29th July 2013
By Kate Knodel
Guest Writer for Wake Up World
On July 29, 2013, a powerful planetary alignment – a very rare Grand Sextile -will form in the skies above us. It follows weeks of an unusual and powerful Grand Trine in Water signs involving three planetary giants — Saturn, Jupiter (now conjunct Mars), and Neptune.
When the Moon moves into position at about 1pm in New York, 6pm in London and 3am in Sydney (July 30th), a second Grand Trine in Earth signs (involving the Moon, Venus and Pluto) will form and activate a Grand Sextile, a rare aspect pattern formed by two Grand Trines with six planets moving into position around the dial at 60* from each other (pictured above).
Trines bring ease of energy flow and sextiles bring opportunity. A Grand Sextile points to harmonious relationships among the energies symbolized by the planets in the pattern.
This Grand Sextile creates what is commonly known as a “Star of David” and will be with us for about 7 hours until the Moon, which travels quickly through our skies, moves off. The pattern symbolizes the harmonious union between masculine and feminine and involves the two feminine elements, Water (highlighting emotion) and Earth (highlighting physicality), as well as both of the major feminine planets, Venus and the Moon. It has been called by some “The Return of the Divine Feminine Grand Sextile.”
What makes this day interesting, though, are the two T-squares and a Yod that appear in the solar system along with the Grand Sextile.
T-squares are often challenging energy patterns that create dynamism in the energies symbolized by the planets involved in the aspect pattern. They are created by two squares and an opposition. A square brings conflict and an opposition brings confrontation as the energies of the two planets mirror each other and reflect qualities that, when confronted, bring about growth.
A Yod, also called “The Finger of God,” is an interesting aspect that includes both challenging and supportive elements which create opportunity for laser-focused action in a particular area of life. In this case, Pluto and Neptune afford the opportunity to shine out from our center (Sun in Leo) in whatever area of life (house) Leo falls in your natal chart.
When I study a chart, the first thing I do is sit with the image and see how it comes up off the page — that tells me so much about the energy of the chart. The image of this Grand Sextile is simply exquisite. A perfect hexagon holds two opposing equilateral triangles and four rectangles move beyond the spaces created by the points of the star. When meditating with the image, I see movement in the form, beautiful, free-flowing energy swirling around the center — the Earth upon which we stand.
So, what are the potentials for this pattern? What are the energies coming together in these trines?
Simply put – breakthrough, and the opportunity to step across a threshold from one way of being into another. Saturn in Scorpio has the potential for intense, private, and deep truth, discipline, and boundaries. Neptune in Pisces invites poetic and imaginative creativity, spirituality, and dreaming. Jupiter/Mars in Cancer will make everything bigger, more expansive, more generous and active, courageous, strong, and passionate in nurturing and emotionally-connected ways. This is a soft place for Jupiter and Mars to fall. Pluto in Capricorn has the potential for transformation around structures and stepping into our power in structured and disciplined ways. Venus in Virgo invites us to bring in love, art, and beauty in discriminating and healing ways. And the Moon in Taurus allows us to attract sensual, loyal, and practical energies in order to ground all the other energies.
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The T-squares add a significant bit of turbulence and an incredible amount of dynamism to the chart. Without the T-squares, the day would promise to be a little unreal. The T-squares make it a very human day. They promise to both ground us in reality and sweep us away into the storms they create.
A paradox? Certainly. The chart points very much to paradoxical energies.
The Moon in Taurus is opposite Saturn and both are square the Sun in Leo. On a day that promises harmonious union between masculine and feminine, the chief symbols for the masculine and feminine are in conflict in ways that might create restriction and constriction. On the light side, it could lead to a deeper sense of truth. Pluto is opposite the Mars/Jupiter conjunction and both are square Uranus in Aries. The Pluto-Uranus square that has been such a big player in the solar system for the last year also has a role in Monday’s aspect pattern. That, in relationship with the Mars/Jupiter conjunction will strengthen and expand the energy. And, somehow, all this will dance with all those lovely trine and sextile energies.
In reading what others have written about the planetary energies for July 29, so many of us are coming to similar understandings of this time — an incredible time of opportunity and energies that encourage us to step forward into our creativity, truth, and power. Still, the challenges of transformation continue.
At times I find myself simply closing my eyes, breathing, and allowing the waves of whatever all this energy is to just pass through me. As I have been studying the chart for Monday, and the Grand Sextile, I am feeling energetic storm energy and seeing each of us needing to be grounded, with Earth – Gaia – in the center, the still eye of the storm. As above so below. Yes, we are mirroring these energies. Macrocosm and Microcosm.
I think part of what will be key is not judging the energy, which is one reason why I think the deepest wisdom is not to analyze the chart by trying to “figure it all out” but just being with the energy, just being still, the eye, as the energies swirl. It is liminal time, threshold time — as is the energy.
I feel affirmed in this impression by what is not in the chart. There are no major planets in the air signs — Libra, Gemini, or Aquarius, which are associated with thinking and intellect. This tells me that it is not a day to be up in our heads. It’s a day to sink into our hearts and allow ourselves to be deeply in our bodies. This will help us to manage the ejections of fire that will come with the T-squares and Yod, as well as any temptation to over-think. And as many of these aspect patterns will continue for some days, it may be something to “keep in mind” as we move through the week.
Key to astrology symbols:
About the author:
Kate Knodel is an explorer of the landscape of poetry, myth, and our fractured, expanding and healing selves. She is a speaker and workshop leader, writer, empowerment coach and transformational training designer.
In her work around personal myth, she uses the symbols of astrology to help people to dialogue with their personal stories, and to discover the mythic landscapes of their life’s journeys.
Visit her on Facebook or her website for more information.
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