What's New in Our World?: Ten Key Astro-Events of 2012: Part II (6/1/12)
Ten Key Astro-Events of 2012: Part II (6/1/12)
By Mark Lerner
There are many reasons why 2012 is an exceptional year - not just because of the supposed end of the Mayan Long Count Calendar of 5,125 years, which some believe will occur on December 21. I have gathered together my list of ten major astrological happenings that are affecting all of humanity and the Earth this year. The first five events were listed in Part I, posted on 5/26/12. (Please read Part I, if you haven’t already, before proceeding with Part II.) Events 6-10 are listed below, in order of significance. Later this year or after the Winter Solstice – assuming the Mayans have left us some breathing room for entering 2013 and beyond, and if there is anything more to add – I will be happy to update this list.
Please note that there are numerous meanings and archetypes that are associated with the various celestial bodies, mathematical aspects, zodiacal placements and geometric formations presented in this first half of my Top Ten list. There is no way to cover most or all of them. It is being left to you, the readers, to ponder the potency of these cosmic events and how they are affecting the personal, collective and spiritual life-qualities of human souls gracing terra firma at this time.
Please also note that the context for considering these major astro-events is the ongoing alignment of our solar system with the center of our galaxy, as well as ongoing heightened solar flare activity from the sun.
Here’s the second half of my list of ten key astro-events in 2012:
(6)It is somewhat unusual that both Mars and Venus have been retrograding during 2012. Mars started this when it stationed and went into reverse at 24 degrees of Virgo on January 23. It then turned direct on April 13 at 4 degrees of Virgo. Meanwhile, Venus began its reversal on May 15 at 24 degrees of Gemini and it will turn direct on June 27 at 8 degrees of Gemini. Notice that the twin retrograde cycles of Mars and Venus in 2012 are affecting similar zodiacal regions of two of the mutable signs – Virgo and Gemini. Therefore, Sun-sign Virgos and Geminis and people with strong celestial body placements in these signs are being influenced much more so than usual because, in many situations, three conjunctions to natal positions are happening instead of one. From the larger perspective, years when both Mars and Venus are retrograde – which don’t happen all that often – signify special time-periods when all men and women need to review and re-evaluate their primary partnerships, feelings and emotions, as well as the female-male balance and anima-animus archetypes that every human soul needs to understand more fully in order to make progress on the higher spiritual path.
(7)The Annular Solar Eclipse at 1 degree Gemini on May 20 and the Total Solar Eclipse of November 13 in Scorpio have ramifications that stretch out over many weeks, months and years. The main pathways of each eclipse reveal places on Planet Earth where the Sun and Moon are affecting millions of people. While ancient and medieval sky watchers, nomads and shamans were in awe of such eclipse events, and often were fearful that negative events could befall them and their companions, the greater and more positive understanding in our 21st century is that eclipses are powerful alliances of the solar and lunar forces that can offer much good in the world. Gemini can signify heighted communications, valuable information exchange, literary talents, educational pursuits and intellectual prowess. Scorpio may very well be the most powerful sign of the zodiac – especially inwardly – offering a wide array of benefits in terms of determination, stamina, keen insight, eagle-like vision, psychic sensitivity, and the ability to morph into altered states of being and awareness. If you or a loved one, friend or associate has a birthday on or very close to an eclipse (within 1 day), then that individual may go through a strong catharsis and life-transformation during the 12-month cycle following the eclipse.
(8)We already know that the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is coming up in 2012 as highly significant, but just one day before the Summer Solstice takes place on June 20, there is a potent New Moon at 29 degrees of Gemini on June 19 at 8:03AM PDT. The reason this union of Sun and Moon is so significant is that two prominent stars – Betelgeuse (the main star of the constellation Orion the Hunter) and Polaris (actually a double-star system within the constellation of Ursa Minor or the Little Bear) – are both located at 29 degrees of Gemini. Therefore, the New Moon of June 19 is irradiating humanity with intense cosmic vibrations coming from two highly significant stellar sources of light, love and wisdom. Betelgeuse is a red supergiant that is 500 times more massive than our Sun, and it is the brightest star within a constellation that holds magical significance to the ancient Egyptian culture – as well as many other civilizations over the last 5,000+ years. Polaris as the North Star could be imagined as the Earth’s supreme teacher-mentor-shaman of this epoch as our north pole will point ever more closely to Polaris by the end of this century.
(9)In just a few weeks, Saturn will shift from retrograde to direct on Monday June 25 at 23 degrees of Libra. Just two days later – on Wednesday June 27 – Venus will shift from retrograde to direct at 8 degrees of Gemini. While two celestial bodies do often make stations within a couple of days of each other, these two planets will also be making an intense, 135-degree aspect to one another. The precise links occur on Saturday June 23 and Sunday July 1. Notice that the first Venus-Saturn 135-degree connection happens just one day before the first item in this list (the Uranus-Pluto square on June 24). Therefore, this nearly simultaneous stopping and shifting forward of Saturn and Venus is deeply involved with the Uranus-Pluto square as well as the Jupiter-Neptune square of June 25. I don’t believe I am exaggerating when I point out that the time-period starting with the New Moon of June 19 (in contact with Betelgeuse and Polaris) and ending with Venus turning direct on June 27 could be one of the most momentous for shifts of consciousness and global events in this dynamic year of 2012. Plus – it is wise to carefully monitor money-love factors in your life in accord with the Saturn and Venus stations since these two planets connect strongly with financial, karmic and romantic themes.
(10)Last – but in many ways not least – is that on Tuesday November 6, Election Day in America, when an all-important presidential contest will decide which set of characteristics will dominate this nation for another 4-year cycle, the planet Mercury makes a station and turns retrograde at 6:05PM EST at 5 degrees of Sagittarius. Although Mercury is retrograde three times a year, for three weeks at a time, it would be exceedingly rare for this planet to be virtually motionless on such a significant turning-point day in history. Mercury did not make any kind of station during the last two presidential election cycles in November 2008 and 2004. However, during the late-evening of Tuesday November 7, 2000, Mercury – which had been going retrograde for the three weeks prior to the George W. Bush versus Al Gore contest – made a station and turned direct at the unusual placement of 30 degrees of Libra, the sign of the scales of balance. And we all know that that election was under dispute, went to the Supreme Court for “balancing,” and after 36 days of national uncertainty, the 9 members of our highest judicial branch of government made a controversial 5 to 4 decision that affected everyone on Planet Earth for the following 8 years. Who knows whether this year’s Mercury station and reversal in the sign of higher education (and very close to America’s Rising Degree in Sagittarius) will result in questions about voting irregularities or simply signify a very close, hard-fought election campaign. Just remember that Mercury is still the ancient Messenger of the Gods and it is definitely making an exclamation point by being virtually motionless within the actual time-period when well over 100 million Americans will cast their ballots with the shadow of a challenging Last Quarter Sun-Moon Phase occurring, too -- just a week before a Total Solar Eclipse in deeply transformative Scorpio.
©2012 by Mark Lerner and Great Bear Enterprises, Ltd. All rights reserved.
