The Earth isn’t really that close to the Sun, it’s just Photoshopped in to demonstrate how big those Sunspots (the darker areas) are. Fortunately, they haven’t been aimed toward Earth when they’ve ejected Solar Flairs. The Sun is 109 times larger in diameter than the Earth, meaning its circumference is 342 times that of Earth, and its volume over 9,000 times as great. It’s a heavy dude – its mass is about 330,000 times the mass of the Earth. And it’s not really grey.
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A primary principle of the Gestalt process consists of translating negative Energies into positive Energies. Re-interpreting Control as Protection would be one example. If we appreciate someone’s effort to Protect us, our Feelings and Behavior and Reactions and Responses are very different than when we rebel against someone’s effort to Control us. Yet they’re often the same Energy.
We could call what we do Gestalt Astrology – translating Energies usually seen as negative into the positive is one of our primary techniques. Saturn, for instance, is often seen as Limitation. What’s the positive function of Limitation? Focus. So we see Saturn as telling us to Focus on The Most Important Thing. We feel Limitation when we’re attached to lower priorities.
Eris is often seen as Dischord, as her contribution of a Golden Apple inscribed “The Fairest of Them All” to a banquet of the Gods and Goddesses produced a very dischordant banquet, and ultimately led to the Trojan War. Yet the Competitiveness among the Goddesses was there before the Golden Apple. The Apple merely brought it into Consciousness (or at least, provided the opportunity for same – it’s not clear from the Mythology that anyone’s vanity actually became Conscious). So we see Eris as the Revelation of what’s Unconscious.
We usually refer to that as the Revelation of Denial, but Denial is not a dirty word to us. The Ego’s function is to keep us Alive and Safe, and the Ego is fairly easily overwhelmed, leaving us vulnerable to danger. Denial is the natural process that allows us to Focus on what we perceive to be The Most Important Thing (our Egoic Stability) rather than on the Elephant in the room. Most people use the word Denial as an accusation, when they’re insisting that The Most Important Thing to them become The Most Important Thing to us.
Pandora is usually seen as the vehicle by which Evil was released into the World of Hufolk. But like Nassim, we have to ask “What came before that?” The answer is Unconsciousness. By bringing Evil into Consciousness, or at least providing the opportunity for same, we gain the opportunity to Choose not to indulge it. So we can see Pandora as symbolizing Self-Awareness.
On October 29, Pandora backs across Eris. Eris Initiated Pandora in mid-July, so this represents an “Exposition” phase of their dance together…
When two planets cross, we refer to it as the slower (message-giver or guru) planet Initiating the faster (messenger or neophyte) planet, and alternately as the faster planet Conjuncting or Conjoining the slower planet. So this is Pandora Conjunct Eris. It’s not Eris Initiating Pandora because…
When planets Conjoin, they often do so multiple times, as one or both of them turn Retrograde. We only consider the first Conjunction to be the Initiation of a new Cycle. The Sabian Symbol of the Initiation degree is a clue to the nature of the Cycle that the Initiation begins, or the period till the next Initiation. Pandora being an asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter, the Pandora-Eris Cycle lasts a little over four years.
For convenience, we use the shortcut term “planet” to refer to planets, asteroids, dwarf planets, Centaurs, TNOs, Lights (Sun and Moon), symbolic points (the Nodes, Lilith), and anything else that orbits the Sun or the Earth.
The Initiation is considered a “Can-Opener,” as new material is released from the Unconscious, and we’re called to adjust to it quickly, without much warning. If there are multiple Conjunctions, then the subsequent Conjunctions are considered “Expositions,” when the same issue recurs, but recurs more slowly, giving us time to witness, identify, and differentiate it into Consciousness. The final Conjunction is a “Confidence-Builder,” because the Demons attack again, but this time we know from experience how to handle them, and it’s effortless or nearly so.
These three stages, Can-Opener, Exposition, Confidence-Builder, apply to any multiple Angle between two planets. For instance, the Uranus-Pluto Square recurs seven times between 2012 and 2015, giving us five Expositions, including the one we’re embarking upon now.
The Eris-Pandora Initiation occurred at 24 Aries, “Blown inward by the Wind, the curtains of an open window take the shape of a Cornucopia” – signifying that the Denial that’s revealed will lead us to Abundance. Releasing any Mask saves us a bundle of Energy that we can use for more productive purposes, and also clarifies our perspective so we’re more likely to pursue and achieve our own goals.
Whatever Demons were released suddenly into your World in mid-July 2014, you’re now getting the opportunity to re-experience them in slow motion. Back then they caught you off guard and created uninvited difficulty in your Life. But it was just material being released from the Unconscious, being brought into the light of day so you could Choose whether or not to indulge it. As it turns out, this material will prove to be very valuable to us, and we’re in the process of discovering how this will be.
The current Pandora-Eris Conjunction occurs at 23 Aries, “A pregnant woman in light summer dress,” suggesting that this Exposition will be Powerful.
The current Conjunction, with both planets Retrograde, occurs October 29. It’s within three degrees of Sensitivity from October 15 till November 20. Pandora turns Direct November 30, and the Confidence-Builder phase occurs on December 30, as Eris is Stationary. They’re within three degrees of each other from December 9 till January 12. The Confidence-Builder is also at 23 Aries.
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