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A photograph of the Trifed Nebula in close detail

(photo credit: Hubble, NASA, Jeff Hester/Arizona State University, January 2008)

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It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve taken on any of your search terms (how time flies when you’re approaching an eclipse...!) so let’s get back to seeing what nuances and noodles you’re looking for - and how I can help, considering our rather odd, Google-driven search term connection.

Today I'm starting with Pholus, as Pholus seems to be earning a lot of search time of late...

PHOLUS CONJUNCT CHIRON
Wherever we see Pholus, we know that we have a push-pull, pro-con sort of ‘argument’ (most of all with/within our Self) about getting or being involved and why that may be true.

Wherever we see Chiron, we know how in order to conquer the challenge, we have to undertake the challenge - often (most often) without knowing everything that we’d like to know going in. Chiron daunts us by confronting us with what we want, but don’t know how to do - which in some ways is like Pholus, and which therefore (depending on the sign, house placement and other aspects) which will, at least initially, manifest in a strong sense of hesitation or a knee-jerk tendency to say ‘no’ long before you say ‘yes,’ simply out of emotional habit.

With both points, asking yourself why you don’t want to try something (or be involved) is key. Beyond that, given how Chiron points to needed growth and Pholus speaks to separating one’s will or self from something (or someone), it is entirely possible (again, check house, ruler of house, aspects to Chiron/Pholus, etc.) that this conjunction could point to some area of life where you can only succeed if or as you learn how to separate yourself from the thing at hand - in which case this conjunction would represent the (Chiron) need to develop the sort of (Pholus) perspective which is used to produce better results through non-involvement - as would be the case with a surgeon, lawyer or other profession where the work should not be influenced by a personal or intimately emotional connection.

MERCURY IN PISCES CAREERS
While Mercury in and of itself is not considered the indicator of career in a natal chart, there is no question but that our habitual way of thinking, learning and communicating influences success (or the lack of same) when it comes to our careers.

So what about Mercury in Pisces - a combination not exactly known for crispness of logic even though there are any number of Mercury in Pisces people doing well in very exacting fields like technology and finance?

The thing to understand here is why Mercury in Pisces is considered “fuzzy” - that being because Mercury in Pisces, to use a common expression, it ‘feels you.’ In other words, where Mercury in an air sign considers ideas and where those ideas could lead in formulating a direction, where Mercury in an earth sign will lead us to consider what kind of time, effort and resources we need to get something done, Mercury in a water sign has a natural affinity for considering and taking feelings into account. So when thinking in Mercury terms about the choice of a job, Mercury in Pisces would support any endeavor which requires an the ability to understand emotions and communicate in a feeling manner or any career which aims to, or which has the ability to tap into or affect the emotions of others, particularly on a basic or instinctive level.

Examples: singer, broadcaster, nurse, psychologist, human resources or social worker, politician, member of the clergy, actor, writer, philosopher, spy (particularly foreign), veterinarian (in particular, large animals).

Dairy cows on pasture in Ireland (photographer unknown)

All the cows I've ever met were very nice to me - maybe

they knew I have a Mercury in Pisces?

TYPHON CONJUNCT SUN
This is one of those conjunctions which will vary very widely depending on sign and house placement. That said, as Typhon speaks to our ‘survival basics’ and all which affects us in some deep and undeniable way, to have Typhon conjunct the Sun is to live a life which is on some level sort of hit-or-miss simply because while that which affects you affects you vitally, that which doesn’t affect you simply gets a big shrug.

Daily doings can also be taken more seriously by such a native than they are by others, creating individual interpersonal and/or social difficulties - even at the same time that mass effectiveness remains unimpaired.

A person born with this conjunction may have a hard time taking things lightly. Then again, that which they consider important will never be forgotten. This tendency to be a bit ‘all or nothing’ about things is going to be a periodic part of a Sun/Typhon life experience, but doesn’t necessarily describe who such a person is, being instead an indication of how and what they will tend to act on, or react to.

ALDEBARAN IN THE 7TH HOUSE
Fixed star Aldebaran is one of the royal stars of Persia, all of which guarantee success ONLY when a particular human attribute (habit, tendency) is avoided.

In the case of Aldebaran, that quality would be our integrity - integrity of word, deed and being. So when Aldebaran is in the 7th house, because the 7th is the house where “I” meets “Thou” so that we can see how things go (giving us input on what’s working and not working for us), being true to who you are and who you have said you are had better ... just for starters ... match.

But that’s the issue - this isn’t necessarily about ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ In other words, this is more about honesty and owning up to who and what we are (and aren’t) than anything else.

Until, that is, others get involved. (And because this is the 7th house, other people are most often involved.) Once someone else is in the conversation (or situation), then our interacting with them becomes part of the Aldebaran equation - at which point their integrity needs to be equal to ours, whatever that may mean.

And if it isn’t? Then we will not succeed because the 7th house person we have chosen to associate or interact with is not our (Aldebaran) match.

ASTROLOGICAL INFLUENCE GENERATION Y
The whole subject of generations is messy. Society has its sense of generations and generation names (which I cannot tell you what they’re based on, as I haven’t a clue) and astrology has its generations, those being based on the transit of dwarf planet Pluto through the signs.

And yes, these terms differ. Widely. Society, for instance, seems to be thinking of the ‘Millennials’ as people who ‘came of age’ around the time of the millennium. Astrology, on the other hand, defines the Millennials as the Pluto in Sagittarius tribe - a group of people born between 1996 and 2008, during the time when Pluto was transiting Sagittarius.

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Known astrologically as Pluto in Scorpio, astrology’s Generation Y is as wide-ranging a generation as any other. It is also the first water sign generation since Pluto in Cancer, the generation which in keeping with its opposition sign (Capricorn, sign of structure) is the generation which (Pluto) restructured the world’s structures, laying the Cancerian foundations upon which our modern world was then built, generation by generation.

This idea of oppositions is important in astrological generational theory, as it’s the issues of the opposition sign with the sign Pluto is transiting which gives us an image of any given generation’s triumphs and challenges. With Gen Y, security will be an issue. And that makes sense, seeing as Scorpio is the sign of threat and war and rape and violence - all which scares us in the world is Scorpionic, just as everything about our Self or our very existence which can scare us is Piscean.

With Scorpio and Taurus also being the signs of investment and ‘my resources,’ this generation will also deal with the transformations of monetary values (and many core values as a whole). A lot of operational methodologies which apply to money and resources will change through the efforts of this generation and in reaction to what is thrust upon this generation as a group.

Issues of control and power which are so famously Scorpio will also be faced and/or faced down by this generation as well. They will extract prices and pay the price for the emotional games being play by their own and others, in the long run forcing the rest of society to recognize the true cost of playing ‘fear games’ with human beings.

The price will be high. Many in this generation will fall afoul of the desire to control and the desire for power, creating a good deal of havoc physical, financial and otherwise. Some will resort to violence. Others will retreat and reject society and/or the ‘structure’ they see as being the problem. Ultimately it is this second group which will challenge violent trends and take on the growing problems of toxicity physical, financial, spiritual and emotional, but getting to the point where Gen Y recognizes their ability to change things and their responsibility merely as part of the human race to do so will take time.

This generation is more easily alienated than it is enchanted. Yet to their credit, the Pluto in Scorpio Generation Y tribe is also going to be the first generation since Pluto in Cancer which not only can bear to hear the “bad stuff,” but which is openly willing to hear such things as this generation knows the world is not just ‘pretty’ and that the richest among us are those who can ‘afford’ to feel everything as life presents its full spectrum of the beautiful and the ill.

EOS CONJUNCT JUPITER/PLUTO MIDPOINTS
There being enough to talk about with just points theses days, I hardly ever discuss midpoints.

But they can be important. Knowing the midpoints which (for instance) are conjunct or cuddled up to your Sun, Moon, Nodes - and any of the axis points (etcetera) can explain more about the plus and/or minus that you experience when that facet of your personality is called into use or specifically to the fore.

In this case, Eos is an asteroid. Named for the goddess of the dawn, Eos was said to ‘rise from her home at the edge of the ocean’ ... which in mimicking the movement of the Sun makes Eos a particularly interesting astrological symbol in that it combines attributes of water (the ocean), air (rising into the sky) and (the Sun’s) fire.

But there is no earth - so nothing about Eos is tangible, which goes with the usual astro-sense of Eos, that being of a ‘dawning,’ ‘beginning’ or something which ‘starts’ because it occurs to you. With Eos there is always a before ... and then there’s a ‘now’ - and that Now is always enhanced by the mere fact that we are enlightened (we rise, we glow) because something has happened or changed, or just because we know it has happened, something has changed, or something is about to occur.

Dawn in the Naples gulf

(photo credit: Cannedcat (recolored for post)

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As for Jupiter/Pluto, this is the combining of the power to transform with the power to excel, enhance, enlarge and/or increase, all of which is somewhat more likely than usual to go ‘overboard’ (whether literally or figuratively) as given enough energy and range, Pluto trends towards obsession - and there’s nothing like Jupiter’s unlimited expansion principle to provide just that push.

So this combination may work in several ways. When any part of this conjunction is transited, there’s a lot of energy to change some part of a status quo ... or which does change the status quo.

What this effect is would be gets read by house, by aspects, by object transiting, by planet ruling the sign on the cusp of the house - all the usual stuff. In particular, since this combination by itself does not guarantee anything but a moment of excitement or motivation, there will have to be something larger or connecting to this association which ties it into some greater effort. Without that, Eos + Jupiter/Pluto could simply mean a moment of excitement, with nothing apart from a lovely memory coming of it’s existence and passing.

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(That's it for now ...hope this helps ...more soon!)
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Search Term: Fomalhaut conjunct Ascendant

Fixed star Fomalhaut in infrared

(photo credit: Spitzer Telescope, NASA-ESA, December 2008)

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Fomalhaut is one of astrology’s ‘royal stars’ - all of which have been noted for their quality of ... well, some would say it’s karma and some might refer to it as ‘mythic fate,’ or even some peculiar form of prophesy.

Whatever you want to call it, wherever Fomalhaut falls in the chart, integrity is called for.

Mind you, this isn’t the mental integrity of fellow royal stellar object Aldebaran, which is sitting in Gemini. Aldebaran refers to ‘integrity of thought’ and such things as plans which both have integrity (they “hold water” and will get you where you want to go) ... and are an expression of an intent or goal which itself isn’t something mankind generally votes ‘thumbs down’ on.

No, with Fomalhaut, the subject is emotional, and the emotions are ours. Currently, Fomalhaut is at 4 Pisces, a somewhat feast-or-famine degree which operates greatly through various means people of different ilk would refer to as spiritual - maybe even mystical - all of which plays right into Fomalhaut’s call for integrity (lest all your effort come to nothing - or on occasion, less than nothing)(read: negative numbers).

Other people seldom understand our relationship to our inner Fomalhaut, as Fomalhaut is often bound up with emotional lessons we have to learn - which at the Ascendant means we learn them either through what we do/who we are, or the results of what we do/who we are.

-link to post-

Royal Stars of Persia (Pt. 4): Fomalhaut

In short, this is a call to do things with integrity - and to choose what you do with an eye to its integrity (and your integrity as part of the process). Ascendants being a calculated point (and not a planet or asteroid - an object which has physical mass) it’s harder to “keep track” of them all the time ... which means with Fomalhaut conjunct the Ascendant, not only are there likely to be temptations of various sorts from which to choose the thing ‘of integrity’ (or to not choose the thing of integrity and suffer the consequences), but if that which one does in life isn’t about working with (or possibly ‘fixing’) things which are all about integrity or possibly something which in or by its own nature is dependent on the integrity of some operation-construction-process (etc.), then the weight of all decisions must be constantly kept in mind (i.e., consciously held at the forefront of one’s thinking).

With Fomalhaut at the Ascendant, either we know that what we do matters and has an impact - or we learn that what we do matters and has an impact ... which in case we were lacking in same, teaches us to act with integrity.

How we feel about that, and whether we treat feelings (our own or those of others) with integrity is a trial and there is some danger of becoming over-involved with others. With that (fortunately) comes an internal grace - the ability to think through, recognize errors and learn from them.

Depending on the placement of Jupiter and Neptune and the overall nature of the chart, this may be an indicator of ability in areas like diplomacy, public service (either professional or voluntary) and the ability to earn respect through ‘helping’ efforts and any career which seeks to connect with others.
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Jupiter Stations at a Gemini Full Moon

The Circus (Le Cirque)

by Georges Seurat (1891, oil on canvas - currently housed at the Musee d'Orsay, Paris)

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The standard orb of conjunction is five degrees. And as of tomorrow (Friday, December 5, 2014) the south lunar Node will broach that five-degree orb of conjunction with regards to planet Uranus - which being already at 12 Aries (the degree Uranus will go direct at on December 21st, UT/+0) means the Nodes - which rotate backwards through the zodiac - will be entering 17 Aries on December 5th.

And why should we care about that? Well, with Jupiter about to station at 22 Leo on December 8th with Saturn (Jupiter’s astrological “partner” in all things building up or tearing down) currently at 27 Scorpio and about to move into 28 Scorpio as Jupiter goes retrograde, these two degrees - their metaphysical meanings, that is - are likely to intersect... and  overlap in somewhat different ways.

But first, a note on Saturn’s position. It matters here in particular because 28 Scorpio... a degree which concerns itself with ‘mastery’ (of self, of situations, of talents and/or inner conflicts) is the degree Saturn will go station/direct at during the earliest days of August 2015. And that metaphysically draws something a bit more substantial than a dotted line between this station/direct and August of 2015 in every and any area of life which has to do with structure or restructuring, building for the long term, social standing, achievement (that you have or that you want) and success as a functional form of self-stability in life.

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As for Lunar Nodes, any time we see either node involved in anything the keyword which should come to the fore is ‘relationship’ - which may be the human kind and may simply be the relationship between one thing and another. In our individual lives the nodes denote our relationship to our life, to that big world out there, to people (and other tangible entities) ... and to all those things we want or want to achieve in life.

You know, depending on what we relate to - and how we do or don’t go about doing that (nodal) relating thing.

So as our story begins on Friday (December 5th), Saturn is finishing its traverse of 27 Scorpio, a degree which is said to have subtle and often unnoticed effects on everyone in terms of what they do - but such qualities are readily noticed by others. With Saturn in this degree some will be working hard to do that which exudes such qualities, some will be clamping down on things and some will be exerting some effort to understand how and why this cause/effect works with an eye to utilizing said dynamic for purposeful effect.

To be noted: this is one of Scorpio’s degrees which has a reputation for marked karmic results. In other words, if you do something with a positive aim which satisfies the Scorpio requirement that it be positive for everyone...then results may be good. But for those who are on the defensive or only really trying to have things ‘their way,’ to those who are trying to manipulate something to their own benefit because it feels like ‘survival’ (not necessarily literal) is at stake...

...to them go the stale and woe begotten chips - you know, the ones which end up falling where they may.

As for that South Node we started out by mentioning, to have the South Node moving into 17 Aries awakens notes of high emotionalism... and at times some very short-sighted choices when/if what one might call ‘philosophical perspective’ isn’t adopted going in. Having a well-deserved reputation for taking the easy way through any issue, the South Node’s presence in 17 Aries may simply signal emotional self-indulgence. Then again, because this degree suggests perspective is key, some of us who are inclined (naturally or just at the moment) to take a breath and a step back before diving off cliffs (or into conversations, agreements or anything else) may find it easy to apply the Saturn brakes so that we are able to ‘take the temperature’ of the emotional waters around us - the ‘everyone involved here’ - and thus come up with a solution which does fix all in equal measure for everyone.

With Jupiter going retrograde and Saturn in direct motion until next March, there is a ‘parting’ of some ways implied here - and a shift, perhaps merely of priority. Saturn in direct motion is always about self-development at some level which is encountered through everyday life (as opposed to in our head). While Saturn remains in late Scorpio the issue is going to be about our internal vulnerabilities and fears and that which promotes or triggers, whether in real time or simple personal consideration. And no matter what happens, there are two sides to the situation - the coping with it in real time and the emotional underbelly of how it makes us feel.

And why.

Most important to us in this moment as Jupiter goes retrograde is some form of reflexive response to events, realities, information which tells us what is possible... and what isn’t - at least for now. There will be a response in the moment... and that which the response becomes over a period of days following Jupiter’s station, especially as (and after) Venus moves from Sagittarius into Capricorn.

Jupiter Station-Retrograde (glyph chart)

December 8, 2014 - 20:42 (8:42 p.m.) UT/+0 - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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Jupiter Station-Retrograde (text chart)

December 8, 2014 - 20:42 (8:42 p.m.) UT/+0 - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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That date will be December 10th (UT/+0). From there things get more pragmatic - which can be a wonderful thing if you’re trying to get something done, if not so wonderful for those who would like to live in a world of holiday abandon.

But a lot can get done.

So back to that split... Jupiter and Saturn have both been in direct motion since late July, and now Jupiter (growth, expansion) is going retrograde. For some, this marks a ‘high water mark’ on growth or growing something for this season, this year - or maybe forever.

Imaged by Sabian 143, “In a circus the bareback rider displays her dangerous skill’ (hence the header on this post), that which Marc Edmund Jones refers to as ‘the audacity and perseverance required to control and play with the powerful energies of the vital realm in human existence’ is importantly described as being a “her” - which in metaphysical terms refers to something which is ‘contained,’ or responded to, often with a dash of previous experience or knowledge (right or wrong, current or not current) figuring in the choice - which here is to ‘display’ (reveal, show, demonstrate) something ‘dangerous.’

But dangerous to whom? Because 22 Leo falls in the last third of the sign we know this is not an ‘individualist’s’ degree. So it’s not ‘about’ us individually, though it may well pertain to something we have done, which we have ‘put out there’ (into public view) or which could simply affect us if it does or doesn’t happen...which in Leo could make us dread something which could go wrong in light of same, evoking a case of the ‘What if?’s.

This one-direct, one-retrograde which squares by signs but un-squares by degree once Saturn reaches 28 Scorpio (an event which occurs on December 6th as Jupiter is formally on station). And that suggests coming to some understanding out of a juxtaposition of (Saturn) that which we must yet do (and perhaps learn how to do). and that which we know we can’t go any further with - at least for the moment (Jupiter).

And there’s still more to see here. For instance, if you’re up on your ‘this month in astrology’ doings (and if not, you can link back to this month’s Dateblog post to catch up) you’ll know that Uranus is going to be going direct on December 21st. The operative question here being when will it go retrograde again, that answer will be-and-become that Uranus will go retrograde on July 26, 2015.

That’s a week or so before Saturn goes direct at 28 Scorpio on August 2nd and about two-and-a-half weeks after Jupiter exits the shadow (on July 6, 2015) its now beginning to retrograde back into.

That's three sets of major astrological 'loops' which connect our current December with July-into-August of the year which soon will dawn, which indicates a lot going on. Some major portion of same (the Saturn and Jupiter parts) speak to places in our life where we have operational choice (and let's please remember that not choosing or choosing not to do something is also a choice). Against this there are things which are totally Uranian and not under our control - nor are they predictable. The 'rule' of lore with Uranus is to accept that which we don't control (part one) and to flex or be flexible (literally or figuratively) as we marshal our Self to respond to life despite our misgivings, using the Uranian imperative to break with or break through some sort of personal limit that we have probably set for our Self.

Some of us (of course) will think we can 'escape' any need to try. That would be Uranian as well, and only you know whether your current choices represent a status quo or some sort of personal 'breakthrough’ or not.

Just remember - if you're not 'flexing' vis-a-vis where you have been, you're probably resisting, which with Uranus is that which tends to create the greatest 'breakage.' Of all the astrological symbols, Uranus, Eris and Mars may well be the three which make their negative effects most obvious when we're off-track or refusing to utilize the energetic.

Or to put it as master astrologer (and nice guy) Robert Hand has said: use the energy wisely, lest it use you unwisely.

With Uranus in Aries getting ready to go direct in a degree (20 Aries) which if nothing else images our standing at the edge of a great change which we can only join and not avoid, it is likely that those who fritter now will have some sort of 'news' unexpectedly ‘broken’ to them. With Uranus and Saturn the joint rulers of Aquarius and Mars now in Aquarius, such news will effect what we do, bring focus to the effect what we do has...and make it plain what needs doing.

And separate from that, what we need to do.
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As for who is going to be most affected by Jupiter’s ‘turnabout,’ we can start with a range of degrees: 17 through 27, that being five degrees to either side of Jupiter’s station at 22 degrees in Leo. If your Ascendant falls in this 17-27 Leo district, this station will affect what you do, how you go about doing it, or possibly your physicality. If your Ascendant falls between 17-27 Aquarius, that means your Descendant is in the focal Leo zone, emphasizing relationships with others beyond what we’ve already seen.

Either way, try not to overdo things. Jupiter going station on any natal point can be very, very good - and then again, very, very awful.

It’s just not subtle.

So we need to be - subtle, that is. Even if you’re a professional performer used to plying your craft on-stage, it’s easy to go overboard at a Jupiter station and easy to be seen as going overboard, which asks us to enjoy, but not at someone else’s expense.

As for the Midheaven and IC (or Nadir - the bottom most point in the horoscope), Jupiter stationing within orb of conjunction to the MC or Midheaven brings all into public view with particular references to societal standing, achievements and career path or something you’re striving for while Jupiter stationing at the base of the chart can mean a change of residence, changes within the family structure or some form of powerful movement.

Beyond that, here’s a chart... 

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If you are born between any of the date spans indicated, that planet is in aspect to Jupiter’s station in your natal chart, so you can expect to ‘feel’ this Jupiter station more acutely than others.

If you're in the 'Saturn group,' things may be difficult now for any of a million reasons, and you're likely to be feeling  challenged - as much by your own need to validate yourself in your own eyes as anything else. Those who persevere in an evenhanded manner in spite of challenges (learning as you go) will in time get somewhere with their efforts even if that ends up not being where you might expect to end up as you start out.

As for those in the Uranus, Neptune and Pluto groups... well, these are transpersonal planets, so by definition there's a quality of having to learn from (or react to) that which happens now and which may well need to happen going forward. Those in the Uranian group will face questions where flexibility and a willingness to see or do things differently require a delicate touch and a definite lack of haste (lest things be made worse), against which there will be a temptation to escape or evade responsibilities - which may seem a happy solution in the short run but which will likely seed long term instability. Meanwhile, those born during the noted Neptune years will simultaneously be coming to a far greater understanding of how life really works (never mind societal PR) while letting go of things, places and activities which are no longer worthwhile - a far cry from that which most of those with Pluto being affected are going to feel. This group is highly likely to be/have been in the midst of building or rebuilding (depending on your individual life path) when something different, challenging and transformational has come upon them. Since Pluto is in the latter third of Leo during the period indicated, questions generally center around effectiveness with others and in a world which having changed now requires that these people alter their perspectives and goals accordingly - and not all of them are liking it. With Pluto, cooler heads win and knowing all the facts (not just those you like) is the basis for creating workable and worthwhile solutions.

But no, they aren't always what this group of natives like.

Moreover, with all of this said, NONE of it is only about Jupiter's symbolism, as Jupiter is still involved in a ongoing grand trine.

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This trine has changed some since we last talked about it... asteroids do come and go. But at the Jupiter end of things, Jupiter and Niobe have been a standing pair of late... which considering Jupiter as a thematic ‘grow and accrue until enough becomes  too much’ and Niobe as she who was sufficiently overblown in the go department as to compare herself to the Olympian immortals (which is as bad a bet as you could make back in the good ol’ Greek mythic days) which got all her children (read: everything she had ever created) shot down by truth (Apollo) and wisdom born of reflection (Diana).

It’s just not a moment to lie - or even boast, one suspects. And for those who have...to others or themselves?

Things could get ouch-ish.

That the South Node is conjunct Pandora and Eris virtually guarantees a smattering of things which (Eris) unsettle the status quo and (Pandora) rattle hopes as we (Pholus-Ras Alhague-Ixion) try to pull away from, or otherwise separate ourselves from something that we have (Echo) been a part of (or dedicated to) but which because of our ‘slavishness’ to the ‘idea of the thing’ as opposed to what it means in reality and modern, everyday time has come back to haunt us.

Even if it’s only in guilty conscience, there’s something we regret, and (Sun-Mercury) its unlikely we have (or have had) sufficient perspective to see what we need to see. (Yet.)

And whatever this all pertains to, it ‘hinges’ on whatever we are most fixed on in terms of where we want to ‘grow’ our life... and whether that is in, or out of proportion - not in our eyes, but in terms of that which is ours to have by eternal Nature.

One more thing to think about here - that being how all of this happens just in the wake of December’s Gemini Full Moon, which like any Full Moon is a sign of emotional emphasis, whether that’s you feeling something specific (or feeling something about something specific) or a general social-societal ‘feeling’ which to one degree or another we get swept up in, or affected by.

December's Full Moon at 14 Gemini (glyph chart)

December 6 2014 - 12:28 p.m. (UT+0) - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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 December's Full Moon at 14 Gemini (text chart)

December 6 2014 - 12:28 p.m. (UT+0) - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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In fact, because that Full Moon occurs at 12:38 p.m. (UT/+0) on Saturday the 6th and because Saturday December 6th would be part of the ‘station allowance’ we give to celestial objects as they go in or out of retrograde, whatever the ‘rising tide’ of Full Moon feeling represents in your life (and that of others) will be part of what’s leading into your experience of this Jupiter ‘turn’... which in turn might lead us to wonder whether, considering how this is a Gemini Full Moon, whether a lot of us will be changing our mind about things about now. Or to put it in a way which might fit more easily with what we’ve been musing about with regards to Jupiter, Saturn and Uranian cycles, maybe it is something which occurs around the time of the Full Moon which brings us to understand (or ‘see,’ whether literally or figuratively) why it is that we need to put the growth-expansion portion of our program on hold in favor of doing something of a more (Saturn) ‘work/effort’ nature before we move on.

In all of this, the Full Moon’s position at 14 Gemini adds a curious note about deception and things which are dishonest and even dishonorable which are about ‘toying’ with others or being ‘toyed’ with - all of which is complicated by this degree’s tendency to embody or elicit fakery and the sorts of ‘false fronts’ which deflect attention away from the some thing far more important. Obviously this isn’t a problem in the chart of a stage magician whose work is to deceive the audience, but if or where people are simply using position or advantages they have to ‘toy’ with a situation or people’s feelings (remember, this is the Moon we’re talking about), things could be problematic - and yes, highly emotional all around.

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Given the t-square with Chiron at the ‘t,’ there is nothing anyone knows in this moment which is a proper or sure-fire choice. And since all t-squares describe lessons which require that we work “through” whatever is presented to us at the ‘t,’ we’re going to have to figure and understand and emotionally own that there is no known hard-and-fast “answer” to whatever is manifesting in loud (Jupiter) bas relief...and how that means we will have to learn as we go if we are ever to achieve that success which in this moment is being pictured by Aldebaran + Moon + Rigel... the sum of that success (Aldebaran) which can only be achieved through integrity and those choices which we (Rigel) learn to apply though (Moon) emotional integrity.

However... for the astrological record, let us also note that in this Full Moon figure, all that ‘success’ - the Gemini components of Moon, Aldebaran and Rigel - in being in Gemini is subject to the position of Gemini’s ruler...which would be Mercury.

At the moment of this Full Moon, Mercury stands at 13 Sagittarius, conjunct the Sun. And whenever we see Mercury conjunct the Sun, we know that our (Mercury) thinking is lacking in perspective - and that’s even without this pair being presented in Sagittarius, a sign about ‘seeking’ with earnest fervency, to say the least.

Plus this Sun/Mercury pair is conjunct royal fixed star Antares, a star which represents the oh-so human temptation to obsessions and obsessiveness in the ‘name’ of ‘right-ness’ which always fail if only because success in whatever that situation is requires perspective of a type which is incompatible with the obsessive fixation of our mortal passions.

With asteroid Child present, we may indeed act childish during these days. Or maybe we’ll come to learn more about what children are saying. Or what they mean to us - and the difference between what they mean to us and who those children may be as individuals. With Echo in this Sagittarian mix we cannot simply function on rote - we have to think, and think as an individual. Or maybe we’ll need to reconsider something and through that we’ll change our mind about something and stop ‘Echo-ing’ others because we discover our own voice, our own opinion, our own willingness to see something a different way or in a different light.

Echo and Narcissus by John William Waterhouse (1903, oil on canvas)

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On one hand this Full Moon figure stands on its own. So there will be levels of this which is simply about your home, your life, your family, your need to get those chores done or whatever else is boggling your brain at the moment. But there is also that part of this Full Moon energy which is very much part of a bigger picture - ‘our times,’ one might say. And at that level this Full Moon, with all its internal emotional quandaries is part of a greater Jupiter (and Jupiter-Saturn) pattern, a pattern which applies to how you want to live personally - and to what is going on in our world which makes that personal desire that much harder...or easier.

Considering that Saturn and Jupiter are astrologically thought of as ‘partners’ to the Sun in all our worldly and more or less intellectual or ‘matured’ aspects of life (against Venus and Mars as the ‘partners’ of the Moon in all things feeling and emotionally valued) there is going to be a strong emphasis on things which are ‘going on’ or which we feel are ‘going on’ - which may be a reality or merely something we’re feeling.

Whichever way that goes, it all comes back to why we (Moon) feel that way... and how much we (Jupiter) know, (Sun/Mercury) understand... and are (Saturn) willing to hold not others, but ourselves to that which we know should be right, (Juno) regardless and (Uranus) apart from how we personally feel.

How we deal with that will probably spell out one thing now, in the shortest of short runs... and something else in the light of a next year which comes to pass. Whether we are willing to understand not just our cause(s) but what it takes to create some desired effect(s) is the task of the Now and moving forward... and a lot of it, we control. We can build. Jupiter and Saturn always represent aspects of our Self that can be utilized as assets if we treat them as such, though in being planets which orbit beyond the asteroid belt we understand they involve things which are not just about our Self or what we want. We can study all we want in isolation, we can work all we want in isolation but ultimately, to satisfy Jupiter and Saturn - planets which together rule the zodiac’s four most worldly signs (with a little help from Uranus and Neptune). In saying that we also say that whatever Jupiter and Saturn represent comes to fruition and ultimate fulfillment through worldly ‘exposure’ of some sort. They require that we learn to navigate with others. With society. Through ‘the system,’ whatever that may be.

And what that means... and how we need to go about it?

That lies at the heart of things which happen now and which need to happen going forward, sometimes because of how we feel... and sometimes in spite of it.
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Mercury Retrograde at 2 Scorpio

A barn raising in Lansing (now North York City Centre) Toronto, Canada

(photo credit Alexander W Galbraith/c. 1900-19, photo courtesy of City of Toronto Archives)

I was stiff when I got up this morning - unusually so, even for an injured person. Figuring there's nothing to do but cope, I went about my business... turning on the television, setting water on for tea...

It didn't take all that long to realize that even for Los Angeles, traffic was particularly rancid this morning.

Putting it together, it makes sense: Mercury has moved on station as of October 2nd to go retrograde on October 4th at 5:03 in the evening, UT/+0 time - and in having done so within some rather evident proximity to the Aries Lunar Eclipse which will occur on October 8th we're getting very personal, physical, situational effects.

Expect such things to keep happening. The Mercury part of this (read: the motion, the thought, the exchange of information or conversation) will ease out of the energetic equation as of the 6th or so (as Mercury's station allowance runs out)... but at that point we're very much into the heart of the incoming eclipse, which in being lunar is very much about emotionality (the experience/effects of) as well as anything which evokes a feeling response.

Which is a rather all-encompassing sort of statement, I know. But then, this is emotionality - the 'where humans live.' As I have asserted elsewhere and experienced in first person reality, human life is an emotional thing. We're emotional creatures. How we feel determines whether we will even get to those lofty, respectable, well-structured thoughts we all like to think we can rely on.

(And isn't it sad how we're so often wrong about that?)

In going retrograde at 2 Scorpio, Mercury is asking us to be use that part of our nature - and also our thinking nature. It's asking that we be responsible in taking charge of our own most human nature. There seems to be some necessity for disappointment with this degree, as if only through failure can we resolve ourselves to our Self as a human person and proceed on that basis.

You know, as the mortal, not the icon, real or imagined.

As for the emotionality which tends to arise at this time, it tends to be very positive or negative and not all that much betwixt or between. Imaged by the Sabian symbol 'a house-raising part in a small village enlists the neighbor's cooperation' 2 Scorpio references both acceptance and it's opposition - rejection and marginalization - plus all the various types of protections (the house) which goes or doesn't go with same.

Then again, there's a Mercury/Neptune factor here as Mercury is going into retrograde in trine to Neptune - a sign that there may be...or have been...some compromise of clarity or truth in the works - all of which seems strikingly in keeping with Royal/fixed star Aldebaran having just moved from 9 to 10 Gemini (Gemini being a Mercury-ruled sign) as of yesterday, October 1st. (See previous post.)

Mercury seeks to clarify - either through mentality (the Gemini way) or through how something is done (or what gets done) - that being more of the Virgo/Mercury solution. But when Neptune and Mercury are in aspect, Neptune's famous 'is it real...is it not real?' qualities of illusion - willful or otherwise - create complications. Confusion. Even out and out lies.

Or, of course, the exposure of same.

So some who have been deceived will discover now. Some who have been deceivers will be laid bare now. All such moments could happen in a snap... or they may 'come to be' over time, which is to say through whatever occurs during Mercury's three weeks in apparent 'reverse.'

Reverses of circumstance, reversals of decisions... we are likely to see/experience many changes of course (charted and otherwise) in these weeks ahead. In going retrograde at 2 Scorpio Mercury's position theoretically supports and enhances our realization... even our understanding/need to understand all the many and varied forms of trial and human ugliness which have been surfacing of late. That Mercury both starts and ends this retrograde period in trine to Neptune combines rather well with the image of the Scorpio eclipse both as a notice as to how we have been 'kidding ourselves' (aka lying to ourselves) or simply where we've been being irresponsible.

To our Self/selves, that is. The single and ultimate plural are both implied here, so there is the You and then there is the Everyone, with virtually nothing between. Given next week's lunar eclipse there is-was-will be many an issue which concerns guidelines and success is attained generally/most often through a basic agreement to (as they say) 'play by the rules.' Problems will occur through trust placed in the wrong people, with such alliances generally based in convenience rather than anything else.

But still, it all counts.

Also - considering how 15 Aries (the degree of the lunar eclipse) has a known tendency to produce the thing we fear through the very energetic of fearing it, this is a time to control our indulgence of our own emotionality. With Mercury going retrograde, some matters will/should be reflected on most thoroughly with an eye to understanding the full spectrum of emotions which may lie behind the urge to do or say something. That Mercury's station is in Scorpio will drive a desire to 'control the conversation' (and thus the emotions and emotionality in place) but to do such a thing - to attempt to manipulate or control are likely to somehow come to naught, most often for reasons which are not all that apparent at this time.

You'll just have to wait, in other words.

Speaking of the post just before this one - that being about Aldebaran's move to 10 Gemini - Aldebaran is, of course, the fixed star which promises success ONLY if we uphold (or establish) standards of integrity. So that Aldebaran is making this move as Mercury goes on station puts a little Mercury in the Aldebaran quotient (lending a quality of vulnerability - ours - to our own insecurities as part of our process) and lends a little Aldebaran to the Mercury station.

In other words, don't be surprised if integrity fouled begins to produce karma.

By the time Mercury reaches its station/direct point on October 25th (UT/+0), the Sun will have eclipsed and we will be not just be ready to move on, we will already be in the process of moving on. (Solar eclipses are odd like that - so often we recognize what they're 'about' only after they occur.) And because Mercury's 16 Scorpio station/direct effects will begin on October 23-24 (depending on where you are) we're seeing Mercury involved with both eclipses - one at either end of its retrograde. Hopefully 16 Scorpio will manifest with on the positive side - which 16 Scorpio is noted for, though its traits of reliability, honor and courage can/will obviously be seen as positive to some and (simultaneously) as trouble to others.

As always, that choice will be ours. The Scorpio (Mercury) component here is always about choice, with our choice always being whether we are willing to treat and experience others as equals. (In other words, it's what you do/don't do which counts...and why you do or don't do it.) Since Scorpio is not about 'them' and what 'they' are doing but rather about whether we're able to be honest with our Self about our Self, what we have earned now survives, doing so through validation, interaction, connection and mutual support.

And what about what we have not earned? That begins to cool and grow less appealing, whether in our Mercurial regard or that of others.

One last thought... in going retrograde in conjunction with asteroid Lumiere while also trine Neptune it is likely that at least part of what we are not seeing (or being willing to believe or accept) is something we also regard as 'a light' [Lumiere] in our life.

What that means and why it means whatever it means to us is at least part of why this Mercury retrograde has come along. And while it is true that Mercury/Neptune can represent 'the lie,' they can also represent that hope, that thing we hold onto in order to get ourselves through something.

Which is which, you ask?

That's individual. However... as we also know that when Mercury goes direct on October 25th (UT/+0) it will be doing so in conjunction with asteroid Lilith (what I deny or ignore in or about my own life) and Typhon, an emblem of something very basic and very primal. We also know that this October 25th station will occur in relating/relationship-oriented Libra and at one of Libra's more feeling and inspiring degrees (16 Libra).

What this 'spells' (if you will) is an opportunity to learn something about ourselves over these next few weeks which in recognizing will break through our reluctance to understand ourselves in conjunction with others. That, plus Aldebaran's shift plus the idea how by October 25th the Sun, Venus and Pallas (wisdom born of a logical, dispassionate perspective) will either release us to be our kinder (16 Libra) Self or put us in position to be open to that which happens then.

Or it may glue us utterly in place, forcing us to see how our personal short-sightedness (read: self-concern, self-focus) has now hindered our various goals.

After all, apart from all the missed phone calls, distracted conversations, mental headaches, sloppy/botched efforts, losses and mistakes, delays of schedule and endless interruptions so common with any (and every) Mercury retrograde regardless of sign, in a sense Mercury retrograde is all about getting our inner house in order so that we are ready to be graced with all which happens in retrograde's wake. Mercury retrogrades are famous (infamous, actually) for putting us through something which only comes clear just after Mercury goes direct.

And then there's the retrograde shadow. Mercury entered the shadow of its retrograde over the weekend of September 13-14 (depending on what time zone you were in) a won't exit that shadow until November 10th. So while the actual retrograde period may feel the most 'retrograde-like' (putting us on the spot with our Self), there is a greater if rather more 'shadowy' (meaning 'less apparent') implication of some process which spans this entire arc - and which, at least in the short (next three month/lunar eclipse) run is likely to feel terribly, terribly important.

The only thing is that in reality, it's not. And that's where we may be kidding ourselves - a concept we may profit long term by remembering not to forget.
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Aldebaran @ 10 Gemini (2014-2086)

 Constellation Taurus

(image generated using Stellarium software)

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There are a lot of famous stars, though what they’re famous for (and who made them famous) varies. Astrology certainly has its share of same, for sure - though even among astrologers there are a group of stars which seem to take stage center front more often than not.

Those stars are known as the Royal Stars of Persia. The complete list of Royal Stars is several dozen names long, but of those we use all the time, none seems any more important than Aldebaran.

All Royal Stars promise success IF (and only if) some particular human foible is avoided. With Aldebaran, that challenge regards integrity - most specifically, the not violating of one’s integrity.

This makes astrological sense of a rather important type when we think of Aldebaran as a star which sits at the heart of the zodiac constellation known as Taurus.

You know, Taurus values - what we value and what we are valued for against all our insecurities and vulnerabilities.

All of which gets tested out through our various Adventures Scorpionic. You know... like the 0 Scorpio solar eclipse about to occur on October 23rd (UT/+0)?

For decades now (many plural decades) Aldebaran has been sitting at 9 Gemini, a degree which tends to involve us in very complex issues and ideas, occasionally causing us to outsmart (or scare) ourselves in the process. Known for amazing thought processes which tend not to lead to accomplishment under the influence of this degree, Aldebaran’s having been positioned at 9 Gemini since September 1943 suggests that when it comes to what we’ve created or begun to understand or harness hasn’t even really begun paying off.

Imagine that.

Considering all that, is it logical or philosophically reasonable to think that just as Aldebaran is about to change degrees it would represent the pressure and squeezing of us, each and all, getting us to give up (cough up, let go of) that which is so futile... that which will not ever bear the dreamed of fruit?

It often works that way with planets. Why not stars?

In any case, now Aldebaran’s ‘integrity required’ directive is moving to 10 Gemini. The date the change occurs is October 2nd (UT/+0), and the degree ‘ten’ in any sign is one which includes an experience of.. or embodying of... some sort/amount of feeling(s). In a sign known for dispassionate perspective, 10 Gemini somehow ‘breaks’ that mold by being known for its strong compassion and desire to uphold justice (and correct injustices) which given Aldebaran’s presence speaks to an undercurrent we are going to hear a lot about (and feel in our own lives) over the seven or so decades.

During that time we will each meet up with many ways which ask us to connect with and uphold the concept of compassion, injustice, reform and so on.

And because Aldebaran will be in 10 Gemini, we are required to uphold standards of universal integrity. That means that things many people have ‘gotten away with’ up until now will no longer work. Corner-cutting or bypassing which has been accepted prior to now will either not be accepted/acceptable, or not work - to substantial (even great) cost.

This is a degree of beginnings - and evidently the need to begin with integrity, and to build or progress with ever more integrity. This is a degree of insight, which with Aldebaran at 10 Gemini suggests that one of our tests is going to be knowing the limits of integrity as a concept, for though we will understand much in the years ahead, not all of it will be what we’d like.

Aldebaran ‘travels’ in zodiacal opposition to another of the Royal Stars, a star which goes by the name of Antares and whose test involves obsession.

Don’t do it, in other words. Where Antares is concerned, obsession - which in this case is coming from Sagittarius (the “I Know the Truth and What’s Right”) undermines ultimate success.

(Ours, that is.)

In perfect opposition for these past more-than-several decades (and thus in the natal charts of everyone born since 1944) this Aldebaran-Antares dynamic is our challenge to find our passion... and the need to remain aware of our limits. That balance is in each chart and each life... and now that which was spinning like a gyroscope is going to begin to wobble -- just a bit, and just for a few years as Antares will also change degrees as of 2017, re-establishing a sense of inner directives.

But it’s could be a bit lumpy for the next few years. Things don’t have to be wildly out-of-round, but they will inflict on us a sense of being just barely out-of-balance. The smart money being on remembering this fact when things go wonky, it is to be expected that a lot of people (from every walk of life) are going to be flailing just a touch... or now and again... as they attempt to control that which cannot be controlled.

To typify this star as a more familiar sort of energy, one might call it assertion. But it’s more than that. Aldebaran represents the making of a point and the understanding of some point.

It also represents the need to simply know - not because we want to be right, but rather as a matter of living a life in which information doesn’t just allow us to make better choices but which requires of us to do that ‘right’ thing (live up to our own standards of integrity) and to that which is right because that’s simply the right thing to say, think or ultimately, do.
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Astrologer's Diary: Mercury in Scorpio, Venus in Libra

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I feel like I'm in a race against the solar eclipse. As I've told you, I have a back injury. And try as I may, it's amazingly hard to get help for it.This is not about naming names or pointing fingers... it's about a serious physical need on my part and a dismal amount of systemic and individual unwillingness to take responsibility for what one is supposed to take responsibility for (since that's what you're doing) going around.

All such moments (people, situations, choices)...and I'm sure you're either running into it or embodying it (whether out of necessity or preference)...reflects the October 23rd solar eclipse at 0 Scorpio.

Hence my race. That eclipse can't get here and gone in my book. (And yes, there is great irony to saying you're running any race when your problem is a back injury.) However... with that duly quipped (I'll be telling jokes on my death bed, no doubt), before I contemplate surrendering to being horizontal, here are a few thoughts Mercury moving into Scorpio and Venus entering Libra which may be tasty or tasteful enough to chew on:

Mercury is entering Scorpio late on the 27th at 10:40 in the evening (UT/+0 time) and Venus will enter Libra on September 29th at 8:53 in the evening, UT/+0 time.

These two signs (Libra and Scorpio) occur in succession (Libra then Scorpio). As with any two adjacent signs, this means their tone (element) and nature or mode of activity (modality) is entirely different. Mercury entering Scorpio is all about passionate thinking and feeling our way into issues. Or feeling because of issues.

Meanwhile Venus is entering Libra - the sign which most exemplifies the whole Venusian (Aphrodite) 'beauty' idea.

And idea is the thing, too. It's the idea of what beauty is... or what we would like, this Venusian move. On one hand it supports grace in (and of) conversation. It's an opportunity to be creative and when much can come of what you otherwise might think is something easy.

On the other, Venus in Libra can be lazy (think 'languid,' but in an uglier, more irresponsible light). Venus in Libra can also be charming. Or graciously demanding in that curious way no one even thinks to frown at or resist.

With Mercury's having entered Scorpio, there's likely to be some sort of 'subterranean' atmosphere - the aura of wanting to know (or) wanting to play your cards carefully/close to the vest, whether that's needed particularly or not.

That's right - we could be fooling ourselves about how good OR bad something is simply because we're far too over-focused, a quality which is likely to infiltrate everyone's thinking and feel less than pleasant (!!!) as Mars (in Sagittarius) comes into semi-sextile with Pluto (in Capricorn) just as Mercury changes signs.

The 'solution' here is in keeping with all semi-sextiles: we are going to feel 'offended' and yet, to act solely on that (to allow ourselves to 'operate in the reactive,' as it were) only makes things worse. Semi-sextiles, in this case whether that of Mercury-to-Venus' Libra/Scorpio combination or this other Mars/Pluto (Sagittarius/Capricorn) tend not to indicate  comfortable moments. But they are just that - moments.

And another thing... in stirring up Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius and Capricorn, this pair of semi-sextiles is combining to effect a complete and continuous image of one-third of the zodiac - the operative interactive and worldly third of the zodiac - being involved in challenging processes of an interactive nature.

Any time Pluto and Mars connect by transit there's a generous quality of focus/over-focus which gets lobbed into our works. In this case, the prime/most intense period for same begins (in earnest) during the latter part of the day on September 29th (UT/+0). From there it will extend into October 1st - but the repercussions and effects of this time will continue to evolve for most of two months.

You know... through the solar eclipse and beyond, a fact made all the more poignant by the fact that Pluto is the 'outcome ruler' of Scorpio, sign of said eclipse.

Prepare for more unearthing of whatever is very wrong - in the world, yes... but even more than that terms of who we are and why we value and devalue others most of all. Through bringing out all the many ways our interactions aren't working this eclipse - as part of the plural-year Scorpio eclipse sequence now being completed - we are being asked to consider what our most basic values are and whether we are inclined (or even able) to relate to our own sense of weakness with as much perspective and in-depth consideration as that we tend to apply to others, however we relate to them.

Then there's the fact that Libra is a cardinal sign, which can indicate promptness, wit and being in the right place at the right time...or impatience, demands of nature and a general tendency to downgrade someone or something simply because we want what we want at the moment, whether it's important or not.

Against this, Scorpio is a fixed sign... and fixed signs live up to the idea of being 'fixed in place' rather well. Even half-past well - at a level which is all about wanting your own way because the idea of having to feel someone else get their way or deal with someone else getting to dictate to us isn't anything we want to face.

But nothing is forever in this formulation as Mercury's about to go retrograde. (I know... you're just jazzed, right?) The start of said retrograde is October 4th at 5:03 in the afternoon (UT/+0 time) with Mercury at 2 Scorpio, a degree which asks whether we are willing to take on the responsibilty of getting past our own challenges - challenges which are defined as intense and intensely testing of us on the inside.

Think 'do I have faith in my Self?' 

It will take Mercury a full week to move back through three degrees and re-enter Libra (on October 11th) - an indication that things are generally 'sticky,' probably within and without. There is an 'up' side here however... once everything shakes out the next (almost) two weeks will have both Mercury and Venus in Libra, giving us time to get a lot done - none of which is worldly or highly apparently.

The actual nature of this time is self-reflective. And it's during this self-reflective period with its flashes of forward insight and moments of recognition with regards to why something doesn't work that the solar eclipse occurs.

Oh joy...a solar eclipse under Mercury retrograde. We're being asked to let go of some old idea, some image, some vulnerability we probably cover with a bristling shield of armor. Plus (if you must know)... this incoming eclipse is going to occur in full-fledged conjuction with Venus.

A few values are getting radically changed.

What things are they will not be two-and-a-half years from now. We don't believe it... most of us can't even see it. But it's out there. Something is happening which besides occuring (and probably testing us) in the present is also preparing us for something which will occur a couple of years from now, something which we wouldn't even be prepared to appreciate if we weren't going through all the many things occupying us right now.

And granted, a lot of what's going around now is more than a little trying.

Against which, we're trying. (Hopefully.)

The idea of 'quality' is afoot. To get there, we are each facing our flaws, our weak points, our not-so-universal perspective and whatever tendency we have to insist on having things our way regardless of whether others agree. Or are even safe.

If I can get back here (all puns intended) in any short amount of time (I'm not that tall, so it shouldn't be impossible...) its on the calendar to explore the idea of Aldebaran (the royal star of integrity) moving to 10 Gemini. The date for this shift is October 1st, and as opposed to 9 Gemini (a degree which stresses mentality, mental stress and an indescribable need to be involved at a micro-detail level)... Aldebaran's next position is going to underscore the need to help and protect the poor, the abused, the neglected while doing two other things: 1.) internally recognizing the ills of human nature, complete to why we choose such actions in the name of 'solution' and 2.) requiring of our Self that we not embody those ills, particularly as pertains to others - the more innocent, beleaguered or battered, the more importantly.

Taken all together, yes, this does sound like the approach to a solar eclipse. Chances are we each already know about what is about to be eclipsed, though as yet few of us believe the bond will break, the time will come, that fate will move us on.

But it will. Mostly because by the time we get through the next month or two, we'll see the sense of letting go - not of our Self, but of something we've been clinging to because we think we can be nothing deeply satisfying without it.
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