By Martin Falbisoner – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50272911

The AstroEssence: We resist preoccupation with those things that linger in the shadows, that distress us and distract from what needs to be done; we instead rush headlong into the future–at least in our own minds, if not in the actions we pursue. Not having our minds on the present can signal inspired thinking that takes us forward, or inattentiveness that kills efforts on the vine. Relationships and finances take their most healthy forms–and that means that any ‘falling away’ we experience at this time is really the best course for us, and that unpleasantness or lack is meant to foster better approaches and methods in us–so one way or another, we benefit (Venus parallel Hygeia, Mercury semi-sq Black Moon Lilith and trine NN)

{{PD}}

Today’s word image is a single page from a book. It flutters down from the book shelf, you read it and would like to know what book it comes from as it’s intriguing, but none of the books on the shelves match the page! This image reminded me of those memories that pop up and seem not to fit anything about your life–maybe it’s a way you behaved once, maybe it’s something that happened that seems like a dream now, so unlikely did the events play out, but whatever it is, it doesn’t have a place within who you are; instead it’s an outlier that can make us uncomfortable, as it hints at either unacknowledged facets within ourselves, or that life is much less predictable than we suppose. If you’ve had some kind of memory like this ‘visit’ you lately, welcome it, because it probably tells you about something, some quality or inclination, that lingers just below the surface, and that you might be smart to take a stand on before it influences things again.

For those born with the Sun at 17 Sagittarius: Opportunity and desire will serendipitously come together for you this coming Solar year, through to your next birthday–so what more do you need? An awareness both that time is passing, and that the unexpected could play a big role in what occurs after you take advantage of those chances to get what you want, and in being aware that the time frame for modifying and fine-tuning the Self is over–it’s time to work with what you’ve got, perfected or not. Good luck, Sagittarius, and Happy Birthday!

Donate (at right)–Read–Enjoy your day!

By George Morren – Scan: ALEIXO, Heloisa (et al). Acervo Museu Nacional de Belas Artes -São Paulo: Banco Santos, 2012 Public Domain https://commons.wikimedia.org

The AstroEssence: Venus enters Aquarius and feelings, especially surrounding relationships, get crossed with the intellect; emotional perceptions will lag behind real-world events, and that means we’ll realize we needed a witty retort, will get upset with what was communicated, or feel we must answer someone or something, well after the event that triggered the feeling. This may send a large number of us around grumbling under our breath, and result in choices and actions that have the aim of showing us our own power–whether that’s a productive goal or not. Because of the emotional experience, we may become enamored of flexing our muscles, just to show we can. It arises from a feeling of helplessness engendered by the frustration of those lagging emotional perceptions, but we should take care to look at the content of the frustration more than the feeling itself; we’re likely to find that we’re hanging our agitated emotions on a minor incident that doesn’t warrant such a response. Too, examining the actual exchange may reveal something we need to address that can remove the source of (probably unconscious) irritation, once and for all.

We should also talk about the squine (yes, ugly name, isn’t it? It comes from the way this contact of 105 degrees falls just between a square–90 degrees–and a trine–120) formed between Mercury and Uranus-Ceres (with Uranus-Ceres also contacting Chiron and Mars, the latter aspecting Mercury). Squines may tell us about difficult situations that bring luck or ease, or conversely, about something we think we can breeze through that brings no end of conflict. In this instance, we might see Uranus-Ceres in Aries as representative of the individual impulses toward both power and originality, with Mercury in Capricorn suggesting restrictive thoughts, communications, and ideas from the Self or others. In the most general terms this could suggest that something forbids, restrains, or requires discipline or a definite ‘shape’, and we respond either spontaneously and uniquely, or spontaneously and rebelliously, but either way we make our choice, influenced by our wounds and our need to act and show others our power within the situation–for better or worse. Also important to know: our ambitions and desires don’t enjoy the benefit of our instincts today–so stick to the facts and don’t indulge impulses in this department–they are more likely prompted by fears or wishes than the guidance of internal knowing (Mars sxt Ceres, Merc semi-sq Mars, Zeus contra-parallel Sedna, Venus enters Aquarius)

Here’s your Venus in Aquarius experience

Today’s word image is the color green. It’s our color for sychronicities, for grabbing our attention and bringing us into the present moment, and suggests when we notice it we may have an opportunity for growth, we may be meeting something entirely new and should be aware of that (we’re ‘green’ in the sense of inexperienced), or it could be a warning that we are possibly jealous and unaware of it (‘the green-eyed monster’ ‘green with jealousy’).

By Pedro Ribeiro Simões from Lisboa, Portugal – Portuguese tiles, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org

For those born with the Sun at 16 Sagittarius: serious, earth-shattering revelations and change are on the agenda for you, now through to your next birthday, but the funny thing is, this may happen without your conscious awareness, and may be so subtle or behind-the-scenes that it ends up taking you completely by surprise. It may go down like this: the change comes, and with it opportunity/ good fortune–and you must take that while you can, as you’ll either soon be required to take on a solid, dependable role, or will be faced with a formidable obstacle. That’s your map for the coming year. Good luck, Sagittarius, and Happy Birthday!

‘La mort de la mère’ Ernest Lincker c1911 {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: Benefits of all kinds come from ‘clean living’ (whatever that means to you) and this apparently involves pursuing our ambitions, being creative, and being open to spontaneous action. It seems health in all areas comes from a positive and pro-active Self-focus that calls for realization of our goals. That’s a very nice recipe for going after exactly what we want, but keep in mind: success with these energies requires us to reassess our commitments (willingly revising our standards so they are real-world oriented and practical), be cautious, as making choices and taking action brings the unexpected, and we need to be actively aware that the spotlight will naturally fall on the Beautiful, the Prosperous, on Relationships, Finances, areas of Cooperation, Diplomatic endeavors, and on those things that we might envy. With those matters spotlighted, we need to either learn from what we observe and/ or be aware that what we’re seeing is exaggerated, and may present an unreal level of ‘perfection’ that we should not expect ourselves to attain (chiefly because it’s essentially an illusion) (Hygeia nov Zeus, Mars sxt Uranus, Venus sxt Hygeia and nov Neptune, Mercury qnx Vesta, Sun parallel Venus)

Edvard Munch – Death and the Child (1899) {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a dream I had last night, the message of which I will translate: no one can escape death. Grim, right? Except, how differently would we behave if we actually accepted that idea, that we would indeed one day end (at least in our current form)? If we did accept it, that is, truly realize it, we would probably have a viewpoint much closer to the one we see in those who have gone through a terrible ordeal, a disaster, a life-changing illness, or a near-death experience: we would likely see things in a more eternal light, with much different kinds of ‘investment’ made in the everyday. What we appreciate would change markedly, as would what we care about. It’s worth trying to consciously adopt a seriously long view in our decision-making and our energy investments at this point, mostly because we just can’t know what our choices will bring (reflected by the current Mars-Uranus sextile).

For those born with the Sun at 15 Sagittarius: If you can accept some major change that’s coming up shortly, you will encounter some big opportunities or ‘lucky’ turn of events this Solar year, through to your next birthday. These will, perhaps surprisingly, be followed by the need for serious hard work, in order to make the most of them, to cement their benefits in place, and to make the achievements they make possible permanent. At the same time, the emotional life may be tough, as feelings may clash with your Self-image and you could be the victim of deception, or possibly just fall for an illusion. Good luck, Sagittarius, and Happy Birthday!

Donate–Read (and give your opinions on GoodReads)–Have a great day!

Pierre-Auguste Renoir – ‘Le Déjeuner au bord de la rivière’ c1879 {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: What’s good for us has the benefit of somehow expanding our world, and that’s undeniably positive, though how that expansion unfolds and what it brings are dependent on a particular equation: the tension created by conflict between our own empowerment, ability to choose, and ability to translate our Will into effective change or creation, and our pure creative urge, our fantasies, and/ or our delusions, determines what benefits we receive. So, empowerment divided by the impetus of the imagination equals rewards of Love or Money (or, in worst case scenarios, costs us, or brings jealousy or competitive nastiness). Today we’ll move to do something positive for ourselves, and the result depends both on how firmly we understand how to turn our intentions into reality, and how firmly we are connected to the real-world possibilities of our imagination. Luckily, thinking runs along practical and cautious lines, and so promises to be more of an aid than a stumbling block (Jupiter nov Hygeia, Venus at the midpoint of the Juno-Neptune square, Mercury enters Capricorn)

Groundhog (Marmota monax), near Peyto Lake (Alberta) Photo by Reinhard Kraasch CC BY-SA 3.0

Today’s word image is a groundhog. Uh-oh, are we repeating something we could easily avoid or improve on, if we’d only apply the necessary insight? That may sound a bit as if I’m saying, “Just be enlightened, okay?” but I’m really saying we all carry those answers inside, the ones that can guide our behavior and perceptions in a way that aligns with our highest goals and values; it’s up to each of us to recognize that, in reality, we know what the ‘right’ approach or response is, but we let our human fears and needs get in the way and muddy the waters. Today we must recognize that we could move past this tiresome re-run, if we’d only take the high road out of there.

For those born with the Sun at 11 Sagittarius: This coming Solar year, through to your next birthday, you may find that your emotional perceptions are unfolding in such a way that they reveal you to be someone you never thought you were! The surprises over your emotional responses will be as much yours as anyone else’s, and may be profoundly confusing to you, until you realize this: the current emotional perceptions are built on permanent changes already in place–and your feelings are just now catching up. Though you might like this ‘New You’ (you’ll likely be more in control of your emotional expression, and emotions may support constructive action) there could be down sides, too (you may find yourself being harsh in judgment or withholding of affection or approval, when things don’t go your way). Tempering the temper, so to speak, is what this coming year is all about. Good luck, Sagittarius, and Happy Birthday!

Enjoy your Friday! See Services and Books for more–Thank you!