Tag Archives: asteroids

New Moon in Leo 24 July 2025 Truth Bomb

23 Wednesday Jul 2025

Posted by in Asteroids, astrology, current events in the sky, New Moon, Sabian Symbols

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Sign for “Truth” (bar), Broad up from Tulane Avenue, Mid-City New Orleans

Infrogmation of New Orleans Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

The Sun and Moon meet at 12:10 PM of the 24th at 2 Leo 08–which puts the New Moon in close opposition to Pluto in Aquarius, trine Saturn and Neptune in Aries, and sextile Uranus in Gemini. That sounds like the recipe for a bomb. The question becomes: is the bomb one of unanticipated revelation, one that removes restriction (especially around what we think) or acts as impetus for individual initiative, or does this destroy our understanding, our capacity for change and embrace of the new, instilling fear of authority as well as eliminating our own trust of ourselves? That may be an individual matter, depending on how the Lunar event contacts your natal chart, but in either case, the presence of Neptune in the equation suggests that the basis of any effects rests in whether we know ourselves, or find our own workings a mystery; whether we’re honest with ourselves, deceive others, or hold to our highest ideals. That’s the nub of it: our energy surges, born anew with the combining of Solar and Lunar power, and so will take a creative direction; it’s up to us whether that creativity is of the productive or the destructive kind.

A few things of note: Mercury is retrograde and will meet the Sun in Inferior Conjunction on 1 August–we know this meeting, much like a New Moon, as an inception point, a new start to something, and considering the players, we’ll either see the beginning of whatever is conceived at the NM, or we’ll see a ‘new’ idea emerge from the mix of events and influences occurring now; Saturn and Neptune both retrograded earlier in July; Uranus just entered Gemini for the first time since 1949–so will be ruled for some time by Mercury (and Uranian energies then may have more ‘swing’ when under the sway of the oft-retro Mercury–like they need more instability). All this suggests there is a newness, a rawness, to so many energies involved with the New Moon, both from their locations in early degrees of a sign, and because of the several recent turnarounds, symbolic of a pulling back, a hesitation, a need to reassess territory one has already traversed. The subtle involvement of Mercury through rulerships and its own retro cycle emphasizes the messages we send others, and what we tell ourselves, at the heart of all that happens, with this Lunar event setting off a kind of ‘Truth Bomb’, a situation, gift of information, or realization that we meet with our current level of ‘truthiness’, that allows us to discover something more about ourselves and where we stand, about who we are at core and where we can ‘shine’ (Leo).

Also sextile the New Moon and conjoined Uranus are asteroids Psyche and Sappho, and object Sedna*; these bring to mind passionate relationships (and these can be relationships to groups or to a vocation or life subject/ path) where some knowledge or denial/ lack of acknowledgment (for a variety of reasons) may be involved. Too, with Sedna there’s the potential for this attraction/ interaction to sit in one’s ‘blind spot’, suggesting we may feel strongly but not be completely aware of our feelings, which may read like instincts or suppressed knowledge (as in, Psyche sensed there was something different about her lover Eros, but wasn’t conscious of it until she finally made the decision to light a candle so she could observe him at last). This New Moon is ‘lighting the candle’, about something we might already be knowledgeable of to some degree, but not have in the forefront of awareness. Linked to Uranus, this may contain Higher Mind knowing, or may have the purpose of disruption to the current order; in any case, our relationship to it is unique to us, original in the way we see, approach, and interact with it.

Hekate in Scorpio is square the New Moon=the Lunar event is a ‘way shower’, but either the way is difficult or seeing the direction we must go causes conflict. Lilith in Pisces is quincunx the New Moon=are we seeking to wield our power simply to express ourselves, or are we seeking vengeance? An important issue to sort before proceeding. And finally Dionysus is conjoined the New Moon but out-of-sign, from 29 degrees of Cancer=the stress response to all this might be to go wild, party like it’s 1999, or try to escape in whatever way will let us hide from our feelings (Cancer placement)–and we all know that’s never a good move.

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘A Middle-Aged Woman, Her Long Hair Flowing Over Her Shoulders And In A Braless Youthful Garment’. I firmly believe that everyone should dress the way they want; this description, however, hovers close to judgment, simply by the details it chooses to include, details that suggest, with use of the designation ‘youthful’, that how this woman has chosen to present herself is inappropriate, because the first thing mentioned is that she is not, in the estimation of the image assessor, youthful. Is she dressed inappropriately? No, she’s not, and make sure you hear that: just because someone else thinks they get to judge you, doesn’t mean they actually have any business doing so. That kind of thing is the opposite of the ‘Truth Bomb’ the New Moon will set off.

The Truth, rather than ‘out there’, is ‘in here’, in our own hearts and minds. This New Moon brings something that helps us discover it, and no matter how stunning, shattering, or powerful the event or idea (or how subtle–we can’t forget the porousness of the unconscious, or the influence we tacitly accept without realizing it)–we do best to welcome it. And if the ‘bang’ doesn’t come with the New Moon, keep an eye on the Inferior Conjunction on 1 August.

Have a wonderful New Moon, my friends!

*Sedna is an SDO (Scattered Disk Object). These are small bodies located beyond Neptune’s orbital path that have eccentric orbits themselves, which is what distinguishes them from Kuiper Belt Objects.

Lunar Eclipse in Pisces 17 September 2024 Reformation of the Dream

09 Monday Sep 2024

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‘World of Dreams’ By Laura Theresa Alma-Tadema 1876 {{PD}}

Though an eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs during a relatively long period of time (minutes or hours), for astrological purposes we’ll look at the moment when the degrees and minutes for the opposition between the Sun and Moon become exact: 7:34 PM PDT of the 17th, with maximum eclipse effect occurring at 7:44 PM PDT (see more details on timing here). Here in Seattle the event actually begins while the Moon is still below the horizon, so unobservable, with the penumbral period starting at 5:41 PM.

A Lunar eclipse is a Full Moon; what makes it an eclipse is the alignment of Sun, Moon, and Earth, with Earth between the Sun and the Moon, so that what we’re seeing during a Lunar eclipse is the shadow of the Earth blocking the Sun’s light from reflecting off the Moon. If we were observing this from the Moon, we would see the Earth come between our vantage point and the Sun, throwing us into at least partial darkness (depending on how precise the alignment, which determines whether the eclipse is partial or complete). Fun fact: the Moon is moving away from the Earth, at the rate of roughly one inch per year. How do we know? We put mirrors on the Moon, then over time shoot lasers at them and measure how long it takes the light to bounce back to us.

The Lunar eclipse of September 17th occurs at 7:34 PM PDT at 25 Pisces 40, with the Moon just short of conjoining Neptune and sextiling Uranus and (barely) sextiling a 29 degree Pluto in Capricorn (though a big orb for an event sextile, Pluto’s stressed status suggests it will be felt, one way or another). Add to this Jupiter forms a wide T-square with the eclipse axis, while Venus will soon perfect a quincunx to the Moon that is already within orb. Eclipses are events where previous energies are wiped out, replaced with a rearrangement of energies based on the eclipse picture; in this case we see the full potentials of both idealism and delusion as they might play out fully formed (FM in Pisces). This suggests that however we imagined things to be before, whatever we believed would be an ideal outcome, whatever delusions we continued to support, knowing full well they were delusions, these will all be undeniable and we’ll have to acknowledge their implications–and in so doing we see a new set of ideals, new dreams, take shape before us, along with new potentials for being misled, for following what we imagine is there, not what really is there.

This reformation of ideals, dreams, and delusions is potent (conj Neptune); we’re unlikely to have a totally conscious handle on what’s happening, and we’re unlikely to see the full picture, whatever that is. This is where the Lunar intuition, a sense of knowing that springs entirely from the unconscious perceptions and the feelings they incite, should be employed; to rely on the mind is to ask to misunderstand and misinterpret. Proceed knowing that at least some of what presents itself is inherently deceptive, that we may be in a fog, unsure, confused, or, let’s hope, inspired. A good way to handle uncertainty at this time is to exorcise it through creative effort led by feeling–I’ll rephrase that: a good way to handle everything at this time is by allowing what we feel to inform the impulse to create–and then to follow through on that, not aiming for a finished product, but rather to giving what we can’t bring to conscious awareness a representation that can show us something about who we are, or what direction we need to take.

Expect the unexpected, the original, the unusual, and maybe a little chaos (sxt Uranus) and the potential for real change to the landscape that, up to now, surrounded us (sxt Pluto). There will definitely be a sense that either destruction is imminent, or that if we institute change, we will cause destruction. Neither is necessarily valid; if we want to harness Plutonian energies, we need to think of them as transformative, and accept that anything that is destroyed or falls away in the process needed to go, anyway. Balancing our feelings with the facts (Jupiter sq) will go a long way toward offering stability, as will being willing to modify our choices in order to respect those people and things we love (Venus qnx)–a simple but effective yardstick for measuring the appropriateness of our choices.

There are two asteroid contacts of note, with Karma and Pandora conjoined in Cancer and trine the eclipse. These suggest myriad possibilities–in fact, a Pandora’s box of them–released with the eclipse. I think it’s reassuring (or damning, depending on your own past operations) that what occurs is karmic–that is, earned or deserved. That could bring possibilities, good, bad, or otherwise, that up til now only lived in your imagination (Neptune, Pisces)–but those possibilities can be ideal, and hold the potential to make dreams come true. Someone once said that a good way to know if you’re living up to your own ideals of behavior and beingness is to thing about “getting what you deserve”. If that phrase is appealing, you’ve definitely been doing your best; if not, it’s a signal that you’ve either strayed from your own ethics and standards, or mistreated others, or both, and need to get right with your Soul. No matter what, Pandora’s box contained hope, the absolutely, rock-bottom, vital ingredient for going on, and for each of us personally going in a positive direction.

‘Pandora’ By Odilon Redon c1914 {{PD}}

The eclipse Sabian is, ‘Watching The Very Thin Moon Crescent Appearing At Sunset, Different People Realize That The Time Has Come To Go Ahead With Their Different Projects’. A slender crescent Moon is a very new Moon, symbolizing the new starts we typically associate with this Lunar phase; in this case, though, it’s a symbol of the new creative landscape and outlook we’re likely to develop during the eclipse. At sunset suggests, possibly, that the project we see as ready to go forward has already received sufficient scrutiny and effort (the day that’s now done). It’s a point of realization, offering a significant step forward, if we’ll only take it. The Sabian for the light-giving Sun is, ‘A Boy With A Censer Serves The Priest Near The Altar’. The project of the Lunar symbol is, in some important way, a form of service that fits us perfectly. This may be an odd interpretation of the symbol, but here goes: we’ll know whether we’re going in the right direction, taking the right steps, if it ‘smells’ right (the intense odor of the incense burning in the censer). Intuition, then, is key–good thing we’ve got a Lunar eclipse to pump up the intuitive volume.

Starting tomorrow, the 10th, I’ll be unavailable until Sunday the 15th. All comments will be answered and orders will be filled then. Thank you, and have a wonderful week!

Asteroid Basics: A Quick Guide to Reading Them in the Chart

19 Friday Jan 2024

Posted by in Asteroids, astrology, Ceres, Chiron, Juno, Pallas, Vesta

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‘Jupiter and Juno on Mount Ida (detail)’ By James Barry 1790 {{PD}}

This article first appeared in a 2015 edition of Eclipse; the current version has been added to and modified.

Juno: the Consort, the Mate, the Woman in Charge by virtue of her position and status, a figure who should be listened to and respected, but who is repeatedly disrespected by her philandering spouse and ignored by others–hence her reputation for anger and vindictive displays. Who can blame her? No one likes being frustrated, which is why Juno’s magic comes from learning Self-empowerment, a condition where one doesn’t rely on others to feel effective in the world. Juno for a woman shows where and how she gains empowerment (through sign and aspects), with the sign opposite the one in which Juno sits giving hints about the kind of person with whom she’d like to mate (combine this with 7th House indicators for a more complete picture on the potential acceptable spouse–the 5th is for purely romantic considerations, and may not figure into mate selection at all). For women Juno’s front and center in terms of feeling one has an impact on one’s world and in how thoroughly one is in charge of one’s own Fate, and until she is determining her own Path, Juno may also show where a woman is being held back from that kind of Self-determination. For men it’s much more subtle, riding just below consciousness, and awareness of empowerment potentials. For both men and women Juno shows empowerment gained by personal effort and by status through association with other powerful entities; for men it further describes the kind of person seen as appropriate ‘mate’ material, especially in terms of the behaviors characteristic of the sign in which Juno sits. Typically men notice Juno most when they are seeking a spouse (and this is so no matter the sexual preference). Someone is assessed by the Juno standards, usually without too much conscious thought—they either strike him as appropriate to partner with or not. The keyword for reading Juno in the chart is ‘empowerment’, keeping in mind that this designates by aspect and transit where that struggle is occurring, or where we are trying to implement it, rather than guaranteeing the empowerment needs will be fulfilled there.

‘Ceres’ By Osmar Schindler c1902 {{PD}}

Ceres: she’s Mother Nature, but also every maternal figure (like the Moon), especially the ones who think they know best (not like the Moon), and she represents all growing things (though agriculture technically falls under Pallas–Ceres is instead Nature, with a capital ‘N’). Ceres is also all manner of negotiations, and generally every authority you’ve ever known who came by that authority as a given, a natural authority. Ceres has the life force itself behind her, giving her a source of power that drives all life on Earth–but such extreme power can also mean she fails to recognize the autonomy of others or their boundaries, overestimating both the reach of her authority and her rightful territory. The keywords for reading Ceres in the chart are ‘personal authority/ power’, though keeping in mind that the entity represented feels they have authority no matter what their actual position; also remember the potentials for the maternal influence (though it may only be a feeling or a ‘superior/ inferior’ relationship attitude), negotiation, and the over-stepping of boundaries, as well as health concerns centered on the body’s interaction with Nature (for instance, allergies).

‘Pallas Athene Visits Invidia’ By Karel Dujardin 1652 {{PD}}

Pallas: the child of Metis and Zeus, Metis being a Titan and representing ‘magical cunning’ (the original connotation of her name) and wisdom. She’s equal parts shrewdness and smarts, with a little dazzle thrown in (via the ‘Trickster’ label). It was foretold that Metis would have extremely powerful children, so as soon as Zeus and Metis got together, he began to worry. Zeus’ answer to all this was to trick Metis into turning into a fly, then swallowing her—what a guy! She was already pregnant with Pallas Athena, and began to create her child’s armor while still imprisoned inside Zeus. This gave him a massive headache—which he hoped to alleviate by having Hephaestus (Vulcan) open his forehead (great idea!) with an axe or a hammer (this sounds far too much like the description for an episode of ‘Jackass’). Of course, we know what popped out of Zeus’ skull with that rupture: a fully grown, fully armored, Warrior goddess, Pallas Athena. In terms of the asteroid, we need to be aware that Pallas’ history caused her to be created knowing a great deal already, and to be strong enough and smart enough to implement it.  Though her keywords are ‘wisdom and practicality’, she also signifies the productive and lucrative outcome of organized labor (such as agriculture) and represents skills of all kinds, but especially those of a practical nature (like weaving), and she can do the Warrior thing in a controlled and intelligent way that is often more effective than the full-tilt of Mars/ Ares. Pallas shows us where we may carry natural, internal wisdom–if only we’ll access it.  

‘In the Temple of Vesta’ By Constantin Hölscher 1902 {{PD}}

Vesta: is what we care about to the point of reverence. She represents those core things in life we find sacred, that we feel compelled to honor with our life energy. Though for each individual that involves a different set of concepts and material matters, they all hold in common the reverential attitude that means we will organize our lives around paying homage to these subjects and life areas—so, we will defend, put our energy into, even worship, Vestal things. She also describes (along with the Moon) the character of our need for emotional fulfillment and nurture according to the sign in which Vesta sits, and describes what feels like ‘home’ to us, the conditions we need, whether they are internal or external, in order to rest, relax, and thrive. Vesta can apply to the mate relationship within the ideal of dedication to the partner (and so apply as well to the sex life, which can carry the aura of a spiritual ritual), and of course to any matter, idea, or physical effort we see as appropriate to dedicate our life energy to. Keywords are ‘sacred’ and ‘commitment’, but keep in mind that aspects will elaborate on all potentials, including defending what shouldn’t be defended because of misplaced reverence, and an inability to respect (at least initially) some contacted energies (in hard aspect).

‘The Education of Achilles’ By Auguste-Clément Chrétien 1861 {{PD}}

Chiron: is the primal wound, one gained pre-verbally and so often not consciously recognized. Theoretically, within that wound lies a unique gift that with personal evolution is offered to others, then may move on to expression at a transpersonal level. You have a unique experience of your Chirotic injury, and that makes you specifically qualified to offer that particular kind of healing to others, once you’ve dealt with it yourself. My contention is that the big blow-out of 2012 that some assumed would be the end of the world was in fact a situation of shifts in many extant energies—Chiron being one. I think that Chiron’s gift, which previously could only be used to aid others, not oneself, became available to the individual for the first time at this point. We are now able to use our own Chirotic strength to heal ourselves, since the wound is always directly related to the gift; that means we hold the answer to our own healing. Keywords for Chiron are ‘wound’, ‘gift’, and ‘healing’; you’ve got to hold all three in your mind at once.

Dear Readers, Have a wonderful weekend!

Orpheus, Or A Voyage to the Underworld

06 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by in Asteroids, astrology, Dreams, Spiritual Considerations

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Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot – ‘Orpheus Leading Eurydice from the Underworld’ 1860 {{PD}}

Like everyone else, it seems, I’ve been having some highly unusual dreams of late, so I decided to run down some of the associated asteroids and other bodies, just to see what this might spell out by contacts to my own natal chart. I’ll offer my interpretations, and invite you to see where these might fit in your own chart–I’ll keep details of my nighttime adventures to a minimum; as author John Green (and a lot of other people) have said, “Nothing is as boring as other people’s dreams.”

First we look at asteroid Orpheus, named for the poet, musician, and prophet (that last not until after death, when his still-singing head was thrown into the sea, landing at Lesbos where an Orphic oracle was established). He was known to enthrall and charm (in an almost magical sense) others with his creations and performances; even the animals, trees, and rocks were said to have moved when Orpheus played. He learned his Arts from Calliope, the patron of epic poetry and likely his mother, while his father is said to have been either the King of Thrace or the god Apollo.

Orpheus voyaged with the Argonauts and saved them by blasting his boom box (or however they did it in those days!), drowning out the Sirens’ seductive call. Upon their return, Orpheus married Eurydice; the honeymoon had scarcely begun when she was bitten by a snake and died. Naturally, her husband mourned her with song. He charmed all who heard him, including Charon, the boatman who transports Souls across the river Styx, as well as Hell’s guard dog, Cerberus. His grief was so affecting that Hades chose to grant the disconsolate musician an exception: you can lead your bride out of the Underworld, Orpheus, on one condition, that you will not look back at her until you’re both completely above ground–and Orpheus readily agreed.

We all know what happened: Orpheus had almost reached the surface, and had managed not to look behind him, when he suddenly turned; some versions claim he heard a noise, some that he saw the Sun and wanted to share the moment with his wife, but in any case, she vanished, his mission ending in failure. So what does this have to do with a dream of mine? I was told that I was an Orpheus-like individual in a dream world that was supposed to be the 1920s. There were a number of people in a large, gold-walled room, and I was to round them up and lead them out–and that’s all I remember.

On the day of the dream, the asteroid Orpheus (3361) was at 19 Capricorn 53–within orb to both Pluto 21 Capricorn 11 (another version of Hades, which asteroid was at 5 Cancer 53) and Charon, the boatman, which is a moon of Pluto and travels with it, and asteroid Cerberus at 27 Aquarius 9, with Eurydice (also spelled Eurydike) at 9 Libra 28. The agent of dreams, Neptune, was at 15 Pisces 01.

Orpheus, Pluto, and Charon are all passing through my 12th, sextile my Moon and opposed my Ceres=this suggests an Underworld journey, in the spiritual or emotional sense, one that is meant to re-make the individual, or to be seen as part of a larger, life-death-life cycle–a winter experience, one of loss as part of a larger pattern, or of death or what’s beyond this life, perhaps? Hades is square my Mars=again, the trip to the Underworld, the result of my actions, or because of them?! Hades is the one who offered Orpheus the deal, that O couldn’t see through out of impatience, folly, impulsivity? The dog that guards the Underworld, Cerberus, is square my Venus and sextile my Sedna–maybe being ‘guarded’ keeps out love, or money, but allows the instincts and deep knowing to function without distraction–necessary for such a journey. Eurydice, a stand-in for what’s rescued from the darkness, sits conjoined my Mars=is passage through the Underworld a kind of retreat, necessary to save the Self, or perhaps to save the ability to act autonomously? Maybe. And finally there’s Neptune, in wide quincunx to my Sun=dreams that may disturb, just a bit, in order to reveal something of the Soul. And I’ll throw in one more, Hekate, the way-shower, which is at 23 Cancer, conjoined my Ceres=Mother Nature as guide–I hope she’ll show me more.

15 December 2015 Doubting Ourselves

14 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky

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Self-doubt could wear us out today. 'Art and Literature' by William-Adolphe Bouguereau 1866 {{PD}}

Self-doubt could wear us out today. ‘Art and Literature’ by William-Adolphe Bouguereau 1866 {{PD}}

On the 15th our instincts and our ‘blind spot’ material (things influencing us we aren’t consciously aware of, yet are easily seen by others) undermine our sense of empowerment and effectiveness–and that’s really all that matters, isn’t it? Without believing in ourselves we won’t act as if we have a right–a right to exercise our prerogatives, a right to assert ourselves, a right to openly claim our status and the privileges that go with it. We can get a handle on our doubts if we tame the emotions with a cool intellectual analysis of our circumstances (Aquarius Moon conjoined Ceres around 4 AM Pacific Standard Time)–that may allow us to, in the modern vernacular, “own our own power”–that’s our best hope for combating the Self-doubt that may plague us today (Perfecting: Juno contra-parallel Sedna).

Something new awaits at ‘Been There, Done That’

VESTA IN THE NATAL CHART IS HERE!

16 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by in Asteroids, astrology, Books, Vesta

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Arnold Böcklin {{PD}}

Arnold Böcklin {{PD}}

“Vesta’s placement in the natal chart tells us what we find sacred in life, what is, without question, to be honored. She is a compass that points unerringly to our most revered values. The quality of the sacred with which the Vesta spirit is imbued makes it an indicator of and channel for the spiritual and for expression of the Soul’s intent. It’s the symbol of all we hold in highest regard, the things we’re willing to dedicate our life energies to, to protect, to harbor, and to sacrifice for, and it acts as a kind of internal beacon that recognizes ‘home’ in all its forms and guises; as well, Vesta tells us with what externals we want to merge–this can be through sex, or through some other dedication of energy, time, or attention, but it always reflects a spiritual unity, a choice to fuse the Soul with the spiritual essence represented by an ‘Other’. With Vesta we might modify the idea of ‘As above, so below,’ to ‘As in the spiritual realm, so in the physical one.'”

 

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Just a Little AstroEssence: A Fire Grand Trine January-February 2015

28 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by in Asteroids, astrology, current events in the sky, Grand Trine

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By the 31st we'll begin to see whether we've hit our mark or not. 'The Fair Toxophiles' William Powell Frith 1871 {{PD}}

By the 31st we’ll begin to see whether we’ve hit our mark or not. ‘The Fair Toxophiles’ William Powell Frith 1871 {{PD}}

I wanted to mention a little something that likely won’t get a lot of attention otherwise: a Fire Grand Trine consisting of Pallas, Juno, and Uranus. It’s been around for about a week now; we can look back and probably see something of its influence. Action seeking empowerment has been fueled by an array of impulses, including spontaneity, rebelliousness, a desire to modernize, the impulse to cooperate with the group, and those unique qualities and viewpoints that inform our individuality. Pallas is a smart and practical indicator, suggesting what we choose will be in our own best interests, no matter how erratic or disruptive it appears from without; Juno, too, will be attuned to what empowers us as individuals, not what supports those already in authority, and with each of us defining empowerment as many different ways as there are snowflakes, we can be sure that even those choices that look decidedly disempowering from the outside made sense to the person making them.

This continues through the 31st, when Earth takes the place of Juno; when that occurs, we begin to see material effects of the choices we’ve made and the actions taken. Our surroundings will reflect our actions in a very particular way: we’ll see just how empowering our choices have been, or how they’ve missed the mark. Earth leaves the Trine by the 6th of February.

A Little Something on Hekate, the Wayshower

24 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by in Asteroids, Hekate/ Hecate

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William Blake's depiction of Hekate reflects a lot of the cultural baggage she's been assigned. 1795 {{PD}}

William Blake’s depiction of Hekate reflects a lot of the cultural baggage she’s been assigned. 1795 {{PD}}

This is an excerpt from a post previously seen at ‘Been There, Done That’ Have a great Wednesday!

Originating in Asia Minor, Hekate began as a powerful ‘Mother Goddess,’ but she steadily gained a narrower field of responsibility with each culture she entered. In many instances, figures such as Hathor and Demeter/ Ceres took on many of Hekate’s early characteristics (and of course, she was known by other names before the Greeks bestowed the one we call her by today), with Hekate carrying fewer and fewer of the ‘mother and nurture’ traits; if we combine this narrowing of responsibilities with the later influence of Christian elements on the scenarios of the gods and goddesses, we see that Hekate became a figure who carried unflattering and unwanted projections about the dark and ‘dangerous’ qualities of women. In Greek and Roman myth Hekate was demoted to be under Ceres’/ Demeter’s command, and was sent to accompany Persephone/ Proserpina on her journeys back and forth to the Underworld. Eventually Hekate was deemed ruler of witchcraft (in its most negative definitions), sorcery, demonic activity, and the darkness. This was a simple response of the patriarchy to the female connection to life-giving energy and the female alignment with the rhythms and cycles of the Universe: gestation and childbirth, a woman’s receptive sexual energy (which through the years has been portrayed as evil by its ‘seductive’–another word for receptive–nature) and a determination to keep women as powerless within the social set-up as possible, all contributing to the negative ‘stash’ Hekate has been assigned to carry.

Hekate’s true nature is as a way-shower, in all the many guises this can take. She stands at crossroads both literal and figurative, straddles the border between conscious and unconscious, light and dark, life and death, and translates energy between the two. She is said to be present at crime scenes, to guide travelers on their way, and to be present during the Dark of the Moon, with the Dark period association a good example of the narrowing that has occurred over time–originally Hekate was a Moon goddess, not confined to the Dark phase. It also makes sense that her connection to all forms of darkness would make her a conduit for the unconscious, and so her prominence in the chart or in relation to a particular energy or life area can alert us to the presence of unconscious material in that particular expression or venue. She echoes Pallas as well, as both a wise guide and a guardian–specifically of gateways and other points of ingress or egress (and both goddesses share similarity to Moon goddess Artemis/ Diana, the Huntress, in terms of all three having a martial/ guardian quality). And her characterization as a Crone makes sense when we consider that, ideally, with age comes wisdom–and that should tell us that we can learn from Hekate as well as be guided by or protected by her.

Hekate’s wisdom has unfortunately been trivialized, quite literally; she is the goddess of trivia! This comes from the retired Roman soldiers who were stationed about the city and at crossroads, available to answer questions concerning the area and what lay down each road. Hekate as a way-shower naturally came to be seen as the goddess of these question-answerers, and due to the spoke-like pattern of many Roman via connections there were often at least three roads leading from one point, thus tri three, via road or way, came to be associated with being able to answer any question presented. It’s important to see this as simply reminiscent of Hekate’s store of knowledge having a great span, a span that covers light and dark, and that reaches not just the into the profound life and death arenas but that also includes the minutiae of culture, tradition, and occurrences and changes of the past and present.

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Just a Little AstroEssence for 24-25 September 2012: ‘Empowerment: What it Looks Like, How to Get It’

24 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky

≈ Comments Off on Just a Little AstroEssence for 24-25 September 2012: ‘Empowerment: What it Looks Like, How to Get It’

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‘Two Geisha Girls’ EA Hornel 1894 {{PD-Art}}

The 24th of September the Sun sextiles Juno and Earth conjuncts Pallas. These are highly positive, offering a spotlight that points out exactly what our empowerment should look like, and how to get it, while wisdom is found in the messages contained in our surroundings, and in skillful employment of material assets at our disposal. Can be a big day, one that can ‘set us up’ positively for some time to come. While on the 25th . . .

. . . Mercury conjuncts Zeus–we are confident and express ambitions and desires well, at this time–which only raises our chances of having them fulfilled. A few warnings: Venus sesquiquadrates Uranus–though spontaneous changes can come to relationships or finances, it’s best not to push; and Mars is semi-square Pluto, priming the temper pump, in a way that will probably take victims (both expressers and targets) by surprise.

For much more, including detailed daily aspect and Lunar forecasts, plus articles on personalities, theory, and practice (this week, In the News, with discussion of Kate Middleton and Mitt Romney) order today!

‘Amor’ A Re-Print from May 2008

13 Tuesday Sep 2011

Posted by in Amor, Asteroids, astrology, THE ASTROLOGY OF INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP

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'Amor Holding a Glass Orb' van Everdingen c.1660 {{PD-Art}}

Let’s look at one relatively misunderstood representative of love, the asteroid Amor. In an historical novel I read years ago, there was a scene that perfectly illustrates the kind of misunderstanding that can surround Amor contact. Set in late Medieval France, the story involves a young man, traveling, who is invited to a noble’s table for dinner. The noble has an impressionable young daughter, who instantly develops a crush on the handsome stranger. She expresses a desire to learn new things, particularly to learn Latin, so that she can read many of the available texts. He volunteers to give her her first lesson; anyone who’s studied Latin knows that you begin with the verb ‘amor,’ to love. As he instructs her at the dinner table, “Amo, Amas, Amat,” she mistakes his use of the verb, reading into the situation that he chose it to send her a message that he’s interested in her as a paramour. From his point of view, he was simply beginning at the beginning, with no hidden meaning or implication. This is very much like asteroid Amor in one chart in contact with a placement in another’s chart: it feels like love is coming from the Amor person, and indeed it is; but how good are we at distinguishing the essence of love offered from romantic and/ or sexual interest? That’s where the difficulty comes forward.

There’s also the question of just how Amor expresses in the chart of an individual. If it represents love in its most elemental form, then this energy might drive each of us in a very particular way, linking in to the chart and showing how we try to get, process, and express Amor ourselves. And who needs love from the world more than a performer, and especially a comedian? The chart of SNL cast member and unlikely movie star, the late Chris Farley (15 February 1964, 3:34 PM, Madison Wisconsin), shows this well. Amor is at 28 Virgo in the 3rd of communication, suggesting both a likely outlet for and a likely conduit through which to receive the energy from the outside world; his need to give and receive love was the need for continual interaction and communication. Amor opposes the 9th House Moon (the broadcasting of emotions) located in Pisces, perhaps suggesting that the emotions have difficulty separating through appropriate boundaries (and certainly pointing toward a possible emotional reason behind the drug problems), with Cancer on the 12th reinforcing this and adding the idea that Mr. Farley let his emotions run wild and undifferentiated at his own peril (through the ‘serve or suffer’ mechanism of the 12th). The only other aspect made by Amor is a trine to Vesta, suggesting that the impetus behind his reaching out was fueled by the feeling that love in its basic sense was sacred–and that he acutely felt violations of this, not only personally but in the Collective–and as we know, no individual who feels the Collective pain can carry it alone without serious consequences.

From the section on Amor in THE ASTROLOGY OF INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/ we know that the real meaning of Amor is often directly confused with romantic love; Amor is actually (and here I quote the book): ” . . . a love that’s unconcerned with sexuality or romance; it’s pure, and as such will be heavily colored by the energies with which it connects in both the individual chart and cross-chart.” So, when we’re looking for love, we are indeed looking for Amor, but when we’re looking for romance, we should be looking elsewhere–this is well-illustrated in the book by the comparison of Amor aspects in the charts of one-time spouses Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett; we see specifically that Amor may have persuaded them there was more romantic depth to the relationship than there was, a classic case of mistaking one love energy for another.

It’s important to note that having Amor contacts is both supportive of and very good for a successful relationship, but they must be accompanied by romantic contacts if there’s to be sexual chemistry, or even romantic feelings. If you’re presented with an opportunity for romance, check the relationship of natal Amor between the charts, and look at transiting Amor as well; if transiting Amor is prominent in one or the other chart at present, it may be that the sense of love is diffuse and focused on humankind, rather than in romance. In this instance we may be feeling the Amor radiating from another, but mistaking it for other, very personal energies. We can check for romantic contacts between the charts to see if this will just be a pleasant encounter (T Venus contact to natal placements), a hot sexual (or even violent) dalliance with likely little future potential (T Pluto contact, possibly to N Mars, ASC, or Venus), an interaction where one or the other party projects ideals or illusions (T Neptune to N Venus in the chart of the individual), or a long-lasting love match of the first order (positive contacts between natal placements, plus strong Saturn contact from each chart). Obviously, there are other combinations that show potential relationship, as well, but the distinction between Amor and romance and/ or sexual interest must always be sorted out.