Image: “Envisioning” by Gary Rosenberg
Testing Our Perspective
By
Sarah Varcas
This Grand Trine (think of a large equilateral triangle) is formed by Ceres, Mercury and the North Node. Arising in the wake of the New Moon, it provides the opportunity to reflect on new beginnings and how to best take the ‘temperature’ of our environment to ensure appropriate action at the right time. It has a visionary quality about it, infused with idealism and the perception of possibility. This alignment may tell us anything is possible and the world is our oyster. It augurs a feeling of excitement and we are invited to join in the fun.
But, like any Grand Trine, it comes with both blessings and pitfalls. We may, for example, become very self-absorbed. Energy flows freely within, giving us little motivation to express it outward and interact with the world around us. Self-satisfaction can develop if we become so absorbed in our own world view that we fail to recognise it as simply one among many, which may require adjustment if we are to live in any semblance of harmony with others! If we wish to put current inspiration to good use we may have to work harder than anticipated to get others on board.
Sometimes this isn’t a problem. We don’t always need others on board to pursue our goals. Sometimes we simply have to go ahead regardless of what they think about it. Not so this time though. With the North Node in Libra taking a lead role, effective relationships are essential to moving forward and it’s vital we endeavour to share our heart’s desires and risk the impact of exposing them to external scrutiny. It may be tough at first, especially if other people shoot down our dreams or spot the holes we’d failed to see, blinded by our own enthusiasm. However, this kind of third-party feedback is exactly what’s required to foolproof our plans in the weeks ahead. Think of the coming few days as a consultation period with the outside world: the more open we can be to the views of others, the better equipped we become. By examining our own potential from different angles, we can more readily recognise where adaptations may be necessary to make the best of new beginnings and take on-going projects to the next level.
Of course, we can opt out of this process, choosing to remain ensconced in our own certainty where our perspective remains unchallenged and we tell ourselves we know exactly what we’re doing and how it all goes from here on in. If we do so nothing will come along to drag us out of our bubble. Grand Trines are very comfortable places, like an inviting sofa or a foaming hot tub. They seduce us into relaxation and repose, enjoying the ease of the moment as it lulls us into unconsciousness. Sometimes there is a place for this kind of experience. It can offer space in the midst of hectic and challenging times, an oasis of calm and inner peace necessary for renewal. But at this precise point the seductive lure of repose is best resisted in favour of active engagement with the issues at hand.
The challenges of the recent Mercury retrograde, especially in terms of relationships, may have left us more appreciative of our own company and less so of other people’s! The complications of living in this social world where we simply can’t avoid each other have become particularly apparent in recent weeks. At this point we may simply want to withdraw into our own inner world with just ourselves for company. This Grand Trine may enhance this feeling, providing the satisfying experience of ‘having it all worked out’. We can look back and understand what’s gone on, why we did and said what we did, why others responded as they did and so on and so forth. It all makes sense, we can pat ourselves on the back for getting through it and now we can continue on in our own little bubble and not have to worry about them anymore.
Except that’s not how life is going to work in the coming months. If we don’t put the important lessons from recent experience into practice forthwith – changing our behaviour, not just our understanding – we may face similar dynamics but this time more intransigent and stubborn, refusing to budge no matter what we do to change them. Whatever we understand now that we didn’t before is not an end in itself but a new beginning, the seed of changes in behaviour as well as thought and feeling. We cannot avoid other people on a planet populated by over seven billion of us, so we’d best work out how to live together in a productive way that treats us all with the respect and consideration we deserve. This may require modifying our plans, altering our aspirations and accommodating people who refuse to behave how we want them to.
Living in community as we do every day – be it in person, on line, locally, globally or in one to one relationships – is a complex and often messy business. We may be tempted to dumb it down right now into a neat equation that enables us to put everyone and everything into a tidy box, including ourselves. If, instead, we dare expose our own perspective to the test of the outside world we may discover its flaws and failings alongside its strengths, found where we least expect them. Doing so will enable us to capitalise on its potential once we’ve remedied its flaws. This time of adjustment is precious and will set the scene for the road ahead. Through it we can discover just how much promise our dreams actually hold and what must be done to fulfil them.
Sarah Varcas
