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Musings on the Signs: Scorpio

02 Tuesday Mar 2021

Posted by in astrology, Consciousness Explored, Scorpio

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Scorpio and the preceding sign, Libra By Alexander Jamieson 1822 {{PD}}

As stated in a previous post: decades ago I’d written most of a book on something I termed the Void, the ways we malfunction when we deny, distort, or otherwise misinterpret our Lunar needs (those signified by our natal Moon placement). I talked about the Gap, the space between our genuine needs and our misunderstanding of those needs, and our inadequate attempts to bridge the two, with a goal of offering ways to recognize and remedy these imbalances. The book didn’t go anywhere (it was never completed), but it seems like now might be a good time to pick the bones for any tasty bits they may contain, and if I find enough worth passing on to you, dear Reader, I’ll probably also include it in the Moon book (as the fundamental need is based on Luna), with the new book to be finished (I’ve been working on it every day!) sometime before I expire. I hope. Here on the blog I’ll be posting, in no particular order, some of my thoughts on sign needs and dysfunction, for your edification, discussion, and rebuttal, as inspired by that old manuscript. Today, Scorpio.

What does the Scorpion need, with her sting and her exoskeleton and her deeply perceptive nature? She needs to feel powerful, of course. We can see that the defensiveness of the stinger is a response to the emotional sensitivity of Water, and the exoskeleton a response to the Fixed nature of the sign, as the hardness, the unchangeability, gives the sense of protection, surety, security–but what of the ability of Scorpio to peer straight into the depths of the darkness, unflinchingly? Wouldn’t that prompt fear? Yes, and Scorpio’s need, then, is to feel as if she can handle what she sees–and she sees a sense of power as the answer to her needs: power over the emotions and the emotional nature, enough power to feel safe, and enough power not to be threatened by change or the Truth, no matter what meaning that Truth holds.

We all need to feel we can have an impact on our environment; that’s not unique to Scorpio. Without this belief, we succumb to depression and hopelessness, or we try to prove we do have power via ruthless manipulation of people, things, or circumstances. So, this is a normal need, common to everyone, but Scorpio takes it one step further: Scorpio needs to see their impact through real change, transformation of what surrounds them, or through the wielding of Truth, sometimes like a shield, and sometimes like a bludgeon. They’re not just happy knowing that they have freedom of a kind, or that they have chosen or acted; they must change the landscape in deep and permanent ways for their need to be met, and that means they’re compelled to go beyond what the rest of us do. Scorpionic power brings irretrievable shifts and transformations, like casting a spell from which one can’t escape, or drinking poison that has no antidote, and it’s the no-turning-back quality of it that elevates this sign’s urge from a need to A Need–in fact, the principle one for the sign.

A Scorpio who hasn’t yet accepted that power expression as a legitimate need may project that intensity onto others, believing they make her ‘walk on eggshells’ or that they have hidden agendas or prejudices she can’t pinpoint but believes they’re intent on injecting into events, and so results. Scorpio may disown her own power, casting herself as at the mercy of others or circumstances; a listless Scorpio is a Scorpio who is abdicating not just her power but her responsibility, as well. The Will may become incredibly strong in a Scorpio in denial, casting herself as opponent to, well, everything, but she needs to realize that nothing will change (paradox alert!) until she accepts that change is what she exists to make.

Ways to successfully connect to and satisfy our Scorpio energy (for even if we don’t have a placement there, we all have it in our charts, so that at the very least, matters of the House where Scorpio falls will require dealing with this energy) include allowing the experience of unpleasant emotions (we must learn that we can safely look into the abyss, see what we see, and return from it, enlightened in some way. Scorpio teaches us that an encounter with the darkness doesn’t end in oblivion). We must also proactively learn to negotiate; the Scorpionic energy sees these kind of interactions as a contest, a ‘Sting ’til You Win’ scenario. What’s really needed is to understand that successful negotiation requires both parties get something out of the deal–if they don’t, it reveals itself to be a war, with one party collecting the spoils, the other angry and in ruins.

Scorpio energy needs to practice taking steps that make a discernible difference in the life. Start small, until you’re comfortable with the energy, by using Taurean pursuits, such as cooking, artisanal creation, or measures taken to insure comfort, to bring about changes that impact the senses. That will help ground the Fixed Water, with its natural tendency to need but resist flow; in drawing in other elements, and manipulating materials, we give that Scorpio urge something to grab on to, resonating with the Fixed energy, and we offer something tangible that prompts an emotional response, satisfying the Water factor.

When it comes to relationships, it’s pretty obvious Scorpio is more Self-protective than most. What looks like them being mysterious is really them lurking inside their own feelings, unwilling to show those feelings even to themselves. Dark and brooding may seem attractive, but more often than not it’s a symptom, one where unacknowledged and even unrecognized emotion is bubbling to the surface, making disorienting and unsteady feeling in a Scorpio who just wants to nail that feeling down and control it–and if you think of Scorpio disowning the feeling nature, that’s really the picture you get, someone desperately trying to nail water in place! They’ll have to connect that it’s okay to feel a feeling, that just having an emotion doesn’t unleash world-crushing destruction, to the fact that they’ll experience feelings and that those feelings will naturally change and change again, fluctuating as they flow in relationships, and that they’ll be able to handle it. Nothing scares a Scorpio like chaos (though the ones who love it are convinced they’ll get power out of it, making them black hat Scorpions), which is why it’s so ironic that Scorpios who don’t accept their need for power create such chaos around themselves. The other Scorpio fear is too much routine, promising no change at all, that can strike them like a waking nightmare. So go figure. Carpe diem, my Scorpio friends–you can handle it.

Full Moon in Virgo 27 February 2021 Due & Payable

24 Wednesday Feb 2021

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

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‘A Jar Of Peaches’ By Claude Monet 1866, well before deteriorating eyesight made the impressionist painter’s work even more impressionistic!

Keeping our nice, tight Lunar event orbs, we see that this Full Moon, falling at 8 Virgo 57 at 12:17 AM PST, makes only a few, crisp aspects–but of course, they tell us everything we need to know.

A Full Moon brings related energies to a conclusion or peak, and in Virgo this most likely involves matters where accounting and balance sheets (including intangible spiritual or emotional ones), criticism and critical discernment (again, including those that are mere thoughts, or that address the personal and subjective, as much as those aimed at the Collective and objective), and the gathering and allotment of some kind of ‘harvest’, are prominent. This can be anything from actual bills due to the subtle workings of Karma, from a quiet judgment inside our heads to a very vocal assessment of someone or something, and from the literal distribution of goods to the gain or loss of rewards, in either case likely anticipated in some, possibly very nebulous, form (a notion that occurs to us, right out of the blue, and is just as quickly gone, for instance).

The Moon-Earth conjunction forms apex to a Finger of God, with base of Chiron-Saturn. Oww! We may be asking ourselves just exactly where and why ‘it’ hurts (or where and why we’re having this sensation, which is not necessarily painful, it may just be new, or something we haven’t felt for a long time), and we may be acutely aware of how our own responses to reality have created this denouement. The presence of Chiron gives us two possibilities: one is that we’re seeing the real-world consequences of our own woundedness, which may have driven previous actions or choices, and so brought us to this point. The other possibility is that we are seeing the results of what we’ve built through unique talent expression, through utilizing that particular ability that is so unique to us.

The Full Moon also trines Uranus and, with a little leniency, the Black Moon Lilith point. This suggests, very simply, surprise, probably centered in something we’ve been striving not to think about, or that has angered us, implying that what’s delivered may have the ring of justice, or the requirement that we accept things as they are. And, we see a sesquiquadrate to Pluto, telling us that whatever occurs may through difficult circumstances change everything, or that the Truth will be exposed, transforming for the good, or conversely the rot will be exposed, with the tough option of cleaning it up. It’s especially hard to know if Pluto in the mix is a good thing, as so much of what Pluto brings, even when the ultimate result is positive, can be especially hard to process, get through, or even survive, and it often temporarily gives an ‘end of the world’ feeling.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘An Expressionist Painter At Work’. I’m thinking this tells us that we need to take a ‘higher up’ view of events around this Lunar occurrence, one that takes in the broad picture, rather than focusing too much on any one detail (and this Full Moon may throw many details at us, considering its placement in Virgo). It reminds me of a scene in the immortal, Jane Austen inspired work, ‘Clueless’, a movie where the main character, the teenage Cher, describes someone or something (and I’m paraphrasing here) as ‘a real Monet’–that is, a mess if you insist on getting up close to it, but making a beautiful picture if you pull back and take it in at a distance–or, in the case of a person, someone who seems together, until you get a gander at their actual circumstances or coping skills.

We also look at the Sun’s Sabian for a Full Moon: ‘A Jockey Spurs His Horse, Intent On Outdistancing His Rivals’. This suggests that competitiveness may drive us (and is echoed by a minor aspect of the Full Moon, a semi-square to Zeus). What we want, and what we can do about it, is spurring us on at this time. We need to be aware that it’s ourselves, rather than externals, that have created the current scenario, with circumstances we’ve initiated determining its outcome.

It’s a time of ‘getting what we deserve’. If that phrase makes you excited, then good, you know deep within that you’ve been adding to the Collective in a positive way, and it’ll be paying off; and if it makes you uneasy, then just know there’s something, either in your methods or your motives, that needs purging–and Pluto will be around to help.

Thank you, everyone! Take care out there, and Happy Full Moon!

Musings on the Signs: Virgo

19 Friday Feb 2021

Posted by in astrology, Consciousness Explored, Virgo

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Virgo https://www.raremaps.com/gallery/detail/30844op/virgo-stars-heightened-in-gold-bayer
Johann Bayer {{PD}}

Decades ago I’d written most of a book on something I termed the Void, the ways we malfunction when we deny, distort, or otherwise misinterpret our Lunar needs (those signified by our natal Moon placement). I talked about the Gap, the space between our genuine needs and our misunderstanding of those needs, and our inadequate attempts to bridge the two, with a goal of offering ways to recognize and remedy these imbalances. The book didn’t go anywhere (it was never completed), but it seems like now might be a good time to pick the bones for any tasty bits they may contain, and if I find enough worth passing on to you, dear Reader, I’ll probably also include it in the Moon book (as the fundamental need is based on Luna), with the new book to be finished (I’ve been working on it every day!) sometime before I expire. I hope. Here on the blog I’ll be posting, in no particular order, some of my thoughts on sign needs and dysfunction, for your edification, discussion, and rebuttal, as inspired by that old manuscript. First up, Virgo.

It starts with a fundamental need: for Virgo, the need is to accept ‘what is’. With Mercury as its ruler, we might think that the need would be a mental one, and it is; if we tailor that idea to the proclivities of Virgo, what we find is that the mentality is employed in a function of discernment–and it’s this automatic impulse to judge, sort, categorize, assess, and account for, that is to discriminate via characteristics, that can also describe certain weaknesses, namely a tendency to believe that because the inclination is to judge, that judging is necessary, that every circumstance must be vetted and assessed by the Virgo energy. As in all things, for all people, just because Virgo can, doesn’t necessarily mean Virgo should.

Healthy discrimination and discernment are the ability to perceive differences and/ or comprehend relative worth (‘worth’ being defined as uses and/ or functions) between or among persons or objects. This differs from criticism and judgment in a single, important way: it doesn’t assign a valuation or character of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ to what is. It instead encourages the understanding of what exists and the recognition of its worth without imposing an idea of worthiness, or a moral assessment.

Wherever our Virgo energies are by House, we run the risk of failing or refusing to recognize and accept reality, and when in that state of Beingness we’ll be unable to sort appropriate from inappropriate behavior, or know which is the baby, which is the bathwater. For instance, we can easily discriminate between a butterfly and a moth. We can discern their differing functions and note the variations in appearance. If we make a critical judgment of butterflies and moths, though, we may judge moths to be ugly (no pretty colors) and ‘bad’ (they eat our woolens), while we may judge butterflies to be beautiful and ‘good’.

It’s one thing to recognize disparities and understand differences, it’s quite another to make pronouncements on the worth of, in our example, the moth and the butterfly; that kind of judgment means the conclusions reached aren’t objective absolutes, and if there’s room for disagreement, then one has rendered an opinion, not stated a fact, and so wandered into subjective criticism territory.

By Charles J. Sharp – Own work, from Sharp Photography, sharpphotography, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25023269

To work through the shadow side of Virgo, reality must be seen and accepted; that is, Virgo energy must know all about what makes the butterfly different from the moth, and in acknowledging the factual nature of these differences, let go of the prerogative seized, that of believing Virgo is entitled to judge the value of the life and functions of the moth vs. the butterfly. Two things help in acceptance of ‘what is’: 1) refuse to allow the mind to dictate priorities (as in believing in the rightness of its own judgments), and 2) realize that it’s inappropriate to sit in judgment of anything (and remember, this is much different than discrimination/ discernment). As soon as we give a ‘value label’, we distance ourselves, making the world and others into ‘things’ and reinforcing the proclivity to judge.

The difficult part for Virgo is that the facility for discernment is an asset, a strength–but anything used to excess inevitably warps into a liability–and this is what Virgo faces, the need to learn to accept the way things are, and to use that facility for discernment to determine whether judging is even the right thing for them to do. Assessment is Virgo’s natural response to, well, everything, but not every situation requires forensic dissection, nor is a pronouncement about the state or quality of every component of every situation desirable. Virgo won’t know that until the ability for discernment is firmly focused on reality, and simultaneously awareness is achieved that the autonomy and authenticity of others, and of things, situations, feelings, everything that makes up the fabric of life, has not only its own character, but an unquestioned right to exist, and that those things will be what they are whether or not Virgo judges them. Virgo must learn that the very fact something exists isn’t an invitation for a critique.

For Virgo, this all comes from a pure intent, one that strives to improve everything in its sphere. If we’re talking about a Virgo Moon, then we need to understand that there is an emotional need to feel competent, organized, informed, ready to ‘share the harvest’ in whatever form Virgo recognizes it as taking–and as well, there’s a fear of not having a clear accounting, of not having a sense of who’s responsible for what, and a fear of being in possession of a list of criticisms that aren’t being addressed. These conditions, linked with the Lunar consciousness, will feel like chaos to Virgo, like the Piscean energy of its opposite number has thrown a shroud of fog and confusion over Virgo’s attempt to keep careful, detailed books–and for Virgo, nothing could be (or feel) worse.

Though I’ve focused here on the shadow characteristics of the sign, Virgo excels in some of the most vital qualities to guarantee not just survival, but an ability to thrive. The properties Virgo offers allow us to discern the poisonous berry from the edible one, because Virgo took the time to study the fruit’s characteristics, to note in what ways they differ, and to make remembering (another Mercury function) what we know about these berries important. Virgo’s also the one who wrote down the recipe for berry pie, and paid attention to what conditions the berries needed so that we could plant them close to home. Am I making Virgo sound a little plodding, a little too mundane? But that’s the beauty of it! Virgo knows things, knows the details, and shares that knowledge in a clear and comprehensive fashion–and that’s something we should thank them for.

Things to think about, related to your Virgo energy: consider that interactions don’t need to be tracked on a balance sheet, of who owes what to whom; in what way do you freely serve related to Virgo? Do you ever give anonymously, and keep it anonymous? That would be your Virgo! List things you like about yourself (not physical features) and consider ways you can share these qualities with others in forms that benefit them; what’s the goal, when you offer criticism? How do you feel about partnership and sharing? Those can be two ‘prickly pear’ issues in chart areas where Virgo is located. Do you delight in attending to details, joyously getting lost in the texture of them, or do you resent them, feeling like they slow down progress?

Signs your Virgo energy is operating in shadow mode: overly critical, sometimes using this as the only form of communication, critical of others ‘for their own good’; detail obsessed (and consequently not giving enough attention to the Big Picture; proud of perfectionism; pettiness; lacking a sense of priorities and proportions (for example, making the color of the car as important as its performance); confusing productivity with busyness; fixes and serves even when those efforts are intrusive; the humble-brag of ‘I’m just a worker bee’ (false modesty) no matter what the actual role, accompanied by a laundry list of what the larger organization ‘needs to do to improve’; cattiness or gossip meant to make yourself look informed or better than the one criticized (where Gemini’s gossip is more about spreading info, even when it’s unproductive)

Signs your Virgo energy is operating really well: a rhythm to proceedings/ efforts; not offering an opinion unless asked; being organized in such a way that a larger purpose is served; knowing what information is important, and willingly sharing it; taking on responsibilities without resentment; taking care of the Big Picture simultaneous to attending to meaningful details; having and using good judgment; you know where everything is! work and play are balanced; any debt is well-handled; appreciation of dry humor and word-play; no issues with sorting through possessions, coupled with an ease at throwing out what’s no longer needed; able to edit the life and keep it on track toward goals; the patience to ‘nurse’ things along, when appropriate

Special note for those with: Pluto in Virgo=when activated this can plunge you down a complicated, labyrinthine rabbit hole in matters related to the House where it’s posited, confusing you, stymieing you, causing you to tilt at windmills, or it can make you a genius at organization and research in House areas, with info at the ready to support change, and an always-transforming-according-to-new-information attitude. You’re not scared of change, sex, death, or the Karmic ledger, you just want to always be completely informed about your status with each

Uranus in Virgo=Higher Mind can get bogged down in details or regulations, with this placement, and the group may exert more influence than is healthy, or activation can liberate you from unnecessary constraint, as you read the contract fine print and see that many conditions don’t apply, due to your uniqueness. You can embrace the academic and flow with the serendipitous accident or spontaneous idea or improvisation, just as long as you feel you know what you’re agreeing to

Saturn in Virgo=myopia is the dysfunctional expression of this, where you miss the forest for the seedlings underfoot, but it also means that under other circumstances reality delivers a sparkling, informative load of detail and meaning to you, giving you a navigation and decision-making advantage. Control of information flow or contract terms may be a big deal for you in some way; you’d do well to learn when you can lighten up and enjoy the fruits of your labor, and when it’s paramount you pay attention and buckle down

I hope you’ve enjoyed this! I don’t know when I’ll get back with a post about another sign, but will be back with a Full Moon report within a week. Until then, thank you, and stay safe!

Being of One Mind

08 Monday Feb 2021

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, future events in the sky

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Keeping action aligned with intention is the only way to exert any control over outcomes. Like parents raising a child together, the varied parts of the psyche must work in harmony, so that what they create is healthy and sustainable. Portrait of Army Surgeon Ernst Boman and his Family, By Johan Krouthén 1888 {{PD}}

Do you live straddling two contradictory streams? Do you say, ‘I only spread love and light,’ and then post politically or religiously or racially divisive statements, attend hate-supporting gatherings, or laugh at those who are different (or who are seen as fair game, in your world)? Do you complain about your significant other, openly contemplating (even planning) divorce, flirting or even cheating, and then play up certain dates with all the romantic trappings and expectations, demanding you be treated as ‘the only one’? Do you prize (and require in others), for example, loyalty, or honesty, but reserve for yourself the ‘right’ to be disloyal or dishonest when it suits you (because your reason to do it is always a ‘good’ one)? No, I didn’t think you did, but there are many who do, and frankly, we’re surrounded by them right now! It’s the effect of Vesta opposed Neptune, challenging every single one of us to put lots of daylight between what we honor and treat as sacred, and the natural human propensity to fudge it all, just a bit, to live in a fantasy, to blur the lines or tell a fib, to ourselves or others, in the name of being gentle, or keeping the peace, or getting our way, or just plain avoiding a hassle.

The two energies actually carry a large number of similar themes: ideals, and particularly the imaginative ideals conceived in flawless form through pure creativity, as well as the spiritual ideal applied not just to the individual Soul but to the state of humanity, are all Neptune, while the Vestal counterpart is the identification and treatment of particular beliefs, practices, things, individuals, causes, and ideals in the life as sacred, honored, with aimed-for realization in an ideal form the goal. When these two oh-so-similar energies meet in opposition, we’re faced with embracing one and denying the other–and that’s an ‘all or nothing’ proposition, requiring a clear-cut choice. We can’t just lie a little, at this time, just do a little dishonest or deceptive thing, because battle lines are drawn–we can’t be a little pregnant, a little dead, or a little Neptunian in our behavior, without claiming it all as our own, because that puts us in an anti-position to the Vestal values of dedication, integrity, and the sacred.

As we undergo the New Moon new start, we see not only this opposition but a Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Aquarius that’s notable, because it acts as a kind of positive bridge connecting Vesta-Neptune, the NM, and the Saturn results of later in the month, and it does so via that Uranian-Aquarius commonality. It offers Higher Mind and the belief system a clear understanding of the rewards of a heart-oriented stance, of taking a generous and ideal-guided approach, and offers the opportunity to align the Self with Love, to kindly apply ‘the facts’ to what we care about. When we do that there’s no room for deception, no room to split consciousness along two divergent (and so both inauthentic) paths. If we do by chance grab the wrong end of the Neptune-Vesta stick, we may find ourselves at this point undergoing exaggerated heartsickness or heartbreak, punitively high costs in worldly efforts, we may get a bill for having ignored ‘the facts’, or we may see those beliefs we hold precious directly challenged by something or someone fact-oriented and forward-thinking.

We need to take into account that the Saturn-Uranus square will perfect on the 17th, and is already within orb. This will deliver in real-world terms the results of any rebelliousness, unreliability, erratic behavior, or Self-restriction we’ve imposed–but it will also bring the results of hard work aligned with Higher Mind, inventive or innovative efforts, and those things done in genuine service to the group. This will very likely tie back to the Neptune-Vesta opposition, with that setting the tone, leavened by Venus-Jupiter, showing the outcome to our responses through that mix of Saturnian-Uranian real-world circumstances.

Now, go ‘be intentional’, and of one mind!

The New Moon of the 11th is here–

New Moon in Aquarius 11 February 2021 What Are We Waiting For?

07 Sunday Feb 2021

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Dark of the Moon, forecast, Inferior Conjunction, New Moon, Sabian Symbols

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‘Waiting’ By Henri de Toulouse Lautrec 1887 {{PD}}

The New Moon perfects at 11:05 AM PST on the 11th at 23 Aquarius 16, but before it does, we pass through the pre-New Moon three day period known as The Dark of the Moon, notable for its absence of Lunar light. This is a period when forward momentum can be sidetracked or stalled, and new projects will sputter, fail to get off the ground, or later require a rehaul or restart–and that’s doubly so during Mercury retrograde, currently in effect.

What can we do during this period? Normally we’d do best to drift and dream, meditate and relax, to connect through silence or dreams to the non-verbal perceptions, but during this Dark period we have a slightly different mandate: it starts with the Inferior Conjunction of Sun and Mercury on the 8th, an inception point for development related to matters of the House where the contact occurs, specifically around shifts in thought, plans, and where we’re putting our attention–and it continues as later that day the Sun meets Pallas, with the Moon to pass over Pallas just over two hours before the New Moon perfects. All this speaks to reconsideration of Mercurial subjects that leads to a wiser take on things, and to a smart or more practical new beginning shown by the New Moon event.

Otherwise, this New Moon doesn’t make much notable contact at all. Its closest aspect is a trine to Zeus in Libra, suggesting that Higher Mind revelations (Aquarius) in relationships and their role in ambition and desire fulfillment (Zeus in Libra) will lead to greater understanding–but understanding of what? For some this might be revelation in relationships themselves, a more accurate view of how they work on a daily basis, and what each party gets out of them, but for many of us the emphasis will be on how our interactions with others color, constrict, shape, or curtail our own efforts toward ambition realization. We may become acutely aware of how we modify our efforts to accommodate relationships, and how we modify relationships so we can pursue our goals, and we’re very likely to see where we need a re-think on the whole thing, with this re-consideration informing the latter half of the Merc retro cycle.

Too, Zeus speaks of the power balance within any relationship, the ways in which we get our needs met but must accept that others, too, have needs, and that the clash between these two sets of wants can be chaotic, a contest between our desire for the relationship and our desire for, well, just about anything else that creates an appetite. With Juno, the asteroid of empowerment, and signifier of Zeus’ partner, placed sextile Mercury from her spot in Sagittarius and conjoined the South Node at the time of the New Moon, we definitely see a rise of smoke from smoldering relationship issues, and between the New Moon of revelation and understanding (Aquarius) and the Merc retro cycle, we are likely to find these issues cropping up, many of them as direct power issues and some as an outright clash of wants between partners.

We might also want to count a very loose square to Sedna, only in contention because Sun and Moon are approaching rather than retreating from the aspect. This might give just the barest hint, the vaguest echo, a mere wisp of an idea that trouble may be on the horizon. This might take the shape of Self-sabotaging instincts or an insistence on not admitting that everyone, including ourselves, has a blind spot–and this might be just the time when we need some reflection (the Moon) from those with whom we’re in relationship (that Libran Zeus)–because that’s exactly what we’re offering them, too.

The New Moon Sabian is, ‘A Man, Having Overcome His Passions, Teaches Deep Wisdom In Terms Of His Experience’. I’ve not much to add to that since it seems we’ve already covered this same message via aspects, but will point out that the symbol strikes a hopeful note, as the messiness that is natural to relationships will show us what we need to know, and make us wiser in the process.

Have a lovely week, everyone!

Considering the 12th House

05 Friday Feb 2021

Posted by in 12th House, aspects and placements, Consciousness Explored, The Weekend Word Image

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By Willard Metcalf – National Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C., online collection, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57432861

What follows is a re-print from an issue of ECLIPSE. Have a great weekend!

When I first studied Astrology (back in the last century!) it was hard to get a straight answer about how the 12th House really worked in an individual’s life. Since this House contains the ephemeral (spiritual experiences and practices, dreams, the unconscious) and big concept entities (large institutions, especially those that work in secret or where people are shut away, such as hospitals and asylums, connection to the Collective and to the Cosmos itself) it’s easy to see why it presents such a challenge to define; typically what was passed on for any House was a kind of shorthand formula, keywords that were meant to tell us succinctly what we had to look for. In the case of the 12th, the phrase was, ‘Serve or Suffer’, explained as the attitude that must pertain to any matters or energies connected to the House—either you served humankind through one of the 12th House concepts, groups, entities, or through a spiritual service or practice, or you suffered. And in spite of all your best intentions, with the unconscious material sitting in this House, just above the horizon (and so just out of your conscious reach), there might still be suffering through that mechanism wherein the unconscious sets up circumstances in order to bring us a particular experience.

‘Serve or suffer’ always struck me as too fire-and-brimstone, too much like the kind of religious admonition that sounds a lot like a threat: “Be good, or you’ll go to hell!” That’s no way to win recruits, and it didn’t really make the 12th House any clearer—if anything, it seemed to ask us to choose a sign-related 12th activity or entity and then to give a part of ourselves to that cause and just hope we’d please the gods and avoid being struck by lightning! That seemed fear-mongering at worst, and just generally less sincerely productive than true service could and should be at best, and it made me think a lot about what the House, and the phrase, might actually signify.

The phrase was probably an easier sell to the astrology student a hundred years or more ago, before questioning authority and exploring beyond what we are told became a daily routine. In that space of time, we’ve seen a Collective shift (and the Collective is ruled by the 12th, of course!) toward a development of inner viewpoint and consciousness within the individual that is no longer quite so willing to become a cog in the machine and, eventually, die—instead we see a demand for at least some fulfillment in life, along with the expectation that we deserve it—not a factor for most people to any significant degree before those Collective changes.

‘Serve or Suffer’ is really about choosing between a Universal viewpoint and a personal one, with suffering being the result of concentrating on the individual experience rather than the Collective need. We are asked to give up our own interests only in this area (and intermittently in the 5th, for our children, and in the 7th, for our partner or our Art), and we’re really not given a choice in the matter; we can choose not to have children or not to partner, but we are obligated to acknowledge our part in the Universe (no matter how small we may feel when considering it!)

Placements in the 12th are typically processed in such a way that we have a very hard time seeing them in ourselves; we will often completely project these qualities, at least initially, and the House anything posited in the 12th rules can become a hot line for expression of the unconscious and for projection of the group psyche: with, for example, Neptune in the 12th and ruling the 4th, we may swear up and down that our entire family is crazy (or creative, or deluded, or liars!) when it really may just be us! This kind of response to the 12th House energy makes it ripe for the ‘Suffering’ half of the equation; if we believe that everyone else in the family is wildly imaginative and creative, and we are not (because that energy within us is ‘hidden’ in the 12th) then we suffer with the feeling that we are ‘less than’ within the family dynamic. Only through excavating and recognizing as our own those 12th House energies will we have a sense of wholeness—until then, we may acutely long for the seemingly missing factors and talents.

In this example, the individual’s need and expectation are for a disciplined, controlled, or real-world grounded approach toward the Universe (Capricorn on the 12th) that can be modeled by or learned from Others, or that can be seen as a guide that brings the 12th House attitude into dealing with Others, Art, and/ or the spouse (7th placement of ruler) and this is being disowned; the individual is seeing others as the agents of the experience, rather than directly living it through the example of others (7th) handling 12th House matters. In the case of disowning the energy, the individual sees others as the ones applying restrictive standards in 12th House areas; in the case of owning the energy, the individual learns about or sees in others examples of dealing with 12th House matters—and applies the discipline, control, or real-world grounding on their own (this is, of course, aside from any other meanings carried by that Saturn placement).

With bodies posited in the 12th, look to the position of the ruler(s) and consider how much you may or may not be projecting these energies onto the matters and individuals represented by the House where they sit, or that they rule. If the 12th is empty, look to the ruler or rulers (in the case of Aquarius and Pisces, adding ancient rulers Saturn and Jupiter, respectively, can give a much more rounded picture) for how much one may be seeing the subjects or entities represented by the House where the ruler is posited as imposing 12th House conditions on you, or on the areas of life in the House(s) ruled by the 12th ruler. For instance, ruler of the 12th in the 8th could mean you see others as having sent you to prison—whether or not this is literal, and whether or not you’ve done anything to warrant it! With ruler of the 12th in the 10th, by contrast, you may see spiritual matters, the caprice of the Cosmos, or the role of large institutions as having a big effect on the career or public reputation. Don’t be surprised if you feel some shame surrounding neglected 12th House energies—this is common, as we tend to hide in the 12th, even from ourselves, those things we find less desirable about ourselves–or we place in the 12th the guilt or regret over not having addressed Universal/ spiritual energies as we feel we should, or we store guilt or shame related to matters or others represented by the House where the ruler is placed. The reality is we need to take our time sorting through, developing, and learning how to use all chart energies—to feel bad about what we need to explore only makes us turn away, drag our feet, and maybe blame it on (or project it on) someone else.

The Weekend Word Image is criticism that freezes you in your tracks. If you’ve received something like this lately, and the effect was to stop your forward momentum, please consider: this may actually have had the goal of keeping you where you are. The critique was a feint, a distraction, meant to shake your confidence, with the real point the speaker’s desire to keep you in a place they are comfortable with. If you see it that way, you can free yourself from some needless Self-censorship, and avoid a detour that’s the opposite of helpful.

So, Should We Panic? Mercury Retrograde

31 Sunday Jan 2021

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Mercury retrograde, Transits and Cycles

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‘The Magdalen Reading’ By Rogier van der Weyden Before 1438 {{PD}}

No, of course not! Mercury’s apparent retrograde happens often, in the larger scheme of things, and is merely meant to make us pause, to consider information we might have sped past, overlooked, or need to edit. There’s no negative intent; the mischief maker comes forward when we try to ignore that need to slow down and consider. The pause in the forward portion of the cycle is meant to make us reflect on how we process communication (both going in and coming out) and how we reason, and we are supposed to ask ourselves a different ‘framing’ question, relative to each element in which the planet backtracks: what do I think? for Air signs, what do I feel? in Water, what do I need, or how is this affecting the material situation? in Earth, and what must I do? in Fire.

This time the retro happens, and stays within, the sign of Aquarius–‘What do I think?’ with the aim for the re-think directly linked to the meanings related to the sign, in this case, mulling the role of and information from the Higher Mind, the new, inventive, or innovative, with the ultimate goal of understanding. This applies specifically to the matters of the House where the retro occurs, and includes consideration of the element-themed question in relation to any natal bodies or points posited in this sign.

There are currently a great many transiting bodies in Aquarius: the Sun, Pallas, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mercury, and that means a lot of contact to anything one carries in the sign could be coming from any one, or any combo of, these energies, aside from the Mercury cycle concerns. Add to this the way a Merc retro period, whether we approve or not, removes the ability to think or reason clearly, and we have the recipe for some confusion and not a little bit of frustration. Our attention is here, in the area of Aquarius natally and on the matters of the House that holds the sign (the Sun), we feel pressure to discern what’s wise or practical in related situations (Pallas), we feel the influence of the social sphere (and maybe have the sense that we’re being observed, even as we may be noting opportunities–Jupiter), and we could experience a pushme-pullyou between Jupiter and Saturn, as the energy of expansion and optimism goes head-to-head with caution, the need for boundaries and security, and the pressure to hold back or apply discipline, in an area of the chart that’s already very busy. We may even feel this as a desire to be free, to let go, vs a fear-based urge to hunker down, conserve, to preserve what is, rather than to let loose.

The thing is, Mercury retrograde asks us to stop relying so heavily on the brain. It needs a break, just like anything else! So our best means of handling the need to process information at a time when our usual channels are more or less ‘down’ becomes one that accesses information through senses other than the mind. We need to practice vetting input via the feeling nature; we need to bypass the brain, and listen to the heart.

We won’t, though, necessarily have a clear conduit there, because in asking Venus and the Moon to step in for the mental faculties, we’re asking ourselves to both accept feelings as valid information (with out the kibitzing of the mind), and do our best not to insist on translating what we perceive into the language of the mind, that is, into words. Not an easy task, especially if we’re naturally inclined to sift everything through the thought processes (I’m talking to you, natal Mercury in Air!)

Too, the Lunar perceptions wax and wane, so that the intuition may not always be available when we want it, and both natal Venusian energies and Lunar ones will be affected by any transits they’re receiving, in effect placing a lens over our perceptual abilities that may make them unwieldy or distort what we can glean from them.

That all sounds so pessimistic–but really, this period asks us to practice feeling, to trust the feeling nature to convey valuable intel, and to let the retro period unwind tangled areas where we may lack accurate understanding (Aquarius). This time Mercury turns around without being in major contact with any other energy, and without forming any new aspects for some time, and that suggests a kind of isolation, a period where the mind will be ‘on its own’, so to speak–and that implies an effect similar to meditation, where contemplation occurs whether we intend it to or not, as the mental faculties are largely cut off from their customary patterns of digesting and expressing.

The usual warnings apply, of course, since an unclear mind is one that shouldn’t be making big decisions or commitments. I’m not as convinced that Merc retro has such a clear-cut negative effect on electronics or communication systems, simply because they foul up, retro or no, so take that kind of event with a grain of salt–it’s a truism that once the retro passes we see events during the retro with a different lens–and that means we won’t be judging well during the retro, and that applies to mix-ups and snafus as much as it applies to our own mental processes.

Mercury goes direct on 20 February–so at worst, we just have to wait! And if you’re in need of information on making a purchase during the retro period, check here–

Magic Under the Full Moon

27 Wednesday Jan 2021

Posted by in astrology, Consciousness Explored, current events in the sky, forecast, Full Moon, Grand Trine, Kite, Lunar Aspects

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By Strobridge Litho. Co., Cincinnati & New YorkRestoration by trialsanderrors and Morn – This file was derived from: Zan Zig performing with rabbit and roses, magician poster, 1899.jpg:, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19060350

Such an odd little thing lately, this presence of magic within a larger scenario. It shows up in forms familiar from traditional stage magic acts, but that’s not where the real magic lies; instead the presence of, say, a handkerchief ‘turned into’ a dove by the tap of a ‘magic wand’ on a box is only an indicator of the presence of genuine magic. I know! What’s ‘real magic’ anyway? As far as I can see from recent events, it’s the existence of a force that quite literally can’t be attributed to any known physical action, and that can’t be explained. The top hat, the assistant in spangly dress, the draped table, the disappearing and re-appearing items, the box and saw, the chains and locks on the man placed in the container of water, all are saying: this is pretend magic, now look for the real stuff.

Or are those elements, just as the flourish and the spectacle serve in a magic show, simply announcing that they are distractions, meant to keep us from noticing the behind-the-scenes moves that create the illusion in the first place? Because the stage show and the ‘real’ magic are about illusion, in the sense that we can’t follow one thing to another in a clear fashion–and yet the results are undeniable, as the playing card moves from magician’s hand to the vest pocket of a man across the room, and the thing you never thought would happen, quite magically, does.

Think of real magic as the thrust of energy and intention into the quantum field; just as with stage magic, it’s a kind of sleight of hand, where many of the ‘energy steps’ are unseen, at least from our personal vantage point. With so many bodies and points in Aquarius (Sun, Saturn, Jupiter, Pallas, Mercury) and Taurus (Uranus, Mars, Black Moon Lilith, Sedna) we may be straining to understand (Aquarius) the material world around us (Taurus)–but those signs, one Fixed Air, one Fixed Earth, naturally square each other, with the Fixed modality creating inherent tension in the discord between thought and the material reality. Essentially, we create our own, personal version of sleight of hand as we fail to reconcile the physical with the mental, as some link our minds tell us should be there isn’t.

But, the persistent theme of magic I’ve been experiencing suggests we needn’t strain. All we need to do is take note when something playful comes forward that promises (or at least implies) it will astonish or otherwise amuse–and then we know there’s something working behind the scenes, something making real magic in our lives, and that we should be on the lookout for it. It’s much more easy to both recognize and accept the presence in our lives of the unanticipated benefit, the synchronicity, the fortuitous meeting, if we don’t insist on explaining it.

One of the recent events for me involved a button. I had sewn it to the paper cover of a hand-bound book I’d made years ago, and I just ran across it again after not seeing it for a long time, and reading what I’d written about the incident, it echoed this ‘magic’ very neatly. The button didn’t fall off my clothes (it wasn’t familiar–nothing any of us owned had this precise kind of button), there was nowhere nearby it could’ve come from, I’m sure, as it landed on the open dishwasher door. It seemed as if it were generated from, as the saying goes, thin air, and though I marveled at it, I couldn’t find an explanation for where it came from. I didn’t think about it beyond that until I was standing in the exact same spot a few days later and the lights over the sink started blinking on and off, not like a surge in the power line, but in a very deliberate, turned off then on way, as if someone were at the switch–but they weren’t.

I wondered if someone (let’s just say spirit, in a general way) was trying to let me know they were there. So, presumptuous as I am, I asked a favor: in my mind I pictured a lost earring, one I had been looking for that meant a great deal to me, and I thought about how I wanted to find it; the jewelry was one of those things that feels like you, so when you lose or destroy or misplace it it’s almost like you mourn a little, like a part of you has been misplaced.

Just a moment later I had the urge to walk out to the mailbox, even though I knew it was too early for the mail. I reached the mailbox, looked down, and there was my earring.

Now you could say that some part of my consciousness had registered it when the earring had fallen, and that this was just my unconscious mind prompting me to go back to where I knew it was. But then what about the lights, and the button? I called it spooky, back then, but now think it was just a little magic, making itself known.

Should you be looking for a taste of virtual magic, you might want to check out ‘Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself’ on Hulu, or a series from a few years ago called ‘Shut Eye’, about a con man who finds he’s not the person he thinks he is, also on Hulu.

The Full Moon falls in Leo on the 28th at 11:16 AM PST at 9 Leo 05, closely opposed Jupiter, which the Sun will perfect conjunction to less than 6 hours later, while the Moon will perfect opposition to Jupiter in less than an hour. The Full Moon is also in very close conjunction to Hygeia (only one minute off exact) and a loose novile to Vesta, forms squares to Mars, the Black Moon Lilith point, and Uranus, and a sesquiquadrate to Venus-Pluto, which two are in very close conjunction themselves. There’s also a loose Fire Grand Trine with Chiron and Juno, and if we include the Sun-Jupiter opposition point, we end up with a Kite.

A Full Moon in Leo brings something about ourselves, about our identity, about our passions and reason for Being, into focus, and maybe brings that form of identity or purpose to an end, or readies it for the ‘next step’, but in this instance it almost registers as an afterthought, with the ‘pull’ from Jupiter-Sun balanced between Chiron and Juno giving a dynamism that suggests either facts around the identity, or the Soul in interface with the social sphere, finds a perfect point of empowerment balanced between expression of the unique skills (or capitalization on the wounds) and the level of personal empowerment, and that this is delivered via the Lunar event.

This is healthy (conj to Hygeia) as, no matter what occurs, it will be an expression of the highest values, of what we want at a Soul level (nov to Vesta). Events may arise from conflict, chaos, or the discovery of what’s been hidden or denied (sq Mars-Uranus) and difficult, even threatening, circumstances around Love, relationships, or money, that we may want to classify as ‘moments of Truth’ (sesq Venus-Pluto). So, beneficial things that spring from contention or upset–so look for what good will come from the troubling, the uncomfortable, the needed purge or change, from the ‘Big Reveal’.

Change Is In The Air 23-27 January 2021

22 Friday Jan 2021

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast

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By Michal Klajban – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89274662

The need to make more time for new and already ongoing projects forces me to cut somewhere–and for now, that will be here at the blog and in personal services offered. I won’t be doing a daily forecast in any form, at least not usually, but will try to go with quick updates for some current conditions and articles now and again. Thank you so much to all my readers, and particularly to those who’ve donated–and that brings me to those who have a recurring donation: only you can stop them–PayPal won’t let me, and all who’ve donated in the past 6 Months are on a list for a free Moon book (another thing I’m hoping to finally finish!) so please, though much appreciated, I won’t be offering the kind of consistent work that deserves your very generous support each and every month. I’ll still leave the link up for now, in case I do something singularly spectacular and you want to tip me! but otherwise I’ll be spending most of my time in other pursuits.

That said, here are a few alerts for the upcoming week, through to the Full Moon of the 28th:

Saturday the 23rd is a little magical, as long as there’s more ‘we’ than ‘I’ in the mix, and as long as power plays are avoided; otherwise, it’s a good time to make plans around ambitions and goals, and, applying a little idealism, imagination, or spiritual mo-jo, you could see a dream or two come true (Keys: Sun conj Saturn, Venus sxt Neptune, qnx NN, and parallel Pluto, Merc trine Zeus)

For the 24th, two things: loving relationships or the Arts offer positive arenas for personal power expression, and a steady mentality wins (Keys: Venus sxt Ceres, Merc contra-parallel Uranus)

On the 25th we’re inclined to charge toward goals and actively shape the future–and we’ll be successful, as long as we use our highest values and commitments as a guide (Keys: Juno parallel Ceres, Mars nov NN, Venus trine Vesta and nov Juno, Sun sxt Chiron and sesq Vesta)

Oh! I don’t like the 26th! We may be confused, deluded, or misled concerning life direction, we may act against our own health interests, we may sacrifice love or a financial source we need to pursue ambitions (with it unlikely to work out–see the first part of this sentence!), we may act erratically, unreasonably, or we may alienate ourselves from the group, and everything that goes down is exaggerated, based on beliefs (and so potentially ‘fact free’), or waving a mirage of opportunity at us that disappears when we approach. Stay in bed today, at least in a figurative sense, and wait out the madness (Keys: a bunch of squares!!)

Things improve by the 27th, with a few caveats. Though upholding values may seem to curtail our power, it may be the way to go, as a healthy mindset that vibes to integrity may be our best asset. If you need to act, to get out there, to secure opportunities, make what you do an expression of pure creative energy, or make it a paragon of spiritual virtue–temporarily take on an Archetype that fits the goal, then shed it and see how really good you feel (Keys: Vesta opp and contra-parallel Ceres, Jupiter nov Neptune and opp Hygeia, Merc contra-parallel Black Moon Lilith and nov Chiron)

One more thank you–I’ve had a great time ‘speaking’ to you and with you all these years, and I know that’s something I’ll miss.

19-22 January 2021 Fevered and Real

18 Monday Jan 2021

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‘Heat’ By Florine Stettheimer 1919 {{PD}}

Today, the 19th, it may seem like our highest values are a nuisance, rather than the foundation of our thinking and responding (Mars sesq Vesta). We’re sure minor power conflicts are chipping away at our autonomy (Pluto semi-sq Juno)–and rather than shrug them off, seeing them for the annoying noise that they are, we’re taking them to heart and overreacting. I’d like to blame that pugnacious Aries Moon, squaring Venus and Pluto through the day, fueled by emotion and throwing punches when its Will is denied–but it might just as easily be Mars and Uranus converged in Taurus, also spoiling for a fight and within square of Jupiter, blowing ‘it’ all out of proportion. Try to remember that today perceptions are skewed toward the reactionary and radical, and that no response is better than an ill-considered, fevered one.

Much the same exists for the 20th, with this handy exception: we see Mercury trine the North Node and Juno quincunx Black Moon Lilith, suggesting that if we are willing to meet those matters we’ve been avoiding with a sense of personal responsibility, and if we’ll do so with the future in mind, we’ll be able to skirt a great deal of the unreasoned and reactive energy filling up the air waves right now. It also helps if we’re willing to note where and how reality diverges from fantasy (Saturn semi-sq Neptune), which should help anchor us in the real world, rather than letting the imagination run wild.

The 21st conjures a powerful set of conditions, as Neptune conjoins Ceres, bringing together ideals, creative energy, and the personal authority to enact these, or uniting delusion with an overwhelming urge to interfere and dictate to others.The world will likely sort itself into these two groups; if you can, surround yourself with those in the former camp, rather than the latter.

The 22nd is a day for repercussions, and what some may call ‘tests’. We are forced to acknowledge the reality of our personal power position in relation to our life direction–how much autonomy, how much say, do we really have?–and we may get a big jolt (or an unforeseen opportunity) arising from our own actions, choices, or assertions–even our simple identity, a statement of ‘I Am’, may bring the social sphere or a fortuitous opening within reach. Answer conflicts honestly, stare straight at what’s presented, and when that helping hand or new chance comes, take it (Ceres sq the Nodal axis, Saturn semi-sq Ceres, Mars sq Jupiter, Mercury qnx Vesta)