Hello dear ones,
How’s everyone doing after that eclipse week?
After the sun was eclipsed by the moon in Aries (in the Human Design Gate of Shock) last Monday, our bright star transited into the Gate of Growth from last Wednesday evening until today.
The frequency we were just in after the eclipse, the Gate of Growth, is also known as “Increase” in the I’Ching, and it has been encouraging us to look at life as as a series of cycles. This gate has invited us to remember that growth is always achieved by completing a cycle, and that it is essential to reflect on the cycle you’ve just been through so that past lessons are learned and old mistakes need not be repeated.
I know for me this past week has been filled with many reflections on past cycles. I found out on the day of the eclipse that a dear family friend passed away after a long fight with cancer. She was a beautiful soul, a passionate artist and environmental activist, and someone who inspired me so much in my early years. I spent time caring for her children when I was a teenager, and this past weekend I spent a lot of time reflecting on my childhood, and how lucky I was to have her as one of my elders in my community growing up.
I also spent a lot of time last week reflecting on the last total solar eclipse in 2017, as I was curious about looking into the effects of that eclipse in my life. Eclipses happen in cycles, and oftentimes the effects of them make themselves known in between when the event occurs and the next eclipse season 6 months later. I took some time to look at photos around August 2017 and the following 6 months on my phone, traveling back to that time period in my mind. It was super revealing.
The eclipse happened in my 1st house of selfhood, and leading up to it I was feeling quite unhappy with myself- stressed out, overworked, and not feeling seen. Right after that eclipse I rented an art studio and got into an into an artistic practice again, and getting back in touch with my passions. Then, 6 months later, on the next eclipse, I got pregnant with my daughter.
Reflecting back, I’m super grateful for that 2017 eclipse, and I could see from looking back at photos that it shook up my life for the better, although I didn’t know it at the time.
I think this is why I’m so into astrology human design and all of the cycles of time- by speaking these languages, I feel like I have a bit of a superpower to time-travel, and look at moments I’ve already been through so that I can integrate their lessons and not need to repeat old mistakes. Sometimes it just takes time passing to get a perspective on what a lesson was, and sometimes it’s helpful to be reminded which part in your past to revisit, and when.
Let me know in the comments if you experienced any reflections of your past cycles this week!
The energies are shifting post-eclipse, but not necessarily slowing down for the rest of April. No need to be afraid, just buckle your seatbelts! Tomorrow the sun is moving on to the Gate of Ordering, so we’ll focus on that, along with some major planetary activity in the sign of Taurus, in this episode.
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Here’s Your Weekly Overview:
On Tuesday, the sun enters the human design Gate of Ordering, known as “Sprouting” or “Difficulty at the Beginning” in the I’Ching.
On Friday, April 19, the sun enters Taurus.
On Saturday, April 20 we experience an electrifying Jupiter-Uranus Conjunction in Taurus
CYCLES OF TIME:
Medicine Wheel Direction: East
Element: Wood
Pagan Season: Ostara
Zodiac: Aries > Taurus (The sun enters Taurus April 19th)
Moon Phase: Waxing
I Ching Hexagram/Human Design Gate: 3 (March 30-April 4)
3 = Water over Thunder (Zhun: “Sprouting” aka “Difficulty at the Beginning”) or The Gate of ORDERING
The Gate of Ordering
We’ll start with the Gate of Ordering, since the sun is entering it early in the week, on Tuesday the 16th. The Gate of Ordering is known as “Zhun" in the I’Ching, the which means “Sprouting”. It is a combination of the trigrams Water and Thunder, and is also described as “Difficulty at the Beginning”. This is the last gate in the astrology sign of Aries, and to me it refers to the last stage of the evolutionary journey in the sign of the Ram.
After being born innocent into the world, the ram learns about the world around it, forms opinions, injects himself into the world, and the world shocks him back in return. He then reflects on this cycle in the Gate of Growth, and is inspired to begin something new with all of this information. But beginnings are far from easy.
A quick rule of thumb with the Iching Hexagrams is that the upper trigram represents external forces or energies, while the lower trigram represents internal forces or energies. In this case of thunder and water, there is a powerful, internal, thunderous impulse to begin something new this week, but it is met with the formless, shifting realities of the external world.
We all know that feeling that when something is getting started, there is great energy and enthusiasm from within, and oftentimes without as well. But when that initial energy and enthusiasm stops being matched by the outside world, there is temptation to seek a new direction or give up as soon as we started. During the inception of something, we learn that the energy must come from within us, even if the external world loses some of it’s initial interest and you are left with less feedback and affirmation than you desire.
We must continue to approach our new projects with different perspectives, and we must continue along in our present circumstances even if they feel difficulty- only then will we meet success.
Here’s a quote on iChing hexagram 3 from the divination foundation:
“The birth of a new venture or relationship is an entry into the unknown. New things seem to be rushing upon you, and confusion can easily take over. However, chaos is a powerful force when you harness it properly, so don’t rush things now. Do not let events overwhelm you. As you take the first step, stay calm and ready to persevere. Ask for guidance and support.”
People born with the sun (or another planet) in this gate typically know that the fundamental challenge of initiation is to transcend confusion and establish order. There is a creativity to this placement, a talent for playfully creating order out of chaos, for breaking down patterns in order to look at things a different way. If you’re born this week in the Gate of Ordering, let me know in the comments if this resonates with you!
The Gate of Ordering Leads us into the Season of the Bull
This gate of ordering or sprouting, aka Gate 3, ends Aries season, and leads us into Taurus season, so it is a link between the two signs. The sun moves into the Zodiac sign of Taurus on April 19th, and we evolve from the wise old ram’s visions to the baby calf’s execution! Like the first gate of Aries season, which was Gate 25 -Innocence, Gate 3 -Ordering is also about new beginnings, but with a more bullish nature.
The first gate of Aries season was open ended and wide-eyed, coming out of the womb of the year that was the infinite depths of Pisces season into a fresh new cycle. But the transitional gate into Taurus season is different. It has more memories of the last phase of life in it’s recent memory. Instead of innocence, Gate 3 is coming into the world with the knowledge of how chaotic life can feel. All the emotional ups and downs, actions, shocks and disappointments of Aries season are felt in the body of the newborn calf, and all he wants is stability. Order.
All Zodiac signs are associated with a unique combination of an element - earth, air, fire, water, and a modality- cardinal, or initiatory, fixed, or stable, and mutable, or changing. Taurus is the only Fixed Earth sign, and these ancient descriptions describe the relative and necessary stability of the season. The emerging, delicate sprouts of Aries season are now fixed into the earth with solid roots.
During the first part of Taurus season, the protective husks around the growing green sprouted plants naturally peel away when it’s time to blossom. This gate of Ordering, or Difficulty at the Beginning, makes a lot of sense when we think about it as this point in the life cycle of a plant. Taurus is the season of middle-spring, of blossoming flowers. If you were a flower who had never bloomed before, think about how excited you might be about the prospect of this inevitable new beginning! And also, think about how scary it might feel to do so, how ultimately difficult it might feel to bloom on your own.
But luckily flower’s don’t feel worry, at least I don’t think so.
“Flowers don’t worry about how they’re going to bloom. They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful.” – Jim Carrey
It’s a week to nurture our dreams from within, and the first step is making the first baby steps to make order out of the chaos- perhaps, as Jim Carrey said, by opening up and turning toward the light.
I heard a beautiful quote that referenced the word “order” last week from my wonderful qi gong teacher, Jaye. She said: “The definition of artistry is the ability to put order to our obsessions”. To be an artist is to organize our obsessions.
I absolutely loved this quote, and had never heard it before. It really spoke to me as I was thinking about moving from the Gate of Growth to the Gate of Ordering. The Gate of Growth, which we’re just finishing up, along with the vibes of Aries season, are about living, unafraid and unashamed. Putting ourselves out there and receiving what the world has to offer in return. Being open to this call and response flow, or dance, and allowing ourselves to become obsessed with something- because it feels good, because it makes us excited. That is the Cardinal Fire of Aries season in a nutshell. Ignite, catalyze, be a spark, receive sparks from the universe.
Shifting on Wednesday into both the Gate of Ordering and Taurus season doesn’t dampen the sparks, but instead it just roots them, grounds them a bit. In the life cycle, Aries is represented by an infant, a newborn, who is developing her vision while open to the world around her. If you think about it, infants are passed around, carried, worn, and for the most part kept off of the ground.
Taurus, in turn, is represented by a toddler, the stage of early childhood. At this stage, she is laying on the ground on her tummy, face in the grass. She is crawling around, touching the earth more than she ever will for the rest of her life! She is still so curious, but also more aware of danger than an infant is, and she craves the stability that her caregivers and her environment can provide her. Next week, the sun enters the first Human Design gate that is fully within Taurus season, and it is fittingly called the Gate of Caring.
I love thinking about Taurus season as toddler season, thinking about when my daughter was a little toddler during the spring and we would just get lost together in the curiosity of dandelion puffs and dewdrops and roly-poly’s while laying in the grass. Taurus, we all know, is also known for being stubborn- which means they know what they want- and that is also a toddler trait. No offense to Taurus placements at all on that- it’s a really good thing to know what you truly want and what makes you feel safe. That’s something we all lose as we get more conditioned by what other people and society tells us we should want.
When we think about this season from the point of view of the Medicine Wheel, this quarter of the year from mid-March to mid-June, spanning Aries through Gemini seasons, is the season of the East- which is also known as the season of childhood. When we think of Aries as an infant, embracing the world with fresh eyes, Taurus as a toddler exploring their senses, and Gemini as a chatty, social kid, this correlates beautifully.
In the Wuxing 5-phase or 5-element cycle, spring is the season of Wood, growing out of winter’s Water. When I think of Wood, I also think of spring’s fast-growing plants, and also how quickly children grow. My daughter sprouted an inch and a half over the past month alone! So much visible growth is happening all around us this time of year, like plants emerging from the soil. The gate of ordering is about weeding the garden a bit, cutting the hair, and getting some sense of control over the infinite possibilities where this growth can take us this year, this life.
By doing some pruning and ordering during this season, we are able to show the world what we value. In this way, Taurus is the sign of values- rather than letting just anything grow in our garden, we are able to trim out invasive species, plants that would take over all the rest. By acting to create order so we can protect the delicate sprouts that are still rising up, or the flowers who might be overtaken by weeds, we help to define what we want to see our garden look like and produce as it flourishes through the summer months.
A big week in Taurus: Jupiter and Uranus meet in the sign of the bull
I’ll chat more about the themes of Taurus in coming episodes for sure- over the next month, we’ll have the sun, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus in the sign of the bull, so beyond the normal solar season, all the other planets there will add extra emphasis to the theme of the bull! I’m hoping to start having special guests on each month going forward, so an upcoming episode will hopefully include an interview with a powerful Taurus! Stay tuned!
This week we’re already going to be feeling an extra dose of Taurus energy, because on Saturday April 20, one day after the sun moves into Taurus, we will experience one of the most talked-about astrological events of the year. The gas giant Jupiter is meeting at the same degree of Taurus as the outer planet Uranus. This is a big deal, guys.
Jupiter and Uranus only meet up in the sky about once every 14 years, and they haven’t met together in the sign of Taurus since 1941! Jupiter is the planet of expansion, benevolence, growth and opportunity. Uranus is the planet of liberation, revolution, rebels, geniuses, and the future. So wherever they meet up, their energies collide.
Jupiter conjunct Uranus throughout history has been linked with revolutions, the hopes, dreams, and wishes of humanity, quantum leaps and freedom of expression. Jupiter is known as the great benefic in traditional astrology, and has always been associated with luck. I read that astronomically, Jupiter actually protects the Earth, and other planets close to the sun. It does this because the the giant gravitational field around the huge planet prevents the outer planets from orbiting too close to the sun and smashing into the closer planets! Fascinating!
I was born in 1983, when Jupiter and Uranus were conjunct in Sagittarius, so I feel the effects of this transit on my life. If you were born in 1941, 1969, 1983, 1997, or 2010 you also have Jupiter conjunct Uranus in your birth chart.
An article from Astro-Charts.com says;” An aspect of Jupiter Conjunction Uranus in the natal chart indicates a person who is comfortable riding the winds of change, goes all out in the things they set out to do and knows how to stay enthusiastic about their own ideas, particularly unconventional ones. “
Oftentimes, Jupiter-Uranus conjunctions indicate big technological or scientific advances and breakthroughs. 1969, when they met up in the relational sign of Libra, was the year of the Apollo Moon Landing as well as the major protests agains the Vietnam war, the freedom of expression in the hippie movement. In 1983 they were conjunct in the wisdom-spreading sign of Sagittarius, and both Mobile Phones and THE INTERNET were brought to the public. In 1997 they were conjunct in futuristic sign of Aquarius, and Dolly the first cloned sheep was born. Then, in 2010 they were conjunct in Aries, which was the year of the Arab Spring, Space X’s first rocket, Wikileaks, the first of electric cars in the marketplace, and the start of the CERN Large Hadron Collider. It goes on and on!
The sign where the conjunction happens definitely influences the breakthroughs. In Taurus, which is the sign that rules our values and what makes us feel secure and cared for, this conjunction could mean big boom, expansion, or revolution in that realm.
What we value and what makes us feel secure could definitely be money- since Taurus is a sensual sign of spring, it can definitely be associated with material pleasures. It can also look like food, agriculture, and the earth. This conjunction can also mean a liberatory expansion to our values in regards to security and basic needs.
Looking back to 1941, the last time the two planets were in Taurus, was the year Rosie the Riveter was introduced. We were in the middle of WWII, and women were being recruited to work, and paid for their work too. This was a major milestone in the expansion and liberation of women in the workplace, which would affect the next generations a lot, even if we are still working toward equal pay.
This year, both climate change and the genocide in Gaza are calling our attention to food security, famine, and the incredibly unequal distribution of wealth and resources on this planet. We are in the midst of protests and uprisings surrounding these issues.
Meanwhile, there is also so much happening in the realm of technological breakthroughs that it’s hard to see what will stand out when we look back on it. But here is a list, which includes Taurean things like utilizing AI in environmental R&D, making great leaps with Green Chemistry to reduce plastics and lithium-ion batteries, and, well… going back to the moon with the new Artemis mission that aims to land the first woman and the first person of color on the moon by 2025. Only time will tell how this time affects us globally, but it is fun to look back at these 14 year intervals and see the wild, expansive, and revolutionary things humans have been up to.
Jupiter-Uranus in the Gate of Assimilation
While the sun will be in Gate 3 this week, the Gate of Ordering or Sprouting, Jupiter and Uranus are hanging out a little bit further ahead in the sign of Taurus, in Gate 23: The Gate of Assimilation. I’ve also heard this gate described as “The Alchemical Wordsmith”. The sun will reach this gate in early May, so this is a bit of foreshadowing of that season. The energy of Gate 23 is all about the potential to effectively translate complex ideas into digestible, actionable insights. Like the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction itself, the part of the wheel it is happening in is also about breakthroughs!
This weekend, know that breakthroughs may come to you, not only in an intellectual way, but from connecting to your deep intuitive understanding. Pay attention to your gut and your intuitive hits, and you may reach a deeper level of comprehension. Look expecially for alignments with the greater good, the big picture, this week, and you will find a deeper sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Don’t be afraid to speak about what insights or breakthroughs come your way- they are a part of a beautiful weaving of voices from around the world, as we all experience this rare transit.
How Will You Personally be Affected by this Planetary Meetup?
In addition to the general look at where the planets are meeting up in the wheel of time, it’s also a good idea to check out your birth chart and look to which of the 12 houses Taurus falls for you personally.
The sign Leo was coming over the eastern horizon when I was born, so I’m a Leo Rising, with Leo in my first house. This means that the sign Taurus was directly overhead when I was born, or in other words, I have Taurus at my midheaven or in my 10th house. The 10th house is the home of career, the public, status, and the way we show up in the world, so Taurus season might tend to generally emphasize my career and public image. This Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in Taurus is also calling attention to my 10th house…. so we’ll see if something lucky or expansive or revolutionary happens in this realm this week!
Of course, these planets are both slow moving, so they’ve each been in Taurus a while. While the sun spends about 1 month in each sign, Uranus spends about 7 years moving through a single sign. It has been in Taurus since 2018 and will stay until 2026.. Jupiter spends about 1 year in each sign- he has been in Taurus since last May, and will leave Taurus for Gemini on May 25 of this year.
Since Taurus is in my house of career, I’d look at my career life since 2018. I would definitely say that the planet of liberation and revolution shook up my career that year- I had a baby and went on parental leave, then went back to my company in a completely new role for a few months, and then ended up leaving the company in early 2020. This was definitely a big, Uranian move, as I had founded the company in 2011 and worked nonstop on it’s formation and growth for 7 solid years!
Since then, my career life has been completely overhauled- I’ve taken the past few years to study, learn, and establish myself as a mother, an artist, an astrologer, and a somatic and breathwork facilitator. During the time Jupiter has been in my 10th house, I have started my Substack, started this podcast, and started working with clients giving readings and sessions, expanding my reach into the world. So regardless of what this week’s exact conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus does for my career, I’ve already seen the effects in a big way!
I’m actually really touched by thinking about my 10th house in Taurus, and what Taurus means, because the way my passions about the earth and her cycles are showing up in my public work was completely unexpected to me. I was drawn to astrology and breathwork and immersion in nature as healing paths after my last career kind of unexpectedly broke apart, and now, by this Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, I’ve started to see how the common thread between all of my passions and practices is feeling connected to the earth herself. <3
Long story short…
This week encourages us to weed the garden and start to put some order to the chaos, but also to maintain flexibility and open-mindedness as the week progresses into this Jupiter-Uranus conjunction. Both the Gate of Ordering and this conjunction tell us to open our hearts to advisers, collaborators, and new people in our lives, as these intersections will likely be the place for new opportunities and solutions to old problems to arise.
Keywords for this week:
sudden opportunities
striving for freedom
idealism, not accepting unjust conditions
potential windfalls
creative genius
consciousness-expanding perspectives
exposure to completely new aspects of life
speak your mind
align with the big picture, the greater good, for the best results
What a week! I hope you have a beautiful entry to Taurus season, tending to whatever gardens are in your world, from your body to your home to your community.
xoxxo,
Alison
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Sprouting into Taurus Season: Weekly Forecast for April 15-21