I am not an astrologer-I just play one on TV.
Being an armchair astrologer I decided to take the plunge and enroll in astrology school. Believe it or not, Portland, Oregon is home to an actual astrology school that has been around since the early 1900s!
https://portlandastrology.org/
Astrology is an in-depth look at the symbols that rule our family mythology, our generational mythology and on a personal level, it rules the psychology of how we think and feel about ourselves. I am excited to keep layering my understanding of this symbolic language to help myself and my patients understand different ways of viewing their pathology-sometimes just having another perspective is being able to visualize a different pathway to healing.
For example, one of my favorite astrologers once mentioned to me that the disease of cancer is Neptune’s way of trying to express creativity in one’s life where we do not or are prevented from following this instinct. Perhaps we are feeling the creative spark of painting or music but have not followed this whim. Maybe our minds and hearts have not been allowed to really express themselves. Perhaps a part of cancer treatment may involve an art class or even just sitting on the beach and creating sculptures in the sand. This is a way for the life force to move in and through us. We are creators in an amazing and authentic way and when we squelch or deny this for more mundane and utilitarian jobs then sometimes we are not living our lives to the fullest. But the energy will still attempt to manifest in some way and if we cannot work with that then it may come out in ways that are more destructive than helpful.
I think astrology can afford some insights into what is our hero’s journey-what is our Odessey-our epic saga of our lifetime-It is filled with nuances and myths and symbols-It helps to encourage us to follow our deepest pathways to be in our most authentic self. The self that was here to express its fullest and most beautiful metamorphosis of a being who can do exactly what it wanted to come here to do. To follow the path that it was destined to follow. To learn the lessons that it came here to learn.
I want to bring this up for two reasons. Number one is that I recently heard a podcast from a millennial astrologer that I really like a lot (see below for the link). She has some wonderful ways of looking at things in a very down to earth and practical way. I recently heard an interview with her about chronic illness and what astrology influences this and she had some really good advice and insights about this. The one thing she spoke quite a bit about that I found many of my patients suffer from is really the feeling of isolation. In fact, during the pandemic, many of my patients have said “well, life is not so different for me during the pandemic” so I think many of us who do not suffer from chronic illness are getting a good dose of what it is like to be sequestered and living away from society in a space-time continuum of disability. This feeling of isolation is ruled by Pluto.
The second reason why I wanted to write about this is that the influence at this time is greatly under the outer planet of Pluto and I think it is helpful to understand the symbolism of this Planet which one astrologer that I have spoken with calls it about Radical transformation. So it is really about the death and rebirth process. This is, of course, also apropos for the winter solstice-it is like we are getting double the whammy energy of this right now.
One of my favorite myths was from Pre-Incan times in Peruvian History. They had a belief that when society was completely shaken up, chaotic and out of control that a large snake would come up from the middle of the earth and make everything that is normal topple down so that humans would need to rebuild everything again. And they would need to build things in a different and a better way. This is really what Pluto is alluding to. Its influence is huge right now. So be open to letting go of what no longer serves you, be open to seeing the different facet of reality for your self, be open to radical change, where does your heart call you to work, to live, to be, and who does your heart want to be with? Be open to life being in a dynamic changing state and that can be scary but okay. Have faith and hope that this is divinely guided and it can also feel like a floom ride at times.
“Jump my dear and a net shall appear” many folks have said this including my dear friend Len Romano from Ripe, Inc https://www.ripeinc.com/
Many blessings, Anne
Tips for Pluto Transits:
Local Portland resources:
Energetic Hygiene Practices Lotus Lantern Healing Arts is an amazing place to get some of this work done. https://www.lotuslantern.org/
Molly Padulo, MA does amazing transformational work and is working with zoom 503-358-6945
Working with Grief:
Readings by Elizabeth Kubler Ross all of her work is the backbone fo grief counseling in western society.
“Its Okay that you are not Okay” Meghan Divine
“The Sixth Stage of Grief” David Kessler
Meditation
https://insighttimer.com/
this is my and my 10 year old son’s favorite meditation app!
Volunteering in Hospice Centers
https://oregonhospice.org/volunteer/
Working with Death and Dying
https://www.upaya.org/about/
Joan Halifax has been around for a long time and periodically holds seminars of how to be in the presence of death and hold a space for those who are crossing over.
Shamanic work with soul retrievals :
Amy Kelchner, ND
https://www.tendingbodyandsoul.com/
Christina Pratt
https://lastmaskcenter.org/shamanic-healing/
More about Pluto
https://www.astrology.com/astrology-101/planets/pluto