A Bridge So Mars

 The Si-o-se Pol bridge over Zayandeh River in

Esfahan, Iran (photo credit Shahab Maghami)

Though obviously nobody’s been through Black Hole and lived to tell about it (at least not that we know of!), astro-physics does tell us that the gravitational force of a Black Hole is so enormous as to affect time itself.

That matters to us in this instance as just inside Libra’s metaphysical doorway sits a Black Hole known as M87. 

Anything entering Libra almost immediately comes in contact with M87. In fact, there’s good reason to consider that the last few degrees of Virgo and Pisces along with the first few degrees of Aries are all very much affected by M87.

So what do Black Holes mean, on an astrological basis? Much as the astronomical phenomena describes something where the ‘normal’ rules of existence as we know it don’t apply, the shorthand for the astrological Black Hole is ‘altered perception’ and the ‘alternative reality.’ Anyone who has a point in early Libra (or early Aries…or late Virgo or Pisces) very likely has some aspect of their life – that associated with whatever symbol is posited there – which they see differently than most people do. Or maybe their experience of it is totally different than that we normally associate with whatever the subject is.

Q: What? You don’t like CHOCOLATE?

A: My Venus is at 1 Aries. People say I have odd tastes.

Chocolate by any other name...is still delicious.

I know some don't like it...all I can say is that

leaves more for the rest of us!

(photo credit Andre Karwath, February 2005)

 

The astrologer’s guess would be that the four “hard” aspects to M87 (the Libra conjunction, the Cancer and Capricorn squares and the Aries opposition) are where effects are most pronounced. And of these four, the conjunction is probably the most obvious.

Mars will enter Libra on Tuesday, July 3rd (at 12:33p.m., UT/+0). And that means that Mars will be within orb to conjunct M87 from June 27 (a date you may remember because that’s the day of Venus direct) …until around July 15th.

And July 15th just “happens” to be the date when Mercury goes retrograde (at 12 Leo).

What this describes is something akin to a “dotted line” between the Venusian ‘what we want to accomplish’ (personally or professionally) and either the highly creative, ‘I can make this happen’ Mercury in Leo vibe…OR Mercury in Leo as the ‘I know how this works, don’t bother me with facts!’ sort of thing.

And the connector is Mars at the very end of Virgo into Mars’ transit of early Virgo.

Because Mercury will end up retrograding back to 1 Leo, that means that Mercury enters the shadow of its upcoming retrograde on June 27th.

(Hmmm…there’s that date again!)

The point here is that Mercury’s being in the shadow of an upcoming retrograde means that whatever you’re doing, whatever is going on now – all that is IN process and is A process. There’s something in the works which Mercury in Leo describes as something you either want to do (or get done) or some ‘theory’ you identify with on pretty much an “I-Me-My Way’ sort of basis.

Leo is, among other things, the area of the zodiac all about things which test our ability to risk. Or things which come with no guarantee – like children. Like competition. Like investing in the stock market. You can have all the confidence in the world and Leo placements will sometimes not let you down but test your ability to focus on what needs to be done in order to make things work.

With Mars transiting the last degrees of Virgo between June 27 and July 2, whatever you’re doing is going to be getting feedback. Interactions are opportunities which allow you to ‘experiment’ with how to do things and some will pan out. But in many senses, this is a time when the ‘no’ or the ‘it doesn’t work’ is more valuable than ever. During these days ‘no’ and ‘no response’ and not gaining traction or reaction or attention (constructive attention) is a lesson. It’s life trying to inform you that you are doing something wrong. Or maybe that you don’t know enough yet.

 A photograph of Mars taken by the Hubble

Telescope - photo credit: NASA-JPL

The opportunity here is to take what you learn (the Mercury part) and to refine what you’re doing and how you’re doing it – that being the Mars part.

Getting things to work (or at least work better) is the aim of Mars in Virgo. The hard part here is not thinking that it’s somebody else’s “job.” It’s not. No matter what planet passes through Virgo, the object involves three precepts:

1. You need to know your stuff. If you don’t know enough, now is the time to learn, refine your methods – whatever brings you closer to “perfection in competence” (not that perfection actually exists!)

2. All Virgo situations, relationships and interactions require responsibility, morality, punctuality and a willingness to do the work and get the work done.

3. Under Virgo, ego needs to take a step back. Typically a ‘team players’ sign, Virgo difficulties often stem from not being willing to be deal with others as equals.

Equals? Yes, equals – maybe not in functionality, but in the total structure of the thing. The boss may be the boss, but if there aren’t any employees, how much of a boss can they be? Under Virgo, there is no ‘indignity’ of position. With Virgo, anyone or any act which has validity is as valid as any other. Some may need to be done first (it seems silly to try to install windows in a building the foundation of which hasn’t even been dug yet, right?) but all things are needed if the whole is to have integrity.

Once Mars reaches Libra on July 3rd, Mars rises above the horizon of the natural zodiac. This means a couple of things. For one, things which have been going on ‘with us’ become more visible to others…which can be good and bad at the same time. On one side you won’t have to explain yourself as much. On the other, you won’t be able to ‘hide’ things which you might not need to be ‘out there’ for all to see, discuss or react to.

Libra being the sign of the scales, that old ‘what you put out comes back to you’ theory becomes more obvious.

 Harvard's 1888 tug-of-war team

(photographer unknown)

So if you operate to the positive, you’ll get positive back…providing what you put out there is really positive – and not just some pipe dream you’re holding onto. (Remember that Leo Mercury thing?) Some folks will try to hold onto a dreams or some illusion under this Mercury/Mars combination. Some will deny that anything’s wrong. Considering how Libra is not only the sign of agreements but seriously contentious arguments (lawsuits included) this isn’t a terrific choice, but we will all run into one or two people who are determined not to deal with any facts.

During the whole of this July 3rd through August 22nd Mars-in-Libra transit mistakes can be turned into triumphs by owning your responsibility and volunteering to make it up. Or do better. This is an excellent time for self-discovery, or – especially because Mercury will be going retrograde in such a creative sign – a time when you may make some rather extraordinary discoveries.

This idea of Mars as a ‘connection between Venus and Mercury’s station points describes a period when we’re all trying to move (Mars) in a (Venus) productive direction. That Mercury will go retrograde for three weeks (from July 15 through early on August 8) indicates a ‘pause in the action,’ a ‘waiting for results,’ or a ‘reconsidering’ of choices or priorities.

Those of us who are able to be honest with ourselves will emerge from Mercury retrograde with more good things than we go in with. Those who are kidding themselves about the difference between preference and ability will feel increasingly shut out.

 The very thing we love so much in dogs - their endless

 desire to simply please and in doing so, remain a

 beloved part of the "group" is something we humans could

 probably learn a lot from. With intelligence and heart, the big

 difference between dogs and people would seem to be (alas!)

 the human's ego-need to have their own way rather than that

 which gets the result they want. How very Libra a test is that!

(photo credit Ron Armstrong April 2007)

As always with Libra, there’s a tendency to project. From June 27 through mid-July as Mars leaves the orb of M87 our ability to see life differently can be a huge advancement. For many, their spirits will rise. Some will find themselves feeling more creative and inventive than ever.

And some will lose their balance. Like as not, our greatest difficulties during this time will involve some sense of inability to do something about whatever the problem is.

But is that true? Even in cases of illness, it has been proven that mindset matters quite a lot. Mars in Virgo – and to an even greater degree, Mars in Libra – requires that we recognize ourselves as the causal energy in our own lives. Those who think others aren’t ‘good enough’ are generally, somewhere deep down inside, feeling unworthy. Those who are willing to open up and share, learn and grow – those are the people who will succeed during this time.

Give or take (another Libra quality) the individuality of each situation, there are a few things we do know about Libra. Libra delivers results in accordance with our quality.

What you put out will now come back to you.

Yes, this is the official sign of cause-effect. Aries (which Mars rules) is about what we DO. But in Libra, what we 'do' turns into a result. Or a defeat.

The good news is that you’re in charge. The good OR bad news is that who you’re in charge of is your Self.

A Personal IPO (Initial Published Offering)

Never let it be said that as an astrologer, I don't practice what I teach! As this post goes up it's June 27, 2012 and first Saturn, then Venus have both gone direct.

To coincide with that, I've released my very first eBook. It's called 'TRAVEL GOSSIP,' and that it got released at this moment - that the astrology would have this be the right time to release it (and that I got through all the formatting work to get it out!)...that all I take very personally.

Let's just say that this release coincides with the birthday of someone important connected with this book. (No spoilers...and in case you're thinking I'm talking about myself, I'm not - I'm a Pisces!)

Is this book pure astrology? Absolutely not! But you can bet the ink in my mental Mercurial pen that there are many astrological comments sprinkled throughout.

I've put up a page here on the blog so you (and your friends, yes) can hear more about the book.

And yes, it includes a link to where you can buy it - or you can just click on one of the pictures in the sidebar, each of which will take you to my book page at either Amazon or Lulu.

But for those who want more...

link to astroPPM page on 'Travel Gossip'

So! With that, I now return you to our regular astro-doings (yes, the commercial is over!)...and more to be posted mucho soon!

Mercury in Leo

 Image adapted from a photo of a Namibian Lion taken

by yaaaay in July 2004

Mercury enters Leo on Tuesday, June 26th at 2:25 in the morning, UT/+0 time. That this happens to be the exact day between Saturn going direct (on the 25th) and Venus going direct (on the 27th) is something akin to astrological trumpets blaring…blinding lights flashing…

Okay, so it’s not quite earthshaking – we’ll leave that to Saturn. Or better yet, to the concept of these days as a whole.

In general, Mercury entering Leo is a time for one’s mind to either take flight…or when we are challenging ourselves to take on ‘the new’ and – at least mentally - risky. This is a combination which is daring…or which at least dares us to be daring. Yet at the same time, there’s a self-consciousness which goes with Mercury in Leo which for some can be utterly debilitating. We don’t want to be wrong…we would hate to look foolish. What if we give the party and nobody comes? What if we run for office and not a vote is cast in our favor?

What will others think?

To be honest, that last piece is sort of the core of the apple. What will others think is not really about them – it’s about how you would feel if they didn’t approve.

This is Leo’s vulnerability showing through. Leo is a fire sign, enhanced and cursed with the brilliance of imagination. The child who dreams of being a hero, a celebrity, a ruler of nations is our Leo heart – and yes, we all have one! Children and childhood embrace Leo’s most natural expression, though…as poet Ogden Nash observed, the trouble with a kitten is that / eventually it becomes a cat.

That’s right – we grow up. And as we grow up, we lose that childish innocence. (Or at least we’re supposed to!) In its place grows an awareness of others, and how we can maybe entertain them. Or at times, laugh at our own foolishness.

With Mercury in Leo, all that returns. We want to frolic – at least in our minds – like children. We want to do those things which strike us as interesting and exciting. And yet…once we’re not children, we’re…not children anymore.

Thus develops our self-consciousness, a reflexive twinge of wondering what others would do if we actually were childish and bold and excitable and innocent.

As any planet passes through Leo sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. And the divider between the two is pretty much always time and place. There’s a time for everything. There’s a place for play, a place for responsibility. And contrary to the imaginative Leo drive, those definitions aren’t ours. They’re defined by life – our life in particular and the lives of those around us.

 Mercury as seen by Messenger in October of 2008

photo credit: NASA-JPL

When Leo does as it darn well pleases, sometimes its tolerated. More often, it comes off as haughty, even selfish and arrogant.

Saturn in Leo is notorious for this hard-headed sort of ‘my way is best!’ sort of stuff. And with Saturn still on station, having gone direct scarcely a day ago, Mercury entering Leo just might pick up some extra I’m-focused-on-me energy as Mercury hits Leo’s fixed sign boundary.

Fortunately, that’s not likely to last long….three, four days at most? Hopefully yes – unless you go bonkers offending people of course! (Then you’re on your own.)

Those who do well at this time will be working on projects or efforts which embrace self-expression but which take others into account. With Mercury in Leo, connectivity counts. It’s okay to shine and ‘do your thing’ so long as you’re not expecting applause. Delight others and you will be delighted by their response – that’s the key.

Mercury’s also entering Leo in some rather interesting company: asteroids Athena and Hera. Athena is always the dispassionate side of intelligence, heightening the need to think about what we’re doing. That we don’t think about is likely to come back to haunt us, especially with Hera around to be in critical mode.

But that’s not the way it has to be. Hera can also represents the nurturing support which is such an essential part of any ‘team’ effort – and here we’re referring to ‘team’ in the most generous of ways. In other words, this doesn’t have to be about a group of people.

It could be you working with an organization of some sort – you doing your part and the company doing it’s part. It could be two people doing two very different things miles apart which at some point will merge and mesh.

Productivity which has a point is one great way to go here. Know why you’re doing what you’re doing and don’t get ahead of yourself. Being that this Mercury ingress is bedded between Saturn and Venus’ turn to direct this is an extraordinary opportunity to do something which will prove beneficial, especially in the long run.

But that’s only one of several themes which can come of Mercury entering Leo in the august company of Saturn and Venus’ stations.

Mercury in Leo having a natural ‘play time’ vibe, if you’re going on a vacation, bon voyage! It would be lovely to have time off now, and all the better if its voluntary. 

There are however, some who will at this point show absolutely signs that they’re in dire need of rest. Venus long retrograde has exacerbated exhaustion and exhausting situations (particularly those which strain the mental capacity to keep up some pace) and its to be anticipated some will now succumb to just that. If so, using the Leo Mercury period as a time to care for yourself is apt.

On a whole other side of the coin (literally) Saturn/Venus together are a signature of business finance. Ordinarily, one would think that the combined turn to direct on the part of these two planets would symbolize business fortune.

However in this case, Saturn is going direct in exact opposition to dwarf planet Eris, an object named for the Roman goddess known as Discordia.

 Every year, the pattern of planetary passages changes.

This year, Mercury enters Leo with the Sun in Cancer - a

combination which asks where we're going and what

we're going to do with our life? That the Sun is in Cancer's

last third as Mercury goes retrograde is a signal to think

twice and aim at things which work all the way around,

not just for us. With much of Mercury's upcoming

retrograde happening with the Sun in Leo, there's a lot

of pressure on everyone. Don't deny it - think about what

it means. You have a chance to build anew, but that means

letting go of old preconceptions and...in particular...those

old stubborn thoughts and patterns you "know" don't

work for you any more, but which you just hate to be

"made" to let go of. That reluctance isn't about what

others say, it's about your fear of change. Try to let go. 

Add to that the fact that Mercury in Leo is notoriously a period of rough financial water and stock market volatility/instability and things look a bit dicey.

Mercury will indeed be going retrograde in Leo come July 15th, and Mercury retrograde in Leo isn’t a positive signature for Things Financial.

But let’s be real here: this is Mercury we’re talking about. So what this is – really – is a crisis of confidence. It’s about human insecurity…remember what we talked about with regards to Leo as a general concept?

So no jumping off buildings, people. Leave that to the experts (the base jumping crowd).

What is all of this about? This is just another ‘shudder’ (speaking of ground shaking) in a universal process meant to shift us from directions we have been headed into directions we will sooner or later adopt as where we’re going. Call it the end of the Mayan creation round, call it the slow evolution out of the astrological Age of Pisces into the Aquarian Age…whatever you call it, it’s some tough, some confusion and in the end, meant to get us to think of life – our life and all of life – as less of a competition, less of an ‘us and them,’ less of a divisionary thing and more of a universal project of building, forming and learning.

The hard part (yes, there is always a hard part) is that we’re so used to the rich and the poor. We’re so used to protecting ourselves instead of using our lives to provide and protect everyone.

It’s the difference between ‘my family’ and the ‘family of mankind.’

The more married we are to the status quo, the harder this Mercury/Leo ingress and the months to come will be. It can’t be our way – it has to be about what works.  

That may require radical changes, most of all in how we think.

But if we don’t consider the possibilities, isn’t that just being…childish? This really is our chance to return to our childhood – life itself is in a sense, starting anew, a process it does every 2,160 (by the astrological clock).

So…Mercury is entering Leo. What are you going to grow yourself into being?

Directions, Directives, Distortions and self-Discipline: Saturn, Eris, Mercury and Venus

 The Judgment of Paris by Carel van Savoyen 

Here’s the overview:

Monday, June 25th: Saturn will go direct at 22 Libra, in opposition to Eris at 22 Aries.

Tuesday, June 26th: Mercury enters Leo.

Wednesday, June 27th: Venus will go direct at 7 Gemini.

Let’s tackle the ‘sidebar’ commentaries first. Venus retrograde has been an exhausting slog for most of us. It’s been trying and disappointing. We’ve felt unappreciated, misunderstood, maybe unnoticed…and needs of all kinds have gone unmet.

But as we say this, let’s remember that while Venus has been in retrograde, a slam-bang solar eclipse occurred at 0 Gemini. And  Gemini is the sign Venus has been retrograding in.

Astrologically, that gives us two important ideas to bear in mind:

1. Because Venus went into retrograde prior to the eclipse, the eclipse’s full effects will not fully manifest until AFTER Venus goes direct.

2. Venus retrograding in the sign of May’s solar eclipse will drag the ‘eclipsing’ effects (or the feeling of being ‘eclipsed’) out for the duration of Venus’ retrograde. Since Venus’ retrograde has been in the ‘mentality’ and communication sign of Gemini, that’s the clue that it’s not surprising that this Venus retrograde would be particularly draining or taxing on the mental and ‘do I really have to deal with this?’ level.

Of course there’s also the idea that where the mind won’t go, so the rest of us doesn’t go. (Or at least we don’t go willingly!) So even doing things which ordinarily have felt easy, fun, etc. …during this time they’ve been less joyous, maybe even non-joyous. And our focus on the job? It’s been less than we would like it to have been, too.

A suggestion here…tuck this away: a few months from now when governments and corporations around the world release reports about productivity, debt, balance of trade and all that good stuff for this May/June period, expect to hear nasty numbers.

It’s about then that we’re all going to recognize what this Venus retrograde has really cost us.

And yet, this Venus retrograde in the sign of the eclipse IS a useful tool. It’s meant to get us to let go of that which is not getting us where we want to go. It’s meant to get us to think through our choices, our current priorities, and where life is showing us we need to change. Difficulties of today are supposed to lead to changes. A lot of people are just trying to ‘tough it through.’ That’s not the answer.

And if you thought this eclipse was a hard one, just wait…November’s eclipse is going to be a whole other level of karmic sorting.

That said, on to June 2012’s other vice and viceroy: Saturn opposition Eris.

Saturn came into orb of opposition to Eris back in April of this year. Since then, most of us have felt something. Some problem, some challenge…squeezing us ever more tightly. Something encroaching on our space, our mind, our sense of ownership of 'our' world.

 The Saturnic Library (Saturnische Bibliothek)

by Mersmann de Jungere (1960)

Being that Saturn is involved, we know part of what’s involved is nature’s desire that we grow. Saturn is all about ‘slow growth’ – the type which is lasting, durable and structural. And when we use Saturn badly, it manifests as limitations, blockades, rejections and loss.

That is…except when we have outgrown something. Then Saturn still manifests as limitations and blockades, rejections and feelings of loss, but that’s because we know the time has come to move on.

With Saturn in Libra, the two main venues for all this ‘Saturn stuff’ is twofold: relationships and how we are received and approved of (or rejected) in our professional life.

Against this, we have Eris.

  Orbital diagram of Eris and the inner planets as

diagrammed by JPL's small body database

browser. Considering that it takes ).

Known to the Romans as Discordia, the precept of Eris is all about motivation – specifically, our motivation. Like all objects which orbit beyond Neptune, Eris seems to operate as an ‘evocative’ mechanism. In other words, when Eris is felt, we feel our Self being prodded, provoked, evoked and yes, being called on.

So Eris is ‘discord’ in the sense that none of us like being provoked.

Yet there is another side of Eris – that of being provoking. So maybe you’re on the receiving end of the Eris thing now…maybe you’re on the giving end. Maybe a little bit (or a lot) of both is in the air.

Because this is an opposition, there is a tendency for everybody to project. So we think ‘I’m not doing anything – it’s their fault.’ Or their doing. Or they’re just not playing along with the way things have always been.

Have always been?

 

Part of what Saturn-opposition-Eris is about is a period in which situations are forcing us all to change. That’s at the heart of this passage, and many are doing just that – changing. They’re changing what they do, they’re changing how they go about doing it. They’re changing how they ‘deliver’ what they do to the world (in person or through whatever work product or services they provide).

 

This Saturn/Eris dynamic is all about getting us to be honest – first and last with our Self. It’s about purifying the process and raising our standards so that they will work…and as Saturn moves on into Scorpio later this year, so they will endure.

 

WARNING: This November’s solar eclipse will be at 21 Scorpio. By then, Saturn will be in Scorpio. Those who are trying to ‘skate by’ now are going to experience the bite of karma as we come into the September auspices of the eclipse’s breakdown period, to be followed by Saturn entering Scorpio in October.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

But this isn’t to panic over. More effectively, this is all about getting over our own reluctance(s).That’s at the heart of this Saturn/Eris in opposition. It’s not about ‘them’ and what ‘they’re’ doing, not doing or thinking of doing, undoing or redoing.

 

It’s about us. Situations which are currently making us miserable, down in the dumps, things which are exhausting us and prodding us – those are all issues which are meant to get us to (as the saying goes) clean up our act.

 

Saturn in Libra is at one level, all about honesty. Liars do get caught under Saturn in Libra. Shoddy work is found out under Saturn in Libra. Deficiencies in how we interact with others do come out under Saturn in Libra.

And then comes Saturn in Scorpio. At some level Saturn in Scorpio is easiest on those who have had a falling down, a falling out, a really hard time under Saturn in Libra. They know they’re in a ‘rebuilding’ phase and they know what the problem was which tripped them up or toppled their castle. Because of that, they’re more apt to be aligned along the Saturn in Scorpio path to success, a path which asks us to find solutions which work for everyone. Scorpio rewards where everybody gets an equal amount of what they consider valuable, which includes our not choosing what they “should” or “shouldn’t” think is valuable.

 A Scorpio coin (photo credit: Permjak)

 

You watch…during the 2.5 years that Saturn is in Scorpio, we’re going to see some huge errors in judgment which stem from people making assumptions about what’s “good” for others in some very big and important arenas: education, religion, information (dissemination of information), and the concept of ‘access.’

 

You’re probably hearing some of that now – in the news. And the reason why you would be hearing it now is because zodiacal cycles are not ‘lock tight.’ They’re not ‘exclusive.’ Like life, they’re a process. So a big part of what we’re experiencing here under Saturn’s opposition to Eris is a ‘set up’ FOR Saturn moving on into Scorpio. Some of us NEED to have failures now, and hard times now, and the experience of limitations now so that we’ll get motivated (or forced, depending) into getting out there and participate in the world on the world’s terms…not ours.

 

That last bit – the getting those who are rooted in ‘what I like, the way I want things to be/work/operate’ is the Eris in Aries part. And if you’ve had some issue ratcheting down in your life inch by inch, centimeter by centimeter, ootch-by-ouch since April…the best thing you can do is heed the celestial hint.

 

If you don’t, it can only get harder from here AND you’ll be missing out on some of the most productive years of your life. If you’re over 30 (just picking that as a number), if I say that the next five years are a premier opportunity for life building, that means it’s going to be another 29 1/2 years before Saturn arrives at the zodiacal spot it’s at as I write.

Do you really want to be almost 60 before you get another opportunity?

 

WARNING #2: There are those who will persist now and who will do well for the next five years. That takes us to 2017. And in August 2017 there will be a solar eclipse at 28 Leo.

 

That may not ring a bell with you, but it does with me: everybody alive today was born with fixed star Regulus within eclipse-shot of 28 Leo.

 Fixed star Regulus in a series of photos as it is occulted.

 (photo credit: orman 99)

To make this a little more poignant, Uranus (representing sudden changes) will be at 28 Aries.

 

Uranus will station on August 3, 2017. The eclipse will occur on August 21, 2017.

 

And by then, Saturn will be in Sagittarius. In retrograde as August 2017 begins, Saturn will go stationary/direct on August 25th (four days after the eclipse) at 21 Sagittarius, perfecting the trine to 28 Leo in December 2017 just before Saturn slides into its solo sign of rulership: Capricorn.

Capricorn is about achievement or defeat.

 

So I repeat: this is a time to get right with our Self. The upsets and provocations of this time are all about getting us to let go of that which is unnecessary or improper or malfunctioning or unworkable…and it isn’t about the other person – it’s about YOU. 

We all have things we need to do now.

 

Saturn goes direct on June 25th. Mercury enters Leo on June 26th. Venus goes direct on June 27th.

Eris will go retrograde next month – late on July 19th, UT/+0. As it does so, it will be in an odd little configuration which is all about our relationship to our internal ability to discipline our Self and our values.

 

For some, this will be when choices made will send them along one path and not another. For others, this will be a test or challenge to some effort they are making to grow their life. Those who can work through the dispiriting aspects of having life not be exactly what we “want it to be” at this moment will be far, far better off in the long run than those who a.) give up, b.) insist on having their cake and eating it too, and c.) acting out.

Again, this is a lesson about US. Eris going retrograde is supposed to be a moment when we feel anything from vexation to amazement.

Life is trying to teach us something.

Will we learn?

 

More and more it seems apparent that for all the wonders of technology and the seeming ‘advances’ of our modern world…we humans…? Over thousands of years we really haven’t changed all that much.

 

Our tools change. We don’t.

 

And the better we get at building cities and infrastructure, the bigger the ‘force’ nature has to bring against us to get us to learn anything. A lot of what we humans build, we build so we don’t have to be inconvenienced – most of all by feelings of insecurity, fear and necessity.

You know…necessity, that mother of invention?

But life is about growth. So the next time you wonder why life is getting difficult, remember: our world has gotten pretty insulated. Whether your insulation is in the walls of your house, the money with which you cloak your life, the family you cling to or the rose colored glasses you wear because they look so pretty with your mortal suit of denial…just remember: life is bigger than you are. By resisting truth, by resisting honest facts, by thinking you can do what you want and that you’re ‘exempt’ or ‘outside’ life’s rules…we all do it, but when we do it we’re merely setting up a ‘cause’ which surely at some point is going to come back at us as an opposite and equal reaction.

Need I say it? Karma is a bitch!

Speaking of which, I think I hear Saturn’s call. I need to get back to some stuff I have to do so I can…well, survive!

And hopefully survive well and prosperously, fulling my greater Purpose, yes!

The next post will be on Mercury entering Leo, an important ‘shading’ to Saturn and Venus stationing and going direct.

Venus at 7 Gemini

 Venus Anadynomene (Venus of the Sea)

by Théodore Chasseriau (1838)

By astro-definition, any degree between zero and nine of any sign is a degree which manifests physically or as a descriptor of our actions, aims or direct motivations.

As a sign, Gemini represents our learning about the world – our curiosity, our interests, our ability to put information together and learn. Often thought of as a ‘dual’ or ‘plural’ sign because the figure of Gemini is that of a pair of twins, Gemini’s association with a lot of choices is often used by people who like to dabble, who by habit tend to be disorganized, who like to have a finger in many pies (as the saying goes) or who end up scattering their efforts.

Let’s face it – life is complicated and there’s a ton of things to do. But if the object is to get something done (ultimately, that is) then we have to choose what to do and optimally, we have to prioritize things in their order of importance both so we can get things assembled in some rational manner and so vital things don’t just slip through the cracks.

Putting degree and sign together, we thus know that 7 Gemini has to do with things we do (or the reason to so something) which has to do with making a choice, establishing or following our priorities.

But what choice? What priority would we be talking about?

Answer: our Venus priorities.

This statement may seem a bit opaque on its face, but it's not all that hard to sort out. For one, the myth of the Gemini twins has one twin (Castor) who is brawny and - in metaphysical terms - more about the mortal, the earthy, the corporeal and material side of things. The other twin (Pollux) is mental - a bit more intellectual and ethereal.

Oh yes...and Pollux is immortal.

That these two are the Gemini twins and that Gemini is an airy sign all about the 'idea' and the 'thought' and the theory of the thing...that sort of tells you right off the bat where the story of these brothers go.

But it's how it gets there which really tips the balance. In the usual tragic manner of Greek mythology, we come to a moment where Castor's mortality catches up with him. And it's Pollux - the immortal thought which elevates the pair to celestial status. Pollux goes to Zeus (I'd guess it's always nice to know the Big Guy Olympian) and asks if he (Pollux) can share his immortality with his brother.

Zeus (aka Jupiter) obviously says yes, and so we have the constellation of the twins: Gemini.

The saying is...'it's the thought which counts.' The story of the zodiacal 'thinking sign' (Gemini) is that it isn't just what Pollux thinks...it's that he does something about the problem, he communicates the problem and he's willing to choose in favor of the shared accomplishment.

Okay...now with all that said, don't go sacrificing yourself all over the place - it bears remembering that both of these precepts, the mortal and immortal are US. But when push comes to shove and the chips are down, if the signature is Gemini, following through on the thought is the way to solve your problem.

All that said, on to the Venus part of our tale.  

Having gone retrograde at 23 Gemini back in mid-May, Venus finally arrives at the end of its retrograde journey in reaching 7 Gemini. It accomplishes this as of 12:20 in the afternoon on Friday, June 22 (UT/+0) time…even though Venus will not go direct until June 27th at 3:08 in the afternoon – again, UT/+0 zone time.

And even after that, Venus will linger at 7 Gemini until the afternoon of July 2nd.

That’s a lot of 7 Gemini to absorb.

Utilize.

Respond to.

For those who have projects under way, this would seem to be a good time to be pressing on while keeping things organized. For those whose lives may be in disarray, this could be time for a good ‘cleaning house’ …even if that means the garage!

But no matter who you are or what you're doing (or not doing) don't expect things to be light and airy. Confusing, they may be. Delayed, they may be. They may come with a 'little twist' you hadn't expected. Or a cost you hadn't known or thought about.

That thinking things leads us back to Gemini being an air sign. So we can expect an aura of contemplation, perhaps evaluation to be in the air. Maybe some evaluating which needs to be done – of some messy situation, some effort which seems to be developing tentacles, taking up all your time…maybe your mindset. Have you gotten a bit stagnant, perhaps? Are you clinging to some aim, thought or set of personal priorities simply because you’re used to it (them) even if they’re not benefiting you worth squat?

Long thought to be all about luxury and looooove, Venus is no more about either of those than Pluto is “about sex.” Pluto symbolizes the emotional affect which comes out of seeing where any situation – be that one we’ve chosen to get involved with, or one we’ve avoided like the plague – where that situation goes. So Pluto is not “about” sex – sex is just one of the many venues which affects our sense of self-worth. And that’s why, as ‘outcome’ ruler of Scorpio, Pluto is associated with death, with sex, with investments, with scandal, with rehabilitation of a person or a neighborhood…it’s not the ‘thing,’ Pluto speaks to what’s at stake.

So it is with Venus. Venus is not ‘about’ love or ‘about’ money or ‘about’ luxury, Venus is about the result of what we have done. Venus is about the response to what we do, how we do it and who we are for doing it that way. So yes – Venus can denote ‘appearances’ and ‘how the thing’ (or person) ‘looks.’

But what happens when we find out that thing – or that person – doesn’t stand for real quality? Don’t you get annoyed? Don’t you dislike anyone who will try to fake you out or con you?

That anger, that rejection of the person who lies or cheats, that’s a Venus reaction too. Venus is the response “quotient” – the fact that there is a response to all we do and all we are. But by itself, Venus does not dictate what kind of response we get.

Got it?

In Gemini, the ‘Venusian output’ is likely to be verbal. So this is a verbal time. Answers people have been waiting for will turn up, people will be talking, talking, talking – it’s a goodly verbal time.

But that doesn’t mean it’s all honest. Or even well intended!

Because Saturn is going to go station-direct during this time, things we say (or have said) can now have consequences. Or they can carry weight. Because Saturn is doing it’s turnabout in Libra, honesty counts (big time!) and that probably goes double for those who have been kidding themselves.

 A 'false color' photograph of Saturn taken by Voyager 2

 (photo credit: NASA-JPL)

Considering that Jupiter has just toodled into Gemini and will be passing over the 7 Gemini mark come mid-July (July 14-18) this brackets a period of time which for you may be cause/effect (start now, see results then) or which might be the duration of a project. Or the time you have to pack your house. Or the period when you and your family are going to be on vacation.

The one thing to be said about this ‘dotted line’ between Venus and Jupiter at 7 Gemini is that it may be ‘expensive.’ Now this can be a good expensive in that it may indicate a time when money is well spent. Or it could indicate a time when good money is earned.

What would seem foolish however, would be to assume “all is well” as this airy sort of assumption may well spell going ‘over the line’ in some fashion and Jupiter in Gemini is FAMOUS for people talking too much, spending too much, being overly optimistic, not minding the p’s and q’s and otherwise splurging ‘personal capital’ of some sort (or even monetary capital) where a more judicious attitude might well serve them better.

It’s also to be noted that this position (7 Gemini) is under a months-long inconjunct by Pluto. The ‘heart’ of this inconjunct began in December 2011 and will end around November 22, 2012 even though there is an argument to be made that the ‘aura of change’ or the need to change which goes along with this ‘high fixation’ Pluto/Venus combination goes back as far as January 2010….with the aftermath playing out until around September 2015.

You’ve heard me talk a lot about Pluto conjuncting Facies this year. The simple crux of this message is that of our tendency to play victim-aggressor. And to attract victim-aggressors who through playing out their own dynamics cause us to get off our duff.

Everybody’s feeling put upon. The question is, what are you going to do about making your life one which suits you in your own (Gemini) thinking? What are you doing…or what do you need to do to make your life into something which doesn’t work because you keep hammering away at it or sticking corks in the leaks but because it just works for you?

Mental security is worth a lot, you know. A lot of what has come down the pike this year – especially with May’s Gemini solar eclipse – seems to be saying ‘get that old way of thinking out of your head and out of your life!’

Venus’ 7 Gemini station is in a natural inconjunct with Pluto/Facies at 8 Capricorn, marking this Venus ‘turnaround’ as either a time when we are adjusting what we’re doing in life…or when we’re realizing we need to.

So good luck with making changes! Here’s to all of our updated priorities!