Just a Little AstroEssence 20 February 2018 What We Don’t Know

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‘A Friendly Call’ By William Merritt Chase 1894 {{PD}}

What we choose not to know today won’t hurt us–in fact, it will make us act more practically or wisely than we might have otherwise–but it could undermine our healthier inclinations, or could create some tortured reasoning around desire and ambition fulfillment. We could engage in smart choices we almost immediately regret or see the short-comings of; could indicators be more at odds with themselves? Probably not. Likely results in a day where we don’t make any major problems for ourselves–we may actually put a few beneficial conditions in place–but in the end may feel frustrated and would rather write-off the whole thing as a wash (Hygeia semi-sq and Pallas trine Black Moon Lilith, Mercury sesq Zeus and semi-sq Pluto).

Rain Drenched Bird, Photo By Bhaskar.albert – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21043391

Today’s word image is a bedraggled bird finds shelter from the rain under the eaves.What wild and free-flying impulse or desire do you have that might need a little caring-for, a little protection, right now? Shelter that spontaneity and desire to ‘fly high’; it’s of great Soul-value, and losing it can begin an unwinding of the life force, a lessening of desire, initiation of an unfortunate kind of spiritual retreat.

Just a Little AstroEssence 19 February 2018 A Healthy Will

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‘Great Generals of the Desert and the Spirits of Grasses and Trees Who Dwell in the Void of Water and Land’ Ming dynasty, 15th century {{PD}}

Our actions and choices create the future, as they always do (Mars trine NN) but today, unlike most days, we can trust them completely. We accept our role in this creation, accept our power to effect it, and have integrated inner wisdom, a sense of practicality, and awareness of those things we have ignored or denied, so that our efforts are fully informed, and so completely healthy expressions of our Beingness and intents (Venus sxt Black Moon Lilith, parallel Juno, sxt Pallas, semi-sq Uranus, Sun parallel Hygeia).

Paperweight, glass art from Gozo, Malt. Photo By Edwinb CC0

Today’s word image is this: you hold a glass paperweight in your hand, thinking it is filled with colorful swirls, until you look more closely and see that it actually depicts _________ . That’s your Rorschach test for today.

Your Weekend 18 February 2018 Spirit Central

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‘The Storm Spirits’ By Evelyn De Morgan c1900 {{PD}}

We communicate directly with spirit today, directly with and from our own and others’ power space (Sun enters Pisces and along with Merc noviles Pluto). Conditions advise against listening to our instincts–they’re distorted by fear, so not in tune with what we really need–and though it may seem contradictory, do allow yourself to be spontaneous and to express your most unique and original inclinations, even if it takes a toll on relationships and/ or finances–your health is most important, in the end, and will be aided if you speak from your central spiritual power. Just sort impulses into positive and not-so by what you’ve learned from your own past; therein lies all you need to know to make right choices today (Uranus sxt Hygeia while Hygeia sq Sedna, Pallas parallel SN, Venus contra-parallel Uranus).

By Steve Evans from Citizen of the World – Americana: Scarecrow, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25839973

Today’s word image is a scarecrow standing in a long-dead garden. Are you trying to protect something that’s no longer viable, that in one way or another has been ‘dead’ for some time? Ponder what you may be getting from continuing to behave as if this ‘garden’ is still producing, and consider that your vigilance may be doing no one any good, possibly distracting you or draining energy from much better uses.

Your Weekend 17 February 2018 Cause-And-Effect

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In honor of Aquarius, which has taken us for a ride, of late. William Bell Scott ‘The Little Water-Carrier’ 1862 {{PD}}

Vesta trines the North Node today, suggesting that whatever direction you find yourself headed, it reflects your values accurately. Not the values you say you have, but the ones you actually live–and yet we may be unable or unwilling to see how what we hold dear shapes our lives, with Mercury entering Pisces and prompting obscuring or idealizing of what we face. The reality is, we’ll behold  the outcome of those seeds planted earlier, around mid-December 2017, at the time of the Inferior Conjunction; the Superior Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury (when they meet with Merc direct) perfects today and shows us what our choices have created, many of which will have been made in the unconscious. What comes to light is a minor lesson in cause-and-effect, one that we may be tempted to intellectualize or rationalize (Aquarius) in an attempt to deal with what will likely feel like an imminent crisis (Sun and Merc meet at 29 degrees)–and this sense of crisis may be what pushes us to act on fantasy, to make deluded choices, or to allow ourselves to be mislead, willingly accepting something that if we pushed back would prove false (Mars sq Neptune). It sounds a little bleak, doesn’t it? But, what we may find is if we enter conflict or circumstances of discord with a clear sense of identity (or, failing that, a strong ego), we easily see the spiritually correct answer for ourselves as individuals (that is, there’s no spiritual formula, but a response that resonates with the Soul) with which we can resolve whatever lies before us.

‘The Horses of San Marco, Looking North’ By Reginald Barratt 1906 {{PD}}

Today’s word image is: someone you know takes a trip you always wanted to take, and you aren’t a bit envious. This happened to me, and I expected I would be jealous, but I instantly realized that the trip that person took wouldn’t be anything like the one I would take–they are on their ‘journey’, in the largest and the most particular senses, and I am on mine, so that even if we did the same things when we arrived, we would have markedly different experiences. This may be obvious to you, but it wasn’t to me, and maybe the point is a wider one, suggesting we never really can know the dimensions of someone else’s experiences, someone else’s Path.

Just a Little AstroEssence 16 February 2018 Waves

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By Bjornsphoto – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25217401

Strangely, kind of a quiet day, in spite of any disturbances generated by Venus quincunx Ceres. After the revelations of the eclipse, which may only now begin to dawn, we are likely to experience a ‘making waves’ vibe that ruffles relationships and/ or fiances, and brings values into question, and this is so regardless of the way that, when we consult our sense of inner knowing, we get a straight, dependable answer that’s highly expressive of our true priorities and standards (Vesta parallel Pallas). Don’t be mislead or distracted by the waves; know that as long as choices echo highest values, you’ll remain on the right track–or at least make decisions that suit and express you, even if you end up putting yourself into an untenable position.

By Carsten Frenzl from Obernburg, Deutschland – faceless, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35078047

Today’s word image is a truck full of mannequins. Here’s an online description of the origins of the word ‘mannequin’: ” 1902, “model to display clothes,” from French mannequin (15c.), from Dutch manneken. A French form of the same word that yielded manikin, and sometimes mannequin was used in English in a sense “artificial man” (especially in translations of Hugo). Originally of persons, in a sense where we might use “model.” Later (by 1939) of artificial model figures to display clothing.” The part that caught my attention was ‘artificial man’–and a truckload of them suggests a crowd of ‘fake people’. Is there a group like this in your life? Would you like to get away from them? Do you find yourself inadvertently a part of this group? Consider them an example of what and who not to be.

 

15 February 2018 Solar Eclipse in Aquarius: Revelation, Revolution

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Robert Spencer ‘The Seed of Revolution’ {{PD}}

We see a partial Solar eclipse at 27 Aquarius 07 at 1:05 PM Pacific time of the 15th. Aquarius suggests a theme of understanding, beneath the flash of what’s new and original, beneath the trend toward being different, and below the busyness of the intellect and the fussiness of the academic; this is emphasized by the way this New Moon is tucked late in the sign along with the planet Mercury and asteroids Juno and Hygeia, all with less than a 1.25 degree span, so very close together. A New Moon is a time of beginnings, of inception, and in this sign and with these fellow travelers suggests the start to a new way of thinking and feeling centered on a healthy personal sense of empowerment. Somehow we have a better understanding of who we are and of our emotional landscape, and that translates into clearer perceptions in the life area (as determined by subjects of the House) in the natal chart where the eclipse falls.

It also translates into new starts, things begun in the spirit of an emotional need for an intellectual quest–or the intellectual need to discover and connect to the emotions. In whichever way you’re lacking, this Solar eclipse will prompt consideration of the missing facet, likely revealing healthy and fitting ways in which you can empower yourself. This New Moon promises a new and original mindset, tailored to who you are, a revolution in how you approach life itself, a spark that may bring chaos but that ultimately lights the way toward more effective forms of communication between the Self and the Universe. (On a personal note, look to the Houses of the natal chart ruled by Mercury for clues as to and from where that communication might flow).

The Solar eclipse and company also sextiles Uranus, catching Chiron at the midpoint. This implies sudden revelation, with the capacity to heal (most likely) or to wound (a scant possibility). The inclination is to reveal and understand, and so to make a space to heal, or to react radically and cause hurt to the Self or others. The NM also squares Sedna, and we’ll count a wide square to Jupiter, as all together these form a Fixed T-square that is destined to make a bigger splash than we might at first think. The understanding and revelation we receive with the eclipse will create tension among ‘the facts’ or beliefs, and the instincts and those things we ‘know but don’t know’; this discord may lead to the eclipse events, or may spring from them, but in either case will translate into a new understanding, and so to taking a new direction.

One other minor aspect of note: the eclipse is semi-square the point Black Moon Lilith–and of course, that means BML is sesquiquadrate the Earth. This implies that something ignored or denied will cause a problem that leads to eclipse events–or vice versa, that eclipse events bring forward difficult circumstances that have up to now been ignored or denied. This may be, at the time of the eclipse, the most prominent thing, a thing you’d hoped would just go away that now, ‘in your face’, must be dealt with–it could distract from deeper, evolutionary shifts that occur, so that we only later see how much has changed, and what a revelation that change is.

‘The Oak’ By Issak Ilich Levitan c1880 {{PD}}

It all adds up to a kind of revolution, the nature of which is determined by the revelations received; they are instructions on how to empower ourselves in the most positive way possible, and suggest that tension or missteps arise directly from a failure to reconcile the nuts and bolts of the reality picture with our belief system and those things that are a part of our nature. What happens here is described in the Sabian symbol for the eclipse: ‘A Tree Felled And Sawed To Ensure A Supply Of Wood For The Winter’. A resource sacrificed to see us through coming tough times may be what we face with revolution, which is a systemic change meant to foster a better life in a better world–but always, there is a winter that precedes a flourishing spring, one that must be lived through, best we can, as Nature goes through Her cycles and humankind reorganizes into a new system. What happens with the Solar eclipse may be our symbolic supply of wood, meant to see us through a stressful period while the world is rearranged and healed, the terrain becoming ready to bloom around us once again.

Just a Little AstroEssence 14 February 2018 Siren Song

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We may brave human laws, but we cannot resist natural ones–Captain Nemo, ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’

John Reinhard Weguelin 1905 {{PD}}

We’re all tangled up in the Dark of the Moon, thinking big and sure of ourselves and of the rightness of our facts, and yet resisting our own inner voice, the one that can be so vital during times that decide the direction our Path will take (Sun conj Juno and both sq Sedna, Jupiter parallel Pallas). Every cell in our body is vibrating with the New Moon eclipse to come, the salt waters of the blood stream pulled like any ocean toward the extremity of the event; that can make us reckless, too prone to assess our own wisdom as greater than it really is, or to confuse optimism with what’s smart, with ‘knowing’. We need to focus on ‘mental health’, trusting ourselves to know what’s what; if it sounds questionable, it is (Mercury conj Hygeia). We need to watch out for the undercurrents, riptides formed by what we’ve ignored or denied, or by a flow of anger not yet released (Juno and the Sun semi-sq Black Moon Lilith). This can pull us under; we’ll also flail, perhaps risking relationships or finances, if we insist on pursuing desires or ambitions at this time (Venus sesq Zeus and semi-sq Pluto). We may only mean to follow our dream, but we may end up causing damage, instead–so proceed with caution, and be aware of the siren call exerted by the approaching New Moon.

Today’s word image is hearing a disembodied voice. What does it say to you?

Just a Little AstroEssence 13 February 2018 Smooth and Rough

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First, the smooth: an original take on things, especially one that draws on the past, is the light we should follow today. The most unique things about ourselves, our talents and the ability to jump to them spontaneously, along with the courage to express ourselves, will be key to personal fulfillment at this time, as will a willingness to accept the modern, the advanced, the new, and to approach all with the idea that understanding will breed sympathy, and so help us see the other side of things (Sun conj Juno, both sxt Uranus, Mercury parallel the South Node). Win-win will always be better than single-minded Self-interest–in a way, today you can actually achieve both.

Now the rough: the mind is prone to reactionary thinking, exaggerating issues and resisting the facts and/ or what the social order asserts (Mercury sq Jupiter). When confronted with authority, the tendency may be to choose the impractical or unwise, in a show of misplaced defiance (Pallas sq Ceres). Add to this that we are potentially either misunderstanding our own values and priorities, or that we are deluded about what truly matters to us, and we have a recipe for bad judgment and ‘wrong’ decisions (Neptune sq Vesta).

The only way to avoid the possibility of bad judgment is to fully invest in our unique take on things; trusting our most personal and original viewpoint will take us in the right direction, as long as we don’t get all philosophical and try to filter things by some theoretical or absolute standards, as we are likely to have a distorted or irrational view of these at this time. Keep it all keyed to who you are, and you can’t go far wrong.

By LincolnGroup11 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27439778

Today’s word image is: having to do the ‘wrong’ thing before you can do the ‘right’ one. When this happens, it may feel like a waste of time, a dead end, but the reality is we learn from this, and perhaps put off that ‘right’ move until the time is appropriate and everything aligns. Never fear that you’ve made a mess of things; you did it so you could find out something, even if that’s only to teach yourself never to do that again.

Just a Little AstroEssence 12 February 2018 Power In Mind

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Workshop of George Frederic Watts ‘Chaos’ 1875 {{PD}}

Will our rebelliousness cause our own destruction, or is it that the ego just can’t share power (or can’t do anything to support those that do have it)? Mars sesquiquadrate Uranus and parallel Pluto suggests we are not on board with the power politics of the current picture, and perhaps think that blowing it all up is our only option. The reality of it is a bit different: we are pushed toward creating chaos because of our own denial of instincts and avoidance of what we should attend to (Black Moon Lilith sesquiquadrate Sedna). Steer a course by relationships, financial needs, and values, as all will be attuned to what’s healthy in the larger sense (Venus parallel Hygeia); our other big plus is our mentality at this time: somehow, in being able to put aside what we’d rather not see at the moment, we are able serve ambitions and desires in a way that honors what we find important, sacred, or meaningful, and this has a relatively powerful ability to manifest our aims (Mercury nov BML, semi-sq Saturn, trine Zeus and parallel Vesta). The trick is not allowing our complaints over current power distribution to distract us from the way we can get exactly what we want, regardless of who holds what in the realm of power.

Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium – Chasing an orange car in Roussillon, Provence, France. CC BY-SA 2.0

Today’s word image is a bright orange car–or rather, a triumvirate of them! Cars are a means of getting somewhere, and the color orange implies overflowing energy, and the number three? That’s a number of balance, of equilibrium, perhaps suggesting that a roaring go-get-‘um attitude must have two others ‘legs’ that, well considered, keep things in a productive state. Adequate rest and fuel, of course, may be one of those, while the other is likely the mental, emotional, and spiritual considerations that give that energy both a shape and a desirable aim. Measure which of your ‘legs’ may be in need of attention, and don’t let any one of them do all the driving.

Your Weekend 11 February 2018 Serendipity

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Children playing at sunset on a Mekong bank, not far from the island of Don Loppadi in Si Phan Don (4000 islands), Laos Photo By Basile Morin – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65175348

We make smart change (Mars nov Pluto)–and that may sound a lot like yesterday, but it’s not; today marks a completely different kind of energy. It’s a flow that combines effort with serendipity, with the more effort made, the more fortuitous the outcomes. The mind is sharp and sure, as thoughts align with beliefs, making for a kind of confidence in our own ideas that’s hard to beat (Mercury parallel Jupiter); in some this might go too far, leading to exaggeration, over-promising, or bragging that leaves everyone disappointed later. We avoid that by keeping attention on what’s healthy (Sun conj Hygeia)–and what’s more healthy than moderation? Enjoy the day, accept synchronicities as appearing for your benefit, and be willing to make the big move or the deep plunge, as the Universe is more than ready to assist you.

By Louis Paul Dessar, photo by Philippe Alès Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

Today’s word image is someone who’s always late to a meeting, date, or event. Is that you? No matter who the chronically late person is, we have to ask, What are they holding back, withholding, or otherwise resisting? Being late (trying to control the expenditure of time) is trying to give voice to something the individual may not realize they feel, or that they feel unsafe expressing more directly. Is this an expression of resentment, an attempt to exert some power in what feels to them like an imbalance in the relationship, or is this an outgrowth of general disorganization that allows them to abdicate responsibility for so much. In any case, it’s not something that ‘happens to us’, and needs to be looked at for what that repeated action is really trying to say.

 

Julie Demboski's ASTROLOGY

Addressing the Individual Experience Within the Universal Truth

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