turning wheel astrology

July Forecast: The Power of Vulnerability

"Vulnerability requires that we contradict ourselves. It requires that we change our minds. It requires that our perspective shifts."

~ Julia Cameron, The Right to Write

The Planet Venus has moved into Cancer, activating the Grand Cardinal Cross for the fourth time this summer. As you may recall, there’s a “t-square” hanging over our heads, which has been active since the Summer of 2010. Featuring the planets Saturn in Libra, Pluto in Capricorn and Uranus in Aries, it is compelling us to tackle these pressing issues:

• relationships and the shadow within
• misuses of power and authority, decaying social structures
• the nature of revolution and individuality
• the need for visionary energy

Since mid-June, the inner planets have been revolving into the sign of Cancer to focalize all this world-shaking, mind-bending, pulse-quickening energy. First, Mercury moved us to perceive the world in new ways and break free of old stories. Next came the Sun on the Summer Solstice, awakening a sense of shared destiny and activating our own unique purpose. Third in line was the super powerful New Moon-Solar Eclipse in Cancer on July 1st, calling down a home for our soul – the deep essence of who we are – so that our work can be grounded in what is truly healing and nurturing to ourselves and our world.

Now it’s Venus’ turn, the Goddess of Beauty and Love. As the Moon reaches fullness in the sign of Capricorn, we can glimpse the first phases of our dreams taking form, with intentions set on the New Moon beginning to create changes in our world. The Sabian Symbol for Venus in the Full Moon chart is “A very old man facing a vast dark space to the northeast.” This is the realm of ancient ways of knowing, wisdom that is unchanging and permanent in a world of impermanence. This symbol seeks to pull back the veils on the very nature of the universe. And what is more natural, more primal, and more timeless than Love?

Venus rules love, art and beauty, and assists us in developing maturity and depth in relationships and cultivating self-worth. The love we find here is both passionate and spiritual, if we allow ourselves to be shaped by Venus’ hands and give ourselves over to the heart’s affections. But we have to be willing to listen to her desires and look into her mirror. Her shadow side is manipulation, over-indulgence, fickleness, jealousy and narcissism.

The glyph used to symbolize Venus resembles a mirror, and if we gaze into it perhaps we will see not only the outer appearances of love, but the depth and beauty of the inner-self. Now is the time to take a second look at yourself and your relationships, bravely and compassionately. This might stir up insights into the realm of emotions, dreams, and desires, leading you into the mysterious waters of the soul.

Through such inner-gazing you can discover your rich, complicated core-self. Slowing down to look into the waters and see what’s being reflected there will call forth the transformation you desire. At times, Venus may appear vain and self-involved, but her power comes from knowing and cherishing her own heart, body, and mind

Are there places inside you that you are unwilling to look at? How do you hold yourself unworthy of love? What would it take for you to keep gazing into the mirror – past the point of comfort, entering into the real pain, darkness or danger inside of you?

I’ve been thinking a lot about vulnerability lately – my own struggles with it as well as the larger western worldview of being vulnerable. Generally, I think we hate being vulnerable. It’s like one of the worst things you can be in our culture. Here, vulnerability means weakness, insecurity, and uncertainty. But in our vulnerability we often find the most meaningful stories of our lives and learn how to feel not only compassion for ourselves but for other people.

If we are unwilling to accept our own vulnerability, we may seek to understand it by observing others – reading the newspaper, watching true crime stories or reality tv shows, playing violent video games, or even acting out in our own relationships. But this is mostly a distortion of reality, rife with victimization, misbehavior, and humiliation. Afterwards, we may shudder with gladness that we are not so stupid, arrogant, or unlucky.

Our fear of being vulnerable, of opening oneself to potential pain, distorts love into jealousy, aggression, aloofness or other imbalances. This desire to remain protected, safe from pain and invulnerable to others keeps us from that love that we are seeking.

This month, take some time to reflect and write about vulnerability and the shape of your love. Vulnerability means owning our truth, being honest with ourselves and even sharing that truth with others. What are your passions? What do you long for most? What do you love about yourself? What do you wish for in a partner or friend? What is being alive like for you?

Now, go a bit deeper: What are your secrets – the places within you that feel too tender, too dangerous, or too ridiculous to share? Could these be the very things that make you compelling, powerful, and even lovable?

Venus says that when you embrace healthy self-love, when you adore your body, and honor your emotions and soul – that’s when the door opens, welcoming you into true, mature love with yourself and with others. So this month, engage in acts of self-cherishing while simultaneously opening yourself to let others in. Open the door, be a little vulnerable. It's risky, I know. Do it anyway, and let passion flow into your being. ♥

Rethinking Power

To help us look at the power of being vulnerable, I'm including some information and links to some wonderful resources. Looking at systems theory, physics, and ancient wisdom traditions, we actually find definitions of power that include traits like openness, flexibility, and connectedness.

The Nature of Our Power
adapted from Coming Back to Life by Joanna Macy

As our pain for the world arises from our systemic interexistence, so does our power. Yet the generative creativity operating in and through open systems is very different from our customary notions of power.

Power-over
The old concept of power, in which most of us have been socialized, originated in the worldview which assumed reality to be composed of discrete and separate entities--rocks, plants, atoms, people. Power came to be seen as a property of those separate substances...and equated with the exertion of one's will over others, limiting their choices. It fosters the idea, furthermore, that power correlates with invulnerability. To keep from being pushed around, defenses are needed...

From the systems perspective this notion of power is both inaccurate and dysfunctional. The exertion of greater force can certainly serve to defend oneself and others, but that function is one of protection, not to be confused with the generation of new forms, behaviors, and potentials. That capacity operates more organically and reliably from the bottom up, as "power-with." Systems scientists call it synergy.

Power-with
Living systems evolve in variety, resilience, and intelligence; they do this not by erecting walls of defense and closing off from their environment, but by opening more widely to the currents of matter-energy and information. They integrate and differentiate through constant interaction, spinning more intricate connections and more flexible strategies. For this they require not invulnerability, but increasing responsiveness. Such is the direction of evolution...

Taken from www.joannamacy.net
Read more>>

• Go to Moon Central.

• Read the Summer Solstice Forecast.

• Take a workshop to explore your creativity.

• Get a personal astrology reading with Rhea.