Author Archives: juliedemboski

Full Moon in Aquarius 11 August 2022 A Lasting Story

Featured

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Full Moon, Sabian Symbols

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , ,


‘Girl Reading a Newspaper’ By Wada Eisaku 和田英作 1897 {{PD}}

The Full Moon is on approach to Saturn–the Moon only hours from contact, the Earth only days–with other contacts a semi-sextile to Juno, a wide sextile to Chiron, a square to North Node-Uranus/ South Node (forming a ‘T’), and an Air Grand Trine with Zeus and Pallas. Perfecting at 19 Aquarius 21 on the 11th at 6:35 PM PDT, the Lunar event reads like heavy intellectual (Aquarius) and individual (Chiron in Aries) turmoil, with a dash of unexpected material events (Uranus-NN in Taurus) to keep us off balance. We’ll be so busy looking out, at the chaos, rebellion, and anarchy that we won’t realize the real upset is within our own minds, or maybe even within our reactive egos (Sun in Leo). No need to worry about limits, at this point; those will show up on their own, as each body, Moon and Earth, conjoins waiting Saturn, offering understanding as to where our feelings stop, and what restrictions our material surroundings might offer.

That sounds terrible, doesn’t it? But never fear–there are ways to work with the energies that won’t be just comforting, but freeing. Start with an Aquarius Full Moon, meant to bring revelation, understanding, realization, especially intellectually; that says you’re going to learn things, and any learning is to your benefit. That’s something to remember when we’re caught in the midst of Aquarian revolution or chaos, or stunned by the shock, surprise, or the unexpected: we’re seeing things, about people, situations, options, that we wouldn’t have otherwise known about–and knowledge really is power.

The semi-sextile to Juno in Pisces tells us that empowerment is found through the creative, through following ‘the Dream’ despite anything else (and either of these options may require a wee bit of rocking the boat), or that ‘clear seeing’, though somewhat uncomfortable (the semi-sextile) is necessary in order to thrive. The sextile to Chiron in Aries says: make the effort, use your skills or actively accept an opportunity to heal, and you will. The square/ T-square tells us that what happens or is revealed around the Lunar event is 1) building something, or telling us something about reality and its limits or requirements (Saturn), and 2) that the Saturnian discipline or reality awareness will allow us to bring experience (the South Node) to bear on unanticipated challenges or revelations about the future (Uranus-NN). The surprise is the very thing we must respond to–and there’s no time to start from scratch, we must draw on the past and what we already know (SN).

The Air Grand Trine involves what we might dismiss as minor indicators, but the value of this is in the way those minor bodies or points have specific, narrow definitions–and so can pinpoint what we need to cope that much more effectively than can the major energies. Here the call is for intellectual or mental balance, particularly in terms of what we want, our ambitions and goals, our desires (Zeus) and what’s smart, wise, practical, or what we are already equipped to handle with existing skills (Pallas). The Full Moon will likely show us our emotional needs and responses to the Air GT requirements–and may make us face the fact that, without a balance among these, we won’t get very far.

The Full Moon Sabian is, ‘A Large White Dove Bearing A Message’. Yep. We can add, through the symbolism of the dove, that the message will, one way or another, bring peace. The Sun, illuminator of the Moon, has an apt Sabian, as well: ‘Zuni Indians Perform A Ritual To The Sun’. I think this is about acknowledging the Self (Sun in Leo) as the generator of whatever we’re dealing with right now. It may appear to come from externals, but as we all know, those are typically just a reflection of our interior, or in some cases manifested/ attracted because we know (or at least, some part of us does) that we need to face whatever it is. The ‘Zuni Indians’, that is indigenous people native to the southwestern area of North America, points us back to our own Sun, our own Soul intent, to what’s native to us as individuals and within the ‘tribes’ (our psychic and spiritual kinship groups, those places and others who nurture our Soul) we belong to, acknowledging that eternal part of us–a reminder that what we create now is just another step in a lasting, resilient story.

Notes for 5 August 2022: Willingness to See

Featured

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Mars-Uranus-North Node Conjunction

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, ,

Miniature painting, c1840, Artist anonymous {{PD}}

Here’s a question: How do you judge yourself? Or asking more broadly: do you judge some roles, jobs, interests, activities, commitments in life as more ‘worthy’ than others? And if you hold these standards (and who doesn’t, to some extent?) how does that kind of qualitative, hierarchical judgment end up blowing back on you?

The recent meet-up of North Node, Uranus, and Mars stirred up the energies around defining one’s role (Mars) in relation to the Group (Uranus) and how this is shaping the future (NN). It could’ve stirred unexpected anger or aggression, brought up unanticipated facets surrounding taking the initiative, surprised with chaos, intellectual assertiveness, or Willful theorizing unconnected to the reality picture, or brought chaos to the ‘I Am’, requiring definition: Who Am I, when I synthesize my actions, my intellectual perceptions, and my place within the larger whole? And what kind of path for myself are my choices building, versus what I believe intellectually I’m creating?

This sort of judging of our identity and what it means to the wider world is an ongoing thing; the meeting of the Lunar extremity point and the two bodies in Taurus, though, may have brought the intellect to the physicality, material matters, and to the surroundings, offering a clear picture on what the future holds, should we continue our current practices (another way of looking at it: we must weigh our responsiveness to reality against our Willfulness, against our insistence that we have our way, no matter what).

At this point Mars has moved on, allowing us enough distance from our own wants to gain perspective, and midday of the 5th sees the Moon pass over its own South Node point and oppose Uranus, then Mars, suggesting we get some emotional or intuitive illumination by way of memories or shocks, accidents, revelations–and this takes us another step along the ‘Who Am I, and What Do I Mean to the Group?’ line of reasoning.

The fact that we tend to judge ourselves and others in a way that estimates, according to our own priorities and values, our worthiness in the world, is at this point being given a reality-check: our value within the group isn’t what we think it is, and neither is anyone else’s. Our attempts to collate our observations and assess them in light of what we believe is important is a game of shadows, to begin with; in what Universe do we have the individual perspective necessary to evaluate the worthiness of anyone, including ourselves? It’s the quantum influence, the way we can’t know how action A affects the rest of the alphabet, all the way across the Cosmos itself. It’s pure hubris to believe we can know. The only thing we can do is to act according to our own conscience, to do what we find worth doing and know is right–all else takes care of itself.

We can trust the emotions, while Venus moves through Cancer, to let us know what matters right now. Too, we must acknowledge that we don’t need to judge ourselves or others–the world will continue to spin whether we have a settled opinion on our neighbor or not–and then there’s the matter of Mars approaching and conjoining Sedna in the final, tense degree of Taurus (roughly 13 August-21 August). At that point we’ll be challenged to understand and/ or deal with the material in our ‘blind spot’, the stuff we just can’t get into clear focus (the concept reminds me of the way the androids of ‘Westworld’, when confronted with something they’re not programmed for, say, ‘That doesn’t look like anything to me.’ That’s what’s in the Sedna blind spot). The trick there is twofold: to allow light reflected by others and their responses to illuminate that darker area within our own conscious mind, and to listen to the voice of instinct, or the things we think are instinct, which may, in the reflected light of others, reveal themselves to be bad programming, something we need to purge in order to function more effectively.

On the 21st Mars will have entered Gemini (linking actions and choices more cleanly to the mental processes), the Moon will semi-sextile Sedna and the Sun will square Sedna and oppose Vesta–that our window for enlightenment, when all it takes is a willingness to see, in order to perceive.

Currently working on some 5th House examples for the Moon book (it’s done, except for editing and adding examples through the Houses–already have some, but there’s always room for more!) Recent developments: finished AOC, now finishing Prince, next up Picasso, and Grace Kelly. Have a great weekend!

New Moon in Leo 28 July 2022 Take It Personally

Featured

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Jupiter retrograde, New Moon, Sabian Symbols

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , ,

‘Sun and Moon Flowers’ By George Dunlop Leslie 1890 {{PD}}

Public domain

Sun and Moon Flowers 1890

So the upcoming New Moon perfects at 10:54 AM PDT of the 28th at 5 Leo 38 and all I want to say is, Take. It. Personally. We can’t help but focus on ourselves with a New Moon in Leo; it’s the glory of the individual, the way each of us uniquely ‘shine’, and that may mean our own light gets in our eyes, obscures the view of what’s happening, just now. Traditional agent of confusion and hidden matters, Neptune, is in his own sign and below the chart horizon (for the West coast location), and is semi-sextile Eris in Aries–the suggestion is that there are things, particularly tensions, between us and other individuals that we just can’t see–we’re too busy shining our own light–so that others ‘offended’ by our light (think ‘jealous’ or ‘judgy’ or ‘envious’ or even ‘garden-variety hater’–note Venus conjoined Black Moon Lilith in Cancer) are likely to present as caring when what they want is to deny something about who we are or how we play the game.

Both Moon and Sun have very recently conjoined Ceres at 2 Leo, prompting us all to examine our own power situation and autonomy (or lack of it), as well as bring to the fore of consciousness our relationship with Nature–whether that’s via our bodies or our environment. No matter what, we’re measuring what affects us and the impact that has–and it’s the wellspring from which our New Moon new starts spring.

Three aspects made by the New Moon warrant a look: a quincunx to Vesta, a trine to a stationary retro Jupiter, which will enter retro status within a day, and a sesquiquadrate from Juno. How we see the ‘Big Picture’ is going to change, and the change will be easy, a slipping from one viewpoint to another, without us really thinking about it. What will cause minor discomfort, however, is something about our commitments, our highest values, likely losing some of their sheen or worthiness as that Big Picture realigns or withdraws current conditions or circumstances, particularly on some action front or around some choice we’ve made. We’ll have to adjust, if we want to go forward. And then there’s the matter of empowerment: we may have to own and then use our own power much more actively than we’re used to–and some of us will reach for an arrow and find our quiver empty–the worth of the episode in this instance being: now you know, you’re not equipped as you thought you were.

There’s also a square to Hygeia, effectively drawing a T-square with the Sun-Moon/ Earth axis, implying we may have to face the unhealthiness of something–whether that’s Mother Nature in the form of Ceres, our own diet, also Ceres, or of a caretaking relationship, one where we feel responsible for someone else, or where someone else, appropriately or not, tries to exert control over you, just as Mama Ceres did with daughter Proserpina (also known as Persephone–I maintain it was as likely an elopement as a kidnapping, but that’s an argument for another day).

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘A Conservative, Old-Fashioned Lady Is Confronted By A “Hippie” Girl’. It’s a study in contrasts, and echoes my point about someone cloaking their critical attitude or contempt in caring, ‘for your own good’, ‘you’re doing it all wrong’ corrective sensibilities. The conservative woman thinks she’s right, and the hippie thinks she’s right (and by right I mean they think they’re seeing the world clearly and have ‘it’ all worked out), but what they’re both missing is they can only know what’s right for themselves, not for someone else. It’s about boundaries, whether those are violated only by intrusive thought-judgments or in outright, blatant ‘correction’ of another. Recognize and honor the autonomy of another, and your own right to be and choose is that much more secure, energetically speaking.

Just a Few Comments 18 July 2022 Impermanence and Illusion

Featured

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

,

‘Sea in Fog’ By George Bellows 1913 {{PD}}

What I really want to talk about is the way the Sun, while still trine Neptune, will conjoin Ceres tomorrow (the 19th), while Earth, sextile Neptune, will conjoin Pluto, this happening across the Cancer-Capricorn axis. It presents us with at least two broad scenarios: one involves ideals, creativity, and ‘the Dream’, while the other involves delusion, illusion, or deception. We have been concentrating on, dreaming about, or enveloped in maya, from the Sanskrit meaning ‘magic’ or ‘illusion’, though it may be better defined as unreality–but that pertains to concepts still percolating within the imagination, the formulation of a dream or idea, the way energy will coalesce into a coherent picture and so invite a plan for realization. We’re speaking, then, in the most general terms of thought forms on the threshold of materializing–but what we must discover is whether those have the potential for becoming real, in the Capricornian sense of physicality, of becoming in the real world, or if they are in some core way illusory, whether that arises from the impossibility of what we imagine, or from the way we may be believing things are other than they are, which removes the potential for them entering reality.

How do we distinguish between the idea that holds promise, and the one that is a mere illusion? In this case, we examine Nature, what is ‘natural’ to us, we recognize our own dominion and power, what we are responsible for or hold dear and must nurture, and we accept the idea that there is a need to negotiate for what we want, specifically with the Powers of change, destruction, and resurrection (Ceres opp Pluto). The key to physical manifestation is in accepting the depth and permanence of Plutonian energies; the steps we need to take will be deliberate, will clear the way or alter what is forever, may end or otherwise destroy what was but is now outmoded, and may involve re-claiming something from the past–exemplified by the South Node (experience) trine Juno (empowerment) in Water signs=it’s through what we’ve learned on the Path, and the emotions it brings forth in the now, that we will know how, and why, Plutonian steps must be taken.

There’s the possibility that facing Pluto will cause things to be re-born, as much as it may eliminate–but in any case it reworks the present so that that Neptunian inspiration, and our genuine power position within the natural order, can be seen for what it is: either a dream or ideal we must strive toward, or an illusion that if pursued will disappoint.

Have a wonderful week, and if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, stay cool!

Full Moon in Capricorn 13 July 2022: The Test of Desire

Featured

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Full Moon, Sabian Symbols

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

It was the title that made me choose this: A Spirit Serves a Small Breakfast, Angel Brings the Desired, lithograph with watercolor by Paul Klee, 1920 {{PD}}

The Full Moon perfects 11:38 AM PDT of the 13th at 21 Capricorn 21–some nice (but insignificant) numerical symmetry, that, with the closest aspect to the Sun/ Moon-Earth axis a square from Zeus in Libra. This Cardinal T-square promises a tough test of the desire nature or the ambition picture–what are we willing to do to get what we want? With whom will we take our actions? How hard will we push? What problems are we willing to face down? And who or what are we willing to sacrifice in the process?

Will we necessarily run over others in the rush to fulfill our wants? No, it doesn’t have to be that way, but it might, if there are any latent issues of Willfulness, envy, jealousy, or greed in relationships–Eris in Aries opposes Zeus in Libra and so forms a loose Grand Cross with the Full Moon, and that suggests that if there are egos or previously unexpressed aggressions in the mix, we may have to make a choice: coddle others, or reach for what we desire. Or it may be more subtle than that: will we be willing to discomfort others? Will we go against the relationship grain, risking not losing the connection but altering it–and perhaps planting the discordant Eris seed in the process.

A Full Moon in Capricorn is one focused on implementing practical or concrete solutions, bringing about solid or permanent endings, or seeing construction of rules or structures completed–and that means the emotional and intuitive (Moon) must find expression through the material, or what affects the material, in some way (Capricorn Earth).

The Cancer Sun in this scenario has two companions, each widely opposing the Full Moon, one on either side of Sol: Ceres and Mercury. These are energies of Time and Nature, big picture forces, the kind we don’t control, but do affect, as we make our human-sized decisions within their parameters and flow. What we care about (Cancer) is the arbiter, but what we face is the physical impacts that caring makes on our environment (Capricorn), through our actions and choices (Eris in Aries) which guide the outcome within relationships (Libra).

We must note, too, that with a slightly wider orb we see Chiron in Aries also square the Full Moon (but not be included in the Cross). Ah-ha! We find the motive for any hurt in old wounds, festering hurts, in tender flesh beneath scars we thought were healed–but the sextile of the Full Moon to Juno, and trine to North Node/ sextile to SN says we’re acting out of a need to feel our own empowerment, to experience it in real-world terms, and so to shape the future–but we shouldn’t ignore Uranus in proximity to the NN, bringing an element of the untamed, unpredictable, chaotic, or unusual that may offer results a far cry from what we thought we’d create!

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘By Accepting Defeat Gracefully, A General Reveals Nobility Of Character’. Act with pure motives, accept with grace what comes from our choices, and no matter the material result, the Soul will be fulfilled in some important but intangible way. This suggests that those desires driving things in the first place (Zeus) may be, like the energies of Eris that could stir, nothing more than a catalyst within a larger picture, one that tells us something of our Soul’s place (the Sun) in the scheme of Time (Mercury) and Nature (Ceres).

We always look at the Sun for a FM: ‘A Young Woman Awaiting A Sailboat’. Something, then, is on its way, perhaps already on the horizon–and the woman is young, and what’s the outstanding nature of everyone when young? Hopeful and optimistic–so that’s what we should be, too.

One last thing to address: the Moon-Earth combo are headed (at different rates, the Moon in hours, the Earth in days) to conjoin Pluto. Big, bad Pluto. And it’s sextile the Lunation chart Vertex, suggesting it’s an agent of Fate–so tell us something we don’t know! If you have fear of what Pluto brings, you need to take another tack. Instead of seeing it as destructive, as bringing irreversible damage, you might want to try embracing it as an energy that can get things done for us–because Pluto changes nothing we haven’t already been given an opportunity to deal with, get right with, or change ourselves, and we’re definitely scheduled for an encounter. Pluto is the essence of the Truth of things–and the more closely aligned we are with that, the better. We should also turn some attention to two points at 29 degrees at the time of Lunar perfection: Sedna in Taurus, which happens to be trine the Virgo Ascendant in the Pacific zone (other places this won’t be the case). That placement always implies the point or energy is under stress–so West Coasters, watch the environment for precipitous energies (or just brutally critical ones), maybe in the form of details that cause distress or uncertainty, or in a demand for accountability, and don’t expect our instincts to help us much at this point–they are likely to be on the fritz, overloaded with sensory input (Taurus) and probably blocked by our own blind spot material. Go instead on the reality of what we see, feel, and on the ideals we hold for ourselves–the whole point of the challenges our desires will face at this time is to reveal some very true-to-us response, characteristic of the Soul, elevating our idea of ourselves and our abilities to respond and create under pressure.

Just a Few Comments 29 June 2022

Featured

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

,

Photo By Julie Demboski 2021 All Rights Reserved

Just a few comments on the current scene: we have Mars in a Cardinal square with Pluto (again, or still? Feels like our Will has been colliding with the powers-that-be for, well, forever!) with Saturn sextile Mars and catching just retro but still stationary Neptune at the midpoint–and let’s not forget, involved in both aspects, is Eris still conjoined Mars. ‘Stirring it up’ is not an adequate descriptor for what’s going on–and yet, it is the most accurate, as doing is prompted by irritations, strife, rivalries we thought we could bury or ignore–or even eliminate the hard way (sq to PL)–but instead we may find ourselves in a balancing act that requires we sort fantasy from reality, dream from delusion, and ideal from unrealistic, in order to achieve in this world (Mars-Nep-Saturn). A stationary Neptune tends to make us believe we’ll be stuck in this delusion/ dream/ nightmare forever–but we just have to remember, it’s an illusion, magnified by a sense of being pressured to do, to change, to make things happen.

And how is achieving your dreams going for you? The recent New Moon offered a booster shot, but may have made us ultra-aware of our own feelings and sensitivities–and that can make us hesitate when maybe we should push forward, get to work, or ignore the implications we think we see in feedback and try it anyway. Right now we’ve got Venus in Gemini sextile Jupiter in Aries–that’s a recipe for valuing our own thoughts and ideas and acting on them optimistically, with an eye to unique opportunities only we can exploit. The Sun’s still square Jupiter, drawing our attention to all the ways we think things aren’t working–but that’s a focus issue, not a real-world one, more a test of faith than a genuine denial of more or better.

If we also note that the Black Moon Lilith point is currently conjoined the Sun, we might begin to suspect that a lot of our negativity, our insistence that we’re being ‘realistic’ when we’re really being pessimistic, is based on rage (and so a feeling of helplessness, ‘it’s just too big for me to do anything about!’) or on things we’ve been reluctant to acknowledge or face–and that’s the answer, the way to get our bearings: feel tender and sensitive and go forward anyway, by being completely willing to see what is, without insisting on covering it with a gauzy filter and a shower of glitter (though who doesn’t like a glitter-bath, once in a while? Well, maybe not Virgo or Capricorn–but the rest of us are down with it!) Knowing why we’re angry or despairing can help, and the instinctual nature is directly tuned in to this right now (Sedna at 29 crisis degrees of Taurus)–so if we trust our internal voice, and approach things with a willingness to see them as they are, it will be very clear what our next step forward should be.

Have a wonderful rest-of-your-week! Here at the blog the 2 million plus hits mark has been reached–never expected that!

New Moon in Cancer June 2022: Keeping It Real

Featured

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Lunar Aspects, New Moon, Sabian Symbols

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

Ferdinand du Puigaudeau {{PD}}

The New Moon perfects on June 28th at 7:51 PM PDT at 7 Cancer 22. There’s an interesting story here, told through a scattering of close aspects: an approaching conjunction of the New Moon factors (Moon and Sun) with the Black Moon Lilith point=what we really care about (Cancer) revealed through what enrages us, or what we have, for whatever reason (possibly need), ignored or denied; pay attention to vivid emotions at this time, as they’ll tell you what you’re invested in (and so what motivates your choices and actions). That’s always good information to have in the forefront of the conscious mind.

Sun-Moon opposes Earth (of course!) and forms a Cardinal T-square with Jupiter in Aries=the impulse is toward action, based on belief or ‘the facts’ as we see them, and the way we interpret them as not being served. The T tells us this may be tricky territory; think of how difficult things become when everyone is sure they’re in the right. It also signals an ‘individual vs. social order’ mentality that is all the tougher because the social arena is seen by the individual as essentially being on a crusade to impose their values–no wonder we’re upset.

The New Moon trines Vesta, and with generous orbs forms a Water Grand Trine with Hygeia=it may be infuriating, that everyone is attuned to their emotional reactions at this time, but it may be necessary, a healthy expression (no matter how provocative) that helps each of us attain an internal emotional balance. What we honor is recognized as important; a re-dedication of one’s intents and energies would be more than appropriate at this time.

We note a semi-sextile, only seven minutes past, formed by the New Moon and Venus in Gemini=with all this emoting and feeling going on, it’s obvious relationships will be affected, especially in the way we think about others in our circle. This may affect those networks that we’ve previously relied on for earning or other reward, so be prepared–nothing occurs without consequences at this time, described by the Saturn/ Eris-Mars sextile=real world results of choices and actions that stir, or arise from, strife. This sextile also catches Neptune at the midpoint=we’re either operating on ideals or fantasy, and it’s easy to mix them up–hence the rampant belief that each of us is in the right.

Forgiving orbs also give us a Fist of God, base of South Node square Saturn, apex New Moon=the past smacks right up against reality, and the discomfort caused launches New Moon beginnings. With the event in Cancer, those beginnings are likely to be simple changes of (or realizations about) feeling. Answers may be provided by the New Moon novile Pallas and semi-square the North Node=when we look clear-eyed at the difficulties our current choices may cause in the future, we’ll opt for the smart thing, the wise thing–so that’s a positive we should aim for. Also of note is Sedna at 29 Taurus, ramping up the perception that the material situation is at a crisis point. Try not to over-react. It may feel like an instinctual perception, and so be hard to override with the conscious mind, but the reality is this is just a perception–not a reflection of real circumstances–so relax a bit.

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘A Group Of Rabbits Dressed in Human Clothes Walk As If On Parade’. I think this is a warning: don’t take on roles you don’t understand or ‘dress up’ the meaning of what you’re doing as other than what it is. Maybe it’s an admonition about humility, or maybe a prompt to ‘keep it real,’ rather than just parading around, thinking we’re right.

The Return of the Goddess

Featured

Posted by in astrology, goddess energy, Something For You, Spiritual Considerations, The Social System, The Word Image

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

,

Goddess Bhadrakali Worshipped by the Gods from a tantric Devi series, Artist Unkinown, 12th century {{PD}}

This is a reprint from ECLIPSE, slightly modified, and has already appeared here at the blog under a different title–but I do think the ideas bear repeating. Looking for the Full Moon report? See it here.

There’s been lots of talk these days about the return of the goddess–but I don’t think the goddess was ever gone. Seeing it as a disappearance/ re-appearance is seeing it through patriarchal eyes: women have always been, so goddess has always been. A patriarchal society is a Doing-oriented society, one that recognizes and values action, while (typically) disparaging its opposite, the essence of female energy: the receptive, the accepting, the open, the Being-oriented. Goddess energy is female energy, and functions by filling space and time with its very existence; it is vital simply by being, whereas male energy only exists when it is in motion, closed, targeted, inflicting itself on others or the environment. It’s a disparity that many have difficulty grasping, and this is chiefly because we have been indoctrinated with a bias for movement, action, ‘results’, and a sense of accomplishment that relies on seeing change, rather than feeling it. The goddess can sit perfectly still and sense the inevitable processes of growth and decay all around her–she is in fact aware that she is part of this cycle–while those invested in the god-like animus credit only the effects the hands or mind have on the landscape.

In modern Western society we’ve been conditioned to see worth and even virtue in emulating male doing energy, no matter one’s role. We applaud activity, even when it’s purpose or value is questionable, and we see this ‘busy’ attitude reflected in phrases like ‘Protestant work ethic’, ‘Yankee ingenuity’, ‘make hay while the sun shines’, and so on. This is not to say that effort is not important, but that it is only one side of an equation; to celebrate doing and accomplishing without also celebrating the contemplation, depth, communion, feeling, sensitivity, and intuition that can not only shape and guide effort but make sure efforts are effective, is to make action a god, and to cast being as a meaningless state that offers nothing to our advancement–and of course, nothing could be further from the truth.

We tend to have disdain (or at least, less regard) for the kind of contemplative or menial or repetitive tasks that act as a meditation and are much more a being state than a doing one; we may label these ‘women’s work’ (oh, the derogatory tone with which this is spoken!) and see them as beneath us, since they don’t include the slap-dash of going from A to B–but that would miss the point. No one thought to ask the grasshopper why he fiddled while the ants worked–but no grasshopper lives through the winter; it would’ve been a waste of his time to put away food for days he wouldn’t see. (And if we want to get technical about it, the ants would awaken from a torpor to begin their work and replenish their colony before much had grown or bloomed out in the world, so they did need a storehouse). In nature there is balance and reason, room for both god and goddess energy, a different set of rhymes and rhythms that apply to each creature–and we should keep that in mind when judging what’s appropriate or ‘right’, useful and useless.



‘Jupiter in the Guise of Diana Seducing Callisto’ By Gerrit van Honthorst {{PD}}

The picture above is a testament to recognition within the patriarchal structure of Western society that sometimes receptivity is needed in order to gain what is wanted. There’s irony in a doing-dominant entity choosing to enact the anima in order to get something, which getting is in itself a highly animus thing, the kind of goal the doing energy is consistently targeting and pursuing. In the painting Zeus (Jupiter) has apparently learned that abduction and rape don’t win him any friends; instead he transforms into the goddess of the Moon and the Hunt, Diana, and lures Callisto with the Moon’s sensitivity, responsiveness, and ability to reflect back to others what they ‘shine’ with–and yet, in choosing Diana’s form, he’s choosing the most animus-like of the goddesses, in terms of her Self-expression through hunting and pursuit. Empathy requires the surrender of boundaries to the point that one Being can feel the other Being, complete, which the male-oriented cannot do without putting aside the continual, outward thrust of energy that is the normal modus operandi for them.

Even in Zeus’ choice, though, the usefulness of the receptive, Being stance is denigrated, as it’s seen as a tactic with which to accomplish  a goal, rather than as a state of Being just as valid and as dynamic in its own way as any action. With Zeus it’s a means to an end, and so falls in a long line of actions meant to fulfill the animus aim; if it were a true goddess energy, the communion would be without boundaries, and no specific outcome would be on the agenda–being would be enough. If quantum mechanics are correct and the butterfly’s movement is enough to topple a civilization as the shift ripples through matter and time, then the even more subtle shifts in consciousness, attitude, belief, and the effects of both prayer and love are felt as strongly as anything built, accomplished, or acquired. So next time you see a woman sitting with eyes closed, or standing quietly out in the grass, or strolling along with no destination in mind, or rocking a child, you’ll know just how busy, how important what she’s doing, really is.

Your word image is a pair of things: the mention of Karma addressed in or in the name of works of Art, and a key that suddenly appears on the floor at your feet. As they’ve come up at the same time, I can’t help but think they’re linked, each describing a part of what needs our attention. The key came first. Of course, there’s the key, the ‘at your feet’ part telling me it’s laid out before me, presented even, no searching required. The image seems to say: Here’s what you need, that vital thing that will open it all up, let you in to where you want to go. I kept seeing references to Karma related to Art that made me wonder what was in the Collective air that was influencing Artists. Too often I feel that Karma is mis-represented as something outside ourselves, when in my view it’s really just the accumulated energy of our own choices and actions, bouncing off the energy of everything else in existence–that is, it’s not something weighing and judging you, out to get you, to ‘balance’ the Universe, it’s just you, meeting your own energy in another form. So, that would suggest that the key we need to acknowledge, pick up, and use, the use of which will be entirely to our benefit, presents in a situation that’s nothing more than our own accumulated efforts and attitudes, bringing about particular results and circumstances. My thought is: you’ll know this ‘Karmic’ thing, and what it means, when you see it–and you’ll also know, it’s the key you’ve been looking for.

Friedrich Haag

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

Sagittarius Full Moon 14 June 2022: A Map To Dreams

Featured

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Full Moon, Sabian Symbols

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , ,

‘Bluebird’ By Paul Sableman

Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

This Full Moon perfects at 4:52 AM PDT of the 14th at 23 Sagittarius 25, within sextile to Saturn, square to Neptune, and trine to Eris, suggesting that discipline, restraint, and precedent, especially the intellectual variety (Saturn in Aquarius) can easily lend form to our dreams and ideals (Neptune in Pisces), though we’re bound to see (and should respect) the limits to what can be (the square). It’s a point of discovery, reckoning, or fulfillment in what we envision, imagine, hope for, idealize, or misperceive, one that displays the geography of the ‘dream terrain’ and offers a map of how to get there. The feeling nature, the intuition, and a general sensitivity will, if we allow it, inform our way forward, either by reinforcing beliefs or conveying vital facts (Sagittarius). Our creative energy (Neptune) acts as a fulcrum across which we are invited to find balance between what we’re conscious of, what’s obvious to us, what we already see and understand (Sun in Gemini) in relation to our feelings about our surroundings, what is, how we’d like to venture out, what we see as exotic or foreign, and what we want to learn or know (Moon-Earth in Sagittarius).

The trine to Eris is the only real sticking point. It’s too easy (trine) to fall into contentious circumstances with others, especially if there are already tensions below the surface; even more volatile are situations and relationships related to desire and ambition fulfillment, these springing from the recent sextiles of both Earth and the Moon to Zeus. What we want with a passion (and how we go about getting that) may be the source of conflict at this time. If someone objects to your pursuit of something, ask yourself this: is what I’m doing injurious to them? If the answer is no, their attitude is coming purely from jealousy; if the answer is yes, then you must stop and consider whether causing hurt to someone else is worth what you might get. In case you’re not sure, the answer is: causing harm is never the right course.

The Sabian for the Moon is, ‘A Bluebird Perched On The Gate Of A Cottage’. This is an almost Disney-esque image–so maybe somewhat idealized, somewhat sanitized, perhaps echoing Neptune and what it could present or inspire at this time. A bluebird is symbolic of a dream realized perfectly, a harbinger of spotless ‘luck’–and it perches on a cottage gate, suggesting auspicious entry into a (new) ‘residence’, which could mean any particular aspect of living. Encouraging us, then, to enter into that new thing we’re considering at the Full Moon.

The Sabian for the life-giving, all-illuminating Sun is, ‘Children Skating Over A Frozen Village Pond’. Again, an idyllic and idealized image, this one of recreation, specifically carried out by children–so probably corresponding to the child within each of us, to a simple enjoyment at engaging in play–which is the ultimate creativity. Taken together, the two images suggest that aiming for manifestation of the highest version of your creative energy can succeed right now, and the way to make it happen is to approach the effort as if it’s play. If you’re anything like me, you may need the encouragement of that external source, the one that offers permission to indulge in the purely creative–so here it is: use the time surrounding the Full Moon to enjoy yourself, in that way where one musing follows another, where you experiment, where you’re not acting with one eye on the social sphere, measuring how they’re perceiving you, but responding only out of curiosity and enjoyment. We need to note, though, that this scene is set in winter–at the peak of winter, in fact, when it’s safe to skate on a pond. That might suggest that it may be some time before we see this dream manifest–or that we need to change the atmosphere, cooling things down, perhaps being a little more overtly dispassionate in pursuit of our goals, ‘playing it cool’.

Helpful hints: Pallas and Venus will be close at the Full Moon, in Taurus. Indulge your senses, appreciate comforts, see the wisdom behind beauty. And for those with a natal point 22-26 of Leo, that natal body fills in a Fire Grand Trine with Eris and the Moon-Earth, and so may put you squarely in someone’s fiery cross-hairs–proceed with extra care, as feelings may be highly flammable (I know, it’s actually inflammable, but you know how we had to switch the meanings, because people kept confusing them!)

Have a lovely weekend–use it to prepare for that inspiration the Full Moon is almost certain to deliver, and which it will, if you’re not distracted by the realities of what you find out, by the need for form or limits, or by the tensions possibly surfacing with others.

Merc Direct: We’re Free!

Featured

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Mercury Direction, Retrogrades + Directions

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

‘Woman in Ecstasy’ By Ferdinand Hodler 1911 {{PD}}

Merc made apparent turnaround in the wee hours this morning PDT, the 3rd, and we may all be feeling just a bit freer, now–and you may have felt the Moon in Cancer form a sextile soon after direction, giving us a strong dose of emotion around what transpired during the retro period, and that may have been soothing or unsettling, but has probably been put into proportion, by now. What’s coming, though, is where our attention should be.

Mercury direct moves from a retro approaching sextile to Neptune to a waning one, with contact not having been made since Merc first passed in direct aspect, what feels like a lifetime ago (so, roughly a month!). This likely eases the mind as we feel more and more rational, less influenced by an overactive imagination or delusion/ deception–and this easing/ freedom feeling is even more apparent as Merc moves away from a some-time-ago square to Saturn–change and limits seem to fall away, boundaries no longer as defined or restrictive as they seemed.

So that’s all good. The question becomes: will these perceptions be accurate, in terms of our reality? The first two contacts Mercury direct makes tell the story: a trine to Pluto, followed by a conjunction to Sedna. This suggests that all the loosening and relaxing may lead to a surfacing of rage, an impulse to purge, a destructive desire, or a wish to transform or resurrect. This might apply to something one spent considerable time pondering or dealing with during the retro–suddenly, a big change might seem very positive. Judgments about the fitness of this conclusion can only be made in light of the natal scenario, but if things have been overall steady and positive, it may be just the thing to pursue, particularly if it has the character of attending to the long-neglected or the long-sensed but unaddressed. Use your instincts, and be honest with yourself–genuine honesty is the only way those instincts are worth a sh*t.

Saturn retrogrades on the 4th, and Neptune in just over 3 weeks, on the 28th. The former may lift even more restrictions, opening the way further, especially in intellectual pursuits, the new and the innovative, the original and unique, if you’re a Saturn retro responder– but, if the retro cycle tends to withdraw security or dependable supports in your world, then you’ll see the characteristic responses, concentrated in changes to your understanding of things, or calling into question what seemed unique, original and worthwhile just days ago, with the springing up, likely without explanation, of roadblocks and denials.

With Neptune we’ll be looking at a change in background noise, more than anything. Re-consideration of the creative, of ideas and ideals, may be on the agenda, and often this turnaround can prompt one to dig for the Truth of something, as we try and connect our conceptions to reality.

That’s our glimpse ahead. Have a wonderful weekend!