Category Archives: current events in the sky

Mercury Retrogrades 29 May 2021 Re-Consider

28 Friday May 2021

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Inferior Conjunction, Mercury, Mercury retrograde, Retrogrades + Directions, Sun/Mercury Inferior Conjunction

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The Lily Pond, a photograph by American photographer Rudolf Eickemeyer, Jr. 1916 {{PD}}

If thoughts seem still as a woodland pond, it may be because Mercury is stationary, ready to technically retrograde at 3:34 PM PDT of the 29th at 24 Gemini 43. (Or, if you can’t seem to light on any train of thought for long, that’s also a Mercurial stoppage of a sort, the kind that sends you round and round through the same ‘network’ of thoughts and offers no definitive satisfactions.)

The Moon in Capricorn will have just quincunxed Mercury shortly before turnaround, giving us the feels and probably making for some frustration: the emotions either seem obvious, sitting right on the surface, or seem to be in the depths, hidden even from ourselves–but most likely is a combination, that comes along with an awareness that, ‘this emotion is right in front of me, but I know I have feelings I just can’t pinpoint!’.

Merc in Gemini prompts some overthinking, and probably a yearning to ‘make progress’ somehow, to make up our minds about things, particularly the matters of the House in the natal chart where the retro occurs–or, we have the need to communicate without really knowing what our message is. There are two tendencies at this point, and you’ll likely choose one: thinking you can think your way through ‘it’, whatever it is, or a personal approach that relies on 1) scattershot attention, so that nothing gets focus, and so nothing gets done/ decided, or 2) turning to others for endless surveys of their opinions, what they would do, etc., which does nothing to move the matter forward.

None of those are wrong, but it is just spinning our Mercurial wheels. A retro in Air asks us to, in broadest terms, re-consider what and how we think of our world, so full awareness of our own subjectivity is highly useful, when we bother to compare it to the facts, the info available, to the prevailing thought on any matter. Again, neither is no viewpoint is inherently more right than any other; it’s in the comparison, the review of our own methods cast against the thinking of the wider world or the group, that we benefit, find mental inspiration, sort the wheat from the chaff.

The Cosmic picture at turnaround sets the stage for the retro period itself, with Mercury roughly three-and-a-half weeks ahead. Here we see Mercury at the point of retrograde pulling back just before, in direct motion, it would’ve conjoined Venus, suggesting a pull back in relationships or financial matters, a wait-and-see, or let’s think about this some more approach. First aspect Mercury in retro will form is a square to Neptune, promising that any fantasies we hope to sustain may hit the rocks on retro review, and also making it difficult to connect to inspiration or the creative ideal, probably because the mind isn’t ready to stick with a single idea, just yet.

Right about the same time Merc will also semi-sextile Mars and square Pallas, warning us: you may get antsy, want to act precipitously, but that wouldn’t be smart, or may be impractical. So don’t indulge in impulse, during this retro time. Inferior Conjunction with the Sun comes on the 11th of June, and should be the starting point for beginning to gather your thoughts. If you’re a wordsmith of any kind, work it and re-work it, and if you’re not, just let the mind sort through things at its own pace, and start paying attention to what occupies your mental space on the 11th. Don’t demand answers until a bit after direction, and you’ll be all the better for it.

Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius 26 May 2021 Facing the Depths

22 Saturday May 2021

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

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‘The Gale’ By Winslow Homer 1883 {{PD}}

A Lunar eclipse is by definition a Full Moon, a time when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon as they are lined up along the ecliptic, offering Earthlings a few minutes when the Moon is prevented from reflecting the Sun’s light. All bodies in our Solar system are more or less lined up along this plane; an eclipse is a point when a New or Full Moon occurs as the alignment of Sun, Moon, and Earth are closest, allowing either the Moon (during a Solar eclipse) or the Earth (during a Lunar one) to block the Sun’s light to the other body.

This Lunar eclipse falls on 26 May, at 4:13 AM PDT, at 5 Sagittarius 25, and of course does so close to the South Node (with Full or New Moon proximity to the Nodes being one sign of an eclipse). Interesting that the closest aspect formed is a sesquiquadrate with Mars in Cancer. With the ’emotion point’ of the chart itself being the meeting of Moon and Earth (with the Moon on the side of Earth opposite to the Sun), Martian energy in the Moon’s sign and in difficult aspect to the Lunar event suggests either aggressive, angry emotions stirred up by endings or conclusions brought by the Full Moon, or that actions or choices (Mars) made because we care (Cancer) bring forward a tough situation (sesquiquadrate).

The Full Moon is also semi-square Zeus, in wide square to Jupiter, and quincunx Ceres. Our desires (Mars/ Zeus) are under pressure (semi-sq and sesqui), and it doesn’t look like we have the opportunity or support we wanted from the larger social sphere or from the facts themselves (sq to Jupiter), and this may cause a dilemma, a need to adjust course (qnx) and make choices based on a realistic picture of our own authority in the matter (qnx Ceres).

The Sabian symbol for this eclipse is, ‘A Game Of Cricket’. Though we’re likely to take what occurs very seriously, we would do well to keep in mind that everything in life is a kind of game. A lighthearted take, or one that is willing to take reasonable risk, or to not take injury too grimly, will serve us well. Know what you’re risking, make your moves, and be willing to lose once in a while, seeing it as the Universe pointing you in another direction. The game metaphor may be old and even trite, but it applies: to succeed we have to be willing to play, to risk, and to know when a win is really a win, and when it’s a distraction from our actual aims (one indication that it’s a distraction: it seems like an end in itself–also when it only makes us want more/ something else).

The Sun has the Sabian, ‘Workmen Drilling For Oil’. The richness of life is there, if we’re willing to work for it, to ‘drill down’ in the right way and in the right place, if we’re willing to ‘get our hands dirty’, as the saying goes–and that means openness to dealing with the nitty-gritty, putting in the time and effort, hoping we can ‘strike oil’–and knowing there’s no guarantee–and that means when we come up dry (that is, when our goals elude us over significant stretches of time and despite all efforts), we need to be ready to declare it a bust, and move on to more promising ground that is more responsive to our efforts–that latter an important point, when pursuing what we want.

Whether the Full Moon is a trigger, ‘lighting up’ feelings about what we learn, already knew but must now face, or discover (Sagittarius), or an ending that opens space for a whole new way of seeing and understanding the world (Jupiter), we need to see that as an eclipse event, it wipes out old circumstances represented by matters of the House in the natal chart in which the event occurs. We learn might be the motto of this Full Moon as it removes previous conditions and presents us, likely via knowledge gained or revealed, or beliefs tested, with a whole fresh assortment of facts.

If it falls in the 1st, we might learn something about ourselves and our interactions with the world; in the 2nd, something around our true talents or about what assets we bring to the table or are capable of earning; in the 3rd, new knowledge or beliefs change our minds or method of assessment; in the 4th something about the family life is revealed, or we have to face facts about the place we see as our current base, or about who we are, deep inside; eclipse in the 5th in Sag says something about what we must risk, or what we must create, in order to get what we want; the 6th brings knowledge that shakes up the everyday, or that re-orders our sense of duty or obligation; in the 7th we may observe what we need to see about ourselves or our situation acted out by others, or the changes come with or through partners or in response to what our ‘audience’ tells us; in the 8th things shift and are revealed through the act of sharing or interdependence, with our cooperative arrangements likely to re-balance; in the 9th the eclipse may force us to reach out, or makes the very instance of discovery or learning into the event itself; falling in the 10th it’s public–others can see, and that may create changes in the career or status; in the 11th a group of which we’re a part may take on a different role in our lives, or we take on a different one in the group–falling here the eclipse may also alter or deliver a long-sought dream or goal, or pave the way for its realization (or final denial); and in the 12th the Moon’s message may arrive in dreams, meditation, or in a realization about our place in the larger Cosmos, or we may find a new chapter opening when we’re under the sway of something much larger than ourselves.

All these potentials include the possibility of expansion, of widening our world, or of gaining experience; we might also find out about our temper and how it drives us, our true power within our own current situation, the difficult or less attractive parts of our ambitions, or we may discover how much we care, even (or especially) if we thought we didn’t. Prepare to have to face the depths of emotions around things we’ve been framing as casual, as something we can take or leave; the eclipse tells us what we need to know–all we have to do is acknowledge that we really want ‘it’, we deeply care about ‘it’, or that we genuinely need ‘it’–and go from there.

New Moon in Taurus 11 May 2021 What We Want

07 Friday May 2021

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Dark of the Moon, Finger of God, forecast, New Moon, Sabian Symbols

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‘A Beauty With Doves’ By Charles Joshua Chaplin 19th century {{PD}}

On the 10th, during the Dark of the Moon, we may get a shock, as the Moon conjoins Uranus in the world-weary material realms of Taurus. At roughly the same time, Moon-Uranus sextiles Mars and finds itself caught at the midpoint of Chiron and Mercury-North Node. Normally the Dark period is quiet, at least psychically speaking, the energy muted with many of us having the sense that we’re a little apart from the world. Things happen, but we either aren’t yet aware of them or we’re not aware of the full implication of events, as if we’re having trouble intuiting, or maybe feeling, our connection to what occurs.

This time we we may be surprised, or just enlightened, by some revelation, or even some revolution, that we’re witness to. It affects material matters, our security, or our comfort, and at the same time prompts us to act or choose, with the spurring event either evolving from the convergence of past hurt and current, clear thinking about the future, or leading us to a better understanding of the past, ourselves, and where we want to go–and so making what we need to do to get there clear.

That’s the lead-in to the New Moon, which forms at 11:59 AM PDT on the 11th at 21 Taurus 17. We’ve received some flash knowledge the day before, and we see the results of that in two potent aspects: the NM conjoined the Black Moon Lilith point, and the NM as apex to a perfect Finger of God with base of Juno and Zeus. These tell a story that may be a little scary, a little hard to take, simply because we may be faced with some of the more hidden parts of ourselves–and the things we deny, or repress, or think are behind us when they’re not, are some of the most difficult things we ever have to deal with–and they’re all inside us, so challenge us to be unflinchingly Self-responsible–and that’s never easy.

The conjunction speaks of the New Moon beginning/ event as driven by things we’ve ignored, denied, or that have in the past enraged us. It’s the kind of powerful energy that can move us to major feats, to redemption, but also has the potential to simply enrage us all over again as we’re forced to acknowledge something we thought carefully buried! So, we can make the best of it by recognizing what we’ve put aside and then using it as a catalyst to do what needs doing, or we can sink into an abyss of anger at our own choices, pointing fingers at who’s responsible–but by now it’s obvious, the Finger points at us.

With a base of Zeus (the ambition and desire nature) and Juno (empowerment, status, the role we play), this configuration suggests that the dissonance created by the New Moon revelation/ event is the direct result of our own wants and our attempts to bring them to fruition. These two components of our lives have worked together to bring about this New Moon result, and vice versa, the New Moon tells us a great deal about our actual wants, and our actual empowerment situation.

The New Moon also sextiles Neptune and Pallas (wisdom, practicality, and creative energy are all available to address what comes forward; we just have to make a little effort to apply them), trines Pluto (change or transformation is easy–in this instance a kind of ‘magical power at your fingertips’ aspect), and noviles Chiron. This latter is interesting in light of the 10th, when what occurred (or occurred to us) was related to our sense of hurt (or, in some cases, our very unique personal skills); now a novile says that we have an exceptional ability to heal and/ or utilize that energy in positive ways–it’s so strong, we don’t even really need to try, which means that appropriate healing will occur, even if we don’t see it as such–at least, we may not see it that way yet.

Neptune and the New Moon create another Finger of God base, this one with an apex of Zeus in Libra. This suggests that our purest creative urge, when driven by the New Moon energy (that is, a likely material, Arts-related, or comfort-keyed energy), may inform our ambition pursuit, and possibly connect us with others who can make our desires a reality.

Also of note: Jupiter sits at the stressful 29th degree of Aquarius, signalling one of several things: that the intellect suffers under strain that comes from what we’ve learned or realized; that the social sphere around us is in some way at a tipping point, when feeling (Pisces) will soon overtake the mental lens (Aquarius) we’ve been using for some particular subject; that we’re presented with a crisis or stressful situation that is in reality a major opportunity; that knowledge we’ve acquired or ‘the facts’ of the matter will force us to choose or act–in this case, we’re at the end of the road, there’s no getting out of it.

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘A White Dove Flying Over Troubled Waters’. This might be the stance we need to take for what’s coming: bring nothing but a pure kind of peace, an intent to do no harm, to whatever roiling situation you’re faced with. If you find a particular situation is missing something, rather than blaming someone else, what we need to see is that we didn’t bring the missing ingredient, either–and if we choose peace over anything else, as long as it isn’t camouflage for passive-aggression, then we’ll be, at a personal level, in the best position possible to cope, to thrive, to ‘rise above’. And that’s what we all ultimately want, isn’t it? Peace?

Full Moon in Scorpio 26 April 2021 Deep Dive

23 Friday Apr 2021

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

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‘Moonlight in the Adirondack Mountains’, Photographer Unknown {{PD}}

The Full Moon perfects on the 26th at 8:32 PM PDT at 7 Scorpio 06, with the Sabian, ‘A Calm Lake Bathed In Moonlight’. In Scorpio a lake is dark, with an uncharted floor, mysterious, a symbol of considerable gathered emotion, calm on the surface, but promising something in the depths, maybe something hidden in caves or grottoes yet to be discovered. A Full Moon with this image suggests there’s a large well of emotion, one with many facets of which we’re not aware, that will either reach peak or reach capacity, with the former implying the highest (so most strenuous) point of feeling, while the latter says the dam may break, the feeling overflow, and so need release. This may bring the emotional scenario to an end, or it may allow ‘breathing room’ in order to go forward.

I like tight orbs for a crisp Lunar picture, and here we have lots of contacts that don’t strike me as relevant, at least not in an event chart. They imply some ‘befores’ or ‘afters’ that don’t figure in, with orbs so wide they don’t currently (or won’t for some time) count, so I’ll stick with my usual. There is an approaching opposition to Uranus that promises the FM may take us by surprise; revelations, specifically about secrets, our feelings around our material situation, and shocks, delivered by friends, groups, or an unanticipated ‘modern’ way of doing things, could arise from Lunar events (and then be acted upon via the approaching trine to Mars, and blocked or become a reality by the approaching square to Saturn, with the cost or the payoff announced by the approaching opposition to Venus–but I digress, or maybe jump too much into the future!)

There’s also a sextile to Vesta, which tells us that the Full Moon will in some (relatively easy) way show us something about our values and what we dedicate our time and energy to. Lunar events may show us what needs to go in the commitment department, show us ways to enhance our honoring of and dedication to what we find sacred, and may reinforce responsibilities and relationships we’ve been wavering on, either to clear them out with Full Moon energy, or to enter a new stage of the interaction, a ‘next step’ for the future.

There are two other aspects of note, which with the Full Moon form a Fist of God: Hygeia squares the FM, and both sesquiquadrate Neptune. Health matters, physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, give us a problem we need to resolve–if we do so successfully, we can create an ideal, can reach into the hopes and imagination and bring a desire for ‘perfection’ in some form into being; if we are unable to handle the problem presented, we may retreat to fantasy, confusion-as-an-answer, or ‘drown our sorrows’, at least symbolically speaking. I need not tell you which of those responses is preferable.

We always look at the Sun’s Sabian for a Full Moon, as Sol emits the light that makes the Full Moon possible: ‘A Sleigh On Land Uncovered By Snow’. This speaks of being inappropriately equipped for the situation. What thing are we carrying around, in our heads, in our psyches, or in the physical world, that’s not of use to us at all? This is something that under other conditions we would find quite useful–but right now that’s not where we are, and we may want to think about the unnecessary emotional burden this could signify. Typically we hold tight to things we’re not using when we’re convinced we may need them later, or we have a philosophy of ‘just in case’. This image likely relates to the Fist, telling us that we can take the energy required to maintain the useless thing and translate it into something of an ideal realized, a dream come true, or an inspired perspective–much more useful than allowing something that doesn’t fit the current landscape to take up space.

A Taste of the Weekend

23 Friday Apr 2021

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Weekend Astrology

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‘Girl Eating an Apple’ By Godfried Schalcken 1675-1680 {{PD}}

Just a pair of tidbits for your weekend: the first is the Saturday Mercury-Venus conjunction in Taurus square Saturn in Aquarius. Beautiful thoughts and words, accompanied by a celebration of the senses, could be delightful, but also runs the risk of ignoring reality, especially those ‘Higher Mind’ issues that should be guiding us. Even if we ignore our own sensibilities and dive in head first to earthly pleasures, it’s likely the world will throw barriers in our path or otherwise frustrate us–so if you’re suddenly stopped short, it’s a hint that you may have gone too far, or too long, without a needed reality check.

By Sunday Merc-Venus has moved on, and now sextiles Pallas in Pisces. This may be the day we’ve been waiting for! Thoughts, relationships, assets, all support wise choice and use of our most well-honed skills, employed to make a ‘practical fantasy’ a reality. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Have a lovely weekend, stay safe and sound–the Full Moon report follows.

Difficult Awareness

17 Saturday Apr 2021

Posted by in Cardinal Activity, current events in the sky, Sun/Mercury Superior Conjunction, Weekend Astrology

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‘Seascape with Sailors Sheltering from a Rainstorm’ By Bonaventura Peeters the Elder 1640 {{PD}}

That difficult awareness delivered to us by the recently perfected, current, and future lingering Sun-Pluto Cardinal square will be brought to consciousness by the Sun-Mercury Superior Conjunction of the 18th, which also promised some revelations in line with the recent New Moon. What we’ve seen, become aware of, or seen eliminated, destroyed, or transformed has presented us with a dilemma, as the Sun in Aries asks, ‘What do I do about this?’

We’re likely to see a way forward on the 18th that’s informed by whatever was born at the New Moon. The can-do-ness of that Aries event will finally be able to act on a problem that has called into play the sense of personal authority, responsibility, and that even when we had no clue how to proceed, cried out for action! There is so much ‘doing’ energy in all this that we may be tempted to pick the first action outlet we see, so intense is our desire (no, our need!) to address the Plutonian breakdown; instead we should relax (at least a little): with Jupiter sextile the Sun-Merc and semi-sextile Pluto, Sedna semi-sextile Sun-Merc, square Jupiter, and trine Pluto, and Mars, bless his aggressive little heart, down in Gemini making the mind churn out ‘get going’ talk (and as well aspecting things, with a sextile to Sun-Merc catching Sedna at the midpoint, a trine to Jupiter, and a quincunx to Pluto), all this suggests that facts and/ or beliefs will inform our thinking (so it will be at worst characteristic of who we are, at best thinking firmly planted in the real world and its circumstances), and will permeate our plans and where our attention goes, as will what we ‘know but don’t know’ (information sensed but not seated in the conscious mind–Sedna), and that this will propel us in the right direction, as the social order or our own beliefs about the Universe construct the perfect confluence of issues, events, and occurrences to get us to an important new point in our development–because that’s what’s happening right now, we’re all having things transformed, carved away, removed, or otherwise we’re seeing the power situation take on new shapes and hues, all in the name of moving us around the Universal chess board so we’re in the right place, right time, for the next phase of life. Now more than ever, we are responsible for how we respond–do your best.

Just thought I’d weigh in on that. Also, it’s a great time to address your health, particularly through diet or with environmental factors–you have a lot of juice to re-shape your well-being right now. ‘Til next time, and have a wonderful weekend!

Mystic Stress

13 Tuesday Apr 2021

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Ankara Archaeology and art museum Venus Late Hellenistic 2nd-1st C BC CC4

That title comes from the Mystic Rectangle perfecting today, with Mars, Sun, Earth, and Juno all at 24 degrees of their respective current signs–and the stress part is Venus, straining at the 29th anaretic degree of Aries. The lady just wants to get out of town, from an atmosphere of the overt, aggressive, and active, to one she’s not only comfortable in, she rules, with Taurus offering a chance to lose the Self to the senses, to enjoy the tactile, the filling and satisfying, the sedating–to get out of the Arian situation Venus (and we) have been in, of steadily mounting stress as she traversed a sign she’s just not at ease in.

The Rectangle takes the Sun-Mars sextile and makes it a dynamic, rather than just a statement about our attention (the Sun) going to what we are, or feel we should be, doing. We add Earth to the mix, bringing in a material element that emphasizes the way what we are investing our energy into at this time will have solid, real-world, or environment-affecting consequences. Juno, a body of empowerment and partnering, brings awareness: what we are doing right now will definitely empower us; our own actions will fashion situations that both give us alternatives and options, and requires that, even in cooperative matters, we must be the agents of our own expression and empowerment. Remember, the mythic Juno was renowned for her anger and vengeful plots–but those arose from trying to control her partner, rather than taking that energy and shaping things as she’d actually like them to be. In this instance, the lesson for us is twofold: we can’t expect others to hand us power, and we must recognize that the prerogative to make the world as we wish it to be is purely, solely, our own.

Also of note: Black Moon Lilith in Taurus and Neptune in Pisces form the base of a Finger of God, apex Zeus in Libra. A Finger always points us to the result of a successful blending of the two base energies. The Black Moon Lilith point in Taurus suggests that what we are denying ourselves in terms of comfort or sustenance, or what enrages us about our material situation, can be re-shaped by the imagination and our own ideals (Neptune)–which can result in ambition and desire fulfillment, particularly in terms of relationships, the Arts, or cooperative or earning ventures.

And by the way, that Jupiter-Sun sextile forming this Thursday may not be the sudden bounty or get-out-of-psychic-jail free card some think it will be. Oh, it could–I’m just looking at the way Jupiter will also be in an Air Grand Trine with Earth and Mars–suggesting that efforts fueled by beliefs or ‘the facts’, pushed by the social sphere, or that present genuine opportunity have a very good chance of succeeding–and that means that sunshine and riches won’t fall out of the sky with no reason, and that what does logically come to us, we’d better be prepared to catch!–but any benefits we gain could be co-opted by the group, or could devolve into intellectual exercises (Aquarius) that short-circuit action (Mars) and so don’t actually manifest in the real world (Earth)–so, something to keep in mind.

Last week I spent a full 24 hours hearing someone say (or sing) the phrase “Everything’s gonna be alright”–by my count, 6 different times in six totally different forms/ media. Late last week and this one have, as far as I can tell, brought a great deal of stress to everyone–but I’m confident hearing that over and over last week was meant to prime recall of that sentiment when things got rough. I hope if you need it, it helps you too.

New Moon in Aries 11 April 2021 Turns in the Road

07 Wednesday Apr 2021

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

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‘The Arrival of Spring; Two Roads’ By Maria Yakunchikova 1896 {{PD}}

Even though the New Moon of the 11th, 7:30 PM PDT at 22 Aries 24 is still conjoined Venus, that’s actually a separating aspect; whatever the Superior conjunction of the Sun and Venus was meant to convey around relationships or assets, it’s already come to us, though our emotional reaction to it is still in the future, delivered about 8 hours after this Lunar event (and maybe spurred by what happens at the NM). The same can be said about issues around personal power and authority, boundaries, a sense of autonomy, and even health matters, as the Sun and Moon have each both recently conjoined and are now moving away from Ceres. This suggests we’ve hashed out quite a bit recently, and likely believe we know where we stand–so why does it feel like we’ve made no progress, like we remain rudderless and confused, like we’re yearning for something and reaching come up with a handful of water, lost before we can get a sip?

A New Moon in Aries should spark confidence, a feeling that we can do ‘it’, the courage to take the next step, a sureness about taking the lead in our own lives, and when this NM perfects we may want to make a clear ‘I Am’ statement, not for those around us, but for ourselves, to try and ground us in something firm. We have the fire (Aries) to do (Cardinal sign) something to propel us forward–and this NM in particular we’re buoyed by imagination and a wave of creative energy (semi-sextile to Neptune), and we have big ideas (sextile to Jupiter) for change (square to Pluto) with empowerment as the goal (trine to Juno)–but there’s something about our desires or ambitions (opposition to Zeus) that makes us reluctant, or that maybe even outright prevents, that change we’re dreaming of–the potential for action could dissipate into nothing but talk (sextile to Mars in Gemini).

There’s a (brilliant) way out, and there’s also an issue to be dealt with, before the feeling and action impasse can be broken. One is the novile to Pallas in Pisces. This speaks of the wisdom of the imagination and the creative outlet, of the practical benefits of using our skills to do–and so serve both the Arian New Moon impulse and and the need to circumvent issues that have brought us up short, confused us, or distracted us from what we want and need to sort out. The Sabian symbol for the New Moon says it all: ‘A Pregnant Woman In Light Summer Dress’. The image is one of creative potential. Giving our creativity free rein right now is the smart thing to do; we may ‘birth’ our answer, or we may in the process of expressing make other contacts, or take other turns in the road, that will get us past what’s been holding us at bay. The ‘Summer Dress’ of the image implies the creative urge itself is at its peak of productive potential, just as a garden is at that point in the seasonal cycle. We don’t know how far along that ‘pregnancy’ is; we only know that the creation itself definitely exists, and will, sooner or later, be brought forth.

The thing to be dealt with is described by the New Moon’s sesquiquadrate to Vesta in Virgo. A sesquiquadrate is an aspect that promises difficulty, suggesting both trouble within the psyche (problems with accepting and processing what we’re confronted with, for example) and external factors that contribute pressures or force awareness and/ or force us to stop forward progress, at least in terms of the goal we thought we were working toward. There’s usually a measure of upset or outrage, a ‘This is ruining all my plans!’ plaintive cry as we see we’re given no choice but to halt and re-group.

With this being the New Moon’s contact to Vesta, what we’re likely to be faced with is some form of criticism or critique, internal or from others, that assesses our commitments, our values, or what we’re dedicated to as less-than-sacred. This might come in the form of our own internal monologue that recognizes we don’t care as we think we did, or in internal recognition or external feedback that points to some facet of hypocrisy in what we claim to hold in highest regard. Maybe our actions haven’t been supporting our highest standards, or our choices point to an entire other set of values by which we’re in reality living. No matter what, the Aries New Moon offers us a chance to re-dedicate ourselves to choices and actions that reflect our true values; it gives us a chance to align our walk with our talk, and prove what and who we genuinely care about.

A New Moon in Aries is about choice; the issue for this New Moon may be that we’ve convinced ourselves either we don’t have any, or that our options aren’t ideal. Events at this time are meant to show us that the true circumstances are otherwise–we just need to be brave enough to see that the ideal is possible, and that indeed, we always have options.

A Look Ahead: Early April 2021

31 Wednesday Mar 2021

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

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Saddle up! ‘Prospecting for Cattle Range’ By Frederic Remington 1889 {{PD}}

I sit here trying to decide what to write, asking myself, What do they need to hear? What is it that’s causing rough edges, confusion, discomfort, or that hollow, yearning sensation that can distract us from what we see as our goals? I’ve never been an astrologer who could spoon-feed readers sunshine everyday; optimism, yes, but too much sugar makes us diabetic, and too much insistence on only seeing the positives leaves us both delusional and unprepared. So, saddle up, and we’ll take a look at what’s coming.

When I look at the chart for today, the 31st, I’m struck by a few things: the way the Sun in Aries is wedged between the ego-hurt of Chiron and the ego hurt of Venus, with both taking an Aries viewpoint that asks, Where is what I want in all this? Venus points us toward what we don’t have in relationships or assets, while Chiron makes it feel like we’ve always been deprived, always been the victim–and that doesn’t help us in the present one bit. The energy connects like a web, with the Sun trining the South Node, sextiling Saturn–a stuck-in-mud-from-the-past feeling, I’m thinking.

And that Chiron, emblem of the primal wound, the thing we walk through life perpetually sensitive over, is precisely semi-sextile Uranus and in the other direction Pallas, placing Chiron at the mid-point=accidents and surprises, spontaneous events and hurtful incidents, seem like the inevitable denouement to something stupid or impractical we’ve done–but with Vesta quincunx Chiron, trine Uranus, and opposed Pallas, we should take it all a little less personally, as what it really is, is a prompt from the Universe to adjust what we’re dedicating our time and attention to, to adjust our critical thinking (Vesta in Virgo) so that it actually gets us what we want and where we want to go–something about our thinking now is distinctly off: Mercury in Pisces, open to the imagination, is square Juno (wondering why empowerment is so hard!), sextile Pluto (we may be perceiving everything, especially any exercise of power, as just a tad destructive), sextile Jupiter (exaggeration!), and still within proximity of current ruler Neptune, which is like being under the spell of some fantastical Svengali–no wonder we’re having trouble sorting things out!

Part of the issue may be the way Mars in Gemini is sextile Ceres in Aries (making for an overly independent way of going forward, a ‘law unto himself’ way of acting), with over the next ten days or so Venus, the Sun, and even Ceres tightening their contact to Mars–and so bringing all the complexes and paranoia that’s been stewing into our actions and choices, if we don’t address them now. The good thing is that over this period it all moves on from contact with Chiron, suggesting we’ll be less sensitive, less inclined to interpret events or even our own thoughts, as hurtful.

Positives center on a persistent sense that we can take things on, do for ourselves–and that helps us handle much of what else is swirling around, as we are both in reality and in our sense of confidence able to deal adeptly with a more-than-usual load at this time. That’s why it’s so important to point out what won’t be working so well: our own thinking or responses are the things we need to keep in perspective, keep from holding us down or back.

The only thing that stays stuck is the Chiron-Uranus contact–which should tell us that the real weak spot in the days to come could be the tendency to see the spontaneous, erratic, accidental, the sudden, the group action, or the unusual as wounding to us personally. We may process things as getting better, more under our control, and then get offended all over again when something comes along to strike at our sore spot. Try to take a step back, before responding to any hurt over this early half of April–it might do us better to let it go than to pursue our own skewed idea of justice or redress, chiefly because we may not have the entire ‘power picture’–that comes next, when Pluto retrogrades on the 27th, and begins a ‘big reveal’ of hidden power structures, systems on the brink of failure, and stirs a few phoenix-like entities re-born from what we thought was just a pile of ash.

Also, the New Moon of the 11th gets a second stage boost on the 18th, with the Sun-Mercury Superior Conjunction. Time any new venture that you must approach one step at a time for this period–brings a bit of unusual clarity, especially in terms of seeing what’s worth going forward with, at this time.

Full Moon in Libra 28 March 2021 The Balance

23 Tuesday Mar 2021

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Finger of God, forecast, Full Moon, Grand Trine, Sabian Symbols, Sun-Venus Superior Conjunction

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‘Tightrope’ By Paul Klee 1880 CC0

Love is central–or is that a money, asset, or credit situation that takes center stage right now? Either relationships are in focus, or our currency status is, at this Full Moon, which perfects at 11:48 AM PDT on the 28th at 8 Libra 18. All the strongest flow for this lunar event is across the Libra-Aries axis, imbuing the episode with an ‘I/ Other’ dynamic. With Venus so closely opposed the Full Moon, we are likely to frame the Full Moon in terms of what we have versus what others have, and this may be about intangibles like Love or tangibles like property or resources, but in any case brings examination of the balance between the ‘I Am/ I Have’ and ‘They Are/ They Have’. Chiron, also opposed, brings in the consciousness of what we don’t have, or makes it clear what unique skills we possess that can help us get what we want. We may get a new, mature perspective on a number of issues or relationships, and a new attitude born of Full Moon conclusions or culminations, especially in reference to the way injuries, past and current, may be at play in either our emotional or asset situations.

Some things that may be answered: Do we feel unity with others, or are our thoughts focused on the solitary nature of our existence? Do we allow others to hurt us, and then hold those injuries tight for our own reasons? Or do we reject the one who hurt us, and is doing so healthy, or filled with rage (and so taking up our energy when it shouldn’t)? Do we actually believe that others have it easier than we do for no reason? Are we feeling less than rewarded for being who we are? Do we avoid cooperation or forming relationships (especially those centered on romantic love) because we believe it will ‘cost’ us? Have we been withholding use of our skills due to past injury? Do we like cheese? Well, maybe not that last one.

The Full Moon is apex to a Finger of God, with base of Pallas sextile Uranus. This suggests that Full Moon events or revelations (something the Full Moon is known for, bringing complete enlightenment, particularly in matters of the House in the natal chart where this occurs) come about either through a meeting of the practical or skills and the unique viewpoint, or via wisdom applied to the spontaneous or chaotic. What is original to us as individuals combines with either what we can do, or what we know (in the form of a profound Truth), and delivers to us the outcome of an event at this time, or a realization that can illuminate our immediate way forward.

A semi-sextile to Vesta and a sesquiquadrate to Jupiter tells us that hopes to get ‘more’ of what we value, or attempts to honor our beliefs, especially beliefs about what’s sacred, what’s important, will have a rough go of it; it’s likely we’ll have to face certain beliefs, facts, or ways in which we dedicate our energies that are causing problems or are difficult to implement, with the Full Moon requiring us to adjust those beliefs, or modify what we dedicate our time and energy to.

There’s also a loose Air Grand Trine involving the Full Moon, Saturn, and the North Node-Mars (we’re stretching, here). It’s worth noting, though, as in the next hours and days both Earth and the Moon will be perfecting that Trine–and this implies recognition of the energies as working together even at the time of the event gives us a little glimpse into the future. We’re talking about emotional understanding or intuitive perceptions that balance out the mental perceptions and then act as foundation for forward moving actions and choices that will have an effect on the reality picture.

The Sabian for this Full Moon is, ‘Three “Old Masters” Hanging On The Wall Of A Special Room In An Art Gallery’. I think this is a clear reference to Venus; the suggestion may be that we must acknowledge what we treasure, what talents we possess, what we hold dear, our assets, but the issue may be this: if this asset or talent is segregated, off in its own room in a special construct (the gallery), does that mean we are treating it as rarefied, not using it or appreciating what it can do for us? Are we viewing our talents or assets as precious museum pieces, as passive, rather than incorporating their potentials (for earning, for sharing beauty, for generosity, for what they can bring us) into our daily life? Do we keep them in special circumstances because we are in some way saving or ‘hoarding’ them, or does keeping them separate allow us to believe there’s more value in them than we might find should we employ them in the real world? These are Old Masters, after all, possibly a salute to the Chirotic skill each individual possesses that is extraordinary in its uniqueness–so, something we shouldn’t hesitate to share or test, as no one can do ‘it’ quite like we can.

The Sun, Chiron, and Venus, this last ruler of the Full Moon-Earth combo, all share a Sabian: ‘A Crystal Gazer’. The future is written in who we are at core, who we are as a Soul (the Sun), how we respond to our wounds (and you’ll notice the kinds of wounds aren’t important–those are irrelevant, in this context–Chiron), and who, how, and what we love and value (Venus)–and at least symbolically, these matters ‘rule’ (via Venus) and contain the Full Moon ’cause’ (via the light generation of the Sun), so are instrumental to, and in fact inseparable from, the Lunar event.