Venus in Leo

Planet Venus above Boudicca's prancing horse at Westminster

(photo credit: Mattbuck, March 2012)

Once Venus enters Leo, that will bring the number of planets in Leo to four (Venus, Jupiter, Sun and Mercury).

That’s a lot of Leo energy - not to mention that the ruler of Leo (the Sun) is one of those four planets.

Under any (or every) circumstance, Venus in Leo can be creative and fully capable of exuding incredible warmth and charm. This is the kind of influence one might associate with that perfect relaxing day, that effortlessly deft show of skill or that feeling that we’re on top of the world. Venus in Leo can put the spark in sparkle and turn up the light in utterly delightful.

Venus in Leo can also manifest in acts, choices or thrusts which are selfish, unthinking, or downright arrogant.

The difference between these qualities sounds simple: it’s about taking the opinions, preferences and aims of others into account. In other words, should Venus in Leo manifest as some sort of drama with you as the performer, it’s one thing not to care whether you have an audience (that’s performing for the fun of it) another to do your best for a suitable audience and another yet again to have some sort of paying audience whose sensibilities you completely ignore.

It’s not that Venus in Leo necessarily promotes thoughtlessness... although it can. And it’s not as if Venus in Leo is lazy, though there is a tendency to get a bit ‘lost in the moment’ (or in one’s own thoughts) at a moment which doesn’t work for others - and of course since they’re under Venus in Leo as well, the mere idea of being ignored can rub their Leo fur every wrong way in town.

Venus in Leo tends to dramatize things - even in our thoughts. With all the Leo energy going on at the moment everyone has their own (Mercury) idea on and are probably entirely too (Jupiter) willing to explain to you why they’re right... sometimes whether or not what they’re being so ‘right’ about even applies to what’s being discussed. Under Venus in Leo things seem more important than at other times which can be lovely or desperation-inciting, depending on where we stand with ourselves otherwise. Those who are content or in good shape are apt to reap benefits, especially as transiting Venus conjuncts and passes over Jupiter on August 18th (UT/+0) at 7 Leo while those who are having difficulties are likely to react or experience the breaking of dreams that those at the behest of those caught up in the dream of what they consider ‘right.’ This is a ‘transactional’ conjunction which - given that the Moon will be in early Gemini at the time - creates the ability to take a lot on but warns that potential is not reality and that details... particularly those we gloss over... are likely to come back to haunt us in a singularly flat-footed way.

Overstepping limits (‘coloring outside the lines’ or exceeding previously set boundaries) is another thing we’re likely to see and hear about between August 12th and 20th. Such matters will have enormous power of suggestion and should be treated/treated with accordingly, as it will be easy during these days to set forces in motion...and not so easy (and maybe not even possible) to contain or ‘edit’ what others are thinking - which of course means we’re going to hear the good and the bad, the discoveries and fun along with a fresh batch of rumors and trash talk coming at us through various media.  

Put simply, it is our allegiance to whatever idea we are currently holding dear which either motivates us to success...or which confuses us and confounds our success for reasons we tend not to understand but which have everything to do with the Leo tendency to be so involved with making something happen that we tend to not see our actions (present or past) with enough perspective to see what part of reality (or realities) we’ve forgotten.

(Or purposefully ignored.)

And for those who do see their errors or miscalculations, then comes the big Leo flinch. Leo, doesn’t like being wrong. Wherever we see Leo (in this case as a signature for Venus) that’s the area of life we’re not going to enjoy anyone even threatening to find flaws with. Under such Leo ‘threats’ (which may not be real threats even though our ego certainly feels threatened) instinct often triggers us to get all defensive-aggressive - which with Venus often manifests as physical criticism, attacks on ‘how something looks’ or responses, retorts and declarations which are basically ‘I’m so fabulous - never mind them.’

And sometimes that works. Sometimes it doesn’t.

Venus enters Leo

August 12, 2014 - 7:25 a.m. UT/+0 - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

This year Venus is arriving at its Leo ingress on August 12th at 7:25 in the morning UT/+0 time, perfecting a square to Ceres, which having moved into Scorpio on August 7th will still be loitering around at 0 Scorpio.

Venus-Ceres is about having a plan and executing a plan which accomplishes things which are (in particular) important to longer-term considerations. Having come into the 5-degree orb-of-square on last Thursday or Friday (August 7th or 8th, depending on where you are), with Venus then still in Cancer most efforts were about things basic, necessary and supportive of anything or everything else we might want to do in this life.

That quality changes once Venus enters Leo, asking how we can achieve those aims creatively. Cancer’s influence being cardinal (action oriented) we ‘did’ then and now we’re pausing to think what still needs doing and how to do... not do... or undo the next item on our list as Cancer’s watery emotionality gives way to curiosity, imagination and inventiveness - all of which are particularly strong for the first few days of this transit. Once Mercury moves into Virgo on August 15th (UT/+0 time) pragmatic and practical parameters start taking hold, becoming ever more evident (and useful) as the Sun joins Mercury in Virgo early on August 23rd (UT/+0), helping us to make headway on whatever tasks may be at hand.

A few more notes here on what is typically a rather pleasant transit (though if things are going wrong you can expect a good deal of grumpiness!). Are you planning on taking a vacation? Venus in Leo works well for vacations of the restful, recuperative and recreational types, though with so much energy in Leo there are bound to be more than a few people who (vacation or not) are too full of themselves for their own good. Why that is may be about pride... or it may be about some deep-seated feeling of vulnerability to embarrassment, which often comes off looking like pride. At the moment such moments (apart from the purely gleeful) are most likely to be set off when people try to do something they just don’t know enough about.

Bluffing sometimes work. Then again, sometimes it just makes things worse. Leo as a sign is the very antithesis of its polarity sign Aquarius in that Aquarius (and Aquarians) have a near-infinite (and to others, sometimes maddening!) ability to shift into impersonal mode where Leo takes all things personally.

That all of this is happening as Jupiter’s inconjuncting of Neptune comes to its focal point on the 15th (the same day that Mercury moves from Leo into Virgo) emphasizes the fact that there are a lot of people who are living in either an ideologically driven emotional space or a period of time which is emotional because our ideals are being contested by realities we (frankly) don’t like. How we deal with our own [Neptunian] fears on various subjects and whether we are willing to feel our fears and do what is morally, ethically and universally humanistic (in real world, real life, real human being terms) now tends to divide and conflict us, even with regards to that which we have believed in now for some length of time.

There are [Mars and Saturn in Scorpio] things which we will need to face now and deal with, like them or not. In dealing with such matters we will ‘steel’ ourselves, with most choosing ‘duty’ over humanity.

Where such choices (and all they lead to) express our personal internal standards with truth and accuracy things will be simple and direct. 

Where we are essentially in violation of our own inner core of mortal standards however, we will do what we must do with even greater vehemence, hoping to convince ourselves through the reactions of others.

And as always, we will project. The more married we are to our own ideas and ideals, the more we will come to this time feeling alienated or envious or simply regretful...the more we will tend to look to others without taking stock of - and learning (or relearning) how to utilize our worth.

But then, that’s one thing Venus in Leo is very good at. Venus in Leo can be the heart of showiness or an influence under which we are ‘shown’ what we yet can do and excel at. The native instinct under Venus in Leo is to do what we want while aiming to please our Self (or fulfill our dreams).

And often that works just fine.

Yet as with all things Leo, what we do which contributes to a greater whole (or purpose) is far more lasting and powerful. We are all being faced with a series of situations which seem to be all about the ‘other’ and what they like or even understand, with much in the way of challenges coming from areas of life or concern where people are embedded or ‘conditioned’ by some established position.

But that’s not what Venus in Leo is about. Venus in Leo is about who we want to be (or be seen as). Some such efforts are working, others are not.

And still we’re reluctant to change. Why that is may well become a bit more clear over these next few weeks - at which point we’ll decide what we want to improve upon.

Or not.
.
.
.

Ceres in Scorpio

Beim Mahen (Le Faucheur) by Georges Seurat

(oil on panel, c 1883, Metropolitan Museum of Art)

There are different ways to think of Ceres in Scorpio. Ceres speaks greatly to all which we do and all that it takes for an idea or some other kind of ‘seed’ to develop and grow to fruition. And when Ceres enters Scorpio on August 7th at 3:44 in the morning (UT/+0 time) it will mark a time when many an effort may bear fruit.

But maybe not. As the sign of Scorpio is as likely to deny as to allow, as likely to mark times of decay, delay and loss as to reward us with opportunities, rewards and that singular feeling of having survived our own foibles long enough to find our way to the light.

So to put it simply, while these next months of Ceres in Scorpio may be all about facing what it takes to seed and grow our way to success, they may also be filled with reaping the results of what was previously sown... sometimes long, long ago. Ceres’ cycle being 4.6 years long, for some of us that’s how far back we’ll need to look to see the genesis of what we face now. For others, today merely ties back to last February.

February 3rd, to be exact. Why February 3rd? That would be because this upcoming Ceres/Scorpio ingress is actually the third in a series which began back on February 3rd.

Ceres enters Scorpio for the first time during 2014

Feb 3, 2014 - 5:20 p.m. (UT+0) - glyph chart

Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

Ceres enters Scorpio for the first time during 2014

Feb 3, 2014 - 5:20 p.m. (UT+0) - text chart

Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

In this February chart, Ceres was tightly bound up with the North Node - and so we too were ‘bound up’ with matters which raised feelings of power and impotence, posing any number of struggles on said subject. Such challenges may have come to us through others, or merely through our times - and most of them (at least those which were started back around the February period) will not yet have come to any solidly defined point where we could be said to be ‘reaping what we have sown’...a singularly Scorpio sort of concept.

After all, Scorpio is karmic. Scorpio is not the more ‘linear’ cause/effect of airy Libra. Libra’s cause/effect is akin to the scientific statement ‘for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction’...with such ‘opposite and equal’ reactions running the gamut from personal to professional and from appreciation and applause to snarls, jeers and flat-out rejection. Libra is the ‘what’ where Scorpio is the ‘why’ - and with Scorpio, all those ‘why’s always feel personal. Scorpio is all about testing our inner emotional balance and that works well with Ceres providing we’re balanced enough at the moment to contain our reactions to whatever arises now in favor of thinking things through and working calmly... even thoughtfully... towards our aims.

Ceres’ retrograde pass back out of Scorpio feel on March 22nd with the North Node having passed over Ceres indicating societal interactions which rewarded, incited, promoted and provoked in accordance with how prepared we were to be “cut off” from some emotional turf war. That turf war was something we were having with our Self and was in regards to (or because of) our relationship to  standards and opinions of [Scorpio] others.

Yes, the differences were between our Self and something or someone other than our Self. But the feelings which erupted...those were ours. The feelings which erupted between early February and March which by March 22nd had by then turned around and were forcing us to rethink or reconsider.

Having gone direct back on June 1st at 18 Libra Ceres emphasized abilities, talents and our ability to honor our own essence along with that of others...

Ceres, having just retrograded out of Scorpio into Libra

March 22, 2014 - 2:52 p.m. (UT+0) - glyph chart

Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

Ceres, having just retrograded out of Scorpio into Libra

March 22, 2014 - 2:52 p.m. (UT+0) - text chart

Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

...which may or may not have gone well in your world depending on where (and how) Libra and Ceres are positioned in your natal chart.

And now Ceres is moving back into Scorpio.

Ceres enters Scorpio for the third and final time during 2014

August 7, 2014 - 3:44 a.m. (UT/+0) - glyph chart

Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

Ceres enters Scorpio for the third and final time during 2014

August 7, 2014 - 3:44 a.m. (UT/+0) - text chart

Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

With all the (Sun-Mercury-Jupiter-Black Moon Lilith) energy currently in Leo, this ‘the third time is the charm’ passing of Ceres into Scorpio will test our ability to be our own person while maintaining connection with others and some sort of ‘relatable’ quality/quotient which provides a basis for interaction.

Plus there is the little fact that as Ceres enters Scorpio it ‘activates’ 0 Scorpio - the degree of this October’s solar eclipse.

This can mark a time of great contention or physical-emotional tension...or it can mark a time of breakthrough. With Mars, Saturn and Vesta already in Scorpio that which is failing to bear fruit is doing so at substantial [Vesta] cost. With Mars (in Scorpio) squaring Jupiter (in Leo) at Ceres’ ingress suggests spectacular things, but such moments are likely to be positive only if and where the awareness of others, long term repercussions and the truth of the moment (the cold truth, not some heated ‘my truth’) are being taken into account.

We know our own plan - that’s what got us here. Now we need to [Ceres] consider the plans of others, and how we deal with that...theoretically, that would be what determines the measure of emotional profit and loss as part of our months to come.

Ceres entering Scorpio is the first part of a series of shifts to happen over the next week or so - and that Ceres is the leading factor speaks to qualities which will call our focus to things we don't control but which may well make us want control...which in Ceres terms speaks to the need to think through how to proceed coolly, as Scorpio succeeds best when our Scorpionic choices are rationale as opposed to passionate or passion/desire-driven.

If we believe all things happen for a reason and things happen as and in the order they should, then Ceres bringing even more attention to Scorpio speaks to what we cannot deny (whether we want to or not) and how that which confounds us most is less about the 'thing' (or person) and more about why we respond as we do.

We may not like that. And certainly this ingress will signal a rise in the intensity of many and a blind instinct on the part of some to try and stop or limit certain efforts. These efforts may be ours. Then again, they may be efforts being directed by someone or something totally disconnected or separate from our Self. Whatever happens, the message of the moment would seem to be that things we meet now require plans which consider the needs and aims and feelings of others.

Ceres does not represent our essential sense of generosity or miserliness. Neither does Scorpio, except as a signature of what we are able (or willing) to tolerate emotionally. Scorpio's karma - as opposed to Libra's 'cause/effect' is the essence of all we love to (and know to) quail at in Scorpio as it isn't predictable and won't 'come back to us' from the direction or from the area of life in which we have earned our karmic response.

Some of us will heed this reminder, some won't. Some of us think we can plan for contingencies and some of that will bear fruit...but some of it won't. Leo against Scorpio is the challenge to express one's truest nature while inspiring others - or learning why our nature is, or has become not so very inspirational.

Why that is, what that represents in our character - all the notes about that which we need to take stock of, that's what Ceres' transit of Scorpio is likely to time out, bring out, point out and root out. Throughout 2014 (to date) our plans have gone back and forth between the theoretical and practical, from the idea of the thing to the reality.

Now our feeling consciousness is coming into focus...a focus which is likely to underlie much (if not most) of what we do for much of the balance of this year. Letting go of what hasn't worked and recognizing our own feelings on the subject, or how those differ from values held by others is a process of this moment and moving forward.

It's also the basis of that which, in true Scorpio form, will point to the necessity to nurture our Self and - to some extent - to confront that Self in the spirit of understanding where our standards of security (personal or otherwise) come from, lest our denials or choices be based on that which is past and no longer applicable. 

Where we opt for things which no longer hold validity, this passage of Ceres through Scorpio is likely to manifest in the dismantling of what we had thought of as our plan, our defense, our means of pushing ahead. On the other hand, for those who learn from history or past events without remaining "married" to the literal will like as not see and avoid at least a few stumbling blocks during these months to come...allowing them to arrive at some moment of fruition without having some short term cause shrivel the long-term efforts we had hoped for and worked towards as our harvest.
.
.
.

Saturn, Sedna, Ceres, Jupiter: Manifest Gearing in Motion

A 'dragon storm' on Saturn

(photo credit: Cassini spacecraft/NASA, JPL, Space Science Institute - September 15, 2004)

Back as February started there was a couple of days astrologically marked by Sedna going direct and Ceres entering Scorpio. 

(link) Sedna Direct/Ceres enters Scorpio

Of course with Sedna nothing is quick – so though the February 5th station will have ‘marked’ a turn of perspective, beyond choices of that moment, there’s an awareness of what the whole of this period means which will take time to formulate and become something we can…and may yet consider acting on.

So don’t forget what you’ve been doing. Good or bad, it’s a reference point you’ll look back on from somewhere down the line as surely as these days and weeks passed have gotten us all to see time’s swelling continuum.

In fact, that Sedna hasn’t changed degrees is something of a metaphysical ‘directive,’ if you will…one which says we’re not ‘moving off the mark’ – we’re just ‘turning things around.’

With Sedna in Taurus, this could be our seeing what someone else values or why they value it. We could also be involved in an extended (Sedna) period of time which is about developments leading to a better perspective on who we are – and aren’t. With an orbital cycle of over 11,000 years, dwarf planet Sedna isn’t about ‘this instant,’ it’s about all the many ‘instants’ which go into those things we never expected or suspected which end up transforming our life or perspective on life. 

 Jupiter, Mercury and Virtue by Dosso Dossi

(16th century painting - oil on canvas, Wawel Royal Castle, Krakow)

  
We are all…in our own way…cautious. It’s built in. And however your ‘caution’ tendencies work, or whatever it will take to ‘caution’ you, that’s been part of the mix going into events and recent trends. It’s as if we need to know what our limits are so we can decide whether to…or how to continue on. Or if we’re willing to let go of something in favor of some ‘greater capacity.’

Through whatever our Sedna process is, we either slowly fulfill our greater possibilities or merely sink into our depths, there to be endlessly drowned in the unconscious abandonment of greater potential.

Which is…by the way, one of the ways Sedna differs greatly from Ixion – which we’ve been talking about of late. With Ixion we always ‘know’ better but something gets us to give in to that we know we shouldn’t be doing. 

Of course that ‘should versus shouldn’t’ would be the sticking point. In Ixion’s case the challenge is bedrock reality and what we know we believe right or wrong, real or unsubstantial. With Sedna, the challenge is to let go of whatever our current reality is because we’ve outgrown it. Only by letting go can we embrace and be embraced by our more powerful potentials.

So how to know which is which?

In general, Ixion is something about you or in your life which you do or have 'in interaction' with others, or at least in the presence of others - should you, or shouldn't you do, be or believe that way? Sedna is broader - more philosophical and more about who we are against who we would have the capacity to be if we gave ourselves permission to own every scrap of our abilities. In embodying Sedna, we become more a part of - not apart from our world.

And if any of this sounds like ‘earning our way’ through life, that seems both true and particularly apt now as the increased sense of ‘applied pressure’ has manifested throughout February as a series of ‘Saturn tasks’ – things which have to be done so that other things can happen.

The ‘plan’ – the idea of having a plan and understanding what any plan involves – is the Ceres part of this equation, with Ceres in Scorpio emphasizing a focus on emotional abilities, inabilities, vulnerabilities, defenses and possible/absolute costs…with ‘costs’ referring to anything financial or otherwise which ‘costs’ us – or our (Ceres) plan at some emotional level.

There is a place where Ceres always represents our need – as well as the instinct - to protect ourselves, whether that comes from a real need, imaginary danger or some knee-jerk reaction/habit we’ve gotten into.

Even one we’ve allowed ourselves to get into, whether it’s useful or…you know…costly. At worst, we will now experience relationship stresses, which considering the Sun is in Pisces may promote some sort of feeling of defensiveness – even a touch of panic on our part. That we are only likely to experience such notions in areas of our life where something or someone has been unfair (that being the 1 Scorpio quality brought in by Ceres’ station)…that asks where exactly we are willing to tread, considering none of us are angels.

We just aren’t. And as mortals, we aren’t supposed to be angels – we’re supposed to be figuring out what’s wrong with the way life as a mortal works – a process which tests our sense of inner coherence over the next week or so. By feeding situational dynamics down into inner niches of our more often than not secret soul we are brought to know how our areas of blockage are really places in our life where we’re not ready to take on responsibility.

Or maybe we just don’t want to have to really grow up?

As Saturn opposes Sedna on Wednesday the 26th (UT/+0 time) Jupiter’s square to Uranus (as part of a greater Pluto-Uranus-Jupiter t-square) perfects.

Obviously where the planets are now isn’t where they were when the energy reaching us got stirred up. But given all the implied adjustment for time signals here are one part confluence plus a mighty push towards change.

Or is that a confrontation with that which won’t – or is unsettled in the face of, or by the idea of change?

 A 'false color' image of Umbriel one of Uranus's more than several moons

(photo credit: USGS, August 2007)

Much now depends on whether we are needing to renovate or innovate. With Jupiter’s square to Uranus (as part of the bigger Pluto-Uranus-Jupiter t-square) perfecting on the same date – February 26th (UT/+0) – that Saturn’s opposition to Sedna comes to exact, points are being made.

We’re being taken down to bare bones with ourselves. And an evocative journey it is.

We can expect our feelings to be flexing now as part of all else we’re involved in. There’s obligation in the air and we know it’s as important as it is even if we feel unprepared to cope.

But as soon as we get that far and admit that much to ourselves…it’s about then that we feel ourselves knowing that we indeed can cope. It’s more about a choice of whether we want to.

And for some, whether they know how to.

Realism counts moving forward; there is nothing for it but to recognize that much is at stake now. It has very little to do with life around us and everything to do with whether we are willing to own our strengths as possible detriments and those ‘suspected’  vulnerabilities as under-utilized sources of vast potential.

And then there’s that other little fact…the one about the date of this dual Saturn/Jupiter ‘exactitude’ also being the opening of Mercury’s station-direct ‘turnaround’ on February 28th. That window being February 26 through March 2, we would expect things occurring right now - particularly those which occur right at the beginning of the ‘window’ (around the 26th) to indicate other things which are going to appear or be fulfilled in the future. 

Where or how far in the future depends on your individual chart...but we do know that as Mercury is going to be in the late ‘teen degrees of Aquarius about then, it’s the idea of the thing which counts – the clarity of the passion, the quirks, the attention to technique, technical aspects, details and good old fashioned attitude in putting things out there which counts.

Nike may say ‘Do it’…I say ‘Own it.’

They go together.

Much is in motion - and much of the current question is how much, or to what degree we are involved...or how much or to what degree we have exempted ourselves. "Safe" may be the right name of the game in the personal sense, but in a greater sense the real question - the path which holds our greatest potential and which will require the most of what we know ourselves to be...that requires taking some sort of risk.

And where you are with the mere idea of that risk (the idea being the air sign/Aquarian part of all now)...that's not about the risk itself - that's about the state of your emotions.

Which is a whole different matter. You can solve the problem and maybe the problem (challenge, job, effort, etc.) will be solved - at least for the moment or perhaps forever.

But that still leaves the feeling part.

Some of us will tend wholly to feeling things now, ignoring the outside world or our need (read: responsibility) to be involved with the world on its basis, not our carefully cherry-picked one.

You'll feel better so long as you don't look outside - outside maybe of your Self, and maybe of that window on the world you've been avoiding. 

Oh yes…in case you hadn’t heard, that we’re special isn’t what wins in Aquarius. Aquarius is all about that thing which is special about us which we can be appreciated for – which implies we put out there with full acceptance of what we’re doing as our calling card and foundation.

To get where we want to be, to be the person who is that person living that life now asks us to let go of some part of who we used to be. That’s hard – none of us deal well with growing pains when the angst and agony are ours.

Do it anyway. You’ll like yourself for it, both in the short and long run.
.
.
.

The Ceres Side of Sedna

NASA artist's impression of our solar system from the Sedna with

the Sun in a very great distance

(photo credit: NASA, ESA, Adolf Schaller, September 2012)

Not but a couple of weeks ago did we hear from the movers and shakers in science that Ceres has an atmosphere and real, Earth-type water but Ceres moves into Scorpio.

The date: February 3, 2014

The time: in UT/+0 time zone terms, 8:20 in the morning…which would be just in time for Ceres’ activation of Scorpio principles to overlap with dwarf planet Sedna going on station.

Sedna’s station/direct date: February 5, 2014

Time: 6:40 in the morning (UT/+0).

Sedna going direct in late Taurus is an image which under all conditions has to do with knowing we have value: intrinsic value as a human, value in this world and value to others in terms of what we do with our life or what we bring to our interactions.

link to: The Sedna Conflict

It also says that we can only have, utilize or fully realize our potential value without letting go of some image in our head about how things are ‘supposed’ to be. Or what they ‘should look like.’ Sedna transits teach us how our true success lies beyond getting past what we’ve ended up adopting as our measurement of ‘acceptable’ (or successful) and the resulting ‘gold standard’ we think we need to measure up to in order for our life to be a good one.

Sedna represents the psychological mechanics, the energetics which move through our lives trying to teach us the difference between trying to match life to what we have in mind and accepting life on its own terms.

In going direct at 23 Taurus, Sedna gives us perspective on a degree typified in the Sabian Symbols as ‘an Indian warrior riding fiercely, human scalps hanging from his belt’ – an image which at first thought comes away as plainly violent. But considering this is Taurus (the 2nd sign of the zodiac) this is more about our early experiences with security and perhaps about how many of us don’t survive that challenge.

But some of us do. And what we learn from that…that would seem to be what Sedna, which at this zodiacal juncture stands in opposition to Saturn at 22 Scorpio, seeks to teach us.

The degree 22 Scorpio is known for a ‘scattering’ of Scorpio’s focal intensity which here – in being combined with structural and structuring Saturn can either be the ‘scattering’ of one’s efforts or how some sort of Saturnine ‘barrier’ is being scattered.

Or rather, how it might be scattered depending on whether or not we own our (Sedna) independent nature. There is no ‘good’ and ‘bad’ here, so individual cases will vary – one person will scatter their power through alliances and another will scatter their power through not having any worthy or worthwhile alliances.

Plus since this is Saturn, such questions surely have to do with growth, or the lack thereof. They stand for what we stand for, even if that’s nothing.

But we stand or fall by that. And since 22 Scorpio is also known for a rather sorry lack of moral courage, to act or not act is either our bane or blessing.

So…how would we know which is right and which is wrong? Probably the modifiers to this opposition answer that question, though before the modifiers it seems sensible to add how in all these discussions, such modifiers will be stronger or weaker depending on where they are in your natal chart, what house the transit occurs in - and of course where you are at the moment.

Still, as for modifiers, Saturn is conjunct Mnemosyne and fixed star Toliman in Scorpio while Sedna is conjunct Niobe, Capulus/Kleopatra and fixed star Algol in Taurus.

The Taurus side of this ‘recipe’ (if you will) starts off by asking whether we are simply proud…or whether we take pride in getting things done, and done to our own best ability. Niobe/Sedna can be overbearing …and then again, it can represent that moment when the sheer power of insight breaks through someone’s hard outer shell, producing humility and  gratitude amidst an outpouring of personal capacity.

When combined with fixed stars Capulus (as the sword which can cut both ways) and Algol we know there’s raw Algol passion aroused during these days – or at least the image or idea of passionate potential which if either succumbed to or used selfishly does damage, and which can achieve great things when focused on some greater good or as an addition to that which is available to all in a group dynamic or societal sense.

Against this, Saturn, Mnemosyne (memory) and fixed star Toliman (personal learning and/or teaching/s, often of an inspirational nature) is a challenge to learn through others – or through difficulties you have with relationships or the challenge of interacting with others.

Saturn is the precept of earning and how we only receive or achieve what we work for. In opposition with Sedna, the barriers are ours even if we think they’re put there by others.

What are we going to do? What are we against doing? What efforts will we scatter because we are refusing to let go of old or immature perspectives? Or is the sheer determination born of such an ingrained belief be that which carriers us through?

 Constellation Perseus, with fixed star Algol at center

(screen snap taken from Stellarium)

 

The Sun being at 16 Aquarius as this station and opposition takes place gives us this description as the image of this moment: ‘A watchdog stands guard, protecting his master and his possessions,’ which astrologer Marc Edmund Jones typifies as ‘the development of the capacity to protect oneself and to safeguard one’s individual rights under complex social pressures.’ That the solar energetic is Aquarian suggests Sedna’s station will function (in the greater perspective, of course) as a source for gathering and seeing how something works. And where there is sufficient potential – however presented – a breakthrough is likely to result.

But exactly when that breakthrough will happen…?

That’s the question. Considering how Sedna, Saturn and the Sun are all in fixed signs here, the ‘modality’ of result is unlikely to be instantaneous.

And if it is immediate, it is likely to be explosive – not because of strength, but because of weakness.

That all this comes as Ceres moves into Scorpio raises the specter of a lot of things we all went through during the period between September and November 2013. Whatever unfolded during that time will have aroused deep feelings. Some of us haven’t gotten past what provoked us, some of us are still dealing with repercussions and some of us are still in denial that how others act with or to us is totally about them and not ever about us.

That’s a large part of the question here. What about us sets others off is not their responsibility to not react to. It’s our responsibility to own, understand, utilize responsibly – and certainly not to do harm with.

And how that functions…how that plays out in our lives – how well we accept (Saturn) responsibility for ourselves and what we do or don’t do (and how we go about doing or not doing it) – that now begins to solidify at some emotional level which well may cause us to rework our personal plans. True to Scorpio nature, what we come to comprehend now isn’t finite. It’s nothing you can draw a schematic of.

But it’s real. And it deserves our attention here, as we approach a Mercury retrograde which in its own way will reflect our worldly concerns. Ceres attentiveness is  analytical and yet also tends to be grounded in all needs human and universally humane. In Scorpio it represents a time when our awareness of others asks us what we think life is really worth - and where we're going, and why.

To the extent that we want to achieve anything in life… to the extent that we want to get along with others or at least want others to tolerate us as we go about our daily doings…

That, thematically, is this Ceres side of Sedna, against which Sedna asks who we are in reality...and whether that person differs from who we think we're entitled to be from the perspective - correct or otherwise - offered us by our mind.
.
.
.