‘Lake McArthur, Yoho Park’ – James MacDonald 1924 {{PD}}

We’re mostly consumed with adjusting to the turnaround of Mars and Pluto, but there are two other influences today, a trine of Venus to Saturn, and a sesquiquadrate of the Sun to Jupiter. Each of these suggest some sort of brakes on bounty, a holding back or reality check on more or better–and this judgmental viewpoint may leak into relationships, especially if we are inclined to place responsibility for containment on externals (that is, if we are prone to do whatever we want, expecting the world or others to exercise discipline for us). We can wind up with some severe limits placed on our money or love; or, we can adopt those restrictive energies ourselves, and create an atmosphere that says ‘No’ preemptively to what could and should be a very good (though consuming) thing.

But, we may also have the grace to see the ways in which we can benefit by showing restraint, especially in relationships or with money, and our attention can be directed to what’s overdone, exaggerated, or what’s prevalent socially–and we can then make our own choices as to how to handle it. It’s a good day, but especially so if we’re willing to exercise optimism, give attention to detail as well as the big picture, and give both conscience and consciousness a workout.

Gyula Aggházy {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a cool breeze coming off the water. Let it soothe and heal you. You don’t have to be right on top of or in something before you can appreciate its benefits–look around for that cool breeze in your world, today.

Adriaen van de Venne c1630 {{PD}}

Our idea of what’s wise, what’s practical, must stretch and change, and so must we. If we allow wisdom to work on us, we transform, butterfly-like, but if we allow rage, jealousy, or envy as a motivating force, we could destroy what is useful or practical in an attempt to clear the slate and start anew; we might also be tempted to ignore or deny the unpleasant, believing we can substitute a pretty picture for true reform, but that only draws attention to what needs to change.

Too, we may not be happy with the messages we receive from authorities or those in power, but if we listen carefully, we may come to understand what binds and restricts them; this could foster empathy, and so improve our interactions, or could show us where and how in the reality picture we have the opportunity to gain status (likely by providing something in the real world that others do not or cannot). Dreams have been and will continue to show us the skeleton dancing beneath the illusion; pay attention to what they’ve been telling you, as right now they’re a source of Truth (Perfecting today: Pluto nov Pallas, Venus semi-sq Pallas and parallel the NN, Merc semi-sq Ceres and qnx Saturn, Sun opp Black Moon Lilith and semi-sq Neptune)

Arthur Heyer {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a pure white cat. If a black cat is something you don’t want to cross your path, is a white cat something you do want to see? Watch for a white cat (or its symbolic equivalent, such as a picture or brand name or on a label) as a sign of the way you should go, as pointing you toward the ‘right’ direction.

And have a great Friday!

Eilif Peterssen – Moonrise over the dunes 1882 {{PD}}

The ability to spot opportunity meets the urge to adjust the reality picture to more closely align with the highest values, and we end up with a day that holds enormous positive potential IF 1) we refuse to indulge in rebellious behavior, 2) we consider that feedback may offer a view of our own behavior we need in order to succeed, and 3) we find reasonable balance between what the social order requires and what we personally want. We think big; we may also be prone to exaggerate our ability to handle every situation. Be clear on just where you are empowered, and where you might need help, or should abdicate to others, before proceeding (Ceres enters Aries and contra-parallels Sedna, Uranus, and Jupiter, Saturn qnx Vesta, Merc trine Jup)

Today’s word image is a face at a darkened window, illuminated for just a split second by lightning. Who or what has been revealed to us, and in what way have we pretended that knowledge just ‘disappeared’? This is about owning and putting into practice what we have seen, though it’s not about accusations, pointing fingers, or otherwise exposing someone else; it’s instead about acknowledging our observations and intuitions and conducting ourselves accordingly.

How much do we want to accommodate others, how much do we want to perform alone? Edgar Degas – ‘A Group of Dancers’ 1890 {{PD}}

It’s not quite an Us v. Them mentality, and neither is the viewpoint so separate that we don’t see our likenesses; instead it’s more a state of jockeying for position within and relative to the group, even as we assess the importance of each component–that is, we measure how much attention should go to us, how much to the rest of the world, the partner, and everyone in between.

It’s time to examine how much we have ordered our life according to our wants, versus setting things up according to someone else’s. Everyone, to some extent, must accommodate others, but what we need to assess right now is how much we have allowed our decisions (because we are responsible for where we are, it’s not anyone else’s fault) to be influenced, or even dictated, by others. Have you put off moving forward in order to keep someone’s good opinion, even to keep their love? (hint, if so, they don’t actually love you)

Have you scrapped plans or an ideal in order to fit into someone else’s life, or into their plans, or to live their ideals? There’s no ‘right amount’ of life modification for others, past which our accommodation is too much; neither is it ‘better’ (more virtuous, honest, or fulfilling) to refuse to accommodate others and their needs and wants. In the end, if we choose to put others first, we do have to acknowledge that this is a choice, one that ideally felt absolutely right when we made it. The only question now is, how much must be re-ordered in our lives so that we are at our ultimate point of best satisfaction, a position that finds just the right balance between our needs, and those parts of the world we want to bring along with us.

Be prepared: facts might change our view of ourselves and our own potential for originality or unique expression; too, what we want and what we choose may adjust our current outlook or identity, and we need to be braced for the change. And one more caveat: in this instance, instinct is not necessarily our friend, for the simple reason that we likely followed it to where we are in the first place–and today is about reassessing, and if need be, shaking it up (Jup parallel Uranus, Venus qnx and contra-parallel Juno and semi-sq Sedna, Sun sesq Mars)

Today’s word image is a translucent bowl. What would you have filled it with in the past, what will you fill it with now, and what does that say about who you have become?

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Joseph DeCamp ‘The Window Blind’ 1920 {{PD}}

Today both our urge to express in original and unique ways and our social urges will be in sync with our instincts, and with facets of our nature that are obvious to others but remain hidden from ourselves. What results is a kind of internal harmony that is matched externally, and can form a sort of alternate Universe, in which we act out our blind spot material, and into which we pour the strengths and weaknesses inherent in our individual perceptions and responses, so that what we communicate is most creative: it conveys to others our values, all that we care about, all that we are willing to do to earn and achieve, and shows in precisely what ways we’re laboring under the the impetus of dreams, or the weight of delusion. It’s a world entirely constructed of what’s in our heads, and what those factors of perception and belief mean to us–so what we’ll see and experience, in essence, is what the Universe would be made of, if we were its sole creator. This should be interesting, don’t you think? (Sedna parallel Uranus and Jupiter, Venus trine Mars, Mercury sxt Neptune)

Wild turkey in eastern United States (Meleagris gallopavo) {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a wild turkey, running through the woods. It’s an odd thing to see something we think of as so thoroughly domesticated in its wild state and typical habitat. Look around–there’s something you think has been tamed, subdued, or exists for your own purposes that is actually, in some important way, wild, and so is outside the control or confines you expect. The nature of the person or situation is such that with a little scrutiny you may find it’s completely different than you thought–and so deserves a second look, to assess whether or not it’s worth keeping in your sights.

Buy my books or services, or donate–and have a great Tuesday!

Photo by D Sharon Pruitt, Pink Sherbet Photography from USA Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

After that New Moon, there’s going to be a reckoning. The momentum that took shape yesterday continues, and we notice two trends: a real and present ability to connect to both our instincts and our originality, almost without effort, and an acute awareness of and appreciation of what in our lives we truly value. It may not sound like much, but these two shifts make our choices have impact and import of much more depth than they usually do–and this leads to reverberations from those decisions we make today that will reach out into the future (and maybe into the past) like ripples through water–so no sweat, right? (Perfecting today: Venus nov Vesta, Sun parallel Uranus and Sedna)

Orange Cup Coral, By Tewy – Own work, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1383059

Today’s word image is a color: orange. In all shades, wherever it appears, treat what it appears on as carrying some kind of message–or just be inspired by the most energized of colors.

Some wonderful stuff here on the experience of the Sun-Saturn square–

Get your book on this weekend!

Heinrich Vogeler ‘Frühling’ 1913 {{PD}}

We want to get it right, and our featured energy aspect easily combines what’s wise with what we are ignoring, are enraged by, or must attend to. That means we can see the wisdom in finally turning to and dealing with those matters we’ve been ignoring, which we’ve avoided usually out of a feeling that if we do address them, they could run away with our energy and demand from us until we are overwhelmed. That rarely happens; instead we use a portion of the spirit to suppress issues and then wonder why we are feeling as if we can’t address our lives fully or completely. It’s the drain of what we are avoiding, not the drain of what’s actually asked of us, that we become confused by.

Today we attempt concrete enhancements, and get a reality check centered on power, gaining control, and gaining influence within our own lives. We are too prone to reference the past, too prone to ignore what needs attention–and that’s exactly where we can push the flow in the direction we’d like to go. In facing what we are angry about, what we are reluctant to see or deal with, what we are ashamed of (courtesy of the energy assistance we receive from Pallas trine BML), we will re-claim all the power we hand over when we allow something negative to consume a part of our spirit, when we must use our own energy to suppress awareness of our demon. If we are clear on what we want, willing to look into dark corners and deal with negatives, determined to think for ourselves and to bring from past into present only those elements that truly worked, we can have a significant impact on our surroundings, and on the reality picture itself (Sun square Pluto and opp Zeus=T-sq, and contra-parallel Zeus and BML, Merc sesq Saturn and nov SN, Venus contra-parallel Chiron, Mars parallel Saturn, Pallas trine BML)

Pisanello, 15th century {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a small boy walking a dog in the pouring rain. Sometimes there are things that must be done no matter how unpleasant or inconvenient; the trick is to acknowledge that there’s a need greater than your want of comfort, and then to just do what must be done–no dwelling on personal discomfort!