Late Summer Sun. © Gretchen Friedrich, 2014.
It couldn’t come at a better time. The brazenness of the propaganda coming out of Washington and its European allies these days is truly astounding, although not any more shocking than the depths to which mainstream journalism has sunk. Finding an objective source of news is nearly impossible, and thoughtful readers are hungry for Continue reading
Woman gleaning in the Alawite territory of Syria, 1938. From the John D. Whiting papers, Library of Congress.
There was a point last week that I almost started throwing up thinking about the news that the Obama administration was going to go guns blazing into Syria, on questionable evidence of unspeakable weapons used by a loathsome dictator who butchers his own people. It worked once, right? Why shouldn’t it work again?
Well, it seems that a miracle has happened. People on all side of the political spectrum see through the lies, smoke, and mirrors. I spent hours poring through comments on CNN, HuffPo, The Guardian, Fox News, and several others. The opinion was overwhelmingly against further U.S. involvement in Syria, and a good number of people knew it was “further.” We’re paying attention. We know that the United States has been arming rebels fighting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, some of them far more frightening than the totalitarian regime they seek to topple. And we know our government has been telling blatant lies in an attempt to hide its covert operations in a proxy war. The epiphany hasn’t been confined to the United States.
For a few days, it seemed that public opinion wasn’t going to deter the White House. The idea that the government would ignore the will of the people was even more depressing. As I write, news from Washington is that President Obama will consult Congress before going ahead with plans for military action. The cynic in me doesn’t think his reversal has much to do with the polls, but is more likely the result of hardball back-room negotiating. There is no doubt in my mind that some serious horse-trading took place. As a reporter in Washington, I saw how these guys work. One can only imagine what House Speaker John Boehner may have promised Obama in return for delivering a vote in favor of bombing Syria.
In any case, with Venus in Libra, action was delayed long enough to allow additional facts to surface. And as long as Mercury is in fact-obsessed Virgo, it’s likelier that people will stay grounded in reason and not let themselves be persuaded by a clever new PR blitz. I imagine the spin-doctors were shocked when horrific images of dying children failed to whip up public support to bomb the evil-doer. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Democracy depends on a well-informed public. While it’s true that 24/7 news coverage has made it more possible than ever to saturate the Internet with the official version of the truth, the Internet also has provided a vehicle for the real truth to surface. The danger, of course, is that one needs to be very prudent in discerning the reliability of a source. But it does appear that vast numbers of people are doing just that – again, judging by the comments on the various news sites.
So, three cheers for Venus in Libra and Mercury in Virgo.
In the coming week, the dominant astrological aspects are the New Moon in Virgo on Thursday and the sextile from the Sun to Jupiter on Saturday (September 7). Virgo is incisive, analytical, and practical. Indeed, despite the rhetoric coming from the White House and 10 Downing, practicality won in the end, and cooler heads prevailed. It’s reasonable to expect that this mood will continue at least through Thursday and perhaps for the following three days. However, toward the end of the week, Mars edges closer to an exact square with Saturn, and the drums of war will get louder.
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That said, the Sun and Moon are in the twelfth house, suggesting that a significant high-level discussion is going on outside of the public view. This is the opposite of transparency. Harmonious connections to Jupiter and Pluto suggest that the White House is heavily negotiating with Republican leaders and large financial institutions – not that we didn’t already know that. Mercury “receives” from the New Moon, reinforcing the likelihood of an aggressive PR campaign, probably based on select facts. Just like statistics, facts can be manipulated to make any point one wishes.
The G20 leaders’ summit in Saint Petersburg starts on Thursday. It will be interesting to see if Obama relents and agrees to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Obama canceled the meeting in a huff over Russia’s offer of political asylum to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. The two leaders also are at loggerheads over Syria – Obama blaming the chemical weapons attack on Assad and Putin implying it was a false flag operation. Putin has suggested the summit would be a good forum for an international discussion about the crisis in Syria. Astrologically, it’s a terrific time to do just that.
Other aspects in the New Moon chart include the Sun’s opposition to Chiron (exact on Tuesday) and a Ceres-Neptune opposition, which is exact within an hour of the New Moon. Sun in Virgo opposite Chiron in Pisces suggests a collective healing crisis. If you have personal planets from 10 to 14 degrees of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, or Pisces, you could feel an extra twinge of emotional pain, possibly from past memories, whether in this life or other incarnations.
Ceres is in Virgo, which I believe she should co-rule with Mercury, so she’s essentially in her own sign and thus strong. If you remember Mythology 101, Demeter, the Greek counterpart of the Roman Ceres, was the only deity who could challenge Zeus (Jupiter) and Hades (Pluto). In the New Moon chart, Ceres isn’t in close aspect with Jupiter and Pluto but will make contact later this month. Her trine with Pluto on September 17 will be especially powerful. Astrologers are still studying the implications of Ceres in mundane charts, and it could be years before we get enough data to form reliable opinions. In the meantime, we can only speculate. Ceres has been prominent in environmental disaster charts (e.g., the Deepwater Horizon explosion), which makes sense, given her mythology. However, she also was conjunct Jupiter on the Ascendant of the chart for the fall of the Berlin Wall, so there’s something about speaking truth to power, which also is part of her mythology. Neptune rules chemicals, including nerve agents like those used in Syria, as well as oil production. We’ll need to watch the headlines to see how this influence plays out.
In Greek mythology, the identity of Virgo is sometimes given as Demeter or her maiden daughter, Persephone, or as Astraea, the virgin goddess of justice. So the story goes, Astraea lived on Earth during the Golden Age of humanity, but when men became violent and corrupt, she left in disgust, leaving them to fight among themselves.
And Virgo indeed is an antidote. Virgo is the sign of service to humanity. In the Tarot, it’s represented by The Hermit. As I was doing research for this post and reading about Islamic practices of prayer, fasting, alms, and pilgrimage, I immediately thought of The Hermit. Substitute “meditation” for prayer, and helping the less fortunate for “alms,” and you have an age-old, cross-cultural formula for spiritual growth. How often do we talk about “purifying” the spirit? This “virgin” spirit has nothing to do with the religious concept of female virginity, but is about daily renewal through disciplined spiritual practice. Ceres is about the cycles of nature, including the cycle of growth, death, and rebirth. As we move through these turbulent times, I find comfort in the idea that everything is cyclical.
Mercury leaves Virgo on September 9, which happens to be the day Congress returns from summer recess and Mars forms an exact square with Saturn. Boehner said the House likely would take up the debate on Syria that week, just when the war drums will be beating the loudest. I think we also need to entertain the possibility of a staged event designed to swing public opinion through fear and panic, hallmarks of Mars. That’s why it’s all the more urgent that we do what we can this week to search for the truth and spread it around. I’ve been doing my part by painstakingly researching news articles and bookmarking those I deem to be based on credible sources and sound reporting. Here are a couple of links from my growing collection. Some of them are old news but noteworthy for their accurate foresight. Please feel free to share your own.
Witnesses of Gas Attacks Say Saudis Supplied Rebels with Chemical Weapons
U.S. Offers Syrian Rebels Military Support, Alleges Assad Used Chemical Weapons (June 14, 2013)
Syria: An Energy-Based Proxy War in the Making?
Before I end this long piece (thus the late posting), I’d like to thank everyone who sent supportive comments and personal e-mails regarding my copyright issue. I’ve weighed the input and decided to keep my feed truncated for the time being. I hope no one minds the extra click to keep reading.
Much love and courage to you all,
Pat
© Pat Paquette, RealAstrologers.com, 2013.
The pathway up. © Pat Paquette, 2012.
Many of us are going to be finally ready to move on, too. Like, final finally. We’ve been ready. We’ve tried. But something has held us back for one more lesson, one more bit of convincing, and one last hope that maybe we were missing something, the golden bit of light that will wake us up to what’s really going so that we can remain more comfortably in an uncomfortable place. After all, we’re told that we can’t change others, only ourselves. So many of us have been busily working at changing ourselves, like burning the candle at both ends into the wee hours preparing for the final exam.
Four stories came to me last week about difficult relationships, how they’d been ended once or twice already only to be resurrected for another go. Until the Full Moon in Pisces on August 31, they were all doing pretty well, in a place that was more compassionate, accepting, and serene. And all four people, within a few days last week, experienced an unexpected event with their partners that threw them for a loop. One of them, a woman who after a year of struggling finally came to grips with her partner’s Asperger’s, was on her way home from work and saw him going out to dinner with another woman.
I wrote in last week’s forecast that the Full Moon would continue to unfold right up to Friday. Did it ever, and how. Last Tuesday, I came across Michael Lutin’s article on the Full Moon in Pisces, and it suddenly all made sense. We’re heading into the final three degrees of Saturn in Libra. Right. Mikey commented that something drastic will take place. I assume he’s talking about Saturn’s entry in Scorpio, which will place him in mutual reception with Pluto. Those of us who have been up all night studying will go through the final exam and emerge ready to transform. I say “ready to transform” rather than “transformed,” because I believe the process will continue. Evolution doesn’t stop.
I know, it sounds kind of scary, but we’ve known for some time that this wasn’t going to be a period of snuggling into our comfort zones. We’re out of the nest, learning to fly. This is what it feels like.
I’m going to spend the rest of the forecast looking at Saturday’s New Moon in Virgo, which begins unfolding on Monday and will continue to be felt through the weekend. The bigger event, of course, is the Uranus-Pluto square, which will be exact on September 18, the same day Pluto turns direct. Uranus says, “Evolution isn’t fast enough. Mutate!”
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Mercury in his own sign of Virgo wants to pay attention to the details – who did what to whom, when, who owes whom money, and so forth. This is fine for professional relationships, and directly addressing details may be just the solution for moving through issues with co-workers and supervisors. If this is your situation, make sure you have all your ducks in a row and that your arguments are based on sound logic. There’s still room for compromise (especially the following week, with Mercury in Libra), but concessions will be made on logic, not feelings.
Ceres has a different agenda. Feelings count, and so does the physical and emotional well-being of everyone involved. There may be a pecking order, but if someone lower down the food chain has the goods, they stand on equal footing with the higher-ups. Her method of compromise is more like Libra: you get half, I get half. If your relationship is ending, this may be a practical matter, and it’s where I see the possibility of a split that, while not necessarily amicable, at least will be civil. I think this is also where we may be able to release some karma, especially if you’ve got ties with someone over several incarnations.
Interestingly, in the New Moon chart, Juno is on the lunar North Node at 29 degrees Scorpio. In Roman mythology, Juno was the wife of Jupiter, the king of the gods. The Greek equivalents are Zeus and Hera. Greek mythology unfortunately stripped Hera of her power by making her the angry and vengeful wife of a philanderer. Her actual history is much older (like Nemesis, about whom I wrote last week). The evolution of the goddess might as well be a story about how male and female energies became imbalanced in the world. We’re on the threshold of righting the balance. In the last degree of Scorpio, Juno is drawing upon all of her power before entering Sagittarius, the sign ruled by Jupiter.
Lastly, Venus trines Uranus (the aspect is exact on Thursday). Here’s the big surprise, an event that causes a mutation of thought that leads to a transformation in your external world. This event may concern love or money, two domains ruled by Venus. Because the trine is harmonious, I’m hopeful that this will be a happy surprise. Goddess knows we’ve had enough of the other kind.
Mikey suggested reading the Robert Frost poem, commonly referred to as “The Road Less Travelled.” The actual title is “The Road Not Taken.” Think about that for a minute. Frost was writing about one road, but the collective perception was the opposite. There’s a lot to contemplate in the few weeks left of Saturn in Libra. Come to think of it, this is a perfect poem for Libra. Who else could stand so long at a fork in the road, trying to decide which way to go?
Regardless of which road you take, it’s going to be bumpy for the next several weeks. To help you on your way, I just set up the StarGuide Fall forecast, which is now available. I’ve taken some pre-orders already, so if you order now, expect it to take 3-4 days for delivery. I also highly recommend that if you want your report by the first day of fall (September 22) that you order this week. This is my most popular report, and I’m always swamped at the beginning of the new season.
Wishing you all much love and courage on your journey,
Pat
© Lijuan Guo for Dreamstime.com
Many of you have written to me with reports of how difficult this Mercury retrograde period has been. I predicted that this month would be among the most challenging of the year, not only because of Mercury’s retrograde phase, but also the position of Mars and the very close square from Uranus to Pluto. Although we’re through the worst of this stormy astrological weather, the coming week is potentially rough, so we can’t let our guard down just yet.
You may be in a bit of a fog as the week begins, with the Sun opposing Neptune on Monday before entering Virgo on Tuesday. Normally, the Sun in Virgo favors precision and attention to detail. However, Virgo’s ruler, Mercury, is retrograde, so the risk of miscommunications and errors is even higher from Tuesday on. If you’re in a situation at work where someone (maybe you) overlooks details or has a misunderstanding with a boss or colleague, don’t freak out. Next week will be much better, and you’ll have ample opportunity for correction and resolution.
Wednesday and Thursday are potentially the most difficult days this week, with the Moon in Cancer mirroring the eclipses of the past two years in rapid succession, just as Mars is crossing the degrees of eclipses of Jan. 4, 2011, and July 7, 2009. The eclipse in July 2009 was the first in the Capricorn-Cancer series. Most of you can time sweeping changes in your life with that eclipse, and it’s likely that you’re still adjusting. Mars often acts as a trigger for eclipses and outer planetary transits. Be prepared for a major reminder midweek of difficult circumstances that began around summer 2009. At the same time, pay attention to how things are different now – starting with yourself and your response.
Complicating matters, the Moon conjoins Mars on Thursday just as both form an exact square to Saturn in Libra. This is where personal growth and self-discipline are the most evident. Astrology helps us understand energies over which we have no control, but it also indicates where we do have choices and how making a different choice can manifest as a different outcome. Keeping that in mind this week can lead to a big breakthrough, perhaps even a leap in consciousness. You might also ask yourself whether the changes you’ve gone through since July 2009, no matter how challenging, have restored balance to some aspect of your life.
Also on Thursday, Venus trines Pluto. This earthy combination is a classic aspect for physical love, but it also can be good for your bank account, depending on where these two are transiting your natal chart.
I also should mention that both Venus and the Sun oppose Chiron this week – Venus on Wednesday and the Sun on Friday. If nothing else, we may get a strong reminder about how physical and mental health are inseparable.
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So, although this week is difficult, there’s a bright, white light at the end of the tunnel. We just need to hang in there a bit longer.
Wishing you extra love and courage,
Pat
P.S. In last week’s forecast, I mentioned an article in the August/September issue of The Mountain Astrologer and failed to mention that you have to buy the magazine to read it. Sorry about that … but I also want to tell you that the article is well worth the $7 price of one issue, which you can order from the TMA site.
Begonias on a Chair. Beauty is its own reason to exist.
© Pat Paquette, 2010.
Mercury is retrograde for another week, keeping us in analytical mode, especially regarding what took place over the summer. We can’t move forward until we resolve certain dilemmas and reconcile conflicting goals and desires. At the very least, we need to accept that we’re conflicted. It’s part of the complexity of the human mind.
I urge you to focus in particular on what seeds you might have planted over the summer … or, as a dear friend of mine says, what roots may be growing under you. It’s a fitting image, given the position of the planets in the cardinal T-square. As I’ve written so many times, the “out” is the point opposite Pluto at the apex, and that would be in Cancer, the sign of home, family, and roots. What tribe do you belong to?
I had two very moving consultations this week, both of which put me into deep contemplation of exactly what we’re evolving toward. With so much going on, sometimes we need to stop and remind ourselves of the obvious. Simply put, we are strengthening our creative muscle and learning to be co-creators with the universal mind – the Mind of God, if you will. We are all a spark of that flame, and the relationship is two-way. We download from the energetic realm, but what we upload is incredibly significant, too.
The result is nothing less than the material world we’re living in, both individually and as a collective. Our thoughts and actions do matter.
Looking at the week chronologically, the Moon enters helpful Virgo on Tuesday in preparation for Wednesday’s New Moon. I wrote a complete analysis on Saturday so won’t go into any more detail here, except to repeat that thoughts you put out into the universe at the New Moon do take root. Be sure what you plant is something you want in your garden. Also, I’d just like to remind you not to start anything new, no matter how tempting it might be, until after Mercury returns direct.
Later on the same day, Venus enters Scorpio, and then retrograde Jupiter returns to Pisces on Thursday. These transits won’t be felt immediately, but they contain those “hints” I mentioned above.
Venus and Mars, symbols of the divine feminine and masculine, have been moving together through Libra, her sign. Now the tables are going to be turned, and very powerfully, as they move through his sign, which he co-rules with Pluto (in traditional astrology, Mars is ruler of Scorpio). This will all take place as Pluto returns direct next week, so we can expect some significant shifting in relationships as well as the overall balance between masculine and feminine energies on the planet.
The interesting thing about Mars as ruler of Scorpio and Venus as ruler of Libra is that their genders are switched, so to speak. Scorpio is a feminine sign, and Libra is a masculine sign, and yet Mars is in his detriment in Libra and Venus is in her detriment in Scorpio. There is a lot of give and take implied here, as well as the message that we all contain both masculine and feminine energies. How can these energies be balanced on the planet if we can’t balance them within ourselves? Many of us are working on this task now, and it’s reflected in society at large. Women got “liberated” and began working in traditionally male fields. Now men are working on finding their feminine side and developing their intuition.
With Jupiter and Uranus back in Pisces, we’re back to cleaning up some remnants of our “old” selves before moving back into new territory. When that happens, next spring, there will be no turning back. In the meantime, note that Neptune and Uranus and back in mutual reception, with Jupiter as amplifier. It will be interesting to see how this impacts the weather. So far, we’ve had a pretty mild hurricane season. Will that change? We’re about to find out…
Just as Jupiter turns to Pisces, Mars in late Libra trines Neptune in late Aquarius. This aspect nicely supports the New Moon in Virgo by encouraging us to help each other and put others before ourselves, in the most positive way. I’m not always an advocate of thinking of others first, because there are too many ways that can devolve into dysfunctional behavior. But when done in the right spirit, it’s uplifting to everyone concerned.
Also on Thursday, the Moon in Libra activates cardinal T-square points, even though the T-square itself has dissipated. Still, certain degrees are now “sensitized,” including the degree of the lunar eclipse on June 26. The Moon will conjoin Saturn on Thursday at that sensitive degree, so be prepared for a flashback to that time period, with a road sign directing you to your next destination.
On Sunday, Mercury returns direct. Enjoy one last lazy day of solitude and contemplation, because everything changes again next week. By the way, if you’ve been having some vivid and strange dreams lately, you can chalk that up to the trine between Mercury and Pluto, just as both are stationed and ready to return direct. Some of mine have been real whoppers!
Wishing you all much love and abundant blessings,
Pat
Luna, by Evelyn De Morgan, 1885
Sometimes all it takes to make big changes is a new perspective, and those little details can make all the difference in the world.
There are two stand-out features of the chart for this New Moon. First, Mercury, ruler of Virgo, is retrograde until September 12. Traditionally, the New Moon is a powerful time to begin new ventures, but that will not be the case this month. With Mercury retrograde, we’ll have to wait for results, and anything we attempt to start anew before he returns direct will be less likely to succeed. If you do manage to pull it off, you could get some unwanted side effects in the bargain.
Second, the New Moon makes no aspects to any planets other than Mercury, and even that conjunction, at 7 degrees, is a bit too wide to have much of an influence.
Together, these two features reinforce the theme of taking quiet time to analyze your situations and relationships in an attempt to get a different point of view. If someone offers you one, listen … even though you’re not obligated to take all you hear as the goddess-given truth.
Virgo is known for being very practical and efficient, so at the very least, any advice you get – including what you may hear by listening to your own internal voice – is likely to be valid. Write it down and ponder it, and examine all the different ways you could put it to use for your benefit and the benefit of others.
That may sound kind of boring, especially after a summer of intense activity and stress. Personally, I’d welcome a little boredom right now. Others I know who could use a rest probably would agree.
As for all that intense activity, you’re likely still dealing with the fallout, as the cardinal T-square is still active as of this New Moon. It’s far less potent than it was over the summer and will wind down even further once Jupiter returns to Pisces on Thursday, the day after the New Moon. Nevertheless, certain issues remain, making it all the more necessary to look back and rethink your circumstances.
The other big change on the way is Pluto’s imminent return direct on September 14, right after Mercury resumes forward motion. Whether or not the grand cross is in the cardinal signs, Pluto is at the apex of an extremely stressful configuration. Wherever he’s transiting your natal chart, that’s where you’re feeling pressured the most.
As it so happens, Mercury will return direct in a fairly close sextile to Pluto, which I suspect will increase your insight by orders of magnitude. Not everything you discover will thrill you, and some of it might be downright uncomfortable. But I guarantee you that the information will be useful.
Mars, meanwhile, makes a trine to Neptune and Chiron, helping us heal by restoring balance. That could mean anything from eating a more balanced diet to finding more balance between work and play, activity and rest, socializing and solitude, and other areas of your life that may have a lopsided focus. Venus, in the final degree of Libra, also adds her voice to the notion of balance and harmony. If you don’t already do some form of meditation or yoga, give it a try.
Although Ceres makes no aspects to any planets in the New Moon chart, I should mention her. As you may know, I’m a proponent of giving her co-rulership status of Virgo with Mercury. If we make that presumption, then she rules this New Moon, too, and that changes the picture a bit.
At 23 degrees Sagittarius, Ceres is moving toward a third and final conjunction with the Galactic Core since March of this year, and then she’ll make another alignment with Pluto. The energy of the GC funneled through Ceres has a deep message for us regarding our environment and the fragility of all life on the planet. It doesn’t take much to disrupt entire ecosystems, as we’re becoming more and more aware.
In terms of our personal circumstances, Ceres reminds us that all life is cyclical. If we’re at a peak now, we must plan for the valleys that inevitably will follow. If we’re in a valley – as many of us seem to be right now – then we must have faith that it won’t last.
The Sabian Symbol** for the Sun and Moon at 15°41′ Virgo is an orangutan, with the keyword DEXTERITY. This image contains the symbolism of evolution and the development of the human mind. Marc Edmond Jones, in his interpretation of this symbol, talks of a “primitive power” inherent in everyone, which we must refine through the powers of the mind in order to meet the demands of stressful situations.
As I’ve written before, sometimes the way out is up.
Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat
P.S. Don’t forget to write your abundance check!
** From The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, by Dr. Marc Edmond Jones. The author, an astrologer, channeled this work in the early 1920s. There’s one symbol one for each degree of the zodiac, and we can use them to gain insight into charts.
I doubt if there are many people who follow astrology who are unaware that Friday’s New Moon at 25°59′ Virgo conjoins the Saturn end of the Saturn-Uranus opposition in Virgo-Pisces. This opposition, exact this week, gives extra weight to this lunation.
Because Mercury, Virgo’s ruler, is part of the Virgo stellium, it would appear to tilt the seesaw in Virgo’s favor over Uranus in Pisces, the sole body on the other end of the opposition. While I’m not entirely sure Uranus is not an even match, I do believe it is an opportunity to look more deeply into the sixth house-twelfth house theme of service.
We are more familiar with the idea of serving others, but often pay less attention to the importance of serving ourselves. Both Virgo and Pisces tend to devote time and energy seeing to the health and well-being of their loved ones, their co-workers, and humanity in general. However, both are also inclined to neglect their personal lives in favor of those others.
As someone with Virgo on the Midheaven, I have experienced numerous occasions when the demands of my job and my family took precedence over my own needs — so much so that I frequently run myself into the ground and am forced to take considerable downtime to recover. The lesson of this New Moon is to remember to regularly take time solely for ourselves so we can return to the fray, ready for action.
An opposition can promote polarization or it can provide the means to see what is out of balance. This New Moon is not only flanked by Mercury but by Pallas as well. Pallas in Virgo offers a dispassionate clarity of vision so essential for cutting through the rhetoric to the core issues. It is more than past time to stop looking at our differences and to see our commonalities. Both signs on either end of this opposition are concerned with healing and will be more than happy to support efforts in that direction.
Just in case all a person wants to do is offer lip service instead of a real commitment to healing breaches, please recall Pluto in Capricorn is closely square Mercury right now and is capable of enforcing the need for honesty and integrity. All we have to do is read the headlines to see examples of people in positions of authority caught out of bounds. Keep in mind also that Pluto is going to be in Capricorn for many years to come . . . this is just the beginning!
Neptune in Aquarius currently is enjoying one last romantic dance with Venus in Leo before she leaves the ball and moves into the calm of Virgo on September 19. This is a signal the party is about over and it’s time to get ready to go back to work once more.
The inconjunct, or quincunx, between the Virgo stellium and Neptune in Aquarius is an uneasy association, because Virgo never quite believes that all of those lofty ideals Aquarius promotes can ever be penciled out. This one works far better if those ideas inspired by the mutual reception of Neptune and Uranus can be turned over to the worker bees represented by the Virgo stellium. Just stand back and let them do their job, because they are very good at it.
For the New Moon, the Sabian symbol is 26 Virgo, “A boy with a censer serves near the priest at the altar.” Genuine humility is often associated with Virgo, and Taurus Harry S. Truman said it best: It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit. This is an attitude I can wholeheartedly support, because we need a whole bunch of quality Indians to offset the superfluity of chiefs.
It is easy to get caught up in hype and drama now, making it all the more important to maintain the rhythm of our daily lives with grace and dignity. It is highly unlikely the sky will fall tomorrow, but if we have done our best to live each day to the fullest, it won’t matter. Virgo is a sign devoted to minding their own business, and this is a great time to do the same ourselves. Remember to treat others with care, patience and kindness, now and always.
posted by Neith . . .
Of course, today is the day to write your New Moon abundance checks! Here’s how.
Image: This image is of a painting by Susan Seddon-Boulet, 1941-1997.
We’re still in the wake of last Saturday’s New Moon in Virgo, and we likely will see manifestations of it right up until Wednesday, when the Sun conjoins Saturn, thus carrying the energy of the New Moon to Saturn’s “classroom.”
What lesson you’re learning at the hand of the taskmaster depends on what house of your natal chart he’s transiting and whether he’s making an aspect to any natal planets. For that, you’d need to consult an astrologer, but in general, we are learning how to become our authentic selves and, in so doing, how we can better serve humanity. This theme will become more prominent as Saturn approaches opposition to Uranus this fall.
For now, just be aware of how limiting yourself could be hurting not just yourself, but others as well. What is your greatest gift to the world? What changes may be necessary in your life in order for you to give it?
That’s a heavy homework assignment, and it is one you’ll need to contemplate for awhile.
Meanwhile, we’ll get a little taste on Monday of what next week’s Venus-Mars conjunction may bring our way, as the Moon in Libra aligns with Venus, Mercury, and Mars within a 12-hour span.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the Mars-Venus conjunction, which will be exact on September 11. Mars-Venus conjunctions typically are good for relationships, and that should be all the more true with this conjunction occurring in Libra, the sign most associated with relationships.
That said, Mars is not well-placed in Libra, the sign of his detriment. We think of Libra as the peacemaker and the conciliator, but that is not the natural character of Mars. In Libra, he can be passive-aggressive.
Also please note that Mercury goes retrograde in Libra this month, and Mars is now moving through Mercury’s retrograde path, which will extend from about 7 degrees to 23 degrees Libra. Mercury, remember, is about communications. Mercury-Mars conjunctions, even in Libra, can result in anger. Not that this is a bad thing. We tend to view anger as negative, but it’s a lot more negative to repress it. A good clearing of the air, especially in intimate relationships, may turn out to be exactly what we most need. As I mentioned above, keep an eye on what happens in your life on Monday for clues as to how this important transit could affect you and your relationships.
Speaking of Mercury, I’ve started receiving reports of events that sound suspiciously like Mercury retrograde activity, so I’m betting that Mars is the culprit here. There will be lots more, too, as Mercury officially enters his retrograde shadow period on Tuesday. Heads up!
The Sun goes on to trine Jupiter on Thursday. The Big Guy is in his fall and still technically retrograde, but he’s slowing way down (that’s what it looks like from down here anyway) in preparation to return direct late Sunday on the West Coast of the United States. Yes, it will be next week already in most of the rest of the world. This will be a powerful moment to decide what you want to manifest, especially as it relates to fulfilling your highest purpose and destiny. It’s not called soul work for nothing. It’s work, it’s hard, and sometimes it seems impossible.
We’ll get an extra nudge on Sunday from squares to Jupiter from Mars and then Mercury. We usually think of squares as presenting conflict, but these two can be useful if approached with an intention to go for the highest good. In any case, a little effort this week will go a long way, so just do it.
Love and blessings,
Pat
Image: The Guilded Cage, by Evelyn de Morgan, 1919. The message here is about how attachment to material possessions can prevent you from living a more free and authentic life.
The New Moon this Saturday, August 30, is the first following the pair of eclipses earlier this month. The Sun and Moon at 7°48′ Virgo, conjunct Saturn, emphasize responsible manifestation of our goals.
Saturn is the taskmaster, but at least we find that what he asks of us is easy to understand – not necessarily pleasant, but understandable. Saturn reminds us of the need to behave in a responsible manner. When he’s in Virgo, being of service to others is high on his priorities list. We are being asked to eat our vegetables first, then dessert!
One of the best things about this New Moon is the lovely supporting trine from Jupiter in Capricorn. Virgo and Capricorn are not flashy signs, but they are both excellent for getting down to work in a quiet, straightforward manner. After the drama of the eclipses in Leo-Aquarius, most of us are more than ready for a break. If your experiences this month have been remotely like mine, there is a backlog of things to catch up on!
The Jupiter-Saturn trine will be in effect until early December, giving us time to take care of business. Trines do not require a lot of effort, just awareness to seize the opportunities that present themselves. However, it would be a shame to waste any moment of this very productive aspect between practical Saturn and visionary Jupiter. Those of you who have planets and chart angles at the mid-degrees of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) will notice this aspect the most, especially if Saturn will conjoin those points in your chart.
My Libra self is extremely happy to see the nice stellium in Libra occurring at this New Moon, with Venus, Mercury, and Mars all in the sign of balance. If you have need of charm and diplomacy to make a move at this time, this stellium has those qualities in spades. The trine from Pallas in Gemini provides further support for making accurate assessments of any situation. Pallas is the asteroid specializing in clear, concise thought and organizational skills, and Mercury ruled Gemini is associated with communications in general.
Because neither Neptune in Aquarius nor Uranus in Pisces are aspected in this chart, we are going to catch a breather from dealing with the issues those two outer planets have been pummeling us with over the past few months. Pluto in Sagittarius is also out of orb with the inner planets at this time. It is much easier for us to recognize and deal with matters related to Jupiter and Saturn than the archetypes of the three outermost planets. A practical, mundane focus is in order for now.
The Sabian symbol for 8 Virgo is, A girl takes her first dancing lesson, and the keyword is ASSISTANCE. As usual the Sabian symbol strikes right to the heart of the matter and, in this case, it is the New Moon conjunction with Saturn. We learn many things by practicing with focus and diligence, and this is a great time for practicing discipline, self-control, and concentration. Saturn always blesses our efforts to manage our lives by taking small steps instead of taking giant leaps in mid-air.
All in all, this New Moon is going to be good for us, a time to pick up the loose ends and deal with them in an orderly fashion. Virgo and Libra both remind us of the value of treating others with politeness and consideration – a great time to practice “paying it forward” with random acts of kindness. We need to take advantage of this opportunity, because the Full Moon in Pisces next month will conjoin Uranus, not Saturn, and life will get “interesting” once more.
posted by Neith . . .
Of course, today is the day to write your New Moon abundance checks! Here’s how.
The Sun is in Virgo, and fall is definitely here in the Pacific Northwest. The days are noticeably shorter, the light is growing thinner, the nights are cold, and the vegetable stands are overflowing with good things from the Earth.
This is my favorite time of year, when I feel invigorated. Perhaps we know deep down in our genetic coding (we in the Northern Hemisphere) that this is the Earth’s last hurrah, our time of celebration and abundance before heading into the darkest days of the year and the corresponding turn inward.
This cycle is very much reflected in the mythology of Ceres (the Greek Demeter), the quintessential earth mother. I’ve written a lot on my blog, The Pisces Chronicles, about Ceres as the modern ruler of Virgo, if not alone then as co-ruler with Mercury. I have a feeling that if the ancient astrologers who devised our rulership system had known of the existence of Ceres and the other planets discovered since the 18th century, they would have revised their system accordingly.
Ceres, as it turns out, is fairly quiet right now, in the early degrees of Leo and not in aspect with the heavy players of the week. Her influence will grow, however, as she moves through Leo and the degrees of the eclipses in the current series, and then when she enters Virgo in early November. But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it…
This week, we have an edgy New Moon in Virgo (more about that in a minute), as well as Mercury and Venus moving into Libra. Let’s talk about Venus first.
Venus has not been happy at all in Virgo, the sign of her fall. Conversely, Libra is one of the two signs ruled by Venus. The image I chose for this week’s post says it all. Venus in Libra is the highest expression of feminine beauty and grace. She is adorned, pampered, worshipped, fought over … and, OK, a little spoiled, but that has been the due for gorgeous creatures since time immemorial.
That said, Venus in Libra is not egocentric and knows how to compromise to get what she wants. Compromise truly is an art, and like many other things, it requires knowing yourself. Otherwise, you don’t know whether you’re giving away too much or compromising your integrity. Venus enters Libra Saturday at 7:41 a.m. on the West Coast of the United States — not a moment too soon, as the New Moon is just a few hours away, and I think it’s going to be a tough one for many of us.
As usual, Neith will have a full report in a day or two. For now, I’ll note simply that this New Moon, just shy of 8 degrees Virgo, falls in fairly close conjunction with Saturn, a stern presence whose lessons are never easy to learn. Depending on the house position of this New Moon in your chart, you may be asked to take on a new responsibility, or you may be forced to accept responsibility for your behavior or your approach to a certain part of your life. This is not a bad thing, obviously, but it is a lesson that many of us learn only under duress.
Mercury also enters Libra this week, at 7:50 p.m. PDT on Thursday. Although Mercury isn’t exalted here, Libra is an air sign and thus a comfortable place for Mercury’s intellectual, analytical qualities. Talking about relationships will be especially productive, and that will include rehashing unresolved problems when Mercury goes retrograde on September 24. The shadow period starts on September 2, so be sure to wrap up Mercury related activities this week, including making changes to your computer system, signing contracts, sending important correspondence, and getting your accounting in order.
Mercury and Venus both square Pluto before changing signs — Mercury on Wednesday and Venus on Friday. This should help identify relationship problems at their source, even if it’s just in your own mind, so that you can work to find solutions. Realizations may be painful, or you may finally just accept what you’ve known inside all along.
Love and lots of courage to all,
Pat
Image: Helen of Troy, by Evelyn de Morgan, 1898. The artist was a Virgo, born August 30, 1855, and of course had Venus in Libra. Could there be a more fitting image for Venus in Libra at the New Moon?
RealAstrologers 
