I look and at first see the same old same old, starring that Mystic Rectangle involving the Nodes, that just won’t go away–and I’m looking for it to dissolve as it doesn’t seem to be making life any better for us–at least, not in any new, obvious way–I think it set its effect some time ago, so it feels like a running ‘good luck’ thing for some and a ‘bad luck’ thing for others (if the elements of the Rectangle are in significant hard contact to important parts of your natal chart), and a mixture for those with both hard and easy contact. So, it hasn’t recently offered us much that’s new, until right about now, as Mercury moves into proximity to conjunction with Saturn, and Mars sneaks up on the South Node; suddenly our outlook changes just a bit–we’re primed to actually move on some of what’s been presented as possible (or possibly presented as outside our reach, depending on the aforementioned contact), and we have a strong urge to make our thoughts manifest. The impetus to make ‘it’ happen comes forward–but is it wise to act?
Mars is still quincunx Neptune, and the Juno/ Uranus combo is trine the Arian strongman–this suggests that implementing plans (specifically those plans you’ve been itching to get off the ground, but have so far been either totally in the planning stages or have somehow been thwarted when you did try to go forward) would be difficult–we can’t really tell what action’s needed, and underlying it all there may be too much ‘I’ll show you!’ energy, too much neediness to feel empowered, which makes it just too tempting to do anything in order to meet your goals. Better in my view to hold off until about the 8th; then Vesta is firmly entrenched opposed Jupiter, and the Sun is sextile our saucy, sacred tart, and together this signals we’ll see very clearly our own values vis a vis society and our personal social sphere–and that makes it easy to know what we want to do. As well, we’ll have the energy to do what we intend, as opposed to the current situation, where the energy seems to flow on and off as if controlled by a giant, invisible switch.
In fact, the 8th has a lot of big selling points in terms of what positive aid may be available to us. The Moon will be trine the Sun (that energy bounce), Mercury will be exact semi-sextile Ceres at 28 Virgo/ Libra, respectively(a glib tongue, the power, authority, and charisma to negotiate successfully, and very possibly a ‘right time, right place’ aspect, especially if either makes soft contact to the natal chart), and Venus moves to within conjunction of Saturn, opposition of Uranus/ Juno, and quincunx of Chiron/ Neptune. The first two sets of aspects put in place a dynamic of what we value, relationships, and assets being either ‘nailed down’ in some way, of being featured center stage as we want (demand?) their materialization, and we muster what education and skills, and sense of empowerment, we own in service of this. The latter aspect, Venus quincunx Chiron/ Neptune, may with care serve to make us sensitive in a highly positive way, possibly divinely inspired, and if we’re flexible, in touch with our ideals. And that is the key, remaining flexible to both take advantage of the influences and to avoid, in over zealousness to create precisely what we believe we want, shutting out the love that is there, available, being offered.
Hi Julie,
I don’t really know how to begin this question, so…I’m just gonna lay out my concerns.
I want love, I need love, I crave it; but I’m just so SCARED!
I have Venus Square Saturn, Venus Square Chiron, Venus Square Midheaven, Venus Square the North and South Node’s, Venus Semi-Square Moon, and Venus is also in my twelfth house. Actually, I have very few “good” aspects in my chart…I must have some major karma baggage or something.
It feels as if I’m just not meant for love, that it’s just always going to be a losing battle.
Consultations I’ve had with some astrologers just drive home this fear, one woman told me I’d be in my sixties before I found love, and another actually pointed out to me that I also have Ascendant Square Saturn, which he says indicates a delay in love, for the fact that the vibe I put off means nobody will want to start a relationship with me…great, something else to obsess about.
And, not to get too personal here, but I haven’t had the best relationship’s with men…none I could depend on.
An absent father (Sun Square Saturn), and an extremely authoritarian grandfather (Pluto in the first), so I know that adds to the fear.
But, when I do seem to finally get in a relationship, I sabotage it..and I have no clue why!?
The same thing happens every time, I start to feel guilty, start thinking that this guy deserves better than me, that I’m not worthy, why am I being selfish keeping this guy committed to me when he can find someone who’s better.
So, inevitably I break it off…and I’m back to my lonely self.
With all the square’s to my Venus it’s gonna be work concerning love, I know that much…
Your Venus Square Saturn post was really helpful and probably the first encouraging thing I’ve read concerning that particular aspect, so any help on the other ones? Or just any advice at all?
Sorry for rambling and writing such a long post.
I know I’m still pretty young, so please don’t think I’m foolish for my concerns, notice all that Saturn in my chart, I’m an old soul. 😉
Thanks for your time.
Hi O,
I think you’ve laid the actual, real-life problem out in your letter, as your chart suggests you’ve been sold a bill of goods by astrologers who’ve been playing a little fast and loose with orbs, and who may have found it easier to whip up your fears than to tell you the Venus and Saturn pictures are not what you think they are–in fact, difficulties lie elsewhere entirely. Let’s talk about the chart first, then we’ll see how you’ve been shaping your relationships, one withdrawal at a time.
First, Saturn is not square Venus, and it’s not square the Ascendant, either; sometimes it’s tempting to make orbs bigger than we should, in order to support the client’s expressed reality–but if we look elsewhere, which is really our job, we always find the source of the client’s upset–and a correct vision of reality (or at least something close) is the only thing that equips us to change that reality to our liking.
Venus semi-squares the Moon=some dissonance between your concept of love (which, with Venus in Libra, may be overly romanticized according to society’s idea of love and relationship) and your emotional perceptions and needs–you may be aware of the friction here, and I think you are–but it appears you may have decided that your needs are overblown or out of whack, rather than that your idea of what constitutes love needs re-vamping–and I would say it’s the opposite. Venus, in Libra in the 12th, closely conjunct the Ascendant, the Sun in the 1st, and Mercury in the 1st, both also in Libra=this places the concept of love in the subconscious (where it may not be understood or examined consciously, because it’s difficult for you to grasp–and this is where that societal image of what it should be comes in, so that you may substitute that for your own concept of love, and thus neatly shoot yourself in the foot), and this also unites love and values, communication and thought, and the Soul urge, identity, and personality very tightly, so that it may be almost impossible for you to distinguish these concepts from you–they seem to be who you are–and the Sun and Mercury so close ushers in a difficulty in perceptual accuracy and clear thought–there can be a tendency for someone with this relationship between the Sun and Merc to see his or her thoughts as constituting their Beingness, and words and concepts can powerfully form the identity and influence the Soul’s expression.
Venus sextiles Pallas=this exemplifies an idea that’s echoed throughout the chart, that as a woman you are wise, confident, and skilled, with much to offer–if you can access that positive Libran ideal of yourself. Venus is conjunct the ASC=beauty, grace–you are somehow a shining example of these, with a lovely personality–and this too is echoed throughout the chart–so no, you are not giving off a nasty vibe of ‘stay away’! Quite the opposite.
Venus also makes one other aspect, a square to Chiron–I think we’ve got a winner! Here’s a big part of the problem–you perceive yourself to be severely wounded in the love area, and if we see ourselves a particular way, we tend to act that out–so despite your having had any number of suitors, you, by your own testimony, dump them before they can dump you (and it’s very egotistical, by the way, to follow a train of thought that says “I’m not good enough for this guy, I feel so guilty taking up his wonderfulness so that someone better than me can’t have him, I’ll spare him my bad Self and break up!” Huh? You are desperately hoping to receive love, but won’t participate in a relationship? Listen up, young lady: Others get to decide their relationship to you, and also what they think of you–you can’t control that and shouldn’t try–to believe you can and should is grandiose.
Chiron is also involved in a T-square with the Sun/ Earth axis, Mercury and Venus, is sesquiquadrate the Moon, semi-square Mars, trine Juno, and opposed Saturn, as well as sitting at the midpoint of the trine between Vesta and Ceres. All these feed that concept of wounded Self into vital life energies, gumming things up and making you doubt the veracity of your emotions, making you feel you can’t get along with males (a little friction, in your case, is normal and good, as it will help you focus on who you are and what you need), and a word about Chiron opp Saturn–it is likely manifesting for you as swinging between denial and suppression of hurt, and total indulgence in it. The goal is to connect to reality and express the Chirotic gift (Cancer) in the world, possibly in a communication or educational capacity (3rd/9th involvement).
That’s the heart of things, as I see it. With all that Libra, I know finding partnership is very very important to you (I know, I have four planets there)–but you are young, and to fret about not having found your life companion before you’ve even reached twenty is impractical–you aren’t ‘cooked’ yet, you’ve got many things to do, see, and learn, especially about yourself–you don’t want him to come along and not be interested in you, which is a distinct possibility if your focus is on nothing but finding a partner–so get your life going, take your mind off love, and it will come to you (and you can’t fool the Universe, don’t just pretend to busy yourself–really set some goals and go to work!)
A couple of hints: Sedna, the body that represents our ‘blind spot’ in life, is placed in your 7th (partners!) and is exactly square Jupiter (the social arena). You may tend to look in the wrong places for mates–and your use of the word ‘obsess’ with obvious familiarity with the obsessive state, might suggest that Pluto is a stronger force in your life than you may think–reaching out to destroy and cause obsession when held subconsciously or when we try to repress what should come to light, but powerful in its ability to transform when accepted as a positive ally–just sayin’
You come across as a truly lovely person, with a bright, effervescent spirit and many gifts–love will come to you, and you won’t have to wait until your 60s! Just take a step back, deal with the world as it is, and let go of the notion that you are so flawed you’ll never find love–because when you say that, you’re talking about romantic love, and the reality is that actual, sustaining, nurturing love is all around us all, all the time–let that in, know you are worthy of it, and romantic love won’t be far behind.
Thank you for your letter, O, and best wishes!
jd
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Hello Julie
Help me to understand the Juno of my boyfriend, because worries me: Juno in twelve house in Libra (Libra is the ascendant too and the Sun in Virgo 11 house) and with the following aspects: trine Moon, conjunct Venus, Mercury, Mars and Pluto, semi-sextile North Node, semi-square Ceres and square Vesta. Too many planets in twelve house (all in Libra)and Juno to. North Node is in Scorpio, first house.
Please help me to understand.
Hi R,
I don’t know exactly what you’re concerned about, though it seems you’re focused on the fact that there are many 12th House placements, and that one of them is Juno–and you need to understand that that isn’t necessarily bad at all. It may mean that your boyfriend naturally is secretive, or at least contains himself, his thoughts and intentions, as a matter of course, and this can make others, especially those who don’t have a 12th House affinity, very uneasy. Without a full chart I can’t really say too much, though I would suggest this: I would guess that his energies (subconscious and conscious) are very much deployed into the partnership/ mate arena (Juno conjunct Venus and Mars, Libra involvement)–and that the goal might be his own personal power ends (Scorpio NN in the 1st). That implies that if you’re a more submissive sort, you may be a sought-after mate for him, and a possible victim, at least in terms of autonomy and exercise of your own power. With Juno conjunct Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Pluto, your boyfriend may be very Self-contained, in many ways, and it seems this raises alarm bells of some kind for you. So much, in fact, depends upon your own personality make-up, your strengths, weaknesses, and preferences, that to say whether this is a good relationship for you is impossible. I wish you well, R, and urge you to listen to your intuition, and let it be your guide.
jd
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Hi Julie!
My son has always said he wouldn’t have many girlfriends, as most young people do, but he would be the man of one woman. And indeed, being serious and slow in everything he does (Sun conjunct Saturn, I guess), he waited till he was 25 to find HER. Now they live together and things seem to go well. Yes, his Venus-Mars conjunction in Virgo falls exactly on her Ascendant and her Moon is in his 7th house.Yet I have a query: can love last when it is based on contacts between one person’s planets and the other’s axes? Is it as dynamic and fulfilling as contacts between the 2 persons’ planets?
Many thanks, K
Hi K!
This is an excellent question–yes, contacts to the angles from planets in another person’s chart, and vice versa, can be every bit as dynamic and binding as planet to planet contacts, provided the birth times are completely accurate. Since angles are dependent on the local time at the point on Earth where someone was born, it’s extremely important to have as accurate a birth time as possible. When the Ascendant and Midheaven, especially, seem to be responsive to transits and Solar Arcs, with corresponding life events sometimes correlating, then we can be sure that the timing is very close to perfect.
In looking at the two charts, I see why you’ve asked this question, as the contacts are not as compelling as we might typically see between lovers. If you’d like to know what I think, K, please email me and I’ll give you a brief rundown.
Thank you for your question, and my best to all three of you!
jd
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And finally, what makes you vulnerable? An experience I had last evening made me start thinking of this, as I became deeply emotional as the Moon passed over my Ascendant (I had the experience, then later found this was so–I’m not one who is living my life with a ticking clock and transit chart in my head–not that there’s anything wrong with that!) So I wanted to ask
We’ve got a lot of ground to cover; let’s get started with a couple of topics, rather than questions:
5th House and employment astro
When I saw this as a search combo I wondered what led someone to link these together; was it an idea that creativity has something to do with finding a job, or perhaps that they were looking for a job that features creativity? Many people make the mistake of believing that a strong (much occupied, holding the Sun, Moon, or Ascendant ruler) 5th House or transits to the 5th promise a career in the Arts–and though someone with a strong 5th House may indeed find a profession of a traditional creative nature, I see the 5th House as actually signifying one’s store of intangible creative energy, a spark much more potent and broad than is the intent to make Art (though this can certainly be the urge behind it), a life energy that must come out somewhere in one’s circumstances and activities. It’s this same energy that fuels romance, and the conception of a child, both topics also located here (and think of how we tend to see each as coming just a little bit from out of the blue–this is the unconscious organizing and drawing to us that reflects the nature of our 5th house energy), and my theory is that this energy will find a way to express; if we don’t use that creative energy consciously, it leaks out through contacts to the 5th, showing up as action in other life areas. (I once wrote an article on this very subject, the emphasis being on the way the energy tends to express through the mechanism of the unconscious, and the oh-so-helpful magazine editor went through and removed the ‘un’ from every mention of consciousness, thus effectively neutering the meaning of the piece. I had the distinct feeling she didn’t actually grasp my point.) In terms of employment, there are other items we would inspect in the natal chart first, but the 5th can offer clues as to the kind of energy that may be pushing pushing on the unconscious, and that can serve us well, professionally and in life, if channeled, and harnessed to our Will.
Sun in the 12th House
This is a Sun location that really baffles people, especially early on in their study of astrology. It’s tough to define as a placement because the House itself is hard to explain, but we can think of Sun in the 12th this way: the experiences of those with a 12th House Sun will feel ‘once removed’ from the flow of life. By this I mean, the individual will thrive in private–this doesn’t mean he or she won’t be well-known or popular, but instead that the identity development and Soul expression will take place within, and much of this will occur in the subconscious and/ or in large, Cosmic experiences (such as happen in meditations or dreams) that are impossible to share. This can make for a rich imagination and a profound connection to the Universe, as well as an ability to empathize to a depth no other Sun placement can; it also makes for some frustration in communications (though if the individual can turn to images they can communicate directly to others’ Souls). Often, these people will find themselves working behind the scenes, or in a capacity of support for others, or that, even if they gain fame, their attention will remain largely on their inner vision. It’s a unique placement in the way it brings the internal world above the horizon of the chart and links it so directly to the Collective energy, and those with a 12th House Sun have the unusual opportunity to live quite successfully with one figurative foot in the World and one foot planted firmly in the vastness of the Universe.
We have four possibilities here, and each one is significantly different in terms of meaning–why? Because it’s all-important what the sex of each individual is in interpreting this combo. We’ll go one at a time: male Juno square female Venus= dynamic and possibly very promising in a relationship, as we see the male idea of who he wants as a partner contact the female’s ideal of herself as a woman. There could be some basic conflict (the square), but this puts the placements (likely) in the same modality, and if so a harmony can be worked out that can include the spark that comes from just the right amount of friction. female Juno square male Venus= here we have the female’s concept of Self-empowerment squaring off against a man’s aesthetic nature, anima, and asset/ values picture, likely creating a perpetual problem over what receives priority in the relationship, conflicts in spending and values, and these will be felt by the female as undermining her sense of Self and her ability to affect things–not a good combo. male Juno square male Venus= with a same sex male couple the split of animus and anima energies becomes key to understanding effects: if the person with Venus has assumed slightly more anima, then this will read very much like male/Juno female/Venus, above; if it’s the Venus of the animus dominant individual, then we may see a clash over values and relationship standards that could be in conflict with the Juno male’s idea of good partnership. With two females sharing this synastric aspect, we see something intensely competitive, as the two women work out a clash over feelings of empowerment (for one) and the sense of female identity (for the other).
I connected spiritually during sex with
That’s all there was–but there sure are a lot of ways to finish that sentence, aren’t there?
Now, on to questions:
Why do passive-aggressive men sulk?
Because they’re passive-aggressive! Next! No, really, sulking is a passive-aggressive act–no one bothers to sulk when they’re alone, do they? It’s a surface-passive demand for attention that has very aggressive roots. Remember, passive-aggression is both angry and an attempt to manipulate–it’s as if the individual refuses to see themselves as angry, or refuses to acknowledge their own anger and their own wants–instead they combine the two and expect others to jump. The answer? Ignore him. This will eventually infuriate him enough that he’ll actually act, which is something he wants to avoid, because the one thing passive-aggressive people want to do is avoid responsibility. For anything. Ever. They see claiming actions, desires, or even thoughts as an opportunity for others to blame them–and Mr. Passive-A likely grew up in a blame culture. So, while ignoring him, also provide a blame-free environment into which he might, someday, wish to emerge, and if the relationship can survive his not-so-subtle sabotage, he might one fine day lay down his blame stick, take your hand, and actually tell you what he wants to do after dinner.
This can be tricky, as an Aquarius man, though typically a bit on the cool side, loves the clinical nature of an experiment–and what is a better human experiment than flirting mildly even when he’s unavailable? With this guy, you may need to take a direct approach (especially because withdrawing in order to see if he pursues won’t work–even if he is interested, as he may not notice a growing distance between you!) Asking him if he’s interested is one way to go, but more effective (and less damning, as you won’t look like you’ve been sitting around wondering) is, the next time he makes a remark along these lines, you should turn, look directly at him, and say, “What exactly do you mean by that?” He probably won’t balk at having to explain himself, and you’ll have the advantage of hearing firsthand precisely what he was intending to convey. Mystery solved! Warning: this method does not work with any other sign, with the possible exception of Capricorn.
How long till a man realizes he’s in love?
Unfortunately, a man may not realize he’s actually in love until he’s faced with losing you–it seems it often takes a little scare, a reminder that time marches on, and that he’s mortal and you may be ready to stamp your relationship potential with an expiration date, before he admits to himself that he cares. I’m not advocating the time-worn ‘make him jealous’ idea; instead, you may need to think of it this way: men are hunters by hormones and instincts, and you are the hunted (at least in their symbolic vernacular). The hunter will realize you’re escaping when he sees a flash of your lovely, slender hindquarters (relax, I’m thinking of a deer!) as you bound away, innocently off to graze elsewhere (and, he’ll naturally think, be ogled by other hunters). If he’s truly interested, it will spur him to take aim and pull the trigger (stay calm, symbols, symbols, that’s all they are!) And if he doesn’t, if he’s willing to let you move off to greener pastures . . . then you’ve found out he wasn’t in love, after all.
Is Scorpio Moon misanthropic?
Of course not! What Scorpio Moon hater told you Scorpio Moons hate people? Not only is a single placement unable to delineate such a trait, it would take quite a pile-up of negative inclinations to safely declare someone a misanthrope using only the natal chart. Scorpio Moons can seem a little hatey to those of us who like things psychotically cheerful 24/7–but that’s more a failure of perception on the observer’s part than an indication of a true dislike of humanity by Scorp.
Lastly, and encompassing one of the major questions we will ever face–
Why can’t we see our divinity?
The short answer is, because we don’t accept the entirety of ourselves as we exist in the moment, and it’s impossible to accept as divine that which we perceive to be flawed. Now, some of us will see this question and confuse seeing the divine within with calling ourselves ‘God.’ That is not what’s happening here; we are instead challenged to recognize that we are made of Creator-stuff (for what creation does not carry the shape, form, and essence of its creator?) and that means that we are, indeed, modeled on the divine, and out of divine-stuff–and so it’s up to us to accept ourselves, imperfect as we may feel we are, as innately divine, and thus to love ourselves, and to accept our perfection and our flaws, which are in their own way their own perfection–we just don’t see the wholeness, the beauty of it, yet.
When we look for Jupiter activity as part of the life purpose, we may tend to dismiss it as more of a role designation than anything else: we see it as strong in educators, the clergy, publishing and broadcasting, those concerned with religion, those involved with travel or foreign lands in some way, or with those linked to Jupiter prominence by Gauquelin’s now legendary study, to include politicians, those with career military involvement, and playwrights–at least, that’s the conventional theory. But I find it much more strongly indicative of a strength of spirit, one that signifies a Soul-need to expand outward, to connect with others, and this need shows up in all walks of life (though Gauquelin’s study did not connect Jupiter to physicians–in fact he showed a Mars prominence for them, at least in terms of placement in the energized sectors surrounding the angles)–yet our example is a well-known oncologist whose seminal work has changed attitudes and treatment for millions of patients and the attitudes of health professionals, and in this way it’s pointed out to us that the spiritually oriented impulse to connect with others overrides every other interest and function, and typically works in concert with other life callings.
Surgeon and cancer specialist Bernie Siegel (14 October 1932 10:00 AM Brooklyn NY USA) helped revolutionize the way both patients and health care professionals look at the disease process and the meaning of it as an experience, one that can promote spiritual and emotional healing no matter the physical outcome–and yet we now may forget that there was a time when the mind/ body/ spirit connection was not only not acknowledged, it wasn’t even recognized as existing by the vast majority of individuals, and was a particularly unacceptable idea within the medical community. Despite advances in mental health methodologies, and the promotion of psychotherapy as an increasingly more interactive means of exploring mental process, we were still, well into the 70s, warned by the medical establishment that physical disease had origins only within the physical world; to suggest to one’s physician that emotional ills might be connected to physical ones immediately earned one a label as less-than-rational, and to imply that a spiritual dis-ease could be at the root of things . . . one could be stamped ‘delusional’ and dismissed (and for a woman this kind of labeling could be truly dangerous, as in the male-dominated world of medicine the tendency afterward was often for dismissal of reported symptoms, as well).
In the late 70s and early 80s, Dr. Siegel formulated ideas about the mind/ spirit/ body interaction based on his own observations in treating cancer patients, and formed the first ECap group (Exceptional Cancer Patients), based on the idea that those who survived medical therapies and went into remission showed some distinct characteristics: a generally optimistic orientation to life (and typically an early programmed belief in their own toughness or that they are a survivor no matter what), a real desire to live life (rather than a desire not to die), and a belief that the medicine offered actually helped their condition (and Dr. Siegel points out in one of his books that if you read the protocols on a chemo package you see mention only of the destructive things this product will do to one’s body, and nothing about healing or helping).
Dr. Siegel pioneered the use of art and imagery in healing; specifically, by studying patients and their drawings he found a way into the subconscious, to see what the individual really believed about his or her illness and the effectiveness of treatment–as well he encouraged patients to use imagery in conjunction with medical treatments, believing that this linking of physical and mental intents toward healing vastly improved results.
When we look at Dr. Siegel’s natal chart, we see some factors that illustrate his life focus and his inclinations very well. The most immediately striking feature may be the Cardinal Grand Square involving the Libra Sun in the 10th (the Self must shine publicly and in relation to others), the Pluto/ Vertex conjunction in Cancer in the 8th (dealing with and empathizing with the darkest experiences of others, handling destructive forces of others, is a fated involvement–Vertex as a point of Fate), an exact conjunction of the Moon, Uranus, and the Earth in Aries in the 4th (the Self carries emotional groundedness and innovative and intellectual ability, some of which may spring from the family of origin–and this is verified in Dr. Siegel’s stories of the positive survivorship mentality instilled in him by his relatives), and Ceres in Capricorn in the 2nd (a serious, fact-based understanding of and command of nature and negotiation as a personal asset). The configuration promises that when one is activated all are activated, and that the inherent tension among the factors spurs the individual to action (Cardinal placements).
So how does Jupiter as a significator of the spirit figure in to this dynamic life picture? Contact is made through a trine of Ceres to Jupiter, which sits in the 9th (in this case, taking an educational function for expression), and conjunct the South Node (past experiences come forward to aid the present), Neptune (in this instance, Art, imagination, imagery), and Venus, Sun ruler (values, relationships, love and caring). Here, co-operation between Ceres’ energies and Jupiterian ones may signify that spirit acts as a bridge between the functions of the values and creative imagination and the life function in teaching and guiding others, just as Ceres acted as the bridge between the upper World and the Underworld in negotiating the circumstances of her daughter’s marriage to Pluto (and when we note Pluto’s position in the Grand Square it’s not a stretch to see how Dr. Siegel may act the part of bridge almost literally for his patients, as he has a clear understanding of and ability to negotiate the Plutonian journeys of those he treats).
His Pluto is also involved with a Fist of God configuration with Ascendant apex, the sesquiquadrates to Pluto on the one hand and Earth/ Uranus/ Moon on the other. This lends a strength, insistence, and dynamism to the expression of all related energies through the personality, and perhaps gives the remarkable ‘bedside manner’ and ability to both empathize with and instill confidence in those works with.
In Siegel’s classic book Love, Medicine, and Miracles he quotes Jungian psychotherapist Dr. Susan Bach, who created one of the first effective and consistent methods for interpreting the contents of patient’s drawings for medical use:
The study of such spontaneous material could give us a glimpse into the psyche-soma relation comprehended as the oldest and best married couple on this earth . . .
Sound like anyone we know? Jupiter, in his role as supreme god was married to Juno, his beloved and yet much disrespected wife, and together they ruled all the other gods (energies), but in Siegel’s chart they have an uneasy relationship, the kind that keeps the individual busy attempting to reconcile the disparate goals and needs. Juno is involved in a Grand Trine with the old man Saturn and Chiron (in the 6th, a House prominently linked to health work), and this suggests nothing so much as the signature of a healer, someone empowered to muster Chirotic energies in the physical world–and this contacts Jupiter via his sesquiquadrate to Saturn, a combo that implies spirit is perpetually in adjustment to the realities of any situation, an attitude that when well-handled, as it is in Dr. Siegel’s case, brings leaps forward in the chosen life arena.
I was listening to Dr. Wayne Dyer (http://www.drwaynedyer.com/) speak this morning on Purpose; how we as individuals are prone to continually ask, ‘What is my Purpose?’ (at least, those who have reached the stage of considering such things–though I tend to think even those who are totally unconscious in their Beingness are ‘working the Universe’ the same as everyone else, with the same goals and intentions, though their true goals are much more likely to remain unknown to them!) and Dr. Dyer says that the asking of the question is our Purpose trying to re-connect with us; and in tandem with this, he quoted a teacher of his (the name escapes me– apologies to this individual) who, when queried on how he could experience peace when others suffered all around the globe, replied, in essence, that nothing in his life was an accident. Together, these two ideas, that our Purpose is at every moment trying to connect to us, and that nothing is unintentional, combine to suggest that, even in our darkest, most misguided, or confused moments we are seeking to make contact with our Purpose, and that nothing we do is without point, without an opportunity to express who we are and why we’re here.
So, we can approach the idea of Purpose in a very simple, straightforward way: the Purpose for each and every one of us is this: to add to the World. That’s all. The term ‘Purpose’ is almost useless when we look at it this way, as the inclination is to believe that purpose itself comes from the outside, like being cast in a role in a movie, or as if it’s something with almost magical properties for happiness (possibly that we chose pre-birth) and that now, if we can just discover it, all elements of our life will fall into place–no more problems, serenity NOW!–while if we see it as ‘what we add to the World,’ we see that it consists of literally every thought, word, and deed, and that all of these are a matter of personal choice, with total control and responsibility (the ability to respond) falling squarely to ourselves.
And now, a bevy of excellent contributions to the World:
Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune are all paddling in reverse right now as fast as they (figuratively) can, which I anticipate means it’s a form of ‘every energy for itself’! Expect these to seemingly pop up on the grassy knoll of your life like a lone assassin (though of course we know they really aren’t working alone), with each bringing to matters of the House transited and/ or the natal energy contacted the following: Jupiter bringing the tendency to exaggerate or overdo (or perhaps broadcast indiscriminately), Chiron struggling to control the sense or possibility of wounding, and Neptune making it at least as tough for you to see clearly as it was for Michael Jackson’s kids when they were still veiled, masked, or, like the little one, wearing a blanket, translated as your own private sense-muffling Idaho, which of course only confuses us all the more with the onset of Merc retro. Just take it easy, would be my admonition.
Venus is sextile Ceres (love, relationships, finances, or values must be negotiated, and/ or nature takes a gentle, season-changing swing at our assets or what we love); Venus then sesquiquadrates Juno the 7th and 8th (this demands adjustment of assets, relationships, or values to accommodate the needed empowerment position); and then Venus quincunxes Earth, and they travel in aspect together now through the 15th (we can’t avoid rearranging or modifying Venusian subjects as required either by our current material circumstances or by what we must seek in order to create a more copacetic material environment).
Thanks, everyone–you’ve all been incredibly supportive and encouraging as I ease off online engagement–though as you can see, I’ll still be back plenty–have a great week!
Just in case you’re wondering, I used hitchhiker’s screen name in the tags only because, though I know her actual name, it’s not even hinted at on her site–so I thought discretion was in order.
It seems you can take the astrologer off-line, but can’t stop her from thinking about astrology (and life, and synchronicity, and people) with any reasonable ease; so I’m back with a few odds and ends that have been rattling around in my brain, and this is where I want to thank everyone who sent me such wonderful good wishes for my cyber pseudo semi-retirement–your kind expressions, encouragment, and support give me excellent incentive to (eventually) return.
Last week my husband, John, and I were walking along a street in Seattle–and this is an especially cement-y and high rise-y street–and suddenly we spot a rabbit as it scoots across the sidewalk, out into traffic, and safely to the other side, where it disappears down an alley. John said, “Hey, there must be a glitch in the matrix,” meaning we’ve seen an inconguity that suggests there is a reality that is more ‘real’ than the one we’re experiencing, that there is a bleed through, a glimpse of what does not belong but, somehow, does; apparently it’s an Alice in Wonderland world, filled with bunnies. We laugh a little at this, a facetious, ‘oh yeah, we’ve just seen something we weren’t supposed to’ moment, when the pay phone just to my left rings. Now, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the movie ‘The Matrix,’ which is a story that proposes the world we are experiencing is simply a mental construct, as our true reality is that our bodies are sitting in a gelatinous soup, hooked to multiple obviously uncomfortable hoses, acting as human batteries for the evil . . .well, you get the picture. And the way the enlightened, freed people who are trying to free the rest of humanity from their liquid captivity move ‘between the worlds’ is by means of a ringing telephone which must be answered in order to facillitate the move from one consciousness to the other.
So here I am, after just seeing something totally out of place (and in the movie the implication is that incongruities and deja vu are indeed signs of glitches, which means you are being given a ‘hint’ toward consciousness) and there is a ringing pay phone, and no one else nearby, not even on this block. The first ring and we both stop in our tracks; the second and we look at each other; the third and I reach over and answer the phone. Somehow I assumed I should be the one to answer, either because I was closer to it, or because I’m an ego maniac who believes the Universe is always trying to communicate with me (which means I should probably ditch my aluminum foil hat).
I lift the receiver and put it to my ear; I’m really, strangely, excited, believing that I am going to get some kind of synchronicitous message. I don’t speak, and neither does the caller; then I say, “Hello?” and there is a very gentle but deliberate sound of hanging up. I’m disappointed; I was expecting a revelation of sorts–but maybe I got one after all, if I look at this episode in the context of the way I’ve been hearing the term ‘logos’ frequently–it seems to stand out in bold relief against the background of my life–and the unlikely synchronicity caught my attention, as I’m just not acquainted with a lot of Greek speakers or theologians. Whenever some idea, word, or phrase suddenly crops up in venues and conversations unrelated to one another, I look at it with the idea that there’s something for me to become aware of in the concept, something I need to think about, ruminate on, and sometimes write about, because I’m assuming that this idea contains a message from the Universe, a whisper that carries a world in a single word; and ‘logos’ does.
Typically translated as ‘the word,’ ‘logos’ carries a meaning both deeper and having a wider compass than does our concept of ‘the word,’ even when we use it to designate a creed, philosophy, or rule of law. If the intellect had a spirit, we might describe it as logos, as there is referenced in the term the concept of intelligence and reason applied to and embodied as a life energy. Logos is a living philosophy, and in some cases a philosophy of living. My attention, then, has been drawn to the very thought-fabric of life–an awfully big subject.
The ringing phone, though, may have narrowed the focus for me. I had a choice: ignore the call, or take it. And I took it, so perhaps the message, that revelation I was waiting for in words, is coming in logos: pick up (or maybe become) the receiver, be willing to hear the message, be open to life’s conversation.
And this leads us to what is traditionally seen as a rough time for communication, the upcoming Mercury retrograde, on Monday 7 September at 9:45 PM PDT at 6 Libra 10. Almost immediately Merc will contact Vesta by sextile, suggesting that our mentality will be poised to consider what’s truly sacred to us, what we need, particularly companionship-wise (Libra) on the home front, and the sex life may be featured as well. We will become aware of what we want to change, transform, or perhaps destroy (square to Pluto), then Merc’s opposition to Juno makes us actually want to move forward, with the change from Air to Earth, and 29 degrees of Earth for Merc, at that–as we know, big decisions or the instigation of something important shouldn’t be undertaken during the retrograde (and this has only a few exceptions). We feel the urge to rearrange the material reality even more with the stress inherent to 29 degrees, and Juno at 29 of Pisces only serves to point out our ideal empowerment situation, likely making us feel we mustmake the considered changes; but no! Even with the trine to the North Node that follows, Mercury is still in retrograde, and so are our capacities for reasoning and judgment–and remember, in the early part of Merc’s retro period we are particularly clueless, cast adrift from our usual ways of processing and perceiving. This cautionary chain of events takes us through to the Inferior Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury, which is a ‘seed’ time, perhaps literally with the conjunction falling in earth; in any case it will be one corner of a Mystic Rectangle that includes the Nodes and the Earth/ Juno conjunction. This may allow us a very special extended moment within the retrograde cycle, beginning in terms of inclusion of Mercury energies, on the 18th of September. The Mystic Rectangle can act as its own energy matrix, pulling energies together, and reconciling opposites, in a surprisingly harmonious mix. We all may get a tremendous boost in terms of material empowerment, and we’ll possibly see the light at the end of the tunnel regarding the direction we’re currently headed. Is there a chance we’ll have to course-correct, that everything won’t be rosy? Yes, there is, but the best thing about the Mystic Rectangle is that it musters the energies for our use; so the real question is, will you step up and take what’s revealed at this point under advisement, with an eye to improving your material situation, or will you pretend that destiny is already laid out, and you’re at the mercy of forces greater than yourself? Your choice.
For a while now I’ve wanted to address some issues with consultation as they play out for both astrologers and clients, and I’ll be doing it through a once-in-a-while feature called, ‘In Consultation.’ I used to wonder, when I’d look at astrological offerings on the Internet (this was back in the day, well before I had a presence here) at the way astrologers were very strict in their time allocations, and very adamant in saying, “You’re buying this, and that’s all.” I just didn’t have their problems; my clients were all co-operative, sessions were always face-to-face, no boundaries were ever crossed. Now I know what they’re talking about; there’s something about the nature of contact in cyberspace that can definitely cause some problems. My thought is this: if you value an astrologer’s advice, then you should be willing to pay for it–there is no such thing as “just a quick question”–and you must recognize boundaries. Would you waltz into your physician’s office and insist on a quick rundown of your symptoms “just because you’re curious”? No, you would regard this person as busy, with a schedule, and you would expect to have to make an appointment and to pay for his or her expertise and experience, which is reasonable considering you expect to benefit from it. All this applies to approaching an astrologer, as does the idea that you are contracting to receive specific services; asking for, pressuring for, or angling for more is a little like going out to dinner and asking them to throw in an extra entree, just because you want it–we love our jobs, but we expect to get paid for them like everyone else. Would you show up at work, do lots extra, and then be okay with only getting paid for some of it? I thought not.
As for astrolgers, we must remember that no matter how friendly we become with someone (and it’s true, we often develop friendships that flourish after consultation) we are the ones who have the responsibility to keep things professional any time we are in consultation–and everyone involved must make the distinction. And please, if your astrologer says, “No calls after 9 PM my time,” or “one question at a time,” don’t think you’re the exception! If rules are stated for the consultation, the expectation is that you are an adult and can follow them. Does that sound harsh? The tendency is for all of us to play a little fast and loose when we’re not seeing each other in person–and that means that some who wouldn’t think of being inappropriate in person feel safe doing so by computer. Long ago I had a client (not actually a paying client, but someone I volunteered to help with a situation) and this person, after receiving the promised material, wouldn’t stop asking for more–going on and on about “my gift.” When I pointed out to her that this was not a gift, but the result of years of hard work and study, she became angry–because she told me, if it was a gift, I was obligated to give it away for free to anyone who asked for it–and it was clear that if she were forced to recognize that it took work, then she would recognize she needed to pay, as she would for any other service. Both sides of the consultation should keep this in mind: the client needs to remember he or she is paying for expertise that took years to develop, and the astrologer should remember that too–we aren’t hooked in to some special ability that elevates us to guru, prophet, or cult leader, so we shouldn’t pretend we are–we’re just hard working professionals who want to be treated that way.
Sometimes we just need to feel that aid will come; I don’t mean that we’ll be rescued, as this is an understandable wish under many conditions, but not a healthy response to real problems, in the end. No, I mean we all need to feel, when we are in the midst of despair, that there are others who will muster their Will for us, who will say, “We can tackle it this way, we can go at it that way, and you are not alone.” Astrologically we see this most strongly in a Jupiter transit; help can come in a variety of forms: assistance from the social sphere, from those who are ‘bigger,’ from those who feel generous toward us, from those who would like to share their knowledge, educate us, or inculcate us with their religious fervor, or from those who act out a Zeus-ian role, perhaps quite literally appearing to us as if they can do anything–and of course wherever Jupiter is by House and sign in the natal chart will hint at others who may be available to help us (for instance, Jupiter in Capricorn may consistently bring authorities to our aid, while Jupiter in the 9th could suggest help from in-laws, the clergy, or one’s teachers), and in synastry those whose Jupiter touches something significant in our chart (particularly the Ascendant, Sun, Moon, chart ruler, or Venus) may assume that they are meant to help us in time of need, even to be loving and generous at all times. And, withJupiter increasingly being recognized as active at death, we must also acknowledge that the transcendence this energy offers can go beyond earthly problems, bringing under the right circumstances, perhaps, the ultimate healing.
Why talk about this? If we’re in a dark period, the one thing we need to remember is that things will change; that is the essence of hope, that there is reason to persevere, and nothing represents this better than Jupiter. If we are under pressure now, we can look to its next transit point for clues as to where relief might be found (and even if we’re not, we can see where opportunity may present itself). Now, I’m very much someone who believes that the answers are within–but, I’ve found that when we seek to do our best at the interior level, when we are oriented toward a loving stance (and it’s not enough to just avoid doing harm, we must actively meet our challenges with honesty and openness and a pure, good intent), then we often find our exterior world aligning to provide that aid or guidance or assistance we seek. Jupiter can bring a lightning bolt of inspiration, as well, of a very practical kind–bits of knowledge coalesce and in a flash we see the answer to our problem, and we can easily access the accumulated knowledge of those who came before. So, with Jupiter’s influence we can expect an array of possibilities that can expand or open up choice and alternatives, can offer the information needed to deal with things, and can offer freedom, particularly the kind that comes when we find a successful framework within which to solve our problems.
Jupiter has connection to the spirit, as well–witness the way it defines the invisible social fabric that connects us all, the way it embodies the religious spirit (giving some a framework to relate to the spiritual and to All That Is), and the way it has come to designate the greatest and most mysterious journey we’ll undertake, death. Optimism, a spiritual freedom of its own, is very much a part of the Jupiter energy. In part 2 I’ll discuss the chart of someone who embodies the Jupiter we’ve discussed here, and who has made a life work of bringing aid, both materially and spiritually, to others.
The eclipse occurs at 5:55 PM August 5th PDT, with the Moon and Earth conjunct at 13 AQ 43; technically, the eclipse itself starts a few minutes after exactitude, but I think it’s reasonable to look at the moment of first contact, so here we are. And what do we see? No contact, using our strict two degree orb rule, except for a puzzling semi-square to the Ascendant (a ‘So what?’ position), and a sesquiquadrate to the Part of Fortune. But, if we stretch our rule just a hair (and what are rules for, if not to stretch hairs over), we finda Fist of God, with sesquiquadrates to the Part of Fortune and Ceres (aka Mother Nature). Ah! Now a picture is forming.
Am I reaching, using the Part of Fortune? Depends on how you feel about the use of the Arabic Parts in general, I guess, but for an ‘occasion’ (or an event, as I’m guessing this will be) it seems appropriate. Using it allows us to have some fun (or to frighten the bejezus out of ourselves, depending!)
So, the chart I’ve drawn is for Seattle, my current hometown, and eclipse time puts Pluto at 00 Cap–what’s built is destroyed, disruption to the status quo–just inside the 1st at a late Sagittarius Ascendant, which makes a tight quincunx to the South Node–what’s happened before will happen again? or is it what’s been destroyed before, etc?–with Part of Fortune exact on the Descendant. Hmmm. Add the Nodes in crisis at 29 degrees, the aforementioned Fist of God, with component Ceres spanking new in Libra–nature, balance, out of balance, at 00–and Ceres square to Pluto–stability lost, Mother Nature disrupted–are we looking at an earthquake chart?
Now, I don’t like to make predictions, because I believe that nothing, absolutely nothing, is set in stone, nor do I want to whip my readers into a frenzy, or earn the epithet ‘Crazy Julie’; but this is an intriguing pattern, worth noting–and if nothing happens, all the better, or the earthquakes are personal or symbolic–I’d be glad to be wrong.
I don’t want to expect a disaster, but with these measurements I might anticipate one, and my own research has matched contact to the angles with earthquake activity–but of course, there are zillions of contacts to the angles all day long–it just seems that when an earthquake does occur, there’s significant, precise contact–so stay safe, West Coasters! And no matter how flamingly wrong I am about this, the post will stay up–just so we can all laugh about it on the 6th. (Typically, I feel eclipse possibilities last through to the following set of eclipses–so perhaps we’ll just have more activity than usual, through New Year’s Eve/January 2010)
Also see Jude Cowell’s excellent take here http://2hrsyulnvrgetbck.blogspot.com/2009/08/mystic-rectangle-lunar-eclipse-in-aq.html
According to the best scientific data . . . the average and mean temperatures of Hell have risen 3.8 degrees since 1955. (Thus) occupants of Hell who in 1955 were standing night and day in boiling pitch up to their knees report that, owing to the expansion of pitch at higher temperatures, they now must endure the torment all the way up to mid-thigh, or even higher, during Hell’s warmer seasons. –Ian Frazier, The Temperature of Hell: A Colloquim from ‘The New Yorker’
Hell has been on my mind a lot lately, and not just because my computer crashed early Thursday morning and I spent the entire day trying to resurrect it. I was not successful, and it now sits, discarded, an emotional eyesore (“How could you?!”) on a side table. I went right out and got a new, sleek, smooth computer that actually seems to want to do what I tell it to–the only problem came when my new wunderkind was unable to run my Solar Fire–so now I’m in astrology limbo, armed with my trusty ephemeris, table of houses, pencil and paper, and whatever wits I have left after my epic battle to salvage my work–believe me, it’s a very small basket they all sit in.
I’m taking a few days off, then, from the world of push-button calculations (at least until the new program arrives next week) but I’m not exactly plunging in old school to working charts out by hand. Instead I thought I’d tell you about something that’s been going on for a while now, but which I only just connected the dots on. Let me preface my story by saying that I currently have transiting Pluto square my natal Mercury in the 8th, sextile natal Neptune, also in the 8th, and trine natal Pluto in the 7th.
It started when I first noticed I was having dreams that didn’t make any sense. At least, they didn’t make any sense to me; they typically involved a feeling that I wasn’t ‘there’ at all. (And here’s where I should say, I’m no aello, who interprets dreams so effectively here http://dreamorpheus.wordpress.com/ In fact, I was on the verge of submitting at least one of the dreams to her when something clicked for me.) In many of the dreams I was an observer, but just as often I was a character in the dream, a person with a full history of which I was aware, who didn’t look or think or act like me, but whose life I was plunged into at what appeared to be a moment of stress (and the difference was distinct–I was vaguely aware, as David Byrne says, that ‘this is not my beautiful house, this is not my beautiful wife,’ while being extremely clear on ‘my’ past, and all the ‘whys’ of the present that would normally be fuzzy conceptions in dreamland at best) .
And this stress is what happened to be the key to understanding the entire sequence of dreams, because I realized that, though the situations were stressful for the individuals, they weren’t necessarily anything I thought was terribly difficult, threatening, or upsetting. For instance, in one dream I was a young woman living in Boston with my boyfriend, and the problem was a neighbor, a big tall man wearing basketball shorts, a headband on his ‘fro-ish hair, tall knee socks and a tank top (very ‘I think I’m an athlete’ a la 1977, the year it happened to be) who came almost daily to our apartment door while walking his brindle great dane; he would bang and bang on the door, demanding that my boyfriend come out to the park (a large open area behind the apartments)–apparently the boyfriend had made some objections to the man about his dog, as no animals were allowed in the building or the park area. This was causing an escalating stressful situation, as the couple was beginning to feel targeted, under siege in their own home by a man they believed was unbalanced. It was, in a word, their own special hell.
That’s what finally clicked for me: I realized that in each dream, I was seeing, and sometimes experiencing, a stress, a hell, very particular to the person in question. One more example will suffice, one where I was an observer, and this is the interesting thing with all the dreams: where the individual was known to me, whether personally or from the world stage, they were dead–and I had to wonder if I was indeed privy to their own unique version of hell, their lot in the afterlife.
In one of the observer dreams, I was at a small Midwestern US high school at the half time of a basketball game (and here I have to wonder, do I have some special association between the game of basketball and hell? Something to ponder!) There was a kind of popularity contest being voted on during this break–two girls stood in the middle of the court, and I knew that one of them, though she looked completely different, was actually Princess Diana (and I’m writing about how they stood “in the middle of the court” and think I was seeing her situation symbolically, translating ‘court’ to my non-royal way of thinking).
The outcome of the vote was announced, and Princess Di was not the winner; she began to sob. There was some comment that she was up against a ‘local’ girl, and that’s why the other had won–but she was inconsolable, crying that she was sure she was more popular than anyone else, that she should’ve received the crown. Though only All That Is can say for sure whether this is a true glimpse into the late Lady’s Soul, it’s not an improbable version of hell for her, given the events of her life.
I don’t claim to know why I’ve had this series of dreams, but will assume it’s to help me develop empathy, to show me how very specific and particular hell is for each and every one of us–and how, whether we admit it or not, hell is definitely a circumstance springing from our own choices, from the demands of the ego, where hell is decidedly of our own making.
~~~
Thanks very much to all who commented on the Solar Eclipse article–I appreciate that each of you took the time to read and comment, and I apologize, I was unable to come to the site and answer in any timely way. It was a period of non-stop work for me (note to Self: any connection to explosion of computer? Naw!) –fun but exhausting–and now I have something of an enforced break until the new program arrives. Obviously, I won’t be posting a detailed Weekly Forecast, but I do have a few remarks on what to look for: Mercury/ Jupiter opposition for a few days at the end of the month=oh we want to talk! The pull to tell all we know, to learn, to expand the Self’s image (Leo), will be strong. Mars through Gemini assists, and with the Moon waxing this week the unconscious may push to expand its influence, as well. Expect the effects to run the gamut, from braggardly to scholarly, and for the ego to be (often sneakily) a more prominent motivating factor than usual–that means step back and ask yourself, In whose best interest is it that I believe (or swallow whole) what I’m hearing? That will make things clear.
Of the two Lunar eclipses and one Solar eclipse occurring in this set, the upcoming Solar one is the one to watch. Not literally, of course, as that will burn your eyes out (no wonder people were frightened of eclipses–there must have been plenty of village idiots who did just that–and who wouldn’t think it was God, or gods, or Baal, or Apollo, or Ra punishing those hubristic enough to stare into what in many cultures amounts to the face of God?) No, watch this Solar eclipse, promised in the Pacific time zone of North America at 7:33 PM the 21st of July, for the figurative burn it may bring.
The transiting Sun and Moon meet at 29 Cancer 26, an anaretic degree, and that signals the energies involved are both in a state of high stress. Why? Placement of any energy at an anaretic degree (the very earliest and latest of a sign) suggests that the body has traveled through the experience cycle of all preceding degrees of the sign–now the body is pressured to symbolically ‘finish up’ with the energy spectrum of the sign. This means that any facets of the sign not experienced during the course of the transit now come forward, needing to be expressed in order to complete the experience cycle. In this case, the energies are Cancerian: of nurture, care, involved with others, nourishing, intrusive, emotional, intuitive, maternal, enveloping, sensitive, changeable or monthly. For all of us, the place in the natal chart where 29 degrees of Cancer falls (if this does not fall on a natal placement) will designate by House where we may be facing a crisis energy that blends the Cancer experience spectrum with the matters of the House.
For those with a natal placement at this degree (or within 2 degrees of it, either side), the crisis energy is much stronger, and specific to the manifestation of the natal body or point. By ‘crisis,’ however, I mean ‘need to face’ as it applies to the matters brought forward. If one is willing to be responsible, literally willing to respond, one need not suffer crisis or upset of any kind–in fact the impetus offered by the Solar eclipse energy can bring great leaps forward, particularly at the personal level, in illuminating all facets of a matter or issue, and endowing one with the energy and ‘sight’ to resolve it.
Other natal placements to which the eclipse is in hard aspect may share in the crisis energy (though to a lesser intensity or extent), with the aspect itself suggesting the way toward resolution. For instance, a square says that the eclipse will present an energy situation (related to both the 29 Cancer placement and the House in which this occurs) that is in conflict with the natal energy as it exists, and requires one to weigh, consider, and negotiate as one would with any square. Again, keep the aspect orb to 2 degrees or less, and as with the conjunction, a willingness to face the energy and deal with it can minimize or eliminate problems, and even turn them to your advantage.
Soft contacts to natal placements (sextiles, trines) offer to bolster the manifestation of the natal energy with the eclipse energy. We musn’t assume that this is uniformly positive, however, as ease in blending the two energies can bring forward a ‘path of least resistance’ manifestation that may effectively undermine our best interests. Control is the key with soft aspects, channeling them productively into assisting expression of the natal energy while remaining attentive to implications and ramifications of the interaction.
The eclipse itself makes a few aspects: a quincunx to Pluto, and a conjunction to the South Node in Leo (with complementary opposition to the North Node). Whenever we have an eclipse, it’s important to look at the pattern it forms with other transiting bodies, as this tells us something about the effects we can expect; the contacts the eclipse makes are essentially part and parcel of the ‘eclipse package’ we experience. A quincunx to Pluto suggests that the crisis energy of the eclipse will run deep, be intense, transformative, and perhaps a little dangerous or disturbing, unearthing secrets or things we’d rather leave buried. This aspect may make us feel that the eclipse itself is dangerous or disruptive, but this is the energy of the eclipse feeding through and adjusting (the quincunx) to the active energy of transiting Pluto, and to our senses there may be no distinction.
The Solar eclipse conjunct the South Node in Leo brings in elements of the past and our place in it. Identity issues are ‘lit up’ by the eclipse, and the South Node itself is at an anaretic degree (but this time in the opposite situation to the eclipse–here the South Node is back at the seminal moment of our past that helped form our identity, our creative sense of Self–00 Leo).
We can expect matters of the Self, our origins in the past, and secrets or change, to be the eclipse effect for all of us, with reference to the House where the eclipse occurs; those with a natal hook must figure in the natal effect, as well, using common sense and positioning oneself mentally to make the most of available energies. And remember, Dark of the Moon precedes the eclipse, meaning that we may all be feeling a little more ‘in the dark’ than we’d like beginning about evening PDT of the 18th, with illumination coming on the New Moon, as it always does.
An eclipse is really an opportunity to put lightning in a bottle; let’s do our best to use the energy wisely.
And I love you all, but please, no questions about personal eclipse situations in the comments section–I’m available for single question assessments for only $25, and full eclipse reports for $50, email me at juliedemboski@hotmail.com Thanks!
Sorry–can’t seem to get the post to capture the chart any bigger without cutting some off–will continue to try to remedy. You can blow it up through your browser, a little fuzzy but readable.
Sometimes we just need to feel that aid will come; I don’t mean that we’ll be rescued, as this is an understandable wish under many conditions, but not a healthy response to real problems, in the end. No, I mean we all need to feel, when we are in the midst of despair, that there are others who will muster their Will for us, who will say, “We can tackle it this way, we can go at it that way, and you are not alone.” Astrologically we see this most strongly in a Jupiter transit; help can come in a variety of forms: assistance from the social sphere, from those who are ‘bigger,’ from those who feel generous toward us, from those who would like to share their knowledge, educate us, or inculcate us with their religious fervor, or from those who act out a Zeus-ian role, perhaps quite literally appearing to us as if they can do anything–and of course wherever Jupiter is by House and sign in the natal chart will hint at others who may be available to help us (for instance, Jupiter in Capricorn may consistently bring authorities to our aid, while Jupiter in the 9th could suggest help from in-laws, the clergy, or one’s teachers), and in synastry those whose Jupiter touches something significant in our chart (particularly the Ascendant, Sun, Moon, chart ruler, or Venus) may assume that they are meant to help us in time of need, even to be loving and generous at all times. And, withJupiter increasingly being recognized as active at death, we must also acknowledge that the transcendence this energy offers can go beyond earthly problems, bringing under the right circumstances, perhaps, the ultimate healing.
typically involved a feeling that I wasn’t ‘there’ at all. (And here’s where I should say, I’m no aello, who interprets dreams so effectively here 
For those with a natal placement at this degree (or within 2 degrees of it, either side), the crisis energy is much stronger, and specific to the manifestation of the natal body or point. By ‘crisis,’ however, I mean ‘need to face’ as it applies to the matters brought forward. If one is willing to be responsible, literally willing to respond, one need not suffer crisis or upset of any kind–in fact the impetus offered by the Solar eclipse energy can bring great leaps forward, particularly at the personal level, in illuminating all facets of a matter or issue, and endowing one with the energy and ‘sight’ to resolve it.
An eclipse is really an opportunity to put lightning in a bottle; let’s do our best to use the energy wisely.
Julie Demboski's ASTROLOGY 
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