‘Wilhelmine mit Ball’ By Lovis Corinth 1915 {{PD}}

Our attention is on what we want, lust for, aim for, on every ambition we hold–and the answer to how to get what we want, to reach that desirable destination, is held in some experience of the past. That previous episode showed us what works, how to proceed, and maybe most important of all, what doesn’t work, to move us forward–combined with the knowledge we’ve accumulated since then, we become (almost) unstoppable. What makes us lose the magic? Taking (or having to take) our eyes off the ball.

(Sun sesq Zeus and nov SN)

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

Happy Solar Return to those born with the Sun at 05 Pisces! (See your birth chart for your Sun degree!) All attention this year is on what you want and how to get it–and your best assistance comes in the form of intuition, a deep knowing, a willingness to investigate (and then to actually see and accept what you find), and perhaps through emotional experiences, which will, whether you know it or not, support your identity and Soul needs in a rare and complete harmony. Caveats: know your potential power to harm, consider both the material and emotional consequences of taking action, and know that what seem like emergencies where you must choose between the welfare of yourself or someone else, it’s really about originality and a need to approach ‘either or’ problems in a new way.

‘Abrazo – Good hope II’ By Аршил Горки/ Arshile Gorky 1945 {{PD}}

A strange day, in that many things may be hard to pinpoint, slippery in their meaning, layered and nuanced–and this only surprises us because it all seems so straightforward at first glance. The subtle shifts in message–in the midst of the communication, or thought, or plan–stops us in our tracks, but only briefly, if you’re ready for it. The contrary energies come largely in the form of uneasiness, of a fear we can’t trust ourselves (or maybe, our eyes or ears!): the smart choice seems hurtful, we resist change to relationships or assets, not seeing the potential payoff available under different circumstances, and Love and Money carry a destructive element. Those who can center in the Power of Love (big ‘P’, Big ‘L’) won’t have a problem; everyone else, be willing to modify ambitions and desires–you may be barking up the wrong tree, or scaring somebody needlessly with your ill-considered passions–and be willing to both question your own beliefs and avoid the stickiest of the social scene–if they remain unexamined, these latter two areas bring forward the biggest conflicts of all.

(Chiron parallel Pallas, Venus conj Pluto, Mercury contra-parallel Pallas and Chiron, qnx Zeus and sq Jupiter)

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

Happy Solar Return to those born with the Sun at 03 Pisces! (Sun passes into this degree this year at about 3 PM Pacific of the 21st thru to that time on the 22nd–see your birth chart for your Sun degree!) Power and status struggles in the form of who has dominion over what form the core conflicts of this year for you–and this begins right after you feel you’ve achieved equilibrium, especially emotionally, so go figure, right? What seems steady can shift in a heartbeat, but most of the surprises are rooted in conflicts over communication (make it clear!) and in the way ambitions in their current forms draw on (and maybe drain) relationships and/ or finances–and those conflicts will largely disappear once you are really clear on what you think and want. You think you are, now, but what comes at you will let you know where, and just how much, you might need to re-think things.

A large flower cracker. Two shots taken for 1s duration are stacked together. Photo By Subhrajyoti07 – Own work CC BY-SA 4.0

Most of us won’t be out to deceive anyone, but the atmosphere is such that we end up either overplaying or underplaying our reach, skills, or status and so giving others the wrong impression. The problem with this is that we don’t get the payoff we were aiming for, and it all makes choosing or taking action difficult. Bright spot: Ideas snap like firecrackers. Write them down, just plan to act on them at a time when the flow is smoother.

(Neptune contra-parallel Juno, Venus sq Zeus, Mercury nov Uranus and semi-sq Mars)

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

Happy Solar Return to those born with the Sun at 02 Pisces! (Sun passes into this degree this year at about 3 PM Pacific of the 20th thru to that time on the 21st–see your birth chart for your Sun degree!) This year you may feel like you’re in ‘drive’ and pressing on the gas, but still have the emergency brake on! Frustration may be a looming background issue the entire year, and in some very real sense, you may think (or believe) that you’ve ‘missed the boat’. Please don’t let this get you down. The reality is that there is a purge going on, one that will remove toxins, unjust conditions, and at the same time will limit your capacity to embark on change. You’ll be able to speak to what you care about most very soon; until then, allow instinct and what you ‘know but don’t know’ to surface to consciousness and guide you on your way.

‘Calf’s Head and Ox Tongue’ By Gustave Caillebotte c1882 {{PD}}

Either relationships or finances are the ‘hard sell’ today, with one or the other making us feel disempowered, as if we’ve overstepped our bounds or rolled the dice and lost–but that would just be a feeling, not accurate to the reality picture. The perception of loss is really about our own sense of having been undercut, either by someone else in some personal way, or in circumstances surrounding the earning situation. We’re prone to attribute that dis-ease to our own inadequacy, when it might be more accurate to realize that the only thing holding us back is our acceptance of the messages of loss, scarcity, or limit we’ve been handed.

See the Full Moon report for today here–

(Venus sesq Juno, Mercury sxt Saturn)

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

Happy Solar Return to those born with the Sun at 00 Pisces! (see your birth chart for your Sun degree!) Is that fresh heartache I see on the horizon, or is it just a fear that Love will be taken away? Don’t fret; though relationships and/ or finances have been under stress recently, they won’t be for much longer. Here’s how you recover: put yourself first–I know, it seems a bit contrary to a healthy relationship, or to pleasing an employer, but stress has made you undervalue yourself of late–no more; be creative in the way you see things, and in the ‘stories’ you tell yourself about your reality–you’ve been too negative in your assessment, and too narrow in your approach–that’s where you’ve contributed to things; and don’t underestimate the power of a ‘new start’ that comes along later in the year.

‘Snow Peaks’ By John Williamson 19th century {{PD}}

You’re going to find out today what resources, what Love and Money, what values of your own and others, you can rely on. There is solid, real-world proof, and possibly reward; in any case, the results of your investments come home. The problem, though, may be that we’re unable to perceive this; a fog may descend, words may mislead, or our imaginations may run away with us, making at least for a time a kind of crisis state around our inner wisdom, and the issues of what’s smart, what’s practical, what’s a good use of our skills. Think of it this way: we can see what’s smart, if we are open to–we can’t accept flaking out, acting jumpy, being unreliable, or acting as if we ‘don’t know’ as an excuse. The influence is one that feels disempowering, but is in reality a sort of testing of our own trust in ourselves. Have you ever left yourself behind, failed to come through for yourself? If you did, it was only temporary; you always rallied, came back, came through, and that alone should be enough to tell you that trusting yourself is where it’s at, right now.

(Venus parallel SN, nov Ceres, and conj Saturn, Mercury conj and parallel Neptune, sesq Pallas, contra-parallel Juno, semi-sq Uranus, Sun trines Pallas, then enters Pisces)

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

Happy Solar Return to those born with the Sun at 29 Aquarius! (see your birth chart for your Sun degree!) Wisdom, originality, how healed you are, are all tested this year, and though there’s strain and stress, there’s also a magnificent payoff, in that you discover some amazing qualities in yourself, utilize them to the utmost, and end up creating a Path forward that, if you saw it now, would stun you.