Finding The Muse

Over the next few weeks and stretching back over the last few weeks astrologically Neptune conjuncts the North Node within one degree orb in the sign of Aquarius. The nodes North and South are points in astrological charts that mark the intersection of the Moon's orbit around the Earth with the ecliptic path - the path of the Sun. The Nodes carry meaning like all astrological points and planets, the North Node defines a place of opportunity for growth and development, the south represents karmic repression and tendencies that restrict growth.

With Neptune conjunct this North point it also opposes the South point and poses a question to us as a collective. Where are we heading? Have we a great imagined idea, a fabulous Aquarian goal of where we see ourselves going? Or are we completely lost on this journey and quest. Have we found ourselves caught in Poseidon’s nets and seriously have no idea of what’s going on and what’s ahead. Is it too impossible a question to answer or is it too scary to look?

The sabian symbol for 24 plus degrees of Aquarius is -

“A butterfly with the right wing more perfectly formed” -

being a great image of : perhaps we have half an idea, but the other half has not even been addressed or looked at. We can’t fly into the future without both our wings formed. This is also the degree of the next lunar eclipse on the 16^th August also at 24 degrees Leo/Aquarius. What could this mean? Certainly a time to think of forming and paying attention to the other wing.

Just recently in The Age newspaper, I read a scientific report that confirmed to readers, that our assumptions of where we would be at this moment in time regarding global warming and our ecological crisis , are in fact far beyond and more advanced than we presumed a few years ago. We are failing considerably in the quest to save the planet. Our crisis worsens.

Neptune confuses us more - is this task impossible? Are we doomed ? Can we save ourselves still? We’ve had Earthhour and the 2020 conference over the last few weeks, but surely these seem to be miniscule attempts when we think about what we can do and what we could do. Couldn’t we do Earthhour every week, surely it wouldn’t be so hard. Neptune at this nodal point reminds us that all could be lost, as well as all could be saved. Much needs to be sacrificed from so many perspectives - personal and global.

Perhaps Neptune’s presence reminds us to keep the faith, that there is no clear way or solution right now. It’s all so very complex, our issues with the future and how we will survive. However everyone is involved, we are all lost at sea with a confused direction home. Do we bother with all that plastic, or think God one more plastic bag surely won’t make a difference, or lighting my gorgeous open fire tonight surely won’t add much pollution to what’s already out there. We have to keep the faith and believe it will and it does make a difference. If we have no visions , we have no future. The combination of Aquarius, the North Node and Neptune remind us that it is time to imagine and envision, not to fall apart in despair and hopelessness.

Reading about a new documentary soon to be shown at the St Kilda film festival, I thought of this current alignment. A topic that reminds us that however we get there, we need to find the MUSE. “Abusing the Muse” is about Nick Cave, the infamous Melbourne singer and the documentary explains to us the ways Nick finds inspiration and his Muse.

He says this of his creative process:
“ a lot of people think you should wander around and absorb life and wait for the epiphany to happen , but I’m very much a plodder “. He says he doesn’t go to his office when inspired, he just goes in the office every morning, compelled to do some work “I don’t care how I feel or whether or not the muse has struck that day, I just go and do it”.

I love this as an analogy of Neptune right now, if we can’t be inspired or find solutions to our future dilemmas right now, we still need to plod away and keep working on it. To some this is the way, to others, well they do wander around and perhaps wait for epiphanies. Whatever way, we need to find the MUSE to help ourselves through these veils of illusion, delusion and hidden agendas and perhaps cannot afford the time to wait for epiphanies. We would do best to nurture and encourage, make a special time and place, make yourself a date with your MUSE.

Where does Neptune and the North Node conjunct in your chart? Perhaps you will find a clue to finding your muse over the next few weeks. I write this on the day that the Muse revealed herself through my 3^rd house.

BLACK in FASHION

Recently I went to see an exhibition at the NGV in Melbourne - titled “Black in Fashion - from Mourning to Night” - I wanted to see it because I thought - what a great theme - conjuring so many images and the world of Black. Black representing so many things from authority, confidence, mourning, magic, mystery, so much symbolism and meaning, I thought I was in for a treat. The exhibition, however, was quite a disappointment, Besides a few dresses - wonderful as they were, and a few old paintings of Elizabethan women’s portraits wearing Black- and one Punk outfit - there was nothing else. No write ups of the symbolism of black, no shoes, bags accessories, no meanings, no references to symbolism - nothing. Surely the curators could have come up with more than that, such a big theme. You’d think with the resources available to curators at the NGV - they could have perhaps come up with a much more extensive representation - of Black - in Fashion. Perhaps next time they could summon an Astrologer - we can only hope.

Black perhaps is the most symbolic of all colours. In the fashion world it has never not been around, even though we constantly hear or read term such as “Green is now the new Black” or perhaps”blue” or “purple”. But nothing will ever be as powerful as Black.

Black defines pure elegance or outright rebellion to sophistication and power. From the little black dress to the sumptuous flowing chiffon evening gown, a man in a tuxedo. From old rockers to young punks, from Goths and Mods to priests and vampires, widows to witches, burglars and spies, black is a very strong and powerful symbol. It defines someone of authority someone quite confident, someone who is not afraid to show themselves and who they are, someone who wears their authority on their sleeve, or wears black for a reason, like judges, referees and black belts in some martial arts.

Black is not technically a colour but is any colour at it’s darkest value, it absorbs all colour and is perhaps also the most intriguing colour , non-colour, be it found on velvet, shiny vinyl, soft leather or a furry wrap, black has many disguises and many faces.

Psychologically black is usually associated with very negative things, we have a fear of darkness, bad things happen in the dark. Black is associated with the underground, being undercover, unseen. Black is also associated with depression and death, black magic, the Black Market and Blackmail .

As an Astrologer when we think Black - we automatically think of Saturn. Lord of melancholy and authority, death and darkness. Living in Melbourne a city always attuned to the colour black and myself having a strong Saturn and many black clothes - I found that this exhibit fell far from my expectations of what could have been done with such an deeply symbolic topic.

Anyway - another mission perhaps for the C*I*A in the future.

A huge topic - this site has some more great insights into BLACK and all it's meaning.

http://www.sensationalcolor.com