Tag Archives: Moon

20 Jan 2010: Opportunity on Tap

20 Wednesday Jan 2010

Posted by in current events in the sky

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

Or is it happiness? We can feel an almost unreasonable joy right now, spilling out of us unbidden, and based in the intellectual (Aquarius) and acceptance/ feeling (Pisces) moves into new signs of the Sun and Jupiter, respectively. Both start out the day at 00 of their signs, putting them semi-sextile each other; and once the Moon leaves her Void in Pisces and enters Aries (10:37 AM PST), we have the symbol of intuitive, nurturing, and feeling energies placing Jupiter at the midpoint of the Moon’s relationship to the Sun, bringing us a moment (or really, about 2 hours) of radiant emotional and social illumination, a brief religious or spiritual ecstasy, an expansion of the mate relationship, or the point of perfect balance that allows us to successfully reach out into the world. A time to plan for, I think.

Then the Moon moves on to sextile Venus, giving us that ‘icing on the cake’ feeling, and after proceeds to a Cardinal T-square with Saturn and Pluto, and we may be wondering where both the hard-core dynamism to act and the sudden feelings of tension and upset are coming from. We may find ourselves emotionally conflicted at being asked to keep a secret, or at being faced with the reality of some less-than-wholesome scenario, or at the surprising need to contain our rage–but if we’re attuned to the flowing, ever-changing nature of the Moon we’ll know that this, too, shall pass, as the Moon moves to quincunx Vesta in the 8 PM hour PST. This requires we pull out of the serious distraction of the T-square in order to adjust the emotional perceptions so that they are in harmony with those things we find sacred, and so that they serve the needs of our home situation, and perhaps those of the sex life. This aspect offers us a chance to ‘take the lead’ (Moon in Aries) in our day and in our lives, a welcome change from recent stresses, and a chance to course-correct without leaving any damage in our wake.

Today’s Link: Here’s a beautifully done site I’ve recently found that concentrates on the asteroids http://ravenesque.me/

And here’s the link to the page for my new magazine, available shortly! http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com/eclipse-in-depth-astrology-for-the-21st-century/

16 Jan 2010: The Flood

16 Saturday Jan 2010

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, ,

 I went out to bring the trash cans back from the street today and it was pouring, and it had been for days. We live on a slight incline, but the ground was finally saturated and standing water ringed the west and south sides of the house. It was a little freaky, seeing grass and pavement shimmering, completely under water. I went back in and later in the afternoon fell asleep. I dreamed of floods, water rising at the high living room window, the neighbor’s dog paddling on, dog bowl and flower pots and garden rakes floating by, and shot through with fear in the dream I wondered, “Where’s the water coming from?” There was so much of it, far more than would gather with anything less than a second Great Flood. As I watched the water I was afraid and the water level rose; when I climbed to the second story and both stopped being afraid and stopped wondering where the water was coming from, the flooding receded, leaving everything dry once again.

The dream made me think about Neptune; I’ve neglected him of late. Right now, aside from the much-discussed conjunction to Chiron and Jupiter, he’s receiving a quincunx from Earth, a sesquiquadrate from Saturn, a square from Sedna, and a semi-sextile from Juno. This offers a scenario where flooding of any kind, physical, emotional, shouldn’t be unexpected, as Earth makes the effect material, Saturn brings in the status quo, Jupiter exaggerates, Chiron exposes the wound (perhaps a natural human one such as the fear of drowning), with it all bringing up the question of personal empowerment, and Sedna comes along and blocks our awareness of the Neptune circumstances altogether.

What does that leave? All the effects of a flood without the awareness of one. Perhaps the thing to do is look around and notice what has all the earmarks of being overwhelming, of engendering fear, of washing away what’s familiar, of drowning us emotionally or psychically, but which we haven’t yet realized is actually a threat.

Did the eclipse change things? It did for me; the new year had been inexplicably chaotic, draining, and even dangerous until the Solar eclipse, which fell in my 12th, sextile my Venus. I can only think it flooded my subconscious with love as the Moon, Sun, and transiting Venus connected. I hope it’s been as kind to you.

Today the Aquarian Moon hits the midpoint of the Ceres/ Juno trine, asking us to balance our own empowerment with appropriate co-operation with authority; then it squares Pallas=emotional questions about what’s wise; trines Zeus=ambitions and willfulness are aided by emotional perceptions; and by early afternoon PST the Moon opposes Mars=expect temper, confrontations, and the exercising of the Will, and this may seem like it’s coming out of nowhere. The evening remains in a holding pattern; however you enter it will set the tone and play out without much alteration. By 2 AM PST on the 17th the Moon quincunxes the South Node, and we’re either recalling the evening and thinking we should’ve known better, or we’re nostalgic for some element of the past.

Today’s Link: Read Twilight on Art and the best artist you’ve probably never heard of http://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/2010/01/arty-farty-friday-francis-picabia.html  And enjoy your Saturday!

15 Jan 2010: Punch Drunk

15 Friday Jan 2010

Posted by in current events in the sky

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

,

We’ve gone down the rabbit hole of the eclipse and come out punch drunk and exhausted, just wishing for a little bit of rest. We’ll get it, in a form, but it will be the kind of lull where we’re all nerved up with nowhere to go. We’re tired: of having to focus, of heart-wrenching disasters near and far, of the effort that doesn’t seem to have a definitive end or payoff. Much of this is due to Mercury as it sits poised to direction and speed, and we can feel it on every nerve.

The answer, at least for today, may be found in the intellect. The Moon enters Aquarius at 9:17 AM PST, and our refuge could be the Higher Mind. It’s a good day for planning, for mulling, and for getting our notes in order; the aspects the Moon enjoys will bring their own trials, and a little mental distance and a stance of ‘if I just think about this, make a list, make a plan all will go well’  can at least get us through, both distracting ourselves from the random shrapnel flying left and right, and getting a modest amount done.

The Moon semi-sextiles Pluto=the emotions and/ or the intuitive perceptions may be challenged with some unpleasant realities or disturbing secrets; don’t take it too seriously, things can be sorted out later when our emotional heart has recovered from the blow. Moon semi-sextile Mercury=words and thoughts seem set in stone; again, those tablets can be sanded down–nothing is unchangeable. Moon trine Saturn=time for that sorting Pluto promised you’d need! Reality calms and helps us get perspective; things aren’t as topsy-turvy as we feared. Moon quincunx Vesta=we’ll be lucky enough to see precisely where we need to adjust the emotional perceptions in order to honor those things we find sacred in life. This offers us an excellent barometer against which we see just how much we may have overreacted to Pluto and Mercury earlier. Put your feet up–time for that cocktail, kids!

Still obsessing about the eclipse? Get more info here http://www.pandoraastrology.com/blog/ And have a great day!

Dark of the Moon Practice, New Moon Expectations

14 Wednesday Oct 2009

Posted by in current events in the sky, Dark of the Moon, Grand Cross/Grand Square, Moon

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , ,

sliver moonDark of the Moon begins late evening of the 14th, Pacific time (approx. 10:30 PM). A passive meditation on relationships (New Moon in Libra) may be in order over the days preceding the Sun/ Moon conjunction. Though a meditation in motion is recommended (this is a practice of being, with the meditation an attitude carried throughout the day) it may not be easy, as the Dark period likely keeps us thinking about relationships almost obsessively; for some, the obsession may concern one’s Art or one’s efforts at diplomacy, judgment, or fairness of issues. Even as we look to other subjects, those interactions that need attention or resolution continue to intrude. Putting attention on these subjects is very appropriate, but don’t pressure yourself to come to some decision or resolution. The period preceding the New Moon is a time for contemplation and passive consideration of what the relationship or issue needs–it’s not a time to leap into action, come to conclusions, or make pronouncements.

The New Moon of the 17th occurs at 24 Libra 58 at 10:31 PM Pacific, and the only aspect within one degree is a Grand Cross created with the Earth and Nodes. This suggests a dynamic start-point, a birth, a decisive energizing that affects the life direction. The Sabian symbol for this degree (courtesy of http://www.cafeastrology.com/sabiansymbols_degreemeanings.html) is “The Sight Of An Autumn Leaf Brings To A Pilgrim The Sudden Revelation Of The Mystery Of Life And Death” The image, too, suggests the importance of the moment in terms of a new understanding that affects the life destiny in major ways. Now, this doesn’t mean we should each expect our own personal lightning bolt–instead we may do better to approach the New Moon with the idea that we cannot know ‘the big moments,’ the turning points in our lives, in all cases, as sometimes they are quiet instants of reflection that quicken the intelligence and open our spiritual eye to some vital truth never before seen. This is what the degree promises: that the faithful seeker (the Pilgrim) will be given the spark of knowledge and comprehension that applies to key life energies, forces, or experiences. Not a bad promise, at all, and likely to be lived out over the time between this New Moon and the next.

It’s of note that the New Moon will occur exactly conjunct Fixed Star Arcturus (24 Libra 22), which long-time readers will know I use as Psyche, per Michael Munkasey’s persuasive suggestion. This may bring the issues Psyche dealt with (love of one she doesn’t completely know, curiousity that wounds the relationship, the jealousy and vindictiveness of other women, the opportunity to listen to the spirit and accomplish ‘impossible’ tasks, the awakening or resurrection to a ‘new,’ more powerful Self) to the forefront, especially for women.

Emotional Bombings: Letterman and NASA

09 Friday Oct 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Chiron, Finger of God, Moon, relationship astrology

≈ 19 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

I think these two events, the announcement of an extortion attempt revolving around talk show host David Letterman’s office affairs with staff members, and the bombing of our satellite Moon seeking evidence of water by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), are in a sense, one and the same, or at least, two reflections of a similar dynamic involving Chiron. Can we call this a ‘hurt to heal’ manifestation of the energies? Maybe, as in Letterman’s case his willingness to speak openly of his involvements took the power away from the extortionist, and though it certainly was hurtful to his new wife, Regina Lasko (but please, she met him while working on the show, over 20 years ago–doesn’t that suggest she knows precisely what kind of environment exists behind the scenes at ‘Late Night’?) it also meant that no one could threaten to ‘out’ Letterman–and for all we know, Lasko may have known about the affairs, and made her own peace with it.

When, on his show, Letterman detailed the threats he’d received, an astute reader asked me if the marriage of Letterman and Lasko hadn’t occurred under some less-than-optimal conditions–and indeed it had. Letterman’s public confession came with a Finger of God formed by transiting energies Mercury and Mars, with apex Chiron–surely an appropriate description of the admission, a kind of ‘Rip the band-aid off quickly’ method of dealing with hurt involving communicating and taking action.

The marriage chart for Lasko and Letterman (19 March 2009 3:00 PM in Choteau, Montana, per Letterman’s own announcement on his show) illustrates that tension may be an ongoing theme, as well as difficulty of the two parties successfully connecting. The Moon (bride) and the Sun (groom) form no aspect at the time of the wedding, but will connect by Solar Arc eventually in sextile–not promising. Juno is also exactly conjunct Chiron, cluing us in to the likely response to a threat of hurt (personal empowerment, taking control of the threat to partnership). The Sun itself is at 29 degrees Pisces, promising unrelenting tension, and Venus (the woman) and Mars (the man) make no contact but will eventually semi-sextile by Solar Arc–again, weak, and add to this Venus in Retrograde–oy! Nothing of a contract or relationship nature should be finalized during Venus’ retreat–we are just too unsteady in identifying our values and what matters to us, if nothing else. And we look at the significators for the Ascendant and Descendant, which also stand-in for bride and groom (designation depends on the personal charts of the individuals, though sometimes it’s obviously related to one or the other), and we see that the Sun and Uranus are past conjunction, perhaps suggesting that the relationship, too, is past its prime contact point (in this case that works out by Solar Arc measurement to have been the conception of son Harry. Sorry, I couldn’t get the chart to reproduce in a readable form–will keep working on it.

Does the wedding chart imply the relationship is doomed? Though I haven’t studied it closely, I think the answer is ‘no,’ as my impression is more along the lines of it being an arrangement–not without genuine feeling, but also missing the compelling spark between two individuals that we typically believe drives marriage today. Perhaps it’s a more practical relationship than we would like to imagine for people who choose to stay together and create a family–romanticism can lead us to over-value sex, magnetism, and one-and-only love while undervaluing companionship and a shared goal (in this case, the raising of their child).

Now what does this have to do with NASA crashing two bodies into the Moon? When it happened, about 4:30 AM 9 October (Pacific coast), the Moon was making a a trine to Chiron. An astute Twitter friend asked me what I thought the bombing signified–and I answered that it was in some way a Collective wound that we must look for the counterpart to in our own lives–but it also may in my opinion signify the kind of insult we’ve been suffering as a Collective for some time, as those who have the power act ‘in our name’ in ways that are pointlessly destructive–am I saying the bombing of the Moon is pointless? I’m not venturing an opinion one way or the other about the validity of the action, since I’m not a scientist privy to the thought process behind this choice–I’m simply saying that, coming right now, this seems to symbolize emotionally destructive actions on a mass scale–an undermining, perhaps, and it’s so interesting that they used a Centaur rocket! I think we meet it best by acknowledging the active Chiron in our own lives–how we may be hurt and hurting others–and the example of David Letterman’s public honesty, no matter what you think of the actions that led to the need for his confession, is a good attitude for us all to take–responsibility, openness, and the courage to own up to who and what we are.

I don’t know what the Moon bombing might stand for, though I was tempted to link it to Obama’s win of the Nobel for Peace. It seems to me a kind of wounding disservice to award someone something before he’s been able to implement so many of his ideas, a way to at once hamstring him (will he be able to send troops where he feels he needs to with the mantel of ‘Peacemaker’ on him?) and to somehow take the glory from the prize–the earning of it, through accomplishment, is where the prestige has always been–and though it was no small feat for an African-American to win the office of President, we need to let him show his stuff–not be in such a hurry to applaud him or condemn him that we don’t listen to his points, support his efforts at reform, and allow him to develop a foreign policy true to what he feels we need–rather than allow this blunting of his reach, by having Europe tell him, ‘You’re the bringer of Peace, now go sit in the corner.” Catch Jude Cowell’s excellent analysis here http://starsoverwashington.blogspot.com/2009/10/obamas-potential-peaciness-to-be.html and here by Dana Gerhardt http://mooncircles.com/blog/2009/10/obamas-peace-prize/

See the latest ‘What You’re Asking’ http://askjulie.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/what-youre-asking-asteroids-and-social-skills/

‘What You’re Asking’: What About Mom? Saturn in Infancy + Flights of Fancy

20 Friday Mar 2009

Posted by in astrology, natal placement

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

What’s the effect of an 8th House Moon on mother’s life?

This is a tough one, simply because the question’s not clear, so we’ll look at it as many ways as possible, keeping in mind that the sign involved. the House(s) the Moon rules, and aspects may modify things considerably. First, if this is the querent’s Moon placed in the 8th, we’re talking about, among other things, this as an indicator of how she or he views her or his own mother; as such, Mom may have appeared to the child as having waters that ran deep; a certain amount of mystery may have surrounded this woman, a feeling that much of what’s important with her may be hidden. She also may have been perceived as either being vital to or as one of the assets of others, or that she relied upon those assets in a way that impressed the child. The mother could have been seen as highly co-operative, darkly temperamental, destructive, secretive, or almost magical in her ability to procure the aid of others, to re-generate resources, or to make something out of nothing. It also describes how the querent sees (for a woman) the idea of being a mother herself, in this case it may feel a bit scary, hard to fathom, mysterious, or that it may take one to the depths of the Soul, or of experience, along the way. If the querent is a man, then this reps his attitude toward those women he sees in a non-sexual light; he may see them as powerful, destructive, vengeful, deep, magnetically attractive–it may in some cases suggest he sees or is aware of the sexual potential in all women–or he may see them as possessions, all of whom belong to someone else! Much depends on his own 8th House and his relationship to Pluto; the more comfortable he is with his own Plutonic urges, the more he will see women in general in a positive light.

If this question actually applies to one’s mother’s chart, then we’re looking at how she saw her own mother, and how she may view the role of mothering in her life; that latter would be the attitude she had toward her children. She may see them as affecting her to the core, destroying or changing her (possibly for the good), bringing rage or other dark emotions to the surface (again, not automatically bad in the least), and perhaps acting as a venue to ‘share’ with others, as a connection to them or as a means of sharing assets. For a few women, the child may quite literally be ‘insurance’ of some kind, while a few others will see the child as themselves re-born, and behave accordingly.

Saturn in infancy

Saturn can have some interesting meanings when associated with infancy and early childhood. Besides the obvious possibility of suppression of the child, or the encouragement of Self-repression, possible under some circumstances, we note that Saturn in the 1st, and particularly if it’s close to the Ascendant, can signify a difficult birth or early health concerns (the latter can be seen with a 2nd or 3rd House Saturn, as well). Saturn configured with the personal planets can suggest delay in development, particularly with Mercury (speech, thought). We have a good example, though, of how this isn’t necessarily something to be worried about, in physicist and stylish trendsetter (that hair! those cardigans!) Albert Einstein (14 March 1879  11:30 AM   Ulm Germany). al-einstein1

Einstein’s Saturn, which rules the 7th and 8th, sits in the 10th in Aries conjunct Pallas and Mercury, trine the South Node and sextile the North. Albert was significantly delayed in speaking, and was thought to be very slow in school, actually flunking math in the early grades. We can see both the origin of the delay, and the later brilliance of thought, in his Saturn situation: conjunct Mercury suggests the slowness to express, but it also implies that things might have been ‘building’ out of sight, and Pallas is wisdom. Involvement with the Nodes says two things: that Mom was involved (see Noel Tyl’s work for some excellent evidence in this direction) and that Saturn and Mercury combined were  funneled quite easily, married to past or unseen knowledge (South Node) and transferred through to the present and his own future development (North Node). Placement in Aries allowed him the ego and single-mindedness to do his work, and the 10th says this was public, both the delay and the brilliance. Ruling the 7th and 8th, Saturn in this case says he presented this work to an audience and received their support–and indeed, once he put his ideas out there he was able to think, teach, and work within the University system, and never had to return to the patent office again.

How rare is natal Chiron retrograde?

It’s not, and so far I’ve seen no difference in the way it expresses between retrograde and direct–but then regular readers here will recall that I’m not big on the retrograde status of a planet, simply because the meaning is found in relation to the other placements. All motion is apparent, from our position on Earth; the body doesn’t actually go backwards, and that’s something I find useful to keep in mind.

Focus on: aspects between Ceres and Jupiter

Here we’ll benefit in understanding by looking at these through the lens of their mythological roles. Ceres is the Mother Goddess, Mother Nature, specifically, probably the most powerful agent of creation and the life force this side of God/ the Universe, while Jupiter is another name for Zeus, who became the supreme god on Mt Olympus (he married his sister and fooled around alot, but that’s another story!) When they aspect each other in the natal chart, we’re looking at the meet-up of two very powerful forces, two entities with an enormous sense of authority and power.  Contact with Ceres often suggests one of two things: that the contacted energy must learn negotiation (this related to Ceres role as negotiator with Pluto for his ‘marriage’ to her daughter) and that one must discern one’s province, one’s appropriate boundaries (this, too, from the question of whether it’s correct for the mother to have negotiated her grown daughter’s future). Jupiter’s authority is that of society and its accumulated knowledge; paired with Ceres this can suggest that one must negotiate one’s place within the social order. Ceres and Jupiter together can also say that nature and what’s natural may be a ‘big deal’ to the individual, that one’s more controlling maternal instincts may be exaggerated, or that one either provides for society (like a farmer) or negotiates for society (like a diplomat). As always, sign and House placement, as well as other contacts, can significantly alter meaning here.

And finally, Flights of Fancy:

Would we be able to live on Neptune? and What are the qualities of a creature living on Saturn?

To the former question I say, alas, no; to the latter, I wonder what kind of creature? Whenever I see questions like this, my first thought is of the much stronger gravity of the two planets, compared to Earth, and how that would literally compress something from our world. So, in tongue-in-cheek answer to what the qualities of a creature living on Saturn might be, I’d say, horizontal.

Have a great weekend! And order my work from Dog and Sunflower Press http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com  see my Juno series over at http://sasstrology.com and visit my relationship blog Been There, Done That http://askjulie.wordpress.com (latest article: ‘For the Ladies: Let ‘Em In’)

States of Being: Moon v. Neptune

12 Thursday Mar 2009

Posted by in astrology, Consciousness Explored, Moon, Neptune

≈ Comments Off on States of Being: Moon v. Neptune

Tags

, , ,

Sometimes we tend to lump all states ‘not conscious’ into one category; after all, if we’re not aware of them, what’s the difference? True, to some extent, and in some situations the concepts are interchangeable, though when we look closely, we notice some potentially big variations between the unconscious (Moon) and subconscious (Neptune).

I like to sort it out by thinking of the subconscious as containing material that’s close to retrieval, that in fact may have been gained consciously, or at least during a conscious state, and then stored, ignored, or ‘forgotten.’ These are things that motivate us, often with the (subconscious) intent of bringing the information or connection to the surface of the mind. Neptune represents this form of information storage; think of a wall shrouded by fog–that wall is plenty real when we run into it! And no less solid just because we can’t see it. If we ‘feel around’ we may find and identify the wall before it becomes a problem. We access it in dreams, reveries, creative and imaginative activities, and in the Collective emotional atmosphere; with the latter element we feel it in the air all around us. It’s the tenor of the times, showing us things about ourselves via a mechanism where our attention is drawn to those external items and incidents that are also part of our own internal state. This is the way we use the idea that ‘We are the Collective, and the Collective is Us.’ clem_earth_moon

With what’s unconscious, we are, for all practical purposes, disassociated from the material. It’s a ‘What, me?’ mindset, one that can be the source of very strong (and basic) motivations, but which carries no obvious connection to the thoughts or the life, at least for the individual; onlookers may see the patterns that spring from unconscious material quite clearly, however. It seems that what we cannot, for whatever reason, cradle consciously within the emotional reality, we must place in that portion of the Moon that contains the unconscious, a psychic version of the physics axiom that energy is never lost, it just changes form. In this case it disappears, but it’s influence is felt, though camouflaged in such a way that we do not recognize ourselves as the source. This information is difficult to access, only because there are usually reasons of Self-protection and need for a sense of psychic or mental/ emotional safety that caused us to place these perceptions where we did in the first place.

We can gain insight into the Moon’s unconscious aspects through the energies it aspects in the natal chart and its placement, through those who perform a Lunar function for us, or for whom we serve this function, in the matters of the House with Cancer on the cusp, and in some functions of the planets and points associated with Cancer in the chart. We might also, in a very subtle way, get a glimpse of this material just by looking below the horizon of the horoscope; this shows us what energies we may be more identified with, or that we may keep as assumptions about ourselves, and in this way they can link to either the subconscious of Neptune or the unconscious of the Moon.

See my new site on relationships and ask your questions at ‘Been There, Done That,’ buy my books in hard copy or as a pdf (with much lower price!) at Dog and Sunflower Press, links for both at right, and join me on Twitter (user name jdem759). Thanks!

And catch my 5 part guest blog on Sasstrology on asteroid Juno, beginning this Friday, the 13th–   http://sasstrology.com

Eclipse, February 2009

07 Saturday Feb 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Chiron, current events in the sky, Earth, eclipse, Moon, Sun, Venus

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

february-lunar-eclipse-2009The second part of the Aquarius/ Leo Eclipse set occurs on February 9th at 6:49 AM at 21 Leo 00 (I want to note an unsatifying amount of confusion I’ve found over just when this occurs, and the exact degree reading, and I suspect the actual eclipse moment is slightly later, but for our purposes, this will do–see comments for more on this–and note that witty reader max calls this ‘The Drunken Eclipse,’ with good symbolic reason, see comments), and brings forward an intriguing pattern: the Moon/ Earth conjunction is semi-sextile Saturn, which makes it quincunx the Sun, notably conjunct Chiron at this time; the Sun/ Chiron conjunction has its own semi-sextile, to Uranus, which of course is quincunx the Moon/ Earth combo. So we have a kind of net drawn across the Eclipse, two anchors in the form of  a pair of what could be characterized as opposites, forces that have recently been in long-term opposition. This may suggest that the Saturn/ Uranus struggle, both personally and society-wide, will lay a gentle web of insistence across the Eclipse energy, each with its own view. Saturn says, I can bring even more stability, and a sense of authority and permanence, to those who vibe to the blending of Earth and Moon, to those who equate emotional sustenance and security with the material; from those who are enveloped in the unity of Sun/ Chiron, Saturn in Virgo requires adjustment and an accounting of the details–‘If you want to feel safe, pin down the identity and put boundaries on the Soul Purpose! (and maybe, just a little, fear that you are a crippled Soul!)’

The Sun/ Chiron combo, quite naturally, implies one of two approaches, for those who will vibe to this side of the equation: at a Soul level, one will feel a fusion of the identity and life Purpose with either the most unique gifts and deepest healing energies the Soul possesses, or one will experience the ultimate individual primal wound, and will, at least for a time, be convinced that the Soul itself is marred, with a resultant difficulty with identity consolidation and expression. This energy, in either form, receives the Saturn quincunx (or threat, as we might think of it), but also reaches out by semi-sextile to Uranus in Pisces, which offers the Sun/ Chiron the awareness of its own uniqueness within the Collective–and for many, this will be all the security they require.

Uranus quincunxes the Moon/ Earth, as well, and makes its own ‘threat’: those who find emotional security in the material, in the physical nurturing and sustenance of all (and this is important to understand, that the Moon/ Earth is not an inferior vibe to the Sun/ Chiron–please don’t make that mistake) may be shaken by rebellion, by the urge to disrupt, by the demands of the group, by a need to innovate, but will find their security in the rules and boundaries and traditions represented by Saturn–and this will be all that they require.

There is also a single, other aspect to the eclipse set, a sesquiquadrate from Venus to the Moon/ Earth. Venus is not necessarily loud or flashy (in fact, she shies away from such display), but she is insistent, and this aspect suggests this quality will come forward, framed by the exclamation, ‘I desire!’ (Venus in Aries) On either side of the Eclipse equation, the desire nature will come forward; the only question is, What form will it take? If our sympathies are seated with Earth/ Moon, it may likely be a longing, an emotionally charged wish, aimed at adjustment of the material situation or circumstance; this isn’t greed, or materiality, it’s a plea for whatever we believe in the physical world will soothe and nurture. If we side with Sun/ Chiron, we will more likely want for the healing of a relationship, or even of the Soul to its own assets (nothing is more tragic than a Soul at war with its own talent).

Other aspects in effect at the time of the Eclipse, and so displaying a possible hand in things, include Venus sextile Jupiter, Juno, and Mars (exaggerating all the effects of the above Venus influence, and throwing in questions of Self-empowerment, for good measure); Mercury sesquiquadrate Ceres, suggesting communications from whatever we regard as ‘authorities’ will likely chafe; Juno and Jupiter conjunct the North Node, perhaps making each of us put too much importance on sorting out our ‘destiny’ at this moment, and thus taking ourselves far too seriously, Vesta creating a T-square with the Nodes, suggesting that a true clash is in the air over what we truly find sacred on the life path, and finally Venus at the Juno/ Pallas midpoint, giving us the idea (perhaps wrongly) that our Venus-influenced decisions are both vital to our empowerment and wise.

NASA Eclipse website: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html

Beth Turnage talks about the eclipse effect through the Houses here: http://www.astrologyexplored.com/the-astrology-of-eclipses-january-26-2009-the-ring-of-fire/

Another view of the eclipses (scroll down for February’s) http://www.astrologycom.com/eclipse.html#lunar

A Mega Installment of ‘What You’re Asking’

31 Wednesday Dec 2008

Posted by in 6th House, aspects and placements, astrology

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, ,

Now, let’s talk a little first about what I have to sort through to put ‘What You’re Asking’ together. I’m not talking about searches using keywords that don’t make an explanatory concept; that’s understandable, and an efficient way to look for connections. No, I’m talking about queries that show unclear thinking, and perhaps an imperfect understanding of what’s being sought. In fact, these show such a lack of clarity (for instance, “Cancer in Leo”–huh?) that I have to skip considering them altogether. I guess what I’m saying is that if one doesn’t have a clear idea of what is being asked for, then one has little hope of finding anything that makes sense–and if one is trying to learn about astrology, nothing beats establishing a firm foundation (such as the difference between planets and signs, what planets rule what signs, what an aspect is) before chasing concepts that are in essence nonsense. Of course, it’s no matter to me if these searches continue–just thought I’d offer a word to the wise. As well, searches such as “When will the Moon be in the 7th House” leave me mystified–do they mean their natal 7th, in which case they should be looking for the dates when the Moon will be in that sign, or is there a misconception that the 7th House in place at that spot in the current moment means something to the individual? Again, a thought that your best results come from knowing precisely what you’re asking for in the first place.

Now, on to what we’re here for! There were lots of queries related to the meaning of particular Moon positions and certain subjects; here are the best of these:

What does the Moon in the 1st say about the mother?

Excellent question, as the symbol for the mother falling in the House of Self as we present to the world naturally suggests she may have a big influence on our personality, and our way of conducting ourselves, especially upon first encountering someone or something, in life. What we tend to see, in the most general terms, is a confusion of mother’s issues with our own; with some maturity, we may begin to ask ourselves, does Mom feel that, or is that what I feel? Emotional closeness to the mother is definitely present; it can be debilitating or even destructive if we are unaware of the influence she has exerted, or if we are enmeshed and are being used, one way or another, to provide emotional sustenance to Mom. We can get a lot of information from the sign this falls in, and as well, we can see how Mom views the 1st House Moon offspring by inspecting that sign in her chart. A 1st House Moon in Pisces, with Pisces on Mom’s 7th, might hint that there is a lack of appropriate emotional boundaries, and that the mother feels it’s quite natural (even a right) to fuse her own emotional state with the child’s. In another instance, a Taurus Moon in the 1st, with Taurus on Mom’s 3rd, could say that the emotional sharing the mother engages in with the child is a form of communication, likely imparting values and material standards (Venus rulership, Taurus). With a 1st House placement I have often seen the child feel they must provide emotional security or ‘happiness’ to the mother, sometimes at cost to their own well-being, though with this manifestation there is no suggestion that the mother asks for this, unless sign and House relationships say otherwise–it is offered by the child, who sees it as appropriate. Aspects will also have some say; for instance, a 1st House Moon in Capricorn square Saturn in the 4th says quite clearly that Dad probably plays a big part in Mom’s emotional life, and also in that of the child, perhaps to the point of being overwhelming, with the square suggesting that the influence might have been repressive in some way for mother and offspring, with the potential to put up barriers between mother and child, for the comfort of the father. In any case, 1st House Moon is sensitive, and often begins life with the emotions showing ‘on the sleeve’; and it usually takes some time for differentiation of the emotional state from the mother’s influence to occur.

Are health professions connected to Moon in the 6th House?

Usually I refuse to draw such simplistic assessments as equating any single placement with a particular talent or professional area, but 6th House placements in relation to the health professions are the exception that proves the rule. Consistently I’ve noted 6th House placements tieing the individual to the helping professions in some form; with the Moon, obvious manifestations are nursing, caregiving, dietician, therapist, social worker, and less obvious (and, as with everything, relying on other supportive indicators) such as psychic, manufacturer or preparer of dairy products or dairy farmer, addiction counselor, child advocate (such as those who represent children in the courts), or stylist (the quick changes of the Moon suggesting an ability, when in the 6th, to read and respond to everyday trends).

With other energies in the 6th, we can also look for the ways these connect to health and helping professions, and consistently we will find some kind of link. Uranus, for example, might suggest one who helps/ guides with the intellect, aids by or using technological or social innovation, or who works with the healing or function of the nervous system and brain; the Sun might be a heart specialist, symbolic or otherwise. So, yes, I do see a connection between Moon in the 6th and health, healing, and helping professions, but the forms this can take are numberless, and the essence of the helping individual, a caring attitude, can literally fit any profession existing.

 And, with the 6th House still in mind, we see another query: What indicates ability to heal others after a near death experience?

This, of course, would be a very specifically individual signature, largely shown by particular natal placements triggered by Solar Arc or tertiary progression, or possibly secondary progression–and again, there’s no special placement that shows this potential, but I have described the ability to heal in the chart of one who could (Ellen Yoakum) and in one who portrayed this in the movies (Ellen Burstyn), both of whom have 6th House Moon https://juliedemboski.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/natal-moon-in-the-6th-house/

One thing I would say about healing ability and a near death experience: a near death experience does not change who we are, it changes how we see things, our viewpoint, our perspective–so potentials were there all along, or not at all, one is not suddenly endowed with special abilities or powers because of an event. There is also the danger in just that, in seeing an ability, any ability, as special–not only is this inaccurate, it promotes a doctrine of ‘betterness’ and a mentality of separation, neither of which is present in a true healer.

I had a number of searches that centered on music, such as What indicates musical talent in astrology?

With any talent or ability, we must understand that expression of potentials occurs because of an auspicious confluence of interest, opportunity, ability, persistence, all of which may or may not converge with a ‘right place, right time’ that allows one to concentrate on and develop the talent even further. So, talents are often best delineated from their life expression back to the chart, as many potentials that exist in the chart may never see the light of day. That said, traditionally Neptune is associated with music, so we would perhaps start our search, in a very general way, there. We might also look to Neptune in contact with Saturn (giving form, and perhaps showing performance or recording), Venus (beauty), and Mercury (writing), a connection to the Sun (suggesting Neptune as part of the Soul plan), and connections to the 7th House might be appropriate, for featuring the audience and connecting the Neptune to a public or open forum/ expression. And of course, there are all the other sensibilities that might come into play, such as Pluto with ‘Death Metal’ and Chiron with the torch song genre.

And someone searched simply Opera Voices + astrology, and for this we would likely look for big, dramatic expression, and a classic connection to Taurus (voice) would be in order. See a consummate professional’s chart and assessment here https://juliedemboski.wordpress.com/she-finds-her-voice/

Have a wonderful and safe New Year celebration–see you next year!

Monday Poll Round-Up, the Internal Struggle ‘to Know,’ and the Scorpio Moon: Lookin’ for Love

24 Monday Nov 2008

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, Moon

≈ Comments Off on Monday Poll Round-Up, the Internal Struggle ‘to Know,’ and the Scorpio Moon: Lookin’ for Love

Tags

, ,

Happy Monday, and welcome to the weekly poll round-up, where we shake out the poll numbers in an effort to see trends in thought and feeling. I was heartened this week by the high number of positive responses in each of the polls, especially those that evinced a healing and contribution-oriented attitude. The more of us who approach daily life with a consciousness of the interconnectedness of all things, and the willingness to add in positive ways to the Collective energy and experience, the more likely we are to sway things in a positive direction on a planetary scale.

Sound a little high falutin’? I think not, considering that roughly 17-20% in each survey chose an answer that reflects some fear or a distrust of the Universe. There are many many reasons this may be so, and I’m in no position to judge those reasons. What I do know, however, is that the Collective positivity that is in evidence will influence those who are momentarily caught in doubt and fear, and can bouy them in ways they’re hardly conscious of.

I also thought it was tremendously positive that so many showed an awareness of the need to take action, whether it was to make fundamental changes (25%) or to make clearer contact with the internal (a full 47%). Now, I always assume that I’m having experiences at least in part to draw my attention to something that may be brewing within the greater sphere, and these results, plus some recent experiences with individuals, have emphasized that there is a small contingent who are wrestling internally with change and the inevitability of it. They want to grow, they are aware that life is calling them to, and yet they are having great difficulty giving up the idea that they already know–what’s best, the way things ‘should’ be, who they are in the now, and though this drives them to seek guidance and situations that challenge them to grow, they also reject outright the feedback they’re receiving–because they cannot acknowledge that the ‘old’ knowledge that seemed to work so well for them before is no longer valid. I see this as a manifestation of Pluto in the final degree of Sagittarius; those who prosper are those who see that change is coming, and who surrender to a fresh input of information, that gives them the knowledge to go forward, successfully in charge of change within their own lives. This applies to everyone, myself included; for some, the hardest thing will be to give up the outdated idea of who or what they are.

And finally, the Moon enters Scorpio this morning, and we’re, yes, lookin’ for Love, and, you betcha, it’ll be in all the wrong places with this Moon that will dig a little too much, stirring something deep in the Scorpio cave; and by Love I mean any nurture or enrichment or comfort that brings security. How do we combat this tendency to turn over all the wrong rocks, to kiss all the wrong frogs? With a serious, even passionate, need for emotional honesty. Embracing our own emotional depths, accepting even the less shiny or flattering impulses we have, and as well forgiving those in others (even though we may be perfectly justified in holding trespassers at arm’s length!) is the way to deal with this Moon’s squares to the Nodal axis, Chiron, and Neptune. A commitment to emotional honesty also keeps at bay the possible hurt, delusion, and misdirection along the life path that comes to those who insist they couldn’t possess a darker side. An opposition to Vesta only challenges us, again, to be scrupulously truthful, specifically by putting that which is sacred before us and daring us to live up to what we say are our standards. Choose with care, and the Scorpio Moon’s trine to Uranus (the 25th at approx. 9 PM PST) will show how well we’ve handled this, and could bring forward a depth of satisfaction we didn’t really anticipate.

And whatever you do, have a great Monday!