My Current Opinion - by Guy Spiro

It seems hardly necessary to say that these are trying times. One cannot glance at the media without seeing the war stories. I am constantly repeating that we all need to manage the energy of the conflict through our global prayer and meditation efforts. But we should also be aware that the astrological aspects that brought us September 11th and all of the attendant challenges are also active in our personal lives. They are placed in more or less sensitive positions in any one of our birth charts, but to one degree or another we are all affected. By the middle of the year 2003 when this period ends, significant changes will have occurred and most of us will have benefited greatly. Our problem now is that these activating energies seem scary as heck.

The main challenging aspect of this period is a Saturn opposed Pluto that is a very heavy energy. This aspect calls into question the foundations that our lives are built upon. Many of us are experiencing challenges to our ways of life. This can take many forms. Some are dealing with health issues. Some grapple with job and business problems. Family matters may be called into question and important relationships seem to be at risk. This energy can be problematic in many ways.

The essence of Saturn is form. That is to say the physical plane as one experiences it, as well as more objective reality. Saturn also represents discipline and the results of how self-disciplined we may or may not be. The essence of Pluto is transformation on the deepest levels. Death and birth are plutonian phenomena and survival issues are at the core of many of our current worries. There are traumatic changes in the works for so many people that it seems to be going on wherever you look. What is different now from more normal periods is that it all seems to be so much more in our face.

There are a few keys to dealing successfully with this interesting time. The first is to not give in an inch to fear. This is easier said than done--but to the extent that we remain strong in our resolve and face the adversity with courage, we will minimize the trauma we experience. The second, and just as important, is to maintain whatever personal discipline we know we need to adhere to. The third is to remember the transitory nature of life. We have been through periods like this before and we will see them again.

In March of 1965 Columbia Records released a single by Bob Dylan titled The Times They Are a-Changin'. The Cold War was at its height and the Viet Nam war was ramping up. Huge societal changes were occurring and the World War II generation saw its world blowing up in its face. Inner cities burned, campus unrest was beginning and protests against the Viet Nam war were becoming common. The Baby Boomer generation was on the rise and Saturn was opposed Pluto in '65 and '66. The configuration was different and of course things were different in the world in many ways. We may look back fondly at that period, but those who remember the tumult of those days can feel the similar tone of our current challenges.

Once the left front wheel fell off a car I was driving on the Interstate. As the car veered into the guardrail, bounced off and skidded across all three lanes to the opposite shoulder, I had a choice to make. I could have panicked, thrown my arms up over my face and probably died. But I held on to the wheel, fought for my life and walked away with one tiny bruise on my left thigh.

As we live through the darkest days of this Saturn opposed Pluto go-around, which will run through July of 2002, there are these things to remember. The closing aspects of this configuration that run into the summer of 2003 are very positive. When all of the dust settles, the world and our lives within it will be better. So for now we need to hold onto the wheel, cooperate with positive change, work our personal disciplines, meditate and pray.

Celebration awaits those of us who persevere.