Category Archives: current events in the sky

Just a Little AstroEssence 3 May 2014: A Particular Authenticity

03 Saturday May 2014

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'Summertime' Mary Cassatt 1894 {{PD}}

‘Summertime’ Mary Cassatt 1894 {{PD}}

3 May Love or Money hurts us today, but only if we refuse to use our most sensitive skills to deal with issues; then we kind of deserve it, don’t we, if we’re wounded out of sheer unwillingness to go out of our way to make it work? The messages we receive are at odds with what authorities tell us, what Mom wants us to believe (that’s likely the internalized mother we all carry), or what we’ve observed ourselves in Nature, and this can make for uncertainty and, in those so inclined, a tendency not to trust the Self. The reality is that if we’re open to Truth, we can see it and deal with things as they are—always the best way to meet the world—and the bonus is that if we’re willing to embrace ‘being ourselves’, whatever that means to you, a particular power and personal heft that comes with authenticity is available, as well. (Venus parallel Chiron, Mercury quincunx Ceres, Sun trine Pluto)

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Just a Little AstroEssence + the Daily Word Image 1 May 2014: Instinctive Prompts

30 Wednesday Apr 2014

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Almond Tree in Bloom by Van Gogh 1890 {{PD}}

Almond Tree in Bloom by Van Gogh 1890 {{PD}}

1 May personal empowerment comes through following instinctive prompts, or by digging deep to our primal inclinations. Relationships and finances figure in to life direction; with Venus in Pisces, we may be deluding ourselves that things are ideal when they’re not—or, we could be missing the true costs or rewards of pursuing our Path. We may see aggression (or at least assertion) work for others today, but don’t go there: it will have ugly consequences that we just don’t want to deal with. Just remember that the spotlight is on those who aggress, those who act precipitously, but that doesn’t mean that what they do is a good idea, or right. (Juno parallel Sedna, Venus quincunx the North Node, Sun quincunx Mars)

Today’s image is a small, misshapen apple tree, loaded with beautiful blossoms being nuzzled by countless bees. Often, we can’t know what’s going on below the surface; something can look completely unremarkable (even unfit) and yet produce an extraordinary abundance. There’s something in your life that you might be dismissing as ‘less than’ that could contain the capacity to generate an amazing bounty; take a second (or third, or fourth) look, and see what’s really there.

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Post-Solar Eclipse 29 April 2014: The Wave

29 Tuesday Apr 2014

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Brandung am Meer, 60 x 70, Ölgemälde von Carsten Eggers 2002 Repro photograph: Ilona Eggers Eigenes Werk, Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-2.5

Brandung am Meer, 60 x 70, Ölgemälde von Carsten Eggers 2002 Repro photograph: Ilona Eggers Eigenes Werk, Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-2.5

Are you feeling the afterglow of the Solar eclipse? Are you riding that Neptunian wave (for that was the only significant aspect made by the New Moon), or did the wave come crashing down on you? No matter what, it tossed matters of the natal House where the eclipse occurred, and none of them landed in the same place they’d been before. Most everyone I’ve spoken with is in some way disoriented; the surroundings (Taurus) have taken on a new character, with each individual trying in their own way to connect their ideals with their actual circumstances. This effort will likely reverberate through the coming six months, to the next eclipse set in October, as the Solar eclipse signals the ascendancy of the unconscious, the hidden, the longed-for, and that which meets our needs, in the areas of life represented by the natal House where the eclipse fell. The Lunar influence will be stronger in this House area than will the Solar one, making the subtle and the felt much more prominent than what we perceive with the conscious mind. The challenge may be to allow these normally hidden matters to arise, and then to recognize them as valid, rather than writing them off as coincident or extraneous; when Luna eclipses the Sun, we have a window into the unseen world, and this time, with the involvement of Neptune, we have the opportunity to draw on this and make of it what we will through the creative urge, the realization of ideals, through the power of imagination, and through the information provided in dreams, meditation, exploration of the spiritual, interaction with the Collective, and through the connections our creative faculties allow us to make among things we’re only now beginning to see as related.

Here’s what I said about today in ECLIPSE, concentrating on the post-eclipse atmosphere and the other influences in play:

29 April what we think or say may change everything; be very careful with communications—even thoughts will send out discernible ripples—don’t be surprised if others hear them! Attempts at empowerment may inadvertently wound, actions may be costly or foolish unless we stop and consider things first, and elemental urges (sex, aggression, Love) press us to ignore what’s wise. It’s a day when we may spend the entire time vacillating between being smart and acting out primal spontaneous wants. It’s just something we have to deal with—the best response may be to insist on using our best judgment, with the idea that incorrect thinking will lead to bad choices that will cause permanent effects. (Chiron semi-square Juno, Mars semi-square and Venus quincunx Pallas, Mercury trine Pluto)

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Just a Little Weekend AstroEssence 26-27 April 2014: Wild Card

25 Friday Apr 2014

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'The Three Races or Equality before the Law' by Francisco Laso 1859 {{PD}}

‘The Three Races or Equality before the Law’ by Francisco Laso 1859 {{PD}}

26 April we look to the material world, to assets and talents and the sway money can exert on events, even as we are inspired by loftier things, ideals, dreams, and what we can imagine. This can be a set of aspects that allow excellent meshing of goals and aims with material needs and circumstances; we know what we need real-world to make our dreams happen. The one wild card is Nature (or for a few, authorities or even a maternal figure)—there are unanticipated costs and rewards available through the natural order or interaction with the natural world, and there’s no way to anticipate Nature’s role and its effects on our own efforts.

27 April It’s a great day to bring material dreams to reality, but only the ones involving hands-on or physically creative efforts—philosophical dreams or those based on intangibles will have to wait until thought processes are working on a clearer wavelength.

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The AstroEssence 24 April 2014 + Just a Little Lunar Essence: We Dream What We Need

24 Thursday Apr 2014

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Illustration by John D Batten for "Indian Fairy Tales" edited by Joseph Jacobs, 1892

Illustration by John D Batten for “Indian Fairy Tales” edited by Joseph Jacobs, 1892

24 April Humility might be the watchword today; taking a modest tack that leaves ego, ambition, and desires on the cutting room floor is definitely the way to go. We may be very shy of getting hurt, protecting our wounds and looking for injury in every communication—and that’s just not very helpful. If we want to make any progress at all, we may need to put aside both a need for power and a demand to fulfill ambition, and instead nurture only efforts that support the highest values, and foster personal relationships that aren’t dependent on the group for legitimacy or support. Those personal connections, made for no other reason than that we care, will be the foundation for anything positive that comes forward at this time, along with choices that keep those things we honor in focus. (Juno contra-parallel Zeus, Mars contra-parallel Vesta, Venus contra-parallel Uranus and quincunx Vesta, Mercury semi-square Chiron)

3 AM PDT of the 24th the Pisces Moon sextiles Mercury; what we daydream about, actually dream about, imagine, fantasize, or yearn for carries a powerful message about something we desperately need, and how we’ve hidden that need from ourselves. Please listen to this.

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A Little Something More on the Cardinal Grand Cross of April 2014

22 Tuesday Apr 2014

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Partial view of the Americas from a low orbit satellite by NASA/NOAA/GSFC/Suomi NPP/VIIRS/Norman Kuring {{PD}}

Partial view of the Americas from a low orbit satellite by NASA/NOAA/GSFC/Suomi NPP/VIIRS/Norman Kuring {{PD}}

The Grand Cross is in evidence—we’ll treat it as a part of the other energies in play, and in doing so perhaps draw it into a broader context. Actions or choices that trigger it all may originate in being contrary to our highest aims, to the demands of the home, or in reaction to the mate. We may seek ready empowerment in scenarios of the past (or that mirror it) and we may feel that blending into the crowd is actually the way to garner reward, preserve relationship, and stay safe—and we might be right, at least in the moment. Communications and our own thoughts both could feel like we’ve heard them before, and our reactions to them/ choices spurred by them may come at least in part from fear of being hurt in some past way we still feel vulnerable to. Erratic behavior, aggression, and destructive inclinations are all signs that we are allowing an out-of-control temperament to run the show—whether it’s you or someone else, take a step back and re-consider the direction you want to take. Rightly harnessed, this is a good time to change, guess who? Ourselves! We have the ability and energy to re-make our inner workings—we just need to take an intellectual stance that accesses compassion and common sense while staying true to values in order to do it successfully. (At the closest point to perfection, on the 23rd, Mars perfects the T with Uranus and Pluto—this is essentially the tightest the Grand Cross gets–with Jupiter the other arm, and Mars is also contra-parallel Vesta, Juno conjuncts the South Node, Venus is contra-parallel Uranus, Mercury moves into Taurus, is parallel the South Node and semi-square Chiron)

Here’s what I said in the first article on the Cardinal Grand Cross

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Just a Little AstroEssence + the Daily Word Image 19 April 2014: Wizard Wise

19 Saturday Apr 2014

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You know there's got to be a catch if the place is enchanted. 'The Enchanted Garden of Messer Ansaldo' by MS Stillman 1889 {{PD}} Here's the background for the painting in case you're interested: http://sites.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/special/authors/boccaccio/boc-10-5.html

You know there’s got to be a catch if the place is enchanted. ‘The Enchanted Garden of Messer Ansaldo’ by MS Stillman 1889 {{PD}} Here’s the background for the painting in case you’re interested: http://sites.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/special/authors/boccaccio/boc-10-5.html

19 April There may be a kind of cognitive dissonance between our perceptions (especially the mentality with which we face things) and what we typically honor or consider sacred. Expediency may trump upholding values, at least at first glance, and we may find ourselves or others obscuring the facts out of a desire not to find out about or deal with anything unpleasant—and worse, even if we’re trying to make contact with the Truth, it may reside in our ‘blind spot’, and so be unfindable. The best course is a prudent one: respect your usual priorities, even if they don’t seem important right now, stick to the facts, speak with clarity and respect for all (especially if you don’t feel it!) and don’t allow yourself to get contentious with your ‘traditional’ adversaries, even if the complaint seems justified or harmless—you won’t gain any ground in the scuffle. (Neptune sesquiquadrate Vesta, Venus quincunx Mars, Mercury opposed Vesta, semi-square Neptune, and parallel Sedna, Sun moves into Taurus and Earth into Scorpio)

Today’s image is a man dressed as a magnificent wizard, his companion walking along in a t-shirt and jeans–but it’s the companion who holds all the magic. This one’s self-explanatory: don’t be fooled by outward appearances–don’t think you know just by looking, or by what someone tells you they are–they have to show it, too.

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Pluto Retrograde 14 April 2014

14 Monday Apr 2014

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Pluto, Retrogrades, Retrogrades + Directions

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'Nocturne in Blue and Silver' James McNeill Whistler c1870s {{PD}}

‘Nocturne in Blue and Silver’ James McNeill Whistler c1870s {{PD}}

Pluto retrogrades at 4:47 PM PDT, and may get lost so close to the Lunar eclipse. It’s not that this won’t have an effect–it will send out the psychic equivalent of infrasound–but that it will likely be attributed to the boogy man of the eclipse, which has become the catch-all Lunar basket for every menacing vibe around. The turnaround of Pluto happens below consciousness; we don’t notice it, until we notice it, typically as a shift in background, in tone, in luck–suddenly things aren’t going smoothly, secrets can’t be kept (or, conversely, something is submerged or ‘gotten away with’ which we can count on being revealed on direction), something hidden nags, something dark lingers at the edge of the light. It’s all very ominous–except it’s not; Pluto is just as much a part of the Universe as any other energy. When it’s direct we see the wisdom in taking out the trash, cleaning up the mess, in death and decay as part of the cycle, but on retrograde all we see is the trash, the mess, or the death and decay–we may be so riveted by this display that we forget it’s an integral part of making the whole thing work.

If the representative of the god of the Underworld turns around in hard aspect to any of your natal bodies or points, you may become especially aware of the darkness associated with those areas–or you may need to deal with your own or another’s power displays related to it. Pluto retrogrades for almost six months at a time; this time it goes direct on 22 September 2014 at 10 Capricorn 59. The sheer length of its apparent backward movement means we sooner or later accommodate the planet’s motion within the psyche; it soon feels like it’s ‘just the way things are’–and for nearly half a year, it is.

The Eclipses of April 2014

12 Saturday Apr 2014

Posted by in current events in the sky, eclipse, ECLIPSE magazine, Full Moon, future events in the sky, Lunar Eclipse, New Moon, Sabian Symbols, Solar Eclipse

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'Cornstalks in the Moonlight' Theodor Kittelsen c1900 {{PD}}

‘Cornstalks in the Moonlight’ Theodor Kittelsen c1900 {{PD}}

The eclipse of 15 April falls at 25 Libra 15, and is a Full Moon (Lunar eclipse), conjunct transiting energies Ceres, North Node, and Vesta, opposed t Juno, quincunx t Sedna, sesquiquadrate t Venus, and sextile t Pallas. On its own the eclipse suggests a watershed point in partnership, cooperative efforts, artistic endeavors, and in regard to ‘the Other’, everything and everyone outside ourselves. A Full Moon brings an ending, but within this is found a new beginning; this particular culmination/ beginning is amplified by an eclipse, and married (so Libra!) to Nature/ Authority (Ceres), the future (NN), and to an impeccable level of dedication of life energy (Vesta)–it is, in effect, a relational seed point that carries a walloping life force–and this contradicts the kind of puny, Willful, egotistical sense of empowerment that may be found in negative manifestation of Juno in Aries (opposition), as well as causing adjustment to the unconscious (Sedna) and cooperation with what’s ultimately wise (Pallas). The Sabian for this eclipse is, ‘An Eagle And A Large White Dove Change Into Each Other’ This symbolism implies that the ‘other’ focus of Libra involves an actual transformation of one half of a pair into the other, and vice versa; what we are observing or are partnered with, then, becomes what we are.

The Solar eclipse occurs April 28-29 (depending on your location) at 8 Taurus 51, a New Moon that only sextiles Neptune; everything else is outside even a generous orb, with Mercury just days past Superior Conjunction (if this were moving toward the eclipse point I would consider counting it) and Mars, though moving retrograde, outside the orb for a quincunx. That lays it all on Neptune and the Sabian for this eclipse, ‘A Fully Decorated Christmas Tree’. The New Moon, eclipse or not, also indicates new starts; so, we’re looking at a new beginning that may be born of ideals, fantasy, or creative application (Neptune), and that could represent (the Christmas tree) a time of celebration, could usher in an ‘ideal’ period, or present the beginning of a personal creative initiative (birth) or renaissance (re-birth). We’re looking at a pair of factors (the Sabian and Neptune) that describe personal ideals–but particularly with the Sabian, we have to note that the celebration is based on our relationship to the unseen, on faith. It’s not related to any specific religion, but instead on our individual idea of a kind of ‘perfect moment’, the kind that memories are built on and that are striven for consistently in everyday life.

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Just a Little Lunar Essence 11 April 2014: Resisting Healing

11 Friday Apr 2014

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/samkharadze/4365125766/ by Mikheil Samkharadze (kesha) Released under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/samkharadze/4365125766/ by Mikheil Samkharadze (kesha) Released under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

3:30 PM PDT the Virgo Moon sextiles Jupiter, trines Pluto, and quincunxes Uranus. Transformation or destruction is easy, and we’re tempted to ‘do it big’. Take careful measure as to whether this is an original and essentially creative impulse, or one that arises from rebellion, erratic perceptions, or a wish to lose the Self in anarchy. 9 PM PDT the Moon opposes Chiron and semi-sextiles Zeus. We may resist healing out of the erroneous idea that it could spoil the impetus behind an ambition or desire (for instance, if we believe we must be in emotional pain to be an artist, we wouldn’t want to lose what we see as creative ‘fuel’). Part of the process of healing is realizing that pain does not make us a deeper, more sensitive, or more perceptive person, that in fact it does the opposite, narrowing our viewpoint and restricting our understanding. So, consider letting that pain go.

See material on today’s Venus-Neptune conjunction here

And see the latest ECLIPSE, just out last night, here