posted August 24, 2010 09:17 AM         

Our week ahead features the Sun moving into Virgo marking the beginning of the end of summer <sadness> and the return of our busy, over-scheduled and hectic lives <happiness>. We have a luminous Full Moon at a highly sensitive and deeply emotional point in our chart. The cardinal t-square starts to break up and move apart. Sedna, the recently discovered planet named for Ocean Goddess, stations at 22 Taurus bringing us difficult emotional news from the Seas and Oceans. She also invokes and evokes the emotions from June 2000 when Jupiter and Saturn joined at that same degree to start the cycle culminating now in their opposition. As Jupiter and Saturn are separating after their recent struggle, we find the BP oil leak disaster winding down, even as the stories of how much impact the leak has or will have on the economy, environment and businesses affected by it. Sedna’s station can bring up strong emotions from that earlier time when you began a new cycle that is culminating now.

One more oomph of difficult, difficult energy takes place on Thursday as Admetos stations, Sun trines Pluto and the Moon in Pisces and Aries sets off the t-square one more time. If things are going to collapse or fall apart, that is the day it will happen.

We can expect lots of endings and releases this week as we start to feel the t-square energy move toward creating its new forms. The ability to hold it all together starts to dissipate too. We let go of the control and start to watch it ebb out of our hands. The planets are not blocked or blocking each other any more so their changes can start to take place in the world. Remember, they are cardinal planets so they LIKE to start things and change things.

Mercury is retrograde so we will deal with a reversal of the story that arrived in our life at the beginning of August through the end of September, when he leaves his shadow. He stations direct on September 12th. Expect to double and triple check communications and watch for communication, car and electrical appliance problems.

Ghosts from your past often appear during a Mercury retrograde so expect to hear from people, in either a good or bad way, over the next few weeks. All part of the clearing, cleaning up things and moving forward.

A few people wrote to say the t-square brought them VERY GOOD things. Yes, t-squares do deliver good stuff. I realized in reading over my columns of the past few weeks that the action taking part of the t-square that moves us to new places had been left out. Sometimes I have too much Scorpio in the 8th house in my chart. T-squares help us make decisions and shift our lives too.

New beginnings come from endings of old situations. So if you sold your business and are now leaving your boring job behind, Bravo. Or if you closed on your new apartment and moved out of your rental place, Congratulations. If you wrested control of your website and found your book designer, wee-haw! And if you got preggers after months of trying, woo-hoo! If you started your production company and found financial backing, crazy happy dance! Forward we all go!

Monday August 23, Moon in Aquarius helps us move toward a more evolved vision of things. Moon has lovely closing aspect so pursue your dreams today ~ things will eventually work out the way you want them to work out. Sedna stations making today a rather emotional day as she pushes us to a new vision of ourselves and our emotions. She had a difficult story with her father so watch for difficult father stories today. Her energy also seems to be aligned with difficult stories about the feminine, ocean or sea creature energy. Sun enters Virgo and starts the changing energy of mutable earth. We’ll find we want to clear out, organize and clean out things as Virgo Sun seeks to get us organize and back into school, work, no more vacation mode ~ the fall is getting into our head. Sun is a bit stressed as he works with Mars to make some changes. You may have to go back to an earlier position to get yourself to move forward. Retreat is not loss. It is retreat. Saturn has a great vision of how it CAN be once everything moves forward. Trust the process of retreat to step you back so you can move forward with confidence. It is the same as the Ocean ~ waves come, back up and then move forward again on the sand, slowly, slowly changing the surface of the land. In a similar way, the energy is shifting inside of you. It is a good evening to connect with people you love or enjoy.

Tuesday August 24 Moon is in Pisces and forms a full Moon. Read the Full Moon report on this web site to know how to work with the energy of the Moon. Moon is dreamy and dreary so watch for rain, slosh and emotions that swirl and swell. Towards the afternoon, you start to feel empowered as Moon works with Pluto and connects you to a more grounded place. Watch for changes in the patterns today. Sun argues with Jupiter as the two of them get crabby in the early evening by inconjunct aspect. Jupiter is all big, jolly and expansive and Sun says, “Hey, wait a minute, lets pay attention to the details here! No going off with half baked information!” The details are where it is at! Then take the action to reach out.

Wednesday August 25 Moon continues in Pisces. Things begun Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday have lovely closing aspect so will be very profitable. Moon opposes Mercury so you may get some push back on emotional issues today. Make sure to take care of your health as aspects encourage a cautionary approach. When in doubt, go to the doctor and check it out. No fooling around. Family energy is supported today so it is a great day to plan outings or events for your family of choice or fate. Dreams are a bit wild upon awakening. Make sure to note them.

Thursday August 26 Moon in Pisces continues to make us very sensitive to all emotional content. Admetos, a very sensitive point deeply tied to endings with a wild and untamed energy stations today on the degree of the Jupiter Saturn conjunction in June 2000. Watch for the Admetos story to surface in the news this week, probably today. Sun trines Pluto today asking power to move and work in a new way as Juno partners in a new way with the world. Expect major, major news today in the world. In Greek mythology, Admetos was famed for his hospitality and justice. When Apollo was sentenced to a year of servitude to a mortal as punishment for killing, the god chose Admetos' home and became his herdsman. Admetos was a kind master and treated Apollo with respect. Apollo in recompense for Admetos' treatment helped Admetos win the hand of Alcestis. When Apollo found out that Admetos was destined to die immediately after the marriage, he wooed the Fates with wine until they agreed to allow Admetos to live. The Fates were not easily persuaded; they would only allow Admetos to live on the condition that someone else volunteer to die in his place. Admetos initially believed that one of his aged parents would happily take their son's place of death. When they were unwilling, Alcestis instead died for Admetos. As Alcestis descends into the underworld, Admetos discovers that he actually does not want to live:

I think my wife's fate is happier than my own, even though it may not seem so. No pain will ever touch her now, and she has ended life's many troubles with glory. But I, who have escaped my fate and ought not to be alive, shall now live out my life in sorrow.

The situation was saved by Heracles. Heracles was greatly impressed by Admetos's kind treatment of him as a guest, and when told of Admetos' situation, he entered Alcestis' tomb. He repaid the honor Admetos had done to him by wrestling with Thanatos until the god agreed to release Alcestis. Heracles led her back into the mortal world. Admetos symbolizes a brick wall: Steadfast, stable, immovable. Shrinking: Narrowing down to a sharp focus. Specialization. Endurance. Solid and steady as a rock, Admetos is related to all that is stable, enduring, and unyielding, as well as to anything that has stopped or otherwise come to an end. Roots, raw materials, and cyclical revolutions all share a touch of Admetos, as does anything that is either deep down (like the bottom of the ocean) or dead. Admetos is active or present at strangulation, suffocation, overdose of prescription, over-the-counter or other drugs, inhaling poisonous gas of some kind, being poisoned by drinking water, inhaling poisonous air and choking. He is often involved when there are situations where nurturing is in short supply, being stuck (either physically or psychologically) in one of life's frustrating traffic jams. Admetos suppresses / represses their hard feelings, their hard knocks in life, their bitterness, their bad luck, and their trauma. It is also about our subconscious. In its most lurid form, the monsters and the Shadow within ourselves is mirrored by this planet. Very often, this can mean a trauma occurs that stains the person's entire life-force.

Friday August 27 we recover from the news of yesterday. Moon in Aries sets off the t-square and causes rapid emotional changes. Make sure to be in touch with the people you love. Very rapid events take place today. Moon in Aries has nice closing aspects suggesting the changes are far reaching.

Saturn’s day August 28 Moon in Aries continues to evolve the story from earlier in the week. Moon argues with Venus and Mars in a highly emotional manner. Remember the t-square separating now is able to take action where before it was blocked. The deeply felt emotions are surfacing now and pushing us towards new choices. Venus understands these changes are deep, profound and permanent. Would you die for another because you loved them? Who would you die for? And if you died for them, what would they do? Transformation. Mercury struggles with discord and hard feelings. He’s trying to be practical but some times it is not possible to achieve what you want WITHOUT hurting other people’s feelings. See the patterns? See the shadow? Do you see the shadow of the energy? Who would wrestle with death for you?

Sunday August 29, Moon in Taurus brings us deeply into our feeling state. Again the closing aspects are excellent so even if the decisions are hard, we are prepared to work with those consequences and make the hard decisions. Jupiter helps us see the underlying pattern in a way we never did before. Endings are working ending ~ helpful to move you forward and productive to make. In one sense, there is nothing new under the sun. On the other hand, every day is a new opportunity to create and become a new. The vision of rebirth and renewal is in every major religious belief system. We experience rebirth and renewal with each spring season. As we look at the end of the current growing cycle in our life, know there is a new rebirth and renewal season ahead of you. Don‘t be afraid to go for your dream. Or at least to stand in the strength of your vision for your life. It IS your dream. And it is your life. Make a choice about what your home and hearth will look like. Choose what nurtures you. Focus on the spot where love lives. Focus on what you love.

Mundane: Last week brought all sorts of changes and shifts in alignment with the change energy of the t-square. We “left” Iraq, leaving behind 50,000 troops for training but not for fighting. Iran powered up its nuclear plant with Russia’s help. The credit card law was implemented which promised additional consumer protections. The proposed mosque and community center near the site of the 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center received pro and con protests with virtually the entire world weighing in. Pakistan found 20 million of their citizens homeless due the monsoons. The Wikileaks guy was accused of rape and later the charges were dropped. Tiger Woods got divorced. A Van Gogh painting was stolen in Egypt. Israel and Palestine began peace talks. China started to address workplace suicide. Millions as in 550 million eggs were recalled due to Samonella contamination. Busy week!

posted August 24, 2010 10:18 AM         

August 24, 2010

1:26 Virgo Sun/Pisces Moon
1:05 pm EDT
10:05 am PDT

The Full Moon for August 24 takes us on a magical journey. The t-square which has been causing us so many life changes has peaked, perfected, culminated. It is starting to separate, ease, release, and move apart. We’ll feel the tensions of the past month start to abate over the course of the week. We are now moving forward on our new path, like it or not. Hopefully, we like it! It is our path after all!

Cast for Washington, D.C, the Sun is conjunct the fixed star Regulus, high in the chart. Regulus is conjoined to the Midheaven. Regulus is part of the body of the Lion in Leo’s constellation. It is a proud, brave and regal star situated on the Lion‘s heart. A triple star, it is white and aquamarine. It was one of the Royal stars of Persia in 3,000 B.C. when as the watcher of the North, it marked the Summer Solstice. It offers success, honor, preferment, good fortune, high office, power, authority, high and lofty ideals, strength of spirit and makes the native be magnanimous, liberal, generous, and ambitious, fond of power, desirous of command, high spirited and independent. It also signifies the native can die an unhappy death, and his honors, greatness and power will suffer an eclipse and set in a cloud if he abuses his gifts. Violence, trouble, and ultimate disgrace combines with ruin, sickness, fevers, and benefits that seldom last are features of this star‘s story if the gifts bestowed by the Lion‘s Heart are abused.

When we look at a Mundane chart, such as the New or Full Moon charts, we are looking to see what the energy of the lunation presents to us as a story to pay attention to. In the spring of 2009 when the New Moon seeded the current Full Moon, the “Craigslist Killer”, Philip Markoff was arrested for killing a young woman and robbing other women he met via Craig’s List advertisements. At the time, Mr. Markoff was to all appearances, all-American handsome twenty-three-year-old man who could be the guy next door, clean-cut and casually dressed. He was a brilliant, well-regarded medical student at Boston University, engaged to be married on a beach at sunset to a beautiful and trusting fiancé. He liked to gamble with his girlfriend at local casinos. Under the Full Moon’s energy and watchful light, he took his own life, in his jail cell in a rather violent manner a year and a day after his cancelled wedding to the woman whose name he wrote in his own blood on his cell wall. Such is the nature of Regulus ~ fabulous success which can completely collapse if misused.

The planet Uranus is joined to the fixed star Scheat at 29 Pisces. Scheat is a deep yellow star situated on the left leg of Pegasus. It causes extreme misfortune, murder, suicide and drowning. Joined to Uranus, we find deceitful practices, vacillation, it is bad for gain, involved in difficulties due to your own acts, accidents, death through drowning or by water.

Zuben Elgenubi and Zuben Eschamali, the Southern (negative) and Northern (positive) scale respectively sit on the Ascendant. These stars suggest honor, distinction, and ambition ~ a study in polarities. One star shows the light, bright side while the other shows the shadowy, darker side of honor, distinction and ambition. These stars are especially active in reform or social justice. Eschamali wants the material side of social reform and justice. We find it active when it is connected to a strong personal gain or power motive. It is more mercenary, you help them, they help you. Elgenubi differs as its prime motive is not personal gain but acts done for the joy of giving.

Fixed stars angular (Regulus and the Scales) and tightly joined to planets (Scheat) are symbolic, important markers of the energy of the Full Moon as well as descriptive of the energy we can expect to work with under this Full Moon. If you know people are having a tough time under the Full Moon, make sure to reach out to them and let them know the difficult energy will start to abate soon as the cardinal t-square starts to separate this week.

Mercury is stationing and moving slowly retrograde. He is sitting right on the degree of the Sun and Saturn/Pluto opposition taking place on 9-11World Trade Center attacks. Mars and Venus are sitting on the USA’s Saturn and New York City’s Ascendant. Old soul wounds will be surfacing for under this moon for us to deal with emotionally. The Moon in Pisces is highly intuitive, very sensitive and deeply receptive. That is why the proposed community center and mosque planned for three blocks from the former site of the collapsed World Trade Center is provoking such craziness across the nation. And you thought you’d emotionally handled 9-11!?

The Moon in Pisces is the recipient of a sesquiquadrate from Mars and Venus in Libra suggesting emotional stresses around relationships and sensitive reactions to how partnerships are proceeding (or not proceeding). Venus and Mars in Libra suggest there is can be a bit of a tendency to blame the other person rather than owning or taking responsibility for your own behavior. The South Node in Cancer is sesquiquadrate to Neptune in Aquarius so we may have a great deal of difficulty in seeing our role in the situation.

When I read for folks, I often am amazed at how the transits that appear in their chart are reflected by the people they have attracted into their life to help them realize their soul’s path. The people you have attracted into your life ~ good, bad or indifferent ~ are there to help YOU and YOUR SOUL grow to be the best you possible.

So if you love them or are indifferent to them, no problem. Continue. However, IF they are driving you crazy, they are merely a reflection of what your chart says YOU need to figure out to get to where you are going or supposed to go in your life. They are an area you still have to resolve and figure out. Those difficult, irritating, annoying and crazy making people or situations reflect an area of your own life where you are struggling to get clear. Bless them for illuminating your issue. Take full and complete ownership of your issue. That does not mean you have to “fix them”. Or nag them. Or yell at them. Or make them do it. They get to fix themselves. Or they get to not fix themselves. Maybe they like themselves just the way they are. It does mean you have to get clear on why they are driving you so crazy right now.

Essentially, it is all about choice. Saturn, Mars and Venus are squaring the Nodes of Destiny. Their midpoints are exactly square the Nodes of Destiny. We face a choice. We face a major, major choice.

The question asked by the Full Moon is “So, what do you want?” Answer that question, using sentences that start with the “I” word. Your sentence can‘t start with a “You” or “They” or words that request the other guy comply to your wants, demands or needs. It ain’t going to happen. You can’t make the other guy do anything they don’t want to do right now. You can only do for yourself what you want. The people holding title to the land for the proposed community center and mosque a few blocks from Ground Zero have as of right permission to build, like it or not. Let the Full Moon guide you to your own sense of freedom and connection.

Lynda Hill’s interpretation of the Sabian Image for the Moon in Pisces is A SQUIRREL HIDING FROM HUNTERS

Commentary: ‘A Squirrel Hiding From Hunters’ is an image of fear, worry and apprehension. The ‘Squirrel’ senses it is somehow threatened, or that its very survival is at risk. The ‘Squirrel’ is afraid to come out into the open because of a perception that something is out to get them, whether it is true or not. There’s a need, or an instinct, to hide from the threatening or aggressive elements in life.

Oracle: Is someone fretting about their position or future? There may be a sense of aggression in the air where you, or someone you know, may be one of the smaller players. Sometimes the “enemy” is actually not really there, and we make it up through fear or paranoia. To be cautious is wise, but hiding oneself away can lead to missed opportunities for any kind of nourishment and the possibility of freedom, sunshine and basking in the light. The provision of nourishment and sustenance may be difficult if one feels somehow threatened. This feeling of “threat” can happen on any level. It may have been a necessary process to go through the fright, care and worry facing you, but the time has to eventually come when you can feel safe and able to enjoy your life. Is your neighborhood threatening or unsafe in some way? Although we may not like to admit it, sometimes ‘Hiding’ away is the best option, whether your fears are real or merely imagined. This can give you time to sort things through in your heart and mind to decide what your next move will be. This Symbol can bring nervousness and a lack of sleep. Why do you feel victimized and “holed-up” in this matter? Perhaps a safer home, or living environment, would make things easier. It is true that if we project fear out into our environment, it will most likely manifest in a reaction or event somewhere. What creative solutions can your employ to ensure a safe outcome for all concerned? After all, do the ‘Hunters’ really want to shoot a ‘Squirrel’?

Keywords: Using tactics to ensure survival. ‘Hiding’ one’s self away. Not stepping out into the big wide world for fear of making the wrong move. Security systems. Caution and reserve. Using commonsense. Things or people that feel tiny, uncertain or insecure. Refuges and the need for them. Staying out of people’s way. Staying home. Locks and keys. Stockpiling for harder times.

The Caution: People picking on each other. Being bullied out of what you deserve. Giving those “out there” more power than they warrant. Not trusting life. Paranoia. Running away from things. Not wanting to go out and socialize. Truancy. Not speaking up for fear of being shot down. Threats of terrorism. Having to lie about one’s whereabouts. Not answering the door. Hiding away. Being caged in. Agoraphobia. Claustrophobia.

Why not go out on a limb? Isn’t that where the fruit is? Frank Scully

God gives the nuts but he does not crack them. German Proverb

Of all the thirty-six alternatives, running away is best. Chinese Proverb

There is perhaps nothing so bad and so dangerous in life as fear. Jawaharlal Nehru

Giving advice to a stupid man is like giving salt to a squirrel. Kashmiri Proverb

A sly rabbit will have three openings to its den. Chinese Saying

The fox has many tricks. The hedgehog has but one. But that is the best of all. Desiderius Erasmus

One of the rules of caution is not to be too cautious. Bahya ibn Paquda

Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Never feel self-pity, the most destructive emotion there is. How awful to be caught up in the terrible squirrel cage of self. Millicent Fenwick

Lynda Hill’s interpretation of the Sabian Image for the Virgo Sun is A LARGE WHITE CROSS, DOMINATING THE LANDSCAPE, STANDS ALONE ON TOP OF A HIGH HILL

Commentary: ‘A Large White Cross, Dominating the Landscape, Stands Alone on Top of a High Hill’ is a symbol of suffering and loss and the hope of faith and salvation. Symbols such as the ‘Cross’ have long had a deep, meaningful and powerful influence on people. The fact that the ‘Cross’ is ‘Standing Alone’ depicts a sense of desertion, perhaps of one’s faith or life circumstances. This can bring a sense of isolation. The idea, or belief, that suffering and the giving up of one’s personal desires as a means to salvation has special significance for many people, but what does it really mean? A sense of true religion is supposed to unite people in many ways. However, dogmatic expressions of faith can either unite or divide people, even in what should be seen as a common cause. People need symbols of faith to rally around, things to inspire them.

Oracle: Feelings of loneliness or loss can be healed with signs of hope and faith for a brighter future. A religious experience can change ones life and lead to spiritual fulfillment and the highest sense of joy. However, these experiences can also lead to throwing ones life away. This can be caused by too much emphasis on spiritual and “other worldly” values, which can lead people to lose their day-to-day lives. Some may feel that they are being treated like a scapegoat, being “hung out to dry”, punished for doing something or being different or special in some way. Instead of having a “cross to bear”, we can work at realigning ourselves with our true desires and allegiances. We can ground our selves and our lives, by creating a balanced set of circumstances in our life: money, relationships, family, career, etc. This can also lead to a stronger sense of purpose and spirituality, dissipating feelings of sacrifice, separation or loneliness.

Keywords: Religious ideals dominating. The fear or the wonder of God. Following a mystic Path. The need to find a savior. Being alone and forgotten. Monuments to pain and suffering. Tributes to, or memories of, those lost or gone before. Reminders of salvation. Images of redemption. The Church. Christianity and other religions. Martyrdom.

The Caution: Aloneness and/or sacrifice or the yearning for it. Dogmatism. Scapegoating. Days in the wilderness alone. Religion dictating against one’s desires or needs. Symbols that inspire guilt and anguish instead of love, acceptance and forgiveness. Institutions disregarding individual rights. Lording it over others. Bullying under the guise of religion. Imposing figures.

The anguish of the neurotic individual is the same as that of the saint. The neurotic, the saint are engaged in the same battle. Their blood flows from similar wounds. But the first one gasps and the other one gives. Georges Bataille

The heresies we should fear are those which can be confused with orthodoxy. Jorge Luis Borges

Victims suggest innocence. And innocence, by the inexorable logic that governs all relational terms, suggests guilt. Susan Sontag

Martyrdom has always been a proof of the intensity, never of the correctness of a belief. Arthur Schnitzler

If you bear the cross willingly, it will bear you. Thomas A. Kempis

Forgive me my nonsense as I forgive the nonsense of those who think they talk sense. Anon

Christ was crucified for saying “the Kingdom is within you.” Joseph Campbell