H. A. Brendekilde – De første Anemoner (1889) {{PD}}

The next five days are all of a piece; it seems better to show the flow of energy from one to the next than to chunk them up separately, and possibly miss their interconnectedness. We’ll start with the 26th and the Sun conjoined Jupiter. People become rapturous about this once-per-year event, but that’s a mistaken attitude, in my view, one that springs from the idea that more is better. Our attention is drawn to whatever the Sun highlights; the sign gives the tone, contacts describe directions that seem active, that call to us, that take up our time and energy. In this case we have a Sun in Scorpio, calling us to dig deep, to look for the Truth, to clean out, purge, discover, re-make, and resurrect–and then that focused Sun meets the planet of largesse, expansion, knowledge, hubris, farsightedness, opportunity, what’s foreign to us, and philosophy. This combination can reveal secrets, force us to face facts we may have been deliberately or unconsciously overlooking, can introduce knowledge that changes everything or destroys current potentials, can bring forward a ‘White Knight’ or ‘Daddy’ who we may see as representing potential rescue, and can make us look to the horizon for something new, better, for something that makes our world or our fortunes bigger, greater, more than–but there is something shadowy beneath the surface, and we might have to reach into a dark space to retrieve what we feel has been promised.

Whatever we’re focusing our attention on, whatever Scorpionic parts of our world have us in thrall, these will be the places that jump into stark relief, and that offer one kind or another of ‘more’. Jupiter receives the spotlight of the Sun and we have the chance to expand our world–but do we want to? It comes in the form of offers, opportunities, and knowledge or ‘foreign’ (unusual) connections acquired, and those possibilities may or may not be a good direction for us to go. They could act as a shiny distraction from our goals–or could bring an optimism that is beyond anything we would otherwise feel, and so urge us to do the unwise, in part because this will feel ‘once in a lifetime’—though it’s likely not.

The natal House where the Sun and Jupiter are currently transiting could present opportunity, or could be the arena in which we regard potentials with too much optimism, which again would cause us to venture where in more level-headed times we might hesitate. What this combo stirs can threaten stability and smart use of energy, but it could also give us the push we need to overcome fears–and that’s positive. We also might see activity in a combination of the matters of the two Houses in the natal chart these bodies rule.

Keywords for Sun-Jupiter: Soul expansion, Opportunity to Live Your Purpose, Living Your Beliefs, Believing in Your Purpose, Getting Your Essence Out Into the World, Fearless Expression   Beware of: Exaggerating the importance of your role, Becoming your own god, Overdoing in the name of Progress

The word image for the 26th is a class reunion. This is an image of people who once spent most every day together, learning, brought together again and much different after their time in the world. Do you see this situation as fun, a chance to re-live old friendships and renew ties, or do you see it as negative, a forced return to a life long past and not missed? Your reaction to this image mirrors your relationship to the past–and if this is an image of dread for you, it may be time to make peace with what was–whatever pains you is gone, it can’t hurt you now. And if you see it as fun, you might want to ask yourself how far you’ve really come–you might be surprised by what you realize.

So, we enter the period a little punch-drunk from the heady opportunities we’ve glimpsed with Sun-Jupiter. By the 27th we may be thinking of making sweeping changes, especially in relationships or finances. Are we still on a high from the optimistic Sun-Jupiter? It’s something to ask ourselves.

Today’s word image is an Artist, who shows her work for the first time. No matter how old we get, there are still new things to discover about ourselves, new talents and abilities that show our artistry. Be brave enough to show some of that ability to others, if not today, then maybe this week, month, or year.

The 28th we shift gears, focusing on re-vamping thought processes to include all those matters we are prone to ignore. A realistic viewpoint is typically an asset, but in this case, we may become too pessimistic, go too far–and that would be, if not unwise, then certainly impractical. Sometimes a little positivity makes the world a lot easier to take.

Today’s word image is two birds, squabbling over a full bird feeder. There’s plenty for everyone; check yourself, and relax–enjoy what you already have.

On the 29th thoughts and ideas compel some ‘difficult’ actions and choices–difficult in that they may be clumsy, premature, or lacking in solid conception and follow-through. Though this urge to action may cause discord or discomfort in the moment, if it’s propelled by ambitions or desires, it may end up paying off–so if you can stand the temporary upset or embarrassment, making that impulsive move could be worthwhile.

By the 30th a kind of wonderful assimilation of energies has taken place. Making ‘mistakes’ in the previous few days has led to the ability to face what we have been avoiding, to challenge things and people that make us angry, and has given us a fresh idea of our own empowerment. This is a point when we may consider whether we are happy with our current life trajectory–you’re in a good place now to examine potential paths.

Do you notice the thread through these days? We’ll be living in our heads, processing everything actively through our point-of-view (rather than unconsciously), and each day will highlight not just our thinking, but the thinking, messages, and communications from others. We get to the end of the period considerably enlightened in important ways–and ready to act on what we know.

Thank you, and have a great one! I’m likely to reappear with one or more daily images, as they occur to me.

‘Self-portrait with Japanese umbrella’ 1891, by Olga Boznańska {{PD}}

What fresh hell is this, that we know the smart thing, the practical thing, the wise thing, and yet we talk ourselves into trashing the whole thing by telling ourselves what we’re faced with preserving, nurturing, or accelerating has no worth? We’ve got two days of it coming, of dealing with our own avoidance of reality, or insistence on living in the past; neither accomplishes what we think it will. There’s also the matter of opposites (or complementary) energies at odds, where we quite naturally find ourselves in a position contrary to that of our opposite number–and so at an impasse with them.

We may find it helps to ‘think like a woman’, whatever that means to you, preferably one who’s intelligent, Self-possessed, and not hesitant to exercise her own authority. Strangely, we may have persuaded ourselves that such an approach would be detrimental, beneath us, or ‘weak’–but it’s really about mustering the right kinds of sensitivity, which are almost certainly not the kinds most of us normally turn to when sending feelers out into the Universe.

So where’s our silver lining in all this? It’s in those relationships that empower us, where we are cherished and valued, where our ‘natural’ Self is the best thing we can be–there are no expectations for our conformity to social mores or anyone’s judgment. If one or more relationships just like that, that let you be You with a capital ‘Y’, spring to mind, your task is to recognize the Love you receive from them, and nurture them; if no such relationship in your life right now exists, your job is to get new relationships.

‘Friedrichstraße on a rainy night’, by Franz Skarbina, 1902 {{PD}}

The word image for these two days is this: while standing in an anteroom to a restaurant, a young man coming in sees you and holds the door open so you can go out; to be polite, you thank him and walk out into the cold, driving rain. You were not on your way out, but he didn’t know that. He was so proud of himself for thinking of someone else, of holding the door for others, that he didn’t notice what was really needed: shelter from the rain. Is someone ushering you into an environment you’d rather avoid, and to be polite, you’re going along with it? Or are you so proud of offering someone a grand gesture that you haven’t bothered to see if it’s actually what they need?

Check this out, for some absolutely spot-on observations–