Category Archives: Transit Effects Explored

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

01 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in astrology, Transit Effects Explored

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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!

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

05 Monday Mar 2018

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, Asteroids, astrology, Astrology and Health, Astrology and History, Ceres, Finger of God, Transit Effects Explored

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This is another ECLIPSE re-print, this one with updating and a significant amount of historical and astrological information added.

Periodically I like to inspect historical personages and events taking an astrological perspective, so when I ran across an article (no longer available, but see a similar one here) on England’s Richard III and a potential allergy, I had to check it out. Considering the way Ceres has shown herself to be a prominent factor 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-altering 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 his difficult 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.

Could these have been the culprit? ‘Wild Strawberries on a Ledge’ 1703 By Adriaen Coorte {{PD}}

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–he’s a partner to himself—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 parking lot in 2012 as definitively his). This also, of course, catches the Sun at the sextile midpoint, implying the Soul itself might have felt ‘caught’ by the dynamics of the Finger.

The Ascendant is also square Black Moon Lilith and Sedna, and with a sextile to Mars-Earth BML-Sedna forms the base to another Finger of God with apex Juno. The Will, the ego, and the way they are so closely related to the material environment gets played out through the empowerment situation and the sense of personal completeness–and yet much of what drives the ego and material situation is hidden, ignored, denied, or enraging and then buried, in the instincts or in the ‘blind spot’–a terrible connection for a leader to have.

But was he susceptible to Mother Nature? Wow, was he ever! Ceres sits at 29 Libra 11, under stress and hidden just at the end of the 12th and a hair above the start of the 1st House (Whole Sign); 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, and yet those rebellious or erratic choices may be justified in Richard’s own mind as sacred (the Vesta effect–see my book for much greater detail). Ceres is the body of latest degree; it implies that all matters end in some sort of ‘reaction’, in relation to his sense of authority, his boundaries, his negotiating power, or his interaction with Nature.

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 of the Moon 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–relationships–in the 1st.

The Moon is part of yet another Finger, this one with base of Moon-Uranus, apex the North Node, and one apex Moon, base of Ceres-North Node, which latter also catches Venus in Scorpio in the 1st at its midpoint, with this little detail opening a whole other avenue for health affects–kidneys, blood sugar, venereal diseases–that could’ve weakened the constitution quietly, without anyone necessarily being aware of it.

Richard’s Ceres is also conjunct 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–that is, one that may retaliate lethally). The asteroid also 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 suggesting the potential for exaggerated effects from Ceres instruments), and is widely conjunct Saturn, again emphasizing the impact of Ceres and health on the reality picture, and in stoking fear, another Saturnian element.

As previously noted, we see his Mars in Aries conjoined 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 conjunct his Pluto (destructive desires!), transiting Ceres trines his Saturn (again, the influence of Nature made manifest), and there were not one but three transiting bodies at 29 degrees during the day, if we include the Virgo Moon (so perfect for an allergic reaction, conjoined transiting Jupiter, opening up potential for both massive consumption of the allergen, and a massive reaction to it), as well as Pallas in Cancer (implying that what was sought as nurturing or soothing was questionable), all impacting natal Ceres and natal Moon, expanding the potential for sensitivity and reaction, and this in turn having an impact on the common sense and wisdom of the individual—and with Jupiter in the mix, we might consider the reaction could’ve been a fatal one.

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.

And we should add that natal Chiron in Cancer is also in the picture, trine Merc-Ceres and suggesting a primal wound possibly both figurative (to the thinking and communications) and literal (through allergies and sensitivities) that may involve an emotional reaction (Cancer). On the day of the incident, transiting Chiron was square natal Chiron (a moment of reckoning concerning wounds) and created a T-square by opposing natal Neptune, the ultimate obscurer of facts and sources, and the kind of response that can occur with the mental state (t Chiron quincunx n Mercury) in an allergic reaction: one can become ‘foggy’, losing orientation and even time, feeling physically irritated and uncomfortable–short of actual respiratory distress or anaphylactic shock, thinking unclearly, and perhaps prompting the imagination to set off on its own.

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, leading to the ominous and still unanswered disappearance of two little boys, and changing the course of a kingdom “

As to the Princes in the Tower, though we still can’t be sure what was the fate of the two princes, the story is that the bones of two children were discovered in the Tower in 1674; these were re-buried in Westminster Abbey. Some examinations have been done, but with questionable results according to modern forensic scientists, and the Church of England and its head, the Queen, continue to refuse to allow exhumation of the remains. And so the mystery continues.

Inner ring is Richard’s birth data; outer ring is the day of the strawberry incident, set at noon.

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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Amanda Knox & the Italian Court Ruling

31 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by in astrology, Current Events, Transit Effects Explored

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I'm now using Whole Sign charts; previous analyses used Placidus. Got to the ECLIPSE chart page and scroll down for Knox and Meredith Kercher's charts together.

I’m now using Whole Sign charts; previous analyses used Placidus. Go to the ECLIPSE chart page and scroll down for Knox and Meredith Kercher’s charts together.

I did say I would look a little more at the case of Amanda Knox, who yesterday had her murder conviction upheld by an Italian court. The transits are set for 3 PM local time (Seattle), which is approximately when word came down that a decision had been rendered. To my understanding Knox gets an automatic appeal of this decision; only if she loses on the subsequent appeal would extradition be on the table.

On examining the natal chart and transits, we see a few striking things, the most telling of which to my mind is the conjunction of the transiting North Node to the natal Vertex, with only an 8 minute gap. That implies this entire process is unquestionably her fate, no matter what the final outcome; think of it as playing a role–we all have these scenarios–this is hers.

There’s a Water Grand Trine formed by t Jupiter, t Juno-Chiron, and Amanda’s natal Pallas. We see a broadcasting of hurt and its effect on empowerment, freedom (Jupiter) threatened–certainly one loses both freedom and empowerment when imprisoned–but the contact to Knox’s natal Pallas implies she knows the wisdom of what’s happening, or perhaps of this particular ruling. This may be nothing more than her recognition of that role indicated by the NN-Vertex contact, or it could be the expected result, from her point of view–or it could even be the unstated recognition of the appropriateness of the ruling, should she in fact be guilty. In any case, this is playing out on an emotional plane (the Water element)

The New Moon occurred in Amanda’s 9th; not surprising that a ruling in a foreign country opens a whole new chapter for her. t Zeus creates a T-square with the Sun-Earth axis=we’re seeing the results, material and spiritual, of the desire nature acting out–but does this say she’s guilty, and that the ruling is the result of her own choices, or that the desires of the Italian prosecution are bringing conflict to her Soul and Material Purposes? It could be either.

We also see a Mixed Element Grand Trine of t Ceres and Mercury, both at 29 degrees of their respective signs, in aspect to Amanda’s Chiron-Vesta conjunction in the 1st, and out-of-element to her natal Venus in the 2nd–in fact, the midpoint of her placements is the 29 degree point that fills in the Trine perfectly. ‘A stressful message from authorities, who are themselves under stress’ certainly describes the transiting energies; this impacts Knox’s sense of herself as a woman, her Self-worth picture, her relationships, and her finances, as well as a sense of herself as wounded that she may consider sacred (Chiron-Vesta). But, a GT carries an implication of energy balance, and this could suggest that the situation allows Knox to express those affected natal characteristics effectively and perhaps Self-righteously, as well. After all, the most effective defense against a charge of murder (the attitude that makes you most believable in your denial of responsibility) may be your own view of yourself as a victim whose status as such is sacred, not to be questioned.

t Mercury at 29 tense degrees of Aquarius also quincunxes natal Mars in Leo; Amanda’s ego may be frustrated by what’s being communicated–when the court’s speaking, she’s not in control of the message. t Neptune is within orb of her n Juno in the 10th, and t Mars is also sesquiquadrate=she may feel she’s under attack, and be confused about her reputation, about the impression she makes, about what may actually be empowering to her and what isn’t, and perhaps she may be prone at this time (while Neptune lingers) to partner with others who may raise her status but not truly serve her cause (a la Juno).

t Neptune also fills in a Grand Trine with Amanda’s natal Venus and Pluto=illusion, Truth, and beauty are evenly matched at this point. Since this Pluto and Venus both belong to Knox natally, it seems it will be the function of Neptune, strong in its own sign, to sort it out. Truth (and maybe rage) express through her values, her relationships to people and money, and her idea of herself as a woman, but Neptune’s presence may exaggerate the ‘mirror’ quality Knox has anyway, and make current opinions reflective of what each of us thinks we see. It also could imply that, until Neptune moves on, we may have no chance at getting to the truth.

t Sedna is apex to a Finger of God with base of n Ceres-Uranus-Moon in 7th (drawing a picture of someone who may believe that all the authority, privilege to act as one pleases, and emotional sensitivity belongs to others) sextile t Mars. The Finger takes that natal complex, combines it with aggression both given and received, and concludes that this will create both a primal result (speaking to the deepest held urges and qualities) and that these factors may obscure who’s really attacking whom.

My sense is that Knox is at a crucial point: she has many energies working in her favor right now, especially ones related to being able to create, if not precisely the image she wants to, then one that obscures the reality picture. This won’t last forever; the cover of Neptune and the ‘blind spot’ of Sedna will move on, and she will appear differently to onlookers–the question is, what will they see when the influences change?

Was Arafat Poisoned?

07 Thursday Nov 2013

Posted by in astrology, Current Affairs, ECLIPSE magazine, health, Transit Effects Explored

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'Femmes de Siloe, Palestine by Felix Bonfils Silver albumen print c1867-1870 {{PD}}

‘Femmes de Siloe, Palestine by Felix Bonfils Silver albumen print c1867-1870 {{PD}}

Here’s what I wrote back in July 2012 on the situation:

Was Yassar Arafat poisoned?

My regular readers are probably aware of how much I like to investigate a possible poisoning–these tend to involve classic compounds that have direct astrological correspondences, and so can make for a rewarding quest. In this case, various possessions of Arafat’s have been found to be radioactively contaminated, with our old friend polonium, and so some are lobbying to exhume Arafat and test for contamination. Should we know the truth? Yes, of course; will the indignation that arises, the pointed fingers, do anyone any good, by now? No, probably not, as it’s unlikely a culprit smaller than a government will be found, whether the contamination came from within his inner circle–a traitor, working for another faction–or from a faceless intruder in the name of massive political interests–and making such accusations about entire nations are fraught with peril, in so many ways. And yet, his people and his loved ones have the right to know from what he died–and so we do our part, looking at transits to the natal chart at death, to see if we can find any clues.

Arafat (27 August 1929  2 AM  Cairo Egypt–data is not certain) died on December 11, 2004 in the early morning hours in France. Pluto was moving through the natal 6th of health (destroyed, disruption to the cells, very much like the cancer that long-term low level polonium exposure would generate) and was conjunct his Saturn (destruction of bones/ bone marrow) and his natal Sun/ Neptune conjunction was being opposed by t Uranus which was just one minute off exact conjunct his Earth–Uranus too can arguably represent radiation (the modern, the planet for which uranium, similar to polonium, is named, carrying the ‘charge’ of radioactivity). t Sedna is conjunct the natal Moon, NN, and Chiron (we can’t see at the time what the ‘injury’ is, what it could mean, or what the effects to females in his life–who may also be ill–or the emotional toll–and this suggests he may not have been able to eat for some time). t Saturn was retrograde and within conjunction of his Venus (suppression of the capacity of the blood sugar to nourish, shut down to kidneys), and t Saturn had recently passed over natal Pluto, suggesting manifestation of something destructive, and it’s only this last that points to a possible plot. But, if there was one to deliberately contaminate the Palestinian leader, then we should see it elsewhere, and we do: t Moon as trine Arafat’s Part of Fortune at the approximate time of death, and the transiting Sun and Mercury were both close to conjunction with t Pluto (and thus Arafat’s Saturn, suggesting the transformation of the body), and t Pluto quincunx n Moon (with the Moon possibly being natal chart ruler for Arafat) with the ‘message’ of the Merc/ Sun/ Pluto meeting in this instance perhaps, to borrow a phrase from George Bush, ‘Mission Accomplished’  t Jupiter, playing so prominent a role in the natural death scenario, here is exact quincunx the North Node/ Chiron natal combo, this in my mind implying that the natural death process had been ‘adjusted’ (the quincunx), changing what would’ve been the natural time of departure–good an argument as any for a possible poisoning by radiation–so my vote is yes, he was murdered.

Findings on the exhumed materials (bones, cloth) in the Arafat case have been announced; here’s a good, ‘all sides of the story’ link