Tag Archives: Sabian Symbols

A Resurgence of Love: Mercury Retrograde 29 December 2022

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During this retro and the lead up to it, we’re going to see the gaps in our close relationships, and awareness of that distance will probably be a little scary.’The Early Lovers’ By Eastman Johnson 1870 {{PD}}

Mercury technically switches apparent direction in the wee hours of the 29th PST, at 1:32 AM, but as per usual, it’s been stationary for a bit, so that we know what’s coming, whether we admit it or not. We’ve been previewing change and shifts in what used to make us feel secure, particularly in the realm of relationships and who holds the power. Merc officially takes on retro status closely conjoined Venus, with an exact meeting scheduled right after the retro. This confirms that Love, especially in partner relationships, is on the agenda, hinted at in the run up to the retro by Merc’s sextiles to Neptune and Juno in Pisces (we see where our empowerment in partnership might be a fantasy, and we become aware of what might be ideal), and involvement in a Cardinal Grand Cross with Zeus, Eris, and Pallas (we’re consumed by the conflicts among what we desire, what’s wise or practical, what’s worth going to war over! and what discord has been beneath the surface all along. Note Pallas moves on but this remains as a T-square for New Year’s, suggesting desires and related strife will still be on our minds, and in the air).

What have we been seeing about the partner or other intimate? We’re seeing the places where the foundation might be shaky, where our accord might not be as solid as we thought, where we may not be able to count on them as we have in the past (or conversely, we see that we can count on them, though our contribution or attitude must adjust to current conditions. We may become aware of weaknesses in them, not just in our relationship). These conditions won’t be found just in relationships, but may also be seen in any structure, system, status, condition, or hierarchy we’ve been invested in and relying on–we need to be willing to see the reality of it, as any attempts to deal with matters will collapse if our choices aren’t firmly rooted in real-world circumstances, and the ways these are changing, or need to change, in order to function effectively.

The moment of retrograde, which gives us a snapshot of what to expect over the retro period, shows a Pisces Moon at 29 degrees–it’s painful when our fantasies are shredded, but it’s worse when reality seems to ‘come out of nowhere’ to blindside us, so see the emotional upset as a gift that points directly at what needs attention. ‘A Store Filled With Precious Oriental Rugs’ is the Sabian for both Mercury and Venus at the time of retro=we see the worth of what we hold, see the value of what we have, of what’s ‘contained (the store) in our reality. The emotional impact of all this is shown by the Sabian for the Moon at the time of retrograde: ‘A Majestic Rock Formation Resembling A Face Is Idealized By A Boy Who Takes It As His Ideal Of Greatness, And As He Grows Up, Begins To Look Like It’. If we are willing to see what is in a creative way for what it symbolizes, we’ll find inspiration toward making our ideals a reality, toward growing into our own brand of greatness. If we live our lives as if our ideals are real, embracing them as we act and make choices and interact with one another, we can’t help but become what we revere. It’s a recipe for moving the world toward what we’d like it to be–don’t close the door on these potentials just because some of this will be messy, difficult, and will require recognition of vulnerabilities and feelings we may have lately been sweeping under the (Oriental) rug.

What this time offers us is a chance to revitalize Love, as it lives and breathes in our daily dedications, of energy and attention, effort and interaction. And this retro is also a good time to reconsider what institutions, rules, and boundaries we support, and which need to be retired as irrelevant to our current world.

New Year’s Eve we see a Taurus Moon which will trine the Sun just after 2023 begins (Pacific time). That says spend the evening on celebration that feels like a reward, that feels sustaining, nourishing, a treat for the senses, while the Sun’s square to Chiron and quincunx to still retro Mars tells us to avoid dwelling on, assessing things by, or reacting from our wounds–any attempts to right related circumstances will misfire and aggression will definitely be aimed in the wrong direction. Welcome the coming year with a lighter heart–we’ve made it this far, and that’s something to celebrate.

See the recent New Moon here–

Solar Eclipse 25 October 2022 Immersed in the Senses

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‘The Roses of Heliogabalus’ By Lawrence Alma-Tadema 1888 {{PD}}

Hi! Away from my desk this weekend, late the 27th thru the 30th. Will answer all comments and fill all orders then. Have a lovely weekend!

The meeting of Sun and Moon (a New Moon) occurs on the 25th PDT at 3:48 AM at precisely 2 degrees of Scorpio. Both bodies are just shy (by 39 minutes) of conjoining Venus exactly (though the Sun already did–see the following post)–and there’s only one other Lunar set of contacts, Jupiter just into Aries sextile Sedna at 29 tense degrees of Taurus, making a Finger of God with the New Moon as apex. At a typical New Moon, this would concentrate the energies into just a couple of ‘statements’; this being an eclipse, we see another level of concentration, in the way the bodies aren’t just in contact, but are closely aligned along the ecliptic (the plane of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun). When this happens, we have a total or near total blockage of the light as seen from our vantage point on Earth–and this symbolically suggests a wiping out of the flow of energies, an interruption that brings a reset that may appear as shock, catastrophe, surprise, revelation, re-shuffling, withdrawal, renewal, germination, a period of darkness before a re-emerging of light, even birth. Since a New Moon is an energy of new starts, this isn’t unusual, but the nature of the new start may be quite different than we anticipate–and we look to the sign in which the eclipse occurs, and the aspects it makes, for the story.

Here the Lunar event is in Scorpio; that mandate is to strip away what isn’t working, is worn, old, or in need of rehabilitation, even as something is transformed, resurrected, or rises anew from the ashes. We’re looking for the Truth, at a Scorpio New Moon; we’re looking to rid ourselves of psychic detritus, to alter what refuses to serve us. It’s a condition where we may have to get our hands dirty, but we’re promised a reward in the sense of feeling new ourselves, in some part of life designated by the House where the Lunar event occurs, or in the natal House ruled by the Moon.

The New Moon perfecting just before perfection with Venus suggests something beautiful, rewarding, pleasing in the immediate aftermath of what occurs, but with the potential for a potent kind of jealousy, envy, or covetousness, Scorpio emphasizing the more difficult facets of Venus. But those also include a seductive quality, a richness of depth and experience, a promise of intensity to the event itself that may be very alluring–and so may, just as the Moon will obscure the Sun’s light, temporarily block our ability to assess the situation accurately, or may immerse us in sensation, substituting feeling for thinking.

The Finger of God with base of Jupiter-Sedna points us back to the apex eclipse, and describes the individual within the social sphere, or equipped with (or pioneering) some sort of knowledge or belief (Jupiter in Aries), meshing with the individual instincts, what one ‘knows but doesn’t consciously know’, and one’s ‘blind spot’ material, this latter those things we believe we see clearly or feel informed about, but that hold some areas we don’t grasp–and this is visible to others, but difficult for us to see ourselves–with some combination of these resulting in the Scorpionic revelation/ change of the Lunar event.

The Sabian is, ‘A Delicate Bottle Of Perfume Lies Broken, Releasing Its Fragrance’. It’s important to note that this eclipse occurs at two degrees and no minutes of the sign–and in that case, we read 1-2 degrees, rather than 2-3 as we would otherwise. The image says that what occurs may have a negative initial presentation–it’s a small shock when something shatters–but that the benefits of what occurs will become obvious immediately. We may be sad about the break, the destruction, but we’ll glean a side benefit; though we wouldn’t have chosen this, there is still something good that comes of it, something unexpected that fills the air/ senses, and so stirs feeling (eclipse in Water).

Tip for coping: some of us will deal simultaneous to the eclipse with the energies of a Fist of God, with base of Pallas-Black Moon Lilith square Mercury-Zeus, apex Juno in Pisces. This suggests wisdom could be compromised by our own rage and prejudices, with these predispositions clashing with our ability to communicate our wants clearly, dispassionately–and so may compromise our own empowerment, especially that form we have imagined, hoped for, and find ideal. Keep this potential in mind, and know that being honest with ourselves is the foundation on which we can build good relationships with others.

Full Moon in Pisces 10 September 2022 Visions

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Courtesy NASA/ JPL-Caltech {{PD}}

Just come back to the world, and what do I find? I slept through a Full Moon! But I saw it forming each night, clear and luminous, and was anxious to find out what it might bring; this is what I see:

At 2:59 AM PDT of the 10th the Moon conjoined Earth in Pisces, opposed the Virgo Sun, with the Moon just hours before this contacting Juno, and both Moon and Earth poised to conjoin Neptune, the Moon in hours, the Earth in about a week. What culminates at this point is a material matter that reflects a spiritual one, which impacts identity and creates the emotional landscape with which we’ll engage over the next two weeks. It’s as if in the hours around the Full Moon we think we know what defines us, what empowers us, what we control or have authority over, and then the Moon and Earth meet and we’re given a vision, or perhaps presented with a physical scenario, that reflects back to us a spiritual Truth, one that has a very personal message for us about how to go forward.

Here’s where I have to stop and say that I might have given this Lunar event a somewhat different interpretation, if not for my own experience last night. It was a warm night, that kind of late summer warm where you’re still feeling the heat of the day in the air and coming off the pavement, and yet there’s a breeze off the water that once in a while gives you a chill, warns you that things are changing. I was in a car and came to a stop light. I felt compelled to turn and look at the driver in the car to the right, where he sat under a very bright streetlight, and got a shock: this man looked exactly like someone close to me who has been dead for years. Not just that, but he looked young, much younger than this person was when he died, and even stranger, he had a small smile and a confused expression, and he was looking right at me.

So my experience of the message was in the form of an (unsettling) vision, one that has personal meaning for me, associations made to this person and his example, and which I must decipher for myself–and you will have had a similar event, or will have undergone some revelation, some realization through a dream, some imagining that reveals something new about yourself to yourself–or maybe it came through criticism (that Virgo Sun), or through a kind of accounting, accountability, or harvest, one that told you exactly what the combination of your creative energies and your material ones have brought into being.

The Full Moon also makes a sextile to Uranus, implying a suddenness to what comes, a shock or surprise, or a chaotic note that allows a vision or message to emerge from a maelstrom of activity or information. The group as a whole may deliver your Full Moon conclusion, possibly bringing to a stop something you still carried hope for–Luna is the purest conduit of hope–or delivering it in material form, perhaps an unanticipated material form.

There are also two configurations: a Grand Water Trine, with Moon-Earth-Juno, Black Moon Lilith in Cancer, and South Node widely conjoined Hygeia in Scorpio. A Grand Trine is an invitation for energies to work together through their emotional commonality; here we see material matters around empowerment about which we have strong feelings ‘getting along with’ those matters we are in denial about, ignoring, or about which we are angry, and with what was and wasn’t healthy about the past that is affecting the present. Again, a very personal picture, one that may suggest dealing with issues that bring strong emotional reactions is inevitable.

The second configuration is a loose Mystic Rectangle involving the Moon-Earth-Juno sextile North Node-Uranus trine the Sun sextile South Node-Hygeia and back around by trine to the Moon. This brings together elements of Earth and Water, the past and the present, the material world and the intangible (feeling, spiritual, Soul) one, and asks us to find ways in which the factors and memories coming forward now can empower us materially while making for a healthy Beingness, an approach to ourselves and our place in the world that is positive, benefiting from what came before, and what we can learn through Higher Mind (Uranus) lens to shape the future.

The event should conclude in about a week with Earth conjoined/ Sun opposed Neptune, delivering the ‘Full Vision’ (or for some, the ‘Complete Delusion’) that will power us forward, and which may give us not just a particular spiritual awareness around the Soul identity, it may also prompt a kind of costuming, in the sense of showing openly the roles we are now playing through appearance and behaviors, making apparent the identities we are embracing and offering to the world.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘In A Gigantic Tent, Villagers Witness A Spectacular Performance’. Maybe what prompts your vision, what’s revealed, is a ‘Big Tent’ experience, one many people undergo at once–but that doesn’t mean it isn’t extremely personal, since our interpretation of and reaction to what happens is what gives it meaning for us. Or it may simply be that our gigantic tent is the human experience itself, with each of us witnessing some pretty spectacular things–and this may be one of them. Or we focus on the word ‘performance’, and note that this may involve interaction, actually witnessing another ‘putting on a show’–and again, the meaning of that will be decipherable only to you through your own experiences, past and emotional.

The Sun Sabian is at ‘An Ouija Board’, reinforcing the idea of information or messages that pass from the unseen to either realization or into the actual surroundings themselves–and so pointing to the importance of the message, no matter the medium that delivers it.

Mercury is also retrograde at this point, turning around in Libra, an Air sign, and so asking us to re-think, re-consider, especially in terms of aesthetic choices, partnerships, romances, and oddly enough, maybe asking us, through Venus’ territory of envy and jealousy, to re-examine why we might be envious or jealous–and perhaps rid ourselves of a tiresome and irritating feeling, should we find out we’d rather keep our own situation, problems and all, rather than take on one that only seems in a surface way to be better than ours.

The first major contact Merc will form in apparent retro motion is an opposition to Jupiter in Aries, which centers on the individual within the social order, and the way partnerships or collaborations make the whole thing tick. A riff, then, on the Lunar theme for this Full Moon, on identity and how that brings us to where we are in life.

I hope you all had a wonderful Full Moon, and of course, all the usual caveats with Merc retro: don’t sign, don’t buy, don’t agree–with the exception that if the deal was fully in place and already explored before the retro, you can go ahead. Just remember that if you do implement something during the retrograde, you do so knowing that there’s something you don’t yet know about the situation–which could mean regret or disadvantage, when you finally find out.

Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio 15 May 2022 Total Emotional Metamorphosis

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‘Butterflies’ By Odilon Redon c1910 {{PD}}

Is it the T-square formed by this Lunar eclipse, the Sun-Sedna, and the arm of Saturn-Vesta that will be most prominent, the T offering a dynamic emotional confrontation (probably over what we should see/ recognize, but don’t) that may be resolved through honoring real-world manifestations of what’s sacred (or that may conclude with the shut-down of some outlet we have been dedicated to)? Or will it be the trine to Mars-Neptune sending at least some of us chasing the Dream (or maybe, the mirage), or will we feel the delicate quincunx to Eris, as she extracts full-blown conflict from what should be minor discomfort? Much of what’s emphasized for the individual will depend on what in the natal chart is stimulated–but all of us are likely to feel the sweep of this Total Lunar eclipse in Scorpio (that happens to sextile ruler Pluto) as it digs deep, brings forward a Truth, unearths secrets, purges shame or guilt, resurrects what we thought lost, or brings a searing and complete end to something that once was a passion: vital, central, something we believed we couldn’t live without.

That’s the essence of it all, really, right there–to go on would just be extraneous. So, other energies in play may include the Jupiter-Ceres Cardinal square at 00 Aries-Cancer, respectively=the individual role within the larger social order or belief system (Jupiter in Aries) has to work it out with the sense of personal authority, and/ or the care-giving role(s) (Ceres), as they are chosen to show who and what we care about (Cancer). At time of perfection Chiron and Venus are still very close together in Aries, and semi-sextile Uranus=hurt in relationship may take on a too-singular view, losing sight of the fact that any interaction automatically involves more than one person, who also has needs and viewpoint of their own–and something in this arena could shock or surprise us–so get out ahead of it by keeping the needs of others in mind. And finally, Hygeia in Scorpio opposes Pallas in Taurus=what’s practical or wise will expose the weakness or rot behind what we’ve been calling healthy–not pretty, but infinitely useful.

I’d like to look at the Sabians involved in the T, as I suspect these will be the major energies felt by most. The Lunar eclipse Sabian is, ‘American Indians Making Camp After Moving Into A New Territory’. The question here is, is the new territory a place entered by choice, or was the move forced, remaining where one is untenable? Considering the general history of the Native American, we might infer that this move, whether willing or not, may be due to the incursion of others.

For the Sun we have, ‘A Spanish Gallant Serenades His Beloved’. The Sun, as light-giver to the Moon, may represent the catalyst: a (potential) invader, indeed, who likely sees himself as a ‘lover, not a fighter’–or maybe in the case of wooing someone, a (forceful) persuader. What does the T tell us? Saturn describes real-world circumstances or conditions: ‘A Butterfly With The Right Wing More Perfectly Formed’. That phrasing implies the left wing is perfect–the right is just more perfect! Is that even possible? There are no degrees of perfection. Add this to the symbol for Vesta: ‘A Tree Felled And Sawed To Ensure A Supply Of Wood For The Winter’. Storing up for the future, investing, in a sense. Does that suggest that exaggerated assessment, judgment, or appraisal is a kind of storing up, putting things in a kind of relationship bank? That can certainly be what someone serenading another is thinking–that the attention and flattery is an investment in the future–but what about moving into new territory?

To my mind at least one of the possibilities is encountering (or being) someone at the eclipse who goes into what for them is new territory: trying praise, flattery, and maybe a little smoke (!) in place of more aggressive methods for getting what they want. If you run into someone who’s, probably outside their usual behavior, trying a ‘catch more flies with honey than vinegar’ approach, you’ll know that they want something. It’s not necessarily nefarious in its current form, but whatever they’re aiming for, know that going along with it might eventually completely run you off what is, right now, your territory, your land. Be aware this condition is possible through the next eclipse set, 6 months down the road.

The event itself falls on the 15th, 9:14 PM PDT, at 25 Scorpio 17.

Solar Eclipse April 2022 The Shock of It All

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Fahd Hasis December 2019

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The Sun and Moon meet in partial Solar eclipse on April 30th at 1:28:04 PM PDT at 10 Taurus 28 and don’t form many aspects, the closest being a sextile to Mars in Pisces. The idea may be that what old is wiped away, and what new born, may be overshadowed by other meetings that grab the attention and let the Solar event seed a new energetic flow without our really being aware of it.

In Taurus a Solar eclipse speaks to the material condition, matters of nurture and comfort, to the artisanal and earthy–and don’t forget, to whatever matters are represented by the natal House in which this event occurs. Location in the natal chart is what gives any event like this its personal meaning; all we can do here is study the general nature of the energies, see what change they might carry. And, a Solar eclipse (without specific alignment otherwise known as a New Moon), gives a fresh start–a really fresh one, with an eclipse’s ability to obliterate circumstances related to the sign and involved bodies and Houses that existed before.

The Union of Sun and Moon occurs just as the two approach contact to Uranus, suggesting an almost explosive potential for surprise, the unanticipated, and possibly for a flash of Higher Mind guidance in the wake of the eclipse. The Moon will, upon separating from the Sun, contact Uranus first, implying an emotional impact that arrives before we can really see (the light of the Sun) what’s happening.

There’s a sextile to Mars, telling us that the event will spur action, or force choices, in Taurean realms, and the eclipse forms as both bodies separate from opposition to Hygeia–not a big deal, but a notable one, as changes or challenges to the material situation (Earth, Taurus) may affect the health and well-being.

This aspect picture leaves us with a surprisingly subdued event, with a ‘kick’ only coming later with the revelation of Uranian contact–as I said, our attention will probably be on other things, such as the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, only two minutes before perfection and falling at the midpoint of the Sedna-Pluto Earth trine, or the Mercury-Pallas semi-sextile, or the Neptune-Ceres square, or the Saturn-Ceres Air trine that catches Eris at the midpoint. All these will be loud, not offering us much choice: look at us, otherwise you’ll miss ‘it’! For most of us, though, what the eclipse eliminates and replaces will in the end be much more important, have a bigger impact on our survival and Self-image, than any of these other flashes-in-the-pan.

Venus-Jupiter, late in Pisces, may make for a kind of existential angst around Love, Money, or Relationship. It may feel like in the Cosmic order of things we’ll never have enough, never feel completely secure in Venusian areas. Our needs may seem greater than usual, but shift your perspective, and what you’ll have is an awareness of rewards greater than you anticipated–they just might not be in the form or quantity you expected. This falling at the Sedna-Pluto midpoint says anxiety may arise from instinctual feeling and/ or awareness of the power situation, with the reminder that upset is likely seated in those blind spot areas where we have given away our power. So, it’s not the power landscape itself that causes upset, but the way we’ve abdicated our own agency, prompting something within ourselves that’s struggling to be heard and known.

Mercury-Pallas says wisdom is available, as long as we don’t insist it be comfortable for us to know! Neptune square Ceres challenges us, as do many of these other aspects, to embrace Self-responsibility rather than delusion or pipe dreams (it also says, watch out for hidden environmental or dietary factors that could blindside you). The Saturn-Ceres-Eris formula suggests discipline and following ‘the rules’ pays off in authority points and the ability to Self-determine, but may also draw ire from others who benefit when you are confused or fail to stand up for yourself. If somebody is upset with your assertive nature, you’re probably doing something right.

One last, small aspect of note: the Solar eclipse is septile ( officially 51 degrees, 26 minutes) the Black Moon Lilith point in Cancer–which of course is ruled by the Moon. The septile is an influence that the rational mind doesn’t grasp easily; ‘inspiration’, or ‘in spirit’, might be good descriptors of the triggered energy. In this case the emotions will be deeply stirred by the eclipse event, but again, not reach awareness until later. Something denied, ignored, or that enrages, that we are sensitive to or care about, will begin to emerge, as we are inspired to deal with it. Give it time to reach complete consciousness, before reacting/ responding.

The eclipse/ New Moon Sabian is, ‘A Woman Watering Flowers In Her Garden’. A garden is the essence of Taurus, right? The admonition is to care for what’s already underway, rather than to put attention on something new–that comes shortly, with that Uranus contact I talked about.

I have a Word Image for the week, drawn straight from real life, and I’m thinking it applies to the Solar eclipse: you are in a public place, you look down, and there at your feet is a large blue pill. Via ‘The Matrix’, a blue pill has come to be a symbol for keeping things as they are, for refusing to recognize reality in all its horrifying detail–but I don’t think that’s what it means here. The assumption that we’re not focused in reality can be a pernicious power game, with someone always claiming to have red-pill insight beyond anything available to us. Though it’s important to acknowledge there’s always more to learn, that doesn’t automatically mean we aren’t seeing what’s before us. The Solar eclipse, with its low-key ‘planting’ energy, may tell us that what we’re seeing/ perceiving is accurate–so believe what you and others are gestating–a matter of believing what we see, real world efforts, rather than being distracted by stories, ‘what ifs’, and intimations that others with power (or who want power) know more than you do.

We might also imagine that the blue pill being left on the floor implies that it was the red pill that was taken–so perhaps pointing us to our own solid connection to reality, which speaks to a vivid awareness, alive and well, seeing warts and all. Or, there’s that other blue pill, Viagra (though the pill I saw was a capsule identical to the one offered by Morpheus). Does it suggest we need to up our potency, possibly to reinvigorate the life force? Since symbology is an individual matter, we can pick the idea we resonate to, and go from there.

Have a wonderful eclipse!

Merc Retro in Aquarius 14 January 2022: Mind Inspired

10 Monday Jan 2022

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Nicolas Poussin c1627 ‘Venus and Mercury’ {{PD}}

Mercury pauses and enters apparent backward motion at 3:42 AM PST of the 14th, and the effect is likely to be subtle but far-reaching. The planet has stationed at 10 degrees, arriving there one day before and remaining one day after; the turnaround itself occurs at 10 Aquarius 20. The Sabian symbol for this degree is, ‘During A Silent Hour, A Man Receives A New Inspiration Which May Change His Life’. This is the heart of it: the retro period brings re-consideration of our ideals, of what we find sacred and honor, of how we wish to spend our days and hours–we look at how we are actually spending our time (what a phrase in English! Equating our lives with the use of any other asset), and how close this comes to (or diverges from) what we truly find of value.

We may find ourselves comparing our current situation to the dreams we have and had, especially those expectations for life that we carried at an earlier time. We are able right now to set aside those rationalizations that may have made us compromise our visions and goals; we see exactly how we may have diluted our aims to accommodate practicality, expediency, and varied duties. Some of these duties and choices, we’ll find, do represent what’s most important, in the form of commitments to others or to causes; some won’t pass the smell test, no matter what we tell ourselves–and this retro is the time to see, acknowledge, and then prepare to do something about the ways in which our thinking and pursuit of Higher Mind goals have gone seriously off-track.

This need for re-consideration is apparent in the contacts Mercury makes at the moment of retrogression. Happening in Aquarius, a Fixed Air sign, we know that previously rock-solid ideas and opinions will be examined by the Higher Mind and vetted through current or near-future conditions–and we know that at least some of the revelations we’ll receive will come through accident, surprise, or rebellion, which in this instance will be necessary catalysts to the examinations we must make.

Mercury will be novile both Neptune-Pallas, planet of creativity, imagination, ideals, and delusions, united with the asteroid of practicality, skills, and wisdom, and the asteroid Vesta, harbinger of what we honor and dedicate our life energies to–in fact, Mercury will turnaround at the midpoint between the other two points. The novile is an aspect that draws the genuinely innovative and ‘genius’ elements from the two bodies in question; in this case, we have four, three of which, in two portions, Neptune-Pallas, and Vesta, aren’t in major contact to each other–but they are through the mechanism of Mercury and his retro mentality of review. We can expect the retro period to offer inspiration as to what we want to use our life energy for, where we want to focus our efforts, and how we can best fulfill our highest ideals, and to offer this in both practical and smart forms. This may or may not reveal itself in material forms (Merc ruler Uranus in Taurus/ ancient ruler of Aquarius, real-world oriented Saturn, just ahead of Mercury in Aquarius), but we will certainly get a solid mental picture of what needs to occur upon direction–and this is contrary to the usual message of letting the mind rest during a Merc retro. In this case, we just won’t be able to. The hamster wheel will keep spinning–just be aware that final conclusions shouldn’t be drawn until well after the tension of retro and direction have passed, in this instance maybe even waiting until once-again direct Mercury passes its retro point, around the 25th of February–which is also the time when Mercury will, just past the retro point, square Uranus.

We have noted that Mercury turns around just short of completing a square to sign ruler Uranus, now in Taurus. This suggests that we won’t actually confront material realities during the retro, that instead those will be delivered through difficult (the square) Uranian circumstances after direction (and those may include through leadership issues, group mandate, innovation, rebellion by ourselves or others against demands or constraints, accidents, surprises, or serendipities, through application of academics or Higher Mind thought, through revelation, invention, or modernization, or through taking an original approach or manifesting an original idea).

At the point of retrograde Mercury will also be in wide conjunction to Saturn–again as with the square to Uranus, not perfected, and so any limitations or constraints won’t be applied to matters, just yet–and sextile Chiron, offering some promise of healing through the retro review. This is a ‘make plans, understand what you really want and care about’ retrograde, with careful attention to aims and extended consideration of wants vital to eventual good decisions. The usual admonitions ‘don’t sign, don’t buy’ are still in force, though as always I would add that if something has been thoroughly vetted or chosen well before the retrograde, proceeding during to complete the deal typically holds no more risk than when Mercury’s direct. Though I often suggest using the feeling senses as the go-to during a Merc withdrawal, this time, as I’ve already noted, it may not be easy or even possible; the less time we spend judging our mental state during this retrograde, the more actual, effective exploration of our priorities and our ability to implement them is likely to get done. The unsuitability of emotions and senses for processing may be shown by the retro moment’s capture of a tight quincunx between the Moon in Gemini and Venus in Capricorn, implying that the feeling nature and relationships/ wants will be generating their own friction, and so might not be available as an alternate conduit for perceptions right now.

New Moon in Capricorn 2 January 2022 A Grounded Utopia

31 Friday Dec 2021

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Map of Utopia By Abraham Ortelius c1595 {{PD}}

A New Moon in Capricorn promises a fresh emotional grounding, a window during which we see what can bring us a sense of security and a feeling of accomplishment. This New Moon in Cap (2 January 2022 at 12 Capricorn 20 at 10:34 AM PST) brings a little something more: a sense of what’s truly real-world possible for us in the near-future, indicated by the close semi-sextile of the New Moon to Saturn in Aquarius. The conduit the New Moon creates between the ancient and modern rulers of Aquarius, Uranus (which trines the New Moon) and Saturn (which aspects and rules the New Moon and is currently in Aquarius), allows for a harmonious marriage of what is with what could be–but it’s up to us to follow a few simple New Moon hints that will allow us to guide our own personal progressive vision to successful realization.

Is it a reality check if we’re already clear on circumstances, but are shown possibilities for the future? Current energies are operating in a kind of flux that turns the meaning of a reality check on its head; instead of showing us where we’re disconnected from the true nature of things, we’ll be shown how completely aware we are of what is, and how our reality can fold outward from itself, how it and we have the momentum to bring about a bright, shining, personal utopia–or at least, we’ll have the ability to see it, reach for it, aim for it.

The New Moon is novile the South Node, suggesting we have a (temporary) genius for parsing the past and extracting resources, particularly things we’ve discovered or learned (SN Sagittarius) that can help us build our brave new world. The Lunar event is also trine Uranus and sesquiquadrate the close Sedna-Ceres conjunction, all in Taurus. Here the New Moon emphasis may be on innovation, realizing (as in making real) our own original ideas and impulses, and finding ways to create change or progress that both supports and makes use of our instincts and ‘what we know but don’t know’, and that can effectively draw on the actual personal power situation we have command over. It’s all about material or conceptual changes that implement our most unique visions; it’s a statement, presented via the feeling nature: we have what we need to make ‘it’ happen–go out and do it!–and that may introduce the element of surprise, to ourselves at what we’re capable of or equipped for, and to those around us, who may not have realized we are ready and able to shape the future as we truly want it to be (and an approaching semi-sextile of the Sun-Moon to Mars in fiery Sagittarius puts the responsibility on each of us to do what we know is right, in terms of our own knowledge and beliefs).

But, we must first know what those beliefs are, before we can act on them. We have an intriguing Sabian Symbol for this New Moon, one that seems especially applicable, considering the way idea inception seems to be so prominent at this time: ‘A Fire Worshipper Meditates On The Ultimate Realities Of Existence’. The symbol speaks of a dynamic individuality that steps outside its own action urge in order to contemplate the larger mysteries of the Universe. This may indeed be what we do: we may feel grounded, and therefore safe, in taking a pause in order to understand what lies beneath the reality that surrounds us. In doing that, we better see and understand the implications that our own actions may have. A thoughtful period before implementation of goals is required before proceeding; don’t allow yourself to think that this caesura is a waste of time, as without it you won’t truly understand the ultimate effects of what you’re doing.

Also of note: the recent foray of Jupiter into Pisces only aids us in accessing our dreams. The ancient ruler of the sign offers an energy that can lift the innovation and originality to new heights, and can free imaginative and creative impulses that can inform our efforts and our creative product–however, don’t lean solely on the Jupiterian impulse to get things done–you’ll go wildly off-track if you do–instead accept the need for constraint and emotional discipline the Lunar event will remind us of, and use it to harness our natural largesse and generative ability in service of our New Moon new beginnings.

I want to thank my Readers for their support and participation in 2021, and I hope to see each and every one of you here again in 2022. Happy New Year! Sending you all heartfelt wishes for a safe and happy year ahead.

Lunar Eclipse 19 November 2021 Eraser

17 Wednesday Nov 2021

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, eclipse, forecast, Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse, Sabian Symbols

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‘Blackboard after Radical Digital Painting Lecture’ By Jeffrey Alan Scudder

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The most striking thing to me, once again in recent Lunar events, is how few aspects are made, with those that are close also for the most part being minor–or, the aspect is to a minor body, as it is with the eclipse Moon-Earth approaching conjunction to Sedna. Long-time Readers know I see asteroids and other minor bodies as facets of the umbrella larger energy represented by the major planets–so the emphasis this eclipse on smaller entities emphasizes their particular nature, their ‘attitudes’.

This is a partial Lunar eclipse, meaning the Earth, as it lines up on the ecliptic with and comes between the Sun and the Moon, won’t create a shadow that entirely blocks the reflected light of the Moon. In symbolic terms this suggests a ‘mild’ eclipse effect (if that’s even possible!) so that, considering the minor aspect-minor body angle, what we might see are surrounding events that cast a more modest shadow on circumstances than we might expect. Changes, rather than devastation, as we might anticipate with a total eclipse or with strong contact to our own charts (see the previous post for one such example).

The eclipse occurs at 12:57 AM PST of the 19th at 27 Taurus 14, close to conjoining Sedna, suggesting that something might ‘click’ soon after the eclipse: we may realize what we ‘know but don’t know’, what has been sublimated, or only instinctively known, up until now. An eclipse is like an eraser run across the blackboard of life: It can wipe things away, sometimes even bringing a literal ‘clean slate’, but we’ll still see the remnants of what was, the ghost images of what was written before–and with this eclipse, we see that with the separating square from Jupiter and the separating trine of Pluto. Both imply these things are past, but recently enough that they figure into, even shape, the eclipse events. The Moon-Earth combo moving away from a square to Jupiter in Aquarius speaks of difficult material and emotional impacts of having acquired new knowledge or understanding, or of some social injustice or unrest–it may also hint that in some instances, we may have exaggerated the importance of this. The same duo leaving a trine to Pluto says that change or destructive/ transformative influences snuck in easily; only with the eclipse may we begin to realize how much the ground beneath our feet (Pluto is in Capricorn, after all) may have shifted, given way, or heaved up right under us.

We also see two lesser, but in this case probably no less important, aspects: a just-separating quindecile to Mars, and a sesquiquadrate to Venus–which happens to place Venus and Mars in sextile to each other. What may look harmonious on the surface, a blending and cooperative effort of different but equal, or of complementary ‘parts’ or energies, will reveal its more challenging facets under the Lunar shadow. The eclipse aspect to Mars is one that calls out extreme reactions, the obsessive, the disruptive, the restless, and speaks of motivations–in this case, perhaps actions taken or choices made as to what must go, must be eliminated or altered, what steps must be taken, and all with the aim of either ridding ourselves of a negative element or getting to the Truth (Mars in Scorpio).

With the aspect to Venus, we see slightly less tension, and something akin to excessive irritation, the kind that lights a fire under us. Venus is in Capricorn, possibly speaking of dissatisfaction with the status quo, with rules and regs, with constraints, especially societal ones, and these irritations are delivered through tension in relationships or surrounding the financial or asset picture. It could arise from some upset with someone we love and feel safe with, who under the eclipse light suddenly threatens the tidy arrangement we have–or it could be that our own efforts, especially artistic creations or things created out of our own love for them, won’t be appreciated by the larger social order. In any case, these are disruptive and disturbing elements that arrive in our lives in what seems like a very personal form–and so we may not realize everyone is experiencing these effects in some form.

What we thought we had, what has made us comfortable, what we see as assets or talents, is likely to get scrutiny, and get a shake-up, either from us or from the outside world, should we not respond to the need for change. The Sabian for the Full Moon eclipse is, ‘A Woman, Past Her “Change Of Life”, Experiences A New Love’. In this image we have a receptive agent (a woman), specifically post-childbearing years, who finds a new love. That seems to me a lovely reminder of the worth of a human being beyond any socially designated biological role. It’s also an image of optimism, of hope: one doesn’t have a prime for Love–that can happen any time. It’s an invitation to live life to its fullest.

We always inspect the Sun’s Sabian for a Full Moon as well: ‘The King Of The Fairies Approaching His Domain’. What Kingdom do you rule? This speaks of territory, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, that you know is yours, that you have been aiming to completely master, occupy, or return to–you’re almost there, with the notation that the eclipse energy, no matter how it plays out, is meant to get you closer to this destination.

Full Moon in Aries 20 October 2021 Leave Anger in the Past

13 Wednesday Oct 2021

Posted by in astrology, forecast, Full Moon, Sabian Symbols

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‘Méditation’ By Henri Rachou

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Though the Full Moon (7:56 AM PDT of the 20th, at 27 Aries 26) seems like prime time to lash out, as Mars moves to perfect a T-square by opposing Eris and squaring Pluto (with the Eris-Pluto square only off by 9 minutes), with Mars just separating from a trine to stationing Jupiter, suggesting the time for optimism is past, we’d be wise to realize that 29-degree Sedna in its last Taurean gasp may be stirring things up we’re not consciously aware of. The Aries Full Moon may shout, ‘It’s time to look out for #1!’, with surrounding aspects (like the Mercury-Black Moon Lilith trine=thinking about what we’ve been avoiding/ ignoring, or what enrages us) prompting us to feel we’re finally ready to face things, leading us down a path of misunderstanding and anger.

The important thing to note is that the Full Moon perfects well past the Sun-Moon-Earth contact to Mars, Eris, and Pluto (their positions at 23 and 24 degrees of their respective signs), meaning that all that assertive, upset, hyper-reactive, destructive, Me First energy isn’t something to carry into the present. We may try to justify it with the FM Aries energy, believing we haven’t been standing up for ourselves–but as Maury Povich likes to declare, results in hand: “THAT would be a lie!”

In the period between Mercury’s direction and the Full Moon (just about 48 hours) we’ll be presented with a pretty clear picture of things; the question is, will we admit to ourselves that what’s revealed is the Truth? How honest you’ve been will determine how much you want to use the Arian Moon energy as an excuse to go after what you want, or to attack others. You can be sure that the stronger your urge tp aggress, the more you need to step back and take a personal accounting of reality.

That means that if you succumb to a righteous anger at the time of the Full Moon, you could make some serious mistakes. The Sun, Earth, and Moon are making contact in what is, once the Moon begins to separate, a Lunar Void condition. There are no Ptolemaic (major) aspects to come before these bodies leave the signs they’re in (there aren’t even any minor ones, except for a semi-sextile of Moon and then Earth to Sedna–with Sun quincunxing–but we’ve already accounted for this general influence).

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘A Large Audiences Confronts The Performer Who Disappointed Its Expectations’. In this case, we may be both audience and performer; our job is to confront ourselves over our own behavior, assumptions–over our ‘performance’. A big dose of reality needs to be accepted; so does a reasonable (not exaggerated or martyr-ish) sense of personal responsibility. Those are the ways that Full Moon in Aries events won’t just be brought to a head, but will bring a more complete (and so secure) sense of Self.

The Sabian for the Sun, giver-of-light in the first place, is, ‘A Man Becoming Aware Of Spiritual Forces Surrounding And Assisting Him’. This suggests that we’ll be offered plenty of unseen support. The Universe will whisper at us, giving us a clear (though possibly quite subtle) direction. Will we listen? That’s a question for the ages, as they say.

Full Moon in Pisces 20 September 2021 Putting Your Finger On It

17 Friday Sep 2021

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Full Moon, Sabian Symbols

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Detail of the hand of Oopjen Coppit with Cuffs and pearl bracelet, By Rembrandt 1634 {{PD}}

The Full Moon perfects at 4:54 PM PDT on the 20th at 28 Pisces 13, sextile a 29 degree Sedna and forming the base to a Finger of God with apex Vesta at 00 Scorpio. What happens when feelings reach a zenith (FM), in fact overflow with no boundaries, and spring from the (overactive) imagination (Pisces)? And then reach accord (the sextile) with either those things we ‘know but don’t know’, or our ‘blind spot’ material (Sedna)? In this case, they give us a fresh (00 degrees) deep dive (Scorpio) into our core values and commitments (Vesta). The emotional impact of Full Moon realization is a brand-new take on what we care about most. What have you been dedicating your life (especially your emotional energy) to, and how, after this Lunar experience, will what you honor, find sacred, and commit your energy to, change?

The Full Moon in Pisces promises to make us aware of an ideal or dream we have been assembling, reaching for, or planning for (albeit probably below the conscious level) that is informed by things that are either a deep part of us (instinctive) or that we have absorbed without knowing we have, and these will require a new take on what we regard most highly in life. Look to the House in the natal chart that holds Scorpio to know around what subjects our ideals have, are, or will be changing, and consider that these changes are meant to be toward a dream or ideal form.

The Full Moon is also widely opposed Mars and semi-square Uranus, suggesting that matters of personal Will, ego, identity, or choice may factor in, and that surprises or sudden revelations, especially through accidents or the serendipitous, could be part of the Lunar event. You may ask, is the Full Moon conjoined Neptune? Sextile Pluto? What about quincunx Mercury? No, no, and no–remember, precision in drawing the event picture is necessary to drawing accurate conclusions that reflect the actual Full Moon and what it brings.

In the non-Lunar things I want to note category is the almost perfected at the time of the Full Moon (only one minute past!) trine of Mercury to Jupiter in their respective Air signs. This implies an atmosphere of easily exaggerated thoughts and communications, a tendency to ‘live in our heads’, to over promise, or to believe something we’ve thought, but don’t actually know. The Preacher, The Trickster, The Zealot, and The Persuader will all be overly potent at this time, making those who vibe to these Archetypes unusually influential–and not in a good way.

Then we have the way that, through Mercury, this ties in to a T-square with Mercury opposed Eris, with the arm Pluto. Communication might just naturally open the way for discord; if there are any destructive intents behind words, thoughts, agreements, or random comments, they will fly out like the ills of the world from Pandora’s box–and speaking of minor planet/asteroid Pandora (at 16 Libra 14, and not shown on the chart below), it’s currently forming, with Juno, the base to a Finger of God with apex Uranus. That sounds to me like being too strident about our position, status, or what we believe is owed to us, or vengeful for perceived wrongs (recall Juno had a difficult time feeling disrespected) can combine with poor choice (Pandora) to lead to sudden and quite unintended or out of control consequences. So take care, as all of this creates the atmosphere in which the Full Moon changes and revelations will occur.

One more thing: there’s also a loose Grand Trine of Mars/ Saturn/ North Node-Black Moon Lilith. This suggests taking action right now might inadvertently lead to stasis, perhaps promoting rage or forcing us to deny or ignore things that will turn out to be life direction shaping. Could this aspect also offer security, a solid footing from which to take action? Probably not, as even if things look steady they would be based on what we’re either angry about or in denial of–and that’s not a healthy recipe.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘Light Breaking Into Many Colors As It Passes Through A Prism’. The image suggests we’ll have an experience that allows us to separate into individual parts of the spectrum what lights (enlightens, illuminates–that is, makes life worth living, translating to those Vestal things we’re dedicated to) up our world–and so we’ll understand better which hues we want to enhance, which we want to move away from. The Sun, provider of light and symbol of ourselves/ the Soul in the individual chart, sits at this Sabian: ‘A Seeker After Occult Knowledge Is Reading An Ancient Scroll Which Illumines His Mind’. It’s in taking a posture of seeking, openness of mind, willingness to learn, that we receive that illumination; the ‘right’ attitude (the attuned attitude) opens the way for the re-assessment of priorities promised by the Full Moon in Pisces.

Everyone, have a wonderful Full Moon! Concentrate on realizing the Full Moon energies and what they can show you about your own priorities, and maybe hold back from too-active communications or actions, as that’s where the booby-traps lie.