Astrological Energies for Transformation
With hosts, Dianne Collins and C.J. Mulkerrin
Astrology has been a part of human culture for millennia, offering a framework for understanding oneself and the cosmos. For many, astrology complements other spiritual practices, offering a symbolic language that enriches meditation, mindfulness, and other transformative practices. It can also inspire curiosity and inquiry into life’s deeper questions.
The New World Challenge
Retrograde Power and Uranian Genius, Our New Besties along Our Hero’s Journey
Dianne Collins, International Best Selling Author
So many people love a “challenge.” Is it encoded in our human DNA? Is it a characteristic of the rebellious Uranian Genius that resides in each of us? What happens when we are challenged? Would we ever expand and evolve if we weren’t challenged? What if we feel the challenges are too great? Right now in this cosmic, karmic, dharmic moment, we are being challenged with the advent of a bigger-than-ever-imagined unprecedented era of a New World. How do we deal with it in the highest vibration? Fret not, dear Ones. Planetary wisdom is here to assist.
It seems we humans love a challenge! Gaming and mysteries, sports and superheroes challenge us to find a way to figure out a sure path to victory. Coaches, consultants and app developers seem obsessed with offering “challenges” to attract clients and buyers.
What is the allure of challenges? People are fond of decrying “we’re hardwired for … (whatever).” I silently cringe when I hear that expression as I find it a limited and limiting concept. From a quantum world view, reality is not fixed and absolute (i.e., hardwired.) Reality is malleable. We are not computers. We are living, breathing organic complexes of Light. And yet, for whatever the reason, we can ask, why do we love to be challenged? We are confronted with our ability to bring forth a higher level of what we’re capable of. We thrill at the experience of winning, excelling, triumphant over difficult and sometimes insurmountable circumstances.
The Challenge: Living Well in an Unprecedented New World
It’s a good thing that we love a challenge because right now in this cosmic, karmic dharmic moment, we are being challenged with the advent of a bigger-than-ever-imagined unprecedented era—unknown, unfamiliar and possibly a tad uncomfortable. At every level, in all dimensions—physical, emotional, spiritual, in our inner state of being and consciousness we feel it. In the outer world—in shared institutions and societal upheavals—we see it.
Newsletter Readers, Start Here:
People with knowledge of reading planetary energies have known since 2008 when Pluto entered Capricorn that we had entered a period of restructuring of our societal models and institutions. As of November 2024 Pluto began a 20-year transit into Aquarius, the sign of the innovator. With AI and robotics, autonomous vehicles, crypto currencies and medical breakthroughs arriving on the scene just in the past few years, advancing further along than most people realize—what we couldn’t have known is just how dramatic the transformation of our society would be.
We’re in The New World. Yes, we know. We’ve envisioned it and heard about the Great Shift, anticipating it with excitement. It’s been prophesied by sages and saints and seers. The planets foretold it. It was always an anticipation but not quite here yet. And then all of a sudden, in Uranian style shakeup, boom! Electric. Lightning bolts. It’s here! We’re no longer in “it’s coming” mode. We are in it.
It feels as if we have personally and collectively been full-out thrust into The Hero’s Journey. The Hero’s Journey is an archetype used in story structure. The way it is typically described is that the Hero leaves their ordinary reality after being called to embark on an adventure. The Hero faces a supreme challenge, wins a decisive victory and returns home transformed.
Perhaps you haven’t noticed until this very moment …
you and I and all of us are on The Hero’s Journey.
Newsletter readers, continue here:
Perhaps you haven’t noticed until this very moment … you and I and all of us are on The Hero’s Journey! We’re being challenged big-time. We’re Neo and Luke and Simba and Elsa and T’Challa and Wonder Woman all rolled into one.
The planets tell the story. It has happened only once in … oh, hold on a minute … once in never before—have we witnessed the four outer planets entering a new sign within 15 months of one another. It’s significant because the outer planets have longer cycles that affect the collective as well as each of us personally. Pluto into Aquarius for the next 20 years. Neptune into Aries for the next 14 years. Uranus into Gemini for the next 7 years. Saturn into Aries for the next 3 years.
The outer world looks crazier and more chaotic than ever. How are you dealing with it? We’ve embarked on our Hero’s Journey into the unknown. As they say in modern parlance, here is a pro tip: you aren’t going to get the answers in the news or on social media or even from ChatGPT. Classic spiritual wisdom: the “answers” are always found within. However, just in case the revelations are taking more time than desired, fortunately we have our new “besties” here to assist.
It is always heartening to get the story from the cosmic view of Astrology. It is an expansive transcendent view that makes sense of changes. The great challenge is for each of us to see where we fit in and to play our part at the highest vibrational resonance.
Since we have been oriented around perceiving with our ordinary physical five senses we may not be accustomed to relating to celestial bodies basically because for the most part they are not in our physical view. When you begin tuning into the planets and luminaries as living beings they become your friends. This is why I say, as chosen Heroes of The New World, to take up the Challenge of living well in an unknown reality—our new besties are Retrograde Power and Uranian Genius. Let’s explore.
If life is a journey,
there is no turning back.
Or is there?
If life is a journey, there is no turning back. Or is there?
Retrograde Power
Let’s begin with a story. A few days ago my husband, Alan, and I took a trip to Jupiter and we got “lost” twice along the way. I’m being a tiny bit facetious because we didn’t actually travel to the planet—it’s just a humorous synchronicity that my sister lives in Jupiter, Florida and we took a car ride to visit with her.
How did we get “lost” in this era of GPS in phones and cars? Well, I wanted to navigate and we didn’t have the voice prompts on in Maps. Lo and behold, one wrong turn and we ended up on the “old” state road instead of the new one. Another assumption (without voice navigation) and we ended up on a dead end that forced us to retrace our route until we could veer over to where we needed to be.
This is simply the perfect metaphor for the situational challenge we each and all find ourselves in. The old roads are okay, and yet the new road gets us to where we need to be. That equates to Uranian Genius. Uranian energy shakes up the status quo to point us in a new direction. What about our other bestie, Retrograde Power. Even though we were traveling along on a heavenly route (so extremely beautiful as it is in Palm Beach), we had to retrace and regroup to get ourselves to the destination where we wanted to be (Jupiter). Retrogrades give us the power to look over where we have been, see it in a different light, and gain fresh insights. In the quiet stillness of familiarity we receive revelations.
We bring up the topic of Retrogrades now as three of the four outer planets that recently changed signs (i.e. Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn) are going Retrograde this year. One by one they return to their new domiciles by early February, 2026. We have time to make adjustments.
People with a casual understanding of Astrology “tremble” when they hear a planet is retrograde. When something goes awry, a computer glitch or a flat tire, people hurriedly ask, is Mercury retrograde? The fact is that every Mercury retrograde is distinct and offers gifts.
When planets go into Retrograde period they are not actually moving backwards. They appear to move backward relative to the movement of planet Earth. Even so, Retrogrades emanate a slow-down in the energetic we experience. The planetary system is benevolent indeed. Retrogrades give us a another chance to rethink, reflect and redo. Everything appears to slow down so we can gather ourselves, think, get centered, get a grip.
The first time the planet enters into its new temporary home we get a taste of the future. For example, after a 14-year residence in Pisces, Neptune entered Aries July 3, 2025. Oh, this is what it’s going to be like for the next 14 years. It’s all about the new vision (Neptune) I have for myself (Aries). And Saturn in Aries along with it for the next three years encourages us to make spirituality practical now. Circumstances arise that give you glimpses of how to proceed. You venture forward to manifest the new you. Then the Neptune retrograde kicks in, retracing the same territory in Aries. Another opportunity to think things through before we act. Remember, we’re talking about the next 14 years. We are granted the Retrograde Power—to adjust and refine the vision until December 10, 2025 when it moves direct again.
Mercury and all planetary Retrogrades are powerful energy fields, a time to reset and synchronize with Divine rhythms. Even though the energy invites us to slow down, ironically this gives us the power to move forward. We retrace the path that brought us to this point and let go of what no longer serves. A spiritual master teaches, you cannot climb a tree if you’re holding something in your hand. We step up our mastery, exponentially adept. Such is the Retrograde Power, a true bestie on our Hero’s Journey.
Uranian Genius – Your North Star.
Use It.
It is worth repeating: the challenges now are huge. Retrogrades notwithstanding, this time we are wise not to look to the past patterns for new answers. And as we said, sometimes there is no past to even look to. There can, however, be a North Star that becomes a source of clarity and focus to keep us on track. The North Star is a symbol said to “remind us that constancy exists even in chaos.” (from Google AI)
In this emerging New World, the greatest challenge is to our thinking. Beliefs and assumptions are all up for questioning and re-assessing divergent ideas, decisive forks in the road, and carving out paths. As the infinitely wise planetary gods would have it, Uranus moving into Gemini from July 7, 2025 through May 22. 2033 is precisely the perfect energy to become our legendary North Star.
Uranus is the planet of genius, innovation, upheavals and sudden breakthroughs. Gemini is the sign of information and communication, thinking and networks. It rules the media and how we connect. Uranus in Gemini is awakening our genius and the opportunity to revolutionize how we think, the way we connect, how we transcend the ordinary and ascend to Higher Consciousness with lightning quick speed. Uranus traverses Gemini only every 84 years. This is the opportunity. Uranus is known as The Awakener. What is being awakened? Our own genius. The pertinent question now: What genius in you can you invoke for your New World adventure?
Use it.
Retrograde Power and Uranian Genius. Our New Besties along Our Hero’s Journey. The story has now been told and is yours to behold. May triumph and transformation unfold. ##
Dianne Collins, original thinker, mystic, business woman and futurist, is the creator of the QuantumThink® system of thinking enabling us to naturally master our minds, and is author of the 10-time award-winning bestseller, Do You QuantumThink? New Thinking That Will Rock Your World. Dianne has served on the Board of Directors of the Institute for Global Transformation for nearly 10 years.
Previous Astrology Articles:
Neptune and Saturn in Aries, Alice Bailey, and the New Age
C.J. Mulkerrin
This month Saturn moves into the Sign of Aries on May 24th. Neptune moved into Aries last month on March 31st. I was contemplating the significance of this planetary alignment between one transpersonal planet and one personal planet. I had an aha! Moment I would like to share with you. But first, let’s explore some background information.
Neptune – I realized that Neptune, transpersonal, is the planet of dreams, imagination, boundlessness and sometimes illusions. Neptune’s ability to transcend the space/time boundary of this physical plane allows us to communicate with Divine.
Image created by GhatGPT
Saturn – Another name for Saturn is Kronos or Father Time. Saturn rules over time and space. It also rules over forms that we create. It governs death, endings, delays, discipline and structure. It encourages us to look at patterns and systems we have put into place to determine if we need to make changes. It can also help us destroy structures that no longer serve us. Saturn may cause delays for us to take stock and determine if we really want to move forward in a certain way.
The combination of these two energies could be a ‘Let go and Let God’ kind of energy.
I thought it is interesting that Neptune, which helps us imagine new structures and new ways of being and Saturn who governs how and what types of forms we create, are both in the sign of Aries. Aries being the sign of action and impulsiveness. It is the first sign of the zodiac, so it wants to act on the physical plane. It may be impulsive and act too quickly, only to be reworked later.
As I was contemplating these things, I had a bit of an “aha!” moment. I realized that the following events are also occurring.
Wesak Festival on May 12, 2025. This is an annual festival that occurs during the full moon in the Month of May.
According to The Ageless Wisdom teachings, the Wesak Festival is the Festival of the Buddha and is considered a time when the Divine Plan from The Christ** is stepped down through Shamballa to the energies of the Buddha to be transmitted to the hierarchy and the New Group of World Servers. These energies can be picked up by those attuned to higher spiritual energies. This outgoing streaming of energy is strong from the full moon that occurs during May through the Full Moon that occurs June.
**The Christ: In the Alice Bailey teachings, the Christ is not confined to a specific religious tradition. Instead, he is seen as a universal teacher who can be recognized and understood in all religions and cultures. The Christ is portrayed as embodying compassion and the universal principle of love.
This is a time when we can meditate and attune to the messages that are broadcast to humanity by the Buddha and the World Teacher (Christ).
These great masters are distributing spiritual energies of the Divine Plan intended to move humanity forward.
For those who seek to be of service to the Spiritual Hierarchy, this may be an opportunity to receive guidance on how to do your part to support the Divine Plan for Humanity.
According to Alice Bailey, in 2025, “A Great General Assembly of the Hierarchy” will occur. This is when the Buddha, the Christ, and other ascended masters and spiritual beings will gather to discuss the Externalization of the Hierarchy and the Reappearance of the Christ. According to Bailey, these meetings are held every 100 years.” Quote from Nature of the Soul, Lesson 20, by Louise Cedercrans
According to Ageless Wisdom as described in the Bailey Books, as we move into the Aquarian Age, we are moving into a period where the 7th Ray will be dominant. One of the tenets of this ray is to spiritualize the material. Right use of this energy works out into manifestation via Divine Law and Order and Ceremonial Magic, the Will of God. The result is perfection in form.
If you would like to learn more about the Ageless Wisdom, check out IFGT’s class on Self Mastery Training via The Ageless Wisdom taught by Lyrata Barrett.
The Ageless Wisdom tells us that the year 2025 is extremely important for humanity’s growth. Will we be able to actualize the Divine Plan? Can we put it into practice? For the next 2.5 years, Saturn will share the sign of Aries with Neptune. Neptune being the messenger from the Divine, meets Saturn in Aries that wants to plan and build forms.
Image created by GhatGPT
The Aries energy may want to rush forward with creating new forms, but get frustrated by the delays Saturn puts in its way. In this context, Saturn’s influence can be invaluable. Saturn may introduce delays, causing frustration, but these pauses often have deep purpose. As I’ve learned with age, delays frequently serve to align us more precisely with the Divine Plan. When Saturn moves into the sign of Taurus in 2028, we may find that we can build practical structures that have more staying power. A key promise of the New Age is to spiritualize the material world. The blending of Neptune and Saturn in Aries appears perfectly suited to initiate this transformation — the spiritual inspiring the material to become a living embodiment of higher principles.
In May Neptune and Saturn will be conjunct, meaning that these two planets meet up at the exact same sign and exact degree in the zodiac. When two planets are conjunct, they are blending and intensifying their energies. Saturn will move back into Pisces from September 2025 until mid-February 2026. During this time, we may be reviewing our plans. In February 2026 Saturn will conjunct Neptune again. Mid-February will be a good time to focus again on our meditations and communication with the Divine. The dates for the energies of the two potent planetary conjunctions are:
May 13, 2025 – Sep 27, 2025
Feb 15,2026 – Apr 4, 2026
These are slow moving planets, so their time together is extended, giving us plenty of time to deepen our connection with the divine. Although Saturn will be in Aries for 2.5 years, these periods of conjunction are considered the most potent times. Saturn will leave Aries on April 14, 2028. Neptune will stay in Aries for 14 years. For more information on Neptune and how it relates to higher consciousness and to us on a more personal level please refer to the article “God’s Instructions on How to Play the Game of Life, Life Is Mysterious, Higher Consciousness Is Essential, Planetary Energies Are Clues” written by my colleague, Diane Collins, in the April 2025 newsletter.
About the Author: C.J. Mulkerrin
I am a professional astrologer specializing in Esoteric and Modern Western astrology. I do Natal charts, Solar Return Charts, and Astro cartography. I love helping people find their purpose and passion. I have also been a student of esoteric wisdom since I was a young child. I have studied in various esoteric mystery schools.
I have studied the Ancient Wisdom traditions of Alice Bailey and Louise Cedercrans. After retiring from a leadership position in a global consulting practice, I turned to my true passion: astrology. I am a founding member of the Institute for Global Transformation and have held many different positions over the past 20+ years. Please feel free to contact me at As*****@*****ok.com.