Category Archives: Finger of God

Full Moon in Pisces 26 August 2018 The Effect of Fairy Tales

25 Saturday Aug 2018

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Finger of God, forecast, Full Moon, Pisces, Retrogrades + Directions, Sabian Symbols

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The Full Moon is sesquiquadrate the close conjunction (only three minutes apart) of Venus and Zeus in Libra, making me think maybe this is about coming to some realizations as we try to find the ‘set point’ for relationships, earnings, ambitions, passions, or some matter ruled by Venus in the natal chart. Falling in Pisces, the Full Moon brings a conclusion, ending, or shift to a new emphasis, one flavored by the imagination, delusions, deceptions, ideals, and what they have (or have not) created in the life. We look at relationships, desires, and ambitions in that ideal form we’d hoped for, and with the culmination energy see what has come about in real-world terms. The Full Moon allows us a window into the effect of our own personal fairy tales, what they’ve actually wrought, and how far from (or close to) the dream we hold they actually are.

The distance may not be all that far–or relationships, desires, and ambition considerations may all fall behind a more pressing concern, related to matters of the natal House in which the FM falls. An ending here could push the state of interaction or want to the back burner–where it could simmer through the coming month, perhaps arriving via the unconscious as it orchestrates things behind the scene in anticipation of the next New Moon.

The Full Moon may wake us up by ending some illusion. ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ By John Collier 1920 {{PD}}

The Full Moon in Pisces perfects on the 26th at 4:56 AM PDT at 3 Pisces 12. It seems to me that all the contact to Uranus and Saturn, with the Full Moon hovering just between at the rough midpoint, suggests a kind of measuring of action v. stasis, revolution v. what’s established, being original or following tradition (and this measuring probably started as early as the 22nd, as every day since has felt like one where our character and conduct was weighed in the balance). In looking at ourselves, we’ve laid the groundwork to look out at what we value, at our relationships, and at what we want–and the Full Moon delivers a conclusion, realization, or makes obvious an ending–then it’s up to us what we do with it.

The artist’s daughter, Effie, as Red Riding Hood. By John Everett Millais 1863 {{PD}}

The Full Moon’s sextile to Saturn catches the Black Moon Lilith point at the midpoint, and the Full Moon sextile to Uranus catches Chiron more-or-less at the midpoint, and this suggests a lot of peripheral influences on what manifests at the Full Moon–or is that a chain reaction, with wounds and those things we’ve ignored or been in denial about exerting a distinct but hard to pin down influence on proceedings? In any case, the energy of change and stasis each occupy the far ends of a fulcrum made up of the Full Moon point, with matters of hurt, rage, denial, and the demand for Self-respect tipping the scales toward either keeping things as they are, or throwing them into chaos.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘Heavy Car Traffic On A Narrow Isthmus Linking Two Seashore Resorts’. This speaks of the difficulty and confusion, the sheer stress and polluting presence, of communications and the interests that drive them. We’re all trying to have a good time, but it’s not going so well as everyone strives to have her or his message reach its destination.

For the opposing Sun the Sabian is, ‘Black And White Children Play Together Happily’. The origin of all this tension is the ideal of having everyone, no matter how contrasting the individuals seem on the surface to be, getting along and enjoying life. So, all the turbulence caused by the Full Moon influences have their roots in a wish for harmony and equality–not such an impossible dream, at all.

Michelangelo Buonarroti {{PD}}

These ‘peripheral’ energies do form a Finger of God, providing us with an answer, when we wonder what the point of having our fairy tales washed in a stark dose of reality really is: it’s found in the sextile of Chiron to Black Moon Lilith, as base of the Finger, apex the Sun. Our wounds and our denials must be abandoned, if we’re to find a way to interact successfully; harmony (the Sun Sabian) is, in the end, something we must deliberately create ourselves.

It’s worth noting that Mars will go direct just a little over 24 hours later, suggesting that what we learn at the Full Moon must be ruminated on, just a bit, before we take action. Consider that 27 hours or so a ‘cooling off period’, allowing you to process, and to look carefully, before you leap.

17 July 2018 Dedicated Power

16 Monday Jul 2018

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‘Stromschnelle’ – By Gerhard Rießbeck – Germany (with the permission of the artist reproduced and uploaded by Hannes Grobe) CC BY-SA 2.0

Today we find ourselves swept along by a powerfully unavoidable current, one that reflects our true values, and what we actually dedicate our time and energy to. What we honor becomes blatantly clear by what is presented for us to deal with; if we feel our time is being wasted by externals, distractions, or the demands of others, we’re invited to see that that’s exactly where our energy and attention are going on a daily basis. Using this vibe productively requires that we admit to any gap that exists between what we pay lip service to and what we’re in reality dedicated to–it’s only by acknowledging the disparity that we have any hope of living as we profess to. Luckily, being honest opens the way to gain, especially in taking steps to further ambitions and in profiting from ones already taken. All in all, an excellent day, with only ourselves and our foibles holding us back (Pluto parallel Vesta, Venus nov Zeus, Finger of God with base of Hygeia sxt Mars retro-SN, apex Ceres-Venus)

And a Little More on Ceres

06 Tuesday Mar 2018

Posted by in Asteroids, astrology, Ceres, current events in the sky, Finger of God, Gemini

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Also known as Ceres: ‘Demeter Mourning for Persephone’ 1906 By Evelyn de Morgan {{PD}}

I was wondering if the spate of attention I’m giving Ceres (or Ceres is drawing me toward!) warranted a little investigation. The current picture is this: Ceres is in apparent retro motion in Leo, in close quincunx to Juno in Pisces–and Juno is sextile Saturn in Capricorn, within range of a quincunx to Ceres, so making Ceres apex to a Finger of God. Why does it seem Ceres is so often involved in a Finger? Maybe that’s about Ceres as a natural expression of the flow of energy, with the influences exerted by Nature and our own expressions of Ceres (Nature, agriculture, the power of authority, negotiation, food sensitivities and allergic reaction, to name just a few) ways of dealing with and responding to the extant energy stream (and so to power, and to its consequences) in the world.

This particular Finger implies that empowerment through dreams, visions, creativity, or the loss of this through deception or misunderstanding couples with the reality picture to result in a personal (Leo) experience of the extents of our authority, our body’s ability to process food and/ or the environment, of our role in nurturing or guiding another (a maternal role), and/ or in a need to negotiate in order to see our dream or project realized, or our authority (perhaps even our autonomy) returned. Ceres is also widely sesquiquadrate Vesta, pinpointing the home environment and something to be learned there (Sagittarius placement) that can help further or restore our empowerment options.

And here’s a re-post from the blog: What You’re Asking: Ceres and the Death of Shelley, Synchronicities, and Rejecting a Gemini Man

What does Ceres have to do with health?

In mythology Ceres’ Greek predecessor, Demeter, was goddess of Nature, abundance, and the fruits of the Earth, but by the time she reached Rome and her current name and form, she was decidedly more tame: a goddess of agriculture, of Nature that’s been shaped and subjugated to man. That suggests that in modern conception she may deal with the balance of the body and its vulnerabilities to natural elements, of being overwhelmed from without (drowning, buried in a landslide, struck by lightning, for instance, or from things like allergens and starvation) and from within by invasion (of germs, viruses, bacteria, fungi). She doesn’t offer a total picture of health in the natal scenario or by transit, but does speak of certain conditions one may be prone to, or illnesses susceptible to, aside from her other meanings: a sense of personal power and authority, a maternal interest in others (which can easily tip into a controlling one), territoriality, and negotiation.

Romantic poet Percy Shelley (4 August 1792 10 PM Horsham England) was just coming up on a Lunar Return in Pisces the day he drowned in a boating accident (8 July 1822 Lerici Italy). He has Ceres natally conjoined the Sun, Venus, Pallas, and Uranus in Leo in the Whole Sign 4th (and though Juno’s close enough to the Sun, it’s too wide for Ceres, in my opinion); Ceres is also opposed Pluto and quincunx the natal Moon and Sedna in Pisces. Already we can see that Ceres was a vital part of the life, and so of the death as well. In the context of the drowning event, the natal scenario suggests sudden accidents (Uranus) based on unwise decisions (Pallas–staying on the water despite the storm) activated the Self-destruction he had always been conscious of, and perhaps at times had to fight (Sun opp Pluto), with Ceres’ involvement implicating the elements, the weather, even potentially activating an emotional attachment to the water, and a need to adjust (the quincunx) to prevent getting lost in it! (the Pisces Moon)

The Cremation of Percy Bysshe Shelley, by Louis Édouard Fournier

The Cremation of Percy Bysshe Shelley, by Louis Édouard Fournier

On the day he died, Shelley’s Ceres was contacted exact by degree by the transiting South Node, suggesting a ‘pull back’ to a previous (pre-birth?) state; t Ceres was opposed natal Mercury in the 5th=the elements literally in opposition to the lung function; t Merc was conjoined n Chiron in Cancer in the 3rd of lungs, breathe=water water everywhere, water that injures; t Mars was conjoined the n NN, spurring actions and choices that take one into the future; and t Earth sextiled the n Moon-Sedna, forming the base of a Finger of God with apex n Ceres-Pallas=here’s a recipe for the environment ganging up with instincts and emotions to prompt that natal judgment of Nature. Shelley may have believed he was very practical (Pallas) in his relationship to the elements and the natural world (Ceres), feeling that instinct (Sedna) and emotion (the Moon) would inform his choices. There’s a sense that he didn’t fear them, that instead the Pisces Sedna-Moon may have seen the obliteration threat of the natal Pluto opposition as a kind of Oneness with Nature–absorption rather than obliteration. Too, the transiting Sun had just run over his natal Black Moon Lilith=he may have been more than a little in the mood to explore the darkness.

To A Star

Sweet star, which gleaming o’er the darksome scene
Through fleecy clouds of silvery radiance fliest,
Spanglet of light on evening’s shadowy veil,
Which shrouds the day-beam from the waveless lake,
Lighting the hour of sacred love; more sweet
Than the expiring morn-star’s paly fires:–
Sweet star! When wearied Nature sinks to sleep,
And all is hushed,–all, save the voice of Love,
Whose broken murmurings swell the balmy blast
Of soft Favonius, which at intervals
Sighs in the ear of stillness, art thou aught but
Lulling the slaves of interest to repose
With that mild, pitying gaze? Oh, I would look
In thy dear beam till every bond of sense
Became enamoured–  

That was definitely written by a guy with Sun-Venus-Ceres-Pallas-Uranus conjoined, all opposed by Pluto!

Synchronicities

Synchronicities have been everywhere lately–have you noticed that for you, too? Those little mentions or phrases or events or people that grab your attention simply by the unlikely way they’re brought into one’s compass repeatedly within a short period. To my mind that signals we’re in a kind of flow, that attunement to the optimum vibrational level for you is very close to perfect–and that implies intuition is sharp and accessible, that information is yours to pluck right out of the air, that you can ‘know’ without anyone telling you. Though our tendency is to breeze through these interludes, to remark ‘Isn’t that strange?’ when we hear the same song or its lyrics or mention of the singer in every store and elevator and TV show and conversation we’re exposed to the entire weekend, and at the same time to be very focused consciously on the here-and-now, what we really need to do is pause; this is a point when we are cruising along with a lot of our perceptual abilities working below the surface, and we can see the world very clearly, if we are willing to. We can get our questions answered, if we’ll only stop looking out, and take a moment to look within.

Carl Schweninger the Younger 'Not Willing' 19th century {{PD}}

Carl Schweninger the Younger ‘Not Willing’ 19th century {{PD}}

rejecting a Gemini man

Are you thinking there’s some magic word (he’s a Gemini, after all) that will make him take it well, not make a fuss, even see it as a gift? There’s not, and it’s likely that if he senses you are trying to out think him (by manipulating or being one step ahead, the latter of which you automatically are if you know something–that you intend to reject him–that he doesn’t) he’ll be very resentful, indeed. Geminis are highly focused on thinking, processing info, communicating, networking–so he may already be aware, whether it’s through the grapevine or through reading your body language and tone in previous encounters, that you aren’t interested. That puts you in a precarious position: if he does know and he’s still coming at you, he’s forcing you to say it outright, and if he doesn’t know, he’s going to feel especially upset that he didn’t parse it out ahead of time (it’s a Gemini thing–they always think they should’ve known!) All you can do, really, is send a clear, consistent, and polite message through every pore of your Being and, obviously, word spoken: no thank you. Problems will only arise if you’ve been ambivalent in your feelings or in your behavior, wrongly believing that will ‘let him down easy’ (and if so I bet you’re horoscope is chock full o’ Water signs). Come clean without engaging in any way that sends the wrong (that is, an enmeshed behavioral or contradictory) message, and it should go fine–the last thing you want to do, and he wants to feel you’ve done, is mislead him.

I hope you’re having a great week!

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