

when you add the planet of will, drive and ego (mars) into the mix, we have more potential for activation- but also the tendency to impulsivity, rash behavior and aggression. luckily mars is retrograde- so he is limited in his expression. he is also in his detriment of libra (the sign he is least comfy in). both of these factors reign mars’ energy in- but they can also contribute to frustration, irritation and passive aggression. with mars in libra and juno in aries- many relationships have been going through massive upheaval. but whatever you see playing out on the personal level, it is being mirrored on the collective level. ultimately it’s all about a radical shift and change in the masculine/feminine balance in the world.

mars is in the feminine/relationship sign of libra, jupiter is in the mothering/matriarchal sign of cancer, uranus is in the masculine/independent sign of aries and pluto is in the father/patriarchal sign of capricorn. with all of these bodies facing off- we are trying to find a new middle point in the yin and yang energies of the world. we cannot have wholeness without both light and dark, masculine and feminine. when we err to far in either side of the spectrum- imbalance comes and if that does not right itself in time a crash will come. things that no longer work, are stuck, stagnant or toxic to our personal and collective health are likely to come up this month BIG TIME.

the astrology that is building is definitely intense. to add to this it comes right smack in between eclipses. the first eclipse is a total lunar eclipse in libra on 4/15- and it comes right on the heels of pluto stationing retrograde on the 14th. stationary planets become the most powerful in the sky- so the lord of the underworld dominates as the total lunar eclipse perfects itself. this lunar eclipse is likely to highlight endings, culminations, completions and imbalances in relationships of all kinds. we’d do best to facilitate and embrace our own symbolic deaths and rebirths at this time- rather than resist them or try to control the outcome.

the second eclipse is not until 4/28, with the new moon solar eclipse in taurus. but that comes AFTER the grand cross, which perfects itself from the 20th to the 23rd. during those days jupiter will trigger uranus and pluto on the 20th, uranus will square pluto on the 21st and mars will trigger all three of them from the 22nd to the 23rd. this very intense astrology is rare in that the orbs are so tight that the aspects happen in a matter of days. back in august of 2013 and in january/february of this year jupiter triggered the uranus/pluto square by a window of 2-4 weeks (meaning jupiter opposed pluto and then 2-4 weeks later squared uranus). this month jupiter triggers both on the EXACT SAME DAY. this is super rare and super potent!

mars entered libra on 12/7 and from 12/25 (christmas day!) to 1/8/14 he triggered the jupiter/uranus/pluto T-square for the first time. that was a window of 2 weeks- and if you can think back it likely made the holidays a pretty intense time. the second activation of mars with these bodies is this month, as mars only went retrograde on 3/1. mars will trigger the trio in under 18 hours- spanning midday of the 22nd to early morning on the 23rd. again, these are very tight aspects. the last pass mars makes with jupiter, uranus and pluto will be from 6/14 to 8/1- spanning a whole 6 weeks. clearly this is the nexus point for this convergence. all the stars (or planets) are precisely aligned for something significant!

many astrologers are forecasting all kinds of world events- political and environmental in nature. i am not going to add to that hat as i think there is enough happening in the world of mundane prediction. my focus is on the spiritual, psychological and evolutionary factors present- so i will give you make take on that instead.

i feel this is a very powerful portal of time to make masterful, conscious changes in our lives so that we are more aligned with who we are and why we are here on planet earth. it is a time to see what is the baby and what is the bathwater- and then stop sitting on the sidelines complaining about the toxins in the bathwater but instead THROW THE BATHWATER OUT. it’s a time to get super clear on what we need personally, collectively and evolutionarily. and by this i do not mean what our ego’s need. i meant what our Spirits and Souls need. and what the Spirit and Soul of this planet needs. i think the best use of this energy is to become a spiritual warrior, a sacred activist, a speaker of Truth! and be willing to go to battle, take action and shine the Light on whatever needs to be dealt with so that we can evolve and grow consciously and proactively.

of course wherever this astrology is playing out in your chart will inform where the opportunities for transformation and change lie. and if you happen to have planets or angles at the sensitive 13th degree of cardinal signs- watch out! (12-14 degrees of aries, cancer, libra and capricorn are in the line of fire). but what is personal is also collective- so if you find yourself being asked to deal with your past, clean it out, complete it and rise up to a new level of being and living in the world- know that you are not alone. the whole planet is being asked this and to me it’s not really a question of IF we can- it’s more a question of when. i truly believe we are all capable- it just takes enough people rising up to the call to create a tipping point of massive proportions.

so for me personally i am attending to my personal growth and evolution. i am also doing my work and service as it grounds me and helps me feel connected to why i am here on this planet at this time. i am also meditating regularly with my black tibetan quartz crystal (thank Goddess for this crystal being’s presence in my life). and i am attempting to take one day at a time and not jump ahead too much. and when/if i do jump ahead and freak out about the unknown future- i do all of the above to bring myself back to center. because honestly i am not good to the world, to myself, to my daughter if i am not in my center. i have written about this a lot lately- but your capacity to find your center and come back to it again and again will be worth its weight in gold in the coming month.

the mantra for uranus square pluto is ‘breakdowns precede breakthroughs’. the Universe will provide the breaks- but it is up to us to choose which direction we will take them in.

blessings…

~divine harmony

p.s.. for more information read your weekly horoscopes each week. also check the spring 2014 quarterly horoscopes.