Category Archives: Transit Effects Explored

Neptune and the Spiritual Quest, Part III

15 Friday Jun 2018

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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–

Neptune and the Spiritual Quest, Part II

14 Thursday Jun 2018

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A. Y. Jackson -‘House of Ypres’ c1918 {{PD}}

·         Neptune crossing the IC may bring forward one or more instances of questioning the identity, obscuring ‘where we live’ in a psychic sense, or false starts in the ‘what I should be doing’ department. The contact places a layer of uncertainty and creative potential over the deepest beliefs about the Self and, reflexively speaking, shines this on the Midheaven as well. Can mark the beginning of a shift in Self-perception that drives new career, creative, or path-development options.

·         Neptune through the 4th sets us on the quest for an ideal home; this often takes both a literal form and a figurative one. An environment most suitable to the ideal Self is sought, and we may explore different living situations, in the hope we’ll find the one that feels completely like ‘home’. It’s unlikely we’ll find anything that fits the bill, simply because for Neptune home is the womb–a place we can’t exactly crawl back into! There’s often lots of uncertainty surrounding the living situation when Neptune transits here, and typically at least a few crises focused on the way in which we live (earning a living and/ or the routines or habits of consumption or daily life). Some with this transit enter group living situations such as communes or shared housing, and radical changes to possessions (particularly to the idea of what we need) may occur; it’s also possible that becoming a vagabond of sorts to a Collective cause may happen, effectively ‘dissolving’ the need for a home, at least for now. Everyone taps a deep inner creativity at this time; some will funnel Neptune into decorating and creating an ideal environment, and it’s easy to think we are meant to hang out our shingle and decorate everyone’s homes, become artists, or otherwise abandon careers to do something we’ve only just taken an interest in–but as with the creative writing of Neptune’s transit of the 3rd, only those with some proclivities for this shown elsewhere in the chart, a natal influence that’s been under development before Neptune’s ingress to the 4th, should take such a potential path seriously. This transit may also plant the seed for mental, emotional, or physical maladies of a hard-to-pinpoint Neptunian nature that show up later.

·         In the 5th Neptune seems to summon the natal Neptunian proclivities and apply them to the creative acts, the children produced, the romances concocted, or the risks undertaken by the individual. Here we get much more of the flavor of the natal placement, rather than an undiluted Neptune vibe, and perhaps this is because each of the events/ acts associated with the 5th are Self-generated: you can’t make a project, a child, love, or gamble without willing participation. Permanent shifts in the way we regard 5th House subjects may be brought on during this transit, either from uncertainty and questioning of our previous approach, or through a new ideal or creative form that comes to our attention at this time. We may measure each House area for its personal spiritual applications for us–for instance, we may decide that our spiritual development does not require us to experience romance, or to have a child, and so these may be checked off our list forever. Trends seem to split into the highly idealized (which typically takes further efforts into ‘striving mode’–as with Art, or a new, imaginative goal or project–or into the realm where no further changes will come about–as in, for example, the idea of a ‘perfect child’ or perfect work of Art, that one will then not have, or not attempt to create, in order to maintain the possibility) or into a fixed state of delusion, fantasy, or inadequacy, wherein no efforts can move us forward, yet a lot of energy goes into yearning for the imagined outcome. We either ‘snap to’ as Neptune transits this House, and eventually muster vast creative energies in a highly original way, or we sink under the weight of a Self-imposed and accepted confusion (or beneath a choice to be indifferent, disoriented, or unfocused) that permanently excuses us from participating in 5th House areas of life.

·         Through the 6th Neptune can wreak havoc in the everyday routine and on the job front; it may seem there’s always something going on of which we’re unaware, or about which we haven’t been informed, so necessitates a scrambling to keep up. Confusion about our true duties and obligations can cause us to neglect what’s really meaningful to us and a sense that no progress can be made on the job front may be disconcerting and cause us to ‘give up the quest’. Unless our daily efforts are keyed to the creative or are in some way Neptunian, this transit can be highly debilitating, as it seems that we can’t gain ground, and can’t really tell the whys or wherefores of our distress. This is often the time when Neptunian illness seeded during transit of the 4th shows up, as the 6th is a house of health and the body. Best use of this passage for Neptune may be if we can see the bigger, spiritual point to our daily activities; if we can connect the dots between our own little lives and the workings of the Cosmos, we just might find a highly tuned Purpose behind the everyday humdrum and chaos, one that brings unprecedented peace and acceptance, taking our Beingness and our attunement via the mundane to a whole new level.

See Part I here, or what’s coming up later in the month here or the current forecast here–thanks!

Neptune and the Spiritual Quest

14 Thursday Jun 2018

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Bernard Hall – ‘The Quest’ -before 1935- {{PD}}

This is part one of a re-print from ECLIPSE, slightly modified and added to, centering on the effects of Neptune transiting through the natal Houses, though much of what’s said may apply to a natal placement in a House, as well.

Just looking at one facet of Neptune, his relationship to the spiritual in our lives–which really is everything in our lives–whether it be material circumstances, relationships, health, prosperity or lack, it’s all a simultaneous reflection of, creation of, and expression of our spiritual attunement. We can’t really separate out the Neptunian spiritual element from everything else–which is what makes the House position of transiting Neptune so important, as it tells us where that spiritual element may be especially active at any one time, in spite of any illusions, fog, or disguises it may veil conditions with.

Though we have very specific spiritual questions particular to the individual before us at all times, there is a broader influence from transiting Neptune that turns our attention repeatedly toward the spiritual essence of the matters of the House where Neptune currently is located. In areas where Neptune transits we may find ourselves working very hard to define subjects particular to the House it’s moving through; it’s as if we are squinting into the fog, looking for definitive outlines of what is spiritually true in this area of life. Neptune stirs our sense of creative potential as it transits, and even if we aren’t conscious of it, we are inspecting the House matters with an eye to what we can make of them, possibly at an idealized level. Notice that progress of Neptune through the Houses shows how our handling of the transit through one House and the associated success/ effectiveness is built upon that of the previous House; our chances of handling House energies well in relation to Neptune grows with how well we have handled each preceding stage (i.e. House) and its requirements.

·         Moving through the 1st Neptune makes us highly aware of the parts of our lives where we are truly applying spiritual principles. We look for the discrepancies between how we present ourselves and what our spiritual principles are stated to be, and in particular we inspect the mind/ body connection for spiritual dis-ease that shows as physical disease. We may be searching for ‘the perfect body’ or the perfect personality, and so we may show many of the hard-to-pin-down characteristics of the planetary energy; in seeking perfection of Self, we may be succumbing to a Neptunian delusion, accepting an externally sourced ideal as our own, deliberately adopting an illusion (about the Self), or mustering the creative to serve the personal, physical manifestation. We imagine what we can become, and in some way pursue it.

·         Transiting the 2nd Neptune typically strongly affects one of two life areas: we see Neptune applied to either the talents (showing as a massive push to mobilize the creative abilities to maximum use) or to earning capacity (possibly in going after ‘the dream’ as a source of income, or in pursuing ideals in a version of, ‘Do what you love and the money will follow’–which only works if the thing we’re pursuing is truly something we love, rather than something we’d like to don to fit an image–which itself is a misuse of Neptune). This is a true test of talents, abilities, and most importantly, our own capacity to be honest with ourselves. If we wrap ourselves in Neptune and deny the reality of our abilities, pretensions may be adopted and worn as ‘the answer’, with disastrous results. Self-image must match talents–when it does, quality-of-life and income dreams can come true. Neptune moving here inspires us to make manifest an ideal Self-image; it’s up to us to make sure this image is authentically our own.

·         Passing through the 3rd Neptune embeds himself in the realm of communications. Thought and all communication functions present us, in some way, with ideal creative potentials (even if that way is to show us what we don’t want or don’t know). We strain to perceive the spiritual behind communications, and we can’t shake the Neptunian influence, which may make some feel as if they just can’t think straight (and this should be taken into account–the individual can’t perceive objectively, no matter how stick-to-the-facts they are–this is because temporarily we’re shifting from facts and what’s obvious to gleaning information intuitively). During this transit we learn all about the unspoken in all forms of communication; we learn to read between the lines, and we become attuned to the messages contained in tone of voice, in gestures, and in the mere presence of another, much more finely than we may have been attuned before (this can also occur with Neptune moving through or natally in the 8th). Lessons in communication may come hard, as we are open to deception and susceptible to going along with something if it promises wish fulfillment. What’s written down becomes important, and we may embark on a writing career or avocation, if this was otherwise on the agenda for us, or lose ourselves in the writings or communications of others, a ‘dreaming all the time’ position. This transit often serves us a portion of humble pie, as we too often miss something important in the instructions, and this transit may convince some they are exceptionally talented psychics–but if the revelation of talent comes with this transit, it’s much more likely that one is simply discovering how to read what’s been there all along, in the same way others do. Through the 3rd we’re seeking to understand communications beyond the mundane, and we have the sensitivity to do it, though our ‘receptors’ may be clouded with any illusions we insist on clinging to. Modesty and a realistic viewpoint help us avoid delusion, and finding form for and deliberately communicating our own creative urges means they are less likely to bleed out in ways that sully our exchanges, contracts, agreements, attitudes, or that send an inaccurate message to others.

More to come on this!

Odds & Ends: Lilith and Chiron, Empowerment by Sign, and More

01 Friday Jun 2018

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Over at ‘Been There, Done That’, I’ve just answered a reader’s question on the relationship between asteroid Lilith and Chiron in her chart.

In case you missed it, there’s also yesterday’s post on empowerment and what each sign needs some version of to feel empowered.

And here’s a re-print from ‘Eclipse’:

“No burden is so heavy for a man to bear as a succession of happy days”     –Max Planck

‘Oww, That’ll Leave a Mark’

The Astrological Heavies in Transit

With transits of the outer planets to the natal chart, I want to look specifically at the burden to the spirit they may evoke, the weight that may accrue to the outlook and cause depression, ennui, frustration, distraction, or a sense of a loss of Purpose. Of course, not all transits produce an effect, and often there are a number of different manifestations that occur from slow, long-term contact from a transiting body to a natal one, some of which are experienced as positive and some as negative.  Our discussion will ignore most if not all of the positives of these transits; we’re concentrating on the mental, emotional, and spiritual ways the outer transits may bring us down, often in ways we don’t immediately recognize as stemming from these particular energies.

Jupiter–I know! You don’t expect the planet of abundance to do damage, but it will, if what it’s magnifying by aspect carries morose or regretful energy to begin with. Any out-of-balance energy contacted may get exaggerated and possibly broadcast; we are often more ‘visible’ when Jupiter aspects important bodies, especially when it contacts bodies that represent some major part of us (the Sun, for example, or the chart ruler, or the ruler of our Midheaven or the point itself, which is already highly visible). Easy aspects (sextile, trine) mean we can slip into a negative state without even realizing it, likely believing that our behavior or choices will soon make us feel better; hard aspects (possibly the conjunction, square, opposition, quincunx) may bring knowledge or public exposure that sends us off the deep end. Some of the worst benders (emotional binges, risk-taking of all kinds, indulgences in food, alcohol, or indiscriminate shopping or sex) come with a transit of Jupiter to a planet or point harboring unresolved issues.

Though Saturn often presents as classic depression, it has other, more subtle ways of affecting us as well. It can take away any or all of our appetites in such a way that we simply think we’re off sweets or travel or sex, when we are actually profoundly sad–and that’s the Saturn secret: it can manifest as real but undirected heartbreak, so that we have the sensation without it actually belonging to any specific thing in the life. Saturn contact can also suppress immune response via devastated emotional perceptions; the reaction can be so strong that the body perceives it as a physical blow attacking every cell. Real physical pain, often in the form of all-over aches and soreness may also occur in what is in essence a kind of spiritual or emotional Rolfing (an intense method of massage that re-organizes the positioning of the connective tissue, or fascia, throughout the body, on the theory that painful experiences, emotions, and life events affect these tissues and are ‘carried’ within them, distorting the body’s natural posture and balance in the process).

Uranus we expect to see as a shock or surprise–but it can be a ‘sea change’ to the group we once felt so much a part of, something subtle, with only the realization of our changed position a sudden revelation, not the change itself. Disorientation and confusion (from a feeling that things are chaotic) can sweep in like a wave, and temporary loss of intellectual acuity or grasp is a distinct possibility. A feeling of alienation may hit, cutting one off from the usual lines of spiritual, emotional, or mental sustenance, and our response may be to freeze in place, fearing erratic behavior, sudden change, or the unanticipated, as we may sense these are basic components of the energy that feels like it’s making an assault on us. We may also feel surrounded by chaos, alone in the riot. Uranus by transit can be largely unseen, manifesting in intangible ways, and so can make us feel paranoid and at real bodily risk though no threat is apparent.

With Neptune we expect to be distracted, misled, or inspired, but we may end up in a Cosmic funk, wondering about our place in the Universe–or feeling very very small in the scheme of things. We could also feel as if we don’t matter, or even that we don’t exist–the Neptunian awareness of ‘All-That-Is’ dwarfs our own perception of our personal role until we may feel we’re no more than a speck–and any of these viewpoints can bring forward fear, a sense of disappearing. Reactions to what feels like imminent obliteration can get us into trouble if we go into ‘I’ll do anything to survive’ mode.  Some will take to the feeling and eventually lose the fear, accessing tremendous spiritual knowledge and experience, as well as immense creativity. The spirit longs to respond to the Neptunian influence, but may be overwhelmed by Neptune’s all-inclusive nature when it tries to express through the finite physical existence–and our imaginations can run away with us from there, for good or ill.

Pluto transits can be very dark, leading us Orpheus-like into our own personal Underworld–but that can be a very good thing, if we open our eyes to the secrets, hidden matters, and power that we’ve stashed away outside our own awareness, and can result in us returning to the surface enlightened in some important way. We expect rage or sexual aggressiveness under Pluto, but may not anticipate the potential for quiet withdrawal and depth of contemplation, as re-generation occurs. Clean-sweeps may take place, but these are sown with myriad possibilities for the new and the original, as Pluto floods us with our own particular expression of the Soul’s ultimate power. For many this will be overwhelming; the need to turn away will curtail acceptance of the complete slate of potentials and truncate the power expression to fit the scale of the life. The brave may end up immolating themselves through intense Self-examination and testing in the physical world, only to rise to a completely new level of Being, once the transit has passed. Death-defying feats are common at this time; Pluto takes us outside our comfort zone, and only by crossing the wasteland can we return to it.

And skip down to the comments section for a moving and evocative account of real-life shared by Zack.

Or re-visit ‘Goddess Energy’

This might make you laugh–I did

Have a lovely weekend, my peeps! “

 

Chiron Into Aries and A Life Lesson in Astrology

24 Tuesday Apr 2018

Posted by in Chiron, Transit Effects Explored

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Chiron has recently entered Aries (and later today the Sun will semi-sextile it from 00 Taurus, offering a solid, real-world glimpse of Chiron in action in your life). A change of sign for Chiron is like a change of sign for any other body: there’s the slightest shift to related energies in the air, but nothing changes for natal placements in Aries (or by hard contact to other Cardinal placements) until Chiron is within aspect orb, and of course, it doesn’t assert itself in general until there is contact between the asteroid (or is it a comet?) and other bodies. There, I’ve said it. Quit hyperventilating about how a body changes sign and the angels sing and fire falls from the sky and everyone gets a kitten–they don’t, it doesn’t, and we have to go out and find that kitten like every other time we’ve gotten one.

So what changes? Every time Chiron aspects some other transiting body, or is aspected by one, we have the chance to see Chiron in Aries in action–and that might be quite literal, in this Fire sign–so that we may notice how our own actions, or the aggressive choices of others, have caused wounds or healed them. The emphasis is on the individual responsibility for hurting and healing. During the transit of Chiron through this sign, we are bound to discover our own role in things, as well as the best actions we can take to make use of our Chirotic skills (indicated by Chiron’s position and contacts at birth). This may also foster expectations that alone we can move mountains–we may feel the hurt of trying to remedy something on our own, without assistance–but that is likely an illusion, created by too much attention to our own wounds. Handling this transit well requires enough humility to see that others are wounded, too, and that being responsible sometimes means recognizing the validity of others’ injuries, stepping out of the Aries box that says, ‘I, I, I, me, me, me’ and recognizing our likeness to and ability to partner with others (the reciprocity of opposing sign Libra).

Will this affect relationships? Yes! Especially early in the transit, before Chiron has made many contacts to other bodies or to individual natal ones, we may be prone to see ourselves as more separate than is real, to laundry list the ways others have hurt us–but perspective on our own role in things should be the goal, and when achieved will work wonders to illuminate all that’s right about what we and others do.

A Life Lesson in Astrology

You can skip this unless you’re a practicing astrologer or want to get the most out of your astrologer in your role as client–and even then, you have a choice 🙂

I once consulted for a corporation that was entering delicate negotiations; understandably, they wanted guidance that would result in them attaining their goals (yes, I’m being unusually vague here–though it happened almost twenty years ago, I still believe discretion is required). They filled me in on what they thought I needed to know, which resulted in a delay in understanding the charts, as I had to ask them multiple questions in order to sort it all out. So, lesson #1: astrologers, like physicians and lawyers, need to know the truth (or at least the actual conditions), if they’re going to be most effective in helping you.

Once I received answers what was showing in the chart became clear, and I provided a detailed assessment of the situation with the other side, and how to approach things in order to get the desired result. They went into the negotiations, came out three hours later, and immediately contacted me: they had chosen not to follow my recommendations, instead taking a radically different tack, and had not gotten their desired results–could I tell them what to do to get what they wanted now?

Dutifully I set about outlining conditions responsive to the present negotiation point. Things had ‘narrowed’, so to speak; by taking the actions they had, they had lost some of the options open to them initially, and I made that clear: the approaches they’d chosen in-the-moment had shut down certain options the opposing entity had originally been open to, meaning that the opposing side had seen demands and an attitude they didn’t like, right off the bat, and my clients were paying the price for that now. I did emphasize that it could all be saved, if they followed ‘x, y, and z’.

By Margret Hofheinz-Döring/ Galerie Brigitte Mauch Göppingen, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4278292

Negotiations resumed the next day, and my client contacted me at lunchtime. They hadn’t really liked what I’d recommended, had followed their own inclinations, and now wanted to know: could I tell them what to do at this point to get what they wanted? I understand that it can be tough to accept that someone many miles away has given you a battle plan that doesn’t seem the right thing to do when you’re in the room hashing it all out. Clients get spooked all the time, unable to believe that the advice they’ve paid for might actually see something they don’t, but that’s exactly it: if their own perspective was completely effective, they wouldn’t need someone else to weigh in, to provide guidance.

Of course, I outlined the present options, noting that several previous potentials had now been actively eliminated by the opposition (it seemed to me they were becoming more and more untrusting of the very aggressive and demanding tack my clients had taken and continued to take). Yet, there were still possibilities, and the whole thing could be salvaged, and I told them to the best of my ability how that could be accomplished–but they chose not to follow my recommendation, and when they showed up the next day to resume negotiations they found that the other side had terminated the interaction.

My client berated me: why didn’t I know they wouldn’t continue negotiations? If they’d known that they would’ve approached them in the evening, hoping to forestall a shutdown to talks. I apologized, saying there’d been no indication at our last point of contact that they would refuse to continue negotiations–and then it came out that my client had contacted them in the evening, and that’s what blew the whole thing up!

So here’s the point of this shaggy dog story: What you do with the information you receive from an astrologer (or any other individual offering life advice) is entirely up to you, and it should be–my judgment isn’t meant to replace yours, it’s meant to enhance it, to inform it with another viewpoint, to reinforce what’s working and minimize (hopefully) the effect of contrary forces. And as an individual, I don’t care what you choose to do–I can’t care, because if I did that would enmesh me emotionally in a way that would make my advice far less effective, as it would be far less objective.

But, and this is a massive one, to repeatedly return to a source for advice and repeatedly to then ignore that advice just doesn’t make sense; it instead suggests some kind of magical thinking is going on. Maybe there is a belief that simply contracting for services guarantees you get what you want–and then when you ignore the advice and don’t get what you want, you blame the astrologer, reasoning that they would’ve given you some kind of magic recipe or formula, or invested in persuading you, if they had been any good! Or you don’t blame the astrologer, but then feel justified in continuing a ‘poor me’ scenario, or maybe one of ‘confusion’, telling yourself, ‘Well, I tried to fix it’. Or maybe it’s the kind of thinking that can’t or won’t admit that current reasoning isn’t cutting it; a vanity that so distrusts contradictory input is bound to lead the individual astray, because that mind can’t learn. Or maybe it’s this: that in the end, each of us believes soundly that we know best for ourselves, and we do–but that works to our benefit only when we are honest enough to see that where we are is because of how we think and the decisions we’ve made, so that asking for help becomes genuinely looking for assistance by exposure to another point of view, not looking for a reason to continue a reckless and Self-indulgent ride.

See the answer to the Aspect article and see more ‘What You’re Asking’ here, and have a lovely day!

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?

26 March 2016 Muscle Memory

25 Friday Mar 2016

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Transit Effects Explored

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'The Guitar Player' by Johannes Vermeer {{PD}}

‘The Guitar Player’ by Johannes Vermeer {{PD}}

We have a conflict very similar to the one we faced on the 24th: we are primed to go, to move forward, to throw ourselves into action, and yet our aim is off. We are too prone to fudge what we know is wise, and instead fall back on past solutions, charge forward on half-baked ambitions, and listen only obliquely to instincts–and this muddle will shape life direction–and for some, that may be a troubling thought. Being happy with outcomes depends today on three things: being able to contact instincts to some extent (not the mind masquerading as intuition), being realistic about (that is, not overly protective of) ambitions and goals, and while in motion being open to wisdom prompts that may come to you almost like muscle memory. Touching on all three facets just may allow choices and actions taken to be incredibly positive, after all (Pallas qnx NN, Venus sxt Pluto and qnx Zeus, Merc contra-parallel SN and semi-sq Sedna, Sun trine Mars and semi-sq Pallas)

Swan in Lake Killaloe, Ireland, by Alfredo Encallado Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

Swan in Lake Killaloe, Ireland, by Alfredo Encallado Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

Today’s word image is a swan on a very still lake. This is a good meditation image, as a swan drifts with so little movement, though strangely, it brings to mind something else: the way we used to eat swans, as if they were barnyard fowl. The idea is off-putting and an odd one, today, but does bring up this: what used to be an accepted occurrence or feature of your life that, if resurrected, would seem barbaric now? This offers a little insight into how far you’ve come, and also shows that what we respond to as ‘monstrous’ or unacceptable in others may have a kind of equivalent in our own history, so that if we’re aware of those similarities we aren’t quite so inclined to see and label things as uniformly bad and only ‘out there’.

I’ll remain unavailable through the 27th; all queries and comments will be processed then. Have a great Saturday!

The Final Verdict on Amanda Knox

28 Saturday Mar 2015

Posted by in Current Events, Transit Effects Explored

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A different kind of Italian court. Andrea Mantegna - 'The Court of Gonzaga' c1470 {{PD}}

A different kind of Italian court. Andrea Mantegna – ‘The Court of Gonzaga’ c1470 {{PD}}

Yesterday the Italian high court reversed the conviction of Seattlite Amanda Knox in the death of her roommate Meredith Kercher. I took a brief look at the transits for the day of announcement, set to Seattle timed for early afternoon in Italy, and compared with Knox’s chart in Whole Sign. What I found isn’t terribly surprising, but it is interesting.

The Moon is passing through Cancer, so is in Knox’s 2nd House, running over her Venus, Mercury, and Sun=a sort of emotional verification of the identity, a validation of the communication style, and a feeling re-connect with the sense of herself as a woman, all of which she naturally sees as her assets. The natal Sun is caught up in a Cardinal Cross, with t Pluto conjunct Earth and the other arm consisting of t Zeus opposed t Uranus=ambitions and individuality/ uniqueness, and/ or a new group role, are ignited by transit, as are ambitions and a ‘new’ identity–and this won’t be entirely easily manifested, by any means (the stress of the Cross). Transiting Jupiter, though currently retro, will soon enough be heading toward trine with her natal Saturn=this unites the 7th and 8th Houses, and suggests opportunity will pour in; others will support her version of reality–with Uranus this also creates a Fire Grand Trine, emphasizing the sudden nature of the event (and perhaps surprising many–there were reports earlier in the week that the ex-boyfriend also charged had already had his passport confiscated and authorities were preparing to pick him up). Transiting Pallas is trine natal Jupiter=wisdom and knowledge, the facts (according to Knox, as this is her natal Jupiter), in harmony. Transiting Mars is conjunct natal Jupiter, uniting 7th and 11th=action by others that makes a dream come true. And transiting Saturn and t Juno fill in another Fire Grand Trine with the natal North Node and the t Sun, suggesting that Knox’s empowerment within the reality picture was the direction things were headed all along, and is now illuminated. Clearly, she got what she wanted–and I say, good for her.

There are a few other things here, though, one being that t Black Moon Lilith, t Pluto and her natal Earth, and t Venus all form an Earth Grand Trine=evidence of hidden matters, material ignored or denied, may be a source of profit, may drive further material action, or may serve to create new relationships or values. T Venus is also opposed her natal Pallas=possibly implying that trying to profit from this isn’t a wise thing. Transiting Mercury is also trine natal Black Moon Lilith, suggesting matters denied or ignored will be thought about/ communicated, possibly through rage or defiance, or through strong Self-assertion. Transiting Ceres squares natal Jupiter, implying a conflict between those in authority/ power and the facts as Knox sees them–this supports the possibility that Italy did not press things as they were reluctant to ask for extradition for someone so many Americans are defending. T Mercury also creates a Grand Cross with opposition to her natal Zeus and her Chiron-Vesta opp Ceres-Uranus-Moon=we’ve not heard the last of this, and are likely to be served a stew of ambition, a display of ‘sacred wounds’ (the concept of the Vestal united with the primal injury) that others dare not criticize, and the use of the unique situation and emotions to show personal power. Hmm. With t NN heading for a Grand Trine with both MC and ASC, and t Neptune trine her natal Mercury, it’s prime time for Knox to conjure the image she wants, to shape thinking and create the reputation and personality she wants others to see.

My husband made a remark that I think really sums it all up. What he said went something like this: If she’s not guilty of the murder, then justice has been served; and if she is, she will likely be like others who ‘got away with it’: inevitably, they go on to again run afoul of the law–so, if we as humans haven’t handled the situation adequately, we should know that the Universe eventually will.

Amanda Knox Natal Chart + transits for day of conviction reversal

Between the Eclipses

11 Saturday Oct 2014

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

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Rudolf Koller 1856 {{PD}}

Rudolf Koller 1856 {{PD}}

I think of the two weeks between eclipses as a kind of valley; we can’t see clearly over the mountain behind us, to where we’ve just been, and we can’t see what’s over the mountain ahead of us, either. In the human animal this builds tension, as we fear being trapped in this situation indefinitely; anything could surprise us, and we are very aware of that! In traversing the current valley between the eclipses, we scan the horizon for aid and opportunity (Sun sextile Jupiter) and we look intently for what we should do, how we should act (Sun sextile Mars), and we do all of it with our fate, the direction we’re traveling in life (Sun conjunct North Node), front and center in our (confused–Merc retro) thoughts.

There is nothing unusual in this tension between eclipses; it’s one of the reasons we anticipate their arrival with such dread. We know in our bones, remember in our nerve endings and muscles and psyche, how very stressful the last round was. And yet, there isn’t much we can do about this feeling. In the current situation we’ve just been through an ending, or had the inevitable ending of something signaled loud and clear (the Lunar eclipse of the 8th), and even if we knew this was coming, it was hard; we likely had to admit something about ourselves and what we want (Aries placement) that we had been avoiding up ’til now. This was an area (signified by the House where the eclipse fell) that we may have been controlling, trying to control, or telling ourselves we were controlling–and suddenly we must face that our Will controls absolutely nothing outside our own skin (and not even all inside of that!)

The new start we get on the 23rd (the Solar eclipse) can be summed up as offering a beginning that is ‘wise and valuable’–and that’s so whether we see it as such or not! That doesn’t make our anticipation any less tense, though; it’s like the stress of bringing home a new baby, getting engaged, winning the lottery. In spite of the fact that it’s one of the best things that can happen to us, we still experience a great deal of upset, pressure, unforeseen effects, and our responsibility–our need to respond–is tested and stretched and drains us of energy and initiative right at the point when we need it most. Knowing that something like this is coming can grate on us terribly–but knowing that’s the case, and knowing there’s nothing to be done about it, should free us. We can safely ignore much of what’s troubling us now–whatever needs facing will come to us, with the eclipse in Scorpio, representing a raw kind of truth at 00 of the sign–and it will open the way to a new beginning–and most of us would really welcome one of those right about now.

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A Little Something on Saturn Transits

28 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by in ECLIPSE magazine, Saturn, Transit Effects Explored

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Saturn would thoroughly approve. 'Sylvia Darning (a Sock)' Harold Gilman 1917 {{PD}}

Saturn would thoroughly approve. ‘Sylvia Darning (a Sock)’ Harold Gilman 1917 {{PD}}

Look at transits of Saturn as an opportunity to show how serious you are about accomplishment, progress, and dealing with the reality picture. It’s not glamorous, but it is a foundational energy for everything we do of consequence. Hard transits (sometimes the conjunction, square, opposition, quincunx, sesquiquadrate—that last is 135 degrees) typically begin with a challenge, something tough, unpleasant, an obstacle or a complete roadblock. We’re being asked to look at how we’ve failed to use, or have misused, Saturn energies; this is why they are appearing in external circumstances. Should the Saturn negative manifestation be an inner state (depression, hopelessness, ‘I can’t’) we’re actually facing the same circumstance, but have adopted the inner reaction attempting to convince ourselves that we’re handling it, that we’re responding. If there’s one thing Saturn requires, it’s concrete steps—and if we are telling ourselves that depression is a form of taking responsibility, we are in for one tough, probably ultra-long, transit experience.

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And enjoy your weekend!