Energy Astrology: February, 2007

Lassoing the Stars for a Better Life

By Cyndi Dale

Breakthrough or Breakdown? A Matter of Perspective

On any given day, there are at least three breakdowns in my house. Here is the short-list of the typical culprits: me, myself, or Gabe. Of course, there are other players in the house, namely the two dogs and two turtles, the latter category not causing difficulties except when Gabe’s friends decide to take them “for a walk” and they disappear for a while. Of the dogs, Coco, the deaf and blind one, causes very little friction, so she really doesn’t count, unlike Honey the wild Golden Retriever, whose behavior and developmental age is synonymous with that of best friend and fellow mate, Gabriel. (Many of you probably realize that there is very little difference or separation between an eight-year-old boy and a three-year-old dog, much to the chagrin of housecleaners and mothers everywhere.)

My breakdowns fit in the adult category, and are of the more feminine rather than masculine variety. That means they are emotional. “What do you MEAN my hair appointment got cancelled?” “Hello, if I’m treated like a maid one more time, there won’t be any more food in this house. Permanently.” “I can’t BELIEVE that these jeans don’t fit. They did last week. I’ll have to get the dryer guy to check the heat setting.” For the most part, my breakdown mode qualifies as ripples in a pond. I carry on, threaten, am ignored, and then continue with my life pretty much as before – maybe grumpily, but you can’t have everything.

Gabe’s crisis, on the other hand, reveal his youth but also, I hate to admit, his respective maturity (respective, that is, to the adults in the house, of which there happens to be only one.) There are two main categories to Gabe’s breakdowns: The world is picking on me versus Mom is picking on me.

Here are examples of the first area: “I have HOW MANY HOURS of homework. And you expect me to do it when SPONGEBOB SQUAIRPANTS is on?” “The dog ATE MY PENCILS, and you think I am going to GET MY HOMEWORK DONE ANY TIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE?” And here’s the latest one. “People think that second graders should have no choice, but they are SO WRONG. That’s DISCRIMINATION. I know, we studied Martin Luther King in school.”

That was the “world is picking on me category.”

My personal favorite grouping of Gabe’s breakdowns occur in the other and more voluminous classification, gamely labeled, “Mom is picking on me,” also subtitled, “Mom, guess what happened?” In this division fits fun-time play that results in broken, misplaced, or maimed items; spilled milk, tipped permanent paint, or strewn content material (as when the sugary cereal ends up on the floor because it’s really only purchased to find the Mystery prize hidden inside.) Also fitting in this allocation are the projects-that-get-one-in-trouble, including shooting the dog with poisoned (ala permanent paint-dipped) Nerf arrows, toppling the 300-pound television while pretending to be Superman, or smearing one’s older brother’s rare baseball cards with pizza droppings. Why do these occurrences qualify as “Mom is picking on me?” Guess who ends up pulling the plug on the pleasure? The main difference between a child’s breakdowns and those of the mature, responsible adult’s is that the adult is supposed to act maturely, whereas the child doesn’t yet have to pretend.

This is an energy column. I bet you’re wondering what breakdowns and chaos have to do with energy. Well, every month I feature one of the spectacular and sensational events of the sky and show how it impacts our every day reality. We’re all made of energy. Earth-shattering events affect us all; so do major heavenly happenings. There’s nothing wu-wu or New Age about assessing the constellations for input, guidance, and warnings. Energy alters other energies. It’s just smart to look forward the figure out what we might be in for and to see if we can make something otherwise “challenging” into an event helpful, or at the least, “interesting.”

February, 2007, crescendos to a shakedown with Mercury. What’s Mercury? It’s a planet that, when retrograde or “backward,” challenges our communications and creates crisis in our daily lives. This February, Mercury’s special trip to the dark side of the moon brings us an awesome opportunity. In that it is situated to beget disturbances – hence, my introductory paragraphs featuring the topic of “breakdowns,” it can also invite breakthroughs. After all, we must break apart old orders to create new ones. Yes, sometimes the old television must shatter before Mom will buy a new one.

How can you guarantee breakthroughs instead of breakdowns? The key lies in your ability to shift perspective.

Perspective: Fall out for February

A perspective is a particular viewpoint of the facts, based on one’s point-of-view. Notice that a perspective isn’t a fact in and of itself, it’s a conclusion based on one’s personal opinions. We all see the world through our own set of glasses, whether they be rose, purpose, pink, or grey, and reach our conclusions about a presenting event based on internal beliefs.

It’s good to have a perspective about something. Good heavens, what if you couldn’t figure out which dress to buy for a date (guys, stay with me here, please) because you lacked perspective? You could end up with one of those Mama Cass wrap-yourself-up tent dresses just because you failed to notice how absolutely ridiculous you look in it! And guys – I told you I’d get to you – what if you actually thought that the Chicago Cubs were going to win during one of their (many) bad years, and you bet the mortgage money on them?

Perspective provides us the insight that we need to make accurate, quick, and effective decisions. Sometimes, however, our perspective on a particular issue or situation is warped, bent, or completely wrong. This can be the basis of prejudice, for instance. Let’s say an African American, Caucasian, Native American, or Oriental person once stole you blind. Does that mean everyone of that particular ethnic persuasion would do the same? Not every Muslim is a terrorist, not every man a pick-up artist, not every woman a gold digger. A perspective must be aligned with truth in order to aid rather than injure others or ourselves.

In February, the situation in the sky allows us to examine and purposefully select our perspectives. To do this, we can actually rely upon the greater spiritual truth of Perspective to see with clarity and make decisions with impunity.

What is leading to an emphasis on Perspective? Well, as already mentioned, Mercury is moving backward, starting on February 13th. Straight until March 7th, this blessed darling will be blithely skipping from one celestial body to another, towing us with it. This “wild goose chase” could completely erase your sanity – or, if you’re able to gainfully employ Perspective, lead to the types of breakthroughs that create “happily ever after.” What moves on the astrological board game will Mercury be making?

Let’s look. In February, Mercury does the following:
• Turns retrograde in Pisces with a near conjunction with Uranus and a square with Jupiter. For the first week of the retrograde, you’ll find yourself placed in emotional and psychic Pisces, being pulled between unpredictable and exhilarating Uranus and expansive, growth-oriented Jupiter. For a moment, think of this occurrence as internal rather than external. Say that you are thrown into your most emotional state. It doesn’t matter what trips it – spilled milk, gaining weight, a job loss, or maybe just a bad moment. Breakdown time, right? Now imagine that the triggering event causes you to want to completely rebel – go against the grain, as they say, or strike out on a new path. Within each of us are compelling and often oppositional forces and desires. Do you cast tradition aside and refuse to mop up the spilled milk? Do you fantasize a brand new future, such as never buying milk again? Or do you instead search for a higher perspective, one that incorporates your emotional needs, encourages practicality, and is based upon intuitive brilliance? Maybe you simply laugh, and then buy spill-proof cups.

• Conjuncts the Sun on February 22nd. The Sun represents our ability to look within and see truth. Picture it as a big “eye” that helps you know your personal “I.” Something will most likely occur – some crisis or drama – within the next few days to challenge your ability to peer inside rather than maintain that glazed external stare. If such an experience happens, rather than simply react, you might want to ask yourself questions like these. What does this event say about you? How does it speak to you? How might a shift in Perspective help you reveal your inner self, the self of honor, courage, respect, or love, rather than your reactive self, the one that simply “breaks down?” Presenting the best self often leads to the best results.

• Reverses into Aquarius on February 26th. Aquarius is an air sign and therefore represents thinking, intellect, and maturity. This energetic shift invites a permanent change in perspective, if we so desire. No matter what communication snafus are waffling our February, we can attain and reach a higher viewpoint. Can we see through the eyes of our mature self, the one that achieves breakthroughs in the midst of breakdowns? If the car falls apart for the 40th time on the freeway, would an adult not decide it might be time for a new car? If one more person says, “interesting color on you” when we wear our favorite (tattered and yes, ugly) sweater, might we not decide to take a look at what we really look like in it, rather than seethe with rage? It’s all a matter of Perspective.


A Final Tip: When You Feel Like You’re Tipping Over

Some days it’s hard to reach a higher perspective, much less want to get out of bed. On these days, we don’t want to be mature. We’d much rather fantasize about doing in the ex, firing our boss, or calling Domino’s pizza one more time. Making room for the intelligence of the last suggestion, I suggest that “when the going gets tough,” we MOST need to reach for a higher, or spiritual Perspective. Perspective is a real energy. What might happen if we summon our higher self, pray for God’s help, or meditate until we attain a sense of calm, or at least, the willingness to decide about shooting the dog tomorrow instead of today? We can choose. There’s NO ONE but OURSELVES making us see a situation the way that we are seeing it. So what, if mom, dad, the culture, school, religion, provided us the seeds for our viewpoints. We can decide what to believe in or not; which glasses to wear or not; what perspective to follow or not. If you feel like Mercury – or any other variable – is tipping you over the edge, decide not to. Just don’t tip! It’s a matter of Perspective – and choice.