William Blake – ‘The Day of Judgment’ 1805 {{PD}}

Really? You’re here for something more, after we just went under the muted rays of a Solar eclipse? I prefer to sit with big events, to let them permeate my viewpoint so I can see their effects–I’m not crazy about rushing on to the next thing, because when we pursue astrological knowledge that way, we end up absorbing very little–in fact, we often end up absorbing only what’s startling, and what agrees with our preconceptions–the first is unhelpful without context, and the second tells us nothing. Inevitably, that attitude creates a demand for info, endless, info, none of which holds a lot of meaning because the individual scrolls and scrolls, looking for–what? How we read our astro info gains great import under these conditions: it usually means that the individual scans pages of info daily, believing they’ll recognize the ‘important’ stuff (or at least the important for them stuff) when they hit it–but that’s not how any of this works. If our native judgment, untrained, is that good at knowing what’s relevant to both present and future, then we wouldn’t seek outside info in the first place–we would have total, unquestioned confidence in ourselves, because, hey, we never would’ve made a choice that with hindsight we judged to be inadequate or, gods forbid, wrong.

So, let’s look at today’s influences with the post-eclipse lens they deserve, and as we always do, selectively, blending influences into a relatively cohesive influence picture. That was a big event, even if you didn’t notice anything right away–it started something, and it may be hard to see that seedling if it hasn’t yet broken the surface. Today’s events will add to the atmosphere in which the eclipse energy unfolds. What’s smart or practical isn’t clear, sullied by our own delusions, the lies we’ve accepted, and what we hope for, rather than what is real, and it might be tough to see what’s destructive, or actually evil, around us (Neptune sesq Pallas, Sun contra-parallel Pluto). Thinking is wounded, and somewhat anti-social in nature (Mercury sesq Chiron and contra-parallel Jupiter). What’s right about our world, at least what’s loving or profitable, will be clear, though (Venus trine Saturn), and we should focus efforts there, on building Love or Wealth into whatever we do–with all else, our perceptions are unreliable.

Hua Ma Cave, inside looking out. Photo By Hadesvn – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67390337

Jupiter stations direct, and it may feel a little bit like waking up (or coming out of a cave?), as Jupiter in Scorpio edges toward a future trine with Neptune, while Venus heads toward catching up and sextiling Jupiter–or maybe it’s more accurate to say it will feel like falling into or out of a dream, the sensation most accurately described as leaving one state for another. The sense is of wonderful things to come, and it’s probably only exaggerated by the approaching eclipse of the 12th. Other than this feeling of a dreamy shift, we see most of our attention go toward gauging our state of power. It’s all because we’re focused on ambitions and desires (Sun square Zeus) and how we’re not getting what we want–so that leads us to seek real-world avenues to enrich our position (Saturn trine Ceres) even as we must contend with those who hold devastatingly real power, the kind we can’t deny or shrug off or pretend we’ll have any time soon (Pluto sesquiquadrate Ceres). In the power sense it’s a wake-up call–but in all other realms, a chance to dream, and dream big. And maybe, with any luck, this bodes well for the boys trapped in the caves in Thailand–maybe the 10th will see them all out at last.

We’re in pre-eclipse Dark of the Moon territory–be ready

‘Nadine with Espresso’ 1998 by Andrew Stevovich, CC BY-SA 3.0

“For I have known them all already, known them all:/ Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons,/ I have measured out my life with coffee spoons;/ I know the voices dying with a dying fall/ Beneath the music from a farther room./ So how should I presume?”–from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot

Over these two days we may find ourselves meting out our Venus, portioning Love, Money, admiration, artistry, regard, reward, deference, consideration, and care, as it may seem the task of Giving is fused with the need to sort the genuine from the counterfeit; one won’t, can’t, happen without the other. In the Venus realm we must first confront what we’ve been in denial of, what we’ve ignored, and then we must acknowledge what instinct and our sense of ‘knowing but not knowing’ tells us. If we follow it, it’s an effective formula for determining where we should put our energy, and what really matters to us (Pallas sextile Sedna, Venus quincunx Black Moon Lilith and square Sedna).

Two other hints for handling this pair of days: don’t make the mistake of believing that what you see is all there is to the reality of things (Sun contra-parallel Saturn), and notice what people do, not what they say–there may be a concerted effort by some to put up a smoke screen, hoping to make you see their moves as more honorable than they are (Mercury sesquiquadrate Vesta).

See the upcoming eclipses here–and check out my new pages, one on Placidus vs. Whole Sign, and one on the Lilith Archetype. Thank you! Here’s hoping your weekend and mine get off to a great start!