Tag Archives: Neptune

Bits & Pieces Mid-September 2021

15 Wednesday Sep 2021

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Fruit Bowl With Melons By Mauro David

Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 1999

One thing I’d like to say about Eris: Quit blaming her for strife! She doesn’t bring it, she makes space for it–a huge difference. She connects with another energy by transit; if it’s by soft aspect (sextile, trine) she says, ‘You know, I think you need to let that tension out’ and if it’s by hard aspect (square, opposition, with the conjunction going either way), she prods, dares, irritates, or forces, and the underlying tension appears and is expressed. Since an atmosphere of strife is simply two or more conflicting intentions going at one another, Eris can’t be directly blamed, though the sign she’s transiting at any one time can suggest the attitude that spurs what comes next. For example, in Aries (as she is right now) it might be egos that rise up, while in Gemini it’s words, and in Capricorn it might be attempts to stop others, but when in Scorpio wanting to get vengeance, destroy, or reform might be the match to the fuel. Eris is a catalyst; best to see her as making the upset possible, rather than creating it, and don’t forget that oftentimes such expression is for the good, releasing things that no one needs to carry around.

Neptune’s opposed Hygeia right now (only two minutes off exact), suggesting that health matters might be very difficult to assess–and that it may be a ‘do or die’ moment when living our healthy ideals might be vitally important.

Venus will be square Saturn now through late on the 17th PDT, telling us that relationships and/ or finances might look more limited, unloving, restricted, or even ‘dead’ than they actually are. Venus is in Scorpio, prompting her to dig dig dig and it’s just not the thing to do, right now. Saturn says, ‘Let some time pass.’ It’s an unspoken request for emotional lockdown, an attempt to organize by slowing things down–understandable, a kind of restraint that loving (and demanding) Venus needs to practice, in order not to tear it all down.

Add to the above that Mars has just moved into Libra and will soon trine the North Node. Yes, Libra is one of the signs (Taurus the other) where Mars is in detriment–but that only means that the style of the sign doesn’t come naturally to expression of the planet, and that’s okay. Mars can adapt, but right now, before he gets used to being here, he may push too hard in relationships, which would back up Venus’ current inclinations but run them both into a Saturnian brick wall. So, let that make for a double warning: take it easy with others, especially those close to us; ask, but only if you must–best practice is to be gentle, hang back a bit, and absolutely don’t demand–Eris is square Pluto and Earth will perfect semi-sextile tomorrow (which means the Sun will perfect quincunx), and that suggests that pushing too hard could burn it down, have actual material consequences, and perhaps alter our own Self-image if we indulge in such behavior, forever after (and retro Jupiter is in the mix at the same degree, sprinkling the glitter of exaggeration and overdoing–and you know how hard it is to clean that up!!)

Neptune’s also quincunx Zeus right now, suggesting that any ways in which we’ve been fooling ourselves about the ambition and desire picture are currently causing a nagging feeling of upset or doubt, or are playing out through bewildering responses to our efforts. Just know that this is meant to alert you to a need to come clean and stop pretending: refocus on ideals and the essence (rather than the trappings) of the dream itself. And, Chiron sextile Ceres says we have the chance to heal and/ or use the unique skills if we’ll accept personal responsibility–do it now, before a hard aspect forces consequences of not taking responsibility.

If you haven’t seen it, you might want to take a gander at my thoughts on Jupiter and the natal mission it describes here–

Thank you, everyone, and have a great week!

This Week

07 Sunday Mar 2021

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Neptune, Weekly Astrology

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We focus a bit on Neptune this week, over at Fragrantica ‘Triumph of Neptune’ By Bon Boullogne 1699 {{PD}}

I’ve been featured over at my friend, astrologer Zoran Cerar’s site, Fragrantica, in his weekly. Check it out if you’d like!

Be aware, the Sun will conjoin Neptune in just three days, and Venus and the Moon won’t be far behind, with the planet of assets and relationships making conjunction on the 13th. Proceed with ideals front and center, remain cognizant of the possibility of deception (including misleading yourself), and if at all possible, plunge forward with ‘the Dream’, because this is prime time for both seeing it clearly (what a contradiction, with Neptune involved!) and for seeing how to make it pay off.

Have a lovely Sunday, and a great week!

What’s Your Unicorn? Finding Energy Wasters in the Chart and the Life

18 Wednesday Jul 2018

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, astrology, Astrology of Careers Vocations and Callings, Consciousness Explored, Dreams

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Moretto da Brescia – ‘St. Justina, Venerated by a Patron’ c1530 {{PD}}

This is an ECLIPSE re-print, slightly modified and edited.

Everybody has one: a vision, idea, or image that we hold as a shining ideal–but that’s not a unicorn. We may have goals or desires that are treated as a holy grail, perfect, revered, and not immediately (or possibly ever) attainable, but those aren’t unicorns, either. Unicorn status isn’t for those things we can work toward and achieve; we reserve this fantastical designation for those things that we are more invested in idealizing and identifying through than actually attaining. What’s distinctive about a unicorn is the way in which we don’t, in any significant sense, try to make this ideal a reality, and yet we may spend a great deal of time talking and thinking about it, fantasizing about it, and letting others know that we have a personal connection to it, and so using it as a personal identifier. We may tell everyone that we hope to catch our unicorn one day–but what makes it a unicorn is the way we make sure we will never make significant steps to capture it and ‘make it real’.

Luca Longhi {{PD}}

It’s one thing, too, if we are pursuing our unicorn, even if we have no intention of catching it; at least we are in motion, in real life, putting out energy that may bring us all kind of surprising results, and even rewards–but just the fact that we would pursue it brings it too much into the practical world to continue its classification as the mythical creature. A true personal unicorn is an idea or goal or ideal we feel almost breathlessly close to, that we feel speaks of who we are at the deepest level–and yet, we have no intention of testing this notion of fit, no intention at all of doing anything that would draw us one whit closer to its presence or achievement in real life. Our Unicorn typically gives us a big chunk of a potential identity, a chunk that reflects what we would or could be, under other circumstances, even in another life–but we are still presenting ourselves, speaking of, and claiming the unicorn goal as if it were a current, living one that is just out of reach.

The problem with this isn’t that we have a dream, but that we may be dishonest in the way we are trying to live within it without actualizing it. That means that we are fooling ourselves into devoting a great deal of mental time, energy, and even spiritual energy (like hope) to something we never intend to have as a part of our lives; and what’s more, much of the energy is spent in trying to ‘sell’ this image to others–and so we waste a goodly amount of time and development potential in the process.

Typically the dream denied that spurs the unicorn is one we cannot accept into our life, for one reason or another. If we believe our own press, we may be priming ourselves to be not just disappointed, but to perhaps regard ourselves as unworthy of true happiness, through failing to rope and ride the single-horned beast of our imagination. I call a unicorn an “energy waster” but it’s really more of a spirit destroyer: when the spirit is engaged in the Kabuki theater of presenting illusion (for that’s what a unicorn is) as a strived-for reality, what we have is a show, not a life.

Signals That Our Unicorn Is Present

St. Margaret of Antioch {{PD}}

We experience myriad daydreams unconnected to our real-life goals (unconnected to the ones we are actively working toward, and specifically those daydreams where we ‘star’ in a way, and featuring a personality often very much different than our everyday persona–the personality of the daydream emphasizes some element of our make-up that is usually muted or even hidden); we fill our conversation with talk of what ‘will be’, even as we are unable to connect the dots from here to there;  we may feel intense jealousy, envy, or anger when we witness someone else living our ‘unicorn life’; we may turn down opportunities with the idea we must stay available for our unicorn; we may buy the ‘trappings’ of our unicorn (but do nothing else toward realization); and we may take up hobbies that have some relation to our unicorn (but that can’t possibly lead to it), that effectively persuade us we are on this track after all.

Possible Chart Clues to Our Unicorn

I don’t mean to demonize Neptune in regard to the concept of unicorns, but it is the most logical starting place, and it is often involved, as Saturn can be, through the mechanism of suppression (in Neptune’s case, it’s a kind of anti-suppression that appears to deal with things, but which in reality is lost in illusion or subterfuge). It’s not unreasonable to see unicorns as a response to denial of a dream–but typically the dream denied that spurs the unicorn is one we cannot allow in our lives–its arrival would disrupt other factors, or call upon us in ways we don’t want to be tested.

Linen warp showing two scenes from Der Busant, a Medieval poem {{PD}}

What we should be looking at, then, are the ways our Neptune has been denied, and our Saturn (which can be internal or external–in the form of authority–or sometimes Uranus or Jupiter–society–when the group overwhelms the individuality urge) has participated in a kind of suppression that leaves the only acceptable outlet an intangible one (at least as far as we are concerned). Ceres may also be involved in suppression, again through an external authority or the real-life maternal figure(s) or in the guise of the ‘internalized mother’. Even Pluto may figure in, as a destructive force or Other that has managed to convince us by its own, powerful assertion that our dream is unattainable, at least for little ol’ us.

We may have hit the aspect jackpot if we find a third body touched by both Neptune and Saturn (or with some combination of these and/ or Pisces or Capricorn, Ceres, or Jupiter, as ancient ruler of Pisces). This will designate the contacted energy as the locus of our unicorn–and so give us a place to start in defining and implementing our denied desires related to that energy. And of course, keep in mind, not all contacts to these energies imply there’s a unicorn trotting behind them.

And if Black Moon Lilith is involved in any way in our dream or goal recipe, we may be dealing either with a goal born of rage (in which case, we can’t attain the dream because we must then let go of our anger, which if this intense likely forms a big chunk of the identity), or with a dream certain aspects of which we are in denial about, with BML’s presence signaling we’ll likely avoid progress at all costs.

Good Hunting, Readers!

We shouldn’t be down on ourselves if we discover a unicorn frolicking on our life’s horizon; instead we should be happy to have located such a distinct and telling signpost of needs denied and desires unexplored. Unicorns can point us toward more realistic elements we can, should, and completely want to incorporate into our lives–and in that way, I guess unicorns really are magical.

Like the blog? Please consider a book purchase, donation, future services purchase, or book review on GoodReads–and a Big Thank You to All who do! And PS: I’ve added a vital little something for the 20th here–

Southern Hemisphere {{PD}}

Neptune and the Spiritual Quest, Part IV

17 Sunday Jun 2018

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Very Neptune in the 12th House, this. Arthur Hughes – ‘Sir Galahad – The Quest for the Holy Grail’ 1869 {{PD}}

·         Neptune at the Midheaven can spell ‘c-r-i-s-i-s’ as we lose sight of who we are in relation to the world, can cause others to project an image on us (a glamorous one, one that casts us as Savior, or one that calls us ‘Liar!’ for a few possibilities), or we may actively hide who we are behind a Neptunian drape painted only with characteristics and an image we want others to see. Much of the effect achieved through this contact will depend on how we have been using and processing Neptune up until now; it will likely shake out as a period when we feel extraordinarily helpless in affecting our reputation, or we’ll be totally in command, selling a chosen illusion (this isn’t necessarily a bad thing–think of an actor who bases her or his reputation on an idealized social Archetype).

·         During transit of the 10th Neptune either works powerfully in our favor, aiding us through the impression others receive, or it casts us as victims in some form, making us misunderstood. At this point our spiritual quest is right out in the open, though we quickly become aware of how powerful Neptune is, as well as how the energies are ordered through the unconscious and the Collective, often almost without any awareness on our part. This is typically a ‘make or break’ time for an individual, with it being almost impossible to say what the effects of the transit will be without knowing the particular goals and dreams she or he harbors, as well as what public role she or he is playing; it is safe to say, though, that the effect of the spiritual state on the career will be defined at this time and manifested in creative and unique ways.

·         In the 11th Neptune is right at home, bringing dreams into reality as well as pointing out what illusions have, until now, kept us from achieving them. This is another House where Self-honesty is vital to real progress. The quest in this House is almost self-igniting, putting a flame under even the most unfocused or easily distracted of us. The challenge, though, is that our purpose will be vetted through either taking our own place at the head of the pack (as a leader in our field, say) or expressing as a unique individual doing something entirely (to our own minds) new, and it becomes apparent quickly that in both cases we need a group, to bounce our ideas off of, to lead, to impress, or to whip up into anarchy–and that makes us susceptible to the group’s sway, power, and opinions–not the independent position we might be inclined to at this time. Weaknesses exist in possible deception from friends and through groups, in our own unwillingness to see a long-held dream in real terms, and in the propensity for some to drift and seek escape, once they see that realizing dreams takes real work.

Passage through the 12th works below the surface, or for some shows through interaction with large institutions, through healing or spiritual work, through relief work, or in the meditation or dream life. This is highly individual, running the gamut from completely internal to taking an almost Cosmically large part (but how big can the part really be, in all the Cosmos? a more accurate idea may be ‘to take part without boundaries’) in Universal proceedings. The quest in this House becomes an effort to know the Soul, so that repressed experiences come forward once more, hidden materials surface, denied knowledge is re-awakened, and our relationship to All-That-Is permeates consciousness and every event in life. Can draw the unexpected into manifestation from the unconscious, and so often is a time filled with revealing, surprising, and life-altering events.

Neptune and the Spiritual Quest, Part III

15 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by in astrology, Neptune, Transit Effects Explored

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Ernst Ferdinand Oehme – ‘Procession in the Fog’ 1827 {{PD}}

·         When Neptune hits the Descendant we may project the dream or the spiritual quest outward, onto the masses, and we could be tempted to make others responsible for our own creativity or dream attainment. We could see the answer to Neptunian issues lying with the world itself: Martin Luther King had transiting Neptune on the Descendant degree, just 37 minutes from perfection, when he delivered his ‘I have a dream’ speech.

·         In the 7th Neptune puts us in something of a bad spot: we may be seeking the ideal companion, partner, or mate, just at the time when we are most likely not to see others clearly. Again our experience depends a great deal on how willing we are to be honest with ourselves; if you run from Truth at this point, you run from clearing the fog and using the creative energy that is in reality at your disposal. What I’ve seen most often with this transit is that the individual is invited to see his or her associates in all parts of the life with clarity, and it’s only his or her unwillingness to let go of Neptunian illusion or deception that prevents this. That implies that Neptune isn’t the source of confusion, but instead merely a kind of mirror that reflects this very thing as it exists within us. We could even say that Neptune prompts the imagination to fill in the blanks and make intuitive leaps that reveal everything we might want to know at this time–and it’s up to us to look at what’s revealed, rather than to look away. Neptune through the 7th can be a difficult transit for artists, as a lack of confidence could make us see talent and creative ability as ‘out there’, making it hard to identify the creative essence within our own make-up. Travel and social interaction during this transit can be highly inspiring, and should be undertaken if possible. A desire to see the world and others in it as they truly are seems to be the key to using Neptune’s transit of the 7th to full advantage.

·         Into the 8th Neptune may bring forward shared creative ventures, dreams, and causes that rest on ideals or spiritual aspirations shared with others. We may take the role of inspiring others to great heights with this transit, whether we are ‘natural’ leaders or not, and our mere presence may act to inspire those around us; our own spiritual attunement seems to ‘show’, somehow, and we wear our dreams and ideals on our sleeves. What we share with others of a spiritual or creative nature is the focus. We may become proselytizers of sorts, seeking the spiritual in Everyman, and our interest in exploring spiritual facets of the life-death-life cycle can inspire profound exchanges with others (however, this comes with the caveat that at this time we can be inadvertently destructive in our zealousness). We also may become adept fund raisers and project instigators under a banner of betterment: if you have every wanted to contribute to a cause in concert with others, this is when it’s most likely to happen, and in the process offer you deep personal insight into your own and others’ spiritual natures.

·         Through the 9th Neptune takes that spiritual insight gained in the 8th and shares it with others on a larger stage, and through formal means, such as print, broadcasting, teaching, or in some way codifying insights. This may take one on an actual, literal pilgrimage, or could (with the right natal influences) make one a spiritual teacher, prompt one to enter a religious discipline or order, or could inspire study, publishing one’s work, or traveling–but in any case, this transit gives all choices that fall in the 9th House the flavor of the spiritual quest–so though one’s external circumstances may not change at all, one’s interaction with the world becomes a vehicle for exchange of spiritual knowledge. This transit is when we are most likely to consciously consider making spiritual work some aspect of our life’s work, and when we may form the basis for our spiritual philosophy, or re-form it, depending on in which House our natal Neptune started out.

See today and tomorrow’s forecast here–

Neptune and the Spiritual Quest, Part II

14 Thursday Jun 2018

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A. Y. Jackson -‘House of Ypres’ c1918 {{PD}}

·         Neptune crossing the IC may bring forward one or more instances of questioning the identity, obscuring ‘where we live’ in a psychic sense, or false starts in the ‘what I should be doing’ department. The contact places a layer of uncertainty and creative potential over the deepest beliefs about the Self and, reflexively speaking, shines this on the Midheaven as well. Can mark the beginning of a shift in Self-perception that drives new career, creative, or path-development options.

·         Neptune through the 4th sets us on the quest for an ideal home; this often takes both a literal form and a figurative one. An environment most suitable to the ideal Self is sought, and we may explore different living situations, in the hope we’ll find the one that feels completely like ‘home’. It’s unlikely we’ll find anything that fits the bill, simply because for Neptune home is the womb–a place we can’t exactly crawl back into! There’s often lots of uncertainty surrounding the living situation when Neptune transits here, and typically at least a few crises focused on the way in which we live (earning a living and/ or the routines or habits of consumption or daily life). Some with this transit enter group living situations such as communes or shared housing, and radical changes to possessions (particularly to the idea of what we need) may occur; it’s also possible that becoming a vagabond of sorts to a Collective cause may happen, effectively ‘dissolving’ the need for a home, at least for now. Everyone taps a deep inner creativity at this time; some will funnel Neptune into decorating and creating an ideal environment, and it’s easy to think we are meant to hang out our shingle and decorate everyone’s homes, become artists, or otherwise abandon careers to do something we’ve only just taken an interest in–but as with the creative writing of Neptune’s transit of the 3rd, only those with some proclivities for this shown elsewhere in the chart, a natal influence that’s been under development before Neptune’s ingress to the 4th, should take such a potential path seriously. This transit may also plant the seed for mental, emotional, or physical maladies of a hard-to-pinpoint Neptunian nature that show up later.

·         In the 5th Neptune seems to summon the natal Neptunian proclivities and apply them to the creative acts, the children produced, the romances concocted, or the risks undertaken by the individual. Here we get much more of the flavor of the natal placement, rather than an undiluted Neptune vibe, and perhaps this is because each of the events/ acts associated with the 5th are Self-generated: you can’t make a project, a child, love, or gamble without willing participation. Permanent shifts in the way we regard 5th House subjects may be brought on during this transit, either from uncertainty and questioning of our previous approach, or through a new ideal or creative form that comes to our attention at this time. We may measure each House area for its personal spiritual applications for us–for instance, we may decide that our spiritual development does not require us to experience romance, or to have a child, and so these may be checked off our list forever. Trends seem to split into the highly idealized (which typically takes further efforts into ‘striving mode’–as with Art, or a new, imaginative goal or project–or into the realm where no further changes will come about–as in, for example, the idea of a ‘perfect child’ or perfect work of Art, that one will then not have, or not attempt to create, in order to maintain the possibility) or into a fixed state of delusion, fantasy, or inadequacy, wherein no efforts can move us forward, yet a lot of energy goes into yearning for the imagined outcome. We either ‘snap to’ as Neptune transits this House, and eventually muster vast creative energies in a highly original way, or we sink under the weight of a Self-imposed and accepted confusion (or beneath a choice to be indifferent, disoriented, or unfocused) that permanently excuses us from participating in 5th House areas of life.

·         Through the 6th Neptune can wreak havoc in the everyday routine and on the job front; it may seem there’s always something going on of which we’re unaware, or about which we haven’t been informed, so necessitates a scrambling to keep up. Confusion about our true duties and obligations can cause us to neglect what’s really meaningful to us and a sense that no progress can be made on the job front may be disconcerting and cause us to ‘give up the quest’. Unless our daily efforts are keyed to the creative or are in some way Neptunian, this transit can be highly debilitating, as it seems that we can’t gain ground, and can’t really tell the whys or wherefores of our distress. This is often the time when Neptunian illness seeded during transit of the 4th shows up, as the 6th is a house of health and the body. Best use of this passage for Neptune may be if we can see the bigger, spiritual point to our daily activities; if we can connect the dots between our own little lives and the workings of the Cosmos, we just might find a highly tuned Purpose behind the everyday humdrum and chaos, one that brings unprecedented peace and acceptance, taking our Beingness and our attunement via the mundane to a whole new level.

See Part I here, or what’s coming up later in the month here or the current forecast here–thanks!

Neptune and the Spiritual Quest

14 Thursday Jun 2018

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Bernard Hall – ‘The Quest’ -before 1935- {{PD}}

This is part one of a re-print from ECLIPSE, slightly modified and added to, centering on the effects of Neptune transiting through the natal Houses, though much of what’s said may apply to a natal placement in a House, as well.

Just looking at one facet of Neptune, his relationship to the spiritual in our lives–which really is everything in our lives–whether it be material circumstances, relationships, health, prosperity or lack, it’s all a simultaneous reflection of, creation of, and expression of our spiritual attunement. We can’t really separate out the Neptunian spiritual element from everything else–which is what makes the House position of transiting Neptune so important, as it tells us where that spiritual element may be especially active at any one time, in spite of any illusions, fog, or disguises it may veil conditions with.

Though we have very specific spiritual questions particular to the individual before us at all times, there is a broader influence from transiting Neptune that turns our attention repeatedly toward the spiritual essence of the matters of the House where Neptune currently is located. In areas where Neptune transits we may find ourselves working very hard to define subjects particular to the House it’s moving through; it’s as if we are squinting into the fog, looking for definitive outlines of what is spiritually true in this area of life. Neptune stirs our sense of creative potential as it transits, and even if we aren’t conscious of it, we are inspecting the House matters with an eye to what we can make of them, possibly at an idealized level. Notice that progress of Neptune through the Houses shows how our handling of the transit through one House and the associated success/ effectiveness is built upon that of the previous House; our chances of handling House energies well in relation to Neptune grows with how well we have handled each preceding stage (i.e. House) and its requirements.

·         Moving through the 1st Neptune makes us highly aware of the parts of our lives where we are truly applying spiritual principles. We look for the discrepancies between how we present ourselves and what our spiritual principles are stated to be, and in particular we inspect the mind/ body connection for spiritual dis-ease that shows as physical disease. We may be searching for ‘the perfect body’ or the perfect personality, and so we may show many of the hard-to-pin-down characteristics of the planetary energy; in seeking perfection of Self, we may be succumbing to a Neptunian delusion, accepting an externally sourced ideal as our own, deliberately adopting an illusion (about the Self), or mustering the creative to serve the personal, physical manifestation. We imagine what we can become, and in some way pursue it.

·         Transiting the 2nd Neptune typically strongly affects one of two life areas: we see Neptune applied to either the talents (showing as a massive push to mobilize the creative abilities to maximum use) or to earning capacity (possibly in going after ‘the dream’ as a source of income, or in pursuing ideals in a version of, ‘Do what you love and the money will follow’–which only works if the thing we’re pursuing is truly something we love, rather than something we’d like to don to fit an image–which itself is a misuse of Neptune). This is a true test of talents, abilities, and most importantly, our own capacity to be honest with ourselves. If we wrap ourselves in Neptune and deny the reality of our abilities, pretensions may be adopted and worn as ‘the answer’, with disastrous results. Self-image must match talents–when it does, quality-of-life and income dreams can come true. Neptune moving here inspires us to make manifest an ideal Self-image; it’s up to us to make sure this image is authentically our own.

·         Passing through the 3rd Neptune embeds himself in the realm of communications. Thought and all communication functions present us, in some way, with ideal creative potentials (even if that way is to show us what we don’t want or don’t know). We strain to perceive the spiritual behind communications, and we can’t shake the Neptunian influence, which may make some feel as if they just can’t think straight (and this should be taken into account–the individual can’t perceive objectively, no matter how stick-to-the-facts they are–this is because temporarily we’re shifting from facts and what’s obvious to gleaning information intuitively). During this transit we learn all about the unspoken in all forms of communication; we learn to read between the lines, and we become attuned to the messages contained in tone of voice, in gestures, and in the mere presence of another, much more finely than we may have been attuned before (this can also occur with Neptune moving through or natally in the 8th). Lessons in communication may come hard, as we are open to deception and susceptible to going along with something if it promises wish fulfillment. What’s written down becomes important, and we may embark on a writing career or avocation, if this was otherwise on the agenda for us, or lose ourselves in the writings or communications of others, a ‘dreaming all the time’ position. This transit often serves us a portion of humble pie, as we too often miss something important in the instructions, and this transit may convince some they are exceptionally talented psychics–but if the revelation of talent comes with this transit, it’s much more likely that one is simply discovering how to read what’s been there all along, in the same way others do. Through the 3rd we’re seeking to understand communications beyond the mundane, and we have the sensitivity to do it, though our ‘receptors’ may be clouded with any illusions we insist on clinging to. Modesty and a realistic viewpoint help us avoid delusion, and finding form for and deliberately communicating our own creative urges means they are less likely to bleed out in ways that sully our exchanges, contracts, agreements, attitudes, or that send an inaccurate message to others.

More to come on this!

Just a Little AstroEssence 22-24 November 2017 Lift

21 Tuesday Nov 2017

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Horoscope, Neptune, Retrogrades + Directions, The Daily Word Image

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Winter in Andalusia (Poplars and Sheep at Alcalá de Guadaira) 1880 {{PD}} By Emilio Sánchez Perrier

We enjoy lifts of several kinds over this period; here are the deets:

The big story for the 22nd is Neptune stationing direct, and yet our reaction to this lifting of the fog might be more about the other perfecting aspects: Jupiter sesquiquadrate Chiron, Mars conjoined Zeus, and the Sun parallel Hygeia. When a heavy like Neptune goes direct, we may not be conscious of the shift right away; we may feel something, but it’s likely that it will take a little time for such a change to gather a distinctive shape in our lives, often related to either the matters of the House Neptune is currently transiting, or the one Neptune rules in our natal chart–and that’s aside from any contacts Neptune makes at the point of direction, which can be especially potent in the way they are suddenly revealed, attain an aspect of creativity or idealism or take on spiritual depth, or conversely are obscured, if Neptune retro had been serving to lift the fog.

So, the energies surrounding the turnaround may feel something like this: the social order suffering from and also inflicting wounds (think the #MeToo movement, for one); on an individual level this suggests that the facts or beliefs, one’s own or others, may be painful to deal with, or that the difficult situation presented by those facts and beliefs requires us to offer healing or the Chirotic skill, again, to ourselves and/ or others. Getting bigger spiritually, especially in relation to our fellow humans, may be painful–not exactly surprising.

Then there’s the matter of actions and choices being fused with ambitions and desires, removing any real chance of objectivity–just be prepared to face this in yourself and in others, and cut everyone a little slack; we are passionate about things at this point, so precipitous acts and expression of the Will may cause a kind of ‘blanking out’ that overrides any of our normal reticence or cautions. But, the Sun’s contact tells us that, in the long-term, that Self-expression will ultimately be healthy, so we’re unlikely to damage anything we actually want to preserve.

Rik Wouters – ‘De strijkster (The Ironer)’ (1912) {{PD}}

Today’s word image is iron. Did you imagine something hot coming out of a forge, a cattle brand, perhaps, or something more mundane, a clothes iron, or possibly a hunk of ore, or a daily supplement consumed for your health? Iron has entered the lexicon in a number of ways: ‘strike while the iron is hot’, meaning take an opportunity when it presents itself; to ‘iron things out’ means to negotiate and come to agreement; something is described as ‘iron’, implying unbending strength. Consider whether you need a little more, or a little less, of whatever iron comes to mind.

And what about the 23rd, the day in the US known for gathering the family together to share . . . a turkey? Let’s be clear: it’s a celebration ostensibly triggered by the day the indigenous peoples saved European settlers from starving to death, a day that signaled the beginning of the end for natives in terms of autonomy and cultural, personal, and Collective freedom–and of course, we shouldn’t be celebrating the dominance of one group over another at all, however obliquely that applies. We have to consider what this holiday has become: a symbolic sharing of abundance, and a chance to celebrate that abundance, to be grateful, not just for what we have but for those who share our lives, in the here and now.

How are we to interpret it, then, when no new aspects perfect today? The implication is that we are awash in a combination of previous recent influences that are still reverberating, and those characteristic inclinations and proclivities that we carry natally. Expect the expected, heavily seasoned with current shifts in both the personal arena and the Zeitgeist.

Jupiter, hangin’ out with his eagle By Nicolai Abildgaard 1792 {{PD}}

Word image for the 23rd is an eagle tending a nest where the eggs will never hatch. Well that’s depressing! Sometimes Mother Nature plays a cruel trick on us, or maybe it’s just fate or our own persistent nature, but everyone at one time or another has pursued or tended diligently to something that has no life in it, that will never ‘hatch’ and live in the light of day. This may be a reminder not to pour our care into lifeless projects, ones where the potential has long since drained away, or maybe it urges us to let go of the things that will never be–not all eggs are meant to reach maturity–and how can we have room for the new, if we are perpetually mourning the old?

By the 24th we’ll begin to see how the Neptune direction is flavoring those things we find sacred, that we honor, and that we are committed to; we’ll also be highly aware of the positives of all that’s come forward lately, the rewards offered for not ignoring or denying what is, and we’ll get glimpses down real avenues of Power. What’s not working so well may be our thinking and reasoning, and those faculties that are so injured or warped by negative experience that we can’t see the objective or the factual without distortion. What comes under scrutiny is our ability to be truly rational; our response needs to be a willingness to consider that feedback may be showing us an elemental flaw in our system.

Sculpture “Peace” created by the conceptual artist Stephen J. Kaltenbach, 2005, near the Capitol Mall in Sacramento, California Photo By Carol M. Highsmith – Library of CongressCatalog: http://lccn.loc.gov/2013633917 {{PD}}

Today’s word image is meeting someone about whom you feel you already know a great deal. When that happens, do you let what you’ve heard influence your perceptions? Are you so busy looking for purported attitudes or behaviors that you don’t see who’s actually standing in front of you? No real relationship can develop when prejudice exists, and perceptions are bound to be artificial, filtered through beliefs rather than arrived at from direct experience. Try not to exercise prejudice, okay?

Support the blog through donations, book purchases, through the sharing buttons below, and by sending good energy to me and one another. For those who celebrate it, have a lovely Thanksgiving, and for everyone else, have a lovely end-of-week!

 

Your Week 16-22 June 2017 Silence

15 Thursday Jun 2017

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Horoscope, Neptune, Retrogrades, Sun/Mercury Superior Conjunction, The Daily Word Image

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Plas Newydd (Anglesey) – Terrace gardens grotto – Neptune as gargoyle By Wolfgang Sauber – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16274036

On the 16th Neptune stations retrograde at 14 Pisces 15, in close sextile to Juno in Capricorn, herself in apparent retro motion. This forms a loose Finger of God with asteroid Vesta in Leo–and if a personal body sits 12-16 Leo, you’ll see that natal energy as apex to an attempt at empowerment, one that either brings creativity to the fore, or is misguided, out of following your own delusions or misunderstandings. Juno prompts us to use our status, position, or connections to express our Will, and Neptune focuses that expression through our ideals, whether they are spiritual ones, imaginative ones, or off the mark, skewed by deception or delusion. For everyone, the Finger suggests that effort at exercising our prerogatives through creativity or misperception will result in pinpointing what we really care about, or discovery of what we’d like to dedicate our time and energy to; for those with a natal placement in that Leo range, this suggests you’ll see what matters in terms of the contacted energy, or possibly in terms of issues contained in the House it rules, if any. Vesta tells us what we honor in life; the Neptune station will make something about this clear, whether our efforts spring from a creative urge or a misguided one, though we may find we have no time, energy, or support to enact this particular ideal until Neptune is once again direct, in late November 2017.

Otherwise, we enjoy some very upbeat influences on the 16th, an unusually positive day when what we desire is actually good for us, when we have harmony between the mind and the Soul purpose (and so can choose, think, and act with little if any internal conflict), when we are optimistic about the future, and when we think along lines of ‘natural’ power and authority, and so make the most of our own abilities and influence. Reaching for something? Do it today, but be ready to listen if the internal systems tell you this isn’t your best course, after all–today’s excellent judgment may have you reassessing previous wants and goals.

By Scott Darbey from Canada – bluebells, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42236316

Today’s word image is bluebells. Simplest symbolisms say flowers are a ‘natural’ cheering thing, bolstering spirits just by being, and blue can be seen as soothing, or in its meaning as sad or depressing. Is there something that should be pleasant and happy that’s actually depressing you or making you sad? Are you having a kind of contrary reaction to something? Is there something natural (something you should accept as part of life) to which you’re having an unwarranted reaction? Are you ‘blue’ in spite of the way things are ‘in bloom’ in your life? That last is a signal that it’s time to seek help, if only confiding in another trusted Being to help you gain perspective.

The 17th our viewpoint may be a bit skewed: we see all the benefits as coming from or being found in ‘the future’, and we tend to disregard the role or origins of some rewarding matters where they formed or were earned in the past. Too, we know what we want and how to get it, but we may be willing to do something unhealthy or negative to make it happen–please consider the merit of the means as much as you do the end.

By Iker Cortabarria from Palma, España – Dragó, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4263989

Today’s word image is a lizard, sunning itself on a rock. As pleasurable as sunning itself is, this behavior is actually necessary for a cold-blooded (as we describe them) creature. What thing that you enjoy, and possibly see as Self-indulgent, is really a very necessary part of your existence, one that you can’t do without? This asks us to reassess what we see as an indulgence, a luxury, and what is important to our overall health.

By the 18th we’re feeling both wise and ‘lucky’–and that’s a pretty accurate measure of ourselves in the moment. The only thing to watch for is thinking that rejects the reality picture. The only way to get ‘there’ from ‘here’ is to know exactly where you’re starting out–keep this in mind as you choose, act, and do.

Today’s word image is a clown. People seem to have very personal reactions to this Archetype–consider yours definitive for you, specifically as to what it might say about how you see ‘fun’.

‘Fireworks, Vernon Bridge’ by Theodore Earl Butler {{PD}}

The 19th the fireworks are as much internal as external, so that it’s uncertain how much of this will show in surrounding circumstances, and how much will be firecrackers and flashbulbs going off in our heads. What we’ve got going for us: there’s wisdom in spontaneity, in the ‘new’ idea or impulse, in a willingness to invent or innovate, and diving in to test skills can bring surprisingly good results. The group may offer the smart choice, if we find ourselves wondering, and what the intellect supports as wise very likely is. Positives are seated in showing genuine confidence (as opposed to putting on a show) and relationship or financial connections can bolster personal empowerment and reach. Right now the mind has a knack for drawing on the past in productive ways–all of these things are good, and available to us.

What’s not so great? The ego, if it’s ascendant, will keep us away from every healthy option–it’s a matter of feeding negative emotions as a way of enslaving us to our own capricious nature. No one can ask anything of us, if we’re unreliable and unable to take care of ourselves, right? It’s easy to put our attention on hurts, at this point, and that can offer the ego the foothold it needs to run away with things. Too, we see a Finger of God, base of Jupiter-Black Moon Lilith, apex Venus in Taurus, that suggests both beliefs and what enrages us must adjust, if we are to receive the comfort and sustaining nurture of Love or Money.

Not an easy day, but a lively one, where following our best impulses is much more than worth it.

Today’s word image is a phrase I’ve heard multiple times within just a couple of days, from sources ranging from real life to media: “You’re so lucky you must have a golden horseshoe up your ass!” This is a thing? We’ll proceed on the assumption that it is. My first thought was, ‘That can’t be comfortable, so is this luck in spite of the situation being difficult?’ I think that sums it up. Find the spot in your own life where you’ve been very fortunate, despite the pain.

The 20th we may feel at odds with ourselves and the social scene–there’s no safe harbor for Self-expression without critique, the facts don’t support our empowerment, and the worst may be that it’s our own ‘wounded thinking’ that’s creating most of the mess. If we are willing to reconcile with some less-than-positive aspects of the past, we can move on to reap rewards from the creative, the innovative, and the use of skills–and we can do it as the Sun moves into Cancer, pulling our attention toward caring, nurturing, and finding a prominent place in our lives for our emotional reality to shine.

Today’s word image is an old song, ‘The Girl From Ipanema’. If you don’t know it from the radio, you probably know it from the Muzak in elevators and grocery stores. What quality makes a song seep so far into the Collective consciousness that one can’t go long without hearing it in some form? What ‘song’ have you been singing all these years that has now become part of your consciousness–and are you aware of what it says to and about you? Ask yourself, Is it time to change the track?

The 21st sees the Superior Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury (their meeting while Merc is in direct motion). This should bring us the results of something seeded at the Inferior Conjunction. It’s not always evident, and may be so subtle that it seems a matter of course–but it should answer some question, no matter how oblique, that has been up in the air, or bring some communication or thought to a close, offering a form of ‘silence’. To make this meeting possible, we see Merc join the Sun in Cancer; don’t be surprised if what concludes has a prominent element of feeling, or brings an emotional conclusion that will often present as relief.

On other fronts, we see some resistance to what we know instinctively, we see some Self-destructive tendencies that endanger what we really care about, and we may find the imagination running away with us and focused on what we are in denial of or ignoring. You do the math; this is about facing things, pure and simple.

From our yard 2017

Today’s word image is peonies. On a gardening site I saw someone write in, frantically asking how to get rid of the ants that were swarming her peony plants; I and several others wrote back, ‘Don’t! Peonies need ants to help them open!’ This is the danger of engaging with something we know nothing about: not so much that something bad will come to us from it, but that we can cause harm in our ignorance. Whatever this brings to mind, just make sure you really do know what you’re doing.

On the 22nd no new aspects form–both our outlook and our word image for the day will be a kind of Silence. Find it, deliberately make room for it, sit within it. It’s likely to reveal to us just how much noise we’d like to be rid of.

Sorry I’m a little late getting this out. Windows hijacked my computer with a massive update that then wouldn’t allow my astrology program to open–so it took me hours to straighten things out. Have a wonderful week!

 

 

 

Focus On: Neptune, 29-30 September 2015

29 Tuesday Sep 2015

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Neptune

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Neptune can lure us through the idea of rescue--our own or that of another--if we eschew responsibility for ourselves, or if we need to see ourselves as rescuers, feeling our armor could use a little shine. Giulio Aristide Sartorio - La Sirena, 1893 {{PD}}

Neptune can lure us through the idea of rescue–our own or that of another–if we eschew responsibility for ourselves, in the first case, or if we need to see ourselves as rescuers, in the other case, when the ego feels our armor could use a little shine. Giulio Aristide Sartorio – La Sirena, 1893 {{PD}}

Neptune is currently transiting through the sign it resonates most strongly to (and along with Jupiter, rules), making it as characteristic of Neptunian energies as it can get; by this I mean there’s a purity to it to which, when we ‘tune in’, we have access to–but even inadvertently, we absorb or otherwise allow that Neptunian fog to permeate the atmosphere–and today’s contacts tell a story. Neptune receives a quincunx from retro transiting Mercury in Libra, and contraparallels Pallas. This suggests a few things: messages, communications, even our own thoughts might be difficult to fathom–or perhaps it will be the hidden messages, the ideas beneath the words and thoughts, that are tough to discern–so that we somehow miss at least some of the meaning of all that’s conveyed. Our own cogitations might not go any better, as the mind obscures what’s really motivating our conclusions and compelling our thoughts to go ‘here’ not ‘there’. We may be moved by the spiritual, the imaginative and the imaginal (in both the positive and negative senses), and Collective mind influences to think along certain lines or to believe certain things, and bouncing ideas off others (Libra) doesn’t really help–but know consciously that you have only part of the story (or that you have the story but are missing some important element), and your ability to respond and think effectively jumps markedly.

The contraparallel to Pallas just piles on the uncertainty, and brings to the party an inspiration to recklessness and impracticality. How do you behave when you know you’re teetering dangerously close to making a series of bad decisions? Do you listen to your more cautious nature, and pull back, or do you plunge in, out of an addiction to drama, an inclination to make the internal chaos visible, or an urge to fan the spark of Self-destruction? The current state of your natal Saturn and Uranus (what transits they’re receiving, where they are by Solar Arc), and secondarily what those transiting bodies may be contacting in your chart will tell the story of your current responsive nature (that, and the Moon) or susceptibility to unwise behavior based on a Neptunian fantasy, delusion, or awareness of one’s individual speck-ness within the Cosmos.

Neptune can beckon to us, inviting us toward doing something decidedly unwise, through illusion, through something that can appear perfectly reasonable–and that’s where we must remember, that between today’s contacts and the Merc retro, we are unable to perceive clearly–no matter how clear the matter seems to be.

Tomorrow, the 30th, we see the Sun-Mercury Inferior Conjunction, with the Sun quincunx Neptune. This suggests that what is seeded with the Inferior Conjunction has an element of fantasy, imagination, or the unreal that will need adjustment as the matter grows.

Just to let you know, I won’t be posting much forecast material, anymore–review of my practices during this Merc retro makes me feel that this is a maw that can never be filled–and that kind of Sisyphean effort is not for me, much as some of you may appreciate it. So, I’ll post on focused topics like this, or in a broader observational vein when I’m moved to, and you can sign up to follow the blog and be notified if and when it happens. See my books here; the ones on the asteroids Chiron, Juno, and Vesta are very much like having a class with me, if that would interest you.

And a reminder: unless you are a current client with an active order, please do not write directly to me–check the Services page, and if it says I’m booked, I’m booked!