Tag Archives: South Node

Vesta, the South Node, and the Aries Point October 2015

20 Tuesday Oct 2015

Posted by in Aries Point, astrology

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Concentrate, trace the waves of the past, see where they've pushed you to contact the material world, and you may see what's coming. 'Girl Seated by Shore' George Elgar Hicks 1877 {{PD}}

Concentrate, trace the waves of the past, see where they’ve pushed you to contact the material world, and you may see what’s coming. ‘Girl Seated by Shore’
George Elgar Hicks 1877 {{PD}}

Right now Vesta and the South Node are together at the Aries Point; that is, they’re conjoined at 00 Aries. This point is notable for a couple reasons: in time it marks the Spring equinox, when the Sun hits this point going from south to north crossing the equatorial plane, so we might think of this as a Node of the Sun-Earth path, a point of extremity; it also marks the point in the natal chart where spirit meets the material–or we can think of it as the point where who we are reaches out into the world and is received–and that means that those natal placements and points that contact the Aries Point will indicate those ways in which we will be noticed by others, at what vibrational frequency (related to the body contacted) we can make our mark, or may indicate for what we become known, whether that’s in a group of two or two billion.

The current combination focuses those still-living waves from the past (the South Node), both what we’ve built on and what resounds like an echo, informing our thoughts and actions as if the circumstances continue to exist, through the lens of highest values, those things to which we dedicate ourselves and our efforts, our sense of ‘home’, and our interactions with the mate (Vesta). Placed at the Aries Point, the implication is that something seminal may occur in terms of our values; something may begin, find its seed, start gestation of a proto-essence that doesn’t have a name yet. This should alert us to a new thing that will break the horizon in the future, a thing born of the past and our previous choices surrounding home, mate, and energy dedication. We can’t be more specific than that, yet, though we may want to look for the natal placements of Mars and/or Vesta, as well as the matters of the House ruled by Mars, and the current transit or progressed situations of these, for clues as to what might be, even now, setting out roots, developing, moving to emerge.

See my books here, including my newest on Vesta, and here’s a little something on Vesta and relationships from a few years ago. Enjoy your week! And a reminder: unless you are a current client, please do not contact my email directly–I cannot answer unsolicited queries, questions, or requests for service–I just don’t have the time. Please see the ‘Services’ page for information on my availability. Thank you for keeping me so busy!

What You’re Asking–Mermaids, Mercury’s Birth, and Peacocks–Delicious!

13 Friday Mar 2015

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, aspects and placements, Configurations, What You're Asking

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John William Waterhouse - 'Mermaid' {{PD}}

John William Waterhouse – ‘Mermaid’ {{PD}}

This is a re-print I thought you might find interesting, as it talks about both the Fist of God, a config involved in the upcoming Solar eclipse, and about the effects of an eclipse that conjuncts the natal South Node. ‘What You’re Asking’ is taken from search terms (shown in italics) used to bring seekers to this site, and I’ve modified the Full Moon answer below to reflect the next one that we’ll see, a Lunar eclipse.

mermaids and full moon

Let’s answer this one first, as an excuse to use that beautiful Waterhouse portrait of a mermaid: of course they exist, and if you’re lucky enough to see one, it’ll probably be under a Full Moon–just seems right. The next one comes at 5 April, 5:06 AM Pacific time, and falls at 14 Libra 24. Find the perfect beach, then when the day comes stake it out (you’ll be ‘up with the fishes’!) preferably with a picnic and someone you love to keep you company, and wait for the magic to happen.

astrology fist of god

A configuration where the base is two or more bodies square each other, with all base components sesquiquadrate (135 degrees) from the apex body. Typically this presents as an initial conflict between the base energies that, once resolved (or at least is brought to some kind of equilibrium) then results in another hurdle, described by the conflict between the disparate points of view of the base bodies and the apex body–so we officially have three viewpoints to juggle, and possibly to blend/ resolve. Often this generates both intense internal tension and stressful outward situations, and just as with a ‘regular’ square, we can’t ignore that initial clash of the base energies–they demand attention, and once they’ve gotten some, the apex energy makes demands, and this is so whether we’ve successfully resolved the base energies or not. We can really feel it’s being piled on when a Fist of God (some prefer Thor’s Hammer) is activated, but the thing to remember is this: don’t let the stress run the show; nine times out of ten, a Fist presents issues that are in some essential way unresolvable (at least, if formed or activated by transit, unresolvable in the moment and solely by you), and you’ll gain a great deal by taking a step back and recognizing that this may be a riddle that, right now, has no totally satisfying answer.

Saturn square Pluto

As a natal aspect, this is weighty; it pits the darkest and most powerful personal elements of the Self against the personal elements most slavish to custom, fearful of authority, locked into rules, hidebound, and conventional. The alchemical nature of Pluto requires almost constant change, either through destruction and resurrection or replacement, or through transformation, while Saturn is all about keeping things just as they’ve always been. So, we’re likely to see this clash as a recurring theme in the life of someone who has this in the horoscope, and this is likely to express with the individual balancing the two awkwardly (gently committing a little more to one or the other) until something forces an impossible choice or requires the two factors to work together–and the energies can be reconciled, if the individual knows both her or his own power (Pluto) and is firmly in touch with reality (Saturn) and as well has mastered at least a modicum of Self-discipline (also Saturn). We can’t overlook the fact that this unites two or more Houses of the natal chart, the ones with Scorpio and Capricorn (and possibly Aquarius, as Saturn was its ancient ruler) on the cusp; the nature of this connection will be one where some of the matters of the Houses will face this same status quo vs. regeneration challenge, possibly repeatedly, until the individual reaches a final, working relationship between the two energies, giving neither one short-shrift in the life.

pallas in scorpio

As a natal placement, this promises that one’s internalized wisdom is deep; there may be a sense of intuitive ‘knowing’ from an early age. Guidance may spring from getting to know darkness (one’s own or the workings of darkness within the world), and from a strong sense of curiosity, the kind that will research fearlessly for the answer. The person with this placement may understand emotion and the wisdom behind its expression, or may glean knowledge from emotional experience, and Pallas in Scorpio may have a kind of x-ray vision, seeing to the Truth of any matter. Positive manifestations show wisdom based in a thorough understanding and acceptance of the life-death-life scenario, while a negative expression could come in the form of the Evil Queen who offers others a poisoned apple (tainted guidance), out of malice, jealousy, or the desire to destroy.

peacock to eat

I just had to Google this myself; Juno prefers these majestic birds pulling her chariot, and would flip out if she saw a mortal eating the bird that represents her (which is, I think, why this query showed up at my site, due to some mention of Juno and her mascot). I was curious: do people eat peacock? There’s this, which describes preparation of peacock in medieval Europe. Of course, about half the answers that Google gave reversed the scenario, as if I’d asked what peacocks eat; the most entertaining (and somehow unnerving–who is this person?) was on Yahoo Answers: and I quote, ” i used to raise peacocks and lemme tell you they are some good eatin.” And end scene.

south node solar eclipse

This seems a very compelling event, with the power and intense energy of a Solar eclipse meeting the point in the natal chart that designates ‘the past’ (one’s memories, experiences, all that is residue of what was for the Soul). The result could be a breaking-free from old habits, obligations, or restrictions, especially those that are imposed through outdated roles or occurrences that no longer have resonance; residue of memory and the interference of others could fall away in a single instant. One could even have one’s memory wiped clean, through something as soap opera-y as amnesia or as life-changing as a stroke, or where a version of the past is removed from the life quite literally, as when a tornado destroys everything one owns. It could be much simpler, and entirely internal, as when the eclipse illuminates something from the past that has been unavailable or hidden; one finds out about one’s own adoption, perhaps, or learns of a family secret that lifts the veil on some important mental viewpoint or emotional response to their own origins or experience. There’s also the potential for actualizing all accumulated knowledge in some form that allows it to flow into the future and manifest in some wise and divine creation, as if lightning has struck all that was for the individual and crystallized it into a single, shimmering idea that one is destined to deliver to the world. Just remember to keep the orbs very tight; for this aspect I would prefer 1.5 degrees or less in variation from exact.

Juno’s response to Mercury’s birth

“It’s a bay-bee!”

(Possibly as spoken by Julia Sweeney’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ character, ‘Pat’)

Have a wonderful weekend!

What You’re Asking: ‘Mermaids, Mercury’s Birth, & Peacocks–Delicious!’

08 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in What You're Asking

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‘A Mermaid’ JWWaterhouse 1901 {{PD-Art}}

‘What You’re Asking’ is taken from search terms used to bring seekers to this site.

mermaids and full moon

Let’s answer this one first, as an excuse to use that beautiful Waterhouse portrait of a mermaid: of course they exist, and if you’re lucky enough to see one, it’ll probably be under a Pisces Full Moon–just seems right. The next one comes at 6:57 AM PDT August 31st at 8 Pisces 33, so you’ll have all summer to find the perfect beach, then when the day comes stake it out, preferably with a picnic and someone you love to keep you company, and wait for the magic to happen.

astrology fist of god

A configuration where the base is two or more bodies square each other, with all base components sesquiquadrate (135 degrees) from the apex body. Typically this presents as an initial conflict between the base energies that, once resolved (or at least is brought to some kind of equilibrium) then results in another hurdle, described by the conflict between the disparate points of view of the base bodies and the apex body–so we officially have three viewpoints to juggle, and possibly to blend/ resolve. Often this generates both intense internal tension and stressful outward situations, and just as with a ‘regular’ square, we can’t ignore that initial clash of the base energies–they demand attention, and once they’ve gotten some, the apex energy makes demands, and this is so whether we’ve successfully resolved the base energies or not. We can really feel it’s being piled on when a Fist of God (some prefer Thor’s Hammer) is activated, but the thing to remember is this: don’t let the stress run the show; nine times out of ten, a Fist presents issues that are in some essential way unresolvable (at least, if formed or activated by transit, unresolvable in the moment and solely by you), and you’ll gain a great deal by taking a step back and recognizing that this may be a riddle that, right now, has no totally satisfying answer.

Pluto square Saturn

As a natal aspect, this is weighty; it pits the darkest and most powerful personal elements of the Self against the personal elements most slavish to custom, fearful of authority, locked into rules, hidebound, and conventional. The alchemical nature of Pluto requires almost constant change, either through destruction and resurrection or replacement, or through transformation, while Saturn is all about keeping things just as they’ve always been. So, we’re likely to see this clash as a recurring theme in the life of someone who has this in the horoscope, and this is likely to express with the individual balancing the two awkwardly (gently committing a little more to one or the other) until something forces an impossible choice or requires the two factors to work together–and the energies can be reconciled, if the individual knows both her or his own power (Pluto) and is firmly in touch with reality (Saturn) and as well has mastered at least a modicum of Self-discipline (also Saturn). We can’t overlook the fact that this unites two or more Houses of the natal chart, the ones with Scorpio and Capricorn on the cusp; the nature of this connection will be one where some of the matters of the Houses will face this same status quo vs. regeneration challenge, possibly repeatedly, until the individual reaches a final, working relationship between the two energies, giving neither one short-shrift in the life.

pallas in scorpio

As a natal placement, this promises that one’s internalized wisdom is deep; there may be a sense of intuitive ‘knowing’ from an early age. Guidance may spring from getting to know darkness (one’s own or the workings of darkness within the world), and from a strong sense of curiosity, the kind that will research fearlessly for the answer. The person with this placement may understand emotion and the wisdom behind its expression, or may glean knowledge from emotional experience, and Pallas in Scorpio may have a kind of x-ray vision, seeing to the Truth of any matter. Positive manifestations show wisdom based in a thorough understanding and acceptance of the life-death-life scenario, while a negative expression could come in the form of the Evil Queen who offers others a poisoned apple (tainted guidance), out of malice, jealousy, or the desire to destroy.

peacock to eat

I just had to Google this myself; Juno prefers these majestic birds pulling her chariot, and would flip out if she saw a mortal eating the bird that represents her (which is, I think, why this query showed up at my site, due to some mention of Juno and her mascot). I was curious: do people eat peacock? There’s this, which describes preparation of peacock in medieval Europe. Of course, about half the answers that Google gave reversed the scenario, as if I’d asked what peacocks eat; the most entertaining (and somehow unnerving–who is this person?) was on Yahoo Answers: and I quote, ” i used to raise peacocks and lemme tell you they are some good eatin.” And end scene.

south node solar eclipse

This seems a very compelling event, with the power and intense energy of a Solar eclipse meeting the point in the natal chart that designates ‘the past’ (one’s memories, experiences, all that is residue of what was for the Soul). The result could be a breaking-free from old habits, obligations, or restrictions, especially those that are imposed through outdated roles or occurrences that no longer have resonance; residue of memory and the interference of others could fall away in a single instant. One could even have one’s memory wiped clean, through something as soap opera-y as amnesia or as life-changing as a stroke, or where a version of the past is removed from the life quite literally, as when a tornado destroys everything one owns. It could be much simpler, and entirely internal, as when the eclipse illuminates something from the past that has been unavailable or hidden; one finds out about one’s own adoption, perhaps, or learns of a family secret that lifts the veil on some important mental viewpoint or emotional response to their own origins or experience. There’s also the potential for actualizing all accumulated knowledge in some form that allows it to flow into the future and manifest in some wise and divine creation, as if lightning has struck all that was for the individual and crystallized it into a single, shimmering idea that one is destined to deliver to the world. Just remember to keep the orbs very tight; for this aspect I would prefer 1.5 degrees or less in variation from exact.

Juno’s response to Mercury’s birth

“It’s a bay-bee!”

(Possibly as spoken by Julia Sweeney’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ character, ‘Pat’)  🙂

 

When Pluto Points at You: Finger of God

06 Wednesday May 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, Finger of God

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So I promised I’d update this week if anything spoke to me, and I just heard something: a Finger of God with Pluto as the apex and the South Node and Mercury, as it’s poised to retrograde, as the arms in quincunx. First, this suggests that if Pluto (at 3 Cap 02 retro) currently aspects something in your natal chart, you need to really pay attention: the Lord of the Underworld is pointing right at you, and he doesn’t take no for an answer, nor does he go along with that spacey thing, where we pretend we don’t notice looming change, transformation, or profound and deeply affecting endings as they present themselves. pluto-and-persephone

What venues are speaking to us with Pluto’s voice? And note, even those who are not receiving an aspect to a natal placement from Pluto will be at the very least witnessing this intensive energy, this deep wave of quantum change. So Pluto is the targeted outlet for all the energies and memories we carry from the past (the South Node) and what is likely our highly over-active and agitated mental process (Mercury); this latter is an energy under stress right now and will remain so through its retrograde, direction, and its pass back out to the retrograde degree (1 Gemini), just not so dramatically or obviously, as it moves along its course.

This Finger configuration focuses Pluto’s intensity and power, its ability to re-energize and re-create, to demolish and destroy and change matter in the closest thing we have to alchemy, on the mind and the memories. Being open to what it offers may feel scary, but it’s probably the best thing we could do, considering the current tense state of our minds and all communications as the Trickster pauses and turns around. We must also note that one of the outlets for the Plutonian energy may be our relationships, as Venus is currently still within square to Pluto–and sometimes we are prone to funnel energies into those areas we feel passionate about, without looking too closely at whether these are deserving of our upset or not, and the same goes for the past–we must be clear about what is triggering our feelings, so that we’re slaying actual dragons, not charging at ghosts from our past.

Illustration, Pluto and Persephone, courtesy of Karen’s Whimsy, link at right

Focus on: Uranus Sesquiquadrate South Node + Mini ‘What You’re Asking’

25 Wednesday Feb 2009

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

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Starting tomorrow, February 25th, and lasting through March 29th, Uranus in Pisces forms a sesquiquadrate with the Leo South Node. A sesquiquadrate suggests we will experience a long-term adjustment, an irritation that seems to go on and on, related to the current role of transiting Uranus in our chart, and to the South Node. What we will likely find centers in a scenario of continuing upset springing either directly from our past or from those things we believed we’d already handled, and they will disrupt our individual innovative and creative expression, our role within the group, or both. Considering the signs involved, it may be a case where matters are presented as either ‘we do it for the group/ Collective’ (and that’s judged to be ‘good’) or ‘we do it for ourselves’ (with the implication that this is inherently ‘bad’). The most important thing to keep in mind is that we must choose and perform in such a way that we can exorcise the past while being true to what we as individuals choose–in this instance, consideration for the interests of the group can and should be secondary.

And now, a little ‘What You’re Asking’:

How long will Saturn oppose Uranus?

This pairing will move back out of and then into orb again several times before finally separating; the last exact opposition occurs at 00 degrees 25 minutes of Libra and Aries on 26 July 2010, with any leftover effects swiftly diminishing thereafter. The good news is that by then we will have been living with the opposition’s effects for so long that we will likely have long ago developed ways to accomodate its influence; the bad news is that once it goes the chances to reform old structures and strictures will be gone, as will the chance to make solid our inventions and our most original creative ideas. Ending in the Cardinal Libra and Aries also suggests that its final influences will be notably swift, sure, and in a much different vein than those of the Virgo/ Pisces time period. Saturn in Libra and Uranus in Aries suggest we could see solid new partnerships and perhaps martial revolutionary action before it’s all said and done.

How are Mars and Neptune alike?

At first glance this might seem like an odd and unanswerable question, but when I thought about it I realized that if nothing else they have strength of Will in common. Mars is known for his Willfulness, the ego ready to push his way to the front of the line, the Warrior who doesn’t hesitate to fight, and usually for a cause from which he benefits. Neptune is often characterized as soft, wishy-washy, illusive–but I think that’s protective covering for enormous drive to make the dream or ideal a reality. Even in its more negative manifestation, the strength of Neptune is impressive; it takes a tremendous Willpower to create and maintain a fantasy, a deception, or an escapist pursuit, and successfully shut out the world entirely. And when the two connect in the natal chart, we can be looking at one of the most persistent, determined, and yes, stubborn combinations around, if only because so much energy is devoted single-mindedly and with complete faith, to those Neptunian subjects.

Can a person breathe on Pluto?

Sorry. No.