Category Archives: current events in the sky

Mercury Retrograde 13 October 2020 Feeling It

12 Monday Oct 2020

Posted by in astrology, Consciousness Explored, current events in the sky, forecast, future events in the sky, Mercury, Mercury Direction, Mercury retrograde, Retrogrades + Directions, Sun/Mercury Inferior Conjunction, Transits and Cycles

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The Messenger (and Trickster) enters apparent retrograde motion at 6:05 PM PDT of the 13th at 11 Scorpio 40–and his first move will be to reapply by opposition to Uranus, which is also retrograde. That aspect last perfected on the 7th, and perhaps offers a glimpse into this Water (Scorpio) into Air (Libra) cycle.

‘Mercury Sent to Admonish Aeneas’ By JMW Turner http://www.artuk.org/artworks/mercury-sent-to-admonish-aeneas-202360 {{PD}}

Mercury always means review: re-visiting, re-considering, reflecting, and perhaps going over plans or making plans to ‘try again’. We start that period in emotional, intuitive Water, and will initially be asking ourselves, “What am I feeling, and what do I think about that?”

In Scorpio this kind of review involves digging, getting to or acknowledging secrets, assessing our feelings about change and determining what further change we might want. It also encompasses those situations where Power is in play, and any relationships or situations where passions have been stirred, or betrayals have occurred (and remember, the concept of betrayal is seldom objective, when it comes to personal interactions–often it can be a matter of perspective, and this retrograde may bring consciousness of this to the fore).

With the re-visit to the Uranus opposition the first aspect, we may find that something we ‘knew’ (especially something Higher Mind or academically. i.e. fact-oriented) is overturned. We are likely to be surprised by some discovery we make, or shocked at something we witness, perpetrated by others in our direction or by ourselves unexpectedly, that latter as we ‘explode’ from accumulated pressures or act erratically in a bid for freedom. It could be that we wrap our minds around some spiritual concept for the first time (something we may have sensed or ‘known’ but been unable to put into mental forms like words), or we may find that accident illuminates our feelings about something–and so changes our perceptions.

House matters that come forward for this retrograde always have the chance of involving the subjects and energies of the natal Houses Mercury rules, and we must typically add to this the House where Mercury is currently transiting. That gives you some idea of where to be on the lookout for change, research, and re-thinking, as well as the potential ‘surprise’ factor of this particular retrograde, and can offer a head start if you know present circumstances in one or more of these realms are dicey.

The Inferior Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury (‘Inferior’ referring to Mercury’s retrograde status) occurs around the 25th-26th of October, marks a point I would characterize as a ‘birth’ point, where some attitude or mental choice takes form and perhaps is decided upon or simply becomes conscious, and this is based on what’s been revealed so far during the retro. Just remember not to act, yet.

Fountain with head of Mercury on Mercury Street in Pompeii watercolor by Luigi Bazzani from the book “Pompeii”, by Amedeo Maiuri (Pompeii superintendent from 1924-1961) {{PD}}

We re-align our passions, explore what we’ve been hesitant to think about or to really know what we feel about it, and then Mercury retros into Libra–and all the focus moves to our relationships, or, less probably, to financial or aesthetic matters. This occurs in the final few days of October, and is characterized by a back-and-forth square of Mercury to Saturn, which happens one more time after Mercury turns direct (on November 3rd, with the final square very close the 4th-7th).

This back-end bookends the retro period with a hard reality check for each of us, concerning all that we’ve reviewed and concluded over the cycle. Our present realities, as well as any boundaries, limitations, and requirements of duty or obligation come into direct conflict with at least some facet of our thinking–and this is a good thing, meant to show us where we might have slipped into thinking that doesn’t take into account where we really are or what we’re actually surrounded by or must deal with.

Use this retro period to see where you can transform the thinking or perceptions about those things you feel passionate about, have an overwhelming curiosity over, or need to investigate for what’s been hidden from you, and how this can constructively be applied to relationships with those you care about–and be ready for revelation, that can spin the whole game in another direction. The usual admonitions apply, with no signing or buying of major items, unless you’ve already pre-retro thoroughly inspected conditions and agree to them, and with the expectation that any agreements reached or conclusions drawn will likely need review or revision after Mercury goes direct.

Pluto Grinds Into Gear

05 Monday Oct 2020

Posted by in astrology, Cardinal Activity, current events in the sky, Finger of God, Retrogrades + Directions, T-Square

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Pluto spends so much time retrograde each and every year (roughly six months) that it tends, in whatever direction it’s exhibiting apparent movement, to become like background noise, a steady, grating grind, often convincing us that the conditions it offers are unavoidable, inevitable, ‘just the way it is’, simply because they take shape and then, because of Pluto’s snail-quick movement, stay that way. This is especially true at points of retrograde and direction; the circumstances around both Power and Change seem cemented in place, even as deep and scary changes well beyond our control appear unavoidable. So, simultaneous feelings of being stuck, accompanied by a sense that all will soon be flung into chaos from massive change.

At this point in time, ‘America’s Laxative’ might be exactly what Pluto is! Antique bottle of “Pluto Water” from French Lick Springs. From a display of memorabilia and antiques at the West Baden Springs hotel, French Lick Indiana.
Photo by Geoffrey A. Landis CC BY-SA 3.0

This time, the first aspect it makes after direction will almost be inadvertent; as Pluto shifts its apparent direction (while still at the same 22 Capricorn 29 position), Mars in retrograde motion in its own sign of Aries slips toward a square, perfecting on the 9th of October–and what do we get from Cardinal squares? Action! Change! And no small amount of conflict, fiery pushes to express, and temper. It’s almost as if these two don’t mean to meet, as neither is in actual forward motion–and that can imply that the conflicts engendered aren’t ones we look for, but stem instead from more compartmentalized energies that happen to find themselves at odds. BUT, Mars will be moving retro, and Pluto will still be at the station position–and that could signal regressive upsets (that is, ones springing up, re-ignited, from the past), old territory of resentments, grievances, and Will thwarted, clashing with an entrenched power position or entity that is both immovable and seemingly permanent–yet here is the lesson of a square: that the particulars, the specific circumstances of each body, speak of the actual situation from which the conflict will arise–so that the anger may have a difficult time knowing where to go, that actions may be timid or find us ‘holding back’, and that the stock-still and apparently impenetrable nature of power matters at present is not at all the reality–things are on the brink of changing.

We may get some of the story, of both the square repercussions and the overall disposition of energies, if we examine a few other contacts on and around the 9th. At that point we actually see Zeus in Libra step in opposed Mars, forming a tight T-square with our heroes just as their contact reaches perfection. That implies that what we see aflame will be fueled by frustrations or denials around ambitions and desires. We also see that Pluto will be quincunx, Mars sextile, and Zeus trine the North Node=creation of our future comes directly from pursuing those ambitions, with success dependent on how well we adjust to and are able to modify the power situation, or to create change or even to change ourselves.

But perhaps most telling about the atmosphere may be a Finger of God with base of Venus-Juno, apex Chiron. This suggests that for each of us the power situation may feel very personal, but that with some effort, we can actually heal some significant facet of things (and this is so no matter the frustrations of the square/ T-square, though we should note, these matters aren’t necessarily the same–they could exist in two completely separate situations). We use our talents, our assets, what we care about, our relationships, or our values, applying them to the power we currently hold, even if that power seems inadequate to address a larger situation. (This is one of those times when doing what we can ends up multiplying its effect, being far more potent than we imagine possible). Putting into action what we have, doing what we can, opens the door to healing a personal wound (Chiron in Aries) around the Self, the identity, the ability to act as an individual, and around expression of the Will. Sound familiar? This may be a further expression of what occurred at the recent Full Moon, building (Pluto in Capricorn) on new, different, necessary changes to the power landscape, ones that will in time reveal Truth, and in doing so offer transformation of one kind or another to each individual.

Full Moon in Aries 1 October 2020 The Roles We Play

30 Wednesday Sep 2020

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

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Photo By Emma Brick, Japan Folk Stage Art, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Full Moon perfects at 2:05 PM PDT on the 1st at 9 Aries 08, the Moon and Earth meeting just after passing over Chiron (the Earth by a couple of days, the Moon by a couple of hours), and with which the Full Moon is still conjoined. It suggests that FM events arise from our wounds–not necessarily hurtful at present (in fact, hurts that are likely tucked away, out of sight, or which we think we’ve grown past), but injuries centered in those factors of personal autonomy, expression of Will, leadership, and temper/ anger that we’ve not yet faced and/ or processed. These can be ego wounds (held purely within the emotions or psyche) or they may be related to actions taken and the repercussions and reactions these brought, or to actions not taken, and our regrets, particularly about things we could’ve been or roles we could’ve played, that are now (to our way of thinking) out of reach.

Since this is a Full Moon in Aries, it brings to culmination something about identity and role, especially about who we think we are. It’s the Self-image, the sum total of all our choices, viewed through the mental lens (Aries rules the head, after all–it’s where we ‘look out’ from at the world). This Moon is very much about conclusions or arriving at a pinnacle related to the Self-image we carry inside, and at least some of that may involve how singular we feel, how connected to others, how independent, how ‘different’, and how this state might wound us, as well. The semi-sextile the Moon makes to Uranus makes us aware of all the ways we may ‘stick out’, be unusual or seen as ‘foreign’, and it could emphasize our sense of being alone, or conversely, our sense of being a part of ‘the Group’, but perhaps not adequately appreciated or even seen.

The Full Moon also makes a novile to Ceres, the asteroid at 29 tense degrees, suggesting a crisis situation that we can address in some brilliant way. The implication is that what happens at the FM sparks a new way of approaching health and what we ingest (in all forms, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, especially when this intake is unconscious, shown by the presence of the Moon in the equation), gives us clever ways to benefit from, support, and interact with Mother Nature (and this can be anything from understanding and respecting our own impulses and nature to caring for our little piece of the planet), and can show us adept ways to negotiate for what we want (remember Ceres was able to negotiate even with someone as powerful as Pluto/ Hades and successfully get her desires met, within reason–and that might be something to remember here, that if our asks are appropriate, we can get them). And that leads us to this: in the overall scheme of things, this aspect promises we will find excellent and beneficial ways of dealing with Power, whether it’s expressing our own, gaining more, or dealing with those who have the power to influence us.

And that’s it, a very simple but striking aspect picture for this Aries Full Moon: it’s about us, our role and how we see ourselves, it’s about the Power picture in our lives, it’s about where and how we might feel isolated/ ostracized and just as much where we feel we fit in, and it suggests another important effort to ‘get along’ with Mother Nature.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘A Teacher Gives New Symbolic Forms To Traditional Images’. Let’s also note the Sabian for the Sun, source of the Moon’s light: ‘Having Passed Through Narrow Rapids, A Canoe Reaches Calm Waters’. The combined message seems to be that Full Moon events will offer a new take on what already is, will re-frame the status quo in such a way that we reach a peaceful détente with whatever has been harrowing or threatening personal serenity. Obviously, there’s a lot that can torment us nowadays, but this promises a fresh understanding of and approach to what has been trying–and that’s nothing but good.

Together Sabians and aspects tell us that we will enjoy a new and more tranquil sense of ‘I Am’–I for one couldn’t ask for more.

I’m taking some time off, and don’t know at this point when I’ll be back. I’ll pop in when I can. Thank you to All! And have a wonderful October!

Good Day To . . . 30 September 2020 Beautiful Secrets

29 Tuesday Sep 2020

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By Hendrik Voogd 1807 {{PD}}

The 30th Is A Good Day To . . . know that what we have been turning away from or trying not to think about is where all the Love, Beauty, and Rewards reside today. Our previous disinclination to deal with certain matters is based in either delusional thinking or having been misled, and that’s caused us to fear what will actually benefit us, once we face it. Somehow, someway, what seems a little dark and mysterious and so maybe scary holds something highly worthwhile for us. Plunge in; what had been a beautiful secret you’d been keeping from yourself can become an excellent asset or reward fully available to you, mystery, shame, and fear-free. Bonus for those who were misled: if you can understand the why behind someone’s deception, you gain a clearer vision of who they are, and you’ll see the situation open up for you via the application of equal measures of empathy and a sense of control/ knowledge within the relationship that elevates your standing.

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.

Good Day To . . . 29 September 2020 Head, Meet Brick Wall!

28 Monday Sep 2020

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‘Head of a Woman’ By Andrea Verrocchio c1475 {{PD}}

The 29th Is A Good Day To . . . be aware that, despite a strong sense of personal empowerment and a mental stance that embraces can-do-ism, we are likely to find that efforts in just about any direction will meet with immovable resistance. There is a way around the brick walls, barriers, catches, and opposition we find, and that consists of being Self-aware enough to insure that actions and choices aren’t arising from past hurt that puts the ego or a sense of grievance in charge.

It’s worth asking why we’re so injured; what defines the injury, so that we can locate it, inspect it, and drag it out into the light where it can die? It’s seated in one of two identity aspects: either it comes from not being seen for who we truly are, or from not being seen as we’d like to be seen. The former is a genuine injury, one that suggests those around us don’t have clear vision and so ‘injure’ us with every interaction, while the latter says we’re in an indignant snit because someone isn’t agreeing to pretend we are who we say we are (rather than who we are by our simple existence). It’s the difference between having others support our true Self, and having others support an engineered Self-image that isn’t true to the Soul.

So it’s obvious: we either need to cull those around us, choosing more genuinely loving individuals to populate our world, or we need to realize that, if we want to promote a non-genuine image of ourselves, we’ve got to accept that at least some people won’t want to play the image game–and that’s not going to feel good, when we interact with them. Making ambitions and desires harmonize with highest values isn’t easy in a world that makes so many demands on us, but it’s vital to creating success that feels like success. Just something to occupy our minds, should we be adept enough to keep from whacking into that brick wall!

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.

Good Day To . . . 28 September 2020 Out of Love

27 Sunday Sep 2020

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

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‘The Triumphs of Caesar, 5. The Elephants’ By Andrea Mantegna c1490 {{PD}}

The 28th Is A Good Day To . . . adjust our surroundings so that the figurative elephant sitting on our figurative chest doesn’t drain us of creativity or make us so tired and distracted that we do something rash. That elephant is Saturn stationing direct, and it may seem that the state we find ourselves in will last forever, but it won’t, so know that anything uncomfortable, that restricts or binds us, or that appears to block or deny us something, will pass, and so will in some way a situation that seems secure or a state that seems permanent. In these latter circumstances, it becomes about awareness that time itself is change, and that we must appreciate what we have even as we know it will become something else someday, just like we will.

The one thing working really, really well today is a female-male kind of dynamic, anything where complementary energies can cooperate or work together, thanks to Venus trine Mars. This can translate in many ways, including taking the right actions in Love or Money, making a move to gain, profiting from our choice, or doing out of Love. Strangely enough, we might also see aggression stirred in competition for Love or Money, or a ‘Me First’ grab for assets or rewards, with Mars in Aries. But, we also have Venus in Leo, suggesting that any move toward absconding with assets or taking ‘too much’ could muster a fiery defense of the need to share, or the right of the original owner to keep their fair share–so don’t worry, Venus will defend herself! Moving in the positive ways that we can and doing what we’re empowered to right now will take our focus off the places where we may be temporarily stuck, and help us relax in that area that, just for now, is refusing to budge from the current status quo (Thanks, Saturn!)

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.

Good Day To . . . 27 September 2020 Big Brain

26 Saturday Sep 2020

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That’s what I thought. ‘Diagram of the Brain’
By an Unknown Miniaturist 14th century {{PD}}

The 27th Is A Good Day To . . . remember the good things. Today we’re tempted to focus on what wasn’t good, what didn’t work, and what failing cost us, but not only is it not helpful to stare at the past, it puts all the em-PHA-sis on the wrong Sy-LLA-ble. Wisdom is contained in taking a more natural approach, in allowing instinct and our connections to rhythm and timing to orchestrate moves forward, and in trusting that the Big Brain that is the Universe both knows more than we do and, in some large indefinable way, loves us and so will lead us and time things right for us. Let our own tiny brains rest for awhile, okay?

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.

Good Day To . . . 26 September 2020 Mistaken Identity

25 Friday Sep 2020

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‘The Mask’ By Thomas Dewing 1902 {{PD}}

The 26th Is A Good Day To . . . to realize that we undermine our own best interests, partly out of delusion about the effects certain practices will actually have, and partly out of compulsions arising from a desire to ‘fix’ relationships or financial situations. It’s a case of mistaken identity: we’ve mistaken ourselves for repair persons, or architects, or maybe, in some cases, idiot whisperers–but no matter what, taking on a role where we feel we can ‘correct’ others is, how do I say this politely? Oh, yeah, delusional. Act as consciously as possible, and concentrate on what’s ‘healthy’, however you may define that, and if you feel compelled to re-do something, make it a room in your house, or your own most troublesome qualities.

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.

Good Day To . . . 25 September 2020 Processing

24 Thursday Sep 2020

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‘Factory in the Moonlight’ By Maximilien Luce 1898 {{PD}}

The 25th Is A Good Day To . . . keep in mind the Finger of God formed yesterday; that assessment of the Finger ends with this sentence: “See your thoughts for today (the 23rd) as not fully formed or informed, and have the courage to wait.” That means that today and yesterday, the 24th and 25th, we are ready to assess things. Processing that Finger at present requires some other, new considerations: we need to know that today instincts and what we ‘know but don’t know’ won’t automatically serve ambitions, but that if we are willing to modify thinking to accommodate that instinctual knowing, the mentality just might support our goals; and that looking toward the future, especially in terms of what we think, act out, and dream, is a very good thing to do, but that we must remain aware of the way what we think we want is somehow tainted by our fears and wounds–so suss out that fear-influence (because it will change our idea of what’s desirable), before setting ourselves on a particular course.

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.

Good Day To . . . 24 September 2020 Shrouded

23 Wednesday Sep 2020

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‘By the Waters of Babylon’ By Arthur Hacker 1888 {{PD}}

The 24th Is A Good Day To . . . keep in mind the Finger of God formed today; that assessment of the Finger ends with this sentence: “See your thoughts for today (the 23rd) as not fully formed or informed, and have the courage to wait.” That means that by today, the 24th, we are ready to assess things. Here, however, we need to be careful about two other issues: one is the tendency to allow our thinking to be out of touch with our actions and choices–nobody likes someone who says one thing but whose actions clearly promote another–and our own ideas of what we value and are willing to commit to may be shrouded with some unrealistic, disingenuous, or outright insincere pretensions–that is, we may be telling ourselves some untruths in order to maintain a Self-image that wouldn’t stand up to a clear-eyed examination of our actual behavior and commitments. Vow to pursue only the goals and ambitions where we are clear on what we’re hoping to get out of them; we are able to generate a plethora of useful and original ideas today, and need to see where they can be best applied, so they don’t go to waste.

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.