The Astrology of Menopause.

Midway through the first “Alchemy of Menopause” course, what has become increasingly significant is the astrology related to mid-life themes. From the Uranus opposition at around 40-42, to the Chiron return between 49-51, and finally the second Saturn return between 56- 60, these major transits speak to the soul’s unfolding journey.

For women the Chiron return is a transition that coincides with menopause. Tracking the Chiron story through one’s life by looking at the squares and opposition, the Chiron wound, which may already be acutely present at menopause, begins to speak louder. This may be an uncomfortable experience; however, the purpose is to create the necessary conditions for crossing the threshold into eldership. It is an initiation… should we heed the call and take up the mantle.

The call to inner awakening that is triggered by the Uranus opposition comes at a time when many women, whether consciously or not, are biologically and psycho-spiritually preparing for the menopause transition. By the time of the second Saturn return, most women are through menopause and can rightfully claim the sacred title of Crone.

There’s more too… it never stops.

At age 63 or thereabouts is the Chariklo return. Chariklo is the wife of Chiron; originally a water nymph who transforms herself into a female Centaur, Chariklo is the divine feminine behind the great Healer. This is a deeply rich mythology which can be beneficial and enlightening to women who are experiencing this transit.

There has always been a complementary relationship between astrology and alchemy. Both disciplines operate in the knowledge that we exist in a unified cosmos. The hermetic maxim “as above so below, as within so without” is based on a universal truth which states that the microcosm and the macrocosm breathe together in sympathetic resonance.

Astrology is not just the observation of the movements of the planets in the heavens, it is understanding that we too, in our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies are intimately involved with the stars. Both astrology and alchemy share a symbolic language that speaks directly to the soul, and in symbolic correspondences, i.e., the planets are linked to metals, e.g., the Sun to gold, the Moon to silver.

In the quest to realise the Self, the inner Gold, and achieve the “Great Work” of our lives, both astrology and alchemy offer a map of the soul’s journey to wholeness. The alchemical process begins in the deep primordial feminine, in darkness and chaos, and corresponds to the dark of the moon, just before a new lunar cycle. In the same way, the darkness and confusion that women can be thrown into at the onset of menopause, provides the perfect conditions for the journey of inner alchemy.

The many physical symptoms we experience at menopause are not only physiological, they speak to the hidden aspects of our psyche: the untold traumas; the unlived lives; the ways in which woman made themselves small, pleasing, or obedient to fit into a system that in many ways was not designed for them; the stress of the modern world, and countless other experiences of the desacralized and mechanical modern world.

If you are called to join this journey, find out more, or book a 1-1 astrology consultation, send me a DM or email: karenmullensmith@gmail.com