WEEK OF AUGUST 5th, 2019: OUR PRIDE AND AFFECTIONS

 Artwork by Jasper Goodall 

Stand straight, walk proud, have a little faith
-Garth Brooks

The week begins with the Moon in Libra until it enters Scorpio on Tuesday signalling the First Quarter Moon. The Moon enters Sagittarius on Thursday, and remains on the archer’s territory until early Sunday morning when it enters Capricorn. The First Quarter Moon is a time of action and momentum when we are challenged to implement what was seeded at the New Moon and push forward.

SPIRIT
Passion burns hot this week as we move deeper into Leo season and straight into the heart of summer. The Sun in the second decan of Leo is bright indeed and Venus blinded by the rays inches closer and closer to the royal throne. By August 14, Venus will disappear completely into the Sun purifying herself in a baptism of light, rebirthing as an evening ”star”. The Sun and Venus in Leo will set the mood this week with loud and colourful roars and regal displays. Pride and affection for what we have created, what we have become, what we value and love is sure to be a theme. We might be moved to expose the content of our heart’s joys for all to see while other folks might dowse themselves in just-a-little-bit too much perfume.

FAITH
The Sun in Leo is moving towards a trine with Jupiter in Sagittarius (exact on Wednesday) and this should give us the ability to say YES more. This easy going and joyful sky is giving us plenty of reasons to celebrate life and make the difficult things a little bit easier to bare. Jupiter stations direct on August 11 after moving retrograde since April 10, 2019. On the same day, Mercury enters Leo and Uranus stations retrograde in Taurus creating a lot of momentum which culminates on Sunday. The Moon entering Sagittarius on Thursday (Jupiter’s day) gives the signal to launch the fireworks, release the helium balloons, cut the red ribbon, and trust that it will all work out. There is a hopeful quality that permeates the week and it is an excellent time to gain perspective on what remains to be accomplished while elevating your standards. Fill your engine to the brim with the potentiality latent in your dreams and aim higher. This is a time of joy, faith and courage; send your prayers and show gratitude accordingly.

THE SALES PITCH
Mercury re-enters the Lion’s den on Sunday at 15:45 EDT after having turned retrograde here in Leo before moving back into the sign of Cancer for most of July. If there is still a faint tinged of longing permeating our minds this week, it will definitely subside by Sunday. The radio stations which until now played a series of nostalgic and sappy songs will now be showcasing ”The Greatest Hits of all Time”. Mercury can be persuasive in the sign of Leo especially when supported by Jupiter. If you have to sell your salad ( convince someone), now and in the next few weeks is a good time to do so. You can expect however that everyone at the market will also have the best salad to sell; you could find yourself shouting in order to be heard.

The Fixed season of Leo is a time of conviction and this year Jupiter in Sagittarius is boosting the signal. Depending on natal disposition some folks might be totally blinded by their beliefs, their pride, and their ideas. Moderate the enthusiasm with healthy dose of reflection before launching headfirst into a debate or a venture. Measured risk and optimism will be rewarded while hubris and arrogance could alienate others but overall, it’s an excellent week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WEEK OF MARCH 25, 2019

The week begins with the Moon in the ever joyful fire sign of Sagittarius which could have us feeling elated, hopeful, ”Spring is in the air” vibe. It’s all about the potentiality of our big ideas, our projects and what we are going to do in the future. The Sun in Aries increases courage, impulsivity, passion, momentum and help getting the week started on the right foot. Take advantage of Monday and Tuesday to get moving, and bring some heat and passion to your projects.

Mercury is still retrograde so it’s very easy to gloss over the details or miss an important one right now but paradoxically, it allows us to not be overly critical or nit picky about things. Mercury retrograde in Pisces is also conjunct with Neptune making it hard to actually concentrate on our work. You could feel easily distracted but don’t be too hard on yourself, soon we will start regaining that clarity and focus.

Mercury turns direct on Thursday morning and will remain close to Neptune until late next week. The potential for confusion and misunderstanding, and a general lack of clarity will continue to be a side effect until April 5th or so. *Dream life can also be very vivid or busy under this configuration.

Venus enters Pisces tomorrow, one of her favourite place. Venus here is excellent for artist, musician and creative folks. Venus in Pisces increases our desire for beauty, harmony and compassion. Venus will be in Pisces from March 26 to April 20 and this period of time is excellent for all Venusian matters like art, aesthetics, fashion, beauty, worth, relating or attraction.

On Wednesday and for the rest of the week the Moon will travel in the Saturn-ruled signs of Capricorn and Aquarius casting a bit of a shadow on our hopes and dreams and switching the tone to a more serious and practical one.

Upon entering the sign of Capricorn on Wednesday morning, the Moon squares Chiron and the Sun in Aries casting doubt in our minds about the viability of our project/ideas/ambitions and asking us to take some practical steps to achieve our aim. The last quarter Moon signifies a time in the lunar month when our ideas and projects get tested.

On Sunday, Mars enters the sign of Gemini and the pace of things will start speeding up. Mars in Gemini until mid-may will definitely increase the tempo, especially in intellectual matters encouraging debates and exchanges of ideas via all social platforms.

Have a fantastic week, take advantage of the next 2 days to charge up your optimistic batteries and don’t let the confusing or gloomy vibe of the second part of the week cast too much doubt in your mind about your worth and contributions to this world.

 

VENUS IN PISCES ♀♓︎

Venus enters Pisces, the sign of her exaltation from February 10 until March 6.

Venus is considered exalted in the sign of Pisces and Venusian matters like love, music, art, beauty, money, pleasure and attraction have an easier time expressing themselves when she travels here.

We might crave ease and comfort during her month-long transit in Pisces, and this is possible if we heed the lessons of Saturn currently in its home sign of Capricorn. Nothing is free in this world and pleasure is to be found in maturity and pragmatism this year. Venus in Pisces contemplates eternity while Saturn in Capricorn looks for a solid framework.

Venus also applies to square with Mars in Sagittarius for most of February; you might have to adjust your vision, and be prepared to have your faith tested while you reach for the gold.

Applying a stoic perspective to our longings can help us succeed. A healthy dose of desire and the willingness to put in a sincere effort can lead to the success of our endeavours.

This month-long transit of Venus through Pisces supports our ability to find joy and beauty, while the sextile from Saturn can teach us how to sustain these states in the long run.

NEW MOON IN VIRGO: ENDINGS & HEALINGS

New Moon in Virgo: 1:30am EDT (3am NDT) September 20, 2017.

Mercury, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

☿

The New Moon in Virgo comes to us on the threshold of the Fall Equinox here in the Northern Hemisphere. The beginning of this lunar cycle finds us in the liminal space between the brightness of summer and its imminent decay.

Two days after the New Moon on September 22nd, at 16:02 EDT, the Sun enters the sign of Libra and signals the beginning of Autumn.

ENDINGS & HEALINGS

The New Moon is often associated with the beginning of a monthly cycle and renewed vigor for the month ahead. Since this New Moon takes place in the last degrees of Virgo just 2 days before the Fall Equinox, she carries with her an air of finality and closure as oppose to new beginnings.

It is within the current endings that we will find the new beginnings taking shape. Something is being composted into a nourishing and fertilizing soil. However, we must appreciate this process fully and bid farewell to past fantasies and bewildering ideas that keeps us looking backward. To cross this seasonal threshold, something must be surrendered or given as a token gesture to those ideals and fantasies. It is in this paradoxical abandon that we shall receive the necessary healing for the next part of the journey and the accomplishment of our future goals.

OPEN WOUNDS

Under this New Moon in Virgo our wounds will take an incandescent glow calling to our attention what can’t be ignored any longer. The surfacing of these wounds could make us feel vulnerable but it will allow us to apply the necessary medicine. The pain which usually lies dormant under the surface of our skin will rise up and give us a clear indication of what must be healed. The remedies could be a bewildering blend of intuitive visions and practical applications. The most difficult task will be to rid ourselves of the intangible poisons and parasites.

Mercury, ruler of Virgo, presides over this New Moon and will be in exact opposition to Neptune at the time of the New Moon. Mercury began its retrograde motion on August 12 – in this exact part of the zodiac and opposing Neptune.

The train we have been riding since last month had Neptune coloured windows. When Neptune is involved, facts and fiction blend together creating a confusing cocktail of wishful thinking and unrealistic expectations. Under Neptune, we are intoxicated by an ideal and susceptible to delusion. At its best, Neptune gives a romantic tone to the object of desire, making us see what we want a see. Hopefully, the Sun in Virgo has helped us discriminate between what is achievable and what was mere fantasies. Regardless, in the days to come, we should slowly start to gain clarity on our current situation and any confusing scenarios we have been engaging with since the beginning of August will be seen for what they are. The New Moon in Virgo is also in exact opposition to Chiron; once the rose-coloured glasses come off, the truth could be hard to digest and the pain quick to locate. Be easy on yourself.

HONESTY & PRAGMATISM

Finally, remember that not everything can be solved at once. Patience and humility will be required for your perceived mistakes and failings; nothing is perfect in this world. Special attention must be paid to anything that requires fixing; whether physiological, spiritual or mechanical. Some of the keys you hold in your hands will heal what ails you and some of those keys will open dead-end doors. Pay attention to the repeating clues given to you as you cross the threshold between Summer and Fall.

 

Paintings by Zdzisław Beksiński and Magritte

 

This week in Astrology: Sorting out the essential from your heart

Monday opens with the Moon in the last degrees of Taurus on the Fixed star Algol or the Head of Medusa; don’t lose your mind. We are building towards the Jupiter/Uranus opposition that will be exact on the 27/28 of September. This is a revolutionary aspect which is excellent for visionaries and artists and for people who have the ability to see the silver lining in chaotic  circumstances but also have the guts to do things differently. On a mundane level it can feel destabilizing if you are holding to the status quo at all cost or need predictable outcomes. Small and large shifts are happening in our awareness and in the world at large and intuition is at an all time high. Flashes of insights and new bold ideas are available if you adjust your vision. With Uranus in Aries closing in on its opposition to Jupiter in Libra there is an urge to liberate ourselves while also searching for ”the other” to reflect us. It can feel polarizing to oscillate between our need for freedom and liberation versus our need for feedback, fairness and equilibrium.

The Moon enters Gemini at 15:30 EDT on Monday which will accentuate the current Mercury/Mars conjunction building up in Virgo. The next 2 days are excellent for analyzing, editing, and cutting through the superfluous. The mind can have a tendency to race and anxiety will be higher than usual. Finding the right measure of applied diligence and focus is possible as long as we don’t scatter ourselves. Mindfulness and disconnecting from the media, the internet and the constant chatter is one of the best remedies for this kind of astrological weather. Difficulties with communication, getting our message across, misunderstandings and harsh words are possible with the Mercury/Mars conjunction building up and, so are fried phones and electronics.

With the last quarter Moon in Gemini we can feel stimulated, talkative, and curious but there is also the tendency to get lost in chatter instead of being productive. Basically, don’t fry your brain with coffee and stress and find the right balance of intellectual work and simple manual or physical work. We could have the urge to communicate in many directions at once but essentially we can only do one thing at a time. Give your brain the right intellectual food and remember that words and symbols can be very powerful in shaping our experience of reality; use them wisely.

The last quarter Moon in Gemini supports finalizing the details of a project or idea that began at the New Moon/Solar Eclipse in Leo on August 21st.

Venus in Leo trine Saturn in Sagittarius on Tuesday and this is a supportive but also sobering aspect in regards to relationship. We could feel serious and more realistic about our desires. Long-term commitments and maturity could feel more important at the moment and feelings could be reserved and controlled. Venus trine Saturn is beneficial for artist and creators who are looking to structure and give shape to their muse. This can be a productive time for creative work, social engagements, and public relations.

On Wednesday night the Moon enters her own sign of Cancer and this should help ease the mental tension creating a fluid and intuitive rhythm until Friday night.

Even though we are in the darkest of the Moon (before the New Moon in Virgo on September 20th) the weekend will feel quite dynamic with the Moon entering the Fire sign of Leo late on Friday night and Mercury and Mars perfecting their conjunction in Virgo on Saturday, September 16. Conversation around pride, identity, the need for acknowledgement and having  the courage to express oneself truthfully and courageously will all be aroused.

Venus returns to Pisces

We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
-Joseph Campbell

The Moon just entered the water sign of Cancer for the next few days and Venus is about to move back into Pisces as part of its retrograde motion.

Even though Venus is considered exalted in Pisces, it will square Saturn almost immediately upon re-entering Pisces. Venus was here at the beginning of February and perhaps something from 2 months ago could be echoed back to us.

Venus square Saturn is bittersweet (like dark chocolate?! 😉 ) and in the next week, we might have to face the difficult choices we made. A sobering moment awaits as we realize the costs of our decisions. (Dark chocolate is generally preferred by adults?) What I’m getting at is that we might be looking for something sweet but we might need to be adults and settle for something less sweet.

Our experience of ease and beauty could feel limited or restrained by something outside of our control. It could feel harder than usual to ”go with the flow”. Age and experience through hardship could figure strongly. The stance is one of mature sobriety.

Mid-April, Venus goes direct as Mercury turns retrograde in Taurus (a Venus ruled sign). This particular series of aspect makes me think that some compromise or revision of priorities will need to be reached in order for us to find the comfort, support and ease we long for.

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”Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet.
Only through experience of trial and suffering
can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired,
and success achieved.”
– Helen Keller

MARS IN ARIES: JANUARY 28 to MARCH 9, 2017

“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity”
― Sun Tzu

Moon in Cancer Musing

Find your sanctuary
the quiet space between
your roots 
and your heart
where the creative center reside
within the safety of yourself

There you will find the endless memories
of all who came before you
Hopes and wishes on a silver thread
will lead you back
to the treasures
of what really matters and what can be buried.

 

Painting by Aron Wiesenfeld

Nature’s wisdom

In the early hours on Friday November 11, Black Moon Lilith met up with the Sun at 19’24 degrees of Scorpio.

There are a lot of meanings attributed to Lilith. She is a very complex figure and her story originates way back. This famous Sumerian plaque which depicts a woman with owl talons and wings, standing upon two lions and owls  is believed by some to represent Lilith.

She is a dark and eccentric mythic figure coming to us from the dawn of civilization. She connects us to the wild and instinctual female archetype that cannot be controlled or tamed. In the Torah, Lilith is banished into the wilderness for rebelling against God who wanted her to submit to Adam.

She is impulsive, confrontational, defiant and disruptive.

Words associated with Lilith:
Wild-Raging
Feminine Sexuality
Raw-Erratic
Instinctual-Knowing
Primal-Castrating
Defiant-Disruptive

With the Scorpio Sun in conjunction with Black Moon Lilith the light shines brightly at the bottom of the pit. Scorpio is akin to a deep and dark body of water.  When the Sun transits in Scorpio, the obscured reassess of these stagnating waters come to the surface to get processed. We are seeing the ugly, the offensive and the foul putrefied bodies of the old patriarchal system rise up and all the ugliness exposed. With this revelation sitting blatantly in our faces, it is obvious that things will have to change. Anything that feels oppressive will be violently opposed. Anger, rage and revolt are Lilith’s domain. We are speaking of a gutt reaction; an instinctual knowing linked to survival.

I love this take on Lilith by Artist Kevin Rolly (Kevissimo) called ”Wilderness Forever”

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The Chandra Degree for 19’24 Scorpio:

A SERPENT WRAPPED AROUND AN IMMENSE EGG

”Bearing deeply an entirely different future for yourself and everybody. Condemned to hold this off, preserve it, keep it warmed through, not break into it until the signal is given. This is a punishing ordeal, for you know inside a different kind of reality and bear it directly within. But still you must live as if without it. This eventuates in a barren world, an outwardly determined existence in which things must be endured just about forever. You are testing yourself, making sure that you are worthy to bear your great treasure across the abyss. Do you have the forces to be steady, implacable, sound and reliable, and not turn negative and become the resentful martyr?

Do you know how to do the right thing even when you do not quite feel it inside? Deep at the core of your being incredible things are completely and utterly alive. And they will come through when you have fully overcome the old karmas and shown yourself to be strong, clear, and true, even in a divided world that is past-fixated and at the end of its cycle, hanging on a bit too long.”

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For more on Lilith in Scorpio you can read this article from collegue Vanessa Guazzelli Paim at Cosmic Intelligence Agency

Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love – for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you from misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.