The 14 Virgo Full Moon

The Moon at dawn

(photo credit: Mike Lewinski, December 2012)

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There’s a Full Moon in Virgo this Thursday. Occurring at 18:07 (aka 6:07 in the evening), its position at 14 degrees highlights our ability to pay attention and focus on effect and detail with some emphasis on hand-done work, handicrafts and -given Virgo tradition - how we ‘handle’ things (or people). Yet this degree also speaks to lacks, most of which have little (or at least less) to do with what we do on our own and which surface when or where we deal with others. Traditions and that which is ‘traditional’ is held as important and virtually ‘clung’ to with this degree, emphasizing the known, the cherished ... all of the ‘comfortable’ (or comforting) feelings.

But of course, as with any Full Moon story, the Moon’s position is only half the story. The feeling half, yes. The half we will tend to react or respond to? Absolutely.

Still, there is another side to things here, and with a Full Moon, that ‘other side’ is the Sun - emblem of that life, that ‘light’ which the Moon, in coming to its Full phase, reflects.

Which yes, is worth reflecting on for a moment.

The 14 Virgo Full Moon (glyph chart)

March 5, 2015 - 18-07 (UT +0) - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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The 14 Virgo Full Moon (text chart)

March 5, 2015 - 18-07 (UT +0) - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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So with the Moon at 14 Virgo, the Sun is at 14 Pisces, a degree known for serving up a decent helping of fairly good luck which unfortunately tends to get dished out in simple (or simplistic) forms which may not be sufficiently sophisticated to get the job done ... for which reason (as one writer puts it) the luck associated with 14 Pisces often ‘runs out’ unless there is (in the case of a 14 Pisces placement in a natal chart) there is support coming from other parts of the chart (i.e., other attributes in the personality, other people in the native’s life, etc.).

And that idea in a Full Moon chart? That means the Sun of this Full Moon will trend towards positive or negative according to how it’s aspected, and for those living on the planet this Full Moon is going to grace (that being you, me and everyone/everything else on Earth) that starts with the Moon in opposition (not always the world’s friendliest aspect) and goes on from there.

Plus let’s not forget ... this is the last Full Moon before the March 20th total solar eclipse.

In case you’re curious about the lunar eclipse which goes with this solar eclipsing of 29 Pisces (and fixed star Scheat, which happens to be positioned at 29 Pisces), this season’s Libra lunar eclipse happens after the solar eclipse, telling us to expect the emotionalism which accompanies any eclipse season to occur after the 20th.

But enough about that - back to our March 5th Full Moon, one which it interesting in its own right as it happens to be occurring hours prior to  Neptune exiting and ending its 2014 cycle, an idea which fits interestingly with the idea that any Full Moon is, among other things, the end of a ‘waxing’  phase based in (or on) ‘increase.’

Does this mean that some things will now be shown to be an illusion? Maybe - although the combination of Neptune and Virgo would probably be more akin to the ‘dissolving’ of something, be it a notion we may have held onto ...some relationship, or some effort we have been determined to carry through on (or maintain).

Where Neptune’s ‘dissolving’ of some curtain or veil causes us to see something we had hoped would be otherwise, we’re likely to be disappointed.

We’re even likely to not want to do ‘that’ again - which despite the pain or frustration of the moment really is Neptune in Pisces representing the need to face our own feelings facing off against the Full Moon in Virgo as life demonstrating what reality (and realities) really are.

As for the Sun side of this Full Moon, recalling how the degree references speak of 14 Pisces as needing support from other parts of a chart in order to bring the degree’s good luck into play, that list only starts with Moon-opposition-Sun.

For one, the Moon is conjunct Black Moon Lilith at 10 Virgo with Lilith exactly inconjunct Mars and the South Node at 10 Aries ... with the Moon itself inconjunct Uranus and Venus.

Inconjuncts denote ‘adjustments’ or the process of ‘adjusting.’ So both of these connection denote something which ‘shifts,’ or some dynamic which we respond to by shifting or adjusting something. Uranus-Venus speaks to instability or changes (or the changeability) of values or qualities of liking which at the moment aren’t being fully met anyway - that coming as a note about Venus in Aries. Some of us will like ourselves for standing up or for doing things we aren’t comfortable with while Venus is in Aries, though this isn’t Venus in any truly ‘receptive’ or particularly giving mode.

The thing to understand here about our ability to get what we want to get, however ... (that being the Venus part of things) ... is that this doesn’t come from a position of self-assurance. Venus in one of the signs of its rulership (Taurus or Libra) feels rewarded when others prosper ... partially because when passing through those signs Venus represents the type of warmth of feeling which inspires gratitude and a bountiful return of (and on) good deed incarnate.

Yet while transiting Aries (as opposed to a natal Venus in Aries, which operates somewhat differently), Venus is more - even most often a sign of want and wanting. In other words, nothing seems like it’s ‘enough’ or the ‘right thing.’ It could be fine. Things can be going along with nary a hitch - and sometimes that’s what’s wrong, people are bored. They want excitement. Venus in Aries often manifests with a feeling that there’s no fun, no romance, nothing to look forward to in life - and in that, it prompts us to dislike that so much that we do something about it.

In other words, sometimes irritation, boredom and frustration are motivations.

Then again, sometimes they’re just energy wasted and opportunities lost.

Which is which is somewhat of the question here, and with these twin inconjuncts from motivation, action-oriented Mars and desirous-if-unpredictable Uranus/Venus in a tussle with a Virgo Full Moon conjunct Black Moon Lilith (with the Moon trine Pluto, which is a drizzle of obsessiveness stirred into the mix)... sense and sensibility aren’t always going to match - not yours, and not that of others you're interacting with or listening to out there in the Big World.

There’s a lot of disbelief (rejection, denial and flat-out refusing to listen and think things through) going around, and that's of every type on every subject possible. So something may get said or something may happen and you may be totally astounded ... and the person next to you may yawn ... and the person sitting beyond them may not be surprised at the idea, they're just didn't believe anything would ever really happen.

Things are going to be unpredictable. And surprising. There’s a lot which wants to get done, and much in the way of personal insight which will ultimately drive whatever choices come to be made.

Continuing on with aspects, one of our favorites (I’m being sarcastic here ...) is putting in a Full Moon appearance: Pluto (which is sextile and Sun and trine the Full Moon) is square Mars, exactly square Venus and one degree off that exactness in squaring Uranus.

In being conjunct fixed star Vega by degree, Pluto represents a transformative force coming through ... or operating on something which has, or which has had 'charismatic' appeal. Notorious for expressions of potency positive and negative, this conjunction represents the purging of internal shadows,  often through projection of whatever is considered most incorrect or unacceptable about the Self (whether real or dreaded) onto others with a passion which is far more about fear of and for that Self than anything else.

In square to Uranus, this process can be electrifying and fascinating - or exciting and the sort of real eye-opener you're happy you didn't miss. But then again, this square can be the very essence of trying to escape those changes and realities about one's Self which though not particularly appealing are both inescapable and (in all likelihood) not as terrible as we think except for what we think of, and about them. Our current time seems awash with this square; since its formulation (by orb) began back in 2010 life has been full of an inexorable, implacable challenge to change our Selves which being human, we’ve tried to foist on everybody but our Self.

It doesn’t work. It won’t work. But we seem determined to make everything as difficult (i.e., as 'un-charismatic') as we can before learning there are only so many structural members which can be created, denied or destroyed (those being the Pluto keywords) before karma comes home to roost.

That 'un-charismatic' part would be courtesy of Pluto-Venus connections, which whatever they may be and wherever they might surface would and will always be Plutonically intense. 

And with Pluto trine the Moon, there’s a lot of ongoing emotional energy going into efforts to achieve valued or valuable ends which are now being either set off or offset by forces unpredictable (or unpredicted) which, when we consider Pluto sextile Sun says we can change things ... or that this is when there’s that change of luck referenced by 14 Pisces. That change could be for the better or for the worse, with the good-or-bad of same being that the net of whatever happens is something we probably couldn’t have predicted, and how its something we don’t or can’t control - or influenced by something we can’t control, resist, do away with or ignore.

Of course there is that critical Pluto factor which is known as where you're starting from. What I mean is that Pluto is the energy of transformation, or that which transforms us - which means changing what you come into this period with, as, doing, thinking (etcetera) since that is your current status quo. So for some, Pluto/Vega indicates increase, where for others it will indicate decrease - or maybe disruption as opposed to harmony.

Then there’s one other little detail - namely the fact that Pluto and the Sun are not just linked by just any old sextile of opportunity, but by one which is part of a Yod.

And that complicates things yet again - at least for a lot of us. It brings things 'back around,' in some sense. How and why will be entirely individual - depending on your chart. But the Yod itself feels rather fateful as 'moments of Yod' (which sounds odd) are composed of two inconjuncts (two separate adjustments) which emanate from a single point, which in this case is Jupiter retrograde at 14 Leo.

From that point - which would be our opinion on how things are (or should be) - we regard or have to consider (or take into consideration) two things which we are going to have to deal with simultaneously (either internally or externally). And to do that, we’re going to have to undertake some (adjustment or adjusting) process which is either foreign as a process or which is bound to lead to something other than what we were thinking - which with Jupiter in Leo isn’t defined as our first, second ... or even third choice.

But still, if we want to get anywhere, we’re going to have to stop insisting that we are in control - especially in our own heads.

And that, nobody’s likely to love.

But there is some good news here, namely that Yods are one of the few astrological configurations (or ‘planetary pictures,’ as they say in astrology texts) which come with instructions on how to find their ‘solution’ point. That point - astrologically - is immediately opposite the joint ‘base’ of the inconjuncts (the Jupiter of it all here) and half way between the two points which are in sextile (the Sun and Pluto).

In other words, the solution here is found at 14 Aquarius - a degree known for unusually eccentric expressions (physical, verbal and otherwise) and challenges or challenging status quos which are not of one’s making. There are too many variables (and unknowns in your individual chart) to make any sort of predictions here, but if your chart has a planet, dwarf planet, node, axis or cusp point at 14 Aquarius, this Full Moon has your name on it - don’t shy away from your challenges!

With all this said however, let’s go back and remember Neptune’s little part in this play. No matter how seemingly insignificant the ripple through our life seems to be, Neptune’s motions and effects unsettle us from within ... not because we’re actually weak or endangered, but because once we adopt something as part of our life, even if it’s a negative we’re going to feel ‘different’ when it disappears.

At least for a little while.

And we’re not going to know everything ... at least for a little while.

And we’re going to vacillate back and forth between an excruciating awareness of others (many of whom seem to be in some fog) and being that person lost in some thought.

A Full Moon under every circumstance is an upwelling of feelings, an outpouring of fervency and whatever actions reflect our convictions, our hopes, our agonies and desires.

And yet ... it is a phase. Unlike the lunar eclipse which lasts three months - or the solar eclipse which evolves over a full three years (36 months) this Thursday’s Full Moon is a moment in time, a passage through our own feeling core, a chance to reflect on what is darkness and what is light, not only in our world or the world ... but in our own spirit, soul and human life.
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You Were Searching (3rd edition)...

Comet ISON as photographed on Oct 08, 2013

(Adam Block, Mount Lemmon Sky Center-U AZ, October 2013)

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Since publishing my first post on the search terms turning up in the astroPPM (Blogger) ‘back room’ where such things get listed, a whole lot of quirky things are turning up - which is why I did a quick second edition, and now am returning for a third.

For the last few weeks (granting that I was offline with computer problems for one of them) there seems to be a lot of searches regarding centaur Pholus. And yes, it has occurred to me that such folks may be ending up at astroPPM simply because not much is written about Pholus. But be that as it may, here's the Pholus search string for today:

Dating from around the year 500 BCE, a vessel depicts the labor

of Herakles (Hercules) in which the hero deals with centaur Pholus

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LILITH CONJUNCT PHOLUS SYNASTRY
Lilith represents a part of our Self which we deny. Not that we want to deny and not that we wish we could deny.

We deny it. That’s the Lilith quality: the inability or refusal to acknowledge, ‘own’ or utilize - even for our own benefit - those qualities associated with Lilith, the degree it’s positioned in, and all the other usual suspect factors (position by house, aspects from other astro-objects, etcetera).
That said, there are actually two objects named Lilith in astrology - a fact which irritates some astrologers all to tar. And I’ve written on that point ...

- link to post -

The Two Liliths

So if there’s a ‘personal’ Lilith (i.e., something I deny about myself) and an impersonal or societal Lilith (that which I deny in the world -or- how/what the world denies me), which one is this searcher referring to?

I don’t know. But since both forms of Lilith refer to either something we are denying or others (individually or collectively, personally or generically) are denying about us, when we apply that to the Pholus tendency to ‘pull back’ or choose to not involve one’s self in something, to combine these points describes a pulling back or absenting of one’s Self or one’s influence in a situation which (now we add in Lilith) is either being denied to us ... or which we are in some way in denial of, whether that means denying the whole of the situation, the need to deal with it or think about it - and maybe how that applies to us as an individual (that we should be involved as opposed to someone else).

But that’s not the question. The search term is about Lilith and Pholus being conjunct in synastry - which I am taking to mean true synastry (a chart-to-chart comparing of the positions of objects) as opposed to Lilith and Pholus being conjunct in a time/space relationship (Davison) chart. So what the searcher is saying is that Person A ‘owns’ the Lilith and Person B has the chart with Pholus in it conjunct A’s Lilith.

Again, where these objects are placed, how they’re aspected and all that is going to color this discussion some. But this is one of those combinations which could be very good - as in one person choosing to look past (“ignore”) another’s vulnerability or “flaw” ... or this could be a point of frustration because the Lilith person is in denial of who the Pholus person is and how the Pholus person is going to draw away on some level (described by their natal Pholus) when things get too uncomfortable, whether or not it turns out well for them or the situation.

One other version of this... in some cases the Pholus person may look at the Lilith person, perceive their denial as strength and be inspired OR cowed by comparison. Either way, the Pholus person may try to learn from what they see by cutting themselves off from their own misgivings (or better judgment) in order to comply or participate in some situation, whether doing so is a good or terrible idea.

PHOTOS OF THE TROJAN WARRIOR PARIS
Photos? The Trojan War itself being dated to around the 12th century before Christ, cameras were a bit scarce back then (read: non-existent).

However, there are a number of paintings of Paris, and on the astrological side, that this search turned up just around the time Eris went on station seems particularly apt, as the very mortal chosen by Eris (Discordia) to decide a rather ‘fateful’ question (which is more important, beauty, wisdom or nurturance?) was none other than young Prince Paris - he who would go on to steal a married woman (Helen) away from her husband, beginning a decade-plus of Trojan warring and (oh, incidentally) the trials of untold students who throughout the centuries yet to come would be sentenced to studying Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey” in epic poetic detail.

And on that subject ...it being the Goddess Discord (Eris) who in arriving unbidden at a wedding (i.e., ‘a joining’)  precipitates Paris’ problems seems apt, because when Paris chooses to award the apple of Discord to Aphrodite (aka Venus), he is choosing the same path he will choose in the case of the fair Helen: he is choosing beauty over wisdom or nurturance - and because of that becomes the subject of a very Eris-like message, event and warning about how if we  rely on the appearance of the thing as opposed to what it really is (because we wouldn't like what we’d have to ‘see’ if we were seeing things as others are seeing us-or-it) we can expect Discord.

Beyond that, the last time I saw Paris as a film character, he was being played by Orlando Bloom in the film "Troy" - and I'll wager Orlando had a better time with his Trojan War than the original Paris did - by far.

The theatrical release poster for the motion picture Troy (c. Warner Brothers, 2004)

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ARE 1st DECANS STUBBORN?
Given that the first decan (or decanate) is the set of ten degrees (in this case, zero through nine) which are about how we act or what we do, that answer would be ‘yes’ providing that we are talking about a placement or configuration which could indicate stubbornness in its own right.

AQUARIUS ZODIAC SPY PROFESSION
I'm taking this search to mean the following: would an Aquarian (Sun) be more likely to be or become a spy than any other sign? 

Well, there is an ‘exacting’ quality about Aquarius which calls for the clarifying of things, but not only could that ability to focus and discern be applied to many things but there are also many aspects of other signs (Scorpio and Gemini leap to mind here - again, confining this conversation to Suns alone) which have the capacity to be equally focused for different reasons.

In a sense though, you could ask this question in a totally different manner ... at a different ‘level,’ call it. How about this: will we all be more prone to spying during the Age of Aquarius?

That answer would be ‘yes’ if only because with the Aquarian Age we do get a ‘technological marketplace’ (Sagittarius on the 11th of the Age) which by its very nature is purely global and therefore portrays the kind of universal knowing which though most powerful when unconfined, by its nature is likely to be spotted here and there with those who fall prey to the allures of falsehood and/or power - which is to say either without the Aquarian mandate of responsibility to/about others and that which is not ‘ours’ (in any form) as a primary and eternal underpinning.
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A crescent Uranus as photographed by Voyager 2 in January of 1986

from a distance of 1 million kilometers (600,000 miles) away

(photo credit: NASA-JPL)

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GEMINI URANUS PLUTO 2013 MARRIAGE
 Other than being thankful for something so easy to look up, there are a couple of things to say about this particular 2013 (Sun in) Gemini period, the whole of which runs from late on May 20th through early on June 21st (both UT/+0 time).

But first off, this is early on in the utterly lovely transiting Uranus-Pluto square we’re all still enjoying. (Most, not - but that’s both obvious and a whole another thing.) Uranus-Pluto being the potentials of change, frustration, eruption, innovation, discovery, break-through, unification, universalism, disruption and anarchy being pitted against transformation-through-inner-reorientation as to who we are ... or ... what the ‘thing’ is (that being the Pluto part).

And all of this happens in such a way as to get us (whether we’re inspired, coaxed, forced or tempted) to give up or give in and relinquish the need to govern and control. (You did note I said ‘need,’ right? This is an emotional thing, not actually what happens - at least not necessarily.)

As we all have been experiencing this energy it’s been a mixture of many things good and awful. But when we talk about a marriage, what we’re talking about is this aspect being “embedded” in the “natal chart” of that marriage.

That said, was this marriage before or after June 9, 2013? June 9th was when Mercury moved into the shadow of a Gemini retrograde which started at the end of that June, and as with any horoscope which includes Mercury about to go into retrograde there may be a tendency towards pressuring, rushing or feeling pressured.  

(To all astrology students: this is one of several reasons any nativity should be checked out using a printed or graphic ephemeris - so you can see if some planet is going into or out of retrograde in the week or so before or after the birth date.)

In addition to this, Neptune went retrograde on June 7, 2013 in square to Mars and in trine to Mercury - which on one side will tend to support the notion of romance in a relationship while not guaranteeing the kind of love we think of as romantic ... and which may well be an indicator of a continuing lack of clarity (or indeed, lying) which is either part of the marriage itself (the why or how the marriage came about) or which becomes an issue in the marriage at some level, whether that’s a deal of of confusion about how the marriage functions, a statement on some stability-versus-undermining quality in the marriage which has to do with how the marriage is regarded - or even an indication that the married partners will set about lying to everyone else about something.

The use of astrology in picking wedding dates being a complicated thing, however, there’s a lot to look at beyond the date itself. Looked at separately, synastry between the wedding horoscope (proposed or already effective) and the horoscopes of each marriage partner will say something about how the people feel about being married. And differences between those answers and what we find when we simply look at a Davison (time/space) relationship horoscope between the parties says a lot about how some people are fine (or not fine) until they say their ‘I do’s.

It’s complicated. But then, marriages are complicated - that’s just a fact ... and something of a tribute to us as human beings. WE aren’t simple ... we have enough trouble with our individual lives - so why would a marriage of two complicated individuals be easy?

As to the Aries Uranus-Capricorn Pluto square in this (or any) marriage horoscope, the positive or negative there is going to depend a good deal not just on how this square is presented (in what houses, etc.) but also on how the rulers of the signs - which points to Mars (as ruler of Aries) and Saturn (as ruler of Capricorn) ... which means that even if the Uranus-Pluto square itself is decently placed (let’s remember that Pluto can remember power struggles, among other things), if the Mars or Saturn of the marriage chart is badly positioned there is going to some sort of underlying matters of ‘push/pull,’ structure, control/resistance and determination to be faced.

This can turn out just fine, of course - but given that Mars and Saturn will be in square from May 31st through June 15th during this May 20-June 21 “2013 Gemini (Sun)” period, responsibility, willingness and the direct physical ability to work for/towards things becomes a challenge.

Uranus (at 11 Aries) being in sextile to the Sun (by sign) for the whole of this period may well speak to a marriage which changes all the time - and in which ideas, the ability to ‘keep pace’ and flexibility are all important, no matter which date during this period is the actual day of the wedding. That 11 Aries being known as a degree is prone to unpredictability may well indicate a compounding Uranian effects, making things extra-special lively in this marriage (check those Mars and Saturn placements!).

Then again, Uranus in any degree is most often a ‘changing’ of the degree’s normal status, which means this marriage may be all about a very Saturn-Capricorn ‘structuring’ of the lives of both of the natives who are party to the marriage - a classic and very human ‘giving up of one’s wild days’ in the interest of (Saturn) growing up and (Saturn) getting ‘real’ sort of thing.

Whoever you are, good luck!

Mercury, Venus and the Moon align over the Parnal Observatory VLT

(photo credit: ESO, March 2008)

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BEING BORN COUPLE DAYS AFTER MERCU...
I’m going to take a wild stab at this one (sorry, your search string was too long!) ... and I’m going to take it in terms of part of what I said (above) about using an ephemeris (graphic or printed). To be born a couple of days after a Mercury station would mean your whole life is going to have a very important Mercurial (and mercurial) quality - and when looking at major planets (i.e., anything from Jupiter on out) you may want to give as much as a week or so in terms of influence.

But these influences don’t function the way you think they might. To be born a couple of days after a Mercury station/retrograde (for instance) doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to think. It could (given the rest of the chart) indicate some learning disability ... but then again it could also indicate not finding that thing (your “passion”) which excites you until a later age than your peers. It could merely say that by habit you’ll be someone who thinks things through. Or that you’ll be a ‘life-long learner’ because your native perspective is that you can just never know enough, never learn enough and that there’s always something new and interesting around a next corner.

I can even use myself as an example here: I was born a few days after a Mercury station/retrograde and within a week of Saturn’s station/retrograde.

All of my life I have written: I’m a writer - which fits: Mercury is about communication and Saturn is the first place we look to find information on career. Moreover, I write about time - a purely Saturn thing. When I write astrology, I write about its cycles. When I write books, I tend to either written non-fiction about what my time on earth has been about (biographies and autobiographies being a Mercury expression of the Saturn reality of a Saturn lifetime) ... or I write fiction, in which case I simply embody time... Saturn... Chronos ... whatever you want to call him (read my ‘Reality and Mind’ quadrilogy if you want to know more about this particularly Timely quirk of mine).

And to the retrograde part ... a lot of that is the time it takes to write and how writing (generally) includes (lots of) editing. Saturn stations seen in a natal chart around the time of birth can also indicate late marriage or a late ‘coming to be who you are,’ which may be cognitive, and may simply be a reference to successes which happen later in life.

One other thing to wonder about since we’re talking specifically about stations (direct or retrograde) around the time of a birth, and that’s the reference to health or basic abilities which may lie hidden, go unrecognized if not supported, which may start out as very active only to go dormant - or which simply go unnoticed, sometimes for amazing amounts of time. (Next time you wonder how someone missed or didn’t know that, think ‘retrograde station around the time of birth.’ It happens more often than you think ... or maybe that you don’t think, depending!)

My point here is really that stations - like eclipses (either lunar or solar) which occur immediately before or after a birth are astrologically important. There’s also a long tradition of astrologers checking for whatever the New or Full Moon before birth is going to be, the lore there being that those who come into this world after a New Moon spend a lifetime learning as if all was new where those born after a Full Moon (and before the next New Moon, obviously) start out with a certain ‘knowledge’ which they then spend a lifetime developing uses for and as a base for further learning.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

With all of that said, that last search string is 34 characters long (including the spaces between words) ... and it got cut off. I think I said Blogger reports the first 30 or 32 characters (that was a guesstimate) - and the above is better proof: Blogger (aka Google) gives a bit more that that ... but not much!

Every once in a while (as at the moment) there’s a break in the flow of astrological changes to report on. So you keep searching, and as such times come along I’ll see what I can do to fill in the blanks.

Meanwhile, here’s hoping some of this helps scratch that curiosity itch!
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Eris Direct

Lightning strikes as Indonesia's Galunggung volcano erupts.

(photo credit: R Hadian - U.S.G.S., December 1982)

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So things aren’t quite settled ... which we know because there’s a lot of Uranian energy loosening the nuts and bolts (or our hold on) certain things we had finally really learned how to count on.

Which is all so Uranus-square-Pluto.

And with Uranus being currently in Aries, there is that oddity that just when we go to blame things on someone else we see or recognize something we hadn’t counted on.

Then there’s our relationship(s) with others - others known and amorphously unknown. A lot of things we hadn’t counted on are becoming important. We thought we could lean on certain things but now those choices need reconsidering.

Things are clearly in a sort of nebulous muddle. But it’s not anything we can simply walk away from or ignore. With Uranus conjunct the South Node and the Libra(north) and Aries(south) moving into 13 Libra-Aries with Pluto at 13 Capricorn forms a perfect transiting t-square: the transformation of our understanding of why something is important and how unless we get past thinking it’s just about us or “our identify” with or in the situation, we aren’t likely to get anywhere.

Or at least not where we really want to go.

With the North Node (the relationship to the thing or person/people we should have) at 13 Libra and Pluto at 13 Capricorn the primary challenge is to our sense of those we associate with. Do we know them? Are they changing? Are we changing? Do we need to change considering some (Eurydike) cost - and if so, what is the cost of changing? Are our chosen goals or aims still attainable - or would they be too costly?

Moreover, because the nodal shift (and thus the perfecting of the Pluto t-square) occurs on January 8th, that means that whatever all of this means to you (which - count on it - isn’t what it means to the person standing next to you) ... that date of January 8th highlights a metaphysical “dotted line” between the Plutonic/Nodal ‘transformation of relationship to...’ (something) and the idea that dwarf planet Eris is going direct on January 10th.

The Eris glyph

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The time of said event: 27 minutes after midnight, UT/+0 time.

The degree of said event: 22 Aries, a degree which though spoken of as an indication of a lot of potential which though unpredictable and sometimes problematic (even deadly), is nonetheless a precious example of our endless ability as human beings to face life and to be spurred by life to various acts of amazing ... and at some level mysterious ... creativity.

Ciphered through discordant Eris, this is good cause to wonder. Eris is nothing we control - it comes and becomes without our doing anything ... and at some level, because we haven't or won't do something as we know we should.

-link to post-

Eris Discordant:

Mastering Our Own Weakest Moments

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Eris often manifests with something of a shock, a jolt, a stunning confrontation - most of all with our Self. With an orbit which takes just under 600 years, Eris effects mark eras of development in crisis. Having been in Aries since the latter part of April 1923, the best part of everyone alive in today was born under this influence with Eris indicating (among other things) how we will react to life's unpredicted shocks and insights.

With Eris in Aries, we'll take it personally. Or take it to be 'about' us - or due to who we are, which in the case of an object which can be used effectively as a means to stand up or against some universal wrong (especially if or where we are not a member of the 'wronged' group) can be a very good thing.

But when not harnessed productively, Eris in action can be problematic. A great hassle which whether it is or not can feel like some sort of fate-ordained personal harassment (that would be the 'personally' part). Wherever we find Eris in the chart, there will be drama.

What we do with that drama is the question. So ... with Eris going direct now in Aries, will its station-direct period bring some need to be creative, the ability to be creative or some inspiration as to how to ‘create’ the thrust or sufficient motivational energy to propel or carry something to its fulfillment?

Also - just to finish the thought: the reason we would astrologically connect the Eris event to the Pluto t-square is because we give all stations a two-day before, two-day after ‘station allowance.’ During this time, events which occur tend to have lasting effects which go beyond the date of the station with events happening prior to the actual station generally pertaining to things which have yet to happen and things happening just after the moment of station referring to issues (or lessons) which are finally at their end.

Eris Direct at 22 Aries (glyph chart)

January 10, 2015 - 00:27 a.m. (UT/+0) - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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Eris Direct at 22 Aries (text chart)

January 10, 2015 - 00:27 a.m. (UT/+0) - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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But what do we know about Eris?

We do know Eris’ station is in a receptive-responsive degree (all even number degrees have a hint of said quality). We also know that as Eris is on station, it’s in trine to a Jupiter which in Leo retrograde is referencing something which without additional effort (that being the ‘trine’ part of this) is being ‘delivered’ to, or received by us. If Jupiter was direct, we’d be doing the doing (so to speak!), but in Leo retrograde whatever is happening is (Eris) starting or startling us into an understanding which given Jupiter’s square to Sedna (at 23 Taurus) refers to something we want and believe we should have (or be able to/allowed to have) which is probably beyond ‘having’ at the moment.

All and all, this would seem to be a time which refers to corrections not necessarily about the ultimate course or goal (although it could be) but which certainly refers to some form of personal priority or prioritization which needs reexamination.

 An orbital diagram for Eris as of January 10, 2015

(courtesy of the JPL Small Body Database)

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Plus this isn’t the only thing happening during this time. As Eris enters its ‘station allowance’ on January 8th in anticipation of going direct on the 10th and as Pluto and the Nodes create a dynamic which may break us out of some ‘easy/easy out’ mode we’ve been dallying in/with, Ceres is moving into Capricorn, joining the Plutonic parade in the sense that Ceres is a known astrological commodity, and to have nurturing, protect-the-process/protective-of-the-process Ceres moving into Capricorn is an interesting counter-balance to Pluto.

Let’s remember: Pluto is that hand on the celestial and cosmic clock which indicates transformation - as opposed to Uranus, which indicates change.

Pluto is ... well, to use the geological term, metamorphic. Plutonic changes take time. They feel like being pushed, being pressured, being overwhelmed and being stripped naked - often all at once, and definitely forever and always on an emotional level. However concrete Pluto effects eventually become, the rending of our emotional soul which comes with the process is the thing which really transforms us.

Against this, Uranus is ‘a change.’ When you reach for a light switch and flip it on - or you strike a match and light a candle, you’ve effected change. If you stub your toe there’s a moment before the stub and a moment after.

With Uranus, the moment of shift is virtually instantaneous. It’s a break or a breakthrough - the light which as fast as we perceive it has already banished our previous dark.

In practical terms, Uranus squaring Pluto is a lengthy period which is transformative in the sense that we (and our societies) learn to be more flexible even as our power of, and ability to focus goes into  marathon mode as we endure a long and longer series of unpredicted (and unpredictable) incidents, changes and sudden recognitions. To have to deal with that at the same time that we’re trying to be constructive (which most of us are) is trying at best - and nerve-wracking for many. So it’s lucky that things will begin to simplify (at least) once we get through Uranus’ peak South Node/conjunction effects on January 19th and 20th.

And about that...? The best suggestion there is the standard and Uranian one: remember to flex.

 The Ceres glyph

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Until then, we do at least have an astrological assurance (labeled ‘Ceres’) telling us that we will persevere. Change or no change, the days will tick by, we’ll try, we’ll learn, we’ll recalculate and move on - and to have Ceres in Capricorn as we do this amidst all life’s pressures and bumps refers to an overarching ‘protective measure’ which is acknowledged by - and therefore a potential benefit to all. By nature, Capricorn always speaks to a ‘cooling’ of perspectives, so Ceres from this Friday until April 3, 2015 when Ceres moves from Capricorn into Aquarius, a lot of things which are currently ‘over heated’ will cool off, offering time for lots of constructive consideration and restructuring as necessary.

Of course that does mean we will have to deal with whatever needs cooling - which is slowly be/coming clear ... whether we're comfortable with it, or not.
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Venus in Aquarius

An ice block on the beach near Jökulsárlón, Iceland

(photo credit: Andreas Tille, February 2003)

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As Venus moves into Aquarius on January 3rd (at 14:49 - 2:49 p.m. - UT/+0) time few will be looking up and shouting ‘whoopee!’ as if some gift had been given.

But in a sense, that could be what’s happening - depending, of course, on what you’ve been doing (or preparing to do) prior to now. Venus is, after all, the symbol not of ‘cause-effect’ as a system but that magical, sometimes longed for and sometimes dreaded moment when cause turns into effect.

Yes, Venus represents the ‘having,’ which we associate with Taurus (one of Venus’ two signs of rulership). But considering that Taurus is not merely the ‘having’ but the ‘using’ or even the ‘consuming’ - Taurus does rule food, restaurants, groceries, chefs and all which goes with that.

But why Taurus rules that is the point: food preserves life. Having food, knowing how to feed ourselves, even the simple act of eating - they’re all intrinsically and biologically linked to a primal feeling of inner security which comes from knowing you’re not going to starve.

So as Venus moves through Aquarius, this question or ‘quest’ for security and to bring things into a position where cause does turn into the effect we want - that becomes a generalized aim. Yes, the Uranus-Pluto square and Saturn squaring Neptune - all those inner recalculations and outer reconciliation processes being thrust upon us by our times and life - all those things continue (see previous post). But within that, the Venus part of our daily life - the search to make things ‘happen’ - that moves from the Capricorn structuring phase about what’s what and what got us where we find ourselves, what needs doing and why our values are as they are ... all the subtly past tense ‘how we got here’ themes which have been much a part of our past several weeks melt away.

And in their place we are faced with today: what it takes to survive today, whether we integrate that ‘past’ into today - or whether we simply accept today as its own thing and something we need to learn about and participate in. In adapting, might we become as functional as others? Might we be able to either ‘fit in’ or utilize some ability or talent that we have (all such things being Leo and Leo being the polarity sign to Aquarius) ... have we something in our ‘bag of tricks’ which will allow us to stand out?

More over ... if we (or what we do) does stand out, will that ‘cause’ turn into an ‘effect’ which is universally well received or only well received in the mind of a particular faction?

That’s the Aquarian part. Aquarius is the sign of the social, societal and human collective. Aquarius is the marketplace of thought, of ideas. In being the third of the zodiac’s theoretical airy signs Aquarius is also not the individual mind-and-mindset of Gemini. Nor does it embody or promote interactive communication or conversations good and bad between factions and collectives as Libra does.

Venus in Aquarius (glyph chart)

January 3, 2015 - 14:49 (2:49 p.m.) UT+0 - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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 Venus in Aquarius (text chart)

January 3, 2015 - 14:49 (2:49 p.m.) UT+0 - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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Zodiac signs all come in threes. The first is personal, the second is interactive and the third is global. So where Venus in Gemini is ‘what I like’ (or choose to pursue) and Venus in Libra is ‘what we like/don’t like’ (or choose to focus on), Venus in Aquarius is ‘what is liked’ ... or ‘what works’ or ‘that which is successful’ - the “proof” of which is the response, be that applause, accolades, ‘likes,’ popularity, money or the fact that when you flip the switch, the lights go on.

When the Aquarian system ‘works’ - the proverbial light goes on. And when an Aquarian system doesn’t ‘work’? Then we are in the dark - sometimes literally (Aquarius does rule energy and energy systems) and sometimes figuratively.

And all of this can be about others ... and then can be about us: sometimes Venus in Aquarius is all about feedback, the “results” of what we’ve done. Venus in Aquarius isn’t the Venus in Capricorn world of  bottom lines and ‘consequences,’ but rather is more about sizing up what’s working and what isn’t - and why. With it’s emphasis on functionality and a ‘system’ which works universally and across-the-board, this January 1st through January 27th Venus in Aquarius period will let us know where things don’t work, leaving us to sort through what needs updating against what needs an overhaul and (Pluto square Uranus) changing, whether that’s of some attitude or about the thing itself.

There’s a note of showiness to Venus in Aquarius which given our day and age lends itself to technology, gadgets and any of a number of means by which we entertain ourselves through some electronic or digital means. Venus in Aquarius will also point to the positives and negatives of money being operated on any theoretical level, whether that’s a reference to an economy, economics in general, wages, how money is spent, accounted for or moved - or any of the facets which pertain to  entirely basic questions of having “enough money to survive” ... or how much of anything (money, effort, time, loyalty) is “enough.”

Venus in Aquarius can reward. It can also deny rewards, which in some cases denotes being ‘cut off from’ (being ill-informed, being in denial) something.

Why that would happen is variable. But it can happen - and for some (those who are averse to life being other than how they want it to be) Venus in Aquarius is often a time where things get ‘bypassed’ or ignored simply because there’s an inner terseness and tenseness which translates roughly as ‘I don’t have to deal with that - so I won’t because I don’t want to.’

Let’s remember, after all ... Aquarius is a fixed sign: it isn’t easily ‘moved’ off it’s base or basis of anything. And if you’re saying ‘but then, neither are any of the fixed signs,’ I’ll agree but add that this particular sign in question (Aquarius) is the only one of the four (the others being Taurus, Leo and Scorpio) which is an air sign - which means it’s the idea which is at least initially captivating, not the reality. Like its Leo polar compliment, Aquarius functions in and as a world of possibilities: Leo is just the “me” part of that universal world of ‘the possible’ where Aquarius is the theoretical ‘entirety’ of possibilities - whether that range of possibilities is defined as some sort of communicative or interactive dialogue (human or otherwise), some sort of possible and/or powerful potential, or the quality of some global ‘whole’ - be that a society, a marketplace, a power grid or any sort of societal system (banking, media, transportation, educational, political, social, corporate, economic, infrastructural, etc.) or the hold-effect-influence any such system may have through its workings on a wider or broader population.

There is a definite plus of Venus in Aquarius in that it lends a pleasantly ‘airy’ quality to many a situation which might otherwise seem a bit leaden. Used effectively, understanding that people are ‘keyed’ or attuned to that which is presented in such a manner or phrased within the parameters of such a tone is useful, though any (read: all) of the fixed signs represent energies which can become ‘too much of a good thing’ too quickly - which in this case would be the sort of appearance or presentation which easily lapses over into the boorish, arrogant or even simply manipulatively friendly, often whether that’s the intent or not. With Venus in Aquarius there’s less of those free-floating moments when suspicions and questions about intent color the mental air than, say, one might encounter under Venus in Scorpio. But Venus in Aquarius has it’s own ‘darker vibe’ as this is a sign/planet combination which brings out not just the upstanding wheeler-dealer in many, but the underhanded con artist in some. This combination can bring out social turmoil as well as social (or economic) tendencies to ‘blackmail’ others in ways which have nothing to do with love or money.

And because we’re all on this frequency at the moment, we’re all primed to pick up on everything - good and back - that we have no idea we’re projecting.

Aquarius as pictured in a stained glass at the Chartres Cathedral in France

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So that’s the down side. The up side of Venus in Aquarius is the capacity for simple, uncomplicated fun - and often a willingness to allow a little ‘coloring outside the lines’ when it comes to issues of humor.

Why humor?

Probably because laughter lightens our load and in ways both physical and otherwise, serves to ease our heart, putting us at ease - at which point we can think to extend our hand ... and maybe even our Self ... in joining in conversation if not friendship, with others.

And if that happens globally, you never know - Venus in Aquarius just might serve our personal, worldly and greater purpose ... which in essence would be the whole of our being - and part of our meaning in the vastness of an incalculable and eternally all-encompassing, boundless Existence.
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Venus in Capricorn

Named for the Egyptian goddess of truth and justice (Maat), Maat Mons on Planet Venus is an

8 km (5 mi.) high volcano situated at 0.9 degrees north  Latitude by 194.5 degrees east Longitude.

(photo credit: NASA-JPL)

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There’s something quiet... sometimes even somber about Venus in Capricorn. Some of that is no doubt due to the fact that the sign prior to Capricorn is Sagittarius, and under Venus in Sagittarius things can get wild and woolly, unpredictable and unexpected. That’s what Sagittarius is all about - the new, the growth, the testing of a theoretical limit (if not the limit itself). So while Venus passed through Sagittarius, results of various doings (results being the Venus thematic aim) while there were pluses and things to be happy about, there were also a lot of surprises and things which got out of hand in unexpected ways.

So part of the change we’re likely to feel once Venus is in Capricorn is just about comparison. After all, in comparison to Sagittarius, Capricorn can seem downright staid. Or slow, as the pace or frequency of things does seem to pick up under Sagittarius - which means that if they slow down now they may be simply be going back to what's generally our more 'normal' pace - but in comparison, there's a difference.

That means we shouldn't think things can’t - or won’t get done now. They can - Venus in Capricorn is often a very  productive time, especially where we need to deal with obligations to others... or even our Self. Venus being all about trying to produce the result/results which will make things easier, as it passes through earth sign Capricorn we're all going to be looking for, working with and seeing real results come to be in real-time, in-the-flesh life.

Will they be what we want?

Well, maybe yes... and maybe no (what else is new, right?). But seriously...ruled by Saturnine precepts (those being about hard work, having/taking direction, regard for others/the world around us and in general, The Responsibility Principle) Capricorn is a sign which is about what we earn as a person (or for a nation or company, as an entity). It's about the 'reality' of our 'standing' in life - never mind the money or the bank account(s), though this is a pairing of sign and symbol considered good for the conducting of business, if not specifically or directly as an indication of income.

Think of it this way... getting the job, the 'business of business' - the Capricorn part of the process - has to happen before you get a paycheck, which makes the receiving of income as something intrinsically Aquarian far more understandable: Capricorn precedes Aquarius just as getting the job precedes getting the income from that job. 

Under Capricorn, it's our reputation (being known for who we are and what our abilities and capacities are) or what we are thought of by others (and the world) which garners whatever 'response' we get in said world, whether that amounts to respect, money, accolades - a job offer - or anything else. And that means Venus traveling through Capricorn is all about who we want to be in this world versus who we are being or being seen as in this world (inclusive of who we may have been)...and how well all of that is working, or not working, in good, bad or iffy Venusian style.

And for those who have issues? This is also a good time to think about or work on seeing what you can do to improve things. It may take time (hardly anything we initiate under Venus in Capricorn yields instantaneous results) ... but if we started doing something some time ago, this may well be a time of stabilization.

There is a touch of 'let's keep the status quo status' with Venus in Capricorn (more than a touch, actually...) yet risks - though not seized upon with the glee one might see if Venus was in a fire sign - are still acceptable.

Well, maybe. Venus in Capricorn signals moments and situations which ask us how important something really is. We end up thinking about risks to what we have, and we'll tend to 'protect' or look at providing for things as they are first under this influence where at other times (read: while Venus is in a sign with less allegiance to less hard-core practicality) we might think the situation merits taking a risk in order to protect or provide for our 'status quo' as we go forward. And when we think of Capricorn in its 'what we are seen as' mode it's easy to see Capricorn as a sign of (or about) consequences in life... and life consequences, which in the sense that 'consequence' and 'result' are words which might be thought of as non-kissing cousins means Capricorn's 'style' meshes rather seamlessly with Venus as whatever situation, action or connection brings about some 'response' or 'result.'

Though granted, those results aren't always what we want them to be. Sometimes we get what we want under Venus in Capricorn, even though we always get what we've managed to earn - at least on a karmic level.

And why karma? How did karma get into this conversation? Answer: that very special 'karma' quality brought to this discussion courtesy of Scorpio, as Capricorn is - and ever shall be - the third derivative sign from Scorpio..

Scorpio, Sagittarius and Capricorn show in terms of their position on

a 'natural' (i.e., unmodified) zodiac wheel.

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All third astrological derivatives equal the 'voicing' - the 'putting it out there' at least in theoretical form, which makes Capricorn - and transits of planets through Capricorn - times and indicators of situations which though totally Capricorn in nature embody something of a Scorpio 'voice,' that 'voice' being the heart of the challenge we all face as we achieve (the Capricorn thing) and through that achievement acquire power - or a powerful voice. Or the power to speak - and be heard.

This precept - by the by - has great implications for the next 2,000 years or so as Scorpio will be on the 10th house (the native house of Capricorn) for the whole of the Aquarian Age... and also why we are seeing - and likely to see - this struggle to maintain internal (Scorpio/Taurus) balance/s of worth in worldly institutions and on the worldly level appearing first in or through natively 10th house institutions. We're going to see the other side of this too - the 10th house professions which 'embody' or hold power over our mortality, the most obvious of which would medicine, food and anything connected to weaponry, war and/or the civil sector entities which embody a governmental power (tax, spy, policing agencies, etc.).

The wheel of any given Age has the sign of that Age (in this case, Aquarius) on the Ascendant

of the wheel, rotating the rest of the signs counter-clockwise from there. Because of that, Scorpio

is on the 10th house of the Age we're now in/moving into, which explains to a great degree many of
the problems we're encountering in our life and which we see in our world. During the Age of Pisces
(that which is now over) the great emphasis on learning, religion and the idea that there's an ethical
responsibility which goes with being in power or having power was tempered by what we might
think of as a 'spiritual-moral' clause. That clause - the Sagittarian clause - now moves to the 11th house,
meaning it now resides (and will reside, moving forward) in the hands of 'marketplace systems'
and various mass and social  movements, meaning that governments and those 'in power' (whether
embodied as corporations or as a household) will tend to 'act' from the Scorpio basis (whether
or not they are claiming to be acting from a moral (Sagittarian) position) until a new paradigm
about the relationship between power and security based on the needs of populations as opposed
to Scorpionic desire/will of those 'in power' is developed. This may take time and does not say that
those who haven't made the change are "evil" - merely that things are changing and that such
people or institutions (or some of the means through which they operate) are destined to change
even while we all move forward, together manifesting that beginning of Aquarian Age evolution
which over time equates the (Taurus) security of power, use of power and those with (or in) power
with the opportunity to learn how to (Taurus) value, develop and wield power in one's own mortal
and individual life in and as the whole of any global and universal (Aquarian) system.

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Venus in any sign is about whatever makes something plain, evident or obvious. We even have expressions which cover such times: Venus in an air sign 'brings things to light' and Venus in an earth sign like Capricorn 'makes things concrete,' none of which guarantees we'll like something, not like something or that it's even the end of a given process. Sometimes realities please us and sometimes they just prove how what we thought we would want isn’t what we really want at all.

That's also rather Venus in Capricorn, just as in 'solidifying' certain situations under Venus in Capricorn means we've been 'validated,' approved or given some go-ahead which we will begin working on now and see about capitalizing on once Venus moves into Aquarius (read: after New Years). For now we're looking for opportunities - and among those we will find some which give us a chance to turn disappointment into understanding in such a way that we are then able to change things.

You know...once Uranus goes direct and the 'changes' in life become more external than internalized?

How life works, and who we are in our life gets a bit of quality attention during this time. And because perseverance is another Capricorn trait, while Venus moving through Capricorn that path which needs long(er) term effort and the best our determination and patience can offer may not seem as annoying as it did just a couple of weeks ago.

Or rather, it may seem just as irritating, but also the path we need to take because we really do want to reach that personal goal. So don't be surprised if what you focus on now is something bigger, more substantial or more 'consequential' (read: full of potential) than what you've tackled up until now: Venus in Capricorn often stirs us to demonstrate our abilities and capacity - most of all to our Self.

Yet in spite of this, we shouldn't expect everyone to be in a nose-to-grindstone 'give it your very best effort' sort of mood - which isn't surprising, as it's holiday season. But maybe that's the point. Nothing we've said here says the period between December 10th (when Venus enters Capricorn at 4:43 p.m., UT/+0 time) and January 3rd (when it moves on into Aquarius) can’t be warm, wonderful, rewarding and well worth savoring.

It’s just that with Venus in Capricorn, success is more human - think less razzle-dazzle and more time-tested, classic or dignified.There's also a reflective sort of quality to Venus in Capricorn which tends to lead to quiet admissions - even if they're only to ourselves. We're aware of losses... and where we stand with regards to those things we want to achieve in life, whether that's a professional or personal aim.

As for the reputation for fiscal caution which goes with this combination. Under Venus in Capricorn we would expect less experimentation and risk rather across the board than that we’ve experienced of late...or what we would have more comfortably tolerated under Venus in Sagittarius.Part of this goes back to the essential yin-yang quality of the zodiac - a quality which we see in every part of life: we breathe in, we breathe out... the pendulum swings in one direction, and then swings back. Starting with Aries (an assertive and yang sign) the entire zodiac goes back and forth between this yin and yang, metaphorically hot and cold pattern, which is why we experience Scorpio’s tendency to try to hold onto things (or keep them as they are) which is followed by Sagittarian fervency which is again followed by Capricorn’s classically cool control.

And please note: that reference to control under Capricorn (or in the 10th house sense) starts and ends with control of Self - not others. As much as it is a sign of achievement, Capricorn is also the sign of governance and governments, both of which in this metaphysical sense are said to work well only  when the Capricorn drive to ‘structure’ durable things which provide what is needed so everything else about our human lives can function successfully.

Given this - and the Venus reputation for producing results, this Venus in Capricorn time is likely to show up/bring out how well (or not well) our efforts to reach our current goals is really doing.

Or not doing.

Whichever way things go, there's going to be some emphasis on maintaining a status quo even while needing to look forward with an eye to the lessons of history.

(Welcome to your next little exercise in unlikely balancing acts.)

Imaged by Venus in Capricorn and Mars in Aquarius, these next few weeks are a time when things may (and can) be sparked... or they can just fizzle, or even short circuit. Since the astrological Mars and Venus are also thought of as primary symbols of lunar/feeling 'modification,' even without anything untoward or specific going on, staying in emotional balance within the Self and with others is one of those places which will take a bit of effort. This isn’t necessarily bad and there's nothing Herculean necessarily indicated. Some of us will take some time off, some of us will pull back a little in some way and all of us will be thinking 'what next?' about something, whether we're in our career planning mode or standing in the kitchen thinking about when to put cookies in to bake considering everything else we need to do.

With Mars having changed signs (into Aquarius) a few days before Venus enters Capricorn, Venus (the faster moving planet) will do a bit of numerical degree catching-up for the first few days of its transit. Then as of December 14th, the real heart of the semi-sextile effect resulting from Mars and Venus being in adjacent signs increases. And though this semi-sextile won't last more than a couple of days (suggesting that only a small tube of mental anti-itch ointment might suffice), because those days are the specific dates which lead into the Uranus’ station-direct/Capricorn Solstice moment of December 21st, changes and challenges are likely to interrupt, distract or disrupt our focus.

Moreover, the degrees at which Venus and Mars will proceed in numerical (not sign) tandem start at ten and continue on through fourteen, we know that emotional drives and those motivating forces which lie below the surface are causing some of this, with that 'hidden' or 'unspoken' factor creating a lack of clarity, whether or not there's true insecurity.

Venus conjunct Pluto in Capricorn (glyph chart)

December 20, 2014 - 11:02 a.m. (UT/+0) - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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Venus conjunct Pluto in Capricorn (text chart)

December 20, 2014 - 11:02 a.m. (UT/+0) - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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Some want to act, some are dying to react. We know something needs to be done...but we also don't want to act in haste. With Venus conjuncting Pluto there's no question but that we're each being driven by what we want to happen (which is natural) and let's not forget: any astrological contact between Pluto and Venus indicates some level of passion... or for those prone to same, obsession.

And that's what's being tested about now through a configuration we know of as Uranus squaring Pluto from 12 Aries with Uranus slowing down to take its station.

That's a lot of pressure. Internal pressure which is seeking a way to 'break through' whatever is holding it back.

This transiting Uranus-Pluto square has been with us now for a while, and its many manifestations have not been altogether pleasant. Uranus first came into orb of square to Pluto (this time around the zodiac) back in June of 2009 - a fact which may ring a bell for you and which certainly will set off chimes in the heads of those who watch domestic and international politics and economics. Since then life and our times have ... with increasingly shorter breaks ... been trying to get us to change, and where we don't change (or where we don't flex and/or change) change - sometimes drastically dramatic change - has been thrust upon us.

To put this in Aquarian Age terms we all have been being challenged to move out of some ‘past’ - most likely personal and global - into a more present-and-future mode, and we’ve probably all done some of it, but then again... probably not.

And that part we would know because Uranus is still transiting Pluto. The active square having begun in June 2012 (June the 24th, to be exact) it remains with us with the next edition of exactitude occurring on December 15th at 6:15 in the morning (UT/+0 time) with March 17, 2015 marking the last such event we will experience for a while, though it will be early 2017 before this influence fully dissipates.

So what is Uranus squaring Pluto - and why do we care amidst a conversation about Venus entering Capricorn?

There are a hundred different ways (at least!) to describe Uranus square Pluto. But since they all seem to fall within one rather indistinctly succinct outline, we’ll just go with that: Uranus squaring Pluto by transit is the need to change coming into balance with the willingness to be transformed.

In this textual word equation, Venus conjuncting Pluto represents the attracting of the result (that being the Venus factor) which will prove transformational. Occurring in Capricorn, we know the nature of this Venus/Pluto coloration is a reality - maybe one we want, maybe one we have and want to keep. We want to have things as we want them, we are fully vested in whatever it is we’re convinced of our focused on.

And yet... we’re changing. Things are changing. We know it - and yet we are unlikely (at the moment) to show it - that being part of the nature of 12 Capricorn, a degree which represents the ways we (at least some of us) get so very clever that we sometimes outsmart ourselves.

Firmness is called for here, lore tells us - but with Pluto in conjunction with Venus, though some will fight to the (literal or proverbial) death for change, just as many are likely to be tenaciously invested against some change they feel is being ‘thrust’ upon them in such a manner as to rankle their (Uranus-in-Aries) imperatives.

Read: survival...and surviving our mistakes.

Not necessarily physical, though. No, thought this could refer to physicality it could just as aptly pertain to anything any one of us is ‘being,’ doing, aiming to do...or even that which we are known for, whether in our career or personal life. And with the Sabian symbol for 12 Capricorn being ... ‘A fire worshiper meditates on the ultimate realities of existence’ ... we also know that this Pluto/Venus contact is generating something we could ‘get’ and learn a great deal from. To have this conjunction occurring in Capricorn speaks to the basic nature of that we will consider and confront - and with fixed star Vega in orb of this conjunction there is a definite aura of something which had held 'charm' which now doesn't seem so all-fire important.

So...will we change? In the long run, yes.  Are we willing to be a participant in our own transformation at this very moment? That depends. Some will see necessity and rebel where others will loathe the necessity but see pragmatic (Venusian) value in changing our mind, our position, our aim, our priorities - or anything else which needs to be changed.

People tend to attach huge importance to the transits of Venus because we think in terms of what we want to be true - or valuable to others because we like it so much. Venus is all about that sort of energy - but it's not the 'thing' which always counts as much as the connecting, however and whatever that effects.

Venus isn't about what we get, have or look like, it's about that part of us which motivates this or that, learning about our own "Venusian attractiveness" through how things work, through how others react - and in the end, by how happy with our own estimation of who we are we end up being.

While in Capricorn, that experience comes through life, through our comfort and satisfaction with our world - personal or global.

Or our lack of same, of course.

And yet...sometimes we're happy enough with that. 
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