The Weight of the World ~ January 30th-February 5th, 2017

29 Jan The Weight of the World ~ January 30th-February 5th, 2017

Posted at 19:57h in Weekly Readings by aeolianheart@gmail.com

“The weight of the world

is love.

Under the burden

of solitude,

under the burden

of dissatisfaction

the weight,

the weight we carry

is love. . .”

-excerpt from Song by Allen Ginsberg

If, as the great poet Allen Ginsberg said, “The weight of the world is love” then Aquarius season can be very challenging, for it is in the highest nature of the water-bearer to endure the burden of solitude and dissatisfaction, finding love for the whole of humanity. The task of loving the world despite all the evidence of ignorance, despotism, and evil is the labor of Aquarius.

With Venus moving into Aries and Jupiter turning retrograde in Libra, this second week of Aquarius season will usher in provocative thinking, strange visions, and a confrontation with the dark side of individualism.

Today, when Westerners first think of Individualism, they often consider it to be a very positive attribute. Following this train of thought usually takes one back to the Renaissance, from whence all the virtues of the modern individual were supposedly born.

The antiquated notion of the individual was one that edified the dignity, worth, and power of human beings to enact their will upon the world through acts of creation. Thus, the Renaissance is heralded as the rebirth of human genius.

“…Who can deny?

In dreams

it touches

the body,

in thought

constructs

a miracle,

in imagination

anguishes

till born…”

The philosophies of this rebirth supplanted much Church doctrine and with the invention of the Gutenberg printing press, a new wealth of ideas and literacy flourished. With so many people now able to own books, their time lost in the quietude of reading began to crystallize the experience of the individual into a new form.

The pattern of this form was an exponentially expanding access to knowledge, birthing new sciences, politics, religions, and literary art forms. At the same time, knowledge was continuously being distilled and separated into systems, specialities, and taxonomies.

“Print exists by virtue of the static separation of functions and fosters a mentality that gradually resists any but a separative and compartmentalizing or specialist outlook.” – Marshall Mcluhan

Therefore, it stands to reason that if the internal landscape of literate people was oriented toward separating and compartmentalizing, so too would their sense of self be likewise separated and compartmentalized.

This is the world in which we live now. One where everyone is special as well as a specialist, quite sure of the wide margins of separation between themselves and the other.

A devastating example of the dark side of individualism is belief that nature is something separate or outside of humanity. This hubristic notion of separation from the Earth is the cause of all the widespread pollution and poisoning.

It has also birthed a neurotic impulse to deconstruct rather than to build, to separate rather than to unify, and to decry the past even if it is irrational to do so.

Thus, with these pervasive conditions of separation, the postmodern individual has been led into the very nihilism that Friedrich Nietzsche once warned of in the late 19th Century.

“What does nihilism mean? That the highest values devalue themselves. The aim is lacking; [the question] ‘why?’ finds no answer.”

-Will to Power

In his mind, the societal conditions of nihilism would seek and destroy all that was sacred. The total collapse of meaning and purpose in life was something Nietzsche believed would be the greatest crisis of humanity. But instead of fearing this onslaught, he embraced it.

Why? Because he believed it was possible that humanity might have the strength to overcome it!

“I believe it is one of the greatest crises, a moment of the deepest self-reflection of humanity. Whether man recovers from it, whether he becomes master of this crisis, is a question of his strength. It is possible.”

This week, you will have to reflect upon whether or not you think it is possible for humanity to overcome nihilism. Give these ideas some real consideration. If you, like Allen Ginsberg, can see that the burden of life is to love despite all obstacles rather than to create more obstacles, then you will know you have been strong enough to overcome this great crisis.

“…in human–

looks out of the heart

burning with purity–

for the burden of life

is love . . .”

Monday/Tuesday: Be Mad or Chill

“. . . No rest

without love,

no sleep

without dreams

of love–

be mad or chill

obsessed with angels

or machines,

the final wish

is love. . .”

On Monday, the newly waxing Moon will be traversing the sign of Pisces, softening your gaze and opening your heart to compassion. Be Chill. The Full Moon in two weeks will be an eclipse in Leo, so the time is now to begin preparing for a catalyzing emotional charge.

On Tuesday, Mercury in Capricorn will square Uranus in Aries, an aspect that may bring some unexpected realizations or perhaps even a surprise! Watch what you say to others on this day, for Uranus may incite a bit of impulsive truth-telling. This kind of boldness in speech may be put to good use, but with the Moon in Pisces still, you’ll be very in tune with other people’s feelings.

Best case scenario, with an aspect between Mercury and Uranus you will be graced by a stroke of genius that allows you to move forward in an area where you have been stagnating. Worst case scenario, you will become a tyrannical liberator, destroying everything in your wake that is judged as an obstruction.

Wednesday/Thursday: The Soul Comes Joyful

“. . .The warm bodies

shine together

in the darkness,

the hand moves

to the center

of the flesh,

the skin trembles

in happiness

and the soul comes

joyful to the eye. . .”

During the middle of the week the Moon will travel through Aries, gaining light and heat in the sign of war! This does not mean that you will necessarily have any issues with volatility, but because Mars has returned home to Aries, do yourself a favor and refrain from seeking out situations which you know will aggravate you.

Turn off the news. Avoid that person. etc…

On Thursday, Mercury in Capricorn will square Jupiter in Libra. A hard aspect from Jupiter is never considered to be anything terribly disconcerting, for even in a square it brings optimism and expansion. But because a square does bring up tension, expect your capacity to think and talk (Mercury) about uncomfortable philosophical issues to be supported.

And of course, this is the perfect day for contemplation regarding your relationship to nihilism. It is likely that Jupiter will offer you a bit of a lift when thinking about the future. Plant some seeds of optimism today and reap the rewards for many years to come.

Friday/Saturday/Sunday: I Always Wanted

“. . .cannot be bitter,

cannot deny,

cannot withhold

if denied:

the weight is too heavy. . .”

Venus moves out of the blissful pools of Pisces on Friday, her traditional planetary day, and onto the battleground of Aries. This shift might be felt as uncomfortable because Venus will be transiting from her place of exaltation into her place of detriment in zodiac.

The sign of Aries is the opposite of her sign of rulership, Libra. Thus, her rulership over relationships, balance and harmony (Libra) will be confronted with the rather foreign policies of Arian individuality, impulsivity, and tactlessness.

The sign of Aries is also where Venus will be turning retrograde in March, thus the energies summoned up by her journey through her sign of detriment will be very significant to your development this year.

Venus is left with little recourse in Aries aside from finding a way to use her graces to find harmony within a warzone. Love, after all, “cannot deny, cannot withhold.”

Venus in Aries will no doubt inspire many to find sympathy and compatibility with those that are in authoritative positions or with aggressive temperaments. While Venus and Mars are both in Aries, these martial qualities of leadership may even become more pronounced in your own personality.

But Venus’ greatest art in the sign of Aries will be to find the commonality between lovers and soldiers, as Ovid once did in his somewhat humorous poem, “Love and War”:

“. . .To slip through bands of guards and watchful sentinels

is always the soldier’s mission – and the lover’s.

Mars wavers; Venus flutters: the conquered rise again,

and those you’d think could never fall, lie low. . .”

Finally on Sunday, Jupiter in Libra will turn retrograde, remaining in this motion until June 9th.

“. . . must give

for no return

as thought

is given

in solitude

in all the excellence

of its excess. . .”

When Jupiter, planet of philosophy, turns retrograde, a beautiful opportunity to re-assess your morals and ethics arises. In the light of recent political frenzies, it may be a very positive thing to put down one’s former ignorance in favor of a higher understanding.

As with all retrogrades, the experience of Jupiter will become more inwardly focused. Thus, your inborn moral compass may become far more illustrative as a guide.

You will see where you being dishonest and fatuous. You will attune to the desires within yourself that are actually born from love. And you will see that the kingdom of heaven is within.