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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GROW• GLOW• SHIMMER: NEW MOON IN LEO

Bruce Pennington, 1973

 

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The month of July ends with a New Moon in Leo which will be exact at 23:12 EDT on July 31st. A few minutes later, Mercury stations direct in Cancer after being retrograde since the 7th of July. The New Moon in Leo and Mercury direct initiates us into the month of August, on the other side of eclipse season and in the bright light of the Sun who is at home in the sign of Leo.

→ Look to where the New Moon in Leo is taking place in your birth chart to understand where the focus is  for this upcoming lunation. The Full Moon in Aquarius on August 14 will see a culmination in the opposite house to where Leo sits and you can expect the next few weeks to highlight both the Leo and Aquarius house topics in your chart.

After a month of gestation, we enter a period of rationality and brilliance which will allow us to study in clear daylight, the pearls of wisdom that were birthed in the eclipses shadows. The intuitive epiphanies regarding certain roadblocks and detours inherited from the past, and the revelations contained in our personal biographies can now be observed with a certain lucid detachment as a fresh chapter emerges on the horizon. The page is blank, the fruits are ripped, and fresh intentions are being initiated with the conviction that we really do deserve the best of the best.

Honour and pride is on the menu in the first half of August. Leo season is a time of courage and conviction, of stepping up to the plate and having the guts of embodying your role with confidence. Now is a time for recognizing your accomplishments, your worth, and to show up with your best face on, trusting that you know exactly how its done.

Shimmering sparkles arising from the light – hypnotizing with a fiery glow – a magnetizing charisma containing the warmth of love and attraction. Thirsty, the seeker extends a hand towards the object of power –  hoping to catch its radiance and become a God.

Jupiter stations direct in Sagittarius on August 11, after being retrograde since mid-April and this should help boost our confidence level. On the same day, Mercury enters Leo setting the ego ablaze as Uranus turn retrograde in Taurus until next eclipse season in January 2020.

Micheal Heizer

 

The Full Moon in Aquarius takes place on August 14, just as Venus in Leo reaches her superior conjunction moving behind the Sun. This marks the time when Venus transition from the morning to evening sky. Venus will be visible as a bright evening “star” in the sky after sunset in September and October 2019.

The Full Moon in Aquarius brings a culmination in regards to our own needs and desires versus the desires of the whole. Certain people might be accused of selfishness during this time as we try to reconcile our values with the values of others. Venusian matters will certainly be on our mind in mid-August and a division could be felt in regards to the practical versus the superfluous. We might feel more indulgent and deserving and this could create some friction with others who are also trying to get their piece of cake. Brash and dramatic displays of superiority are also possible as egos collide; even if you know best, you might not be heard in the cacophony of roars. 

Mars enters Virgo on August 18, followed by Venus on August 21st, and the Sun on August 23rd. The second half of the month will contain a lot more planets in Earth elements bringing pragmatism to our ambitions, and practical steps to reach our goals. The heated passions being felt in the first weeks of August will find proper outlets by the end of the month as we slowly come back down to Earth with the gifts of Fire. The last week of August sees a Mars/Venus conjunction in Virgo supported by a trine to Uranus; you will know exactly what to do and how to do it.

Love and passion, passion and beauty, beauty and lust, lust and novelty, novelty and pleasure, pleasure and discovery, discovery and freedom, freedom and connection, connection and soul.

The New Moon in Virgo takes place early on August 30th at 6 degrees of Virgo signalling fresh momentum in the part of your chart where Virgo is located. This should be a fantastic lunation to organize and take care of details that were ignored in the last few months. Delineating a schedule or a plan for your goals should help relieve some of the anxiety. It could feel like a lot needs to be done and September promises to be a good month to get on track. Organization will be high on the priority list and a clear action-plan will support your efforts towards reaching your objectives. The New Moon in Virgo trining Uranus, carries the promise of self-sufficiency born out of efforts.

 

 

 

JULY 2019 – ECLIPSE SEASON + MERCURY RETRO

“Ancestors or Poem”
Remedios Varo

July will see 3 major astrological happenings mainly: Mercury retrograde in Leo/Cancer and, two eclipses in Cancer/Capricorn.

Art by Tomislav Jagnjic

MERCURY RETROGRADE 

Mercury will station retrograde in Leo on July 7th and move back into the sign of Cancer on July 19th. Mercury stations direct on July 31st. This means that we have to contend with Mercury retrograde for the whole month of July.

Simply knowing this will make it a lot easier already. Rule of thumbs during Mercury retrogrades are: No major purchases, commitments and signing contracts if possible, but if you have to, don’t sweat it, it’s meant to be that way. Lay low if you can, and wait until August for major decisions or commitments. On a mundane level, the news will probably be far more fear-inducing than usual so if you can unplug for the month, do it!

THE NEW AND FULL MOON IN JULY WILL BE ECLIPSES

The New Moon in Cancer on July 2nd is a total solar eclipse and the Full Moon in Capricorn on July 19th is a partial lunar eclipse.

Eclipse season is a time of change and movement which often contains unforeseen elements. It’s not necessarily negative or positive but eclipses are associated with new elements being introduced in the picture while other ones are being removed. These can range from small to major occurrences. Not everyone will be affected the same way, and it really depends on your birth chart. Look at where Cancer and Capricorn sits in your chart.

People who have the Sun/Moon or their Ascendant(rising sign) in Cancer or Capricorn will be the ones handling this astrological weather the most in July.

The time between eclipses, is considered a liminal space. If you add the Mercury retrograde to the mix, July and especially mid-July is not a super good time to make major decisions as it will be more of a transitional space with some back and forth re-visiting/re-shaping/re-questioning and all the *re* associated with Mercury retrograde.

All this heavy lifting happening on the Cancer-Capricorn axis (this year) and in July is bringing some understanding in regards to the structures in our lives and how they sustain us, or fail to do so. There is a lot of anxiety and fears associated with security, nourishment, the ecological crisis (our mother Gaia who sustains us (Cancer), and how the system (Capricorn) is failing us. On a personal level, people are working on healing themselves through understanding generational trauma, doing ancestral work and getting at the roots of some of their emotions.

Time and time management is also on the radar and we are super aware of where and who is waisting our time. We are de-constructing the structures that are not sustaining/nourishing/supportive. Before we are able to build stronger foundations, we have to deal with a lot of garbage and darkness personally but also on a societal level. Ultimately, I think this process also brings genuine healing and connections to our roots, our deep past but also closer to our tribe within and without.

Brian Kershisnik Angels

 

EMERGENCE

EMERGENCE. Sculpture by Buddy Jackson. Hartman Park

The Sun entered Virgo a week ago and we can already feel the beneficial and grounding influence of this Earth sign after a VERY intense retrograde/eclipse Summer season.
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We also have a trine between Saturn in Capricorn and Uranus in Taurus right now and this is an aspect that will permeate much of September. Trines in astrology are considered supportive aspects between planets in the SAME ELEMENT. In order to benefit from trines, one must be willing to actively take part and to consciously work with it. In other words, you don’t sit on your ass and wait for things to happen.
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Saturn entered Capricorn in December of 2017 and will be there for another 2 years: Saturn in Capricorn is all about the tearing down of old structures that are not sustainable anymore. (on a personal level but also a collective one). It’s also about time management – meaning you don’t waste it on people and scenarios that do not support you. Saturn in Capricorn is your opportunity to simplify your life, be pragmatic about your trajectory, and invest where it’s worth it.
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Uranus will be in Taurus for the next 8 years (with a short stint back into Aries at the end of this year but officially back in Taurus in March 2019). Uranus in Taurus will most likely bring many disruptions on a societal level. Uranus is associated with rebellions and change. Taurus is a Fixed Earth sign and so we will most likely see more and more ecological crisis. On a personal level, Uranus in Taurus is your opportunity to revolutionize the way you relate to your comfort and the way you manage your resources and energy. Flexibility will be a major asset in the next 8 years.
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Uranus in Taurus will see more and more people interested in self-sufficiency and a return to DIY ways of living as the Earth continues to be damaged by the crumbling and unsustainable systems of consumer culture.
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You might start to get a hint of what it is that you want for your future, and perhaps even the opportunity to start moving in a new direction. Simplicity, flexibility and health IS the new wealth.
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With the Sun in Virgo for half of September, it’s an excellent time to implement or get back to healthier habits. The Moon is in Aries and will enter Taurus (the sign of her exaltation) later tonight and will be there for the next few days. This is your cue to root down in your body, go into nature and move with your natural rhythms.
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September is the recovery phase after a stressful and powerful Summer battle. Take this opportunity to get back to basics and reconnect with your medicine.

NEW MOON IN AQUARIUS: Revolving Doors

“Do what he will, he [the profane man] is an inheritor. He cannot utterly abolish his past, since he himself is a product of his past. He forms himself by a series of denials and refusals, but he continues to be haunted by the realities that he has refused and denied. 
― Mircea Eliade

The second of two eclipses this month comes with the New Moon in Aquarius on February 15 at 4:05pm ET.

It takes place at 27º of Aquarius, only a few days before the Sun’s ingress into the Water sign of Pisces. This partial eclipse is near the Dragon’s Tail aka the South Node of the Moon which is in part connected to a dissolution process.

In the last few weeks, Venus, Mercury and the Sun all met with the South Node of the Moon. This had the effect of dredging up all sorts of gunk from the bottom of our psyche which is ready to be cleansed and expelled back into the void.

“There is a face beneath this mask, but it isn’t me.
I’m no more that face than I am the muscles beneath it, or the bones beneath that.”
― Steve Moore, V for Vendetta

Aquarius is a Fixed Air sign traditionally ruled by Saturn. The purifying Waters of the water bearer cleanse the heart and clarifies the mind. Since the beginning of February, residues from past emotional burdens have been floating around on the surface of our awareness like dead skin on the surface of water. The dim light of the Sun in the sign of Aquarius allowed for a sort of detachment in regards to these afflictions, and perhaps the ability to find rational solutions for twisted emotional conundrums. The rays of the Sun are pale in the midst of Winter, and illumination comes from within.


The Full Moon in Leo on January 31st, served to highlight what weighs heavy on our heart but also connected us to our heart’s longing. The New Moon in Aquarius on February 15, stirs in us the potentialities of ideas born from these longings which in turn conjures new creative impulses deep inside of us. We can imagine a new trajectory for ourselves; will we have the courage to follow through?

Although still in their abstract forms, we can intuit the shape of things to come. New seeds are now being planted in foreign soil as we gaze on the vast territories of future promises. We must accept estrangement and embrace this liminal space for the time being as we fuel on the creative fires. The eclipses on the Leo/Aquarius axis ask that we have the courage of our ideals and the willingness to break our own rules in order to reach them. Nothing new is born in conformity and we must depart from the known if we are to realize what our heart longs for. We must also be willing to walk away from our love of approval and this is perhaps the most difficult task.

Unbelonging looms large in the uncharted Aquarian world, and seeking ”likes” and acknowledgment will only lead to disappointment. The resolute heart must find support within himself.

At the time of the New Moon, Saturn, the traditional ruler of Aquarius sextiles Venus in Pisces. This aspect speaks of calibrating our desires in a realistic framework, finding the sweet spot within our limitations and perhaps, the right measure of inspiration and work. Saturn in its home sign of Capricorn and Venus in the sign of her exaltation, dispense the proper tools for those who know how to utilize them. This aspect is also about maturity within our relationship and the realistic appraisal of our desire nature.

At the time of the New Moon, Uranus, the modern ruler of Aquarius sextiles Mercury in Aquarius.  This aspect speaks of an urge to break away from limiting through patterns and complicated situations/emotions that limits our vision. Mercury in Aquarius still squaring Jupiter in Scorpio is all about the honest appraisal of these complicated situations/emotions and perhaps unacknowledged desires that could be holding us back from truly breaking free from restrictions.

We must first clean out our basement before we can totally move out. Mars in Sagittarius applying to square Neptune in Pisces at the time of the New Moon, promises to blur and confuse this process. Ensuring that we are aiming at the proper target requires an honest assessment of the motivations hiding behind our arrows. Clarifying our intent is half the battle and our ability to differentiate the ideal from the real will take us a bit closer to the realization of our vision for the future.

Hula Hoop Light Painting Photography by Grant Mallory

Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don’t complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don’t bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake Up and Live!
-Bob Marley

 

 

SOLUTIONS AND DISSOLUTION

FOR WHEN THE SUN IN VIRGO OPPOSE NEPTUNE IN PISCES AND
THE MOON IN AQUARIUS CONJUNCT THE SOUTH NODE:

Can you discriminate between omens and wishful thinking?
Between poison and medicine?
Delusion and honesty?
Between a ghost and your own shadow?
Do you know your boundaries?

Still from the film ”The Dance of Reality” by Jodorowski

Uprooting beauty

DARA SCULLY

”The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.” 
-The Bible, King James Version, Song of Songs 7:12–13

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The upcoming trine between Venus and Pluto will be exact right after the New Moon in Cancer on June 24th. This aspect conjures up the rich scent of the earth exuding from freshly pulled roots. The hands are dirty and have been working hard.

On a table laying in broad day light is a collection of various treasures dug out of the ground; buried objects carrying with them long forgotten stories. To keep or to discard?

Destruction and beauty are an odd pair. 

Craving more ease, you might get excited at the sight of the decaying past – hypnotized by the promises and possibilities of new beginnings. Suddenly the forbidden becomes alluring; desiring something that is denied to you.  Can it be yours? 

Be warned that the price is steeped but it’s already too late.

What was unearthed is taking hold.

The distant lure of beauty animates you and you keep digging in the hopes of finding more.

The process is difficult but you cannot back down. You know how important this is for your well-being. Feeling good might even sting a little but you keep digging. The sight of beauty hurts your eyes. Your heart is pounding in your chest.

Don’t stop now.

Tectonic shifts are happening.

Your heart wants more, aching for new intensity.

Renovations are well underway and you must get rid of some things to make space for what you have discovered.

Introducing more beauty, more love, more pleasure is an arduous task and things will need to be destroyed.

Be willing to leave the comfort of your garden and trade-in all of your jewels for that gut feeling.

 

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Venus @ 18 Taurus 30 trine Pluto @ 18 Capricorn 30 on June 24, 2017  @ 3:59 AM EST    

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“Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.” ― Jalaluddin Rumi

 

The Archer

Today, the Sun enters the Fire sign of Sagittarius. Sagittarian are known for their gregarious dispositions and big smiles. They have a love for knowledge and are always searching for the ultimate truth. They need a lot of movement and space to be happy. Half human, half animal they try to reconcile their instinct with their higher principles.

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

The Just Measure

A Full Moon in Libra and partial lunar eclipse happened yesterday in the early hours close to the North Node of the Moon sometime called the head of the Dragon.

Eclipses will vary in intensity depending on many factors including whether it is a total or partial, Lunar or Solar eclipse and if it takes place close to the South Node (Tail of the Dragon) or the North Node (Head of the Dragon).

They usually come in pairs and we had a Solar eclipse in Pisces on March 8th and one yesterday March 23rd in the sign of Libra.

Some astrologers compare eclipses or the time in between them as having similar effect as the more widely known Mercury retrograde. Unexpected events, delays, misunderstanding or problems with technologies can be one of the symptoms.  An eclipse represent a time when one of our two major luminaries (Sun or Moon) is being obscured either by the shadow of the Moon in the case of a Solar eclipse or the shadow of the Earth in the case of a Lunar eclipse. This temporary darkness is an opening, an energetic trigger for things to come into existence or disappear into the void.  Shadows are associated with what we cannot see, blindness or a lack of something. While something is being obscured, it is also an opening into the deep and eternal darkness. This time can be very energizing for some while others can feel extremely drained, stressed out and tired.

Eclipse will also affect people differently depending on where it falls in their natal birth chart.  Positive or negative effects like the birth of a child, a marriage, sickness, a major turning point, ending and beginnings are associated with eclipses.

The temporary obstruction of the light sees the darkness that dwells in between the worlds take shape and materialize. This blackness colours our awareness for a moment and can bring about surprising turn of events.

Yesterday’s eclipse in Libra is the last one of a series on the Libra-Aries axis that started in 2014.

This eclipse highlights themes of interpersonal and personal relationships and the need to find balance between taking and giving. We can feel torn between selfish or bold reactions versus selfless compromises to reach middle ground. There is an emphasis on whether the motives behind our decisions are ego driven of based in the higher spirits of fairness and harmony.

This is definitely not an easy feat.

We could be torn between the need to follow our own path while also being asked to collaborate or compromise. We cannot exclude the need we have for others in our lives, our need to be seen and acknowledged. Every relationship is a mixture of give and take with a small dose of compromises and a big dose of collaboration.  Problem arises when we compromise our own integrity.

This last eclipse in Libra could be the final push towards solidifying an alliance, a situation, a state of mind or letting it go all together and realigning towards a more balance and centered state. A process that started in 2014 could find resolution but whether this will be fair and just could be a matter of circumstances. We could see ourselves oscillating between two opposites for another few weeks until we find the just measure.