‘The Fair Toxophiles’ 1871 {{PD}} William Powell Frith

The AstroEssence: Our attention is very much on ourselves today, on the ways we’ve been wounded, on how we’ve been, in some form, inadequate, unreliable, erratic, a flake. We think we need to stop thinking–at least, halfway through, that may feel like the answer–but in reality, we need to look long and hard not at our transgressions but at the ways we’ve allowed our hurt to drive our ego, and at the way we’ve labeled this ‘instinct’, and so slavishly followed some of our most destructive urges. Though these Self-recriminations may be a tad unpleasant, they’ll be a tremendous good; what we gain is a much more accurate perspective, particularly of our own place in things–and better perspective always, always leads to more effective actions (Perfecting today: Mars sq Chiron, Venus contra-parallel Sedna, Sun qnx Uranus, opp Chiron, and parallel Mercury)

Today’s word image is a stamp. This suggests ‘permission’, and having ‘paid what’s due’ in order to reap some benefit or use some ‘service’. Remember, the only permission you really need to go forward is your own.

For those born with the Sun at 23 Virgo: matters of health and well-being are crowding your peripheral vision–and though you can continue to ignore them, handling them now will prevent big issues in future. The entire year, through to your next birthday, you may wrestle and dance with your responsibilities–to yourself, to the group–and you may need to clearly distinguish between those matters it’s adequate just to understand, and those you must act on. It’ll be a year of tension, surprises, and new experiences, and you’ll likely come out the other end quite changed. Good luck, Virgo, and Happy Birthday!

Monument to the hippie era, Tamil Nadu, India 2010 by John Hill Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

The AstroEssence: We may have the urge to rebel against what the group wants, and we’d be right to do so–what they push is unhealthy, at best, and certainly doesn’t support our personal best interests–but we need to tune in to our own highest values, ambitions, and deepest desires, in order to choose, act, and think ‘correctly’ (that is, in a way that supports our strongest feelings and commitments). So the answer isn’t just unthinking rejection of what’s presented; rather we should aim for those things that support us in the most holistic and positive of ways–and when we see what we know is the smart alternative, or the honorable one, we must have the courage to embrace it (Uranus opp Hygeia, Mars sxt Pallas, Venus parallel SN and Zeus, and sq Vesta, Merc sxt Vesta, Sun qnx Pallas)

Today’s word image is an ostrich egg. We might need to identify what has ‘big potential’, and keep the elements of that thing or idea ‘warm’ until it can hatch. That suggests we must both perceive the matter accurately, and be willing to take the needed measures, with an eye to success not now but down the road. Delayed gratification is, for some, the hardest thing to face.

For those born with the Sun at 22 Virgo: you’ve chosen your move, your direction, Virgo, and now you must ask yourself, ‘Is this the smart thing to do, or am I just running/ rebelling from something else?’ If you find yourself thinking of those you will smite, frustrate, or otherwise snub by taking this step, you know you’re on a track being driven by showing others rather than fulfilling yourself. It’s not too late; simply step back and reassess. You know what’s smart for you, and shortly you’ll experience a period of emotional fulfillment that has its roots in the wise choice–and you don’t want to miss that, do you? Good luck, Virgo, and Happy Birthday!

The picture at top shows the effects of the cold and dry winds Circius (from NNW) and Aquilo (from NNE). The picture at the bottom shows Occidens (from the west) is cold and humid, Auster (from the south) is warm and humid. Oriens (from the east) brings snow.
Olaus Magnus – from the “Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus”, book 1 {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: Jupiter in Libra brings the kind of optimism about partnerships and partnering that makes us look to the future with a great deal of hope; in this Air sign we think about where we can expand, get more, learn, explore, or get the word out, and we turn to our relationships, aesthetic matters, cooperative ventures, and investment opportunities to make it happen. Jupiter goes retrograde in early February in the third decan of the sign, prolonging its stay through direction in early June, through escape to Scorpio in October 2017, and Jupiter doesn’t return to Libra for another 12 years–and that means that between now and October of next year, optimism and opportunity is inextricably bound with matters of the natal House where Libra is, as well as with the Arts, our relationships (especially our romantic attachments), and in interaction with those who offer support, cooperation, and conspiratorial mutual benefit. Yes, I said conspiratorial, because the agreements we reach with others during this transit are based on mutual values (Venus), and rely on mutual reward (sign ruler Venus again) to work, and that means we may find a kind of put-our-heads-together attitude that (inadvertently or not) may exclude others.

We may also see, or feel inclined ourselves toward, immersion in the social sphere, where individuals take up the beliefs of the social arena and so regard society at large as a partner. Too, we may see belief in Love, in marriage or mating, in cooperation, in diplomacy, and of the efficacy of religion enjoy a renaissance of sorts during this transit, along with a kind of faith in the strength of duality that promises ‘more’ when we embrace one another (a current Presidential candidate’s slogan, ‘Better Together’, comes to mind). We let go the inclination toward criticism and critique, toward accounting and accountability, and look for the ways we can aid or enrich each other–so not such a bad direction to go.

As to those more fleeting aspects perfecting today, we see a preference for reality and what we can hold in our hands (especially if this is something dear or cherished from the past) over what may feel like too-theoretical values or abstract relationships. Watch, too, for the impulsive thought and the radical idea; though they have immense potential value, they come currently in a form that is too anti-authority, and too likely to spring from past hurts, to truly be useful without serious modification. Just keep sight of what you know to be important to you, in order to make progress (or at the very least, to stay out of trouble!) (Saturn contra-parallel Vesta, Venus qnx SN, Merc qnx Uranus and contra-parallel Ceres and Chiron, Sun sxt Vesta and contra-parallel Venus)

‘Hot Chocolate’ Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta before 1920 {{PD}}

Today’s word image is an idea: chocolate for breakfast. I’m thinking of really good chocolate, and see this image as an invitation to indulge at an unusual time in a refined pleasure. Lately there’s a chance we haven’t really been paying attention to our own best moments incarnate, our own enjoyment of physical existence–this is a reminder to slow down, and savor with gratitude.

For those born with the Sun at 17 Virgo: ambition and desire may be the still, small voice within that pushes you forward this coming year, Virgo, but it will be where and to whom you dedicate your energy, time, and attention that determines your progress. It’s all fine to dream, but the way you spend your time will (quite literally, in some ways) be an investment in building your future. Keep that in mind, and you’ll make good choices that propel you in the direction you want to go. Good luck, Virgo, and Happy Birthday!

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Alfred Stevens ‘The Psyché (My Studio)’ c1871 {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: Matters of identity (either how others see us, or how we see ourselves) work against our empowerment–but that may be because we’ve got a skewed idea concerning what empowerment is made of–and that identity dissonance is pointing out, not a flaw in who we are, but a flaw in our concept of what our reach, our influence, our effectiveness, or our impact on others should be. In working out where and over whom exerting our power and influence ‘fits’ in the scheme of things, we also work out some identity matter that has been distorted in our own minds, something that has prevented us from being as effective as we could be. We also may find that this shift in Self-knowledge requires a reassessment of where and to what we dedicate our time and energy–which of course leads to a refurbishment of our ambitions and goals. A busy day, but one where most of the action likely takes place within our own heads, via our own newly-finessed viewpoint (Vesta sq Zeus, Sun contra-parallel Juno)

‘Portrait of a little girl holding a battledore and shuttlecock’ Artist unknown {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a shuttlecock. We’re all familiar with the feathered and weighted not-a-ball used in sports like badminton. As an image this may suggest something, an attitude, an interest, a responsibility, some intangible matter that is ‘batted’ back and forth among two or more individuals, as each attempts to either avoid responsibility or to ‘score’. Returning something that comes at us quickly is almost instinctual, but in this case we should consider that something passed back and forth, whether the return is reflexive or the objective is not to get ‘stuck’ with it, or to gain ‘points’ off others in some way (chiefly by making them ‘miss’ on the return) it’s probably a matter we should stop fooling with; maybe we should sit down and address this issue that clearly can’t be ignored, won’t go away, and is taking up our time and energy, forcing us to play the game.

For those born with the Sun at 16 Virgo: taking action this year, through to your next birthday, may be difficult, Virgo, unless you get two other things clear first: what your priorities are (including what matters or individuals you want to dedicate your life to), and your best options for personal empowerment and effectiveness, including any role you may take on because it offers the status you (think you) want. Understand your capacity and commitments in those two general areas, and you’ll be able to make better choices and moves, out of a clearer sense of who you are as an individual–everything this year builds from there. Good luck, and Happy Birthday!

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‘Angel of Love’ Eligiusz Niewiadomski c1900 {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: We can’t rely on our instincts (relationships and/ or finances throw off our compass), and though the reality picture is clear, we may be prone to lie to ourselves, or to superimpose an image of what we wish the reality was, so that we may feel we can’t trust our own senses to deliver the complete, unadulterated story–and that’s correct, we can’t. If we can just use the lens of Love (of a purity that asks nothing from others) then we will know what to do, how to face things, and what is really important right now (Venus sesq Sedna, sxt Saturn, and qnx Neptune)

Today’s word image takes a lot of particular forms, but has a broad theme of ‘foreign (as in, from somewhere far away from what’s familiar to you) and unusual’. Take note of these elements in your life right now (for me a Himalayan salt block used for cooking and a spam phone call from Egypt–Egypt!–come to mind from just the past few hours). I think this may be about appreciating how small the world has become, in some ways, and so how much more closely aligned the interests of various pockets of humanity are than we might think–and how long our reach has become, thanks to air travel, global shipping, communications systems, and of course, the internet (not to mention the way more negative things, like environmental pollution, are ‘shared’, whether we like it or not). The point may be to notice how much is part of our lives that, in the past, wouldn’t have been, and to focus on one of these factors, for what it might say about our relationship to the larger world.

Bodegón de naranjas by Rafael Romero Barros 1862 {{PD}}

Or, the word image can be an orange (the fruit, that just happens to be one that grows in only certain climates, and that for many was quite exotic, until only recently), if you need something more image-evocative.

For those born with the Sun at 15 Virgo: it’s time to get your ‘power’ house in order, Virgo; now, through to your next birthday, you’ll be dealing with issues of who and what will exert a force in your life–and depending on your initiative and responses, you will decide how much of your own power you embrace, share, express, and let others see. The one reliable that can guide you through all this is your highest values, those things and people and causes to which you are committed; if you measure your power choices against these values, and make sure what you choose honors what you care about, you’ll do very very well. Good luck, Virgo, and Happy Birthday!

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