Category Archives: current events in the sky

New Moon 17 July 2023: T’d-Off

15 Saturday Jul 2023

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, New Moon, Sabian Symbols

≈ Comments Off on New Moon 17 July 2023: T’d-Off

Tags

, , , , ,

Don’t look at where those arrows are landing, look at who’s shooting them. Sagittarius Weather Vane at the American Folk Art Museum, NYC {{PD}}

The Sun and Moon meet in Cancer, as they do once (rarely, twice) every year, at 11:31 AM PDT of the 17th at 24 Cancer 56, and this time form some tense, T-square energy across the Sun-Earth axis with Eris, a square to which is the next aspect both Sol and Luna will perfect. Eris is generally blamed for creating strife, but I see her more as bringing to the surface already extant tensions–she has the nature of a catalyst, facilitating the interaction of other factors. Eris gets blamed for causing trouble because no one wants to own something they’ve worked hard to ignore–and that means there may be lots of finger-pointing (or worse, sotto voce insinuations), all in the name of denial. Wherever the weather vane is pointing, look back in the direction that wind is coming from–that will tell you much more than will fixating on the direction it’s traveling.

What’s more, we’re talking about Cardinal energies, and that means stresses will prompt action–and it’s likely those choices won’t have been fully considered, there’ll be such pressure to do something about ‘it’, with the pressure to act coming as much from within us as from externals. Vesta semi-square the New Moon says our own highest values and deepest commitments will require we act. One way, though, to help us judge how accurate and/ or effective those impromptu moves might be is by examining what the Sun and Moon contacted just before their meeting (illustrating the time leading up to the New Moon) and what each will contact just after, before either leaves the sign of Cancer.

Both sextiled Uranus, and almost simultaneously squared Zeus. That suggests our attentions have been on deep desires, our passions stirred by want and ambition (and in both instances, these have our attention because we don’t have fulfillment there–the square) and surprise, shock, a sense of rebellion or revolution, sudden awareness or information gleaned through Higher Mind, or the effect of the group on individual autonomy or originality, figure in to the scenario that leads us up to the ‘now’ of the New Moon.

And what springs from the inception point of the New Moon, from the seminal energies of emotion, what we care about, what we nurture, ‘mother’, protect? Out of the stress of the Lunar event we see an enormous creative, imaginative, or spiritually-infused burst (trine to Neptune) and just after that, a scenario where we must choose, involving elimination, destruction, or transformation of a facet of surrounding structures, rules, disciplines, or frameworks upon which we have been reliant (opposition to Pluto in Capricorn–and note this occurs in the 29th degree, suggesting the choices we will have to make, even be forced to make, will in themselves be stressful).

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘A Willful Man Is Overshadowed By A Descent Of Superior Power’. That’s Cardinal energy, all right, describing a highly Arian sort of Being–and Mars at the time of the NM will be in Virgo, just moving out of conjunction with Pallas, telling of a recent point where we asserted ourselves based upon what was wise or practical–with the ruler of Mars, Mercury, in Leo, so ruled by the Sun, which is ruled by and conjoined the Moon, leading us back to the Lunar picture. So, the action we took then, or choice we made, is integral to the New Moon event–and likely affecting us much more emotionally than we realize (or care to admit). But, the image declares that whatever way in which we’ve made our Will known, by the New Moon, will be overtaken by a larger, more potent force–which suggests something about the Lunar event will show us not everything is within our power, under our control, or subject to our Will. A lesson in limits and modesty, that will serve our creative and transformative efforts that follow.

Full Moon 3 July 2023: One Better

01 Saturday Jul 2023

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Full Moon, Lunar Aspects, Sabian Symbols

≈ Comments Off on Full Moon 3 July 2023: One Better

Tags

, , , , , , ,

‘Guitar on the Table’ By Juan Gris 1915 {{PD}}

The Earth and Moon will be just separating from trines to Jupiter when they meet to perfect a Full Moon, on the 3rd at 4:38 AM PDT at 11 Capricorn 18. As we all know, eleven is one better than ten, typically the highest point on the scale, and just leaving that Jupiter aspect–well, we’re probably at a high point or just coming down from one, emotionally or in the social sphere, marking a solid, possibly real-world accomplishment–and those with a natal placement between roughly 8 and 13 Virgo may find this Full Moon brings serious fulfillment, maybe on a large scale.

The rest of us may have a more subtle experience, perhaps getting a lesson on (or even being forced into) taking wise action or making ‘the smart move’ (Mars-Pallas in Leo sesquiquadrate Moon-Earth), or seeing the power of caring words or the impact of feeling on thought and identity (Moon-Earth opposed Mercury-Sun). A Full Moon can bring conclusions, the summing up of an emotionally tinged period that stretches back weeks or even months before, and this can arrive as much in quiet realization as it can in dynamic events.

A few other things to note: Pluto is back in Capricorn at 29 degrees and retrograde–my sense of this is a re-visiting of crises or darkness we thought we’d dealt with but that is now doing its best to hide from us–because if we could detect it we could deal with it, truly eliminating the upset once and for all–and yet it’s just not time to wipe the slate clean in the areas of change, transformation, in areas of mystery and delving deep, not yet–we’re not ready, even though we think we are.

And then there’s the way Pluto and Neptune sextile each other, forming the base of a Finger of God with apex Pallas=this offers us an oblique way to process at least some of the powerful Plutonian charge, by mixing liberally with creative energies, ideals, and making change informed by spiritual beliefs–that’s the way to institute practical change or put wisdom into practice (Pallas), the Finger making for one of those instances where the outcome is bigger than the sum of its parts.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘An Illustrated Lecture On Natural Science Reveals Little-Known Aspects Of Life’. This points to our gaining life knowledge from what occurs, that this is both natural (as in part of Nature, or part of our nature), and that it will be right in front of us, illustrated somehow in what we see or in our surroundings. That’s reassuring–all we need to be is reasonably attentive to what goes on–the meaning of it will be apparent. It brings to mind a quote from Franz Kafka: ““You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.”

We also look at the Sun, giver of light, for a Full Moon: ‘A Chinese Woman Nursing A Baby Whose Aura Reveals Him To Be The Reincarnation Of A Great Teacher’. This suggests that what is being nurtured right now is in an early stage, not to be judged in its present state, but to grow into the logical result of all it has been in the past, combined with what is being added to it now. A reminder that nothing comes out of nowhere–it all has origins, all gathers influences, so that there’s no thing we can’t trace back through its genesis and our own nurture or lack thereof, to create what exists today, and what it will grow into tomorrow. That implies we need to be alert to our own responsibilities, our own part in things. Both positives and problems don’t spring from the ether, they’ve been growing and developing for some time.

Expect to come out of this Full Moon better by one–in the area of the chart where the Lunar event occurs, or in some area of interest that carries the Capricorn flavor. Not every New or Full Moon is a major event for each of us–sometimes it’s a marker of minor but still significant change, something that may figure even larger down the road.

Full Moon in Sagittarius June 2023: A Lonely Lunar Light

01 Thursday Jun 2023

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Full Moon, Sabian Symbols

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

‘The Lonely Farm, Nantucket’ By George Inness 1892 {{PD}}

I suspect this Full Moon we might all be feeling a little lonely, as the Sagittarian energy urges us to reach out, to explore, to make contact, to ‘spread the word’, and we find ourselves, in one way or another, alone–or at least, feeling a little isolated or alienated from our fellow Beings. This Full Moon light perfects at 8:40 PM PDT of the 3rd at 13 Sagittarius 17, and floods the perceptions with emotional wisdom, emotional practicality, or both, courtesy of the close trine to Pallas. This is by far the tightest contact made by the Lunar event, signalling that, whatever our experience, we’d be smart to see it as revealing what our potentials and wisest course of action are–whether that’s through providing a positive picture to be emulated or a negative one to be avoided.

There’s also a loose Fist of God with apex of the Full Moon itself and base of a square between Venus at 28 Cancer and Eris at 25 Aries. That Cardinal square suggests that loving and deeply caring energies will be put into action in ways that will prick at our individuality and bring to the surface every buried resentment and percolating complaint, the kind where we think it’s other peoples’ job to satisfy us. It may feel as if relationships and/ or money issues come pre-loaded with contrary inclinations and difficult requirements, but the Full Moon, applying emotional intelligence to the facts, to knowledge, in a way that’s open and receptive to the unusual, the foreign (to us), the exotic (again, to our experience–these are all Sagittarian approaches), will offer us a way to resolve the tension, and so preserve or even enhance the relationship or financial matter.

There’s a novile from the Full Moon to the South Node, and a semi-square to Pluto, raw at 00 Aquarius and ready to flee (by June 11th) back into Capricorn. This places the Full Moon energy, very roughly, between the influences from the past (SN) and the powerful, awe-inspiring, destructive or transformative energies of Pluto as it orients us toward the future, the modern, the new (Aquarius). That suggests that what we learn from our Full Moon experience (and we will learn something, or undergo something of a Sagittarian nature) may be something we’ve been dealing with, or been burdened with, for some time–and now we’re offered, if not a complete answer as to how to change things, a glimpse that assures us change is indeed on the way.

If we allow for a very generous, 5 degree orb, we can see a sort of chain reaction Fire Grand Trine, where the energy starts in the past, with the Moon’s recent trine to Mars in Leo (probably engaging us in emotional reflection on something we’ve recently done that was specifically for ourselves, for our benefit), and promising an upcoming revelation via Chiron in Aries (likely something centered on our wounds, especially wounds to the ego, our independence, or our autonomy, and how we can heal them). This is a dynamic of recognition of the emotional impacts of actions or choices very particular to us as individuals, and should offer a welcome resolution to a possible sense of guilt, selfishness, or just the feeling we’ve been too wrapped up in seeing to our own needs–we haven’t, it only feels that way.

We can also see a tidier Fire Grand Trine by substituting the Black Moon Lilith point for Mars–which gets us a Full Moon emotional reaction or intuition that leads to what’s been ignored, denied, or that’s enraged (BML) and then taking steps to heal this, or possibly to pull it out of storage and apply our gifts to it (Chiron).

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘The Great Pyramid And The Sphinx’. Symbols of great knowledge shrouded in mystery; time passed, and what was known was in part forgotten. What wisdom that you once centered yourself in has slipped away? Where do you feel yourself ‘off course’, in terms of what you know to be right for yourself? This speaks of Sedna, at 29 tense degrees of Taurus, at a bursting point in terms of a need for each of us to recognize what, deep inside, we know to be true. Sedna is sextile Venus, which in just a tic will be at 29 degrees itself, with the Sagittarian Moon, before leaving the sign, forming the apex to a Finger that Venus and Sedna will be the base of. This implies a near-future circumstance where each of us will see the resolution of what we ‘know but don’t know’ about a relationship or financial situation through either intuitive insight or an emotional reaction that prompts choice (Moon in a Fire sign).

We also look at the Sun for a Full Moon: ‘Bridging Physical Space And Social Distinctions, Two Men Communicate Telepathically’. Ah-ha! it’s the essence of the idea that we all know what’s going on with everyone else, we’re just too polite to read minds all the time! This may remind us that what we need to know (in fact, may be longing to know) is knowable–if we trust ourselves and refuse to muddy the picture with prejudicial filters or sentiments that skew reality.

All in all, though, this Full Moon energy will be brimming with a sense of needing to attend to things personally, and we may be feeling the loneliness of that obligation acutely. Reassure yourself that this perception that so much is on your shoulders is temporary–because it is–and consider that key to using this energy to the fullest is an emphasis on choice: you choose how to employ it, and that means all things aren’t your responsibility, only those you have direct knowledge of, command of the facts around, and the personal energy and authority (that is, the right) to do something about.

Your Week Ahead + The New Moon in Taurus: The Right Magic

15 Monday May 2023

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, New Moon, Sabian Symbols

≈ Comments Off on Your Week Ahead + The New Moon in Taurus: The Right Magic

Tags

, , , , ,


Ambigram Magic Dream – mirror symmetry with a handheld pattern giving a reversed shadow on a blue wall. Photo By Basile Morin Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

I don’t think we should be looking at the upcoming New Moon (perfecting 19 May at 8:53 AM PDT at 28 Taurus 25) as a singular event; instead I see it as a moment made possible by the way these next few days flow into it. I’m seeing a chance for some to make dreams come true (Neptune-Mars trine), particularly in an area where crisis seems to dominate at the moment; I’m also seeing the possibility that, with the right attitude and moves, we can create an outcome that is more than the sum of its parts, giving the whole thing an aura of rightness and magic. So where should we be looking on the way to the New Moon that will make the best of the current influences?

First we note some crisis energies in play: Sedna in Taurus, and Mars in Cancer, both at 29 degrees. Sedna will actually be conjoined by the New Moon, and with these four bodies in sextile we have the base for a Finger of God. Though one doesn’t exist in the current picture, it may in the individual one, for those with a natal placement at 27 Sagittarius to 1 Capricorn. The Lunar event may act as either trigger or a conclusion that opens the way for a new beginning around our ability to access instincts and to act or choose according to those instincts or things we ‘know but don’t know’–or it may force action around something in our ‘blind spot’ that simply can’t be ignored any longer (and this may be something we aren’t aware of, but once revealed, may feel we should have known about)–and this is a condition everyone may face. For those who have a natal point forming the apex to a temporary Finger, the resolution of these actions and choices will have the character of the natal planet, and will be acted out via some combination of point energies, point House placement, or matters of the House that body rules.

With a New Moon in Taurus the senses are heightened (and this can be both pleasurable and off-putting, as in, for example, the case of ‘bad odors’ either literal or psychic, or as when you partake of a tasting menu that you’ll swear is the ‘best food you’ve ever eaten’), and this Moon brings new starts by way of realizations around material resources, artisanal pursuits, comfort, security, stability, and in matters where persistence is a necessity. Apply this, then, to the aspects the New Moon makes: to the sextiles already mentioned, making for intuitively or emotionally informed action and choice, to the Finger, if applicable, to an out-of-element trine to Pluto in Aquarius (changes may be bigger or more permanent than we realize at the time, made at an intellectual level, or in the name of modernization or in order to take one’s place in the avant garde), a semi-square to Venus, which rules the New Moon (we enter NM territory with the negative facets of relationships, finances, or values emphasized in our worldview), and another sextile, this one to Neptune in Pisces (illusion, delusion, creativity, or idealism influences the new start–and this is part of a Water Grand Trine involving Mars and Earth=emotions find stability and possibly expression through needed action to take things from the creative imagination and materialize them).

Mercury just turned direct, and Jupiter just entered Taurus, meaning that our lead-up to the New Moon will be full of ‘new’ information, facts, or revelations about subjects we already thought we knew well. The atmosphere may be one where we ‘want more’ and think we know how to get it–but success must take into account material realities and real-world circumstances, and if those are missing our efforts may be less than effective. There’s also a Grand Square which applies to the Moon via involvement of the Lunar South Node, and also involving Pluto, Jupiter, and Mars=long-term conflicts from the past may feel unsolvable, but in taking action and making changes that align with the facts we can break the impasse and, if not solve all the conflicts, at least reconstitute the issues in new forms that may be less toxic or persistent.

So where does the magic come from? A Mystic Rectangle of Sun-Moon-Sedna, Mars, Pluto, and Earth. We can use that fresh New Moon energy to move some pretty big energies around, ones that under other circumstances may make us feel tired just thinking about trying to alter or manipulate–but for this occasion, we have that wonderful Mystic Rectangle synergy that does the heavy lifting for us–and can result in the re-making of our efforts in ways that use intuition, feeling, and the senses to create a much more potent ‘flow’ than we normally could. Be aware, though, that these changes, if not permanent, will be significant and serious, so proceed with a clear and honorable intent.

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘Two Cobblers Working At A Table’. The image suggests that our efforts might best be employed in areas where we already hold skills, especially ones that are practical and/ or call for cooperation. We also look at the Earth (it seems to flesh out the picture from its opposing viewpoint): ‘An Indian Squaw Pleading To The Chief For The Lives Of Her Children’. Here we see someone with less power pleading with someone who holds more power (maybe all power) not for sparing her own life but those of her offspring. It’s maternal altruism that may be in our DNA–imperative that our progeny survive, even if we don’t. And don’t mistake this for negotiation–for that both sides need to have some power–here only one does. This may suggest that the origins of our New Moon experience may lie in a situation where we either held all the power or none of it–and where one party or the other was hoping to further their cause, and perhaps to have an impact on the future. This symbol describes what leads us to the New Moon event–but it may have some long-ago origins, even in circumstances we’ve largely forgotten, until now.

Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio May 2023 What We Resist

03 Wednesday May 2023

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse, Full Moon, Lunar Aspects, Lunar Eclipse, Sabian Symbols

≈ Comments Off on Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio May 2023 What We Resist

Tags

, , , ,

Kimono fabric from Japan, early 20th century, silk, yuzen (paste resist, hand painting), Honolulu Museum of Art
Photo By Hiart 2012 CC0 1.0

The Lunar eclipse (Full Moon) perfects at 10:34 AM PDT of the 5th, with a rather wide opposition pattern involving the Sun (of course), cupped by Vesta on one side and Uranus on the other, with this axis squared by the Black Moon Lilith point. Lunar energy is emotional energy and intuitive knowing, with a Full Moon bringing conclusions and realizations. In Scorpio Lunar perceptions naturally become restless; there’s a need to dig, to refuse to accept surface feeling as genuine (or at least, as revealing the entire emotional picture). This Moon placement can ‘smell’ the depths, the hidden nuances in communicated feeling–so when the Moon moves through Scorpio, secrets are not likely to stay secret for long–especially when an eclipse wipes away what may have been a camouflaging reality.

What seems to be obvious, in the sunlight for all to see, is swept aside in favor of an in-depth, Scorpionic Truth–the group of which we’re a member, our academic or intellectual standing or prowess, our unique approach, revolutionary ideas, or individual talents, all that we honor or find sacred–the eclipse brings forward some (possibly uncomfortable) realities involving these things. Be prepared to find that your real-life role (or real-life feeling) is much different than you’ve been telling yourself and others it is. This eclipse delivers an emotional shock that is also a ‘get out of jail (or the situation) free’ card, if we’re wise enough to see that what’s revealed is genuine, and that what we’ve been telling ourselves isn’t.

But there’s a rebellious energy in the air, thanks to Uranus, the kind of knee-jerk resistance that arises without thought in response to those areas/ illusions we have an emotional need to protect, and this reactivity is only exaggerated in the presence of Vesta, with her high ideals and strong commitment. Nobody wants to see that what they thought was worth their devotion really isn’t. The Black Moon Lilith created T-square presents us with what we are in denial of, what we’ve been ignoring, or what enrages us made visible through some sort of conflict–likely the conflict, largely internal, that comes about when what we think we know or are is challenged by what is.

There’s also a rough Fist of God with base of Venus square Neptune, apex the Lunar eclipse, that suggests again illusions around something we love being challenged by the feeling picture shown us by the eclipse–or is it that the illusion is rent when Love doesn’t conform to our ideal? In either case, we get to the emotional truth of the matter–the only issue is whether we’ll believe what is revealed.

The Sabian for the eclipse is, ‘Children Playing Around Five Mounds Of Sand’. There are many possible associations that can be made with the number five, but for our purposes I’d like to talk about the 5-pointed star, with each point referring to the elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water) and the fifth to Spirit. This is the environment we’re all born into, one made up of these elements, with ourselves as the fifth, spiritual aspect of the experience. And certainly, play is what occurs in the physical world as we come to know it–so what does this say about the current eclipse? The image adds something essential to the physical picture of existence, something we might almost consider as another element: that of Time, symbolized by the flowing, uncapturable nature of sand–not to mention its function in the earliest of timepieces. I think the image is reminding us that time is ever-moving, inevitably changing everything eventually, and its the timeless nature of the Universe that we may not be thinking of right now–we may instead be focused on ourselves and our roles, as if these are the be all and end all. So, the idea may be not to take what occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and Moon too seriously. Instead see it as a reminder that we are, in the end, timeless Beings ourselves.

The Sabian for the Sun is, ‘Head Covered With A Rakish Silk Hat, Muffled Against The Cold, A Man Braves A Storm’. This image always reminds me of a Toulouse-Lautrec litho. Once more I think the image relates to our focus on ourselves and our worldly role–and how the Earth coming between the Sun and Moon interrupts with a shadow experience our concepts about ourselves and our place. Resistance, as we all know, is futile; take an attitude of play, and enjoy the time you’re here!

A Note Or Two For You

24 Monday Apr 2023

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

,

Dietmar Rabich

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

Norderney, Nordsee am Oststrand — 2016

The outlook today, in that valley between eclipses, is just as uncertain, and volatile, as we might expect. The thing that jumps out at me is the way Uranus and a retro Mercury are sextile Mars=sudden, rash words or actions, thoughts that become choices almost before we know it, revolutionary ideas that shouldn’t be acted on right now (they’ll need a re-think, come Merc direct), and the urge to fight, maybe literally, or maybe with the idea that one’s thoughts are more progressive or modern and so need (aggressive) sharing, may come about. There’s also the way Venus sits at the Merc/ Mars midpoint, suggesting that our targets will be those people or things we genuinely care about–uh-oh. Proceed with extreme caution, as this can all occur very quickly–and if you have a natal point or planet at 13-17 Sagittarius, you are most likely to express the base energies to this Finger of God via the subjects of the contacted body–and you may be laser-like in thinking this needs to be said/ done! Try to lean in to the Cancer Moon, which is headed toward contact with Mars; if you can keep the importance of feelings and the need to caretake in mind, you’ll be a lot less likely to misstep.

Jupiter and Eris in Aries are together, and they’re square Pallas in Cancer–again, not terribly positive. The smart thing to do is remember that you care–difficult in the face of public outcry, exaggerating sh*t stirrers, and the strong temptation to put the Self and Self’s ‘knowledge’ (really beliefs) first. Don’t forget, though, that disturbances reflect already extant issues–so maybe the approach that this is an opportunity for revealing problems and cleansing the outlook is best adopted.

The Sun is also sextile Saturn, making us too aware of reality’s hard edges–so be kind, to yourself and others–it’s not as bad as it seems.

I’m taking some brief time away from the blog and social media (to write! So not exactly getting off the computers!) but will be back in time for the Lunar eclipse. All comments will be answered, and orders fulfilled, when I return to this machine 🙂 See you then, and as Bill and Ted used to say, Be excellent to each other!

Mercury Retrograde 21 April 2023 What, Again?

19 Wednesday Apr 2023

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Mercury retrograde, Retrogrades + Directions, Sabian Symbols

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

‘The Thistle Flower House’ By Paul Klee {{PD}}

Merc in Taurus pauses mid-sign and plows in apparent backward motion at 1:35 AM PDT of the 21st, and our feeling may be deja vu all over again: It’s retrograde, again, already? *Sigh* We may be buried in ennui, as the moment of retrograde comes just minutes after the Moon passes over Mercury, conflating thinking and feeling, and confusing intuition and information. The topic is Taurean, but such a blend of mixed communications and emotions could leave us feeling insecure, unsure of those material supports we normally rely on, uncomfortable, and feeling we lack nourishment (especially nourishment of the mind).

The first aspect formed in Merc’s retreat will be a sextile to Mars in Cancer, suggesting that out of the confusion and sense of lack around the retro point emerges actions spurred by or that demonstrate caring. Whatever we go through with Merc’s turnaround inspires efforts, probably along the lines of making the environment better for ourselves or others. Material comforts may become a refuge at this point–take a Cancerian approach and soothe yourself with a few indulgences, the kind that speak to the part of us that needs to feel safe and nurtured, the part that needs to feel mothered/ Part of this retro period may be about seeking out those who are willing to, on occasion, offer that sort of unconditional kindness and support, or being willing to offer it ourselves (best course of action in offering or accepting nurture: do the opposite of your usual–if you normally receive support, reach out and give some yourself, and if you’re one of us who finds it hard to accept caretaking, open your arms wide–you’ll be surprised by who and what fills them!)

With the retro happening in Earth, we get the chance to reconsider what it is that we think we need to feel prosperous, to feel secure, to feel entrenched, but in a good way, a way that supports our creativity and forays out into the world. Merc’s retro mission is always to make sure you don’t think of things the same way by the time he goes direct again, and with his journey starting in (and remaining in) the Earth sign Taurus, we’re likely to re-think our resource and sustenance situation, to rearrange our world, to change our opinions, tastes, and practices so that we end up with a greater sense of security and comfort. It’s important we remember that, during a Merc retro, we can’t rely on the mind for totally accurate perceptions of the world; that’s why using the feelings to guide is not only vital, but able to offer the ‘missing pieces’ of the information pie.

It can help to examine the Sabian for the start of the period, if only to orient us to the tone matters might take. Here it’s, ‘An Old Teacher Fails To Interest His Pupils In Traditional Knowledge’. Are we surprised that we’ll be looking for something new? We shouldn’t be; if Mercury had continued on its previous direct course, it would’ve met Uranus as its next contact. That effectively means that the entire retro is a dance away from and then eventually back to an explosion of Uranian energy, which combined with Mercury suggests revolutionary (for us) thoughts. In direct motion Mercury conjoins Uranus on 4 June–mark your calendars, in more than one way there could be fireworks.

So what starts out as a frustrating stalemate, a re-hash where we’re no clearer on our feelings than we were pre-retro, becomes a revelatory experience–but be aware, this will take time to develop, so give things lots of leg room, lots of freedom to grow and change, and don’t look for any conclusions/ definitive answers before that early June date.

Don’t forget the Solar eclipse of the 19th, poised to wipe the slate clean and set the background noise (and sometimes the main attraction) for the coming 6 months.

Solar Eclipse in Aries April 2023: Who We Were

17 Monday Apr 2023

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse, New Moon, Sabian Symbols, Solar Eclipse

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , ,

Binu.mhp Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 2019

An eclipse is a time when what was, at least in one area of our lives, is erased, and with a Solar eclipse (also known as a New Moon) we see this eliminated material replaced by or clearing the way for a spark, a seed, something new, something just beginning. The eclipse makes room in our lives for the birth of a new entity, endeavor, event, or circumstance that holds the character of the sign in which the eclipse occurs, and takes the shape of the House in the natal chart where the eclipse falls. That means for all of us there will be a similar, sign-oriented flavor to what happens, but that for each of us the eclipse material will take a unique and personal form.

This Solar event occurs at 9:12 PM PDT of the 19th. Since we already had a New Moon in Aries this year (on 21 March at 00), we may be wondering about the way the impetus for new beginnings of a similar, Arian kind is duplicated, as if we get a do-over, and in a way that’s what we’re getting. To immodestly quote myself from the post for the 21st: “A New Moon at the Aries Point is the most bare, exposed, fresh, even raw of beginnings, a seminal point of germination, discovery, inception, origination. In Aries we have initiation, both in the sense of the start of something new, and in the sense of being brought or accepted into something–both are personal, in that they are happening to the individual, but one speaks of a new venture, occurrence, or climate, while the other speaks of something that exists already, into which we enter and become a part. At the Aries Point, we are the Initiate; expect to become, to gain an aspect of identity that you did not carry before, and that you probably won’t be able to anticipate.”

So, we were given a beginning so completely fresh that it was likely without definitive form–and what will Aries do with such energy? Shape the hell out of it; it’s all about becoming, the process of individuation, the formation of identity, and employing that Cardinal energy to impress ourselves and our Will upon the world. We were probably just beginning to get a handle on these new implications for identity and role when along comes the eclipse–uprooting those tender seedlings and making one thing abundantly clear: the identity we were constructing is inadequate to completely express who we are, with the eclipse at 29 degrees suggesting 1) it’s imperative we recognize that what we’ve chosen is not enough, in some sense, and 2) that it’s important we acknowledge we know a whole lot more than we did back in March–oh, how far we’ve come!–and the roles we’re creating for ourselves must take into account all we’ve learned–otherwise, what we create will be obsolete before we even get started.

A Sun-Moon meeting at the 29th degree carries its own message: this is a crisis. The feeling may be that we’ve been wrestling with these identity factors for a long time, and should be farther along. We feel we have to do something. There’s an emotional dissonance in the identity department that we’ll need to recognize. And all that begs the question: why aren’t we more clear on who we are? The answer is: a state of crisis is Self-defining (we find out who we are in a pinch) and that some hindsight will be necessary before we can get a true and accurate reflection of who we have become in the Self-image mirror of the mind.

The eclipse makes few contacts, though it’s conjoined Vesta in Taurus; this clues us in to the fact that what we’re dealing with now in shaping the ‘I Am’ is both sacred and fundamental to our security, prosperity, and comfort. We’re not just being asked to declare ourselves, we’re being asked to put forward what we stand for, to state explicitly what and who we honor, and what we are willing to dedicate our life energy to. The seriousness of this identity declaration may be the source of the tension and the feeling of crisis. We’re at some level aware of how important it is at this time to know ourselves; to fail to define our identity and character is to fail to prepare ourselves for what’s to come. That said, the world doesn’t come to an end if we remain unsure of our feelings or identity–but it does move forward, whether we’re prepared or not.

The New Moon makes a semi-sextile to Sedna in Taurus at 29 degrees (crisis around comfort, security, stability, prosperity), suggesting that instincts can aid us in our identity quest, and that the instinctual nature will transmit messages through discomfort or an ‘off’ feeling–listen to those. There’s also a novile to Venus in Gemini, implying a spark of genius in the thinking, when it’s centered on values or the mind is focused on seeing the beauty (or the profit) in the world. And the Sun-Moon/ Earth axis forms a T-square with Pluto, itself still raw, newly entered into Aquarius, suggesting that transformation won’t be easy–but that it’s inevitable, and that we, and the landscape, won’t reach the Lunar eclipse with the same outlook, or even wearing the same identity ‘shell’ (like a label, role, or job title).

The eclipse Sabian is, ‘A Duck Pond And Its Brood’. This brings to mind the story of ‘The Ugly Duckling’, which is a tale of finding one’s identity–and also one’s group. It may be that, if we’re really stumped about our own identity, looking around, examining who and what we’re surrounded by, will give valuable clues–as we must know who we are in the present to know what must change to create our new identity, which in turn creates our future. A bit of a ‘duck and egg’ thing, I think.

It may be a matter of the eclipse wiping out who we were (or our idea of who we were) in favor of something hinted at with the New Moon of March 21st, now ready to be born, to be revealed, or to be realized. A kind of denouement may arrive with the Lunar eclipse–until then, we do our best to put the pieces together, and to understand as well as we can who we are, and to move toward who we want to become.

Here’s a good explanation of a hybrid eclipse– The kind of eclipse we experience doesn’t change the astrological effects, but we can’t overlook the symbolism of, in this case, a hybrid event. It suggests something changeable–that then changes back. It hints that permanent change promised by Pluto may at least appear not to ‘stick’–it may morph back to a previous state, before again changing. Just be prepared to witness fluctuation in our perceptions, and to stay nimble enough that we can respond to what we might not fully anticipate.

And here’s a link that describes paths of upcoming eclipses that will be visible in North America-– many thanks to reader John Spirko for sharing this..

Full Moon 5 April 2023 The Empowering Wound

01 Saturday Apr 2023

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Full Moon, Sabian Symbols

≈ Comments Off on Full Moon 5 April 2023 The Empowering Wound

Tags

, , , , ,

‘Satan Watching the Caresses of Adam and Eve’ By William Blake 1808 {{PD}}

I’ll be away from my computer until next week. Please be patient–I’ll do my best to answer comments and fill orders when I return.

The Full Moon arrives on the 5th at 9:34 PM PDT at 16 Libra 07, delivering conclusions about or making clear our relationships with others, particularly those tender parts that persist as wounds. Here’s the thing about wounds: we tend to fixate on the apparent perpetrator of the injury, but the reality is, a situation involving hurt is under our control at all times. Does that mean the person isn’t responsible for the transgression? No, but it does mean that we were vulnerable to them in that area, open in such a way that we allow their actions or opinions to impact us. Does that imply we should never open ourselves to others? Of course not–but it does mean that we either 1) made a poor choice in whom to trust, or 2) need to reassess our own sensitivity levels concerning the input of others. With the first, well, we (hopefully) learn our lesson; with the latter, we may need to review just what has been triggered in us, and whether that’s truly a valid reaction. It may be a matter of perspective: if we realize that what’s really been violated is our own expectation, then we are free to re-align our vision toward a more accurate picture of the situation, and the relationship.

This Full Moon promises revelations along these lines, with the Moon-Earth in Libra opposed the Sun-Chiron conjunction in Aries (placing a spotlight on the responsibility of the individual in areas of wounds and the act of wounding) suggesting that the most potent of injuries (and the most compulsive hurts delivered to others) reside in matters of identity and role. It may also be that we or others need so badly to justify how we see ourselves that we are blinded to the way we are hurting or being hurt. It may be that the disturbances to relationships are, at least in part, reflecting back to us discrepancies in who we think we are vs. who we actually are as revealed by behavior and choices. It’s a sometimes bitter pill, to realize that we aren’t quite who we imagine ourselves to be–and yet, such knowledge is necessary if we are to make the most of our talents and relationships.

The Full Moon also quincunxes Uranus-Juno in Taurus, telling us that the uncomfortable or irritating may require spontaneous response, or may bring shocking or unexpected developments (especially in areas of material welfare or comforts), but that if successfully answered, will bring empowerment. This may be a situation where we’re thinking we’re focused on the prickly connections of relationships, but have something sprung on us that offers us more autonomy or control–and maybe this is able to happen only because we are distracted tending our wounds or trying to repair a fall out. Or, there’s revelation around a group that ostensibly supports us but that may or may not serve our empowerment needs–and then there’s the possibility that we must choose, between the health of a relationship (Libra) and our own individual empowerment needs (Uranus-Juno).

There’s also a loose squine from the Full Moon to Pluto, spanky new in Aquarius. Since we’re prone to take an intellectual approach in Aquarius, we may believe it’s time for some housekeeping, for sweeping the slate clean in some regard–but that can be a very harsh approach to emotional matters, with the aspect telling us that this attitude has both an up and a down side, so proceed with great care in the elimination department, as removals may be more permanent than we imagine.

One thing I’d like to add is a note on the opposition of Ceres in Virgo to Neptune in Pisces. Though not in contact with the Full Moon, this pairing suggests an atmosphere where we already have a critical eye on our own personal sense of authority, and that this is in direct conflict to what we consider our ideal. It can mean that relationship matters, and particularly our part in them, have been under consideration for quite some time–and the Full Moon simply brings them to a head, likely through a minor but unanticipated event or interaction. It can also mean that we’ve recently been over-critical with ourselves, prone to compare our real world interactions with an impossible-to-attain perfection that never was and never will be.This atmosphere may be ripe for a wounding scenario–but consider how much of that hurt is simply coming from ourselves, from a misjudgement where we may, consciously or not, contend we ‘deserve’ it. No, we don’t.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘A Retired Sea Captain Watches Ships Entering And Leaving The Harbor’. The image presents a knowledgeable observer monitoring the kind of comings and goings which they once commanded. That implies that in some important way, what we see/ learn at this Full Moon is something we are already removed from, but have the experience to understand completely. And maybe that’s the point: that only hindsight can offer a truly impartial assessment of what happens. It also suggests that, in some important way, we may be past the actual impact, the wounding, itself, and are only now reacting to it–which again may point us toward the necessity of reviewing our own sensitivities and the reasons for them. The Sun’s Sabian is, ‘Two Dignified Spinsters Sitting In Silence’. When we consider that the Sun is the light source for the Moon, and so for this event, we may see that there is a certain commonality in interaction; that is, that one can’t be hurt without an Other–and yet the Other is in the same position, subject to the same conditions that are rooted in our solitary existence, in the difficulty of genuinely communicating, of truly understanding others. This image, I think, counsels compassion, and urges us to look for our likenesses, rather than our differences. Too, the image may imply that this is a comfortable silence–an acknowledgment, perhaps, of our ability to know one another without ever exchanging a word.

New Moon in Aries 21 March 2023 A Raw Beginning

18 Saturday Mar 2023

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, New Moon, Sabian Symbols

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

‘In the Waves’ or ‘Ondine’ By Paul Gauguin 1889 {{PD}}

A New Moon at the Aries Point is the most bare, exposed, fresh, even raw of beginnings, a seminal point of germination, discovery, inception, origination. In Aries we have initiation, both in the sense of the start of something new, and in the sense of being brought or accepted into something–both are personal, in that they are happening to the individual, but one speaks of a new venture, occurrence, or climate, while the other speaks of something that exists already, into which we enter and become a part. At the Aries Point, we are the Initiate; expect to become, to gain an aspect of identity that you did not carry before, and that you probably won’t be able to anticipate.

The New Moon perfects at 10:23 AM PDT at 00 Aries 49 sits at the rough midpoint of the Pluto-Sedna trine, with the sextile to Pluto catching Saturn at its midpoint. Like nesting dolls the contacts are, at first glance, hidden beneath what appears to be a much more obvious aspect. A trine between Sedna and Pluto suggests ease of change, or transformation, or even destruction, but to a facet of the inner landscape: to the instincts, those things we ‘know but don’t know’ (with the obvious possibility that something like this will become conscious), or to those ‘blind spot’ materials or factors that everyone else can see, but for us is the critical ‘missing part’ to understanding a situation or relationship. Add Saturn, and we add the potential for materialization of this change, or the idea that we may try to make the change ourselves, only to meet barriers. If you do encounter limits, these will be Universe-provided ‘safety rails’ that future hindsight will reveal to have been blessings in disguise. Note, too, that matters around this aspect will have begun to coalesce before the New Moon–the Lunar event simply brings it to our attention, as either our intuition or feelings are stirred.

There’s a squine (that squirrely trine-square mash-up of 105 degrees) of the New Moon to Pallas in Cancer, notable not just because of the conflicting energies of positive and negative but because with both NM and Pallas in Cardinal signs, this might be the agent behind actions we take and choices we make–that is, one informed by the wisdom inherent in caring (Pallas in Cancer)–that is, the way what we care about, and the way we feel about it, automatically means we will approach it in the best way we know how. When we don’t want to mess things up, we invariably do what’s smartest (or what appears smartest to us!) There may be both the feeling one needs to do something, and that one wants to, but either this hasn’t been clear before or hesitation, for a variety of reasons, has kept the urge in stasis.

The New Moon is semi-square to Venus-Juno in Taurus, which are tightly conjoined (only two minutes apart), suggesting a little tension over resources, or conflict over what some (especially the partner) needs for comfort and security. The Lunar event will simply show that the need is unmet, and possibly not even recognized, before now. Smart money says pay attention to this–it’s the kind of thing that can grow beneath the surface and fuel big blow-ups later.

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘A Woman Just Risen From The Sea; A Seal Is Embracing Her’. The connection to the goddess Sedna is apparent, so emphasizing Sedna’s place in the astrological equation. That’s the instinctual nature, those things we know in our bones but may not hold in consciousness, those things we are not cognizant of but are putting out into the world anyway–others see this, we don’t–and this affects our choices, actions, and relationships. This suggests to me that all of what happens now is coming directly from the primal and instinctual natures, and particularly applying to the way all of us live in (at least) two worlds: personal and public, professional and intimate, seen and secret, and so on. For more on the relevance of this symbol, you might enjoy “Sealskin, Soulskin’ from Dr. C.P. Estes’ book, ‘Women Who Run With the Wolves’.

Don’t expect anything to have its final form; what happens at this New Moon is protean, in the sense that it’s so new in some way that it possesses an endless number of potential directions. Just know that this beginning may be raw, yet unformed, but certainly a herald of a whole new epoch.