Category Archives: astrology

Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius 4 December 2021 Silver Linings

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From John Cobb field notebook: Wm. Helgeson, “Whiskey Bill”, hand-lining for codfish near Pirate Cove. July 1913 {{PD}}

The first thing about the eclipse picture that jumps out at me isn’t terribly obvious, but may be extremely important: the eclipse occurs in a very tight novile to Venus in Capricorn. The novile in a personal chart defines the spark of genius the individual carries; but what is it in an event chart? We could describe it as the Silver Lining, the energies prevalent that, when tapped into, generate remarkable beneficial results. In this case, a New Moon is new beginnings, and an eclipse wipes out what came before; falling in Sagittarius, we find a sense of opportunity introduced by the extinction of a previous way of believing or a change in an accepted set of facts, with this resonating mainly through matters of the individual natal House in which this occurs. Add in a ‘genius’ facet of the practically-oriented, steady, just-a-little-repressed Venus in Cap, and you have a recipe for a brilliant, forward-thinking blueprint that has a solid grounding in relationships, aesthetic standards, and/ or in financial payoff.

Keep in mind, though, that Venus is due to retrograde soon (19 December), and that hints that anything originating now may seem during the retro to lose credibility or to in some way disappoint; that’s when we need to remind ourselves that our Venus-oriented perceptions are definitely altered during a turnaround–and that means that what begins now, though it may appear to be undesirable at retrograde time, is actually what we will want in future. So, any changes to matters begun with the eclipse should be avoided between the 19th and Venus’ direction (29 January). The retro period can show us new things, allow us to try what we wouldn’t have tasted before (out of indifference or a differing standard), with the beauty of that being we can bring back to our regular Venusian way of operating those things we experimented with and still find appealing on direction. Venus retrograde is a time for being adventurous, but not to make irretrievable changes. I always like the example of changing hair color (that’s okay) versus getting a tattoo (permanent!)–one being reversible, the other, not so easily–simply because it’s hard to know what we will regret and what we will find enhances our lives, until Venus is once again direct.

The eclipse falls less than two degrees past (and so still within orb) of a square to Pallas in Pisces, and a quincunx to Uranus in Taurus. These suggest that difficulties arising will contain wisdom or push us in a practical direction, though it’s up to us to figure what response will be to our benefit, and we must be prepared for the unexpected, the serendipitous, the accident, or the infusion of Higher Mind to present circumstances we hadn’t anticipated. In the moment we can draw on the available wisdom, if we are open to seeing how the hard choice or tough situation allows us to respond wisely, or practically, if we can get out of our own way (some may manifest a rebellious streak when confronted by eclipse realities–I can state flatly that would not be the best way to answer circumstances, no matter what they seem to be on the surface).

Though the rest of the eclipse aspects are somewhat wider than our usual orb, in sequence they tell a story. The eclipse will occur after both Sun and Moon have passed over Vesta, with them on their way to conjoin Mercury and as well oppose the Black Moon Lilith point. This series of contacts speaks of the impact of what we find sacred, what we honor, or what we have dedicated our time and energy to on the new beginnings that come about at eclipse time; they also tell of how what we have faith in, what we know, or what we think, will change, and this occurs specifically in the context of either our rejection of the opportunity to acknowledge or deal with matters we’ve previously ignored, or in the context of our embrace of those same issues. Perhaps we face them at eclipse time because we’re better equipped with either fresh knowledge or renewed faith (New Moon in Sagittarius)–or perhaps we shun them for fear that acknowledging buried issues will endanger the New Moon new start. We need to remember that it’s the temporary blocking by the Moon of the Sun’s light on its path to Earth that creates a window of time wherein we get a different view of our own circumstances, one that’s less prone to be overwhelmed by those matters that typically draw our conscious attention. The eclipse offers a moment of clarity–we just have to be willing to see what is, in order to make the most of it.

The Sabian for the Solar eclipse New Moon is, ‘A Widow’s Past Is Brought To Light’. Appropriate, right? I think ‘widow’ in this context implies two things: that we face our eclipse revelations alone, and that we have a past ( a relationship or status) that generates our present–and there’s something about what we’ve created in that past that will now show itself, take ‘center stage’, in a sense. This might be intimately connected to those Black Moon Lilith matters, and if so suggests that our willingness to inspect, deal with, or embrace them will be much more effective than will continuing to ignore or bury them. Just keep in mind that this eclipse offers us new knowledge or faith that will give us the strength or tools to face things anew, and that skills or experiences from the past show their worth now–there’s no better time to make peace with what’s behind us, and so usher in better prospects for the future.

Thank you to all my Readers who comment, ask questions, and email me. I’m not able to answer each one personally, consult, or accept new work, as I’m trying to complete my Moon book—and unfortunately that also means I won’t be addressing your individual questions about the eclipse in your personal chart sent to me or entered in comments. I wish it was the good old days, when I had that kind of time! But, I will add a few things here to help you understand the eclipse in your own chart. Remember, it’s all about new information, or new faith. For this particular event, falling in your 1st House makes it very personal, affecting your way of interacting with the world or even your physical being; in the 2nd, your asset or talent picture, or it changes your own idea of your Self-worth or abilities; in the 3rd we see it affect your writing, thinking, communications, or your physical neighborhood; in the 4th, the beliefs or knowledge about the family of origin or your core view of yourself; the 5th sees matters around your offspring/ creations, your romantic life!, or sees you taking a gamble (or calling one off) based on what you learn or believe; in the 6th, revelations about health or duties are likely; in the 7th, it may seem not to directly affect you–you could instead observe effects in your spouse, the wider public, or you could channel your feelings into Art; in the 8th what changes could seem to happen only to others, or it could affect what others share with you, or hide from you; in the 9th it could prompt a desire to travel, roam far and wide, to further education or apply yourself to religious study, or could involve things happening to in-laws; in the 10th it’s either career-affecting or whatever happens occurs where everyone can see, and probably they can see your reaction, as well; in the 11th the eclipse may trigger a long-held dream, or even present an opportunity for you to contribute the very thing you’re here to offer; and in the 12th, its impact might be felt in changes to your spiritual approach, in interactions with large institutions (ones where you feel like a cog in the wheel), or knowledge or faith may be renewed through the dream life or in communion with the Universe.

Trends and Transits: late November 2021 Under the Influence

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Guido Reni
Drinking Bacchus
c1623 {{PD}}

So what does it mean for the Sun to enter Sagittarius? A dropping away of suspicions, for one. The Jupiter-ruled Sun knows what it knows, and isn’t afraid to broadcast it. We want to be out-and-about, want to travel, want to explore what’s foreign to us, want to learn about new things, want to know what’s wise, what’s practical (these latter as the Sun through Sag squares Pallas in Pisces by sign–we want to know what difficulties we’ll face, especially those unseen or spiritual snags that come to our attention). Ruler Jupiter is in Aquarius, semi-sextile Pluto and sextile Eris, pulling away from a trine to Zeus= we move away from focus on ambition and desire and toward high-minded inquiry, meant to get at the Truth, but if there’s any enmity in the atmosphere, even our most innocent or well-meant probing brings discord. Remember that Eris doesn’t bring disharmony, she reveals it; a clash was already present, just not yet expressed. She helps us get to the Truth, though her methodology may be a little unpleasant. She responds to the unspoken; it’s our response that shows our own motivations and thoughts. Keep that in mind, especially if you’re tempted to point the finger–that inclination indicates we have a bit of our own buried agenda yet to explore and express.

Saturn and Chiron are neatly sextile right now, as are Venus and Mars. These pairings offer an ease of expression, or rather an expressive ‘way out, for some of the energies: Venus is uncomfortable in Capricorn, finding the beauty in order but also chafing against the responsibility that is inherent to the sign; Mars in Scorpio may feel as if every action and choice is somehow underhanded, even when it’s not–the shift of the Sun to Sag may help clear this up–so that everyone with a conscience may feel weighed down by guilt, shame, or regret that is more existential than personal–so the sooner we realize that, the more free we’ll be; Saturn in Aquarius has been struggling to institute modernization in all forms within the reality picture, and this may be the chance, in contacting Chiron in Pisces, to connect to a higher reality, an ideal to guide those real-world efforts. That can work, if we’re able to cut through the fog that emanates from our own hurt and misperception.

We should note the direction of Neptune on December 1st. It’s been stationary on the 20th degree of Pisces since mid-October, and will remain stationary direct on that degree until mid-January 2022. It may have been feeling like progress on the dream just isn’t possible, and that feeling will continue for awhile–but that doesn’t mean you should stop your efforts to bring it into reality. The sense that you’re not moving forward in the creative realm, with implementing ideals, with making the magic happen, is (oh Neptune!) an illusion. Everything you’ve been doing has been contributing to realizing that Neptunian dream, you just can’t see its effectiveness, yet. Yes, for a few of us, the direction will reveal (eventually) how and where we’ve been fooling ourselves, but deception is only possible when it falls on ground fertile for misbelief–otherwise, that attempt to mislead us shrivels and dies.

File away for future consideration the fact that Venus will retrograde on December 19th. This happens late in Capricorn, just after she’s conjoined Pluto, and she’ll still be ‘under the influence’. This may bring a very trying time in relationships and/ or finances–just know that it will not only pass, any destructive potentials will, if indulged in, bring permanent and irrevocable change–so best to see that the strife will pass, that the negatives shouldn’t be acted upon (Mars will be in Sagittarius by then, so rarin’ to get out or lash out), and that exercising Capricornian Self-discipline is the best thing you can do to keep Love in your life.

Right now we’re in what I like to refer to as the valley between eclipses. It’s a period of tension–you can almost feel the air vibrating–and if we resist it, or try to pin down the meaning behind what’s happening, we’ll become exhausted. Just let things be, let them develop, without demanding answers (see Mars, above, for the likely result of pushing too hard). If you haven’t already, or need a refresher, see my take on the recent Lunar eclipse here. All orders for my books through Dog & Sunflower Press will be fulfilled on 30 November. Thank you, everyone!

Lunar Eclipse 19 November 2021 Eraser

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‘Blackboard after Radical Digital Painting Lecture’ By Jeffrey Alan Scudder

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The most striking thing to me, once again in recent Lunar events, is how few aspects are made, with those that are close also for the most part being minor–or, the aspect is to a minor body, as it is with the eclipse Moon-Earth approaching conjunction to Sedna. Long-time Readers know I see asteroids and other minor bodies as facets of the umbrella larger energy represented by the major planets–so the emphasis this eclipse on smaller entities emphasizes their particular nature, their ‘attitudes’.

This is a partial Lunar eclipse, meaning the Earth, as it lines up on the ecliptic with and comes between the Sun and the Moon, won’t create a shadow that entirely blocks the reflected light of the Moon. In symbolic terms this suggests a ‘mild’ eclipse effect (if that’s even possible!) so that, considering the minor aspect-minor body angle, what we might see are surrounding events that cast a more modest shadow on circumstances than we might expect. Changes, rather than devastation, as we might anticipate with a total eclipse or with strong contact to our own charts (see the previous post for one such example).

The eclipse occurs at 12:57 AM PST of the 19th at 27 Taurus 14, close to conjoining Sedna, suggesting that something might ‘click’ soon after the eclipse: we may realize what we ‘know but don’t know’, what has been sublimated, or only instinctively known, up until now. An eclipse is like an eraser run across the blackboard of life: It can wipe things away, sometimes even bringing a literal ‘clean slate’, but we’ll still see the remnants of what was, the ghost images of what was written before–and with this eclipse, we see that with the separating square from Jupiter and the separating trine of Pluto. Both imply these things are past, but recently enough that they figure into, even shape, the eclipse events. The Moon-Earth combo moving away from a square to Jupiter in Aquarius speaks of difficult material and emotional impacts of having acquired new knowledge or understanding, or of some social injustice or unrest–it may also hint that in some instances, we may have exaggerated the importance of this. The same duo leaving a trine to Pluto says that change or destructive/ transformative influences snuck in easily; only with the eclipse may we begin to realize how much the ground beneath our feet (Pluto is in Capricorn, after all) may have shifted, given way, or heaved up right under us.

We also see two lesser, but in this case probably no less important, aspects: a just-separating quindecile to Mars, and a sesquiquadrate to Venus–which happens to place Venus and Mars in sextile to each other. What may look harmonious on the surface, a blending and cooperative effort of different but equal, or of complementary ‘parts’ or energies, will reveal its more challenging facets under the Lunar shadow. The eclipse aspect to Mars is one that calls out extreme reactions, the obsessive, the disruptive, the restless, and speaks of motivations–in this case, perhaps actions taken or choices made as to what must go, must be eliminated or altered, what steps must be taken, and all with the aim of either ridding ourselves of a negative element or getting to the Truth (Mars in Scorpio).

With the aspect to Venus, we see slightly less tension, and something akin to excessive irritation, the kind that lights a fire under us. Venus is in Capricorn, possibly speaking of dissatisfaction with the status quo, with rules and regs, with constraints, especially societal ones, and these irritations are delivered through tension in relationships or surrounding the financial or asset picture. It could arise from some upset with someone we love and feel safe with, who under the eclipse light suddenly threatens the tidy arrangement we have–or it could be that our own efforts, especially artistic creations or things created out of our own love for them, won’t be appreciated by the larger social order. In any case, these are disruptive and disturbing elements that arrive in our lives in what seems like a very personal form–and so we may not realize everyone is experiencing these effects in some form.

What we thought we had, what has made us comfortable, what we see as assets or talents, is likely to get scrutiny, and get a shake-up, either from us or from the outside world, should we not respond to the need for change. The Sabian for the Full Moon eclipse is, ‘A Woman, Past Her “Change Of Life”, Experiences A New Love’. In this image we have a receptive agent (a woman), specifically post-childbearing years, who finds a new love. That seems to me a lovely reminder of the worth of a human being beyond any socially designated biological role. It’s also an image of optimism, of hope: one doesn’t have a prime for Love–that can happen any time. It’s an invitation to live life to its fullest.

We always inspect the Sun’s Sabian for a Full Moon as well: ‘The King Of The Fairies Approaching His Domain’. What Kingdom do you rule? This speaks of territory, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, that you know is yours, that you have been aiming to completely master, occupy, or return to–you’re almost there, with the notation that the eclipse energy, no matter how it plays out, is meant to get you closer to this destination.

A Point of Fate: the Vertex

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Posted by in Astro Lessons, astrology, eclipse, Finger of God, Fist of God, Full Moon, Lunar Aspects, Lunar Eclipse, Natal Delineation, the Vertex

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‘Fate’ By Alphonse Mucha 1920 {{PD}}

A Reader has put forward a question on the meaning of the natal Vertex, and she’s interested not least because she’ll be experiencing the upcoming eclipse conjoined this point in her chart. I use the Vertex to add meaning to interpretation for individual charts–it can be very telling of what someone may be especially attuned to and sensitive to, seen by them as matters that are fated, for good or ill–but it seldom figures in to the transit picture, so I don’t often address it here on the blog, the exception being examining an event chart–then it can speak loudly, particularly as to the ‘inevitability’ of an outcome or effect, or to the unavoidable nature of the event itself.

The Vertex is defined as the intersection of the ecliptic (the path of the Sun) and the Prime Vertical (an imaginary circle keyed to a specific location–where the zenith–high point–and nadir–low point–meet in the east and west, these directions as shown in the flat chart). Yes, it’s a not-very-helpful description, but gives you some idea of how this attempts to measure extremes, both high and low, in the life; these tend to be the very kinds of events we see as fated, unavoidable, inevitable, destined. They shape the life, and can send us careening off in entirely new directions–just as eclipse contact to the natal picture can–so in a brief examination of the upcoming eclipse’s contact to this individual’s Vertex I’m hoping to illuminate how the Vertex (and eclipse impacts) have the potential to affect us all, particular to our own individual charts. The combined effect of an eclipse contacting the Vertex is a double-whammy, a wipe-out that shifts the very fate.

The eclipse, falling at 27 Taurus 14 and conjoined Sedna at 28.44, does indeed fall right on this Reader’s Vertex at 26 Taurus 24 in her Whole Sign 8th of other people’s resources and influence. Right away we’re alerted to the way the Lunar energy will impact (possibly even literally, with the eclipse in an Earth sign, echoing the potential for changes in the material situation, assets, talent expression, or comfort picture) the fate, the path forward, the destiny itself. Now, that sounds very dramatic, but the events themselves might not be; it’s not unusual for those path-changing occurrences and decisions to happen quietly, undramatically, unrecognized as the fate-shapers they are. How many times do we expect those life-altering changes to come with a big bang? Too many, as in looking back for those shift points, what we often see are that they happened in those quiet moments when our minds have changed, our attention goes permanently in a new direction, or when a small choices leads to big shake-ups. That should tell us that not all things will be obvious or automatically bring devastating change; instead we should see an eclipse as designating a point of important change or development, that we might not recognize as such.

The eclipse will form the arm of a T-square with this woman’s 29 degree Nodal axis, and with her Mars, which is conjoined her NN. This suggests a life direction challenge offered in the form of a question: What should I do? What action should I take, or choice make? With the eclipse occurring in the 8th House, this may be a choice or action forced by others (and that may be as much this individual’s perceptions as it is the reality of the situation), and the unfortunate thing may be that this individual may feel they owe it to these others to comply–or that the actions of others must be responded to, that the individual has no choice. That’s not a great feeling, by any measure.

The eclipse also sextiles the individual’s natal Juno-Pallas conjunction in Pisces in the 6th (wise empowerment at the everyday level, the kind that is hyper-responsible and likely to make duty and obligations to others a top priority, along with a life-long effort to live in as healthy a way as possible, probably with an orientation to the spiritual and to the good of All–Pisces). Together the eclipse and this natal duo form the base of a transitory Finger of God, apex (the point both are quincunx) the natal Libra Ascendant. This ramps up the sense of what happens with the eclipse being very, very personal, to the point where the individual may feel singled out, even unfairly targeted. Why me? might be the initial reaction–but the practical spiritual orientation will quickly realize there’s broader meaning here, despite the personal circumstances in which it presents. Libra is already inclined to strong awareness of others and what they want–this may make that awareness almost painful in its intensity.

This eclipse also trines her natal Saturn in Capricorn in the 4th–and this Saturn happens to quincunx the natal Cancer Sun in its 00 10th House position. The quincunx suggests a perpetual questioning of the Self brought about by real-world experiences, with the Sun/ identity ‘new’ in the sign of caring and caring for, vulnerability, and emotional and intuitive sensitivity, meaning the Soul is attuning itself to a fresh orientation, a new perspective on the Self and where she fits in to the world. Considering all the ‘Other’ orientation of various natal placements, this should draw our attention to the way this Sun may suggest the individual is learning how she fits in with other, in what ways she’s obligated to them, where and how and for whom she should care–and with that it’s inevitable that there may be struggles to establish boundaries, and guilt about these that others may try to take advantage of.

Add in the eclipse to the Sun-Saturn dynamic and she may get a jolt to the identity–what she thought settled about who she is may prove not to be–and I suspect that what happens with the eclipse could trigger the Libra Moon to react: once Libra realizes things are out of balance, that she may be giving more than is reasonable, that Air element can kick in, diverting what had been an emotional reaction to be assessed by the mind–where lines will be drawn, even if the emotions are uncomfortable with it.

The Libra Ascendant is apex to the Finger, but we see fellow Libra placement, this sensitive and caring Moon, has another role: as part of the base of a Fist of God, as it’s squared at eclipse time by transiting Venus, with a configuration apex of the eclipse, plus transiting Sedna. This speaks of relationships or assets (Venus, which just happens to be ruler of the eclipse) creating difficult emotional responses or situations (the square to the Moon), resulting in an eclipsing event (that is, in something, that happens, or is perceived or felt) that wipes out the ‘old’ path or destiny (eclipse conjoined the natal Vertex), and this is known but perhaps not known consciously, or is felt instinctually (Sedna)–and that may imply that the emotional impact of what happens may actually obscure for a time the true changes that come about or are seeded by the eclipse activity.

Also of note is the Full Moon (which is what a Lunar eclipse is) position of the Sun in this whole thing, as it’s the light giver, literally. For this individual the eclipse Sun will fall in the natal 2nd, once again echoing the Taurean theme of assets and talents, along with concepts of Self-worth and personal finances/ assets. For this Reader, it appears to me the eclipse may bring some tough emotional situations, even showdowns, over who owes what to whom, for this individual requiring a reassessment of what she believes she must do for or give to others. The old way of seeing things is wiped out, particularly, with eclipse contact direct to the Vertex, the previous destined direction; an eclipse comes along and re-writes the book. A redrawing of boundaries may result, the kind that shape the path forward, which give new and perhaps unanticipated form to what, when it arrives, appears to have been destined all along.

I must note that this is the general outlook for the eclipse for a single individual; this applies to no one else. But, discussing it here does allow you to get a glimpse of how, in at least this one instance, the Vertex and an event like an eclipse might interact. I want to thank this Reader, for trusting me to study her chart, and for her generosity in allowing me to write about it publicly, so that others might benefit.

The eclipse report for the upcoming Full Moon will post shortly!

New Moon in Scorpio 4 November 2021 Baggage

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Baggage ticket from a Titanic passenger. {{PD}}

The Moon and Sun meet at 2:15 PM PDT on the 4th at 12 Scorpio 40, just shy of perfecting an opposition to Uranus in Taurus. We may think Halloween is over, but this set-up screams that a shock, shift, change, accident, revelation, revolution, new understanding, or good old-fashioned scare is slated for the Lunar event. We may simply observe this (the opposition), or we may live it ourselves (likely through the House matters where the NM falls in the natal scenario, or the subjects of the House where Uranus is transiting, or the House it or the Moon rules natally), but either way it will shake us, our world, or it may change our viewpoint in radical or unusual ways.

The New Moon is pulling away from a semi-square to Juno but approaching semi-square to Venus, and that may suggest that empowerment issues, struggles to have our way or for supremacy (especially in partnership), and matters of status that have lately been before us give way or resolve in the face of love and the importance of relationships–but that both aspects are semi-squares tells us that the fresh lens of Venus brings attention to a whole other set of factors: the potentials for jealousy, rivalry, lust, competition, especially for love or resources, and for examination of what assets or talents we do or don’t have.Venus is at 29 degrees, under stress, perhaps acting in ways that feel a little desperate, a little deprived. We are letting go of one set of concerns because we recognize the power and sanctity of love–and then find ourselves in danger of sabotaging the very relationships we care most about, because of our own Venusian weaknesses.

This isn’t the whole picture, of course, but it is a more prominent part of things than the relatively minor aspects involved might first suggest. A New Moon in Scorpio means new starts, but in this sign that can be particularly disruptive to our emotional health; we just naturally want to dig, to excavate whatever captures our emotional attention or stirs feeling at this time, and nothing, not a relationship or a person or an onion, does well having those protective layers of skin peeled away.

The Scorpio New Moon makes only one other close aspect, a quincunx to the Black Moon Lilith point. This says that what arises now may come from discomfort (the quincunx) with those matters we’ve been ignoring, are in denial about, or that have enraged us but haven’t yet been addressed. So, Luna opens the door and shines an ever-growing light on what’s bothering us–and that may manifest through a Uranian event like an accident or a Higher Mind revelation, or may channel into relationship issues. It’s the conscience and its conceptions of right and wrong that are sending and receiving right now, so that the more consciously aware you are of your own motivations and needs, of how honest you’ve been and how much you may have deviated from or stayed within the framework of your ideals, the more adept (and less surprised) you’ll be at handling what comes forward.

We have a very Uranian Sabian Symbol for this New Moon: ‘An Inventor Performs A Laboratory Experiment’. This re-focuses us on the importance of Uranus and Uranian elements in this New Moon equation, and points to a few possible questions you might want to meditate on before the Lunar event: how do you feel about shocks and surprises? do you seek them out, enjoying the charge, or do you hate them and the disorienting feeling they convey? do you insist on having control (or that you are in control) and find it offensive when others/ the Universe point out there’s no such thing? how do you really feel about change? do you see it as a catastrophe or a chance to escape? There are two keys in this symbol, ‘Inventor’ and ‘Experiment’, and these offer us a good way to approach this New Moon. We are natural inventors–seeing ourselves that way should show us how much power and creativity we actually carry within–and we are in the midst of one enormous experiment–and that means nothing is certain. All we can do is respond to what comes at us, to what we create, to what’s drawn to us, with the greatest capacity for understanding, and the ability to invent and innovate, that’s most uniquely suited to who we are.

I looked up the Sabian for Uranus, thinking it might give us more detail about what Uranian thing we might expect, and it didn’t disappoint: ‘A Porter Carrying Heavy Baggage’. This points us toward the trigger of all those Black Moon Lilith things we’ve stuffed down into the dark. What we’ve been trying to out run or hide, our baggage, may become too heavy for that part of ourselves we’ve assigned to haul it around. Wouldn’t it be better to drop that stuff off, for good? This New Moon might be the chance to do just that.

A note about Ceres, Chiron, and Pallas at 9 degrees of their respective signs, which would seem to put them in generous orb to the New Moon: you know I’m careful about drawing as precise a Lunar picture as I can be; in this case, these placements, you’ll notice, are all past aspects, indicating the Moon’s contacts prior to meeting the Sun. Since these all occurred in the Dark of the Moon period, I suspect they’re hidden in our own personal dark, carried in the Lunar event but not actively informing it. So, that would say that wisdom, personal power situations, and hurt all affect what happens–they shape it, rather than drive it, intimations of what’s coming like whispers that precede a shout, that you’ll probably ‘hear’ on the 3rd.

The Lead Up to the New Moon 29 October-3 November 2021 A Solidarity Thing

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Enjoy the Day of the Dead, 1 November. A thin veil makes for interesting times. Photo By Tomas Castelazo

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What stands out to me in the run up to the New Moon of November 4th is the way Jupiter sits poised at the midpoint of Pluto, now direct, and Neptune, still retro, and stationary by degree, until direction in very early December. That puts Pluto-Neptune in wide sextile–the gap is almost enough to describe a kind of interested disinterest between the two energies–with Jupiter in Aquarius right in the middle. That suggests Jupiterian subjects will connect, and so then possibly be the outlet for, transformative and destructive creative or delusional energies. The influence, considering Jupiter is in Aquarius, may be the need to know, especially to comprehend with Higher Mind understanding, and this may show in an optimistic attitude, or even one that’s overly optimistic, in facilitating big, permanent change, or in large, transformative creative acts. Every change right now is going to feel good, but not all change will be good change–and therein lies the danger: that, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, change for change’s sake may become the point for some, particularly for those who don’t want to deal with Big Realities like the Truth (Pluto), Rage (also Pluto), Destructive Impulses (guess who?), or Delusions and Deceptions (Neptune cops to this one).

Notice how Mars, at 29 stressful degrees of Libra on the 29th makes us think we must act–and how then it neatly slips into Scorpio AM Pacific of the 30th, essentially translating any frustrations with others into a next step statement of, ‘You had your chance to negotiate, now I’m out to get to the Truth, get to the bottom line, and possibly blow it all up, if you won’t come around.’ That’s an end-of-your-rope stance that isn’t afraid to destroy things if they’re frustrated–and that’s a terrible place to be when trying to make relationships work, because though it feels powerful (and is therefore quite seductive) it’s really bully behavior that dares everyone else to risk their interests, just to appease the tantrum thrower–and includes a willingness to throw the tantrum thrower’s own interests down the tubes, too, if only to show how much they can.

Two other sets of aspects catch my eye on the 30th; these seem to set up a progression of energies through to the New Moon. First is Mercury in Libra’s quincunx to Neptune, with Mercury then moving on over the next two days to conjoin Zeus, separating from Neptune and moving to trine Jupiter over the 31st and 1st of November. This scenario is one of adjusting the creative faculties, especially one’s thinking and ways of communicating, so that they advance the ambitions and so lead to opportunities. It’s short-lived and short-term, but opens an effective window for Self-editing and offers significant opportunities for improvement and career advancement. Vesta square Jupiter only adds to the sense of this being a ‘showdown’ scenario of some kind, with a need to weigh values against opportunities and facts before we go forward.

The other set involves perfection of a conjunction between Venus and Juno in Sagittarius on the 30th.This places them trine Eris (with a brief Grand Trine involving the Moon in Leo extant for a few hours), and semi-sextile Pluto (which of course places Pluto still square Eris). Juno and Venus then move along together, remaining in sync through the 1st. It reads like a solidarity thing: women/ anima energies/ values/ aesthetics/ relationships/ finances are in accord with empowerment options/ status and standing/ efforts to ‘get it done’/ power expression/ matters of partnership. It’s a kind of outreach that makes our own potentials and position stronger, and reveals our power, especially in relationships but particularly in the relationship with the significant other. A small contingent may succumb to a jealousy and revenge matrix that’s always a slim possibility with these two, and considering where they’re placed right now, that would likely come about because of something learned, some info uncovered, that shakes foundational feeling. Maybe that’s where the contacts to both Pluto and Eris come in: if there’s strife to be stirred, and power issues need hashing out, this is when it will occur.

Also on the 30th, the Sun-Earth axis forms a T-square with Saturn, perhaps pinpointing a day when real-world conditions or restrictions become apparent. Consider it a gift that we will be able to see what’s holding us back, because within that knowledge comes the possibilities for how to handle it or fix it.

By the 2nd Mercury steps in to form a Cardinal T-square with Pluto-Eris. Will we never be free of this pair?! Thoughts may be consumed with upsets and our perceptions of those who cause them; we should avoid projection by trying to remain aware of our own role in making current circumstances, especially disruptive or discordant ones. Communications may hold (or may only seem to hold) some scary-ass threats or make us feel as if we’ll never find peace with those involved–but remember this may be more a trick of perception than a reality.

The 3rd looks to be mostly navel-gazing Dark of the Moon territory. Don’t start anything right now, don’t make commitments, and don’t draw final conclusions, either–there’s more to the story, very likely revealed with sudden surprise or revelation as the New Moon will form only 7 minutes before perfecting opposition to Uranus. Hold on to your hats!

Have a wonderful weekend!

24-28 October 2021 Keep An Eye Out For . . .

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You don’t have to invite them all to the party over the next few days. ‘Courage, Anxiety, and Despair Watching the Battle’ By James Sant 19th cent. {{PD}}

That’s kind of a scary title–nobody wants to think about their eyes being outside their heads–but it beats that old saying, ‘Keep your eyes peeled’ That’s extra horrifying. So, now that I’ve filled your mind with eyeball images, let’s get to why we need to stay alert.

The 24th sees the perfection of Zeus trine Jupiter, the Sun quincunx the North Node point, and Mercury quincunx Uranus. Though these aren’t headline-grabbing aspects, maybe they should be, because taken together they suggest unbridled, even bloated ambitions, or just a dangerous amount of optimism, a need to adjust thinking to accommodate the unanticipated, and the need to adjust forward momentum so that it stays true to the core Self. All this could fly under the radar, and really gum things up, but if we’re conscious of these subtle but important influences, we can prevent the kind of de-railing that might begin at this point, as one or more could easily exert an influence that wouldn’t yet feel like a problem.

On the 25th I want to note Venus squaring Neptune and the Moon trining Mars, AM Pacific. Here we see what we value come up against its own ideal, and inevitably, those things will be found wanting. The trine reminds us that it will be amazingly easy to act to correct things–but just as easy to make a show of temper, to demand, to aggress–and no relationship or financial situation was ever made more desirable by just demanding it be so. Use the energy to take action, especially in planning in concert with others (Gemini, Libra), or that at least takes them into account. Finding out that our darlings, including our creative projects, aren’t perfect will come as a shock only to those who’ve been telling themselves a fairy tale in the first place.

For the 26th what stands out to me is the way Ceres has been creeping back to perfect contact to the Black Moon Lilith point, and gets there today, and this happens under a strong Cancer Moon, heightening the feels as Luna moves through her own sign. Is it that confrontations over power or territory make us face things we’ve ignored or denied, or is it that things we’ve ignored or denied now come forward to challenge our personal authority or our rightful (as we see it) sway over others? That may be a chicken-and-egg kind of thing, but one thing’s sure: we’ll be flooded with emotion today, anything from sentimental longings all the way to deeply felt sensations of Love, Hate, and everything in between. Ride the wave gently; not everything we’re feeling today will stick within a situation, and much of it may look different by the time the Moon enters Leo, just after 2 AM Pacific on the 28th.

The 27th Zeus sextiles Venus and trines Jupiter. That’s a rocket ship of exaggerated desire, ambition, and a sense that you can’t live without ‘it’–so if you find yourself saying, ‘I can’t live without it (or her, him, or they)’, you know you’re under a potent spell that will be broken soon enough, if you can just hold back and take a measured approach. The problem lies in the way at this time all proportionality is missing around those things we desire–and that means we could risk a great deal not realizing our wants aren’t really as powerful as they seem to be in the moment.

Many of the other, still extant aspects (like the Eris-Pluto square) have been covered in previous posts. You’ll have to see them there, as there’s one thing I don’t like to do, and that’s repeat myself. (Yes! I’m old and cranky 🙂 ) Have a great weekend!

The Shock of the New: Post-Full Moon of the 20th-22nd 2021

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‘Diana and her Nymphs Surprised by the Fauns’ (detail) By Peter Paul Rubens c1640 {{PD}}

In the couple of days following the Full Moon of the 20th (forming AM Pacific), I’m imagining a scenario that goes something like this: we are hit with, or maybe it’s filled by, the culmination in Aries, with an effect that may be a little stunning, at first. As noted previously, the post-FM period is one that sees the Moon moving into Void territory, and the Sun-Earth axis not making any more contacts in their respective signs, either–and this is likely to make us feel adrift, a floating-in-space feeling that could make for a temporary disconnect, one that allows us time to reflect on what it is that the Full Moon actually showed us or brought us.

By mid-morning PDT of the 21st, the Moon has moved well into Taurus, forming first a square to Saturn=we’re presented with emotional barriers, or our feelings (especially fearful ones) are given form, in some cases literally, or we see an emotional end, of some sort; then sextiling Pallas and forming the base of a Finger of God with apex Mercury, freshly direct=if we can combine feeling or intuition with wisdom (particularly the wisdom we’ve just recently acquired), what we end up with is clarity of thought about others, partnerships, finances, values, or aesthetics.

And then, oh my, in early afternoon PDT the Moon conjoins Uranus. It’s the suddenness of the shift that will stand out, the shock of revelation or revolution or perhaps just the unexpected, something entirely, startlingly new. What it is will depend both on the matters of the House in the natal chart that holds Taurus (the most likely subjects where this surprise will come forward), and also on your own personal relationship with Uranian energies. Do you hate surprises? Maybe you need to ask yourself why. Are you a revolutionary at heart? Then answer this: what do revolutionaries become, when the revolution’s over? Are you a natural innovator or inventor? What happens when you can express that originality? And if invention doesn’t come naturally, how does it feel when you’re forced to improvise?

Being unique can be a massive gift, and a lonely one. The trick with Uranus is to find the group(s) that value your individuality, that see whatever Uranian strength you have as an asset, not something to be tamed or toned down. That may be the challenge with the Moon’s contact to Uranus–we see a unique part of ourselves presented with something, likely material, or comfort or security oriented (Taurus) and we must find a way to innovate, answer, or adapt, using the most unusual and original parts of our personalities, in order to make this time a positive, rather than sending us spinning into negative territory.

Late in the day Pacific of the 21st, the Moon quincunxes Venus in Sagittarius, making us adjust (or possibly just wonder about) how we’re reaching out, and how truly effective it is. Then in the wee hours of the 22nd the Moon begins its traverse of the 20s–first a sextile to Neptune that forms a fleeting Finger of God with apex Zeus=expect to dream about your ambitions, and to take seriously anything you see, intuit, or imagine in terms of meeting your goals; by breakfast Pacific the Moon herself is apex to another Finger, this one with base of Zeus-Juno=adjusting enough to resolve power struggles successfully becomes required; then comes a quincunx to Mars and a trine to Pluto (which also briefly allows another Finger with Moon apex and base of Mars-Juno)=will we preserve our status by holding back, or will we exercise our Will–whatever gives us the greatest power, and so the greatest control over circumstances, is the right answer.

Remember too that the 22nd the Sun-Earth axis is in the final degree of their respective signs, suggesting a heightened sense of tension. By mid-evening Pacific the Moon conjoins Sedna, also at 29 degrees, and we see a final, stressful need to acknowledge either what we’ve missed, or what we ‘know but don’t know’–and then the Moon enjoys a very short Void, beginning at 10:59 PM Pacific, just after the Sun-Earth axis has slipped into Scorpio-Taurus. Again, the floating sensation, the sense that we’ve entered new territory and must acquaint ourselves. The Lunar Void ends at 12:57 AM PDT of the 23rd, as the Moon enters Gemini, and quickly conjoins the North Node, directing us to ponder the emotional implications of the Path we’re on–and the whole thing starts all over again.

I just thought this was a short period of important developments, the kind of thing that can feel like a roller coaster and leave us exhausted if we don’t know what’s going on. Have a wonderful week!

And if you missed the Full Moon discussion–

Full Moon in Aries 20 October 2021 Leave Anger in the Past

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‘Méditation’ By Henri Rachou

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Though the Full Moon (7:56 AM PDT of the 20th, at 27 Aries 26) seems like prime time to lash out, as Mars moves to perfect a T-square by opposing Eris and squaring Pluto (with the Eris-Pluto square only off by 9 minutes), with Mars just separating from a trine to stationing Jupiter, suggesting the time for optimism is past, we’d be wise to realize that 29-degree Sedna in its last Taurean gasp may be stirring things up we’re not consciously aware of. The Aries Full Moon may shout, ‘It’s time to look out for #1!’, with surrounding aspects (like the Mercury-Black Moon Lilith trine=thinking about what we’ve been avoiding/ ignoring, or what enrages us) prompting us to feel we’re finally ready to face things, leading us down a path of misunderstanding and anger.

The important thing to note is that the Full Moon perfects well past the Sun-Moon-Earth contact to Mars, Eris, and Pluto (their positions at 23 and 24 degrees of their respective signs), meaning that all that assertive, upset, hyper-reactive, destructive, Me First energy isn’t something to carry into the present. We may try to justify it with the FM Aries energy, believing we haven’t been standing up for ourselves–but as Maury Povich likes to declare, results in hand: “THAT would be a lie!”

In the period between Mercury’s direction and the Full Moon (just about 48 hours) we’ll be presented with a pretty clear picture of things; the question is, will we admit to ourselves that what’s revealed is the Truth? How honest you’ve been will determine how much you want to use the Arian Moon energy as an excuse to go after what you want, or to attack others. You can be sure that the stronger your urge tp aggress, the more you need to step back and take a personal accounting of reality.

That means that if you succumb to a righteous anger at the time of the Full Moon, you could make some serious mistakes. The Sun, Earth, and Moon are making contact in what is, once the Moon begins to separate, a Lunar Void condition. There are no Ptolemaic (major) aspects to come before these bodies leave the signs they’re in (there aren’t even any minor ones, except for a semi-sextile of Moon and then Earth to Sedna–with Sun quincunxing–but we’ve already accounted for this general influence).

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘A Large Audiences Confronts The Performer Who Disappointed Its Expectations’. In this case, we may be both audience and performer; our job is to confront ourselves over our own behavior, assumptions–over our ‘performance’. A big dose of reality needs to be accepted; so does a reasonable (not exaggerated or martyr-ish) sense of personal responsibility. Those are the ways that Full Moon in Aries events won’t just be brought to a head, but will bring a more complete (and so secure) sense of Self.

The Sabian for the Sun, giver-of-light in the first place, is, ‘A Man Becoming Aware Of Spiritual Forces Surrounding And Assisting Him’. This suggests that we’ll be offered plenty of unseen support. The Universe will whisper at us, giving us a clear (though possibly quite subtle) direction. Will we listen? That’s a question for the ages, as they say.

In The Light of the Full Moon 12 October 2021

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Jupiter mansplains butterflies while Mercury warns Virtue not to point out he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. ‘Jupiter, Mercury and the Virtue’ By Dosso Dossi c1517 {{PD}}

The approach to this upcoming Full Moon will be more than usually loaded with insight and revelation. Mercury officially goes direct once again AM Pacific time of the 18th at 10 Libra 07, trine Ceres-Black Moon Lilith, as apex to a loose Finger of God with base of Uranus sextile Pallas, and just a hair past perfection of an opposition to Chiron. This points to a lot of retrograde activity, most of which we’re not yet even aware of, bringing ideas, realizations, and denouement at the direction point that we may be caught off guard by.

We’ve been thinking about and reviewing relationships of all kinds; the direction says those are still on our minds, with Merc’s forward motion offering a new perspective and the dawning of things we hadn’t considered. We are likely to be more sure in our personal power position, and more confident–and yet we’re also aware of those things we’re not willing to inspect, of those things that we are ignoring or denying, probably because we don’t feel ready to face them yet. Considering our new, post-retro surge of personal authority, we might want to consider those matters that have been particularly difficult to deal with–as there may not be a better time than this period between the direction at 8:16 AM PDT of the 18th and the Full Moon at 7:56 AM PDT of the 20th.

We’ll also likely recognize how at least some of our retro experiences and conclusions may have been (unfairly) influenced by our past and especially our past hurts. That offers us a choice: do we pretend we don’t know that, or do we let go of our defensiveness so that we can revise and repair? You know the right answer to that one.

And finally, the direction point brings us a magic formula of sorts: spontaneity, accident, or Higher Mind inspiration or revelation, combined with inner wisdom and practicality (and that’s vital, that smarts and a sense of being reasonable are applied), gives the potential to create the optimum relationship(s) with both others and projects/ plans with which we’re involved. The message here is: Go with the flow, think on your feet, and don’t be afraid of change. Best interpretation lens is that there are no accidents, and the Universe is perpetually working in our favor–see things that way and anything unexpected, even if it seems negative on initial encounter, becomes a gift.

Hope you’re enjoying your week!