Category Archives: Mercury

A Good Day To . . . 30 October 2019

29 Tuesday Oct 2019

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Mercury, Mercury retrograde

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‘The Tower of Babel’ By Pieter Bruegel the Elder 1563 {{PD}}

The 30th is a Good Day To . . . be aware. Obvious, right? That’s something we’re always trying to do, but today it’s especially important to be conscious of what’s roiling beneath the surface–particularly below the surface of your own mind.

The interweaving of contacts is noteworthy, with a stationary Mercury caught up to and conjoined by Venus in Scorpio, with both opposed Sedna and novile Mars, and then throw in Mercury’s parallel to Pluto. The scenario is one of a becalmed mind filled with a stark and terrible beauty, one that aligns with and reflects our deepest held fears, angers, and hopes, especially those attuned to change, re-birth, and the re-making of our world. Too, this mental outlook rejects the instinctual nature and those things we ‘know but don’t know’; the result may be that rather than this being an entirely contained, individual experience, it is externalized, with other people, circumstances, and events taking on some of the parts. Thinking, then, may be a heavy pastime, one where we chase the same thoughts round and round–or one where we are inspired by relationships, beauty, even financial gain, but find it hard to plot a path forward, so alienated are we from our own instinctual responses, and this is so even as we are moved to act or choose in some pretty amazing, clever, or inventive ways. So, when Merc retrogrades, we may find ourselves in a really good position, without being entirely aware of how we got there! Or we could find we’ve ‘cart before the horse’-d it, and take our revisions from there.

See Sunday’s New Moon here–

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.

12 December 2018 Renewal

11 Tuesday Dec 2018

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Mercury

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‘Ejiri in the province of Shinano’ By Katsushika Hokusai c1831 {{PD}}

Wow! Can you feel your mind (and so, especially if you’re Air-heavy, your outlook) expand as Mercury comes out of that Scorpionic cave? The thinking may be changeable and ‘on fire’ (Sagittarius), but what does the flame need to thrive? Oxygen, and that may be in short supply right now, with only asteroids and Earth in the Air element–but today the transiting Moon in Aquarius offers support. Mercury’s emergence (and our mentality’s ability to ‘come into the light’) may be accomplished through a marriage of intellect and feeling, and the determination to stay grounded (Earth in Gemini) even as the horizons expand. No matter what the elemental composition of your natal chart, a sense of renewal, of opening up, is yours, should you be willing to embrace the following: optimism, on a grand scale, while simultaneously facing the facts; the ‘Big Picture’, to include an awareness that there are things we don’t know or see; seeing the ambitions for what they will actually bring, if pursued; and perceiving the way empowerment may not support (or may require adjustment for) the identity. This is a shift that may be more strongly felt, and more disorienting, than we anticipate–hold on to your hat!

(Mercury enters Sagittarius, Sun sxt Zeus and qnx Juno)

Today’s word image is applause. How often are you applauded in life? This can be any kind of complement, accolade, praise, or absolutely literal. Do you live for this? Is it more meaningful to you than criticism, or do they carry equal weight? Are you able to hear only one, praise or criticism, and not the other? Does applause affect how you behave, your commitments, where you put your energy, or your feelings about yourself or others? The more susceptible you are to changing yourself and your viewpoint in response to praise/ criticism in all its forms, the more difficult it is to hear and follow that inner voice, to maintain personal standards, or to be honest with yourself.

Just a Little AstroEssence 25 July 2017 Excavate Immediately

24 Monday Jul 2017

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Horoscope, Mercury, The Daily Word Image

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Rihard Jakopič – Sejalec (1912) {{PD}}

Sticking to values and standards, and choosing action based on what we care about, will absolutely benefit us. Expect to need some adjustment in attitude, approach, or methods, in order to gather in earnings or Love; and anticipate that unexpected events, obstacles, or bumps in the road are due to unacknowledged attitudes of our own, feelings of dismissal, betrayal, or rage that we have been pretending don’t exist. Knowing that, you can excavate immediately, and so remove the difficulty and proceed forward to the reward.

Mercury enters Virgo, skewing thoughts toward both keeping accounts and making ourselves and others accountable. Critical thinking is on the agenda; just make sure that in dissecting or critiquing others or ourselves, there’s an underlying point to it all. Think: Seed Moments, Details Matter, The Healthy Approach, and no matter what, always keep the end result or purpose in mind.

Today’s word image is an incident from my own life. Confession: I am a book hoarder. We are chronically short of bookshelves, thanks to my propensity to squirrel away books like nuts for the winter. At one end of the living room there are piles of books, waiting for a home. The other day I was standing at the opposite end, having a moment of gratitude–just happy for all we have, feeling immensely thankful–and one of the piles of books falls over; or rather, part of the pile fell. When I walked over to it, there was a bright green paperback exposed from the middle of the stack, a novel by Carl Hiaasen. The title? ‘Lucky You’. You just can’t tell me the Universe isn’t communicating all. the. time–and with a sense of humor! What message are you receiving today?

Focus on: Merc Meets Pluto 29 January 2016

28 Thursday Jan 2016

Posted by in astrology, Capricorn, Cardinal Activity, current events in the sky, Mercury, Pluto

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We may wonder in our own world which side of the power struggle is Jacob, which one the Angel? 'Jacob Wrestling with the Angel' by Léon Bonnat 1875 {{PD}}

We may wonder in our own world which side of the power struggle is Jacob, which one the Angel? ‘Jacob Wrestling with the Angel’ by Léon Bonnat 1875 {{PD}}

Merc and Pluto both show up for this meeting in button down shirts, clutching their wallets and pearls, equipment for weighing and measuring carefully calibrated, posture rigid and eyes glazed over with ‘the rules’–they’re ready for business. Mercury has finally given up flight and is headed back to where he left off; he’s ready to talk, to negotiate, to inform, as long as things stay on topic, and he’s aware of the status quo, conscious of the need to deliver the establishment’s message. Pluto is out to change the system, destroy boundaries, and he’s been in this territory for a while; once he’s altered or transformed what is, a strange thing happens: the destructive energy is dissipated, and expressions of power come forward, power that enforces a new set of rules, boundaries, and installs a new authority in place of the old. The question is, where do these two meet in expression? Capricorn gives them both a tone, a background, a set of attitudes to play with, but each carries its own essence, bringing about a kind of chemical reaction that, despite their meeting in the same sign, may bring confrontation.

The root of the conflict may be this: Mercury is messenger of those who hold the reins right now; Pluto, half way through the sign, has already thrown the acid, the Molotov cocktail, and is in the process of taking the ruin of what was and constructing something new from it. That, my friends, is a fundamental conflict of interest. These two come together, and one, the quicker-moving one, is interested in making the argument for keeping things as they are; the other has been at work for quite a while, and is in the midst of creating a kind of re-birth in our ideas of authority, boundaries, and restraint. And both claim practicality, and the health of both personal life structures and those of governments, countries, and large systems, are best served by their methods.

What can we expect? The voice of current power-holders may carefully craft their message, with restrictions on who knows what, meant to keep things static, for safety, for the well-being of all, and of course, to retain power; the agents of change may claim a moral superiority in their very existence, a ‘change for change’s sake’ stance that does not acknowledge the new authorities rising from the ashes, intent on replacing the old, are just as distorted in priorities and viewpoint as the previous holders of power were. In other words, change does not equalize anything, nor does becoming part of the current power structure, because both are intent on grabbing power and keeping it–and when that is the goal, no message will assuage those without influence, and no revolution will make the situation more equitable.

So, what we may witness today are communications that have power acquisition and retention at their core–and this may be played a thousand ways, with harsh or destructive words, transformational ideas, the resurrection of concepts we thought were surely gone, and the obliteration of the old rules–but all of it concealing, one way or another, the power struggle currently at the heart of the Universe. In your own life an awareness that power is behind literally everything we deal with at this time will help reveal the layers of meaning. We need to understand that there’s an intensity to this (thanks, Pluto!) that goes beyond the normal level of power-seeking we see everyday, giving even the simplest exchanges a life-or-death tone that may seem over the top–but if we purge our minds of clutter and propaganda, we see the Truth of what’s being negotiated beneath.

Merc Returns to Aries: ‘Commanding the Will’

16 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by in current events in the sky, Mercury

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Merc into Aries allows us to apply our considerable Will to fulfillment of all those dreams. 'Daydream' by Helleu 1901 {{PD-Art}}

I’ve seen a lot of individuals pushing forward with their Will in these last days of Mercury in Pisces; thought-want plus an orientation toward dream, ideal, or fantasy fulfillment has made some demand satisfaction from others, probably out of a feeling that the Collective is one big pool in which we all swim (it is, but that doesn’t mean others are obligated to do one’s bidding!) The mistake is in assuming that connectedness in the Big Picture sense means the Universe must fulfill the fantasy picture held in the mind; the agreed-upon reality is a Collective manifestation, and so what we want from it must conform to what everyone has agreed upon, not just on one person’s Will. But, when Merc moves back into Aries (3:42 PM PDT today, the 16th), what we’ll see is a shift in the individual: the mind turns toward commanding the Will, and it becomes, rather than dependent on the Collective to manifest want, keyed to Self-responsibility and the Willingness to do for the Self.

Is this superior to the Mercury in Pisces approach? No, but it’s probably more effective in leading us in the direction we want to go. In our Self-orientation, too many jump from ‘I want’ to ‘and the Collective must make it happen for me!’; some miss the necessary step of developing skills, Self-confidence, and a Self-responsible approach that makes dream fulfillment possible. Mercury in Aries aligns the mind with the Will, and puts all our brain processing-powers to work fulfilling those wants. It’s more effective than dreaming that the world should conform to our mental imaginings–the trap this time is rationalization of the wants, as the mind computes the many reasons why we should just go take what we desire. Oh Mercury, can’t you sit still long enough for us to choose a viewpoint and run with it?

While Mercury is reviewing those degrees he traveled first direct, then retrograde, the effect may be that the mind is haunted by vague thought-forms that are lingering from what was–everything that was left only partially processed or realized may recur, but in such a way that we become anxious, pre-occupied by what we think we should be pondering, finalizing, or thinking through. We can be left uneasy with no real reason until Merc reaches his retrograde degree and passes the point at which he reversed; this occurs on the 22nd of April. Once we hit 6 Aries 49 we are free and clear of the shadow, and the mind can make the push for Self-satisfaction unfettered by unsettling wisps of memory and unfocused regret.

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Mercury Into Scorpio: Cursing the Darkness

14 Friday Oct 2011

Posted by in current events in the sky, Mercury

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Thoma 'Mercury' {{PD-Art}}

Cursing the darkness, of course, follows trying to move through it without putting on a light, as we are bound to run into something–and that’s what we can anticipate initially with this entry of Merc in Scorpio–we are bound to be caught by surprise by some message, communication exchange, or with what bursts out of our own mouths (or runs through our own minds), and this can be dangerous: we are tempted to react to something momentary and passing as if it’s permanent, and what’s more, we are tempted to over-react, with rage, vengeance, the keeping or exposing of secrets, or the destruction of something–and it’s all, essentially, on a whim, prompted by this quick-change energy emphasis.

But what about that light, the one that would keep us from crashing into an object invisible in this dark? Probably the best way to understand our thought processes and motivations at this time is through our feeling nature; contra-intuitive, I know, to inspect the mind with the heart, but as Scorpio is a Water sign, we can access what’s hidden from us quite successfully by using feelings and intuition to ‘open the door.’

Tumult is almost guaranteed, especially early in the transit of Mercury through Scorpio; just remain conscious of the Mercurial quickness with which all can change, and try to access the emotion behind what’s communicated–this will help us understand, and allow a truer response, rather than a reactionary one.

Re-printed from the subscriber’s protected page; for more, please subscribe! Thank you! And a new issue is out–featuring an article on the thinning of the veil and Hecate, reviews of a couple of Hecate-themed movies, and the detailed forecast through 1 November, including the Scorpio New Moon, plus a brief guide to meaning based on where it falls in your natal chart!

Just a Little Essence for Today 25 September 2011: ‘Mercury’s Message’

25 Sunday Sep 2011

Posted by in current events in the sky, Mercury

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Chardin 1728 {{PD-Art}}

Mercury enters 29 degrees today-ALERT! ‘The medium is the message’ has never been a more apt phrase than it is right now! People will say anything–to get what they want, to get attention, to make an impact, to impress, to assert themselves–it’s a day to take every communication as an ‘I WANT’ statement, and not much more. Realize that what we hear over this 24 hour period (at least) will be indicative of what others truly want–take it to heart, and remember it when the tide of illusion washes back in again.

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An excellent piece on Libra and the current zeitgeist by Lauren Howard Coleman

Mercury’s Shadow

23 Thursday Apr 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, Dark of the Moon, forecast, Mercury, Mercury retrograde

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 As outstanding astrologer serennu points out in her recent Tweets (follow her, me, and many others at http://twitter.com and see her blog, http://serennu.com ) Mercury has entered its shadow.

Photo courtesy of NASA
Photo courtesy of NASA

Mercury’s shadow is made up of the degrees over which it will pass during the upcoming retrograde; this means we’re feeling something that will echo familiarly when Mercury does his turnaround and touches these degrees once again, then goes direct, right where he is now.

It may then serve us to look at Mercury’s current state in light of what it could portend about the next six weeks or so. Located at 23 Taurus, Mercury is square Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune, sextile Uranus, and semi-square Pallas. This says communication difficulties centered in assets and the material (Taurus) will appear on the social scene or in attempts to expand our world (Jupiter), in the re-opening of old wounds, as well as in messages as to how we can heal (Chiron), and in ways that challenge our fantasies, delusions, deceptions, and ideals. Our most unique characteristics may assist in dealing with what comes forward, but there may also be a continual temptation to rebel against what we’re facing (Uranus) or to think we can handle things totally on an intellectual plane–and using only the mind when the Trickster is present is a mistake. The semi-square to Pallas balances us on her double-edged sword: we know the wise course, we know what’s practical, what skills we may call on, but the aspect itself says we may chafe at the feedback we get on what we know to be smart–and that puts us off our game, if we’re too vulnerable to others (the social pressures of the Jupiter square) or if we’re hell-bent on being ourselves, whatever that means (Uranus)–and to muddy it all up, we mustn’t forget the influence of Neptune, which can (and maybe should) make us question our assessment of things, particularly once Merc is retrograde.

My latest installment on Juno, a brief assessment of her interaction with other bodies in the natal chart, is available at http://sasstrology.comI’m still at work on the new book on Juno, which I hope to offer at Dog and Sunflower by early June–in the meantime I’ve curtailed services–my apologies to those who were hoping for AstroCoaching or Personal Pages–but I’m still available for single topic/ question reports ($25) and more in-depth discussion of one topic or life area ($50) Contact me at juliedemboski@hotmail.com if interested, and don’t forget my books available here http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com

Another ‘What You’re Asking’: 12th House, Trines and Squares, and Metrosexuals Who Can’t Reach the Top Shelf

20 Tuesday Jan 2009

Posted by in 12th House, aspects and placements, astrology, Mercury, natal placement, North Node

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Hello from sunny (but cold!) Seattle, with another installment of ‘What You’re Asking,’ the astrology ‘q and a’ gleaned from some of the many search terms that lead seekers to this site. Let’s get started!

What do I do with a 12th House stellium?

I feel your pain, I really do–the 12th is hard enough to understand without having a gaggle of energies hiding out there from birth. The approach to the 12th, whether one has something posited within or not, is found in the sign on the cusp; the methods used are keyed to the 12th and can be active or passive, but must in any case marry a 12th House form with some facet or attitude of the cusp sign. For instance, Capricorn on the 12th, with Jupiter in Capricorn within, might offer us a way in to the subconscious and to our connection to the divine/ the Collective through disciplined (Cap) practice of meditation (12th)–then we access Jupiter via the matters of the House it rules, in this case likely the 11th, which might bring in goals, friends, group membership, dreams and wishes (of the life or material kind). By practicing the spiritual (12th) discipline (Cap) of meditation (12th) we will help to funnel those trapped Jupiter energies that need to expand, learn, teach, and venture out by attempting those things in 11th House forms, so perhaps teaching a class on meditation and reaching out, in accessing dreams and wishes through the subconscious, or perhaps through the dream life (another 12th House area). There are many many ways potential combinations can play out, so it takes some study and maybe trial-and-error, to find what works best for you.

When there is a stellium here, the logistics may seem insurmountable. Since the point of the 12th is to give us a window both into our own subconscious, and to link us to the Collective in a way that holds no boundaries, we can best hope to reach a stellium by concentrating on an active manifestation of the 12th. This would involve something that is quite conscious, not the passive system of meditation or dream journals, synchronicities or symbolisms, if applicable coupled with attention to the planet ruled by the posited body, that will serve when one has only one or no planets posited there; instead we would observe our involvement with large institutions, perhaps even seeking out a role within them (hospitals, prisons, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, large conglomerates, international organizations) or in the volunteerism that puts a Collective good before individual interests. We try these things in the tone or style of the cusp sign; so, for example, Virgo here might call us to do some kind of detail work, inventory or accounting (and Pisces on the 6th suggests we might fit nicely into the everyday world of one of those 12th House institutions)–or, with Aquarius on the cusp, we might pursue a form of teaching or study, union or group leadership, innovation in how these institutions function, or in the invention of ‘new, better’ ways of doing things connected to these subjects.

How then, you ask, do we actually get a handle on the stellium? Here we are, volunteering, or getting our degree in prison dynamics, or running a sleep institute, and we’re still not sure how that cluster of, for example, Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn all fit in. The next step is in defining what parts of the life these features rule (by looking at the subjects of the Houses they rule), and then considering what it’s like to keep the identity and Soul Purpose, the communication function, the aesthetic, relationship, and financial values, and the ambitions and fears, all under wraps, with their only outlets those Houses they ‘own,’ or through aspect relationships, where they can as easily mess things up as express due to the unconscious nature of their placements (I didn’t say this would be tidy or easy!)

So, the short answer to your question of what to do with a 12th House stellium is to dig it out however you can, and to do so as consciously as possible; the long answer, where we plot all the tentacles of the stellium as they reach out into the psyche and the daily activities, can take a lifetime.

How do I move forward with a Scorpio North Node?

One very effective way is to adopt the positive qualities of the North Node’s sign when planning goals and looking to the future. With Scorpio, this asks us to open ourselves to what others may prefer to leave hidden, to seek ‘the Truth,’ to be willing to deal with some form of the used, the damaged, and to assist transformation and re-birth. An effective attitude might be to think of oneself as a spiritual midwife of sorts, showing how to bring new life from the ancient and primal within. See Donna Van Toen’s excellent book, THE ASTROLOGER’S NODE BOOK http://www.amazon.com/Astrologers-Node-Book-Donna-Toen/dp/0877285217/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232465425&sr=1-1 for details for all signs.

What is tertiary progression?

Simply put, it’s a day-for-month symbolic method of natal chart progression, where each ephemeris day from birth on represents one month in the life. Can be an interesting timing mechanism, as elaborated on by Richard Houck in THE ASTROLOGY OF DEATH http://www.amazon.com/Astrology-Death-Richard-Houck/dp/0964161257/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232465634&sr=1-1  Don’t let the title put you off–this is a fascinating examination of timing methods, particularly about what ‘sets off’ a natal point or eclipse pattern.

What’s a trine, what’s a square?

A trine is an aspect degree as measured in the flat chart of 120 degrees, and generally represents an ease of exchange between the two energies. This can facillitate positive expression, or act to enhance a laziness or out-of-control quality that can make a trine any ‘easy downfall’ aspect. For instance, a trine between Venus and Jupiter can make for an expansive love nature, extreme generosity, easy projection of willingness to partner, a love of learning or teaching, and so on, but it can also make for a spendthrift, exaggeration of the importance of relationship, or for a major capacity for indiscretion, to name a few.

The square is a similarly determined 90 degree aspect that suggests conflict between two energies. It can be very helpful because it insists one deal with the disparities of expression, but can also show a basic dissonance that can be very hard to overcome. So, a square between Mercury and Mars can make for aggressive speech and thoughts that require one pull back and learn to moderate assertion, but can also create a volcanic temper that may be hard pressed to find another outlet for the Martian urge.

Does Mercury in the 8th House mean death?

No.

I have Mercury in the 8th natally and it hasn’t killed me yet. So if you mean, does it indicate death eventually, then, I think we can safely say that of any placement! And if you mean, does transiting Mercury in the 8th mean death, then ‘no’ to that too, as no one would live more than a year if that were the case! Also out are progressed, directed, and Solar Arc Merc as death indicators in the 8th.

metrosexuality little arms

I’m truly speechless at this–I have no idea how this query led to my site, though I suspect it had to do with aspect ‘arms’ that are sometimes mentioned. All I can say is, good luck with whatever you’re looking for!

A few notes: if you’re wondering why sometimes a site will disappear from the blogroll, it’s because I review periodically each one listed–some I’m a regular visitor to, some not so often–and if it’s been a significant amount of time since updating occurred, or if the content has veered sharply from astrology, then I may remove them, sometimes only temporarily, as I see the blogroll as a list of recommendations that can serve a wide variety of tastes and accomplishment levels, and don’t want to leave up links that will feel like dead ends, either by lack of activity or by divergence from subject. As to listings you might expect that are not here, there could be many reasons (though I don’t ‘trade’ links with anyone). It could be that the site is primarily promotional for the astrologer’s services, and so not of informational interest; it could be that I’ve never visited the site, that the site just isn’t to my taste, or that I find the material irrelevant, ego-filled, or incompetent. The links I do list I feel have something unique and of value to at least some of my readers; and I base this solely on my own judgment, with no requirement that they link to me. Hope that answers any questions!

Remember that when you’re searching, long phrases or questions will be cut off, so keep it short and to the point.

Here’s a site for Stargazers who have questions about the current night sky: http://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy/tonights_sky/

And have a great inauguration Tuesday (here in the states) or regular Tuesday (everywhere else!)

The Test

15 Thursday Jan 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, future events in the sky, Mercury

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This is the test: how will we respond when confronted with something crushing, to our hopes, to the plans and goals of someone we love, to the life circumstances presented? How will we deal with a worst-case-scenario that we always thought would somehow be avoided? And we must understand something right at the start: what’s being tested is the standard of our own attitudes and beliefs, the relationship we have internally with the Universe; it’s not a test imposed from the outside, though the externals embody challenges particular to each of us as individuals. Who are we, and where do we go, in a spiritual sense, when trials come? This is the test.

Everyone appears to be grappling with something like this now, something that shows quite clearly how closely our spiritual ideas and ideals align with (or diverge from) our practice of such in the material world. Those who believe the spiritual and the physical do not reflect each other are having the worst time right now, as they confidently reject the concept of our earthly existence as a manifestation of both spirituality and karmic challenge. And please don’t misunderstand; I’m not saying that those who appear ‘lucky,’ have money, or accomplish much are somehow ‘doing better,’ spiritually speaking, than the rest of us–for who can know with certainty the real challenges being faced by any individual other than ourselves? For those who seem blessed, the test may come in a form such as, When I have great luck, how do I treat others? When I enjoy prosperity, what do I do with it, and how do I spend my intangibles, like time and love? When I accomplish, do I appreciate the roles others have played in my success? And those who enjoy abundantly in the material world may be in the midst of a response that could lead them to a hard fall, a big loss, a tragedy, in any area–for, since all energy is in spiritual terms interchangeable, the difficulties faced may play out in any arena, and carry their own special meaning for the individual–and the rest of us may have little awareness of the reality of things for anyone else.

Astrologically, I see a handful of likely culprits that may describe hurdles we’re facing; of course, one will be more or less responsive, depending on how such aspects hook into the natal chart. For some it will be a medley, for others only one aspect will be the focus of the challenge; and how we respond is as unique and individual as each Being. As well, major transits to natal planets at this time may carry the individual key to the current challenge.

Some of the aspects considered have been in effect for a while, others are just forming, but in any case the circumstances have been shaping up in their overt manifestations for roughly two to three months, so I believe a majority probably take the Saturn opposition to Uranus as background. This is likely a contest of wills, with each side firmly convinced that their approach is the ‘right’ one. That alone should be the clue that flexibility and empathy are the keys to unlocking the stalemate, no matter the subjects or justifications. For those whose upsets came rather abruptly (even though one can look back and trace a vapor trail of potential as the two factors made their way toward each other) I would suggest that Saturn quincunx Neptune may be expressive of the challenge: fear v. delusion, the tried and true v. the unknown, the solid v. the intangible, tight boundaries v. none at all. Too, the Saturn/ Neptune quincunx may be adding to the already existing situation, providing a sense of ‘reality v. unreality’ to the proceedings. And for some, the shift of Pluto into Capricorn may hold the key, with its challenges that ask, is our world, and what we do in it, truly relevant, or must it undergo extreme and irrevocable change?

Sun conjunct Juno is another candidate, bringing classic identity and empowerment struggles to the fore. Do I do it for me, or do I do it because ‘they’ told me to, and if I do, what does that make me? Choices here are dependent on how thoroughly we know our own Soul identity and purpose for both effectiveness and meaning, while the Jupiter/ Pallas square pits our own internal wisdom against the social order; the conflict is on a larger scale, or at least against a wider backdrop, with our choice affected by how conscious we are of the social standard, and how dependent we are on society’s judgement to feel comfortable in our own skin.

Points at which we may get feedback that will let us know how well we’ve handled things (many revolve around Mercury as messenger): Jan. 19th Venus semi-square Pluto= values, finances, and relationships surrender to ‘the Truth; Jan. 20th-23rd Venus conjunct Uranus= generally may indicate our response to the events of the 19th, if we’re ‘keyed’ to Venus; those awaiting news or revelation must get through the retrograde period first, then Mercury turns around and reveals what was ‘cooking’: Feb. 20th-23rd Mercury conjunct the North Node= it’s a destiny-shaping message; will we listen? Feb. 22nd-24th Mercury conjunct Jupiter= the social order gives us feedback, or the repercussions of our struggle are bigger than we anticipated; Feb. 25th-27th Mercury conjunct Juno= we learn who holds the real power, and we find the definition of andextent of our own strength in the process; Feb. 28th-Mar. 3 Mercury conjunct Mars= if the message requires action, this is when we’ll take it; Mar. 3rd-4th Mercury conjunct Chiron= we hear how to heal; again, do we listen? We also have a ‘weak point’ March 4-6th when Mercury conjuncts Neptune and we are in danger of succumbing to illusion or fantasy, inner generated or offered from without, and we have a possible ‘payoff point’ on March 4th when Venus sextiles Pallas, highlighting the wise course in relationships, values support, and finances.