‘The Flageolet Player on the Cliff’ By Paul Gauguin 1889 {{PD}}

‘What You’re Asking’ comes from search terms I find in my site stats that could use some explanation, answer, or remark.

Ascendant on 2nd House cusp Whole Sign

Let’s get something straight: in the Whole Sign Universe, the Ascendant sign dictates the 1st House; that means we can’t have the Ascendant in the 2nd House! Because, if the Ascendant is there, that makes it the 1st House! Even very close to the ending of a sign, even in the last degree and minute and second, the Ascendant is still in the 1st. That means the Ascendant can be found anywhere within the 1st House.

In Placidus and many other House systems, the Ascendant delineates the beginning of the 1st House, but with Whole Sign, the sign of the Ascendant makes that sign the entire House, both ahead of and behind the Ascendant itself. This also lays out the rest of the chart, with one sign per House and the Midheaven true to its position; that is, unlike in other systems, the MC doesn’t mark the beginning of the 10th, but instead can fall anywhere the Sun could reach its zenith in a 24 hour period in that part of the world at that time of year.

It’s true that people talk about ‘being on the cusp’ of something: another sign, another House, but the term cusp only means ‘edge’. If you’re on the edge of a cliff, you’re not also below, tumbled into the valley, are you? So let’s stop talking about astrology as if a body or point is being influenced by something it’s not in, or a condition it doesn’t have–that not only makes for inaccurate, even sloppy, interpretation, it encourages those who don’t know better to think they may opt for the natal placement or for the other sign or House it’s near. As they say in that commercial where the woman takes a picture off her living room wall and declares, ‘I unfriend you!’, that’s not how any of this works.

quincunx relationship Scorpio/ Gemini

This made me think someone was looking for the relationship potentials between two individuals, each with the Sun in one of these signs, so I’ll approach this that way. First, an actual quincunx between Suns would require no more than a two degree differential; in that case we might expect that each would perpetually feel they must adjust their identity, their purpose, the nature of their true essence, just to get along with the other. That makes for an uncomfortable, not to say stressful, relationship.

If we’re talking about Suns that are in signs that are quincunx, but that are not in direct dialogue with each other, we might see a similar dynamic, but more diffuse. These two people might not ‘get’ each other, and are most likely to feel mild indifference, and maybe a lack of empathy, barring any other dynamic contacts between charts. Scorpio is Fixed Water: tending to perceive and process emotionally, first and foremost, with those perceptions intensely and deeply felt, and relatively difficult to change. Gemini is Mutable Air: perceiving and processing through the mind, perpetually re-considering and assessing, always searching for new information, and so changeable in their thinking.

In either case, not an easy interaction, no matter their roles or relationship.

Forecast 1-3 August 2019

The 1st sees us in harmony with ourselves, essentially agreeing with what we think! It’s a day that reinforces our mentality and the way we see things, but this offers one bonus: the ability, probably due to the consistency and harmony of our presentation at this time, to heal relationships or asset sources that have been damaged. And that’s a worthy goal, right?

The 2nd is almost the opposite to the 1st, with erraticism and unusual behavior in relationships, financial anomalies, surprises in Love, shocks over worth, and we find the reward from original thinking and innovation. And, we are either going after our own empowerment aggressively, or receiving aggression from others over what is or isn’t our domain. We may feel as if we are victims of the random, but there are two things we can do that should be highly beneficial to us: go over the discrepancies between our highest values and our ambitions; somewhere they’re not meeting up, and that’s causing ‘fulfillment drag’–and willingly excavate those personal matters we’ve ignored or denied, the ones that cause a shadow on the identity or expression of purpose. Hauling this material into the light will be nothing but good, in the end, and we’ll likely find that most of this shadow was generated by our own judgments of ourselves, and can be forgiven at any time.

By the 3rd we’re looking at personal empowerment issues, struggling, even, to make them ‘stick’. The feeling may be that we have to justify, one way or another, the territory we claim. We need to realize we’ve suffered a recent aggressive injury, where someone attacked, maybe very subtly, our right to be–and that has left this scab and we’re picking at it! Here’s your therapy: Stop it! Remind yourself you have the right to claim space to be, to do, to dream, as your own–no need to justify your existence, ever, to anyone, and that includes yourself. Nobody puts Baby in the corner!

For those born with the Sun at 09 Leo. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–together these offer a more complete picture of your year ahead). What is this ‘New World’ you’re waking up to this solar year, and will experience through to your next birthday, dear Leo? Or is it, rather than a new world, a ‘Fresh Hell’? That all depends on the fate you’ve been preparing for yourself over the years. That sounds obvious, but the reality is that this is the year when all those choices, those roads taken and those avoided, coalesce into a meaningful picture. You’ll see, benefit from, and pay for those choices. Noe, if that makes you uneasy, you still have this year during which to clean up your act, to change your fate. If you anticipate the results of your choices with something akin to pleasure, then you’ll know you’ve chosen well, and can spend the year building on the foundation you’ve put in place. In either case, this year you have the ability to shine, especially when showing yourself and what you can do to the world, and you have the energy and focus to use every bit of your muscle to fulfill ambitions and desires–just stay aware of what this pursuit might create, for best results. Good luck!

For those born with the Sun at 10 Leo. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–together these offer a more complete picture of your year ahead). Could you be more ready to critically assess yourself, your life, and where you’re going? No, you’re ready right now, dear Leo, and may spend this coming solar year, through to your next birthday, taking an intuitive but critical measure of your power, your position, your obligations, and your relationship to Nature. This is all in preparation for the smart, creative action you’ll be taking in future. So, don’t worry if you’re more attuned to pondering and trimming, this year, than you are to doing or making a big splash–you’re on your way, and as long as you’re clear on your highest values, you’ll see clearly what to do. Good luck!

For those born with the Sun at 11 Leo. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–together these offer a more complete picture of your year ahead). What is it, dear Leo, that you crave more than anything? Could it be a way to fulfill ambitions that rests on your values and what you honor, and that uses to the fullest your creativity? Because if it is, you’re in luck. This solar year, through to your next birthday, affords you the opportunity to fashion or find the absolute perfect outlet–and that means you could spend the year focused on your needs, and inadvertently neglecting those of loved ones. That’s okay–you’ll have to explain to them that right now, you’ve got to take center stage for yourself. Once you give shape and life to your desire, then you can go back to the caretaking of others that you do so well. Good luck!