In the ancient world, humans lived mostly under an open sky. The heavens performed miracles not easily understood—thunder, lightening, meteors, sun, moon, and stars. People in those long ago times sensed something beyond the physical lights in the sky, they sensed the spiritual energy radiating from them and considered them to be divine sources of power. In ancient Sumeria, for example, the symbol for divinity is a star. 

Even though it isn’t true, it appears to us Earthlings, that the sun, moon, planets, and stars revolve around our planet. And, that is what most people believed until recent times. Ancient humans observed the planets moving in a predictable pattern in front of a backdrop of stars that moved more slowly or remained stationary. The Greek, Sumerian and Babylonian priests and priestesses systematically gave the planets names of various deities according to each one’s unique energy essence. Each god had dominion over a particular area of human life. The vibratory energy of each god was matched with the vibratory energy of each known planet. 

Oddly, astrology seems to have sprung up all over the known world at about the same time, and the planets were all given basically the same influential characteristics in each civilization. Mercury in the Americas had the same “powers” as it did in China or Babylonia. Each planet, regardless of what civilization named it, was known for identical or similar influences. For example in all civilizations who used astrology, Mercury was the god of communication, quick thinking, wise, and calculating; Mars ruled cutting, blood, war, anger; Jupiter was expansive, large—king of the gods. 

Big movements are afoot in the heavens as the planets jostle into position, signifying no less than the birth of a new consciousness. But with birth sometimes comes painful transitions until mother and child are resting in each others arms. The beginning of this goes back to the “Harmonic Convergence” of the ‘80s, but the most recent turn of events is showing a ratcheting up of the energy to the point where something’s got to give, as they say.

Editor's Thoughts

Anita Burns

Lot's happening in the world arena, both secular and spiritual. Astrology has never been so interesting (to me). On Tuesday, July 3, the Full Moon in Capricorn  opposes the Sun in Cancer. This speaks to balance between home and public life. Celestial oppositions of Sun and Moon can affect our personal lives and the political climate worldwide. 

Cancer wants us to be homebodies and pay attention to our immediate family. Capricorn is about more wide-spread responsibilities and influences our career, sense of duty, and public life. 

If you are a Cancer or Capricorn, or have these signs strongly indicated in your chart, you might be having a tug of war between what you want and what you think you "should" do. You might want to stay home but are forced into a career or public life that takes you away from home. It could be just the opposite. You might be pursuing a public life or career and be forced to pay more attention to what's happening at home. 

Oppositions always demand a compromise. We must find a way to do both without completely sacrificing one or the other. This can play out on the personal or global scale. 

The United States, that resonates to both Cancer and Capricorn pretty strongly is struggling with issues at home and the need to be an influence in the world. This won't be resolved anytime soon, but it is a comfort to know that if astrology has anything to say about it, eventually, a middle ground will be struck to solve many of our problems. 

The slow-moving planets are the ones to look at for deep cycles in our life and for global issues. Right now: