ISON: Beyond Us

Comet ISON Oct 08 2013

(photo credit: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon Sky Center- University of Arizona, October 2013)

Of all the things in this solar system wearing odd names, the one I’d like to know as the ‘who thought THAT name was a good idea’ winner in my book is the Oort cloud.

I’m sorry…but hearing people discuss the Oort cloud inevitably conjures up images of seals line up ‘oort-oort-oort-ing’ as they slap their flippers together.

Just sayin’…

But the word has come up of late – specifically with reference to a comet with the interesting name of ISON (yes, all capitals). Otherwise known to the astronomy logs as C/2012 S1, having come from the distant reaches of our solar system (call it a quarter to Sedna territory) ISON is at this very moment diving towards the Sun – although ‘diving’ is probably not quite the word as I’ve never heard of any reports about jackknifes with double twists coming out of NASA.

In any case, what we are describing is an object (ISON) which has come from “all the way out there” to “all the way in here” – and when we say ‘in here’ we rather mean it. At it’s closest, ISON is predicted to come within 0.0124 AU (1,860,000 Km or 1,150,000 miles) from the Sun.

And when you’re talking about the Sun, that’s close. To give us some idea of how close we’re talking here, Mercury – the planet which lives beyond the realm of sunblock – only gets to within 0.307 AU from the Sun. (As a reminder, one AU is the distance from the Sun to Terra Earth.).

So we’re talking close. Toasty close.

Speaking of our solar system philosophically and metaphorically, to those who believe in the micro-macro reflection of All, this means a lot. It might not refer to any earth shattering event (we certainly hope not – especially literally!), but it’s important all the same. After all, the farther you go ‘out there,’ in theory what you are referring to is the “bigger picture” or the “broader brush stroke” or the “background issue.” That’s the ‘out there.’ When we speak of fixed stars in astrology, they always have a ‘coloration’ more than an ‘action,’ they’re more of a ‘quality’ or esoteric challenge to us which we will tackle however we tackle it rather than the finite description of some object or objective of the moment.
‘Out there’ is the situation, the background against which all else we are doing gets set. Such qualities may be static (as in being a representation of our orientation or ‘where we’re coming from’)… or they may be pro-generative, which is to say, such ‘out there’ quotients – be they fixed stars or anything else ‘out there’ may describe that which motivates or challenges us. 
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Over the millennia, astrology has collected a reasonable body of lore on the so-called “fixed” stars. Oort cloud occupants are a newer research topic seeing as we’re just discovering such objects. But we do know a couple of them. Dwarf planet Eris (discord) is thought to orbit at the edge of the Oort cloud. So that dwarf planet Sedna (representing our being challenged to mature/deal with issues of maturity in our own right) definitely orbits in the Oort cloud…what does it mean that Eris orbits at the edge of this place?

Everything beyond Planet Neptune is by astrological definition, that we cannot know – not for sure. We can imagine, we can dream. We can intuit, we can hope. We can have faith, we can act on faith, we can continue trying because we have faith there’s a reason to keep on trying even when with every moment our doubts and self-questioning grows louder.

(Yes, there’s a reason why Neptune is the #1 problematic marker in astrology. Nobody loves their Neptune…and nobody loves to hate their Neptune!)

The point is…beyond Neptune lies the Kuiper Belt: realm of all which we cannot know for sure. And at some point (around the Eris orbital range) the Kuiper Belt becomes the Oort cloud – the place from which comes all the long-period comets (like Halley) as well as all the centaurs (like Chiron) come from.

So we think in terms of how astrology suggests comets (in general) bring news or ‘information from afar’ and we know this is part of what ISON is about. Then we check the records (JPL, NASA and such) and we note that unlike Halley and Chiron, scientists list ISON as ‘non-periodic.’

Metaphysically, we would think ‘non-periodic’ refers to a one-time issue, idea or event. But then again, it may refer to a one-time chance, a once-and-for-all transformation of your life or attitudes – a lot of things.

Scientists aren’t all positive ISON is going to make it through it’s close encounter with the Sun.

Some things come to us and then just…fade away. Or to look at this metaphor from the position of our life as the Sun, some things come at us and we just burn them to a crisp before they can get to us.

But is that bad? Or is that good?

Another thought on the Oort cloud: as the ‘outer layer’ of our solar system, it is the Oort cloud which first receives the 'tidal’ energetics of the Milky Way – and it is this small but recordable galactic push-pull which is thought to be vital in releasing new comets from the Oort cloud. You know…so they can head on into the solar system and wander through our metaphysical neighborhood. And though it’s not like Earth is just down the block or anything, it is interesting to think of this particular comet – which was only discovered on September 21, 2012 – being part of the reflective and reflexive process of existence which has now got a whole bunch of people sort of breathlessly watching this comet.

Will it survive its encounter with the Sun?

We do have a few notes on ISON, which are as follows…after a photo sessions with the Deep Impact spacecraft in January/February 2013 (Deep Impact is on its way to study Comet Tempel), Hubble in April/May 2013 and the Spitzer Space Telescope in June (this is a comet with a good PR firm, no question)…on October 1st, ISON got very (very) close to planet Mars.

Comet ISON moving through the signs

And since we know that Mars was at 21 Leo on October 1st, we know where ISON was. SO...using the standard astrological 5-degree conjunction orb, things which manifested in your world or life between September 23rd and October 9th or so (give or take a time zone) will have paved or poked your Mars/ISON quotient in terms of being an action or activation point at which something which you didn't know about began to manifest. That Mars is involved suggests something which involves action or passion or drive or aims. That an ‘unknown’ like ISON was involved may mean you didn’t understand ‘what was coming at you.’

We each would have reacted in terms of a.) where our natal Mars is charts and…b.) wherever 21 Leo falls in our birth charts. The nature of this combination when looked at through Mars’ position suggests unknown encounters and tests of perception which we may or may not prove apt at. Because lore on this degree says matters come out best if/where/when we are able to apply a sort of ‘insightful sensitivity’ to the situation, ‘the thing which happens’ and ‘what it means that it happened’ may…or may not be connected.

That’s probably part of what we need(ed) to think through. You know, as part of the thing ‘coming at us.’

 Comet ISON in parallel (conjunction by degree) with Mars

(diagram courtesy of JPL Small Body Database Browser)

As of November 17-18, ISON was seen passing fixed star Spica, putting it at 24 Libra, a degree which focuses on how we deal with the subject of relationships at a purely personal level which has everything to do with our ability to care as much for ourselves as others and as much for others as ourselves. That Spica and Arcturus are both currently at 24 Libra doubles up on asking us ‘how brilliantly’ we’re handling our affairs, particularly when it comes to the question of responsibility – to/for ourselves or for others.

And just to make things lively? Just as ISON shows up, so does Rhadamanthus – a symbol of transcendent justice. Wherever we see Rhadamanthus, rising to the higher (less me-oriented) sense of justice is either required…or being questioned. (And no, that’s not a swell choice.)

 Comet ISON at it's perihelion point (closest approach) with the Sun

(diagram courtesy of JPL Small Body Database Browser)

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On November 22nd, ISON dropped below Mercury, which would put it in mid-Scorpio territory. So as of November 22nd, this ‘thing coming towards us’ (which remember, is part of us/our lives we are not aware of or not wanting to think about) becomes mental and emotional. It may form a blockade, it may just represent something which sticks in your mind, it may signal the surfacing (the ‘beginning to see’) something or some situation with far greater clarity – a sort of ‘in your face’ clarity.

It’s about this time that SOHO (the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) will pick ISON up and track it on towards it’s appointed rendezvous with its perihelion – it’s closest approach to the Sun, and thus to our life.

The SOHO spacecraft

(image credit: NASA, December 2011)

This event which will happen on November 28, 2013 (Thanksgiving Day), after which ISON will grow brighter.

That’s right…metaphysically, we can expect that whatever this confluence of ISON/Sun represents in your life to become something brighter or of ‘greater magnitude’ after the technical perihelion. AFTER the comet begins to turn away again from the Sun.

From our mind.

From our life.

As an astrologer, I can’t say I think ISON is the do-all, be-all of transit passages. But in looking at the dates provided, comet passages are just as real and just as valid a part of the universal tapestry as anything else. So…if you look back to July and you follow life events forward, are you now in a position to see and live your personal opportunities, new, old, expected, renegade and otherwise?
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Sun in Sagittarius

Sautys (Sagittarius) by Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis (1907)

It’s time to get a little perspective on the Sun in Sagittarius. After all, that’s the Sagittarian thing to do, right? So out with all that Scorpio intensity – let’s just focus. And while we’re at it, we’ll angst less and lay aside our aura of allure, as we need to  consider possibilities…and possible consequences. 

\That’s the Sagittarian way to do it. After all, in a Sagittarian world, life is all about advancing the cause. Not to put too detailed an astrological point on the concept here (but I will anyway, being an astrologer)… we’ve all heard about a ‘handshake world’ where trust – as opposed to identity theft – was rampant.

It was when Pluto (the energetic of transformation) moved through Sagittarius that the world changed. That was when the realm of ‘shining forth as a beacon of truth’ converted from universal truths to what any given person (brain, nut case or otherwise) wanted to think of as their personal truth.

But that Pluto moved through Sagittarius back in the late 90s (and on into the early 2000s) and that’s what happened meant – in the most universal of senses – that we are ready to learn how to differentiate between real truths and manipulation. (Or maybe you prefer it as general facts versus ‘positions’ which amount to self serving truths.)

I bring this up because the Sun is moving into Sagittarius on November 22nd at 3:49 in the morning, UT/+0 time – and the Sun will be in Sagittarius until the Capricorn Solstice, a moment in time which falls his year on December 21st (UT/+0).

The Sun's 2013 Sagittarius ingress chart

November 22, 2013 - 3:49 UT/+0 - Aries Wheel

(location not specific)

So…it would seem likely that thinking in two directions will behoove us. One: that we should understand that the standing “example” of Sagittarian energetic behavior is the question of whether something is acting out of the nature of its being in reality, or whether there is some artificial measure or interference is causing some form of aberrant response. Two: achievement is limited by our unwillingness to tolerate being wrong.

In this last statement is an interesting hint as to how signs interact…attach…feed off one another in forming the evolution, the continuous growth cycle which is the zodiac. Scorpio – as the sign before Sagittarius – is in the natural 12th house harmonic (12th derivative position) to Sagittarius. Scorpio thus becomes what Sagittarius needs to grow out of…and this quality of ‘what needs to be moved forward out of/from’ is at some level the relationship between all sequential zodiac signs.

So where Scorpio (as part of its Scorpio/Taurus polarity) always tests our connections, our ability to connect, our willingness to be vulnerable with others, the state of our self worth and internalized security and so often falls down where we are unable to tolerate feeling ‘wrong’ (or invalidated) …that’s what Sagittarius needs to move forward from.

And considering everything which has been going on (read: the Scorpio solar eclipse et al) that’s really the measure and descriptor which applies here as the Sun (and our lives) move into a Sagittarian phase. 

There are surely some of us who in recognizing their weaknesses have already taken to growing through and out of them. There are others however, who have merely ‘excised’ (discarded or tried to ignore) whatever or whoever it is who had the ill luck to poke us in our weak points, and who have gone on from there – generally with excuses and denials in flow – to trying to do what they consider ‘the right thing’ in spite of all.

And why should that be any problem, you ask?

Because of Scorpio’s inordinate harmonic reach, I answer. This goes back to the idea of there being three signs of each element. The element being water here (and water meaning emotionality), in elemental water we have the signs of Cancer (the solo version), Scorpio (the interactive version) and Pisces (the universal version) of our emotional orientation.

 
And that implies that between each ‘pair’ of signs, the influence of the one ‘just experience’ carries over. So in other words, if you pass through Scorpio, you’re sort of on Scorpio ‘interactive’ emotional grounds until you reach the fathomless realm of Pisces.

 
And when we look at that idea more carefully, we realize that the effects of Scorpio – which is itself the central sign of the 3rd (interactive zodiacal quadrant) will carry over into the pro-active (left) hemisphere of the chart and its very worldly signs.

Which, folks, would be astrology’s way of explaining to us all why career, social standing, societal acceptance and ballyhoo – why all that means so much to us. It’s hard to understand unless you layer on the waft of Scorpio essence…but once you do, suddenly all seems far, far more instinctive and easily understood.

In any case, there are some of us who have let go of some shell or shard or denial we came to the solar eclipse with, and some who haven’t. Both sets of people will now be setting off to ‘prove their point’ with one group simply in ‘productive’ mode and the other having something to prove – at least to their Self (selves, I guess for grammar’s sake…).

And all of us will be trying to get things done and make things work. Along the way, we’re going to have to learn what doesn’t work in order to make the needed connections. And with Venus traversing Capricorn, we know that there’s a ‘tangible’ quality to what we want to ultimately accomplish.

But that ‘ultimate’ part…? Remembering that Venus, having entered Capricorn back on November 5th (UT/+0) will now – because of an upcoming retrograde – remain in Capricorn until March 2014.

Heck, Venus won’t even go direct until the end of January. And sometimes the overarching energetic felt throughout life in all we do is going to be differentiated to us simply through the lingering on of an affect until it utterly and thoroughly becomes us. And in a sense that is what we would anticipate the upcoming (December 2013 / January 2014) Venus retrograde to be about.

However….(you knew there was a ‘however’ coming, right?)…if Venus in Capricorn (ideally) is the accomplishment of a life or life structure or situation we want to come to life (and be ours) the way we want it to be, then Sun in Sagittarius is rather poignant. Think of it this way….given that Sagittarius is as sign about the boundless latitude to climb, excel and explore we want AND how Sun in Sagittarius (which ends late afternoon UT/+0 time on December 21st) is the sign through which we will experience life’s “run up” to the Venus retrograde…

…Wouldn’t you think that the next few weeks are likely to play host to many an effort which then is more or less worked through during the December 21st – January 31 Venus retrograde?

Quite frankly, as an astrologer…I would think so. Since the retrograde is in Capricorn, that brings on thoughts of Saturn as ruler of Capricorn.

And wasn’t Saturn just involved in that rather dig-a-hole, share-a-helmet Scorpio solar eclipse we all just waded through?

Hmmm…this, in astrological terms ties where life (the Sun) is going (Sagittarius) to the sign just behind (Scorpio)…which sounds like efforts to come based on the needs shown up by experiences and emotional summations recently passed.

In this case, the ingress also comes to us as a t-square, that formulation which forces us to think in terms bigger than just our Self. The core influence on the Sun here is Toliman, which in shining out from the tangible emotionality which is 29 Scorpio – hopefully motivating us to try different things in different ways.

If we want to grow, something needs to changes. We can’t wait for the changes we want to come to us right now. For whatever reason (it will vary in every life) we don’t have time to waste.

The ‘goal’ of this t-square is (interestingly enough) Neptune in Pisces. Hardly the thing one would think of first with regards to a Sagittarius solar passage, but evidently any number of us want some psychic peace. Some emotional comfort with and within the Self we are so busy being.

As for where the energetics going into (and most likely, through) this solar transit are coming from, the chart refers to Pallas (intellectual perspective) and Atlantis (acceptance after getting used to something) plus Sphinx (patience, endurance).

And that sounds like a bunch of start-and-stop efforts. Or carefully considered steps in some greater process. The signage here would seem to say that we want things to go smoothly and teach us something other than what we might suspect is probably true….

…but we just aren’t sure, and we aren’t comfortable with not being sure.

Oh rats, oh fooey.

The good cheese would seem to be on looking ahead now…looking to the turn of the Solstice (December 21st) as a waxing of lengthening days and some sort of ‘waxing’ in each of our lives as we try to improve on something we have committed to working through with our Self. (Note that last part please: with your SELF.)

In astrological terms the idea of Venus going retrograde at the Capricorn Solstice is an interesting marker. Though nothing to get particularly excited about in and of its own accord, this is sort of where astrology-as-theory takes a page from real life, real time calendars.

December 21st, the date that Venus goes retrograde (and the end of the Sun-in-Sagittarius hike we’re about to undertake) is the Saturday before Christmas. And that makes it a significant economic marker, whatever else may be true.

I’d expect some pretty interesting post-holiday sales. And with Venus retrograde by the time those sales happen, that’s about all I’m going to say on that subject.

Let’s just say that week between the 21st and the 28th of December is evocative astrological terrain and leave it at that for the moment.

We’ll get back to it soon enough – promise.

Another interesting oddity of this ingress chart – the Moon and Jupiter are conjunct at 20 Cancer, which is one of those unmistakably ‘wet’ sort of astro-signals. Bypassing everything else for the moment, that Black Moon Lilith is at 18 Cancer with all of this in opposition to Venus, one wonders about the readiness of somewhere to some influx of water.

From where, I cannot tell you.

The Omega Nebula (Messier 17, or NGC 6618) in Sagittarius

(photo credit: ESO/European Southern Observatory, July 2009)

Here’s the thing about astrometeorology, a subject I once had a delightful sit-down chat with Rob Hand about. (We were in Seattle at the time, if you care.) What Rob pointed out was that astrometeorology is totally ‘local’…meaning the chart has to be localized in order to look at the weather.

Which isn’t much different than what regular weather people do and what mainstream weather maps reel out in terms of data.

What we (the astrologers of the world, I mean) need is a program which would allow us to ‘move’ the chart just like a cursor moves across one of Google’s maps.

With today’s computers, I’m sure that’s possible. Will anybody care enough to program such a beast? Unlikely.

But there’s my fresh new thought for Sun in Sagittarius. And I’m going to keep exploring from here.

I hope you do too.
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Venus in Shadow

'Silhouette'

(photo credit: Cornava, March 2007)

Not that we humans asked for any further life complications or anything, but Planet Venus will be entering the shadow of its upcoming retrograde as of November 20th. 

And here you thought life was going to calm down after the Scorpio solar eclipse? Oh, not hardly...

But let’s be real about this: Venus retrograde generally sucks…and that means that as Venus moves into (and through) its shadow, things are likely to grow ever more sucky. (Is ‘suckier’ a word?)

The date of this leaping into shadow? November 20th…which means no, you didn’t get any notice about this impending whatever-it-is, which meant you couldn’t invest any quality time fretting about something you probably couldn’t change anyway.

The retrograde shadow, I mean.

As for the Venus part, yes – there we can change. And when discussing Venus retrograde in any way, shape or manner, the optimal issue is pretty simple – if hard to really get hold of. That issue is feeling rewarded…which when we think of Venus as the hot and sulfuric little planet it evidently is, doesn’t seem too far off the mark.

Put simply, in the world of what you put out comes back to you…(aka cause/effect)…Venus is the hinge energy which ‘turns’ cause into effect. In other words, though many of us think of Planet Venus as being the ‘ruler’ of our Pleasure Principle, Venus really only gets to that distinction because of its association with things we like.

Or getting our way.

Or winning the moment.

Or basking in the warmth of adulation and admiration.

In other words, Venus is NOT the feeling of success - Venus is the energetic which aligns response with generation. Venus is that magical moment when what’s in the package matches your expectations because you have that particular expectation. Venus is the quality of knowing you’ve gotten what you deserve because you know (deep inside) what you deserve.

Venus is not precisely beauty. It is our appreciation (or lack thereof) of what we get to deal with in life based on whether there is a difference between what we want to be true and what the truth really is.

So…with that said, Venus is about to enter the shadow of its retrograde tomorrow – November 20th. Whether we like it or not, Venus enters its shadow on that date, after which Venus will go retrograde on December 21st, only spare hours after the Capricorn Solstice.

And it’s pretty guaranteed that some of us won’t like that part at all, as Venus in shadow OR in retrograde tends to be a time when no matter how hard we try, nothing feels really rewarding. That urge to be loved, that need to be cuddled, coddled or appreciated – all of that is dampened if not doused during Venus’ retrograde cycle.

On the other hand…there is the fact that since this cycle is up for grabs again (it happens just shy of every two years) …it is evidently time for us to experience this Venusian lack of thrill, thrall and enthusiasm – for whatever reason we may have.

Let’s remember…cycles turn up when they’re supposed to turn up. When the greater dynamic of life needs for them to turn up in order that we might be reminded of something or learn something new.
That’s the theory of it, anyway. And under that theory, we should all take it on credit that there’s something in life we are needing to feel chilled about. Or alienated from. Or not so enthused about.

Why would that be? Okay – let’s consider that in terms of the typical responses or patterns associated with Venus in Shadow and Venus Retrograde. The basic concept with Venus Retrograde being akin to ‘you’re on your own,’ or ‘the current state of things doesn’t work – try harder/again’…that suggests that from wherever we are to wherever we are going to be by the time Venus goes retrograde (in December)…that’s the territory for Venus’ shadow.

In other words, things have to change so that we will feel that we’re on our own. Or so that we’ll recognize that things aren’t working at a level which demands or necessitates change.

And that’s what makes the Venus Shadow period dicey.

For instance…let’s say there’s something ‘Venusian’ going on in your life which you are perfectly fine with, but which you KNOW….somewhere in the fuzziness of your soul you just KNOW it’s not the right thing. Maybe you’re temporizing, maybe you’re saying ‘I’m going to make the best of this while it lasts,’ maybe you’re trying to be noble and put up with behavioral excrement (yes, I said that)…

…anywhere in your life where things aren’t optimal is where Venus Effects are likely to surface.

Since this whole Venus retrograde is going to be in the sign of Capricorn, we know that matters of getting ahead in life, social standing/status and all that fancy-dancy head talk we all get into about ‘how we will be thought of’ is in for some serious challenging. We know that those of us who are attempting to live in a ‘shell’ of respectability which is all surface and no depth will begin being exposed simply because Capricorn demands the sort of solidity and durability which is lasting.

There’s also the fact that Capricorn is the sign of commerce – which when we think of this Venus cycle extending through the holidays and into the January of fiscal 2014 sort of begs the question whether Venus entering its shadow bodes well for the economy of the US and the world?

Simple Answer: no.

More Carefully Couched Answer: strictly in terms of holiday shopping, the great bulk of consumers are to be expected to rein back a little and look for good prices on large-ticket items. Venus in Capricorn points in one direction to ‘sensible gifts’ and another to the kind of luxury item which is either better built or known to hold its value more effectively.

Most of the effects of the actual Venus retrograde won’t be felt until Venus goes retrograde – which is not until December 21st. But we should also expect our social and societal climates to begin reflecting a subtle ‘pull back’ into what we might think of as a ‘reflection mode’ as Venus moves into its shadow and the Sun moves into Sagittarius on November 22nd.

At the moment, in other words, we’re likely to merely feel frustrated and subtly annoyed by that which we can’t quite get back on the track with. And since maybe recalling our last go-round with this will help remind us all as to how this passage works in our life, let’s look back. The last Venus retrograde began in early October 2010, lasting until mid/late November. Considering there was a solar eclipse (at 13 Capricorn) on January 4th of 2011, that Venus retrograde was part of the ‘breaking down’ period which preceded the eclipse, and that combined with that retrograde having been in Scorpio accounts for the scads and scads of painful decisions people went through at that time.

We were incorrectly ‘invested’ – you know, that Scorpio thing. Many of us needed to rebalance or at least reprioritize. In going retrograde in Scorpio at that time Venus mirrored in our individual lives as the knowing if or where we needed to let go so that we could grow into someone closer to who we really are without catering to that ‘other’ or to dictates which really didn’t fit us.

Now it’s happening again with the sign being Capricorn – that of rules/regulations against the rewards, the costs and the realities of what life is…and isn’t. Issues like appearance and how appearance can’t really fix what’s wrong underneath the veneer are going to surface. This time ahead would be one where it would be very natural to compare yourself with others and find yourself lacking…or when you may, after tons and tons of work and effort feel like walking away from something (or someone) altogether.

For those less of the action orientation (read: more prone to taking everything personally) this may feel like a time when you are undervalued. Or not valued at all. It being so hard to feel the warm cozies of love under Venus retrograde even though all the normal and upstanding appreciation may be there makes the next month or so one ripe for loneliness, yearning, wishing life was otherwise and in general, thinking about how green the grass could be.

And no…this isn’t about how ‘the grass is greener on the other side.’ When the grass is merely greener, usually we know where that grass is. With this incoming Venus period, the grassy goal is in our head. The imagined peace is in our heart. The image of an optimal life which functions optimally is in our soul.

Which is exactly the point. Venus retrograde – and thus the Venus shadow period which precedes it – is all about valuing ourselves so that we don’t NEED to be valued by others. It is that need, after all, which corrupts us, causing us to pander to others in ways which will never actually validate our self respect.

It’s not who ‘they’ are. It’s not what ‘they’ are doing or not doing now which is the issue.

The issue going forward is ‘who do I really want to be? Who will I respect MYSELF …independent of anyone else…for being?’

Venus passages always ask us about who and what we value – and why we value it. A huge proportion of us tend to opt for peace and fun stuff not because it’s nice, but because we don’t want to deal with the tough stuff, the hard stuff, the sad stuff and the scary stuff. We think that if we just don’t poke that dog, it won’t hunt.

Wrong. Dogs hunt because dogs hunt and the nature of what we are…particularly as that pertains to the things in our life which scare us, make us sad or tempt us to deny our own history…those are the very things the Venusian urge seeks to tap into.

Why?

Because our desire to be loved is – in the end – one of life’s most powerful motivations. By moving us towards challenges that the Venus retrograde period will confront us with more blankly, the shadow period begins…well, let’s just call it cluing us in on what’s yet to come. Plus, as with many shadows and retrogrades, issues of the past now come into play.

Or more precisely, the results or consequences of things already done now come into play…mostly with us – which is to say, on the inside. But since Capricorn is that most worldly of signs and we’re likely to be ‘doing’ things even as we begin recognizing there’s something brewing amidst all which underlies that doing…well, let’s just say the satisfaction with accomplishment will be real.

The regret of loss will also be real.

What will perplex and goad us now is why must there be loss where there is gain? Or…must there be loss where there is gain? In that difference…right there…lies the parsing of our path - and thus, the measure of the reconciliation which still lies there untended.

The reconciliation is within and with our Self. But considering this is Venus we’re talking about, and Venus is at some level always about connecting (or the feelings which come from being connected) there are going to be parameters we each have to face.

Do we want to have life slow us down with notions and nudges about how we might not yet have all our VID (Very Important Ducks) in a row? No.

Can we profit by heaving our giant impatient sigh and shifting our focus anyway? Yes.

A fractile image sample as generated by Electric Sheep

(image credit: February 2006)

 

Oh gosh...it's a recipe for mental barf-a-roni. You know, that moment when you'd like to just shove everything down but the thought of what it'd be like coming back up just warns you not to?

Besides, why should we care?

Answer: we should care because second best can’t do when the subject is our life. When we moderate our choices because we only want the results and end up contorting who we are and what we know is right…true…right…human…humane…feeling and thoughtful….that’s giving up on us.

You know...our Self person (yes, that one).

To whatever extent you now feel life slow you down now…part may be about what you’re doing and part may be about the internal realities (or lack of reality) inherent in you. We cannot want to be anything other than what we are and we cannot deny our past, lest we relieve it.

We think of Venus as a sumptuous wallowing, a coddling of our physicality so as to render us pliant.

We tend to forget that what we must be pliant to first is to our Self, and that to share ourselves with others has nothing to do with giving up the integrity of who we are.

What begins to surface now or the next couple of weeks may in substance continue on through Venus retrograde (December 21, 2013 – January 31, 2014, UT/+0). Then again, the part of you, the relationship you have to your Self at some level may be what is truly seeking voice and consideration.

The distinctions here are going to be between what we want to be and who we are. Venus shadows tend to be periods of increasing coolness which helps the ‘reality quotient’…but decreases what is apparently a degree of romantic suspension of fact we all build into our lives in order to cushion us from life’s blows. Once retrograde starts in late December, being willing to be your own person and take responsibility for your own happiness becomes vitally important.

From now until retrograde, themes appear. From December 21st through January 31st, we work on our own or within our own Self (or realm of influence) and/or face ‘road blocks’ which have to do with our not dealing with/not having dealt with such themes.

Venus will not exit the shadow of this retrograde until March 4th. Between January 31, 2014 and March 4th we will be setting things to right. We’ve grown through our self-positioned barriers and we’re ready to move on.

Of course life isn’t going to make this easy, y’know. Venus doesn’t exit the shadow of this retrograde until March 4th, but by the time Venus gets there, Mars (Venus ‘partner’ in getting things done) will have – as of March 1, 2014 – gone retrograde.

What this adds up to is a big long period of...

...PROCESSING.

The first (Venusian) part is the drafting, planning, figuring out the relative values of this and that – in life…and (one would suspect…!) in your life as a whole. All the problems with wanting what you want and needing to do what you need to do to HAVE what you want are going to become obvious.

The second (Mars) part is the not being able to get where you want to go as deftly as you had planned. Some of us will get interrupted, some of us will have to figure out how to get past prior convolutions to get to that so necessary or desired. Expect frustrating oddities…they always show up under Mars retrograde. If it’s bizarre and strangely interesting but something you really (REALLY) don’t want to deal with, it’ll show up under Mars retrograde.

And yes, Venus and Mars retrogrades travel as a pair – at least of late (which is a whole other astrological commentary. Apparently we humans are needing more convincing than ever!). That this incoming around of Venus-Mars retrogrades are in cardinal signs (Capricorn and Mars) is another thing again. It suggests times of wanting to promise big, whether or not you can deliver. The more savvy and balanced among us will do well to approach this next six (or so) months deliberately but with an eye to negotiating agreements which as opposed to ‘sounding good’ are actually sound.

This is not, in other words, a time to think cheery buoyancy is reality. It may or may not be suitable, but that’s not the point. As we move into Venus’ Capricorn shadow and I look through the ephemeris pages…I realize that the counterpart to the hugely trying (Scorpio) eclipse we just experienced will be occurring next April (in Taurus) before Mars even gets out of retrograde.

Oh…and for those who are into patterns (read: the energetic self-structuring of time, space and life) as that April 2014 solar eclipse occurs at 8 Taurus, guess where li’l ol’ transformational Pluto is going to be?

Answer: 13 Capricorn – the degree ‘highlighted’ by the January 2011 solar eclipse our last Venus retrograde led us to.
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