‘Hatsuhana doing penance under the Tonosawa waterfall’ Utagawa Kuniyoshi c1841 {{PD}}

Today, gaining power (in whatever form you’re seeking it) and making your influence felt are 1) grounded in reasoning focused on what we know to be wise and of value, that respects relationships and the flow of assets, and that is willing to adjust ambitions and ‘the target’ to accommodate genuine need, and 2) requires conscious acceptance of what is Universally true: change is constant in two forms, evolution and decay, and it’s our ability to embrace and work with these that fuels our own growth. We must adopt altruism that honors the individual even as it benefits the Collective, openness to the six senses, the sensory flow, and a willingness to modify ambitions to fit our current level of empowerment–all will contribute to some immediate and rewarding successes. That means opposites, such as erraticism, thoughtless behavior, blocking flow, wasting assets, or failing to regard others as essentially worthy, will all act to drain you in some way. Today we are the only obstacle to our success (Pallas trine Juno, Merc conjoined and parallel Venus, both qnx Zeus and trine Pluto)

Coin of Abdissares (210 BC), Armenian King of Sophene Photo by Rs4815 – CC BY-SA 4.0

Today’s word image is an ancient coin. Old truths and long-held assets both need our attention today. If you’re unsure what might qualify, look to who and what has been in your life from early times, and honor what they still give you, today.

Edgar Degas 1874 {{PD}}

Sometimes on the journey we become so Self-involved that we forget others are on their own journey, an experience that is just as real for them as ours is for us. When we are concentrating on what is wise, what is the smart move, working on developing our skills and making an impact that affects the material world, that is practical, we may begin to see others as mere actors in our play, rather than as playwrights of their own, with a viewpoint that may be far different from ours. As physical incarnations we are focused on amassing and controlling power–and this is so whether we see it as so or not, because power is really just another way of talking about the life force–and so our every effort is in the name of fortifying and making effective our expression of life force–and so is everyone else’s. Just a reminder found in the astrology for today, when smart thinking, in spite of Merc retro, is accessible for us all (Ceres semi-sq Sedna, Mercury parallel Vesta and trine Pluto)

‘At the Theater’ 1879
Mary Cassatt {{PD}}

Today’s word image is anyone wearing yellow. See them as messengers, synchronicity markers, symbols, warnings, guides, and maybe snappy dressers. And have a great Thursday!

Photo by Zyance CC BY-SA 2.5

If you’re making positive channels for and expressions of your Venus energies (giving love to others, using your gifts and talents, being generous, being kind, being polite, being diplomatic–which really is just going out of your way not to disrespect others–thinking of ‘the relationship’, expressing your Art whatever that may be, actually making Art, in some form keeping a flow of worthy and valued things, actions, thoughts going), then you will get a lot more positives for your use, whether those are directly related to the Venus element you’re ‘working’, or if they come in another Venusian form–but either way, a bounty that likely is grounded in facts or knowledge, with the prosperity either coming from the sharing of these, or the sharing coming from plenty, a way wherein we get ‘more’ by ‘knowing’, whichever comes first.

Don’t expect it to be as simple or direct as an infusion of Love or Money; though it can be (and we’ll certainly see this aspect in the material world, with both bodies in Earth), we profit by looking behind the result for the mechanism at work. Doing so offers us a glimpse at the true workings of the Universe, and so a better understanding of what we need to do to get what we want, to immerse ourselves successfully (rather than feeling lost or drowning) in All-That-Is. This aspect (Venus trine Jupiter, with Jupiter just direct once again) brings the bounty from belief–so expect to see, aside from anything else, energy and material manifestations of the way you believe the Universe works.

At this time inspirations come from dark corners, from the neglected, ignored, or denied, and from injustices previously dished out. Inequities birth ideas that follow ideals; those things we’d rather pretend don’t exist are the very places we need to put our attention right now–this will only benefit us. Our imaginations are caught by the painful or less savory, and these show us both our ideals and our nightmares–and give us the creative approach necessary to deal with them (Neptune parallel Black Moon Lilith)

Oddly enough, our strength, power, and confidence right now all come from not looking to the future. An eye to what’s coming will only distract us, skew our aim, or weaken us with unnecessary fears. Practice centering consciousness in the now–more easily tossed off in a blog than done, I know, but something worth trying, as all indications are this attitude currently benefits us far more than any other (Ceres contra-parallel NN)

Thank you for an amazing response to the specials offered over the weekend! The special is now over. Just a reminder: when you order something and I respond that I can work with you, payment is due immediately, both to keep your ‘place in line’ and for me to know I can go ahead (I don’t go to work on your package until the fee is paid). Though I appreciate hearing you’d like one or more services, I have difficulty planning my time when I don’t know how serious you are–and that’s shown by payment. And if you’ve changed your mind, that’s okay too–but I (and everybody waiting behind you in line) appreciate it when you let me know.

Relief representing a two-headed eagle on the sphinx located at the right of the Sphinx Gate, Alaca Höyük, Turkey Photo by Bernard Gagnon GNU Free Documentation License

Today’s word image is a bird with two heads, looking in opposite directions. This has been extant as a symbol for over three thousand years, with the implications something like those for a phoenix: a promise of strength and prowess destroyed and regenerated, a kind of immortality guaranteed by the way the energy is never lost, but reconstituted in a fresh form, again and again, in an ever-renewing cycle. The dual heads may suggest the way this symbol unites past and future through the unbroken line of re-birth. The suggestion may be that there is something in our own lives that waxes and wanes, seems prominent and then lost, but always returns in a ‘new’ form. What thread runs through your entire life, and how does it connect your past to what will come?

Othea’s Epistle (Queen’s Manuscript) Artist Unknown {{PD}}

Jupiter goes direct today, the 9th, just after 5 AM Pacific time, at 13 Virgo 15, with first contact (from other than the Moon) being Venus catching up to trine the behemoth before it can apply its influence by square to Saturn. So, the scenario over the next three or four days may be one of matters of the House where Jupiter transits being ‘done to’ by Venusian forces of Love or Money–that is, with ease (the trine) affecting the state of expansion and knowledge related to the natal House Jupiter is now moving through–and this creating a difficult circumstance, tension, or problem within the reality picture (Saturn). Just be ready–for successful use of these energies adopt a willingness to deal with real-world assets, circumstances, and obstacles–this will likely make the situation work out well, as the potential is there for betterment, either materially or of the current reality picture.

Venus sextiles Neptune, playing into the sudden availability of supporting belief, the urge and opportunity to expand, or the necessary knowledge (all Jupiterian) and giving us the inspiration and resources with which to make a dream pay, or align a relationship with our ideal. We can become distracted by fantasy, convincing ourselves it will profit us, or we can be creative in a way that makes Art, or fashions more loving relationships or more favorable financial circumstances.

Inferior Conjunction, with Sun and Merc parallel and both nov Ceres and trine NN, is as we all know, a seed point, with Ceres’ involvement signaling the full force of Nature is behind it–and coming so closely on the heels of the Taurus New Moon suggests that this is the ‘planting point’ for what was born there. Gestation is key now, so don’t expect the Jupiter direction or Venus-Neptune to necessarily be part of this; what starts today is likely ‘underground’, in some sense, or unseen, and so we may need to proceed with the confidence that the ‘right’ thing is already underway. This not knowing is alluded to nicely in the immortal words of the Mamas and Papas: “Monday, Monday, can’t trust that day/ Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way/ Oh Monday mornin’ you gave me no warnin’ of what was to be/ Oh Monday, Monday, how could you leave and not take me”. So expect, at least a little, to be surprised by what is presented, whether it’s revealed now or in the near future–and have a great day!

You might enjoy this just for the groovy fashions, though I am fond of the song:

Thank you for a wonderful (and nearly overwhelming!) response to the half-price offer. If you’re reading this and it’s still Sunday, the offer is on through midnight Pacific–see the previous post for details. I’ll probably run a similar offer again in the near future, in case you were interested but missed it, and am considering adding these low cost options as permanent services.

Oh, the faces in these old portraits of children. ‘A Baby, said to be Lady Waugh’ by William Larkin {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a baby. Any baby at all, including animal babies. Yes, Universe, we get that something new is starting. Consider the nature of the particular baby you encounter, envision, or see somehow, and what that might tell you about the venture so shortly to begin.

‘Still Life with Nautilus Cup’ Willem Claesz 1640 {{PD}}

It’s a fair question, though if you exclaim in protest, “I’m not angry!” I ask you to take an inventory: just because it’s called by some other name doesn’t mean it’s not there. Look beneath the crust of labels or dissembling for the meat of frustration, disappointment, denial, or wounded pride, all of which mellow (through sublimation) into anger, either at ourselves (showing as depression or Self-sabotage) or a convenient other, often something large and unaffected by our outrage, a target that can absorb all our indignation and sense of injustice, and that offers to launder our anger into righteousness, turning what we may have been taught is a verboten expression into a virtuous one (politics, corporate operations, the social order are all likely vehicles).

To process our emotions in a healthy way, one of the things we must do is discover and acknowledge the very personal origins of some of our most passionate beliefs and responses; that is, we must see that, for instance, our livid response to those who sully the environment, though genuine, carries some displaced energy from, say, our loss of a significant relationship. Our anger at or rejection of someone else may center on the fact that they observed us at a vulnerable moment–and the shame we felt has been translated. It’s not easy to do, but honesty demands we trace that feeling of anger or outrage back to its source–and we find this response is a conversion, one that had very personal origins.

Today is a perfect day for this kind of examination and sorting, especially considering we are in the Dark of the Moon, which makes it that much easier to turn within; if we don’t take the opportunity to look at some of our most genuinely vulnerable feelings and reactions, we could end up lashing out at others, making unwise choices in the area of ambitions and desires, potentially allowing our instincts to be tainted by a need to maintain what we care about (and that means accepting and not acknowledging something artificial or negative about it), and we may be prone to see the ugliness in the social order, or to demonize others, without realizing that is our judgment fueled by denying that potential within ourselves, rather than indisputable fact. Instead, be willing to look within–it’s the only place we can get any real answers, anyway (Pallas sesq Zeus, Vesta conjoined Sedna, Jupiter semi-sq Black Moon Lilith, Mars sesq Uranus, Venus qnx Mars)

From quite a few years ago, but this advice for a Mercury retrograde, and the job scene (in the comments) is still good today

Living statues at Sydney Town Hall. by Eva Rinaldi https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Creator:Eva_Rinaldi Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Today’s word image is a statue that looks uncannily real–or is that someone real who looks a bit like a statue? What thing or person in our life are we seeing as static? A fresh look is required.

Forgot to mention: Astro Savvy. It’s new; please take a look at this wonderful site.

Wait for an end-of-the-week services special, announced Friday!

By Francesco del Cossa {{PD}}

That may be the choice for us: create something of our own, or burn what already exists to the ground; give the impulse boundaries and shape, or restrain nothing, contain nothing. It can be argued that in order to create one must remove something to make room, whether that’s in a physical or a psychic sense, but the reality is that there is always a place for something created, just as we can make a void without automatically filling it. This may also play out as the modern and new v. the ideal and imagined, or as the individual v. the Collective–but in any form, we will be required to choose a side–there’s no integrating the two forces at work here (Uranus contra-parallel Neptune)

Or is it a showdown between goddesses? We may merely witness this, or be right in the thick of things, a participant wielding all the power of Love or Money (Venus) or one who feels status and position are what count, a ‘who you know’ stance (Juno). It’s a stand-off over some very important factors, so don’t be tempted to put this disagreement down to temper or irrationality–these two ladies know something that seriously affects the future is being decided here. No matter what this argument dresses up as (and no matter what the tension seems to be about on the surface) this decides something about valuables and power–it may even establish authority over a domain or subject–so give it your sensitized and oh-so-gentle attention. Hint on how to handle it: the party fixed on status and position may become ruthless or vindictive if thwarted (and may wield the ‘Truth’ as a weapon), while the party wielding Love or Money may think a ‘consolation prize’ will do the trick–it will not (Venus opp Juno, Venus sesq NN)

Will this be easy? Probably not, though it may take nothing more than a willingness to adjust where we put our attention in order to see the situation clearly. What happens today will affect the reality picture, and could cause modification to familiar and already-in-place structures, rules, boundaries, or to whom we consider an authority (Sun qnx Saturn)

Yesterday’s Mystic Rectangle is still in effect; see that description here–and have a great Wednesday!

By Tomwsulcer Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication

Today’s word image: you’re sitting in a car, in the driver’s seat; you look in the rear view mirror. What do you see? This is something you need to give your attention to, before you put it behind you.

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