May 02, 2011

By Lynda Hill, Linda Hill's Sabian Symbols

Everyone thinks his own burden heavy. French Proverb

The burden which is well borne becomes light. Ovid

Do not free the camel of the burden of his hump; you may be freeing him from being a camel. Gilbert K. Chesterton

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else. Charles Dickens

Your body is the baggage you must carry through life. The more excess baggage, the shorter the trip. Arnold Glasow

RESPONSIBILITY, n. A detachable burden easily shifted to the shoulders of God, Fate, Fortune, Luck or one’s neighbor. Ambrose Bierce

Almost everybody walks around with a vast burden of imaginary limitations inside his head. While the burden remains, personal success is as difficult to achieve as the conquest of Everest with a sack of rocks tied to your back. J. H. Brennan

May's Taurus new Moon occurs on May 3 in Australia and May 2 in the United States. This new Moon has, again, a very strong Aries influence, with Uranus, the Black Moon Lilith, Venus, Mercury, Eris, Jupiter and Mars all in Aries.

The Sabian Symbol for the new Moon is Taurus 13: A Porter Carrying A Mountain Of Heavy Baggage. My commentary and keywords on this degree from my book The Sabian Oracle: 360 Degrees Of Wisdom -

A ‘Porter’, otherwise known as a baggage handler or bellboy, has a lot of work to do. He is performing a service for others and here he is seen having ‘a Mountain of Heavy Baggage’ to move or ‘Carry’. He needs to remain cheerful and not reveal how much this ‘Mountainous’ load is weighing him down; otherwise he may not get the approval of those he is 'Carrying' the load for. There would be no thanks and no “tips” if he were to complain, groan or grumble. ‘Porters’ do a lot of hard work but don’t often get much appreciation or attention. They are expected to just get on with the job, sometimes they become almost invisible. This Symbol can also be an expression of class-consciousness.

Keywords: Self-reliance. Owning other people’s ‘garbage’. Shouldering baggage or weight. Being weighed-down. Feeling responsible for everything. Bad backs and posture. Carrying others. Counseling people, taking on their emotions. Bad backs, shoulders, knees, etc. Strain and wear. Bearing the family guilt. luggage. Trolleys. Looking for tips.

The Caution: Being busy with other peoples’ problems. Unable to work for your own benefit. Carrying other peoples’ responsibilities. Being indispensable until the energy is all worn out. Not knowing when to say “no” to other’s demands. The burden of debts. Being useful but unimportant.

The Karmic Condition (the degree before) of this new Moon is Taurus 12: A Young Couple Walk Down Main-Street, Window Shopping. This can show people enjoying each other, cruising for a moment together and assessing their futures together. It can also show taking on too much debt, being taken by the desire for 'things'; to have a home, furniture, possessions, a position in society and a future brimming with possibilities. It can also show situations of people alone, not having a partner in life, observing others enjoying their lives and planning together. There can be partnership or loneliness in this degree and sometimes there's both at the same time; people in relationships and yet feeling very lonely. 'Window Shopping' here can show people wondering when happiness will come to them - when the bounty of life will turn their way, when the world will provide them with the things that most people want in life; a happy and healthy relationship, somewhere safe and secure to live and having the things in life that they desire. This degree can also show issues of who's earning the money, holds the purse strings, puts in all the effort, takes the risks or goes without so others may have. 

Sometimes, the desire for things leads to the 'Porter Carrying A Mountain Of Heavy Baggage' in one way or another.

Venus, the planetary ruler of this Taurean new Moon, shows the need to keep plugging away, making money and working at finding their place in society. The Symbol is Aries 15: An Indian Weaving A Blanket In The Light Of The Setting Sun. This speaks of working at making a living or weaving the story of one's life through your deeds. As the person is working "In The Light Of The Setting Sun", it can show concerns about work, earning enough money, getting the recognition they deserve and growing older and ensuring their future will be safe and secure.

Keywords: The fabric of one’s being. Traditional pastimes and skills. Weaving security and independence. Patience and gentle handcrafting. Stories, especially those handed down. Tales and traditions. Consideration of one’s unique history. Weaving, spinning looms. The warp and weft of life. One’s life story—past and present. Being focused on one’s tasks. Colours, Dyes. Threads.

The Caution: Underestimating skills of self-expression in comparison with intellectual skills. Allowing dull routines to overcome. Feeling one hasn’t got much to contribute. Inability to apply to routine and necessary tasks. Being too “full-time” about one’s work. Feeling insecure no matter what the situation. Selling off one’s integrity. Finding that it’s too late in the day to get anything done. Not knowing when to stop.

Close by Venus is Mercury at Aries 17: Two Prim Spinsters Sitting Together In Silence. This can show issues of people sharing their thoughts and emotions, or not, and issues to do with youth and feeling vital. The 'Two Prim Spinsters' may have much to be grateful for with much to share and give to each other and the world, or, they may feel left out, isolated and alone - loveless in a world that values the young way more than it does the elders in society. This last sentiment is echoed in the degree of Venus on the "Indian Weaving The Blanket In The Light Of The Setting Sun".

Keywords: The need to loosen up emotional blockages. The struggle to hold onto one’s original identity. Compromise because of social expectations. Meditations that communicate. Exclusive relationships. Relationships that have a quiet “knowing”. Dignified silence. Inner withdrawal. Communicating through body language.

The Caution: Emotional isolation. Refusing to accept relationship. Pretending to be someone that one is not. Disapproval of younger, more vital energies. Being fussy and judgmental. Chattering that is not conducive to growth or true relating. Gossip. Difficulty in communicating. Being shutoff, or shutdown. The loss of joy and spontaneity.

What often needs to happen with this "Spinsters" degree around is for people to open up, communicate and feel that they can share what's going on in their lives. It may be that there's a few select friends or family members that you can do this with. It may be that you need to be there for others, to have them open up to you. This new Moon seems to be saying that it's fine for you to do it, just remember your boundaries and what you, or others, really need to be carrying.

Jupiter and Eris (click here for info on Eris) are conjunct on Aries 23: A Woman In Pastel Colors Carrying A Heavy And Valuable But Veiled Load. This speaks of keeping a happy attitude even in the midst of sadness, confusion, doubt, fear, and, again, as with the Symbol for the new Moon - "The Porter" - having to carry the load or shoulder burdens or responsibilities. 

Keywords: Privacy. Quiet determination to get on with the job. Mild manners. Carrying more than one’s share, gratefully or grudgingly. Shouldering problems. Bad backs. Victim status – poor me! Secret pregnancies. Doing overtime. Heavy loads. Smiling against the odds. Pastel colors. Codes of silence.

The Caution: Covering something up. Trying to conceal distrust. Keeping one’s thoughts and emotions locked-in creating ill health and disease. Fading into the background. Not being noticed or recognized. Feeling weighed down with shame, loss or humiliation. Wearing dark clothes. Dressing in order to cover up. Being the family scapegoat. Heavy karma.

Mars, which is very strong at the moment (being in Aries and ruling all the planets in Aries and conjuncting Jupiter) is on Aries 24: An Open Window And A Net Curtain Blowing Into The Shape Of A Cornucopia... this is a wonderful degree of opportunity and promise, but with Mars on this degree, there's the possibility of being angry or disappointed if things don't quite come together. This degree asks us to open our doors and windows and free the space of the cobwebs and stale air of the past in order for the 'Cornucopia' to blow in. 

Keywords: Imagination. Keeping your options open. The promise of fruition. The breath of life filled with inspiration. Realizing that in everyday life, one has it all. Windows of opportunity. Gain, abundance, riches. Spiritual energies pouring in. Concentrated energy. Seeing desires taking shape. Curtains and windows.The Caution: Relying on spiritual ideas to provide material sustenance. Dreaming of things dropping into one’s lap. Hoping that good luck will just ‘blow in’. Shutting windows, keeping light and life out. Drawing curtains and withdrawing. Promises, promises.

Thankfully, Mars is trining the karmic Moon's North Node which is at Sagittarius 24: A Bluebird, A Sign Of Good Luck And Happiness, Is Standing At The Door Of The House. 

Keywords: Calmness and rewards. Promise (or promises) of ‘Happiness’. Love and happiness available by acknowledging its presence. Real estate, house boundaries. Reminders of joy. Cottages and picket fences. Waiting for invitations to enter. Omens of good luck. Blessings. Front doors and back doors.

The Caution: Denying happiness or good news. Feeling that the grass is always greener somewhere else. Putting on false shows of happiness for all to see. Thinking that buying things will make one’s life happier. Wanting what’s not available.

As with the "Open Window" of Mar's placement, this is a wonderful omen of happiness, love, security and joy. 

Pluto has a message to back up the placement of Mars and the Node. The Sabian Symbol is Capricorn 8: Birds In The House Singing Happily. This speaks of being at one with everything, tunes sung or whistled, the promise of contentment, communal sharing and fun, music, instruments, chattering, birds singing, positive thinking. We need to not feel caged in or looking only at difficulties. Feelings of loneliness, being forgotten or forsaken can be banished by listening to music or listening to birds singing. 

Saturn, which can bring structure, form and discipline but also fear, loss and restriction, is on Libra 12: Miners Are Emerging From A Deep Coal Mine. This is a good placement for Saturn at the moment as it makes us think about things, to dredge those things that need dredging, to face our fears and to remember to come up for air when things are getting us down (or weighing us down). As Saturn is opposite both Venus and Mercury, we could be finding the need to reassess relationships, friendships, our values about ourselves and others and how we think and communicate with others. With Saturn on the "Coal Mining" degree, we can have realisations coming up from the depths and find those gems that may have been lying deep within us, just waiting for us to dis-cover them. 

(Without wanting to add to anybody's burdens, I feel driven to mention the movie Gasland. I watched it last night, but have seen a doco on gas "fracking" in Australia a few months ago. If you don't know about it, you may find it interesting to check out what's happening - it's an environmental nightmare. I apologise for bringing it up, but with Saturn on the "Coal Miners" degree, it's quite timely, I believe, that I do).