Contents

Issues in this month’s edition are:

• Preface

• Preview month July

• Important energies

• Hercules

• Astronomy and astrology in daily practice

• Venus retrograde

• Children (Kahil Gibran)

• Wisdom of Lao Tse

Preface

Nowadays we are in the transit period from Pisces to Aquarius. We are approaching the promised Aquarius era. This influence will become stronger, at the same time reducing the influence of the Pisces era.

Gradually the accent on community as a whole and our expected role in relation to the creation of the new society will increase.

Awareness, consciousness, servitude, and services become increasingly important.

The idea of “everybody for the own ego and God for all of us” still can be recognized in our world in many different societal expressions and actions. There still is a focus on rights and equality, however we lack the insight in our obligations to be a real part of mankind by using our talents in the interest of the whole and to help improve the wellbeing of all. Having talents also gives the obligation to develop them and to use them in service to mankind as a whole.

Preview for the month July

The month of July will be a rather quiet month. Nevertheless, there are some important changes of energies.

In the first place Venus turns retrograde (for more detail see the article dedicated to this, also in this number). Also, the lunar nodes will change signs. Both are changes having their influence indirectly.

The month begins with good opportunities for personal development and growth.

We can be surprised by unexpected events in the area of relations and the valuation of people or material issues around you.

The Full Moon on July 3^rd can give you insight about activities needed, related to family life.

On July 7^th we will get good chances to further develop our new insights.

On July 10^th the planet Mars enters Virgo. Our activities will be related to the interest of the society around us, we become more service oriented. There may be some opposition related to the ideals we will try to bring in practice.

About July 16^th there will be opportunities to let new insights in our lives play a role.

The New Moon on July 17^th on the 25^th degree of Cancer gives opportunities to success.

We should be aware to use a positive imaginatory view and be receptive for assistance from above.

Almost at the same moment the lunar node axis makes a transfer from Taurus and Scorpio to the following signs in the ecliptic (Aries and Libra).

We will be offered opportunities for new initiatives and acquaintances with persons being able to help us to find solutions related to our karma issues. Don’t be reluctant but be prepared to use the opportunities offered.

Between July 20th en 23rd energy may turn out to be complex and contradictory.

We can be very receptive for our ideals and at the same time feel resistance in our efforts to live them. About July 22^nd it is better to keep away from unsafe places.

On July 23^rd Venus will start to run retrograde. This will last until September 4^th. It is a period of reorientation on our value systems. The first issue to understand is the relative importance of wealth and luxury in relation to other value systems. Our Ego might be very reluctant to accept these insights.

About the end of the month, we will become more related to serviceability and related actions.

Sources:

The astrological Mandala, Dane Rudhyar

Important energies for the month June

This month, the following important energies will be present. They will be the explanation for significant events during this month. Time used is GMT.

1 Sun conjunction Mercury, Mercury sextile Jupiter, Sun sextile Jupiter

2 Venus square Uranus

3 Full Moon (18.50) on Capricorn and Cancer 12^th degree

7 Mercury sextile Uranus

10 Mercury trine Neptune, Mars enters Virgo (13.40), Mercury opposition Pluto

11 Mercury enters Leo (06.11)

15 Sun sextile Uranus

17 Mercury square Jupiter, New Moon (20.32) on Cancer 25^th degree

17 (True) Lunar Nodes enter Aries and Libra

20 Sun trine Neptune, Mars opposition Saturn

22 Sun opposition Pluto

23 Venus Retrograde (03.32) at Leo 29^th degree, Sun enters Leo (03.50),

Mercury square Uranus

27 Mercury conjunction Venus R

28 Mercury enters Virgo

Hercules

Hercules is a star sign between the signs Lyra, Snake and Dragon.

Not very surprising to those who are better informed about the 12 challenges of this mythological hero. Underneath a picture from 1690 (Hevelius) with these signs.

East of the star sign Corona Borealis and West of Lyra, the somewhat unclear star sign Hercules can be found. In the pattern (it forms the letter K), we see the so-called Kneeling man, swinging his cudgel. It looks like he is kneeling on the North pole and touches with his left foot the star sign Draco (the dragon). According to the Romans who called him Heracles, he trampled the dragon.

On the head of the Kneeling man, we find a double-star in beautiful colors orange-red and blue green. This is Ras Algethi, literally meaning “head of the kneeling man”. The star is related to the role of the hero, who worships the God or Goddess and obeying them.

Who is this hero, who, according to the ancient Greek, had to fulfil a duty nobody could accomplish?

Kneeling? And for who? The ancient Egyptians knew more about it. Kneeling you do for a God and to honor him or her. This was pictured in a hieroglyph: on one knee, with your right arm in the air and your left arm bended.

You don’t kneel on the North pole as such, it was seen as a holy place, the source of life and connected to Ursa Major (the Great Bear), the mother of life and protector of all living hierarchies.

The myth of Hercules

Hercules is the hero who has been pictured most in ancient times.

His famous fight with the “Nemeic Lion” can be found on more than 550 pictures on ancient amphoras. Hercules was a brave man who approached his goals straightforward.

A silent man, convinced and focused on his heavy duties to be fulfilled.

Such as his journey to the Hades, where he had to get Cerberus, the dog and take it to the earth as an evidence he had succeeded to go there and return.

Hercules was born as a bastard from Zeus and a mortal woman Alkmene. Already shortly after his birth and lying in his cradle he showed his talents by strangling two poisonous snakes.

When he was 18 years old, in a vision, two women appeared to him as the personification of Virtue and Vice.

Picture 2. Tarot of Marseille (the lovers).

The road of Virtue was small and dangerous, but ended in eternal fame. The straight road to Vice led to a life filled with desire and evil.

Hercules went convinced the road of Virtue and soon his difficulties appeared.

Shortly after he had married his wife Megara, Zeus struck him with insanity and in a fit of rage he killed his wife and children.

When he returned to reality he was filled with regret. As penitential exercise, he accepted to fulfill the 12 assignments of king Eurystheus. He was helped as well as worked against (especially by the jealous Hera) by Gods in fulfilling these assignments.

Hercules finally managed to fulfill al these assignments, known as the labors of Hercules.

One of them is the killing of the Nemeic Lion, who could not be killed with weapons, because his fleece was harnessed.

After a fight Hercules managed to kill the lion with his hands by strangling him and breaking his back.

He used the claws (only these could be used to cut the fleece), to make a fleece that he could wear to protect him as a harness, when carrying out the other assignments.

Picture 3 Strength, tarot of Visconti

After having fulfilled his assignments, Hercules was killed when he clothed in a poisoned cloak.

This cloak was a present from his second wife Deinara, who received it from Nessus. She expected the cloak to be washed in a love drink.

Stretched on stake he was hit by the lightning and taken up to heaven as a God. The body disappeared in the mist, and the next day when the fire was extinguished nothing of Hercules could be found. Zeus had taken his son home and placed him in the skies.

The meaning

The central theme is the hero, only able to win when he respects the will of the Gods.

The card Strength from the Rider Waite tarot illustrates the harmonic relation between the civilized man, the woman, and his animal nature: the lion.

Picture 4. Rider Waite tarot (Strength)

The meaning of this card depends on the version you select: the patriarchal or matriarchal.

The lion is the symbol of our instincts to survive and vices as wild aggressive impulses.

In the myth, Hercules kills the lion. He had severe problems, especially with his female side.

In a rage he killed his wife and children and was sentenced by taking up a female role to get purified.

In this way he served 3 years at the court of the Lydian Queen Omphale.

He had to fulfill different female obligations also wearing his lion fleece and swinging his cudgel.

This therapy helped him to integrate his repressed side and being freed from his delusion.

However, the women inside him was wounded and couldn’t be healed. This ultimately took his life.

In the myth we see that the female side should be respected.

This is also the theme of the Kneeling man, worshipping the mother Goddess.

She governs all creation and life and death. In the card this is still present, we see the women taking care of the Lion in love, showing her way to harmonious life.

This theme, still to be found in mythological parts was respected in ancient times. The Goddess Inanna for instance, the Sumerian opposite of Venus, was pictured standing on a lion, mastered by her.

In the patriarchal version we find Hybris. Hybris is the ancient Greek word expressing pride, brutality, haughtiness, and impudence, especially against the Greek Gods or divine order.

Ras Algethi

The Alpha star of the group Ras Algethi marks the head of the Kneeling man.

This star has a special relation to the role of our hero.

Mankind was driven by a nameless desire and desire seeks a goal.

When the goal has been reached, the desire remains, nevertheless.

This star gives you the need to worship something bigger and greater than you yourself. During your life this can become an obsession.

You will have to fight a struggle against this and use your energy for the ultimate goal in your life.

This is related to spirituality or any other divine assignment.

The star influences the movements in contempory times.

To fight against injustice or use our nature in balance with an eye on all types of life around.

By: Eleonore Oldenburger

Astrology and astronomy in daily practice.

In the month July Venus will be visible as evening star. This will be the last month during this year, as Venus comes closer to the Sun and will turn retrograde at the end of the month.

Mars will be in the Southwest at sunset. On July 21^st Mars will be close to the Moon.

Saturn and Jupiter will be visible from midnight until sunrise (in the south).

On June 4th we had a challenging Full Moon, I wrote about it in the last newsletter.

For me this resulted in a flu. This turned out to help me to get more clearness on Saturn in Pisces issues. The same day Saturn mate a transit on my IC. I found myself back in the challenging situation to have to solve everything personally without help from my environment.

Also, in last month’s newsletter there was a story about an owl on the branch in the garden of one of my friends. Every now and then the owl disappears and after a while reappears. Every time this happens there is a message. In this case about the passing away of somebody and a related heritage.

On June 11^th Pluto returned in Capricorn. We were immediately reminded to the abundance of work still left to be carried out on the improvement of societal systems around us.

We saw attempts to regulate intensive farming and the stream of refugees.

Time will be our witness to see whether we improved enough to follow the requirements of the Aquarius Age, where our personal interests are expected to be part of those for humanity as a whole.

When Pluto entered Aquarius earlier this year, we were informed about developments on Artificial Intelligence. As soon as Pluto returned to Capricorn, we saw initiatives to become more prudent with respect to them. The ethical discussion around the subject became more intense.

On June 17^th we had the yearly event of Saturn turning retrograde and in Pisces.

This was very special in relation to “Father’s Day” in our country.

In my personal situation this resulted in some rather special complications around the theme’s expectations, obligations, responsibility, and unconditional love.

On June 22^nd I visited Eleonore and had the chance to observe the owl in her garden personally.

Underneath the picture I managed to take there.

On June 17th Saturn turned retrograde and on June 30^th Neptune did the same.

Where Saturn supports structure and clarity, Neptune will change this in unlimitedness.

A retrograde movement turns the expected result into the contrary.

Halfway these influences (on June 24^th) we saw some attempt for change of power in the Kremlin.

The aspect between Mars and Uranus on this day was a guarantee for unexpected happenings.

On June 23^rd on a walk in a small town I saw on the roof of a house the nest of a stork.

Underneath the picture I managed to take.

Picture: Storks on a chimney in Blokzijl 23062023 (Jan Weber)

Venus Retrograde

On July 23rd the planet Venus will turn retrograde. This time on the 29^th degree of Leo.

The last time Venus turned retrograde was in December 2021 (in Capricorn).

In August 2015 it also happened in Leo. Each Venus cycle knows 5 retrograde periods, together covering a period of 8 years. The inner conjunctions of the Sun and Venus (Venus is positioned between the Sun and Earth in one line) together form the figure of the 5-pointed Venus’s star.

These retrograde periods of Venus remind us to reflect on everything of “value” in our lives.

We can think about material (money or other possessions) as well as immaterial values (personal relations, friends, and the world around us (nature)).

Venus in Leo will put more focus on the necessity of extreme luxury.

On August 13^th, when Venus and Sun both are on Leo 21st degree, this energy will be most prominent.

It is the degree reminding us to become aware of the actuality of social values related to luxury.

Possibly a moment to become more aware of the over-value of material things in our lives, in many cases at the cost of other types of (in most cases) immaterial values.

In the past many problems came forth from this behavior, let us be prepared to change this focus to the benefit of the well-being and nature as a whole.

Children (after Kahlil Gibran: the Prophet)

Your children aren’t yours

They are the sons and daughters of the desire from life to itself

They come from you, but aren’t yours.

They are with you, but don’t belong to you.

You may give them love, but not your thoughts and conviction,

because they have their own thoughts.

You may shelter their bodies but not their souls.

Because their souls live in Tomorrow’s house, not accessible to you, not even in your dreams.

You may try to be like them, but don’t try to make them like you.

Because the live isn’t lived backwards and doesn’t stay in the past.

You are the bows helping to shoot your children as living arrows into the world.

The archer sees the goal on the endless Path

He bends you with his power, to let his arrows fly swift and far.

Be happy the bowman bends them in his hand.

He loves the arrow flying away, and the bow as well.

Colophon

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Jan Weber

Whenever a good student becomes aware of the Path,

He will strive to live the right experience to walk it.

Lao Tse