Welcome, dear ones! This month in Illumina we dive into planetary correspondences and how they affect our everyday lives. Astrology makes understanding the many mysteries of our life that much easier – our emotions, our trials, changes and our many transformations. What do planets represent and how are they used in favor of our own psyche? What trials are you going through, and who (or what) is steering the ship? All of these answers can be described by understanding the way our Universe lives in us, and around us. Let the planets be alive in you, and bring mythology back into the world, so their impact may be lived and experienced vicariously through us as we reflect them in our own lives.
With the exception of Earth, planets were named after Roman gods and goddesses thousands of years ago, and they represent different parts of our being. For instance, Saturn, the last planet we can see with the naked eye, represents our boundaries. Planets such as Pluto and Uranus are transpersonal, as they are hidden and limited in our vision. Neptune, another transpersonal planet, represents unconditional Divine love, while Venus represents personal love. Astrology incorporates asteroids in chart interpretation, also represented by gods and goddesses – such as the most common Juno, Pallas Athena, Ceres (recently promoted to a dwarf planet) and Vesta. The asteroid belt is located between Mars and Jupiter (between the personal and interpersonal planets).
“As above, and so below” represents the connection between our Universe, and the parts of it that render it whole. When we speak of planets, and the gods and goddesses that are represented by them, we are reminded of their functions and how they live in us. The beauty of these stories is that the emotions and attributes that are embodied within each god or goddess are within us. The Divine lives within us, which means that the energies of the planets live within us. It’s all incredibly intertwined. We don’t live in a force larger than ourselves. We are the force. We are the energy that makes up Mars, Jupiter and Venus. We are love. We are Wisdom. We are our limits. However, we are not fixed. Your natal chart can show why things happen, and where they come from, but you are also ruled by your free will. You make your own choices.
It begs the question: How relevant is a person’s destined fate in relation to their free will? Are we all fixed, or do we have room for change and exploration? Is there such a thing as “random”?
This month we will explore the representation of our planets within us – the energy they provide, and the free will that makes our existence a beautiful chaos. We come to understand ourselves intimately and deeply with the personal planets, including the Sun and Moon (technically luminaries), Mercury, Venus, and Mars. These personal planets represent facets of our own psyche and personal growth. Jupiter and Saturn, being interpersonal planets, link us to something greater than ourselves – a higher, more objective contribution, learning, and teaching. Jupiter concentrates on philosophy and expansion of consciousness, as Saturn focuses on responsibility, mastery and authority. The interpersonal planets go beyond our own inner workings and connect us with humanity as a whole. And finally, the transpersonal planets – Pluto, Neptune and Uranus – which have different effects representing transcendence and connection to the collective conscious (and unconscious).
And so, I present to you, the importance of astrological knowledge,and the middle ground between science and metaphysics – so that we can heighten our awareness and connect to the gods personally and collectively.
