30 March 2016 Group Think

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Eugen von Blaas - 'The Love Letter' 1904 {{PD}}

Eugen von Blaas – ‘The Love Letter’ 1904 {{PD}}

We’ll likely hear a great deal today about what the social sphere, groups, and unified others believe and think, but we should hesitate to take those pronouncements at face value, even when we’re the ones making them and so convinced that the perception is not just correct, but correct in its monolithic approach. We need to remain aware that underlying that seemingly uniform and truthful assessment are several important things: 1) the speaker’s hidden biases, beliefs, or agenda, of which we/ they may or may not be conscious, 2) buried anger or denied desires unresolved and ‘leaking’ out through our/ their ideas about others, and 3) a disinclination to acknowledge the worth, common shared values, or mutual desires of ourselves and others. These three facets of discord can filter into our beliefs, ideas, thoughts, words, and our conceptions of ourselves and all others, and taint what seems to be a clear perception–that is, we’ll believe we’re seeing clearly, and like-minded individuals will reinforce our thinking, but in some small or large way, our conclusions will be seriously distorted or ‘off’. Too, our senses betray us, one way or another. Today’s a day to let what comes just flow over us, avoiding both drawing conclusions and reaching for power at this time; if we try either, we’re likely to end up with a raggedy handful of wrong assumptions and angry responses (Ceres qnx BML, Venus conjoined Chiron and contra-parallel the Sun, Merc parallel Jupiter and Pallas, contra-parallel BML and Zeus, and square Pluto and opp Zeus, Sun contra-parallel Juno)

Fragment of a letter on papyrus {{PD}}

Fragment of a letter on papyrus {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a letter written but never sent. Sometimes what isn’t said is more important than anything conveyed; listen for the ‘unsent message’ today–it’s bound to tell you something you didn’t know.

To those who are ‘borrowing’ and ‘sharing’ my posts, a direct quote from the Terms of Usebrief excerpts of a single paragraph or less with live link specifically within a post, article, or forum are allowed without permission (in fact, I thank you for thinking enough of what I say to quote me!) but not when used as your entire post–that is, if you’re talking about the material, it’s fine to quote a paragraph; if you are calling that your post, no matter credit or links offered, then no.

29 March 2016 Right With Reality

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Women Watching Stars by Chou Ota, 1936 {{PD}} uploaded by Daderot via Wikimedia Commons

Women Watching Stars by Chou Ota, 1936 {{PD}} uploaded by Daderot via Wikimedia Commons

The subjects involved with Love or Money take us back, but it’s the individual outlook that determines whether we learn from the past and use that knowledge, enter a reverie and spin our wheels, or in remembering the past decide we need to recreate it. Which of these three options we choose may depend on how reverent we still are toward old relationships or financial arrangements; if we tend to frame either in a sentimental light, we’re likely to become mired in memories, or to believe that re-creation is our best option. Only those processing reality clearly (and our ability to do so is excellent, should we want to see things as they truly are) can move forward today, and these individuals have the added benefits of trustworthy instincts and are able to sort what’s useful on the social scene from everything else–the rest of us may spend the day in a haze of nostalgia or in trying to mold today so it looks like yesterday (Venus conjoined the SN, Merc trine Saturn, nov Sedna, qnx Jup)

Today’s word image is a stranger who hands you a button that says, ‘The Stars Were Right’ (True story; it happened to me this weekend). What immediately comes into your head? That’s either the thing that has helped you avoid a lot of missteps, or the thing that you believe about yourself, positive or negative, that you need to see isn’t true unless you make it so.

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28 March 2016 Neatly Divided

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Vincent van Gogh "The Night Café", 1888 {{PD}}

Vincent van Gogh “The Night Café”, 1888 {{PD}}

Smarts and desires are neatly divided today, with little chance of combining the two. A few hints as to how best to proceed include: amazingly, what you see recommended in the social sphere may be the smartest thing at this time; thoughts misperceive goals and the shape of ambitions, and don’t even recognize talents or what assets are needed; and though we’re focused on the future, and optimistic because of it, we may fail to carry over lessons learned from the past–which means we may be prone to repeat old mistakes. Again, take it easy, and if you do choose to go forward, let the facts and what you know, not what you think, guide you (Pallas contra-parallel Zeus, Jupiter parallel Pallas, Merc qnx Juno and contra-p Venus, Sun parallel NN)

1280px-Edouard_Manet_069

Edouard Manet: White Primroses, 1864

Today’s word image is a white flower on a table, like this.

Remember, the daily word image can act as a symbol, a synchronous marker, an inspiration, or a reminder of what needs attention.

27 March 2016 All Negatives

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Date palms. Coachella Valley, California by Dorothea Lange 1937 LoC {{PD}}

Date palms. Coachella Valley, California by Dorothea Lange 1937 LoC {{PD}}

It seems we define things today by what they are not; from there we can see what does matter, and what we can do. Our role as an authority, and our personal power, somehow clashes with our highest values; it becomes a matter of degrees, where we try to exert ourselves and somehow sidestep transgressing in those areas we honor. Our thoughts do not support our empowerment; in fact, thinking undermines everything we thought was a given within the power picture–and that leaves movement at a frustrating impasse. Too, the social role doesn’t support our ambitions and goals, and leaves our energies split. Reaching out works no better than trying to conserve. In the end this may be a day best spent taking a neutral stance, as attempts at progress lead us into a quagmire of contrary indicators and potential regrets (Vesta contra-parallel Ceres, Jupiter contra-parallel Zeus, Merc contra-parallel Juno)

'Spielendes Mädchen' (Girl Playing), 1918, Georg Schrimpf {{PD}}

‘Spielendes Mädchen’ (Girl Playing), 1918, Georg Schrimpf {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a hand puppet discarded at the side of the road. There’s something especially depressing about a toy left behind; I always wonder if anyone noticed when it fell–and if they did, why didn’t they pick it up? It has to involve a judgment, a decision that says this isn’t worth keeping, anymore. A discarded puppet could refer to something lost, though perhaps something that needed to be lost–that is, something we’ve outgrown. Or perhaps it represents manipulation of one kind or another; whether we were the puppet or the puppet-mover, it’s only positive that we’re out of that, now.

I’m back tomorrow, the 28th. Have a great Sunday!

26 March 2016 Muscle Memory

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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!

25 March 2016 It’s All About Venus

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She of poor Venusian choices, Anna Karenina, by Aleksei Mikhailovich Kolesov {{PD}}

She of poor Venusian choices, Anna Karenina, by Aleksei Mikhailovich Kolesov {{PD}}

The goddess of Love, Money, Partnerships, Romance, Relationships, Jealousy, Envy, Reward, Material Values, and Romance (among many other things) is prominent in every life today, but, as with Tolstoy’s unhappy families, each person will feel and interact with Venusian energies in their own way.* We’ll talk about each aspect she forms, and you can see which resonate with you.

Venus parallels Black Moon Lilith=this aligns Venusian energies with those matters ignored, denied, or that enrage us over their injustices–and could mean we bring love or the strength of relationships to bear, hoping to heal something, or that we muster assets or talents to redress wrongs. Either way, it stirs the militant in us, and promises we will not back down–and of course that means, neither will others.

Venus is also contra-parallel Pallas and square Saturn, even as the Sun is parallel Mercury=what we know to be the wise course may be thrown to the winds when we’re backed into a corner. Even as we make that unwise choice, we can see where it might go–so think carefully before choosing, and know that though the reality situation currently seems to offer no other options, if you can wait just one day, until Venus sextiles Pluto, you can see what Venus assets or qualities will allow you to change the reality picture more to your liking–and so solve what today seems unsolvable.

Venus is both opposed and contra-parallel Jupiter=the social sphere is no help, and in fact may be a drag on interactions, talent expression, or assets. Don’t get caught up in the public ‘flow’.

*The quote, in translation, is the opening line from Anna Karenina, “All happy families resemble one another, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

Today’s word image is a car speeding away from what may or may not be a crime scene. Just because something looks suspicious doesn’t mean a crime has occurred; gather real evidence before allowing Venusian passions to make a judgment for you.

I’m currently completely offline; all comments and queries will be answered when I return. Thank you!

24 March 2016 Spontaneity Pays

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The First Generation (2000) by Chong Fah Cheong Photo by William Cho Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

The First Generation (2000) by Chong Fah Cheong Photo by William Cho Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Today’s a day when our minds will be in sync with our urge to do, and with nothing else (Merc trine Mars); all other perfecting aspects throw pebbles, rocks, or entire mountains in our path. We’ll be ineffective largely because we are seeing our wounds and weaknesses as bigger than they are, and we may feel there’s no way to go forward and keep our priorities and values intact (Ceres conjoined SN and Chiron). Here’s some unusual advice: it may be smart to continue to ignore whatever it is we’ve been ignoring or denying; we just don’t have time to confront these particular issues, which can wait (Pallas contra-parallel Black Moon Lilith). But there’s one place where we can excel: relationship and money goals feel reachable, and they are, if we can align the mind-body co-ordination we’re currently enjoying with the urge to spontaneity–that is, planned or considered moves may not go so well, but ones that are instantaneously thought of and executed may go very very well. (Venus parallel Zeus and contra-parallel Uranus)

800px-Welcome_mat

Photo by alborzshawn Via Wikimedia Commons Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

Today’s word image is a welcome mat. Look behind a recent welcome or invitation you’ve received; this involvement may hold the key to something you want to enter, or it may just be that those who issued the invite will end up wiping their feet on you.

I will be unavailable from the 24th through the 27th. All comments and email will be answered when I’m back online.

23 March 2016 and the Lunar Eclipse

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Rider by John Bauer 1914 {{PD}}

Rider by John Bauer 1914 {{PD}}

Though we’re all poised to receive the Lunar eclipse that occurs today, there are a few other aspects that may quietly perfect and knock us sideways. Whether these overshadow the eclipse influence (by contact to your natal scenario, for instance) or are mere low notes on the scale, barely noticed, the day will be a ‘big’ one, if only in the way we will end it distinctly different in feeling and viewpoint than we began it.

Chiron conjoined the South Node=wounds pull us back to the past, or we realize from past experience what we need to heal. Jupiter sq Saturn=we might at first see this as the forces of ‘Go’ and ‘Stop’ in conflict, but with Jupiter currently retro, we are more likely to experience it as choosing between two unsatisfying alternatives, neither of which is really what we want. This may also bring the matters of the Houses they rule in the natal chart (Sag and Cap) into conflict. The best resolution may be a practical one; re-tracing ones steps involving the details (Virgo) and where in the plan we may have been overly optimistic (Sag) may show us how to salvage most if not all of what we are working with. Venus trine Juno and contra-parallel Sedna=the anima-dominant among us are feeling strong and empowered, and have the assets necessary to implement plans; just take care that old, consciously-forgotten resentments or jealousies don’t interfere.

The final aspect set is Merc conjoined the Sun in Superior Conjunction as well as parallel Chiron=this may be a significant aspect set that flies largely under the radar; we may see the culmination of something specific to the Mercury cycle (seeded at the Inferior Conjunction, when the Sun and retro Merc meet) or something related to the Aries House of the natal chart, that we may find is separate from the Lunar eclipse effect. How can we tell the difference? The Lunar eclipse Sun Sabian interpretation I give below mentions seeing our own (psychic) shadow at the eclipse; the Merc-Sun meeting and Chiron parallel point to a second effect of realization surrounding our own role in hurting, whether that wound is our own or one we’ve inflicted (Sun-Merc in Aries, Chiron in Pisces). We see the effect, and we see what we can do about it.

Today’s word image is a video ‘You’ve Done Nothing Wrong’ by Iris DeMent, or if you prefer, google for the words to this song. They spoke to me, so I thought they might speak to you.

Extraordinary photo by Wing-Chi Poon  See featured pictures here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Wingchi  Released under  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic

Extraordinary photo by Wing-Chi Poon See featured pictures here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Wingchi Released under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic

The Lunar Eclipse occurs on 23 March 5:01 AM Pacific Daylight Time at 3 Libra 17

The Lunar Eclipse is a Full Moon in Libra, sextiling Mars, opposing Mercury just before its Superior Conjunction with the Sun, novile Juno, and is quintile to Saturn, which is stationary and poised to retrograde. The novile and quintile both suggest a small spark of ingenuity, genius, inspiration, cleverness, and carry the impulse of the creative and innovative; this suggests that what ends with the Full Moon carries inherent within it the creative seed of something new—that is, we’ll be able to see the new start already sprouting from the ashes of the old ending.

What ends here may be something involving our role as an individual (Mars) within partnership (Juno, Libra); we may ‘get the message’ from our opposite number (Mercury, as anyone ‘not us’ delivering info), and this ends a previous emotional situation (FM) while beginning a brand new one, one where we are more likely to be responsible for and see to our own emotional well-being in both personal empowerment (Juno) and real-world (Saturn) terms. It’s not a message of independence or selfishness, but rather one of finding emotional fulfillment through the Self, and the clever ways we can be in charge of ourselves within the reality picture. We’ll no longer look to the partner for affirmation or support (at least, not as much as we have in the past); even if we remain in a close, and for some a dependent, interaction, we will develop something within at the Full Moon that serves our own individuality as a source of nurture and support (the Moon).

The Sabian for the Lunar Eclipse is, ‘Around A Campfire A Group Of Young People Sit In Spiritual Communion’. This suggests that in becoming more Self-responsible we will not be alone; the thing about this kind of development is that we will go from needing to be surrounded by people who are in material/ physical terms like us to being surrounded by those who are spiritually like us, no matter what their outer circumstances or appearance. It’s like moving from a clique in high school where there’s only one standard of ‘cool’ and everyone strives to be, dress, and act the same, to moving through the world gravitating to and attracting others of like spirit. The fire is the enlightened energy that attracts us all, and the quality of youth mentioned in the image a feature of active spiritual perception—a lightness and an eagerness—that does not feel the need to judge differences. We become more attuned to the essences, rather than the externals, with whom we interact—and this is all for the good, even as some connections are lost as we move on, and they don’t.

With a Lunar Eclipse we also look at the Sun Sabian: ‘Two Lovers Strolling On A Secluded Walk’. For a Lunar Eclipse the Earth moves between the Sun and Moon within the same plane, blocking the Sun’s light from reaching the Moon. It’s our own shadow we observe at a Lunar Eclipse; in this case, we may be seeing how our interaction within partnership, as well as our attitudes toward it, may have been making us feel alone and lonely (the ‘Secluded Walk’ of the image).

I don’t usually discuss things for an eclipse that aren’t directly triggered by that eclipse, but in this case I’ll make an exception, because many people may be feeling this gathering in Pisces and understandably mistaking it (that’s a Piscean specialty, after all) for a Lunar eclipse influence. At the time of the Lunar Eclipse, Ceres, Chiron, and the South Node will all sit within 24 minutes of each other at 21 degrees Pisces. This brings hurt, authority figures or one’s own personal authority, and the past together in such a way that a memory of, for instance, a past power struggle lost becomes, through the haze of imagination, a more significant (and possibly more injurious) event than it really was. That is, we may suddenly designate this a seminal event that seems to be the source of the Lunar eclipse effect, when it’s actually just a carry-over of the Solar (Pisces) Eclipse that preceded it—and we are doubly likely to do this if the struggle we have in mind was one within a partnership. The Pisces area of the natal chart will be sensitized by the Solar Eclipse, and like a tuning fork, this grouping of Ceres, Chiron, and South Node may continue to carry the reverberation long after our awareness of the eclipse would usually be relegated to background noise within the unconscious.

Fun facts: according to Space.com, “Since the moon formed about 4.5 billion years ago, it has been gradually moving away from Earth (by about 1.6 inches, or 4 centimeters per year). Right now the moon is at the perfect distance to appear in our sky exactly the same size as the sun, and therefore block it out.” And this: “Researchers say that when it formed, the moon was about 14,000 miles (22,530 kilometers) from Earth. It’s now more than 280,000 miles, or 450,000 kilometers away.” To answer the question, Will the Moon ever escape Earth’s orbit? we have this somewhat snarky explanation from Physics Forums: “. . . the moon will only move away from Earth until it reaches an orbital resonance when the length of the Earth’s day and the Moon’s month will be equal – that’s in about 50 billion years. In theory the moon could then move closer to Earth, but since they are both going to be consumed by the sun before that – it’s a bit academic.”

Enjoy this extraordinary Wednesday!

22 March 2016 Alone With Our Thoughts

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Photo by Coyau / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0 Sculpture by Petro Galli 19th century

Photo by Coyau / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0 Sculpture by Petro Galli 19th century, at Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris

A quiet day, at least on the inside, where we seem to be alone with our thoughts, and too prone to concentrate on the negative and hurtful. Though where we’re damaged may seem an unavoidable focus of our attention, we can lift ourselves out of this rut by mustering ideals, what matters to us, and applying the full extent of our strength and authority, in whatever sphere we hold this. Showing our own competency and ability to affect circumstances to ourselves will both take our minds off what is weak, and prove to our doubting mental faculties just how well equipped we truly are.

Communications with others may take an uncomfortable turn, as well, since we are ill-suited to comprehending the intent in the message–and we are particularly unable to know whether they meant to hurt us or not. Withholding both words and judgments until we gain some perspective is recommended (Vesta semi-sq Ceres, Merc contra-parallel Chiron and the Sun)

Edvard Munch  'Self-Portrait with Burning Cigarette' 1895 {{PD}}

Edvard Munch
‘Self-Portrait with Burning Cigarette’ 1895 {{PD}}

Today’s word image is the stranger who approaches you and asks you for something it’s clear you don’t have (in my case, in the past two days, this included cigarettes and the time, though I was dressed in such a way it was clear I wore no watch, held no phone, and had no place to keep cigarettes). It seems obvious what they asked for was not what they wanted; but what then did they want? Contact, to bring my guard down, to draw my attention away from something else, to get attention themselves, to blend into the scene if someone was looking for them? I can’t begin to guess. The message may be that what others ask of us isn’t at all what they are trying to get–so don’t take anyone’s words at face value.

21 March 2016 Have Your Cake

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'Cakes, 1963' By Pplachigo - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28954794

‘Cakes, 1963’ By Pplachigo – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28954794

Those somewhat dangerous (to home, family, and sacred ideals) ideas you pondered yesterday? They may just come alive for you today, though are much more likely to arrive in a form that’s somehow compatible with existing conditions. That’s good news, a kind of ‘have your cake and eat it too’ situation. Modification to those dreams is possible through several mechanisms: our thoughts are attuned primarily to what’s wise, aligning us to things that really are in our best interests; we have a clear concept of ourselves, making knowing what’s important much easier than just a day ago; we see that our desire to control, especially to control others, was just a little whack; and, overwhelmingly, we are focused on healing and the positive, despite any natural inclination we may have to be gloomy! Taken together, a very satisfying picture is possible; only a few of us will experience hurt, and that because a bright light is suddenly put on something already long injured, and we see it really is up to us to repair it (Perfecting today: Venus parallel Neptune, Mercury nov Pallas, sesq Juno, and enters Aries, Sun parallel Chiron)

Hekate, holding a key and a rope {{PD}}

Hekate, holding a key and a rope {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a road that forks in two directions; Hekate the way-shower stands where they branch. You can ask her one question about where they lead and what they lead to–what is your question? (And if you’d like to share your question in the comments, I’d love to hear it)

Julie Demboski's ASTROLOGY

Addressing the Individual Experience Within the Universal Truth

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