Category Archives: astrology

Your Ascendant Zodiapedia: ‘Building a Life’ Capricorn

02 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Capricorn, The Ascendant

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“A Roman Studio’ By Lawrence Alma-Tadema 1873 {{PD}}

Capricorn rising may come across as all business, totally serious, and really, no fun—but that wouldn’t be right for us to see him that way at all. Though the agile goat meets new situations this way, he can quickly adapt his attitude to whatever will get things done—and if that means he must socialize, clown around, risk it all, or declare his love from the rooftops, he will do just that. ‘Practical’ is the word for this rising sign, however that might be defined in any particular situation. To see this Earth placement as lacking in flexibility would be wrong—and yet, if given a choice, Cap at the very least wants things contained, restrained, and with any luck, by the book. He can’t help it, really: Capricorn rising is about two things, achievement and security as the way to meet the world, and he does everything with that in mind.

Cappy’s childhood environment in some way gave her the message that ‘serious’ is the only attitude to have. It may have been that children were expected to be miniature adults, or it may have been a case where the irresponsibility of the caretakers put the burden of filling basic needs, of providing any security at all, on Capricorn. This means that to the observer the Capricorn rising child may appear to be usurping adults’ authority or prerogatives, or that she doesn’t know the meaning of ‘play’ or ‘fun’—but of all the signs, Cap rising may be the one most acutely aware of how her demeanor seems odd to onlookers—just know that there’s always a reason the goat has adopted such a severe outlook, and respect her need to take the attitude she does—it may be the only thing that lets her sleep at night.

From the inside looking out, the Capricorn rising individual may see the world as a chaotic or unreliable or even unforgiving place. Recall that the rising sign is a response to the environment where we first meet the world; in Cap’s case, the suggestion is she is responsible to create boundaries, rules, barriers, and a sense of order—not the thing to encourage a young one’s positive outlook or the spontaneity and lightheartedness of childhood. The implication is that Cappy had to make up for someone else’s deficiency or lack of restraint, and though this may be true sometimes, it can also be that the individual with this rising sign is a hypersensitive Being who needed to erect overly strong protections against the outside sensations of the material world—or that she is someone who feels her own wildness so close to the surface that exceptional repression and restraint are in order, to keep from falling into her own personal chaos.

As an adult, Cappy rising may reassure others by her mere presence, and at any age she may be the one others automatically turn to in a crisis or for advice. It always feels to others like this Ascendant will know what to do, or how to stop whatever needs stopping, and Capricorn is happy to serve this function. As long as she is appreciated for her habit of meeting challenges with concerted effort, laboring consistently to achieve and build, laying not just the foundations for the building blocks of life but also the walls and roof, the wallpaper and paint, and paying the taxes. Capricorn needs to be appreciated, like anybody else, and on the Ascendant she wants others to see the extent of her control, over herself and the world. Look beneath the serious demeanor to see what Cappy is really trying to offer: security, stability, to remove worry from everyone’s equation.

The Capricorn Ascendant wants, always, to be productive; this can easily slip into repression of others, or suppression of the Self, if she doesn’t feel she or others are focused, making progress, getting ahead. This can give this Ascendant a mercenary quality, or a no-nonsense dictatorial one, until others understand that above all Cappy wants to be of use–anything less, and she’s disappointed in herself, and that may even morph into fearfulness, should she begin to think things will never change.

Capricorn rising prides herself on her dependability, but will only flourish once she accepts the gentle nurturing offered by opposing sign Cancer. In keeping things strictly controlled and grounded Cappy may not value nourishment, physical, psychic, emotional, and spiritual, as much as she needs to in order to foster a balanced approach to achievement, discipline, and to conquer her fear (for what combats Saturnian fears better than loving care?); once she does, she becomes a formidable human Being keyed to thoughtful, lasting accomplishment.

Read my work here, and enjoy the rest of your week, which you can read about here!

Your Week Ahead 30 April-6 May 2018 It’s In The Wind

29 Sunday Apr 2018

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

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Winslow Homer – ‘West Wind’ 1890 {{PD}}

When I look at the factors active this coming week, I get the sense of being just a little bit clobbered! Maybe that’s too extreme; maybe it’s more like being bandied about, buffeted by winds, but the feeling is one of being pummeled. It’s as if no matter what form those energies take, even when they are positive ones, it seems they may exact a physical toll, on our bodies, our resources, our emotions, our health, our environment.

I don’t mean to overstate this. Things start out rough, then we’re shown the positives (while still being aware of a threatening undertone), and then, with adjustment, things are good–and then without warning we’re adrift (probably wondering what happened), then we’re hit with the hammer, and must limp off to recover–and that all happens by end of day Sunday, the 6th.

Day-by-day is definitely the only way to take this, with a fresh ‘gird your loins!’ sort of attitude each day. That means that positive events and experiences will offer relief, a respite from tension–but they won’t do away with challenges, or the onslaught of what may, from time to time, seem almost overwhelming.

Monday the 30th starts with us thinking we can iron-man our way through anything; soon enough we learn that strong-arming things, or even insisting on our own way, isn’t necessarily the healthiest course. Then our attention will be drawn, repeatedly, to the ways in which we don’t own our power, and to the ways in which we are at the mercy of the current life direction (the cumulative total of all our previous choices)–but, though it may not appear to, this offers a chance to heal some persistent, power-related wound we currently carry, if we’ll only let down our barriers and admit the possibility (Sun sq Nodal axis and Ceres, and nov Chiron, Juno contra-parallel Hygeia)

Today’s word image is a lawn mower that won’t start, and can’t seem to be repaired. What are you holding back on, refusing to ‘start up’, or refusing to put your energy into–and it’s something that needs doing, and which you theoretically want to move forward with. It may seem ultra-mundane, this thing you’re withholding yourself from, it may even seem inconsequential–but it’s not. You can’t see the implications yet, can’t view what will be affected by it. Ask yourself what you’re getting out of not going forward, and what you might miss if this continues–because your conscious mind needs to get real clear on what you’re up to.

I am such an antique that they were still having May Poles on the 1st when I was small (Please note: Not an actual picture of me dancing round the May Pole). Playgrounds, May Day. ‘May pole dance’ 1923 Harris & Ewing, photographers {{PD}}

Tuesday the 1st of May (May Day!) dawns, and it feels like we’ve learned something from yesterday’s power issues–the problem, though, is that we don’t know how to think of things, or what to do to make those revelations reality! This may require a little trial and error, and perhaps a dose of faith, the kind that trusts the Soul to guide us, bypassing the objections and rationalizations our minds might put forth in an attempt to keep the status quo firmly in place. So, a day when our Higher Self knows, and we’d be smart to accept this. Also note that negativity or active power struggles can damage all levels of our well-being (Pluto sxt Hygeia, Jupiter sxt Black Moon Lilith, Venus qnx Saturn, and contra-parallel and sesq Mars, Mercury contra-parallel Pallas)

Today’s word image is a red balloon among a bunch of orange ones. It’s a sign, a signal, a prompt to notice the one that doesn’t match/ fit.

Wednesday the 2nd brings a sea-change; suddenly where we met resistance before, we find the way smooth, and we gain or benefit, even as what aids us may be unfamiliar, from a quarter we never anticipated, and may make us somehow uncomfortable. The very ease with which things roll out could shake us up. Accept all the positives for what they are (don’t extrapolate that anything more will follow, or that this has changed circumstances or relationships in any way), roll with them, and accept that they are valid in the moment–and that moment may not last very long. Can be a weird, disorienting, one off of a day–best to treat it that way (Pallas trine Zeus, Jupiter qnx Pallas, Venus trine SN and nov Uranus, Merc parallel Chiron, Sun nov Juno)

Today’s word image is: someone keeps trying to cut you in on their manufactured drama. You have permission from the wider Universe to say ‘no’ to that, but if you don’t, you’ll have to admit you’re at least supporting it, if not an actual part of it.

‘A Path in the Woods’ By Camille Pissarro 1903 {{PD}}

Thursday the 3rd the good vibes continue–but in completely different ways than yesterday! ‘Lucky’ areas that were not on the menu on the 2nd come forward today, and once again, it’s the briefest of positive runs from which we should draw no lasting conclusions. Trust the unconscious–it knows the way (Pallas qnx Black Moon Lilith, Venus sxt Ceres, Merc nov Sedna)

The 4th we are unmoored–from the familiar, from beliefs, from the facts, and somehow alienated from our own conscious Beingness. Our attention may go too much toward what’s not working, or what we’re being denied–our real focus should be the way we feel–it’s our anchor, right now (Sun contra-parallel Jupiter)

Today’s word image isn’t exactly an image, it’s this: are you the kind of person who searches out answers, looks for what they need, gives things a try, before you ask someone else, or are you that person who asks others to look or try it or do it for you, without making any effort? One has the attitude that those who surround her exist only to serve her, while the other is resourceful and pitches in to be a positive (and often Self-actualizing) force–so, which are you?

Saturday the 5th we wake up to a heated energy cat-fight, the tumult filling the air with the most disturbing electricity. What can we do? Don’t trust our own minds–reasoning is off as we’re too prone to fudge the facts, ignore our own part in things, and/ or see our ambitions as impossible–and don’t trust the messages we get from others, who are suffering their own short-circuit. A big part of choosing and acting effectively today rests on trust in our own beliefs; a calm and sure-footed faith in ourselves will be behind every productive assertion and effort we make. Expect partners to give you a hard time, and teachers to be less than supportive–these people will especially suffer from an inward-turning gaze (Jupiter sesq Juno, Merc sq BML, opp Zeus, and qnx Jupiter)

A mint julep, served in the traditional silver cup, at Revel in New Orleans. Photo By Jami430 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59224029

Today’s word image is a mint julep in honor of the Kentucky Derby.We’re talking frivolous but enjoyable tradition, here–what’s your long time celebration, meant to ease the pains of the day, or to mark a particular season or event?

By Sunday the 6th of May we are wondering if anyone got the number of the truck that hit us this week. The results of our experience will be something like this: our ability to weigh what’s smart and what will empower us is radically out of whack; what we’ve seen this week has removed or proved how untenable our previous notions of what’s effective, what’s wise, what’s worth doing–and that leaves us not really knowing what we care about, or what rewards or relationships to pursue. The answer is twofold: Love yourself, just as you are, and do it fiercely–don’t let any doubt or nagging negativity in, and use your imagination, and your ideals, to set (or re-set) paths, goals, and what’s possible. We’re living on a new wavelength–time to get with the program, and make it work for you (Pallas contra-parallel Juno, Pluto qnx Pallas, Venus semi-sq Uranus, Sun semi-sq Chiron and sxt Neptune)

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Full Moon in Scorpio April 2018 ‘Your Money Or Your Life’

27 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by in astrology, Full Moon, Grand Cross/Grand Square, Moon, Sabian Symbols

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Photo By G.Hüdepohl (atacamaphoto.com)/ESO – https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1802a/ CC BY 4.0

Is this Full Moon really as dramatic as that stick-up line in an old movie? Yes, and then again, No. This Full Moon is likely to feel highly charged, in the sense of seeming as if a great deal depends on how things go, on which direction we decide to jump–but that’s just a feeling, fostered by a culmination in Scorpio (at 5:57 PM PDT on the 29th) that is in relatively close square to the Nodal axis, the North end of which is conjoined Ceres. Yes, I’m aware the Nodal axis at any one time is the measurement of the points where the Moon crosses the ecliptic, with the North Node being the point when the Moon crosses into the Northern ecliptic hemisphere and the South Node the opposite, and all as defined from our viewpoint here on Earth–and so, the Nodes aren’t bodies at all, which some astrologers do not count as acceptable components of configurations–but I do. I see them as charged points in space, and so meaningful when aligned with other points or bodies.

Back to the Full Moon’s participation in a Fixed Grand Cross, with Sun in Taurus, Moon-Earth in Scorpio, North Node-Ceres in Leo, and South Node in Aquarius, which I anticipate lending the Full Moon its sense of dynamism, importance through potentialities, and even fatedness, should we feel this Cross as a swirling maelstrom rather than a compass pointing (and so urging us to move) in four directions at once. We may be confronting (the squares) our personal future direction and power situation (NN-Ceres in Leo) as well as the ways in which our once-future oriented approach has become dated and passé (SN in Aquarius). This Full Moon illuminates our personal caves, digs down into the figurative Earth beneath our feet, shines a light on what’s normally dank and wet and hidden, dark, mysterious, and perhaps alluring because it’s unknown, and shows us how this must change, evolve, or be reformed in order to reconcile what we want (Sun in Taurus) with what we are compelled toward, intuit, love, and already have (Moon-Earth in Scorpio), with the consideration that these Moon-Earth attributes must change (Scorpio), in order to allow us to move forward effectively, with our power, agency, and autonomy intact (NN-Ceres).

A sextile to Saturn by the FM tells us that this is an opportunity–how? you ask: the real world restrictions and restraints imposed by ourselves or others on us have created exactly the right physical conditions for us to see and then alter those areas that the FM reveals as requiring change. The Moon’s emotional component supplies a sense of urgency, while the Moon’s placement tells us that nothing less than our own personal evolution is on the table. Sorting need from want deals with the stress questions imposed by the Cross, even as it answers that question, ‘Your money or your life?’ through the Sun’s assessment of what we want to gain, accumulate, and find comfort in. What at first feels like a hold-up becomes a chance to evolve, another Scorpio specialty. Looking deep and willingly making needed change, we can have both what we need materially (‘money’) and what we value spiritually (‘life’).

The Sabian symbol for the Full Moon is, ‘A Fellowship Supper Reunites Old Comrades’, while the Sabian for the Sun is, ‘A Red Cross Nurse’. Both are images of care, the camaraderie of mankind, and healing. This suggests that if we can get beyond the sense of urgency and fear, we can see how beneficial, offering repair to relationships and feelings, the circumstances of reform highlighted by the Full Moon can truly be.

Bonus: those with a natal placement 8-11 degrees Gemini will find their natal energy at the apex of a Finger of God with base of Saturn-FM. This suggests what is acted upon for the individual will be related to that natal energy, and/ or to the subjects of the House it rules in the natal chart.

Excellent work on finding your ikigai from Astrologer Jem Neal–

And we’ll end with a quote from Mignon McLaughlin:

Your money, or your life. We know what to do when a burglar makes this demand of us, but not when God does

Your Ascendant Zodiapedia: ‘The Knowing Is Just Over There’ Sagittarius

26 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by in astrology, Sagittarius, The Ascendant

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‘The Fair Toxophiles’ By William Powell Frith 1871 {{PD}}

The Archer wanders far and wide as a matter of course; seeking both knowledge and something new, Sagittarius as the rising sign designates the person with an expansive outlook, the one who knows or will find out, the one who’s always willing to go on a walkabout, just to see, to gain information—and this is so even if Sag never leaves the place she was born. The spirit of Sagittarius is so willing to explore, to learn, and then to teach, that she can come to be seen as something of a go-to when others need to know—which can both use positively some of Sag’s most characteristic talents, and place our Sag in a role of service that may or may not mesh with the bigger natal picture (and when it doesn’t fit, may devolve into know-it-all-ness, gossip as sport, or a pressure that results in made-up ‘facts’).

Others observe a competent and active individual with Sagittarius rising, but looking from the inside out, Sag may be seeking knowledge, or to teach others, as a form of security. There may have been an early environment that penalized those who didn’t have necessary information or that relied heavily on the Sag individual to provide this for others, who then sheltered or fed Sag. Knowledge, religious ritual and expression, or the ability to ‘get the word out’ for others may have been treated as currency in Sag’s early world, and this may have left a persistent attitude that causes him to wield info, ‘the facts’, or her belief system as reward or weapon, or to substitute beliefs for facts when it gets them what they want . Others, then, may find themselves surprised at Sag’s controlling approach to knowledge, the insistence that ‘they know’, as well as at his tendency to bolt for the far horizon when things don’t go his way.

Survival in the early environment may have hinged on gregariousness and optimism for Sag rising, and this can lead to an inclination to ignore problems; even when Sag has the answers (and with all that attention to information, who else is so well equipped?) she may fail to connect the dots. Compartmentalizing of knowledge, or painting scenes with too wide and sweeping a brush, can cause Sagittarius to falter and efforts to fail—often almost inexplicably. With so much energy focused outwardly, Sag may not do the kind of Self-analysis that other signs fall to naturally when things don’t go well; Sag may instead scan the horizon for what’s to blame, and miss a chance to up their game. This highlights how Sag can be completely Self-contained and yet yearn for others, as she needs an audience or someone to hear what she’s sharing. The trend in these two opposing directions can cause a lot of internal conflict for the Archer, as she struggles between retreating and charging out to look for a receptive someone; she finds her cure in adopting a willingness to value social interaction, networking, and light information exchange (the qualities of opposing sign Gemini) as much as she respects the acquisition and sharing of knowledge, religion, and philosophy. In other words, when she lightens up, she wins.

You can be sure that Sagittarius Rising always knows the landscape—that is, he knows it unless his attention has already moved on to the next destination. Sometimes the attention is in an otherworldly place (the religious connection), sometimes it’s a place where he can learn more (the education connection), and sometimes it (and the action) are entirely in Sag’s head; he may find a selectively perceived world that reflects his own philosophies preferable to having to deal with reality—and this marks one of the Archer’s biggest weaknesses, his reluctance to stay focused, in the present, in one place (mentally or otherwise), for very long—knowing is always ‘over there’—but that persistent curiosity, openness, and willingness to share are also his greatest strengths.

Sagittarius can come across to others as too aggressive or assertive, a byproduct of the love of knowledge and philosophizing and the natural inclination to spread these, compounded by Sag’s Fire element and the ‘action’ orientation it confers. Enthusiasm that overwhelms others, and a fondness for exaggeration or ‘doing it big’ can also be detriments, but we all need that person who gets excited and goes above and beyond, who exceeds and excels and so fosters optimism and hope in others: Sag rising individuals are essential to speculative ventures and persistent efforts, both of which are vital components of success.

Please check here for the current picture, and have a great day!

The Last Days of Uranus in Aries

26 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Retrogrades + Directions, Uranus

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By Illustratedjc – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60648788

By the 28th of April Uranus enters that tense 29th degree of Aries, and remains poised to stir up panic until its entry into Taurus on May 15th. What fears might this stir? Being alone, being abandoned, having to lead (if we’re more comfortable anonymous in the crowd) or having to follow (if we feel we must lead), as well as various cautions around what to do, what to choose, how to act, and whether asserting oneself is a good idea, and with that latter I can say, it may not be a good idea, but it may be one we feel compelled to do! Sort out what and who you’re really mad at (there are at least a few objects of outrage, if you’ll only admit it), for best (and least destructive) results.

Also of note today is the Mars-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn, a no-frills kind of wallop that will appear in some form as two angry, vengeful, insisting-on-change, or bent-on-destruction parties meeting head-on, with one insisting on forward progress of a Cappy nature and one determined to roll back the clock or go down in flames trying. Ugh, avoid this smoldering train wreck if at all possible by keeping the focus on manifesting your ideal and most Self-reliant Self (Juno in 29 tense degrees of Pisces). You have the mandate to be your best, now go be it without being distracted by the wreckage nearby.

Right around November 7th Uranus is in apparent retrograde and returns to that  final degree of Aries, for old times’ sake, I suppose–why else would we fling ourselves back into such a stressful position? We also see at that point that Uranus forms a massively tense T-square with the transiting Nodal axis and will stand quincunx Jupiter in Scorpio. And in just a few days this is followed by an opposition from Ceres and a sextile from Mars in Aquarius. To me this looks like the most incendiary point for Uranian upset, making the current conditions look quaintly tame in comparison. In contrast to the present single, easily-controlled-by-us fear we may wrestle with, November offers a do-or-die scenario where some of us may indeed choose the wrong option–we’re worried about the future, maybe fearing it won’t come!–likely out of fear of death, fear of obliteration in a more mundane sense, an insistence on vengeance or ‘teaching x a lesson’, or out of a deep, dark desire for more than our fair share (Jupiter in Scorpio). Not all of us will succumb, but we’ll certainly all be tempted, and the results will be a real-world check on the limits of our power (the opp from Ceres) and a more reasoned line of thinking, possibly arriving too late, to guide our actions (Mars in Aquarius).

Issues may linger (causing, among other things, a final push to do what’s right or resolve things, especially hurts–Chiron semi-sextile–as Mars passes conjoined Uranus mid-February 2019) until Uranus finally lets go of Arian concerns, around 6 March 2019. So, we’ll likely re-visit all this in a hopped up form late next winter-early next spring; once Uranus enters Taurus, get to know the ‘new’ way the planet will work in the sign, and be prepared for impact if you have early degree natal placements (especially if that placement is Mercury, which influence from Uranus may cause surprising things to shoot out of your mouth until you steady the impulse).

If you haven’t visited lately, you should: Jude Cowell’s Stars Over Washington is jam-packed with illuminating articles, mostly of a political or US history bent. Check it out!

Uranus Into Taurus

25 Wednesday Apr 2018

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, aspects and placements, astrology, Uranus

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The bull relief fresco – original – in the archaeological museum of Heraklion. From Knossos palace (West bastion of the North Entrance Passage where one can see a copy nowadays, Neopalatial period (1600 – 1450 BCE) Photo By the wonderful Jebulon, who releases all his excellent photos of antiquities under CC0. Thanks, Jebulon!

Uranus enters Taurus in the AM on 15 May 2018 Pacific time, and it may feel like the world slips, just a little; we had our footing with Uranus in Aries, we’d even managed to grit our teeth and show off a little: ‘Look at me! I’m not afraid of going it alone, doing it all myself (no choice)!’ We came to feel that the only way to deal with the presence of Uranus in Aries overall (when it wasn’t bouncing off another transiting body or surprising one of our natal ones) was to exhibit the tenacity of a bighorn ram, persisting even when the climb was dizzying or the cliff falling away beneath us. It was a lonely period, no matter how much support we enjoyed from the group, and no matter how sound our theories and reasoning, with every ‘earthquake’ Uranus presented a challenge: hold on! And we did, even as the Universe seemed to split and split again into infinite and uniquely individual forms of aggression, ‘accident’ (though we know there are none, right?) and Self-promotion (because if we didn’t innovate, invent, and then promote our unique contribution, who would?)

Just a day after Uranus moves into Taurus, Mars enters Aquarius and squares the planet of anarchy, shocks, and the intellect–and we may find that our actions, choices, and sense of autonomy through individual rights may act to stabilize the Uranian influence, in spite of the way Uranus in Taurus has the upper hand (through its rulership of Aquarius). Things steady as the ancient ruler of Aquarius, Saturn, funnels those choices and actions into real-world, or at least blatantly apparent, manifestations, likely initially presented as conflict, a ‘problem’, or a delay or denial. Once we get over the shock of what comes, we see how to think of it in the most effective way; it’s a true case of changing our way of thinking, and so changing what lies before us, and eliminating, or at least seeing in a new light, the problem.

By agracier – NO VIEWS, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57157533

Though this square of Mars to Uranus usually creates a bit of mayhem, this time because of sign placements it offers a new way of acting and reacting, via the intellect, to material ‘surprises’ that, when we think about them, aren’t really surprises at all; once they show themselves, we can easily draw the line from what occurs to the unique circumstances under which it originated–and that means our reactions can be grounded in (Taurean) reality, rather than forcing Self-reliance and a ‘fight it with your mind’ Arian stance.

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Next up: Your Ascendant Zodiapedia: Sagittarius, and then the Scorpio Full Moon.

Aspect Expectations Part 2 + What You’re Asking

23 Monday Apr 2018

Posted by in 11th House, Aspect Delineation, aspects and placements, astrology, Astrology of Careers Vocations and Callings, Eros, Grand Cross/Grand Square, What You're Asking

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Józef Chełmoński – ‘Noc gwiaździsta’ {{PD}}

In our ‘you can’t tell all you need to know from just one aspect’ article, we discussed how an aspect that might seem straightforward when presented alone morphs and changes meaning, gaining shadow and perspective, when seen in relation to other chart placements. To review: we talked about a natal T-square with Moon-North Node in Aquarius as the arm and an opposition of Jupiter-Mercury to Ascendant-Pallas (you can review the aspect discussion here). We also noted that Merc, Jupiter, Sun, and Venus are all in Scorpio, suggesting a focus on, valuing of, and identification with the energies of regeneration, re-birth, destruction, and transformation, and that the Sun is conjoined Venus (suggesting a ‘beautiful person’ in some context) and that Mars and Neptune are conjoined in Virgo in the 5th, implying ideals and imagination acted upon in creative or risk-taking ways, or one who can appear to act in such ways–or whose actions imply criticism or assessment through spiritual or creative acts–and with Pisces on the 11th and Aries on the 12th, we may be talking about the individual as group leader, driven by the unconscious. There also may be identification with the Arts or the spiritual, through both the individual ‘I Am’ and through the fact that this chart belongs to a male.

Did your ideas of what kind of person this might be change as you learned more? Did you make a guess as to what this person is known for, what their accomplishments might be, or how this individual may interact with others? Let’s add one more placement, turning that T-square (and the dynamic of that aspect is still valid, in case you’re wondering) into a Fixed Grand Cross with South Node-Ceres in Leo at the bottom of the chart. I’ll let a small excerpt from my forthcoming Moon book take it from here:

Mr. X, as we know, has “a 10th House Aquarius Moon that is only 7 minutes off exact conjunction to his North Node, part of a Grand Cross involving Ceres-South Node, Mercury-Jupiter, and Pallas-Ascendant. Emotions certainly have driven his life direction—as has a deep need to prove his power and authority (Ceres—he loved to present himself to followers as a force of Nature, even as Love itself, easy to persuade susceptible others of this with the Sun-Venus conjunction in the 7th); too, his communications had a ‘larger than life’ quality (Merc-Jupiter—certainly, he claimed more than once he was the Messiah, speaking as Jupiter, that is, as a god), with a persona that persuaded others he was intelligent and skilled (Pallas-ASC)—presenting someone wise, to be listened to, served, even worshiped.”

There we see something of the life reflected in the chart. And we go on: “The problem with a Grand Cross, as we know, is that when one arm is activated, the whole thing ‘lights up’—in this case, emotion and the desire to dictate the future (Moon-NN) prompted conflicts within, ones that likely pointed out to Mr. X just how powerless he’d been in the past (as a neglected and mistreated child—Ceres conj SN), and how his desire to communicate within the social order (Merc-Jup) was denied; with this latter, as an aspiring musician Mr. X had met (famous musician) who introduced Mr. X to his producer—who turned down the potential for future projects with the soon-to-be cult leader (Mars-Neptune conjunct in the 5th, suggesting the ego/ ‘I Am’ expression through both music and the creative imagination—and what’s more creatively ego-filled than starting your own cult?)

We also know that an Aquarius Moon can confuse emotions with thoughts, and vice versa; add that inclination to a loose Finger of God with base of Sun-Venus and Mars-Neptune, apex Sedna in the 12th, and we get a description of someone who is at once totally aware of the nonsense he proclaims (he knows he’s not God, nor Love Incarnate), as well as at the same time being significantly deluded about who he is and what he does, particularly about what his actions mean—and it all feeds out into the Cosmos, through his ‘blind spot’ behaviors (Sedna in 12th).”

I imagine by now you’ve got a much more dimensional picture of someone than you had on reading that first, single aspect description. There’s a brief quiz at the end of the post; that’s where the answer to our example is–or have you already figured it out?

‘Julie Demboski’s ASTROLOGY’ has almost reached 1.5 million views–thanks, everyone!

And now, a little ‘What You’re Asking’

NN and MC synastry

Contact between the North Node of one individual’s natal chart and the Midheaven of another’s can exert quite a pull, and this is so whether there are other compelling contacts cross-chart or not. The MC person may feel the life direction of the NN person is instrumental in his own achievement in career or within public view, or that the NN person will give him, one way or another, status. The NN person may feel the MC person’s image, role, or status will make or break her future or the trajectory the life will take. There’s a caveat here, though, in the form of this: the compulsive feeling this contact generates may or may not be accurate. And there’s a problem: each person may feel irrationally that the other person needs to provide something to them–the perceptions, then, are not about the real-life other–all the individual’s attention is trained on themselves, leaving the other person to some extent unseen. It could be a case of believing the other person is important completely out of proportion to the actual relationship and independent of what one can do for the other–and that’s the most important thing, to determine if these are just wacky connections that feel vital but in the end lead nowhere, or if they’re an impetus to playing truly pivotal roles in each other’s lives (so once again, we can’t really tell from just one aspect!)

‘What natal sign is friendship?’

This is one of those questions that reveals a lack of clarity (or perhaps a lack of knowledge) on the part of the questioner. There’s no one astrological sign that stands for friendship; the subjects and areas of life are divided up among the Houses, not the signs, and friendship resides in the 11th of the natal chart. It’s important when looking for answers to our questions using astrology that we understand where and how those answers are available–because if you think the answer to your question will be found one way (by locating a sign) rather than the ‘right’ way (by knowing that life subjects are indicated by Houses) then you’ll waste your time and never find out what you really want to know. It’s not just a matter of looking in the wrong place; it’s as if you’ve misplaced your keys and then try to use a sandwich to open the door. No, just no.

Aphrodite, Pan, Eros Photo By Jebulon {{PD}}

Transits of Eros

. . . can stir temporary erotic feelings toward matters ruled by or people symbolized by the contacted natal energy. What we need to remember is, Eros is, first and foremost, an energy of projection. A sense of desire, sexual energy, and a mesmerizing attraction don’t emanate from any individual or object, but exist within our own minds–which means that we are the instruments of erotic perception, rather than that anything is erotic within its own nature.

So what can we expect from a transit? First, relax–nothing suddenly becomes erotically stimulating out of the blue! During a transit of Eros we may find something more acceptable or understand its attractiveness to others, if it’s something outside our normal appetites–it doesn’t automatically become of sexual interest, but may only allow us to see its appeal. Say we see Eros conjoin our Mars. The Warrior already carries sexual energy and describes something of our sexual ‘style’, as well as what we find appealing in a man (and that’s aside from our sexual orientation–it applies to anyone). Our Mars is in Virgo, and Eros comes along to make those individuals who reflect our tastes suddenly very appealing. Maybe we like outdoor-sy men, those who farm, who like to work with their hands, or do our Mars in Virgo tastes run more toward sexy accountants or writers? You get the picture.

Next up, Uranus into Taurus and Chiron into Aries. Enjoy your week!

Aspect Expectations, What You’re Asking, and Chiron Bites Back

20 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, aspects and placements, astrology, Astrology of Careers Vocations and Callings, Chiron, T-Square, What You're Asking

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‘Pythagoreans Celebrate Sunrise’ Presumably, they’ve already done the math. By Fyodor Bronnikov {{PD}}

We have a print in our house by the artist Julie Dillon. It’s called ‘Sleeping Giant’, and depicts an enormous ‘robot’, long ‘dead’, being worshiped as if it were a god, robed supplicants in attendance, votives and offerings placed before it. I love the way the picture tells a story, all at once: stripped of its original beingness, its purpose and point, the human mind sees this incomprehensible entity and fills in a scenario of what it must’ve been. The reverence is supplied by the observer; the thing itself is just what it is, and holds no sense of the sacred beyond what it’s given.

When we stop knowing what something is, we inevitably forget what it’s for; that seems obvious, but really isn’t. It’s easy to overlay our ability to perceive with expectations, judgments, assumptions, and beliefs, to the point where we not only don’t see what’s before us, we forget the original intent or purpose behind both the thing we’re observing and our decision to observe.

In astrology we transgress in this way when we see an aspect and think we know its meaning, devoid of context or other contacts; it’s why I’m so loathe to talk about aspects outside the landscape of a chart. Without House placement, rulerships, and other bodies or points aspected as part of the picture, what we see may be highly skewed, our own judgments and suppositions superimposed on the aspect; in reality, that aspect is a framework that gains full and nuanced meaning only when seen as part of a whole.

A brief example: if I say to you, assuming this is found in a natal chart, “Moon conjoined North Node in Aquarius”, and the conjunction is close, with only a seven minute differential, what characteristics spring to mind? Someone forward-thinking, intuitively inventive or innovative, a ‘free feeler’ with an emotional nature that embraces the intellect, and intellectual methods–and so may be a tad disconnected from the feeling nature–but we can’t be sure how this presents itself with so little info. To draw many conclusions about someone from this alone could be highly misleading–so what if we add more info?

“Ascendant conjoined Pallas in Taurus, only seven minutes past perfection, with this combo square that Moon-NN in Aquarius”. Now what might you think? Pallas rising suggests the individual meets the world in a practical or smart way, and that that’s what others see, someone wise beyond their years, especially when it comes to material matters, worldly things, survival and comfort. The square introduces the idea of conflict, and describes a smart personality at odds with an intellectual approach to feeling–which definitely doesn’t mesh with the Taurean predisposition to soothe through the senses. So, we have someone who presents much differently than they feel.

Now we add this to the picture: “Fixed T-square, NN-Moon as the arm (placing this combo at the top of the chart, in the individual’s 10th) to an opposition of ASC-Pallas to Jupiter and a stationary Mercury in Scorpio, roughly four degrees apart”. A T-square alerts us to the fact that all those seeming positives (wise presentation, progressive attitudes, keeping an eye on the future, strong connection among emotions, intuition, and intellect) might be part of a tense dynamic, one that could bring out their less positive sides. Jupiter-Merc in Scorpio suggests a deep, intense, almost cutting mental emphasis on knowledge, but whether that’s based in belief or actual facts we can’t determine outright, and exaggeration may be both a communication style and a way of thinking/ perceiving. But we do know that Mercury is stationary in a Fixed Water sign, which implies, just like the Moon in Aquarius, a mixing of feeling and thought, and possibly the emotions and mentality stubbornly ‘stuck’ at a particular phase, outlook, or level of development, and we get a glimpse of this through that ASC-Pallas picture: this individual is keyed to comfort and survival in whatever way the childhood environment dictated as practical or smart.

So what do we think now? Since our first aspect description, we may have decided this individual is much more emotional than we first suspected, and that they may be prone to use the mentality to justify what they feel–and that may be accompanied by the danger of presenting as very wise to others, which can be persuasive to those who may accept hyperbole as facts (as may the individual). We might think that spiritual or religious beliefs could permeate the mental faculties (and that beliefs, feelings, what’s smart, and the mental faculties could be in constant conflict or under tension), and that part of what this individual may do is bring these beliefs to others through the effectiveness of the personality. There’s also that cutting edge to Merc, Jupiter, Sun, and Venus all in Scorpio, that urge to destroy as much as to re-make, and the tension presented by the personal emotional make-up, that could clash and cry out for expression.

Two more factoids: Sun and Venus are closely conjoined in Scorpio (but not conj Jup-Merc), and Mars and Neptune are only 35 minutes apart in Virgo. How do these bolster either positive or negative impressions for you? What profession would you imagine this individual would choose–and what do you think life might choose, for them? Check back in a day or three, when I’ll present the chart these aspects come from, and you can decide how much or how little you really can glean from the one-aspect-at-a-time game.

Just to let you know: there’s a Russian language (scratch that, I think it’s actually Ukrainian) page offering Eclipse subscriptions–when Eclipse is no longer being published! So don’t give them your money, okay?

People are wondering . . .

. . . why so many astrologers got the US election ‘wrong’:

I think this is due to faulty assumptions underlying their interpretations. It seems to me they saw more positive/ ‘easier’ aspects in Hillary Clinton’s chart, and more challenging ones in Trump’s, and so assumed that meant a Hillary win; the problem with that is the belief that positive aspects imply winning a contest–but what they really imply is that what occurs is positive for the individual, from the individual’s point of view.

Centaur of Lefkandi, 1050 – 900 BCE, identified as Chiron, found in two pieces in two different tombs at the site of Toumba. It’s the first 3-D sculpture of a centaur ever. Archaeological Museum of Eretria. Photo By Jebulon CC0

. . . about an unaspected Chiron

Like any chart energy, an unaspected Chiron will generally function in one of two ways: either the wounded nature takes over the chart (and so the individual) becoming the most prominent thing within the psyche, or it floats around, disconnected from the individual psyche, so that when that wound is ‘touched’ the person reacts and doesn’t know they’re reacting. In both cases, the Chirotic nature has not been integrated with the other energies, impulses, and traits, and so either consumes the processing and perceptive functions or is completely denied by them–that is, the individual claims to carry no wound at all, or to have processed and dealt with wounds so completely that no psychic injuries remain–and that’s just not possible, for a human. It’s like an unaspected energy takes a bite out of our ability to comprehend the world and our place in it–Chiron (along with Mars and Pluto, and possibly others) is the kind that, as we try to reclaim it by consciously incorporating its energy and intents, just may bite us back, discouraging our efforts and making acceptance and absorption that much more difficult.

Check back in a bit for a new post that will give the answers to our aspect-reading example, along with more ‘What You’re Asking’, and have a lovely weekend!

Your Ascendant Zodiapedia: ‘Down Deep’ Scorpio + Saturn Retrograde

17 Tuesday Apr 2018

Posted by in astrology, Retrogrades + Directions, Saturn Retrograde, Scorpio, The Ascendant

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‘Deep Art Photo of Etno Histria violins’ 2009,
By Ekke from Durham, United Kingdom Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

Scorpio is so often misunderstood, especially when it sits on the Ascendant. Others are just naturally afraid of someone who’s dark, deep, powerful, mysterious, and who feels inaccessible, no matter how open and transparent they try to be. When others receive you with vague suspicion, no matter your behavior or motivations, you’re bound to get involved in a feedback loop that more often ends up supporting observers assessments (from their point of view) than refuting them, under the same principle wherein even sane utterings from a sane person sound crazy once you’re labeled that way. This is the burden Scorpio bears—along with a reputation for vindictiveness—but is that deserved?

Not at all; I think what happens is that Scorpio is so deeply, almost violently, emotionally perceptive and receptive, and yet prone to bury those feelings, that when they do let them show they have an overwhelming power of expression that impresses onlookers—and imprints these tempestuous feelings on observers as ‘the way Scorpio is’. Others feel and behave with the same ideas of passion, revenge, love, remorse, and so on that Scorpio does, but they do it sneakily or unconsciously or passive-aggressively or manage to manipulate others to do it for them, and so avoid the kind of reputation Scorpio has—so their reputation is much more about appearances than reality, in this regard.

Scorpio is also known for wanting to destroy or change what they encounter—but this is simply a mechanism for getting to the Truth, which is the Scorpion’s Holy Grail. Scorpio on the Ascendant suggests the individual is on a quest of sorts, something that compels them to restlessly research and dig and uncover until they reach what they’re longing for (and this is often described by what aspects to personal energies Pluto makes in the natal chart: Sun, who they truly are or what they’re here for, Moon, how they feel or developing trust in their own intuition, Merc, connection or communication or the feeling of ‘brotherhood’, Venus, love or reward as determined by their own values, Mars, a leader or protector or a role as leader themselves, Jupiter, knowledge or a philosophy of life that has ‘the answers’). The intensity of their quest and the laser-like focus that just comes naturally to the Scorpion can give others the impression that they are withdrawn, not interested in human contact, or angry all the time—but they’re not—it’s just Scorpionic concentration!

From the inside looking out, Scorpio may be overly responsive to the environment, but learned to hide it—it just didn’t feel safe having others know how Scorpio felt. In early life, Scorpio was probably in a highly reactive, threatening, or even dangerous milieu and/ or around such persons—but we must remember, from the viewpoint of a child, there’s much that we take for granted or even find amusing as adults that could be traumatizing for the inexperienced. This is why it’s important to remember that the Ascendant viewpoint is a reaction that feels to the individual like it’s a necessity; it doesn’t reflect reality so much as the individual’s idea of reality. What we can state with certainty is that Scorpio found the environs intense (and for Scorpio on the Ascendant this could be doubly so, and is also true for any individual no matter the Moon or Ascendant’s sign, who is also born with a Void-of-Course Moon). Just keep in mind that with Scorpio on the Ascendant you’re dealing with someone who just wants the Truth—and though there’s no guarantee that you and Scorpio will see the truth in exactly the same way, it will establish trust—and once this Ascendant trusts you, you have an ally for life.

Saturn’s that guy at the party who stands in the corner and whispers about how he just knows the cops will be there any minute. Photo By Yamen – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56401192

See a little on the atmosphere created by Merc’s direction, and take a peek at the recent New Moon. See more of my work here, donate to your favorite astrologers, and chin up! The retro of Saturn this evening (the 17th Pacific time) happens at 9 Capricorn 08, with first contact (other than Lunar contact) a race between Merc and Ceres moving toward the retrograding Saturn, with Ceres winning by a nose, forming a quincunx that requires real-world adjustment to our ideas of what constitutes our territory, to our personal authority expression and sense of empowerment, within negotiations, or in any maternal or nurturing roles we fulfill. See, we just have to be more realistic in our interactions–and really, that’s a good thing, as we can’t get ‘there’ without knowing where we’re coming from ‘here’. And have a great week!

Mercury’s Post-Direction Journey: 10 Days in April 2018

14 Saturday Apr 2018

Posted by in astrology, Astrology and Communication, Consciousness Explored, Dreams, Mercury Direction, Retrogrades + Directions, Sabian Symbols

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By © 2017 Jee & Rani Nature Photography (License: CC BY-SA 4.0), CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58519377

Though Mercury has already stationed for turnaround, it hasn’t happened yet; we have to wait until 2:21 AM Pacific time of the 15th for a technical shift in direction. Merc’s direct motion starts at 4 Aries 46, with Mercury’s first post-direction contacts (other than ones received from Luna) coming on the 25th-26th close together: a square to Saturn in Capricorn and a trine to Ceres in Leo. That leaves a relatively long stretch when Merc is picking up speed and unimpeded (as well as not imposing its own agenda) on anything else. Merc in Aries is about communicating who we are, and what we want, as individuals–so expect a spate of realizing just what it is we want or think, then speaking up, speaking out, followed after ten days or so by giving those ideas solid form, or stopping something we’ve found objectionable (Saturn) in a perfect (that is, balanced) expression of our identity, essence, and authority (Ceres, in all her glory in Leo).

Just hours after technical direction, we see the New Moon in Aries, and in the run up to Merc’s first contacts we see Chiron enter Aries, Sun conjoin Uranus then enter Taurus, and Venus sweep over Sedna and then enter Gemini, from which it sextiles Chiron, both still in 00 degrees–and at that point we see Mercury poised to make his statement. This should bring a kind of progression, a building of energies, that starts with a re-focusing on the sense of woundedness from a Universal one to a personal and individual one. This may prompt unusual revelations about the Self and the identity; things we’ve not seen as wounds before suddenly are, while other hurts we’ve assumed may be exposed as nothing at all. Attention shifts, then, to the material, to nurture, to tending those wounds (and in worst-case scenarios, to feeding them!) Meanwhile, relationships, finances, and our values all take it deep, dipping into instincts, things we ‘know but don’t know’, and into our own ‘blind spot’, in order to reveal the wounds, the ‘true’ state of the identity, and to organize and make sense of what transpired during the retrograde phase. Only then, just before Mercury makes its first aspects post-direction, will we know with any certainty what we should do, and how we should proceed. And that’s the essence of my advice at this time: in spite of the direction, wait–you’ll learn a great deal in those ten days that will have a significant impact on your perspective.

Albrecht Dürer – ‘Wing of a Roller’ 1511 {{PD}}

The Sabian symbol for the direction point perhaps offers a formula: ‘A Triangle With Wings’=elevated balance–not a bad goal, at all.

And now for an update on my dream life. I was in what seemed to be the lobby of an old department store, and as people came through the revolving doors I took it upon myself to decide who could come in and who was turned back. Even in the dream I thought I might be overstepping, but everyone supported me in this role and there were no arguments–everything was decided with my intuition, and everyone seemed to see this as valid. Then I toured the building, which was immense, filled with innumerable rooms, and as I moved through the corridors more and more people came along with me. I returned to the lobby as it seemed that’s where I was ‘needed’. A man sat on an elevated platform; he was in intense pain. I knew him from ‘before’ (which I took to be earlier in the dream). He was Indian, had been a soldier, and had been tortured in the Middle East; he was now severely deformed, with part of his spine sticking out of his back, his entire mid-section twisted. I sat before him and cupped my hands around one of his knees. Between my palms appeared a flow of what looked like deep golden marigold petals, and these somehow took away the man’s pain. Then I woke up (or as they say, did I go to sleep to dream my ‘real’ life?) This seemed to be along the same lines as that last dream I shared, so thought it might be of interest to some.

‘Marigolds and Tangerines’ By Félix Vallotton {{PD}}

Now the astrology. Last night around the time of the dream, the Moon and Mercury were conjoined in Aries in my communication 3rd=intuited information on my role or the actions I should take–communication through emotion (or perhaps empathy). Neptune and Hygeia were closely conjoined in Pisces and smack on my Black Moon Lilith=through dreams what has been ignored or denied is explored, the healthy way shown. t Jupiter trine natal Moon and natal Ceres, forming a Water Grand Trine=a glimpse of my ‘natural’ role/ authority, at expressing a personal, nurturing role, or was it a wee peek at the afterlife (Jupiter is now so strongly associated with death). And t NN is sextile my natal Jupiter, and Ceres sextile and Pallas trine my natal Mars, with t Saturn still within orb of a square to that Mars=addressing the Will, Self-actualization, the life direction; it’s the smart thing to do, though difficult to bring into the reality. t Vesta is square my natal Mercury, and this catches natal Neptune at the midpoint=I must face how I think about what I honor–this message is delivered through the dream life. t Sedna closely opposed my natal Venus=time to treasure what I ‘know but don’t know’, what the instincts reveal, and perhaps to find the value in what has, possibly just until the present, been hidden in my ‘blind spot’. And or all of these interpretations could be followed by a great, big question mark 🙂

Of course, these are just guesses, but it’s fun to look at the astrology and see what it might reveal (or, more often, obscure!) Have a wonderful week!