Venusian “arachnoid” Trotula Corona
NASA. Cropped and converted from GIF to PNG by Jeff Q {{PD}}

The 28th Venus is highlighted, as she squares Pallas, conjoins Vesta, and contra-parallels Pluto. Massive, possibly permanent but certainly serious change begins, or we see precursors appear, or change is possibly just threatened; but in any case, affected relationships and/ or sources of income will never be the same–or at least, we won’t think about them in the same way (Venus in Gemini). We may do some ultra-somber contemplating of what’s truly important to us, and to what and whom we’d like to dedicate our life energies–and the only problem is, we may not honor what’s practical or wise in the process, and so miss an important component of the equation. Luckily, we do have an avenue to wisdom-access: we go through Nature, or through those areas where we hold authority in our own lives–it’s this connection to unseen but felt power that will guide us well.

‘Kiwi fruits’ André Karwath aka Aka Own work CC BY-SA 2.5

Today’s word image is an uncut kiwi fruit. Who would think to eat this, with its strange skin like some hirsute link between beast and plant? Look for something in your life that on the surface you might pass by as unappealing–give it a second look, and open up its possibilities, to experience something new, unusual, and startlingly beautiful in pattern and brightness.

May 29th we may lack the sense of irony necessary to see how truly odd it is that we are seeking empowerment through the very things that anger us, or that we resolutely ignore or deny connection to or interest in. Healing, which includes catching on to the inappropriate form or means of empowerment we’re seeking, involves bucking Nature or turning away from the advice of authorities or those in charge–which, especially if we are types who are sensitive to ‘the Other’, may not be so easy to do (Juno conjoined Black Moon Lilith, Chiron contra-parallel Ceres)

Anne Vallayer-Coster – ‘A still life of mackerel, glassware, a loaf of bread and lemons on a table with a white cloth’ 1787 {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a pristine white cloth, beautifully rendered in an old painting. The care with which detail is conveyed in some Art is amazing, sometimes to the point where it overpowers the message or subject of the picture. What detail is drawing undue attention, and so taking your mind and heart off the real issue?

On the 30th issues of what’s smart or practical may challenge our priorities, and certainly, our thoughts on how to achieve need tailoring, specifically in terms of how we can both meet our goals and retain power over them. There is a basic push-pull dynamic underlying almost everything today that could lend a sense of disorientation; we may see everything in ‘either/ or’ terms, or male/ female, or active/ passive, Will vs. reward, or beauty vs. action–but what we need to remember is that the world doesn’t actually break down into such a neat dichotomy, with each ‘side’ sharing many commonalities with its apparent opponent. Find those mutual points, and you’ll have your way to smooth out difficulties and honor both what you are devoted to, and what is truly wise (Vesta sq Pallas, Venus contra-parallel Mars, Merc qnx Zeus and trine Pluto)

Today’s word image is a child’s ride-in fire engine with the pedals completely rusted out. What thing used to bring you carefree delight, that allowed you to exercise your imagination, that maybe even offered a sense of psychic ‘rescue’, that just doesn’t ‘work’ anymore? Joy is easily lost when we start to take ourselves and our goals too seriously–take time out to do something others might consider childish, but that you know will reconnect you to a sense of play.

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Sweeper by Banksy, Chalk Farm Road, London. Photo by Dan Brady from Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

Saturday the 14th we may find those things we find sacred in life, that we honor, bedeviled by every little thing we’ve shoved under the rug, ignored, are in denial about, or see as an injustice we are helpless to remedy–and by extension, these inconvenient realities seep into our relationship interactions, and even into our financial ventures. It seems the very agenda we’ve assiduously avoided is thrust upon us through our relationships–and it hurts. Come clean, if possible; approaching everything with a conscious intent to heal (or at least not harm) within our encounters will help us handle just about everything that may come up (Vesta quincunx Black Moon Lilith and parallel Venus, Sun sextile Chiron)

Today’s word image is this:

Are you having a genuinely moving and profound experience, or making a big deal out of nothing? That’s the question to ask ourselves today. And don’t be too quick to answer; when we want to see ourselves as one thing (spiritual! sensitive!) or another (cool and casual, blasé) we may be inclined to filter our answer through our desired Self-image, rather than pause to give an honest report.

We may believe everything will be nothing but ponies. ‘Two ponies on Winter Hill, Bolton, UK’ 2013 Photo by OZMON CC BY-SA 3.0

On Sunday the 15th we may believe everyone needs to hear our advice and that what’s ahead will be nothing but ponies and ice cream, or we may become unreasonably angry when someone points out that what we’re doing isn’t very smart; their contention is we’re squandering our future. We, and everyone else, are going on instincts, displaying all our ‘blind spots’, and unlikely to have any clear idea of ‘what is’; without even realizing it we’re decking things out in our own personal druthers and biases. Take the day off, if possible, tread lightly with others, and understand that our ‘vision’ is heavily distorted today–so don’t make any aesthetic choices that can’t easily be undone (don’t spur-of-the-moment put down a non-refundable deposit on a new car or castle, and don’t sign up for tattoos or plastic surgery!) (Mars square Pallas, Venus trine the NN, Sun conjoined Sedna)

This streaking effect is created by taking the photograph with a very long exposure time and capturing the observed movement of stars as the earth rotates. 29 July 2013, 17:01:27
Source http://www.eso.org/public/images/wesson-5220/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Today’s word image is stepping outside at night, looking up, and becoming aware of the movement of the planet beneath you and the stars above you.

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http://www.pdpics.com/photo/38-gautam-buddha-sculpture/ Thanks, Rudy!

Saturday there is an aura of contrary feeling floating around just about everything; we want to alter what we’ve just concluded is wise, destroy what’s practical, flip the social order and point to its underbelly of injustices and hidden-in-plain-sight secrets, and we find dealing with either Love or Money somehow hurtful, as current events scrape at old scar tissue. The worst part may be that we are well aware we may not be acting in our own best interests. Help! How do we handle this? A couple of quotes from Buddha may help: “Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes.” Here the instruction is hidden within an admonition to know oneself; how else but through Self-knowledge will we be able to discern “what must be done”? That removes the arbitrary, the impulsive, and the fickle, leaving us only with necessity and the imperative.

Something else must be considered, though: “The world is afflicted by death and decay. But the wise do not grieve, having realized the nature of the world.” A great part of dealing successfully with today’s influences is seated in knowing, recognizing, and actually embracing the impermanence of things. We are much less confused, angered, avaricious, or frightened when we keep this idea at the center of all perceptions. Thanks, Gautama Buddha! Your advice makes today much easier (Pluto semi-sq Pallas, Jupiter contra-parallel Black Moon Lilith, Venus semi-sq Chiron, Sun trine Pluto)

Dragonfly (etching for Le Fleuve by Charles Cros) Édouard Manet 1873 {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a dragonfly. Watch for their presence signalling synchronicities, a moment of knowledge or hyper-alertness that offers insights to current realities, and a spark of inspiration, that just hovers in, and may speed away, if we don’t take notes.

Sunday the 8th the mind, ideas, mental perceptions are all in harmony with our life direction–but just what does that mean when Mercury is retrograde and our mental faculties are less than sharp? If we don’t think, but instead take a receptive approach, allowing thoughts and ideas to spring fully formed into the mind (brought there on currents of feeling or intuition), then we may make some remarkably good plans, have some productive ideas, and communicate with precision and true understanding, and all of it will shape the direction we’re headed. Just remember, the keyword there is, ‘may’ (Merc trine NN)

Released by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art http://www.lacma.org {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a blue handbag. A purse (and we’re including man-purses, here!) is something within which we carry what we think we may need, out in the world. Sometimes in trying to be prepared for the unforseen we pack in far more than we need, and we can later regret the weight of it all. Too, we can have a tendency to put things in repeatedly while never bothering to look and see what’s already in there, to clean things out. The color blue implies we might keep sad things there, close to us, or that we carry things to soothe ourselves and others. Today consider what it is that you carry with you each time you go out in public; ask yourself why, assess whether what you find is truly needed, be willing to look in the dark depths and unused corners, and thereby lighten your load

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Mary Cassatt ‘Lilacs in a Window’ 1880 {{PD}}

Let’s just call this a very good day, with chances to expand our world, opportunities to express our most unique characteristics, and new and original ways to gain. There are only two sticky spots: the potential for our own egos to wreak havoc in finances or relationships, and aesthetic difficulties (largely surrounding our ability to perceive beauty or worth) in creative endeavors; we are, just temporarily, ‘taste blind’. As always, go with your strengths (likely best enjoyed in matters of the Houses in the natal chart ruled by Jupiter and Uranus), and consider leaving the idea of making your Will felt in relationships or money matters, as well as expressing through aesthetic choices, for another time. (Jupiter parallel Uranus, and Venus parallel both of them, Venus sesq Mars and contra-parallel Neptune)

Today’s word image is a branch of lilac in full bloom, lying in the street gutter. Is there something wonderful, at its natural peak, in complete ‘flower’, that we’re not treating as well as we should? This could even be something about ourselves that we are disdainful of, that if we would just ‘pick it up’ (have respect for it, in some sense) could be quite beautiful.