Focus on: Uranus-Vesta Conjoined in Aries 4 February 2016

Tags

, , , , ,

George Bellows 'The Circus' 1912 {{PD}}

George Bellows ‘The Circus’ 1912 {{PD}}

Today could be a dangerous day, and by dangerous I mean exciting, over-the-top, fulfilling–it’s the aftermath we have to be mindful of. The individuality urge is fired by the need to be original, to experiment, to be radical, to make chaos, revolution, or something entirely new and modern–and the Vestal influence can be both highly constructive, aligning our urges with our highest values or service to home and family, or can lead us to believe that our impulses and intellectual conclusions are sacred, not to be questioned or thwarted, and so effectively sending us on a monomaniacal tear. How do we tell the difference? Perspective is necessary; with Mercury also parallel Saturn, we must admit we know the rules, the proper boundaries–it becomes a matter of honoring our uniqueness while remaining aware of the real world and its limits, if we want to succeed.

The Daily Image: an electrical wall plug on fire. What we see burn today may be entirely unintentional, coming from an energy overload or misdirection. Safety first! And have a great Thursday!

3 February 2016 A Little Bit of Magic

Tags

, ,

Ferdinand du Puigaudeau,- 'The Magic Lantern' c1900 {{PD}}

Ferdinand du Puigaudeau,- ‘The Magic Lantern’ c1900 {{PD}}

We have four sextiles perfecting today, offering, with a little effort on our part, magic (but then, how often is ‘magic’ simply the result of thought and work?):

Mars sextile Pluto=we’ve got the ‘digger’ quality of Mars in Scorpio cooperating with an energy that loves nothing better than to tear down what’s established (Pluto in Cap), almost guaranteeing successful demolition–whether that was our intention or not. The magic here is that something really can be obliterated without leaving a trace, or our choices and actions can transform at a deep and permanent level–the trick is being truly conscious of the effect we’re creating.

Venus sextile Juno=this spans the same signs as Mars-Pluto, with Venus in Cap and Juno in Scorpio. We may be invested in locking things down, in playing by the rules, and find that authorities (or those who think they are!) have ulterior motives and secret reasons for what they want. Here if we aren’t in full ownership of our own sense of authority and responsibility, we’ll see those with whom we’re in relationship try to exercise overreaching authority over us or our circumstances. If that occurs, it’s a clear indication you’re abdicating adulthood in some way. Those who step up and are willing to take the blame and the praise for their own choices will profit, one way or another.

Mercury sextile Chiron=this time it’s Cappy-Pisces, with Merc in the former and Chiron in the latter. Something tells us how to heal; the question is, will we listen? Merc in Cap suggests we may be closed to what’s being communicated, or that we are restricting what we are receptive to or even what we are exposed to, listening only to what reflects our own beliefs. If so, we’ll miss the healing message available.

Sun sextile Saturn=Saturn in Sag wants to know the solid facts; Sun in Aquarius illuminates higher knowledge. The difficulty might be that we may be too insistent that the only things that count as facts are things we can hold in our hand, point to, verify–and that leaves a whole lot of the Universe out of the equation. Our attention (the Sun) will be drawn to facts we may see at work or ‘know’ but that can’t be verified in a concrete way. In effect this becomes a chance to measure our ability to trust in our own perceptions–and possibly to find some way to make those perceptions more accurate, by aligning them with the real-world picture.

Uranus semi-square Ceres=a rebellious, wrong-headed insistence on being independent, ‘original’, or ‘free’ may undermine both our ability to use the sextiles and our ability to exercise our own power. Just watch for it–and enjoy your Wednesday!

2 February 2016 Headwind

Tags

, ,

Alfred Gelbhaar 'Dom im Winter' 1920s {{PD}}

Alfred Gelbhaar ‘Dom im Winter’ 1920s {{PD}}

head·wind
ˈhedˌwind
noun
noun: headwind; plural noun: headwinds
  1. a wind blowing from directly in front, opposing forward motion.

We don’t like what we hear about our prospects for ambition and desire fulfillment, or is it that we’re thinking in some way that creates a tangle in these areas, making them appear more difficult to pursue than we thought? We feel we’re pushing against a headwind of one variety or another, our thoughts immediately framed as requiring huge effort and resistance. Our attention seems to be on the ways we lack empowerment, and we may be prone to see our wounds as the thing ‘keeping us down’. Consider that it’s within our control to shift our attention and choose our approach and our thinking, so that we go from feeling like a victim of the world to seeing ourselves as a healer of it (Chiron semi-sq Pallas, Merc sq Zeus, Sun sq Juno)

See my books here and my services offered here. I hope your week has gotten off to a great start!

Why Are They Together? Bill and Hillary

Tags

, , , ,

Bill and Hillary Clinton Natal Wheel

Here’s a reprint from 2008, for the curious and the bemused, on this lazy Sunday:

Sometimes the attraction between partners is lost to onlookers. No other modern couple has caused the puzzled scrutiny and armchair analysis of their relationship more than Hillary Rodham and Bill Clinton; now I’ll add my astrological take on the ‘whys’ of their relationship, using techniques featured in my book, THE ASTROLOGY OF INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP. There’s just not room here to do an exhaustive dissection of the relationship astrologically, but in any case I find that’s rarely needed; not to shortchange any relationship on its complex nature, but the interaction between two individuals can typically be outlined fairly with a few strokes, and there are always a small handful of contacts that describe the relationship’s essence, and thus satisfy our goal without getting lost in minutiae. Conjunctions often spell out the core of the interaction, and in significant relationships there’s usually no shortage of these.

In many ways, the ‘star’ of this relationship in terms of attraction is the meeting of his 1st House Venus to her 12th House Neptune.  Venus in a man’s chart shows his ‘ideal partner,’ and in Bill’s case this is someone who probably literally embodies his anima (1st House placement); posited in Libra, his desire is for someone gracious, partnership oriented, and lovely as seen through his eyes, and conjoined Hillary’s Neptune, this may be precisely what he sees. In what’s likely a combination of projection of his Venus and the naturally obscuring and inspiring qualities imparted by contact with another’s Neptune, Bill may be genuinely confused by the polarized reactions others have to his wife. In the other direction, she may find his anima expresses certain more Universal qualities for her; he may carry to some extent her more empathetic qualities. He feels (and perhaps expresses) her pain, as well as that of the Collective.

Her Sun at 2 Scorpio is widely conjoined his Libra Juno, again referencing the strength of the Venus connection, as he will see Libran energy as ‘wifely.’ With this contact her very Soul essence expresses not just this ‘wifely’ role to him, but the power of the Scorpio placement is supported by him; he expects her to show a strong, empowered Self. What’s more, her Juno at 29 Sag (and we know what those 29 degree placements mean–they must express!) is conjunct his Pallas–he sees her as highly empowered and his own role as lending wisdom and skill to this.

His Earth conjoins her Pallas, suggesting that he grounds and supports materially the expression of her innate wisdom and skills. His Ceres squares her Sun, likely allowing her to carry his anima authority figure (though not without some conflict between them)–he may feel she’s something of a force of nature! And her Fire Jupiter fills in a Fire Grand Trine cross-chart with his Saturn and Vesta, painting a dynamic picture of real-world service to the social sphere as important to them both.

Bill’s Sun falls in Hillary’s 10th, conjoined her Zeus and Saturn–not the most romantic of placements, but she may feel she has a true supporter in him, and that her ambitions can be fulfilled through him, while her Sun falls in his 2nd–considering some of the already discussed contacts, he may identify with her, especially with her talents, very strongly–something that would probably surprise a great many people.

His Sun is conjoined her Saturn, a bit of a danger position. Even though strong, direct Saturn contacts in both directions (each person’s Saturn contacting something of the other person’s) are necessary for a relationship to be both lasting and serious, this is one of the tougher interactions, as she will spontaneously, and almost in spite of conscious feeling desire to repress his very essence (the Sun). He will sense this, and, considering the other contacts, will both remain in the relationship and seek to avoid her control at every turn; with his Saturn square her Sun, however, he may do the same to her, but more obliquely (square) likely through methods of open conflict.

Finally, we should backtrack a bit and look at general partner preferences for each. We’ve talked about Bill’s Venus, but what about Hillary’s? It sits in Scorpio; ‘ideal Hillary’ would have all the sexy, mysterious, stinging Scorpio attributes. Her ideal partner would have Leonine qualities, as shown by her Mars in Leo, and Bill has five placements there, including the Sun. As to his ideal view of himself, his Mars is in Libra, again aiming for partner-oriented, gracious, and sharing qualities with an aesthetic bent, just like his ideal woman.

We could go on with many more features, but I’ll close with this: her Ascendant squares his Sun-Zeus. This suggests that her personality rubs him the wrong way, at least in terms of what he believes will fulfill his Soul intent, ambitions, and desires; but her Midheaven, Saturn, and Zeus are widely conjoined that Sun-Zeus, suggesting her public persona, her sense of restraint and stability, and her ambitions complement his and help fulfill his wants. His Midheaven to her Vertex only reinforces the ‘destined’ feeling. No interaction is without its negatives, but when the aspirations of each individual connect so cleanly, they can remain together in spite of events that would break others apart.

See my books here–

30 January-1 February 2016 Natural Change

Tags

, , ,

Akseli Gallen-Kallela 'Spring, study for the Jusélius Mausoleum frescos' 1903 {{PD}}

Akseli Gallen-Kallela ‘Spring, study for the Jusélius Mausoleum frescos’ 1903 {{PD}}

How can I help you?

I ask to make you think about what it is you really need, as opposed to those things that start to litter consciousness with lesser priorities and wants.

And I ask because it’s the function of what I’m doing here. On Earth, that is.

Or did you come here for the forecast? On the 30th our wounds may separate us in some way from our highest priorities–but it’s through the opening between hurt and what we care about that dreams may find a way into reality (Chiron contra-parallel Vesta, Venus sxt Neptune).

On the 31st natural changes and progressions result in surprising words and unexpected thoughts, and reveal attitudes within relationships and toward finances that may alter the way we see them, and what we share, from now on (Pluto semi-sq Ceres, Venus sesq Sedna, Merc sq Uranus)

February 1st sees change come to our highest values, or to the situation on the home front or with the mate; ‘statements’ previously hidden, ignored, or denied surface in a ‘big reveal’ that somehow illuminates the past in our present (Pluto sq Vesta, Merc sq Black Moon Lilith, Sun nov SN)

Enjoy your weekend!

Focus on: Merc Meets Pluto 29 January 2016

Tags

, , , ,

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

Tags

, ,

 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

Tags

, ,

'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)

If you come here often, please consider a small donation or even a very small recurring one–much gratitude to those who have!–or give to your favorite sites or bloggers–books are available here–I hope you’re enjoying your week!

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

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

 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

Tags

, ,

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)

Julie Demboski's ASTROLOGY

Addressing the Individual Experience Within the Universal Truth

Skip to content ↓