"Butterfly" by Michelle Piller

This week we address a concern from a woman in search of deeper fulfillment in her career. She wonders if she has hit the wall with no further chance to spread her wings and fly. Here we encounter the caterpillar in its state of transition to Butterfly. It takes faith, patience and quiet reflection to effect this metamorphosis. Let us now gently peer into the chrysalis:
With Sun in Leo in the 3^rd house, our Butterfly shines in communications, especially through creative projects that can reach a young audience, or that pertain to her neighbourhood or locale. Moon conjunct (holding hands with) Sun from the 2^nd house of earned income and inner resources, supports her potential to earn income through these endeavours. Granted, earnings may be subject to the ebb and flow that Luna experiences in her monthly cycle. But our Butterfly has an emotional and soul drive to offer her creativity to the world through various channels of communication. Moon rules her chart in its balsamic phase, endowing Butterfly with the gift of prophesy when she is in her authentic state of being. When she’s out of balance, Butterfly feels a lack of recognition, as is the case in this moment. Moon is also Butterfly’s oriental planet, being the planet to have risen immediately before the Sun, so she awakens with an intuitive sense of how to structure or float through the day, as the case may be.
Neptune in the 5^th house of creativity echoes her creative inklings. The square from Sun and Moon to Neptune speaks of the overwhelm she may feel when confronted with the various plights of humankind. This fuels her desire to work on humanitarian projects. She dearly wishes she could fix everything, but is limited by earthly boundaries. Our Butterfly must start by knowing her own boundaries and guarding them – whether with friends, children, or lovers. Giving is great, martyring is not. Because Neptune moved from retrograde to direct motion shortly before Butterfly’s arrival on the planet, our Butterfly must protect her boundaries all the more.
Venus is also connected with creativity; see how she dwells in the 12^th house, which is that inner sanctuary we go to for peace or escape. This is where we cocoon before re-emerging from the chrysalis. The 12^th house is also a place where we play a supporting or background role. So, in spite of this amazing creative ability and a desire to shine, much of what our Butterfly does is in a supportive or background capacity, owing to Venus’ desire to influence Butterfly’s ability to serve the marginalized (Venus rules her 5^th house of creativity from the hidden 12^th house). She would excel at and uplift others, by shining a light on and pointing a lens at hospitals, palliative care units, prisons, senior’s residences, convents, monasteries, asylums, shelters – wherever people are hidden away or marginalized.
Venus conjuncts her 12^th house North Lunar Node in Cancer, as well as her Cancer Ascendant and Mars in Cancer – this is a huge piece of the puzzle: what am I supposed to be doing with my life? Venus represents our values, Mars represents our drive, and the North Lunar Node represents an agreement we made with ourself to learn something completely new in this life. In the past (or in alternate lifelines, if you want to go there), our Butterfly was the epitome of hard work and setting a proper example in the public realm (South Lunar Node in Capricorn). Now it’s time to ease up on herself and recognize the merit of the home sanctuary. With Venus, Mars and North Lunar Node in her Rising Sign of Cancer, she is very focused on hearth and home, family – especially the Mother – and nurturing. Cancer is a water sign, so she experiences the full range of her emotions, and is prone to intuitive reception. Because Cancer is cardinal energy, she has no problem going for what she wants. Granted, the protective crab prefers a side-to-side route, rather than a direct route, but she susses it out and gets to where she wants to go. Butterflies are rather side-to-side in their travels, as well.
In the meantime, Progressed Venus and Progressed Mars have moved into dramatic Leo. They want to step into the limelight! Together they are energizing her ability to earn income – hopefully this is pointing to greater income as opposed to greater spending, but both of these are possible.
Butterfly has a powerful Virgo 4^th house stellium (a union of three or more planets in the same sign): Mercury, Uranus and Pluto. At the base of all matters – especially her career – is the potential for gifted and ahead-of-the-times (Uranus), powerful, intense and probing (Pluto) communication (Mercury). Mercury, dignified in Virgo, rules this stellium, giving great energy to Butterfly’s communication. Granted, Mercury is combust, as close to the Sun as it is, so there is a tendency toward self-centred communication (what – Leo self-centred?!) – but this can be a great boon when Butterfly speaks her truth from the heart.
Now see how Uranus sits on the cusp between the 3^rd and 4^th houses: he energizes communication in the realms of early education, the neighbourhood, and home and family. Flashes of intuition or bolts of lightning are common with Uranian energy. Uranus is Butterfly’s principal planet (making the tightest orb aspect to the Midheaven), so there is the potential for broad humanitarian outreach in her career. Add to this the influence of Progressed Moon in intuitive Pisces, and we have a powerful time (especially between now and May 8) for hearing the messages of the cosmos. Our Butterfly already knows what she needs to know right now! Heed the gut, Butterfly. Our highest self speaks in neutral or supportive ways – if you hear judgement (as I suspect she does, with Saturn exerting a huge influence in her psyche), ask that voice – which is the frightened ego – to stand down for the time being. Our higher consciousness always seeks to empower us, not to diminish us.
The Virgo stellium contacts ethereal Neptune through a sextile. Sextiles reveal opportunities. Our Butterfly stated that she has been missing out on important employment opportunities. Because this is the only sextile in her chart, she will want to train her mind and heart to hear Neptune’s whisperings. Neptune communicates in quietly vague but imagistic ways – rather perfect for working in a visual field, as our Butterfly does. She must get used to knowing how her intuition operates. This may require talking with her intuition and asking for a deeper and clearer relationship with it. Butterfly, if you find that your intuition speaks in imagery or poetry more so than words, then really tune in and receive through your third eye. Draw the images, sing them, chant them – whatever is required for you to hear or see what’s coming down the pipeline. Next time you sense an opportunity, don’t let that quiet whisper elude you – rewind, repeat the subtle message you just picked up on, and follow it down the rabbit-hole to see where it may lead. Tune into your body – how does this perceived opportunity make you feel, physically? How does it light you up, emotionally? Notice whether or not you feel excited and enticed to act on this opportunity. If you don’t, ask for more information or let it go. When we’re in the midst of career transition, we sometimes make the mistake of believing we have to pounce on every opportunity that comes our way, but this is not the case. Be clear about what you truly want so that the Universe can meet your expectations.
Meanwhile, the Progressed Virgo stellium activates Butterfly’s 4^th house of home and family. It is on the family-career axis. Because this stellium is in opposition to Chiron (the Wounded Healer) in Pisces, there is a painful (Chiron) tug-of-war (opposition aspect) between submitting to the rational facts (Virgo) and surrendering to the psychic dimensions of Pisces, where facts are obscured by impressions and a desire to submit to a union with the All. How can we know if we’re being led down the garden path by our illusions (Pisces), or if we’re being too critical (Virgo) and getting in our own way? Oppositions are like see-saws, and so they remind us that there is a balance-point. Can she feel it? Can she find it? Butterfly, ask yourself who plays the role of career mentor (Chiron) in your life. Who plays the role of the organizer or know-it-all (Virgo)? Chances are, one of these characters is you, and the other character is embodied by someone in your home or career life. How do you interact with each other? Is there room for compromise and assisting each other in your collective ventures? This is one way to solve an opposition, and gain some perspective on our situations.
Chiron forms a sympathetic trine with Neptune: Butterfly is hugely empathic. She can make a difference by exploring, through film and video work, the plight of her fellow neighbours, be they local or global. Butterfly, if you resonate with the suffering of humanity, bring our attention to what’s happening out there, that we’re conveniently ignoring. Awaken us to the things that you agonize over. Let us take up the call through your marvelous ability to educate and inspire us. You are a reformer: meant to help change some of the powerful structures that currently weaken our world. You can help effect government and educational reform throughout the next several years through the work that you do. We are collectively about to encounter massive global shifts in our power infrastructures, so be poised to jump into the arena and speak your truth. You are meant to speak with a political voice at times, a monastic voice at other times; you are meant to advocate for this planet and all of her people through your gifts. Our Butterfly cannot do this alone and so I emphasize: group affiliations are key right now, as are new players that enter her life. These people’s values need to be in alignment with hers for a successful collaboration. Butterfly, if there are professional associations or groups that you know will aid your plans, Transiting Sun, transiting Mercury and transiting Venus urge you to join now through May 21.
Jupiter in Taurus encourages and expands her ability to advocate for the earth. (Taurus is the 1^st of 3 earth signs in the zodiac.) Moreover, Jupiter is poised on the 11^th/12^th house cusp. In the 11^th, he supports her ability to inspire and be inspired within like-minded groups and professional organizations; in the 12^th house, Jupiter acts like a guardian angel – Butterfly receives help from hidden sources. This is corroborated by Venus in the 12^th house. Venus magnetically attracts abundance from hidden resources for our Butterfly. She is then asked to pass it on.
At the same time, Progressed Jupiter now straddles the cusp of the 10^th and 11^th houses, making her conscious of a desire to get her work out there (10^th house of public recognition) to a wider audience (11^th house of humanitarianism). Currently, our Butterfly edits wedding videos – this is related to the 10^th house, since the 10^th house is on the family and public axis – exactly what weddings are! So, there’s nothing essentially inappropriate with this type of work, it’s an apt fit – but our Butterfly craves meatier projects, and that’s reason enough to stretch and leap. The trine from Progressed Jupiter to Progressed Sun offers her assistance to do this.
Still, there is some preparation before she completely renovates her career. She might consider working with a mentor (Saturn rules her 7^th house of partnerships of all kinds from the 10^th house of career). Progressed Sun in Virgo is activating her 4^th house, bolstering her career base. It squares her 12^th house Progressed North Lunar Node in Gemini, the cosmic communicator. Butterfly, what needs to be sacrificed or re-adjusted to carry on with your life’s work?
Saturn is the leader in a locomotive chart pattern, which compels our Butterfly to spend much of her life’s energy exploring the workplace, key partnerships, joint resources and transformation, the very essence Butterfly energy. This is echoed by a linear chart pattern, which compels our Butterfly to keep on moving, accomplishing, developing. Saturn is also the most elevated planet, signifying a major life theme of delays, fears, inhibitions, self-recrimination and judgement. These are dragons our Butterfly must confront and slay, especially since Saturn is retrograde, internalizing its energy. Those born with Saturn retrograde may swallow their own potential – so they must be self-motivated, and they need self-generated projects to keep them from becoming entombed by fears of limitations. There are often problems with the father, or the father is absent. We will not malign Saturn, though, for he plays a crucial role by supporting Butterfly’s ambition and creative urge, through a trine to Venus, North Node, Ascendant and Mars. To a certain extent, our Butterfly has a gift for working hard – as if “effortlessly” (trine) to promote her values.
Progressed Saturn sits on the final degree of Aquarius. This is very telling, so let’s spend a moment discussing it: Saturn is one of our cosmic tutors (not the touchy-feely kind, mind you – he’s a bit brusque); Aquarius rules such things as science, humanitarian outreach, and mass media. As a video editor who wishes to have a sustainable career with a humanitarian edge, this is important energy to utilize. Butterfly, if you’re feeling the push to get more education to expand in your field, then Saturn the task-master is offering you what may very well be a last chance of sorts to enroll and learn. This may involve an output of money but – then again – you may be able to work with a mentor in a give-take scenario that benefits each of you, for no money. I don’t know if expanding her education is a deal-breaker or not, but I do see this time as being important for our Butterfly to get really clear on where she sees and dreams herself in the next few years. She should align with a program or mentor that takes her in that direction. Transiting Saturn echoes this refrain from the 3^rd house of communication and education. Regardless, this is a time of preparation for Butterfly – it seems more learning is on its way in whatever form, before she hits her stride. Progressed Saturn is in the 9^th house that rules publishing of all sorts, urging her to take the next level of her education seriously, and to build on what she has learned so far. There is also room for her to earn extra cash by teaching a course to aspiring video editors.
The 9^th house also refers to philosophical and spiritual or religious teachings. Spiritual enlightenment is awakening our Butterfly right now. She is on a journey toward discovering her true self. Her spiritual awakening and deepening emotional maturity are key ingredients to moving her career out of its stuck position. Transiting Jupiter in Capricorn rewards us after we’ve awoken to our inner authority figure, and stopped dancing to other’s tunes. Butterfly, here is a cosmic message for you: Bring to your attention, or – better yet – draw all of the colours of the rainbow. You understand the visual faculty so well. Focus in on the violet ray, the ray of spiritual wholeness. The ability to find your connection to Spirit is one of the gifts you will pass on to us through your work, in whatever form that takes.
Butterfly is at the end of an old cycle (Progressed Saturn on 29^th degree of Aquarius), and so patience is required to endure this transition into a new cycle. Use this time wisely, Butterfly. Transiting Jupiter trine Natal and Progressed Jupiter boosts her ability to build something tangible. She can shoot for the stars and build an empire. But, in this process of building and preparation, she must search within: What has she been stubbornly holding onto, whose time has passed? What needs to be overthrown or tossed, in order to make way for the new?
Because Transiting Uranus is touring her 10^th house of public acclaim, her career is still being shaped by unknown forces. By the end of 2011, our Butterfly will see that she is in a very different place, hopefully one far greater than she could have imagined for herself. With that in mind, Butterfly: have you considered creating a documentary or a creative fiction type of film? Though your chart suggests that you prefer a certain amount of retreat and anonymity (most of her planets are below the horizon), with Jupiter (publishing) & Neptune (film) co-ruling your Midheaven (a career marker), I wonder if you might not consider stepping in front of the camera to bring your pet concerns to the public’s attention, whether through traditional tv/film or through the internet? Jupiter is unaspected, meaning he speaks to none of the other planets in Butterfly’s chart. In a sense, he’s a bit of a renegade, and needs to have a wide berth for his leadership. Butterfly, are you giving Jupiter enough to play with? Maybe a little experimentation is in order. What would happen if you stepped into the limelight before retreating into the editing room? If you don’t own camera equipment, or if it’s costly to rent, there may be programs that share equipment for no charge. Not so sure you want to put yourself on camera? You have a great ability to work with and inspire young people through your creative communication style, and your Cancer Rising Sign points to a love of children. Ever thought about interviewing young subjects about what they would wish their world to be like? Or what about helping them create a video fairy-tale of a perfect world (through their eyes) with gorgeous visuals? Endeavours such as these can also help you “do” your North Lunar Node as an added bonus.
Our Butterfly is most certainly not a has-been as she fears; neither has she barked up the wrong tree – though she may need to fly to a new branch for her own joy, and to bring us a new perspective and voice in the powerful yet subliminal field of film and video. I wish you great success, Butterfly.
On a very different note, our Butterfly hinted that there may be other things going on in her life, though she didn’t say what. I’ll presume it’s of a disruptive or somewhat upsetting nature, since people rarely seek advice for why they’re experiencing an abundance of clarity or joy. (Can you imagine – “Help! I’m happy!”) Transiting Pluto is making its influence felt near the cusp of her 7^th house of relationships. All of her one-on-one relationships come under scrutiny through Pluto’s penetrating microscope. So, she can expect some revelations and changes in this area over the next few years. This leads to growth and renewal, regardless of what transpires in those relationships. Most commonly, the 7^th house refers to the spousal relationship so, Butterfly – if you are in one – search yourself willingly to get real about what’s going on there. This is not a walk in the park folks: learning who we really are in relation to our mate can be tough as we confront our inner shadow. We get scared that we may discover something horrible about ourselves or about our partner. We get scared that if we look too deeply we may be forced to see our relationship in a new light that may inevitably have us running and screaming for the hills. On the other hand, we may enrich and deepen our connection, coming from an authentic place instead of from the mask we have such trouble dropping. We can either submit to a powerful transit (and this is one) or we can ignore, put off or manipulate. In the end, we are cosmically forced into growth, so submitting gracefully is a much kinder option for body, mind and soul.
Our career and intimate relations have a dramatic impact on each other, yes? When one feels out of whack it creates discontent in the other area. Transiting Pluto in Butterfly’s relationship sector offers a glimpse of some of the energies presenting themselves: she must be willing and able to see the lover (and the lover can include the inner lover or archetypal lover, as well as the 3-d lover) as real and unmasked, and to embrace that reality. There may be some nostalgia for the past, yet she must more easily surrender unreal expectations from the past so that her love is now based on something real that can be developed and deepened. This leads to that inner peace, which further aids all of the other areas of her life, career included. Banishing the fear that comes with a Pluto transit requires the focus and determination of a mental warrior, as well as the trust to fall back into the loving arms of the Universe through Grace.
Namaste.