Focus on: Merc Meets Pluto 29 January 2016

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We may wonder in our own world which side of the power struggle is Jacob, which one the Angel? 'Jacob Wrestling with the Angel' by Léon Bonnat 1875 {{PD}}

We may wonder in our own world which side of the power struggle is Jacob, which one the Angel? ‘Jacob Wrestling with the Angel’ by Léon Bonnat 1875 {{PD}}

Merc and Pluto both show up for this meeting in button down shirts, clutching their wallets and pearls, equipment for weighing and measuring carefully calibrated, posture rigid and eyes glazed over with ‘the rules’–they’re ready for business. Mercury has finally given up flight and is headed back to where he left off; he’s ready to talk, to negotiate, to inform, as long as things stay on topic, and he’s aware of the status quo, conscious of the need to deliver the establishment’s message. Pluto is out to change the system, destroy boundaries, and he’s been in this territory for a while; once he’s altered or transformed what is, a strange thing happens: the destructive energy is dissipated, and expressions of power come forward, power that enforces a new set of rules, boundaries, and installs a new authority in place of the old. The question is, where do these two meet in expression? Capricorn gives them both a tone, a background, a set of attitudes to play with, but each carries its own essence, bringing about a kind of chemical reaction that, despite their meeting in the same sign, may bring confrontation.

The root of the conflict may be this: Mercury is messenger of those who hold the reins right now; Pluto, half way through the sign, has already thrown the acid, the Molotov cocktail, and is in the process of taking the ruin of what was and constructing something new from it. That, my friends, is a fundamental conflict of interest. These two come together, and one, the quicker-moving one, is interested in making the argument for keeping things as they are; the other has been at work for quite a while, and is in the midst of creating a kind of re-birth in our ideas of authority, boundaries, and restraint. And both claim practicality, and the health of both personal life structures and those of governments, countries, and large systems, are best served by their methods.

What can we expect? The voice of current power-holders may carefully craft their message, with restrictions on who knows what, meant to keep things static, for safety, for the well-being of all, and of course, to retain power; the agents of change may claim a moral superiority in their very existence, a ‘change for change’s sake’ stance that does not acknowledge the new authorities rising from the ashes, intent on replacing the old, are just as distorted in priorities and viewpoint as the previous holders of power were. In other words, change does not equalize anything, nor does becoming part of the current power structure, because both are intent on grabbing power and keeping it–and when that is the goal, no message will assuage those without influence, and no revolution will make the situation more equitable.

So, what we may witness today are communications that have power acquisition and retention at their core–and this may be played a thousand ways, with harsh or destructive words, transformational ideas, the resurrection of concepts we thought were surely gone, and the obliteration of the old rules–but all of it concealing, one way or another, the power struggle currently at the heart of the Universe. In your own life an awareness that power is behind literally everything we deal with at this time will help reveal the layers of meaning. We need to understand that there’s an intensity to this (thanks, Pluto!) that goes beyond the normal level of power-seeking we see everyday, giving even the simplest exchanges a life-or-death tone that may seem over the top–but if we purge our minds of clutter and propaganda, we see the Truth of what’s being negotiated beneath.

28 January 2016 A Natural Healing

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 Author Arthur Wesley Dow 'Lavender and Green' 1912 {{PD}}


Author
Arthur Wesley Dow
‘Lavender and Green’ 1912 {{PD}}

Whatever ‘facts’ the social sphere or other concerned entity was trying to point out to us become clear, and if this knowledge was in some way meant to play on our weak spots or fears, it just won’t; it instead has the effect of offering a healing moment, one where we see how misguided the Other is–and this in turn gives us a very optimistic take on the future, on where we’re headed. Our strength and certainty today comes from our connection to the unseen (including but not limited to the spiritual) and through our spot in the ‘natural’ world; the more we can relax the mentality and allow ourselves immersion in the Universe (whatever form it takes) the better our day will proceed. Hint: don’t expect to meet events or decisions head-on right now; sensing and feeling rooted in our core nature and through our most characteristic roles is where it’s at (Ceres enters Pisces, Jupiter conj NN, Sun nov Chiron)

A new relationship resource is available over at ‘Been There, Done That’

Enjoy your Thursday!

26-27 January 2016 The Voice Within

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'To Hell and Back (Nothing)' 40" x 30" by Bryan Zanisnik, 2008 http://www.zanisnik.com Released by the copyright owner under GNU Free Documentation License

‘To Hell and Back (Nothing)’ 40″ x 30″ by Bryan Zanisnik, 2008 http://www.zanisnik.com Released by the copyright owner under GNU Free Documentation License

On the 26th no new aspects form; it’s the kind of day where we may wish the wave would finally break, but it just doesn’t–whatever was rolling forward, was stagnant, or was over or overcome continues in this mode. It can feel interminable; remind yourself things will change, and take your attention from what you’re waiting for to what actually needs doing in the now.

By the 27th our highest values and our instincts mesh brilliantly to offer exceptional guidance, if we’ll only listen uncritically to our interior dialogue. This may not be easy, as our attention is drawn by both our fears and hesitancies surrounding our possible future, and our discord with or angry rejection of the social circle and what it has to offer (especially in terms of what knowledge or facts it gives up for our use, or what education it implies we need). It’s obvious: listen to the inner voice–that’s where the mojo is (Vesta nov Sedna, Sun sesq Jupiter and NN)

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Your Weekend 22-25 January 2016 What’s Smart? + The Leo Full Moon

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 Artist  Willem van Aelst 'Still life with hunting equipment and dead birds' 1668 {{PD}}


Artist
Willem van Aelst ‘Still life with hunting equipment and dead birds’ 1668 {{PD}}

The 22nd Pallas enters Aquarius and, especially while Merc remains retro, we may convince ourselves that every thought is an informed or wise one; au contraire, mon ami, it’s just not so. We may discount our own strength in a situation, even as we treat our wounds as sacred, to be honored rather than healed. This leads to some heavy forms of communication, destructive in some instances, transformative in others. The results all depend on what we really want to change and what we truly care for, deep inside (Vesta parallel Chiron and semi-sq Ceres, Merc conj Pluto)

The 23rd we feel a strong pull into the future, a forward-looking optimism that has practical values and a sense of personal responsibility at its root. We are in a position to understand our minds and our thinking clearly, though not in a position to act on the fairly objective picture we have; we are too damaged by, or perhaps fearful of, further hurt to choose an effective course (Jupiter conj NN, Venus into Capricorn, Merc parallel Ceres, Sun parallel Merc and semi-sq Chiron)

The Full Moon in Leo arrives at 5:46 PM Pacific time at 3 Leo 29. The closest aspect this FM makes is a sesquiquadrate to Chiron; it also opposes Pallas, and takes what amounts to a very wide swipe by quincunx (and so essentially misses) Venus fresh in Cappy (and it’s that newness to the sign that may make Venus more susceptible than usual). This suggests that the Full Moon brings an end, through difficult circumstances, to some unwise, ego-driven hurt that we’ve clung to too long. We have compromised both our values and our ability to heal this insult by willingly resuscitating it; now we have the chance to let it go, once and for all.

‘A Formally Dressed Elderly Man Stands Near Trophies He Brought Back From A Hunting Expedition’ This Full Moon Sabian says that what must be let go is something from the past, something we have collected and cherished (in our own way–the trophies), and we receive a hint that what we are called to let go resulted from our own aggression–but the circumstances that ‘earned’ them are no more, so that our energy is better focused in the now, and in what’s to come, than it is dwelling on the past (and that’s no matter how recently this past has been). It’s important to note that the ‘trophies’ the image refers to, at least in a hunting context, are actually living things pursued and killed, rather than the metal cups and plaques we nowadays typically label ‘trophies’, and this suggests the entire concept of pursuing and laying aggressive claim to the life energy (in whatever form) of another living thing is past its time. We ‘age’ ourselves when we cling to what was, whether it was a glory or a debacle–this Full Moon will show us that, and offer a letting-go opportunity.

For another take on the Full Moon, see Lua Astrology–

The 24th we set out to honor the reality picture, to deal with circumstances as they are, and to dedicate our energy and efforts to building knowledge, to reaching out, to discovering (Saturn in Sagittarius), but what’s been denied, hidden, ignored, or has enraged us at some point surfaces again and prompts rebellion, erratic reactions, or pushes us forward to a point where our response is totally original (at least within our typical lexicon of behavior). The fact is we can’t deal with the reality picture in any effective way if we are wearing a lens of anger or denial; that distorts our vision and automatically means our choices will not be the best we could make. Accept that the issue must be dealt with, and be thankful you were given the chance to handle it, rather than allowed to go ahead and make a muddle of things (Saturn trine Vesta, Uranus opp Black Moon Lilith)

The 25th we find a way to express our Will through our current status or empowerment situation–and isn’t that what we always seek? Be aware that, if you’re dealing with less-conscious others, your competence may attract some aggression–but pay it no mind (Mars conj Juno) We also have Mercury direct today. He turns around just shy of the middle of Capricorn, so if you have placements halfway through the Cardinals you can expect a certain amount of news or communication urgency related to the contacted natal energy–probably somebody (maybe you!) is trying to ‘nail it down’. First thing our valiant messenger contacts (not counting hits to Merc from the Moon) is Pluto, by 30 January; this may be the point when we get the ‘down and dirty’ that happened during the retro period but which somehow remained hidden, until now.

Have a lovely weekend!

21 January 2016 Intersection

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Bruno Liljefors 'Hawk and Black-Game' 1884 {{PD}}

Bruno Liljefors ‘Hawk and Black-Game’ 1884 {{PD}}

There are a couple of influences today that may intersect in a very interesting way. We are strong in consciousness; by that I mean, clear in our identity, our essence, in who we are, and possibly in our purpose and the impact we intend to have on our world, and we value this strength in ourselves–we want to express it, especially in relationship. And we also feel one of two forms of the Chirotic energy in play: an urge to heal, or one to inspect our wounds, and in both cases this is in relation to our ambitions and desires. We may find ourselves healing an important wound related to our goals and wants, either through taking action highly characteristic of ourselves to bring about the healing, or experiencing a healing that allows us to (finally!) take such action; or, we may become sidetracked by immersion of consciousness within the wound, causing us to miss this unusual opportunity to put something right. If we can accept how truly strong and capable we are in the now, we can heal and make great leaps forward, but if we become fascinated by our own wounded nature, we’ll deny our strength, and remain exactly where we are (Sun parallel Ceres, Venus sxt Ceres, Chiron qnx Zeus)

20 January 2016 Wait

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Heinrich Vogeler Vor Feierabend 1899 {{PD}}

Heinrich Vogeler Vor Feierabend 1899 {{PD}}

We’ve still got five days to go until Merc turns around, but we may be feeling an immense amount of end-of-retro pressure as he slows to a crawl after weeks of mental trickery (first changing direction in Aquarius, making us think we can still handle things intellectually, then entering Cap and making the world a tough place to get our minds around). Today our thoughts show a certain strength and natural resilience, we are keen to assert ourselves within our territory, and yet hidden issues, things we’ve ignored or are in denial about, or our own rage or unreliability may undermine attempts to make an impact. Note what comes up, especially in the areas of new ideas or suddenly revealed remedies for difficult situations, but don’t allow the internal mental pressures to cause you to act prematurely. Those impulses and ideas will be valuable later–right now effort must go to staying calm, and realizing there’s more to the story, yet to be revealed, so that making up the mind definitively at this point would end up shortchanging us significantly (Merc sq Black Moon Lilith and Uranus, and nov Ceres, Sun enters Aquarius)

My astrology books are available here–enjoy your Wednesday!

19 January 2016 No Illusions

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Pietro Testa 'The Allegorical Figures of Reason and Wisdom' 1630 {{PD}}

Pietro Testa ‘The Allegorical Figures of Reason and Wisdom’ 1630 {{PD}}

Steps taken and responses to relationships and/ or finances must be carefully weighed today, and we’re in the perfect position to do it; we know what’s wise, smart, or practical, and with absolutely no illusions about the state of things, the only thing that can sink us is our unwillingness to acknowledge what we see. Instinct and our own empowerment needs must be taken into account when assessing our connections to others or our asset situation–we must satisfy both our inner ‘knowing’ and our individual need to impress ourselves on our world. If we can serve those two facets of being, we will be able to modify Venusian circumstances and expressions so that they are the best they can be, right now (Venus qnx Sedna and semi-sq Juno, Sun conj Pallas)

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18 January 2016 Positive Pressure

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Assert yourself. 'Circus Scene' Robert Breyer 1908 {{PD}}

Assert yourself. ‘Circus Scene’ Robert Breyer 1908 {{PD}}

Today is a day when we will either aggressively repudiate the past and go full-tilt toward our dreams, or we will attract attack from others centered on our ambitions and goals. It’s imperative that we wholeheartedly embrace and actively pursue those things we want most, or we suffer an onslaught from others. The situation will work something like a positive pressure airlock: we must assert our energy vigorously in order to keep ‘contamination’ (in the form of others’ aggression and Will) from flowing in. If we don’t go after our desires, we run the risk of becoming tangled not just in others’ interference, but in our own internal debate over whether our ambitions are valid–and this not only hurts us, it will cost as it draws us away from consciously creating the Path. Don’t question yourself today–allow inspiration, ideals, and the spiritual to guide (Mars sesq SN, trine Neptune, and semi-sq Jupiter, Venus sq Nodes, Merc sq Zeus and sxt Chiron, Sun semi-sq Saturn and nov Neptune)

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17 January 2016 Always in Your Favor

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An early wheel of fortune from an illuminated psalter, by William de Brailes c1240 {{PD}}

An early wheel of fortune from an illuminated psalter, by William de Brailes c1240 {{PD}}

There are obstacles to getting what we want–or are there? If we look more closely at our current experiences, we’ll see that the material/ physical picture is actually working in our favor; we are being blocked from expansion in talent expression, asset gain or usage, or in relationships in such a way that where we are led/ forced to go is in reality a much-preferable alternative to our original intent and course. Accept this, and see the benefit in what’s denied (Venus sq Jupiter and semi-sq Mars, Sun parallel Saturn)

16 January 2016 Synergy

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Degas 'Aria after the Ballet' 1879 {{PD}}

Degas ‘Aria after the Ballet’ 1879 {{PD}}

On the 16th we have the perfect synergy of creative energy and the impetus and verve for change, action, the almost magical ability to transform–so what will we do with it? Asking ourselves before we plunge in isn’t required–inspiration will guide us in a smart direction–but it may make us feel a little more sure of ourselves as we go forward. If you really want to know, today is also the day you can find out what resides in the dark, deep, mysterious depths. Do (or pursue) what you’ve always dreamed of; the Universe is committed to assisting you (Perfecting today: Pluto nov Ceres, Neptune nov Pallas, Saturn semi-sq Pallas, Sun parallel Pluto)

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Julie Demboski's ASTROLOGY

Addressing the Individual Experience Within the Universal Truth

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