PHOENIX ASTROLOGY

At the moment we are in a season the Chinese refer to as ‘late summer’ which is ruled by the Earth element and roughly corresponds to the movement of the Sun through the sign of Virgo. The constellation Virgo is often represented as a fertility goddess holding a sheath of grain and is symbolic of the harvests that happen at this time of year.

The theme of this time is about being centred. The Earth element in Chinese thought occupies the central position while other elements of wood, fire, metal and water relate to the cardinal directions of east, south, west and north respectively. The earth element and Virgo also rule the digestive organs which reside in the centre of the body. It is therefore a good to pay particular attention to the physical body, to eat good quality food, to do some exercise, join a yoga class and maybe get some massage or other body work. All these things nourish the earth element and help get back in touch with the body.

Emotionally Virgo and the Earth are damaged by anxiety and worry which will not only distort clear thinking but may disturb the digestion and assimilation of food.

On a deeper level it is about connecting to one’s centre. This is not an ego centre but the centre of one’s physical existence. What we often find there is a survival anxiety or fear of lack, an age old worry that the harvests won’t be enough to feed us. This is greatly exacerbated by the media reports of rising oil and food prices, fewer jobs, greater threats of violence and theft etc. The whole marketing culture is also based on creating a sense of scarcity in time and space so that a product has a limited availability or a special offer is available for a limited period. Now is the time to connect with these concerns not on an intellectual level but at the visceral level of the guts which do not listen to rational explanations.

The ability to receive from the earth is determined by the condition of this physical centre within our digestive organs more than it is by our external circumstances. It is not so much about changing our thoughts about receiving but meeting and engaging with our deeply rooted biological conditioning.