While these interesting times continue, I do hope you're finding nourishment in the ways that keep you connected to your inner nature and the inherent intelligence that remains constant. Out in the world, the response to the pandemic varies from one person to the next, yet the spectrum is quite full and wide. Many people choose to open themselves to the possibility of learning something vital from what we're experiencing as a collective, and many choose to remain cloaked within the heavier side of the emotional spectrum, from fear to anger to pessimism. And quite possibly the majority are somewhere in between, vacillating from discomfort and overwhelm to clarity and hope. None of these experiences need be judged, for that can be a waste of time, keeping us from the true possibility of opening to a greater recognition. Yet the mind, while a wonderful friend, can also use thought and emotional patterns, what we call samskaras in yoga (latent impressions, mental conformations or creations of the mind), to keep us believing in and playing into the fear that perhaps surrounds us and is projected to us through various media outlets. So what can the teachings of Yoga & Evolutionary Astrology remind us during times like these?

The Sanskrit word sva-sva-vimarsha refers to the capacity of Consciousness and therefore you, me, and each individual on the planet, to self-reflect. "Sva" means "one's own," and "Vimarsha-Shakti" refers to the power that the Universe has to turn its awareness inwardly to become more cognizant of itself. Since you ARE the Universe in condensed form, this power is one that you innately have to become aware of your own tendencies and the way your mind, intuition, and body work, essentially getting to know the samskaras that you've brought into this lifetime in order to become more of your inner nature and less of the things that keep you limited. For example, if someone has a learned response that causes them to anger quickly no matter what situation they experience, sva-sva-vimarsha would invite this person to recognize this tendency as something that is ultimately disconnecting, and one that can be shifted. In choosing to be curious about what this patterned response holds within it, all kinds of insights might be gained! By getting to the root of the pattern, our person here has the ability to shift the conditioned response to quickly anger, thereby staying more equanimous and connected inwardly even when faced with a challenge. And this isn't to say that anger is inherently bad, because all emotions have a place and have a gift within them, but the patterned response that leads to disconnection, the opposite of Yoga, is something that is up for integration. Yet as we know, all of this is a choice! While Consciousness has the innate capacity to turn inwardly and reflect upon itself, it certainly doesn't HAVE to do this! It can choose to spin out into the world in ways that disconnect it from a deep center and a deep knowing. It can choose to become more disconnected from its true essence, with consequences that affect our world in harmful ways.

"Why is sva-sva-vimarsha important, especially right now?" you might ask. Evolutionary Astrology reminds us that right now we're experiencing 4 planets in retrograde, which is quite a lot of them! When planets go retrograde, it looks as though they're moving in the opposite direction from the view of earth. While we know this isn't literally true, the energetic consequences are certainly felt. Astrologically, when a planet is retrograde, its energy is turned in upon itself, becoming more reflective. Its natural movement outward gets redirected inwardly, and, you guessed it, the time for sva-sva-vimarsha is enhanced! So naturally, there are times in the grand cycle of Life when it's important to be active in the world and direct our energies that way, and there are times when it's important that we move our awareness inside. While a regular sadhana, or yoga, breath work, and meditation practice invite us to cultivate a greater capacity to be contemplative on a daily basis, planet retrogradation invites us to a theme of introspection for a specified period of time. While this doesn't necessarily mean you need to continue staying at home for the next 4 months (thank goodness!), it does mean that having regular time carved out for more inner work is a good idea. And depending on where these planets fall in your chart, this will give you more information as to how your unique being can make the most of this time.

The New Moon in Gemini is Friday, May 22nd at 10:39am Pacific and 1:39pm Eastern. Venus is also retrograding from almost 22° Gemini back to about 5 1/2° Gemini over a 6-week period from May 12th through June 23rd. Sounds like a whole lotta something, and it definitely is! Gemini is inherently CURIOUS, open to life, and exhibits the Sanskrit word adbhuta, translated as "wonderment" and "awe." Gemini needs to experience this sense of child-like wonder to stay open-minded. S/he needs to experience all the variety that life offers, quickly moving through the world with bright eyes and a bushy tail toward new experience and different encounters, ones that keep her mind satiated. As the first air sign (air governs the mind), Gemini has a voracious appetite for information, data, and anything novel, in order to fill the eagerness to learn more, more, more about life! The sign of short trips and quick "get outta dodge" ventures, Gemini needs to move, both mentally and physically, to keep its mind satisfied. So, I suppose it's a good thing life is slowly (though not quick enough for Gemini) returning to an outwardly directed pace.

Venus retrograding through the sign of the teacher, the story teller, and the journalist invites us to be curious about what we value in ourselves and in our intimate relationships, and how we bring these values to and honor them within the context of the important relationships in our lives. Venus needs true intimacy, not what comes from trite conversation that is empty and meaningless. She seeks soul-mated connection that allows her to feel seen, met, and understood, and her current position encourages us to be open to new ways of approaching the important relationships that we've likely been spending WAY more time with than usual. So breathing new life into them with different experiences and new endeavors is really key right now, for the sake of everyone involved in these relationships! Having conversations with others that spark fresh ideas and insights is awesome, as Gemini has a connection with Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of words, ideas, thoughts, and speech. Both energies have to do with perception, variety, communication, and what we could call "beginner's mind," and any undertaking that fulfills these aims is more than a good idea right now.

Transiting Jupiter and Pluto are retrograding in the latter degrees of Capricorn at the moment, where transiting Saturn will meet them on July 2nd and remain in the sign of the sea goat until mid-December. So we have a planet retrograde within the youthful energy of Gemini and 3 others in the sign of Father Time, the oldest dude around! Capricorn, the most practical sign of the zodiac, reminds us that it's important to do what makes sense for long-term benefits, not short-term goals. Where we could use the mentally dexterous energy of Gemini to see things from a fresh perspective, we could also get clear about making choices that have positive enduring consequences, ones that are sustainable for our Earth and all of the beings who inhabit it. Jupiter reminds us that we have to leap when opportunities arise, so this "inner leap" is one that encourages us to embody our own potential and to implement structures that support this potential. No more playing small, or believing in the samskaras that just don't hold weight anymore. Saturn tells us we've outgrown the old way of Capricorning, or working toward a big goal with patience and persistence. The outgrown pattern of conditioned never-ending productivity that truly isn't sustainable will not work anymore. New ways of relating to our world (Venus retrograde in Gemini!) are important, and Saturn, the grandmother and grandfather, encourages us to step up and conserve what's left of our natural world. It's the impulse in us to do what's challenging even when we know we'll be climbing the mountain for awhile. But it's important, so when we Saturn well, we do what's hard anyway, knowing there's a bigger reason for doing so. And Pluto, god of the underworld (subconscious) and the riches, reminds us that ALL fears must be faced and eventually seen through, for many are ancestral and/or karmic and have no place in current reality. When we face the fears that have kept us paralyzed for generations or longer, we free up the energy that was caught in the old and are able to use it in life-enhancing ways for ourselves and the Whole. We become capable of living from a place of inherent connection with Life and thus our innermost nature. But it's always a choice, and it always has been.

The Force is with you. May you honor it as sacred and make beautiful choices accordingly!