Category Archives: current events in the sky

Full Moon 23 April 2024 A Kassandra Moment

22 Monday Apr 2024

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

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Waves at sunrise in Corniche (Sète, France) 2020 By Christian Ferrer
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0

The Full Moon perfects at 4:49 PM PDT at 4 Scorpio 18, trine Vesta, sextile Juno, semi-sextile Pallas, square Pluto (which happens to be conjoined the asteroid Kassandra, more on that later), and not touching much else. It’s a picture of deep change–things are either swept away forcibly or we are put in a position that leaves us little recourse but to eliminate, restructure, resurrect, or annihilate–and this occurs even as we witness our own positive control of our power (Juno), our effective dedication to what we care about (Vesta), and the benefits of our partnerships and cooperative efforts (this latter via Vesta and Juno energies as so often involving–even existing because of or in relation to–the Other, particularly our Significant Other). So, in many ways we are experiencing the harmonious impact of our own power expression, our effectiveness at impressing ourselves on others and our environment–and yet there’s a serious power matter or elimination (Pluto) to attend to, one that the Universe refuses to let us go forward without answering.

A Full Moon is an energy culmination, and presents the collective result of, in this case, efforts in Scorpionic areas or activities, and/ or in the subject areas of the House in the natal chart where the Full Moon falls. We get the results of previously ‘digging deep’; we may put the story together, discover something new that knits scattered evidence into a whole, or we may see the wisdom behind what was removed, destroyed, or forbidden and so understand why what’s happened has happened (the last a product of a loose semi-sextile of the Full Moon to Pallas).

Here’s the kicker: Pluto conjoined Kassandra suggests that the Universe delivers a tough (square to the Moon) moment or incident that offers Higher Mind understanding (Pluto-Kassandra in Aquarius), but we won’t believe what is revealed/ shared. Kassandra, you’ll recall, was a priestess with whom the Sun god Apollo fell in love (and the Sun is actually part of this equation, as it opposes the Moon-Earth and so fills in a T-square with Pluto-Kassandra). Apollo offered her the gift of prophecy, hoping to win her favor; she knew what he expected from this gift (so it wasn’t really a gift, right? It was payment), but once she received it she turned him down, incensing the god. What the gods confer they cannot take back–but they can affect the working of that gift. Outraged at her refusal of his suit, Apollo condemned Kassandra to be always right about what she foresaw, but never believed by others.

That’s a particularly bitter outcome, when we receive what we need to hear, know, or perceive, and yet we are unable to see the Truth of it; that’s exactly what we should expect here: deep, intense perceptions that we will judge to be incomplete or inaccurate. How do we answer that?

We may not accept the power situation and/ or knowledge presented, but we do have a clear, strong influence of Self-confidence and personal autonomy aligned with highest values and commitments (Juno, Vesta) that, if we’ll accept our own emotional Truth (those things we know because we feel their Truth deep within–Moon in Scorpio) we’ll be able to go round the misleading Pluto-Kassandra square and so effectively make the ‘right’ decision, do what needs to be done.

The Sabian for this Full Moon is, ‘A Massive Rocky Shore Resists The Pounding Of The Sea’. The reality of the moment is a rocky shore: ‘What Is’, heavily resistant to abundant and persistent emotional assault of waves of feeling and upset. This is the Full Moon square Pluto-Kassandra. The Sun, light-giver that we always examine at a Full Moon, has the Sabian, ‘A Widow At An Open Grave’. ‘Widow’ describes a particular status: receptive, anima energies without their balancing animus, doing energies. This implies our energies are lopsided: too receptive, too passive, too ready to accept the way things are, too accepting to demand answers, or to insist we must know what that grave is for (and note: there’s not necessarily any connection between the woman’s status and the fact that an empty grave is before her–if we find ourselves looking without and connecting externals to our own internal state, we may be drawing parallels where there are none).

The suggestion may be that, when it comes to the Full Moon scenario, we’re too likely to see ourselves as helpless in the face of greater forces (like death–and Pluto can certainly feel death-like), to perceive ourselves as all feeling, no action–which is never truly an accurate perception, is it? Abdicating our own part in things, remaining passive, is its own kind of action, its own choice. Maybe this reminds us that to see ourselves as subject to outside forces (even to see ourselves as victims) is to pretend we have no part in what’s happening, and that this perception denies our responsibility for our own lives, our own fates.

PS Though there’s been a lot written about this week’s Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, I thought it worth adding that this is an aspect of ‘The Big Big Picture’; that is, a coming together of immensities, of large groups or populations, of huge ideas and all-encompassing concepts, of philosophies and facts and urges toward independence, toward free thought and expansion, toward the kind of impetus for shifts and change that comes in surprising and overwhelming ways. We’re talking about societal moments, rather than individual ones–but we can’t over look the way the social order affects each of us, in uniquely individual ways. Look at the matters of the two Houses in the natal chart that are ruled by Jupiter and Uranus=that’s where you see personal movement, in a blending of their subjects, delivering a dynamic message. If the conjunction aspects something in the natal chart (no more than 3 degrees variation) that is likely to expand that energy and activate it in big, surprising, exciting ways. But of course, it won’t necessarily make a big splash in everyone’s week, or month, or year, and you shouldn’t feel badly if this week has been on the less revolutionary side for you. For many, it will be as if they’re riding a current that after this point flows, just slightly, in a new direction, with the energies acting as a background to more personal, more immediate, developments.

Venus Conjoined the North Node

17 Wednesday Apr 2024

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, aspects and placements, current events in the sky, North Node, the Vertex

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‘Path in the Wheat Fields at Pourville’ By Claude Monet 1882 {{PD}}

I’ve been seeing a lot of commentary on this event, specifically described as bringing a fated meeting, love, or benefit into the life. In my view this isn’t quite accurate. Can it bring that? It’s possible, of course; but the North Node, a point of extremity in the Moon’s cycle, I interpret in the natal chart as indicating our ultimate life direction–not an end point or goal, but a heading, like finding a region on a map (the sign) and moving toward it throughout our time here. In a transiting situation, like now, this brings, in matters of the natal House where it falls, something Venusian related to aspects of our Path/ current life direction. These may touch on issues around our relationship to the energies of the sign where it occurs and/ or our relationship to Archetypal Venus energies: Love, partnership, the Arts, social interactions, assets/ income, or those natal Venus energies found by House location, House rulerships, and/ or Venus’ sign in the natal chart. We have to customize our assessment of a transiting aspect’s impact on the individual–it takes some parsing, especially if the aspect makes contact with other natal placements–and typically the meaning of this will fit well into some scenario we’re currently part of. Naturally, the conclusions we reach, and the intensity or lack of it we experience, will be different for each of us.

What would I read as bringing a fated meeting, inevitable reward, the creation of something (in the Arts, particularly) that defines who we are? That would be transiting Venus meeting our natal Vertex. The Vertex is a point of intersection, where the ecliptic and the prime vertical meet; it’s opposite point is the anti-Vertex, and like the Nodes and the Sun-Earth axis, Vertex and anti-Vertex are always located exactly opposite each other in the flat chart. Anything touching the Vertex, by natal aspect or transiting contact, takes on a definite, life shaping aura. It marks points of crucial decision making, encounters that mark direction altering milestones or experiences, and even if the astrological event seems to occur without causing a ripple, it can often mark a time we will look back on as important because we reached a particular conclusion or make one of those passive, anti-choices that end up determining so much of our way forward. This, too, must be customized, with focus on our relationship to the transiting energy natally, and to what it rules or contacts.

Some may feel that the North Node and the Vertex are essentially the same thing, but I would argue that the North Node is about our choices, and the way the Universe will nudge us in a particular direction, one we have a Soul deep need to explore and experience; the North Node is our True North, a compass point we inevitably orient ourselves to. On the other hand, the Vertex strikes me as involving the orchestration of a great many external elements; those encounters or events or even acts of creation (or, more likely, their recognition) largely happen to us, even when we are catalyst or initiator. One is the Universe gently pulling us, the other is the active hand of the Universe reaching into our lives and shuffling the deck, putting a card that we must play in front of us, challenging us to see the import of the moment, and its potential consequences. We can only hope to recognize those moments, when they come.

Promises in the Aftermath

10 Wednesday Apr 2024

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse, Jupiter-Uranus Conjunction, Mars-Saturn Conjunction

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‘In the Land of Promise’ By Charles Frederic Ulrich 1884 {{PD}}

Where do you find yourself, days after the total Solar eclipse? In talking with others, I’m hearing two distinct kinds of experiences: one that is a laundry list of what we’re sure to see as negative effects, things we must face that there’s no way around–some of which may have been at the edges of our conscious mind for some time, anticipated for ‘someday’–and the other appears fortuitous, but still haunted by an awareness of our vulnerability, our mortality, ‘good’ happenings that contain within them conditions that reflect how lucky we are in the moment, how one day ‘it’ will end. That tracks, considering the trip to the Underworld we were promised; what may be surprising (and we were promised a surprise, too!) is the solemnity of what we’re facing, the potential for life turning points that seems to lurk beneath even the most casual of decisions.

This is all good. It’s causing us to choose with care, to think about the impacts on others and the future, and it’s fostering a very positive kind of sensitivity, the kind that gives empathy and Love a prominent place in consciousness, and so in relationships and decision-making. Ruler of the eclipse, Mars, is currently in Pisces conjoined Saturn=this is action, choice, reality generated against a background of the creative energy of All-That-Is; it’s our personal creativity and ideals shaping the Cosmos, and the Cosmos shaping us. We’re offered disciplined choice guided by ideals, constructive creative energy, and a chance to build reality as we imagine it should be.

The other important influence is the upcoming meeting of Jupiter-Uranus, perfecting soon (19th-20th April) in Taurus=the most obvious potential possible with this is sudden opportunity, surprising expansion, fortuitous chance, the individual acting on the group, the group affecting the individual, innovation or invention that opens the way, with Taurus suggesting a material outcome, a shift in prosperity, artisanal output, quality, or productivity, a surprise around our sources of security, stability, or comfort. But, for a more personal glimpse at what this means, we may want to first note the matters represented by the House in the personal natal chart that contains Taurus–this is where the action is–and as well to note the matters of the Houses ruled by Jupiter and Uranus–these matters are likely to combine in some significant way involved in those Jupiter-Uranus meeting effects. Then there’s the matter of Venus, ruler of Taurus, at the time of conjunction just past mid-Aries=this emphasizes the power of the individual to affect things, and again emphasizes the role of choice and of taking action, and how this will largely determine results for the individual.

An example: A Whole Sign Sagittarius Ascendant puts the eclipse in the creative output/ children/ risk-taking 5th, along with Venus, and sees Jupiter-Uranus in the every day, duties and obligations, work 6th, and Mars-Saturn in the core Self/ home and family of origin/ end-of-things 4th (and you’ll note, this is likely to be mostly or entirely in one quadrant of the chart, in this case the one that deals with preparing efforts to put out into the world and be judged for, 4th-6th). Jupiter rules the 1st, Uranus the 3rd, suggesting the individual and their thinking are key to what happens; the eclipse offered healing around creative efforts or matters of the individual’s children or ventures, and promises reward if this is addressed (the presence of Venus). This comes in the course of the every day, fulfilling obligations or work, and responds to the core Self (beliefs, especially about who this person is deep inside) and is reflected in home or family matters. In this case, the ‘children’ could be artistic output, or a risk-taking venture, but in any case centers on how this person is viewing this matter, and how open they are to implementing what they (ideally) want, via work, taking on or fulfilling duties, or in dealing with colleagues (the ‘where the action is’ 6th).

All this together, major conjunctions plus eclipse, may offer that promised healing–at least, that’s how I’m seeing it, not only because it makes sense, but because that attitude is it’s own promise, it’s own magic, it’s own blend of the opportunity and optimism of Jupiter and the willingness to risk and overturn of Uranus that can deliver what we seek. Willingly or not, consciously or not, we’ve taken a big step forward; reach out, choose, give it the shape of your dreams.

Total Solar Eclipse 8 April 2024 A Journey to the Underworld

02 Tuesday Apr 2024

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

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‘The Fate of Persephone’ By Walter Crane 1877 {{PD}}

A friend of mine is traveling from Seattle to Texas to observe the eclipse from the path of totality firsthand–and I can’t help but think it’s a pilgrimage, whether he’s conscious of it or not, meant to heal, with the meeting of Sun and Moon (at 19 Aries 23, 18:20 UT), the Moon throwing itself between us and the Sun, all bodies lined up along the plane of the ecliptic, also conjoined Chiron (only 1 minute apart), this body designating the primal wound, the deepest, farthest-from-consciousness hurt of all–and that says to me that we all may be engaged in a form of healing with this blending of Sol, Luna, and the Wounded Centaur, a chance through renewal of the ‘I Am’ and worth of Self (Aries) to restore at a personal level the vitality of the Sun, the unadulterated sensitivity of the Moon, and the sense of dedication and purpose behind both identity and the Soul’s intent. A resurrection for each of us, if you will.

It’s interesting that this eclipse wipe-out energy doesn’t involve the persistent, everyday obliterating energy of Pluto–there’s no Scorpio involved, and Pluto doesn’t hook in any way into the eclipse dynamic–and yet the event promises us a deep re-think about who we are and what we’re doing, courtesy of the wide conjunction to a retrograde Mercury in Aries (though Pluto is quincunx the Trans Neptunian Object (TNO) Chaos as well as major asteroid Vesta, suggesting anarchic upheaval in the home or in matters we are–or were, until the eclipse hit–dedicated to). The eclipse trines Persephone in Sagittarius, hinting at the journey to the Underworld we all, at least temporarily, must make, and emphasizing the way we will return to the light–even if it seems like we won’t. So, there’s plenty of dynamic (and potentially destructive, or maybe misleading) energy pinging around out there–and our job may be to know it when we see it, which can help us avoid responding unthinkingly, and so falling victim to it.

The eclipse energy represents a spiritual, rather than a cellular, anastasis–and as such may explain a sort of atmospheric fear swirling around right now–because who isn’t at least a little unsettled by the idea of death, or trepidatious confronting the unknown? And we are promised a surprise delivered by the vastness of the Universe, with the eclipse semi-sextile Jupiter in Taurus, which is itself conjoined by Uranus (though the eclipse is out of range). Jupiter is, among other things, a designator of that longest journey we take at the end of life, with Uranus introducing a version of the three-body problem, roughly explained as an inability to predict with any certainty the long-term path of any combination of objects. In Taurus this suggests material roots, and material effects, though it may manifest as changes in our sense of security, our comfort, or or our ability to provide for our own or others’ needs.

Do we even need to mention Black Moon Lilith in Virgo quincunx the eclipse? Something we’d rather ignore or deny, or that enrages us, is an uncomfortable trigger to events–and this discomfort is seated in criticism, or the need for an accounting, or perhaps is spurred by an unfair or inadequate sharing of ‘the harvest’. The Sabian for the eclipse is, ‘A Young Girl Feeding Birds In Winter’. A young girl is just beginning her life, while winter is the season of sleep, torpor, but a necessary step to renewal–and birds are wild things that struggle during periods of scarcity, suggesting that it’s the young, fresh, renewed part of us stimulated by the eclipse that can ‘feed’ those more spontaneous, wilder impulses within us that might not make it through tougher times without a little help. Self-help, then, in its most positive sense, an ability to act, but it’s important to note: timing tells us that winter comes at an expected time, and only lasts so long–remembering that this, too, shall pass, is an important part of dealing with what comes.

It’s All About Tomorrow

26 Tuesday Mar 2024

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, In-Between Eclipses

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‘The Great Wave of Kanagava’ By Hokusai Katsushika {{PD}}

Here we are, in that valley between eclipses, all nerved up, everything seeming in limbo, our feet hovering three or so inches above the ground, worn out and yet brimming with energy. Exhausted and lit up–that’s no way to live! We’re riding that subtle wave pushed out by the Lunar eclipse, trying to get our bearings, and we’re distinctly ungrounded, not through any fault of our own, but as a byproduct of that pull between Moon and Sun, shifting our inner tides, making us feel, really feel, the flow of the Universe in a way we’re seldom so conscious of. And what is the low ground this tsunami of energy, this intense but subtle wave from the Lunar event, seeking? It’s urging us to find that stable place to cool, to collect ourselves, to get our footing–and we find it centered on the North Node point, our indicator of which direction the energy is flowing. That’s currently 16 Aries, still conjoined Chiron, the Sun moving ever nearer, the Node caught at the rough midpoint of Venus-Jupiter=we’re under a growing awareness of the real-world situation, focused on our own wounds–if that remains the center of our consciousness, we’ll get nothing more out of it–but if we can move past our fixation on our own weaknesses or deficits we find: 1) more Love! or other reward, 2) the freedom and benefits that come from taking personal responsibility (focus on our role and acting cooperatively–that is, in harmony with others–but autonomously, exercising our own authority, is key), and 3) a new relationship to the public, our audience, or those in our circle.

The Sun is at the rough midpoint of Neptune and the North Node, and also trines Pallas and quincunxes Juno=we’re aiming to make ideals and dreams our future reality, and we have the wisdom and practical judgment to do so, though we aren’t quite empowered to do so yet–patience. We get a hint that our lack of power is to our benefit, as Neptune square Vesta suggests our dreams and aims aren’t yet aligned with our highest values, or reconciled to our commitments; we haven’t yet fit them around what we care about in life, an important step in moving forward. Mars is semi-square the North Node=actions are hobbled, difficult, but again, that’s to our advantage, giving us time to prepare ourselves, even more than circumstances, and Venus sextiles Uranus=surprise! The only thing we can be sure of is that the unexpected will be featured, delivered through relationships, the material situation, or in where loyalties ultimately lie.

We’ll be in this bardo, more or less, until very close to the Solar event. Each of us does best to get outside our own heads and past our own grievances as much as possible, and to use the time to formulate next steps around hopes and dreams. It’s vital we have those aims clearly visualized, if we want to act effectively. I’ll be unavailable (answering no correspondence or filling book orders) until early next week, when I’ll provide a look at the upcoming Solar eclipse. Have a great week!

Orders made to the Press and all comments and questions will be filled/ answered after my vacation from computers, 27 March-2 April.

And A Few More Things

18 Monday Mar 2024

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky

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Franz Stuck 1912 {{PD}}

Just some bits I didn’t get to in my last post. My computer that holds my astro software crashed so I’m flying blind, with only notes to go on at the moment. I could argue that it’s a pre-eclipse debacle, as the first eclipse of what my ephemeris describes as a 3-eclipse set falls at the midpoint of my Mercury-Mars–is it wiping out my ability to assert myself, to communicate, or is it clearing the way for new forms? Since I believe that the Universe always works in our favor, I’ll take it as something that’s meant to steer me in a ‘better’ direction, if not an entirely new one. I’m thinking that having to use online sources to draw up an eclipse chart will mean I won’t have my usual assortment of odd bits and bobs, and that could mean my attention will go in a different direction, and so allow me to see things in a way other than I normally would. I’m still at work on that Moon book, itself swelling like an ever-waxing Lunar orb, so of necessity it won’t be long before I’ve got another computer and updated software–but until then, it may be a grand adventure into unfamiliar lands.

The 17th-19th we have Venus square Pallas; then Venus hits Saturn (20th-23rd) while Ceres is still sextile the old man=this is a picture of those who love unwisely suppressing their personal power and autonomy–but to what end? Is it a relationship that calls for betraying the Self in favor of the wider partnership, or is it economics or a question of values that requires restraint and a kind of Self-denial? Or is it that we’ll insist on something impractical in the name of Love, and disempower ourselves in the process?

We’ll also see Mercury conjoin the North Node=this may deliver messages from the future, in the realization that what we think now will, quite literally, make the future into what it will be. It’s a moment when our own power becomes ultra-real, scarily apparent, and we’re challenged to accept, in ways we’re usually able to hide from ourselves, that we truly are in charge of where we go and what we become. And finally, Jupiter quincunxes the South Node, blowing the past all out of proportion. Here it may be vital that we don’t take memories–which will definitely be distorted right now–as ‘the way it was’; this aspect also shows us quite clearly how our beliefs need adjustment, because the facts are different than they were in the past. These two aspects, Merc-NN and Jupiter-SN, work together to create our mindset; it’s up to us to make sure the conclusions we reach are as aligned with reality and our own ‘right action’ as possible.

A Few Odds and Ends, And a Little Caution

16 Saturday Mar 2024

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

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‘Summer Idleness–Day Dreams’ By John William Godward {{PD}}

Everybody’s talking about the Sun conjoining Neptune, now through the 20th–why? It happens every year, but with Neptune in its own sign, the Solar light applied to transcendent Pisces illuminates ideals, creativity, and community at their highest levels–and inevitably leaves a lot of dissatisfaction in its wake. The wash of big ideas with even bigger intentions is inspiring, yes, massively so, and it’s only human that our results will, with few exceptions, be somewhat less than those dreams we dreamed, making the reckoning between what was visualized and what was realized something we should be prepared for, accept, and still celebrate–reaching for the stars is thrilling, and if we don’t reach our final goal, we still find ourselves in the stratosphere, with a wider view and more far-reaching results than we ever would’ve created without those lofty inspirations.

This duo also trines Vesta, which may be why we’re so focused here, at the moment: Vesta is what we revere, what we find sacred, what we dedicate our life energy to–and that may put a lot of pressure on each of us, whether we’re conscious of it or not. We may feel like attaining those ideals and creative goals is more than necessary–we may in fact feel as if success is mandatory, that we will be ‘less than’ unless we get all the way to our aim. Though high standards are admirable, it’s definitely too much to hold ourselves to such stringent requirements, especially when there are likely one or more components that will be at least to some extent outside our control. We just need to focus on what we gain, what we do create, even if that creation doesn’t go as far or as wide or to completion as we’d hoped.

Chiron is quincunx the Black Moon Lilith point, amping things up even more as we carry in the back of our minds the awareness that what we ignore, deny, or are enraged by carries the potential to hurt us–and that means we know we’ve got to face what we’d rather put aside for later, or never, in an attempt to minimize our own injury. It’s smart to take it head on, as we exercise a lot more control over something we accept as reality than we do over something we’re insisting isn’t a thing. Note: if you have a placement 17-19 Scorpio, this fills in a Finger of God that suggests the fill-in energy plus the sense of woundedness combine to form a sort of dark point around something you’d rather forget–but shouldn’t. Again, addressing it is better than denying its existence, and keeps you in the driver’s seat.

And that brings us to Eris opposed Zeus, with Zeus receiving a trine and Eris receiving a sextile from aggressive Mars. Here we have the agent of discord facing off against our ambitions and desires, with Mars inserting the impetus to act on those wants, with those actions and choices easily putting a target on our backs for anyone with a beef. This is just life, really; there’s no way to control how others see and respond to us, so we must act and be with integrity, pursue our desires and aims, and let others feel and think what they may. That’s how we keep from being paralyzed by the judgments or slights handed out by those who’d rather critique us than look at their own flawed character.

Pluto noviles Saturn=we have the power to change our reality in transformative and quite brilliant ways–just know that alterations made now have a permanence about them that can never completely be undone; also know that changes imposed by externals have that same permanence, and are absolutely, 100% to our benefit, no matter how things look on the surface. Ceres also sextiles Saturn, reinforcing the idea that there’s power contained in facing reality–and both aspects to Saturn tell us that at this time, it’s much easier than usual to control those power expressions, to shape real-world results just as we’d like them to be. That puts powerful mojo behind those Sun-Neptune manifestations–and, as long as we follow a few cautions, puts us in control of our own choices and their consequences.

I’ll follow up with a few other things happening in the coming week. Have a great weekend!

New Moon 10 March 2024: Receptive Waters

05 Tuesday Mar 2024

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

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‘Washerwomen on Lake Garda’ By Ettore Tito 1888 {{PD}}

The New Moon at 20 Pisces 16 on the 10th right at 2 AM PDT (when the clock moves forward one hour from 1 AM) presents a compelling dynamic: the receptive Waters of the imagination, the Cosmos, the All-That-Is are the inception point for a birth, a beginning, that is based in facing what we’ve been ignoring or denying about our reality or our environment. Ideals (Pisces ruler Neptune) fuel what starts at this time, with that sparking New Moon energy bouncing off of, or even caused by, the opposing Black Moon Lilith point, which is conjoined the Earth itself, and so describes how what we are ignoring or denying or enraged by in our material circumstances or in our environment is what drives our New Moon new beginning.

That suggests that the impetus for change is found in frustration or disappointment with our reality; there are several energy clusters extant in the event chart that clue us in to what’s not working. The North Node conjoined Chiron suggests we fear that if we don’t do something the future will be painful. Mars squares Uranus and widely trines Vesta, which itself trines Zeus, tells us that the results of our actions and choices have been a surprise, certainly not what we anticipated, and that though we based those choices on our highest values and life energy commitments, we didn’t account for the way desires, ambitions, and even animal lust got in the way. This all hooks into the New Moon with Mars’ semi-sextile to it, and the New Moon’s square to Vesta–and then we see that Ceres is novile Mars, hinting that it’s in pursuing expression of our personal authority, and trying to balance it with our responsibilities, that we’ll stumble upon a (relative to the circumstances) brilliant answer or approach.

So, it’s in facing our dissatisfaction or inadequacies, and embracing our duties, that we happen upon a rather perfect way to address what needs modification–and this is supported by other current contacts. Mercury has just entered Aries=taking both responsibility for ourselves and the initiative within the situation is the right thing to do–maybe a little awkward at first (00 placement) but effective nonetheless. The New Moon forms a septile to Pluto=there’s power to be found in that New Moon start, power that is seated in our own spirituality, in our awakened sensibilities; don’t underestimate the unseen (including intent and desire) in its ability to transform at this time. Juno in Virgo opposes Saturn in Pisces, perhaps shaping events in a man vs. woman mode, or status quo vs. the effectiveness of the empowered individual, or even in a power struggle between two, matched entities, one ensconced in the fantasy that their authority is supreme or forever-lasting, the other critiquing the situation from a point of personal facility that knows exactly how to bring change. One issue: Eris is sextile Vesta, alerting us to the need to be aware that others may be agitated by, or may not accept, what we choose to give our energy to–they’ll just have to get over it.

The New Moon Sabian is, ‘Under The Watchful And Kind Eye Of A Chinese Servant, A Girl Fondles A Little White Lamb’. I really don’t like having to deal with racist tropes that all too often figure in to the Sabian symbols, but it’s the only way to get past the outdated assumptions behind the images and land somewhere that makes sense today. The Chinese servant conveys the idea of the Selfless, all-sacrificing Being who lives to serve, who doesn’t just put others first, he or she has no needs of their own (or if they do, those needs are sacrificed on the altar of someone else’s needs–why would we ever see that as a good thing?) That idea is more unrealistic now than it’s ever been, as we recognize the fullness of each human being, the right to autonomy, and benefits to all of cooperative rather than one-sided effort. The girl and the lamb aren’t much better: two emblems of purity and innocence that carry the burdensome projections of an adult need to characterize certain states of Being as untouched by the world (in contrast to the projector, who sees themselves as very much of the world). Lamb and girl are seen as pristine, superior in their untouched state, and so in need of preservation in that state, which is characterized as somehow more worthy than a worldly one. In the images of the servant, the girl, and the lamb (which with this latter carries further implications in the Christian worldview, of both purity and sacrifice), we are offered the same idea: an entity that lives in a rarefied and elevated, and so very unrealistic, state–and further, they are all expected to stay in that state, so that the rest of us are either served or reassured that such purity exists in the world. Servants are entire human Beings, and girls and lambs grow up and experience the world–and their initial innocence is inappropriate when perpetuated for too long, just as a too-extreme dedication in service to others is unfair to the individual. Above all else, I see this image as one of unrealistic expectations of others. It’s up to us to ask ourselves who or what we may be insisting must live up to an image we want them to carry–one that makes us feel more worldly than they, more free than they, and that, one way or another, we benefit from, when they stick to their modest, serving role, or their status as icons of purity–which can translate as immature, unworldly, and so naive, allowing us to step in and be the opposite. In terms of the New Moon, this may be, at least in part, what we are in denial of, with the New Moon energies encouraging us to look at expectations and roles as we apply them to both ourselves and others, asking, ‘What’s appropriate?’ and ‘What’s our call to make?’

This just in: the RNC just installed two Trump loyalists to run the Republican party. Today is the 8th, less than 48 hours before a New Moon, a time known as the Dark. One of the best rules I’ve ever followed is to take no position and make no commitment during the Dark of the Moon; inevitably, the position or venture itself dissolves, circumstances change, or agreements and cooperative efforts just doesn’t go forward. Usually we’re riding the changing Lunar energy, which offers a certain flow and impetus, but this period of three days before a New Moon is a time for retreat, contemplation, and relaxation, not charging forward, especially with new duties or obligations. That suggests these appointments won’t last, possibly indicating a loosening of Trump’s hold on 30% of the populace. Stay tuned to find out.

A Few Odds and Ends, And A Little Honesty

18 Sunday Feb 2024

Posted by in current events in the sky

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Tranquil Reader By Jürg Stuker
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

Dear Reader ‘Cars & Stories’ asked for a little on Venus meeting Pluto–and I failed to get to it in time. My apologies–life just gets in the way, you know? But I have a few observations that I’ll share here, late though they are.

My impression of the Venus-Pluto meeting at the 00 degree of Aquarius was one of learning the limits of Love. That sounds ominous, but I think it’s more of a touchstone where we saw circumstances, interactions, and exchanges that showed us the very real boundaries within situations and relationships; we saw that beyond particular points we couldn’t be certain of another’s feeling or our own. Though unconditional love is always held up as an ideal, I have no doubt that each of us has experienced relationships where exercising unconditional love would’ve led to destructive conditions, for ourselves or for others. There’s nothing loving about allowing another to cause harm to you, and I think that’s what the past few days have reminded us of: there’s a fine line between love and martyrdom, and crossing that line obliterates the love. I think we’ve been allowed to know this intellectually (Aquarius)–which makes me think it’s only a matter of time until we meet a real life challenge that tempts us to accept what we shouldn’t. This is where we thank the Universe for making us ready.

The Sun will shorty be moving into Pisces, putting the spotlight on the creative and the delusional. The big test is, can we tell the difference? No one wants to pour effort into something that lacks relevance, so how do we tell them apart, especially when sign ruler Neptune is in Pisces, strengthening both the creative impulse and the illusion? It doesn’t help that the Sun-Earth axis at 29 degrees squares Sedna, creating a T-square that strains every instinct we have. That, though, might be how we meet this: trusting instinct, even though we feel pressured and can’t put our finger on specifics. This may be a point when knowing we have the answers within has to proceed on faith alone, and a belief that we will not betray ourselves when making choices. The Universe doesn’t test us–we test ourselves, and that means that as long as we are honest with ourselves, we really can’t choose wrongly.

We may hesitate as right now the North Node conjoins Chiron and both quincunx Black Moon Lilith-Juno. This is a recipe for questioning our empowerment and abilities, even our right, to move forward–and it doesn’t help that the future looks like it will hurt! The questioning of the Self is actually a good thing, meant to, once again, prod us to be honest with ourselves. That’s really where the power lies–and can lead to clear thinking about our most important priorities (Mercury trine Vesta). So don’t worry about the future–it will take care of itself, as long as we face the present with our integrity intact, and our highest ideals in mind.

Mars Conjoined Pluto: Erasing Anger

13 Tuesday Feb 2024

Posted by in current events in the sky, Finger of God, Mars-Pluto Conjunction

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The aspect can be a sort of personal sunrise, allowing us a chance to cleanse and renew ourselves. ‘Sunrise on the Matterhorn’ By Albert Bierstadt after 1875 {{PD}}

That’s one possibility, of course, if we can embrace the need to cleanse the intellectual beliefs, if we can accept innovation, spontaneity, revolution, and not look back. The meeting of Mars and Pluto in Aquarius bodes well for accepting refurbishment of the Higher Mind, at least in terms of how we interpret our place within the group, within the world. The sudden impulse to eradicate the ego can overwhelm and create a new way of understanding that allows us to rise, phoenix-like, from the ashes of the old Self. We can wipe out anger, while still retaining what anger offers us: a way of knowing what matters. We can remake the way we take action, and the way we make choices, as well. It’s all in the ability to accept the new, and to allow the old ways to fall away, specifically in the life areas of the House where this conjunction takes place in the natal chart.

This pairing can also manifest a furnace of temper, a rage and the ability to act on it that can destroy worlds–or we can react to what seems like attempts at obliteration that come from without, the ego struggling to understand the why of it, and what to do to save the Self. In this instance it might do to ask oneself, ‘Should I be trying to save (or resurrect) the ego, should I insist on the old ways of doing, the old power structure?’ The answer is an unqualified, No. Fear, or fear of nothing known existing on the other side of the ego purge, is certainly understandable–but this is also an aspect of resilient power, the exercise of which puts the individual into a crucible–and out comes a Being stripped of b*llsh*t. I don’t know about you, but I’d step into that crucible every day if I thought it would burn away the unnecessary and leave only the core of who I am. How much easier, I’m imagining, it would be to be, to choose, to act, without the detritus that distracts, the irrelevancies that demand our attention and burn our precious hours here on Earth.

Mars and Pluto will meet again a number of times before Pluto quits the sign, so we’ll face this influence repeatedly over time, and likely handle it better with each meeting. If we don’t, the Universe will confront us with it’s own version of a forced retrofit, one that speaks in harsh language and makes no excuses. If we’re addressing the energies with the equivalent of someone rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, we will, one way or another, go down with the ship. Consider yourself advised.

The Sabian symbol for this conjunction is, ‘An Old Adobe Mission In California’. To me this is an image of a system of oppression, the imposition of the Will and beliefs of one group upon another, the attempt to eradicate a civilization and way of life out of the assumption that the one imposed is ‘better’. This combines both the potential to re-make systems and deal more honestly with our own Will, and the need to let go of that which is now outdated or inappropriate. It reiterates the Mars-Pluto conundrum that asks us to choose: what do we keep? What must we eliminate? And what about ourselves, our individual Will and ego, must be stripped away, so that we can meet our own Power?

One thing that caught my eye: a Finger of God with base of North Node-Chiron in Aries and Mercury in Aquarius, apex the Black Moon Lilith point in Virgo. This suggests that obsessive mulling of any hurt we anticipate suffering in the future, especially that resulting from our own actions and choices, will require we face what we’ve been ignoring, denying, or that which has enraged us, with a discerning eye–that is, we must take those recurring thoughts (and they are definitely thoughts about potential fears), face what we may not be acknowledging about the situation, and then look at it all with a critical, dispassionate mind, in order to get some distance, to see ways in which we can think about this without succumbing to worry, without wasting time afraid of the what ifs of our world. The point here may be that our own minds can steal our happiness, if we indulge in unproductive mental exercises. It’s just another thing Mars-Pluto can help us eliminate.

Have a wonderful week!