If you didn’t like the last post, you’re really not going to like this one, as I ask, When will all the Self-congratulation end? Don’t get me wrong; I’m all for enjoying our triumphs and accomplishments, and there are plenty of people who have trouble recognizing when they have accomplished, when they have created, who fail to see that they have made a difference, and they need to celebrate and be celebrated. No, what I’m talking about is the perpetual Self-talk that honors a desired image, rather than a genuine status achieved.

This is most difficult to sort out when the lauded state is ostensibly framed as a spiritual one; that kind of boast is a ‘humble brag’ with a dual purpose: convince others of our own spiritual purity and elevation, and convince ourselves. I’m speaking of things like confusing spiritual routine and practice (daily meditation, particular kinds of yoga, pilgrimages, sessions with a life coach, spiritual advisor, and yes, astrologer, to name just a few possibilities) with spiritual revelation or enlightenment. One is meant to bring about the other, yes, but it doesn’t guarantee it. Spiritual practice is like eating–it’s meant to sate a temporary hunger, it’s not intended to fill you up for a lifetime. That is, revelation or enlightenments, big or small, can come at any time, in pursuit of or avoidance of any thing–intoning ‘om’ doesn’t prove you’ve earned (and so can claim) a state of enlightenment, any more than eating one proves you’ve earned a hamburger–the two concepts aren’t necessarily causal, aren’t even necessarily connected.

At this point you might be asking, where’s the astrology in all this? Well, we have a duo of aspects for the 4th that, when combined, may exert this kind of pull on the ego, the kind that drives us to let others know just how enlightened (or powerful, or knowing) we are: Mars novile Sedna, and the Sun novile Pluto. The novile is an aspect of brilliance, a flash of momentary genius sparked by the contact of the two bodies. Like two bits of flint, nothing special occurs when they’re on their own, but dash them against the right ‘steel’, and you can start a fire.

In this case, the applying body acts as the crucible to hold the spark–and that means there’s a good chance that the ego, the Will, the role we want to play (with the Sun suggesting idealization at a Soul level), won’t allow the spark to ignite at a deeper level; chances are about even that we’ll see the inner knowing, ‘what we know but don’t (consciously) know’, the instinct or, less frequently, the information that lies in our ‘blind spot’ (Sedna), inform a desire for Power (Pluto), in whatever form that appeals to us–and the siren song of spiritual power can be irresistible, for some.

So, be aware of this potential in yourself, and aware of the potentiality in the world around you. The other influences perfecting right now may make us particularly vulnerable to ego exertions or the need to patch over our vulnerability. The South Node sesquiquadrates Black Moon Lilith, while Mercury quincunxes that calculated spot and squares Ceres–all speak of discomfort with matters we’d rather not deal with, especially a sense of being a victim of the past, or of those who held (or still hold) power over us.

But, there are mitigating influences to be found in Mercury’s parallel to Saturn and trine to Chiron. If we can focus our mind on what’s healed and needs healing (and so how to achieve that healing), and ground this in real-world steps, plans, and decisions that aid these, we don’t have to confront the less savory aspects head-on; we can instead focus on our own and others’ genuine well-being, which isn’t as flashy as a turn around the dance floor with the ego, but is a lot more useful and dare I say, ultimately both honest and soothing.

By the 5th we open the gates to the imagination and to creative energy via relationships and/ or spurred by financial questions, and for some, through a recognized need to live values (Venus trine Neptune). We can find an ideal Love, an ideal Expression, or an ideal financial situation–at least, that’s what it looks like right now–and there’s the potential to gain from taking a spiritual approach to those things we value; that is, vetting material or relationship choices through the lens of what we see as ‘the perfect attitude’.

This may not be immediately easily acted on, though (Venus qnx Mars, Sun semi-square Jupiter and Pallas, Mercury semi-square Zeus), and that’s a good thing, keeping us from over-committing or from an unwise investment. What we can do most effectively, and what we have scads of, is optimism, and possibly a myriad of opportunities to choose from and plan for (Mercury parallel Jupiter). Make efforts theoretical, at this point–‘best laid plans’ are best laid right now.

On the 6th we can draw a gem from the past that offers us a power boost in the present (Pallas nov SN, Sun parallel Pluto). This is available to us if we’re willing to do two things: be flexible in our uniqueness of expression (that is, can we accept an edit?) or our insistence on either being ‘in’ or ‘out’ with ‘the Group’, and willing to question our own values. Remember, it should never be threatening to simply examine what our highest standards really imply–if it is, then those values definitely need examination, as does whatever we’re ‘defending’ by avoiding examination (Mercury qnx Uranus and semi-sq Pluto, Sun sq Vesta).

By the 7th we’re not only feeling strong enough to take those edits suggested yesterday, we can face our own demons and with grace modify our relationships and asset usage to reflect our deepest values. Bonus: this offers healing to what had been a difficult situation (Ceres sextile Black Moon Lilith, Venus qnx NN and sesq Chiron).