STARFIRE

April 2009

April 2009- FINALLY, ANOTHER NEW ASTROLOGICAL YEAR
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FINALLY, ANOTHER NEW ASTROLOGICAL YEAR

Okay, we’re now officially into the third or fourth New Year of 2009. How many new years we’ve had this year depends, of course, on who’s counting.

There’s the official Western calendar New Year, which is artificial at best but so widely celebrated it’s built up enormous energy for fresh starts on January 1st. And the Chinese New Year, which fell on January 20th. The Jewish Rosh Hosanna was clear back in September-October 2008, and the Celtic Samhain was November 1st, both in 2008, so I’m not counting it. And there are probably other religious new years I don’t know how to find. Some of you have had saints’ days or birthdays. And for many children, the Three Magic brought gifts on January 6th, making that _their_ favorite holiday.

Spring equinox is a special New Year, though, a time for sprouting of all the seeds we’ve planted and nurtured through the winter months. I know some of you ski and spend the winters outdoors, but those of us who prefer to hibernate like bears seem to have a special winter dream time for creative projects. Spring starts the growing cycle.

As the Spring Equinox chart sets the tone for the quarter-year before the Summer Solstice, it also marks a renewal or regeneration of our commitments to ourselves (regardless of our calendar new year cycles).

The theme for the Spring cycle this year is personal responsibility. Or focus. Oh, or maybe it’s about foundations and balancing personal needs vs. rules and authority figures.

Did I mention that each planet has more than one meaning? Part of what makes astrology a lively field is the constant reinterpretation and expanding understanding of ancient symbols and structures. For those of you who’d like to try your own hand at interpreting the spring chart, I recommend keywords from Astro Communications, a handy two-page information pack you’ll find at http://www.astrocom.com/articles/infospecials/IKEYSX.pdf

When you look at the Spring Equinox chart, you’ll see nine planets on the left side of the chart, the chart that represents taking personal responsibility and initiative, setting and moving toward personal goals. Saturn is alone (and is the focus for all that personal energy) on the side of the chart that represents coming to terms with and meeting the needs of other people.

I’ve set up this chart for Santa Fe, New Mexico, because no city takes personal initiative and creativity more seriously than Santa Fe. Well, maybe Sedona. Santa Fe also has a rich multi-cultural history and a diverse population, so Santa Fe trends seem to hit the mainstream sooner than trends from some other areas. If you’d like to set up a chart for your location, just go to http://www.apsychicreader.com and request a chart for March 20, 2009 at your hometown. Remember to adjust the time zone; 5:44 a.m. only apply in MDT.

Some of you, I know, will be laughing about Santa Fe and words like focus, responsibility, commitment. Isn’t it the city of escape? It is–but only because it’s a creative town thanks to the (you got it!) focus, commitment and creative discipline of the art colony that sprouted along and above Canyon Road.

Creative discipline just looks different than business organizational discipline. The root meaning of discipline is connected to the love of the discipline, the same single-minded focus as first love (or love at first sight at any age). It’s the devotion of a puppy, not the cringing of a slave under a whip.

And all too often, astrologers focus on the discipline or whipping side of Saturn.

But our invitation this spring is to take our whole selves–all the parts we love, all the parts for which we still feel shame–and use all of ourselves to focus on something we’d love to do, clear the decks, and do it.

That kind of effort takes a lot of love. Focus requires sacrifice–but focus only requires letting go of lower priorities for higher priorities. Focus is about paying attention–and also about asking yourself what the best use of your time/money/creative energy is in this moment.

And what deserves your focus from now until the summer solstice?

Saturn’s in Virgo, so consider completions of all kinds in your life, organizing, editing, health, gardening, herbology or anything else related to Virgo. When Mercury goes retrograde for three weeks in May, the emphasis on repairing and completing will be even stronger than it is now.

Until April 17, when Venus goes direct, you may want to focus on repairing or completing financial and relationship issues. For some people, a good focus might be paying off bills in lieu of new purchases. For others, a quiet week end trip with someone you love (or a quiet evening without movies, television or even books for distractions) might be the appropriate focus.

If none of that sounds appealing, Saturn in Virgo can always be satisfied with a good spring cleaning, removing clutter, tossing out what you won’t be using again.

Or you could just pick the creative project that would give you the most joy and focus on completing it now. Even in Virgo, Saturn’s willing to support a good time.

Mary O’Gara, Ph.D.