Sabbats Almanac: Samhain to Mabon - Kristoffer Hughes 2018
Cosmic Sway by Charlie Rainbow Wolf
Beltane
BELTANE INTRODUCES US TO three retrograde planets: Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto. Pluto is far enough out there that his retrograde really isn’t going to have that much of an impact—not like Mercury, who insists on dancing backward through the skies every three months or so! However, Jupiter and Saturn both need a bit of attention in order to avoid potential problems later on. Let’s start with Jupiter.
Jupiter turns retro every thirteen months or so, and it’s backwards journey through the skies lasts approximately seventeen weeks. When a planet turns retrograde, start to focus on the “re” words; review, rethink, reconsider, reunite, respect, reconsider, regret, and more. Jupiter is the planet of growth and expansion. It’s possible for things—even good things—to happen too fast. Jupiter’s regular retrogrades give you time to reflect and catch your breath.
This is an excellent time to take inventory of your life and make sure that you’re headed where you truly want to go. Challenges may arise, challenges that make you question whether you need to adjust your priorities, or maybe change tracks altogether. Because this is a time of “re” words, make sure you’re only reflecting on what you want to see happen, and that you’re prepared for it when it does. Problems that have been growing out of hand are easier to tame when Jupiter is retrograde, giving you a less expansive energy so that you can control them. It’s all about finding a balance; and Jupiter retrograde is a good time to reassess things.
Saturn is also retrograde this month, and like Jupiter, it makes a regular jaunt backwards, occurring approximately every year and lasting somewhere in the region of eighteen weeks. Saturn’s title of “The Lord of Karma” is well earned, and when it turns retrograde, that’s emphasized and magnified. Karma isn’t any great cosmic force; it’s basically just the laws of cause and effect. If you’ve made a mess of something in the past without taking responsibility for it, it’s going to catch up with you at some time or another. Likewise, if you’ve been paying your dues and learning your lessons, that’s going to catch up with you, too—in a good way.
Saturn retrograde demands that you look at your priorities and examine your current obligations. It asks you to slow down and evaluate things, and if you don’t heed this request, then it will turn into a demand with challenges being thrown at you until you are forced to stop for one reason or another. While this may seem like a stumbling block, it’s actually an asset. Once you’ve paused and assessed the situation, you’ll be able to move forward with more determination and progress once Saturn turns direct again.
The problem with these enforced reflections is that if there was already a bad mood or a negative mindset before Saturn turned retrograde, this is now going to be amplified. Now there’s a chance to look the issues straight in the eye and plan how to deal with them. It’s a good idea to do this voluntarily, without having more trials thrust in the way before the lessons are learned!
It’s important to face these challenges and get a plan of action formulated before Saturn turns direct again. Once Saturn stations and starts backtracking over previously covered ground there’s a chance to put some of what’s been learned to work, and progress and productivity should return. Saturn comes off as a hard taskmaster, but that’s because it’s discipline is firm. What loving father doesn’t chastise his child to keep them on the straight and narrow?
So, what’s the big deal—why spend so much time looking at Saturn? Well, for one, it’s going to be around awhile and for two, it’s still making that opposition to the Moon’s north nodes—yet another karmic force in the heavens. It’s also still conjunct Pluto, although it will pull away a bit because of the retrograde.
And if all this wasn’t enough, Mars in Taurus is really challenging Saturn this week. There’s a great potential for tensions among authority figures or against them. The best plan of action is to tend to the immediate issues first and then focus on revising the long term goals. Responsibilities may be imposed on you. If haste is applied (Mars), it has the potential to create even more consequences (Saturn). Take it day by day, step by step moment by moment. Fortunately this transit only lasts about five days.
Mars is also throwing it’s weight around in an opposition to Jupiter. There’s a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of energy here, but it’s scattered and unfocused. It may be hard to choose just what path to follow or what you truly want. The fact that Jupiter is retrograde is actually an advantage with this aspect, because it tames some of that expansive energy. This is frustrating for Mars, which wants to get ahead, but it’s in the best interests in the long run. The retrograde motion of Jupiter creates a space to examine what’s truly worthwhile, and what’s just a pipe dream.
Beltane Celebration: Spin Some Positive Energy
Beltane was originally a fire festival, and many still celebrate the flames of fertility at this time. It’s not unusual to use fire to purify and to protect. Today, people aren’t as wary of supernatural forces as our ancestors were, but it’s still appropriate to use the fire as a purification or to banish something that’s unwanted. There are many ways to do this, such as writing down something unwanted on paper and burning it in the fire, jumping over the fire to protect yourself from the darker side of society’s traits such as prejudice or discrimination.
A simple ritual to get the energies changing in your life in a good way involves a candle, and a few moments of your time. While it’s appropriate to do this at Beltane, this little trick can be used any time you’re having a bad day—and I’ve even used it without the candle, too. All you need is a candle and about three minutes of your time. If you’re doing this as a Beltane ritual, it’s best to do it at sundown. Simply light the candle, and start to sing the “I’m a Little Teapot” nursery rhyme.
As you start singing, slowly spin around and around in a counterclockwise motion—or clockwise if you’re in the southern hemisphere. You’re winding up the energy you want to change or get rid of when you do this. Don’t spin too fast or you’ll make yourself dizzy!
When you get to the word “out,” simply jump out of the vortex of energy that you have created. It’s okay to hold onto something (or someone) so you don’t fall! This isn’t just a symbolic gesture, either. Just like water makes a whirlpool in the bathtub when going down the drain, you’re making a cyclone of energy with your twirling. When you jump out of it, you’re leaving it behind.
When you’ve finished, simply pinch out the candle. Trust that the flame has burned up the energy that you have hopped away from, and that things will get better. If you need to do this again in a few days, or even a few hours, go right ahead. It’s effective without the candle, and very portable because there are no tools needed for it to be successful. I’ve even done it in the ladies room at work before today—although if you do it where people can see you, they may think you’re a bit weird!
It’s easy to make this a group activity. Light a small bonfire—and I stress small! If this is a large gathering, put some of the fire in a bucket, cauldron, or other fireproof container. One by one have the participant’s twirl and jump the flames. Two people need to assist the jumper, one either side, to ensure that they’re safe from falling. When everyone has jumped, let the small fire burn out. Participants should take a cinder from the fire to keep in a safe place, and at a later time when they need to repeat the ritual individually, they can simply jump over the cinder.