Dateblog: December 2012

December 2012

The wash of red and burnt-orange of November where here in December gives way to more orange mixed with the turquoise representing Capricorn tells us that the global intensity so prevalent in October and November is giving way to a 'cooler' outlook and a lot of energy going into getting things done and make things work - that being the combined signature of Sagittarius and Capricorn.

That Mars is the first of the personal symbols to be in Capricorn is a bit of a ‘sober(ing) note’ in what otherwise may be an expectant (or expectation laden) mix. So given that Mars (the 'doing' planet) is already in Capricorn as the month starts with the Sun in Sagittarius, we know (or think we know) what's possible but we're not much in love with the current pace of the process.

The human words with would seem to apply here are frustration, impatience, overwrought, even anxious, though anxiety is more of an Aquarius reaction. 

Sun in Sagittarius has us making the effort and trying to get things done. But let's remember...Sagittarius is a sign associated with test runs and ‘putting it out there’ to see how something works. Sagittarius has an explorative nature which with Venus and Mercury still in Scorpio as the month starts is testing us. Are we listening as much as we're talking? Are we taking into account all the parameters of any given situation or merely the ones we think will get US to where we want to go?

The Mars factor in all this is the note of necessity. The thing which is emphasizing structural soundness. Whatever we do now, we want it to be structurally sound. We want it to withstand what life throws at us. And we know getting to such goal may take some time.

But we don't like that it may take some time. That may not work for us, considering other issues in our lives.

What to do? How to keep things moving and working in the meantime?
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 The Great Mosque of Samarra (in Iraq) was built back in the 9th century CE.

Obviously a structure meant to endure through the centuries, this is a

beautiful example of what the human mind can conceive and create when

we build carefully...sometimes in a literal 'brick by brick' manner.

(photo credit Jim Gordon, December 2007)

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That in the wake of the eclipses we’re reconnoitering and recognizing that all cannot remain status quo is signaled by Orcus (a Plutino) going retrograde on December 3rd. That this is happening at 5 Virgo says one of two things: either something isn’t working (or we see it can’t work the way we thought it would) or we’re seeing (a little too late) that actions have consequences.

On that note we continue forward into December’s second week – a week which is notable for Mercury entering Sagittarius (likely to manifest as intensity of focus being released or simply coming to its end) and something we might refer to as an astrological coagulation occurring on December 13th.

This conglomeration is composed of...Uranus and asteroid Kassandra going direct in Aries (would you believe the unbelievable is about to happen?), Circe going retrograde in Libra and, just in case we’re disinclined to think this applies to us for longer than a moment, a New Moon at 21 Sagittarius – which like all New Moons indicates an entire lunar cycle (ending January 11) all about seeing how well things work...and where they don’t work, figuring out why they don’t work and what to do about that.

The combination of Aries/Sagittarius (Uranus-Kassandra-Mercury-Moon) is likely to turn into one of two things, especially when we throw in the Circe ‘spellbound’ effect. Either we reject the idea that we ‘have to be like everyone else’ (and all that ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ stuff) or we are driven by some magical (Circe), theoretically dynamic (Sagittarian) idea that we can change how our life works (or is/isn’t working)...or image how others see and regard us (read: reputation) through doing something either unbelievable or which nobody believes.
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 Mercury's Southern Hemisphere as photographed by the Mariner

spacecraft (photo credit: NASA)

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The plus and/or minus here is purely individual. And considering that this is just about when Pluto is finally (FINALLY) finishing its primary conjunction of that nebula-of-ill-repute (Facies), a lot depends on whether we are each willing to – as the saying goes – ‘clean up our act.’

And if all that happens during the first couple of weeks of December (in the wake of November’s eclipses) isn’t telling enough for you, then we reach December 16th’s Venus entering Sagittarius, the culmination and re-start of the Mayan ‘creation’ cycle (read: a new era of being) and the seasonal (Capricorn) solstice – the official beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere and the sounding of the summer bell in the southern hemisphere.

All signs point to one thing: humans have by now learned how to survive in on this planet. What are we going to do now? This is not a question about spirituality or ecology or economics or education or political nationalism or internationalism. This is a question about balance. About taking a holistic view on what it means to exist. For all we know, we’re a mote of dust in some other universe. For all we know, we are the canker sore on Earth’s planetary behind.

Then again, we may just be a gift to the whole of the universe and all that exists and all that ever will exist. In that light, just how important is that new car or iPhone that you want? What is having children really about? 

Yes, there is a level at which we need to find pleasure in our life. But is that all we’re really worth? Is that why we’re given years of breath and a mind to think with?

All this swirls around us in many a form, shading every form of nuance as Mars moves into Capricorn on December 26th and we come to yet another pile of signals on December 28th.

It would seem that Creation wants to make an impression on us. Sometimes, we humans need more than a gentle tap to get our attention.

Hel going direct in Taurus combined with dwarf planet MakeMake and Achilles going retrograde (both in Virgo at the moment of a Full Moon would seem to be something akin to a realization of what it’s going to take to get done that which we need to get done. Considering the combination here, we've put ourselves in various positions which challenge us (Hel) mightily. We also realize (MakeMake/Achilles) that it's up to us to make things work in our lives.

This may have short or long term repercussions (maybe both) and so ends December.

Well, except for Mercury entering Capricorn in tandem with Dionysus (sacred rituals) going retrograde in Virgo on December 31st. For some, there’s a traditional ‘obligation’ of sorts to ring in the new calendar year. The term ‘rituals’ in the astrological Dionysus sense can be sacred, but then again can be that yearly de-cluttering of the house now that festival season is over. Or maybe you’re someone who has New Years Day rituals akin to mine: I belong to the ‘get up late, make breakfast and watch the replay of the Rose Parade’ group myself.
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 A 2008 Tournament of Roses float honoring the City of New Orleans

(photo credit erinbrace, January 1, 2008)

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But whether your ‘ritual’ is family, sports, religion or turning to closing out last years files in anticipation of this year’s business...whether it’s getting back to your exercise routine or starting something new so that 2013 becomes something different than 2012 was, the point is, we all have rituals. Some are declared, shared and traditional some are private and uniquely individual. Some are religious, some are social, some are familial and some are about business.

One last note here...having already done calendared all the major astrological issues "of note" for December (is 'calendared' a verb?) this is one of the 'clumpiest' months I've ever seen. So whether you're in high or low gear, you should expect this month will include some really intense periods with all sorts of factors in the mix interspersed by groups of 'more of the same' and 'adapting, dealing, flexing' days. Here at the blog I'll be breaking some of these lists up (yes, they're actual lists) into separate blogs which post in a chain so that you can read them one by one, like building blocks (or Legos, if you prefer). The famous 'end of the Mayan calendar' is also this month. I've talked about the calendar before here on the blog and there's a chapter on it in my eBook Travel Gossip if you want to know more (the link is in the sidebar). The point which seems most of interest here however, is that the Mayan calendar 'turnover' is in sync with the Winter Solstice with December's day-to-day intensities falling more in line with the Moon's lunar cycle.

There are some of you (and some cultures) which still use a soli-lunar calendar. Because this combination is about 'reconciling' (adapting) our emotional and valuation nature to that rational thought by which we run our daily lives, this seems one of the big 'make or break' concepts this month. In other words, don't work to mesh your feeling and thinking worlds (in every sense that that's applicable) and you'll find life far more difficult than if you do. 

Whatever yours plans are, and whatever your circumstances are, I wish you well in all things, from work to holidays to health and year-end/year-beginning pursuits.

I also hope you'll pass the good wishing along!

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Eros and Sedna: The Who, What and Why of Cuddle(d) vs. Coddle(d)

 Nature - by Esteba Fort

If you were looking for two symbols which at first seem very much different, you might well choose Eros and Sedna.

Eros symbolizes just what you think it symbolizes: eroticism and erotic desires.

Sedna is all about an inner fight for maturity which has us wanting to cling to childlike (okay....maybe childish?) dreams instead of being willing to let go and grow up.

And why should we grow up?

Well, according to the Sedna myth, only by owning, accepting and developing our individual power/power of individuality (and the degree of individualization and - yikes! - separation which may be required along the way) can we become able not only provide for ourselves but also become an asset to and influence on others. Even those we don’t know and will never meet.

But plainly that means giving up being taken care of. And that part? Oh, let's be real here...! A lot of us aren’t so keen on that part!

So on the surface, who would think these two symbols have much in common? Nobody, right?
 
Welllllllll....except for… 

Yes, I’m thinking you’re way ahead of me here. The 'except for' involves looking at both of these symbols as different (or maybe not so different?) ways of expressing our desires.

Is that selfishness? With some...could be! It would at the very least involve individuation - being your own person, right? Or maybe some least sense or quality of egocentricity?

How to figure, how to figure...?

Well, 'how to figure' here most likely starts with recognizing what these two celestial bodies are - and aren't.

Astronomically, Eros is a main belt asteroid, a member of the Amor group. The Amor group is named for “head asteroid” Amor, which interestingly (at least in this discussion) represents platonic love and the loyal regard of friendship. In being  Mars-crossing asteroids, Amor objects come within the realm of our assertiveness. In other words, they represent attributes which are about that which gets past our defensiveness (Mars).

In Eros’ case, at it’s farthest it cycles just inside of Icarus (that famously dangerous habit of ‘leaping before we look’ issue) and Tantalus (being tantalized). So while Eros (desire) isn’t necessarily about leaping before we look, we do have to at least contend with what being tantalized means to us. That Tantalus gets far closer to the Sun than Eros does shows us how dangerously ‘close to the fire’ getting tantalized can be (think moths getting their wings singed). But as Eros stops short of that…indeed short of Venus, our ability to actually attract that which we want? 

 Venus photographed by NASA/JPL/Caltech as to reveal its planet-wide

shroud of sulphuric acid clouds. Long considered the planet of ease (all

I have to do is show up and be pretty?) the reality of Venus the planet shows

us that Venusian attributes are pretty sour, even corrosive. As the saying

goes, pretty is as pretty does - it is therefore what we do which generates

the reactions we want, this being why beauty is only skin deep and

goodness of being what in the end is remarkably powerful.

That should tell us something about desire.

And that just before Eros gets as close as it’s going to get to us (and our Venus)…that Eros crosses the innermost orbital points of Damocles (the danger you don’t see until you take the dare) and Atlantis (giving up what you thought you wanted for the unknown)…that really tells us what the limit of erotic desire actually is.

In a repetitive cycle (which is 1.76 years long, for those marking their calendars) Eros represents life tempting us (Tantalus), forcing us to get beyond our defensiveness (Mars) but then reveals what our temptation may actually involve (Damocles) and in forcing us to let go of the (Atlantis) known gives us a glimpse of what we can truly have and actually come to be….

So what is Eros? Yes, it may feel like desire - and if you're in the mood, erotic desire. But a better name for Eros just may be 'motivation.'

Eros is entering Aquarius on February 1st at 6:31 in the evening (UT/+0). Aquarius being about society and earning our way in the world socially and financially, we can now get motivated, be motivated or face situations which prompt us in various ways to deal with our lack of motivation.

Or even ding us for refusing to comply.

Against this we have Sedna. Eros is a ‘close to us’ precept – its something we deal with actively in our lives. All the main belt asteroids represent such things.

But Sedna?

Geez. Sedna is way, way, WAY out there in the Kuiper Belt. Earth is one astronomical unit (AU) from the Sun. Mars orbits at about 1.6 au’s from the Sun. Jupiter has a pretty oblong orbit – at its farthest it’s 11.85 au’s from the Sun (10.85 au’s from Earth) and when it’s cuddled up “close” it’s 5.458 au’s from the Sun – still 4.458 au’s from Earth.

That’s plenty far away. If Jupiter were really ‘close’ we’d see it’s big red self as bigger than the Sun. But it isn’t. Just how small the Sun really is as seen from here on Earth, that should give us a bit of sense of solar system distances.

But back to Sedna. At its CLOSEST, Sedna is 975.56 au’s from the Sun.

 

 Yes, that big yellow thing really is the Sun. Considering

how small it is in the sky, it has to actually be really, really

far away! And yet that distance is still only one (1)

astronomical unit (au) from Earth. Sedna is 975.56 au

from the Sun...974.56 au away from Earth.

(And it’s still part of this solar system, yes. Big place, our solar system….)

Remember what we’ve said about fixed stars while wandering through the days? When we look up into the night sky we see a backdrop of stars, against which the Moon and “local” planets move. (Yes, well…that “local” thing gets pretty radical when you get into astronomy, but…)

The point is that the stars – the ‘fixed stars’ as they are known in astrology – are ‘global attributes,’ whether in our life or our world. So Sedna being so far away gives us the notion of this dwarf planet as something relatively major (Sedna is a dwarf planet, after all…) but universal – part of the human “backdrop.”

And what’s more universal than the struggle to grow up against wishing we didn’t have to? 

- full length article on Sedna -

Come February 2nd, Sedna goes direct....which is really why we would be grouping these two items together in today's celestial contemplation.

Given how all celestial stations get a two days before, two days after "station window," that means Sedna's station effects begin January 30th...

...Which means Sedna-ish qualities will be active and effecting us as Eros enters Aquarius.

Got that? So glad!

Then let's get back to the Sedna, which in going direct at 21 Taurus brings in a whole possibly sulky quotient. And definitely a sense of 'deprivation' - though how you interpret that is pretty much about where Sedna and where Taurus falls in your personal natal chart.

But twenty-one Taurus, that has a rep. As a degree, twenty-one Taurus is known for for being tainted with a lack of appreciation which is (unfortunately for us) all too easily translated into tendency to isolate, ignore, deny - or just plain go into defensive-aggressive mode.

Sounds fun, right? (Only kidding....)

Because this is Taurus we are talking about, the roots of whatever discussions (debates? stand-offs?) arise now center on worth/self worth, values, resources and talents.

And that makes this a prime moment when we're likely to ask ourselves whether we are going to walk away or tackle a problem...and really want to walk away. Maybe we'll just do the old 'it's their problem' thing - which is isolating ourselves from having to deal with it. Or maybe we'll just ignore something (or someone) because...you know...because we can!

In fact, don't be surprised if there's a lot of ignoring going around. Or it's close cousin, the 'being stand-offish' routine. Or trying to be 'useful' by not intervening or interrupting....which may be real, and then again may just be another excuse.

Let’s be real...there are SO many ways to isolate ourselves from the crux of various issues. Some do it by being so wretched, no one wants to be around them. Others do it by being (read: keeping themselves) so incredibly busy they’re always in such a whirl that while they don't actually say 'don't bother me!,' their actions are plainly saying ‘don’t bother me!’ for them.

Then there are those who use money, the lack of money, power, control or even "traditions" to build walls with... which is not to be confused with those lacks of opportunity those who would try might indeed make good with if they had the means or opportunity to move ahead.

Speaking of which, there's a whole part of the Sedna story which is about wanting to be taken care of - otherwise known as "spoiled." This may involve money or may not. Yet given the times, and the fact that stats suggest the 'late rate' on payments of loans, credit cards and the like are going up even while retail spending has generally been on a rise...

...yes, I know a lot of people will plead 'holidays.' But the truth is that gifts are not mandatory. To think so is to be self-indulgent in a particularly Sedna (or even Sedna/Eros) way.

And all this is happening a day shy of the New Moon which marks the Chinese New Year. Well, well, well!

We're about to be moving into a Year of the Rabbit. And though I’m not a full-fledged Chinese astrologer, it doesn’t take one to see that these two images occurring just before the Rabbit year takes off is both a sign of the opportunities and challenges yet to be faced.

The real Sedna lesson is that the thing we so revel in – our ‘comfort zone’ as it were – is not our personal power. We only acquire that power when we relinquish all the notions we start out with about what we ‘should want’ or what someone ‘should have’ or how someone ‘should be.’ That's very Taurus! So to have Sedna go direct in Taurus' 3rd, worldly decanate is now life, the world, society, civilization telling us (alas, in a myriad of ways...!) where and how we haven't grown up. Where we are only thinking about our desires and not in fact relying on or even utilizing our greater potential.

As we say that, we should also take a moment to caution a whole corner issue connected to Sedna - the issue of "tapes." No, we're not just talking sound bytes here...when we talk 'tapes' in the Sedna world we're  talking about 'learned habits' which act like tape, binding us in sticky wickets which we are faced with unraveling ourselves from.

Or which life at some point may forcibly sever, dumping us into the cold, cold currents of a life as yet unknown.

If this happens, when this happens, this isn't about any threat - it's really and merely how life tends to work. Life wants us to be as powerful and exuberantly prolific as each of us were born to be. Sometimes we just need…oh, let’s call it a little redirection.

But then, those who insist on acting like children will get told what to do!

Typhon, Eris and Lilith: Minor Life Points Which Maybe Aren’t so Minor?

 A scale diagram (orbital shapes not exact) of the

inner solar system showing the position of

the asteroid belt between Mars (the inner

red ring) and Jupiter (the outer red ring)

Here’s the core data at the crux of today’s commentary...

1. TNO Typhon goes retrograde on January 8th at 11:57 (UT/+0) at 1 Libra.

2. Dwarf planet Eris goes direct January 9th at 21 Aries.

And a few days after that…

3. January 14th asteroid Lilith enters Sagittarius at 6:38pm (UT/+0).

All three of these signatures are about shifts of or into ‘yang’ elements. That tells us that over this next week, we will sense a ‘shift’ in - and to some degree towards – assertiveness in our lives and in life around us. In this however, are three very different types of awareness.

Eris orbits way out there…far, far beyond Neptune. In getting that ‘how far’ into focus, consider this: one “AU” (astronomical unit) is the distance from the Sun to planet Earth. And said astronomical unit is quite big enough to comfortably include two other planetary orbits (those of Mercury and Venus) without anyone feeling all that crowded.

Okay…so Eris can be as far away as 97.56 AUs from the Sun. Even at its closest, it’s 37.77 AU’s away from ol’ Sol, which makes it 36.77 AU’s beyond Earth.

 A NASA generated drawing of the solar system

showing Eris (it's position cited as being where it was in 2006. 

Considering Eris' orbit takes 557 years to complete,

it hasn't moved all that far from this point either,

telling us that we are actually at the 'low end'

of Eris' cycle of 'discord' ...something to think about! 

In other words, it’s way, way out there in space. And yet, still in our celestial “neighborhood.” (Kind of puts things in a bit of stunning perspective, doesn’t it?)

Put most simply, Eris is the dynamic of ‘discord’ – the disturbing/disturbance of the status quo. It’s not a planet like Uranus, so it’s not the symbol of actual change or real discoveries or personal breakthroughs. Planets are attributes. Asteroids are mental facets and life factors we meet up with along the way. Fixed stars (stars being the suns of other solar systems, galaxies and such) they’re a metaphysical ‘backdrop’ against which our local solar system or the ‘system of our life’ plays out.

So beyond the planetary ‘attribute’ but not part of the ‘backdrop’ or ‘eternal scenery’ …what’s that?

That’s the realm of the unanticipated and unexpected. That’s the realm of all which is part of our life…but not part of our daily mentality. Like Eris – the sense that something’s up. That we are about to be faced with a decision. Is it something overlooked or forgotten about to clonk us on the head? Or are we about to clonk others with something they’ve forgotten – or maybe refused to take into account?

Like all astrological factors, Eris has a positive-negative and a passive/pro-active component. So we may be the fiery social reformer…or the person getting the bad news that the ‘thing’ we had hoped would never happen is actually going to happen.

When Eris becomes active, it’s ‘the moment’ to decide whether to act or not. That it’s going direct on January 9th makes the whole weekend, and by implication all of Venus’ transit of Sagittarius, a time to act or be acted upon. That Eris is going direct tells us that the impetus comes to us from outside. From life. From others. What we do in to respond to that – or whether we respond at all – that’s up to us.

To this we add Typhon. With TNO standing for ‘Trans Neptunian Object’ we automatically know that Typhon occupies the same ‘unanticipated’ realm as Eris. But that’s only during part of Typhon’s orbit. Classed as a Centaur (a blending of two natures), Typhon is 37.6 AU’s away from us at the farthest.

Does that ring a bell? Didn’t we just say that Eris was at 37.7 AUs at it’s closest? Yes, we did. That would tend to connect these two concepts, it at very different parts of our psyche. Where, or maybe as that feeling of the status quo being disturbed comes to us, that’s about when Things Typhon are at their least effective.

So what is Typhon? Typhon is one of the most primal of Greek mythic entities – ‘primal’ being the operative word here, seeing that Typhon is all about our most instinctual Self. Survival, sex, hunger – these kinds of biological urges and how we handle them (or don’t handle them very well) are our Typhon arena.

This thus gives us…what? An interesting psychological reality: when we are threatened with disturbance of the status quo, suddenly all the ‘other stuff,’ even some of the most basic of ‘other stuff’ gets shut down. It simply ‘goes away.’

True? Too true – especially in the light of how this helps differentiate between Eris and Typhon as symbols.

Typhon is our ‘primal life’ urges. But Eris is that which comes and in acting upon us, causes us to deal with or defend the life which is having those urges!

Many of us are likely to interpret this moment as something ‘happening’ to them. And while that may be true in the purely temporal sense, maybe the more interesting question is why is this happening to me?

What can I learn from it – particularly about me? Given that we all have an Eris and a Typhon in our charts, and because the zodiac degrees implied in this celestial switch-o, change-o are in each and every chart, there is something for each of us to learn from this time.

Eris direct says the ‘stimulation/stimulus’ comes from outside…Typhon speaks to an inner urge or instinct.

That Typhon makes the ‘first move’ here may give us a clue as to what the ‘cause’ in ‘cause effect’ over these days really is. Or it may simply mean some particular attribute of personality is meant to be (or just will be) more accessible and ‘on deck’ as discord (Eris) gets into motion.

Does that mean we should react instinctively? Or that we need to be mindful of how instincts may rule our day? Or how instinct may get in our way?

That’s individual. But to think about now – and going forward - certainly!

It’s almost a week later that Lilith enters Sagittarius, which may make the discussion of Lilith unnecessary here except for Lilith moving into Sagittarius on January 14 does tell us that Lilith is moving into ‘critical’ Scorpio territory just prior. As Typhon and Eris are going retrograde and direct, respectively, that is.

Lilith is always a symbol of all which we don’t want to deal with. That we’d rather not hear about. Or those things we really would like to ignore in Self or life.

 Lilith by John Collier (1892)

In the astrological sense, Lilith is not 'sin' or 'evil,'

but rather all those things about ourselves we

may be reluctant to admit to accept. That being true,

who is judging who? Who or what is 'entwining' or holding

us in 'mortal bondage'?

There being two forms of Lilith - one pertaining to the Moons aphelion point and thus ‘societal,’ the other an asteroid and thus ‘personal factor’ oriented  - this is the asteroid. One of thousands of main belt asteroids which cycle in the truly large gap between Mars and Jupiter, Lilith at its farthest from the Sun (and therefore Earth) orbits at 3.187 AU - pretty much at the center of this gap. There it keeps company with Lachesis (duration) Psyche (our consciousness of our own mind and mentality) and….(surprise!) Eos, another asteroid about instinct.

Have you not met Eos? Well, then, here’s the link to a little BLOG ON EOS.

Just on the surface of it, that may say that while it may be ‘instinctual’ to evade, avoid and deny certain attributes of our own personalities (or life, lifestyle, etc.) it doesn’t last forever. Sooner or later the ‘duration’ described by Lachesis ends. How long that is…that’s an individual chart issue. But there’s evidently only so long we can pretend.

At the near end of its orbit, Lilith comes just inside of the outer orbit of Dionysus (‘sacred celebrations’) making Lilith an indicator of real life and the totally mundane. Sort of a “that’s just what life is, and eventually we all have to deal with realities.”

And what comes between us and this willingness to deal with Lilith? Hybris: arrogance. At it’s closest, Lilith is at 2.14 AU. At its closest, Hybris is at 2.127 AU. It is therefore suggested that to own our life takes some dealing with the arrogance that we don’t have to deal with our life as a whole – or the whole of our life, whichever way you want to look at it.

To have Lilith in last Scorpio as Typhon and Eris go on station implies that our ability or willingness to deal with the issues which are emotionally evocative are here tested by Typhon and Eris dynamics. Apart from whatever else we have said – astrology being perfectly capable of stating many things in a symbolic string – apart from all else, our ability to feel for others (and not just ourselves) our ability and willingness to design solutions to problems which takes everybody’s needs into account, separating need from desire …that is in itself a Lilith test. A Lilith-Typhon-Eris challenge.

When Lilith moves into Sagittarius, all which we have designed goes ‘on trial.’ But in a sense, so do we. It may be a literal ‘on trial’  and then again, we may also be trying things out…having a ‘trial period,’ if you will. Sagittarius being the sign of expansion and a fiery sign which is either willing to find out what is true or highly resistant to any challenge (don’t confuse me with facts – I KNOW what I want to know!) …Lilith moving into Sagittarius may also cause many of us to actually expand that which we refuse to deal with.

Will that last? Can that last? For a while, maybe. But as Lilith meets up with the North Node in late 2011, we are likely to see repercussions and consequences breaking through many types of denial.

In the meantime, there are those who will now have a ‘dawning of the light’ as they stop fighting their personal battles with and through other people. These people will, in coming to understand themselves more innately, become more relaxed, happier, and greatly empowered by knowing how it wasn’t life holding them back – they were holding themselves back.

And kudos to them!

   

Venus enters Sagittarius/Eris on Station

For all of us who have been feeling particularly and peculiarly cornfickled (as a friend of mine puts it) since early September, a giant huzzah!

Yes, Venus is finally…finally…FINALLY over and through and done with its interminable transit of Scorpio. And hopefully we’ve learned all we need to know about the ‘us’ of life along the way, too.

For those into details, this shift from Scorpio into Sagittarius occurs on January 7th at 12:30 UT/+0 (adjust to local time zone).

But more importantly, what does this mean, suggest, or otherwise allude to?

Venus symbolizes our ability to attract and make real that which we really want in life. We like to think it’s beauty, and for those who are into the ‘if I’m beautiful, I can get anything I want’ (which let’s face it, works for many!) that’s where the whole Venus thing starts and frankly, ends.

But it may also be worth noting that according to science types, if you wanted to find the most inhospitable planet in the entire solar system, it’d be hard to beat Venus for native nastiness. And that suggests that Venus is not just about the luck of the genetic draw: the being ‘born beautiful’ (or lucky or wealthy or whatever)…it’s about what we do to make ourselves someone others respect, accept, like being around, like being with, like working with, enjoy the company of and think worthy of our esteem, our gifts, our affection …and so on.

Which actually fits with Venus as ruler of Libra and Taurus. Some people think of Taurus as ‘my money.’ But that’s a bit of a surface concept: Taurus is anything and everything which enhances, or is a result of our sense of self worth, valuation of self, and willingness to ‘make something of’ that Self. That people can have all the money in the world and still be unhappy and unloved…or be as poor as the proverbial church mouse and be perfectly content – that’s what tells us that Taurus is about satisfaction, personal security and a sense of self respect. It’s what we do with our Taurus self worth and talents which earns that satisfaction and security. And for some that’s only about them. For some that has to do with others. To each their own.

In Libra, Venus is about who we are and thus who we attract and earn the respect of…which we internalize as a validation of our own worth, allowing us to feel more respect for ourselves.

So that’s the Venus part. And given the scientific clue, our Venus quotients can be pretty sour or acidic until we work on them and make ourselves (our Venusian ‘quotients’) ‘more hospitable to others.’ If we fail to do that, people get close to us and like someone exposed to planet Venus, they get away - quick!

Sagittarius being a fire sign, this is where we develop our ideas of how to be and how to attract others and the circumstances which can enhance our life. It would also be where we see how well things we feel ‘certain’ of will, or are working. Considering Sagittarius’ reputation as being all about ‘exploration’ and ‘expansion’ there’s a natural tendency to push boundaries and proceed based on our own expectations.

The flip side of this is that Sagittarius is also the sign of education. That means we’re likely to get a few questions wrong along the way. Put a bit more realistically, when planets transit Sagittarius, we often find out what about our ideas, ideals and plans doesn’t work quite right, pointing out what needs to be tweaked, polished or otherwise brought up to standards or put into user-friendly form.

That last is very much about the idea that Sagittarius is a public and interactive sign – we may want to dictate the terms and rules now, but that isn’t always the way to win friends and influence people! Sag is the sign of indoctrination and propaganda, so we may get into the mode of thinking they’re just not hearing me! and shout more loudly. But that’s not really the key to Sagittarius – especially when we get to the Venusian concept of ‘appeal.’

Here the question is how do you get the attention of those you want to influence…and…how do I learn how to get where I want to go…and…how do I present myself and my thoughts, theories, product, Self as to be accepted and gain opportunities to get where I really want to go?

Venus will be in Sagittarius from now until early February, making this a time to take what we have learned about thinking in encompassing terms (thank you Venus in Scorpio…) and apply that to the next step in our process, depending on where we want to go.

Ultimately, we’re all aiming at security and self-esteem. This part of the process involves integration of our ideas and ideals with how the world works. That the world is driven by everyone’s needs and desires is Scorpio being the sign just passed as we get to Sagittarius.

And that all this happens as dwarf planet Eris is on station, about to go direct? Given that Eris embodies discord - and that of the dwarf planets Eris is the largest, that suggests that like as not, we do need to make some changes. It could be a little thing, then again it could be the entire direction we're headed in or that reason why we're doing something to begin with.

Will we want to? Uh...considering the story of Eris, probably not.

Don't know that story? Well, here's the LINK. The crux of the story is not what we do but why we're doing it - which again, fits with Venus and with the Scorpio-Sagittarius concept that no matter how much we love what we're doing or how much we yearn to have what we want, at some point we have to deal with others. And to get along, we have to care about who they are, how they think and what their aims, needs and priorities really are.

Sometimes we change life. Sometimes life changes us! And yes, sometimes the hardest part of all is getting out of our own way. We so think we know what will please us. And yet there is so much more in life that we can know or even imagine!

Remember all such precepts and allow yourself to make and correct a few mistakes and like as not, this can be a productive sort of January from which we gain not just a good deal of ground, but an expanded sense of self-confidence which is in itself, a gift offered by Venus in Sagittarius.

Astro-Factors: Tempering an Outlook

D Dwarf Planet Makemake as photographed by the Hubble telescope 

photo credit: NASA/JPL

Other weeks are have had more asteroids changing  signs and take their stations to go retrograde or direct. And just that ‘number’ of things going on reflects in our sense that there are lots and lots of ‘things’ we need to pay attention to.

Now, things are slowing down a bit. Does that mean  things are less important now?

Absolutely not. In fact, there’s a good argument to be made for the idea that when life offers us less to deal with…maybe that means each of those few things is more important.

Or maybe that we have time to see what each is, to think over where all fits (or doesn’t fit) in our life – maybe just having the time to do that is the point.

For each, it’s probably a little different.

There are only five ‘minor’ points to report on before New Years. The first is Hubris, which moves into Capricorn on the 26th. On the 27th, Icarus follows Hubris into Capricorn as Chaldea moves into Sagittarius and dwarf planet Makemake goes retrograde. Then Arachne goes direct on the 31st.

That’s it. But that’s enough. That say a lot!

Two objects moving into Capricorn – a yin sign – suggests we’re getting into a more receptive mood. Or it might except for the fact that one is all about arrogance (Hybris) and one is the idea of haste incarnate (Icarus).

Considering asteroids are about things we meet up with in life (and both are direct), what’s likely is that we meet up with things which could move us to act arrogantly or act impulsively. Or perhaps we’ll meet up with other people acting that way and reflect on when we’ve done just that very same thing. And maybe that will help us understand their behavior. Or learn from it.

That Icarus orbits from barely outside of Mars to inside of Mercury pretty much suggests it’s a patron of our times considering the story of Icarus is one all about exceeding one’s own capacities and the bounds of common sense. With Icarus’ failings taking place when he takes to the air having not listened to cautionary instructions is very much like how we get too busy doing to even think. Or how we never stop until we hurt our own cause by exceeding our own bounds, be those physical, mental, relational or situational.

The Fall of Icarus by Peter Paul Rubens

But then there’s Makemake going retrograde early in the morning (2:49 am UT/+0) on December 27th.

Who is Makemake? The mythological Makemake is a creator god of Easter Island fame – a ‘parent of humankind’ figure with a somewhat less ‘ethereal’ and somewhat more ‘mankind-as-part-of-nature’ sort of bent.

With Makemake going retrograde as it meets up with Juno at 27 Virgo, that Juno part adds a note of ‘protecting hearth and home’ to the mix. Which yes we can take personally (my heart, my home) or which we can see ecologically, planet-arilly, or naturalistically.

On the other hand, Makemake, as a ‘creator’ force going retrograde asks us what we are going to make of ourselves. In that sense, Juno asks what we are going to do to create that better world and that better human race.

Or maybe just ourselves – how are we going to ‘create’ ourselves as better people?

A whole other point of view to be mixed in or against the ‘no, not thinking’ quality of Icarus and the arrogant ‘I’m right, never mind about you’ Hybris qualities, both of which are now moving into structural Capricorn territory.

This suggests a ‘steeling’ of attitudes. Against which we have Makemake, a dwarf planet… 

Asteroids are ideas, concepts, facets of the whole, a consideration we meet up with and deal with along the way. A planet being a human attribute, a dwarf planet is a ‘lesser’ human attribute.

But that’s still with us all the time. It’s part of us. Makemake represents our connection to life, our awareness – even if its marginal – that we are the makers of our world and the world.

So Makemake going retrograde isn’t just a now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t sort of thing. That it goes retrograde conjunct one of the primary ‘guardian’ symbols (Juno) at a degree (27 Virgo) which centers on the whole tendency (and perhaps fallacy) to ‘think about it but do nothing’ …or be ‘all talk and no action’ …especially given what’s going on in our world….?

There are international tensions, economies mired in tar, populations struggling. There are nations beleaguered by their own body politic biting their own tail (by any other name known as….)

People are putting a game face on – they’re being ‘steely.’ But behind that?

That’s Makemake conjunct Juno. And you can expect to feel it and hear it around your home and in the news. With Chaldea, a symbol of ‘the old way’ moving into Sagittarius there is an ‘old way’ and an ‘old guard’ which makes a lot of noise now at every level, in every venue. We all will do well to remember the Sagittarian rule here too as the level of noise bubbles and cranks and otherwise gets louder.

Sagittarius is about functionality. The idea without the functionality is just an idea. There’s a strong tendency with Sagittarius to try and ‘insist and make it so’ but that doesn’t mean the thing works. Sagittarius requires not just fiery rhetoric, it requires a fire in your gut to get the thing right whether it’s a thing of elegance or some Rube Goldberg machine.

In short, what works, works.

Remembering that all this is happening as Mercury slows down to go station/direct in Sagittarius on December 30th there is a prevailing sense of frustration. Maybe some outrage, from places expected…and unexpected too.

Then Mercury does go direct. And after it does, before Mercury is even out of station…Arachne goes direct too.

 Orb weaver spider

acclaimed photograph by Wikipedia contributor Fir002

Arachne – the spider – has several different sides. Of course it represents ‘ensnaring’ and becoming ‘ensnared’…which perhaps it a bit of a warning to all those who tend to party a bit hard on New Years Eve!

Another side of Arachne has to do with a spider’s legendary patient perseverance. Spiders who build webs choose their spot, set their lines and sit and wait. If something rips apart a spider’s web, they rebuild. Spiders are resourceful and capable of spinning one of the strongest substances (ounce for ounce) known to nature or man – the spider’s silk.

Creepy? To many, yes. But spiders are rather amazing creatures, creepy or not.

That Arachne goes direct at 17 Taurus points us towards an examination not just of what our emotional positions are but why they are what they are. Moments, thoughts, conversations, interactions which call this quality into focus are apt for the moment.

And curiously in sync with Makemake going retrograde, no?

The end of this calendar year seems to be a bit of a cliffhanger! Thank goodness we won’t have long to wait for the next chapter, right?