Category Archives: Finger of God

A Question of History: Was England’s Richard III a Victim of Ceres?

05 Monday Mar 2018

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, Asteroids, astrology, Astrology and Health, Astrology and History, Ceres, Finger of God, Transit Effects Explored

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This is another ECLIPSE re-print, this one with updating and a significant amount of historical and astrological information added.

Periodically I like to inspect historical personages and events taking an astrological perspective, so when I ran across an article (no longer available, but see a similar one here) on England’s Richard III and a potential allergy, I had to check it out. Considering the way Ceres has shown herself to be a prominent factor in instances of allergy, sensitivity, and in autoimmune diseases of all kinds, I wanted to see if Richard’s famous change of demeanor after excusing himself for a strawberry feast  during a council meeting of 13 June 1483 was possibly related to just such a reaction. If so, it may have had history-altering consequences, as Richard’s fear that he may have been poisoned or the victim of witchcraft (there is even a suggestion that ingesting a massive number of strawberries may have caused the withering effect to one arm that we heretofore had believed through eyewitness description was a birth defect) led him to lash out against those who might take the crown—including his nephews, better known as ‘The Princes in the Tower’, Edward V of England, for whom Richard was acting as Protector, and his younger brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York. (At the time the Tower of London was not yet used exclusively as a prison; the boys were lodged there, under guard and for their protection, so the story goes). After the strawberry incident, Richard announced he was taking the crown for himself and the boys ‘disappeared’; his suspicion of even his closest allies planted the seeds for his difficult reign and the horrible reputation that follows him to this day.

Richard III is believed to have been born 2 October 1452 Julian Calendar 9:02 AM LMT (time is certain) Northhamptonshire England. Times of 9 AM and 7 AM have also been put forward, but the time of 9:02 was deduced by astrologer Martin Harvey in the British Astrological Journal Spring 1967, “Time deduced from a 1452 account in Latin, October 2, 1452 OS, 9:15 AM LAT ” as per Astrodatabank.

Could these have been the culprit? ‘Wild Strawberries on a Ledge’ 1703 By Adriaen Coorte {{PD}}

Right away we notice the Scorpio Ascendant sextile Juno (which body I’ve conjectured before may in a man signal a sense of Self-completion, as in not feeling the need for complementary energies, which means the psyche has no room for another–he’s a partner to himself—it’s a placement, then, of total Self-empowerment that claims the right to do as he pleases—because no one, and so no other viewpoint, figures in). The apex to the Finger created is the Earth-retro Mars conjunction in Aries—certainly easy to associate this vanity/ ego uncertainty/ identity as a man as it manifested through the personality resulting in the death Richard suffered, as a Warrior at the Battle of Bosworth Field, with blows to the head (Aries) so hard that his crown was driven into his skull (and we know this as his remains, verified by mitochondrial testing of two of his sister’s descendants compared to the DNA found, identified the skeleton discovered under a UK parking lot in 2012 as definitively his). This also, of course, catches the Sun at the sextile midpoint, implying the Soul itself might have felt ‘caught’ by the dynamics of the Finger.

The Ascendant is also square Black Moon Lilith and Sedna, and with a sextile to Mars-Earth BML-Sedna forms the base to another Finger of God with apex Juno. The Will, the ego, and the way they are so closely related to the material environment gets played out through the empowerment situation and the sense of personal completeness–and yet much of what drives the ego and material situation is hidden, ignored, denied, or enraging and then buried, in the instincts or in the ‘blind spot’–a terrible connection for a leader to have.

But was he susceptible to Mother Nature? Wow, was he ever! Ceres sits at 29 Libra 11, under stress and hidden just at the end of the 12th and a hair above the start of the 1st House (Whole Sign); it’s the T-arm of a wide Vesta-Uranus opposition, suggesting that stress from Nature shows up in erratic and sudden behaviors that are contrary to the highest values, and yet those rebellious or erratic choices may be justified in Richard’s own mind as sacred (the Vesta effect–see my book for much greater detail). Ceres is the body of latest degree; it implies that all matters end in some sort of ‘reaction’, in relation to his sense of authority, his boundaries, his negotiating power, or his interaction with Nature.

Ceres is quincunx the natal Taurus Moon in the 7th; the Moon is another indicator of sensitivity, in Taurus implying a sensitivity to the environment and particularly to food and atmosphere (and of course the meeting where the impressive change to his demeanor occurred was in mid-June, a high point for strawberries and every other blooming thing!) Placement of the Moon in the 7th suggests that Richard may have had a very reactive personality, emotionally and intuitively hypersensitive to others, and this is reiterated by the Moon’s opposition to Venus–relationships–in the 1st.

The Moon is part of yet another Finger, this one with base of Moon-Uranus, apex the North Node, and one apex Moon, base of Ceres-North Node, which latter also catches Venus in Scorpio in the 1st at its midpoint, with this little detail opening a whole other avenue for health affects–kidneys, blood sugar, venereal diseases–that could’ve weakened the constitution quietly, without anyone necessarily being aware of it.

Richard’s Ceres is also conjunct a 00 Scorpio Mercury (lungs, nerves, highly sensitive to what’s communicated, and at 00 he’s just learning to deal with this in a Scorpionic fashion–that is, one that may retaliate lethally). The asteroid also trines Jupiter, ruler of the 2nd (the Ceres nature affects his relationship with the social sphere, his knowledge—indicating potential for the mind and reasoning to be affected by any reaction—and his grasp of the ‘Big Picture’, and suggesting the potential for exaggerated effects from Ceres instruments), and is widely conjunct Saturn, again emphasizing the impact of Ceres and health on the reality picture, and in stoking fear, another Saturnian element.

As previously noted, we see his Mars in Aries conjoined Earth, both in the 6th of health, yet again showing the importance of the environment and his own choices and actions on the health picture. This is not to mention the Grand Trine of Ceres, Jupiter, and the South Node, which does suggest that knowledge from the past, lessons learned, would guide ‘reaching out’ efforts and attempts to widen his authority and influence—and this is something that probably initially went very right for him, getting him to the position he enjoyed in June of 1483.

A look at the transits on the day of Richard’s strawberry feast include the Sun fresh in sensitive Cancer trine his Ceres-Mercury, and Saturn at 00 Scorpio conjoined his Mercury, highlighting nervous sensitivity to the material world; transiting Zeus is exact conjunct his Pluto (destructive desires!), transiting Ceres trines his Saturn (again, the influence of Nature made manifest), and there were not one but three transiting bodies at 29 degrees during the day, if we include the Virgo Moon (so perfect for an allergic reaction, conjoined transiting Jupiter, opening up potential for both massive consumption of the allergen, and a massive reaction to it), as well as Pallas in Cancer (implying that what was sought as nurturing or soothing was questionable), all impacting natal Ceres and natal Moon, expanding the potential for sensitivity and reaction, and this in turn having an impact on the common sense and wisdom of the individual—and with Jupiter in the mix, we might consider the reaction could’ve been a fatal one.

There is one other thing: a natal aspect of the 24th Harmonic of 105 degrees (popularly termed the Squine, as it’s halfway between a square and a trine!) between Richard’s Zeus and his Ceres and Mercury. Though some feel there’s no reliable interpretation to be applied to this aspect, I believe that’s generally so because enough astrologers haven’t observed it in action for a long enough time to find consistent characteristics. We must keep in mind, too, that Ceres is not just about one’s interaction with Nature; it’s also about one’s sense of authority and interaction with those who hold authority, concerns boundaries and the propensity to overstep them, and applies to one’s negotiative abilities.

And we should add that natal Chiron in Cancer is also in the picture, trine Merc-Ceres and suggesting a primal wound possibly both figurative (to the thinking and communications) and literal (through allergies and sensitivities) that may involve an emotional reaction (Cancer). On the day of the incident, transiting Chiron was square natal Chiron (a moment of reckoning concerning wounds) and created a T-square by opposing natal Neptune, the ultimate obscurer of facts and sources, and the kind of response that can occur with the mental state (t Chiron quincunx n Mercury) in an allergic reaction: one can become ‘foggy’, losing orientation and even time, feeling physically irritated and uncomfortable–short of actual respiratory distress or anaphylactic shock, thinking unclearly, and perhaps prompting the imagination to set off on its own.

If Richard’s Ceres was ‘triggered’ by strawberry consumption, and this affected the thinking (Mercury), then too it could’ve affected the ambitions and desires (Zeus)—and as we know, when the ambitions are touched by fear such as may have occurred with a biological reaction interpreted as poisoning or an occult attack, then it wouldn’t be surprising for the ‘victim’ to have grabbed as much power and control for himself as possible, leading to the ominous and still unanswered disappearance of two little boys, and changing the course of a kingdom “

As to the Princes in the Tower, though we still can’t be sure what was the fate of the two princes, the story is that the bones of two children were discovered in the Tower in 1674; these were re-buried in Westminster Abbey. Some examinations have been done, but with questionable results according to modern forensic scientists, and the Church of England and its head, the Queen, continue to refuse to allow exhumation of the remains. And so the mystery continues.

Inner ring is Richard’s birth data; outer ring is the day of the strawberry incident, set at noon.

Lunar Eclipse 31 January 2018 Emotional Intelligence

29 Monday Jan 2018

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse, Finger of God, forecast, Full Moon, Horoscope, Lunar Eclipse, Sabian Symbols

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‘Moon Over Dresden’ By Johan Christian Claussen Dahl 1826 {{PD}}

The Lunar eclipse of 31 January 2018 occurs at 5:27 AM Pacific time at 11 Leo 37, just two minutes past exact conjunction to asteroid Ceres, and acting as apex to a loose Finger of God with base of Black Moon Lilith (which is a point, of course, not a body) and Neptune; the Full Moon is also sesquiquadrate Chiron, but everything else is outside the orb for a Lunar event, even when that event is an eclipse.

Falling in Leo, the Full Moon suggests a completion, ending, or the consummation of something related either to the House matters in the individual chart where the eclipse occurs, or to the identity, the lion’s roar that makes a statement about who we are, and particularly about where our heart lies (Leo rules the heart). We are, then, at the time of a Full Moon, full of feeling, and this time that’s about ourselves, and how we fit into the emotional landscape.

An eclipse is an extreme; this one is apex to a Finger, which points to a blending of the creative, imaginative, spiritual, or delusional with those matters too long ignored, denied, or that have enraged us, with the result being the Lunar event, the Lunar extremity, the culmination or revelation with who we are at the center of it all. Facing what we’ve avoided in a creative way, or with a spiritual viewpoint, shows us who we are, especially emotionally; we could say that this Lunar eclipse reveals the state of our emotional intelligence, setting the stage for our responses through the coming six months, to the next Lunar eclipse.

The Lunar event happens conjoined Ceres, suggesting that the event itself is an experience of our own strength, the extents of our authority, or involves the overseeing of others or the negotiation of a particular situation. Ceres also implies the potential for the eclipse to bring a health related event, such as an allergic reaction; we see Ceres prominence right now with the virulence of the flu in the US. Ceres always speaks of power and Nature, and the relationship for the individual between the two; in this instance, the Lunar event carries this message within the Leonine expression that arises from Black Moon Lilith (the ignored, avoided, denied, or enraging) and Neptune (inspiration, the spiritual, the creative, the confusing, the deceptive).

Nature might make a statement at the Lunar eclipse, something concerning those things we’ve ignored or denied (climate change, anyone?) and what we’ve created of a Neptunian nature (to include pathogens fostered in a lab or inadvertently in an ever-warming environment). This may signal the rise of the seas, even though it will play out over time—or it may say that we might finally connect emotionally (the Moon) with Mother Earth in a meaningful way, one that moves us to save Her, emotional intelligence of another kind altogether.

Add to this a difficult aspect to Chiron, symbol of our primal wound, and of those gifts we possess that can offer healing to others (and since 2012, to ourselves, as well). The tension of the Finger, shown by the quincunxes, is channeled into the Lunar response, which itself is in conflict with something of a Chirotic nature: our wounds, someone else’s wound, or the deep need to share a healing skill, which may not be acceptable to others (this latter reflects that dynamic where someone has an issue, says they desire healing, but will not let go of their wound—often it’s too much a part of the identity, and in this case, the feeling nature may gain its sense of shape, depth, and even personal relevance—Leo–from this wound). Or, the exercise of creatively dealing with what we’ve avoided may unavoidably cause wounding or pain, to ourselves or others. In some way the wound impacts the Lunar expression, which is one of power or its lack, or of the relationship to Nature. It’s nothing short of what weaves us into the world, the Cosmos, ourselves as much a part of Nature as what we observe outside us.

Oda Krohg – ‘A Japanese Lantern’ 1885 {{PD}}

The Sabian Symbol for the Lunar eclipse is, ‘An Evening Party Of Adults On A Lawn Illumined By Fancy Lanterns’. This is a symbol of a kind of luxury, the freshness of a summer lawn, lanterns in the darkness, the company of other mature individuals, the sense of earned respite and relaxation. The scene carries a quality that may transport an adult back to childhood, or foster romantic sensibilities; in any case, the implication is that life is going well enough that the struggle can be set aside, at least temporarily, that Nature can be appreciated in a state (darkness) that we usually avoid—so in that way, suggests harmony with the environment, and a sense of security that allows us to move outside normal parameters. In the context of the Lunar eclipse, this might imply that whatever comes forward here makes a kind of statement about the individual (Leo) and their place within the natural order (Ceres), and that this is dictated by that interplay of Black Moon Lilith and Neptune, potentially drawing the Lunar result from the individual temperament (BML) and the spiritual orientation (Neptune).

With a Full Moon we also look at the Sun’s Sabian: ‘On A Vast Staircase Stand People Of Different Types, Graduated Upward’. As the body that generates the light that creates the Lunar phases in the first place, the Sun symbol offers hints as to the origins of the Lunar event. Here we see a kind of representation of humanity, with the implication that we are evolving ever upward (no matter how it looks down here on earth!) The staircase, of course, invokes the hackneyed metaphor of life as a climb, each step a movement upward, to a more advanced position—but that isn’t how life works—every step doesn’t take us up, it may not even take us forward—so this symbol may at bottom question suggest we set aside our assumption that we are ever evolving upward. We are ever evolving, true, but the path isn’t a straight one, so we should dump the metaphor in favor of just accepting the ride, rather than trying to measure how high we stand on the staircase.

And what about all that hyperventilating about the rarity of this Full Moon?

Just a Little AstroEssence 12 December 2017 All In

11 Monday Dec 2017

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Finger of God, forecast, Inferior Conjunction, The Daily Word Image

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John Singer Sargent ‘Fishing for Oysters at Cancale’ 1877 {{PD}}

The Inferior Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury occurs today, the 12th, in Sagittarius. This is a point of inception within the Mercury-Sun cycle, the time when moving in apparent retrograde the Messenger/ Trickster meets ‘the light of day’ in one form or another. The Sun illuminates our world, so that when the planet of communication appears to meet it from our vantage point here on Earth, we get a glimpse of what’s been hidden during the Merc retro period; we also see this realization, knowledge, or revelation spark the beginning of something related either to matters of the House where this meeting occurs in the natal chart, or to matters of the Houses Mercury rules in the natal chart (with the possibility that the House ruled by the Sun is also involved).

‘Les Demoiselles Schwartz’ Anders Zorn {{PD}}

Close aspects the Conjunction makes at the time of the event reveal something of what begins and/ or is discovered. In this instance there is only one, a nearly exact sextile formed by the Moon in Libra. This suggests the revelation or beginning is emotional, possibly arrived at intuitively, and involving a partner, someone you love, someone with whom you cooperate or negotiate, the Arts (your relationship to creativity), and the working out through communication of the emotional element or relationship between you. If you have a natal placement at 21 Taurus (2 degree orb either side of this point) it becomes a personal Finger of God, with the emotional discovery planting a seed within the relationship that will bring results related to the natal energy or matters of the House it rules with the Superior Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury when Merc is direct (occurring on 17 February 2018, in the 29th degree of Aquarius, telling us at the very least that it may bring crisis, a ‘do or die’ choice, or bring stress already extant to a head).

The other aspect perfecting today is a conjunction of Vesta and Jupiter in Scorpio. Truths revealed, secrets uncovered, or commitments vetted and then made known publicly show us how far our real-life priorities stray from our highest ideals or from what ‘the facts’ warrant–and it’s an examination likely spurred by the social sphere and its events. Commitments are assessed; are we all in? We may find ourselves doubling down, just to make a point. Or, we may take a distanced approach, in which case we criticize society, weighing events against what we ‘know’ and our own personal standards–but taking this tack doesn’t allow for personal revelation, if we only see the need for improvement ‘out there’, rather than seeing that what happens internally is vital to shaping what we see manifest externally.

Today’s word image is a child crying alone in the corner. Is there someone sad in your life, someone you don’t recognize may be isolating themselves because of that sadness? No one should feel this lonely; do something about it.

Thank you, and have a great day!

Full Moon in Aries 5 October 2017 Judged

02 Monday Oct 2017

Posted by in astrology, Finger of God, forecast, Full Moon, Horoscope, Sun/Mercury Superior Conjunction

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By Craig Deakin from Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom – #bluemoon #moon #nature #landscape #evening #sunset #summer #sky #eavig #photooftheday #iphoneography #iphonesia #picoftheday #instadaily #bestoftheday #jj #nofilter #instagood #igaddict #popular #ignation #statigram #webstagram #all_shots #followme #follUploaded by ComputerHotline, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21015674

The Full Moon in Aries occurs at 11:39 AM Pacific time of the 5th at 12 Aries 43, and falls at the midpoint of Neptune-Pallas, and opposed Mercury (which, along with the Sun, is apex to a Finger with base consisting of Neptune-Pallas). The fact that the Full Moon falls in a sign known for its singular viewpoint suggests we’ll have an especially ‘alone’ feeling with this event, even more so because of the build-up in Libra, as if others are ‘facing’ us and considering (even judging) our choices, actions, and ‘fitness to lead’, even if that applies only to leading our own lives. Our thoughts will be the result of combining our spiritual ideals and our inner wisdom, practicality, and skills, and this means that we can learn the most from stepping back and observing our own minds, seeing how well (or poorly) we are able to make our ideals an active part of our lives–and this all occurs in the context of a culmination of emotional and intuitive energy that is Self-oriented, as it faces feedback from ‘the Other’, the audience, even from those who specifically dislike us (the build-up in Libra, which includes the source of all energy, the Sun). The natural outcome of this may be that we are experiencing inner revelations even as we are dealing with less-than-pleasant externals–and all of it meant to show us what within us and within our lives that is Aries-natured is at an end, or has gone as far as it can go.

Not in aspect to the Full Moon, but significant, together with only three minutes variation at the time of Lunar culmination, Venus and Mars sit at 19 Virgo, watching and evaluating it all. In my mind they represent a secondary faction relative to the FM event: they are those not engulfed in FM action, but off to the side, critiquing and commenting. They are an audience, a very Libran thing–and so drawing attention to the line-up there, which includes, between 8 and 28 degrees Libra, Vesta, Mercury (current ruler of Venus and Mars, with Merc-Venus in mutual reception, and Merc involved in the FM picture), the Sun, Zeus, and Jupiter.

This places a lot of ‘weight’ on our relationships and particularly on the way we function as an individual within them; that is, we’ll see ourselves as both separate from and entangled with others, with emphasis on our aloneness, our choices, and our potential for being ‘the leader’ within the interaction. If you are lonely, this Full Moon may highlight that, and if you feel regarded, judged, observed and assessed by others, this too may be highlighted, with the Full Moon assisting you in drawing conclusions, especially concerning how much you will or will not engage in partnership, acceptance, or intimacy in the future. This Lunar event offers the chance to establish a Self-image harmonious to the emotional reality, and it’s only natural that this involves at least some decisions made in the context of current relationships.

How much change can we expect from this? Little to none, it seems, at least that will show on the surface; the Sabian is, ‘An Unexploded Bomb Reveals An Unsuccessful Social Protest’, suggesting that we may try to ‘blow it all up’ in protest of our social role, responsibilities, or treatment, only to find it doesn’t work! This may be a very good thing, as our actions could reveal the true feelings of others: do they care how we feel? do they respond to our distress? do they agree with what we feel are injustices, or do they just look away, and hope we’ll continue in our role? Or, we could be the recipient of ‘a bomb’ that startles but has little effect on the social landscape. The idea is one of energy that is not successfully deployed–and that this potentially explosive scenario is justified by social conditions–and that may or may not be valid reasoning for attempting to ‘explode’ the current reality picture.

By Basile Morin – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62520604

The Sabian for the Sun may give us the final piece to this puzzle: ‘Children Blowing Soap Bubbles’. So, are we seeing ineffectual expression, in the sense that it is perhaps disguised as someone declaring they are care-free, presented as a cry for freedom or creativity, even an elaborate ‘game’ designed to make us jump or distract us? Or are we alerted to this within ourselves? In any case, the situation presented will not be a situation to take too seriously–although if it’s an attempt on our part to express a sense of injustice or a desire for change in our role, what we need to see is that the approach that might seem smart at the time of the Full Moon may not be effective, and/ or may not be taken seriously by others.

Whether we are lobbing the firecrackers, or they’re being lobbed at us, the reality is that this will be a period of communication centered on needs and power—and this may explain why things are addressed obliquely, perhaps dressed up as something else, or that actions are meant as a cry for attention or to address a state of emotional need and want. We’ll need to listen for the unspoken message, look at the symbolism, observe what’s done and what’s not done, what’s said and what’s never uttered–and then choose who we are, and how we will communicate our needs, from there.

Also of note: we’re on the verge of the Superior Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury (the 8th); that will help thoughts coalesce, make messaging clear, and will show us what, inevitably, will be changing, after all (T-square Sun-Merc opp Earth all square Pluto).

Just a Little AstroEssence 14 August 2017 It’s All About Pluto

13 Sunday Aug 2017

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Finger of God, forecast, Horoscope, The Daily Word Image, Transit Effects Explored

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‘My Dream, My Bad Dream’ 1915 by Fritz Schwimbeck {{PD}}

Today it’s all about Pluto. With less than thirty minutes still to travel in apparent retrograde before direction (28 September), the god of the Underworld squats on our chests like the succubus of legend, making it pretty darn hard to breathe. Other energies, at least somewhat more timid than Pluto, sidle up and form aspects, and the result is an almost constant testing of our relationship to Power, and to the ideas of transformation (do you believe?) and destruction (do you feel the pull toward the cliff?) Most of us aren’t completely at ease with the idea of actually being as powerful as we have the capacity to be; we take refuge in cynicism (“People don’t change”) or in Self-sabotage (“See? Nothing ever works out for me!”). If we truly felt our own power, we would believe in the power of transformation, and would have no need for destruction–the clearing out of the outmoded or worn would happen without effort, falling away as we move forward–and change would be, not something that stirs fear or uncertainty. but something that has an almost magical quality, a kind of infinite possibility as our everyday atmosphere.

So, what outlets for power do we have right now, as the dark one sits oh-so-still, making us watchful and uneasy? There’s Venus, moving into opposition, almost begging us to project our negative qualities onto others in relationships, or financial dealings; there’s Mars, moving into quincunx, pugnacious and perhaps looking for a fight over slights, misunderstandings, over a too proud or insistent ‘I Am’; and there’s a square from Zeus, intimating we might fear destruction of our ambitions, dreams, and goals, possibly from our partners (Zeus is in Libra).

Whisperings of Love, 1889 William-Adolphe Bouguereau {{PD}}

Those are all fear scenarios, where we might go if we were unconscious of the Universal flow–but we don’t have to. Instead, we claim our Plutonian power, and we see it united with the contacting energies to make some very positive outcomes. With Venus we may experience the transformations that occur when we apply Love or Money in a completely Self-responsible way, probably in a difficult situation or scenario (the opposition). With Mars we see that true Self-assertion from a position of power requires adjustment, a subtling-down of the ego, so that we move the Universe not through a punch-in-the-nose, but through a quantum vibration that acts in our own best interests–action through inaction, you might say. And with Zeus, we confront the parts of our own power plans, our ambitions and desires, that are calling for others to make it happen for us, or that will disempower us if we attain them–and we take back that initiative, that can-do-ness, for ourselves.

And, through roughly 16 September, we see Jupiter sextile Black Moon Lilith. This makes the bogey man bigger; it exaggerates our anger and our sense of righteousness, too. Beliefs or facts may cooperate with matters ignored or denied to make a potent stew bent on righting (or subjecting others to!) injustice. With Merc retro this could hijack thoughts and make for some over-the-top scenes. Those with natal placements around 20 Taurus need to be especially vigilant, as these transiting elements form a Finger of God with the natal point, prompting expression of this combo in some unfortunate ways related to the natal body or the House(s) it rules. (If you have a natal point 19-21 Taurus and you’d like my brief guess as to what it might bring, leave a comment that includes what body is in this range and what House, if any, it rules.)

By Mutante – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56224749

Today’s word image is a red and gold paper Chinese dragon, the kind you see dancing through the streets at Lunar New Year. Think back to late January–how does what was happening then figure into now?

Just a Little AstroEssence 20 July 2017 Imprint

19 Wednesday Jul 2017

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Finger of God, forecast, Horoscope, Mars, The Daily Word Image

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‘La fille à la cigarette’, Anders Zorn, 1892 {{PD}}

Mars enters Leo, and we may be hard pressed to control ourselves; we’re either reacting out of fear, anger, or a desperate attempt to avoid something, or we’re feeling like victims of the sudden, the accidental, or of group-think. The rough part is that we feel especially competent, poised to exert our Will, show our skills, or dazzle with our desires or our goals–so sitting back while we receive some shocks from the Universe seems almost impossible.

We need to be careful, particularly in relationships and finances, that ‘unhealthy’ attitudes and emotions (specifically, those that have been denied or kept hidden, even from ourselves) don’t leak out and interfere with, even derail, conscious intentions. In fact, to be as honest within our own minds as possible is the only effective way to get a handle on what swirls around us. Wisdom and practicality offer avenues for and means of empowerment–everything else is essentially spinning our wheels.

Today’s word image is a half-smoked cigarette smoldering in an ashtray. This is actually a memory of mine, from when I was five. Someone had left a cigarette burning, perched on the edge of the ashtray, and just within reach of my infant brother’s flailing little fists (can you imagine? Nowadays most people wouldn’t even smoke in the same room as a baby!) My brother beat the air, made contact with the cigarette, flipped it onto the table, where it proceeded very quickly to burn through the varnished top. I ran for the adults, who at first ignored me, then finally responded–only to chastise me for touching the cigarette! Then began a round of recriminations among the adults: why did you leave a lit cigarette where the children could get at it? Why weren’t you watching the baby? Julie was watching the baby. You don’t have a small child watch another small child! And so on. For years after, every time I saw that burn mark on the table, I remembered the conflicting issues of that day: how I’d felt like I’d saved the day but was treated as if I’d caused the problem in the first place, and how each adult had gone to great lengths to make anything or anyone other than themselves responsible for events. The imprint it left on me was to make me feel automatically overly responsible for circumstances in my environment that were beyond my authority and beyond my control. Is there some area in your life where you have taken on a sense of responsibility, culpability, or even mission for which there is no way you should be held accountable? Astrological note: at the time of the event (I just happen to be clear on the day, as it was my brother’s one month birthday), transiting Black Moon Lilith conjoined my Jupiter, which was sextiled by transiting Mars, together making a Finger of God with apex natal Black Moon Lilith, and transiting Mercury was conjoined my natal Neptune, giving us a picture of why I wasn’t listened to or was misunderstood, how I might’ve been an easy target for blame (all that BML), and suggesting that being ignored concerning speaking out, ‘what I have to give’ (Jupiter rules my 11th) enraged me in a way I wasn’t conscious of!

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The Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius, August 2017: A Personal New Age

17 Monday Jul 2017

Posted by in astrology, eclipse, Finger of God, Full Moon, Lunar Aspects, Lunar Eclipse, Sabian Symbols

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By aussiegall from sydney, Australia – Garish, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24661040

The Lunar eclipse occurs on the 7th of August at 11:11 AM Pacific time at 15 Aquarius 25; this places the Full Moon event at the midpoint of Neptune and Pluto, and so deems the Sun apex to a (just slightly) loose Finger of God, which right away suggests that what transpires, and where our attention goes, may not be to the Lunar energies, at least not at first. The Full Moon is in Aquarius, a sign of intellectual acuity, experimentation, originality, the unusual, the freakish, the surprising, the unique, but it may be the Sun’s Leonine energies that set the whole thing off: the essence of the Self finds revelation, or revolution, in some situation that brings together the ideal, the misunderstood, the fantastical, the spiritual, or the elements of a dream (Neptune), with the energy and power of change, transformation, or destruction (Pluto). Will the result be the emergence of some amazing new part of the individual, some characteristic, talent, or goal one has been striving to express? Or will it be less thrilling, the removal of some fantasy about power, or about spiritual change, or about how attaining the dream will transform the individual? What the eclipse reveals as the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon on precisely the same plane, blocking the Sun’s light from reflecting off the Moon, is something culminating, ending, that brings closure to a particular emotional situation that we may only see once the dazzling sunlight is removed. We will literally be observing the Earth’s shadow, symbolically seen as the shadow of our own material existence and its effect on the spirit and the emotions; we will see the result of the individual Will, desire, heart (Leo) as it has shaped the emotional reality (Luna) through the choices made in this physical realm (Earth).

The only other aspects to fall within acceptable orbs are a trine from Zeus and Jupiter, which two are closely conjoined in Libra, and an opposition to Mars, from which the Sun is now separating. This suggests something quite interesting: that whether the eclipse effect is one that takes us closer to our ideals, or one that removes something untrue from the life and perceptions, it will still serve to deliver an expanded, optimistic, and opportunity-filled scenario (it will deliver this if we can recognize it as such, that is), one that addresses the ambitions and desires (for good or ill, for fulfillment or denial), with the likely instrument a partner, friend, or a cooperative or aesthetic venture (Libra); all that occurs with this event will, one way or another, be the product of our own choices, action, or Will, even more directly so than in daily life (Mars opp). That means we will be looking at a direct reflection of our own ‘I Am’, something we can’t see under ‘normal’ light; the Lunar eclipse puts a kind of black light on the ego and what it has done, so that we can observe effects that have been invisible, until now, and it does so through an Aquarian lens: one that ‘bends the light’ toward Higher Thought, toward a new and original facet of the ‘I Am’.

The Sabian symbol for the Lunar eclipse is, ‘A Big Businessman At His Desk’. This speaks of the ego, the ‘I Am’, as it has directed and organized things—which is ironic considering that eclipse Mars is conjoined the Sun, with this suggesting a certain distance (and so an ability to get some perspective) on the ego and our actions and choices. We also see echoes of the social structure, of convention and economic development and cooperation—but what comes through strongest is the solitary nature of such a position. This Full Moon may make it exceptionally clear in what areas we are psychically (and perhaps even materially/ physically) alone—and awareness of our singular status could be accompanied by our undeniable fitness to manage our circumstances, situation, or approach on our own.

We also look at the symbol for the Sun, as it produces the light that enables Earth to cast the shadow in the first place: ‘The Storm Ended, All Nature Rejoices In Brilliant Sunshine’. Ah! This promises that the eclipse brings an end to ‘the storm’, or that if the event creates a storm or brings one to a head, it will quickly ‘clear up’. The Lunar eclipse promises to reveal the reasons for the storm or upset via a ‘clear’ outlook and the perspective offered by distance through time, useful even when that distance is the immediate past.

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The Lunar Eclipse February 2017 Daring To Be Ourselves

07 Tuesday Feb 2017

Posted by in Configurations, Finger of God, Full Moon, Kite, Lunar Aspects, Lunar Eclipse, Sabian Symbols

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'The Circus' George Bellows 1912 {{PD}}

‘The Circus’ George Bellows 1912 {{PD}}

Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon) 10 February 2017 4:32 PM PST at 22 Leo 28

This eclipse occurs concurrent with and involved in several configurations: a Finger of God with base of Lunar eclipse-Jupiter, apex Chiron; a Kite involving the eclipse axis and Saturn-Hygeia and Uranus; and a Fire Grand Trine of Luna-Earth, Uranus, and Saturn-Hygeia; a Finger with base of Sun and Saturn-Hygeia, apex Vesta, with this latter body only 5 minutes off exact semi-sextile to the Lunar eclipse; a loose Fixed Grand Cross with the Sun-Earth-Lunar axis squaring an opposition of Sedna and a 29 degree Black Moon Lilith —and unrelated to the eclipse, a Finger with base of Sedna-Chiron, apex Jupiter, and a loose Cardinal Grand Cross with Vesta, Uranus, Pluto, and Zeus-Jupiter.

But if we keep a reasonable orb of roughly 3 degrees + or –, we don’t have any aspects to the eclipse that aren’t wrapped up in a config, though it’s arguable that Venus and Mars, roughly 5 degrees apart in Aries, both form sesquiquadrates to the eclipse outside of any configuration—they’re the exception. These contacts suggest issues may masquerade as male-female, animus-anima, or complementary opposites in conflict, or requiring adjustment—when the real issues lie in the energy patterns of the configurations—the Mars-Venus energy may just represent the delivery system, a clash between disparate elements that demands adjustment.

lunar-eclipse-february-2017

Eclipse inclusion in multiple patterns implies a highly dynamic set of circumstances that may appear to be independent of one another, but that are almost certainly linked through the Lunar energy (the exceptions being the Finger apex Jupiter and the Cardinal Grand Cross)—and that Lunar link grounds these dynamics in time—that is, it allows the eclipse itself to represent a locus where all these energies converge. Will each individual experience all the dynamic energy patterns of the eclipse? No, but each will experience some of them, largely depending on how (and how intensely) the eclipse fits in to the personal natal chart picture.

The event occurs in Leo, suggesting our attention is on ourselves, our role, our effectiveness, how well we ‘shine’, on issues of generosity and purpose, on identity and focus, and on the concept of ‘heart’ defined as the enthusiasm and commitment with which we meet a subject, and we add to this matters represented by the natal House in which the eclipse occurs. We definitely get feedback in these areas, but it will spread out in many different situations or life areas, so that events may appear distinctly unrelated. This is part of why the eclipse energy will be so confusing: the mix of internal and external information coming at us will be both interdependent (the many contacts) and carry a scent of revelation (Sedna, Uranus), Self-discovery (Leo), and crisis (Black Moon Lilith at 29 degrees, Saturn-Hygeia, Chiron), so that we may easily be distracted by any number of issues, our attention drawn in any number of directions.

Let’s start with the Finger of God with base of Lunar eclipse-Jupiter, apex Chiron; this implies that feelings about, or intuitions centered on, the actual material situation as it applies to ‘the facts’, education, anything ‘foreign’, anything at a distance, or to our social position or the general milieu that surrounds us, creates hurt or demands utilization of our most unique skills. We can answer the intuitive knowing, the emotional reaction, and the social ‘stress’ with either a hurt reaction or one that mobilizes our talents—our choice.

Carl Spitzweg c1885 {{PD}}

Carl Spitzweg c1885 {{PD}}

Next we have the Kite involving the eclipse axis and Saturn-Hygeia and Uranus. We may see sudden events or revelations concerning or affecting the ‘health’ of real-world matters or material situations, possibly through rules or restrictions imposed by ‘the group’—or, we see sudden, easy suppression of the health (or what was an otherwise healthy situation), with the result showing at the Lunar eclipse, and revealing something important about identity or purpose (Sun in opposition). This could suggest sudden shifts in what’s considered ‘healthy’, the normalizing of the abnormal, the pressures of revolution on tradition, the past, and current authorities, the prospect of revolution, and all of it under inspection for whether these are healthy options, in the largest sense, or not. This can be a messy scenario that either makes the eclipse event have emotional impact, or creates the emotional impact from which the eclipse events arise.

The Fire Grand Trine of Luna-Earth, Uranus, and Saturn-Hygeia carries much the same message as the Kite, but offers the option of creating balance (the Trine) through action/ ‘doing’  (Fire). Considering the eclipse occurs in Leo, a Fire sign, it’s likely that taking action will be our natural response—how comfortable we are with that, though, can only be determined by how and in what House the eclipse hooks into the natal chart.

The other eclipse-involved Finger consists of a base of Sun and Saturn-Hygeia, apex Vesta, with this latter body only 5 minutes off exact semi-sextile to the Lunar eclipse; here the Finger dynamic may masquerade as either an offshoot of or a distraction from the eclipse itself. Issues of identity, purpose, and Self-expression are tested via the reality picture, forcing you to ask the question, ‘How well am I actualizing myself and my potentials?’—and the answer is found in your commitments, your highest values and your ability to live them, and in those matters and individuals to which you dedicate your life energy. Those are big subjects, writ on a big canvas, and so we may feel we are unable to answer adequately or meaningfully, at least in terms of being able to translate big causes and trends to the spiritual and concrete energy dedications of the individual life. This is one question that needs to be answered, and answered specifically at this time—don’t brush it off.

There is a Fixed Grand Cross with the Sun-Earth-Lunar axis squaring an opposition between Sedna and a 29 degree Black Moon Lilith, suggesting a crisis with matters too long ignored, denied, or unjust, prompted by our own denial of our instincts or weaknesses, and triggered by the eclipse event. This has ‘dilemma’ written all over it—and as a Fixed matter, may seem intractable. One thing to keep in mind is that, despite all the influences at work (and sometimes at cross-purposes) the essence of things is still a Full Moon, an ending that may have the nature of a wipe-out in the House where the eclipse falls—and that means that no matter what is happening, some circumstances are drawing to a close, even if in the moment they still appear viable.

Overall, what we may need to do, as the impressions and issues layer, one upon another, is focus our choices and actions through those positive expressions available to us, thereby minimizing the distractions and possible destruction inherent in concentrating our energy and attention on the negative situations and circumstances presented. We see outlets in assessing our effective actualization, in the choice to approach things from a healed rather than a hurt perspective (and so emphasize health in all our choices), and most especially in the promised potential of creating balance by taking action. It seems confidence in our ability to handle what comes along, a positive focus on what’s healthy, a willingness to deal with real-world realities and the facts, a determination to make the most of who we are as individuals, are all key to meeting and accepting these energies, using them to their utmost, rather than being overwhelmed by them.

The Finger and Cardinal Grand Cross that don’t directly figure in to the eclipse offer their own possibly distracting (or aiding) input, which we may easily mistake for eclipse energy. The Finger of Sedna-Chiron, apex Jupiter, implies the potential for taking our injured instincts public, or trying to base ‘facts’ on our own wounds (shades of ‘alternative facts!’); a better use would be application of instincts and skills (especially those honed through hurt and experience) to expansion of our knowledge and our world. The Cross consists of Vesta, Uranus, Pluto, and Zeus-Jupiter, and seems most likely to act as support for the idea of creating balance through action (Cardinal energy), particularly action that is original, fearless, based on highest values, and takes an optimistic view of our goals.

The Sabian for the Lunar eclipse is, ‘In A Circus The Bareback Rider Displays Her Dangerous Skill’. This smacks of the courage (a very Leo thing!), daring, and confidence that the eclipse will call forth if we respond with our ‘best Self’. The situations presented may be dicey, uncomfortable, out of our element, or downright dangerous, but in any case will be handled best with a combination of bravery and skill.

Niko Pirosmani 'Black Bear' {{PD||

Niko Pirosmani ‘Black Bear’ {{PD||

We also look at the Sun for a Full Moon event: ‘A Big Bear Sitting Down And Waving All Its Paws’. This is an odd position for a bear, simply because the action doesn’t serve any purpose, and in fact may make the animal more vulnerable than it would otherwise be. We may see a lot of emotional ‘paw waving’, lots of motion and drama that leads nowhere and may even distract from what we need to see. This eclipse is definitely a kind of test: of nerve, of concentration, on seriousness of purpose, and of the skills, abilities, and learning we have so far accumulated—but remember, the test isn’t coming from the outside, observed and measured by some authority; its sole purpose is so that we can see our own abilities, measure our own skills, and sharpen our own focus and clarity of intent.

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Very clear explanations of the eclipse phenomenon

23 December 2016 In the Balance

22 Thursday Dec 2016

Posted by in astrology, Born Today, Configurations, current events in the sky, Finger of God, forecast, Horoscope, The Daily Word Image

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Well I'd be safe--and you? "De Heksenwaag (Witches' scales) at Oudewater, Netherlands. In medieval times, women suspected of witchcraft were weighed on the scale. Should they weigh more than a specified amount, they were deemed unable to fly and therefore not witches. At that time, a certificate from Oudewater saved many women who were at danger of stoning or being burnt at the stake after a rigged trial. Today such certificates are a tourists attraction." Martinvl - Own work CC BY-SA 4.0

Well I’d be safe–and you? “De Heksenwaag (Witches’ scales) at Oudewater, Netherlands. In medieval times, women suspected of witchcraft were weighed on the scale. Should they weigh more than a specified amount, they were deemed unable to fly and therefore not witches. At that time, a certificate from Oudewater saved many women who were at danger of stoning or being burnt at the stake after a rigged trial. Today such certificates are a tourists attraction.” Martinvl – Own work CC BY-SA 4.0

The AstroEssence: Our attention is on health, our own and that of systems and organizations with which we are involved. That balance among the ins and outs, consumption and elimination of what’s not needed, utilization of energy and resources, a re-thinking of restrictions and constraints, is underway. We must face realities; some of those deal with endings, others with exploitation (in a positive way) of our talents and assets, and we look at ‘what is’ with an eye to reform–that’s a very good way to spend the day, sussing out just what needs to change, and how we can achieve a reasonable balance among elements. See the forecast for those born with the Sun at 2 Capricorn, below, for info on the current Finger of God (Hygeia sq the Nodes, Venus trine Zeus, Mercury parallel Saturn, Sun parallel Hygeia)

Library Walk New York City Photo by Lesekreis CC0

Library Walk New York City Photo by Lesekreis CC0

Today’s word image is a pencil. What’s the big advantage of using a pencil? It’s easily erased. Figuratively speaking, don’t write anything in ink at this time–things will change too much in the near future for us to anticipate successfully where we’ll be and what we’ll want later.

For those born with the Sun at 2 Capricorn: There’s a lot of fight and energy in you this year, for good reason: your Solar Return features a Finger of God with base of Sun-Mars and apex of Vesta. This describes the entire year, ‘Big Picture’ style: through the course of the year, through to your next birthday, you will learn and then fine-tune what you must do to honor what’s important to you, including your mate, your home circumstances, and those causes to which you want to dedicate your life, taking all those interactions and commitments to the next level. This is the preliminary step in living your values in an unprecedented (not unpresidented!) way, and so attracting into being your next dream. Good luck, Cappy, and Happy Birthday!

 

20 September 2016 The Fickle Finger of Instinct

19 Monday Sep 2016

Posted by in astrology, Born Today, current events in the sky, Finger of God, forecast, Horoscope, The Daily Word Image

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Frederick Sandys - 'Portrait of May Margaret', 1865-6 {{PD}}

Frederick Sandys – ‘Portrait of May Margaret’, 1865-6 {{PD}}

Those of us with a memory of the late 60s-early 70s will remember ‘Laugh In’, with its award of the Fickle Finger of Fate, given to someone with whom fate, in this sense karma, had recently caught up. Always, the negative outcome was the result of the entity’s own choices–these were Self-created dilemmas, problems, and circumstances of shame, not inflicted by any outside body. Today we, too, encounter the tremendous potentials offered by a Finger, and our results will arise directly from what we’ve built, invested in, or created in our lives–so, not fickle at all.

The base is formed by Mars in Sagittarius and Venus-Hygeia in Libra, with the apex drawn by Sedna. What this suggests is that our informed/ educated actions and choices will join with the health of our finances or relationships, and as these two work together we either fall directly into our ‘blind spot’ (those areas others can see, and see the obvious conditions of, while we have no clue), or we tap into instincts and that knowledge of the world we carry just below consciousness. So, it’s either a recipe for showing how much we’re unaware of in a particular area, or for connecting firmly with our own internal guidance system, and making the most of it. Not to despair if you find yourself having waltzed right into some facet of your own ignorance (for that’s all unawareness is, a not knowing that is revealed by our engagement with something or some life area we aren’t fully informed about); it’s nothing to be ashamed over, it’s simply an opportunity to experience and gain understanding–the only time you should feel shame about it is if you refuse to learn from what’s presented–then it’s on you.

We’ll also see Mercury slow for direction, hovering within roughly 25 minutes of the turnaround, in trine to Pluto and sextile to Juno. This makes for powerful and empowering thought, ideas, and plans that are generated at least in part by our own tension and frustration with the Merc retro cycle and what it has produced, denied, or held back–but we must remember not to act just yet. With the Finger we are meeting circumstances previously formed and now delivering results as we make choices based on relationship or money developments, so taking action based on previously formed viewpoints is natural–with the circumstances of Mercury we are generating new mental material–and must wait for the turnaround before it can be successfully vetted.

The Sun is also parallel Ceres and semi-square Black Moon Lilith. This suggests a strong sense of confidence and ‘natural’ authority, but that sureness may be a little too influenced by unacknowledged rage, or a deep need to ignore or deny some aspects of the situation–and that means you may adopt the saying, ‘The best defense is a good offense’ without really knowing you’re being aggressive. The power today is centered in knowing where you’re weak, and where you excel at perception and understanding, and being controlled and yes, wise enough, to acknowledge the reality and potential repercussions of your state, and respond accordingly.

By Mohammed Jaffar from Montreal, Canada - 30e Festival du cochon de Sainte-Perpétue, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34477664

By Mohammed Jaffar from Montreal, Canada – 30e Festival du cochon de Sainte-Perpétue, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34477664

Today’s word image is a pig. Some places they are symbols of prosperity and luck, in others of gluttony or greed, with some societies seeing them as meat machines that can convert almost any fodder to pork, while others view them as unclean and so inedible. Your own associations with the animal and what it represents are important here, simply because, no matter what you think, that thought is not universally held. Seeing a pig or pig-related item may alert you to a synchronous moment, an alert to question your assumptions and perhaps what you consider ‘common knowledge’.

For those born with the Sun at 28 Virgo: love or money is sneaking up on you this year, Virgo, in a way that might almost be described as ‘unpleasant’. And yet, these are things we all want, and want more of, no? The trick may be to realize that there’s a rainbow at the end of that storm (or a pony in that stable full of sh*t, or however you think of a not readily apparent payoff to a less than appealing situation). This should tell you, though, that those efforts to deal with what’s not so great will pay off, likely in a much bigger way than you anticipate–so yay for that! Good luck, Virgo, and Happy Birthday!