The Astrological Implications of This Week’s Rare Planetary Alignment
A rare planetary alignment is occurring over the next few weeks. Read on to learn how you can see it, what it means for you energetically, and how you should prepare.
Since the end of March, Venus, Mars, and Saturn have appeared to group together. But starting April 17, Jupiter will appear forming a row of planets in a line. It will be most visible in the predawn sky of April 20.
That is the astronomy of this celestial event, but what about the astrological implications?
“These last two weeks of April, we have something very special going on,“ astrologer Mercedes Arnus Arraut said, “I know that astronomically we can see Saturn, we can see the moon, we’re going to be able to see Mars, Venus, Neptune, and Jupiter aligned. But what we should really be focusing our attention on, at least astrologically, is Venus in Pisces going through Jupiter and Neptune — and Mars is going to be doing the same around a week later.”
How does the energy of each individual planet come together in this alignment?
“So to understand this we need to understand that Venus is the planet of relationships, love, value, money, self-worth. Mars has to do with our energy and drive, it’s an energy activator and it’s aligning with Jupiter too, which is expansion, exaggeration. Neptune has to do with spirit, aether, loss, and dissolution of veils,” she said.
“So at this time, we can really be reconnecting with souls that have a higher purpose in our path and are going to guide us into a much broader understanding of what unconditional love truly is. It’s a time really to experience the most ethereal, hyper-sensitive, and spiritual connections we’ve ever felt. But it could also be a time for experiencing loss, grief, and the dissolution of the veil that will show us the raw truth or a reality we didn’t want to face. But if we try to stay true and connect it to our emotions, and really tap into the sensitivity that it’s awakening within us, it can really be a very beautiful time to channel our most dreamed reality into matter.”
How should we prepare ourselves to tap into and take advantage of this energy?
“It’s very important that we stay tuned into our dreams, that we have an emotional journal, that we can have a dream journal and try to analyze the symbols that our dreams are giving us — especially because Pisces is the energy that has to do with dreams and the oneiric world. We are being guided at this time, so it’s important that we stay true to our subconscious and the symbols that it’s giving us and stay true to them. Follow every relationship and every connection. Try to stay open to what others are showing you about yourself,” Arnaut said.
To best see this alignment look east about 45 minutes before sunrise. As amazing as this alignment will be, it is just a dress rehearsal for June of this year where Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus will align.
Welcome to the 2019 Earth Pig Year
On February 5, we leave the Earth Dog and enter the 2019 year of the Earth Pig, closing a major 60-year cycle in the Chinese calendar — it takes 60 years to roll through every animal sign and element in both yin and yang aspects. 2019 brings us Ji Hai, the Yin Earth Pig. The last Ji (yin earth) Hai (pig) was 1959, so those born in that year are celebrating their 60th birthdays.
Characteristics of the altruistic Pig are optimism, gentleness, kindness, and honesty. The Chinese believe that the barnyard pig’s temperament is much like humans, as pigs enjoy listening to music, and are highly intelligent. Zodiac Pigs also enjoy luxury, comfort, and good food.
Ten Heavenly Stems, Twelve Earthly Branches
Ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches, in combination with the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, determine the qualities of a given year. The heavenly stems are derived from the elements of the Chinese quinary, or five-element system. Each element has a “yin” and “yang” aspect — passive and active — that make up the ten heavenly stems. For example, yin water (gui water) is represented by gentle rain, clouds, mist, dew, fog, and small streams and rivulets. Yang water (ren water) is lakes, oceans, and rivers. Yang water is in continual motion. The 12 animals are the earthly branches.
In 2019, the yin earth element (think of nurturing garden soil — gentle, maternal, supportive) combines with the pig or boar, associated with water; yin earth over water. While earth over water would normally be conflicted, the yin aspect of earth softens the relationship, bringing more harmony. That said, this is still an unstable combination (earth over water), so harmony is tenuous and delicate. The Pig’s water below can break through the flimsy yin earth above.
Some experts believe that the combination of fragile, yin earth over water could bring earthquakes, landslides, flooding — even sinkholes. The last time this heavenly stem (yin earth) and earthly branch (pig) met was 1959, when an historic earthquake (7.2) in Yellowstone Park permanently altered the regional landscape. A 7.9 earthquake in Kamchatka, Russia devastated that region, and the Malpasset Dam in Southern France collapsed. Taiwan and New Zealand had major 7.2 and 7.3 quakes. Chinese astrologers would suggest keeping your seatbelts fastened if you live in earthquake-prone zones.
