Got Sedna?

Sedna as photographed from Mount Palomar

photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

If you look very closely at the photograph above, right where the arrow ends there's a little dot of light.

That's Sedna, one of the Dwarf Planets.

Though you may not have heard much about Sedna, it's important enough to astrologers that it already has its own astrological glyph and it's already part of the latest standard astrological software packages being utilized by those working in the field.

In short, Sedna is important. That's why as of this weekend there is a full-length article on Sedna posted in the sidebar listing.

Or...maybe you would just rather CLICK HERE.?

(That will work too.)

Enjoy!

Mars Enters Sagittarius

 Sunset as seen on by Rover Spirit when sitting

at the edge of Gusev Crater on Mars

photo credit: NASA

When Mars transits through the zodiac's third quarter, we of this world always seem to have a really interesting period. Trying? Heck yes! But also interesting. Exactly what you don't need or aren't expecting - that's what happens.

And why would that be?

That would be because of the signs which compose the makeup of said 3rd quadrant, namely Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius.

Libra is opposite Aries - the sign of 'I am/I do' which so describes Mars in a first person nutshell. And any sign opposite that where a planet acts in sync with its symbolism is the sign where that planet has a problem acting according to its symbolism. Like all other 3rd quadrant signs, Libra emphasizes some sort of joint activity and Mars is personally willful.

Since signs take precedence (sort of like weather does when we've scheduled outdoor activities here on Earth), when in Libra, Mars is constrained. And yet since any symbol is 100% of what it is, to constrain some percentage of Mars energy while/because it's in Libra means that energy 'goes' somewhere other than where it would usually go - into venting the expression of our will, aims or style.

Mars was in Libra between July 29 and September 14. During that time, a lot of energy was either building up or getting displaced - often to our detriment through problematic interactions with others (Libra), through issues having to do with those who embody Libra in our lives (those we are 'married' to by agreement whether they be partners, spouses or such societal entities as doctors, lawyers, civil authorities, etc.) or even through conflict or some incident which creates conflict.

The point is, it was all interactive. And we were either called upon to cooperate...or simply cope with what someone thrust upon us, or our need to get with someone (say a doctor or lawyer) because of some circumstance which had been thrust upon us. The Mars instinct to 'do what I want to do' was, in one way or another, curtailed.

 Mars as photographed from Viking 1 (1980)

Photo credit - NASA/JPL

Then Mars moved on into Scorpio, land of interactive emotionality. Known mostly (or at least greatly) as the signature sign of sexuality, Scorpio is actually all about choosing how we deal with any situation which has, or at least has the potential to arouse deeply ingrained, seemingly instinctive emotions. Though widely thought of as a sign about control, Scorpio isn't really about anyone's ability to control us - it's about our ability to control ourselves.

And being one of the zodiac's 3rd quadrant signs, all things emotionally Scorpio are evoked through interactive means. Thus we tend to want to 'own' the successes and blame others for the problems...which is just another way of not dealing with what we actually do/don't control.

After all, if we get into a situation with someone, by and large we choose/chose to be there (at least as adults). To take responsibility for that choice is a whole emotional process - and very Scorpionic. If and where we aren't good at it also tells us why Scorpio is the sign of psychology - a process of learning why we make  choices and how to deal with the choices we make. That process is sometimes about 'the other,' but only where we have been truly duped or abused. If we merely chose wrong or have tried to do what we want instead of what was required to make the situation work (or workable), that's us.

And while Mars was passing through Scorpio (Between September 14th and October 27/28 (depending on where you are), the emotionally honesty and integrity with which you handle emotional choices and emotionally evocative choices, that pretty much governed not merely your joy or frustration, but also how well things went along.

Put another way, this was a good month and a half for ogres and a highly testing month for those who hold themselves to 'playing fair.' While Mars passes through Scorpio, that tendency to 'want to play it by my rules' is strong. But that doesn't mean it always work; once Mars moves out of Scorpio, the ability to control by force of will passes too.

  Mars' Sagittarius ingress 2010

Seeing that Sagittarius tests functionality in a 'for not just one, but all' venue, when Mars passes through Sagittarius, much of what we chose under Mars-in-Scorpio choices gets looked into, critiqued and corrected.

Sagittarius, sign of justice as a theory asks if what we are doing/have chosen is merely right in our head, or if it also works in the broader scope of perception, operation and social/societal acceptance. The effect of this is that we are now likely to come against whether we acted only in our own regard during the weeks and months passed, of we paid attention to greater needs, ethics and other more "across-the-board" considerations.

With Mars entering Sagittarius in conjunction with Eros, it's likely that a lot of people will be pushing (Mars) very hard for what they want (Eros) or want to be right.

And yet, with this being the moment when Nessus goes direct, is this want merely sheer desire? Or is it some drive more darkly colored by wanting to crush anyone who would dare stand against them, right or wrong, moral or immoral, legal or corrupt?

It well may be. And yet those who maintain their 'cool,' who operate (and/or have operated) from a structurally sound position - those people may well now be able to move against forces ranged against them.

Throughout Mars' transit of Sagittarius the temptation towards outbursts remains. This is a highly energetic combination of sign and symbol, suggesting that the next six weeks or so are going to be anything but tame. Some will wax fanatic now, and some ideas will prove unworkable in current form. Patience may be in short supply but that's pretty much the test now. You won't want to work things through, but that's just the point.

The Mars in Sagittarius question: what are you capable of? Not what can you do, but what should you do? For the next while might may rule the right-of-way, but use of might doesn't make might right...and we all know right from wrong better than ever now, too.

Nessus: The General Problem and the Problematic Specifics

  The Abduction of Deianeira by Centaur Nessus

by Jean Francois Lagrenee (1755)

Nessus is about to go on station. The date of that station is October 28th - the same as when Mars moves into Sagittarius. Thus, given the 2-day leeway we give to stations (before and after), that means Nessus station effects begin today....and continue through October 30th.

And about that combination of Mars, Sagittarius and Nessus? To anyone who knows Nessus, that should sound a big gong. Or at least be a hint that things could get...um...challenging.

For those who don't know Nessus, though I'd like to say 'lucky you' the truth is that every point is in every chart. So there's a Nessus quality operative somewhere in your life. It may be active, it may be passive. You may be the recipient of sad Nessus effects or the one delving them out. Or even sometimes both.

There is a long form of the story here, which if you'd like to read, I invite you to: here's the link.

In short however, the Nessus issue boils down to  'poisonous jealousy' (and maybe 'boils down' may be the wrong term to use - ouch!)

Before we go on, a couple of interesting notes on Nessus, which was discovered by David Rabinowitz (in conjunction with Spacewatch) at the observatory on Kitt Peak on April 26, 1993.

In an interesting break with tradition, as the subject of what to name this new object was being considered, three astrologers (Zane Stein, Dieter Koch and Robert Von Heeren) weighed in on the subject. Having studied 1993 HA2 (as Nessus was called until formally named)... they had all considered this new asteroid's workings in various charts. And after doing so, all three wrote (independently) to the international body which names celestial objects. All three astrologers suggested calling this new object Nessus...which among other things, suggests the myth really counts. 

Currently in Aquarius (sign of society, social systems, income and acceptance) Nessus' 'poisonous lust' and craven jealousy has been showing up for quite some time in the greed of some in society without regard for those being hurt and standards of behavior being tossed aside along the way. Nessus entered Aquarius back in November of 2005 after a rather quick 6-year romp-and-ravage of Things Capricorn which began back in 1999.

'Quick' here, by the by, refers to a mean average; with an orbital period of 122.4 years, the mean average time we would expect from Nessus in a sign would be 10.2 years. This means Nessus has a highly elliptical (egg-shaped as opposed to circular) orbit.

As you can see from the above, we're sort of in the 'short end' of the Nessus process right now - it's effects are swift and intense. But is longer and more languid any better? That's a good question - one we will all get to try on for size once Nessus enters Pisces in 2014.

And that Nessus is going to be in Pisces for close to twenty years - that also should give us a clue. Pisces being a sign all about feeling and dealing with our own feelings, that a trouble-maker marker like Nessus is going to be there for so long suggests we all have a lot of emotional growing up to do.

As always, maybe there's something to be learned from the last go-round in such circumstances...which in this case would be the late 1800's, a time which saw a rise in hypnotherapy as well as the advent of pharmaceutical painkillers - a boon as well as a threat. Society went through the Victorian Era, the boon, benefit and indiscriminate abuse of power associated with colonization was in full swing - and questions concerning slavery, the rights of women, child labor and such were just coming to the fore.

Oh yes...Nessus in Pisces is something we all can so look forward to!

Meanwhile however, Nessus is still in late Aquarius, giving us the experience of ourselves - our own better and lesser qualities - as mirrored in greater society and our attitudes towards same. Depending on where Nessus is in your chart natally and now by transit (and the rulers thereof) that will say a lot about the nature of 'Nessus  situations' which teach us about these qualities in our life.

During the past several months, Nessus has been in retrograde. And while retrograde, it's likely we've all been in a reflective mode. Are our priorities in correct order? Why do we - and others - behave as we/they do? We've dealt with our selfishness and wrestled with longings and lusts close up.

But now Nessus is going direct. As it does, some will strike or strike out, depending on situations and how people handle their own internalized sense of poisonous entitlement. That this is happening in a degree noted for its Uranian qualities suggests where energies and people have been 'repressed' or 'repressive' there will now be a 'breaking through' which may not be pleasant. Lore suggests illness possible but...interestingly... stresses that interaction and communication (not hostility) is the answer. This in itself is a big support of a lot of theories put forth by holistic medicine and  psychology both.

Yet let's face it - there are those who would rather not deal with any idea or system of thought which suggests that any 'cure' can simply be about them. Why not? Because that implies there was something wrong with what they were doing to begin with - and that's a whole giant difficulty in the land of the astrological Nessus.

Like I said...you may want to read the whole story.

Between now and October 30th (when station effects subside) hidden desires may surface in yourself or others around you. That this station occurs as Mars moves into Sagittarius suggests some of this is about shifts in ongoing issues - particularly those which are either about containment or which have for whatever reason gotten into a situational stalemate.

Whatever goes on remember - Nessus feels like it's about someone else, but it never is. Nessus is about us and how well we are able to recognize, work with, take responsibility for and deal with our own urges, lusts and oh-so mortal desires!

The Astrologer's Notes: Venusian Pesonality Economics

 October by Chase William Merritt

What to say...how not to make light of anyone's difficulties? The 'I don't have any idea what to do about it' going around is so a reflection of Neptune in late Aquarius, Pluto in early Capricorn, Uranus in late Pisces, Saturn in Libra...

...and this dollop of Venus on top? It's everyone standing there saying 'look at me!', 'pick me!', 'appreciate me!', 'love me!'....We're all so starved. Some for money, some for love - and most of us (at some level) for that sense of self worthiness which empowers us. Which allows us to get out there and know how things can be done, inspire people to join in.

Venus in Scorpio is hard. It forces us to fall back on who we are in a way which makes us feel secure. Add a little

Neptune in late Aquarius and it becomes a fog, a veil of tears, a clouding of our certainties. 

We just aren't sure. That strength which would be inspiring altruism melts away into insecure unwillingness to take a risk. And because we won't risk - because everyone wants someone else to fix things - nothing gets done. Nothing gets fixed. Those what have hoard. Those what don't have, hate. It's not anybody's recipe for success.

People resist change until desperation drives them beyond where they can afford to resist. They say  desperate times may call for desperate measures - which would be why necessity becomes the mother of  innovation.

Or muthah's it, I'm not sure. 

It would be so nice if people would let go of old ways and narrow-mindedness...but they're scared to.

Talk about being scared of being broke...Neptune in late Aquarius plus a Scorpio Venus retrograde? People are scared of being stripped of their beliefs, ideals which have kept them feeling coddled and cozy, no matter how wrong they are.

Neptune in late Aquarius is so the bringing to the for of all that. And all that goes with that - the blindness to caring what really happens when you care more about the ideal than the reality.

 Volcanic Sunset by Vincent-Phillips

Then there's the whole Pluto in Capricorn thing. All the problems in people's lives? That's exactly what needs changing. Where and what we all lose is where we need to focus our effort.

But I get it...it takes effort. It's very uncomfortable. It requires sacrifices. People marvel at how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, but I bet not one in a hundred thinks about what that kind of transformation must feel like - not to mention that it's going on inside a cramped chrysalis.

Can you imagine?

Then come the moment your need to get out. Who thinks about the effort it takes for a new butterfly to break out of that shell? And within minutes or maybe an hour after that it's supposed to pump blood into its wings and take off and....what, fly?

Yes, it's instinct. But the process of doing all that? That  takes effort.

Maybe because humans think so much they think themselves right out of their ability to make things better...right until complete necessity forces them to fight to stay alive, yes.

Pluto in early Capricorn is maybe a our chrysalis phase. Part rearranging our parts - plus then forcing us to learn how to live a whole new life.

No wonder nobody's liking it!

Maybe we need to apologize to our local butterflies. We so take them for granted. We watch in wonder and delight. Maybe we should add a big "good job!"

 Der Schmetteringsjager by Carl Spitzweg (c.1840)

Then there's Uranus...rolling back and forth at the very end of Pisces. People think they can escape feeling, not realizing that what they're feeling which makes them want to escape is the whole and total deal.

And terribly unproductive. Like life is going to go away? 

We don't like being forced to deal with what we feel about our feelings - especially when our feelings are what we know we shouldn't be feeling. Or when we've been deluding ourselves that we feel good about something but we know it's wrong.

It's all about control - and Uranus says we don't have control and that scares people more than they can deal with really knowing. People know they need to change. And they know - somewhere deep inside - that what we refuse to deal with is exactly what ends up dealing with us...often in ways we don't like.

Escapism is so much more attractive than innovation. Excuses are so much easier than breaking out of our old mold, yes even if the old chrysalis is exactly what's keeping us from spreading our wings, showing our colors, shining in the sun and...yes, flying.

People say they have faith. Religious or not, they all seem to have some feeling life happens because it happens because that's what life is. I like the old metaphysical saying: unbeknownst to us, the universe is unfolding as it should.

But it's as easy to fall back on Bob Dylan. You know...the times, they are a'changin' ?

The only thing which can be entirely relied upon is change. Change goes on without change. 

I wish (that being a real Pisces term) that people would get that all the instability of feeling, all the disruptions of society - it's all about getting us to let go so that as Uranus moves into Aries next year we'd be ready to do and be something new.

Think they'll get it? 

Maybe. Then again, there are always a bunch in any lot who prefer to remain sitting on a stick.

The old is on its way out. I guess it's just not going to  vamoose without a fight, though.

And then there's that Saturn in Libra...do people not get that what you give determines what you get? Those having such a hard time 'getting' need to 'get' that what they're 'giving' isn't what people what to get! 

Oh, I'm hearing that Bob Dylan thing again....

We have to think differently. Do differently. We need to think in terms of appealing to people in some new way now that the old way isn't working.

It's either that, or change our name to Outmoded. Hi, I'm little Miss Outmoded. Got anything old and unusable for me to natter around with today?

Seriously! I so wish people would get it that it's pretty apparent how its time to pay attention to working on (Saturn) what we do, how we do it and who we do it to, with, and for. Our act needs working on.

Or maybe we just need to get a new act?

Hard choices are in the works. Wherever Saturn is, ends and pruning and sacrifices follow.

For a planet with rings, Saturn is not all that well rounded. It sort of behaves like a cleaver. Or a wall. Or a big, fat dead end.

Then again, with every end comes a new beginning. Something just has to pry our grubby little mitts off whatever we're so determined to hold on to.

 The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali

And there is that Saturn ruling Capricorn thing too. That so ties together the how we interact with others and the what supports our world. We're all in for some  enormous transformation and the easy or hard of that totally depends on how realistic we are, how willing we are to deal with the facts instead of resorting to our  whiny 'why can't I...!!' thing.

(sings): whoa, baby - there's a lot of whining going around.

I'd make a really, really lousy Elvis.

Whatever.

(A brief pause here while I indulge in my daily sulk....)

We've all been sinking into a morass of late. It's so Scorpio Venus retrograde. Life as a putridly stick torrent making things hard, harder, hardest...

...and oh, would you mind acting cheerful while it hails fire, frogs and hail?

People probably think I actually blame Venus retrograde for stuff when the truth is I don't. Transits only mark the time unfolding.

The fault lies not in our times (she said with dignity, striking a presidential pose) it lies in our stubbornness! Our reticence! Our desire to have someone else make the sacrifice or provide the offer or make the change SO WE DON'T HAVE TO!!!!

Unfortunately, that's just not the way it works. The job situation may be terrible, yes. But that's because nobody is giving an inch - or a damn. We're all at a Scorpio stalemate.

It's a big giant game of chicken out there. And those who retreat the most or hold on the hardest, they may well graduate from chicken to turkey.

We all need to change what we're doing or how we're doing it (Venus), who we're doing it with or the standards we hold ourselves to (Saturn). We need to get over our narrow mindedness and thinking someone else is or isn't responsible!

The truth is we're all responsible. For everything. And if everyone would give, everyone would get. Today's problems aren't about a lack of abundance, they're about a dirth of unwillingness.

And everyone wants to imagine its everybody else at fault. Trouble is, we know it isn't.

Somewhere down inside, we know we're just (Neptune) kidding ourselves. And we wish we were kidding others. Unfortunately we're not. And we hate them for knowing what we don't want to know about ourselves (Venus). 

 The Moon at Crescent Phase over Kingman Arizona

photo credit: Beth Woodrum (November 27, 2007)

Change is upon us (Pluto). We can either get with it or get gotten good by it (Uranus). That which is lost to some is lost to all, and the sooner we start thinking in terms of what IS instead of what should be (Pluto), might be (Neptune), could be (Uranus) and what we just plain want (Venus), the sooner we can all get back to doing what needs doing, reignite the engine of stability and productivity...

...which is - in the end, I mean - the genius of human accomplishment at its beautiful (and actually? Saturn) best.

 

Sun entering Scorpio: Life, Intensified

An Aries Wheel (all 0 cusp) chart of the Sun entering Scorpio

Mercury having entered Scorpio only a few days before the Sun does is a clue to 'think ahead.'

And if that's true, by inference or implication, the Sun's entering into Scorpio on October 23rd at 12:36 (+00/UT) may well mark a change of feeling, a change of attitude, a shift in situational dynamics, preferences, goals or responses. These may happen to you, and to those around you. They may be aimed at you, or completely cut you out of some loop.

As seen marked by green lines in the horoscope above, there are two 'circuits' of activity which are in action at this time.

One is a grand trine - an ongoing flow of actions or energies - between Moon in Taurus (values, security, worth/self worth), Ceres in Capricorn (caretakers of process) and Juno in Virgo (directed action towards a purposeful or useful goal). All figures in this 'sealed' figure of the grand trine are in early numbers of respective signs, telling us this is about what you or others are doing. Or not doing, of course.

Many people think of grand trines as wonderful simply because they require no effort to keep in motion. But what if you had a grand trine representing inertia? Or what if a grand trine spelled a giant problem barging about breaking up your life?

Astrological figures have no feelings. They are neither innately good or bad. Things are what we make of them - and in the case of grand trines...including the one pictured here, what is already in motion as you come to the moment or event...such things tend to stay in motion.

UNLESS....

Unless what?

Unless some external force is brought to bear - astrologically speaking. In other words, typically the ongoing 'grand trine' situation needs an 'out' ...something which interrupts or 'short ciruits' the ongoing flow. Through that planet/symbol (or incident) things change and  we are able to improve our lot, get a lot done - or maybe escape problems, boredom or simple habit.

And let's face it...even the best of habits can use the occasional freshening up!

With this particular grand trine in earth signs, the 'ongoing' subjects are occuring in reality and involve real things, real assets, real challenges and real necessities.

And you may be wondering why I'm bringing this grand trine up. After all, it doesn't involve the Sun, right? No, it doesn't! The Sun's Scorpio ingress is involved in a whole different configuration - one called a 'magic rectangle'....

 

...but since the Moon is one of the corners of said magic rectangle, the Sun moving into Scorpio is a sign that ongoing situations now stand to be changed. 

How?

Through our handling matters fearlessly (Scorpio), thoughtfully and not merely passionately (Scorpio), by involving ourselves in societal forces (North/South Nodes), by calmly standing up for ourselves/standing our ground (Moon in Taurus) and by aiming at functional ends which uphold moral AND societal standards (Pluto-Ceres-North Node).

In other words, from now until November 22nd when the Sun moves on into Sagittarius we will do ourselves a service by keeping the level of rhetoric/hysteria/intentional force low, relying instead on facts. This sounds strange when we are talking about Scorpio but all things Scorpio are far more successful when we base our choice of method and procedure based on fact rather than passion, yearning, longing or lust. 

Example: when you choose the right lover based on who they really are (as opposed to some lustful impression of the moment), you stand a far better chance of building a happy and profitable relationship than you ever would otherwise. 

Make sense?

Just so we're on the same page here, this doesn't mean  lust as a sensation or emotion of a moment is bad. Lust, whether part of intimacy or strength of motivation which drives you towards some goal is real and has its purpose. But that purpose is personal...and Scorpio is interactive. In being the polarity sign to Taurus (what we want/need in order to feel safe, secure, worthy and comfortable), Scorpio tests our ability to take what we want and our ideas on how to get there and risk that through revealing them to someone else.

Hence, the vulnerability we so often feel in Scorpionic situations.

In and through those risks, Scorpio asks that we weather attempts to change our opinions - most of all of ourselves and what we think of as valuable.

Thus we encounter the power struggles so common with Scorpio.

The more wildly and defensively we react, the more power we are giving up. Not over others, but ourselves; by definition, being on the defensive is not the position of our power.

And so in the end we come to realize that it is by not getting emotional or lustful or defensive...it is through thinking things through and interacting thoughtfully that we not only make gains, but forge bonds of trust and potential. It is understanding, not emotionality which affords us the chance to harness, focus and fully utilize our power.

The Scorpio control we need, seek and have the opportunity to gain during planetary passages through Scorpio (and wherever Scorpio is in our charts) is thus over ourselves, not some other person.

    

El Coloso by Goya

So...looking at the magic rectangle, we see in it two chances labeled 'opportunity'. One involves the Sun. And because that aspect leads into one of the three points defined by the Moon's grand trine, THAT tells us that by embodying all the Scorpio qualities and rules we've just been talking about in changing a status quo...

...put simply, that works.

It will not work merely as a matter of will however. Remembering Saturn has just entered the shadow of its 2011 retrograde and is in Libra tells us a lot.

First, Libra is the sign the Sun was in as the Moon came to full phase only hours ago. And Saturn remains in Libra though the Sun moves on.

Saturn being ruler of Capricorn, it rules that Ceres-Pluto-North Node the Scorpio Sun has an opportunity to affect...or be effected by. And Saturn is exalted (very strong) when in Libra. In a challenging square to the Nodes (north and south) at both the Full Moon and Sun's shift into Scorpio, this Libra Saturn represents the stress between ourselves and our world - our greater social and societal public world and our 'inner circle'  private world.

Parts of it are working. Parts of it are not.

But remember...though we tend to think 'it's them' or 'it's me,' any time we are talking Libra, Scorpio or Sagittarius we're really talking about where the rubber meets the road: the dynamic of intersecting. 

That part we cleanly have input to.

Capricorn, on the other hand, is a 4th quadrant sign. So like Aquarius and Pisces, it's worldly. This is the world and how we interact with IT. 

So....! Will you go out and create the interaction? Will you do it based on thoughtfulness or passion? Will you stamp your feet and make stump speeches or will you simply point out what will work and what is functional and what the rules are - or not?

That is pretty much your choice as of this moment and until the Sun reaches Sagittarius come November 22nd. You can be emotionally reactive. You may well feel very vulnerable. Life situations will tempt you to abandon yourself to this or that passion.

What will you actually do? 

A Full Moon in Saturn's Shadow

The Full Moon of October 23rd (tomorrow) takes place at 1:38 (+00/UT) at 29 Libra. And this is but a few hours after Saturn moves into the shadow of its upcoming 2011 retrograde.

That's a whole interesting astrological mouthful right there.

For one, any time we see a lunar cycle tied to anything having to do with Saturn, it's at least a subtle suggestion that this is a connection between our most personal life (the Moon) and our worldly life, the world, or things we need to do or get done (Saturn).

That what Saturn is doing at the moment is entering the shadow of its 2011 retrograde? That tells us two things. The first is that what happens from here until Saturn goes retrograde is likely to take longer than we think to play out or come to fruition. The other concerns those of us who have something of 'note' happen as this transition into 'shadow territory' happens. Those who have 'events' marking this moment are given a pretty clear indication that the process itself OR what it means to you will take time to unfold.

That Saturn is in Libra tells us that the standard Libra list is the venue for these processes or life adventures - how you deal with others (and thus how they deal with or receive/reject you) is all about how you present yourself or what you do to them. Remembering that Libra is about the scales, any sort of 'connection' is about creating a 'balance.' Where there is no balance, the scales will tip, situations will get 'out of whack' and someone will feel things aren't 'in line' (balance).

So the issue is not about 'good' or 'bad': the question is whether standards and aims are 'evenly aligned.' They don't have to be alike, but they need to have equal merit or quality.

This all gets a little harder because this year Saturn is passing through Libra's 2nd and most emotional decanate (degrees 10 through 19). So 'sobriety' is on the menu - and how you deal with that (or tend to hear that) will color a lot of how you tend to think 'things are.'

 

 Saturn's orbital period of 29.46 years echos

that of the Moon, which is 29.53 days long

  

If you're someone who likes people to be up and happy all the time, look out. If you're someone who likes to have everything your way at your pace, expect rebuffs. Saturn in Libra's 2nd decanate is about life's give and take as experienced emotionally.

And yes, given that Saturn will move on out of Libra's 2nd decanate come October 2011, you can try to 'tough it out.' But seeing that Saturn represents maturation (and the necessity to mature) you will only be short-changing yourself if you don't try to learn about yourself through what goes on during these coming months.

That said, back to present tense. Saturn hitting this mark is a subtle 'sounding of a gong' which being that it's being sounded at 10 Libra really emphasizes the sense we each have at some level that we are 'the outsider' or 'alone' or 'misunderstood' or even 'maltreated.' And when we draw the dotted line from there to a Full Moon presenting at a degree (29 Aries) about the 'art of being human'...

Whether you see this as literal art, or the figurative 'artfulness' we each face and are challenged by through our everyday relationships, this is really entirely about our relationship to self. This is a Full Moon which, by construct and implication, will force us to connect to who we are. And aren't. It will test our willingness to own up to what we need to do against what we merely like to do. It will emphasize the necessity to work and transact with others, even if they aren't on your 'side' or don't share your views.

With 29 Libra being a critical degree, this moment may well be one of emphasis. Twenty-nine degrees of any sign is always intense (that being the definition of the astrological "critical degree") and this one being Libra, the issue is all about that Libra balance. Seeing that Libra is airy and theoretical, right here trumps might, though that may not be popular.

 The Full Moon (source: NASA)

Given that Full Moons are when matters (and yes, tides) come to their highest point and by implication are emotionally (Moon) highlighted ('in fullest light'), this one is also flavored by a Black Hole.

Black Holes being indicators of an 'alternate reality,' with this one being conjunct the Sun (in opposition to the Moon/our feelings) there is definitely some suggestion of 'a different point of view' implied with this event.

Is it this then a moment when some door opens to a new and different reality in our lives? Or is it about someone confronting us with a different/differing point of view - a moment of conflict?

With Libra (Sun and Saturn) ruled by Venus and Aries ruled by Mars, we get an immediate sense of 'creation' and possibility. Something 'wants' to 'come of' what's going on now. But how does it work? How can we best use this dynamic?

For that, we have to get real with ourselves. Venus is in a personal degree - so this is about what we do or how we do it and whether that gets us where we want to go. Positioned in a degree which carries with it a whiff of   'deprivation' and emotional reflexes learned early on in life, that Venus is also retrograde says dealing well with this moment requires understanding what is habit or a 'repetition of emotional' habit - or even possibly that not liking to see, hear about or deal with hard feelings.

Not up on Venus retrograde? Here's the blog link.

Considering Libra is the signature here, that means yours, those of others, or how your actions, attitudes or choices possibly exacerbate certain dynamics, creating resistance and/or enmity in others which comes back to haunt you.

Mars is meanwhile positioned at 26 Scorpio conjunct fixated Eos and leap-before-you-look Icarus. Considering any 3rd decan (degrees 20-29) indicates something worldly which is not in our control, does this mean your leaping out there and going after what YOU want can cause trouble? Maybe yes. Does it mean that others going after their own aims without any regard to you (or possibly anyone else) can engender bad feelings? Yes.

The point here is that it's the polarity, the polarization, the extremes of position or assertion or presentation or attitude which are probably generating whatever is at hand. And that means that however good OR bad things are right in this moment, this like as not, is merely the 'crest of the tide.'

Considering realities instead of allowing ourselves to be swept away by any surging ocean of emotion of the moment is probably good. Where all is well, enjoy it but don't be careless - Venus in retrograde can prompt splurges of many kind which we then live to regret at leisure.

Then again, if life seems to be raining disasters, don't think all is lost. Full Moons can be heights of delight and then again they can represent someone else deliberately trying to get your goat.

Those who own their feelings while also recognizing the 'underlying drives' will of this moment pave a path forward which ultimately ends in a moment far different than this one.

But it's all in how you handle the situation - and that all starts with you. In but a tick of the cosmic clock the Sun will shift into Scorpio, changing the emotional landscape. So do you bet your life on this moment?

Maybe yes. But only if you're a gambler with wings of far better construct than those of wax Icarus wore when he flew too close to the Sun, only to have his support melt away causing him to fall to his youthful doom. 

Feel all you like, but save time for thinking. Saturn's framework around this moment of mortal process tells us we are in for a reshaping which can benefit us if we will allow ourselves to recognize we need to grow into our structural - not emotional - strengths.

Mercury enters Scorpio: The Power of Thought

 Frozen ice lake in Ulriken-Bergen, Norway (cropped)

photo by Sveter

As Mercury moves into Scorpio at 9:20 (+0/UT, adjust to local time) it's time to start thinking in Scorpio terms and to recognize those Scorpio mannerisms which are now all around us and in the minds of others.

Scorpio is a water sign. It's thus all about our emotions. It's a fixed sign, too - and fixed signs are all about our ability to understand and in learning to tolerate however much we don't understand, to operate productively in spite of whatever insecurity or fear that provokes.

In opposition to Taurus, sign of security, values and self worth, Scorpio tests where we are with regards to those very issues.

So now our thoughts turn to our security, and what we value. Others may question our self worth or do things which amount to tests of our self worth.

Given that, you may ask why the photo of a frozen lake. The answer is this: when emotions (water) become 'fixed'...what does that equal? It equals ice. And this image of Scorpio as ice is an important one to keep in mind. So powerful is this image that when an astrologer finds a horoscope which has no planet set in any earth sign, Scorpio's sheer strength of durable, devoted  feelings and rock-solid loyalties are what they look to next.

This starts with the idea that ice can be thick enough to bear our weight - thus Scorpio is a sign which represents an opportunity. If and where we are able to rise above (and stay above) our own level of fear and/or whatever negative emotions are at hand (symbolically, all the water below the ice) we will be able to literally 'walk on water.' 

Certainly Scorpio is known for passion. But it's also known for feelings which are 'cold as ice.' Decisions arrived at under a Scorpio influence, provided they are arrived at through a 'conviction of correctness' which is not corrupt...those decisions can 'bear weight' - the 'ice' of Scorpio will support them.

At the same time, Scorpio is the plus and the minus of passion: it is dominance and control, it is vulnerability and surrender. Yet on either side of this equation lies the responsibility to own what you do. Being knowingly vulnerable is very different than simply giving up. Domination as a display of arrogance and desirous power is very different than the power of the guardian protector and 'take-charge' leader.

Remember, we're talking Mercury here. So we're talking about our mindset and our ability to think. So during the three weeks or so of Mercury's transit through Scorpio, maintaining control of ourselves and knowing 'what lies below the ice' - in our lives, in our minds, in situations and in the intentions and actions of others - that's  important.

During any Scorpio transit there's a marked tendency to project or focus on 'the other side' rather than to think through one's own rationale and dynamic.

And yet, the key to this sign is like that of all 3rd quadrant signs...whether a planet is transiting Libra, Scorpio or Sagittarius it is the process of interaction which is actually at stake. You need to know your own side, yes. And understanding someone else's point of view is vital too. But it's where and how the two sides meet up which is now the focus. What happens there will define success or setback, advances or costs.

That Mercury enters 0 Scorpio in the company of asteroid Lilith (that which we don't like facing in ourselves) and Panacea (making peace) gives us a clear picture that first and foremost, we need to cope with ourselves. Who we are and what we bring to any moment is all about how we deal with being who we are, how well we understand ourselves and the level of emotional responsibility we take for ourselves.

By implication, some level of peacemaking needs to go on now...and in all likelihood, we will need that in situations of the moment.

Left behind at 29 Libra is asteroid Child; it's apparently time to do a little more growing up.

In opposition stands Kallisto - a literal 'bear' of an image which represents our ability to go through and get past our own 'beastly' or 'animalistic' qualities (past or present) to the point where we can become a star and stand as a constellation in the sky by which others can guide their lives and future.

 The myth of Callisto, for whom is named the asteroid Kallisto,

ends with Callisto being turned into a prominently placed star in

our night sky. Is this a warning or inspiration? Probably both. 

Ursa Major - the Big Bear/Big Dipper - is the constellation which is

now Callisto's home. As photographed from Kalalau Lookout in 

Hawaii's Kokee State Park by Wikipedia contributor Gh5046,

the Great Bear's 'dipper' reminds us to 'contain' ourselves even

while realizing that given earth's precessionary cycle, everything

changes. Today's 'hard solution' may have to evolve - as life does

- slowly but surely, in time becoming something totally different.

 

 Whatever these next few weeks hold, they depend on us - on our ability to tolerate and even grow through those things which challenge us most, including how those things are tested by our interactions and society at large.