Category Archives: astrology

11 July 2010: The Solar Eclipse, Your Invitation to the Party

10 Saturday Jul 2010

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This Solar eclipse has an incredible assertive energy going on; it also sits at the midpoint of a trine that spells trouble; and a couple of aspects are slightly outside my strict-but-constantly-stretching boundaries ( and this may be where you start to wonder if I shouldn’t ditch the 2 degree rule altogether; in keeping the rule I’m very careful about what I consider to be an eclipse aspect, and avoid ‘kitchen sink’ syndrome).  As always, the variations are slight, and needed to see the complete eclipse picture.

The eclipse begins at 12:40 PM PDT on July 11th, as Sun and Moon conjunct at 19 Cancer 23. The assertive energies are found in the Sun/ Moon still valid conjunction to Juno–think of a power figure who gets what they want by offering nurture, or by calling on the ties they’ve already created, and this may  involve a sense of obligation, duty, or ‘I owe’–it’s the bargain this Sun/ Moon combo creates, and the sextile to Vesta/ Mars in Virgo says that there will be an accounting going on, likely of energy expended, and the one doing the counting will be prone to consider this expenditure sacred–and expect payback.

Our Sabian for the eclipse degree is ‘A Venetian Gondolier Giving a Serenade’ The gondolier is, of course, singing because it’s part of the sh0wmanship of his job; at bottom, he does a thing of beauty because he wants to get paid. That’s not to discount that he may love his role, that singing may be a joyous expression for him, and that his singing may be spontaneous, performed for any Soul within earshot. What it reminds us, though, is that life is about the flow and exchange of energy in all its forms, and that the roles we play (no matter how innate to our character or genuine to our Being) are played as part of a Universal agreement of exchange for mutual benefit–it’s a reminder that we must give what’s most true to our talents, and that we have an obligation to discover what those are. By implication there is also the idea that the farther we are from our best expression, the farther from that Universal ‘flow’ we are (and remember, flow goes both directions, not just toward you!)

Does this suggest that the hovering maternal (for this is the essence of caring) to whom we’re obligated is really the Universe? A wide quincunx of the eclipse to Ceres certainly supports this, and a sextile to Sedna further implies we just can’t see this–and by ‘this’ I mean both how closely we are woven into the fabric of the Cosmos, and how what we see as obligations may really be opportunities to bring, somehow, more of ourselves forward. It’s an invitation to the Universal party, the one we signed up for when we commited to being here. It may, in the end, be a call to be more genuine, to refuse to hide parts of ourselves (and we hide our talents as much as we hide what we may be ashamed of, because our abilities don’t agree with our tattered and Self-imposed, socially driven image of how we think we should be–and that amounts to rejecting ourselves, and so rejecting the flow that’s offered–and my answer to that is, who do we think we are, to judge ourselves so?)

This is a very positive eclipse pattern–so now you may be wondering about that trine I mentioned that spells trouble–and that is, the eclipse sits at the midpoint of the Sedna trine to Mars/ Vesta. This means both will be equally and strongly stimulated, and that implies we may not see (Sedna) how we may be prone to treat both our actions and our ego as sacred (Mars/ Vesta). It’s easy (the trine) to not see our own motives and aims–and the eclipse, which prompts us to action most genuine to ourselves, calls for that action to be in line with our talents and roles. A balancing act, to be sure–but one that must go forward, as the Cardinal placement of the eclipse insists we must act–and this influence will continue for six months, through to the next eclipse set.

More on the eclipse can be found here http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-eclipse-spring-2010/ Thanks!

Your invitation to the party, July 11th 2010

8 July 2010: Taking the Purge

07 Wednesday Jul 2010

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Moon enters Gemini on the 8th at 12:50 AM PDT. The square to Chiron is immediate, pointing up both rough spots and skills, and revving up our engines, in a way–this aspect may key us to pay attention to mustering skills and putting them to use, or to ruminating on our wounds or upsets–and you know which one is the better use of time, with one exception: if you need to fully absorb a hurt in order to understand it and let it go. In that case, go fully into sadness, hurt, and all that you need to explore–it will act as a purge that will leave you ready for the next thing.

There’s a Finger of God formed 6-10 AM PDT on the 8th with apex Moon and base of Pluto and Pallas. This suggests the wisdom of destruction, change, or perhaps the smart choice in processing and letting go that some who tuned into the wounded energy of the previous Chiron aspect will go through, and that when applied this will allow a flow of emotional expression and realization of feeling. This is a good energy to take advantage of, an emotional purge that can’t really go wrong.

Mercury quincunx Neptune=words may carry meanings we don’t intend; fantasies, the subconscious, dreams, and ideals intrude–just be aware.

Sun conjunct Juno=empowering methods are spotlighted–it’s easy to see what behaviors will give us the the clout to do as we please. Pay attention, even if you don’t move to make this happen right away–what you become aware of will be useful when you do want to act.

Noonish on the 8th PDT we enter the Dark of the Moon, pre-Solar eclipse. We may see a number of reactions possible: mindless chattering to let energy out; a stuttering skip to our thoughts, moving them at random from point to point; silences that come from being overwhelmed with too much perception and no way to express it; a pleasant lightness that can almost act as a meditation. Allow yourself to lean into the prevalent energy, and try to relax, to gather yourself by letting go of a need to organize or express too specifically. This lasts through the New Moon, and can bring us to the Sun/ Moon conjunction clean, purged of what we truly don’t need.

Next up: the Solar Eclipse! And do stay cool!

30 June 2010: We Face Our Fears

29 Tuesday Jun 2010

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Most of the non-Moon influences from yesterday hold over, and keep much of the same atmosphere going. We spend the shank of the day-as they say in the old country 🙂 -eeking out those last hours of the Aquarius Moon, maybe straining a little too much to make the energies count–but today it may be better to wait until the Void (beginning at 3:03 PM PDT) to really apply ourselves. Why? Even though South Node and Juno were sesquiquadrate Neptune, we didn’t really notice–not until Mercury joined them, the Sun moved into proximity, and the Moon came along and triggered our notice–and now they seem to speak to us! Or at least, they’re in the corner, mumbling about our past, our need for empowerment, and those fears specific to our emotions–and the problem is, those fears that are our illusions, and even those things we fear might be illusions, are the Neptunian boogey man that lurks nearby and keeps us from dragging those worries into the sunlight and sorting them out. Zeus doesn’t help, as he squares the gathering in Cancer and makes the Fist stir up all our ambitions and desires, and the fears related to those. We may be wrestling with something along these lines by afternoon PDT, and once the Void begins, the fears and hesitancies will dissipate, and we can tackle whatever it is that’s on our minds.

The Moon enters Pisces at 6:10 PM PDT and conjuncts Chiron, and our first thoughts may be: Ow! Why the heck did I go digging around in all that emotional dross?! But then we’ll realize we’re being handed the recipe for healing that situation we’ve been embroiled in all day. 1 AM-ish PDT the Moon sextiles Pluto, and we come to terms with what it is that must change, be re-born, or go.

July will be here any minute–be prepared with ECLIPSE! http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-eclipse-spring-2010/ Thanks!

Today’s Link: I like this quick guide to making a good electional decision http://askchristine.wordpress.com/2010/03/24/easy-electional-astrology-by-the-moon/ Also catch J Lee Lehman’s fascinating What is a Spiritual Disease? http://leephd.blogspot.com/

Lunar Eclipse 26 June 2010: Partial Eclipse, Complete Transformation

25 Friday Jun 2010

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A partial Lunar eclipse in Capricorn begins at 4:30 AM PDT on the 26th at 4 Capricorn 46. I cover a couple of configurations active at the eclipse here http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-eclipse-spring-2010/ and this info concentrates in particular on the dynamics we can expect; here we’ll talk about the most arresting aspect of the eclipse, the Earth/ Moon/ Pluto line-up with only 41 minutes separation, along with the other aspects that fall into our 2 degree orb. This conclave in Capricorn is startling; how can we have a culmination (Full Moon) that is also either a wipe-out or an experience of total transformation?

If we think of it like this, it makes sense: bringing matters of the House axis across which this eclipse falls (and particularly in the House where the Moon/ Earth falls) to a moment of culmination, to a conclusion or point of determination where we can say, “This is what it is, this is what we have, this is how it ends,” will bring its own new material view/ view of reality, one that transforms the subject at hand into something utterly and entirely different. The conclusion of one event, progression, or situation births another–it rises like the phoenix from the ashes of what came before, and because of what came before we are prepared to see it in a whole new way.

The Sabian for this degree is: ‘Indians on the Warpath. While Some Men Row a Well-Filled Canoe, Others In It Perform a War Dance.’ This suggests that the eclipse brings about a very particular attitude, one that is so strongly felt that aggression (or at least unequivocal assertion) is the proposed course of action. This attitude is taken by people well-equipped to wage war on/ let their attitudes be known to others, and there is no hesitancy in letting everyone know that this is the intent–though you’ll notice, no ‘war’ is actually being engaged in; this is bluster, hype, threats, a cry of ‘look how serious we are!’–and that implies that the intent is really to transform the playing field, to change the way others regard us, to be taken seriously.

The other aspects that fall within our orb measurement that figure in to this are an opposition to the Moon by Mercury, and the eclipse axis plus Mercury and Pluto create a T-square with Jupiter in Aries. This gives us more hints about meaning: we really are trying to communicate something quite distinct about who we are (Mercury conjunct the Sun), and we are willing to exaggerate to get our message across (Jupiter). The point is to broadcast an image that makes ‘them’ take ‘us’ more seriously ; the point is not to engage in an actual war, only to threaten this kind of all-out effort, in which consequences cannot be anticipated and destruction of some kind is almost guaranteed. (Note that Merc and Jupiter are both slightly more than 2 degrees from aspect but as always, the chart must be assessed as a whole, with necessary leeway granted in order to make sense of the Big Picture).

The eclipse makes one other aspect, with Moon/ Earth/ Pluto sextile Pallas. This tells us something that may be rather surprising about this image of broadcast aggressive intent: it’s a smart thing to do. Our own wisdom prompts us to make this noise, to beat this particular drum in this particular way, and it’s good that we do. Part of gaining the respect of others is that we are considered skilled and worthy Beings capable of effecting our surroundings–each of us needs this kind of regard, and built in to it is a certain animal response: we do not respect those who don’t have an effect on things or on us, and this is not a matter of physicality so much as a matter of the energy of the spirit as it reaches out to the spirits of others. It is the respect of one living thing recognizing the spark in another, and it’s this impression we’re seeking to make.

Today’s Link: I couldn’t be more enthusiastic about the Self-development exercises offered by Kelly Beard http://karmictools.com/EnergyoftheMonth.html Her audio offerings in particular are outstanding; you will be impressed by the depth and detail of her work and enlightened on so many of the ways unused or misdirected energies may make themselves felt.  Please explore her world, and treat her generously–you’ll be glad you did!

22 June 2010: Aggression Becomes Compassion

21 Monday Jun 2010

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We have Mars/ Vesta conjunct in Virgo, sextile Juno in Cancer, and this may express the heart of things for the 22nd: our own and others’ Will may be seen as sacred by the various parties, where each grants her- or himself the right to critique, criticize, and nitpick, but woe unto the individual who tries to apply these exercises in discernment to others. Criticism will not be well received, and we won’t accept a laundry list of our own faults well, either–but that’s not all . . .

Aggression, or at least Self-assertion, will be seen as a right, and we may be very intent on implementing our Will, particularly on the home front, in the sex life, and in those areas we see as sacrosanct. If we can fix on facts and details, and use them as a kind of rational baseline, we can then set reasonable boundaries between asserting ourselves and respecting others.

The sextile to Juno only hypes up the vibe, but with one significant addition: if we use the considerable confidence and energy to take caring action, to nurture others, and to practice true empathy, we can take these most prevalent influences and turn them into hugely productive actions that are wonderfully beneficial to those who surround us. A calm, loving, caring Cancer manner, assisted by the depth of feeling and the ability to embrace even the darkness with total acceptance that is the gift of the Scorpio Moon, will serve us well today, as our contribution can make a real difference.

At last! http://www.starsoverwashington.com/2010/06/horoscope-of-us-solar-return-2010.html

The magazine http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-eclipse-spring-2010/

And something different on the subject of an eclipse http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100414/REVIEWS/100419985/1023

17 June 2010: Take Your Corners!

17 Thursday Jun 2010

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Actually, it’s the celestial energies that are taking their corners; they have been for awhile, but today in particular we may notice, and this should continue in the same intensity for about two weeks, as the Sun/ Earth axis moves toward entry to Cancer/ Capricorn, then on to conjunct the Nodal axis. When the Sun hits the South Node (3 July) we’ll see the point of it all. The Sun shines on placeholder Juno (4 Cancer 55), marrying the symbol of personal empowerment July 8th, but we’ll get the message of this conjunction well before that as Mercury makes Superior Conjunction to the Sun (28 June) then beats the Solar power to the punch by uniting with Juno on 30 June, making its own version of the ancient idea of translation of light from one body to another by a third. It’s a period of discovery, illumination, and getting to the reasons why, so appreciate what you’re shown over this time, as it can be very useful.

Of course, we have Jupiter and Uranus in the Aries corner, offering their own brand of revelation, perhaps surprising us or revolutionizing some part of our life, and whatever it brings, it will feel Big, and maybe exaggerated. The Sun approaching square to this will only light it up and bring it forward.

We have Earth and Ceres moving toward the Cappy entry point, ready to join Pluto in the early degrees, cranking up the reality factor: material circumstances are a changin’ and the earth will move under our feet, at least figuratively if not otherwise. Change change change, and part of that change will be to the power structure. Who has authority may shift, and Mother Nature won’t sit idly by; instead she’ll put her hand in and help it all along.

The final corner right now has only lonesome Saturn, out of sign. I wrote about the effect of this in ECLIPSE http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-eclipse-spring-2010/, and you know I don’t like to repeat myself 🙂  So let’s just say ‘stumbling block,’ and leave it at that.

Today’s Moon in Virgo hits Mars (right now!) then Vesta, and may make us a little too fond of our statistics and our details, and we may defend facts without considering differing viewpoints. Just taking it down a notch will smooth the way today.

If you haven’t already, see the last few days posts for some excellent material at some of my sister sites. Today’s Link is not astrology at all, but a wonderful resource for the gentler Arts http://bitze.wordpress.com/ Thanks, and have a great one!

16 June 2010: A Magic Touch

15 Tuesday Jun 2010

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We pick up the Lunar action on the 16th in the 9 AM hour PDT with the Leo Moon’s square to Sedna–we may be sailing along confidently only to be blindsided. It’s not disastrous, but rather disorienting–just don’t let it throw you for the rest of the day.

By 2 PM PDT the Moon is trine Earth and sextile the Sun, helping us find our footing after the morning’s shake-up. The period we wait for, though, occurs in the 7 PM hour PDT, as the Moon trines Ceres, opposes Neptune, and is semi-sextile to Saturn. This can be kind of magical, as we bring our sense of natural authority, backed by the energy of creation itself, to bear on reality. This offers us the chance to make things happen in a way that seems effortless; the sleight-of-hand is illusion, however, as a genuine talent for manifesting based on image or ideal comes forward for those who have disciplined their impulses and have earned the mojo to make it happen. An unlucky few may face the uncovering of a deception, delusion, or the undeniable destruction of a fantasy; the up side for all is a renewed sense of personal power as we become better grounded and perhaps gain a fresh awareness of new-found abilities.

Void begins at 8:24 PM; Moon enters Virgo 10:40 PM PDT. Right away she faces the powerhouses at 00 and 01 of the signs: Chiron in Pisces, Uranus and Jupiter in Aries. It’s a challenge; will we use the impetus to heal and bring out skills, or will we succumb to collapsing inward like a dying star? Uranus and Jupiter ask us to adjust our ideas of uniqueness, expansion, reaching out, intellectual creativity, knowledge, religious fervor, and/ or innovation so that the implementation fits our world. It’s smart to be flexible, and most of us will.

Bonus! Merc trine Zeus=just listen, and you’ll find out exactly what others want, and what their ambitions are–desires are an open book, so if there’s something you want to know . . .   Ceres opposed Pluto=finally, two formidable forces face off; it’s a clash of the titans–if you’re one of them, know your own strengths, and know your opponent’s–if you’re not one of them, get out of the way! A positive outcome can be negotiated, as long as both sides are willing to acknowledge the rights and power of the other.

Want more details? Get ECLIPSE! http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-eclipse-spring-2010/

Today’s Link: Excellent solstice information from Leah Whitehorse http://www.leahwhitehorse.com/2010/06/16/summer-solstice-chart-2010-i-see-you/

The Missing Kyron/ Chiron

15 Tuesday Jun 2010

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In Portland, Oregon a little boy, 7-year-old Kyron Horman, walked out of his elementary school’s end-of-year science fair and vanished. Let’s look at the chart for the time he was last seen, June 4th at approximately 8:45 AM. We’re asking, “Where is Kyron?”

I don’t mean to be glib doing this while the case is still so fresh, but the moment I heard his name, I believed there must be something to be learned through a chart of the disappearance. The Ascendant is 27 Cancer 09, just inside the proscription that the matter is already decided–not much room for change, only discovery. Kyron is represented by the 7th, which is empty and ruled by Saturn–and this matches at least a part of his personality, as he’s been described as a shy, quiet boy. Saturn is in the 3rd at 27 Virgo 51, suggesting that he’s local, close to where he was last seen, though if we renumber the Houses according to Kyron’s point-of-view, the 7th becomes the 1st, and the 3rd is the 9th, perhaps suggesting he is still on the grounds of the school, though it’s possible he’s actually far away, a victim of abduction (9th). The Moon, though, is in Kyron’s renumbered 3rd, bringing us back to the local, and the school, and it’s in obscuring Pisces.

His significator is in Virgo, the element suggesting that he is near the Earth, possibly on the floor, basement, or even underground, and Virgo itself suggests he may be hidden in an enclosure (a closet, trunk, or drawer) or in the library or near or behind bookcases or the offices, or the storage area of the kitchens–or in a tended garden area on the grounds, while the renumbered 3rd has a Pisces cusp, suggesting a damp area, or even underwater–a pond, behind pipes, near water heaters–but that’s not exactly tell-tale in Oregon. But in going back to the prominence of the 3rd, both in the original chart and in the renumbered chart, we must consider that he could’ve been removed from the scene in a car–and who knows, perhaps returned later.

Mercury is dispositor of Saturn, and it only makes two aspects, one an applying trine to Saturn, and one an applying conjunction to Sedna, perhaps suggesting he’s immediately ‘in the blind spot,’ but will eventually be found. Also interesting is that the Sun/ Earth axis is touching no bodies–extraordinary considering how many I use–but one, Zeus, and this ‘lit up’ implies the involvement of desire-Will and perhaps sexual aggression–so possibly a crime where opportunity met predation in a particularly unsavory way. We also see that the Vertex, a point of Fate, is, with one minute variation, conjunct the Earth, suggesting Fate, which we can perhaps define as something inevitable, had a controlling hand in this material outcome.

And what of Kyron’s namesake? Can it tell us anything? Chiron was at 00 Pisces 58 stationary on the way to retrograde, in Kyron’s renumbered 2nd. The 2nd is the House of Lost Things–is this simply an indicator that the boy is lost, after all, with no hope of recovery? Stationary might even suggest he’ll never be found. I hope not, I hope I’m wrong; with each hour that passes, though, it becomes less and less likely he’ll be found safe. Chiron was, in the end, a noble creature who, both in order to end his own suffering and to rescue another, gave up his life–I’m afraid the outcome for this case will lack those redeeming features.

15 June 2010: Beware the Ides of June!

14 Monday Jun 2010

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No, not really–it just seems a little scary because there are a number of tremendous energies converging and shooting their rays at each other and offering themselves to us–if we can only tap in. The 3 AM hour PDT of the 15th brings the Leo Moon to the midpoint of the Mars/ Juno sextile (emotional illumination of the empowering move–we see, or intuit, exactly what to do); the Moon is also square Pallas (conflict between what we know to be wise and what we feel is right) and quincunx Pluto (the emotions may lead us in a destructive direction–adjust away from negative results). All this makes for a confusing time: we know what we can do to empower ourselves, we know what’s smart, but the emotions insist on a different perspective. It can be a rough call, but we really must stick with what’s wise, if we want to go forward with no regrets.

Noonish the Moon sextiles Mercury, allowing some relief as we get it all out. By 3:30 PM PDT the Moon quincunxes the North Node and sextiles Zeus, and perhaps we feel we’ve shared a little too much–innocent words may come back to bite us, via someone else’s ambitious machinations. So maybe the Ides are something to beware of!

The Leo Moon moves on, making no more major contact through the 15th, but there are many configurations active–just two things I want to mention: Grand Cross of Saturn opposed Uranus/ Jupiter–oye! This again–square with Pluto/ Ceres opposed Juno. I’m expecting these energies to perform specifically in response to the 14th’s especially fortuitous and revealing vibe, likely by bringing to consciousness precisely what material changes are possible, and pointing us in the direction of using (or acquiring) the power to do it. And the other thing: Chiron and Mars, still in opposition, may make some hesitate out of fear of hurt–the potential right now is for healing, instead, as long as we remain attuned to the info coming at us.

More here http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/new-eclipse-spring-2010/

Today’s Link: on grand cycles http://leephd.blogspot.com/ and this on the return of what surely should have been no option at all by now http://www.starsoverwashington.com/2010/06/debtors-prison-revival-in-us-states.html