NASA {{PD}}

Recently a reader asked if my descriptions each day are channeled, simply intuitive guesses as to what may come. I can answer definitively, No, they are based on a reading of the aspects perfecting that day that centers on how those aspects might interact. They are purely and completely based on astrology–though word images are drawn from inspirations, or factors that have repeated in quick succession around me. So now you know.

The 21st is a lively day; we may feel caught at a point of convergence, with cross-currents pulling us in every direction. The social sphere seems to want to drag us back into the worst of the past, while resource restrictions and friendship limits are readily apparent at every turn. It doesn’t help that our sense of vulnerability and our wounds seem directly plugged in to the power scenario; though we have clear guidelines in a firm sense of values and priorities, it may be difficult to gain strength from them when every little encounter, interaction, or exchange seems to question, undermine, or criticize our efforts and intentions.

Take a deep breath; it’s all a trick of the perceptions. With Mars moving into Gemini, and the Sun parallel Mercury and trine the North Node, one way or another, we may find we’re ‘living in our heads’. The hamster wheel of thought could plague us, or it could be more a case of being unable to move, caught in a loop of overthinking or merely pondering without connecting it to action. Mercury’s still retrograde, after all, so take this as a perfect time to consider, contemplate, reassess, and plan for the future, avoiding any pressure to act, react, or decide.

Today’s word image is a single planet. What struck me about this image is the fact that planets and other bodies are caught by gravity within a system–no planet floats alone through the galaxy. Their tethers are the various pulls exerted by other bodies in their system and the star around which all revolve. This may speak of our own personal sense of isolation or feeling solitary, and may remind us that it’s not the nature of things that we should go it alone. Look around, see who else is ‘in your orbit’, moving in a shared ‘system’, affected by the same pulls and larger influences as you.

On the 22nd we may feel an abrupt pull-back of energy, embodied in confusion of thought and empowerment hampered by a lack of connection to instinct. Again, make few or no demands on yourself at this time–save your strength for what’s to come.

Apparently there is a Bacon Hill Substation along the Northeast Railroad Corridor near Baltimore, Maryland. Library of Congress, {{PD}} within the US.

Today’s word image is a ridiculously odd phrase, ‘Railroad Bacon’. It appeared as a rebus, a set of pictures that create a word or phrase. I hesitated to use this but felt sure that someone else will see a specific meaning, or that for some individual, this will have a very particular application. My thought? Something about energy, movement, and fat and protein consumption. We ‘lose steam’ when we don’t have the proper fuel, and in some circles it’s fashionable to eschew fat (a concentrated source of energy, and the ‘lubricant’ precursor for nerves and synapses) and to limit protein (vital for muscle-building). Are you running low?

Today’s (the 23rd’s) T-square of Mars to the Nodal axis coincides with the Mars sesquiquadrate to Jupiter–but we all know there are no coincidences, right? We may act on what we’ve recently contemplated, and do so prematurely, or we could find ourselves springing into action almost before we can form the intention or thought to do so. And the motivations behind such impulsive moves? These have two main sources: restrictions felt to our power, authority, or reach, and the social sphere as we feel pressure to support a mutual agenda. Awareness that what we do now builds the future, as well as the understanding that choices forged in stress are likely to be weak or poorly thought through, must inform what and why we do what we do at this time.

Today’s word image is a squirrel water-skiing. We’ve all seen those pictures of little rodents wearing a tiny life vest, balancing on tiny water-skis, and holding tight to the most miniature of handles attached to a delicate ski rope. This is clearly not a natural behavior of vacationing squirrels–so maybe we should ask ourselves what it is we are ‘dressing up’ unnaturally, perhaps seeing it as more cooperative, amusing, or in sync with us than it really is?

On the 24th real-world circumstances challenge our stated values–the issue may be either a need to modify our ideas of what’s important, or it may be that we must live up to what we’ve been claiming as our standards and ideals. In either case, there are a few things we should know: do everything you can to keep actions and choices from being destructive; don’t let thoughts and thinking be co-opted by the past; and be willing to acknowledge what isn’t working within the values and priorities picture, adjusting so that values harmonize with what actually is (caution: this may require surprising restraint or a willing acceptance of boundaries).

Today’s word image is a suddenly-acquired taste for something you never liked before. Has this ever happened to you? Is it a sign of evolving appetites, changing standards, or does it suggest you never before tried (or were able to appreciate) this thing in just this way? Are you irritated over the dent this puts in your Self-image, or do you welcome the change in your definition of who you are?

The 25th we have a heck of a time seeing what’s healthy and what’s not, especially in terms of our actions and choices meant to empower us or to fulfill ambitions. Ideals, dreams, and the existing power structure may cloud issues, and this applies to all forms of ‘health’: mental, emotional, physical, spiritual. Assess with as much care as possible, and know this: only action, or making a choice, will break the impasse, though there are no guarantees on the results.

Pamela Coleman Smith – a 1909 card scanned by Holly Voley (http://home.comcast.net/~vilex/) for the public domain, and retrieved from http://www.sacred-texts.com/tarot {{PD-US}}

Today’s word image is the Fool card of the Tarot. Is the Fool the essence of innocence or obliviousness, in your view? If he steps over the edge of the cliff (as he’s shown in Rider-Waite based decks) do you imagine him plunging to his demise, or flying, or perhaps magically finding some stepping stone appearing beneath his feet? Are you annoyed by this kind of behavior, feeling it’s not fair that others must look out for this kind of person, or are you the one who expresses a kind of indifference to reality? Do you worry about the fate of the little dog? How does your reaction to this card of the Major Arcana describe you, and are these traits that you are proud of, or wish to change?

The 26th we receive a mandate in concert with the New Moon: put your attention on healing (Sun novile Chiron). With the New Moon falling in Taurus, the suggestion may be to approach the need to heal via material comforts or those things that provide security. The New Moon is almost on its own, making only a quincunx to Black Moon Lilith, and a loose semi-square with a Venus under crisis at 29 degrees of Pisces. The implication is that what’s born here requires adjustment to (and perhaps acknowledgment of) what we’ve been ignoring or denying, or perhaps that we admit what enrages us is more about us and our (possibly ignored or buried) emotions than about the topic. This also implies that a crisis state with relationships, finances, or values (and specifically with our ideals and illusions surrounding these) finds an answer via a new ‘shape’ or form to the way we see those connections, dependencies, or how we are assessing their worth. In seeking to heal we tackle some issue previously set aside, with the NM energy offering a potential path, like as not produced by a problem or crisis in a Venus-ruled area.

‘The Water of Life Discourse between Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well’ by Angelika Kauffmann 18th century {{PD}}

The Sabian for the New Moon is, ‘The Woman Of Samaria At The Ancestral Well’. The symbol doesn’t mention Jesus, but the woman of Samaria at the well is inextricably linked with him. There are a variety of interpretations of the story, but what strikes me about this as a symbol is the way, as we would say around my house, Jesus insisted upon himself–that is, explained who he was, the spiritual meaning of his request for water, and so on. Despite the cultural and religion-based explanations for why the conversation went as it did and what it meant, I still found the ‘saying, not doing’ aspect of the story the most jarring. A Being of that status engaging in a round-about argument with a woman from a tribe mutually hostile to his own, and his big ‘wow’ is telling her she has had 5 husbands, and so should believe him? I’m a believer in living as an example of what you believe, of persuading by doing, showing, rather than just saying, or taking a stance that is essentially, ‘Believe what I say, no matter the lack of supporting evidence.’ Jesus was asking this woman to take his word for it, that he was indeed the Messiah, on the strength of a party trick. Though faith is, by definition, belief in what hasn’t been seen or proven, we must make the leap to conclude that she was moved spiritually, in a way the story doesn’t really define or even mention. The application of this to the New Moon in Taurus? Believe what you can hold in your hand, in material securities and comfort, in Love, in the assets you have right now, in those things that offer tactile reassurance of your place, your support, your well-being, and make these truly your own by being willing to deal with what’s been denied, until now, by dealing with what is–and then have faith from there, in what moves you, not simply from what someone claims or has told you. It’s the only way to find your footing in such an unsure world.

On the 27th we have a single aspect perfecting, a sesquiquadrate between Mars and Pluto, and this is likely to dominate the landscape. We’ll see the Will, the Ego, the impulsive action urge of ourselves or others explode on the scene, as the individual seeks to take control, to lead, to destroy, or to transform what’s before them. Patience, caution, and a little objectivity employed may mean we miss an opportunity or two, but also don’t bring the house crashing down around us.

Today’s word image is the line between good and evil. Is this an individually-determined thing, subject to one’s own moral assessment, or would you say there are absolutes involved? Do you believe these two exist as actual forces in the Universe, independent of human judgment, or do you think they’re man-made concepts, reliant on cultural justifications to determine what is good, and what is evil?

Have a lovely week, and please consider a small donation or book purchase in support of the blog, if you’re so inclined 🙂