January 2, 2022 at 12:34pm CT—Two years ago, when the Moon joined the Sun in Capricorn on Christmas Day, we had no idea our lives were about to dramatically change. At the time, Saturn was inching towards Pluto. Their conjunction on January 20th, 2020, catalyzed the decay and breakdown of personal and societal structures.

As Covid spread and doors closed, we began to rethink those parts of our everyday that were no longer essential to our immediate well-being. As we pared down our lives, we discovered what was truly meaningful.

We also found the shadowy bits that had formerly survived in routine, habit and excess. As these parts of our lives disintegrated, they formed a valuable compost bed where new dreams—more aligned with who we were becoming—could begin to take root in the liminal space that was 2021. Saturn square Uranus assisted our nascent urges by architecting boundaries we could find our freedom in.

In 2020, I described the Saturn-Pluto conjunction as “a shit show studded with imaginal cells”. If Pluto gave us decay and breakdown of familiar, long-standing structures, it will also give us regeneration. Starting with the New Moon in Capricorn, 2022 feels like the year our imaginal cells begin taking recognizable forms in the newly available space around us.

Sunday’s New Moon in Capricorn on January 2, 2022, powerfully jumpstarts our goals. Its harmonious trine to Uranus ushers in a feeling of insightful breakthrough as we seek to stabilize into our new normal. With ruler Saturn in Aquarius square to Uranus in Taurus and sextile to Mars in Sag, our dedication has visionary power now. There’s a start-up energy available here and the enthusiasm to plug into a dream beginning to take form.  We may not know where we’re going, but we can feel the itch of our newborn wings wanting to take flight.

The Three of Pentacles

The New Moon in Capricorn is not unlike an invigorating brain-storming session with a group of idealists. Why not throw out every idea no matter how far-fetched it might be? We can start with an ideal mental image and then build the scaffold and structure to support what it organically wants to become over time.  The end result may or may not be what we initially envisioned—and that’s alright. We’re encouraged to begin now.

The tarot card associated with this decan is the Three of Pentacles. In the card, we see three people looking over building plans. When this card arises, the querent is advised to find their dream team. A group of people that will whole-heartedly welcome their unique skills and talents. The African proverb comes to mind: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” The Three of Pentacles speaks to finding your proper role within a values-driven community to create a great work of lasting influence.

Austin Coppock calls this decan “A pyramid”. Just like it took many people unified in a single vision while applying dedication and discipline over many years to construct the pyramids, the message we find here is the calling to go beyond ourselves to build long-lasting structures that will inspire and care for those who come behind us. 

With Jupiter’s ingress into Pisces tonight, December 28th (10:10pm CST), how will the Great Benefic influence you?  Before we take a look at Jupiter through the houses, let’s consider some of the challenges and rewards associated with Jupiter.

Challenges

Jupiter is associated with growth. But do we want to super-size our waistlines or workload? Expansion isn’t always welcome.  Depending on where Pisces lands in our chart, we may need to practice moderation or set thoughtful boundaries so too much of a good thing doesn’t have dire consequences.

Rewards

On the plus side, we’re talking about Jupiter in Pisces! In his nocturnal domicile, Jupiter has more strength to fulfill his significations of bringing forth opportunity, good fortune, meaning, abundance, wisdom, growth and optimism.  He brings his bounty to the house he transits and also to the planets he aspects.

The past two years

For the last two years, Jupiter has been in signs ruled by Saturn. The terrain of consolidation and restriction have been antithetical to his expansive nature. So even though he’s been a welcome balm to Pluto in Capricorn and Saturn in Aquarius, he’s now free to take up space in his own home of Pisces. We can expect quite a shift translating into opportunity and levity as Jupiter leaves Aquarius for Pisces.

That said: Jupiter doesn’t guarantee a bonanza in the house he transits. More often than not, opportunity will knock but we have to respond to the call and do our part to evolve it into our lives. It’s a duet, not Jupiter’s solo.

Jupiter through the Houses 

In the section below, I offer some of the ways I’ve seen Jupiter manifest through the houses. Your mileage may vary. Bear in the mind that Jupiter dipped his big daddy toe in the imaginative waters of Pisces from mid-May to the end of July, offering a taste of things to come. Think back to that time as you read the descriptions below.

In addition, I’ve linked to the series on the houses I wrote. Click on the link if you would like a refresher on the significations of the house Jupiter is transiting for you.

• Aries 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.
  
• Taurus 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!
  
• Gemini 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.
  
• Cancer 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!
  
• Leo 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.
  
• Virgo 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.
  
• Libra 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.
  
• Scorpio Rising—Jupiter will transit your 5th House
  Jupiter brings Scorpio Risings growth opportunities around romance, children, or following their passions. Single Scorpios: if you’re looking for love, 2022 is the year 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.
  
• Sagittarius Rising—Jupiter will transit your 4th House
  Are you thinking about expanding your home, Sag? 2022 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.
  
• Capricorn 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.
  
• Aquarius 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, Aquarius, 2022 is the year to ask for it. 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.
  
• Pisces Rising—Jupiter will transit your 1st House
  Get ready for a big year, Pisces! 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.

Dates

Jupiter makes three brief visits to Pisces. If we use our time wisely and actively work with opportunity, we have a wonderful opportunity to grow in whatever house Pisces occupies for us.  Here are the dates:

• May 13 – July 28, 2021
• December 28, 2021 – May 10, 2022
• October 28, 2022 – December 20, 2022

Image by cottonbro on Pexels

In the spirit of creative experimentation, I’ve joined forces with award-winning photographer, Holly Wilmeth. Holly recently released a Sacred Nature Oracle Deck.  Our collaboration is inspired by the photographs of plants and humans in this gorgeous deck. But instead of plants, we’ll be creating talismanic photographs of planets using people as placeholders.

What’s a talisman?

Put simply, a talisman is a bit like lightning trapped in a bottle. The lightning refers to favorable celestial rays emitted from the planet we have chosen to work with. The bottle corresponds to a physical object—in this case: a photograph—that locks in those rays at a specifically elected time. Why trap lightning in a bottle or ensoul celestial rays into a talisman? Because it causes changes you wish to see in the real world. If you would like to learn more, you can read an article I wrote on planetary magic 101 here.

Why use an “election”?

The election is the window of time that the rays of the focus planet are highly powerful. For example, would you rather join a Zoom call with internet speed of 4MB or 40MB? Having recently gone through this difference, I can tell you that 4MB is going to drop, freeze and roll you right out of a meeting whereas 40MB gets the job done. We want the our focus planet at peak performance.

Furthermore, when you create a talisman, you bake in the celestial energy of that time into the physical object. In effect, you and I are talismans carrying the energy of the sky we were born under. So if you’re creating a Venus talisman, you don’t want her being squashed by Saturn or beat up by Mars. The Moon’s position is of upmost importance as well. There are many different rules to tick off a long list when you’re looking for the needle in the haystack that is a great election.

TALISMANIC PHOTOGRAPHY

I will continue to create metal talismans, but I’m delighted to join forces with Holly to see what happens when we use the same process I’ve used in creating magical planetary talismans and apply it to a photograph.  We did our first one last Sunday!

• Planet: Saturn
• Ambassador/Model: Artist and tarot reader Miguel Canseco
• Place: The ruins of Mineral de Pozos, Guanajuato, Mexico
• Election: December 12, 2021 from 10:15am-10:52am

Ritual Plan

We left San Miguel at 7:30am and drove for 90 minutes in the loveliest fog. I don’t remember ever seeing this kind of fog in San Miguel. Once we arrived in Pozos, Holly took Miguel and I to a couple places she had scouted earlier in the week. After weighing our choices, we jumped a fence to photograph in the ruins.

As Holly went through her preparation process, I set up for the ritual that accompanies the making of a talisman.

The ritual plan consisted of:

• Purifying the space
• Sealing the area with a protection spell
• Setting up an altar and lighting the incense
• Purification of Miguel and I which included confession
• Calling in the spirits
• Reciting the Orphic Hymn to Saturn
• Briefly articulating the request

Why confession?

The subconscious mind is a charger for what we out-picture in reality. When we’re out of alignment, we are not in balanced reciprocity with the gods. Confession release imbalances, sludge and stuckness so there is restored energetic flow. This inner harmony keeps covenance with the gods. If you’d like to learn more, I highly recommend this episode on the Glitch Bottle podcast.

This part of the ritual was very powerful for both Miguel and I. It shook something loose that had felt stuck for awhile for both of us.  Confession requires vulnerability and trust. I hope to carry it through on all the shoots as it was a key factor in clearing the energetic mood for Miguel and I.

The Photoshoot

After the opening of the election with ritual, Holly had roughly 30 minutes to shoot. That’s not a lot of time! She had me announce the time in 5 minute increments as she posed Miguel and worked him around the ruins. The fog that had accompanied us to Pozos had begun to lift during confession. The moment Holly started shooting, the Sun came out in full force.

At one point, a van of tourists poured in through the gates and onto the grounds.  Miguel who is very Saturnian, introverted and shy, had to put Saturn’s barrier around his discomfort and walk by the group shirtless with a short-cypress cape decorating his shoulders! This synchronicity was tied to his confession and I could see how Saturn was already working to remove obstacles by having Miguel face his own.  Miguel did beautifully and did not let the tourists or his own shyness get in the way of a the photoshoot.

Once Holly finished, we closed the ceremony, passed Miguel and the camera through the smoke of the incense, and prayed over how this image will affect the viewer who sees it.  Here’s the short version of the talismanic benefits:

• May this talismanic photograph bring stillness, activate integrity, promote wisdom, alleviate depression and loneliness and help the viewer deepen and embody what they are learning.

 

I think the three of us were touched by the magic on Sunday. Personally speaking, 2021 has been a struggle for me and for a number of reasons, I have felt myself in a fog of melancholy for months now. The day after the shoot, I woke up and for the first time in a long time, I felt lighter, brighter and lifted, just like that Sun lighting up the field of Pozos ruins, burning the fog away.

Up Next

Up next: Jupiter in January!  Fingers crossed Holly and I find exactly the right ambassador who models Jupiter in their everyday life just as expertly as Miguel lives and animates Saturn through his.

December 18, 2021 at 10:35pm CT—There comes a time when writing a paper, thesis or even a book, the writer has done all the research they possibly can. Acquiring more data becomes counterproductive. Saturday’s Full Moon in Gemini feels a lot like reaching the saturation point for obtaining the information needed to make a decision. Whether it comes from direct observation, gut feelings, or observing best practices, we’ve reached a culmination point. What’s required now is commitment to the path the evidence is pointing towards.

This is the first lunation in Gemini since November 2020 that is not an eclipse. There’s a feeling of closing down a cycle now, especially with Mars having recently passed over the South Node, a point of release and emptying out.  We can look to the Gemini-Sagittarius axis in our charts to see where this cycle has played out that asks for resolution and healing now.

This lunation’s ruler is Mercury in Capricorn. This Mercury suggests that now is a good time to begin laying the groundwork that stabilizes and supports what we’ve learned from this time. It’s also worth mentioning that Mercury in Capricorn doesn’t cut corners. There’s a meticulousness and precision to this lunation ruler that wants to handle this ending with expert care. Mercury’s trine to Uranus indicates the themes of disruption, alignment and freedom are in play right now.

Ten of Swords

The tarot card associated with the third decan of Gemini is the Ten of Swords. This card appears terrifying when we first look at it—ten swords piercing a man’s back—until we realize the dawn is coming and this man is in a position of surrender.  Healing and restoration comes through stillness. We wouldn’t dream of getting an acupuncture treatment while running laps or undergoing knee surgery while climbing a mountain. We receive these things in a surrendered stillness. It’s the same when we’ve reached the end of a grueling cycle which is The Ten of Swords: there’s a moment of rest and serenity to regroup so we can come back stronger and wiser than before.

The good news? Jupiter supports the Gemini Full Moon in a friendly trine. Even though we may be closing a chapter and there is stillness involved, there’s also a welcomed sense of expansion and hope that accompanies our next steps.  Rest wisely.

The upcoming Venus Retrograde is not for the faint of heart. To begin, Venus entered Capricorn November 9th and will quadruple her normal residency in a sign, leaving for Aquarius on March 6th, 2022. That’s a lot of Venus in Capricorn!

She’s got some heavy lifting to do during her retrograde as she re-examines the slab and mortar that formed her perceptions around love, friendship, partnerships of all kinds, relationships with women, beauty, self worth and money: all the things we look to Venus for. Venus retrograding in Cap—a Saturn ruled sign—reconsiders the structural supports around relating, attracting and cultivating what we desire, whether it be beauty, love, money, likability or all of the above.

In Capricorn, a sign associated with the past and with ancestors, a lot of the material in those structural supports was handed down to us which we assimilated during early childhood conditioning or embedded in the libraries of our DNA.  It’s up for reappraisal during the retrograde and will appear in the most provocative ways such as projecting past relating-pain on to a current partner or having an ex crawl out of the woodwork to activate latent triggers once again.

But as my teacher always used to say: You can only pass a test if you take the test. When we’re put in the cosmic cauldron that truly gauges our mettle, there’s an opportunity to make different choices than the ones that would have us hurt ourselves and others again. Facing our wounds is the first step to healing them.

Incoming: Pluto

This Venus transit is exceptionally intense as it includes a soirée with the Lord of the Underworld, Pluto. If Pluto can be relied on for anything, it’s that he dials the emotional intensity way up, not unlike pouring alcohol into contestants on the “reality show” The Bachelor to reveal the parts that are primal and usually well concealed. Lower type feelings that can typically occur during Pluto-Venus conjunctions include jealousy, constantly checking/verging on stalking, feelings of betrayal bordering on paranoia, possession, power struggles and control issues. But then there’s the more evolved manifestations as well, such as getting to the core truth at what’s going on. Empowerment through shedding everything that is no longer true. Being so vulnerable and willing to deeply and honestly connect, that understanding can finally occur.

There’s shades of intensity here. Some of us might go through our own War of the Roses from now until March while others will get a fantastic beauty peel and have a heart-to-heart with a friend. So much depends on our personal charts and how they interact with this transit as well as the final Saturn-Uranus square.  Roughly speaking, this transit will impact you stronger if:

• Your Time Lord is Venus
• Your Ascendant is ruled by Venus (Taurus or Libra Risings)
• Your Descendant is ruled by Venus
• Your sect light is Taurus or Libra. This means if you were born at night, your sect light is the moon. Day: Sun. If your sect light is Taurus or Libra, this transit can be more noticeable in your life.
• If your profected house of the year falls in the sign of Capricorn, Taurus or Libra, this transit may feel significant for you.
• If you have important planets or angles between 22° to 30° of the Cardinal signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn.

Look back

Look back eight years ago to December of 2013 and January of 2014 for how this quality of time might theme out for you. Venus retrograded in the same part of the sky back then. As Mark Twain allegedly said: “History doesn’t repeat Itself, but It often rhymes.”

To end, here are the dates we want to keep an eye on:

• NOV 9: Venus enters Capricorn
• DEC 11: Venus conjunct Pluto at 25°
• DEC 19: Venus turns retrograde 26°
• DEC 25: VenusRx conjunct Pluto 25°
• JAN 8: Venus cazimi the Sun 18°
• JAN 23: Venus appears from under the beams of the Sun
• JAN 29: Venus turns direct 11°
• MAR 3: Venus conjunct Pluto 27°
• MAR 6: Venus conjunct Mars: both enter Aquarius the same time

Summary: There’s a story beginning in December, coming to some kind of consideration on Christmas, and then resolving and/or fading the beginning of March. Remember, you can only pass a test if you take the test. If you find this transit hitting you hard, you might look at it as necessary soul surgery so you can finally leave the past in the past and grow boldy and gracefully into your future.

Video still from Shine by Yael Naïm

December 4, 2021 at 1:43am CT—Saturday’s Total Solar Eclipse marks the last spike between the Gemini-Sagittarius volleyball net, closing an 18 month cycle that began in June of 2020. Eclipses usher turning points and tremendous opportunities for change. They’re the technology the Universe uses to prod us towards our own evolution. The game that began roughly 18 months ago across the Gem-Sag axis is coming to a close. We can look to the houses those signs occupy in our own charts to see where our lives have accelerated since June 2020, bringing about significant choices and change.

We usually think of new moons as new beginnings. We plant seeds at this time, some of which take root while others don’t. But when a new moon is conjunct the South Node and closes out a series of eclipses, there’s a purging and releasing quality that must first happen in order to move forward. Yes, there is a hope of a new beginning and another part of life opening up to us. But to embark on a fresh chapter, we have to break free of the energetic dross holding us back.

The tarot card for this middle decan of Sagittarius where the New Moon occurs offers us helpful insight. In the Nine of Wands, we see a tired, worn-out man with a bandage around his head. He’s been injured. There’s a vulnerability to this card coupled with a defensiveness. He’s tired of fighting. He’s sapped from being constantly maligned. He’s worked his way through the passionate suit of Wands where we find creativity, romance, will, endurance and the commitment to keep our fires burning. But at this point, he’s simply burnt out, soul weary and physically compromised.

When the Nine of Wands appears, it’s a good time to ask if any embers still burn for a passion project, a love, and even our faith—all things that the fiery suit of Wands represent. If we do, can we find it in ourselves to connect with the excitement we once had for it? Is there a way we can resuscitate it while we revitalize ourselves?  If so: the advice is to keep going. Give it a little breather but don’t give up.

But if deep down we know we’re done with feeling misunderstood, beat up and constantly on the defensive: then it’s best to graciously cut our losses and bow out.

We’re back at where we started: releasing to move forward.  The real question at the Total Solar Eclipse—this last eclipse of the Sag-Gem volley—is what exactly are we meant to release? Our feelings of defensiveness, slights and misunderstandings? Or the thing itself, whether it be a project, partnership or dream? Or both? We may not have all the answers right now. But if we sit for a moment with the new moon darkness and occlusion of the Sun, perhaps the stillness can lead us to an inner part of ourselves that has always known. On December 30th, Mars will activate this tender 12° spot with his passage through Sagittarius.  For some of us, the activation will connect us with our next step forward.

I’m sure some of you may have noticed the Saturn theme that Adele brought to her spectacular one night only concert in Griffith Observatory recently: a Saturn tattoo on her wrist, dramatic Saturn earrings and a dignified black gown, Saturn’s color.

But the real Saturnian influences are embodied in the songs themselves. Saturn has left his fingerprints all over her new album which isn’t surprising as the beloved vocalist went through her Saturn Return during their formation. “I feel like this album is self-destruction, then self-reflection and then sort of self-redemption” she shares with British Vogue. Self-destruction, self-reflection and self-redemption are the mileposts for many a Saturn Return.

Anatomy of a Saturn Return

In the beginning of a Saturn Return, we’re often faced with our bad habits and go-to self-sabotaging maneuvers. Saturn can bring us to our knees. We usually face a turning point where we can remain autopiloting, making the same bad decisions we’ve eternally made. Or, we begin to realize we’re tired—sick and tired!—of accepting so little for ourselves.

First: Self destruction. In Adele’s case, she had to cancel two shows and the drinking started happening earlier and earlier in the day. Adele admits to problem drinking. But at this point in her life, severe anxiety kicked in as her marriage spiraled downhill. The culmination was self-destructing.

Next: self reflection. I imagine this is where the songs started lining themselves up ready to be birthed by Adele. She shares that this album began as a way to answer her son’s questions. “I just felt like I wanted to explain to him, through this record, when he’s in his twenties or thirties, who I am and why I voluntarily chose to dismantle his entire life in the pursuit of my own happiness. It made him really unhappy sometimes. And that’s a real wound for me that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to heal.”

One of Saturn’s hallmarks is a time of deep, inner examination while we kick the tires on all our supports and scaffolds to see if they’re sustainable. We realize that some of our foundational constructs are built of sand. If we’re brave enough: we dismantle them and pursue our happiness.

Yet another one of Saturn’s signatures is the theme of responsibility. As Adele reworked her life to point it towards happiness, she was fully cognizant of the impact on her son and strove to do the responsible thing for everyone, which included buying her son’s father a house across the street so Angelo’s life—her son—wouldn’t have to change that much. Further, some of the songs are an attempt to explain herself to her son. Adele never acted in pure self interest. She put the responsibility of motherhood first.

Finally: self redemption. To address her disruptive and chronic anxiety, Adele began working out THREE times a day: weights, walks and cardio. She wasn’t going after an aesthetic; she was aiming for peace of mind and greater ease. In the process, she lost over 100 pounds. She also walked away from an unfulfilling relationship and raised her expectations when it comes to qualities she looks for in a partner. Saturn might put us through the grind—and it certainly did with Adele—but is invaluable wisdom on the other side of the grind if we do the work. Now in new relationship, Adele has not only found love, but she shares that she truly loves herself for the first time.

Of her megahit albums, Adele imparts:  “I always say that 21 doesn’t belong to me anymore. Everyone else took it into their hearts so much. I’m not letting go of this one. This is my album. I want to share myself with everyone, but I don’t think I’ll ever let this one go.”

She shouldn’t. This album carries her Saturn Return, the threshold of the old self she shed and the new person she’s becoming. It’s sacred.  And if the part is reflected in the whole, I think she sings for so many of us on our own walks with Saturn right now.

References:

• US Vogue November 2021
• British Vogue November 2021

Friday’s Full Moon begins eclipse season in a new pair of signs, Taurus and Scorpio, which will accelerate the topics of those houses until October of 2023. Eclipses normally travel in pairs and occur every six months, when the Sun is within 18° of the nodes. They’re important as they signal change. As accelerators, they confront us with choices. We’re no longer able to sweep certain issues under the rug or look past behavior that we once turned a blind eye towards. In addition, surprising events or people can enter our life now or behave in unexpected ways that dramatically change our course direction.

Some astrologers call eclipses a “New Moon or a Full Moon on steroids”. Eclipses carry an extra punch. They’re the exclamation points of the Zodiac. With Mars in Scorpio opposing Uranus in Taurus, this Lunar Eclipse is an eclipse on steroids! Mars oppose Uranus has jail-break energy. It’s explosive, like a simmering soup that finally roils over the sides of the pot to zap the flame that’s brought the boil. This energy aims to release pressure, but the mechanism in doing so can be heated, rash and reckless. Even though the Mars-Uranus opposition is exact today, its co-sign presence with the Sun and Moon import its energy into this Eclipse.

In addition, the Moon at 27° of Taurus is conjunct the powerful fixed star Algol. Associated with Medusa and the word “alcohol”, Algol carries a warning to keep your head and self awareness. Algol energy can usher in a feeling to be proactive even if the action is more disruptive than helpful. In the process, the twins sisters of anxiety and worry gnaw at the perimeters of the mind. The best advice here is to wait to act from a place of grounded stillness.

Finally, Vesta, Keeper of the Sacred Flame, is conjunct the South Node. Vesta connects us to our path of service. 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, devotion and even sacrifice. With the breaking-away signature of Mars-Uranus, this Eclipse carries the courage to boldly disengage from commitments that we’ve outgrown. We can remember where we come from, but if we don’t strive for who we are becoming, we’ll eventually roil over the sides and put out our own flame.

October 6, 2021 at 6:06am CT—Wednesday’s New Moon in Libra is, well… complicated. To begin, it’s ruled by Venus in the sign of her detriment: Scorpio.  Some of her motivations in this fixed-water sign include profound attractions, deep loyalties, emotional intensity and secretive collaborations. Venus rules over the Libra New Moon, but she’s under-resourced while in Scorpio. Also, because she doesn’t make a sign-based aspect to Libra: she’s unable to see the house she’s responsible for. While the cat’s away the mice will play.

And in this case: the play is not as cordial as we’d expect in Libra because Mars has entered the game. The mice play with a Scorpion whose instinct is to bite. Whereas Libra holds high diplomatic standards, Mars drop kicks social niceties into the wind. To be sure, he’s somewhat restrained in Libra as he has to play by Venusian rules: but she’s in his home sign, Scorpio, which strengthens him!

In the heart of the Sun

Mars is fiesty in this chart. Planets within 1° of the Sun—or 17 minutes, depending on the definition you’re using—are said to be cazimi, or “within in the heart of the Sun”. The position gives them great strength to act. For Mars, that would be an act of courage, deploying skillful anger, or removing oneself from a situation. This New Moon marks a beginning that starts with a dramatic ending.

With Libra, we’re in the domain of relationships. Libra wants to maintain balance, compromise and harmony in our social circles, friendships and significant relationships. In this case, we could read Mars influence here as “cruel to be kind”. His energy has a cutting quality so that balance, fairness and a sense of peace is restored.

With Mercury in the mix and retrograde this could be a time for heated words that slice through to the deep feelings of resentment, betrayal and unfairness that have been uprooted with Mercury’s resent square to Pluto and Venus’s sojourn through Scorpio. The fact that Pluto stations direct the same day as the New Moon indicates that we’re dealing with very deep, primal and often hidden processes.

Betrayal. Deception. Heartache.

The Three of Swords which corresponds to the second decan of Libra and this New Moon is one of the most challenging tarot cards to receive. It often appears when we’re going through a crisis that’s left us feeling low and disillusioned. A person who we thought was a friend betrayed us. A love we held on to for too long breathes its last breath. Our last hope falls through the aching hole in our heart, gaping wide, raw and senseless.

But there’s another side to this card that holds powerful medicine. When we’re dedicated to working on ourselves, events + people + experiences enter our lives to illuminate the obstacles to our happiness.  Much of the time, these experiences are painful; yet the pain forces us to look within and recognize where we’re plugged up to receive what is ours to enjoy simply because we’re alive.

To take a step back: An apple tree has a contract with the universe to grow apples. In the same way, we’re designed for prosperity in all areas of our life, including love. Rilke said, “Believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance.” Love is our inheritance! But to get there, we must remove the thought patterns that prevent it from flourishing in our lives. These patterns are so embedded in us—often from childhood conditioning—we don’t even know they are there. But when a Three of Swords experience occurs, it can reveal our blindspots if we let it. Knowing what blocks our true capacity for life empowers us to get rid of it.

If this New Moon and the months that follow bring you a Three of Swords experience, you might ask: What is my deeper fear around what is occurring? Does this experience confirm a belief that prevents me from experiencing life fully? When have I felt this before? Recognize that what has happened on the surface—such a friend’s betrayal or a painful ending to a relationship—mirrors a core belief around scarcity, unworthiness, fear of being alone or fill-in-the-blank assumption.  When we begin to address and fix that core belief, our entire life changes.

Even though this New Moon is indeed a complicated one, I believe it holds the medicine for those of us who are ready to end a part of our life we know keeps us out of balance and holds our peace hostage.

Image: Three of Swords by Pamela Colman Smith. Rider Waite Smith deck.

September 20, 2021 at 6:53pm CT—It might seem strange that I’m going to spend a little time talking about Virgo before directly addressing the Full Moon in Pisces. But I hope you’ll bear with me.

Virgo is the great optimizer. It’s the perfecter of processes. As a humble and well-ordered sign, Virgo works efficiently behind the scenes to bring something to perfection before offering it with devotional reverence.  Virgo is the months of iterative practice that build a flawless performance. It’s the skilled and harmonious pacing in a well-run kitchen delivering exquisite culinary delights that lead to 5 star reviews. Virgo is the countless rehearsals nobody sees, the late night editing process, and the unassuming digestive system extracting only the essentials. Virgo is Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours of practice to achieve mastery—Gladwell has his Sun, Venus, Uranus and Pluto in Virgo.

As the image above suggests: the Virgo part of our charts is where we’re asked to do our own editing and optimizing inner work so we can offer a more refined user experience. Virgo asks us to commit to an emotional hygiene routine—spiritual practice, therapy, exercise, spending time in nature, serving others, etc—so we can show up as our best selves. Look to see where Mercury—ruler of Virgo—is in your chart to understand how you can best restore and resource yourself so that your systems run smoothly.

And then there’s the notion of service. Whether it’s service to a cause, the greater good, or to a more evolved Self, you’ll always find Service as a prime motivator with Virgo. Since Virgo doesn’t feel the need to call attention to itself, it often plugs away in private, like a caterpillar growing into its liminal cells in the darkness of the cocoon. There are no witnesses, only dedication and commitment to bettering oneself. It’s no surprise that Virgo corresponds to The Hermit in the tarot.

Pisces Full Moon

How does this relate to the Full Moon in Pisces? At the Full Moon, the Sun and the Moon directly oppose one another. In this way, they bear symbolic witness to each other. At this point in their relationship, the Moon fully reflects the light of the Sun, spotlighting the culmination of the month-long journey the Sun has been on.  In Virgo, this journey has been about doing the inner work or behind-the-scenes processes in our Virgo House that the Full Moon at the end of Pisces rejoices in.

If we take a look at the chart, we see the last aspect the Moon made before opposing the Sun was a sextile to Pluto. This Full Moon chart tells the story of digging deep to our core truth to find our integrity. It’s here where our power lives. For many of us—especially if the lunation lands in your profected house for the year, or the Sun/Moon is your Time Lord—Virgo season has been about quietly and systematically deconstructing the Virgo part of our charts to locate our liminal cells. In doing so, we’re equipping ourselves to fly just like the emerging butterfly.

On September 10th, Venus hung up her silk kimono in her home sign Libra as she donned boots and dagger to visit the home of Mars. In Scorpio, Venus honors her animal instincts. Taking her cue from Mars, Venus in the Warrior’s sign is primal, passionate, magnetic and intense.  She’s also less inclined towards friendly chitchat. Making small talk to connect and keep the friendly fires smoldering is agonizing as evidenced by Venus in Scorpio native Joaquin Phoenix. No, she’s the child who swore oaths of fealty with blood and finger pricks.  Words weren’t needed; actions proved loyalty.

Venus in Scorpio lives by the creed “To thy own self be true” which also means keeping her word with others. She expects the same in return. Her placement in the fixed waters of Scorpio go fiercely deep, demanding loyalty and raw truth. This is a friend one finds in the soul, because Venus in Scorpio knows no other way to connect expect at a profound level. For this reason, she’s very selective of whom she truly allows into her inner sanctum.

Quality of Time

With Venus in Scorpio and Mars having entered Libra a few days after on the 14th, both planets are said to be in their detriment at this time. Then on the 22nd, the Sun enters its fall in Libra. This is a time when creativity and resourcefulness are recommended. As mentioned in previous newsletters about essential dignity, planets are well equipped to carry out their significations when they occupy their domicile. But in detriment and fall, they need to be more scrappy which can result in a bit of instability and unpredictability.

Further, with Mercury turning retrograde on the 27th, the quality of time from mid-month on might find us navigating speed bumps or shifting gears as we ascend newly formed challenges. Mercury retrograde encourages us to reappraise the way forward. If we missed our exit, it’s best to turn off and remedy the situation sooner than later or at the very least take another look at the directions.

Venus through Scorpio

During her journey through Scorpio, Venus squares Saturn on the 17th and opposes Uranus on the 23rd. It’s quite possible some of our relationships and/or finances (both topics ruled by Venus) will go through a reality check that can feel lonely and constraining (Saturn) followed by an awakening caused by the disruptive and evolutionary push Uranus oppositions can bring. Venus is in the underworld now, searching for the truth of what she values, who she can trust, and ultimately, understanding her worth.  We can help her by paying close attention to the Scorpio and Libra parts of our charts, making revisions if needed.

 

August 22, 2021 at 7:03am CT—The Full Moon in Aquarius wraps up the three part concerto that began with a restless and resolute Full Moon in the same sign on July 23rd. August 8th brought the storyline forward with a bold and hopeful New Moon in Leo. Sunday brings the concerto to a close with a final Full Moon in the very last degree of Aquarius.

The past month

 

If you look over the past month, have you recognized the moving on theme playing out in your life? The Aquarius part of our chart has been doing overtime with Saturn and Jupiter setting up shop in the water bearer’s sign. Additionally, the squares from Saturn to Uranus this year have invited us to think about reconfiguring a certain part of our life. In doing so, we might be tentatively taking a step towards our awakening and then stepping back to the supports and structures that hold up our lives.

Many of us are engaging with this jig back and forth between freedom (Uranus) and reality (Saturn) as we explore the right fit for our true selves this year. The events and actions that have taken place this past month have been in support of that exploration.

Seven of Swords: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

The tarot card associated with this lunation is the Seven of Swords. In it we see a man sneaking away with an armful of swords. Austin Coppock has referred to this card as being in a complicated situation where we would like to leave, but it’s sticky. Every time we try to extricate ourselves, we’re pulled back in.

With the Full Moon being so close to Pisces, it’s interesting to think about the tarot card for the first decan of that sign: The Eight of Cups. This card shows a man walking away in search of higher meaning and emotional fulfillment. Called “The Lord of Success Abandoned”, the Eight of Cups often appears when the querent is ready to close a chapter of life that no longer aligns with the person they’ve evolved into and instead, move towards the kind of experiences that will nourish them on a soul level.

Go For It

The Full Moon in Aquarius conjuncts Jupiter, offering hope, vision and expansion of mindset.  In addition, Mars trines Uranus in this chart, galvanizing a sense of risky adventure. These signatures green light our desire to Go For It. This is a “strike while the iron is hot” Full Moon. With the practical mindset and purposeful action offered by Mercury and Mars in Virgo coupled wth the diplomacy of Venus in Libra, this lunation will support us taking a chance on ourselves.

Image: Seven of Wands from the Rider Waite Smith deck

Using what we’ve learned from Part I and II, let’s look at an example chart and apply our understanding to a planet’s strength in Part III.

I’ve chosen to look at the chart of American actor Timothée Chalamet. Why? Because he will play Paul Atreides, the lead character in the extraordinary & epic remake of Dune !!! Release date: October 22nd which can’t come quickly enough. We also have a birth time which significantly helps us in delineation.

Can you say Capricorn?!

Timothée Chalamet, a legend in the making, was born December 27, 1995 at 9:16pm in Manhattan, New York. What’s most striking in his chart is the notable stellium in Capricorn. In the 5th House, we could say he is absolutely serious about play, self expression, courtship, children and creating. He will work hard to shine bright.  Especially with a Mars exalted in Capricorn conjunct a strategic Mercury and sextiling Cap’s ruler Saturn for tenacity. Incredible! If I had to put my money on any actor in their 20’s today in terms of discipline, outstanding work ethic, longevity and perseverance, it would be Timothée Chalamet.

Steersman Mercury

As a Virgo Rising, we know that Mercury—ruler of Virgo—plays an important part in his life. As his chart ruler, Mercury steers the ship, as Demetra George likes to say. So let’s take a look at Chalamet’s steersman to calibrate its strength using the principles we’ve learned.

Above is the line for Capricorn taken from the chart created by Gregory Rozek. Click on it for the full PDF version.

Let’s evaluate Mercury at 24°8′ Capricorn:

• Exile? Mercury is not in exile. The Moon is in exile in Capricorn.
• Fall? Mercury is not in Fall. Jupiter is in Fall in Capricorn.
• Domicile? Mercury’s domiciles are Virgo and Gemini. Hence, Mercury is not in domicile here.
• Exaltation? Mars exalts in Capricorn, which we see here.
• Triplicity? Chalamet was born at night so the Moon is triplicity ruler with Mars assisting in the sign of Capricorn. Mercury does not have dignity by triplicity.
• Bound Ruler? Saturn. Chalamet’s Mercury abides by the rules Saturn sets for these degrees of Capricorn. We can imagine that his style of communication is thought-out, measured, contemplative and succinct.
• Face: Most of his stellium is in the face of the Sun.

Chalamet’s Mercury doesn’t have any planetary dignity or detriment, a condition called “peregrine”—see the Q&A below for more. Peregrine which is rooted in the idea of wanderer and outcast, is a less than desirable state. So to further evaluate Mercury in this chart, we would look at aspects. The Q&A section looks more closely at how Chalamet’s peregine Mercury expresses itself as well.

Aspects

In this chart, Mercury works together with a driven and ambitious Mars on one side and visionary Neptune on the other giving his 5th House a myth-like stature. There’s one foot in extravagant fantasy (Neptune/Uranus with a sextile to Saturn in Pisces) and another in the very real hard-working psychic terrain of Capricorn.  Mars offers muscle for tactical, determined effort. Also, it’s good to remember that as the Sea Goat, there’s a lot of magic, mystery and history to Capricorn as well. It feels very King Arthur to me.

Further, Mercury sextiles the 5th House Ruler Saturn. This means that Saturn keeps a close and supportive watch on his guest from Pisces, providing that support in the imaginative, sensitive and shape-shifting style of Pisces… a style that translates well for acting.

Even though Chalamet’s chart ruler is peregrine, at just 25, the actor’s list of nominations include an Academy Award, three BAFTA Film Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, and four Critics’ Choice Movie Awards! Mercury has no essential dignity here, but being assisted with aspects to other planets has created an accomplished steersman.

In the article above, we found that Timothée Chalamet’s Mercury was peregrine. A planet is peregrine if:

1. It doesn’t have essential dignity—it’s not in its own sign, exaltation, triplicity, term or face.
2. It doesn’t have essential debility—it’s not in its detriment or fall.

When a planet is neither dignified or debilitated, it’s is said to be like a homeless wanderer.

On her extensive website Skyscript, Deborah Houlding writes:

The word ‘Peregrine’ comes from a Latin term meaning ‘alien’ or ‘foreigner’ (pereger = beyond the borders, ager = land, i.e., ‘beyond one’s own land’). In old English, to ‘peregrinate’ means to wander far from home. Such a planet is therefore seen as having little influence or control over its environment. In symbolic terms, it describes a drifter – someone with no title or stake in his or her environment.  

We can imagine what it’s like being homeless, wandering in a strange land, with no security, support or easy way to communicate your needs. We might feel as though we’re perpetually stuck at the bottom of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This is the condition of peregrine. Peregrine planets must work much harder than everyone else just to survive.

Chalamet’s Peregrine Steersman

What about Chalamet’s Mercury? In the creative 5th House of self-expression, I wonder if this Mercury has found purchase in playing roles that inhabit the role of alien, outcast and wanderer?

Let’s take a quick look:

Dune.
Chalamet plays a young royal who leaves comforts of home for a desolate, dangerous planet to fulfill his destiny. In Vanity Fair, Chalamet shares:  “The immediately appealing thing about Paul was the fact that in a story of such detail and scale and world-building, the protagonist is on an anti-hero’s-journey of sorts…” to which VF responds: “In other words, he’s not dreaming of adventure. He’s resisting it. Afraid of it.”

The King.
The description on Netflix reads: “Hal (Timothée Chalamet), wayward prince and reluctant heir to the English throne, has turned his back on royal life and is living among the people. But when his tyrannical father dies, Hal is crowned King Henry V and is forced to embrace the life he had previously tried to escape.

Here’s a line from the movie: Hal, “I’ve been forced to rely upon the counsel of men whose loyalty I question every waking moment. I need men around me I can trust. I came because you are my friend.” Response, “The King has no friends. The King has only followers.”

Call Me By Your Name.
Coming of age movie where Chalamet plays a 17 year old who is tormented by feelings of longing and desire towards another man, occupying a liminal space of uncertainty. Poetically peregrine! He has no experience to buoy him.

All planets want to express themselves, even peregrine ones. I like to think that Mercury is elated with the manner that Chalamet masterfully provides to bear forth his significations, dignified or not.

On August 19th, Uranus joins Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto by stationing retrograde. Uranus makes it almost to the middle of Taurus before retracing its steps to travel back five degrees to 10°49′ of Taurus where it will station direct mid January of next year. Last time Uranus was at 10° of Taurus was April and May of this year. And before that, during the months of July, August (where it stationed retrograde at 10°41′) and September of 2020. These five degrees are getting jolted again by Uranus.

Who feels it most?

If you have your Ascendant, Midheaven and any planets between 10° to 14° of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius), Uranus will be conjuncting, squaring or opposing that placement at least once between now and May of next year when it returns to the same degree it is at this time, 14°47′ of Taurus. Known as “The Great Awakener”, Uranus often brings surprises, disruptions, breakthroughs and resets as it interacts with planets and sensitive points in our chart.

Common during Uranus transits are moves, career changes, family additions or removals, break-ups, get togethers and identity crisis. It depends which planet(s) Uranus engages with and the Taurus part of your chart it is engaging from. Yet, beneath the 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”.

Uranus final visit to 10° of Taurus

If you have a planet or sensitive point around 10° (plus or minus three degrees) of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius, think back to April and May of this year and also to July through September of 2020. This final visit of Uranus to 10° of Taurus can mean that there’s a closing piece of life to resolve, align and awaken.
 

A stellium is three to four—opinions vary—planets in one sign. If you use Whole Sign Houses like I do, your stellium will also fall into one house.

If we take a look at the person who sent in this question, we see that he has his a stellium in Virgo as his Midheaven, Sun, Moon, Mercury and Venus are all located there in the 10th House.

Virgo is a mutable sign. So when a slower moving planet like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune or Pluto transit a mutable sign—Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces—his 10th House planets will be activated by conjunction, square or opposition.

– Transits through Virgo will conjunct his stellium, fusing their significations first with his Sun, then Moon, Mercury and Venus.

– Transits through Sag and Gemini will square these planets, causing a tension that needs to be worked through, like solving a piece of a complex puzzle.

– Transits through Pisces will oppose them which means some kind of compromise will be required to find balance.

As the activating planet moves through the mutable sign, it will have a conversation with each of Ricardo’s Virgo planets. These conversations will be activating (conjunction), tense (square) and negotiable (opposition). Since these conversations are happening in mutable signs, Ricardo is more likely to adjust and “go with the flow” at these times.

Softer Aspects

We can look at trines and sextiles to his stellium as well. When the aforementioned planets pass through the Earth sign of Taurus and Capricorn, they will activate his Virgo stellium. But since trines are more harmonious than the “hard” aspects, they tend not to be as impactful unless we consciously team up with them.  The same can be said for sextiles, a 60° conversation.
What about the other planets?

I focus on the slower moving planets as they tend to have more impact. They catalyze karmic and often transformational experiences in our lives. Often times, a faster moving planet like Mars, Venus, the Sun and Mercury will activate a slower transit in play.

For instance, Uranus has recently trined Ricardo’s Mercury and is preparing to station Retrograde. We know that Mercury is in play for Ricardo. Since Mercury rules two important houses in his chart—7th and 10th—as transiting Venus, Mars, Mercury and the Sun journey through Virgo, they will activate the work that Uranus has been doing in its harmonious trine conversation with Mercury.  This could be a time of exciting breakthroughs, shake-ups and surprises in visibility, career, social reputation and relationships.

That said: I do pay attention to activations to and from one’s time lord. Like I mentioned previously, time lords are the spotlight planet for the year. Even if it’s a faster moving planet, it packs a special punch during the year it’s highlighted as time lord.

Domino Effect

As you can imagine, having a stellium means that life can hit you all at once. It’s kind of like eating an enormous cosmic meal—King Cobra style—instead of grazing throughout the day. In Ricardo’s case, the chain-of-effect goes like this:

• Midheaven—Social reputation. How we show up in the Wide Wide World.
• Sun—Identity. The plot line. Rules the 9th house.
• Moon—Home, nourishment, security needs, mama + mothering, women in our life. Rules the 8th
• Mercury—Learning. Teaching. Writing. PR. Dissemination of info. Business. Rules the 7th and 10th.
• Venus—Love, pleasure, beauty, finance, relationships. Rules the 6th and 11th.

We can begin to craft a story here with each chapter titled the bullet points above and then filled with the themes indicated behind each planet. Knowing that Ricardo is adaptable, that he opts for the path less traveled, is a bit of a worrier (oh the mutables!), a bit of a perfectionist and takes the scenic route to get anywhere, helps us to fill in the arch of each chapter.

Ricardo: I hope this helps to answer your question on stelliums! If you or anyone else wants to learn more, The Astrology Podcast just had an excellent and very thorough episode on stelliums.  You can find it here.

Illustration by Ekaterina Tutynina | Dreamstime.com

Last newsletter, I wrote on dignified planets as privileged and that few barriers exist to fulfilling their significations. Planets with “bottom of the barrel dignity” have to work a lot harder; but sometimes their tenacity and scrappy resilience nets incredible results.

Mechanics of Dignity

Let’s get under the hood of planetary strength, shall we? Given the space of this 101 column, I will attempt to give you concise and handy introduction. If you would like to get deeper into dignity, I highly recommend Demetra George’s important book: Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice: A Manual of Traditional Techniques.

Where’s my passport?

When I was learning horary, my teacher shared the valuable PDF below. I use it to this day. Horary is a type of astrology that answers questions posed in the moment. For instance, I can cast a horary for “Where is my passport?!” If I’m a knowledgable reader, I can find the answer in the chart which will lead me to my passport. A significant consideration of horary is knowing how strong the planets are as their condition adds dimension to interpretation. Is that Mercury in detriment in the 12th a bad actor? Are the other people in this sale transaction getting the better end of the deal?  Planetary strength can help us answer those questions.

Here’s the chart created by Gregory Rozek. Click on it for the full PDF version.

Let’s break down this chart, left to right, using the sign of Aries (top line):

1. Venus is in Exile (or Detriment) in Aries. Why? Because she is opposite her home of Libra. She’s a lover, not a fighter! This is like attending Military Academy when your dream is to join the ballet.
2. Saturn is in Fall in Aries. Why? Because he is opposite Libra, the sign where he is exalted. This is like being forced to act very quickly when you’re slow and methodical by nature.
3. The third column gives us the sign. This first row is related to Aries. Don’t know your glyphs? Pop over here.
4. Mars is said to be in domicile and in rulership in the sign of Aries. He’s muscled-up here and well equipped to carry out his significations.
5. The Sun is in Exaltation in Aries. Exalted planets are treated as honored guests. It’s like visiting your parents—if your parent(s) like you and welcome a visit. You’re treated like royalty. Breakfast in Bed. Little snacks appear magically next to your workstation. The water pressure is FANTASTIC. But it’s not your home and sooner or later, you would really like to go back home, with all your things and no expectations placed on your time.  But still: exalted planets are well resourced to carry out their significations! 
6. Triplicity refers to a type of rulership based on the elements: fire, earth, air and water. In Aries, the Sun is the Triplicity Lord during the day whereas the torch goes to Jupiter in night charts. Saturn lends a hand to both day and night. When a planet has triplicity strength, it’s said to be supported by the community. Like being among solid friends and people who have your back. These planets are assisted by their environment. It’s as if their soil is supportive and nourishing as it cheers them on: you can do it… grow!
7. Next comes the terms or bounds. Each sign is 30° and divided into 5 sections. The planets here manage those degrees. Demetra George likens them to a school teacher that sets the rules for their classroom and the Ruler of the Sign—Mars in this case—as the principle. That works!  Or you can think of Mars as the CEO and the bound rulers as department managers. That works too. Jupiter has bound rulership of the first 6° of Aries, and then Venus takes over at 6°1′.  If your Jupiter is in it’s own bounds (or terms), it’s like he’s his own boss.  Planets like being their own boss and it strengthens them.
   
8. And finally, decans & face. Each sign is divided into three sections: the first ten degrees, the middle ten and the final ten degrees. Each of these decans—a segment of ten—has a face. The first decan of Aries has the face of Mars. The middle part has the face of the Sun and the final decan: the face of Venus. I always think of Madonna’s line here in Vogue: “Rita Hayworth gave good face” when I think of a planet in it’s own face: it has the ability to show up, to say it was here and to court favor.

There’s more!

Oh boy!  This is a lot! And it doesn’t even take into account sect: day or night chart? Or house. Jupiter is more benefic during the day; Venus at night. Saturn is more malefic in night charts whereas Mars is during the day.  Planets in angular houses, especially the 1st and 10th, have more emphasis.

Hopefully this intro gives you more of an understanding of dignity and planetary strength. Astrology is like an onion with layer after layer of complexity! Even if you don’t master every layer, it’s helpful to know that they exist. We’re so much more than our Sun signs, aren’t we?!

Next newsletter, we’ll use a chart example to drive these points home. In the meantime, download the Planetary Chart PDF or—even better—print it out and put it in your favorite astrology book.

Image by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels 

On August 11th, Mercury will leave the lion’s den to enter the purifying atelier of Virgo. If Mercury in Leo wrote his magnum opus, it’s the bespecktacled Mercury in Virgo who comes in to revise and refine, stripping the masterpiece of any hubristic elements and giving it a palatable shape.

Virgo, questing towards perfection

The sign of Virgo rules the intestines whose job is to take the salad we had for lunch and discriminate between what to keep and what to let go. Virgo is the yoga pose adjustment offered by a skilled instructor. It’s the hours that went into the flawless delivery of a triple Axel jump by a nubile figure skater. It’s the discriminating finger testing the sauce on the stove to evaluate spice levels. Virgo is the sign that strives towards perfection, always on the quest to improve one’s life, one’s performance, one’s skills, one’s relationships, one’s you-name-it!  No wonder those with a heavy emphasis in Virgo tend to go far in life: they are always setting the bar a little out of reach and then striving for it, somehow never quite satisfied with what they’ve attained as their focus aims on the part that still isn’t perfect.

The Sun will enter Virgo on August 22nd. But for now, Venus, Mars and Mercury lead the way, saturating the Virgo parts of our charts.  This means the fixed signs—Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius—will get a little bit of a break from the action packed skies of July.

Mercury in Virgo

When we take the Virgo qualities above and apply them to Mercury we get “purifying processes”, like digestion. Or “enhanced iteration” and “critical inquiry”. Mercury refers to our speech, the way we process and disseminate information and the manner we conduct our business. Mercury in Virgo lends a practical and earthy approach. Learning/teaching style focuses less on theory and more on how to make the lesson applicable. Many examples are provided so students have a scaffold to hang theory on. Mercury in Virgo says, “Just the facts, Ma’am”… leave the dramatic embellishments to Leo!

In its strive towards perfection, Mercury in Virgo natives are often plagued by an inner bully with catch phrases like: “OMG, you did NOT just say that?!” or “You can’t possibly think you’re ready to ___fill in the blank___: you need to take one more class, read 6 more books, do an apprenticeship, get your degree, THEN you’ll be ready!”  When this inner critique rears its head, it would be wise to remember Winston Churchill’s admonition, “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” Even though he did not have Mercury in Virgo, his wife Clementine Churchill did!

As Mercury optimizes and revises his way through Virgo, this will be a good time to get our thinking caps on, pull out the spreadsheets (or Trello or Todoist!) and get cracking. Mercury does some of his best work in Virgo. We have until the 30th to take advantage of this optimizing energy.

Sunday’s New Moon is the soul searching Part II of a three part concerto entitled “Moving On”.

Part I

Last newsletter I wrote that Part I of this concerto was themed by the Aquarian Full Moon setting out on a journey of self discovery. This voyage meant leaving the known to forge our way into an uncertain future. This first lunation encouraged us to recognize the comfort-seeking patterns that disempower us and then set boundaries that honor our integrity.  For some of us, this meant leaving the herd, however “herd” translates in our own scenarios.

Part II

The New Moon in Leo begins the second movement of our concerto. This lunation draws on the bounty of what makes us special. It calls our inner hero to rise. But in order to do that, the Sun had to stand in opposition to Saturn the beginning of the month so that we would know the constraints and limits we’re working under. The stand-off to Saturn is an annual reality check. During this time certain questions arise such as “Am I still on track?” “Am I getting the recognition I desire?” “Am I hitting my goals?” “Where’s the balance between achievement, responsibility and effort?”

Soon after, the Sun trined Chiron. Now Chiron always serves to make us whole, but the journey to wholeness involves embodying the gift that’s held for us in our wounding. Perhaps this friendly conversation with Chiron revealed to us our dubious track of stories that trigger contorted reactions. We’re ready to retire these patterns as they dim our light these days.

Then two days later, the Sun’s square to Uranus might have generated a restlessness, the kind that promotes a brave leap forward or taking a risk. It’s these mid-air moments—when we’ve let go of one brass ring to grab the other—that we’re fully present, authentic and free.

The New Moon

The New Moon in Leo has all these elements baked into it: Saturn’s reality check, Chiron’s medicinal gift if we can see through our own wounded filters and the liberating push of Uranus. It’s within this matrix that the heroic New Moon in Leo seeds its intentions. In addition, nearby Jupiter in aspecting Aquarius serves as a cosmic Miracle Grow for these fiery seeds. This moon is the moment in a Disney movie where the hero recognizes their own power, the music cues and the solo builds into a crescendo of glorious self affirmation.

The Lord of Victory

The tarot card associated with this New Moon in Leo is the Six of Wands.  Known as The Lord of Victory this card often appears when we’re finally being recognized by our community for our gifts and talents. Clients and partners are seeking us out. Our reputation is rising. It’s a great image to hold in mind even if it’s not our immediate experience. If we can energetically soak in this laudatory vibe, fill ourself with promise and from this place plant our intentions, we will begin to attract what we emanate. It’s always an inside job, isn’t it?

Even though we’re still in the midst of uncertainty and change, there’s a feeling of dawning hope. Leo is a fire sign and if fire signs burn with a boldness that radiates inspiration that settles into wisdom.

Dignity refers to a planet’s ability to carry out its significations. For instance, a well supported Venus might be naturally graceful, artistic and have people gravitate towards her as she casts an alluring spell. But when Venus is in a sign antithetical to her nature, in a day chart and squaring Saturn, well: she might have to develop some grit along her journey and become a little more scrappy in fulfilling her Venusian role.

I often think of well dignified planets as privileged: they represented the dominant culture, came from prosperous neighborhoods, attended the best schools, engaged in a plethora of after-school activities, and paying for University was a no-brainer. Life was set up so that the wind would always fill their sails. Few barriers existed to reaching their goals and they always had help in removing them.

Planets with bottom of the barrel dignity had a single-mother working three jobs to make ends meet, wore hand-me-downs their mother stitched up, filled up on extra-curricular activity by reading good books, climbing trees and keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. They developed a sort of vigilance and repeatedly adapted to an environment that was unsupportive and sometimes hostile. They were always paddling into the wind and got by on their own efforts.

We can see how a planet and person with a log of dignity and privilege would have an easier time in reaching their potential. They are resourced to do so. They simply have to take initiative.

Yet, in my opinion and under the right circumstances, underprivileged planets—like people—can sometimes be more effective than highly dignified ones IF  they’ve learned to endure and perform despite a lack of resources. Like Oprah Winfrey, sometimes a person who comes from poverty, racism and insignificance creates a life of great impact. Other times, they don’t.  My point is: well dignified planets are great and we’re fortunate to have them as natal placements when we do; but we can do a lot without dignity. In fact, a well dignified planet needs to be exercised too lest they move back in when they turn 30 and live on the couch for the next 20 years.

For the next three issues, we’ll be looking at Dignity. This first installment is an introduction. Next issue, we’ll look at the mechanics of dignity.  Finally, we’ll put it all together in a celebrity natal chart.

Today’s Full Moon in Aquarius is the illuminating Part I of a three part concerto entitled “Moving On”. In a concerto, a soloist performs a melody in front of the stage while the orchestra accompanies behind her, often throwing barbs or musical commentary that she responds to. There are usually three acts, just like there will be in the sky: two Full Moons in Aquarius sandwiching the middle act performed by a New Moon in Leo. The theme we find in the Aquarius concerto is blowing the popsicle stand to find our own way, even if we don’t know where it will lead us or if anyone will come along for the ride.

Freedom! Movement!

Like all air signs, Aquarius values freedom, movement and self-expression. There’s an alluring rebellious streak to Aquarius that is simultaneously admirable as it is exhausting. Wherever Aquarius lands in our charts, this is where we find a non-conforming and questioning spirit. It’s where we’re our most experimental and innovative.

Aquarius is also where we leap out of the known to forge our own way, often without a safety net. The Aquarian Full Moon encourages us to see things as they are and to step outside convention and our comfort  zone in our next steps forward.  With the full moon beaming rays of clarification, there’s a sense of the direction we want to move towards and the budding resolve to get us there.

What’s the Moon Doing?

Back to the concerto… What is the melody our soloist performs in this first act? If we look at the Full Moon chart, we see that the Moon has just left Pluto and is getting ready to apply to Saturn after its heightened moment with the Sun. Pluto always asks us to shed that which is no longer in integrity. Pluto works to purify us of any toxic patterns or relationships. The moon seeks nourishment and security.  Combining the symbolism, this could be a time of deep inquiry into recognizing the comfort-seeking patterns that disempower us. How are we conforming in ways that strip us of our agency? How can we be more inventive in getting our lunar needs met? Are we stuck in unhealthy patterns that harm us? These are the questions the orchestra poses to our Aquarian Moon soloist.

With the Moon applying next to Saturn, we’re being asked to fortify ourselves with Saturnian tools: setting boundaries that honor our integrity. Perhaps this will not be easy—Saturn usually asks us to be disciplined in our approach. But the results will be long lasting and have the added benefit of accruing wisdom.

Discipline is a Friend

July marks the important first steps of moving on from the popsicle stand that no longer works for us. We’re supported by a strong Saturn, ruler of this lunation. The discipline needed is available to us now if we are able to commit to what’s best for us.

If you’re feeling like that soloist and could use a bit of cosmic timing take, I’d love to speak with you about it in The Year Ahead or an Astro-Tarot consultation.

The Sun rides his chariot through charismatic Leo from July 22nd to August 21st. Leo is home sweet home to the Sun which means that the Sun can do what comes naturally: SHINE. Leo natives—whether they be introverted or extroverted—carry a sense of quiet dignity to them.  As children of the Sun, they radiate presence, vitality and warmth. There’s a playful creativity to Leo that’s contagious.

But for all Leo’s exterior bravado, they carry a sensitive heart. They hurt easily, although you might never know it as they cover it up with their pride. So if they give you their heart, handle it with care.  In return, generous Leo will offer you what they value most: sincerity, authenticity and loyalty.

Although I’m a traditional astrologer with a psychological approach, I have read several evolutionary astrology books, including Steven Forrest. In his Book of Fire, he says something about Leo which rings true for me and for the many Leos I’ve repeated it to.  I’m including it here so you might ruminate on it and perhaps deepen your understanding on this Sun ruled sign. He writes: The Sun in Leo is gifted to those who carry a wound of rejection, hurt or betrayal—either from a prior lifetime or through genetic inheritance. Leo shines so bright in order to work through this wound by eventually feeling 100% accepted and more importantly: seen.

If this is true—and it feels right to me—it explains while rejection and betrayal devastate Leo so deeply.  This is not to say the rest of the signs are immune from this kind of pain; but it doesn’t live in their bones the way it does with Leo (and Scorpio).

Venus enters Virgo

One day before the Sun enters Leo, our lovely lady Venus gets practical in Virgo. Even though Venus is said to be in Fall in Virgo, making her less equipped to beautify, attract and enjoy, she does have strength by triplicity during the day and rules the terms between 8° to 17°. If I’ve just lost you, don’t worry!  We’ll be learning more about dignity and strength in a three-part series that begins in the article below this one. All this to say: Venus in Virgo is so underrated! Who is not attracted to purposeful & clean design?

Just take a look at Michael Kors! With his Venus in Virgo and Sun in Leo, his designer handbags are synonymous with functional luxury. The attention to every last detail architected by a fluid subtlety (Venus in Virgo) creates a delightful user experience. It’s as if humble (yet brilliant) elves took an exquisite garment, bag or accessory and added the extra little touches only you would notice and love—that’s Venus in Virgo. We cherish them because they notice every microscopic imperfection and continue to build a better experience with each iteration.

I leave you with this quote from Michael Kors. Can you spot the Leo Sun and Venus in Virgo? 🧐

“Personal style is knowing yourself, your lifestyle, your body and finding clothes that become the frame. You become the star.”

July 9, 2021 at 8:15pm Central—Have you ever followed a friend or family member into the kitchen to get away from the tension building in the other room?  Whether it was a recrudescent feud beginning to raise up like an awakened Scylla or inappropriate jokes and triggering remarks, you sequestered yourself. In the safety of another room with someone you trusted, you could let your guard down while finding friendly reinforcement.

If we look at the New Moon chart, we see that the Moon at 18°01′ Cancer does not see the malefics, Saturn and Mars. By seeing, I mean that she does not make a sign based aspect with them by sextile, trine, square or opposition. It’s as though she’s taking a time-out from their tug-of-war to gather herself, find her grounding, security and support.

Finding our place of belonging

As we know, the beginning of July has been somewhat rough and tumble. The t-square between Mars, Saturn and Uranus might have felt like that tense filled room we no longer wanted to occupy. This new moon in Cancer asks us to find our querencia: the place where we know our deepest selves. Taking leave of the “maddening crowd” might feel risky, but we will find other like-minded people in that kitchen.

In two weeks, a Full Moon in Aquarius—the first of two—will light up the sky. Ruled by Saturn, this lunation will speak to Saturnian topics such as boundaries, limitations, responsibility and reality checks. We would be wise to stock our cupboards under this New Moon with nutrient-rich supports such as people who see us, routines that fulfill us and places where we know our deepest selves.