Mercurial and Jupiterian questions…

by with 2 Comments Astrology and me

Im taking a little break from the editing essay for MA frenzy.

Mercury is now slowly moving forward again and I was boarding craziness. This was a particular intense cycle personally speaking and I wonder how everyone is doing?

A lot of the material available that has been written about Mercury retrograde in Scorpio talks about revisiting traumas and difficult emotions from the past, including traumatic relationships or anything traumatic to do with relationships and intimacy. This resonates with me and what was going on in the last 3 or 4 weeks and it left me wondering, once again, about the nature of astrology.

The old question about free will and fate. How much is fated and how much is totally up to us and our actions?! Personal responsibility is something extremely important to me and in my work with astrology.

The planets are not doing anything to you!

But, at the same time, how do we explain the synchronism between this Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio and the deep processes that took place during this cycle? I have more questions than answers at this point in my life, specially after being exposed to a lot of material in my masters that brings many different points of view, including some of the sources of our ideas. Ideas that we think are fresh and new when in reality a lot of them comes from Plato or Aristotle… and many other sources throughout history as well.

At the moment Im doing a module entitled Sky and Psyche where Im reading a lot of material about the history of psychological astrology, which is really interesting, but also makes you realise that it is an interpretation amongst other interpretations.

It is not ‘the truth’!

It also makes you realise how much our ideas and concepts of reality are embedded in the ‘weltanschauung’ or what Jung called ‘The spirit of the age’. It doesn’t seem like there is scape from it, even if you’re an astrologer and believe to be outside of the box, well, the box is much bigger than we think! …

 

Full Moon in Taurus, and the importance of conscious lightness…

by with No Comment Astrological InsightsAstrology and me

Today I’ve been working on my first assignment for the current module Im taking for my MA and was checking the astrological weather for the coming weeks.

Mercury still moving backwards in Scorpio reflecting an invitation for non-action and for deeply rethinking about our emotional patterns and shadows. Communication only if deeply honest and tempered by psychological awareness.

Where is Scorpio in your chart?!

This is the area where all of this soulful reassessing is happening…

My ASC is in Scorpio and as I write this post, Mercury is starting to make its way back into the 12th house of my natal chart until it reaches my natal Saturn, in the exact degree that Mercury will be stationing to go forward again on the 21st of November.

I feel that much of the themes that this Mercury retrograde is reflecting personally to me is quite recognisable, all the emotional honesty kind of stuff, including addressing my fear of it as well (as Saturn in my case is involved in this cycle).

I do love what Scorpio stands for though, even if sometimes is a bit too much, or too intense, I have a real appreciation for it. This too reflects something of my own nature / natal chart. The dichotomy between the Scorpio placements and the strong disruptive tendencies symbolised by the prominent Uranus in my chart.

So then I tend to attract people with a very similar split, not to say with the same astrological symbolism in their charts, (even if slightly shuffled). This is an interesting phenomena I’ve seen repeating again and again not only in my life.

Then I was checking this coming full moon which will be taking place on November the 12th in Taurus. Couple of things called my attention.

Firstly we do well in keeping in our minds that this is the culmination of the disruptive New Moon conjunct Uranus we had this month, so somehow the continuation of that story.

The other thing I noticed is that Mars, the traditional ruler of Scorpio, will be aspecting Jupiter in Sagittarius and Venus, the ruler of Taurus, will be placed in Sagittarius also. This somehow makes me think that keeping things humorous and being in tune with your capacity for laughing at yourself and at life’s situations in general, could be of great aid here. Friendship rather than intense possessiveness could also be a way out from the dilemas potentially reflected by this intense lunation.

The moon in Taurus and the Sun/Mercury in Scorpio will also be harmoniously  aspecting Saturn/Pluto in Capricorn, a potentially positive and productive aspect if we are willing to take responsibility for ourselves, especially our emotional needs, and avoid blaming others or projecting our wellbeing on another person’s presence. Making sure boundaries are well set (paying attention not to exaggerate here, if overdoing boundaries is your pattern?) could be very helpful in order to make the most of these energies available!

 

Mercury Retrograde in the underworld…

by with No Comment Astrological InsightsAstrology and meInner life

Mercury is stationing at 27 degrees Scorpio today and will be moving backwards for the next 3 weeks.

Im feeling an introverted energy in the air compelling to reevaluate and revisit values regarding relationships, sharing and love in general. I think that last week’s new moon in Scorpio opposing Uranus was already calling us to do this work during this lunation, and Mercury retrograde seems to be reinforcing it.

Mercury is stationing conjunct Venus, reflecting the Venusian tone of this cycle of retrogradation.

With Venus and the Sun also in Scorpio I think that we will be able to get in touch with subterraneous intense emotions giving us clues about hidden patterns of behaviour that might be hindering real intimacy and connection with others, and ultimately, with ourselves.

For Scorpio the process of maintaining or reclaiming power is of paramount importance, and a very common tactic for preventing loss of power and vulnerability is by, willingly or unwillingly, stepping into psychological games with others. Manipulative techniques might be necessary in order to get what one wants, but at the same time, is a huge obstacle for what Scorpio mostly craves and needs: deep connections where one is able to be truly seen.

At the time of my Saturn return, my progressed Moon entered Scorpio, making a conjunction to my ASC, and that was the first time that I became consciously aware of these games we play with people in order to hide our heart and true motives.

I suddenly began asking myself what was the point on doing that, on saying no when you really mean yes, and that kind of stuff. I realised that we must make an effort in order to be real so people can also have a chance to be themselves, and as a result, a genuine relationship might be born…

Now with Mercury retrograde in Scorpio I feel the echoes of that time coming back, slightly different, but bringing up a similar theme nevertheless. I am a different person, in a different situation, living a distinct phase of my life, but Im a witness of the fascinating spiral cycles of growth reflected by astrological symbolism.

It never fails to amuse me!

The astrologer Steven Forrest in one of his books, or maybe in an article I can’t fully remember, wrote that Scorpio stands for (radical) psychological honesty. I think that keeping this idea in mind, just like a mantra, during this Mercury retrograde could be of great help to us all…

Scorpio New Moon trick or treat!

by with No Comment Astrological InsightsAstrology and me

Once more trying to keep up with information on lunations…

Truth is that because it’s so cyclical it somehow bores me to write about full moon-new moon stuff.

But never mind that, because I do understand the importance of cycles (I feel that a huge part of astrology’s benefit is enhancing awareness on life’s cycles!) and I also understand how much easier is for us, in general, to connect meaning with the lunar cycles rather than the other planetary ones.

So here it goes…

This month’s new moon (which happens in the early hours of the 28th of October) resonates a little with my restless tendencies of natal Uranus in the first house (hence the boredom I talked earlier…) as the sun and the moon in Scorpio will be forming an exact opposition with Uranus in Taurus.

As I stare into the astrological map of this new moon I realise how much Mars and Venus are prominent in each other’s rulership sign: Venus in Scorpio (the sign ruled by Mars) and Mars in Libra (the sign ruled by Venus).

Traditionally they both are in fall, which would be interpreted by some people as an unfavourable position. Venus, which talks about our values and capacity for sharing and loving would feel uncomfortable in suspicious and protective Scorpio. At the same time, Mars which is about how we fight for what we want is less direct in Libra, the sign associated with relationships and sharing.

The way I see this interesting mutual reception between these planets during the new moon, is reflecting a need to work creatively within our capacity to relate and relationships themselves.

An echo of this idea is the axis of Scorpio (Moon and Sun) and Taurus (Uranus) which talks about, amongst other things, intensity and attachment (either emotional or physical/material), and with Uranus making its presence in the mix, I feel that challenges on letting go will feature strongly here.

Possessiveness or impulsiveness on breaking loose from someone could be part of the drama during this month (lunation). The old conflict, which I have written about in here a few times, between freedom and commitment.

A few years ago, during a very challenging time in my Saturn Return (which by the way is in Scorpio!), I read the book ‘Eastern body, Western Mind’ by Anodea Judith and had a great insight into the theme I believe this new moon to be about. The author linked this split with the second chakra and she talked about how the soul needs commitment and the spirit needs space and freedom. According to her the secret is in balancing these two needs because if we identify with only one side then the other person naturally compensates by playing the opposite. So, the more I want someone to commit to me the more the other person craves his freedom.

During this new moon I have the feeling that it is a great time for setting intentions for healing and balancing our two needs, being conscious of them both and not fully projecting one side of it into our significant other in order to avoid extreme situations.

Progressed Moon conjunct IC

by with 4 Comments Astrological InsightsAstrology and meInner lifeSearch for home

I’ve been back in Brazil for just over 3 weeks and much has happened already, or has it not?!

Since my progressed Moon entered the sign of my natal IC in the beginning of September my attention has naturally turned towards exploring and understanding more about my roots.

I’ve been socialising quite a bit and going out observing everything with the curiosity of an anthropologist doing field work in some remote and yet familiar place.

I used to feel that I don’t belong here, and for the first time I am willing to recognise a slight sense of belonging that seems to be increasing as time goes by…

Not sure.

Perhaps Im getting more comfortable with being part of the syncretism that I come from. Being some sort of Alien Frankenstein (how much Aquarius on the IC does this sound?!) returning ‘home’… home?!

Transiting Saturn is forming its last square to my natal Moon and I don’t feel the typical symptoms associated with this transit: loneliness, depression, etc. I really don’t, which is a reminder to never dismember astrological symbolism too much. What I sense happening instead, is me questioning if I should come back to live here…  or not…

Libra New Moon intentions soon

by with No Comment Astrological InsightsAstrology and me

This is my last day in Rio de Janeiro before going to São Paulo and Im contemplating many things. I’ve been back in Brazil since the 23rd of September and for the first time since I left the country I came back more open to seeing what my place of birth can reveal about my identity. I am more open to staying for a little longer than usual.

As I contemplate my feelings of nostalgia and wonder about life’s ways, I thought I’d have a go on interpreting the energies reflected in the cosmos for this new lunar cycle.

This new moon will be taking place at 5 degrees Libra and one of its main aspects is an opposition to Chiron in Aries. I feel the symbolism to be strongly pointing out to issues of equality in relationships rising to the surface through acknowledging the pain connected with expressing our individuality.

How comfortable do you feel stating your individual needs to your partner and other people in general? And how about compromising, does that feel like a major challenge to you?

Any issues that we might have connected with the process of giving and taking in relationships will be featuring here. Another thing will be how much time we spend on our own versus how much we are willing to spend in the company of others.

Reflected by the equinox that happened a week ago, light and darkness are balanced again, and I feel that we as well should follow these steps and try to find as much balance as possible within ourselves.

With Mercury, Venus, Sun and Moon in Libra, and Mars in Virgo, there seems to be an emphasis on thinking about the other and serving. Chiron in Aries reflects a need to not forget who you are as an individual, your free will and independent spirit. But the emphasis on Libra, Virgo and Capricorn (with Saturn, the South Node and Pluto) in the sky seems to be stating that compromising and taking action that will benefit others as well is paramount during this lunar cycle.

I believe that this needs to come from a place of fullness provided by practicing healthy self-care, reflected by the North Node in Cancer. This is an important aspect to keep in mind while we walk this tightrope in search for more equilibrium in our lives and relationships.

 

The dark side of the Moon

by with 2 Comments Astrology and me

This is another one about or based on astrology’s fluidity.

I’ve been tracking my progressed moon since 2012, when I started officially studying astrology at the LSA. I wanted to check and see for myself how each shift from houses or signs would be reflected in my life.

Recently my progressed moon has moved from Capricorn into Aquarius, forming a square to my natal Pluto in Scorpio. I went from to do lists and working full time plus studying, (basically from being ultra busy), to freeing myself and spending a lot of time with an aquarian friend who also happens to have his natal moon conjunct Pluto.

Interestingly, with the progressed moon making that square to my natal Pluto I’ve observed how entertainment has been taking a darker tone for me… I have been reading ‘The dark of the soul’ written by Liz Greene on psychopathology in the horoscope and I just finished watching a tv series called ‘The Act’ with Patricia Arquette.

The series is based on real facts about this girl who was raised by a mother who suffered from ‘Munchausen syndrome by proxy’, also known as ‘Factitious disorder imposed on another’, according to wikipedia a ‘condition where a caregiver creates the appearance of health problems in another person, typically their child’ in order to get attention and sympathy from others.

The girl was confined to a wheel chair and basically forced to pretend that she had a whole myriad of health issues that she did not have. And as she starts growing up, wanting to get a boyfriend and look beautiful etc, problems start arising between her and her super, over the top, protective mother and the girl end up finding a way to assassinate her and break free.

This is such a crazy story, in so many levels, and in my opinion reflective of an extreme manifestation of Moon-Pluto contacts in astrology. I have tried finding their astrological charts to look into the symbolism and compare to the story, but it has proven to be quite difficult with unreliable birthdates etc.

Myth seems to mix up with reality rather often, but this is a case where the devouring mother mythic theme is overwhelmingly powerful.

Liz Greene talks about the conflict between the rational ego and the ‘instinctual energies of the unconscious’ saying that: ‘particular individuals are like safety valves for the pressure that builds up. They are the scapegoats and vessels for what is, in effect, a collective madness.’

I wonder if that is what happened in that story, or if at least there was an element of that.

The importance of developing a strong and healthy ego, capable of mediating unconscious material that seems to well up into consciousness is paramount in the process of becoming an individual. And according to Greene, with more individuals comprising society the less likely that there will be a collective psychosis breaking out like in nazi Germany for example.

This is a very interesting idea, and timely for the current weird political climate. By developing healthy individuality we can contribute with less collective madness.

 

 

Solar return intentions

by with 4 Comments Astrology and me

I remember astrologer Frank Clifford telling us that on our solar return we should do a little bit of everything that we would like to be doing for the next year. I love this idea and in every birthday I try to consider it in my choices of what to do to celebrate.

So today writing this blog post is part of my intentions for my next personal year, to do a lot more writing in general..

Im loving my solar return chart for this coming year. Every single personal planet is in Virgo and falling in the third house.

That is a lot of mercurial energy!! (I love that, Mercury is the strongest planet in my chart!)

And I want to make sure that I make the most of it by writing as much as I can, not only for this blog, but also for University and potential publications. The third house also reflects public speaking and teaching so this is also a big thing that I want to get myself more involved with.

Im off now to continue with birthday celebrations and intentions 🙂

Reflections on life’s changes…

by with 16 Comments Astrology and meInner lifeSearch for home

I am getting ready to move out from where I’ve been living for the past year and a half.

Writing down organisational lists, to do lists, to let go lists, getting very organised, after all, is Virgo season!

I don’t feel devastated or fearful.

Having a Pluto transit to the natal Moon works as a kind of painful initiation. The transit is still within orb for me, and I guess all this moving around in the last 4 years is a reflection of it.

This moving out is also marking the end of a relationship that began when Pluto was forming the 3rd exact square to my natal Moon.  I have learned a lot and there are not many regrets, I try to look forward to my next steps.

I actually catch myself feeling excited about these changes as I think that my life was somehow stuck in a rut. My job as a chef and volunteer’s coordinator in the community wasn’t doing anymore for a long time. Working full time in something that isn’t my true passion is very difficult for me. Well… I think that working full time is difficult for me in most circumstances, if we consider full time hours as 40 hours per week.

That is crazy!! I mean, what about time for yourself, for organising your life, or taking care of our basic needs for food and personal hygiene etc, plus our needs for novelty and creative endeavours, plus our need to stimulate our intellect… Jesus, working 40 hours a week makes quite impossible to do all of that in a well balanced manner.

I cannot do that.

I believe, selfishly or not, that the belief that we have to be constantly productive and working is a fallacy. I probably have written about this here many times in different ways, but I cannot stress this idea enough. We need time to wonder, to just be. That is not laziness, is rather a necessity for our mental, physical, and spiritual health.

Screw the full time hours system!

Thats the thing, I feel so excited and happy and relieved that I am free again to think about whatever I want to think about, that the sadness of leaving or breaking up isn’t making such a huge impact on me at the moment. I think I have grieved quite intensely during the new moon eclipse in July so I feel ready to move on again.

As tiresome, hard work and uncomfortable as moving out and changes in general can be, I love and need them rather often… or so it seems. Or is that the Pluto transit still in orb with my Moon?

The fact is, and here is a Uranus/Mars conjunct in Sag in the first house speaking, I thrive in change and it seems to me such a delusional idea that one day there will be a plateau of peace and contentment in life capable of leaving changes and disruptions at bay. And as human beings I think that we somehow gravitate towards this idea of placidity and total fulfillment in a somewhat unchangeable situation. No…

The only constant is change.

We are a process, a life process, constantly changing and expanding, and there is nothing we can do about that other than aligning ourselves as best as we can and dance to the music… life will throw different rhythms at different times, and astrologically we can associate that to planetary transits, and somehow there is less suffering in surrendering to these rhythms.

Cheers to life!

Self-care eclipse season.

by with 4 Comments Astrological Insights

I feel compelled to write a little bit about the coming eclipse season in July.

In old times the eclipse season was known as an intense and dangerous period for the rulers of society and they would do rituals where the king would abdicate power with a peasant  taking his place for a day or two. Later on, reflecting the intense planetary configuration, that common man would be sacrificed and killed, and the king would return to his position of power. They believed that the death of the authority was inevitable hence this ritual took place. I guess it was like a negotiation with the forces of the Universe.

Not so literally, I believe we can negotiate with the forces of the universe by being aware of what the symbolism may be asking from us as well, and consequently, make the most of it.

There will be two eclipses in July, a solar eclipse during the New Moon at 10 degrees Cancer on July the 2nd, followed by a lunar eclipse (Full Moon) at 24 degrees Capricorn on July the 16th.

In both occasions the sign of Cancer and its lunar energies are very prominent, especially with the North Node of the Moon in Cancer as well.

My feeling is that much of the themes connected with this eclipse season will be related to self-care and the development of positive authority within and without.

The themes being activated and dramatically awakened in July are echoes of the larger cycle represented by Saturn, Pluto and the South Node of the Moon travelling together in Capricorn, which I would translate as the shadows of Capricorn becoming more and more available to be seen and eventually transmuted by the collective (through each individual doing personal work as well).

Pathological ambition, suppression of emotions with no empathy for others, power thirst, toxic masculinity (which I believe also can be practiced by women, not only men), praise of ‘hard work’ disregarding emotional/physical/mental health, to name a few; these are some of the values that our society has been built upon (think about the corporate world and its relation to environmental crisis).

We are being invited, potentially in a dramatic fashion, to reflect on how those distorted values are affecting our personal lives.

How loving and caring can you be towards yourself without feeling guilty?

I feel that this is a great time to face how ‘toxic masculinity’ is ingrained as our conditioning, and also manifests as an internal voice that says you have no right to having a time out and that looking after yourself is a luxury.

Cancer relates to the mother archetype and this could be a very creative month for reconnecting with it in various forms and shapes, through our relationship with ourselves, but also through each other and nature in general. Home is another theme that Cancer and the Moon stands for, and creating a beautiful home within could be another way of working with the intense transformative energies around, which are another step within a larger cycle of healing and transformation.