A Prominent Pattern Continues this Year

Another chapter of the astrological happenings deals with the other side of the sky from where Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter are currently and will be all year long.  This other side of the sky, the Sacred Hoop, will have much focus upon it in June when we experience our next annular solar eclipse.  But what is remarkable is the timing and synchronicity with the star Betelgeuse, which sits within a degree of the longitude where the annular eclipse takes place.   In addition, this eclipse takes place about 8 hours after the Sun reaches its solstice point (summer in the north and winter in the south).

Betelgeuse, in the constellation of Orion (arguably the most recognizable and distinctive constellation in the sky) appears to be experiencing, “mortality issues” as a red supergiant star.  This star has recently been reported as “fainting”, an astronomical description of any star dimming in its brightness.   Since October, Betelgeuse has dimmed considerably and suddenly since October, 2019 where it has gone from the 9^th brightest star to the 23^rd brightest star.

In November and December, I personally have seen the star dimmer than usual and it confused me because I was used to seeing it as a bright star and easy to identify.  Soon after, I read three articles describing this phenomenon and a concern that Betelgeuse may explode.  It is unknown as to when exactly the super red giant star will go supernova, but the fact that it has fainted more sharply and dimmer than at any point since astronomers have been studying it, it is something important to be on alert for. 

Betelgeuse Fainting/Dimming articles:

https://earthsky.org/space/betelgeuse-fainting-probably-not-about-to-explode

https://www.space.com/dimming-star-betelgeuse-red-giant-could-explode-supernova.html

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/01/opinions/betelgeuse-star-dimming-supernova-opinion-lincoln/index.html

However, Betelgeuse may not explode for hundreds of centuries or it may explode in our lifetimes.  If and when it does explode, the star will likely be as bright or brighter than a Full Moon and be visible in the daytime even though it is at least 450-500 light years away!  This unknown of “when” speaks to how little we really know about stars, at least on an intellectual level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why, then, am I writing about Betelgeuse’s struggle with its mortality?  It is because this star sits at 29 degrees Gemini (longitude degree on the ecliptic), which is about one degree from the June solstice point AND a rare point for an eclipse to take place.  This prominent star sits in area of stars that the Sioux tribe in North America called the Sacred Hoop.  At the center of this Sacred Hoop is the “hand of the high man” or the club/outreaching hand of the hunter, Orion and exactly where the annular eclipse takes place on June 21^st in Asia.

Betelgeuse sits at the shoulder, connecting the hand of the high man or Orion to the June solstice point.  Astrologically, the June solstice point is zero degrees Cancer and in mythology represents the Silver Gate or Galactic Extreme/Edge where souls come into the Milky Way to incarnate.  On the opposite side of the sky and nearby is where Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto are gathering for a very rare alignment in the sign of Capricorn and Aquarius.

Another feature of the June solstice point is another side where the tips of the Bull’s horns reach, which have inspired many transmissions in Egyptian writing with gods and goddesses featuring the Sun or Moon on their headdress or horns in the pictures.

This was also highly prominent on the December solstice in 2010, a shadow rolled across the Full Moon as it slowly transited 29 degrees Gemini and zero degrees Cancer just above the hand of Orion and at the feet of the Twins.  Shortly after midnight, I experienced this powerful Total Lunar Eclipse in the Sonora Desert of Southern Arizona.  The rusty-reddish hue of Earth’s shadow was visible in the Western Hemisphere, creating a spiritual and surreal event for me.  The Sacred Hoop emerged more fully with the shadowed Moon allowing for more stars to be seen, including the bright star, Betelgeuse.  That eclipse is part of a few patterns, but one of the more easily noticeable is the Metonic cycle of the Moon, which repeats every 19 years. 

The Total Lunar Eclipse of December 21, 2010 of this current pattern represented the half-way mark between two solar eclipses.  The eclipse prior to 2010 of the Metonic cycle took place on June 21, 2001 (visible in the South Atlantic and Southern Africa) at zero degrees Cancer at the very same place this next annular eclipse takes place on June 21, 2020 (in Asia / June 20, 2020 on the Pacific Coast of the US).

 

On the eclipse in 2001, it was taking place in the building up of a Saturn (in Gemini)-Pluto (in Sagittarius) opposition that played a role in the world-changing events of September that year.  In fact, on morning of Sept 11^th, the last-quarter Moon was only 1-3 degrees away from the June solstice point in the sky, pointing out the astrological potency of this area of the sky.

The Sacred Hoop of stars can be traced through the stars of Castor and Pollux in the Twins constellation through Capella, then Aldebaran (or Pleiades, depending upon the preference) in the Bull constellation, then to Rigel (in Orion), Sirius and up to Procyon and back to the Twins.  It is a rough circle of stars that carries much of humanity’s prominent stories and myths across thousands of years and cultures worldwide. 

Astrologer and Priestess Cayelin Castell (with a contribution and insight from Daniel Giamario) has written a short, but informative article about the Sacred Hoop of Stars, which you can read more about here.  I share about it here as well.

The edge of Gemini and Cancer

The center of the Sacred Hoop of Stars and below where the star Betelgeuse is located is at the boundary of the astrological signs of Gemini and Cancer.  In Shamanic Astrology, cusps are not used, but it is worth exploring when sharing about this area of the sky.  While Gemini and Cancer have little in common (and really any two adjacent signs of the zodiac), an evolution takes place from one sign to the next.  But from my experience, from Gemini to Cancer can be likened to the area of the Solar System where the Sun’s influence is greatly reduced and interstellar space exists.  Astronomers call this the “terminator shock”, the boundary between the heliosphere and interstellar space (where most cosmic rays are shielded from entering the Solar System).

Gemini, as a sign, is a about the multiplicity of interest, communication, shape-shifting, social drive and connecting with many relationships and rarely sitting still.  Gemini is youth, dancing and playing and exercising its mental prowess of stimulated curiosity. 

Whereas the sign of Cancer is, as astrologer Dane Rudyar calls it, “we witness a sudden cancellation of Gemini’s eager extension.  Boundaries are reached; the curiosity for new relationships is absorbed by an event which leads to complete reversal of motion.” (Astrological Signs: The Pulse of Life page 54).  In other words, the shock of coming into family and of settling down.  Cancer invests in its compassion, nurturing and responsible care-giving skills toward family and home (in their broadest definition).

In regards to the boundary of these two signs, this is a bit of a shock boundary and great change in experience and priorities.  And here is where the souls come into the galaxy and where the eclipses I’ve shared about, are taking place.  And now we have Betelgeuse in potentially what could be called, “death throws”.  I believe that even if Betelgeuse doesn’t explode, the mere fact that it has fainted suddenly and significantly is sharing something with humanity in relation to this area of the sky called the Sacred Hoop.  And that star beginning to transition from the sign of Gemini to Cancer (completing this transition approximately in 2089, which may or may not by that time be just a remnant of its former self).

The eclipse of June 21, 2020 and the dimming of Betelgeuse, I feel, are helping to make contributions to assist humanity in some way.  Beyond the scientific study and effect, eclipses are metaphysical and/or spiritual portals of a celestial nature, not only from the experiences of others but from my own personal experience.

For those who have some basic knowledge of their astrology chart, if one has personal planets/points in the latter degrees of Gemini and early degrees of Cancer, this is an important time period for you.  But even more, for others on the boundaries of Sagittarius/Capricorn, Pisces/Aries and Virgo/Libra (the signs and not necessarily the constellations as signs and constellations are separate) will also be influenced, astrologically-speaking, by these celestial events.

For stars, an orb of five degrees is a healthy amount to use and for eclipses I use a wider orb of 10 degrees due to how fast the Moon moves across the sky (relative to the planets).   For example, if a person was born with an Ascendant at 4 degrees of the sign of Cancer, Betelgeuse would be a personal star for you and play a role in the expression of your Ascendant.  The June solstice eclipse would also be featured as a magical point in this life (neither good nor bad) and a great time for meditation and/or personal ceremony.  There are a few other stars nearby, which a person could utilize astrologically (those in feet/heel of the Twins constellation and two bright stars in the Auriga, the Charioteer/Driver constellation).

More about 2020

2020 is one of the major crossroads of a multi-year crossroad-laden longer period for humanity.  One can point on the natal chart of the United States, that Venus and Jupiter were conjunct in the early degrees of Cancer and see how the country’s vision quest path and feminine expression (through Venus) is being activated by the eclipse but also highlighting the importance of the Sacred Hoop area of stars.  The star Sirius, which sits at about 14 degrees Cancer, and forms part of the Hoop is in conjunction by longitude with where the Sun was on the day the nation was forged.

There are no coincidences with this piece of 2020 and the synchronicities are many.  The first-tier planetary alignment of Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter this year in Capricorn/Aquarius taking place on the other side of the sky is, of course, what is really driving this year astrologically.  I talk about this in my last article as well as my video here.  But as this year develops, more will be revealed as to how this all shakes out. 

I do feel that there is also something to be said AFTER alignments end when the planets begin to separate.  There is a certain release that creates its own “aftermath” and “fallout” from a potent planetary configuration and something to be aware of for 2021.

Also, this year, we will experience new incarnations of the feminine and the masculine principles.  Venus rises as a morning star on June 9^th or 10^th (depending upon where you are on the Earth) to begin a new cycle in the sign of Gemini.  Mars, representing the masculine principle in Shamanic Astrology, reaches opposition (and almost as bright as it was in July, 2018) on October 13^th in the sign of Aries.  These incarnations, called overtones or meta-archetypes of Gemini and Aries will play significant roles in the overall relationship and shifting duality of sex and gender roles.

I will continue to write more about all of this and keep everyone informed as to my insights and thoughts around this year and beyond.  In the meantime, here are a few notable astrological alignments to connect with over the rest of January:

January 12^th in Capricorn (December 31, 2019 to January 24th within 1 degree of each other) Conjunction of Saturn and Pluto (first time since November 7, 1982, when it took place in the sign of Libra).  Mercury, Ceres and the Sun are less than a degree away with MErcury and Ceres hanging around Saturn and Pluto for most of January.

January 20^th Moon-Mars conjunction at 11+ degrees Sagittarius in the early morning sky with the star Antares in the Heart of the Scorpion constellation (on the day the Sun moves into the sign of Aquarius).

January 28^th Moon-Venus conjunction in the sign of Pisces the evening sky – this represents the 5^th gate and the throat chakra in the Venus cycle.  Basic meaning is opening up to heart-level communication, empathy and being of service.

January 30^th Saturn in the sign of Capricorn is now 15 degrees from the Sun and technically becomes visible to the naked eye.  From this point, we will now be able to see how close Jupiter has gotten to Saturn (and Pluto, since this dwarf planet is close-by but not visible).  These planets are in the Archer constellation and slowly making their way between the Archer and Goat-Fish constellations