Tag Archives: The Astro Essence

That Little Bird

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‘Portrait of a Child With a Bird’ By Wybrand de Geest 1610 {{PD}}

What’s happening right now, in the lee of this eclipse, an event that carried a big impact, the extent of which we may not completely uncover (or recover from) for some time (we have six months, after all, to bask, or is that flail? in its effects)? I’m drawn to the way the Sun is creeping up on Sedna, late in Taurus; I choose the word ‘creeping’ for a reason: to me that’s a picture of conscious awareness trying to bring what’s instinctive, what we know but don’t know, or what’s in our ‘blind spot’, to light–probably so it can be changed, purged, or resurrected in better form (trine to Pluto)–and we want that little bird of unconscious knowledge to eat from our hand, not startle and fly away.

What gives us a chance to gain the insight we want is the way those liminally-carried, instinctive energies will be engaged in sorting conflicts arising from what we find sacred, seek to honor, or have dedicated our energies to supporting (Sedna square Vesta, the latter in Aquarius). The material matters that at this time would normally be taking our attention, blocking below-the-surface perceptions (Taurus) will be temporarily disabled, distracted as the symbol of all we revere–Vesta–runs up against the symbol of what we should be aware of, but in some way aren’t–Sedna. This friction is likely in service to a simple but vital cause (Aquarius, as standard-bearer for the Higher Mind): giving us the necessary perspective to know what we really care about, what we truly want to commit our life energies to–with the added benefit that conscious energy has a crack at gaining genuine and needed insight into the Self and our own motivations. Maybe, too, this is where Pluto comes in: helping us eliminate what isn’t serving that higher cause, either aiding us in taking steps to put out attention on what we value, or forcibly removing distractions and dead ends, so that we turn in another, presumably more effective, direction.

One other thing I’d like to talk about right now: the Saturn-Eris sextile that catches Mars-Neptune at the midpoint. This is a highly potent formula for real world antagonisms and restrictions that enrage, that lead to actions and choices that are either highly imaginative and creative (and that’s no comment on their worth or morality!) or that are delusional in their perceptions or their understanding of the situation. What we’re moved to do may express our ideal individual Self, responsible and showing a kind of leadership (even if only to ourselves), or it may bring our worst (that is, most inaccurate) visions of who we are forward in service to the ego. Our job here is simple, and tough: know ourselves, and be so honest with ourselves, that we don’t take off in the ‘wrong’ direction.

The word image for the week: Alice in Wonderland. This is the story of an innocent who tumbles into an unfamiliar world, one that her fresh, child-perspective allows her to interact with more effectively and more directly than would one more jaded (that is, an adult, who would probably spend a lot of time arguing that what they were seeing couldn’t be!) Alice succeeds, or at least makes it through her journey, despite any momentary disbelief, by engaging with the inhabitants on their own level–and I’ll take that as our message from my repeated exposures to this story in the past 72 hours: don’t try to judge whether things make sense, or dismiss them as impossible when they’re right in front of you; instead, meet circumstances and people where they are. Don’t waste time or energy in denial, arguing that it shouldn’t be–it is, so respond accordingly.

‘Advice from a Caterpillar’ Alice in Wonderland Illustration By Arthur Rackham {{PD}}

Mercury Retro May 2022 Reconsidering Revolution

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Mercury, now stationary, goes into apparent retrograde motion at 4:48 AM PDT 10 May at 4 Gemini 51. This point gives us a kind of ‘birth snapshot’ of the retro period–and in this case, offers commentary on the atmosphere that will surround the second eclipse of the set, due late PM Pacific time of the 15th.

Turnaround occurs just after Merc was squared by the Virgo Moon and just as Merc begins to pull away from a semi-sextile to Pallas, and at the point the Moon sextiles Hygeia and the two act as base to a loose Finger of God, apex Venus=emotional conflict (or an intuitive critical take on that conflict) moves away from a Warrior stance, the kind we might’ve taken automatically in supposed defense of our rights, and toward something healthier, something that rewards via better relationships or some other sort of pay off.

Happening in Gemini, this retro period asks us to re-think, and it does so after giving us a feeling-based critique or conversation, or offering a fresh accounting or new contacts–and that means best results come if we’re willing to cast a thoughtful, critical eye on proceedings of the House(s) where Gemini sits in the natal chart–and should perhaps consider using this period for making plans or laying out the narrative we want to follow post-direction. The first thing Merc does in retro is re-initiate that semi-sextile to Pallas, suggesting that re-consideration of matters brings a wise viewpoint into perspective–what more could we want?

That query is answered by a square to Juno that doesn’t perfect before retrograde. That implies conflict over empowerment and personal authority, especially over oneself, may go unresolved, for a while longer. The Sun and Mercury meet in Inferior Conjunction at 00 Gemini, just after Merc has been sextiled by Jupiter and just before the Sun sextiles Jupiter. This may inspire a kind of ‘last word’ in beliefs that undergoes stark examination under the light of the Sun–with thoughts then two days later plunging into the experience of sensation and instinct–and it feeling as if we must understand something visceral, primal, and necessary to our survival–which is likely to make us both a little irrational and a little testy (Merc conj Sedna at 29 Taurus).

The Sabian for the turnaround point may tell us something, especially in terms of setting our expectations for progress/ change: ‘A Revolutionary Magazine Asking For Action’. There’s an irony in something as staid as a magazine advocating for upheaval of the status quo and thorough change–and another point: if, say, a manifesto for revolution appears in a magazine, how much action would you expect that to prompt in this day and age? We may spend the retro seeing this kind of discrepancy, noting how the words don’t match the medium that delivers them (making it hard to take them seriously, or at least hard to be inspired to extremes by them); those words for revolution may in fact be pre-approved by the powers-that-be, change that only touches surfaces and keeps those who hold power in place. It may be that we must adjust our expectations: though we may long for revolution, the time may not yet be right–we are in the planning stage (Gemini)–we still need to get in touch with our gut (Merc’s retreat into Taurus) before we’ll know what to do, what to think, how to respond.

A Look Up Between Eclipses

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Creator Unknown 1882 {{PD}}

We’re in that valley between eclipses, a time that always feels somehow . . . uneasy–or I should say, I always feel uneasy around this time–and maybe you do, too. To me there’s a ‘waiting for the other shoe to drop’ sensibility that permeates everything. So what do we see happening right now?

The first thing I see is the way Mars in Pisces is creeping up on Uranus in Taurus by sextile, catching Chiron in Aries at the midpoint–and the Sun is moving toward conjoining Uranus, bringing more and more light to the situation–no wonder I feel uneasy! Mars in Pisces may be experiencing something like trying to punch his way out of a paper bag–no matter how much energy is expended, if seems his (and our) efforts are ineffective. Or maybe you prefer the old ‘fog’ analogy–just as valid, though in this sign Mars is likely to imagine he knows exactly what he’s doing (and facing), even to believe he’s fighting for his ideals. Nope. The clue this bit about ideals isn’t so is found in the contact to Chiron–this fight is about something that hurts, personally.

The sextile suggests what we/ Mars is doing may precipitate something sudden, unexpected, that surprises the senses, alters the material situation, brings Higher Mind revelation, or changes the comfort level–and in the process, may injure the ego (Chiron in Aries), which as Chiron is currently ruled by Mars, says the ego may be on the same deluded, misguided, or massively personal quest as general Martian energy is right now. That action urge is trying to punch up, but ends up having the impetus boomerang back in our faces, hence the wound re-opened/ re-visited.

Ceres is square Neptune and Eris is sextile (and so semi-sextile Neptune). If that isn’t a recipe for women who seem to be aligned stirring each other up over misunderstandings or imagined wrongs, I don’t know what is. That’s not to say that this reaction is wrong, more like what we think is the issue or transgression isn’t really what’s bringing forward the strife. Too, Saturn is in the mix by trine to Ceres, only exacerbating our idea that we’re seeing reality clearly! Keep on the lookout for the true trigger behind any upset, and know that the deceptions we think we’re perceiving aren’t the ones that matter/ count. With Venus just having entered Aries, it’s just not the time to act out in relationship.

Sedna and Pluto are in an Earth trine and catching Jupiter in Pisces at the midpoint. Here the instincts and the real-world power situation are exaggerated, and thereby deceptive, not out of anyone’s malice, but again out of skewed perceptions. We may be, on the one hand, very optimistic, creative and inspired to the point of bursting, but also faced with the need to deal with the actual circumstances before us. Not exactly fun, but if you can be patient enough to connect the practical dots, you’ll end up with a pretty good plan–with first steps to be taken after the 25th of May. Yes, that will be during Merc retro–which may mean that good plan gets even better, with cautious re-visioning, with Merc ever helpful on the re-think in Gemini, and moving into Taurus by the 23rd, showing us how to materially implement what we’ve been contemplating.

Finally, Vesta creates the arm of a T-square with the Nodal axis, acting as a compass for life direction choices. All we need to do is ask ourselves, Does this honor what I truly care about? Am I respecting what I find sacred, with this choice? Answer that and you’ll know without question what to do.

Notes for 2 February 2022

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Yes, it’ll hit the fan today, just not this kind of fan! Pontes Collection of hand fans Poderospontes 2008 {{PD}}

Have you noticed the way the sh*t’s getting stirred today? Especially this morning, Pacific time. It sent me to my ephemeris–and guess what I saw? A tense little T-square made up of an opposition between Eris and Zeus, with an arm of stationary Mercury. Ow! Eris, if you’ll recall, doesn’t bring the chaos with her, but acts as a catalyst–and opposed Zeus, she’s stirring up ambitions and desires, and maybe making us aware of how we might not get what we want–so she’s indirectly taking away hope, and you know how reactive one can become, when it seems things will never get better.

Then there’s Mercury, squatting (as much as such a fleet body can), poised to change apparent direction, and so rubbing in a sense that time has stopped, or maybe just paused. It makes the mind a receptacle for (even a victim of) our internal discord, the ‘I’ve got nothing to lose’ stance, that comes when believing we’ll be denied. And that means that when we get what I’ll call ‘bad news’, we are sorely tempted to think it’s much more serious, much more a final ‘no’, than it is in reality.

Here, we woke up to a small tree in our yard cut down by the neighbor–and a ‘Golly! I didn’t know that happened’ feigned by her spouse, then a call from the plumber’s office–he wouldn’t be showing today, as he had a ‘family emergency’–but would come Friday–after Mercury’s direction the evening before (the plumber’s office didn’t note that, it’s my addition). And seemingly another leak sprung–that within an hour of discovery appeared to stop (we’re still monitoring that one).

So, if you had a morning anything like mine, here are a few tips: it’s all more transitory than it seems–things are ‘in the works’, though probably not yet in motion, which is appropriate to the end of a Merc retro cycle. Remind yourself that this is not the time to draw conclusions about the success or feasibility of your ambitions and desires–we definitely lack perspective right now. And look for common themes in what occurs; for us it’s been leaks/ water, suggesting emotions that are pushing out and need to be expressed.

Today through about the 6th the Sun and Saturn are close; that can give the reality picture a too-intense aura, making what is and what surrounds, supports, keeps us safe, or has authority over us feel much too harsh. And adding to the general kerfuffle is the sextile between Mars and Jupiter. Temper is overblown, optimism drives efforts, aggressive and ego energies are exaggerated in both expression and perception, and ‘too much’ may be the demand. If you’re having trouble sorting it, use this easy rule: if you think you need more/ bigger/ better, you don’t! It’s not that you shouldn’t have more, but that right now we’re prevented from perceiving clearly what it is we really do have–so until our vision clears (Friday) take it slow. Remember that liminal points, as bodies prepare to change direction, can create a great deal of pressure, and push us to do what we otherwise might not, in calmer times.

Notes 24 January 2022: A Reckoning

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‘A Game of L’hombre in Brøndum’s Hotel’ By Anna Palm 1885 {{PD}}

What kind of reckoning, you might (nervously) ask? One that presents us with a preview of exactly what future we’re creating for ourselves. At core this is described by two sets of aspects and a single influence slated soon to collide with each of the elements.

The first duo is comprised of Juno and Pluto in Capricorn. On its own this speaks of Power issues, writ large, and specifically how much power and Self-determination we do or don’t enjoy in the current system. This pairing offers us the energy for change, especially change that is definitive; once we address our own ability to affect matters, our own personal power situation, any shifts we make or circumstances we eliminate will be gone for good. Transformation is the goal, of course, but it’s easy to overplay our hand, to destroy what we otherwise only wanted to tweak–so overkill is a distinct possibility, when we’re re-shaping our world and the system within which we operate.

Finding our power points, knowing when and where we hold a winning hand (or when we have the opportunity to draw one), and when and where folding is the right choice, are imperative to making our efforts effective right now. You’ll get the message as retrograde Mercury collides with first Juno (the 27th), then Pluto (the 28th-29th). We’ll be called to re-think our ideas of our own role and our relationship to the power that resides out in the world and which we are powerless to affect. We’ll see how our thinking has driven our personal expressions of power and authority, followed by the real-world (and possibly drastic) changes this has created–and as well, offering that vision of the future that may set us on a serious course, may encourage us to look for stances that offer security and structure, may generate real fear, or that may enhance our genuine power–and perhaps do all the above.

Mars newly arrived in Capricorn isn’t helping, because we may feel that if we aren’t part of the establishment, or don’t know ‘the rules’, it may not be up to us to make a move. If you find yourself waiting for permission, especially if it’s permission to do something that affects your life, then you need to know that you’re being overly cautious, probably out of the remnants of a too-intrusive authority from the past. Just know now that as long as you control yourself (that means, make deliberate, rather than erratic or simply rebellious, choices), you’ll choose well.

The other combo in play is Sedna-Ceres in Taurus, slated to be conjoined by the North Node, the close contact window starting around the 29th of January and lasting until 8 February or so. Where the first duo was about power in general and our personal relationship to it as expressed through the status quo and any changes we want to make, this pairing is focused on the material parts of our existence, the things we ‘know but don’t know’ as conveyed via our interaction with the world and our instinctive readings of it. The environment, our surroundings, and our bodies are speaking to us right now; the question is, are we listening?

Health and diet, our environment (everything from the weather where we are to the air quality in our homes, the company we keep to the functionality of utilities), and our relationship to those for whom we’re responsible (or over whom we believe we should have a say), all converge to describe what needs attention, what’s functioning well and what’s in danger of running off the rails. Making it difficult to decipher is the way certain related matters reside in our ‘blind spot’–we may think we’ve got the whole picture, but we’re unable to perceive certain realities, through no fault of our own. How do we see what’s in that ‘blind spot’? We find a mirror; we bend light and so expand our visual field. We do this through Sedna-Ceres sextile to Pallas in Pisces (which itself is novile Saturn, symbol of authority and reality, suggesting there are genius ways to handle things available to us, stored in what surrounds us/ real-world events, and within the shadows of our conscious minds). This implies that creative efforts, our dreams, and how effectively we have or have not provided for ourselves and/ or manifested an ‘ideal’ environment will all be capable of reflecting back to us the information we need, specifically, how our ‘blind spot’ material hampers us being genuinely the agents of our own lives. Again, if we can ‘get the message’ that’s represented around us, it will make for our own choices being the wisest and most practical possible. this delivers a clear picture of what’s coming, of what we’re building in the ether that will eventually enter our realities–so proceed with conscious care.

Thanks to all who’ve answered my mini-poll. Though only a fraction of you have weighed in, I’m better able to gauge whether doing an interactive stream is worth my time–so much appreciated. And yes, there will be snacks!

Notes for 18 January 2022: Vantage Points

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What a view! Postcard of The Cliff House restaurant, San Francisco c1941 {{PD}}

Today Uranus stations direct at 10 Taurus 49. Stations are typically very tense points, long drawn out ‘moments’ when a body essentially sits still–which is unusual in a Universe where everything is in motion all the time, even when it seems not to be, when that motion is until a tipping point imperceptible, like decay or aging, or when the motion seems to bring a retracing of steps, as in the apparent retrograde of a planet or body. That’s the thing: as with the apparent change in direction of a retrograde cycle, a station is simply the cessation of motion in any direction from the vantage point of the observer. Symbolically this suggests that those who see the body as motionless do so because of where they are, physically (for the observation itself) but also energetically (with a body standing still representing that particular energy in the observer’s life).

So, a sense of ‘stuckness’ may assert itself, a feeling that everything around Uranian energies, both where it’s currently transiting in the individual natal chart and where it’s posited natally and what it rules, won’t change–maybe ever. The sensation is one of things having been this way interminably, and continuing to be so, no end in sight. Its location in Taurus tells us that there’s a material facet to all this, something along the lines of modernization, originality, accident, or the unusual happening with physical (that is, artisanal) creativity, with matters of sustenance and comfort, in areas of security, increase, profitability, and the kinds of nurture that cater specifically to the physical body. We may have recently discovered or uncovered unexpected talents or assets within ourselves or at our disposal, may have found unique ways of earning, providing solace and support, or of assessing ourselves, and all of this facilitated, possibly through challenge or difficult circumstances, by the recent series of squares between Uranus and Saturn, the latter standing for the real world, for the status quo, for authority and maturity, for obstacles and hindrances, for solid results, what we’ve ‘earned’, for constraint and methods applied.

Now they move steadily out of orb, to eventually return to the square in August and perfect in September. That suggests we have the rest of winter, spring, and most of summer during which we may apply those energies separately. Their effects will show in the way they interact with the individual chart; whatever we’ve seen with previous squares between them may seem to go dormant, lose its relevance, or be dismissed as an illusion or a threat/ promise that never materialized. When they do connect again, we’ll likely face either the very same matter we identified before, or a new iteration of it–a contest between what is and what could be, between holding back and moving forward, between innovating or sticking with the status quo, between originality and the safe bet. Just remember, there’s no pat right-or-wrong here; the choices must be made with awareness of our own individual needs and wants, congruent with what the spirit resonates to and can handle (that last is a valid consideration, considering the stresses of life anywhere on the globe in the past two years).

The Moon’s Nodes (remember, these are points, not bodies) slip into Taurus (NN) and Scorpio (SN) today, and that means they’re in the fateful and pressure filled 29th degree of their respective signs. In terms of the general zeitgeist (wait, General Zeitgeist, wasn’t he a Superman villain?) they show a certain axis of energy flow, moving from South to North, that says something about where we’re headed within the social order, and what we’re de-emphasizing or moving away from. In this case, that may translate into a stampede away from what’s too dark or feels too destructive (or transformative–never underestimate the human ability to confuse fear and wisdom), and toward more solid, hands-on forms of comfort, security, and expression. It may be all about soothing the Soul, looking for a corner of the world we feel safe in and can call our own. It’s not a bad impulse, but be careful not to let the initial hit at 29 tense degrees to make you think it’s an emergency. Please, no pushing as we move toward the exits.

The Inferior Conjunction of the Sun and retrograde Mercury falls on the 23rd of January in the wee hours Pacific time, and happens just after the Moon in Libra trines Sun-Moon in Aquarius. The Inferior Conjunction is a point of inception, the seeding of something that will mature or become apparent at the Superior (direct) Conjunction of Sun and Merc, on April 2nd. In this case, this is likely to be an idea, a ‘brave new world’ concept, an ‘experiment’, a revolution, or a falling away of constraints that results in emotional change or realization in our relationships, especially those involving partnership. The inclination we have, or idea that pops into our head, on the 23rd will have repercussions by early April–so choose what you will or won’t act on with care, and at the very least, contemplate until Merc is direct, then decide if acting on that idea will have a desirable effect on our relationships. Here’s a hint: at the point of Superior Conjunction, the Sun and Mercury will also be conjoined Chiron. Will what you do hurt or heal things? It’s under your control.

Be on the lookout, as well, for Mars conjoining Saturn in Aquarius, which occurs just a couple days after the Superior Conjunction, on April 5th. This suggests to me that whatever real-world actions and choices come to the fore at this time are definitely related to what you started/ pondered/ and then chose to commit to during the Mercury cycle. Keep that in mind, as Mars-Saturn in Aquarius could see ourselves or others choosing what we do based on high-flown (and possibly highly theoretical) concepts; that could mean we choose based on ideals that have never been real-life tested–or we splurge on an experiment, rolling the dice just to see what will happen–and in either case, we may not realize we’re gambling or theorizing with actual circumstances and real feelings.

I’m hard at work on the Moon book, and as soon as I can handle it I’ll be offering services once again. I’m also considering offering talks on topics in a venue that allows for a chat function where listeners can talk to me and each other, and ask questions, and this would be on a regular schedule (after the book is done, or nearly done, I’d start). If you’d be interested (or not!) please let me know in the tiny survey below. Thanks!

Merc Retro in Aquarius 14 January 2022: Mind Inspired

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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.

Threads Through the Fabric of Time: The Feminine Active, January 2022

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‘Venus with a Mirror’ By Titian c1555 {{PD}}

We’re not talking about females, necessarily, but about the characteristics of the anima side of the energy equation: receptivity, the importance of and effectiveness of the Beingness (as opposed to the Doing urge), the concept of sensitivity and the ability to read the atmosphere (as opposed to trying to actively make an impact on it), and the idea of healthy nurture, which is really a sharing of energy that benefits both parties. These are strong threads running through current events; to respond to them, to expose them, to weave them into something meaningful, is to bring them to awareness and so make their energies accessible and, in accessing them, beneficial in the larger scheme of things.

One of these is Venus retrograde moving toward conjoining Juno, both in Capricorn, perfecting January 6th. During this same period, this pairing will be sextiled by Neptune and quincunxed by the Black Moon Lilith point. This suggests that our ongoing review of matters of the House in the natal chart where Venus is moving backward will be measured through either our assessment of our own empowerment (especially through the status or material accomplishment shown by Capricorn) or through the empowerment status others reflect back to us–and it’s important we use our own dreams and ideals to guide us in judging our abilities–if we don’t, we’ll be susceptible to being misled or deceived, or may be caught off guard by things we’ve ignored or denied that won’t stay buried. It’s a matter of claiming and so harnessing our own creative energies; if we deny those energies expression, it leaves a vulnerable spot, ready to be filled by enterprising, and sometimes ill-intended, others.

The other prominent combination is the late Taurus duo of Ceres and Sedna. The two have been hanging out together for a while–and focusing our attention on expression of personal authority, situations of nurture, negotiations, diet, and Nature, and in particular showing us the way we already ‘know but don’t know’ consciously what we should do, what the answer to our material issues truly is. Pluto is still within trine and Vesta quincunxes, forcing us to acknowledge our instincts and our suppressed knowledge via destructive forces, home matters, commitments, and violations of what we consider sacred. We must respond, and the best way to address this energy is to admit what we’ve been reluctant to see, change what needs to be changed, and align what we honor in real-world terms with what we say we care about.

There’s also a conflict inherent in the square between the animus-oriented Warrior Mars and the anima-oriented Warrior Pallas, he in Sagittarius and she in Pisces. This may appear as an aggressive ‘pushing’ of ‘the facts’ that finds resistance in the form of a kind of practical idealism. Both sides are right, in this case; those with the facts need to be listened to, and they need to frame goals that offer hope, while those focused on ideals need to see that only by dealing with the facts will they make any progress in making things better. If these two would just stop insisting on themselves, they’d find that they actually want the same thing.

And finally, we have the opposition between Eris in Aries and Zeus in Libra. Remember, Eris is a catalyst, and in this scenario, may show as individual Willfulness that just doesn’t want to cooperate in making others’ ambitions and goals attainable. With this we must ask ourselves, ‘Am I going my own way because it’s the right thing to do, or am I simply angry at the idea that I’m not the only one who’ll benefit from cooperative effort?’ That may sound selfish, until we consider that, if we aren’t successfully realizing our own ambitions, the last thing we may want to do with our precious energy is share it; we may see it as a ‘me or them’ kind of thing. Here Eris is acting up only in proportion to how we may feel that others are asking for our support but offering little or nothing in return. It’s a call to re-balance relationships–and to acknowledge that we don’t live or act in a vacuum.

Venus Retrograde 19 December 2021: A Personal Renaissance

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Posted by in astrology, Sun-Venus Inferior Conjunction, Transits and Cycles, Venus, Venus Direction, Venus Retrograde

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Venus is a little more serious in Capricorn–here she is being serious about the Arts: ‘Venus of Poetry’ By Julio Romero de Torres 1913 {{PD}}

Our only imperative in this life is to be. It’s easy to forget that–or maybe, never to learn that, surrounded by a social order that promotes doing and action, that sees value only in what we create, give, or make happen. We receive a message of perpetual pressure to do, to measure ourselves by what we achieve, by the stack of qualifications, money and assets we accumulate, and by the accolades we manage to drag back to our cave (the best cave we can find!) and pile up, dragon-like. We ‘reward’ ourselves with treats, pampering, or even something as essential as rest, when we feel we’ve ‘earned’ them, with our crime being we should value ourselves just because we exist; we are no less worthy for what we don’t do, for the rat race we choose not to run.

Venus in Capricorn can support that societal valuation that we are what we do or what we have, but turning retrograde in this sign offers a new perspective, a potential for freeing ourselves from the link between our impact on the material world and the worthiness of our existence that we may see as natural when it’s anything but. When Venus takes up apparent backward motion we may be able to see the true worth of our efforts, see the genuine usefulness as well as the unreasonable constraints imposed by the status quo, may show us how playing by the rules and judging ourselves by the social order has made appreciation of ourselves just as we are less possible, less obvious, and may have persuaded us that we don’t have worth, unless we conform. Well that’s a crock.

Add to this state the way Venus in Capricorn will pass over Pluto just before going retrograde in the wee hours PST of the 19th, at 26 Capricorn 29. That suggests that just before turnaround we’ll get a glimpse, flashback, or awe-inspiring preview of immense change, a re-making, a re-birth, or a permanent ending that’s coming our way–and that may shake our foundations that are built in Love, relationship certainties, partnership, or financial security. It will be almost impossible to separate our current Plutonian view/ issues from the Venus retrograde–though they may have nothing to do with each other at all.

Pluto will give Venus retro a shadow she doesn’t normally carry, even at times of regression and review, and we are very likely to perceive this as inherent to Venusian matters at this time, rather than as shading provided by the brooding, ultra-serious lord of the Underworld. In Capricorn, this may look like guilt (especially guilt over not being what we consider productive), or like shame (at having our nose to the grindstone, and so missing some Venusian aspect we should’ve attended to), or it could bring a kind of morbid insistence on re-hashing a failed relationship, financial venture, or investment from the past.

Since Venus retrograde is a period of reconnoitering relationships, experimenting with aesthetics and interactions, and trying new, Venus-related activities of the House where this happens, the Houses that Venus rules, and the House where she is placed (the retrograde occurs in the same sign, and so often the same House with Placidus, absolutely the same House with Whole Sign) every 8 years, we are likely to re-visit whatever was cooking the last time Venus turned around here–and that’s where the Plutonian shadow may temporarily fall. The emphasis is always on the matters of the House where the retro occurs, with other Venus-connected factors of secondary relevance, unless receiving an aspect from the transiting body. Sometimes issues dealt with the last time she retrograded here come back in new forms; other times the very same issue springs to life once again, in the very same shape, as if no time has passed at all–and this time around, we are likely to be overly focused on the ways in which something didn’t work, was destroyed or lost, or on our own part in permanent change that the retro cycle prompts us to re-examine and mourn–and that’s even if we are fully aware the change was necessary, or we’re happy with the way things turned out.

This might seem the more obvious choice to illustrate this post. ‘La Nascita di Venere’ (The Birth of Venus) By Sandro Botticelli c1485 {{PD}}

It can feel like deja vu all over again, as they say, when Venus turns backward in the same area every 8 years; it may take a little detective work to see the consistencies and connections to the last time, or it may slap us right in the face with a sense that we’ve been unsuccessful in resolving the issue–or that, not having chosen definitively the last time around, we’re being given the same choice (or opportunity) again.

Also notable may be the way Venus turns around just short of quincunxing the Earth. That suggests that we won’t get the entire meaning of Venus’ retro phase, particularly the implications for our material situation, until later, when Venus finally makes another aspect to Earth/ Sun, slated to happen when Venus meets the Sun in Inferior Conjunction, 8-9 January 2022.

At the time of Inferior Conjunction the two, Sun and Venus, will be roughly semi-square Jupiter in Pisces–so look for big effects, sometimes world or social sphere events mirroring or echoing personal ones, and look immediately for the spiritual ‘message’ delivered by relationships or financial situations–they’ll be telling, but despite new revelations, save choices for after direction, early hours PST of 29 January. Venus will go direct with her first major contact being the Moon, just entered into Capricorn at the moment of direction and slated to meet Venus in just under one day. Emotions rush in, feelings become clear and probably undeniable, and intuition speaks loudly of the meaning of what’s happened during the retrograde.

That’s when we return to our customary tastes and relationship state-of-mind–and when we’re in the best position to assess our findings from the retro period. That’s when we have our personal renaissance, having re-visited and refreshed matters of the natal House where the retro occurs, and re-gained clear consciousness of both Venusian facets of our lives, and the worth of ourselves, being, just as we are.

Trends and Transits: late November 2021 Under the Influence

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Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, future events in the sky, Retrogrades + Directions, Saturn in Aquarius

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Guido Reni
Drinking Bacchus
c1623 {{PD}}

So what does it mean for the Sun to enter Sagittarius? A dropping away of suspicions, for one. The Jupiter-ruled Sun knows what it knows, and isn’t afraid to broadcast it. We want to be out-and-about, want to travel, want to explore what’s foreign to us, want to learn about new things, want to know what’s wise, what’s practical (these latter as the Sun through Sag squares Pallas in Pisces by sign–we want to know what difficulties we’ll face, especially those unseen or spiritual snags that come to our attention). Ruler Jupiter is in Aquarius, semi-sextile Pluto and sextile Eris, pulling away from a trine to Zeus= we move away from focus on ambition and desire and toward high-minded inquiry, meant to get at the Truth, but if there’s any enmity in the atmosphere, even our most innocent or well-meant probing brings discord. Remember that Eris doesn’t bring disharmony, she reveals it; a clash was already present, just not yet expressed. She helps us get to the Truth, though her methodology may be a little unpleasant. She responds to the unspoken; it’s our response that shows our own motivations and thoughts. Keep that in mind, especially if you’re tempted to point the finger–that inclination indicates we have a bit of our own buried agenda yet to explore and express.

Saturn and Chiron are neatly sextile right now, as are Venus and Mars. These pairings offer an ease of expression, or rather an expressive ‘way out, for some of the energies: Venus is uncomfortable in Capricorn, finding the beauty in order but also chafing against the responsibility that is inherent to the sign; Mars in Scorpio may feel as if every action and choice is somehow underhanded, even when it’s not–the shift of the Sun to Sag may help clear this up–so that everyone with a conscience may feel weighed down by guilt, shame, or regret that is more existential than personal–so the sooner we realize that, the more free we’ll be; Saturn in Aquarius has been struggling to institute modernization in all forms within the reality picture, and this may be the chance, in contacting Chiron in Pisces, to connect to a higher reality, an ideal to guide those real-world efforts. That can work, if we’re able to cut through the fog that emanates from our own hurt and misperception.

We should note the direction of Neptune on December 1st. It’s been stationary on the 20th degree of Pisces since mid-October, and will remain stationary direct on that degree until mid-January 2022. It may have been feeling like progress on the dream just isn’t possible, and that feeling will continue for awhile–but that doesn’t mean you should stop your efforts to bring it into reality. The sense that you’re not moving forward in the creative realm, with implementing ideals, with making the magic happen, is (oh Neptune!) an illusion. Everything you’ve been doing has been contributing to realizing that Neptunian dream, you just can’t see its effectiveness, yet. Yes, for a few of us, the direction will reveal (eventually) how and where we’ve been fooling ourselves, but deception is only possible when it falls on ground fertile for misbelief–otherwise, that attempt to mislead us shrivels and dies.

File away for future consideration the fact that Venus will retrograde on December 19th. This happens late in Capricorn, just after she’s conjoined Pluto, and she’ll still be ‘under the influence’. This may bring a very trying time in relationships and/ or finances–just know that it will not only pass, any destructive potentials will, if indulged in, bring permanent and irrevocable change–so best to see that the strife will pass, that the negatives shouldn’t be acted upon (Mars will be in Sagittarius by then, so rarin’ to get out or lash out), and that exercising Capricornian Self-discipline is the best thing you can do to keep Love in your life.

Right now we’re in what I like to refer to as the valley between eclipses. It’s a period of tension–you can almost feel the air vibrating–and if we resist it, or try to pin down the meaning behind what’s happening, we’ll become exhausted. Just let things be, let them develop, without demanding answers (see Mars, above, for the likely result of pushing too hard). If you haven’t already, or need a refresher, see my take on the recent Lunar eclipse here. All orders for my books through Dog & Sunflower Press will be fulfilled on 30 November. Thank you, everyone!