Uranus, Mercury, Chakras and Hair

I find myself somewhat overwhelmed, maybe even disoriented, at the moment. 

When I began opening up to a more spiritual path a few years ago, I started reading quite a bit on spiritual topics and joined a few spiritual discussion groups, to the point now where I am so confused I’m not sure what it means to be spiritual or what I believe any longer, except that I do believe in something; I'm just not sure how to define or describe it. I tend to just use the word “Universe.” Not in the sense of the vastness of the galaxy-type universe but in the sense of the energy that surrounds, fills and connects every member of the plant, animal and mineral kingdoms as well as the spiritual planes. And this confusion, doubt, questioning has been happening for the last couple of years. At least. 

Recently, when I read my astrology report and saw that Saturn and Venus were causing some turmoil in my life, I also discovered that Uranus and Mercury were also. 

Uranus is the odd ball planet in the solar system. There’s at least one in every bunch, right? It’s the only planet named after a Greek god, not a Roman one. It’s the only planet whose rotation is perpendicular to its orbit. All the other planets, except Venus, rotate in an east to west direction and move forward in the same direction. Think of it like this: stand still, point to the east, now start turning counterclockwise while simultaneously walking eastward. Venus rotates clockwise while orbiting to the east like the rest of the planets. Uranus rotates in a west to east direction like Venus, but due to the unusual tilt of it, Uranus rotates on its side. It's like pivoting on your stomach while moving eastward. At least we’re all headed in the same direction. This also means Uranus doesn’t have a north or south pole, but east and west poles. Confusing, huh? I guess we can say Uranus is the maverick, the black sheep of the family. No wonder this is the modern ruling planet of Aquarius, the rebel, the free-thinker of the Zodiac. 

Now Mercury is another story. Mercury was the messenger of the gods. He traveled to them to deliver messages and quickly so as not to anger them. Astrologically, Mercury is the planet that governs communication because of the messaging thing. It also covers thinking, learning, rationality and reasoning. 

So, what are these two doing to mess with me? Currently, Uranus is at a right angle to the spot where Mercury was when I was born. Astrologically, this right angle relationship is called a square and is considered to be a challenging relationship or “aspect.” Yet, we often learn more from our challenges than the easier moments. 

What does this aspect mean? 

Well, if Mercury is the planet of rational thought and Uranus is the radical, the one who goes his own way, right there we see the clash. Rational vs. Radical Thought. Questioning all that I read or hear. Examining my own beliefs. 

Yup, I’ve been questioning everything! 

Except the pandemic. It’s hard to dispute facts. Though people try. 

As an Aquarian, I do think outside the box. I see the larger picture for the greater good of humanity. But, I can be a bit analytical, too logical at times. So, when the facts are there, I embrace them wholeheartedly, even if they are a bit out there. It’s the logic behind them that I see. But, where I can’t find the logic is with all things religious or spiritual, it’s harder to buy into. Yet, I still feel called to this path even if there are no clear answers. Or logic. 

Or consistency. 

One person will express their opinion and another will post theirs which is either contradictory or just slightly different. I realize that within the religious and spiritual communities there are no “experts.” Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many divisions within each religion. Take Christianity for example. First, we had the Catholics, then the Protestants later broke off during the Reformation and later the Mormons started their church. While I’m not fully aware of any divisions within the Catholic Church, the number of different divisions within the Protestant side of the coin boggles the mind; Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran and Baptist, to name a few. Even within those groups there are sub- and sub-sub- groups. I am aware of a couple of different branches from the Mormon tree. 

Even Buddhism has its own different schools of thought as well, since various branches formed as Buddhism spread throughout Asia and then the world. Even those have changed over time. 

Yoga and the Tarot, as well, have different schools thought. I know they’re not religions but this still fits my narrative. 

I know I’ve been a bit vague here; let me try and explain where this affects me a bit further. I’ve been intrigued by the chakra system and working with life’s energies. Even here, there are a few beliefs over exactly how many chakras there are.

According to the ancient beliefs of India, the chakras are energy centers located along the spine running from the base to the top of the head. It is believed that if our energy is flowing smoothly through the chakras then all is well. It is also believed that should the chakras become blocked or overactive then we’d be out of balance and either under- or over-productive. Most agree there are seven main chakras along the spine and few suggest one or two above the crown of the head and one below the feet. Some even suggest there are a few minor ones located around the body, as in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. 

Lately, I’ve been hearing the term Age of Aquarius being bandied about. Yet, I recall hearing something about it back in the late 1960’s after the production of the musical Hair. 

Hair tells the story of a tribe of young adults fully engulfed in the hippie counterculture of the time and fighting their conservative parents and society over things like conscription, the Vietnam War, sexuality, illicit drugs and hair. The depiction of these topics in the musical caused a lot of controversy. As did the use of rock music in a Broadway musical. Sacrilege! 

The musical opens with the song, Aquarius, and the line This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.

So, if 1968 was the dawning of the Age of Aquarius back then, how can it be dawning now? Has it dawned and set? Is it dawning again? What exactly is the Age of Aquarius?

According to the songwriters, it is a period of: 

Harmony and understanding 

Sympathy and trust abounding 

No more falsehoods or derisions 

Golden living dreams of visions 

Mystic crystal revelation 

And the mind's true liberation 

Astrologers can’t even agree on when it is (or was) so maybe the songwriters took license with the opening lines: 

When the moon is in the Seventh House 

And Jupiter aligns with Mars 

Then peace will guide the planets 

And love will steer the stars 

This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius 

James Rado / Gerome Ragni / Galt Mac Dermot 

Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC 

According to astrologers, the moon is in the seventh house for a short two hour period every day, and Jupiter aligns with Mars multiple times a year since astrologers have a few different ways of defining alignment; conjunction, opposition, and square to name a few. 

The ideals of the Age of Aquarius (according to the song at least) seemed to fit in with the hippie counterculture, and the civil rights, Women’s Lib, and gay rights movements of the times. Yet, it didn’t seem to stick, did it? We are still fighting for civil rights for non-white minorities, women still don’t get equal pay for equal work, and LGBTQ people are still being fired or killed for their identity. 

With so many different opinions/schools of thought in the various areas of my life; which Tarot school is right, how does one know exactly how many chakras there are, and exactly what is the Age of Aquarius and when it was/is/will be, what does one believe? Where does one put their faith? Their trust? Their hope? And these are not the only areas I'm questioning, but I didn't want to write a doctoral thesis on my confusion.

My belief is that it has to be in the Self. 

And with whatever resonates with me. 

And then emotionally detach from those who believe otherwise for they, too, are operating with what resonates with them.

Detachment is never easy. 

Therein lie my struggles. 

So, when Uranus and Mercury finally move on from each other in April 2021, maybe then I’ll move into a better place.

Perhaps, I'll achieve my own harmony and understanding.

OA

I feel I’m in need of an OA chapter.

Not Overeaters Anonymous.

Overthinkers Anonymous.

In a previous post, I mentioned my Aquarius/Libra combination along with the marriage of the King and Queen of Swords running around in my head. In the Tarot, the suit of Swords is connected to the Air element and Aquarius and Libra are both Air signs which makes me a double air person. Air is connected to the mind together with everything that goes along with it-thoughts, logic, learning, etc. Like the air itself, our thoughts can be quite turbulent at times, like a raging F5 tornado, though sometimes they can be a gentle breeze. But, rarely are they calm.

Clip art from Clipart Panda

With our current situations; political, social and Covid related, plus a few personal/emotional concerns, I’ve been in hyperdrive. Tornado sirens are going off in my head. Or the King and Queen are breeding like rabbits up there.

Even past situations have been coming back into play recently.

With the Black Lives Matter movement back in the mainstream news, I’ve taken a strong look at myself and how I may be unconsciously harboring racist and then by extension, sexist thoughts. Ones I might not have been aware of.

For example, many years ago, a young Black man, probably in his twenties, came knocking on my door. I live in a small gated community of thirty-five houses. He explained he had locked himself out of his house and heard I had a ladder tall enough to get in a second floor window so he could get his keys and wallet. Could he borrow it? Now, I had seen him once or twice in the community yet I still wondered if his story was true as I couldn’t place him in a particular house. But, I didn’t want to judge him based on his race and gender. I knew what I was doing-racially profiling him. I pushed that aside and offered to help him carry the ladder. As we walked to his house, I kept asking myself if I was doing the right thing. It bothered me that I had these thoughts the whole way there. He made it in the house, retrieved his keys and wallet then helped me bring the ladder back to my garage. He thanked me and went on his way.

As it turned out, during a Residents’ meeting later that month, I was talking with a Black woman who turned out to be his mother. I said I may have met her son and explained the situation. She told me how mad she got at him that he had locked himself out of the house and for the trouble he could have gotten himself into. She was grateful I helped him. I can’t recall if I explained my dilemma or not, but I’m sure she knew I must have had some thoughts along those lines.

I still feel badly for having had them.

One similar situation also has been coming to light lately. I was stopped at a red light on one hot afternoon also a few years ago. I decided then it was time to roll up the windows and turn on the air conditioning in my car. Just as I did this, a Black man was crossing the street in front of me. My thoughts were “OMG! I hope he doesn’t think I rolled up my windows because he was crossing in front of me!!” I tried to come back into the moment by reminding myself of my intentions and that I hadn’t seen him until after I started to roll up the windows and turn on the air. 

Now when I’m out for my morning walk and someone is walking toward me, if I can see they aren’t wearing a mask, I safely step into the street. Then I wonder if that person thinks I’m doing it because of their race. Especially if they aren’t white.

But, if they think what I think they think, then that is their business to process. I have more than enough trouble thinking about my thinking to worry about thinking what others are thinking. 

See, I told you I overthink.

I need help.

I’m trying to turn this curse into a blessing by not thinking about it. When I find my thoughts drifting into the darkness, I try to remember to bring myself back into the moment by focusing on what I am doing right then. Sometimes, if I’m walking, I focus on which foot I’m stepping with right then; right, left, right, left, etc. If I’m in my neighborhood, I focus on finding some detail of a house, a plant, or something new I hadn’t seen before. Or, I play music and focus on the lyrics. If I‘m out in nature, I focus on the sounds I’m hearing and try to identify them if possible. If I’m home, I concentrate on the task at hand, but how many times can you clean a bathroom, wash dishes, fold laundry or make the bed? Especially if you live alone? 

I will also try to focus on my breath making sure I'm breathing deep, abdominal breaths. Or I'll try a breathing strategy. Two I'll often use are:

• Breathe in for a count of four, hold for four, exhale for four, wait for four, repeat, or;
• Breathe in for a count of seven, hold for four, exhale for a count of eight, wait for a count of four, repeat.

But, my real trouble is at night when my guard is down so I can relax and drift away to sleep but my brain has other plans. Or in the morning when I’m beginning to achieve consciousness but still in that hazy, dreamy state and the train of thoughts is already pulling out of the station.

I wonder if there is such a thing as Overthinkers Anonymous and if there is a local chapter.

If not, maybe I should be a founding member?

I’ll have to think about it.