We’re in the eclipse zone, that concentrated period of time surrounding two eclipses, and a time when some people who know just enough astrology to be dangerous, grow really afraid. As you read the myriad web resources available about this very special time, or any astrological event, pattern or aspect, let’s remember several things:
1) Human Egos write this information -not a Diving Being (though Divinity shines through more clearly for some, than others)- and their writing is being run through personal belief systems and conditioning. Know that some people hold a more deterministic or fatalistic viewpoint of astrological events, while others hold a more fluid, spacious, open space.
Learn to recognize this. Pay attention to what resonates for you, and how. Ask, How does this information make me feel? Does it make me feel fearful? If so, it’s not based in love, it’s based in Ego/fear. Some astrological writing can stimulate the Ego’s hyper-vigilance — the primal part of you that is always on alert for some eventual threat. This can appear obvious, for instance, fortune-telling about potential negative outcomes, but it’s not always about the words. It’s about the feeling, the energies, transmitted through the words. Humans write astrology, and words carry energy.
Remember, it’s your job to take care of your mental health, and not create unnecessary distress by reading material that will send you into a downward spiral. Just as you know not to eat junk food, don’t consume astrological writing indiscriminately.
2) Notice when a message carries a neutral energy, but stimulates an insecurity or fear. Discern the difference between someone else sending you fearful messages/ energies, and your projections. If I say, “Pluto is the planet of death, crisis and transformation. Death is one of many forms of initiation into change…” and you say, “Oh my god, someone’s going to die! Will it be my grandma?” that’s your fear. In this example, and in many situations, the problem is not the messenger but the lens through which you are viewing information. You have the power to dismantle another’s negative message by changing your lens. Clean your lens. Watch how quickly you jump into a negative, fearful interpretation at the mere mention, and how that compromises your power.
Take responsibility for your fears. Don’t project them onto astrology.
3) Understand why you’ve become so fearful about astrology. Determinism is, to a degree, rooted in our craft. From the moment that people looked up and made correlations between the heavens and what happens on Earth, human Egos have been confusing correlation with the ability to predict. They are very different things. If I see a grey sky and know that sometimes that means rain, I’ve made a correlation. If I think because the sky is sometimes grey when it rains, that it will rain, I’ve made a prediction. The moment the Ego realized it could make educated correlations with astrology, and sometimes be accurate, it leapt into predicting outcomes. Since the Ego is often afraid, this makes controlling or predicting events an attractive prospect. But this way of interpreting astrological phenomenon will always be a probabilities game, a gamble, and will keep you in a perpetual state of hope or fear.
Astrology is so much better at making correlations.
If you want to get back to the time when astrology was simply a validating and helpful mirror to your truest, deepest self and to the energies available to you at any given time, my advice is: Stop thinking that astrology can predict anything.
And when something that you, or another person, thought could or might happen actually does happen, be delighted that, yes, sometimes when the sky is grey, it rains. How cool is that?
3.) Be clear about what astrology is capable of, and what it is not. It is not good at fortune-telling. It is not good at telling you what career path you should take, whether you should be with this or that person, or whether there will be an earthquake. Get clear on your personal philosophy. Want to share mine? Astrology is an excellent mirror for your conscious evolution, and the energies at play in your life. In practice, this looks like:
-Instead of asking, “those blue lines (trines and sextiles) are good, right (and therefore I’m going to be okay, right)?” ask yourself, how am I using those harmonious aspects? Use it as a mirror to your potential, not a crutch for your hopes and fears.
-In relationship astrology, instead of going “oh, our Moons don’t share any aspects- that must be bad!?” use that information to observe the energetic lunar interplay between you. Use it as a mirror for the energies you experience with another. How does that work for you?
-With transits, use it as a mirror for what growth wants to take place right now. Pluto transiting your second house doesn’t mean you are doomed to poverty. If you interpret it in this way, it means you are afraid you will be doomed to poverty. You’ve just discovered your worst fear, and your assignment. And that is Pluto’s job – ha!- holding a mirror to a wound you need to clear.
Astrology is an excellent mirror for your consciousness and energies. Nothing outside of you controls your destiny- not even the hardest planetary configuration you can imagine.
4) Stop thinking of any astrological situation or aspect as either good or bad. Eliminate those words from your vocabulary right now. There is nothing, ever, bad or wrong. Everything is Divine. Waste no time thinking your twelfth house Venus, or your seventh house Saturn, or any aspect is in any way limiting you. It is creating an opportunity for you to learn and evolve in a certain vein, and your soul wanted this path- otherwise you wouldn’t have been born with this particular chart. Using the words good or bad prevents you from other, richer, more exciting options available to you.
5) Do not use your astrology as an excuse to be a victim of your life. Plenty of people do this. It comes, in part, from the information you have consumed that have given you fatalistic interpretations of your chart- but honestly this highlights any tendency you have around being a victim. Listen to the way you talk about your self, via your chart. Are you using astrology as proof of your limitations, an excuse as to why you can’t have a good relationship or happy life, or are you using astrology to open up to possibility?
If you’re using your astrology as an excuse, just stop it! If you think you need years of therapy to change this, try Bob Newhart’s revolutionary 5 minute therapy (LOVE!!!).
Astrology can be a tool our Ego uses to try and reinforce its hopes or fears, or it can be a magical prism of possibility. I suspect you fell in love with astrology for the latter reason.
If you want to help your self un-do all those years of deterministic conditioning and superstition embedded in our craft, if you want to stop compulsively consuming astrological information in late night Google searches and wake up with a nasty hangover the next morning… Be empowered around how you consume astrological information.
An excellent article. The sane voice of reason in a sea of hyperventilating predictions and possible outcomes. Why do we do this to ourselves!
Jessica you have reminded me to adopt humour and not hold my breath!!
Thank you,
Stella 🙂
Hi Jessica, I found you while [obsessively] searching for insights on Neptune. My sun is 18 Pisces, in the 8th house. It’s easy to come up with nervous-making theories about what this might portend. Your calm voice has talked me down out of the trees. As you said: “So what to do about Neptune in Pisces? Do nothing. Be willing to not know. Open to the space within. Enter the dream.” Thank you. I’m on it. 🙂
I love this post. The solar eclipse is on my birthday, and today’s eclipse squares my Ascendant. So many articles have been reporting unexpected endings with these particular eclipses, and it made me nervous– especially since I’ve felt this energy so intensely. Thank you for your wisdom. I truly appreciate it.
I have total and utter respect for you and this article I moved away from astrology for this very reason years ago and now use my instinct and inner guidance to create a loving existence for myself. I have just read this to my astrologer partner and he agrees with every word you wrote. Thank you. x
Wow, brilliant advice and truth here, thank you. So refehing to read amongst the rubble and myriad of astrology fear reports out here. ????
Wow, what a great article, thank you! So refreshing to read amongst the myriad of astrology reports out there that have indeed been promoting unnecessary fear and also misleading intentions of what the true wisdom of astrology is. ???
Hi Jessica!
I really enjoyed your articles. I know transits can be either bad or good depending on how you view it. I have been looking at my daughter’s chart and see that Saturn will move into her 8th house of Pisces squaring her natal Saturn and moon in Capricorn in 5th house in few years. She also has natal neptune and Chiron in eight house Pisces with Neptune squaring her natal moon and Saturn as well. I wonder as parents if I should be worried that we may not be there for her. I hope we can all survive that transit.Can you offer any suggestions to offset such negativity? Thanks
Hi Christine, I believe you’re a new mom? I’d advise not reading any astrology till your daughter is at least 2 years old- or maybe 5! I’m not kidding. I actually do not do readings for new moms (about their babies) anymore because of the new mom tendency to have too many anxious feelings. I’m not being judgmental- it’s hormonal and normal to be anxious. For that reason, I find astrology isn’t that helpful for new moms.
p.s.-kids survive these kind of transits all the time!
Yes you are right! Thanks Jessica! I tend to be overly cautious and I started worrying about what I viewed as negative transits. Do you think by meditation and prayers we can mitigate whatever we think is negative heading our way and turn it positive? Thanks
Thank you so much for this Article. I’m moving away from Astrology for now because it’s taking a toll on my mental health. Stumbled on your article and it made a difference in what I’d like to say my “Doomed Mindset” bless your heart x
Aloha, Nicky. You may enjoy this article as well. Best wishes, Jessica https://www.moonkissd.com/2021/02/13/is-it-possible-to-use-astrology-without-triggering-anxiety/
Came back to read your article again lol . Jeeze I just can’t help but fall into this “Doomed mindset” over and over again. ?? Thanks for the link!