Category Archives: Transit Effects Explored

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

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I’ve done a series of articles over the years on different historical mysteries, always titled ‘A Question of History’; this one first appeared in a 2014 issue of ECLIPSE.

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

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

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

But was he susceptible to Mother Nature? Wow, was he ever! Ceres sits at 29 Libra 11, under stress and hidden just inside the 12th and a hair above the start of the 1st House; it’s the T-arm of a wide Vesta-Uranus opposition, suggesting that stress from Nature shows up in erratic and sudden behaviors that are contrary to the highest values. Ceres is the body of latest degree; it implies that all matters end in some sort of ‘reaction’, be it in relation to his sense of authority, his boundaries, his negotiating power, or his interaction with Nature.

‘Strawberries in a Basket‘ By Joseph Decker 1887 {{PD}}

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

Richard’s Ceres is also conjoined a 00 Scorpio Mercury (lungs, nerves, highly sensitive to what’s communicated, and at 00 he’s just learning to deal with this in a Scorpionic fashion). The asteroid also sextiles the North Node (while not driving the destiny, it easily figures in), trines Jupiter, ruler of the 2nd (the Ceres nature affects his relationship with the social sphere, his knowledge—indicating potential for the mind and reasoning to be affected by any reaction—and his grasp of the ‘Big Picture’), and is widely conjoined Saturn, again emphasizing the impact of the surrounding reality via Ceres. We also see his Mars in Aries conjoined his Earth, both in the 6th of health, yet again showing the importance of the environment and his own choices and actions on the health picture. This is not to mention the Grand Trine of Ceres, Jupiter, and the South Node, which does suggest that knowledge from the past, lessons learned, would guide ‘reaching out’ efforts and attempts to widen his authority and influence—and this is something that probably initially went very right for him, getting him to the position he enjoyed in June of 1483.

A look at the transits on the day of Richard’s strawberry feast include the Sun fresh in sensitive Cancer trine his Ceres-Mercury, and Saturn at 00 Scorpio conjoined his Mercury, highlighting nervous sensitivity to the material world; transiting Zeus is exact conjoined his Pluto (destructive desires!); transiting Ceres trines his Saturn (again, the influence of Nature made manifest), transiting Eris widely conjoined his Earth-Mars (irritation!); and there were not one but three transiting bodies at 29 degrees during the day, if we include the Virgo Moon (at 29 degrees for a noon chart, so perfect for an allergic reaction) as well as Jupiter and Pallas, all impacting natal Ceres, expanding the potential for sensitivity and reaction, and this in turn having an impact on the common sense and wisdom of the individual (Pallas)—and with Jupiter in the mix, we might consider the reaction could’ve been extreme, even potentially fatal.

There is one other thing: a natal aspect of the 24th Harmonic of 105 degrees (popularly termed the Squine, as it’s halfway between a square and a trine!) between Richard’s Zeus and his Ceres and Mercury. Though some feel there’s no reliable interpretation to be applied to this aspect, I believe that’s generally so because enough astrologers haven’t observed it in action for a long enough time to find consistent characteristics. We must keep in mind, too, that Ceres is not just about one’s interaction with Nature; it’s also about one’s sense of authority and interaction with those who hold authority, concerns boundaries and the propensity to overstep them, and applies to one’s negotiative abilities. If Richard’s Ceres was ‘triggered’ by strawberry consumption, and this affected the thinking (Mercury), then too it could’ve affected the ambitions and desires (Zeus)—and as we know, when the ambitions are touched by fear such as may have occurred with a biological reaction interpreted as poisoning or an occult attack, then it wouldn’t be surprising for the ‘victim’ to have grabbed as much power and control for himself as possible in a bid to insure his own safety, leading to the ominous and still unanswered disappearance of two little boys, and changing the course of a kingdom.“

The Princes in the Tower By John Everett Millais 1878 {{PD}}

Addendum on the Princes in the Tower: Though we still can’t be sure what was the fate of the two princes, the bones of two children were discovered in the Tower in 1674; these were re-buried in Westminster Abbey, which now refuses to allow disinterment and testing to see definitively if these were the nephews of Richard III. And the mystery continues.

Pluto Into Aquarius: A Very Personal Acid Trip

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‘Trippy’ By Psychonaught {{PD}}

What does Pluto feel like in Aquarius? An acid trip, a break-you-down-to-build-you-up health spa or boot camp, disintegration of the Higher Mind, a tunnel lined with swirly colors, the Grim Reaper in tie-dye, seeing life through a ‘now or never’ lens, Understanding delivered through destruction or transformation, the Intellect exploring the depths of existence (and so perhaps traumatized though somewhat removed from direct experience of those depths), a crowd going dangerously wild, a group experience that helps you discover the ‘true’ individual role or even the emergence of a leader, and there’s always the possibility that, especially early in the transit, we get the destructive side of things without immediately seeing the restoration or rebuilding, as in the context of revolution or rebellion.

In Aquarius Pluto attunes the mind to Plutonian energies. It’s a little like that saying, ‘If you’ve got a hammer, everything looks like a nail’, but in this case it may be ‘When you find one thing that needs to be eliminated, you may start to think everything has to go!’ Extremes are always a danger with Pluto, but especially so when the god of the Underworld moves through Air, as that changes thinking. We saw massive changes around relationships when Pluto was in Libra (1971-1984), when the critique developed under Virgo led to the destruction of old stigmas around relationships (such as assumptions around divorce or single parenthood), with the proof found in a soaring divorce rate, single parents by choice, couples living together rather than tie the knot, and a worshiping Wall Street mentality that for some substituted one Libra subject, Money, for another, Love.

Pluto in Aquarius brings a disintegrative quality to academic forms of knowledge; the conclusions we’ve drawn from study, experimentation, and observing via the scientific method somehow evolve or don’t hold. With Pluto in the very last degrees of Capricorn we’ve seen Artificial Intelligence surge to the foreground, applied in ways we didn’t anticipate, that cause fear or misunderstanding, and that threaten, at least in the minds of some, to extinguish human thought and creativity as irrelevant. Never fear; we’re only seeing exploration of extremes, a backlash to the perception of intellectual (and other) limits that was a constant theme with Pluto in Cap.

What practical effects might we see? Ones where change is instituted most effectively by group effort–we may learn the importance of banding together, and of choosing the most appropriate leader in any situation. We might also see a more pervasive appreciation of the sciences and simultaneously revolutionary changes in both our assumptions about what makes up the Universe and in effective application of what is known and proven. Changes to our ability to understand everything in our lives, both individually and Collectively, are on the agenda, and we’re guaranteed to emerge into Pluto in Pisces with a much less restrictive view of our Universe, an understanding that truly opens the creative imagination. We may also come to understand that change itself doesn’t require a revolution; it can happen at the quantum level, with our perceptions of the energy expenditure to make things different becoming much less literal hands-on, and much more propelled by the energy of intent.

We may come to anticipate Death as an adventure, an exploration of what consciousness can perceive and experience, rather than seeing it as the end of physical existence, and there may be a kind of perceptual melding of the Mind and Soul, so that we confuse and/ or venerate the two as one. This offers us an alternative to the idea that Pluto carries of finality, of endings that are irreversible, to the finiteness of all things, and may make us exquisitely sensitive to (and perhaps much more accepting of) the way change is the one constant, to be welcomed rather than mourned.

And we may form an entirely new, ‘modern’ concept of what Power truly is. That can only be a good thing, as we come to see that it’s not about controlling others or exerting our Will, but rather lives in the constancy and force inherent to Love, to Intention, and to an exercise of Will that sees it act as flowing water, soaking in where welcome, respectfully accommodating the immovable stones and blending seamlessly into already extant rivers. In that way our idea of Power becomes respectful of others, a cooperative one; never before has ‘Go with the flow’ had more, and more accurate, meaning, in terms of expressing ourselves and getting what we want, while still honoring others and what is.

Pluto is the agent of change that, in Aquarius, requires we embrace what’s modern and ‘new’–get ready, we’ll have plenty of chance to practice. This transit amounts to experiences that form a very personal and very specific lens through which to view the Universe, ones that may initially confuse, disorient, or completely take us outside what we know–and yet it will all be shaped by our own unique experiences– so try to enjoy!

Saturn In Pisces: Nailing Down the Dream

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‘Clouds in Finland’ By Konrad Krzyżanowski 1908 {{PD}}

Dreams get a roughly two and a half year long reality check, with Saturn, the planet of materiality and the passage of time, in Pisces, the sign of the ideal, the imagined, the ephemeral, the possible. We’ll see what dreams we can make our reality, and more importantly, how to bring them about, as Saturn offers organization, patience, and even some necessary compartmentalization, to the land of the creative and the hoped for. Our generative urges demand concrete forms, or the kind of realization that makes them tangible to others, while our ideals are measured, whether we intend to do any measuring or not, against what we’ve actually created in our lives. I don’t need to lecture you on how this is actually a gift, to be able to see our progress in an objective light–though at first it may make us rail against all the ways we’ve been prevented from moving forward, may depress us as we grasp just where we are, or inspire us in ways we hadn’t anticipated.

Saturn in Pisces may also bring an end to things that have drained us, as we dreamed and maybe held off living in the hope that the dream would rescue or remake, or if we mistook a fantasy for something sustaining, nourishing. This may feel like a loss, but it’s really an ending that’s gifting your own energy back to you. Taking responsibility for our own powerful creative force will be a prime requirement during this period, and we do so with the caveat that we must use Self-discipline, boundaries, limits, rules, logic, and stay connected to reality, in order to succeed.

If Saturn is moving through the bottom half of your flat chart (1st-6th Houses), you are in a period of development; don’t expect to easily go public with your efforts at this time–to the outside world, it may appear as if you are still ‘growing’ in that area. If Saturn is in the upper half of your flat chart (7th-12th), then what you do will be seen, and you’ll be judged on what shows. That means the whole thing has the tone of an audition, or something where you must prove yourself–so make sure you put forward your best.

Saturn was last in Pisces roughly early 1994-early 1996. If you’re old enough to remember that time, review it, because it’s not uncommon for the same challenges, issues, or concerns to come forward again–sometimes dressed up differently (sometime even unrecognizably, at first), but the underlying matter is essentially the same. And if you recall early 1964-early 1967, take a look at what was going on for you then, too. We can learn a great deal from the patterns the planets present us, because we’ll be acting within and reacting to those same energies on a periodic basis–and how better to get perspective on our own responses?

This isn’t just a period of personal development, though. We can expect to become familiar with what I’d like to call the Rules of the Unreal: we’ll learn to gauge how much and what kind of effort it takes to bridge (and so affect) factors in our agreed-upon reality with those of our Collective agreed-upon spirituality, which naturally will include cultural and Nature-based collective events. Look at your 12th House, natally and particularly what may be transiting through it during Saturn in Pisces, for hints as to what your role might be, or what mass experience you might be caught up in. This is manifestation as a species–but as with any big occurrence, these events and trends will impact each individual in their own, unique ways.

The House Saturn is transiting is always a place where we’re meeting matters of Self-discipline, restrictions, and costs head-on; the House in the natal chart that holds Pisces is the House where we are most likely to ‘float’, become unconnected to reality, to dream and match those dreams to our ideals, and to attempt, in the areas described by the House, to express our creative nature. Now that the two are together, it can at times be a recipe for our most inappropriate efforts toward Self-expression, whether that’s in our own particular brand of bucking the rules or in our attempt to create without a full understanding of the reality we’re trying to mold. There may be an element of sacrifice called for, specific to each natal body contacted and the aspect made by Saturn as it transits the sign. Pisces inspires us to a world without limits; Saturn tells us just exactly what the price of the world will be.

The Current Condition: Zelenskyy in the Role of His Life

04 Friday Mar 2022

Posted by in astrology, Astrology and History, Astrology and Identity, Current Events, current events in the sky, Finger of God, Natal Delineation, Transit Effects Explored

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{{PD}}

So here’s something I saw when researching the Moon book: it’s a compelling current transit picture for former comedian/ actor and now Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. I like to take a peek at newsmakers and historical figures, which can make for some time-jumping strangeness, like today, when I was examining the birth charts of Carl Jung, Napoleon I, Sharon Tate, Jean-Paul Guerlain, John McAfee, and Zelenskyy. It’s a process where I look at many more charts than I end up including in the book, but it’s always interesting, and in this case, maybe a little window into an individual who, until the present crisis, seemed to overall have been assessed as mild-mannered, a pushover, even not up to the task of running a country. The natal chart begs to differ.

Zelenskyy was born 25 January 1978 at 2 PM (Rodden rating A, from memory) in Krivoj Rog, Ukraine. This gives him an Aquarian Sun in the Whole Sign 9th House, conjoined a Venus that is just pulling away from their Superior Conjunction (that being the meeting of Sun and Venus when Venus is direct). The ideal with this man is the concept of understanding, especially others or the partner, via the intellect. Everything has to make sense, and interaction with and group effort with others (and he doesn’t shy away from being leader, when appropriate) is paramount. He moves toward the modern, the innovative, the unique, what benefits the group–he sees the value in that, accepts it as a philosophy by which to live, and strongly believes in Love as an active force in the Universe.

His 3rd House Leo Moon (making him an intuitive communicator, with feelings that support action, but also prone to not knowing if he’s thinking or feeling) touches a number of factors in the natal chart in a sort of chain-reaction way that links them all. The Moon rules the 2nd, suggesting his talent is versatility, an ability to ‘read the room’, to be a bit of a chameleon inspired by that darker side of life, those things that anger or enrage or that most are in denial of (Black Moon Lilith at 00–so highly raw and reactive–the only placement in the House). There’s also a positive sort of sensitivity, and an ability to think on his feet (good for acting/ improv and politics). Luna is semi-sextile Zeus (the feelings guide the ambitions, largely through discomfort that draws attention to needed change), sextile Pluto, ruler of 6th of duty, the everyday, job (an ability to intuit where change is needed, in order to carry out responsibilities), square Uranus, ruler of the 9th (difficulties may come from far away! The individuality may broadcast the beliefs, what he knows, in resistance to or rebellion from the conventional, and this inspires an original approach, ‘being himself’), and trine Neptune, ruler of the career and public image 10th, suggesting he has the ability to be seen as he wants to be seen, to build a career from his creativity, perhaps to mislead, confuse, or act as a screen upon which others project, as well. Moon trine Neptune is a dreamer, and an idealist, no question, with this combo uniting the 2nd and 10th, suggesting this is his core asset, and that it’s meant to ‘go public’.

So, we see a little about who he is, what he’s working with–and along comes the present situation. There are two transit pictures I’d like to mention: one is the way Saturn is just coming to his Aquarian Midheaven–it’s just over one degree from perfection, and Mercury is just separating from the same point. The Midheaven is set at the zenith of the chart, representing the highest point of the sky in relation to the place and time of birth–so also representing peak life achievement or notoriety for the individual. Where Saturn currently is in its journey around the natal chart tells us where we stand in terms of potential recognition and effectiveness of our actions in the real world. This, then, is a peak moment, one that he has been building toward for quite some time. His dream (11th) has Aries values of Self-reliance and Self-responsibility, of getting things done, and with both Eris and the South Node there, this may be a bit of a mission: acting to get away from or deal with the past, to mitigate or resolve strife.

The other interesting thing is a Finger of God, formed as Mars, Venus, Pluto, and Vesta arrive as a temporary apex to turn what is normally a simple natal sextile into a configuration base: Jupiter in Gemini in the 1st sextile Saturn in Leo in the 3rd. These base energies rule 7th and 8th (all others, open enemies, partners, and what is shared with them or contested), and suggest Zelenskyy naturally functions as a communicator and perhaps mediator with others, with his ability to show the social order (Jupiter) what the individual can do, be, or stand for (Saturn in Leo). The apex energies charge this up, collecting and focusing currents like a lightning rod, and suggesting that this normal function for Zelenskyy reaches a powerful realization point revolving around agreements to share or what is owed to whom (the four bodies are in his 8th), what change must occur (specifically what must be destroyed, resurrected, or regenerated, transforming the current condition), and that what’s sacred, to be honored, will be the measure by which this is carried out.

No matter what you think of him, he’s a player who’s found his stage and is having his moment, one that may be mission-fulfilling for him as an individual.

Eris In Action

12 Thursday Aug 2021

Posted by in astrology, Eris, Transit Effects Explored

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In honor of Eris helping us not be run over.
‘A Woman Defends Her Castle’ From Smithfield Decretals [Decretals of Gregory IX]
Author: Raymund of Peñafort, editor; Bernard of Parma, glossator
France 1300-1340 (text), England circa 1340 (illumination) {{PD}}

So, I thought after yesterday’s explanation of how I see Eris, an example is in order. The current situation with the sitting governor of the state of New York, Andrew Cuomo, involves women speaking up about mistreatment–which seems like an Eris situation, or at least one where she might have something to tell us. How convenient that Cuomo has promised to walk away from the governorship after accusations by at least eleven women of groping, assault, and inappropriate behavior led to a plethora of investigations, a potential impeachment, and (so far) at least one criminal complaint.

As of the 10th’s egregiously Self-serving press conference, the situation has revealed that 1) Cuomo’s made so many enemies during his strong-arm political career that when he needs them he’s without friends, and 2) that in spite of his many excuses, no one’s buying his ‘they moved the line as to what’s acceptable’ reasoning. Touching someone against their Will has always been over the line; Cuomo’s inability to admit he’s wrong is firmly rooted in Self-justification that says, I have the right to do as I please with others–the kind of power statement made by those who both hold power and believe in their own superiority. All his rambling, kitchen-sink speech on resigning the governorship has done is show the world how Cuomo doesn’t grasp that hiding his aggressions behind ‘friendly’ manhandling of both men and women isn’t acceptable–no matter how you characterize it and what you call it.

We have a birth date and place but no time for Cuomo (6 December 1957 ntk Queens New York USA). I drew a noon chart, as this gives us a clear idea of what his Moon situation is–in this case, showing that no matter when he was born, the Moon was in Gemini; this also shows us he was born not long before a Full Moon that will form early hours EST of the following day. No time unfortunately means we have no angles and no Houses, but we can see plenty just from relationships between bodies.

Eris is conjoined Hygeia and Vesta in Aries, and may sextile the Gemini Moon. If the sign in which she sits is any indication (and it is) his Eris may have issues with Will, assertion, and aggression. He may, in a phrase, insist upon himself. This also suggests a focus on ‘Me First’ in areas of health (reasonable) and in what he may commit to and find sacred, the problem with this latter being that, when one believes the decision of what’s sacred, what to respect, is one they are personally granted to make, one doesn’t completely respect anyone or anything else–the viewpoint is instead that they are the final arbiter of every topic and individual’s worth.

Eris’s placement is both a little wide for a quincunx to the North Node, and for a trine to Uranus–only a square to Mercury in Capricorn is in orb, aside from the conjunctions. Mercury in Cap suggests organized, structured, and constructive communications–we saw this in his daily Covid briefings early in the pandemic–but these same briefings also showed a plodding insistence, repetitive expressions, and a notable defensiveness (just think of the nursing home scandals that he managed to, if not bury, certainly dilute their political potency). In square with Eris-Hygeia-Vesta, we see persistent defensiveness over what, and probably how, he communicates, especially in areas of health, commitment, and what should be honored–so with the latter an inclination to reject what the establishment (Cap) thinks is honor-worthy in favor of, again, whatever he decides (Aries).

From what I could find, it appears the press conference began at 11:53 AM EDT 10 August. If that’s even close to accurate, that gives us a Virgo Moon square the natal Sun-Saturn-MC/ Earth-Juno axis, suggesting an emotional point of extreme tension regarding the established professional identity/ reputation and the material empowerment situation, especially the way the fortunes of the material environment ‘turn’, for him, on the empowerment of women. The natal situation with Earth-Juno further suggests that how he treated women he found ‘worthy’ was an integral part of his story–certainly true right now, and perhaps true over and over for him, throughout life.

And what’s transiting Eris doing right now? She’s conjoined his Sedna in Aries, and opposed, only one minute past exact, his natal Jupiter in Libra. aha! Here Eris’s presence may reveal by disturbing the ether, by shaking things up, by seeking justice, as she forces what Cuomo ‘knows but doesn’t know’, his ‘blind spot’ material, out into the open, this only reinforcing the awareness that he really does know what he did was wrong–but that he also allowed himself to continue with this behavior by pretending it wasn’t.

Transiting Eris’s opposition to Jupiter is interesting, if we see it both as his proclivity to push past reasonable boundaries (literally encroaching on others’ personal space) within relationships (Libra), and opportunity, publicity, and popularity, as defined through the public lens. An opposition describes some of what he did in his resignation speech: point the finger of blame at absolutely everyone and everything else, from cultural norms to political enemies to (hold on to your hats for this one) vengeful women.

Currently, transiting Eris is in close semi-sextile to transiting Pallas and square transiting Pluto, suggesting that difficult change, even destruction, stirred up by Eris (remember, she’s a catalyst) contains a certain amount of wisdom. As to the idea that what’s happening is vengeance on the part of the (female) accusers, it’s pretty clear to me it’s not. Transiting Eris is quincunx transiting Venus in this chart, the latter of which was due to be hit by the Moon before it left Virgo, which may at first glance imply this is revenge on the part of the women–but look again: t Eris isn’t contacting his natal Venus, which is at 00 Aquarius, implying a newness for Cuomo in the ‘modern woman’ concept as part of his core perceptions, and t Eris also isn’t in contact with his Ceres at 29 stressful degrees of Cancer, making Ceres a natal out-of-sign opposition to his natal Venus.

That scenario says it was almost inevitable that his reaction to the personal authority and autonomy of women in his life would create problems. Ceres so late in Cancer and under pressure from the modern idea of womanhood (opp to Venus in Aquarius) suggests to me that he’s a bit of a cave man, longing for the days (at least, a time he thinks existed) when women were responsible for nurturing–indeed were required to nurture (and so required to coddle, indulge, and cooperate with) everyone in their sphere. He’s always had trouble treating women Beings as valid in their perceptions and rightfully autonomous as himself; that’s his flaw, not theirs. When we see that transiting Juno is trine his Eris, and transiting Mars is quincunx it, we get the message that it’s his own assertive actions, his own choices, that have put him in this uncomfortable position (the quincunx), and that transiting Juno in Sagittarius has been stirred to speak up for herself, to take her own power back by broadcasting exactly what happened, by getting the facts out into the open.

And to those who say, why didn’t those women speak up sooner? I have to answer: if you’re asking that question, then you’re either oblivious to the system we live in (one in which it’s an uphill battle for women to be taken seriously, to be believed, even after Me Too), or oblivious to the massive power imbalance that made Cuomo, like so many other men, feel it’s their right and privilege to take what they want.

Tomorrow’s Eclipse

13 Sunday Dec 2020

Posted by in current events in the sky, eclipse, Solar Eclipse, Transit Effects Explored

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By Kudaibergen Urinbayev – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46217328

In case you haven’t seen it, here’s something on tomorrow morning’s Solar eclipse–and if it aspects any of your natal placements, there’s something here on what to possibly look for. Have a wonderful eclipse, and stay safe!

Finding Joy in the Horoscope

13 Friday Sep 2019

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, astrology, Consciousness Explored, Something For You, Spiritual Considerations, Transit Effects Explored

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‘Circle Dancing’ By Franz Stuck 1910 {{PD}}

I thought instead of a forecast for the weekend (because I anticipate we’ll all be sorting through the Lunar energies of the Full Moon for a bit), I’m offering a re-print from ECLIPSE, modified and edited slightly. Have a wonderful weekend!

Do you ever have a moment with a stranger? One where your eyes meet and you feel this kind of Soul blending and for a heartbeat of time you completely lose awareness of your surroundings? The moment stretches, and then you fall out of it, as abruptly as it began, usually at the moment you realize how odd it is for you to have locked eyes with a total stranger. It’s funny to think that some of the best moments I’ve ever experienced were brought about by this kind of wordless, ultra-fleeting encounter; what made it pleasant were two conditions that gurus are constantly telling us we need to cultivate: losing awareness of the Self, and losing spiritual boundaries, in the sense that you lose not just the consciousness of yourself as separate, but feel a distinctly boundary-less connectedness, a Oneness with All That Is, because in truth, when you are having this kind of experience, you are not just one with the stranger, you are one with everything.

Neither of these, the loss of Self-awareness or the sense of connection, can be commanded consciously. We may well ask, why do we not share many, or any, of these moments with people we already know? It doesn’t happen for a very simple reason: because we have imposed a thick lens of expectations, anticipations, imaginings, and the past onto the individuals we know, and it keeps us from connecting on that pure level. Sometimes, of course, spirit manages to leak through the illusions each has imposed upon the other, and we do have that moment of perfect harmony, perfect awareness—but not often, and certainly not as often as we’d like with our most intimate relationships.

Of course, there are ways to encourage such experiences, as through meditation (an attempt to set Self-consciousness aside), in sleep (through dreams, where the unconscious, and so our connections to the Cosmos, become prominent), and in the practice of seeing without that imposed lens, which can only be dealt with consciously, moment-to-moment—something the Seeker strives for continually. We can note the propensity for such experiences, as well as the likely venues or circumstances during which we may experience them, through the House placement of related energies; more on that in a moment.

‘Young Man and Woman’ By Charles W. Hawthorne 1915 {{PD}}

There is another kind of communion with a stranger, one where the connection sparks from observing or being involved in a mutually shared experience, usually starting in a shared remark, an answer, and an understanding. This typically leads to the temporary loss of boundaries between the two spirits involved; we share the experience through a common event, a shared observation or connection that is like an acknowledgment: “Yes, we have shared the same thing, at the same time, we understand each other”. This does not often have the purity of the Soul-to-Soul encounter, but does include the feeling of connectedness; in this instance, we don’t lose the sense of separateness, but do feel the link to others. These often have the character of Jupiter (the social scene), Uranus (a group experience), or Neptune (the ‘mass’ experience, shared with a very large group).

The more intimate, Soul-to-Soul, boundary-less moments can be characterized by transiting bodies making contact to natal bodies, with the area of experience delineated either by the House transited and/ or by the House matters ruled by the contacted body. For instance, Ceres transiting the 4th square Uranus in the 1st in Virgo, ruling the 6th, can bring a harsh experience or surprise from Nature (the square) that reflects the health, or comes from or affects the job or duties (6th) but that could result in a transcendent moment that illuminates one’s connection to Nature, that even shows one how much a seamless part of Nature we truly are as human Beings. It’s the real-life Circle of Life, and during our brief experience we are at One with it. Or, this same contact could bring forward a deep inner sense of natural authority (Ceres) that is expressed as higher knowledge or through taking an academic or innovative (Uranus) approach on the job or toward health (6th).

I think of these moments, even when instigated by less-than-pleasant happenings or triggers, as points of Joy in the chart, potential times of learning and transcendence. Here are a few of the possible associations that will help you find the potentials in your own chart. Whether the contacts are transiting, Solar Arc, Secondary Progression, or natal, they all carry the ability to offer those fleeting times of perfection in relating to All That Is.

The inner planets offer some obvious entrance points to joy when contacted by transit, though as transiting elements themselves they typically must aspect one of the ‘heavier’ energies (Jupiter out) in order to have the potential for this specific kind of impact—and of course, those contacts are most fleeting. The Moon speaks of joy gained through emotional experience or intuited in purest form, the Sun through expression of the identity or Soul Purpose, Mercury through communicating something we consider important, Venus through Love or the experience of reward or expression of values, and Mars through taking action or a statement of ‘I Am’.

The asteroids act as more narrow conduits, and in the case of Sedna the body moves very slowly, prolonging the contact to a natal body. Sedna aspecting a natal body brings long-term experiences of the depths of the contacted energy that takes us close to life-death-life, probably repeatedly and in many forms.

Ceres signals joy gained through expression of authority, power, connection to Nature, nurture of what ‘belongs’ to you, or negotiation, Vesta through gestures involving those energies to which we are dedicated, the home and mate, through what we regard as sacred, Pallas through use of practical skills or innate wisdom, Juno through circumstances of empowerment or status, and Zeus through realization of ambitions and desires.

Jupiter offers the joy of expanding one’s world or experience, as well as the joy gained from acceptance on the social scene. It also signifies the joy of knowledge, the desire to ‘know just to know’ and the association of this energy with ancestry and the past, as Jupiter carries the kind of information that relies on the accumulated knowledge of those who came before.

Saturn offers the joy of reality, as well as the intangible joy of accomplishment. Sometimes we denigrate the material world, mistakenly believing that it’s inferior to the spiritual. In such an instance our definition of spiritual is lacking: the material world is the spiritual world, as much as the unseen factors are. When we look at our material surroundings and physical manifestations and happenings as indeed spiritual, we open up an entirely new way of relating to the material—and we begin to see the infinite in the finite, in what can be held in the hand.

Uranus offers the joy of surprise, the joy of the new, the joy of awakening, intellectually or otherwise, and has the unique ability to give us the experience of leadership and individuality at the same time as it can blend us perfectly with the group.

Neptune offers the joy of creation, with the manifestation of what one has only dreamed or imagined, the potential of living one’s ideals, and holds the most promise for the boundary-less experience, as does anything related to the matters of the House that contains Pisces.

Pluto offers the joy of renewal, of change, of the end of something painful or arduous, and the joy of phoenix-like transformation, with re-birth as the ultimate expression of pure hope, with a sense of hope bringing the greatest joy of all.

Catch Friday night’s Full Moon report here–

A Little Something On Eclipses

28 Friday Jun 2019

Posted by in astrology, eclipse, Lunar Aspects, Lunar Eclipse, Solar Eclipse, Transit Effects Explored, Transits and Cycles

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By Kudaibergen Urinbayev – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46217328

Here’s a little something in general on eclipses and how they may impact the individual chart.

Neptune and the Spiritual Quest, Part IV

17 Sunday Jun 2018

Posted by in astrology, Neptune, Transit Effects Explored

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Very Neptune in the 12th House, this. Arthur Hughes – ‘Sir Galahad – The Quest for the Holy Grail’ 1869 {{PD}}

·         Neptune at the Midheaven can spell ‘c-r-i-s-i-s’ as we lose sight of who we are in relation to the world, can cause others to project an image on us (a glamorous one, one that casts us as Savior, or one that calls us ‘Liar!’ for a few possibilities), or we may actively hide who we are behind a Neptunian drape painted only with characteristics and an image we want others to see. Much of the effect achieved through this contact will depend on how we have been using and processing Neptune up until now; it will likely shake out as a period when we feel extraordinarily helpless in affecting our reputation, or we’ll be totally in command, selling a chosen illusion (this isn’t necessarily a bad thing–think of an actor who bases her or his reputation on an idealized social Archetype).

·         During transit of the 10th Neptune either works powerfully in our favor, aiding us through the impression others receive, or it casts us as victims in some form, making us misunderstood. At this point our spiritual quest is right out in the open, though we quickly become aware of how powerful Neptune is, as well as how the energies are ordered through the unconscious and the Collective, often almost without any awareness on our part. This is typically a ‘make or break’ time for an individual, with it being almost impossible to say what the effects of the transit will be without knowing the particular goals and dreams she or he harbors, as well as what public role she or he is playing; it is safe to say, though, that the effect of the spiritual state on the career will be defined at this time and manifested in creative and unique ways.

·         In the 11th Neptune is right at home, bringing dreams into reality as well as pointing out what illusions have, until now, kept us from achieving them. This is another House where Self-honesty is vital to real progress. The quest in this House is almost self-igniting, putting a flame under even the most unfocused or easily distracted of us. The challenge, though, is that our purpose will be vetted through either taking our own place at the head of the pack (as a leader in our field, say) or expressing as a unique individual doing something entirely (to our own minds) new, and it becomes apparent quickly that in both cases we need a group, to bounce our ideas off of, to lead, to impress, or to whip up into anarchy–and that makes us susceptible to the group’s sway, power, and opinions–not the independent position we might be inclined to at this time. Weaknesses exist in possible deception from friends and through groups, in our own unwillingness to see a long-held dream in real terms, and in the propensity for some to drift and seek escape, once they see that realizing dreams takes real work.

Passage through the 12th works below the surface, or for some shows through interaction with large institutions, through healing or spiritual work, through relief work, or in the meditation or dream life. This is highly individual, running the gamut from completely internal to taking an almost Cosmically large part (but how big can the part really be, in all the Cosmos? a more accurate idea may be ‘to take part without boundaries’) in Universal proceedings. The quest in this House becomes an effort to know the Soul, so that repressed experiences come forward once more, hidden materials surface, denied knowledge is re-awakened, and our relationship to All-That-Is permeates consciousness and every event in life. Can draw the unexpected into manifestation from the unconscious, and so often is a time filled with revealing, surprising, and life-altering events.

Neptune and the Spiritual Quest, Part III

15 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in astrology, Neptune, Transit Effects Explored

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Ernst Ferdinand Oehme – ‘Procession in the Fog’ 1827 {{PD}}

·         When Neptune hits the Descendant we may project the dream or the spiritual quest outward, onto the masses, and we could be tempted to make others responsible for our own creativity or dream attainment. We could see the answer to Neptunian issues lying with the world itself: Martin Luther King had transiting Neptune on the Descendant degree, just 37 minutes from perfection, when he delivered his ‘I have a dream’ speech.

·         In the 7th Neptune puts us in something of a bad spot: we may be seeking the ideal companion, partner, or mate, just at the time when we are most likely not to see others clearly. Again our experience depends a great deal on how willing we are to be honest with ourselves; if you run from Truth at this point, you run from clearing the fog and using the creative energy that is in reality at your disposal. What I’ve seen most often with this transit is that the individual is invited to see his or her associates in all parts of the life with clarity, and it’s only his or her unwillingness to let go of Neptunian illusion or deception that prevents this. That implies that Neptune isn’t the source of confusion, but instead merely a kind of mirror that reflects this very thing as it exists within us. We could even say that Neptune prompts the imagination to fill in the blanks and make intuitive leaps that reveal everything we might want to know at this time–and it’s up to us to look at what’s revealed, rather than to look away. Neptune through the 7th can be a difficult transit for artists, as a lack of confidence could make us see talent and creative ability as ‘out there’, making it hard to identify the creative essence within our own make-up. Travel and social interaction during this transit can be highly inspiring, and should be undertaken if possible. A desire to see the world and others in it as they truly are seems to be the key to using Neptune’s transit of the 7th to full advantage.

·         Into the 8th Neptune may bring forward shared creative ventures, dreams, and causes that rest on ideals or spiritual aspirations shared with others. We may take the role of inspiring others to great heights with this transit, whether we are ‘natural’ leaders or not, and our mere presence may act to inspire those around us; our own spiritual attunement seems to ‘show’, somehow, and we wear our dreams and ideals on our sleeves. What we share with others of a spiritual or creative nature is the focus. We may become proselytizers of sorts, seeking the spiritual in Everyman, and our interest in exploring spiritual facets of the life-death-life cycle can inspire profound exchanges with others (however, this comes with the caveat that at this time we can be inadvertently destructive in our zealousness). We also may become adept fund raisers and project instigators under a banner of betterment: if you have every wanted to contribute to a cause in concert with others, this is when it’s most likely to happen, and in the process offer you deep personal insight into your own and others’ spiritual natures.

·         Through the 9th Neptune takes that spiritual insight gained in the 8th and shares it with others on a larger stage, and through formal means, such as print, broadcasting, teaching, or in some way codifying insights. This may take one on an actual, literal pilgrimage, or could (with the right natal influences) make one a spiritual teacher, prompt one to enter a religious discipline or order, or could inspire study, publishing one’s work, or traveling–but in any case, this transit gives all choices that fall in the 9th House the flavor of the spiritual quest–so though one’s external circumstances may not change at all, one’s interaction with the world becomes a vehicle for exchange of spiritual knowledge. This transit is when we are most likely to consciously consider making spiritual work some aspect of our life’s work, and when we may form the basis for our spiritual philosophy, or re-form it, depending on in which House our natal Neptune started out.

See today and tomorrow’s forecast here–