That’s Ceres in Cancer (upping her ‘Mommy’ quotient) trine a 29 degree Vesta and square a 29 degree Mars in Pisces and Jupiter in Aries–with Merc retro also at 29 degrees closely conjoined Sedna, both in Taurus=that’s a lot of tension! That’s a train wreck as nerves, perceptions, instincts, values, and actions/ choices all demand supremacy within the psyche–and do we have a release valve via Ceres? Not really; she supports Vesta’s questioning of priorities and commitments, pushing those in the direction of obligation: to family, to nurturing duties, to elevating the personal authority over any other–and that may not be where our preferences really lie–but it may be very hard to argue that, as the maternal, our duties of care and oversight, and our deference to Mother Nature speak so loudly they drown out other stressed energy ‘voices’.

I feel like any cognizant Being equipped with a nervous system will be hard pressed to sort this out right now–so what do we do when something overwhelming has us in its grasp? One answer is to look to other energies–not for rescue, but for refuge. If we don’t force ourselves to respond to what’s pressing, if we focus elsewhere, then we can navigate this with our sanity intact and our spirit sheltered–and this so happens to be a time when, despite all the tension, we don’t have to move on very many things in the moment.

Two avenues stand out to me: one is the conjunction of Venus and Eris in Aries. I wouldn’t blame you for an initial recoil from these two, but hear me out: Eris offers Venus the kind of backbone, a surety of purpose, an ease with assertion, aggression, and action, that Venus doesn’t normally enjoy in Aries; usually she’s uncomfortable with being singled out, called to the front, or required to defend herself–but not now, with Eris at her back. Remember, Eris only brings out discord that’s inherent in others or the situation–if the energies she touches are in harmony with themselves, she adds confidence and a kind of bravery to Venusian efforts–perfect for a sojourn in Aries.

The second thing I’d like to point out is a sextile between Pallas and Juno. A sextile requires us to take advantage of opportunities–good things can be made from these contacts, but won’t come automatically, or will be mild if they do, unless we put our own energy behind it. In this case we see Pallas in Taurus keeping us practical, our wisdom applied to enhancing or maintaining our prosperity and our comfort, material and otherwise; now, united with Juno in Pisces, we add to this inclination to promote ours and others’ welfare, and appreciation for our personal bounty, with imaginative ways we can gain, prosper, and better control our own material position in the world. We suddenly find we own the personal authority to make things better–empowerment of the best kind, and only adding to the confidence we’ll see if we focus on Venus, right now.

These influences will linger a bit, especially if they prompt precipitous choices and actions–because repercussions won’t let us forget, in positive or not so positive ways, but today really is the day for a successful attitude re-alignment, with the mind out of the way, so to speak, and the Sun sextile Jupiter–optimism is ours, if we’ll only look for it. And if you came here from Facebook, you might want to sign up for email notices sent when I post–I won’t always put things on FB.