‘On the Heights’ – Charles Courtney Curran c1909 {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: Everything smart tells us to retreat to the past, to give up on our ambitions–but how smart can that feedback really be? This is one of those times when all we have to do is keep a fix on our dreams, on the ideal, on healing, and it will be ours–so why the negative, give-it-up tone from our surroundings? There is a certain, contrary pressure that seems to build that manifests right before a big leap forward, or in the time just prior to achieving our dreams; most people succumb to this, believing they’re getting a clear signal that things aren’t working–the rest hold on, and get what they set out to attain. Now that begs the question, how do we tell the difference between a legitimate discouragement meant for our good, and this kind of false assessment? It’s all in understanding one’s own development phase: if you have reached a point where ideas and efforts have been tested and refined, and you receive negative, give-up-now feedback, you are actually at the point of breakthrough. At any other point in development, this would be something to listen to and respect, but at a culmination, a near-end point, it’s not. It’s not necessarily easy to tell the two situations apart, but one thing that seems consistent with the ‘ignore it’ scenario is that you will hear from others, often those who are not successful at all in real terms, that you should give up–and if you look closely at them, you’ll realize they want company in the ‘should’ve, could’ve’ world they occupy–or if the social order is telling you your idea is daft, consider how much they benefit from separating you from your instincts and your connection to the Universe–and it’s the same with many whose feedback is discouraging. As always, assess with care and honesty–and then do what makes sense, in the context of your situation, and their response (Pallas conj SN and sesq Zeus, Jupiter contra-parallel Sedna, Venus parallel Neptune and semi-sq Ceres, Mercury qnx Vesta, Sun sxt Chiron and axis T-square Jupiter)

‘Still Life with Samovar and Chinese Teacup’ Max Schödl 1869 {{PD}}

Today’s word image is, once again, the dregs in a teacup, this time making a smile that also looks like a quarter Moon. My sense was this is a waxing quarter, placing it at 4 February. It may simply be: watch for something positive or good, something that makes you smile, to come forward at this point.

For those born with the Sun at 21 Capricorn: Wounds will heal, and gifts develop, if you’ll only think of yourself for a change; the social order, and authorities empowered through your efforts, may both fight against this, but the reality is that this coming Solar year, through to your next birthday, needs to be a time when you concentrate on You–and that may mean having the courage, wherewithal, and Self-discipline to go it alone. Bonus: be very cautious in communications–don’t believe everything you hear, and don’t tip your own hand. Good luck, Cappy, and Happy Birthday!

‘Lady with a Fan’, Eva Gonzales c1870 {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: We may feel that others, or circumstances, are holding us back–or is it really that we take action and don’t consider the consequences, then act surprised when the reality picture restrains us? We must ask ourselves a question: Are my controls internal or external? Do I only apply the brakes when forced to? Am I too hesitant, not responding unless the world gives me a push? And consider this, as well: if the world seems to be holding you back, in what way are you refusing to respect what is? Conversely, if you’re holding yourself back, what is it about your own capabilities that you don’t trust? At this time we may see some radical behaviors and responses, but don’t take them at face value; what we’re not seeing is the spur behind the act, which can give the action a whole other meaning (Vesta enters Cancer, Saturn conj Juno, Mars sxt Pluto, Sun sq Uranus)

‘The Lamp’ – Mary Cassatt c1891 {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a delicate ladies fan, carved from ivory. Of course, no one carries a fan anymore, and ivory is forbidden, both legally and out of sheer decency. So what does this image suggest? Something quite beautiful that may be ‘out of time’, both a relic and made of a material we no longer find acceptable. It would be wrong in so many ways to create new ones–we can admire the workmanship and the custom of a time gone by, even as we acknowledge it’s just not right for today. Find the thing in your life that both represents defunct behaviors and violates current standards–and get rid of it.

For those born with the Sun at 20 Capricorn: Confronting the group, or your own radical or unusual behavior, is the key to begin your healing–and you won’t gain strength, or the support of others, without dealing with the Uranian element in your life. Don’t worry, you’ve already adequately dealt with the contradictions and conflicts in the ambition and desire picture–you now know what you want, and whether it’s worth pursuing–and once you achieve that healed state you should be aiming for this Solar year, through to your next birthday, opportunities will unfold before you, likely through the Arts or through those who want to see you succeed. Good luck, Cappy, and Happy Birthday!

Have a great Tuesday!

By Julietchristine – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39111834

The AstroEssence: Reconciliation of our feelings about the past is on the agenda, though the impulse may be to look only for the benefits of past exploits and not the emotional damage they entailed. We are also compelled to nail down or constrain anything that draws our attention or that speaks of a difficult future, in a move we see as protective, no doubt. The reality is that if we will face the negative feelings from the past and truly see them for what they are, we will also see that they are no longer ‘ours’–that is, we no longer feel that way, even in relation to the events that sparked them, and so are, in a very real sense, free. Once feelings are dealt with (or, if we just refuse to reconsider them), we can find a certain wisdom in action; kinetics are where it’s at, in terms of connecting to our inner wisdom, to what’s smart, and to what’s practical. Literally getting yourself into motion is the best thing you can do–all the rest will sort itself out from there, though failure to relinquish old emotions (and so old hurts) keeps one from being as thoroughly empowered and effective as one might (Jupiter sxt Juno, Venus parallel SN and sesq Jupiter, Mars parallel Pallas, Sun parallel Saturn and sesq NN)

By Steve Bridger from Bristol, UK – Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=389178

Today’s word image is a home altar. Even if we don’t consciously set one up, some place in our home we can find a ‘gathering’ of items representing what’s important to us–and sometimes there are several. It’s a place attended to daily, where we often add or remove items on a regular basis, where what is there, or what it represents, is a focus of our waking efforts. And if you have one you have deliberately set up in spiritual practice, I’d like you to look for the other ‘altars’ where you live–each place of ritual and respect tells a story about what’s truly important to us, about where we put our faith.

For those born with the Sun at 19 Capricorn: You may be consumed this Solar year, through to your next birthday, with resolving those obstacles that stand between you and ambition and desire fulfillment–but first you may need to get a handle on the feeling nature. Unacknowledged destruction left in your wake after a recent metamorphosis hasn’t yet been addressed–and until it is, and amends made, you may not find it easy to move forward. Dealing with what got trashed, left behind, changed, or otherwise eliminated is required, but once done, the way will be wide open to get one or two of your most potent current ambitions fulfilled. Good luck, Cappy, and Happy Birthday!

By H005 – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8384955

The AstroEssence: Our tiny, narrow, life-on-earth focus will be on the struggle to wring rewards from our ambitions and desires, to fulfill ourselves; we’re trying to get the kind of support and cooperation (Zeus in Libra) we believe will facilitate and bring what we want from ‘the Dream’ (Venus in Pisces). But, simultaneously, our all-perceiving, Cosmic focus will, whether we are conscious of it or not, temper the identity through transformative fire–and this may be an actual experience of breakdown or change, where the individual is ‘destroyed’, left shattered, or undergoes involuntary loss, or, more likely, it will involve an off-stage metamorphosis (that is, something that happens to the Soul, but without our consciousness undergoing a direct experience)–and today is the point where this process, or its results, may be revealed. Expect in some way to see yourself differently, or to learn something fundamental about who you are that you’d never before realized (Venus sesq Zeus, Sun conj Pluto)

From John Tenniel’s illustrations for Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland {{PD}}

Today’s word image is more like a little story, and comes from a series of dreams I’ve had lately, that seem to fit the Sun-Pluto conjunction perfectly. The most coherent of these involved a group of scientists who were convinced the world would end in disaster; their answer was to round up a group of 60 people and genetically manipulate them so that they weren’t just human, they also carried the code for every other living thing, becoming part plant and part animal, and even were made to embody various facets of culture. I distinctly remember more than one person who became part book (literally having body parts made of paper!) and one who carried a space for ‘blue’! One person, a woman, seemed to be very angry about the transformations, stating she just wanted to be pure emotion, but everyone else was happy with what had been done, because they enjoyed what seemed to be a more objective or perhaps just wider sense of the world and what existed in it.

For those born with the Sun at 16 Capricorn: Change is definitely on the horizon, but the news flash is that it will be driven, not by your choices and wishes so much as by accident, surprise, revelation, and emotions, and so will not, in the end, actually be under your control–and that’s the thing you need to accept about all that develops this coming Solar year, through to your next birthday. You may have mentally minimized the role of others or the Universe in making things happen, and now events will conspire to remind you you’re not in charge. A useful lesson, and one that will serve you very well, once you completely acknowledge the truth of it. Good luck, Cappy, and Happy Birthday!

If you haven’t already, please consider supporting the blog through donations and book purchases–thank you!

By Christian Juel Mollback ‘Cactus with Scarlet Blossoms’, Irina, 2014-05-10 22:35, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38413341

The AstroEssence: We are prone to be highly aggressive, maybe most especially when we fear we’ll have our independence taken away by ‘the group’. All we can really do is refuse to deploy the shock troops, and instead take actions and make choices supported by faith, facts, and/ or the larger social order, in service to bringing our ambitions and goals to reality. A ‘stay in your own lane’ day that can have surprising benefits, not the least of which is that by focusing on our own goals we draw the positive attention of those in power, or who can offer aid. Originality brings the cooperation of others and gives us greater reach; watch for the surprising and the unexpected, and be willing to part with your shekels if in some form it affords you wisdom (even if that means you learn where not to invest time, energy, or funds!) (Uranus trine Juno, Mars parallel Jupiter and Zeus, and contra-parallel Sedna and Uranus, and nov Ceres, Venus conj Pallas)

Today’s word image is something I’ve seen three times in the past two days: a car trunk secured with nothing but tape. In the first instance, it was a sparkling Mercedes with what actually appeared to be Scotch tape (that thin clear tape used for wrapping presents) neatly applied on either side of the trunk; I joked about it to my husband, wondering aloud if the hostage knew how easily they could escape, but by the time I saw it the second time . . . let’s just say I started to wonder how much we’re packing around with us that we could oh-so-easily just let go.

For those born with the Sun at 15 Capricorn: Are you actually ready to transform, or are you just happy to know that change is coming, even if it’s difficult, messy, or leaves destruction in its wake? That’s a question you need to answer this coming Solar year, through to your next birthday, because without knowing how you really feel about creating upset in current situations (which will progress anyway, no matter what you believe), you may go into things believing nothing will happen until you’re ready–which is exactly the opposite of what will occur, and precisely what I’m trying to warn you about. So, resolve to BE AWAKE, and to believe what you see; nothing comes at you without plenty of advance notice, though that may be subtle or easily ignored. And don’t let communications stress you–make it a habit to read between the lines, so that you’ll know what to take seriously, and what to blow off. Good luck, Cappy, and Happy Birthday!

An almond tree, blooming beneath a covering of snow. Photo By Àngela Llop – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25355619

The AstroEssence: Years ago my father owned a small almond ranch in the California desert, in a place you’d never guess would make for good farming–and yet the remarkable thing was that, just below the alkaline crust of earth ran a small but powerfully rushing river. Influences today are subtle but, if you tap into them, potent, like that surging water below bare soil; it provided more than enough water, but only when accessed with a pump–otherwise nature didn’t find it easy to puncture that brittle clay crust, and little grew. We may find a strong undercurrent in the reality picture that somehow contradicts our own values–it may feel as if we’re hopelessly old-fashioned, out of step, or naive, unable to tap in to the rush of feeling below the surface–and this may mess with our sense of values, giving us the feeling that it would be smart to review what we dedicate our energies to–and it would. We need to punch through, to access what flows below the surface, to be sure that what we’re committed to indeed matches our priorities and values. What we’re likely to find is that our minds have been on what mattered all along–and once we’ve reviewed things, we can renew our dedication with confidence (Vesta qnx Pallas, Saturn contra-parallel Vesta, Merc sxt Venus)

‘Job Lot Cheap’ by William Michael Harnett 1878 {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a tall stack of newly acquired, ‘to read’ books. According to the website Open Culture, this is “Tsundoku, which literally means reading pile, is written in Japanese as 積ん読. Tsunde oku means to let something pile up and is written 積んでおく.” The Japanese word as it applies to books is a play on the concept of letting anything pile up–as if all piling up in the world were voluntary! Though some treat it as a thing we shouldn’t do, equating it to hoarding, acquiring books to be read in time gives me a great deal of pleasure, and the joy of being able to go choose from that pile when it’s time for a new book is something I celebrate and look forward to. The matter then seems to be: are we sure that what we’ve allowed to accumulate actually has a reason for being, that it serves a purpose? Would we be better off without it, or does its very existence enhance our lives?

For those born with the Sun at 13 Capricorn: You’re heading toward big commitment, and big change–are you ready? You appear primed to act on your feelings this year, but need to be aware that at least some of those emotions are based more in fantasy or idealization of someone or something than they should be. You need to find that balance between impulse and belief, between hurt/ retreat and the real world as it is, and between the urge to go it alone and the need to find a place within the group. If you can sort those topics out during the upcoming Solar year, through to your next birthday, you may find yourself transformed, and with it what surrounds you. Good luck, Cappy, and Happy Birthday!

Not exactly new, but it still feels fresh. ‘Yellow-Red-Blue’ 1925 Wassily Kandinsky {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: Actions and choices are inspired by our own unique viewpoint; there’s no need to stress over being original, modern, or to fear we won’t be in the avant garde–we act with a flourish that is both current in style and accurately reflects the intellect–even radically so. This spurs smart and practical thinking, and boosts confidence, which means we’ll benefit by knowing our own territory and then exercising our Will within it (Mars nov Uranus, Venus parallel Juno and enters Pisces, Mercury sxt Pallas)

Today’s word image is a quiet drink before the fire, marking the end of the holiday season, and the beginning of the New Year. It seems we need to be conscious of what is ending right now; to wrap it up willingly, with style, may be the best way to reconcile ourselves to the fact that time is passing, and we must move on, much as we might wish to linger in the sparkling settings, the dazzling fireworks, and the well wishes that come even from strangers. Acknowledging that one way or another we are required to ‘come back down to earth’ isn’t something to regret, but something to embrace, as it’s only those Capricorn-flavored, nose-to-the-grindstone times that allow us to appreciate so much the celebrations of good fortune, family, and friends. Happy New Year, y’all–

For those born with the Sun at 12 Capricorn: This Solar year, Cappy, it seems you achieve the perfect balance between expansion and contraction, between reaching out, getting more, and pursuing goals with optimism, and carefully maintaining what you’ve already built. It’s not glamorous, but it is a period when your foundations, and by extension your power, can make tremendous gains, and so solidify a growing reputation and the status this conveys. Take care that this is a positive growth in the reputation; also be aware that some people in your sphere will not be happy with your advancement–and it will be necessary for you to decide how to handle feedback meant to slow you down (my suggestion: reject it!) Also, let emotions and intuition lead–big rewards could come from this. Good luck, and Happy Birthday!