The AstroEssence for the 20th: we may suffer an odd combination of influences that could easily steer us wrong: one concerns how thoughts are focused on what isn’t happening/ working in fulfillment of ambitions and wants; the other is a rejection of what we know to be wise, smart, practical, or that involves a refusal to use our already-learned skills, and this rejection/ refusal is seated in some aspect of our current identity or Self-image. Together the two tracks converge so that we may make some poor or mistaken choices out of frustration or a wish not to acknowledge who, exactly, we are. If hiding in a closet or some sunless hole isn’t possible (and who wants to do that, anyway?) our best bet may be conscious Self-acceptance (no matter how that may make us cringe over denied character traits or experience), along with a vow to let go of judgement, a tendency that comes far too easily with Mercury’s transit of Virgo (Merc semi-sq Black Moon Lilith, Sun opp Pallas)

Today’s word image is the color white (technically all color!) I realized this as, in asking myself what the word image is, I saw a series of white animals, birds, and objects, and then realized that at least the past two images had been white things, too (a stork and an egg), at least as they were envisioned. We may have personal associations with the color, or cultural ones; some see white as indicating purity, fidelity, or innocence, while some link it to death, or to sacrifice, or to sterility, coldness, or authority (as in the wearing of a white coat to signify status in a health setting, for instance)–and of course your own preferences and experiences will figure in to the meaning of white for you, whether it’s the ideas attached to the color, or whether it points out something that is that color and offers further meaning. At the very least, use it as a marker of synchronicity or of being ‘in the flow’ when you observe it.

For those born with the Sun at 28 Leo: you may spend a good part of your year, Leo, through to your next birthday adjusting to new emotional circumstances or truths–and these changes can’t help but affect who you are, causing a drawn out period of modification and accommodation that is especially personal. You have a good sense of what’s smart, what’s practical, right now, and should use it as you go forward, as little else will offer guidance, and you could feel lost if you don’t embrace and accept your current reality. Good luck, Leo, and Happy Birthday!

The AstroEssence for the 21st: It’s a terrible thing when our reasoning and our social role both fall into our blind spot, leaving neither our own minds nor our usual patterns and responsibilities as reliable guides. Relationships don’t help, either, as we’re in the midst of greater or lesser power struggles that permeate even the most benign exchanges. What we can do is use sensitivities not related to the mind (intuition, feeling, those 6th, 7th, and 8th senses! etc); these will bring invaluable info as long as we acknowledge our own power wants and those territories we wish to claim as our own–if we don’t admit what we want, the feeling nature will lead us astray. Compounding perceptual difficulties is the way facts just won’t speak of realities, at this time–be prepared for that (Mercury and Jupiter trine Sedna, though Merc and Jup don’t perfect their conjunction until the 22nd, Venus sesq Ceres)

Today’s word image is a fish ready to be filleted. What does that bring to mind? Anticipation of a good dining experience? Revulsion at eating something with a face? The fish is a symbol of Christianity; to fillet it may be to ‘take the backbone’ out of a religious viewpoint. If you’re an astrologer you may think of Pisces, and wonder what it means if only one of the symbol pair is gutted. A fish was one of Vishnu’s incarnations, again suggesting a connection to divinity. We could go on and on, since the fish carries so much symbolism. This one, though, has been ‘fished for’, ‘caught’, and is now being ‘prepared’–is there anything like that in your life, that may need to be seen for what it really is?

For those born with the Sun at 29 Leo: though it may not seem like it, eventually emotions catch up with the rest of you, and internal harmony is restored; you’ll likely take action repeatedly until you feel balanced. You think big and use discernment; make sure it doesn’t devolve into petty criticism and over-concern with detail. The creative may become an outlet for feelings and perceptions ignored or denied–that can be very good, if you know how to shape and direct those energies, or very bad, if they end up deceiving you or others. Good luck, Leo, and Happy Birthday!

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