Enter The Shadowlands

Artwork by Sam Thomas (UK)

Since we last sat down together my lovelies, both Pluto and Mars have turned retrograde, joining taskmaster Saturn and truth bomb Jupiter in reverse gear. And although it may well feel like the brakes have been slammed on, in truth this an invitation to enter the shadowlands prepared to spend some highly instructive and revealing time walking among our skeletons, the denizens of our dark.

This much maligned shadow is at its core the very source of our personal power, all too often comprising the many headed parts of us that have been shamed or shaken, pointed or prodded, deemed somehow unacceptable or unpalatable. And so we learn all too quickly to play nice, to stuff our darknesses into pockets and corners, to try and pretend that they are not a part of us at all, not really. But oh how they are, shouting louder and louder until we acknowledge their greatness, their wonder, their why.

Mars is a fiery friend in our chart, the home of our passion and desires, our drive to fight for what (and who) we believe in. When Mars whacks the stick in reverse it can feel like life has sharply stalled. Our firestarter is journeying through Sagglands first, forcing an examination of our core values. Oh yes there shall be mucho muckraking and secrets exposed, guns pointed and true motives revealed. All this by divine design to show us who and what really matters to us, to reflect whether or not we are truly living or just spouting this truth of ours. Standard Mars retro protocol applies: cultivate extreme patience (yes that old chesnut) and for the love of the God of War, don't pick a fight or engage in even the most minor of stoushes. You shall not win. Use this slow mo (and the bombastic displays of those who suffer under such skies trying to push their barrow harder and further) to let Truth be revealed to you as your passion projects develop organically through this transit.

Pluto is concerned with our shadows and personal transformation at the best of times. Retrograding in Capricorn Uncle Pluto demands we examine the deep psychological motives that determine and structure our behaviour. Pluto transits force you to clear house (or indeed tear your house down) but in retrograde this is an internal process that shines a black light on our personal power – how we have it and keep it, how we wield it and use it, how we throw it around.

Any time spent in the shadowlands is regenerative, deeply instructive and occasionally terrifying. With Lady Luna belting towards her peak in Scorpionic intensity and the sun nearly shifted into Taurus, there is no escape. Time to dance with the devil in the pale moonlight my lovelies.

Wholeness for humans depends on their ability to own their own shadow. Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darkness of other people. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light but by making the darkness unconscious.
~ Carl Jung

Words c. Kerrie Basha 2016