Announcing Next Guru Rattana Workshop
We are living in the midst of an intense time of transition and transformation, both collectively and personally. Your heart-centered voice helps create a heart-centered world.
Join Guru Rattana for her next Zoom Workshop – The Throat Chakra – Key to Your Inner Awakening
Sunday October 20, 10:00 – 12:00 PM PST (utc-7) – Places limited – Sign Up Now!
In this blog I discuss (1) the end of the Pluto in Capricorn era (Part 1), and (2) Mars in Cancer and the Mars/Pluto oppositions – defending and honoring the feminine!
What better way to support the end of patriarchal domination than to have the cosmic masculine Mars embrace the divine Mother Cancer! (Part 2)
Part One – The End of an Era
October 11 – Pluto Went Direct at 29° Capricorn
Pluto is in the last few weeks of its journey through Capricorn, which began in 2008, sixteen years ago! (Pluto first entered Aquarius January 21, and then in retrograde dipped back into Capricorn September 1.) Pluto will re-enter Aquarius November 19, where it will stay through March 8, 2043. After a few months in Pisces, Pluto will be in Aquarius through January 18, 2044. If I make it that long I will invite you to my 100th birthday party! Let’s plan on it.
Pluto going direct, and then moving into Aquarius, fuels the next weeks with powerful energy that demands and supports deep transformation.
- In the days before and after a planet changes direction, its energy intensifies. I personally have felt some relief after Pluto went direct. I felt a pressurized intensity the days before, which I accepted, not because I liked what I was feeling, but because I knew there was no other options (except to resist, complain, and be a victim.)
- Pluto is at 29°, which means it is delivering its final messages in Capricorn.
- It is an end of an era when the outer planets (Uranus (every 6 years), Neptune (every 12 years), and Pluto change signs. (Because Pluto has an elliptical orbit, it moves through each sign in different amounts of time.)
- When an outer planet changes signs, we often experience an expansion in consciousness and a shift in perspective. Pay attention when Pluto re-enters Aquarius November 19.
Recap – 16 Years with Pluto in Capricorn
Pluto in Capricorn has brought our attention to the overwhelming power of big corporations, which through money have been able to influence government and control an unconscious public. Centralization of wealth and power at the top has left a big majority of the population at the bottom, many of whom feel disempowered, left out, depressed, and angry.
At a personal level, we have been undergoing a ‘facet your diamond’ process. Capricorn is about our journey to the top of our mountain. The climb is arduous. Much endurance and discipline are required to take each step. We feel pressurized and challenged. The goal however is not to make our life miserable, but to form our inner diamond into a solid, resilient, and indestructible gem. That is you!
Capricorn is associated with (1) ambition, (2) the need to be recognized, and (3) the desire to be rewarded and acknowledged for our efforts. The Capricorn learning process is about creating strategies and structures that help us achieve our goals. To move forward and make progress,
- we have to face our fears of an unknown future,
- we have to let go of old strategies, attitudes, and beliefs,
- we have to devise and implement new modes of operation, and
- we have to do the required hard work to get results. There is no free lunch in Capricorn territory.
In our Capricorn arena we are always challenged, the purpose of which is to strengthen our ability to handle pressure and to find more effective and efficient ways of doing things.
Capricorn is about self-mastery. We mature as take our next steps forward.
Capricorn teaches us that only action releases fear and insecurity. With our own actions, we acquire the experience that changes us from within. With calculated and conscious action, we are more free to move forward and enjoy hard-earned satisfaction,
The focus of our Capricorn journey has taken place in the area of our birth chart where Capricorn rules and we have planets, the Sun, or the Moon in that house(s). This arena of our lives has been challenged and restructured. This is where we have felt a lot of fear and uncertainty. We have been confronted with (1) control, (2) scarcity, (3) self-value, and (4) lack of support issues.
The Extended Capricorn Challenge
Everyone has experienced Capricorn challenges since 1984, when Neptune entered Capricorn. All the outer planets have transited Capricorn since then.
Neptune in Capricorn – Nov 23, 1984 – Jan 29, 1998
Uranus in Capricorn – Dec 3, 1988– April 1, 1995
The outer planets work on our unconscious to bring about deep and long-lasting change. It is rare that all three outer planets move through the same sign in one’s lifetime. The Capricorn challenge and its themes – ambition, discipline, recognition, and structure – have lasted for 40 years!
From Capricorn to Aquarius
Capricorn’s structure is hierarchical, where there are designated roles and expectations of how and where we each fit into the system. There is always a push to do better, which can make us feel inadequate or even like a failure. It has been difficult to break free from our prescribed roles within the accepted structure. Yet the frustration that we have experienced has left us stronger and more resilient. It hasn’t been comfortable, but the motivation to achieve has helped us excel, awaken our potential, and manifest our gifts.
Capricorn’s relentless striving and pressure (1) to keep climbing higher, (2) to try to fit into what doesn’t fit, and (3) to keep doing more, will no longer be the default model of our collective focus. With Pluto in Aquarius, we will face a new social model, along with new challenges and tests.
The basic shift is from competition to co-operation. In the Capricorn world, there are winners and losers. In the Aquarian world, we all win together. The Aquarian model is grassroots, with a focus on participation and networking. In the ideal Aquarian world, everyone is connected and has a voice. No one is excluded. Everyone has value and sharing our gifts contributes to the collective well-being.
However, until we create collective structures that embody these ideals, we can feel alienated. Instead of actively participating, we may be tempted to escape into alternative realities and to rely on AI (instead of our own unique creativity). These alternatives are attempts to deal with our inability to cope with the personal responsibility that is inherent in the Aquarian model.
It is important to keep in mind that Aquarius is a mental air sign, whose territory is the higher mind. Aquarius is the inventor, who brings in creative ideas and manifests them in physical reality. Aquarius can be cold and detached. To make its contribution, the Waterbearer must be guided from its heart, with its polarity Leo as its guide. (The Water is consciousness.)
So let us keep in mind that Pluto in Aquarius doesn’t mean that the world is going to suddenly change for the better. Pluto demands complete transformation, radical change and a new mindset to implement a new model. Thus we will first become aware of the shadow or false expressions of Aquarian idealism and the negative implications of misdirected technological innovation.
Pluto in Aquarius is not going to save us from the inner work that we must do to achieve higher consciousness. But the good news is that the Capricorn weight has been lifted. We can feel more encouraged and hopeful as we move forward into a new era.
Reflect and Acknowledge Yourself!
Now it is time to reflect on how far we have come in the last 16 years. The growth, wisdom, and strength that we have gained will go with us. We are better able to navigate a new chapter in our lives.
Pluto in Capricorn has compelled us to re-evaluate our earthly goals related to our profession and role in the world and how and why we desire to achieve success. It is important to assess what you have learned in the last 16 years. Examine your progress – (1) what you have learned through your life experiences, and (2) how strong you have become. Acknowledge yourself!
- I have become my own authority and have taken responsibility for my life.
- I look to my own heart for approval within myself.
- I enjoy and accept, but do not need, validation from others.
- My choices are based on making my soul/heart happy.
Give yourself credit! Make a list and savor it. You made it this far! Congratulations!
As we enter a new phase in our lives, it is also important to identify what is now over and to let go of the past. Empty your past from your backpack. Lighten your load with forgiveness. Embrace a new future today.
Pluto and Transformation
The deep awakening function of Pluto is always present. The zodiac sign that it is passing through sets the tone of the transformation that it requires.
Pluto represents the desires of our soul and the process we have to go through to awaken and align with them. Pluto’s main strategy is to make conscious what has been unconscious. This inevitably requires facing our worst fears, anger, and sadness. Through the examination, healing, and release of repressed emotions, which come to the surface, our emotional energy is gradually transmuted into the frequency of love.
Pluto, the mythic Lord of Death and Rebirth, takes us into the underworld, where we discover the root causes of our dysfunctions, problems, and suffering. We learn that real power comes (1) from within, (2) from knowing our truth, (3) from listening to our heart, and (4) ultimately from our alignment with unconditional love.
As we become conscious of what has been unconscious, we are able to know ourselves from our soul, not our limited and wounded ego. What was overwhelming becomes illuminating. Chaos and complexity become less intimidating as we gain more clarity. We reclaim our energy and inner power. We open our heart to ourselves. With self-love, we gain the freedom and the authenticity that our soul embodied to express this lifetime.
Part Two – Honoring the Feminine
Libra – Our Relationship with Life
Every 6 months the Sun, Moon, and Earth line up to create first a Lunar eclipse and then 2 weeks later a Solar eclipse. The polarity theme guides our journey for the next 6 months.
October 2 there was a solar eclipse New Moon in Libra. We usually associate Libra with personal relationships, how we relate to others, and how we function in 1-on-1 partnerships. Libra’s goal is to find harmony and balance in all of the above.
But Libra it is not just about 1 to 1 relationships. The balancing act of the Libra Scales is about the integration of polarities, which can happen only in the neutral compassionate space in our own heart.
One aspect of our Libra journey includes the mirroring process in relationships, which gives us feedback about our behavior, reactions, and conditioning. Libra has a tendency to lose or never gain a sense of self because of its tendency to see itself through the lens of the other and to accommodate to others’ needs to find harmony.
An often overlooked aspect of Libra is about discovering the inner dynamics of our being that are invisible to the eye – how we are in relationship with ourselves! Libra invites us to prob deeply into the fabric of our being and to bring to the surface the disharmonies within ourselves that sabotage our inner peace and well-being, and thus our relationships.
Mars has stepped in to sort things out!
Mars in Cancer
Mars entered Cancer territory September 5. Because Mars goes retrograde this year, it will spend almost 4 months in Cancer and 2 months in Leo. Below are the dates of Mars’ journey:
- Mars is in Cancer from September 5 – November 4.
- Mars will be in Leo for 2 months from November 5 – January 6.
- Mars re-enters Cancer January 7 – April 18.
- Mars will be retrograde for 2 ½ months from December 6 through February 24.
Mars is the cosmic defender and the advocate that takes action and makes things happen. Mars in Cancer focuses on self-nurturing, self-protection, and emotional security. Women’s issues, the role of women, and women’s empowerment will be highlighted. (Perfect timing for a woman to run for president.)
Mars in Cancer is exposing a deeper inner dynamic within ourselves – the root cause of our relationship issues. The give and take balance is a key Libra theme. There is a dynamic involving expectations, disappointment, reciprocity, acknowledgment, and appreciation that fosters co-dependence, tension, and conflict.
The Cancer archetype is about getting our nurturing needs met. Mars asks us: Are we taking care of ourselves or ignoring our own needs? ‘Selfish’ behaviors may mask inner anger from not giving value to our own needs. When we are triggered by what appears as not receiving or giving too much, we may need to go deeper into how we have compromised our own well-being and not given priority to nurturing ourselves.
Cancer/Mother Archetype
Cancer represents all aspects of the mother and the core issues of nurturing. Divine Cancer energy is a flowing stream of love that feeds us and gives us life.
Cancer embodies both the instinct to give and share and the need to receive and be nurtured by love. Cancer is about being a caretaker and being taken care of. Initially Cancer energy is about being cared for, protected, and unconditionally loved as an infant and young child. As we mature, Cancer is about self-nurturing and self-care.
Capricorn/Father Archetype
Capricorn represents our drive to grow up and to become self-sufficient. We learn skills and discipline ourselves so we can stand on our own. Our instinct is to leave the nest and find our own path. We learn to take responsibility for and direct our own life.
The Capricorn Mountain Goat climbs its mountain one step at a time. The Goat finds a sense of satisfaction and security as it proceeds with determination to accomplish everything required along the way. Our goal is not for the world to see us, but for us to witness progress in attaining our goal to reach the top.
Cancer/Capricorn Integration
Since 2008 when Pluto entered Capricorn, our focus has been on outer success and taking care of ourselves in the world. With Mars in Cancer, how we have neglected our inner needs is coming to the surface.
The Cancer and Capricorn polarities are actually great complements. Together they support our individuation process and how we find a sense of fulfillment and success in life. Our ability to nurture ourselves is a function of both Cancer and Capricorn. Both are inner feminine signs. We nurture ourselves with our life style choices and with self-love.
The emotional security that we cultivate within supports us as we engage in activities in the world. The Capricorn quest for self-sufficiency is equally a function of our inner and outer environments. It is our internal structure directed by our heart that gives us the courage to experiment and experience the world.
Mars and Pluto Collaborate – 3 Oppositions
Mars wants to set things straight and is thus collaborating with Pluto to expose deeper truths and the adjustments that we need to make to restore balance within ourselves and in our relationships. Mars as the Divine Masculine is standing up for the Divine Feminine in Cancer.
Oppositions expose a duality that must be integrated. The Cancer/Capricorn polarity pair calls for the internal balance and integration of the Divine Mother and Divine Father archetypes. The underlying theme of both the Mother and Father archetypes is security.
Mars will be opposing Pluto 3 times, first in Capricorn and then two times in Aquarius.
- November 3 – Mars in Cancer and Pluto in Capricorn, both at 29 degrees, oppose each other.
- January 5, 2025 and (3) April 27, 2025 – Mars in Leo and Pluto in Aquarius oppose each other. (Mars is in Leo from November 5 – January 6.)
The last two oppositions in Leo and Aquarius give us clues on how to experience a harmonious synthesis of the Cancer/Capricorn themes within ourselves. These alignments also open the gate for a heart-centered world. They help us do our part in moving out of a world based on conflict to a world anchored in caring and compassion.
Our Inner Battle – Who Is in Charge?
Both Mars and Pluto deal with the battle of wills, control issues, and power struggles. The struggle revolves around our inner dynamic –Who and what is really in charge of our inner reality, and thus our life?
The following questions go to the core of our relationship with ourselves and others.
- Do we still need a mother to take care of us or can we now nurture ourselves?
- Are we able to step into our own authority and take responsibility for our actions in the world? * Can we connect within and listen to our heart for direction?
- Can we find emotional security within, without being co-dependent or needy?
- Can we let go of mothering others and stop expecting others to mother us?
- Can we stop trying to control or direct others, and let them be responsible for their own lives?
Any form of therapy always includes mother and father issues and how we were supported or not in our childhood. But to end there, is to circle in an endless loop of shame and blame. The existential questions brought to the fore by Mars in Cancer elevate the conversation to –
Can we nurture ourselves and find inner security and emotional strength within?
The answer is ‘Yes we can!’ Supported by Mars in Cancer and Leo, we find unconditional love for ourselves and each other.
Next Guru Rattana Workshop
A critical key to our inner empowerment is listening to and then speaking from our heart.
Don’t miss Guru Rattana’s next Zoom Workshop!
This coming Sunday October 20, 10:00 – 12:00 PM PST (utc-7)
The Throat Chakra – Key to Your Inner Awakening – Places limited – Sign Up Now!
