Feathering the Nest 10 May 2018

09 Wednesday May 2018

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

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

‘Chaffinch Nest and May Blossom’ By William Henry Hunt 1845 {{PD}}

I’ll be away from the computer for a few days. All comments and requests for service will be answered when I return, and all orders from the Press will be filled at that time as well. I’ve scheduled some posts for the coming days, and have decided for the most part to focus on just one thing happening that day, that just so happens to be the one I think will be the most prominent, startling, or exciting. Have a lovely weekend!

We either engage in magical thinking today, or we access our most creative and fertile ideas (Mercury nov Neptune), but it’s done with where we truly want to go in mind; the only caveats are that we may be alienated from our own most deeply-felt desires (feeling they’re too messy or that passion shouldn’t figure in?), and that all our attention may be on what we’d rather not get! And of course, like a magnet, this draws what enrages us, or what we’d like to deny or ignore, directly to us (Mercury contra-parallel Zeus, Sun parallel NN and trine Black Moon Lilith). Go forward, but don’t deny your highest values, just ’cause you may think that might expedite the matter (Sun sesq and contra-parallel Vesta).

‘The Captive Robin’ By John Anster Fitzgerald c1864 {{PD}} The bird is on the right, wearing a vine necklace studded with berries.

Today’s word image is two robins, competing for worms after the rain. As yesterday, the idea of two, but today there’s a competitive edge over resources. Do you feel like there’s not enough? Or is there some relationship where you are close (‘birds of a feather’) but see each other as ‘success rivals’? Listen, there’s plenty of worms for everyone, and a focus on competing, even when that competition is a ‘friendly’ one, narrows your vision and keeps you thinking on too small a scale. Look up, look around, and see what else is out there.

We Know What We Want 9 May 2018

08 Tuesday May 2018

Posted by in astrology, forecast, Horoscope, The Daily Word Image

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , ,

‘Mural from the Temple of Longing’ Paul Klee 1921 {{PD}}

Starting today, the 9th, I’ll be away from the computer. All comments and requests for service will be answered when I return, and all orders from the Press will be filled at that time as well. I’ve scheduled some posts for the coming days, focused on what I think will be the most prominent, startling, or exciting bits. Have a lovely weekend!

We know what we want; desire is a motivating factor, one which may flood faculties, overwhelm the facts, and float a certain unmoored optimism (which I think is actually a good thing). The thing is, there’s a gap between knowing what we crave, ache for, lust for, feel starving and in pain without, and seeing the best way to get it. Slow down and look at the facts as they stand, consider how beliefs (our own or others’) might exert a pull or mess with our radar, and be willing to take less of something if that is indeed ‘the right thing’ (Venus qnx Jupiter and trine Zeus, Sun qnx Zeus)

Today’s word image is two people walking together, but completely out of step with each other. Is there someone in your life, a ‘fellow traveler’, with whom you feel completely at odds right now? Don’t give up on the relationship; this is temporary. You’ll soon find yourselves walking in harmony once again.

The Squares Have It 7-8 May 2018

07 Monday May 2018

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

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , ,

Franz Marc – ‘The Bewitched Mill’ 1912 {{PD}}

With Venus square Neptune, and Mercury square Pluto, we may be hard pressed not just to see where all this is going, but to form a complete thought; every time we think we have a concept firmly in mind, or an idea with a discernible shape, we find on its heels an immediate, ‘No! That’s not the way it is!’ that tears down the thought and starts fresh. Values may contradict visions, relationship demands may jam up creativity, and finances may put the brakes on what we are imagining–meanwhile, communications may be inadvertently destructive, or could transform us in the hearing/ receiving–and so leave us seeing things much differently than the viewpoint we started with.

Luckily we have two helpful aspects, a trine from Mars to Sedna, and a sextile of Mercury to Pallas. These make us able to trust ‘muscle memory’, to act and choose based on instinct and what we ‘know but don’t know’, and to find steady ground by thinking about and utilizing the practical option. So, there is a way through the fog, if we keep our wits about us.

The 8th sees these circumstances continue, with a couple of twists. We have an issue with our own empowerment and our values and commitments (Vesta sq Juno), with today’s influences even more rooted in what to trust, what not to trust. Today the mind is clear of deceptive or illusory input, but that also means we have a hard time seeing the potentials of things or visualizing how we want it all to turn out–which means heading successfully toward a goal may be tricky (Mercury contra-parallel Neptune)–and optimism or a realistically based effort could be in short supply (Sun opp Jupiter). Again, it may come down to the ability to sort areas where we’d best not move from those where we can rely on input and influences–not easy at all!

Today’s word image is a dream where you have no socks or shoes. Symbolically, what does that suggest? (Asking for a friend–seriously, it’s not my dream, but I have a few ideas)

Looking for more? Stuff here and here are possibilities–and have a great week!

Goddess Energy

04 Friday May 2018

Posted by in Books, gods and goddesses, The Social System

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, ,

‘La Nymphe Callisto, séduite par Jupiter sous les traits de Diane’ 1759 By François Boucher

This is something included in another new book I’m working on, ‘The Venus Collection’, featuring new and previously available articles of mine on the goddess of Love. Have a great weekend, everyone!

There’s been lots of talk these days about the return of the goddess–but I don’t think the goddess was ever gone. Seeing it as a disappearance/ re-appearance is seeing it through patriarchal eyes: women have always been, so goddess has always been. A patriarchal society is a doing-oriented society, one that recognizes and values action, while (typically) disparaging its opposite, the essence of female energy: the receptive, the accepting, the open, the Being-oriented. Goddess energy is female energy, and functions by filling space and time with its very existence; it is vital simply by being, whereas male energy only exists when it is in motion, closed, targeted, inflicting itself on others or the environment. It’s a disparity that many have difficulty grasping, and this is chiefly because we have been indoctrinated with a bias for movement, action, ‘results’, and a sense of accomplishment that relies on seeing change, rather than feeling it. The goddess can sit perfectly still and sense the inevitable processes of growth and decay all around her–she is in fact aware that she is part of this cycle–while those invested in the god-like animus credit only the effects the hands or mind have on the landscape.

In modern Western society we’ve been conditioned to see worth and even virtue in emulating male doing energy, no matter one’s role. We applaud activity, even when it’s purpose or value is questionable, and we see this ‘busy’ attitude reflected in phrases like ‘Protestant work ethic’, ‘Yankee ingenuity’, ‘make hay while the sun shines’, and so on. This is not to say that effort is not important, but that it is only one side of an equation; to celebrate doing and accomplishing without also celebrating the contemplation, depth, communion, feeling, sensitivity, and intuition that can not only shape and guide effort but make sure efforts are effective, is to make action a god, and to cast being as a meaningless state that offers nothing to our advancement–and of course, nothing could be further from the truth.

We tend to have disdain (or at least, less regard) for the kind of contemplative or menial or repetitive tasks that act as a meditation and are much more a being state than a doing one. We may label these ‘women’s work’ (oh, the derogatory tone with which this is spoken!) and see them as beneath us, since they don’t include the slap-dash of going from A to B–but that would miss the point. No one thought to ask the grasshopper why he fiddled while the ants worked–but no grasshopper lives through the winter; it would’ve been a waste of his time to put away food for days he wouldn’t see. (And if we want to get technical about it, the ants would awaken from a torpor to begin their work and replenish their colony before much had grown or bloomed out in the world, so they did need a storehouse). In nature there is balance and reason, room for both god and goddess energy, a different set of rhymes and rhythms that apply to each creature–and we should keep that in mind when judging what’s appropriate or ‘right’, useful and useless.

Within the patriarchal structure of Western society, sometimes receptivity is needed in order to gain what is wanted; there’s an irony in a doing-dominant entity choosing to enact the anima in order to gain something, which getting is in itself a highly animus thing, the kind of goal the doing energy is consistently targeting and pursuing. In the painting ‘Jupiter and Callisto’ by Boucher, Zeus has apparently learned that abduction and rape don’t win him any friends; instead he transforms into the goddess of the Moon and the Hunt, Diana, and lures Callisto with the Moon’s sensitivity, responsiveness, and ability to reflect back to others what they ‘shine’ with–and yet, in choosing Diana’s form, he’s choosing the most animus-like of the goddesses, in terms of her Self-expression through hunting and pursuit.

Empathy requires the surrender of boundaries to the point that one Being can feel the other Being, complete, which the male-oriented cannot do without putting aside the continual, outward thrust of energy that is for them the normal modus operandi. Even in Zeus’ choice, though, the usefulness of the receptive, being stance is denigrated, as it’s seen as a tactic with which to accomplish a goal, rather than as a state of being just as valid and dynamic in its own way as any action. With Zeus it’s a means to an end, and so falls in a long line of actions meant to fulfill the animus aim; if it were a true goddess energy, the communion would be without boundaries, and no specific outcome would be on the agenda–being would be enough.

If quantum mechanics are correct and the butterfly’s movement is enough to topple a civilization as the shift ripples through matter and time, then the even more subtle shifts in consciousness, attitude, belief, and the effects of both prayer and love are felt as strongly as anything built, accomplished, or acquired. So next time you see a woman sitting with eyes closed, or standing quietly out in the grass, or strolling along with no destination in mind, or rocking a child, you’ll know just how busy, how important what she’s doing, really is.

And if you’re curious about Zeus in the astrological chart, my theories are here. Donate  —  Read  —  Enjoy!

Your Ascendant Zodiapedia: ‘Building a Life’ Capricorn

02 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Capricorn, The Ascendant

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, ,

“A Roman Studio’ By Lawrence Alma-Tadema 1873 {{PD}}

Capricorn rising may come across as all business, totally serious, and really, no fun—but that wouldn’t be right for us to see him that way at all. Though the agile goat meets new situations this way, he can quickly adapt his attitude to whatever will get things done—and if that means he must socialize, clown around, risk it all, or declare his love from the rooftops, he will do just that. ‘Practical’ is the word for this rising sign, however that might be defined in any particular situation. To see this Earth placement as lacking in flexibility would be wrong—and yet, if given a choice, Cap at the very least wants things contained, restrained, and with any luck, by the book. He can’t help it, really: Capricorn rising is about two things, achievement and security as the way to meet the world, and he does everything with that in mind.

Cappy’s childhood environment in some way gave her the message that ‘serious’ is the only attitude to have. It may have been that children were expected to be miniature adults, or it may have been a case where the irresponsibility of the caretakers put the burden of filling basic needs, of providing any security at all, on Capricorn. This means that to the observer the Capricorn rising child may appear to be usurping adults’ authority or prerogatives, or that she doesn’t know the meaning of ‘play’ or ‘fun’—but of all the signs, Cap rising may be the one most acutely aware of how her demeanor seems odd to onlookers—just know that there’s always a reason the goat has adopted such a severe outlook, and respect her need to take the attitude she does—it may be the only thing that lets her sleep at night.

From the inside looking out, the Capricorn rising individual may see the world as a chaotic or unreliable or even unforgiving place. Recall that the rising sign is a response to the environment where we first meet the world; in Cap’s case, the suggestion is she is responsible to create boundaries, rules, barriers, and a sense of order—not the thing to encourage a young one’s positive outlook or the spontaneity and lightheartedness of childhood. The implication is that Cappy had to make up for someone else’s deficiency or lack of restraint, and though this may be true sometimes, it can also be that the individual with this rising sign is a hypersensitive Being who needed to erect overly strong protections against the outside sensations of the material world—or that she is someone who feels her own wildness so close to the surface that exceptional repression and restraint are in order, to keep from falling into her own personal chaos.

As an adult, Cappy rising may reassure others by her mere presence, and at any age she may be the one others automatically turn to in a crisis or for advice. It always feels to others like this Ascendant will know what to do, or how to stop whatever needs stopping, and Capricorn is happy to serve this function. As long as she is appreciated for her habit of meeting challenges with concerted effort, laboring consistently to achieve and build, laying not just the foundations for the building blocks of life but also the walls and roof, the wallpaper and paint, and paying the taxes. Capricorn needs to be appreciated, like anybody else, and on the Ascendant she wants others to see the extent of her control, over herself and the world. Look beneath the serious demeanor to see what Cappy is really trying to offer: security, stability, to remove worry from everyone’s equation.

The Capricorn Ascendant wants, always, to be productive; this can easily slip into repression of others, or suppression of the Self, if she doesn’t feel she or others are focused, making progress, getting ahead. This can give this Ascendant a mercenary quality, or a no-nonsense dictatorial one, until others understand that above all Cappy wants to be of use–anything less, and she’s disappointed in herself, and that may even morph into fearfulness, should she begin to think things will never change.

Capricorn rising prides herself on her dependability, but will only flourish once she accepts the gentle nurturing offered by opposing sign Cancer. In keeping things strictly controlled and grounded Cappy may not value nourishment, physical, psychic, emotional, and spiritual, as much as she needs to in order to foster a balanced approach to achievement, discipline, and to conquer her fear (for what combats Saturnian fears better than loving care?); once she does, she becomes a formidable human Being keyed to thoughtful, lasting accomplishment.

Read my work here, and enjoy the rest of your week, which you can read about here!

Your Week Ahead 30 April-6 May 2018 It’s In The Wind

29 Sunday Apr 2018

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

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

Winslow Homer – ‘West Wind’ 1890 {{PD}}

When I look at the factors active this coming week, I get the sense of being just a little bit clobbered! Maybe that’s too extreme; maybe it’s more like being bandied about, buffeted by winds, but the feeling is one of being pummeled. It’s as if no matter what form those energies take, even when they are positive ones, it seems they may exact a physical toll, on our bodies, our resources, our emotions, our health, our environment.

I don’t mean to overstate this. Things start out rough, then we’re shown the positives (while still being aware of a threatening undertone), and then, with adjustment, things are good–and then without warning we’re adrift (probably wondering what happened), then we’re hit with the hammer, and must limp off to recover–and that all happens by end of day Sunday, the 6th.

Day-by-day is definitely the only way to take this, with a fresh ‘gird your loins!’ sort of attitude each day. That means that positive events and experiences will offer relief, a respite from tension–but they won’t do away with challenges, or the onslaught of what may, from time to time, seem almost overwhelming.

Monday the 30th starts with us thinking we can iron-man our way through anything; soon enough we learn that strong-arming things, or even insisting on our own way, isn’t necessarily the healthiest course. Then our attention will be drawn, repeatedly, to the ways in which we don’t own our power, and to the ways in which we are at the mercy of the current life direction (the cumulative total of all our previous choices)–but, though it may not appear to, this offers a chance to heal some persistent, power-related wound we currently carry, if we’ll only let down our barriers and admit the possibility (Sun sq Nodal axis and Ceres, and nov Chiron, Juno contra-parallel Hygeia)

Today’s word image is a lawn mower that won’t start, and can’t seem to be repaired. What are you holding back on, refusing to ‘start up’, or refusing to put your energy into–and it’s something that needs doing, and which you theoretically want to move forward with. It may seem ultra-mundane, this thing you’re withholding yourself from, it may even seem inconsequential–but it’s not. You can’t see the implications yet, can’t view what will be affected by it. Ask yourself what you’re getting out of not going forward, and what you might miss if this continues–because your conscious mind needs to get real clear on what you’re up to.

I am such an antique that they were still having May Poles on the 1st when I was small (Please note: Not an actual picture of me dancing round the May Pole). Playgrounds, May Day. ‘May pole dance’ 1923 Harris & Ewing, photographers {{PD}}

Tuesday the 1st of May (May Day!) dawns, and it feels like we’ve learned something from yesterday’s power issues–the problem, though, is that we don’t know how to think of things, or what to do to make those revelations reality! This may require a little trial and error, and perhaps a dose of faith, the kind that trusts the Soul to guide us, bypassing the objections and rationalizations our minds might put forth in an attempt to keep the status quo firmly in place. So, a day when our Higher Self knows, and we’d be smart to accept this. Also note that negativity or active power struggles can damage all levels of our well-being (Pluto sxt Hygeia, Jupiter sxt Black Moon Lilith, Venus qnx Saturn, and contra-parallel and sesq Mars, Mercury contra-parallel Pallas)

Today’s word image is a red balloon among a bunch of orange ones. It’s a sign, a signal, a prompt to notice the one that doesn’t match/ fit.

Wednesday the 2nd brings a sea-change; suddenly where we met resistance before, we find the way smooth, and we gain or benefit, even as what aids us may be unfamiliar, from a quarter we never anticipated, and may make us somehow uncomfortable. The very ease with which things roll out could shake us up. Accept all the positives for what they are (don’t extrapolate that anything more will follow, or that this has changed circumstances or relationships in any way), roll with them, and accept that they are valid in the moment–and that moment may not last very long. Can be a weird, disorienting, one off of a day–best to treat it that way (Pallas trine Zeus, Jupiter qnx Pallas, Venus trine SN and nov Uranus, Merc parallel Chiron, Sun nov Juno)

Today’s word image is: someone keeps trying to cut you in on their manufactured drama. You have permission from the wider Universe to say ‘no’ to that, but if you don’t, you’ll have to admit you’re at least supporting it, if not an actual part of it.

‘A Path in the Woods’ By Camille Pissarro 1903 {{PD}}

Thursday the 3rd the good vibes continue–but in completely different ways than yesterday! ‘Lucky’ areas that were not on the menu on the 2nd come forward today, and once again, it’s the briefest of positive runs from which we should draw no lasting conclusions. Trust the unconscious–it knows the way (Pallas qnx Black Moon Lilith, Venus sxt Ceres, Merc nov Sedna)

The 4th we are unmoored–from the familiar, from beliefs, from the facts, and somehow alienated from our own conscious Beingness. Our attention may go too much toward what’s not working, or what we’re being denied–our real focus should be the way we feel–it’s our anchor, right now (Sun contra-parallel Jupiter)

Today’s word image isn’t exactly an image, it’s this: are you the kind of person who searches out answers, looks for what they need, gives things a try, before you ask someone else, or are you that person who asks others to look or try it or do it for you, without making any effort? One has the attitude that those who surround her exist only to serve her, while the other is resourceful and pitches in to be a positive (and often Self-actualizing) force–so, which are you?

Saturday the 5th we wake up to a heated energy cat-fight, the tumult filling the air with the most disturbing electricity. What can we do? Don’t trust our own minds–reasoning is off as we’re too prone to fudge the facts, ignore our own part in things, and/ or see our ambitions as impossible–and don’t trust the messages we get from others, who are suffering their own short-circuit. A big part of choosing and acting effectively today rests on trust in our own beliefs; a calm and sure-footed faith in ourselves will be behind every productive assertion and effort we make. Expect partners to give you a hard time, and teachers to be less than supportive–these people will especially suffer from an inward-turning gaze (Jupiter sesq Juno, Merc sq BML, opp Zeus, and qnx Jupiter)

A mint julep, served in the traditional silver cup, at Revel in New Orleans. Photo By Jami430 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59224029

Today’s word image is a mint julep in honor of the Kentucky Derby.We’re talking frivolous but enjoyable tradition, here–what’s your long time celebration, meant to ease the pains of the day, or to mark a particular season or event?

By Sunday the 6th of May we are wondering if anyone got the number of the truck that hit us this week. The results of our experience will be something like this: our ability to weigh what’s smart and what will empower us is radically out of whack; what we’ve seen this week has removed or proved how untenable our previous notions of what’s effective, what’s wise, what’s worth doing–and that leaves us not really knowing what we care about, or what rewards or relationships to pursue. The answer is twofold: Love yourself, just as you are, and do it fiercely–don’t let any doubt or nagging negativity in, and use your imagination, and your ideals, to set (or re-set) paths, goals, and what’s possible. We’re living on a new wavelength–time to get with the program, and make it work for you (Pallas contra-parallel Juno, Pluto qnx Pallas, Venus semi-sq Uranus, Sun semi-sq Chiron and sxt Neptune)

Follow me on Facebook, read more here, donate to your favorite blogs and bloggers, and have a wonderful week! Pop back in over the next few days as I supply Word Images for each day–thanks!

 

 

Full Moon in Scorpio April 2018 ‘Your Money Or Your Life’

27 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by in astrology, Full Moon, Grand Cross/Grand Square, Moon, Sabian Symbols

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

Photo By G.Hüdepohl (atacamaphoto.com)/ESO – https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1802a/ CC BY 4.0

Is this Full Moon really as dramatic as that stick-up line in an old movie? Yes, and then again, No. This Full Moon is likely to feel highly charged, in the sense of seeming as if a great deal depends on how things go, on which direction we decide to jump–but that’s just a feeling, fostered by a culmination in Scorpio (at 5:57 PM PDT on the 29th) that is in relatively close square to the Nodal axis, the North end of which is conjoined Ceres. Yes, I’m aware the Nodal axis at any one time is the measurement of the points where the Moon crosses the ecliptic, with the North Node being the point when the Moon crosses into the Northern ecliptic hemisphere and the South Node the opposite, and all as defined from our viewpoint here on Earth–and so, the Nodes aren’t bodies at all, which some astrologers do not count as acceptable components of configurations–but I do. I see them as charged points in space, and so meaningful when aligned with other points or bodies.

Back to the Full Moon’s participation in a Fixed Grand Cross, with Sun in Taurus, Moon-Earth in Scorpio, North Node-Ceres in Leo, and South Node in Aquarius, which I anticipate lending the Full Moon its sense of dynamism, importance through potentialities, and even fatedness, should we feel this Cross as a swirling maelstrom rather than a compass pointing (and so urging us to move) in four directions at once. We may be confronting (the squares) our personal future direction and power situation (NN-Ceres in Leo) as well as the ways in which our once-future oriented approach has become dated and passé (SN in Aquarius). This Full Moon illuminates our personal caves, digs down into the figurative Earth beneath our feet, shines a light on what’s normally dank and wet and hidden, dark, mysterious, and perhaps alluring because it’s unknown, and shows us how this must change, evolve, or be reformed in order to reconcile what we want (Sun in Taurus) with what we are compelled toward, intuit, love, and already have (Moon-Earth in Scorpio), with the consideration that these Moon-Earth attributes must change (Scorpio), in order to allow us to move forward effectively, with our power, agency, and autonomy intact (NN-Ceres).

A sextile to Saturn by the FM tells us that this is an opportunity–how? you ask: the real world restrictions and restraints imposed by ourselves or others on us have created exactly the right physical conditions for us to see and then alter those areas that the FM reveals as requiring change. The Moon’s emotional component supplies a sense of urgency, while the Moon’s placement tells us that nothing less than our own personal evolution is on the table. Sorting need from want deals with the stress questions imposed by the Cross, even as it answers that question, ‘Your money or your life?’ through the Sun’s assessment of what we want to gain, accumulate, and find comfort in. What at first feels like a hold-up becomes a chance to evolve, another Scorpio specialty. Looking deep and willingly making needed change, we can have both what we need materially (‘money’) and what we value spiritually (‘life’).

The Sabian symbol for the Full Moon is, ‘A Fellowship Supper Reunites Old Comrades’, while the Sabian for the Sun is, ‘A Red Cross Nurse’. Both are images of care, the camaraderie of mankind, and healing. This suggests that if we can get beyond the sense of urgency and fear, we can see how beneficial, offering repair to relationships and feelings, the circumstances of reform highlighted by the Full Moon can truly be.

Bonus: those with a natal placement 8-11 degrees Gemini will find their natal energy at the apex of a Finger of God with base of Saturn-FM. This suggests what is acted upon for the individual will be related to that natal energy, and/ or to the subjects of the House it rules in the natal chart.

Excellent work on finding your ikigai from Astrologer Jem Neal–

And we’ll end with a quote from Mignon McLaughlin:

Your money, or your life. We know what to do when a burglar makes this demand of us, but not when God does

Your Ascendant Zodiapedia: ‘The Knowing Is Just Over There’ Sagittarius

26 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by in astrology, Sagittarius, The Ascendant

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

‘The Fair Toxophiles’ By William Powell Frith 1871 {{PD}}

The Archer wanders far and wide as a matter of course; seeking both knowledge and something new, Sagittarius as the rising sign designates the person with an expansive outlook, the one who knows or will find out, the one who’s always willing to go on a walkabout, just to see, to gain information—and this is so even if Sag never leaves the place she was born. The spirit of Sagittarius is so willing to explore, to learn, and then to teach, that she can come to be seen as something of a go-to when others need to know—which can both use positively some of Sag’s most characteristic talents, and place our Sag in a role of service that may or may not mesh with the bigger natal picture (and when it doesn’t fit, may devolve into know-it-all-ness, gossip as sport, or a pressure that results in made-up ‘facts’).

Others observe a competent and active individual with Sagittarius rising, but looking from the inside out, Sag may be seeking knowledge, or to teach others, as a form of security. There may have been an early environment that penalized those who didn’t have necessary information or that relied heavily on the Sag individual to provide this for others, who then sheltered or fed Sag. Knowledge, religious ritual and expression, or the ability to ‘get the word out’ for others may have been treated as currency in Sag’s early world, and this may have left a persistent attitude that causes him to wield info, ‘the facts’, or her belief system as reward or weapon, or to substitute beliefs for facts when it gets them what they want . Others, then, may find themselves surprised at Sag’s controlling approach to knowledge, the insistence that ‘they know’, as well as at his tendency to bolt for the far horizon when things don’t go his way.

Survival in the early environment may have hinged on gregariousness and optimism for Sag rising, and this can lead to an inclination to ignore problems; even when Sag has the answers (and with all that attention to information, who else is so well equipped?) she may fail to connect the dots. Compartmentalizing of knowledge, or painting scenes with too wide and sweeping a brush, can cause Sagittarius to falter and efforts to fail—often almost inexplicably. With so much energy focused outwardly, Sag may not do the kind of Self-analysis that other signs fall to naturally when things don’t go well; Sag may instead scan the horizon for what’s to blame, and miss a chance to up their game. This highlights how Sag can be completely Self-contained and yet yearn for others, as she needs an audience or someone to hear what she’s sharing. The trend in these two opposing directions can cause a lot of internal conflict for the Archer, as she struggles between retreating and charging out to look for a receptive someone; she finds her cure in adopting a willingness to value social interaction, networking, and light information exchange (the qualities of opposing sign Gemini) as much as she respects the acquisition and sharing of knowledge, religion, and philosophy. In other words, when she lightens up, she wins.

You can be sure that Sagittarius Rising always knows the landscape—that is, he knows it unless his attention has already moved on to the next destination. Sometimes the attention is in an otherworldly place (the religious connection), sometimes it’s a place where he can learn more (the education connection), and sometimes it (and the action) are entirely in Sag’s head; he may find a selectively perceived world that reflects his own philosophies preferable to having to deal with reality—and this marks one of the Archer’s biggest weaknesses, his reluctance to stay focused, in the present, in one place (mentally or otherwise), for very long—knowing is always ‘over there’—but that persistent curiosity, openness, and willingness to share are also his greatest strengths.

Sagittarius can come across to others as too aggressive or assertive, a byproduct of the love of knowledge and philosophizing and the natural inclination to spread these, compounded by Sag’s Fire element and the ‘action’ orientation it confers. Enthusiasm that overwhelms others, and a fondness for exaggeration or ‘doing it big’ can also be detriments, but we all need that person who gets excited and goes above and beyond, who exceeds and excels and so fosters optimism and hope in others: Sag rising individuals are essential to speculative ventures and persistent efforts, both of which are vital components of success.

Please check here for the current picture, and have a great day!

The Last Days of Uranus in Aries

26 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Retrogrades + Directions, Uranus

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , ,

By Illustratedjc – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60648788

By the 28th of April Uranus enters that tense 29th degree of Aries, and remains poised to stir up panic until its entry into Taurus on May 15th. What fears might this stir? Being alone, being abandoned, having to lead (if we’re more comfortable anonymous in the crowd) or having to follow (if we feel we must lead), as well as various cautions around what to do, what to choose, how to act, and whether asserting oneself is a good idea, and with that latter I can say, it may not be a good idea, but it may be one we feel compelled to do! Sort out what and who you’re really mad at (there are at least a few objects of outrage, if you’ll only admit it), for best (and least destructive) results.

Also of note today is the Mars-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn, a no-frills kind of wallop that will appear in some form as two angry, vengeful, insisting-on-change, or bent-on-destruction parties meeting head-on, with one insisting on forward progress of a Cappy nature and one determined to roll back the clock or go down in flames trying. Ugh, avoid this smoldering train wreck if at all possible by keeping the focus on manifesting your ideal and most Self-reliant Self (Juno in 29 tense degrees of Pisces). You have the mandate to be your best, now go be it without being distracted by the wreckage nearby.

Right around November 7th Uranus is in apparent retrograde and returns to that  final degree of Aries, for old times’ sake, I suppose–why else would we fling ourselves back into such a stressful position? We also see at that point that Uranus forms a massively tense T-square with the transiting Nodal axis and will stand quincunx Jupiter in Scorpio. And in just a few days this is followed by an opposition from Ceres and a sextile from Mars in Aquarius. To me this looks like the most incendiary point for Uranian upset, making the current conditions look quaintly tame in comparison. In contrast to the present single, easily-controlled-by-us fear we may wrestle with, November offers a do-or-die scenario where some of us may indeed choose the wrong option–we’re worried about the future, maybe fearing it won’t come!–likely out of fear of death, fear of obliteration in a more mundane sense, an insistence on vengeance or ‘teaching x a lesson’, or out of a deep, dark desire for more than our fair share (Jupiter in Scorpio). Not all of us will succumb, but we’ll certainly all be tempted, and the results will be a real-world check on the limits of our power (the opp from Ceres) and a more reasoned line of thinking, possibly arriving too late, to guide our actions (Mars in Aquarius).

Issues may linger (causing, among other things, a final push to do what’s right or resolve things, especially hurts–Chiron semi-sextile–as Mars passes conjoined Uranus mid-February 2019) until Uranus finally lets go of Arian concerns, around 6 March 2019. So, we’ll likely re-visit all this in a hopped up form late next winter-early next spring; once Uranus enters Taurus, get to know the ‘new’ way the planet will work in the sign, and be prepared for impact if you have early degree natal placements (especially if that placement is Mercury, which influence from Uranus may cause surprising things to shoot out of your mouth until you steady the impulse).

If you haven’t visited lately, you should: Jude Cowell’s Stars Over Washington is jam-packed with illuminating articles, mostly of a political or US history bent. Check it out!

Uranus Into Taurus

25 Wednesday Apr 2018

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, aspects and placements, astrology, Uranus

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, ,

The bull relief fresco – original – in the archaeological museum of Heraklion. From Knossos palace (West bastion of the North Entrance Passage where one can see a copy nowadays, Neopalatial period (1600 – 1450 BCE) Photo By the wonderful Jebulon, who releases all his excellent photos of antiquities under CC0. Thanks, Jebulon!

Uranus enters Taurus in the AM on 15 May 2018 Pacific time, and it may feel like the world slips, just a little; we had our footing with Uranus in Aries, we’d even managed to grit our teeth and show off a little: ‘Look at me! I’m not afraid of going it alone, doing it all myself (no choice)!’ We came to feel that the only way to deal with the presence of Uranus in Aries overall (when it wasn’t bouncing off another transiting body or surprising one of our natal ones) was to exhibit the tenacity of a bighorn ram, persisting even when the climb was dizzying or the cliff falling away beneath us. It was a lonely period, no matter how much support we enjoyed from the group, and no matter how sound our theories and reasoning, with every ‘earthquake’ Uranus presented a challenge: hold on! And we did, even as the Universe seemed to split and split again into infinite and uniquely individual forms of aggression, ‘accident’ (though we know there are none, right?) and Self-promotion (because if we didn’t innovate, invent, and then promote our unique contribution, who would?)

Just a day after Uranus moves into Taurus, Mars enters Aquarius and squares the planet of anarchy, shocks, and the intellect–and we may find that our actions, choices, and sense of autonomy through individual rights may act to stabilize the Uranian influence, in spite of the way Uranus in Taurus has the upper hand (through its rulership of Aquarius). Things steady as the ancient ruler of Aquarius, Saturn, funnels those choices and actions into real-world, or at least blatantly apparent, manifestations, likely initially presented as conflict, a ‘problem’, or a delay or denial. Once we get over the shock of what comes, we see how to think of it in the most effective way; it’s a true case of changing our way of thinking, and so changing what lies before us, and eliminating, or at least seeing in a new light, the problem.

By agracier – NO VIEWS, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57157533

Though this square of Mars to Uranus usually creates a bit of mayhem, this time because of sign placements it offers a new way of acting and reacting, via the intellect, to material ‘surprises’ that, when we think about them, aren’t really surprises at all; once they show themselves, we can easily draw the line from what occurs to the unique circumstances under which it originated–and that means our reactions can be grounded in (Taurean) reality, rather than forcing Self-reliance and a ‘fight it with your mind’ Arian stance.

Like the blog? Follow this site on Facebook, donate, review my books on GoodReads, or read more here–thanks!

Next up: Your Ascendant Zodiapedia: Sagittarius, and then the Scorpio Full Moon.

Julie Demboski's ASTROLOGY

Addressing the Individual Experience Within the Universal Truth

Skip to content ↓