MUSIC OF THE SPHERES

Rick Rubin is an influential and brilliant music producer who has worked with Metallica, Adele, JZ, the Beastie Boys, Neil Young and many more! In his new #1 New York Times bestseller, The Creative Act: A Way of Being, he writes about working with Johnny Cash on a love song. Something wasn’t right with the piece, although it was close. Rubin advised Cash not to think of delivering the song to a romantic partner, but instead to offer it as a devotional to God. And it worked. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face mesmerizes. It’s an eternal prayer and an utter embodiment of connected devotion.

In a similar way, this is how Venus in Pisces operates. If you listen to the song, you can hear Venus in Pisces keywords: heartache, longing, belonging, belief, magic and mystery.  In the sensitive and dream filled waters of Pisces, Venus finds her exaltation. She’s fully resourced to allure others into her magical net, explore her ethereal creativity and empathize with the human condition. Venus in Pisces believes in love. Even if life has shown them otherwise, at core, those with Venus in Pisces are the romantics of the Zodiac. These natives radiate an entrancing magnetism and a generosity of spirit that seems to be connected to the very idea of love in its purest form.

Take for instance Ennis in Brokeback Mountain who awakened his own dormant need for love through a heartbreaking and transcendent connection with Jack while in a secluded pristine nature.  Actor Heath Ledger’s performance was guided by his Venus in Pisces.  Or Maya Angelou finding connection and unity (Venus) through compassion for our mutual suffering (in Pisces). She said, “Each one of us has lived through some devastation, some loneliness, some weather superstorm or spiritual superstorm, when we look at each other we must say, I understand. I understand how you feel because I have been there myself. We must support each other and empathize with each other because each of us is more alike than we are unalike.”

Realm of Ideals

In Plato’s Theory of Forms, Plato believed our physical world is not the real world. Instead, ultimate reality exists beyond this 3D world of impermanence and change. There is another realm, one that is spiritual. Here, in the Realm of Ideals, exist the pure forms. In his famous Allegory of the Cave, he says most of us are like people living in a cave watching shadows on the wall.  We think the shadows are the real thing. Yet, if we’re able to leave the cave and encounter the source of the shadows, it’s only then that we deeply understand its true nature.

Venus in Pisces aspires to connect to that higher Love: the Form. In doing so, they surpass Romeo & Juliet and encounter selflessness, devotion, compassion, service, mystical union and transcendence.

Venus will bring grace and beauty to the Pisces area of our charts from January 26 through February 20th when she enters Aries. Key dates to watch are:

• February 4 when she squares Mars, using her understanding and finesse in a contentious situation.
• February 7 when she sextiles Uranus encouraging us to mix it up a little bit and try something new.
• February 15 when she conjuncts Neptune ushering in enchantment, artistry and intoxicating reverie.
• February 19 when she sextiles Pluto offering depth, truth and emotional connection through a vulnerable compassion that leads to empowerment.

If you know where Pisces lands in your chart, make an extra effort here to move forward on a desire. You’ll have the aid of the laughter loving Goddess in her exaltation behind you.

I created these images in Midjourney.

February 5, 2023 at 12:26 pm Central—The other night as I was watching the first episode of AppleTV’s SHRINKiNG, I realized it was the perfect allegory to Sunday’s Full Moon in Leo at 16°40′ . The show revolves around a severely grieving therapist barely coping with the death of his wife and the estrangement of his teenage daughter. The massive disruption to his life jolts him outside the bounds of ethics in his work as he begins to blurt out to his patients what he really thinks about their problems. Surprisingly, his acerbic call-outs shake his clients out of their complacency, ringing an alarm of their own responsibility in the life they’ve been  sleepwalking through. Check out the trailer which includes my favorite blurt at 1:08.

The show’s tagline, Sometimes you have to have a breakdown to have a breakthrough, speaks to the Full Moon’s tight square to Uranus. At times, it takes a shot of hardcore truth (no chaser) to ring the alarm bell and have us WAKE UP to our complicit relationship with mediocrity. A square speaks to a challenge or a tension that needs to be worked through. I like to think of them as knots we undo before we can lace up our lives and secure our footing.  A square with Uranus is often unexpected and surprising. It disrupts our lives in ways that require us to try something new. Many times, our response to the disruption has us finding more freedom and alignment.

Aquarius—Leo Axis

Also interesting are the signs of Aquarius and Leo where we find the Sun and the Moon. As a therapist, the character Jimmy Laird should be rational, logical and objective: Aquarius. This is not about Jimmy and his opinions. It’s about how he can offer neutral, uninvolved and professional guidance to his patients—more Aquarius.

The Sun is said to be in exile in the sign of Aquarius. The spotlight isn’t on the Self, but on improving the groups we’re apart of. There’s a utilitarian bent to Aquarius that leans towards the collective—a good example is Aquarian Sun Oprah Winfrey. So here we have a grieving human being unable to care for himself yet showing up to support his clients, which is another good example of the Sun in Aquarius.

Where does the Leo Moon come in? Jimmy Laird can’t hold back anymore. He’s tapped out on an internal bandwidth that has separated his personal exasperation from his professional obligations.  The Self dramatically staggers into the clinical space: Leo Moon opposing Aquarius Sun.  He defiantly lets loose and unleashes the pent up aggravation he was once able to control. The self-censorship dam breaches and the fallout is spectacular.

Taking responsibility

I’ve only watched the first episode, but according to Fresh Air, Dr. Laird’s unconventional therapy stimulates big changes in his client’s lives. They begin taking action. They accept responsibility for the changes they wish to see in their lives which is right out of Saturn’s playbook, co-present with the Sun and traditional ruler of Aquarius.

We can take the themes from SHRINKiNG and project them onto our lives and personal situations. The Full Moon in Leo sounds a revelatory wake-up call for some of us. Perhaps we’ll no longer be able to stay calm, cool and collected. The need for authentic self-expression will override our default settings of containing our emotions and behaving logically.  If that’s you, just go with it.  We often think “What’s the worst that could happen?” Perhaps this Full Moon asks us to pose the question: Where am I headed if things stay exactly as they are.

I created these images with Midjourney

On January 22nd, Uranus will station direct at 14°56′ Taurus.  Last time Uranus was in this part of the sky was in May of 2022. And before that, during August of 2021 when it stationed retrograde at 14°48.  For those of us with our Ascendant, Midheaven and any planets near the middle of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius), we are wrapping up a Uranus transit that began around August of 2021.

Known as The Great Awakener, Uranus often introduces instability, disruption, surprise and/or breakthrough into our lives as it interacts with personal planets and sensitive points in our chart. Common during Uranus transits are moves, career changes, family additions or removals, break-ups, flings and identity crisis. It depends which planet(s) Uranus engages with and the Taurus part of your chart it is engaging from. The usual advice is to expect the unexpected, which isn’t helpful as for me, the unexpected takes on a surreal flavor, like finding a giant talking octopus in my kitchen.

Yet, beneath the somewhat chaotic external manifestations, Uranus calls us into alignment with our deeper selves. It does this by shaking us up and out of complacency. For this reason, we call it The Great Awakener.  In the shake-up, we’re given the opportunity to experiment and change our normal way of doing things. Sometimes we find the change is more closely aligned with the direction we know is right for us.

It won’t be until May 9, 2023, that Uranus clears 18°55 of Taurus, where the planet stationed retrograde last August. Until May 9th, Uranus will revisit ground he’s already travelled, wrapping up business as he clears these degrees for the final time in this 84 year cycle. If you have planets here, this ultimate visit of Uranus from 15° to 19° of Taurus can mean there’s a piece of life that’s ready to resolve, align and awaken.

Learn more

Interested in learning more about Uranus transits?
Read What to expect during a Uranus transit + Uranus through the houses.

I created the octopus images in Midjourney.

January 21, 2023 at 2:54 pm Central—The lunations that have threaded the sky this past month tell a story.  December’s New Moon in Capricorn began to herald change, the kind of change that has us yearning for new experiences to plug into and build from. Some of us might have felt the tides turning—that we were being carried towards something new. But things were moving slowly. There was no momentum to carry us. There was just an internal spark that was newly lit.

The last Full Moon in Cancer the beginning of this month reminded us that we belong to something. Perhaps we reunited with family or people who feel like kin. There was a sense of being home or the poignant reminder that we were so far from it. Yet, even alone, we can belong to ourselves, finding nourishment in what we’re rooted in. And as Cardinal signs often do, these Capricorn-Cancer lunations quickened in us an appraisal on our current circumstances and an urge to respond to them.

And now, a New Moon in Aquarius this Saturday. How does this one play out? With Mars and Mercury now direct and Uranus stationing direct on Sunday, we can begin to take constructive action towards the shifts we’ve desired, even if we may not know where these initial wanderings will lead.

Signatures

Yesterday’s Sun-Pluto conjunction seeds this lunation with a soul-searching intensity of wanting to reclaim one’s power. In Aquarius, we cultivate these seeds with cool-headed conversations, the kind where utilitarian logic prevails and being curious about the other’s point of view.

The New Moon joins a spirited Jupiter in Aries by sextile. This beautiful alignment fosters optimistic forward thinking. Jupiter connects us to meaning and purpose. What fulfills you? Step in that direction, this New Moon signals.

Mars in Gemini plays a role too with a wide harmonious trine. We can feel there’s a gentle wind on our backs now, allowing us to get the ball rolling on whatever steps we’ve been procrastinating on. This friendly conversation between the New Moon, Jupiter and Mars reads proactive all over it. If we don’t like where we’re at, what we’re doing and with whom we’re doing it with: now’s the time to speak your truth so that the future you is grateful to the action you’re beginning now.

There’s more! The ruler of this New Moon in Aquarius is Saturn. He’s co-present (in the same sign) and one degree away from Venus, the ruler of the first decan of Aquarius.  What does that mean? Saturn is a long term planner using the tools of responsibility, boundary-setting and commitment so that we can build a foundation that supports us through time. In conjunction with Venus, we’re looking at the commitments, fault-lines and reality around our finances, relationships and our own sense of self worth. Putting it all together: it’s as if there’s a change we’ve known we’ve needed to make for sometime now, but for whatever reason the timing wasn’t right. We just weren’t ready. But now, it’s become a question of integrity.

Along these lines, Austin Coppock calls the first decan of Aquarius the Mark of the Exile. He explains that we often find natives with planets here that step outside the known to make it on their own. They believe that they can do better. There’s a sense of bravery and of industry. Coppock gives the classic story of leaving one’s hometown for the opportunities and freedoms of another city. When you combine this line of thinking with the tarot card that corresponds to this part of the sky—The Five of Swords—there’s a stepping away from what we’ve built because of an underlying belief there’s a better option elsewhere.  The man in the Five of Swords cuts his losses and moves on.  In a very Saturnian way, he’s creating boundaries around his energy, time and mental bandwidth.

Given the positive alignments in the New Moon chart,  this lunation powerfully encourages us to begin movement towards our goals. If we’re feeling the magnetic pull of investing ourselves in something while boundaring our bandwidth around other things, now’s the time to do it.  We shouldn’t let other people’s support or lack of it define our self worth. Sure, it’s reassuring to have reinforcement. But ultimately—in this decan at least—our power is self-generated.

I made “Bear in the City” in Midjourney.

January 6, 2023 at 5:07 pm Central—I’ve written about the word querencia before.  It comes from the Spanish verb querer, which means to desire and to want. It refers to a place that has completely captured you, becoming a part of your bones and interior landscape. You might have been there during your childhood, for decades, or even just a short time. It never left you. It’s as though you left a piece of your truest self there, and that piece haunts you to come back. Querencia refers to wanting to go back to this place once you’ve grown old and death is near. It is here you remember who you are.

Friday’s Full Moon in Cancer feels like it contains this word querencia and all the layers that create it: instinctual sentimentality, kinship and nostalgia for the deep past. Querencia presupposes we are whole because within this place, we radiate our inviolable self integrity.

What does it feel like to be this whole? This complete? Well, on the most basic level, it’s to meet the mammalian requirements we find along the Cancer/Capricorn axis.  This feeling of wholeness and the requirements to meet it are fleshed out and highlighted by Friday’s Full Moon in Cancer which reminds us there is such a querencia within all of us: we don’t need to go someplace, be with someone or do something to find it. We are it.

Cancer’s origins

But to back it up for a second… when we think of Cancer, it’s important to remember its origin story. Carcinus the crab fought valiantly to help the Hydra of Lerna in her death fight against Heracles. Heracles had provoked the serpentine water monster (Hydra) by throwing flaming arrows into her cave where she was peacefully minding her own business. In the end, Heracles prevailed and killed the Hydra and Carcinus. In gratitude for its heroic service, Hera swung the crab up into the heavens and there it shines as the constellation Cancer with Hydra to its south. Thus, Cancer is associated with protection of home and hearth, and restoration of equanimity.

All this to say, an important part of reveling in querencia is to know protection: that a Heracles equivalent isn’t going to come and take it all away. In the Cancer-Capricorn axis, we safeguard against illness, poverty and old age.  We keep ourselves healthy. We set ourselves up financially. We make plans for the last third of our lives where we can live comfortably. We gather kin or people that feel like family around us so that we are not alone. We fortify ourselves so that when the vicissitudes of life take a turn for the worse, we are protected. Most of all, we tend to the inner flame of querencia, knowing that we are whole, worthy and enough.

Insightful breakthrough

Mercury plays an important role in Friday’s lunation. A few hours after the Full Moon, Mercury begins his purification process where he passes through the fiery furnace of the Sun. Called Cazimi, this is a significant time where Mercury is said to have the ear of the Sun. How does this translate for us? We’re open to receiving messages now, whether from the outside, our own internal wisdom, or our ancestors. For those of us who have been struggling either financially, with illness, with loneliness and feeling orphaned, I kindly suggest using this time to connect with an ally—ancestor, nature ally like a mountain or tree, an old friend or even your future self—who can reflect your radiance back to you. With Mercury regenerating our perceptions and then trining Uranus on Saturday, this is a time to break through something that has kept you in its clutches for too long.

Finally, this beautiful, bright moon has all the feels. It also wants us to take action, like Carcinus the crab coming to protect the Hydra. So do something for your well being this month. Cultivate protection and care for your “soft animal body”… and like poet extraordinaire Mary Oliver so eloquently penned, you can remember:
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

You belong. Happy Full Moon and best wishes for 2023.

January 4, 2023—Mercury, Mars and Uranus will all be stationing direct this month. When planets station, they decelerate, saturating the heavens with their significations. Their movements are reflected in our own patterns as we slow down, absorb and reflect. Here, we take a look at Mars and Mercury.

Mars stations direct on January 12th

Action planet Mars entered Gemini on August 20th. Normally, Mars charges through a sign in six weeks, cycling around the entire zodiac in two years. But since his retrograde from October 30th to January 12th occurs entirely in Gemini, he inhabits the Sign of The Twins for seven months!  We will finally get respite in the Gemini part of our lives when Mars ingresses into Cancer on March 17th.

In Mars in Gemini, A Seven Month Endurance Test, I share what house Mars is transiting for each rising sign. Mars transits can agitate, frustrate and infuriate. After all, Mars is the God of War. Mars can also goad us into action.

Personal Example

For me, Mars is transiting my 4th House of home and family. I’ve dealt with constant noise pollution from my neighbors as they reunited for the Holidays. This noise has been generating underneath my living space for a good part of December. The result? My normally strong immune system plummeted into a nasty cold.

Like I wrote in the “endurance test” article, we experience varying degrees of severity with a Mars transit. I was especially hit hard because Gemini is an angular house for me and Mars squared many of my mutable placements. Squares are of the nature of Mars, which is aggressive yet also willing to take action, come what may.

As Mars stations, we can look to 8° Gemini in our charts. If we have an angle or planet there or at 8° of the mutables—Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces—that placement is getting an infusion of martial pow wow 💥 this month.

Mercury stations direct on January 18th

As Mars travels through Gemini, the fiery planet answers to Mercury who rules Gemini.  Mercury’s recent retrograde on December 29th interfaces with Mars in the way that a host’s condition (Mercury) can affect a guest’s stay (Mars). If Mercury is slowing down to revise, review and rethink, the tools it has to offer Mars will reflect this deceleration.

Our human bodies are not meant to push, strive and endeavor 24/7. Retrogrades offer a celestial season of rest. An exhale. So even if we’re feeling a little more social since Venus entered Aquarius on Monday, it’s ok if we’re not crossing off action items on our to-do lists. Once Mercury—the planet of communication and commerce—and Mars—our willpower, drive and charge—turn direct, we’ll find our momentum again.

Important dates for Mercury this month include its union with the Sun on the 7th and energizing trine with Uranus on the 8th. This can feel like a moment of clarity and breakthrough. Pay attention to information and events at this time. They may come back again for implementation when Mercury is direct and trines Uranus again the end of the month on January 29th.

In addition, Mercury remerges as the morning star on January 14th. This will be his first appearance since tucking under the beams of the Sun which obscured him from the nighttime and morning skies. The Greeks called this important surfacing Phasis, meaning “an appearance that speaks.” This is a significant time for Mercury. Just having gone through the purifying furnace of the Sun, it reemerges as an empowered morning star and connected to dramatic announcements.

Mercury stations direct four days later on the 18th. But it won’t be until February 7th that we wrap up this retrograde when Mercury clears his shadow by advancing past 24° Capricorn and enters new terrain.

Takeaway

The takeaway? Be open to insights, downloads and breakthroughs by moving slower and grounding into presence. Sometimes, the best way to Do is to Be.

Images found on flaticon.com

December 23, 2022 at 4:17 am Central—Friday’s New Moon in Capricorn finds her a long way from home. She is said to be in “exile” in the sign of the sea goat, opposite her domicile in Cancer. In Capricorn, the planet Saturn provides for her. So the moon finds her significations of comfort, care, family connections and emotional regulation through Saturnian tools such as hard work, discipline, boundaries, tradition and responsibility.

I’ve always thought that of all the signs, Capricorn is the most realistic. This is a New Moon that can face the cold hard facts and begin a process that will bring stability, accomplishment and wisdom in the long term. But sometimes, we have to pass through a rock-bottom of sorts to acknowledge the severity of our circumstances while at the same time, muster the courage needed to change them. The New Moon in Capricorn initiates one of those times.

In meditating on this New Moon and this time of year, Rilke surfaced for me, forming an image of darkness that some of us might be sitting with now. A darkness that also holds the reassurance of light, like this New Moon. Maybe you know this poem and love it too.

Here’s Rilke:

Quiet friend who has come so far,
feel how your breathing makes more space around you.
Let this darkness be a bell tower
and you the bell. As you ring,

what batters you becomes your strength.
Move back and forth into the change.
What is it like, such intensity of pain?
If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine.

In this uncontainable night,
be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses,
the meaning discovered there.

And if the world has ceased to hear you,
say to the silent earth: I flow.
To the rushing water, speak: I am.

—Sonnets to Orpheus II, 29

Rilke pens Saturnian phrases… quiet friend who has come so far on Saturn’s journey, what batters you becomes your strength. Lean on your resiliency: move back and forth into the change.  If the drink is bitter, alchemize it to wisdom. In this uncontainable night, witness yourself in the stillness—be the mystery and the discovery. You only need mother nature to acknowledge your existence, as Buddha did under the Bodhi tree.

If you find comfort in these words, you’re like the Capricorn Moon using Saturnian tools to latch on to support and reassurance through inner strength and wisdom. Whereas in Cancer, the Moon has hearth, home and connection to support her, in the exile of Capricorn, it is struggle actualized into strength where she finds solace.

Two of Pentacles

The tarot card associated with the first decan of Capricorn is The Two of Pentacles.  Known as the Lord of Change, this card appears when we’re looking for a new experience to plug into and build from. Some examples include a new place to live, a new relationship in our life, and/or a change of responsibilities at work. There’s a feeling of transition, where we know that change is imminent and we’re being carried towards it.  There’s also a sense of wanting to root ourselves so we connect to a greater sense of homeostasis.

When this card appears in a reading, it often speaks to taking the first steps towards value-driven goals. As we know, everything that is truly worthwhile is going to require a change in priorities so we can carve out the time needed to cultivate progress. T. Susan Chang brilliantly observes in her book 36 Secrets: A Decanic Journey through the Minor Arcana of the Tarot, that the man’s hat in this card looks like a tombstone. In times of change, there’s always a little death as we let go of part of our lives so we can focus on new growth.

What’s driving the impetus towards transition is purpose and nourishment. The New Moon in Capricorn squares a newly ingressed Jupiter in Aries and Ceres in Libra. This is a Cardinal heavy signature that wants to ride the advancing tide of change. Cardinal signs are the doers in the Zodiac and the first to accept a challenge.  Ideas, dreams and goals that begin to form at this time have a strong current behind them.

With the square to Jupiter, we’re courageously connecting to where we wish to build meaning in our lives. The square to Ceres has us working out the tension between how we support ourselves within the context of our relationships. Where do we need to find balance and harmony again between self and other?

If you find yourself in a bell tower darkness at this time, follow Rilke’s advice. Feel how your breathing makes more space around you. Know that what batters you becomes your strength. Move back and forth into the change. Take refuge in nature. Speak to the growing light that begins to infuse you with hope and direction. Know that the promise of an ending is to seed a new beginning, and the ones cared for now will lead to purpose and expansion.

Royalty Free image found on rawpixel.com

December 21—Jupiter re-entered the sign of Aries yesterday where he’ll be until he ingresses into Taurus on May 16, 2023. He activated this part of our charts last May through October, encouraging us to dream bigger, aim higher and shoot further. Now he’s back to finish what he started.

Jupiter in a Mars ruled sign is action oriented. We may not know where we’re going, but we’re enthusiastic to start! This take-charge energy has us beginning projects, switching lanes and Just Going For It with the kind of boldness that paves a way we didn’t know existed. Even though fear may pull at our coattails reminding us we don’t have a real plan, Jupiter in Aries reassures us that we can figure out the repercussions when he cools down in security-focused Taurus in May.  But for now: let’s bite off a piece of adventure and expand our horizons. As John Muir howled, “The mountains are calling and I must go.”

What mountain is calling in your life?  Let’s take a look at Jupiter in Aries throughout all the signs:

• Aries Rising—Jupiter will transit your 1st House
  Get ready for a big year, Aries! As Jupiter transits the first house of self, your overall outlook to life lifts and brightens. You’re encouraged to envision big while paying attention to opportunities that will initiate a brand new 12-year cycle for you.  This is a year of building your sense of self and what you have to offer the world simply by being you. But watch those calories! Jupiter transiting the 1st can have us adding unwanted pounds.

• Taurus Rising—Jupiter will transit your 12th House
  Looking into our own Pandora’s Box. What do we find there? What have we repressed that is now wanting to express in our conscious life? What has been hidden that comes to light now? This transit is great for retreat and solitary time. Warning: frenemies/enemies could emerge from the woodwork.

• Gemini Rising—Jupiter will transit your 11th House
  A great time to put some muscle behind your hopes and aspirations. Jupiter will usher in opportunities that could take the form of helpful friendships or social networks that fill your sails with friendly winds. Be on the lookout for dreams coming true!

• Cancer Rising—Jupiter will transit your 10th House
  Your role at work could expand during this time. Your reputation and social standing can make a bigger splash with Jupiter here. If you’re looking to advance in your career, take risks and find more meaning in how you contribute to the world, now’s the time to ride this Jupiter wave as it has the power to carry you far this year.

• Leo Rising—Jupiter will transit your 9th House
  An excellent time to expand the edges of your mental and physical frontiers. This could look like going back to school, focusing on spiritual growth, learning astrology or embarking on international travel. The 9th House is associated with all things that grow our minds and our tangible world. Jupiter encourages you to take the plunge and swim wide!

• Virgo Rising—Jupiter will transit your 8th House
  Jupiter can lend a helping hand in taxes, loans and debt. However, take care not to take on more financial promises you can realistically handle sinking you into greater debt. Opportunity can arise through receiving an inheritance or a windfall you didn’t work for. Your significant other might experience a nice bump in their finances which then affects you.

• Libra Rising—Jupiter will transit your 7th House
  Significant relationships bloom. Jupiter transiting the 7th can bring in an important person—romantic or not—who you can grow with. If you’re already in a relationship, Jupiter offers optimism and expansion, taking you further down the path together.

• Scorpio Rising—Jupiter will transit your 6th House
  Be proactive with your health now. Schedules can get overly packed exasperating underlying health issues. Time management is important. On the bright side: relationships with people that work for you and/or colleagues turn sweeter thanks to Jupiter’s benevolent presence. It’s also possible to adopt a fur baby during this transit or pay more attention to pets.

• Sagittarius Rising—Jupiter will transit your 5th House
  Jupiter brings Sag Risings growth opportunities around romance, children, or following their passions. Single Sagittarius: if you’re looking for love, the first half of 2023 is the time to do something about it! For some, the topic of children will take on more importance. And with Jupiter in the 5th, it’s your time to shine! Follow what you love and you’ll be rewarded.

• Capricorn Rising—Jupiter will transit your 4th House
  Are you thinking about expanding your home, Cap? Now until mid-May could see you bringing home a baby, another relative, or making room for an elderly parent to come live with you. You might entertain moving into a bigger house or building a structural add-on to your home.

• Aquarius Rising—Jupiter will transit your 3rd House
  Development and opportunity around siblings can present themselves now. The Moon has her joy here so increasing knowledge around pagan wisdom traditions can happen when Jupiter transits the 3rd. You might find that you’re commuting more and making small trips as well.

• Pisces Rising—Jupiter will transit your 2nd House
  Jupiter transiting the 2nd often brings new income streams, a raise, or a big boost to our self worth. If you’re long overdue a raise, Pisces, ask for it when Jupiter is in your money house! Remember, the opportunity is there, but we have to activate it. A warning: be careful not to overspend as Jupiter can have us feeling more generous towards ourselves and others than we normally are. 

If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade.—Tom Peters

As the greater benefic, Jupiter can bless us with good fortune, meaning, abundance, wisdom, growth and optimism in our Aries house. But there’s no guarantee; we have to make an effort and work with the opportunity given! What’s special about this ingress is the connection Jupiter forms to the New Moon in Capricorn on Friday. With the Sun, Moon and Jupiter connecting at the start of Cardinal signs, this is a powerful surge of energy to courageously step into our dreams and begin to build them out in our waking life.

Origins of Pallas Athene

Once upon a time, the Titan Sea Goddess Metis helped Zeus (or Jupiter, if we go with the Roman version), achieve victory over his father Cronus (or Saturn for the Romans). You see Cronus/Saturn had swallowed his children in fear of a prophecy that foretold one of his children would usurp him one day, just like he had usurped his own father Uranus by castrating him and tossing his testicles into the sea. Silver lining with the Uranus story was Venus emerging from the white foam that appeared from the severed bits! These stories are crazy!!

Titan Sea Goddess Metis helped Zeus/Jupiter to free his swallowed siblings by serving Cronus/Saturn an enigmatic and upsy-daisy! out came Demeter/Ceres Hestia/Vesta, Hera/Juno, Hades/Pluto and Poseidon/Neptune (Greek/Roman names)! Brothers and sisters united to take down their castrating, hungry father and Zeus/Jupiter became King of the Gods.

How did (let’s just stick to) Jupiter repay Metis? Libidinal one-note Jupiter did what he always does to women: he raped her and she got pregnant. History began repeating itself because now Jupiter learned that he would be defeated by his grandson, the child of his unborn daughter with Metis. Sticking to a method that worked for his father, he swallowed Metis! The story goes that she continued to give him counsel from within… talk about a gut feeling!  Metis means “wise counsel”—we see where Athena got her wisdom from.

One day after swallowing Metis, Jupiter took a stroll along the shores of Lake Triton when he was accosted by a blistering headache.  To alleviate his agony, Hephaestus—Hera/Juno’s  parthenogenetic son she literally had all on her own—split the head of Zeus. Out came Athena, fully grown and warrior ready. She never went through the terrible twos!

Later, Athena added Pallas to her name in tribute to the dear childhood friend she accidentally impaled during a play fight at an athletics festival. She is known as Pallas Athene or Pallas Athena.

Even further back

If we go back even further into Pallas Athene’s history, we find her origins in the African Amazons as the Libyan Triple Goddess Neith.  Later she made her way to Greece where she was folded into the story of Metis and Zeus. In Asteroid Goddesses, Demetra George points out the “from a sociological perspective, the myth of Pallas Athene’s birth from Jupiter’s head marks the ingestion and adaptation of the feminine wisdom principle to the needs of the new patriarchal order.”

Pallas Athene in the natal chart

In our charts, Pallas Athene describes our capacity for creative synthesis, curiosity, strategy and remarkable perception. Think of the gifted weaver’s ability to see patterns and capture the whole picture, pulling together insight from a web of associations.

Demetra George has written masterfully on Pallas Athene. These bulleted descriptions for Pallas Athene through the signs are taken from her book Asteroid Goddesses: The Mythology, Psychology, and Astrology of the Re-emerging Feminine.

• PA in Aries initiates and activates and sees how to get things going. Wisdom is that of sudden inspiration like a brainstorm or sudden pioneering urge. 
• PA in Taurus sees the beauty of the world through visual, auditory and tactile senses. Wisdom is common sense, practical understanding and street smarts. 
• PA in Gemini sees the world through words. Wisdom is knowledge that comes from one’s own mind.
• PA in Cancer perceives through emotions. Wisdom is empathy, a knowledge gained through one’s hypersensitive emotional antennae.
• PA in Leo sees in terms of how one can impress their unique vision upon the world. The wisdom of the creative impulse that gives birth to new forms. 
• PA in Virgo sees the essence of things in their simplest forms. Her wisdom is discrimination, separating the wheat from the chaff. 
• PA in Libra sees in terms of spatial relations, bringing balance, composition and cohesion. Her wisdom is the ability to integrate polarities. 
• PA in Scorpio sees through, under and beneath with their x-ray vision. This wisdom is one of insight: penetrating to the core and grasping the essence. 
• PA in Sagittarius sees the big picture and has broad-scale vision. Her wisdom unifies by forging links of the parts to form a cohesive whole.
• PA in Capricorn sees the structure that supports form as in architecture or sculpting. Her wisdom is order: putting things in proper sequence.   
• PA in Aquarius sees futuristic possibilities such as vibration healing and radical art. Her wisdom creates forms that future generations will understand. 
• PA in Pisces is a diffuse and merging perception. Her wisdom is compassion, recognizing universal suffering and desire for happiness is a human condition. 

Finding Pallas Athene in your chart

If you don’t know where Pallas Athene is located in your chart, you can find it by following these instructions:

1. 1. Go to astro.com
   2. Click on Horoscopes, located to the left of the top banner
   3. Click on Extended Chart Selection
   4. Enter your birth data
   5. Next, find the section “Additional Objects” (bottomish/left)
   6. Select Pallas

When you update your chart, you’ll now see the glyph for Pallas Athene.

Ceres was the daughter of Saturn and Rhea and sister to Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto and the other asteroid Goddesses, Vesta and Juno. The Greeks knew her as Demeter which comes from da mater or “earth mother.”

The Story of Ceres

As the story goes, Ceres and her cherished daughter Persephone were inseparable. They basked in each other’s company as they wandered the Earth together. During this happy time, the world knew no shortages, famine, winter or barren land. This was a time of perennial bounty.

Then one day, the lascivious Pluto noticed Persephone. What a beautiful young maiden she had grown into! Ripe for his plucking, he thought. And in a rare moment when mother and daughter weren’t together, pluck her he did! Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, opened up the Earth, ravished Persephone, and took her into his dark domain to be his queen.

Grief stricken and inconsolable, Ceres roamed everywhere in search of her beloved Persephone. Long story short, when she found out what had happened, she stopped the fertile land from bearing forth crops. If she were to suffer so deeply, so would everyone else!

As the people began to starve, they prayed to Zeus to put an end to the famine. Bargains were struck and in the end, Persephone was to spend half the year as Queen of the Underworld and the other half, reunited with her loving mother Ceres. It is Persephone’s comings and goings that give us the seasons and harvest time. When with her mother, Ceres sends forth her blessings. When Persephone returns to the Underworld to reign with her husband, the land turns cold and dry.

Ceres in the natal chart

In our charts, Ceres points to our nurturing style: how we dispense it and how we need to be nourished. It’s where we get the word cereal. Ceres also speaks to self worth, issues of rejection, our relationship to food, and loss. When there is a strong Ceres signature, the native relates to the story of Ceres and Persephone. For instance, losing a child, estrangement, eating disorders or custody battles are some of the ways a challenging aspect to Ceres can manifest.

Ceres through the signs

Demetra George has written masterfully on Ceres. These bulleted descriptions for Ceres through the signs are taken from her book Asteroid Goddesses: The Mythology, Psychology, and Astrology of the Re-emerging Feminine.

• Ceres in Aries identifies nurturance with autonomy and being granted independence. 
• Ceres in Taurus receives nurturance through physical substance, a sense of stability, and being touched and held.
• Ceres in Gemini receives nurturance through being education, talked to and listened to.
• Ceres in Cancer receives nurturance through bonding with the mother, feeling loved and being fed.
• Ceres in Leo identifies nurturance with self-expression and feeling confident in their abilities.
• Ceres in Virgo identifies nurturance with perfection, service and self-discipline.
• Ceres in Libra identifies nurturance with cooperation.
• Ceres in Scorpio identifies nurturance with intense and deep emotional bonding.
• Ceres in Sagittarius identifies nurturance with the freedom to explore and expand their horizons.
• Ceres in Capricorn identifies nurturance with achievement and being responsible for themselves.
• Ceres in Aquarius identifies nurturance with individuality and self-determination.
• Ceres in Pisces identifies nurturance with compassion and feelings of connection to a transcendent reality.

Finding Ceres in your chart

If you don’t know where Ceres is located in your chart, you can find it by following these instructions.

1. 1. Go to astro.com
   2. Click on Horoscopes, located to the left of the top banner
   3. Click on Extended Chart Selection
   4. Enter your birth data
   5. Next, find the section “Additional Objects” (bottomish/left)
   6. Select Ceres

When you update your chart, you’ll now see the glyph for Ceres.

Vesta was the first born child of Saturn and Rhea and sister to Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto and the other asteroid Goddesses. She is one of the oldest and most cherished goddesses. Hestia, her Greek name, means “hearth”, symbolic of that what brings us together, gives us focus and captures our attention. Vesta is our animating principle.

The Story of Vesta

Vesta has morphed throughout time, depending on the culture who worshipped her. But at her core, she kept the sacred flame alive.

The Greeks worshipped her as Hestia. They built a public altar to her and kept her fire going. Families used this flame to build altars in their home. When a woman left her childhood home when she married, she built her own altar from the flame she took from home. Hestia symbolized protection, honesty, sincerity, hospitality, and the feeling that you were among friends.

The Romans adopted her as Vesta and built a temple to contain the City’s sacred flame.  This fire could never extinguish. Priestesses, selected from the City’s most noble and finest, dedicated their lives to protecting this flame.  They were called the Vestal Virgins and had many liberties and held high honor. Yet, they were to remain celibate, giving all their attention on keeping the fire alive.

Vesta in the natal chart

In our charts, Vesta points to our commitment style (sign) and suggests the area (house) where we are often compelled toward focusing much of our energy, time and resources.  Here we revitalize ourselves through work, commitment, devotion and even sacrifice.

Demetra George has written masterfully on Vesta. These bulleted descriptions for Vesta through the houses are taken from her book Asteroid Goddesses: The Mythology, Psychology, and Astrology of the Re-emerging Feminine.

• 1st House Vesta is committed to finding one’s own identity and through achieving their personal goals.
• 2nd House Vesta represents dedication to generating resources to provide for and support themselves and/or loved ones.
• 3rd House Vesta is dedicated to one’s mind and furthering personal understanding while sharing information with others.
• 4th House Vesta is dedicated to family and home. Personal freedom is often curtailed due to family obligations. 
• 5th House Vesta is dedicated to creative expression and children.
• 6th House Vesta reveals a dedication to work and efficient functioning.
• 7th House Vesta is dedicated to working on one’s relationships.
• 8th House Vesta is dedicated to the psychic/occult fields or to depth interactions with others.
• 9th House Vesta symbolizes a dedication to seeking the truth and conveying wisdom.
• 10th House Vesta indicates a dedication to one’s career or position in society. When close to the MC, it can indicate a spiritual destiny.
• 11th House Vesta connotes a dedication to group interactions and the need to participate in larger wholes. 
• 12th House Vesta implies a dedication to selfless service and to the pursuit of spiritual values. This person requires time alone and retreat. 

Finding Vesta in your chart

If you don’t know where Vesta is located in your chart, you can find it by following these instructions.

1. Go to astro.com
2. Click on Horoscopes, located to the left of the top banner
3. Click on Extended Chart Selection
4. Enter your birth data
5. Next, find the section “Additional Objects” (bottomish/left)
6. Select Vesta

When you update your chart, you’ll now see the glyph for Vesta.

 

Some of you may know Juno as the jealous and vindictive wife of Jupiter and mother of Mars. In Greek mythology, she was known as Hera and was regaled as the Queen of the Gods. Older myths align her as the Triple Moon Goddess representing the three stages of a woman’s life: Maidenhood, Motherhood, and Sage.

The Story of Juno

Like so many myths where women are given the short shrift, Juno was villainized as the wrathful wife of Jupiter. Truth be told, Jupiter had quite the lascivious appetite and had numerous sexual liaisons with other women, the majority of them by force. What woman wouldn’t be incensed to be married to a raping lothario?

To the Greeks, Hera (the Roman Juno) and Zeus (The Roman Jupiter) were brother and sister. One day, Zeus conjures up a storm and shapeshifs into a cuckoo bird, landing in his sister’s lap for warmth and protection. As she comforts the wet bird, he changes back into Zeus and rapes her. What’s a poor Goddess to do but marry her rapist brother? Ever after, the marriage was filled with strife and contention. Even though he continued to rape and fornicate, his sister/wife remained loyal.

If we go back even further into Juno/Hera’s history, we find her as a sovereign nation princess. Raised by the seasons, she peacefully reigned alone. In fact, her temple at Olympia predates Zeus’s.  But when her territory was overtaken, the invaders had to find a place for her. So they married her to their own god, Zeus.  And even though she’s been immortalized as the contentious and jealous bride to the God of the Gods, if we scratch just a little beneath the surface, we see an arranged marriage where one of the partners had to subvert her power and give up her freedom while her husband gallivanted from one liaison to the next. History would look a lot different if women had been the ones recording it.

Juno in the natal chart

In our charts, Juno points to what we need in a committed relationship in order to be content. When we don’t get it, we can succumb to manipulating behavior, jealousy, power issues, betrayal and downright unhappiness.

Demetra George has written masterfully on Juno. These bulleted descriptions for Vesta through the signs are taken from her book Asteroid Goddesses: The Mythology, Psychology, and Astrology of the Re-emerging Feminine.

• Juno in Aries need independence and freedom in relationships. Anger is a release mechanism for the frustrated need for autonomy.
• Juno in Taurus need stability, dependability and groundedness in relationships. Nagging and complaining can result when these qualities are missing.
• Juno in Gemini indicates the need to have verbal stimulation with their partner and the capacity to discuss day to day plans. A lack of communication results in anxiety and inner mental agitation. 
• Juno in Cancer desires emotional connection and nurturing in relationships. Moodiness, withdrawal and clinging arise when these needs aren’t met.
• Juno in Leo needs admiration and excitement. They want to be adored! They also want to take pride in their parter. Selfish behaviors and attention seeking often arise when they are taken for granted or ignored.
• Juno in Virgo desires to work on a relationship so that both partners are better people for it. Without this, criticism and fault-finding occur.
• Juno in Libra wants equality and fairness in a relationship. Decisions are jointly made and the partner shows respect for ideas and desires. Without this, competition arises and cooperation evaporates.
• Juno in Scorpio craves deep emotional connection, a solid bond and sexual intimacy. When this is missing, there can be jealousy, manipulation, control and sexual withdrawal.
• Juno in Sagittarius requires intellectual stimulation with their partner and an adventure buddy. Without a unified vision, the relationship dissolves its cohesiveness. 
• Juno in Capricorn seek assurance of a long term commitment and prefers the security of traditional forms of partnering such as marriage. If thwarted, they withdraw emotionally.
• Juno in Aquarius requires freedom to be an individual and a life apart from the relationship. If denied this freedom, they can become noncommittal, unreliable and erratic.
• Juno in Pisces holds high ideals and puts their faith. commitment, and reverence in relationship. Disillusionment, withdrawal, escapism, martyrdom and victimization result when their idealistic expectations are not met. 

Finding Juno in your chart

If you don’t know where Juno is located in your chart, you can find it by following these instructions.

1. Go to astro.com
2. Click on Horoscopes, located to the left of the top banner
3. Click on Extended Chart Selection
4. Enter your birth data
5. Next, find the section “Additional Objects” (bottomish/left)
6. Select Juno

When you update your chart, you’ll now see the asteroid Juno.

Painting:  Ann Elliot as Juno, by James Watson

If you’re like me, the things we hear and read contain delightful reflections on how the planets can express in our everyday lives. Here’s an example of something I recently heard that reminded me of Saturn.

• Source: Ted Radio Hour — A Love Letter to the Ocean
  Catherine’s is the first story. The entire episode is highly recommended!

Traditional astrology refers to Saturn as “the greater malefic”. And yes, major Saturn transits often usher in a season of melancholy, loss, time pressures and reality checks. Yet, in the end, Saturn asks us to take responsibility for the changes we wish to see in our lives. The trials of Saturn contribute to the growth of wisdom in many of us.

Catherine’s Story

The following story reminds me of how Saturn can work in our lives. It’s told by adventure seeker Catherine Mohr about one of her scuba dives. She was exploring in the Galapagos Islands when she was stabbed underwater by a sea urchin. I highly recommend listening to her story as she takes us through the stabbing, navigating sharks to resurface and then breaking her pelvis a day before she was scheduled to remove a piece of painful sea urchin spine from a joint in her hand.

Mohr and her broken pelvis convalesced for six weeks. Constrained to her couch, friends kept her company, especially one introverted friend who would become her current day husband of 23 years!

When she finally became weight bearing again, she discovered she no longer needed surgery to remove the sea urchin spine from her hand. “Turns out,” Mohr exclaims, “when you break a bone, your body scavenges calcium from all the bones in your body and from the little sea urchin spine that you happen to have lodged in the joint of your finger. So yes, my pelvis is now part sea urchin.”

Saturn Transits

In the same way, the suffering we often experience during Saturn transits can be metabolized later as the source of healing wisdom. It’s as if these Saturnian initiations provide pockets of relevant experience that we can draw from later on in life when we feel broken. When we enter stillness, we travel at Saturn’s speed: slow and steady—and in this way, we alchemize Saturnian experiences into the experiential wisdom that evolves us.

Eventually, we become part sea urchin… those painful seasons embed in us. We can call on them when we need to remember what we’re capable of. In the process, we open up to becoming our own authority as we take responsibility for the healing in our lives.

Top image by Catherine Mohr’s daughter. Middle: Mohr at her 2018 Ted Talk.

December 7, 2022 at 10:08 pm Central—Have you ever heard of the arcade video game Centipede?  I used to *love* this game. I pumped many quarters into my hometown Centipede in the early 80’s getting very good at it!

The game’s objective is to stay alive and blast all the segments of the descending centipede while clearing mushrooms the blasted segments leave in their wake. As the game progresses, it speeds up. In addition, spiders pop out from the sides and fleas drop vertically, threatening to squash your shooter. Scorpions move horizontally creating poisoned mushrooms. Just watching this video has my heart racing and my teeth clenching like they did when I used to play! 😬 😱

The first week of December feels like Centipede. Wednesday’s Full Moon in Gemini culminates right as everything speeds up, fleas drop and a giant spider comes for us from the periphery.  Meanwhile, we’re just trying to stay in the game while putting out fires coming at us from every direction.

The Full Moon is conjunct Mars, the planet of action, or if we follow the analogy, our Centipede shooter. What’s more, the Moon illuminates the sky from the portion of Gemini ruled by Mars. So we have a double-duty action shooter at the moment which can energize productivity but also leave us feeling frazzled. Like playing Centipede, the adrenalin flows while the teeth are clenched.

Reactivity or responsiveness?

At the Full Moon, we’re halfway through the Mars retrograde in Gemini. Many of us can connect this transit to something in our lives that has stirred anxiety and agitated worry since Mars first entered Gemini on October 16th. This development can come to a head now.

In fact, the Full Moon in the second decan of Gemini corresponds to The Nine of Swords. When we pull this card, we’re literally waking up at night like the woman in the card thinking of all the things—or the one thing—going off the rails in our life. There’s a mental tension that will only grow as we spoon feed it worst case scenarios.

With Mars conjunct this Full Moon, it could be a time of popping the worst case scenario bubble. That might mean having a standoff OR a productive conversation with someone—we choose reactivity or responsiveness.

Taking the long-term view

One vote for responsiveness goes to the ruler of this Full Moon, Mercury in Capricorn, whose end goal is achievement, sustainability and discipline. Mercury in Capricorn decidedly takes the sting out of a hot-headed Mars and reminds us there are consequences to our actions. What do we want long-term in this situation? How can we take responsibility for our part in communication and/or business? In Centipede talk, this would have the player remain calm and utilizing past experience while skillfully controlling her shooter.

Bottom line? We only get better at the things we practice. If this Full Moon finds you dodging fleas, spiders and scorpions, remember that we can only pass a test if we take a test. The more times we accept a challenge, the better we’ll become at breezing through it.  Life gives us plenty of chances to excel, but we have to put in our quarters first.

December begins with many planets in mutable signs:

• The Sun, Mercury and Venus in Sagittarius
• Mars retrograde in Gemini
• Jupiter spending his final days in Pisces

The mutable signs—Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces—correspond to the times of year when one season begins to fade into the start of another one: the end of winter, spring, summer and fall. Hence, they have a sort of shape-shifting quality to them. They’re able to pivot, adapt and go with the flow.

The first part of December may feel a bit scattered, as if we’re trying to do all the things. As the month progresses and Mercury, Venus and the Sun move into Cardinal Capricorn and Jupiter ingresses into Cardinal Aries, our actions become more focused and responsive.

The image that comes to mind is a quarterback looking for an open player to carry the football down the field. At first, there are many options as the quarterback scans for someone to pass to. This is the sky we have now: full of mutable possibility. Once the ball is passed, there’s a definitive move towards the goal.  In like manner, Capricorn and Aries like to have a target to set their sights on. So if the first part of December feels a bit dispersed, we’ll get more strategic as the month progresses.

Are you looking for a thoughtful gift for a special person in your life? I offer gift certificates that can be applied towards anything in my store including astrology and tarot consultations, talismans and the Faunabelle Tarot Deck. The Year Ahead is especially popular this time of year as we get ready to welcome 2023!

On the fence? Take a look at some of my testimonials.

Email me at juanita@juanitabenedicto.com if you’d like to gift a certificate. I will get back to you within 8 hours.

Mercury entered the adventuresome sign of Sagittarius on November 17th and will depart for the more strategic sign of Capricorn on December 6th. Mercury governs the way we communicate with one another. I often think a fitting slogan for Mercury in Sag would be “S/he with the most stories wins!”.  This is a sign that connects through heroic exploration of the wide-wide world and all the experiences to be mined within it.

Mercury will be in the sign of Sagittarius on Thursday, November 24th: a day that some of us will gather with loved ones to celebrate Thanksgiving. Like all signs, there are advantages and disadvantages to having a planet express through a particular sign.  Let’s take a look at Mercury expressing through the mutable fire of Sagittarius.

The Good

The ruler of a sign will tell you a lot about the characteristics of that sign. Sagittarius is the diurnal home of Jupiter which equips Mercury to communicate in a generous way and with gratitude and humor. Sagittarius is the sign of the story-teller, the one who has travelled far collecting experiences to place into their cauldron of simmering wisdom. Mercury in Sag enjoys performing in front of a captive audience and those eager to hear of faraway places and people.

My favorite singer-songwriter, Tom Waits, is a Sagittarius Sun. His Mercury, also in Sag, conjuncts his Ascendant. The colorful characters in his songs are larger than life. They quest, mythological style, with buck shot eyes and purple hearts on a road that promises nothing. You’ll find them in a circus, at the bar, in a Hong Kong Drizzle, in barns and basements always searching for meaning. It’s the same with The Archer… no matter how far that arrow flies, there’s a homing signal that’s really trying to unravel what’s it all for.

Perhaps that’s why Sagittarius is the sign connected to philosophers, preachers and teachers: it’s aspirational. Forged in fire, this communication style is passionate, inspiring and looks at the bigger picture.

The Bad

Yet looking at the bigger picture can lead to missing important details. Mercury is said to be in exile in Sagittarius. It’s precision and meticulous observance of specifics gives way to grokking the whole. Sometimes, useful information slips through the cracks because it’s either not sought out or the person feels as if they already know what’s best for them.

This can look like dream-filled ambition without any solid foundation. It can be an announcement from left field that has no grounding in reality. It can result in over-promising and then under-delivering. And it can also be selectively holding on to information that already fits in one’s worldview, reinforcing one’s own prejudices and perceptions. Which leads us to the ugly…

The Ugly

The ugly? Over talking and under listening. Trying to convert the other to one’s own position, and when that doesn’t work, self-righteous huffing and puffing. You can see how someone making an announcement that demonstrates they haven’t thought things through might trigger a reactive response from someone who thinks they know better.

What to do?

A helpful piece of advice this Thanksgiving would be to listen more and opine less. Also, be careful not to over extend yourself on wishful thinking.

Another piece of advice would be to lean on the good side of Mercury in Sagittarius and remember all the wonderful things to be grateful about; and if there’s a story connected to gratitude: share it.

November 23, 2022 at 4:57 pm Central—Wednesday’s hopeful New Moon in Sagittarius couldn’t be better timed. Like The Star card that follows The Tower in tarot, it’s the clearing in the storm we’ve been waiting for. This past month, many of us may have endured a culmination of tension in at least one prominent area in our lives. This promising new moon inspires us to believe in the future once again.

Just five minutes after the Sun and Moon join together at the first degree of Sagittarius, Jupiter—the ruler of this lunation—stations direct in Pisces, adding to the potency of new beginnings cultivated at this time. Jupiter rules both Sagittarius and Pisces. This New Moon forms an out-of-sign trine to its ruler and carries the Jupiterian seedlings of meaning, purpose and aspiration. It’s as if the constrictions of late were meant to take us to our core motivations and loyalties so that we could reconnect with our values and build from there. How many times have we discovered our dreams waiting for us in a dark night like a sleeping beauty waiting for us to breathe life into them? This is one of those times.  In fact, the next four new moons after this one on Wednesday will also fall on the first degree of their sign emphasizing the grand emergence of a total new beginning.

After the Moon connects with the Sun, it moves on to Venus. There’s a sweetness here with Luna’s movements. The way forward is to fortify your dreams by restoring harmony, connecting to others, investing in your inspiration and creatively out picturing your desires.

As mentioned before, this delightful lunation in Sag is ruled by Jupiter in Pisces.  Whereas Sagittarius wants to explore the outer world to find meaning which is then condensed into wisdom, Pisces ventures into the inner realms to connect to the light within. Beyond the inspiration, new beginnings, and the promise this New Moon offers, it also holds healing. Leonard Cohen might have been speaking from his Moon in Pisces when he penned, “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”  We’ve experienced the cracking; now, we’re ready for the light. It begins with this lunation.

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels

If you’re interested in purchasing a talisman, now is the time!  I’m offering a Holiday sale of 15% with coupon code Holidays2022 until December 21st, Winter Solstice. Order by mid December to receive the talisman before Christmas!

— Work with Jupiter for more joy, abundance, prosperity, optimism, healing, justice, increase in social standing, wisdom and integrity.

— Collaborate with Venus to find love, sex, romance, peace, artistry, popularity, community and reconciliation.

Both talismans come with a digital booklet (PDF) instructing you how to consecrate your talisman and work with it if you choose to.

Email me with any questions. You can also read more by clicking on the links above: Work with Jupiter + Collaborate with Venus.

Images: Front and back of the Venus talisman, with Venus sigils and chalcedony stone. Right: front cover of the Jupiter Talisman Operation’s Manual.

The goddess asteroids: Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta, were discovered in 1802, 21 years after Uranus and 44 years before Neptune. Their discovery coincided with the women’s movement. This was a time women were seeking egalitarian treatment and greater participation in society.

In Mythic Astrology: Archetypal Powers in the Horoscope, Ariel Guttman and Kenneth Johnson point out that some astronomers believe that the goddess asteroids and other bodies that orbit between Mars and Jupiter, were once one single planet that was pulled into Jupiter’s gravitational force and exploded. This planet, destroyed by the masculine sky god, represented the archetype of the feminine. With the discovery of the Ceres, Pallas Athena, Juno and Vesta, feminine empowerment began to come back online again.

In myth, the goddesses—with the exception of Pallas Athena—ranked equally with Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto as children of the immortal Titans Saturn and Rhea. Pallas Athena was birthed from the head of Jupiter and greatly beloved by him.

When a goddess asteroid conjuncts a personal planet or one of the angles, the person strongly identifies with the archetype of that goddess. I use them when working with clients as they help to delineate topics around mothers and mothering, separation, compatibility, commitment, creativity and visualization.

If you don’t already know where they’re located in your chart and you would like to, follow these directions:

1. Go to astro.com 
2. Click on Horoscopes, located to the left of the top banner 
3. Click on Extended Chart Selection 
4. Enter your birth data 
5. Next, find the section “Additional Objects” (bottomish/left)
6. Select Ceres, Juno, Pallas Athena, Vesta from the Additional Objects box 

When you update your chart, you’ll now see the asteroids represented by the following glyphs:

When placed prominently in our chart, the myths associated with these goddesses often express themselves in our life.  As an example, Ceres can often speak to adoption stories, separations that occur through a parent’s unavailability such as periods of sickness or debility, divorce and custody battles and estrangement.

To determine if an asteroid goddess is prominent in your chart, look for these factors:

• In an angular house, especially the 1st and 10th. The closer to the angle, the stronger the influence.
•  Conjunct the Sun or Moon; especially strong if it’s your sect light.
• Conjunct the planet that rules the Ascendant.

If the asteroid is not in an angular house or conjunct the sun, moon or chart ruler, it can still play a strong role if it makes a hard aspect to another planet in the chart, especially one that rules an angular house.  Oftentimes, the myth of this asteroid goddess will resonates deeply, like a tuning fork that rings an archetypal bell inside.

Now that travel has opened up again, many of us are dusting off our passports and planning trips. Use the helpful guide below to brainstorm destinations based on your sign.

ARIES—March 21st to April 19th
Fiery Aries appreciates a bold adventure. As the first sign in the Zodiac, Aries likes to initiate and be the first one in his circle to do something that impresses the socks off the rest of us. Pioneering Aries appreciates a challenge of magnificent proportions. This trailblazing sign is great at starting things and wants an itinerary that packs a lot of variety.

• Suggested adventure: Dust off that passport and buy a Eurail pass. Aries, you’re on a mission to run four 10Ks in four different countries of your choice. This will give your warrior self not only a chance to test your mettle but the opportunity to collect race medals in four international cities while keeping your body in top condition. First stop? Spain! For the Valencia Marathon & 10K.

TAURUS—April 20th to May 21st
Ruled by sensual Venus, Taurus is at her best when given the opportunity to indulge the senses, preferably in a natural setting. Taurus shows the rest of us what it means to truly inhabit the body. This Earthy sign finds her inspiration in beauty and delights in corporeal luxury. Never rush a Taurus, especially on vacation. Intelligent itinerary planning requires a lot of free time to appreciate unexpected discoveries and delight in pleasurable wandering.

• Suggested indulgence: Yosemite, Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, or a hidden away cabin hemmed by stream song lull you, Taurus. These are the places where your Bull’s heart expands and mind softens. The nature lover in you will truly feel at home while your senses feast on the beauty that surrounds you. Make sure there’s access to exquisite food, candles, comfy robes and massage.

GEMINI—May 22nd to June 21st
Intellectual and curious Gemini is motivated by learning experiences. This multi-tasking Air sign constantly soaks up information only to offer it later in scintillating conversation. Witty Gemini shines when given the opportunity to flex his mental muscles which means he’s always at the cerebral gym, asking questions and expanding his mind.

• Suggested EdVenture: Have you ever thought of traveling to Cusco Peru to learn about Incan agriculture, Gemini? How about visiting a coffee farm in Costa Rica to witness the growing stages from planting, harvesting, and packaging? Or picking and pressing olives with the locals in Tuscany, Italy? Not only will you pick up something new, brilliant Gemini, you’ll be able to talk about it when you return!

CANCER—June 22nd to July 22nd
Deeply sentimental Cancer appreciates understanding her family history. This nurturing and nostalgic water sign often keeps all the family scrapbooks and photo albums going back generations deep.  The rest of us count on Cancer to keep family traditions alive. Fortunately for us, Cancer is happy protecting ancestral memory and bringing Great Grandmother’s Secret Recipes to family reunions.

• Suggested Nostalgiama: Take a trip back in time, sweet Cancer, to the land your great grandparents came from. Was it a farm in Argentina? The flower fields of Taiwan? Perhaps the Tennessee mountains? Let yourself be swept away with sentimental reverence as you move through the same spaces they did.  Connecting to your roots makes you feel more alive.

LEO—July 23rd to August 22nd
Warm hearted Leo gravitates towards five-star experiences. As the royalty of the Zodiac, Leo likes to travel in style. Luxury and opulence is Leo’s middle name. Sure, the courageous Lion can rough it, but rest assured he’ll be using the highest quality equipment if he does. Ruled by the Sun, Leo inclines toward creative choices with an iconic edge.

• Suggested 5-star Getaway: Dear Leo, your romantic nature and joie de vivre are a natural match for the most glamorous destinations: The Trevi Fountain in Rome, the winding waterways in Venice Italy and the casinos of Monte Carlo. Splurge on fine dining and lavish accommodations because you’re worth it. Besides, aren’t you always reminding us You only live once?

VIRGO—August 23rd to September 22nd
Hard working Virgo often recharges by giving back. This humble earth sign truly understands heart centered service. Virgo is a natural optimizer and improves anything she gets her practical hands on. Hand her a mess and she’ll efficiently return it to you straightened up and shining like a new dime. How does this relate to vacation? Virgo decompresses by putting her many skills to use on behalf of helping others.

• Suggested Enterprise: Clear your mind and purify your body, Virgo, at a 10 day Vipassana Retreat. You can work on stillness while simultaneously supporting a good cause: the end of suffering. Meditation will increase your focus while the pristine surrounding will soothe your soul thereby fixing two bugs with one line of code (I know you truly dislike the two birds one stone saying). Your clear presence and joyful vitality will lift everyone upon your return.

LIBRA—September 23rd to October 22nd
Diplomatic and charming Libra excels in both style and charismatic conversation.  Libra impresses with refined tact and exquisite taste. Ruled by Venus, Libra exudes a regal finesse while still enjoying rugged authenticity.  Under the polished veneer, Libra concerns himself with deeper themes of justice, equality, and activism. Social in nature, Libra prefers to travel with someone or have the opportunity to meet traveling buddies en route.

• Suggested Getaway: Libra, above all, you require tranquility, especially on vacation. Restore your equilibrium in a peaceful environment like the resplendent fjords of Norway or the secluded vineyards and narrow country roads of Provence, France. Let the natural beauty and the friendly conversations of friends old and new recalibrate your exquisite core.

SCORPIO—October 23rd to November 22nd
Mysterious Scorpio plunges us into the underworld.  There’s a penetrating depth and raw intensity to Scorpio. As a child, Scorpio loved haunted houses and ghost stories. Now grown, she is drawn to cemeteries, palm readers, truth sayers, and meditative labyrinths. Scorpio blows in like a wind where the rest of us fear to go. She lives in the deep end, forever exploring life’s great mysteries.

• Suggested Initiation: The supernatural calls you, Scorpio. Ghost tours in New Orleans, the ancient pyramids of Egypt, and Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands have all been Scorpio vetted and approved.  If you’re traveling in November, celebrate your ancestors during Day of the Dead in colorful towns throughout Mexico. Be sure to stop by the Frida Kahlo Museum outside of Mexico City before flying home.

SAGITTARIUS—November 23rd to December 21st
The Sagittarius creed?  Not All Who Wander Are Lost. Larger than life Sagittarius believes that he who collects the most stories wins.  With wanderlust in his bones, sunny Sag commits to living life as a quest. Ruled by expansive Jupiter, this fire sign is on a mission to explore the meaning of life, journeying deep and wide to absorb different cultures and philosophies, thereby broadening his perspective.

• Suggested Quest: Whether it’s trekking solo across Mongolia on horseback or sitting in ceremony in the heart of the Amazon, Sagittarius, your calling is to travel to the farthest place you’ll ever go: the universe inside of you. Through plant medicine or a meditation of movement, wrap your understanding around the quantum playing field that is life itself. Throw your head back in laughter as you realize that God is hilarious and you’re finally getting the joke.

CAPRICORN—December 22nd to January 20th
Ambitious Capricorn constantly sets the bar higher for herself, like a reverse limbo dance.  She evolves through challenges, pushing herself to earn not only respect from others, but to be someone who she is truly proud of. She maintains the highest standards. When she sets a goal, she’ll move heaven and earth to attain it. For this reason, she needs to completely recalibrate during vacation or accomplish a mighty feat.

• Suggested Limbo: Capricorn, pack your bathing suit. You’re going to need it for that float tank in Sedona where you completely let go into utter relaxation. This serves your conflicting needs for rest and for surmounting a challenge. Once you get past the hard work of surrender, you’ll calm your nervous system and tap into your body’s radiant healing center. Alternative: train to climb K2 or Matterhorn.

AQUARIUS—January 21st to February 18th
Independent Aquarius is half rebel, half genius with a splash of eccentricity. Inherently innovative, this air sign always takes the road less traveled if only to see where it ends. Aquarius is wired with a thirst for knowledge and a desire to explore the world of ideas. This drive runs alongside his appreciation for total authenticity.  Destinations that captivate Aquarius are the weird, extraordinary, and revolutionary.

• Suggested road less traveled: A trip to the Moon. Or Mars. Until then, Aquarius, find your inspiration in a surrealist sculpture park constructed by an eccentric British poet and artist in the middle of a Mexican rainforest near the small village of Xilitla, Las Pozas.  Another option is the capital of Kazakhstan: Astana which has been dubbed the “world’s weirdest capital city.”

PISCES—February 19th to March 20th
Imaginative Pisces, the dreamer of the Zodiac. Pisces meets the world with a magical sense of compassion and poetry. Given her mutability, she shape shifts to the environment and people surrounding her, giving this water sign an adaptability to go with the flow. As the final sign of the zodiac, transcendent Pisces views this life as a pilgrimage, spending much time exploring her own consciousness and spiritual grounding.

• Suggested journey: Pisces, your ethereal nature dances with the archetypes. For this reason, you travel to Plato’s cave in your sleep. For a waking dream, journey to the land of the Brothers Grimm: The Black Forest of southwest Germany. You’ll be spellbound by the dark and deep evergreen forests while simultaneous captivated by the picturesque villages and quaint inhabitants.  Upon your return, you’ll write your own fairy tale.

November 8, 2022 at 5:02 am Central—Full Moons often herald endings. Their culminating energy brings us closer to wrapping up a certain part of our lives. The Full Moon Total Lunar Eclipse next Tuesday is very powerful. Conjunct Uranus and the North Node, it surges us towards the future, ready or not. It can be a time of dramatic and destabilising endings so a new beginning can unfold in its wake.

Breakdown to breakthrough

The Moon is exalted in Taurus. In addition, she rules the second decan of Taurus where this eclipse occurs. Conjunct the North Node, this is a Moon determined to fill her pressing appetite for comfort, nourishment, safety, security, stability and sanctuary. Yet the significant presence of Uranus also conjunct the Moon at the same degree upsets the apple cart. For as we know, Uranus symbolizes surprise, breakthrough and unexpected change, especially during an eclipse.

This signature poses a threat to the status quo. It can throw our regular routines, structures and expectations into a carnival mirror: they exist but feel warped. At the same time, there is an enormous amount of fixed energy in this chart. With six planets in fixed signs, the strain of keeping things locked down and predictable is strong. So the tension between future and past—making way for change while retaining a stable normalcy—is notable.  With a prominent Uranus in the mix, we’re being asked to ramp up our ability to adapt asap.

Core themes

As always, it’s helpful to look at the ruler of the lunation. In this case, Venus is going through her own underground journey in Scorpio. Having been recently purified in the heart of the Sun, she’s currently combust, invisible and in exile.  As I wrote in the last newsletter, Venus is a little hypervigilant in Scorpio, looking for proof of love and/or security and very sensitive to hairline cracks in the facade. Venus wants assurance of soul-deep truth in Scorpio as this is her sticky tape that binds her to commitments. Core themes during this eclipse season include who can we trust? Who can we be vulnerable with? What old traumas can we compost in Scorpio’s rich fertilizer that will cultivate nourishing stability?

The Taurus-Scorpio axis highlights concerns around resources, security, comfort, survival, trust and intimacy. As we move from one eclipse to another, things may feel off, from our digestion to our interactions with others. As Venus, the Sun and Mercury go through their opposition with Uranus and Square to Saturn, we’re absorbing destabilizing hits as we balance back on stabilizing containment.

On a promising note, on the day of eclipse, Mercury will go through his own A-Ha moment as he enters the heart of the Sun in a cazimi and opposes Uranus. This two-step can provide the liberating insight we need to cleanse and break through to understand whatever lessons this time wishes to cultivate in us.

Photo by Finn on Unsplash

It’s hard to believe that Bridget Jones Diary—the film—is 21 years old!  In Saturn years, that’s a 3/4 return! I bring up the movie because it provides a timely illustration of our Lady Venus in Scorpio at the moment.  Like Bridget, Venus in Scorpio can struggle a bit to fulfill her significations of love, belonging, finances and self-worth.  Planets in Fall or Exile (Venus in Scorpio) can also take a more interesting path in finding fulfillment that builds unique skill sets and character.

Part of that path at the moment is navigating Uranus and Saturn. Venus in Scorpio opposes Uranus in Taurus on Saturday the 5th and then continues onward to square Saturn in Aquarius on the 7th. Hard aspects provoke us. They bring tensions to a head which often require us to step into resolution-mode.  In particular, this line up of Venus oppose Uranus square Saturn can bring up destabilization and upset (Uranus) that then has us seeking sustainable solutions we can rely on (Saturn) in the Venusian areas of love, friendship, intimacy and finance.

A good example is Bridget walking in on a cheating Daniel (Venus oppose Uranus) prompting her to liberate herself from a relationship with him. This eventually points her down the road to a stable commitment with Mark Darcy (Venus square Saturn).

What about us?

How might this play out for us?  Saturnian stories don’t pop up over night. Like Mr. Darcy, they’ve been around for some time. But the square creates pressure that demands action, especially during eclipse season. Something we might have swept under the rug has turned into an ugly hill of resentment, or pain. Perhaps we’ve grown so weary of a certain pattern, that continuing to do nothing becomes more painful than finally addressing the situation even if there’s an aftermath to deal with.

Some ways this square might express include but not limited to:

• Clarifying responsibilities
• Asking for commitment
• Erecting healthy boundaries
• Stepping away from love/friendship/community
• Tough Love
• Refusing to cooperate
• Reconfiguring partnership for a more sustainable outlook
• Ultimatum/request that demonstrates seriousness

We often think of Saturn as a negating principle. When we see it with Venus, we might conclude this is a time to close down and protect ourselves.  This can happen, especially with a square. Yet, it’s good to remember that Saturn-Venus also speaks to the long-term agreements we have in our relationships. Both Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward have Venus sextile Saturn in their nativity. They were married for 50 years! In the best of circumstances, Venus-Saturn energy encourages us to put in the work required for relationships, partnerships and commitments that stand the test of time.

Like everything else, your milage may vary. Whereas Venus square Saturn can point out the weakest link in relationships, it can also show us the dedication and service needed for longevity and long term commitment.