By Aernoudts jean, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1165380

The AstroEssence for the 24th: Anybody for a revolution? Probably not, though freedom is certainly on our minds. That urge to upheaval works itself out, though, and what is and what could be find a perfect balance today, allowing us to make effective, proportional progress as we are able to keep current conditions, the unexpected, and what’s coming all in mind. Surprises are offset by the capacity for original response and chaos is easily contained. Actions somehow all end up conforming to what we cherish most, to the needs of mate or home, and to our own need to honor what we care about. We reach the end of the day feeling we’ve expressed something true to our essence, and to our Soul’s mission–on a day like today, we’d have to work very hard to avoid it (Saturn trine Uranus, Finger of God with base of Sun-Mars, apex Vesta)

By Qurren – Qurren’s file, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1221749

Today’s word image is a garden trowel. You know, that little shovel for digging. It’s important to pick the right tool for the job; with a trowel, you have something ideal for lifting plants from pots, for harvesting root vegetables, and for transplanting small plants–but if you have a big job, planting a tree or digging a foundation, for instance, a trowel will never do. If you’ve been working away at something, now you may need to consider that a larger implement (that is, a more sweeping or more suitable one) may be needed–it’s about recognizing you can’t move things any further without the aid of something bigger.

For those born with the Sun at 3 Capricorn: Your Solar year, through to your next birthday, is all about mobilizing yourself and your talents to serve those things to which you’re committed–that’s any combination of home, mate, family, or larger causes. Hints to maximize your progress: allow the past to inform the present; it can offer you priceless information that will make your path that much easier, and don’t allow emotional drama to run the show–also avoid anyone who tries to tell you to take a more modest path, or who suggests you should settle for less than you aim for. You have the support of some fabulous energies this year–make the most of them. Good luck, Cappy, and Happy Birthday!

‘Althea’ JW Alexander 1894 {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: Now in retro, Merc makes the same minor aspect to Pallas he did on the 11th of December; this suggests a re-visiting of something we judged to be either practical or wise, with the turnaround freeing us from our usual way of thinking. New perspectives are the result. On other fronts, rebellious urges fight what we know to be good for us. If you feel like being wild, consider that the urge is really about something else, something you may be afraid to reject directly. Self-sabotage is never a good substitute for dealing with issues–and consider too that if your fear of addressing this springs from anticipation of how someone else will react, they may be controlling you, if you’re responding to a previous, unspoken threat  (Uranus sesq Hygeia, Mercury semi-sq Pallas)

By © Benoît Prieur / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19376011

Today’s word image is a minor traffic accident, where those involved thoughtlessly block the road, then drive away leaving parts of their cars in the middle of the street! This may be a reminder for Self-awareness and the impact we can have, literal or otherwise, on others.

For those born with the Sun at 1 Capricorn: Change, reformation, transformation are in your blood this Solar year, through to your next birthday, but you’ll have to proceed with care–it’s possible others may use emotional pressure that pushes you in a destructive direction. They may not mean for that to be the result, but it’s your most likely response to any sort of manipulation, even when it has a harmless or positive intent behind it. Try to draw distinctions between your emotional perceptions and those of others, and proceed with care–you ‘own’ an intense amount of energy and power this year, and you may not realize it at the start–make it your mission to become completely aware of your true strength. Good luck, Cappy, and Happy Birthday!

Winslow Homer ‘The Bridle Path, White Mountains’ 1868 {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: Our attention goes to the practical–always a bit of a downer before these holidays, as it happens every year when the Sun enters Capricorn–but it also starts to prep us for the New Year, giving us a sense of optimism about what we can accomplish–optimism, that is, if we don’t get distracted or discouraged by the hard work that we know will be involved. Don’t wait until the New Year for any needed reformation or closet-cleaning–you’ll feel much better if you do it now.

And as to questions concerning why I’m not talking about Mercury-Pluto, it’s because the aspect didn’t perfect–Merc turned around before they conjoined–and in my experience that usually results in just a taste of the aspect, if anything at all. An uncompleted conjunction in which one of the bodies begins retrograde movement before perfection of the aspect typically brings a brief and confusing, out-of-left-field experience of the combination that quickly dissipates–and so signifies nothing so much as how this combination might come forward later for the individual, when the aspect actually occurs. So, odd or disturbing or devastating thoughts or communications, the fleeting consideration of a different way of thinking, or the brief idea that something’s got to go, may be the only manifestation of the future meeting of Mercury and Pluto we get for now. If you can grasp it, it’s a little peek into the future, one that holds hints about what or how things may change, rather than offering a literal picture of what the conjunction, when it perfects, will actually bring (Sun enters Capricorn, Mars semi-sq Pluto)

Bronze bit and bridle in the British Museum. Etruscan, 700-650 BC. Perhaps made at Betulonia. The cheek pieces are cast in the form of horses. Castellani Collection GR 1873.9-20.246 (Bronze 357)” Photo by Ealdgyth CC BY-SA 3.0

Today’s word image is a bridle. We can think of this as an instrument for guiding, restraining, and controlling something much larger and more wild than we are–our animal nature. The image may suggest we look closely at just what we’re using (methods, thinking, practices) to keep those instinctive and impulsive inclinations in check. It’s a good exercise for the retrograde period, because Mercury’s status will allow us to see things in a different way–and that may allow us to realize where we’re holding back too much, where we need a tad more restraint, and where we need to loosen our grip.

For those born with the Sun at 0 Capricorn: You’ve got a busy year ahead, one where you’ll work to make your dreams a reality–but will you achieve your goals? Yes, if you follow a few simple rules: expect cooperation, but don’t expect others to give you the whole story, or take you into their confidence–you’ll need to respect that they want to hold something back at this point; keep the past in the rear view mirror, operationally speaking–there’ll come a point late in the Solar year when you may be tempted to reenact or model current efforts on the past–don’t; and, whatever you do, ‘do it like a boss’–that demeanor works for you better than any other, this year. Good luck, Cappy, and Happy Birthday!

‘Conductrices de chariots a l’Hypodrome’ James Tissot c1884 {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: On our minds: a healthy balanced mentality, as we try to get ‘more’–is it even possible to enjoy mental equilibrium when we are striving to ‘get’? Today it is, if we take the reins and do it like a goddess: confidently, with the aim of making the absolute best we can of things, of driving in the direction we want to go. And when presented with a choice, do what’s smart and/ or positive, because in the end, it all will become known by others (Jupiter semi-sq and Mercury nov Hygeia, Venus sxt Juno)

Today’s word image is the side by side placement of colors black and white. We think of them as opposites and in a sense they are, if we’re seeing one as all colors, and one as the absence of color–but we also use this combination to indicate not just stark contrasts, but inescapable conditions, facts or agreements or limitations set out in direct terms. Is there something you’re seeing in black and white terms that may be more subtle, that you may be misjudging as an ‘either/ or’ choice or condition, when it’s really several shades of gray (but not 50!)? Or is it a need to get down to basics, to ‘the contract’ and its stipulations, and go forward either accepting or implementing what it spells out? This may be a minor reality check for perceptual (especially mental) acuity to complement freshly-retro Mercury, especially as our awareness applies to our (usually unwritten) agreements..

For those born with the Sun at 29 Sagittarius: Action is ‘where it’s at’ for you this Solar year, through to your next birthday, but choices may be made on the fly, under circumstances that feel as if you’re required to hop from a moving car and hit the pavement running. A couple of things you may need to consider as your year unfolds: do you need to exit the speeding conveyance (read, whatever’s currently moving you forward) at all? If you jump out and start running, will you fall behind on your true goals? Could you possibly roll out (make the impact of change less dramatic)? And if you choose to leap from the car and immediately begin running, you’d better be brave enough to look around and make sure you’re running in the right direction. Good luck, Sagittarius, and Happy Birthday!

Enjoy your Tuesday!

‘In the Waves, or Ondine’ Paul Gauguin {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: Beneath the waves of feeling (today they mostly have a Moon transiting Leo character of bluster, Self-concern–and this concern should not be seen as negative–attention-seeking, and glorious, shining accomplishment–and for some, ‘accomplishment’ is nothing more than ‘being their shining Self’!) we find the treasure in relationships and the financial situation, even though we may start our inspection with a focus on hurt, or how it isn’t working. Adjustment is achieved by refining the viewpoint (most easily done by changing what we’re looking at–that is, by finding something within the situation or individual of which we approve, which then allows us to see other positive qualities and potentials). A few negative-Nellies will pull the profit from hurt, their own or others’, but winners reach reward through use of unique skills and the willingness to modify impulses so that they reflect feedback from reality (Venus nov Chiron, Sun qnx Sedna)

‘Hanging Apples’ by DeScott Evans. And what are they hanging by? Twine! {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a ball of twine. Such an ordinary thing, that used to be a lot more commonly available than it is now–if you want to tie something with twine, you have to search for it! No longer is it the household and business staple it once was. What thing that used to be basic to your everyday functioning has almost disappeared? And are you happy with what’s taken its place?

For those born with the Sun at 25 Sagittarius: You are on your way to making some very wise moves and choices in life, but two things must happen first, in order for those choices to be successful: 1) you must be willing to set aside what you think you know or sense in favor of what’s really happening, and 2) you have to resolve, one way or another, the current ‘crisis in caring’. You may care too much, or too little, but either way you must gain emotional stability and surety before you can go forward. Good luck, Sagittarius, and Happy Birthday!

For goodness sake, read! ‘La Lectura’ by Raimundo Madrazo {{PD}}

“Regentag in Kyoto” 1901. bez. s.l. (seinem lieben) Pankok. Farbradierung. Bl. 8 der Mappe aus Japan Photo by ArishG Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

The AstroEssence: We may feel it’s vital we show our wisdom simultaneously with our power, out of a need to exaggerate both. Examine the insecurity that drives this, if you find yourself going in this direction, as it speaks of much greater vulnerabilities than we might imagine–and these need to be addressed, before they lead us to deny our values or commitments for some anticipated reward, relationship, or financial potential that will in the end definitely not be what we want (Chiron parallel Ceres, Jupiter parallel Pallas, Venus contra-parallel Vesta)

The Mirror of Venus – 1875 – Edward Burne-Jones {{PD}}

Today’s word image is water. As often happens, the image can have many possible meanings, but today I’m thinking it’s something that when spotted should draw our attention to the underlying emotional content of the situation.

For those born with the Sun at 24 Sagittarius: You may have been ignoring your instincts as of late, but they’re trying to break through, and you need to help them. In order to ‘hear’ the messages (some of which are warnings) they’re sending, you need to: pay attention to the entire material/ physical scene, not just the parts you like; you need to embrace all the facts, not just the ones you like; you need to admit that the social gauge in which you operate has a few things to tell you that could be very useful, and make enough difference to facilitate success; and you have to be sincere in what you care for–no faking it. Follow these suggestions, and by Solar year’s end, before or just after your next birthday you should see all the pieces fall into place, offering an emotional peace that can support those instinctive messages and bring about a new, improved state of identity and Soul development. Good luck, Sagittarius, and Happy Birthday!

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