Category Archives: current events in the sky

On Purpose

06 Sunday Sep 2009

Posted by in astrology, Consciousness Explored, current events in the sky

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I was listening to Dr. Wayne Dyer (http://www.drwaynedyer.com/) speak this morning on Purpose; how we as individuals are prone to continually ask, ‘What is my Purpose?’ (at least, those who have reached the stage of considering such things–though I tend to think even those who are totally unconscious in their Beingness are ‘working the Universe’ the same as everyone else, with the same goals and intentions, though their true goals are much more likely to remain unknown to them!) and Dr. Dyer says that the asking of the question is our Purpose trying to re-connect with us; and in tandem with this, he quoted a teacher of his (the name escapes me– apologies to this individual) who, when queried on how he could experience peace when others suffered all around the globe, replied, in essence, that nothing in his life was an accident. Together, these two ideas, that our Purpose is at every moment trying to connect to us, and that nothing is unintentional, combine to suggest that, even in our darkest, most misguided, or confused moments we are seeking to make contact with our Purpose, and that nothing we do is without point, without an opportunity to express who we are and why we’re here.

So, we can approach the idea of Purpose in a very simple, straightforward way: the Purpose for each and every one of us is this: to add to the World. That’s all. The term ‘Purpose’ is almost useless when we look at it this way, as the inclination is to believe that purpose itself comes from the outside, like being cast in a role in a movie, or as if it’s something with almost magical properties for happiness (possibly that we chose pre-birth) and that now, if we can just discover it, all elements of our life will fall into place–no more problems, serenity NOW!–while if we see it as ‘what we add to the World,’ we see that it consists of literally every thought, word, and deed, and that all of these are a matter of personal choice, with total control and responsibility (the ability to respond) falling squarely to ourselves.

And now, a bevy of excellent contributions to the World:

Enlightened discourse on the state of our union  http://starsoverwashington.blogspot.com/2009/09/falling-romes-and-americas-us-sec-full.html

The joy of Saturn/ Uranus in action http://lucywatchthesky.com/2009/09/02/hands-up-who-wants-to-die-a-cardinal-t-square-a-saturn-uranus-opposition-and-one-exhausted-lucy/

Fun with maps http://questionofmindfulness.wordpress.com/2009/09/06/relocation-charts/#more-1730 

Lessons in love http://laurenlesko.com/7939 

And a few notes on upcoming influences:

Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune are all paddling in reverse right now as fast as they (figuratively) can, which I anticipate means it’s a form of ‘every energy for itself’! Expect these to seemingly pop up on the grassy knoll of your life like a lone assassin (though of course we know they really aren’t working alone), with each bringing to matters of the House transited and/ or the natal energy contacted the following: Jupiter bringing the tendency to exaggerate or overdo (or perhaps broadcast indiscriminately), Chiron struggling to control the sense or possibility of wounding, and Neptune making it at least as tough for you to see clearly as it was for Michael Jackson’s kids when they were still veiled, masked, or, like the little one, wearing a blanket, translated as your own private sense-muffling Idaho, which of course only confuses us all the more with the onset of Merc retro. Just take it easy, would be my admonition.

Venus is sextile Ceres (love, relationships, finances, or values must be negotiated, and/ or nature takes a gentle, season-changing swing at our assets or what we love); Venus then sesquiquadrates Juno the 7th and 8th (this demands adjustment of assets, relationships, or values to accommodate the needed empowerment position); and then Venus quincunxes Earth, and they travel in aspect together now through the 15th (we can’t avoid rearranging or modifying Venusian subjects as required either by our current material circumstances or by what we must seek in order to create a more copacetic material environment).

Thanks, everyone–you’ve all been incredibly supportive and encouraging as I ease off online engagement–though as you can see, I’ll still be back plenty–have a great week!

Just in case you’re wondering, I used hitchhiker’s screen name in the tags only because, though I know her actual name, it’s not even hinted at on her site–so I thought discretion was in order.

Lunar Eclipse August 5th 2009

04 Tuesday Aug 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse, Fist of God

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The eclipse occurs at 5:55 PM August 5th PDT, with the Moon and Earth conjunct at 13 AQ 43; technically, the eclipse itself starts a few minutes after exactitude, but I think it’s reasonable to look at the moment of first contact, so here we are. And what do we see? No contact, using our strict two degree orb rule, except for a puzzling semi-square to the Ascendant (a ‘So what?’ position), and a sesquiquadrate to the Part of Fortune. But, if we stretch our rule just a hair (and what are rules for, if not to stretch hairs over), we finda Fist of God, with sesquiquadrates to the Part of Fortune and Ceres (aka Mother Nature).  Ah! Now a picture is forming.

Am I reaching, using the Part of Fortune? Depends on how you feel about the use of the Arabic Parts in general, I guess, but for an ‘occasion’ (or an event, as I’m guessing this will be) it seems appropriate. Using it allows us to have some fun (or to frighten the bejezus out of ourselves, depending!)

So, the chart I’ve drawn is for Seattle, my current hometown, and eclipse time puts Pluto at 00 Cap–what’s built is destroyed, disruption to the status quo–just inside the 1st at a late Sagittarius Ascendant, which makes a tight quincunx to the South Node–what’s happened before will happen again? or is it what’s been destroyed before, etc?–with Part of Fortune exact on the Descendant. Hmmm. Add the Nodes in crisis at 29 degrees, the aforementioned Fist of God, with component Ceres spanking new in Libra–nature, balance, out of balance, at 00–and Ceres square to Pluto–stability lost, Mother Nature disrupted–are we looking at an earthquake chart?

Now, I don’t like to make predictions, because I believe that nothing, absolutely nothing, is set in stone, nor do I want to whip my readers into a frenzy, or earn the epithet ‘Crazy Julie’; but this is an intriguing pattern, worth noting–and if nothing happens, all the better, or the earthquakes are personal or symbolic–I’d be glad to be wrong.

I don’t want to expect a disaster, but with these measurements I might anticipate one, and my own research has matched contact to the angles with earthquake activity–but of course, there are zillions of contacts to the angles all day long–it just seems that when an earthquake does occur, there’s significant, precise contact–so stay safe, West Coasters! And no matter how flamingly wrong I am about this, the post will stay up–just so we can all laugh about it on the 6th. (Typically, I feel eclipse possibilities last through to the following set of eclipses–so perhaps we’ll just have more activity than usual, through New Year’s Eve/January 2010)
Also see Jude Cowell’s excellent take here http://2hrsyulnvrgetbck.blogspot.com/2009/08/mystic-rectangle-lunar-eclipse-in-aq.html

Earthquake activity http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.html

Lucy knows what this means (see comments)

(see comments)

Solar Eclipse July 2009

18 Saturday Jul 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse

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Of the two Lunar eclipses and one Solar eclipse occurring in this set, the upcoming Solar one is the one to watch. Not literally, of course, as that will burn your eyes out (no wonder people were frightened of eclipses–there must have been plenty of village idiots who did just that–and who wouldn’t think it was God, or gods, or Baal, or Apollo, or Ra punishing those hubristic enough to stare into what in many cultures amounts to the face of God?) No, watch this Solar eclipse, promised in the Pacific time zone of North America at 7:33 PM the 21st of July, for the figurative burn it may bring.partial solar eclipse

The transiting Sun and Moon meet at 29 Cancer 26, an anaretic degree, and that signals the energies involved are both in a state of high stress. Why? Placement of any energy at an anaretic degree (the very earliest and latest of a sign) suggests that the body has traveled through the experience cycle of all preceding degrees of the sign–now the body is pressured to symbolically ‘finish up’ with the energy spectrum of the sign.  This means that any facets of the sign not experienced during the course of the transit now come forward, needing to be expressed in order to complete the experience cycle. In this case, the energies are Cancerian: of nurture, care, involved with others, nourishing, intrusive, emotional, intuitive, maternal, enveloping, sensitive, changeable or monthly. For all of us, the place in the natal chart where 29 degrees of Cancer falls (if this does not fall on a natal placement) will designate by House where we may be facing a crisis energy that blends the Cancer experience spectrum with the matters of the House.

Solar eclipseFor those with a natal placement at this degree (or within 2 degrees of it, either side), the crisis energy is much stronger, and specific to the manifestation of the natal body or point. By ‘crisis,’ however, I mean ‘need to face’ as it applies to the matters brought forward. If one is willing to be responsible, literally willing to respond, one need not suffer crisis or upset of any kind–in fact the impetus offered by the Solar eclipse energy can bring great leaps forward, particularly at the personal level, in illuminating all facets of a matter or issue, and endowing one with the energy and ‘sight’ to resolve it.

Other natal placements to which the eclipse is in hard aspect may share in the crisis energy (though to a lesser intensity or extent), with the aspect itself suggesting the way toward resolution. For instance, a square says that the eclipse will present an energy situation (related to both the 29 Cancer placement and the House in which this occurs) that is in conflict with the natal energy as it exists, and requires one to weigh, consider, and negotiate as one would with any square. Again, keep the aspect orb to 2 degrees or less, and as with the conjunction, a willingness to face the energy and deal with it can minimize or eliminate problems, and even turn them to your advantage.

Soft contacts to natal placements (sextiles, trines) offer to bolster the manifestation of the natal energy with the eclipse energy. We musn’t assume that this is uniformly positive, however, as ease in blending the two energies can bring forward a ‘path of least resistance’ manifestation that may effectively undermine our best interests. Control is the key with soft aspects, channeling them productively into assisting expression of the natal energy while remaining attentive to implications and ramifications of the interaction.

The eclipse itself makes a few aspects: a quincunx to Pluto, and a conjunction to the South Node in Leo (with complementary opposition to the North Node). Whenever we have an eclipse, it’s important to look at the pattern it forms with other transiting bodies, as this tells us something about the effects we can expect; the contacts the eclipse makes are essentially part and parcel of the ‘eclipse package’ we experience. A quincunx to Pluto suggests that the crisis energy of the eclipse will run deep, be intense, transformative, and perhaps a little dangerous or disturbing, unearthing secrets or things we’d rather leave buried. This aspect may make us feel that the eclipse itself is dangerous or disruptive, but this is the energy of the eclipse feeding through and adjusting (the quincunx) to the active energy of transiting Pluto, and to our senses there may be no distinction.orbital view solar eclipse

The Solar eclipse conjunct the South Node in Leo brings in elements of the past and our place in it. Identity issues are ‘lit up’ by the eclipse, and the South Node itself is at an anaretic degree (but this time in the opposite situation to the eclipse–here the South Node is back at the seminal moment of our past that helped form our identity, our creative sense of Self–00 Leo).

We can expect matters of the Self, our origins in the past, and secrets or change, to be the eclipse effect for all of us, with reference to the House where the eclipse occurs; those with a natal hook must figure in the natal effect, as well, using common sense and positioning oneself mentally to make the most of available energies. And remember, Dark of the Moon precedes the eclipse, meaning that we may all be feeling a little more ‘in the dark’ than we’d like beginning about evening PDT of the 18th, with illumination coming on the New Moon, as it always does.

lightningAn  eclipse is really an opportunity to put lightning in a bottle; let’s do our best to use the energy wisely.

And I love you all, but please, no questions about personal eclipse situations in the comments section–I’m available for single question assessments for only $25, and full eclipse reports for $50, email me at juliedemboski@hotmail.com  Thanks!

Sorry–can’t seem to get the post to capture the chart any bigger without cutting some off–will continue to try to remedy. You can blow it up through your browser, a little fuzzy but readable.

Solar Eclipse July 2009

A Few Thoughts on the Eclipse, Sarah Palin, the Magic Number 50, and Sweeney Todd

06 Monday Jul 2009

Posted by in current events in the sky, eclipse

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One thing it would be good to keep in mind about the eclipse is that it’s just a Full Moon, the alignment of which creates an extraordinary view of the line up from here on Earth–so it’s the same event we get on a monthly basis, it’s only our perspective that makes it special. Full Moons are traditionally periods of culmination, so I think it’s only natural, maybe found in our DNA, or our Collective memory, or perhaps a result of the Moon’s pull on the sea elements of the bloodstream, that causes us to be alert, to be looking for, if not danger, then unanticipated change and effect. It’s a primal call we’re feeling right now, on the eve of the event; we must honor the need to be attentive, to be ready to respond, while still remembering that we’ve lived through a lot of eclipses, and chances are we’ll live through quite a few more. eclipse

When on Friday Alaska governor Sarah Palin announced she was stepping down from the post later this month, I had to take a look at her chart, because with someone who likes (and abuses, see ‘Troopergate’) power as much as this woman does, resigning an influential and visible position doesn’t make sense. I used data from Astrodatabank, which rates her info as ‘DD’ dirty data, unreliable for one or more reasons, in this case conflicting possible times (11 February 1964  9:43 PM  Sandpoint Idaho USA). I’ll make just a few notes here: first thing that jumped out is that she’s been long-term experiencing transiting Chiron/ Neptune/ Jupiter on her natal gathering of the Sun, Mars, and Saturn in Aquarius, certainly suggesting the possibility of painful times, and circumstances that make it very difficult to know who she is with any certainty (irony alert: and yet, one of her major talking points both during the campaign and now is that she does know precisely who she is–perhaps the lady doth protest too much). Transiting Saturn is quincunx Jupiter, transiting Pluto is square Venus–both offer scenarios of the need to change, one through modification of public image/ contact to suit reality or goals, the other through change (perhaps drastic) to what she values, to relationships, to finances.

You didn't really want to see another picture of Sarah Palin, did you?

You didn't really want to see another picture of Sarah Palin, did you?

All well and good, certainly supporting the move; but then I looked to Solar Arcs, and a different picture emerged. She’s 45 years old, and that puts everything in the natal chart by Solar Arc (with some variation dependent on time of year of birth) semi-square its natal position, and in the process filled in some interesting blanks, a few of which I’ll note here. The admittedly unreliable Ascendant comes to conjunction with the natal Pallas/ Juno conjunction–this suggests a personal need to connect with circumstances of Self-empowerment and that allow the exercise of the Self’s wisdom and skills. How does this mesh with the idea of giving up a governorship? It doesn’t, unless one sees empowerment in going back to school, perhaps, or if one sees the potential for greater empowerment elsewhere–ah-ha, perhaps we’re on to something!

Solar Arc movement also brings natal Venus from sesquiquadrate with natal Neptune to a full opposition; I don’t think there’s a transit that exists that’s more likely than hard contact between Venus and Neptune to lead the individual down the primrose path (for you youngsters, we’ll call it ‘fantasy lane’!) And we should note that natally Ms. Palin has a Mystic Rectangle involving the Nodes, Chiron, and her Pluto/ Uranus conjunction, suggesting, perhaps, a compulsion to act from hurt, to see one’s Chirotic endowments and individuality as having a ‘destined’ quality, and giving a remarkable ability to rise Phoenix-like from the ashes. Clearly, we haven’t seen the last of her.

The number of prominent deaths recently has been nearly overwhelming, but one thing that drew my attention was that both Michael Jackson and pitchman Billy Mays were 50 years old. It would’ve just seemed an oddity if not for astrology, as death at or near the 50 year mark suggests Chiron involvement, with its cycle around the individual chart of approximately 51.5 years (but this varies quite a bit depending on placement). Barabara Hand Clow puts forward in her seminal book on Chiron that the hard contacts of Chiron to itself are potential exit points in the life, and the more I see the more I agree that these points are indeed times when we may choose to move on. Something to ponder on: “What dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause.” William Shakespeare’s HAMLET

I saw Tim Burton’s ‘Sweeney Todd’ again recently, the first and only time previous having been in the theatre when it Sweeney Toddwas released. I remembered the movie more clearly and vividly than is typical for me, except for the ending, which took me completely by surprise. I was stunned, depressed, and moved, and though the tragic nature of the circumstances of vengeance, unrequited love, and the murder of what one was seeking all along is on it’s own sad, I think it had an effect on me because it was, really, a lot like life; nobody got out of that pie shoppe unscathed, and nobody gets out of here alive! A morbid note to end on, I know, but I recall the first time the idea that ‘nobody gets out of here alive’ clicked for me with life itself; it made me laugh, and also pointed up our tendency to behave as if, indeed, it’s a desperate situation–and it led me to, every day, re-dedicating my energy to behaving as if it’s not.

Have a great Monday, everyone!

See my books here http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com

Lunar Eclipse July 7th 2009

04 Saturday Jul 2009

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse

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This may be a hangin’ offense, but I’m not only not seeing the upcoming eclipses as linked, I’m looking at them as separate events–and the first one, on the 7th at 2:21 AM PDT (point of the Full Moon, with eclipse beginning slightly after) at 15 Capricorn 24, helps me make my point, as the eclipse bodies make no exact contact to any other body. That doesn’t mean that nothing’s going on; there’s a lot of action, it’s just not related to the eclipse! When an eclipse makes no contact to other bodies, it seems to me to make an isolated energy statement that in effect locates all the eclipse energy and influence within natal contact; in other words, if it doesn’t make close connection to something in the natal chart, it probably won’t be felt at all.

Now, I know that view will be a disappointment to some, heresy to others, and seen as just plain wrong by a few (or many!) but all I can do is go with what I see–so here it is. I believe that other action occurring at the same time as the eclipse could easily be seen as being generated by or triggered by the eclipse–and certainly the extreme energy of an eclipse may influence the atmosphere at least as much as any Moon in hard aspect to the Sun does. That said, I see the significant energy elsewhere, though there are plenty of others who are taking the eclipse in a specific way (such as comparing it to the US chart)  or are seeing it in a broad-pattern of eclipse activity that gives a different and valuable perspective.

Maybe I’m not able to connect to the meaning of this eclipse because it will semi-sextile my Ascendant–maybe the personal effect is that I try to intellectualize (Aquarius) what should be felt–and certainly the effect for me will be to illuminate something about my own personality (Sun quincunx Ascendant). But I digress; here’s where I think the action will be:

Mercury and Vesta will be exactly conjunct on the day of the eclipse, at 7 Cancer. This suggests communication difficulties with many possibilities–and I say difficulties because, even though a conjunction isn’t inherently negative or positive, a union of communication matters with the energy of the sacred implies a likelihood of strong defensiveness concerning one’s message, thoughts, or ideas. We may allow no criticism or disagreement, and may see our pronouncements as inviolate–what we think seems to us to be not just ;the Truth,’ but to represent a concept that may not be challenged–and this is shown further by the Mars exact square to Jupiter/ Neptune and semi-sextile to Uranus, suggesting a hair-triggered (and perhaps intellectually based) readiness to defend our beliefs/ fantasies/ ideals, and also by a Finger of God with Pluto apex and quincunxes to Venus and the South Node that implies it may be values or relationships from the past that bring forward an urge to destruction or change, perhaps aimed at others, who are of course defending those sacred ideas–a roundabout that could become frenetic with the energy of a Full Moon polarity charging the atmosphere.

Also exact at this time is a semi-sextile from Pallas to Saturn that could urge us in the direction of trying to give wisdom or skills a physical manifestation, and a Fist of God with Pallas as apex and sesquiquadrates from Pluto and Juno–here the wisdom or skills we own may require both Self-empowerment and the flexibility to change or transform ourselves or our circumstances in order to effectively come forward.

Overall, I’m expecting a burst of righteous opinion-assertive and defensive energy that plays like the accidental setting-off of leftover 4th of July fireworks–and the odd thing may be that most of us will feel we’re being reasonable, simply standing up for what’s truly important to us. A Cancer/ Capricorn eclipse dichotomy suggests to me the image of water flowing around a rock–no matter how insistent or forceful the flow, the rock is not immediately changed (though it may be lifted and carried to a new place). The Sabian symbol for the lunar eclipse degree (Dane Rudhyar) is ‘School grounds filled with boys and girls in gymnasium suits’ suggesting the need for an organized outlet for physical energy–and perhaps hinting at a way to channel what otherwise might cause strife and discord (possibly of an adolescent variety, as referenced by the image) if left on its own.

The Sabian for the Sun at the eclipse point is ‘A man studying a mandala in front of him, with the help of a very ancient book’  To my mind this points to Pallas’ active role at the moment of eclipse, implying that accessing wisdom (no matter the source) is what’s needed to fathom the meaning of the Universal pattern worked out before us, the mandala of the image.

As I look around and find material on the eclipse I’ll add links; start with this one by Jude Cowell http://judecowell.wordpress.com/2009s-two-solar-eclipses-11-north11-south-jan-july/ and for another view, try Beth Turnage’s site http://www.astrologyexplored.com/july-monthly-forecast-the-eclipse-is-coming-the-eclipse-is-coming/ and here from Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/6573  Stats on the eclipse here http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEplot/LEplot2001/LE2009Jul07N.pdf  and see Neith and Pat’s take here http://realastrologers.com/?p=816 View April Kent Elliot’s take on things here http://bigskyastrology.com/bloggish/2009/07/06/full-moonlunar-eclipse-in-capricorn-live-and-learn/

Spooning By the New Moon in June

16 Tuesday Jun 2009

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Moon

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This month’s New Moon occurs on the 22nd at 12:34 PM PDT at 1 Cancer 30, and makes only a few aspects. Two contacts have a less than one degree orb, a conjunction to Vesta and an opposition to Pluto. This paints a very interesting energy picture, where we might see the melding of the New Moon in Cancer energy with the sacred feeling, sense of ‘home,’ and potential for sexual expression and then juxtaposed against the Plutonian darkness–the ‘bad guys’ are out there, and we’re cozy at home, curled up before the fire. It’s a lovely image of nurture and inclusion, and we should certainly feel free to enjoy the feeling, to spoon to our heart’s content–but we must also keep in mind that it’s dangerous to disown or deny our own darker aspects. Pluto enjoys a spot before the hearth in every home, as well, and only the dangerously naive or boldly arrogant claim “I would never . . .!” when it comes to the Plutonian urge. So, celebrate the warm and fuzzies that will come with the June New Moon, but be aware that we all hold that Plutonian potential, the seeds of disintegration–making this New Moon feeling all the more delicious in its contradiction of the dark.

Of course, the New Moon/ Sun will conjunct Vesta and oppose Pluto (and Earth), and at just over one degree variation forms a quincunx to the North Node, and one big possibility here is that there’ll be a lot of sex, the kind that actually causes us to adjust our life direction (if only by reinforcing a previous commitment, though making a new commitment is a possiblity, as well, with new intentions and directions ‘birthed’ by the New Moon energy) and this potential is magnified by the meeting of Venus and Mars in Taurus trine Saturn in Virgo–Earthy vibes are everywhere, and the sensual, caring, and nurturing facets of sex and relationship permeate the worlds of those open to it. It’s a cosmic recipe for stable, dependable, yet exciting love and congress–and only the unfortunate few disconnected from or disowning their sexual nature will miss out.

And see a beautiful take on love and spoons (a bit more literal than mine!) here http://bitze.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/welsh-love-spoon/

Lemons

25 Monday May 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, Finger of God, forecast, Mercury retrograde

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Apparently I’ve been nominated for a ‘Lemonade Award,’ presented to sites with great attitude or gratitude–a big Thank You to lovely ladies Neith and Pat over at Real Astrologers http://realastrologers.com/ who put me on their list of 10–and that’s part of the deal, you pass along a list of 10 favorites, which is very tough for me to do–have you seen my blogroll? I love them all, for a variety of reasons! So, here’s 10 of my favorites (or at least, the first 10 who come to mind!) Many congrats to Pat and Neith on their nom, too–I’ve tried repeatedly to comment on their site, but am told I have an invalid user name (no matter how I modify it–and obviously I have a wordpress presence)–hope that’s just Merc retro talking, and not a Universal message! lemonadeaward_thumbnail

1. Jude Cowell at Jude’s Threshold http://judecowell.wordpress.com/ and Stars Over Washington http://starsoverwashington.blogspot.com/ and several other outstanding creative venues–she’s got an incredibly deep knowledge, a strong sense of history and politics, some of the best use of astrological degree symbolism around, and an excellent bs detector–her insights are phenomenal!

2. Love the insights of hitchhiker72–she’s “Unwriting the I”– at A Question of Mindfulness http://questionofmindfulness.wordpress.com/ She’s a thinker and observer in the best sense, commenting on the heart of the matter, whatever it may be, with just the right balance of knowledge, honesty, and personal reference.

3. Deeply thoughtful and well-realized astrological philosophy and meaning are the province of Chirotic Journal http://chirotic.wordpress.com/, definitely a favorite for its thorough, dimensional examination of natal placements and configurations.

4. aello at Dream Orpheus http://dreamorpheus.wordpress.com/ offers perceptive, sensitive, and enlightening dream interpretation–always fascinating reading!

5. Prolific, with a wide-ranging slate of topics and some of the sharpest astrological analysis around, Twilight at Learning Curve on the Ecliptic http://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/ never disappoints, and always gives the mind something fresh to ponder.

6. The application of astrology to Self-analysis is first rate at Lucy Watch the Sky http://lucywatchthesky.com/, and she has the capacity to state things in such a way that we can take the core of the observation and apply it ourselves–and that’s a gift.

7. One of the most useful and well-done sites ever is by serennu http://www.serennu.com/ Loads of hard to find info accurately presented–and follow her on Twitter, as she offers excellent Tweets that are truly enlightening http://twitter.com/serennu

8. Urania’s 9th House http://www.uranias9thhouse.com/blog/ offers succinct snapshots of current aspects, plus always fine commentary on conditions–greatly informative, in the best sense.

9. Found What the Astral Fog http://astralfog.blogspot.com/ very recently–love the tone and sheer utility, while still being imbued with poetry, of the advice. Added bonus is ‘birthcards’ (using a regular deck) of famous individuals for the day.

10. I’m cheating here; imaginative and fun is the astro info found at Wisestars http://wisestars.wordpress.com/ but I also want to note a new site that offers something different: advice for the day based on both Tarot and the Mayan systems at Stargates54 http://stargates54.wordpress.com/ Check both of them out!

It’s requested that each nominated site also do its own noms, include the logo shown here, and notifiy each nominee at their own site (something I’ll do in a few hours). And good luck to all, readers and nominees, as with such ‘tude this week, and bull on the rise, we’ll all need to make lemonade from life’s lemons!

Grand Cross v. Grand Square

21 Thursday May 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, Grand Cross/Grand Square

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Sometimes it’s hard to see a difference–they seem to be one and the same, four planets or points square, and two pairs of oppositions–everything contacts everything else. But today we have a configuration that perfectly illustrates why there is a difference: with a Grand Cross, we have the oppositions, while with the Grand Square, we have the squares with either a single opposition or none at all.

Today we have the Sun at 00 Gemini 45 square Jupiter/ Neptune/ Chiron at 26 Aquarius–so far so good–square the Earth at 00 Sagittarius 45, which (like the Sun) is square Ceres at 5 Virgo 11, but Ceres is not opposed Jupiter/ Neptune/ Chiron, creating a Grand Square, but not a Grand Cross.

Both configurations are dynamic, but the Grand Square offers a partial disconnect among the energies that will make them manifest in less than obvious ways. It’s a clue to us that, even though the various events seem to be unrelated, they are really touched off by or driven by each other–and this should alert us to any underlying context or possible repercussions arising from the more subtle contacts.

With this particular set of energies, we see the Sun/ Earth pouring attention on both Mother Nature (Ceres) and the Jupiter/ Neptune/ Chiron combo of heightened perceptions of the unseen, imagined, and the gifts and wounds unique to the individual–but grappling with illusions, ideals, and hurt is not connected in any obvious way to Ceres’ various attributes, including a proprietary attitude toward others, negotiations, and cyclic or seasonal occurrences. But, as noted, they are connected, we just have difficulty seeing how, for example, our mother’s comments on our private life (very Ceres!) have anything to do with the way we’re (unrealistically) approaching our current relationship–and yet if we look closer we may see that our desire to have the relationship just so may reflect a deep desire to be in control of our own lives–and despite the reality that we are, we still receive Mom’s comments as having a controlling effect that determines (if we don’t resist openly) our choices. So we’re in this example dealing with the exaggerated (Jupiter)illusion (Neptune) that Mom (Ceres) determines our inner and outer life (Sun and Earth), and this stimulates the wound (Chiron) from which we act.

You can see both the oblique effect of the contacts and the way that seeing the connection can help us steer clear of the debilitating effects of our own reactions and assumptions–a good way to go through life, I think!

Neptune-Chiron: Projection, Hurt, and Ownership

12 Tuesday May 2009

Posted by in astrology, Chiron, Consciousness Explored, current events in the sky, Neptune

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The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian by Honore Daumier

The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian by Honore Daumier

At least since December, when Chiron and Neptune entered each other’s orb, we’ve seen an ongoing test of our connection to reality. Now, everyone has areas they’d rather not look at too closely, places in our lives where we keep our perceptions in soft focus around the edges. I’m not speaking of those things we accept or let pass or don’t inspect too minutely, out of an already full life plate, or the simple reluctance to admit something isn’t perfect–that’s not only human, it’s probably vital to healthy functioning, as we could be easily overwhelmed by too much detail, too many things to ‘fix.’ I’m talking about those few of us with a relational disconnect in the overall world view, where the individual’s idea of who they are, and who others are, is deeply and fundamentally off.

This conjunction was early on imbued with both a spirit of Self and aggression and a mentality that framed dissonance as a personal power struggle, with the transits of both Mars and Juno to this combo.

The energy became more prominent as Jupiter neared the conjunction of Chiron/ Neptune; its presence boosts the need to project, to broadcast, related ideas and concepts as a means of expressing one’s belief in them, and thereby, at least to the mind that’s confused, proving their validity–it’s a Self-righteous energy that feeds on belief/ faith in an ideal that does not correlate to the reality picture. Jupiter also brings in the social element, the possibility of reaching out and imposing the ideas in the social sphere, again as an expression of their ‘truth’–“I wouldn’t be able to say this publicly if it weren’t true!”

The big problem with all of this is, Chiron and Neptune both hold expression pitfalls for those who are prone to fantasy, delusion, obfuscation, as the conjunction marries the urge to embrace illusion with the primal wound, the sense of hurt that, if left unclaimed and unexplored by the individual, becomes ripe for projection, and that is essentially what we’ve been seeing the past few months, an insistent sense of victimhood which has taken (temporary) hold of a dispiriting few.

How do we sort ‘true’ victims (as there are those who suffer legitimately at the hands of others) from those who have simply taken the worldview that they are victims, fueled by the easy Self-empathy of a complete mis-perception of role, actions, or intents? One easy way is to ask, where does this person ‘live’? Is their sense of Self seated in a me (or us) v. them mentality, where they are ‘done to,’ where others have bad intent, where they are a crusader for good and right in the face of those who are insensitive bullies? In this regard, anyone who disowns the potential to be the aggressor themselves becomes a candidate.

This is not, on its own, definitive, as there certainly are bullies, insensitive louts, and those who mean us harm, and sometimes the world does divide up into sides. There are other factors that distinguish those who are suffering under this transit (and suffer they do, as the pain they feel is real–the problem comes with their clear misunderstanding of where it originates). One distinguishing trait is, they are the aggressor–they pick the fight, typically based on an indignant reaction to what someone else has said or done that violates their delusional sense of Self. Often this has been sought out–the Neptune-challenged individual goes looking for a savior, or at least someone to support their fantasy Self, and when the mirror the other person holds up doesn’t show them the illusion they expect–well it must be that person’s fault, right there–the reflection is wrong, the mirror is wrong, and the person holding the mirror is wrong–because, they firmly believe, it couldn’t be them–in fact, that’s a basic assumption they enter the situation with, that in no way are they misguided, or have anything to learn–a real irony when the situation is a teaching or guidance one.

It’s also common that the person they choose to blame is someone ‘safe,’ someone who will likely not reject them, or who is not involved in the real problem. It’s almost a form of scapegoating, the ancient practice of designating someone or something as the carrier of all the village’s problems and sins, and then driving the bearer out of town–in this case the ‘village’ being the Neptune-influenced individual, who does not recognize the internal schism that prevents acknowledging the problem as their own.

How do you know when you are dealing with someone thus afflicted? “You think” may be the first words of many of their sentences–they speak as if they’re psychic (Neptune, again!) and yet what you’re hearing has no relation to what’s actually in your mind or heart–and you quickly discover that contradicting them brings out the emotional flood, anger or hurt, one and the same. They come at you claiming a wound, blaming the hurt on you, and yet this doesn’t make sense–it’s like they’ve set off huge emotional smoke bombs, deflecting attention from the real source of upset, determined to extract energy, attention, and penance from the accused–and if you’re the accused, you may think they have a point–until you realize that you are not reacting from emotion, or a need to Self-defend, and that even offered apologies or clear explanations as to your intent are ignored–the individual has a stake in taking a stance that demands you accept their indignation, and that you be responsible for their hurt, even if it doesn’t make sense, and it’s the one-sided, punishing nature of the interaction that is your biggest and best clue that this person is under the Neptune/ Chiron spell, using you as a screen for projection and Self-justification. Even those who claim to speak for the oppressed can be subject to this–for just as likely that they are correct in their remarks is the possibility that they are taking a passive-aggressive tack toward judgment and blame, typically engaging in precisely what they accuse others of.

It’s a sad situation; it can bring to ruin perfectly good relationships, as the Neptune individual does not, will not, cannot allow themselves to see the imperfection in their reasoning–as that would require a release of the illusion of victimhood–and right now, for them, that just feels too good, too safe, and perhaps is the only way they can feel right.

And to those who may feel injury at the hands of others, it’s good to remember, that no one can injure you without your consent.

You may want to check out several of the excellent posts here http://questionofmindfulness.wordpress.com/ as they touch on the same topic, and offer some facets I might have missed.

A Meeting Between the Queen of the Mountain and the King of the Sea

25 Wednesday Mar 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, Dark of the Moon

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juno So have the past few days just been an anticipation of this meeting between Juno, Queen of Olympus, and her brother-in-law Neptune, King of the Oceans? The run up to this through the Moon’s Dark period suggests the nature of the meeting may sneak up on us, and, depending on our circumstances, we may see what’s eventually revealed in one of several ways.

This may represent exactly what it sounds like, an instance of adulterous betrayal, a turning-to of one person to an inappropriate other; and what is the crime? A sharing that should not be, a breaking of trust and confidence between a commited pair, or revenge–after all, Juno was married to the biggest rake of all time, Jupiter/ Zeus, who, once the honeymoon was over, thought nothing of pursuing anyone he fancied; maybe Juno’s had enough of that. It can also signal a meeting between the heights and the depths, between the intellect and the emotions that may drive it, or symbolize an encounter between those inhabiting two entirely different environments, with probably predictably tumultuous results.

The cuckolded King of the gods

The cuckolded King of the gods

Or maybe for you this is more subtle, not the alliance of two gods, but an anima/animus clash that sees the female energies exercising Will and ego, and the male energies confused, delusional, or trying to realize a dream; in this instance, you may be attuned to the semi-sextile of Venus in Aries to Mars in Pisces. These two make oblique contact and we may see a reversal of the typical receptivity/ aggression labels; the usual suspects behave in opposite character in relation to each other, which can bring disorientation or behavior that is out-of-sync with one’s true nature. It can also bring forward struggles or disputes that are not really concerned with the subject, but with the too passive stance of what should be active, and/or the too assertive stance of what should be less defensive.

Or this may take a materially-centered tone with you, where the power that exerts overt control over all that can be seen must negotiate with he who rules all that is unseen, shown by Ceres’ trine to Pluto. This may be the easiest situation to deal with, as the interplay is relatively smooth and both sides end up satisfied (trine). The fact that the bargained-for items refer to tangible assets or physical things helps, as well; being able to see and weigh the objects of the negotiation makes it much easier to handle. This may in particular refer to situations of obtaining credit, negotiating for an initial salary or pay raise, the matter of possession of assets, or in choosing material investments.

Mercury moves into Aries before the Pisces Moon can come along by conjunction, so emotional perceptions about these past few days may not be completely formed into communicatable thoughts and words; this recent period may just be like a long dream that upon waking we are unable to share with others, but are molded by, or even haunted by, just the same.

Catch me on Twitter, jdem759, visit Been There, Done That http://askjulie.wordpress.com for the dish on relationships, and buy my work at http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com which features new, pdf versions of my books at a new low price!