Playing Tennis with the Sphinx by M. Kelley Hunter August 2000

VENUS AND THE SPHINX

July's tidal waves of Cancer planets and extra eclipses moves into the

fiery realm of Leo and onward into practical Virgo as August unfolds. Venus

shines forth as the Evening Star once again. This first appearance of Venus

after weeks of communing with the Sun was a holy day for peoples like the

Babylonians, who carefully marked her movements--or his movements, in the

minds of the Mayans who saw Venus as their great god, Quetzalcoatl.

Upon her arrival, Venus leads the way across the cusp of Leo into Virgo on

August 6, followed on August 22 by both the Sun and Mercury. This cusp is

aligned with the Royal Star Regulus, the heart of the Lion. Uniting the

heart-centered emotional body of the Lion with the sensational

discrimination of the Great Goddess, we encounter the Sphinx, smiling like

the Cheshire Cat. What profound riddle will the Sphinx ask us this time?

Winking her eye like a twinkling star, perhaps she_ll ask, "How many balls

can you juggle?"

JUPITER THE JUGGLER

This is the year to find out, as Jupiter, the biggest ball of the solar

system, is in Gemini from July 2000 to July 2001. Variety is the spice of

life, says Gemini, sign of jugglers. Jupiter enthusiastically agrees,

tossing more and more balls into the air. Jupiter has sixteen moons,

including some of the biggest ones in the solar system. That_s enough to

generate oodles of ideas and think up lots of options.

Not its best sign, Jupiter in Gemini can get scattered. Can_t keep a

thought in mind from one minute to the next, you know? Not to worry. Saturn

tips a lead toe into Gemini for a trial run from August 9 to October 15,

before it hunkers back into Taurus for the winter. Saturn will apply some

practical tests to see what ideas work. Of course, Saturn has moons,

too‹seventeen! That_s thirty-three moons between them. We won_t get bored,

not in Gemini.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? That is the Big Question. Jupiter in Gemini is a

patchwork quilt of thoughts and opinions, whereas Saturn is the reality

check logic of consequences. Thoughts manifest, perhaps more quickly than

we expect. We_ll need to stay alert and discriminating, as we are presented

with lots of new information. Stretch your imagination and turn on your

truth meter.

TENNIS ANYONE?

It_s a doubles match with Jupiter and Saturn in Gemini on one side and

Pluto and Chiron in Sagittarius on the other‹the major league of the new

millennium. Something in us seems to remember that ball games are sacred

rituals; for the Mayans, among others, a matter of life and death. On the

surface it looks like a weighted game with the two gas giants in Gemini

facing two tiny hard balls in Sagittarius. Jupiter and Saturn represent

the larger social dimension of our experience. Pluto and Chiron, the

God/dess of the Underworld and the Shaman, are two small, eccentric bodies

with unseen powers. They make a formidable pair. Retrograde since March,

Pluto and Chiron both resume direct motion in August as Saturn enters the

Gemini court. The game is warming up.

Jupiter serves first, coming to opposition with Pluto and Chiron the first

week in September. Better put all your best ideas on the line when you_re

up against Pluto and Chiron. In Sagittarius, they_re going to face you with

the Truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Do you believe it? As

minds expand, especially your own, be prepared to let go of cherished or

unconscious beliefs that do not serve your true fulfillment. Invent new

words to match new visions. Big myths are being played out in the social

and political arena. Powerful new connections are being made on all levels.

Chiron sends back the ball with such a potent effect that it throws Jupiter

backward for a retrograde loop at the end of September. Mars in Virgo

squares both teams, keeping the energy grounded so things work out for the

best. Pluto steps forward to serve in mid-October, with Venus close by

cheering him on. This dark-faced god/dess of death and rebirth is awesome.

Mercury in Scorpio stops dead in its tracks and goes retrograde to rethink

strategy. Saturn withdraws from the playing field, back into Taurus until

April. Jupiter is stunned and takes a few deep breaths to reconceptualize.

Uranus and Neptune, commentators on the Aquarian wave length, make a global

announcement: Stay tuned for the next round in May.

What do you say, sports fans! What a game! This first round gets right to

the point, sets us up circumstances to be resumed in the spring. If you

think all this has to do with the election, think again‹and again. With

paradox and parallels, the scientific logic of Gemini vs. the mythic

imagination of Sagittarius face off for a quantum leap of consciousness.

And here come the clowns, a pair of perfect Gemini archetypes for half-time

entertainment.

PETER PAN AND PINOCCHIO

Peter Pan flies in from Neverland with the mischievous pixie Tinkerbell. He

loves to play, or has he lost his shadow again? The original tale by Sir

James Barrie is a primer on Gemini, worth a review. Gemini is a sign of

light and shadow, of the light twin and the dark twin, two sides of the

same coin. Captain Hook is always lurking, with the tick-tock crocodile

after him. "Neverland had always begun to look a little dark and

threatening by bed time. Then unexplored patches arose in it and spread;

black shadows moved about... you lost the certainty that you would win."

In this high-powered tennis match, we can_t afford to lose track of the

shadow. It is staring us right in the face. Saturn and Pluto both contain

aspects of unseen and untapped potentials. Looking in the dark mirror, do

we see through the eyes of love or fear?

Nor can we afford to lie. Not even a little white one? In Gemini black and

white are interchanged rather easily. Pinocchio had the yardstick of his

nose to remind him how much he could stretch truth. He also had

Gemini-Jiminy Cricket to keep him on track, a great personal trainer for

this game. Have you ever listened to crickets at night? They can put you

into a shamanic trance. That will get you in a Chironic mood for a

multi-dimensional shift.

So when you pass by the Sphinx this month, remember to wish upon a star.

"Every wish your heart desires will come to you."

Internationally-known astrologer Kelley Hunter is a resident of St. John,

Virgin Islands, where she keeps an eye on the stars. Astrological

consultant for over 25 years, she is also studying for her Ph.D. in world

cosmologies. Call her at 1-888-ALTAIR. To be on her e-mail list for

occasional articles, write to: kelleyh@viaccess.net