Venus in Virgo

  The Kiss of Peace by Julia Margret Cameron

People tend to associate Libra with beauty. That works fine as a concept, but in understanding Venus…how it works and why its transit of one sign feels natural and another denotes a somewhat more challenging time is because Libra isn’t beauty as a quality.

Venus is the sense of satisfaction or happiness that anything you consider beautiful or delightful or sumptuous or wonderful evokes. If success makes you happy, to you, successful moments are Venusian. If seeing something beautiful – be it a piece of art, a ballet, a baby laughing or a stunning bit of natural scenery…if that evokes a sense of fulfillment and ‘ahhhhhh….’ feeling in your heart, soul and tummy…whatever it is about that moment, be it the feeling of hot sun on your skin while you’re lying on the beach, that thrill of delight when fireworks light up the sky, that first bite of something yummy which recalls your favorite moment from childhood…

That trigger, that feeling, the ability to conjure that feeling of happy satisfaction – even for just the moment – that’s your astrological Venus.

There are all sorts of places to go with this idea. But certainly if I tell you that much about Venus, then you’ll understand why the person who is unhappy on the inside is never ‘cured’ by the diet or the new love affair or the fancy home or any amount of money.

Venus abides deep in the inner sanctum of our soul. And when in reality you don’t know how to evoke that feeling of satisfaction, security, delight…when your don’t know what will give you a lasting sense of peace, that’s when we know you have an astrological Venus issue.

Getting in touch with our Venus is important. For most of us, our childhood greatly shapes our mortal Venus.

But not always. Sometimes for good, sometimes not so much so, people come and go in our lives and there are those who will teach us more about love and humanity than our parents have.

They evoke our Venus. The touch is theirs...but the Venus is ours.

 Painted by Luke Fildes in 1914, the painting is called 'Motherless' and it depicts a young child in loving arms. So often we think that love comes only from mothers or family...modern society has caused us to become suspicious of each other.It doesn't have to be that way...we each have the ability to reach out, to nurture and to care.

Understanding that as ruler of Libra and Taurus Venus is not about what happens or is given to you but developing a life which will cause those things to happen? That’s even better.

In the merry world of astrology (!!!) there are a couple of forms of planet-sign combination considered a big ‘plus.’ One is rulership. In its sign of rulership, a planet is said to manifest its qualities easily and fully. And as we said, with Venus, those signs are Libra – the sign of interaction and relating where we get to present that person we’ve ‘created of ourselves’ and (hopefully) get the right reaction from others and through that achieve a sense of satisfaction and inner peace…and the other is Taurus, a sign all about self-worth and the satisfaction which comes from having lived a life you can respect and which you find fits you body, soul, spirit, heart and morality.

But there’s another form of positive ‘dignity’ – that’s the astrological name for a planet/sign combination which is by and large a symbiotic plus. That second form of plus is called exaltation. When a planet is in the sign of exaltation that sign, by its nature exalts the qualities associated with the planet in question and its operational imperatives.

With Venus, we not only have to make something of ourselves and our abilities, we have to have the faith to go out there and be that person. Apart from that, everybody knows the quintessential qualities which describe the reactions which elicit that Venus ‘ahhhh…’: appreciation, applause, compliments, admiration and – yes – love.

And the sign which melds the idea of faith and love? That would be Pisces…and yes, Venus is exalted in Pisces. You may know a few Pisces people who seem to be in love with love, right? (We all know a few.)

Taking all that and thinking it through, if Venus is liberated to be faith-inspiring-ly, romantic, sensual and loving in Pisces (which it is), then there are some plus and minuses of Venus in Virgo – the passage just ahead.

Venus will enter the earthy, reality-oriented, deal-with-the-dirt (and dirty jobs) Virgo on Wednesday, October 3rd at 7 in the morning, UT/+0 time. For those who can see dealing with the corporeal and ‘imperfect’ challenges of life with an air of practicality and mindfulness of being of service or 'part of the process,' Venus in Virgo is fine. Anyone with a 9-to-5 job who understands it as a means to their end will be fine.

Venus in Virgo is associated with nurturance...the blessing of the patient parent is Venus in Virgo, the spiritual or medical caretaker is a Venus in Virgo person. Even the soldier who defends us, the person who comes to save us from the stuck sink pipe, the civil servant who does their best despite public hassling, the stock person who hunts down that pair of socks in blue for you...they're all Venus in Virgo figures.

Here, a waste collection truck goes about its business in Prague. From doing service with the knowledge that you're doing some good to service which is done for the good of others, Venus in Virgo honors many. To the extent that things seem difficult, annoying or frustrating in the next few weeks, to the extent that others don't seem to like, approve or support you in the ways that you need help or support...? That may well be the reflection of your own feelings about being of service in this world. Venus in Virgo often reveals the Scrooge so as to prove to others that such feelings exist...and so that the person 'being' Scrooge-ish can see that they need to take others more into account.  (August 2005, public domain)

(And yes, I do know this post is going up early. Take it as a sign that there’s a busy week ahead!)

There are however, a few exceptions and qualifications on those statements above. Remember Regulus? Yes, royal star Regulus is sitting right there smack dab on the Virgo doorstep – at 0 Virgo. Regulus promises success to those who deal with whatever without exacting retribution. Vengeance is a big no-no in the Regulus world.

There’s also the fact that Neptune is at this moment sitting exactly opposite (in zodiacal terms) at 0 Pisces. And Neptune is in retrograde, indicating that it’s ‘yes/no?’ qualities meant to cause us to have faith in truth (read: acceptance of reality) is…well…a mite challenging at this time.

And by implication, about to be challenging throughout the next few weeks while Venus transits Virgo, a passage which ends on October 28th.

There’s also the wee idea (read: fact) that Neptune is in conjunction with (meaning Venus’ conjunction with Regulus is in opposition with) Fomalhaut/Niobe at 4 Pisces and Bali/Chiron at 5 Pisces.

This is an interesting little subtext all its own. Fomalhaut being another of the sky’s four royal stars promises success only where dreams and means are not corrupt, corrupted or corruptive. Conjunct Niobe (a symbol of pride) this is bad news – now and in the weeks ahead - for anyone who has lived/exhibited the kind of boastful pride which got everything Niobe cared about shot down.

Not shockingly, Bali (paradise) with Chiron represents that happiness which we should guard, which we should have taken better care of, and which we need to fix but don’t quite know how to fix…(and which we will never know how to fix until we try!)

 Put all this together and you have a whole bubble, bubble, stewing and making trouble sort of recipe which is in us.

Yes, we may encounter things which prompt us to think about whatever the matter is. For those who are living pretty cleanly, there will be people and situations which no doubt will tempt you or poke you and see if you’re really devoted to steering clear of corruption and vengeance.

And for those who have acted in a manner which was corrupt for the moment or your position in some matter, those who have taken out their spite and ire on others when they shouldn’t have…this Venus passage has your name all over it!

Yes…for you this would be a good time to think through (with yourself) why you did what you did and where that urge came from. If you can be honest with yourself and honest with those who you have hurt, harmed or willfully attempted to dupe, marginalize, sideline or whatever else…then you may really experience some magic in your life.

Metaphysics is a funny thing…we talk about something like this and I refer to the ‘magic’ which may happen and we don’t seem to understand that the good we do in one place may well come back to us in another.

It’s sort of a universal cycle of earning. Considering that right after Venus gets through this relatively trying (not gloriously Venusian) period at hand then comes Venus in Libra (a totally pro-Venusian period) what we earn now may well come back to us then.

Since late April (2012) Venus has been transiting the first six signs of the zodiac. Those signs are all about internal and personal growth, learning, experiences and development. Once Venus enters Libra, it moves into its public, visible, worldly, interactive and contributing phase – a phase much more conducive to Venus effects we like, treasure and long for.

We’re just doing the earning now. Venus in Virgo is all about ‘cleaning up our act’ and fine tuning our abilities to interact with others in such a manner that they’ll like, appreciate and (yes) reward us.

The Regulus-Neptune-Fomalhaut-Chiron suggestions are clear enough. To do them, we have to live less in our heads and desires and more in the realities of whatever our track record really is.

Virgo asks that things be made better, more functional, cleaner and more effective. Venus in Virgo tells us our rewards come through sorting through that recipe and through working towards being someone we would not just like but respect if we met ourselves. There’s an earthiness to Venus in Virgo which can be liberating in its revelations. And so long as we can do that without compromising a prioritization of responsibilities and choices we know work not just for us but for everyone… (that’s the BIG everyone – not just your chosen few!)…then having flung your fling is just fine.

Just remember to rebuild whatever castles you’ve brought down in ruins first. You’ll thank yourself for it oh…in just shy of a month from now!
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Mercury in Taurus

 Mercury - a statue by Francois Rude

When Mercury enters Taurus on May 9^th at 5:14 in the morning (UT/+0) we will all move into a somewhat more serious mode. Not depressed - serious. Instead of thinking in terms of what life can be or could be (or what we wish it was), we’ll be thinking more in terms of what it is and what it needs to be in order for us to feel like we’re at least headed in the right direction.

Life is interconnected. It’s all a continuum - that’s the meaning of E=mc² (or as the ancient Maya used to say, inlakech). Over thousands of years, astrologers have watched the skies and watched human beings (we assume they mumbled dastardly things from time to time, but little of that got into the written record)…and they noticed not an overlap, but a connectivity of influences. It’s not quite ‘the ankle bone is connected to the shin bone’ sort of thing, but it is an understanding that there are patterns and harmonics to life - from which arise the idea of sign rulership.

I know people (astrologers, even) who think that astrology is willy-nilly and that anything can be made to sound like anything you want it to. That’s not true. The reason why metaphysical research goes on is because sometimes you try to fit the square peg into the round hole and it just doesn’t work. The smart person (or astrologer) goes to find the round peg.

I make no claims about the others.

In this case, the connective Taurean harmonic is Venus - ruler of Taurus and Libra, signs which are all about the quality of our life. In Taurus, we recognize our qualities, and decide if we like ourselves. (If we don’t, hopefully we work on it.) In Libra, Venus represents the quality of that we put out into the world (said ‘quality’ being a reflection of the Taurean Venus) …and according to that quality of Self or the qualities of our work, we create the ‘cause’ which generates the ‘effect’ from others…and in time, the like attracts like principle of who we end up spending our time with. If we don’t attend to some lack of quality we see in ourselves, we can bet we’re going to attract others with a similar lack of quality in themselves …as those are the people who - to put it as blatantly if gracelessly as one Taurus male I know put it with regards to himself, those are the people who will ‘who will put up with’ us.

Mercury enters Taurus

(Aries Wheel - Location not Specific) 

We can change that at any time. And as a matter of fact, this is about as good a time as any for changing things about yourself - the ‘quality’ of your life or how you live.

Actually, it’s a better time than many…particularly if life has been ‘telling’ you of late that you have some issues with personal ‘quality.’

Question: What makes this a better time?

Answer: Venus is about to go retrograde as of May 15. 

Retrograde is the classic time when you can’t get things done ‘out there’ …which metaphysically says it would be the time to deal with stuff on the inside. The planet (Venus, in this case) is on the other side of the Sun (from Earth) when it’s in retrograde. So the Sun (life) is getting in the way of ‘your making a connection’ to whatever the precept represented by that planet is.

With Venus, we would guess appreciation in any form. It may be money, it may be love, it may be just the warmth of laughter or cuddles. And even if you’re getting the money (which is possible) or getting the love or sharing the laughs…they really don’t satisfy like they usually do.

That’s the retrograde quality. More money, more love, more laughter isn’t going to ‘hit the spot’ because, believe it or not, you’re not available to be loved or appreciated or to feel worthy and valued. Venus retrograde is simply like that.

So as Mercury enters Venus, it’s beginning to stir up all that intuition. With Venus at 23 Gemini at the time when Mercury enters Taurus, this is a back-and-forth self-feeding cycle (Venus rules Taurus, Mercury rules Gemini) astrology calls a mutual reception.

 Venus and Mercury by Bartholomaus Spranger (1585)

And that’s not all. Venus is conjunct Byblis (trying to defend the indefensible), Lust (focus-fixation), Bellatrix (the difficult idea to get across or comprehend) and Amphitrite - the idea we find hard to accept which in time catches up to us.

We’re all dealing with some of this. And that Mercury itself is entering Taurus in a perfect opposition to asteroid Medusa? While the story is of Medusa is not exactly about being ‘turned to stone,’ there is a quality of being stopped in your tracks with asteroid Medusa. 

But the thing which stops us in our tracks is realizing what the truth about something really is. Either we’re scared to know the real truth or we are scared of what knowing that truth is going to mean to the rest of our world.

The truth is the truth. And that we’re scared of it is about US.

With Medusa in opposition to Mercury’s entrance into Taurus speaks of a confrontation: either you’re concerned about having it or you’re having some sort of Mercury/Medusa gag-fest over having been confronted with something which - (gulp!) - says something about you.

With Mercury trine the Moon at 1 Capricorn in this figure it’s really likely that someone has taken a hard line and that said hard line was like-as-not taken a little fast. That may be ‘too fast for your liking’ and then again, you may have overstepped your bounds or done or said something before you had sufficient (Medusa) facts to act with a degree of wisdom.

That’s another thing about Medusa: the whole Medusa issue is about Athena - dispassionate (often intellectual) wisdom. The story of Medusa is really all about human vanity and our yearning for ‘immortality’ which we get a chance to earn through investment in intelligence and a loyalty to a high standard of clarity….but which we flub up on by giving in to emotional cravings. Medusa embodies the ‘cost’ of indulging ourselves by flagrant disregard of standards ethical and commitments personal.

In this case, the cumulative effect of Medusa, Moon, Venus, Byblis, Lust, Bellatrix and Amphitrite involved with Venus already slowing down to go retrograde represents a growing awareness that we have undermined ourselves at some level.

Then we add in the fact that Mercury is also inconjunct Juno…self discipline or the need to run one’s ‘personal household’ (your life) with discipline. The inconjunct represents an ‘adjustment’ you need to make, and with this happening from Taurus to Sagittarius, we have an eight-sign “departing inconjunct” which says you need to make a decision. The decision is to leave XYZ behind OR to be left behind by ABC.

After all that, next we get to the muddying of the mental waters.

 

What? You thought things were messy enough? Heavens no…! We have a mere eleven days until we hit the moment of a Gemini Solar Eclipse. And before that happens, Venus is going to go retrograde.

Did you really think thinking things through would be easy about now?

Uh…sorry, no.

So back to that murky muddy thing. Mercury is in sextile to Neptune/Bali in early Pisces. So we have some pretty, dreamy, happy ‘little lie’ we would like to tell…or like to tell ourselves…about things being all happy and good and such. The reason why we would like to tell this little lie (no matter who it’s to - them or ourselves) is because we would like to have to avoid feeling bad. 

Okay…so what do you think the chances of that are, considering Venus is about to go retrograde?

Interestingly though, there is help - though you may be too close to the issue to really see the answer to your own problem here. As Mercury enters Taurus it is not just opposing Medusa and not just trine a ‘maybe too fast’ Capricorn Moon. It’s not just sextile Neptune/Bali and it’s not just overloaded by a Byblis-Lust-Bellatrix-Amphitrite-Venus conversation spinning in the back of our brains.

The good news - for those willing to get down to it - is that Mercury is also conjunct Vesta/Phaeton. Vesta representing ‘sacred service’ (personal promises) and Phaethon representing the impulsively brazen ‘devil-may-care’ teen nature which frequently overreaches good sense tells us where our gliches (or lack of quality may be). So providing we’re willing to deal with that and not compound our errors with insisting on doing ‘more of the lack-of-quality same,’ we may be able to redeem ourselves - first and foremost in our own eyes.

 The Fall of Phaethon by Peter Paul Rubens

Considering that Mercury will be in Taurus for only about two weeks, this next little while is a time to get straight with ourselves. Because Mercury in Taurus lends itself to conversations which pertain to quality or lacks thereof, this can be an excellent time to get some input from someone or even for rebuilding bridges with someone, should you have had a problem.

Negotiations of the business type are also favored by this transit, although with Venus about to go retrograde and the Gemini Solar eclipse this is not a ‘business as usual’ sort of cut-and-dry moment. If you get a job now, don’t plan on the position you accept being the one which you end up working in. This isn’t any cause for terror - after all, you may end up in a position you like much better or which you are better suited for.

On other business levels, Mercury in Taurus leading into the Venus retrograde would also be a marker for complex business negotiations or dealings which end up being solidified as or after Venus goes direct in late June. If you have any interest in developing a business with someone, this is a good time to open discussions but don’t plan on any agreements reached in short order holding for the duration. This is a fine time for development of any ideas and for improving the structure, operations or design of anything you need to move forward with - especially long term. Again, just don’t think anything’s going to get sorted out in five minutes. Or if it does, that it won’t need to be revamped.

Mercury in Taurus is an opportunity. This Mercury in Taurus in particular offers us the chance to get some real insight on ourselves - insights which can lead us to a happier and more profitable future.

The one challenge here: facing our weaknesses, our errors, our vulnerabilities, our misguided efforts.

Depending on their nature or the ‘size’ of the glitch, you may have to spend some real time investing in fixing some problem.

But in the end, aren’t you worth it? Besides, what other choice to you really have?

Hidalgo on station

  Backlot ‘Western Street’ at Universal Studios
photo credit: Ipsingh

I don’t know about you, but there’s something very ‘old western movie’ about Hidalgo going on station in the last days of Uranus being at 29 intense and critical degrees of Pisces. It's got a bit of showdown at the OK Corral, if you get me.

But instead of attempting to swagger through a bunch of text (trust me, I do a lousy John Wayne!) I’ll just get to the facts, which are….

Asteroid Hidalgo enters its two-day station prior to turning retrograde at 4:23pm (UT/+0) on March 10th – meaning Hidalgo will actually go retrograde on March 12th at 4:23pm (UT/+0). And yes, Hidalgo’s station effects – like all station effects – continue on for another two days after the actual turn of direction, which means they end on March 14th.

Hidalgo goes on station as Bali’s station is already in progress (as of the 9th), as we chit-chatted about in the last blog. In going on station in Scorpio (and conjunct rainmaker Huya), this sets a ‘stage’ for Hidalgo’s station which would seem to be very noble or very ‘I’m out for myself.’

But let's not forget...with Neptune at 28 Aquarius and Uranus at 29 Pisces, this is by definition a moment which while intensely what it is...is also somewhat lacking in perspective. Maybe even realism.

And yet, some things we would shy away from in the coldest light of clarity do and will get done when fervency or ideals...even desperation carry us through!

Where does the name ‘Hidalgo’ come from, you ask? At peril of waxing western movie again, there are many references for Hidalgo to be found “out there” with most being simply a reference to a Spanish term for nobility or gentry, which considering the societal roots of same points us in a sort of ‘dutiful heroic’ sort of direction.

And that works with Hidalgo in the chart, where it seems to function with a focus on a sort of ‘save the day’ point of view. But don’t get too locked in about what that means, as Hidalgo is one of those celestial symbols which flexes very much depending on where its located in any given chart (and what it’s associated with or ruled by). Hidalgo can indeed represent being the hero. Or doing the noble thing. Then again, it can symbolize the need for a hero or being put in a position that you really need for someone else to do a noble thing.

Hidalgo can even represent being inspired by or affected by seeing someone wearing either the very white or very black hat in the classical villain/hero sort of set-up.

This polarizing effect – plus the personal/impersonal quality astrology presents is what makes some think making predictions with astrology isn’t possible. I happen not to believe that – but I also think you have to be into a lot of detail work to make accurate predictions.

Anyway…take all those Hidalgo concepts and put them in a pot, turn the mental bubble down to low and let that simmer while we discuss where this station is occurring – namely 11 Sagittarius.

So what does that tell us (we ask most diligently…)?

For one, this tells us our good/bad instincts, estimations and reactions (opinions?) are based in ‘fire concepts’ at the moment – and more or less over the next four or so days. Astrological fire meaning imagination-versus-idealism there is – as always with fire – the challenge to recognize the real from the hope, and to remember that fire is all about getting spurred on to greater things. Fire is supposed to ‘heat us up’ and get us all ‘fired up’ and ‘firing on all cylinders,’ to use some handy  expressions.

The down side with fire is when we expect it to be true. So while it seems sensible with Hidalgo at 11 Sagittarius to want to help and “be the hero” the reality is that you could help and New York could just not schedule that ticker tape parade.

 The solar system’s main asteroid belt is situated between Mars and Jupiter. Objects which orbit outside the Jupiter margin but which come into the asteroid belt but not beyond Mars are generally classed as ‘Centaurs’
diagram source: NASA/JPL

Or maybe you want to do something great, but it doesn’t work. Can you be content with being the heroic person who tries to help? So often we underestimate the worth of trying, even when our shot goes wide of the mark. Fire elements – among other things – test our ability to deal with ‘try, try again’ as a concept, recognizing that the skills which are there to be honed are ours. The issue is not, as we sometimes think, where the target is put. Or that pesky cross wind. Sometimes it’s all about whether we’ve built up enough strength to be able to handle the heavy bow with enough skill to drive that arrow through those cross winds and hit that target even if it is an extra twenty yards away.

Speaking of such, the lore for 11 Sagittarius is all about one’s ability to actually do things. There’s a dollop of outspokenness which goes along with applying one’s self to the task(s) at hand…and yes, it’s probably better if that’s not all simple braggadocio, which this degree supports by sprinkling diplomacy atop the outspokenness.

Astronomically, Hidalgo is a much interesting critter. Classed as a Centaur, Hidalgo’s orbit takes it out as far as just past Jupiter and pretty much all the way inward through the asteroid belt to just shy of Mars.

That’s a pretty curious cycle, metaphysically. The whole of the space between Mars (the ‘I want/intend to do’ planet) and Jupiter (the ‘I know how to get where I want to go’) planet is populated by asteroids. There are thousands of them, and they represent all the things we encounter, learn from and end up having to consider on our way from initiation or instigation (Mars) to knowing how to get where we really want to go.

Being one of these objects we would think Hidalgo represents ‘just another thing we have to consider and deal with’ on our way through life except that its’ orbit takes it beyond Jupiter.

So Hidalgo is about going beyond what one knows – which may be part of its nobility and heroic quality. You know…fools and heroes rush in where angels allegedly fear to tread and all that?

This rather reminds me of two things…one, the lesson of Aries courage. Aries courage is not necessarily about knowing you can ‘do this’ so much as its about knowing “this” (whatever “this” is) just needs to be done. We go past what we “know” (Jupiter) we can do and do it anyway.

There are a lot of children’s books written with this theme – the hero goes out and does the thing which nobody wants to tell them can’t be done. A lot of great things have happened in life because no one told us we couldn’t do it. We just went out and did it and everybody gawked.

Of course, there are bumblebees. Apparently in engineering terms, they’re not properly designed to fly. Wings too small…body too large – or something like that.

Except nobody told the bumblebees. They go on flying not knowing they can’t!

 A bumblebee – one of nature’s wonders
Photo credit: Sffubs (2008) 

Yet metaphysically, we wouldn’t say Hidalgo is about ‘achievement’ per se. For us to say that, it’s orbit would have to go all the way out to Saturn. And it doesn’t. It just goes beyond Jupiter.

So where Hidalgo is concerned, we go beyond where we know. Or we realize to succeed, we have to go beyond the known. Or we become inspired by someone who shows us doing such a thing is actually possible.

Or yes, we may need help with getting past what we know – our own sense of limits.

Worth a mention here is that back a few weeks, TNO Chaos – symbolic of new and endless potentials – went direct at 11 Gemini. (LINK to blog post), a degree which is about emotional choices, emotional provocations, emotional subjects, and situations which provoke our emotions and our need to think and choose. That period coincided with many events – protests and (yes,) chaos in the Middle East, protests and (more) chaos in the US…much turmoil and emotionality of opinion was being voiced (Gemini) everywhere we looked.

Now come the question what are you going to do about it? And as this question comes to fore, we are really treated to – beyond the momentary situation – a truly excellent opportunity to see how signs in opposition are really a fruition of each other’s dynamic. The idea (Gemini) means very little if you don’t do something about it (Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter) replete with fixing the glitches and struggling to make it all work on the road to (Capricorn, ruled by Saturn) accomplishing your various aims.

As we said, Bali has already moved into its days of station effect – doing so in conjunction with Huya, the rainmaker which asks that we use the lessons we’ve learned to help others, through which we help ourselves.

Bali actually goes retrograde on March 11th, which is right when Uranus reaches critical max at 29 Pisces. Hidalgo will go retrograde on the 12th, just some hours after Uranus enters Aries.

There's a lot going on right now. Even if you're a full-fledged, mega-multitasking astrologer, it's complicated. The good news is that as blogs covering the details of these go up, they're there for reference! You can go back and read, check, peruse or even grumble at them any time that you like!

Sometimes it just helps to piece the story together as things happen in life - your personal life or that you hear going on around you.

This can be an exciting or threatening time, depending on how you react. Change is in the works – that’s one thing we can count on. Are you ready to get in there and change who you are in this world and the world you exist in?

Yes, I know...there are those among us who totally hate the idea of change. And there are those who think change is fine so long as it doesn’t affect them…!

The funny thing is, the more you push change away, the more life becomes a roller coaster which you didn't mean to embark on!

The biggest object in the astrological pot at the moment is Uranus. So the Uranian rule ‘when in doubt, be flexible’ tells us to roll with the punches and to do what needs doing.

And if that takes us beyond what we know? Well then, maybe that’s a sign that we simply don’t know everything it’s useful for us to know yet. In which case, willingness really counts.

You know…that willingness to learn and to change (Uranus) and be happy (Bali) with who we are and that there not only isn’t just good in this life, but we each embody – and thus have the ability to utilize and benefit by (Huya) the endless sort of resourcefulness which being human really gives us (Chaos.)

That would seem to be pretty noble and pretty heroic right there, don’t you agree?

This Week in Astrology: Getting the Point

 From the Duc de Barry's private collection,

a calendar page depicting December

This is a really busy astrological week. Seriously! And first things first: ALL TIMES ARE UT/+0. So if you want to know when something specific happens in your local world, adjust to your local time zone.

The week starts with Sunday the 19th and Byblis conjuncting Scheat at 5:48am. Byblis being a point specifically about the attempt to justify something you know is unacceptable and Scheat being the essence of public disapproval, it’s not too hard to guess that there’s a whole lot of condemnation (and self defense) going on.

Monday the 20th starts with Venus exiting the shadow of its recent retrograde. Venus being a planet, this is a mode of life or part of our life which is now feeling ‘freed’ of constraints first encountered back in early September. Does this mean everything is peaches and cream? Heck no! But it does mean that the sticky-icky drama, the lack of clarity and all the indecision which has been in the mix since then is finally over. And yes, either out in the open or out with the trash!

Tuesday also has Photographica going retrograde in Leo early in the morning - at 2:52pm plus Kleopatra entering Scorpio later in the day (at 6:26 pm).

Photographica is the ‘how others see us’ point – otherwise known as our “image” or ‘putting on the social/societal mask.’

Kleopatra is a point of ‘intelligence exhibited through charming gestures’ and ‘charm revealed through intelligence.’ Either way, with Kleopatra entering Scorpio, gains are made through knowing enough about whoever you’re dealing with.

 Currently housed in the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum,

a statue of Cleopatra - known astronomically as 'Kleopatra' 

photo credit E. Michael Smith (2007)

Since this is Scorpio however…a caution: if all you do is exploit others to get what you want without regard for who they are or what they value, you WILL pay – big time! It may not be today, but beware – karma is a bitch!

Put these factors together and it seems likely there are social/societal connections to be made today – or that events will reveal how you have operated in society or with regards to social/societal contacts. Whatever happens, this is a moment when each of us can learn a lot about what works for us and where we need to re-balance the ‘me/them’  priorities.

Tuesday the 21st starts with Atlantis entering Libra at 4:26am. This is a signal all about letting go of what has been in order to find that which is truly fitting. But boy…is that hard, or what!

Not making anything any less good or bad is the fact that then comes a Lunar Eclipse at 8:18. (And yes, there will be a special post on the eclipse as of tomorrow, giving us all time to sort things out. So check back for that!)

With Byblis enters Aries at 10:49pm (mere minutes before the Capricorn Solstice at 11:49pm) our errors and those of others – and the world around us – seem to hang in the air for most of the afternoon or evening, depending on where you are. Given that we’re moving into Capricorn and the zodiac’s most worldly (non-personal quadrant) realism and letting go of  personal designs in favor of workable solutions seems apt.

Wednesday the 22nd has Medusa going direct at 12 Taurus early in the morning (at 6:40am – which would still be late on the evening of the 21st in some parts of the world). By general definition, 12 Taurus would be a degree about emotional values, the difference between ‘things of worth’ and ‘self worth’ and how we feel about ourselves. More specifically, lore has this degree imbued with a sweetness which assists with negotiating who does what without some of the irritation of feeling ‘put upon’ which can be present at other times.

With Medusa going direct here, the Medusa ‘fearful truth’ is softened as we realize that honesty honestly expressed is calming and reassuring. We may not like it all, but at least we can proceed knowing where we stand!

Oh…and in case you’ve never read it…an ARTICLE ON MEDUSA.

Thursday the 23rd is the busiest day of all. With Child entering Sag at 3:20am, against Lachesis (duration) entering Capricorn at 5:15am, there’s an awareness that not all things last forever…otherwise known as ‘time waits for no man!’ (or woman, either!) While this stresses what needs to be done (and for some may indicate a busy mental day) it’s also a call to enjoy what we have.

How well you deal with this dichotomy should tell you something about yourself. (Sorry, can’t help you there!)

But when we add in Industria going direct at 6:46am at 4 Taurus…?

Industria is an obvious one: it’s “industriousness.” And in direct mode, it’s life coming towards us, asking us to be industrious and get a lot done. Yet the Taurus part asks ‘is this really worth it’?

And yes, this is the continuing 'flash' of the early morning transition.

Especially in the lee of the Lunar Eclipse, whether said eclipse smacked us personally or not we are all likely to be a little more discerning in and about our choices. And with Charybdis – a symbol of having to continuously ‘do’ or ‘put something out there’ entering Aquarius at 11:21 am, we may find ourselves cutting down our lists in what may be sort of a ‘who’s been naughty or nice?’ sort of way, to use the phrase of the season.

 Britannia between Scylla and Charybdis

by James Gillray (1793)

And no, that's not just about gifts - except in the most personal sense! Yes, this is about the gift of our effort, time and attention...most of all to who we are, who we want to be, and what we are capable of (i.e., our gifts!).

Those who deal with all realistically (the Sun is in Capricorn, remember?) will arrive at Bali entering Scorpio at 5:17pm looking forward to pleasant times.

Those who arrive there merely figuring on having things be the way they want them to be (or that all their work is done) will be…well, less than delighted.

The point now is togetherness. That which works should work for all, and that’s the basis upon which choices should have been made…and upon which they need to be made going forward, especially over the next days and several weeks.

A last note here: remembering that all this is happening – still – under Mercury retrograde should remind us that all these shifts are about our recognition of who we are and why we do what we do the way we do it. 

Against this, if you’ve been following the Asteroid Factor posts, you’ll also remember how there’s been a lot of energy going into the yang ‘what I want/need to do’ category. This week doesn’t change that balance, but with the Sun having moved out of theoretical Sagittarius into realistic Capricorn, this is where the rubber begins hitting road.

Those who enjoy the ride instead of speeding through things will by definition, enjoy more. Those who take risks will like as not experience real ramifications. The days between eclipses are a built-in period of flux.

Feel life – don’t try to mastermind it!

News Flash: Chilean Mine Rescue

 Chile's national flag

As the people around the world watched on live TV, a rescue capsule painted in the red, white and blue of Chile emerged from the tube dug 2/3rds of a mile down into the earth.

One of 33 trapped miners had returned to Earth's surface.

The chart for that moment is illuminating...

The first miner's emergence 

(Copiapo, Chile/AST +4)

Positioned at 16 Gemini, fixed star Rigel is just behind the Ascendant - the degrees just behind each angle being known as some of the most powerful and potent in any chart.

Known as a position of 'knoweldge' (or knowing) and being 'under the foot of the teacher,' Rigel says a lot about this moment. Of course seeing the capsule and the living person in it allows us all to 'know' that the rescue was no longer an attempt - it was a reality.

Gemini is about choices. About finding the information and putting it together in order to 'construct' something in your life or in greater life itself. The specific degree of the rising being 17 Gemini, there is a lot of planning and enthusiasm, and...interestingly...a 'weakness of hands.' Things at this position cannot thus be done manually.

As they weren't. Drilling experts had been brought in by the Chilean government to help in the rescue and in this moment their cumulative information (knowledge) proved fruitful. And that the polarity (Descendant) degree (17 Sagittarius) is about one's the great and simple gratitude to God (or fortune or however one believes) also seems apt.

Going back to Rigel's image of 'being under the teacher's foot' for a moment, those who watched the live telecast will probably remember seeing one of the operators of the winch and cable rig literally using his booted foot to knock the guide pulley a bit back into position just moments before the capsule emerged. It seemed an odd gesture at the time - but apt when you look at the chart of the moment.

Any base of the chart represents the foundation and what we stand on. It's the 'innermost point' of the chart and thus in this picture, the mine, deep in the Earth, still holding the other miners far from light.

This IC/Nadir point is in Virgo, an earth sign to be sure! Pictured at 28 Virgo, this point is a degree which promises little more than hard work, unless 'enlarged upon' by some other force.

A mine? That is certainly one form of 'enlarging.' And that this chart is about breaking through from the surface to a chamber which might otherwise have been a tomb for 33 hard-working men? That's enlarging in many a positive sense. 

With Virgo ruled by the Mercury (in green) in the 4th and foundational house of the chart conjunct Sisyphus (knowledge used either to help or kill people) and Rhadamanthus (dispassionate fairness) we know that the miners understood why they were there. They had taken a job, there had been a disaster.

Pictured with this Mercury we see the Sun - life and human will. With both these symbols opposition Eris Discord conjunct inventive Edisonia in the elevated 10th house we are also given a really useful lesson about Eris as a symbol of celestial 'discord' which simply changes things. 'Discord' isn't bad! Fighting tyranny is discord, but is it wrong? Digging a hole in the Earth technically disrupts the Earth's structure, but in this moment, it was certainly far from a terrible thing to do.

But again, back to 28 Virgo, the IC/Nadir point of this chart. Standing at the Nadir was Typhon (primal forces) and Bali - the longed for thing. For those men pictured by Mercury, for their families and for many millions watching, was this rescue not the longed for moment?

The last 'note of note' to be cherished in this chart is the position of the Moon. Any time you we are looking for the 'picture of the moment' we look particularly to the axis points (as we have) and the Moon, which basically moves a full degree in about two hours.

Here the Moon was at 29 Sagittarius, a critical (intense) degree which speaks first and foremost to physical fitness. With the Moon stands Eurydike, an astrological symbol of personal rescue.

The first man chosen to be rescued was selected based on several criteria - one of the first on the list being that he was particularly physically fit.

So does the chart of a moment tell its tale.

Sun enters Virgo/Sedna goes retrograde

The Sun (Xray image taken by NASA's solar observatory)

Come August 23rd at 5:28 GMT, the Sun will enter Virgo. Given that the first ten degrees of every sign is where sign attributes manifest physically and through one's physicality (in a body or through actions), this sets a variable stage built around the three standard Virgo keywords: health, work, service. 

By 'work,' Virgo means doing things which either are done simply because they need doing and/or because they are part of a greater effort. Thus going to the job (or finding one) is Virgoan. Being an employee is very Virgo. Being part of a team effort is a Virgo sort of thing as is brushing your teeth, washing the dishes (car, dog, etc.) as is helping someone out because they need assistance.

This last, in particular, naturally blends with the Virgo concept of 'service.' Where work meets service we naturally come to a sense of those who serve, which in the sense of 'in a process' is again why Virgo represents employees, but at a more esoteric level is why Virgo also embraces any one whose job is to provide a service to others. Medical people, help desk people, civil servants, members of the military - and indeed anyone who may be in a honcho position, be they lawyer, leader of a nation, CEO/CFO...to the extent that they have any responsibility to anyone, they too have a Virgo connection.

Must be why every chart comes with a Virgo component, don't you know!

Yet because Virgo is ruled by Mercury, the Virgo 'service' as well as 'health' concepts are not just the physicality of doing for others, or taking care of yourself (exercise, eating right, going for checkups, etc.). 

Being that Mercury also rules thought-thinking-idea-choice-oriented Gemini, all things Virgo also involve the idea of the thing. Which is why say in the 'work' category, Virgo becomes not just going to work or doing the job, but every facet having to do with improving the ways things get done, inventing the better mousetrap and making efforts efficient, effective and thorough.

Which yes, leads to that Virgo negative of obsessing about details. Virgo is so the sign which loses the forest for the trees so often! Instead of listening to the sense of the idea being presented, Virgo is perfectly capable of glomming onto one little word in the presentation being used "incorrectly" and acting like that's the make-or-break in the whole deal.

Why does Virgo do that? There's a thousand reasons - maybe more. And in your chart or the chart of whoever is getting stuck on such minutia, there are indicators about what it is they really don't want to contend with, those being the reasons they instead glom onto the misused word. Or that one smudge on the mirror. Or the chore list which never ends which they are using to effectively prevent them from ever having to get on with life, broaden their horizons or....

Know anyone 'married' to cleaning, chores and 

errands? Or someone who simply can't bear anything
having to do with keeping (themselves or their house) clean? 

It's probably all about Virgo/Mercury in their chart.

...deal with mental health. The combination of Virgo and Mercury is not just about dealing with health, it's the mentality of health, the health care 'marketplace' and the fine balance between health obsessions (from hypochondria to fitness nuts) and dealing with mental health problems or problems in general in a mentally healthy way.

And lets remember - this is not just about Sun, Moon and Virgo rising people (or entities). This is global stuff. This is all of us! Every chart around includes Virgo. And those who moan, groan or twitter at such? Those would be pretty sure 'tells' (as they say in poker) pointing to  issues with responsibility and various forms of internal/mental self-discipline which in balancing need against want tests our sense of propriety and priority  (otherwise known as entitlement).

So as the Sun enters Virgo, life 'lights up' these arenas. It can do it on the mundane level - meaning you'll be busy, the job thing will be particularly on the front burner, someone may have some health issue which needs attention or there's just someone who needs help. Sun transiting Virgo can also be a time when you become aware of where you're too invested in one thing - maybe even to the degree that you're damaging something good by putting SO much focus on it.

And that includes you - the physical you. As well as your environment and the environment, seeing that ecology (recycling, etc.) is so very Virgoan.

Entering Virgo in the company of Sphinx and Orcus with a direct opposition to Athena at 0 Pisces, it's to be expected that we will all be dealing with the repercussions of things done or choices past (Orcus).

 one artist's concept of TNO Orcus

Some of us will think (or may have thought) we could just wait it out (Sphinx) and that some storm would blow over. But because Orcus and Sphinx are sitting here side by side greeting the Sun at Virgo's door...apparently not! Together, Sphinx and Orcus are a sort of earthly, earthy manifestation of eventual consequence: the paying of the piper which in the end must be dealt with.

With Athena in opposition, some sort of emotional 'knowing' in the mix. Given that Athena stands in opposition to the Sun here, that may manifest as someone who confronts you with how you have hurt, unfairly compromised or cheated them. Or it could just be that your conscience just kicks in. Or that necessity now rears its demanding head.

That this will affect us greatly on an internal basis is shown by the fact that Mercury, ruler of Virgo, has just gone into retrograde. With Mercury in emotional degrees of Virgo, we get another indication of emotionalism - and with Mercury now in retrograde, this would tend to indicate internal emotionalism. So it's either your emotional reaction or something emotional which is/has been hidden by someone else, or with regards to someone else's emotional (Virgo) functions.

Or yes, maybe lack of same. That quality - the 'lacks' - are likely to become even more apparent in the first couple of days after Sun enters Virgo, too. Why do we know that? Well, it's a combination of two items: Bali (paradise) being at 2 Virgo and Atropos (cut-offs) standing at 16 Virgo, two shy of Mercury at 18 with Mercury moving backwards through the zodiac.

The Three Fates by Sodoma (Atropos is on the left) 

This gives us a 2 day, 2 week, 2 month sort of implied 'progression' of circumstances which imply and end (Atropos) to some sort of conceptual paradise (Bali).

Some party is almost over, people. And since asteroid House stands at 16 Pisces - in exact opposition to Atropos - this is about some 'end' to some sort of 'being at home' with something. Or someone. Or some thought, effort or idea.

One other item coloring this event - and a big one - is Sedna going retrograde. Ultimately a figure of oceanic fertility and creation which requires that we wrestle with immature (often egotistical) urges and/or personality traits which have developed out of childhood experiences or "programming," Sedna applies at very separate levels to our planet, our feelings (water always equals emotions) and our process of growing into our Self and purpose as an individual and as a race of beings living on our planet.

 Sedna's orbit is shown here in red. The orbit of all the rest

of the (inner solar system) planets is shown by that set

of small concentric circles at the upper right.

Going station/retrograde in Taurus on the 23rd, Sedna's station highlights any sort of meaningful event which highlights (Taurean) values - yours personally, those of a community, or on any sort of global basis. Standing in an inconjunct to Ceres - which has just recently gone direct (link) - we are reminded that we need to think through what we do.

Ceres being goddess of the harvest and also associated natively with Mercury reminds us that we must sow and tend before we can reap. Ceres also tells us that we cannot decimate the 'ground' we till - be that human/physical, human/relational, human/emotional, human or global/ethical or strictly planetary - if we expect to survive long term.

Sedna itself indicates an adjustment - and a difficult one for many. The simplest way to think of Sedna is as the individuation which comes from a successful passage from dependent childhood to independent adulthood. But it's (unfortunately for us...!) more complicated than that.

Sedna's story starts with her wanting what she wants - and wanting those desires to be provided to her by others. Hers is not a compassionate or empathetic world at all.

Ultimately, it takes bitter disappointment, great ocean storms (i.e., emotional storms) and the experience of actual physical violent rejection to get her to relinquish her hold on...on at least the concept or ideal of life as she has known it. And yes, the reality which goes with that - which by then includes some really sad tales of reaching for what she wants so desperately, only to find that when she throws everything aside for her dream, the reality which her dream becomes is not far different from the dream, but not all that pleasant.

In the mythology of the Inuit people, from Sedna has come seals, 
fish, walruses,whales and much else we think of as the beauty and
wealth of the sea. That originally Sedna rejected every effort made
to teach her that life is about both give AND take - only to end up
as goddess of/providing that which her people rely on for life
...that implies a good deal about human growth, the process
of maturation, and some of the key metaphysical concepts with
regards to that which we are so attracted to getting - ultimately being
that we should provide or teach to others (i.e., personal karmic purpose).

Ultimately given a chance at reprieve, Sedna thinks she's been 'saved' and that she can reverts to old ways, but it doesn't turn out like that. A great storm erupts. Sedna gets thrown overboard into stormy seas. And there she drowns.

But since this is a myth, she isn't really dead. So what has she drowned in? Answer: the ocean - the metaphorical equivalent of our 'sea of emotions.' And  through that drowning which comes at such great cost and through such painful means (Sedna's father cuts her fingers off as she's trying to hold onto the boat) once Sedna accepts being cast into the great sea of her emotions, she acquires a new life. Sinking into the icy depths (the 'cold aloneness' of our individual soul) she  becomes the great ocean provider. Her severed fingers become seals, walruses, whales and fish, and thus the Sedna who had wanted to have everything provided for her becomes the respected protector and goddess of her sea-dependent Inuit people.

With Sedna going retrograde now in Taurus, we look to Venus, ruler of Taurus for a clue on where this energy will manifest. And we find Venus at 15 Libra, exactly conjunct Mars and TNO Haumea.

Mars in Libra is the quintessential lowering of ego which allows relationships to happen. Conjunct TNO Haumea however, we have an indicator of manipulation and 'trickiness' - trickiness also being a quality associated with Mercury, the trickster/game player/joker and poser of questions (recalling the Sphinx, another riddle-asking entity of lore).

Have we been fooled? Is someone playing a trick on us? Or have we played some trick on ourselves? Any of these things can be true now. All of these things might be true now.

And throughout the Sun's passage of Virgo, especially until Mercury goes direct come September 12th, these will be issues either on the table or niggling us from the sidelines.

That Pluto will go direct right after Mercury does? That indicates a change is certainly in the works. Those who resist now will be forcefully confronted with it next month. Those who begin moving through the process now will find their efforts beginning to bear fruit and clear problems out - again, next month.

  Planet Earth - source: NASA

One more note here...as the Sun enters Virgo, the Moon stands at 13 Aquarius, a degree which is either honorably assertive or reactive and aggressive. Just at the edge of its conjunction range (at 18 Aquarius) stand Damocles and Nessus, a truly formidable duo totally worthy of the  article on same which will post at Daykeeper Journal as of September 1st (mark your calendars!).

Again using progression theory, this five-degree separation suggests looking ahead five zodiacal months, which takes us to Sun in Aquarius. And the New Moon which occur that month (on February 2nd/3rd, depending on where you are)? That New Moon will occur at 13 Aquarius, underscoring the long-term effects of what we do - or don't do - now.

Will you be on the initiating side of it or the receiving side of it? Will you let go of the boat and actually through drowning in your own emotions come to a truth and some understanding of the true potentials of your life? Will you refuse to let go and cling to being provided for simply because you are so spoiled and so indolent in your own desirous way?

Will you own up to your own issues? Will you seek help or give it where it's actually needed? Will you recognize errors and own up to them? Will you accept that some measure of pleasure, compensation, 'the good stuff' or gratification has to be deferred in order to not rape your own life, this earth and the future or even present of others?

At the moment, it's all questions. And only over time will you provide yourself - and others - with your answers. But that's the Virgo way: we have to work for it, lest we compromise all for ourselves and others by denying the truth of reality.

.