It is so easy to get caught up in thinking, “Saturn, why are you doing this to me?” “Pluto, can’t I get a freaking break?” We anthropomorphize the planets and celestial bodies, treating them like Gods and Goddesses of old, feeling at the mercy of their whims. But, we’re not. As Hermes taught us, “As above, so below.” The solar system is simply and profoundly the mirror reflection of the energies we are all experiencing. We are born into a specific energetic soup, reflected in the heavens above. That stew isn’t a mandate sent from Spirit, saying you will be like this or do exactly that. It is the intention of your beautiful Soul desiring to learn, grow and evolve. Timing is everything and your birth alignment was exactly perfect for what your Soul had in mind. Our astrological charts don’t lock us into who we are, but instead offer us a way, a path we can choose to follow or not.
We still have free will
We can always skip the growth and evolution part. That choice may not bring a lot of ease or grace, but it is valid, nonetheless. We can choose to engage with our Soul’s intent to whatever degree we want. How interested are we in our Soul’s intention? It is our path, and we can walk it however we choose, conscious or unconscious, without judgement. Heck, you may be here to learn the lessons of completely shining your Soul’s intention on. Who are any of us to judge one another?
For me, understanding my Soul’s intention through my birth chart and transits simply feels better. I feel more in command of my experiences. Co-creating with my Soul provides me with a deeper understanding of what I’m experiencing. I can engage with my lessons more consciously and that feels purposeful. It brings deeper meaning to my life. Being conscious of what I’m here to learn and how I’m here to learn it takes the victim energy out. I know this is my path, my Soul’s evolutionary path, and I just need to put on my big girl pants and seek the maximum education out of it. It feels sacred to help my Soul evolve!
Intention not prophecy
2020’s Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto conjunctions or 2021’s Saturn-Uranus squares are examples of intentions, not prognoses. We could estimate something big was coming, huge even, but we didn’t know what it was exactly. They demonstrated a collective intention, to grow and evolve. (It’ll take some time and hindsight before we’ll know how we did.) There is nothing deterministic in these alignments, saying there would be a pandemic and we would respond in a set way. It was simply a reflection of our internal energies, providing an opportunity for change, growth and transformation.
The alignment of the Sun and planets at your birth is the same thing, an intention not a prediction. It’s kind of cool to connect with your Soul in that way and marvel at your higher Self’s desires for growth. It sure makes the journey feel a lot more worthwhile. It takes the randomness out of life and makes it all much more fun. Who doesn’t want to support their Soul’s evolutionary growth? I sure do! It also takes the sting out of all the crap we each have to endure. If I can focus on the gifts I’m cultivating from the challenges, aka the growth and power that comes from them, then wow that is so much more empowering. Take it from a lady who has an underworld signature to just about everything on her chart!
It’s easy to get caught up in saying Jupiter is doing this or you’re going to be like this, but that is wrong. All we can see is your intention. It’s up to you to engage with that as much or as little as you want. I like to think of the image Daniel Giamario, the founder of Shamanic Astrology, taught me several years ago. Imagine your Soul is about to incarnate and must appear before the council to get the final ok for its new life plan. It lays out what it wants to do, reflected in the energies present at your impending birth. The council says, “This is a pretty big shift from what you’ve been doing. Are you sure you want to go in this direction?” Your Soul, says, “Yup! I think this will be great! Look at everything I’ll be challenged to learn! Imagine how much I’ll grow! I got this!” The council stamps your proposal with approval and off you go, riding the Milky Way to incarnate through the Silver Gate of the Sacred Hoop. Enjoy!
Originally written for the Beginner’s Corner with Sheridan at the Shamanic Astrology Mystery School