On February 28th we have a rare alignment of the Sun, Saturn and Mercury, all at 9° Pisces. When a planet makes an exact conjunction with (or is in the same position as) the Sun, traditional astrologers consider this a special moment in that planet’s travels. This is called a cazimi (which means ‘in the heart of’). It’s a time when that planet is thought to be moving from a dire situation to one that will give it the vitality it needs – akin to being dehydrated and then given an IV of fluids. It is also thought that the planet itself is given special access to the source of all power, light and life – much like receiving a private meeting with a person of great influence, wisdom and respect. To have two planets align with the sun at the same time, which is what’s particularly rare and possibly promising about this week’s astrology.
Since Wednesday the Cazimis have been showing Saturn (the lord of time, structure, commitment, discernment and delayed gratification) and Mercury (the messenger, writer, translator, counterpart and magician), part of what this encounter could portend is clarity, conviction and spoken commitments.
This is a moment when the oath is taken.
And because they all converge in Pisces – a sign known for its vulnerability, imagination, universalism, poetry, kindness, compassion, empathy and the ability to dissolve all boundaries – this astrological event can be seen as a prayer: an articulation of our devotion to all that we hold sacred in the world and beyond.
Pisces leans towards the soul of a situation, not the social demands placed on it. It bravely and gently dreams of a world where no one is sacrificed, left behind or lonely. Mercury is said to be in double trouble in this sign as it is home to both the fall and exile of Mercury. Here the planet of communication ponders names for worlds we have yet to manifest through dreams and insights, paying little attention to the reality before us. Yet this can be helpful medicine for those of us overwhelmed with anger at the current wickedness of the world.
Saturn has been in Pisces since March 2023 and will remain here until May 2025. The Madame of Boundaries becomes a deep-diving sea creature in Pisces, shaping our devotion (or embodying the form of devotion itself). Saturn’s time here is an invitation to commit to the soul of our lives and our world. The two together, purified, strengthened and infused with the sacred light of Sol, is a meditation in a sacred space. The sacred space of dreaming about what is possible.
To be honest, I felt robbed religious Jewish spaces since October 7. I am heartbroken by the lack of movement coming from so many institutions that made a name for themselves because they were Jewishly focused on justice. Most days I am overwhelmed with anger and disappointment at the large numbers of organized religious Jewish communities that have not yet demanded an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Not hearing rabbi after rabbi, congregation after congregation raising their voices against the atrocities of the State of Israel and its mass murder of the Palestinian people, culture, land and life leaves a ringing in my ears – a kind of psychological tinnitus which threatens my mental health on a daily basis.
To me, not actively addressing the complications of our connection to Israel’s state-sanctioned violence is blasphemy. When we focus only on our own pain, we reduce what is sacred to what is convenient. God is so much more complex than our own personal suffering.
When I look toward the liberal Jewish institutions that have remained unmoved for the past five months, silent in the face of this decisive moment, I see a vortex, an altar of sacrifice, a prepared space for more and more violence and death. I see so little that is actually Jewish. But so much is Zionist.
I cannot sink too deep into my anger without being strengthened by the uprising of so many around the world demanding an end to this violence. People and organizations committed to the truth about how we got here and why. People who know that an immediate solution to the current crisis and a long-term strategy for restarting the world are needed.
When I look for what is kind, good, and moral, I find a lot of it. And that’s what I wantI don’t want to associate myself with these cazimis. I pray that I will not let this moment diminish my faith in what is possible. I won’t let this make me lose faith in us. I will not let my anger consume me, and I will not let the bridge between us be burned. I will continue to be strengthened by the prayers and actions of my fellow human beings. I will continue to be inspired by all the ways the human spirit perseveres and desires to know beauty, love, and freedom. I will remain open to the dream that millions upon millions of us have: the dream of a world where no one is less than, no one’s humanity is diminished, no one’s God is withheld. I am going to commit myself radically the truth that we all deserve to be freed from systems of supremacy. I promise to have my heart broken again and again and still seek the sweetness of a loved one’s embrace. I promise to pray for the courage to act when my time comes. I promise to stay curious. I promise to use what I can, when I can, however I can, to center the extreme importance of truth because that is the only way I know how to care for the soul of my life and this world can take care of.
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