VENUS RETROGRADE BOOK REPORT
or, what I did on my winter vacation
A prolonged low-cash-flow phase in my life has sharpened my focus on money, values and how they inevitably influence each other -- as in, every time you spend a nickel, you're expressing your values, whether you're conscious of them or not. During the recent Venus-retrograde in Capricorn, many of us who feel that conscious is better have been motivated to examine and reorient our financial priorities. Having already done a lot of work on putting my own fiscal house in order*, I was able to spend some time this Venus Retrograde thinking more globally about the power of money, even in small amounts (e.g., the microcredit programs of the Grameen Bank ) to transform the world. And of course, as with other forms of energy, it's not the money itself that directs the power, it's the will behind it.
The work of fundraiser and activist Lynne Twist exemplifies this principle. Her 2003 book, The Soul Of Money, grew out of her extensive experience working in partnership with rich, poor and in-between all over the world. As Twist sees it, we are all suffering from an unintentionally self-imposed blind spot in our thinking about money. Much of the vicious competitiveness, jealousy, resentment, war, isolation, powerlessness and despair in the world stem from our deep-rooted and unexamined beliefs that "there's not enough to go around", "more is always better", and "that's just the way it is". She urges us to make the mental shift from that sense of scarcity to a mindset of what she calls "sufficiency", an awareness that there is, in fact, enough to meet everyone's needs, that it's possible for us to work together to find creative solutions to resource problems, starting by acknowledging the resources we already have, including the power of our own will. I've been raving about this book to all and sundry, and now I'm raving to you. Run, do not walk, to your nearest bookstore or library. The world needs a change of heart and mind, beginning with you and me.
So inspired was I by this book (and other readings along similar lines), that I presented a workshop on the subject in January, entitled "Enough: Maintaining Our Awareness of Abundance in a Scarcity Culture" -- and was further inspired by the swelling of energy in the room as we shared our experiences of both scarcity and sufficiency thinking and created a verbal mosaic of our visions of the possibilities of abundance. Let me know if you'd like this workshop presented to your group or class, or if you'd like to attend the workshop yourself.
* For those of you who are curious about the astrological details: transiting Pluto is conjunct my natal Saturn, ruler of my second (money, values, possessions) house, and Saturn has been traversing my eighth (partner's money, circumstances beyond our control) house. Both of these conditions call for a major overhaul of values and therefore spending habits.
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WHAT'S GOING AROUND
February 2006
How often do you hear an astrologer say "nothing's happening Up There, go ahead, knock yerself out, party on"? Well... this is about as close as it ever gets. February is looking like a relatively quiet month, affording us more-than-usual freedom from the worries and constraints that usually get in our way. Make hay while the Sun shines, is what I sez.
The Jupiter-Neptune square is still in effect through mid-April, either inflating our fantasies or expanding our spirituality, or both. We're wide open to disillusionment if we don't start building solid foundations under those castles in the air. This is the most influential manifestation of the ongoing Fixed Cross until Saturn opposes Neptune in the summer.
Meanwhile, Venus turned direct on Feb. 3 and is slowly but surely gaining forward momentum, freeing up creative energy that has been tied up in concerns about money and relationships. You've done the careful analysis of your values, and by now you should have a better idea of how to go about bringing more pleasure and balance into your life.
I don't normally take much note of Mars changing signs, but then he normally changes signs about every month and a half. This recent retrograde has kept the Red Planet in slow, deliberate Taurus since last July 28. Now, this Friday, he finally takes his leave, entering the rapid-fire, highly verbal, variety-loving sign of Gemini. Expect plenty of action, and expect impatience from anyone who expects action from you. Or you may be the impatient one, as floods of words wash over you with no apparent action in sight. Maybe "activity" is a better word than "action" here -- after all, Gemini is a mutable sign, loving the process more than the result.
That's about it for excitement until Mercury turns retrograde on March 2. Check the exceptionally brief February Almanac for New and Full Moon dates.
