The Innocence of Spring: Weekly Forecast for March 18-24

Astrosomatics Podcast

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The Innocence of Spring: Weekly Forecast for March 18-24

Spring Equinox, Aries Season, Ostara, and the Gate of Innocence

Alison Dale

Mar 19, 2024

Transcript

Hello and welcome to the first of my weekly horoscopes!

This episode/written transcript is quiiite a bit longer than most will be, so heads up, sorry, and you’re welcome :) I decided to start by outlining the format I’ll use for each episode (with a little bit of my personal philosophies thrown in), and the second part gets into the details for this powerful Spring Equinox week ahead.

Listen by clicking the audio above or read it at your leisure- your choice! Scroll past the transcript to find some of the resources, photos, and diagrams mentioned in the episode as well.

You can also subscribe to the podcast wherever you find podcasts, like Apple Music or Spotify:

Thanks for being here! <3

xo,

Alison

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:

Welcome here, everyone!

This is a transcript of episode one of Cycles of Time, where we’ll be tracking the passage of the seasons from various vantage points, cultures, and perspectives. This is your weekly forecast for the week of March 18-24th, 2024: Spring Arrives!

Your Weekly Overview:

Medicine Wheel Direction: East
Element: Wood
Spring/Vernal Equinox: Tuesday, March 19th
Pagan Holy Day: Ostara (Tuesday, March 19th)
Zodiac: Pisces > Aries (The sun enters Aries March 19th)
Moon Phase: Waxing Moon
I Ching Hexagram/ Human Design Gate: 25 (March 18th-24th)
- 25 = Heaven over Thunder (Wu Wang: “Innocent Integrity”) or The Gate of INNOCENCE

Thanks for your listens and feedback on the pilot episode, where I went through the who, what, and why for this podcast. If you haven’t listened to that, I recommend doing so, but it’s not required!

I do recommend checking out the image I’m sharing in the show notes, which is a diagram I put together showing how each of the cycles of time from different cultures and backgrounds aligns with eachother. It’s pretty cool! Of course, if you’re driving or taking a bath or something, check it out later, but if you’re on your computer you can visit cyclesoftimepodcast.com or click the link in the show notes. And while you’re at it, please click subscribe... Thanks!

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Logistics aside, I’ll start by giving you a little download about the structure of this show, and then we’ll dive right into the forecast of the energies that this week holds.... and it’s an exciting one!

This week is spring equinox, which jumpstarts the astrological new year with the first sign of the zodiac: Aries, the sign of the enthusiastic and driven ram. I feel spring in the air in a big way, do you? People are coming out of their shells in a big way, starting stuff, making moves... I love it!

It was just daylight savings where I live- springing the clock forward 1 hour. So many people have been grumbling about how hard it has been to wake up over the past few days, especially all the parents of little kids that I know, myself included. Growing up, I remember hearing that daylight savings time was created to benefit farmers, but now I know that was a total myth.

Daylight savings , which moves an hour of sunlight from the early morning to the evening, was apparently suggested initially by Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century. As the industrial revolution took hold over the next 100 years, a standardization of time was implemented to make railroads work efficiently. Before that, there were a lot of local “sun times”, where the people of each town or village would decide the time according to the sun in their particular place. In the 1840s, as railroads were built throughout towns in Europe and America, the powers that be created standard time, and in 1883, a coalition of American businessmen created the timezones in the us- pacific, mountain, central, eastern. Then, in the early 1900s, daylight savings time was implemented across Europe and the United States, in order to theoretically save on energy costs and reap economic benefits.

I learned a lot about daylight savings time from a recent NYTimes article!... for example:

China, India and Russia do not use daylight saving time. Nor does Hawaii or most of Arizona. In October 2022, Mexico ended daylight saving time for most of the country, but carved out an exception for the area along the United States border.

The European Union and several U.S. states, including California, Florida and Ohio, have either considered dropping the shift or taken steps to do so.

In 2020, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine called for the abolition of daylight saving time. In a statement, the academy said the shift, by disrupting the body’s natural clock, could cause an increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular events, and could lead to more traffic accidents.

I personally don’t love daylight savings, with its un-natural and capitalistic history. It reminds me of the gregorian calendar, coming in to mess up natural cycles of time for economic and power-driven reasons. No thanks!

But looking at a silver lining, it has been totally lovely to look out the window at dinnertime and see the sun still high in the sky. I’m personally not a morning person, so this extra evening light is really springing me to life!

Daylight savings happens at a different date each year, always set to the 2nd Sunday in March. It’s usually close to spring equinox, which is happening on March 19th this year, when the sun moves north along the ecliptic so that the days and nights are of equal length.

So... SPRING! before diving into the energy forecast, I’ll give you a little outline of the podcast format

The Format of this Podcast

The format of the podcast will be a little different every week depending on what’s happening in the cosmos, but will follow this general order:

Astronomy:

We’ll start with the astronomical, the basic position of the sun in relation to the earth. This, ultimately, is the basis of all of the traditions and philosophies in the cycle of time.

Of course, since a lot of these cyclic philosophies were channeled and created, we have gone through the copernican revolution and now are aware that the earth rotates around the sun! But we’re going to look at the sun/earth relationship from our point of view here on earth. The sun, planets, and moon always move through the same path in the sky, a special invisible line which is known as the ecliptic. There’s a great video on youtube that shows this that I’ll post in the show notes!

Through this podcast, we’ll trace the sun as it makes an apparent annual revolution around the earth along the ecliptic from our point of view.

Then we’ll look at the energies of the current week within the current season, through the lenses of the different systems .

If you’ve looked at my diagram, we’ll begin with the center of the wheel, and work our way out. The wheel of the year is broken down into many different segments by each different system of thought, which divide the year into different seasons. If we imagine the circle of the year as a pie, different cultures throughout history have sliced the pie up differently.

The Medicine Wheel

On this podcast, we’ll start with the 4 cardinal directions of the medicine wheel, which divides the year into 4 slices of pie- 4distinct seasons- spring, summer, autumn, winter.

The 5-Element Wuxing Cycle

Then we’ll talk about the 5 elements of the wuxing cycle. Like the medicine wheel, the Wuxing system actuallydivides the year into 4 main seasons too - wood, fire, metal, and water. The 5th element, earth, represents a shorter period in late summer, and ALSO represents the 4 times of the year when the seasons are transitioning from one to the other, like late winter, late spring, late summer.

We can think of these two, the medicine wheel and the wuxing cycle, as two seasonal frameworks from different sides of the globe, and we’ll be feeling into their parallels and differences as we track the weeks.

The Pagan Wheel of the Year

Next, if the week ahead includes one of the 8 sabbaths or holy days of the pagan wheel of the year, I’ll be sure to speak to that. The pagan wheel of the year slices the pie into 8 pieces, and a sabbath happens just about every 6.5 weeks throughout the year, so we’ll be talking about them quite often! These festivals are equally spaced throughout the year, celebrating the solsitces and equinoxes, and the cross quarter days that are halfway between each equinox and solstice..

The Zodiac

Each week we’ll also chat about which of the 12 zodiac signs the sun is transiting through, as each sign corresponds with about 1 month. When the sun is changing from one sign to another, we’ll spend a little bit more time on that sign, but I’ll always be sure to mention how the archetype of the sign is showing up in the week at hand. If there is a big event happening between other planets during the course of the week, I might go into that a bit too, but am mostly focusing on the sun’s apparent movement around the elliptic throughout the year.

The procession of the equinoxes- many people have heard that the stars of the zodiac don’t line up with the seasons anymore, due to the earth wobbling a bit on it’s axis. This is true! Back in the day, about 3-4000 years ago, the constellation of the ram lined up perfectly with the spring equinox. But now, because of this wobble of the earth’s axis over time, the constellation Taurus is actually lining up with the sun this week. In Indian, or Vedic astrology, as well as a newer branch of astrology called Sidereal, both carve up the pie of the sky based on where these constellations currently are, so Aries wouldn’t line up with the equinox anymore. HOWEVER, the European branch of astrology called Tropical astrology, which I practice, continues to carve up the pie of the sky based on the equinoxes and solstices, instead of the stars.

I don’t think one is better or worse, at all, but as a worshiper of seasonal cycles, the Tropical zodiac system that thinks about the equinoxes and solstices as markers of time resonates more with me. I believe that the Zodiac constellations and their myths and archetypes were created mostly based on people’s relationship with the seasons, and in that way so the equinoxes and solstices are more important and accurate than the incredibly far-off stars. I look at the stars as a painted backdrop or set of a play, where you are the audience and the sun and planets are the actors that are moving in front of that backdrop.The backdrop is important because of how it sets the environment for the actors, but the set is not a character in and of itself, it’s more important how the actors tell stories about their environments.

If the week includes one of the 13 full moons I’ll include that too!

The I Ching Hexagrams and Human Design Gates

Finally, I’ll be chatting with you about the energies of the week through the perspective of Chinese book of changes, also known as the i ching. The i ching is an ancient divination system that dates back to 5000 years ago. The book is made up of 64 hexagrams. They are called hexagrams in english because each figure is composed of 5 broken or unbroken lines, that represent yin or yang, respectively.

The typical mythological view attributes the authorship of the I Ching to China's first emperor, a god-like figure, half man, half dragon, who went by the name Fu Hsi and is said to have lived about 5,000 years ago. Fuxi is credited with creating humanity out of clay and inventing music, hunting, fishing, domestication, and cooking!

One day, according to legend, he saw a dragon-horse rise from the Yellow River. On it's side were markings which inspired the earliest version of the I Ching.

There are a lot of myths about this, but Almost 2,000 years later, significant changes were made to the original I Ching by King Wen of Zhou. Invited to the capital under false pretenses, he was imprisoned by the emperor for a period of seven years, where he languished awaiting a death sentence. During his imprisonment, King Wen studied the I Ching. He rearranged the 64 hexagrams in an order which appears somewhat arbitrary, given its original binary sequencing, and then wrote extensive commentaries on each of the hexagrams."

These 64 hexagrams are also the basis of the popular system of human design, and in Human Design hexagrams are known as gates. I’ll be using “gate” and “hexagram” interchangably in this show. The 64 hexagrams or gates are arranged around the wheel of the year in their original order, using the Fuxi or the binary sequence.

So, for our purposes here, as the sun moves around the ecliptic from our point of view on earth, it’s moving through each one of the gates in a particular order, just like it moves through the seasons or zodiac signs in a particular order. Because of this, We’ll be learning from the energies of a different hexagram or gate each week, and sometimes 2!

Yee! So that’s the slicing up of the pie from all of the different philosophies, all of the cycles of time. 4 indigenous seasons, 5 taoist elements, 8 european pagan sabbaths,12 babylonian zodiac signs, 13 moons, and 64 hexagrams or gates.

I want to note that some of these won’t change each week, of course - we’ll be living in each of these energies for various amounts of time. For example, Spring and the direction of East lasts about 3 months, and Aries season will last about 1 month. I plan on talking more in depth about each part of the year when there’s a change or transition, so I’m not repeating myself each week!

So now that all that’s out of the way, let’s get into the week ahead: March 18-24.

The week ahead: March 18-24.

This week contains some potent energy and big transitions as spring begins.

In the Medicine wheel, Spring is in the direction East. This direction is related to the element earth, childhood, the color yellow, and the physical realm.

In the Daoist Wuxing cycle, this season of the wheel of the year is represented by the element wood. Wood is symbolic of spring in the sense that after absorbing the water of winter, trees begin to sprout up and grow.

In China, the lunar new year happened back in february. Lunar New Year is also known as spring festival, and so in that tradition, spring has already arrived over a month ago..

I won’t talk a ton about the chinese zodiac here, since it is a complex 60-year rather than an annual cycle, with each year being represented by 1 of 12 animals and 1 of the 5 elements. I do want to mention, though, that this year, starting last month in february 2024, is the year of the Wood Dragon- so spring energy is strong all year.

Moving on to the Pagan wheel of the year, where we’re celebrating the spring sabbath of Ostara, which happens this Tuesday the 19th on the spring equinox. Ostara is a celebration of the German goddess Eostre, and is also the origins of the Christian Celebration of Easter. As the beginning of Spring, Ostara is a good time to plant seeds for the future.

Like I mentioned, in the tropical Zodiac, Spring Equinox is always the first day of Aries season.

In the cycle of a human life, Aries represents birth and infancy.

In the life cycle of a plant, Aies is the sprout bursting out of a seed.

In medical astrology that considers parts of the body as ruled by different sign, Aries rules our head, - think of the ram’s horns, as well as our muscles and blood.

Aries is known to be driven, hungry, impatient, enthusiastic, urgent, energetic, and ... .innocent.

Which brings me to the last part of this week’s energy footprint. The chapter of the iching that the sun is transiting through this week is hexagram or gate 25, which is known as Wu Wang, or the gate of innocence.

This archetype radiates gentleness and has a childlike innocence, even if his life path is complex and demanding. He has cultivated a deep trust that the universe will look after him and that love will conquer all. The Innocent is not designed to bring love into the world in any specific way, but rather to love without discrimination. He empowers others with the potential to love life and everything in it equally. This archetype has a deep compassion for all life, but not for any one individual over another.

The Innocent knows that the world can be healed through love and trust, but easily overestimates how capable the collective currently is of loving and trusting. The challenge for this archetype is understanding why other people do the things they do. When he witnesses something he perceives as not loving, he can feel confused. However, he is not here to tell people how to behave differently or how to love. Instead his natural role is to be a role model.

What the Innocent brings to all his relationships is honesty, truthfulness, and sincerity. This sometimes leaves him vulnerable to be taken advantage of by others, but his innocence shouldn't be mistaken for naivete. He is learning discernment and his deep optimism remains untouched. This comes from a true acceptance of the physical form and what it is to be human.

The Innocent will repeatedly and often unexpectedly be tested by life. As he starts to perceive these shocks as spiritual initiations, he grows into a love warrior that is ready to stand up for the human spirit and uniqueness no matter the circumstances. Initially, he may emerge a bit bruised from such initiations. Little by little, he learns to land on his feet and deepen the innocence into wisdom. His triumph and survival enriches his spirit and the spirit of those around him. His aura radiates the love of being.

The initiations of the Innocent include embracing his deepest wounds, no matter how dark or painful they may seem. When he goes to these places and takes others there and accepts the constriction, healing spontaneously happens.

If you don't know what cannot be done,

you will accomplish great things.

Like a kite cut from the string,

lightly the soul of my youth has taken flight. – Ishikawa Takuboku

To conteplate this hexagram and how it relates to Spring, Wood, Ostara, and Aries season I would love to read a passage from Kari Hohne, author of the book “The Essential I Ching: 64 Degrees of Nature's Wisdom” After this passage, we’ll wrap up for this week!

Hexagram 25: Innocence

“When you turn back, you are returned to a state of innocence.” Approaching the gateway of perception, you can cherish the opportunity not to know to move beyond all sense of boundaries. Baby birds do not develop their colorful beaks and feathers until adolescence, when the territorial urge begins. Until then, their coloring allows them to remain hidden and protected. This is the protection offered to a state of innocence.

Like a hatchling protected from early danger, you can approach the threshold of perception with a sense of discovery. The master said: “Those who do not know what cannot be done can accomplish great things.”

Wu Wang means ‘not attached,’ or not caught up in defending yourself against unfolding events. Exerting the will can sometimes create disharmony in the flow of life. Unattached, you can observe your fundamental harmony with what unfolds. The master said: “those who know no limits meet with no obstruction.” This state of innocence ensures your success.

Innocence allows you to see how events cultivate your power of your Te. It requires three things: compassion when relating to others, an appreciation for the ‘uncarved block,’ or the ever changing aspect of life by remaining simple in your desires not playing the host but remaining the guest of a greater unfolding.

Even while you are the ruler of your empire, you do not dare take the lead, but follow. You can discover a new way of perceiving the world where a return to a state of Innocence will allow you to cultivate what is to come.

“One who possesses virtue in abundance is comparable to a new born babe. The baby goes without knowing where it is going, and merges with the surroundings, moving along with it.” Wu Wang is the image of not wasting time lost on the by-paths where you wander away from where you need to be. Unattached to that place that would generate a response, you do not contend and therefore, nothing blocks your way.

Transcending unnatural distinctions, it is now, you have arrived, and you are just so. You make the choice of whether you use mind to establish boundaries or tear them down. Observing the emotions that trap you in your ability to discover, trace their illusions and let them go. At this threshold, observe how anxiety and fear attach you to expectations about the future, while guilt and anger tie you to actions of the past. Recognizing and discarding these responses, all that is left is innocence.

“Like a baby that has not learned to smile,” move to that place before the response to participate with how life is shaping you. Although “desire brings you to observe life’s manifestations,” having no attachment to the passing scenery, is the key to your success.

Evolution brings about variations, but these random changes rarely improve what already works well. Creatures adapt in ways that are not always beneficial, and natural selection comes to purge mutations and reveals why the Way is described as turning back. As one of nature’s self-organizing systems, you seek stasis, while life leads you to transform. Every plant and animal on the earth has outlasted a struggle for existence that is three and a half billion years old. This means that moving forward without worry will not be second nature.

Wu wang, ‘not attached,’ and wu wei, ‘taking no unnatural action’ allow you to move forward unattached to the past and not creating an unnecessary response. “I alone, am inactive and reveal no signs; listless as though I have no home to go back to.” The home you would have gone back to houses your paradigm. Let go of what you believe cannot be done and you will accomplish great things.

Resources:

1. A video about the Ecliptic, the path of the sun and planets around the sky from here on Earth:

2. The NYT article about Daylight Savings Time:

https://www.nytimes.com/article/daylight-saving-time-questions.html

3. Hexagram 25: Wu Wang, Heaven over Thunder, The Gate of Innocence

4. The Fuxi Cycle of the I Ching in a Grid and Circle

5. The Hexagrams and Zodiac on the Human Design Mandala

(You’ll notice the Fuxi Sequence and the Zodiac Wheel begin with gate/hexagram 25 on the left side of the wheel here, and on the right side of the wheel in my Cycles of Time combined diagram. This is to correspond with the seasons of the Medicine Wheel.)