Author: Cynthia Hansen Zehm

Alacazem 2011.05.12

May 12 to 19, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter 
Evening: Saturn

Aries Courage & Will + Taurus Earth Beauty and Bounty

The recent alignment of personal planets Mercury (mind), Venus (love & money), Mars (motive and ego) with generous Jupiter (beliefs and spirit) and revolutionary Uranus (freedom and liberation) in primal Aries (attention ME!) has given us all a series of lightening-bolt jolts and radical new awakenings via our personal and collective relationships and experiences. And yet, it all comes down and back to – guess who? Me, myself and I. No matter what we do or where we go, we are the center of our own personal universe, viewing life from our own perspective, filtering events through our own optical lens and physical, emotional senses. People and planets rotate around us, throwing rocks or tossing treats our way, appearing and disappearing like ships in a proverbial storm. Sometimes, we can see them coming a long way off. Others times, they pop up suddenly, “out of the blue.” Amidst the chaos, drama, beauty, grace, trauma, joy and mystery of life, we are and will always be our own unique and individual selves, captive souls in physical bodies, ethereal spirits in material realities, living and breathing in the here and now.

Alacazem 2011.05.05

May 5 to 12, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter  Evening: Saturn

“It is known that all bodies such as the Sun and its satellites are charged bodies and are surrounded by a magnetic field. In any magnetic body having two poles (the Sun and its satellites are such bodies), the magnetic currents circulate from the north to the south pole, become neutral at each 90 degrees and reach a maximum intensity at each 45 degrees.”
    T.O. McGrath in his book Timing Business Activity and the Sun

One of the year’s four cross-quarter days – days halfway between the solstices and equinoxes – takes place this week on May 5th @ 15º Taurus – Cinco de Mayo. In the Northern Hemisphere this marks the midpoint of our seasonal spring. In the neo-pagan year it heralds the beginning of summer. The Celtic calendar honors this time with the holiday of Beltane, one of the eight fire festivals of their year. In all cases and calendars, it is a time of fertility, celebration and reverence for the Mother Earth. The sleeping seeds and dormant life of winter’s slumber, awakened by the primal thrust of early springtime, nurtured by melting snows and sleeting rain, have taken root and are sprouting with renewed vigor and fresh life. 

May Day and maypoles, Mother’s Day and a plethora of flowers, brunches and cards are what we associate with the first week of May in America today. Garden centers are busy and gardeners are out in their gardens, cleaning, raking, tilling and planting. We touch the soil, breathe the air and feel the energetic magnitude of this powerfully charged point in our seasonal solar year, whether we realize it consciously or not. We are electromagnetic bodies and are subject - as are all electromagnetic bodies – to the push and pull of electromagnetism. And the point of maximum electromagnetic intensity in the Earth’s orbit around the Sun takes place when the Earth is exactly halfway through the zodiac signs of Aquarius, Taurus, Leo and Scorpio, on the four cross-quarter days of the natural year. This is when the Earth and Sun are at the point of 45º maximum intensity in relation to each other and the Earth/Sun is at 15º in the fixed signs of the Tropical Zodiac.

Alacazem 2011.04.28

April 28 to May 5, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter  Evening: Saturn

A self-fueled, self-indulgent, self-obsessed Aries rant...

I’m going to make this short. After all, with most of the planets in self-fueled Aries, why not be totally selfish and self-indulgent? [Aries]

Suddenly I don’t have patience for others and I’m consumed with all the things I have to do. [Aries] Everything seems to be an interruption to my agenda. [also Aries] On the other end of the proverbial scale [Libra], I’m feeling the heavy weight of transiting Saturn [in Libra] conjunct my Sun and natal Saturn. S.O.B.E.R. - son-of-a-bitch, everything’s real. [Saturn] It’s a veritable balancing act [Libra] of time [Saturn], energy [Aries], money and resources. [Venus-ruled, and therefore also associated with Libra] And I can also feel the stress of currently transiting Pluto in Capricorn [ruled by Saturn] as it squares the Aries/Libra [self/others] polarity on its journey of expose and expulsion through the mass terrain of global economic realities, government bodies and ruling hierarchies. [Saturn/Pluto/Capricorn] Social, political and economic establishments and traditions [Saturn/Capricorn/Libra] are crumbling [Pluto] under the overwhelming pressure and power of evolutionary change [Pluto] and we feel it personally [Aries] as well as in our relationships [Libra].

And so what do we [I] do? Feel irritable, restless and discontent. A little overwhelmed by all the things I can’t control – which, let’s face it, is just about everything! – and I find myself getting angry and wanting to act out. [Aries…] Rumblings from deep inside [Pluto] remind me that as much as I might like to think inner peace [Libra] is a choice, I realize – for the zillionth time – that it’s a practice. [Saturn] It’s time to take care of what’s right in front of me, focus on the present and simply do the best I can, one day and one moment at a time.

How’s that for a self-obsessed Aries rant? Onward Cosmic Traveler, forever moving forward…

Alacazem 2011.04.21

April 21 to 28, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Venus  Evening: Saturn

Mother, Father, sister, brother...

Families are funny things, and we all have them. And mothers. Even abandoned children have mothers - somewhere, somehow – on the planet, dead or alive – a woman carried a child in her womb and gave birth to new life. Just like the Mother Earth - from life to life, from dust to dust…

Springtime is the preeminent time of birth in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Christian holiday of Easter has been branded as the time of “resurrection.” It’s no mistake that Easter and springtime coincide. The pagan rites of spring were supplanted by the Catholic’s holy rituals of their savior’s crucifixion, entombment and miraculous return. For me, spring and Easter evoke memories of childhood, my Mother and my family. I am filled with the poignant emotions of joy and sorrow, hope and wonder in the recurring seasons, the eternal cycles of birth and death. The gentle wind, the greening grass and the ever-present natural phenomena of change stir something deep within - questions and quest, combined with a sense of acceptance, humility and grace.

Alacazem 2011.04.14

April 14 to 21, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Venus   Evening: Saturn

"May God bless and keep you always, may your wishes all come true..."        Bob Dylan, Forever Young

Spring has sprung and throughout the Northern Hemisphere we see the season emerging in shades of green. Budding trees, flowering bushes and melting snow respond to warmer days and increasing light. Solar rays are more direct. The Earth’s matrix of rocks, minerals, plants and animals awaken from winter’s slumber and burst forth in the evolutionary process of rebirth and renewal. Here in the West End, days of howling wind, spitting snow, slanting rain and embracing sun remind me that nothing is permanent, everything changes. Forever and always, revolutions around the Sun, returning seasons and revolving cycles – forever young, life here on Earth – as we see it, as we know it. Right here, right now, today...

This week, on April 17th @ 8:44 pm MDT, the Sun and Moon form the exact opposition aspect of a full "super" Moon in the late degrees of Aries/Libra. Three days later, the Sun moves into Taurus. The bridging time between Aries and Taurus is one that takes us from the primal fire of instinct and survival to the earth-centered land of primal nourishment and sustenance. The seed thrust forth in the fiery passion of Aries creation seeks fertile Taurus soil in which to take root, be nurtured and grow. Inherent in every seed is the map, the plan, the DNA of its potential. But without food, shelter and a safe place to develop and eventually blossom, the seed will never bear fruit.

Alacazem 2011.04.07

April 7 to 15, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Venus  Evening: Saturn

The Primal Power of Aries: Season of the Emerging Self

Springtime off-season has officially arrived in Telluride. The ski mountain has closed and blustery days of howling wind, spitting snow and sleeting rain now fall upon mostly empty streets. The local exodus to Mexican beaches and tropical islands is in full force. To the west, greening pastures embrace newborn calves and baby lambs; the mountains rise above in shades of snowy-white and deep, dark-blue. To the east, over the Dallas Divide in Ouray, daffodils, tulips and hyacinths greet visitors coming and going to the town’s Hot Springs Pool. The primal thrust of new life and rebirth is in the air; the warming earth, the melting snow and the restless weather herald the season of resurrection and renewal.

The first week of the Aries lunar cycle delivers plenty of power in its punch, but due to the retrograde motion of mental messenger Mercury – also in Aries - the energy is somewhat redolent, and at times, even redundant. We find ourselves reviewing the past against the canvas of what was then and what is today, considering our actions and examining the consequences. And with realistic Saturn now moving in partner-oriented Libra, we seem to be most frequently reflecting upon ourselves in the image-rich mirror of our relationships. This is a poignant and powerful time to review and identify “our part” in our personal emotional reactions to and interactions with others. Are we feeling resentful, angry or hurt by another? If so, how did we assist in the creation of our own suffering?

Alacazem 2011.03.31

March 31 to April 7, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Venus  Evening: Saturn

“From the alpha of Aries to the omega of Pisces, we spiral through space, passing through ever-new quadrants of the Universe. Each New Moon offers a special download of celestial information, illuminating new doorways and dimensions of consciousness…Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and the archetype of new frontiers.” 
                     Stephanie Austin, The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #156

The advent of the annual Aries New Moon takes place on April 3rd at 8:32 am MDT. As the first New Moon of the tropical year, this celestial event heralds the beginning of an eternally recurring physical and spiritual cycle. In the Northern Hemisphere, it’s a time of awakening and rebirth, when plants and animals are exposed to increasing light and more direct solar radiation. As days grow longer and the earth warms, we feel the power of Mother Nature and see her magic in the season’s fresh life and emerging shades of green. Buds pop out and the first flowers of spring appear. Baby lambs and calves dot lowland pastures while snow melts up in the high mountain peaks and meadows.

Alacazem 2011.03.24

March 24 to 31, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Venus and Saturn  Evening: Mercury

When Catastrophes Collide and Chaos Reigns...

Okay, I surrender. Wild, electric Uranus has moved from the numinous, mutable waters of Pisces in to the primal, cardinal fire of Aries – joining magnanimous Jupiter there - and in so doing, ignited the planet. Everywhere I see explosions and conflagrations – from highly unseasonable wildfires along the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies to bombs blasting on the far-off shores of Tripoli. It’s all about the sudden, violent and unexpected upheavals and disruptions that rock the world and awaken us to new, revolutionary realities.  The function is to shock us out of our ruts and propel us in new, exciting, self-authentic, cosmically enlightened directions. But, heaven help us, does it have to be this radical?

On March 11th - the day of the Uranus ingress – a 9.0 magnitude megathrust earthquake shook Japan and triggered a devastating tsunami, erasing villages and killing thousands. Days later, damaged nuclear reactors reached the point of meltdown and exploded, sending dangerous radioactive waves into the atmosphere. Now, with the Sun marching through the first week of Arien spring, days increasing in length and solar rays becoming more direct, we are feeling the power and angst of the zodiac’s first and most primitive sign. And, I have to admit, I’m feeling more than a little bit crazy. After all, I love a good bonfire, but waking up to three wars, people in peril and a worldwide economic crisis is unsettling to say the least. When catastrophes collide and chaos reigns, what’s a girl to do?

Alacazem 2011.03.17

March 17 to 24, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Venus and Saturn  Evening: Mercury and Jupiter

Chaos, Crisis and the Challenge for Creative Change

Spring begins this year on March 20th @ 5:21 pm MDT, when the Earth reaches the zero point of Aries in its orbit around the Sun. Herald March Madness, Vernal Equinox and all manifestations of the natural year’s Primal Thrust. Good luck and may the courage of Mars and the miracle of rebirth be with you.

On Friday, March 11th @ 2:26 pm JST, a 9.0-magnitude megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan shook the Earth with such force that it not only triggered an extremely destructive tsunami, with waves of up to 33 ft., which in some cases traveled up to 6 miles inland, but also shifted the Earth’s axis by approximately 6 ½ inches. An earthquake of similar magnitude in Chile last year moved the planetary axis by 3 inches. So what effects do these planetary changes have on those of us living on planet Earth?

Diana Roman, a geophysicist with the University of South Florida, said these changes mean the Earth's mass has been redistributed, causing the Earth to spin faster—and making days on Earth slightly shorter. The Japanese earthquake has also caused the Island of Japan to extend about eight feet eastward, and caused the ground to sink slightly more toward the center of the Earth.
    "This is like when a figure skater has her arms out, and she's going slowly as she's spinning. If she pulls her arms in, she'll speed up. The Earth has started spinning slightly faster, and that means the length of a day on Earth is about two-millionths of a second shorter," Roman explained. 

Alacazem 2010.03.10

March 10 to 17, 2011
Visible Planets: Morning: Venus and Saturn  Evening: Mercury and Jupiter

Shining Seas, Surrender and Synthesis

I’m back home in Colorado and my winter in Baja is now a memory. I see the shining seas and swaying palms, the Mexican rancho in the arroyo and my friend riding her horse in the soft sand along the beach. I can hear the breaking waves as I drift in and out of sleep, the stars are twinkling in the moonlight and a gentle breeze moves the shadows in ghostly rhythm with the night. But my body is here, not there.

Today, I feel grateful and blessed, a creature on this planet Earth, living and breathing, laughing and loving, crying with the pain of others and coping with my own. Tears are signs that I’m alive, that life has touched me, that I am moved by the world’s passions, obsessions and compulsions, that I can feel the ride and embrace the shifting tides of my time here, my time here on this magical planet Earth. The ups and downs, the starts and stops, the endings and beginnings - it’s all part of the journey, the Great Mystery of life and death. Whether I’m south of the border or high on a snowy mountain peak, I can feel the pulsating heart of the Mother Earth and her breath in the wind and air. I drink her water and feed upon her fruit. I can feel the love emanating from her soul and, to all this, I surrender.