Reflections and realisations

The coming full moon eclipse on the 30th of November will be exact conjoined my natal Chiron in the 7th house. There are lots of different insights that I can have by observing the full moon’s chart in comparison to my own, but what strikes me is the reminder that most things astrological symbols reflect are rather process oriented than a ‘one off’ type of thing.

Another fellow astrologer wrote an interesting text regarding the coming full moon eclipse and linking it up to a lunation from May 2003, that’s when I was beginning my History degree in Sao Paulo. I can’t particularly remember anything else, nothing special in the relationship arena (which I would expect to see with a natal Chiron in Gemini in the 7th house). What about yourself, can you remember anything relevant that was going on for you in May 2003?

The Sagittarius-Gemini axis relate to information and education in general, how do you communicate your ideas and beliefs? How attached are you to them?

Since 2017 the big planets transiting Capricorn have been activating my natal 3rd house and a huge process of deepening and exploring ideas about astrology and how to communicate them has been taking place for me. Also, the Saturn-Jupiter conjunction will be happening there for me, in my 3rd house. It will be forming a trine to my North Node in Gemini in the 7th house as well as a square to my Pluto.

Ideas, communication, writing, reading, expressing myself, are some of the themes that have been under the spotlight for me recently, and it seems like it will be even more so in the years to come.

Regarding intense emotions and full moons and eclipses, I just realised how emotional I feel right now after having a melt down by myself for feeling really tired. I haven’t had a whole day off in ages, I can’t even remember when was the last one. I have always wanted to work on my career so badly in order to make sure that my job never feels like a ‘job’ in the boring/obligation kind of sense.

I have known that I can only dedicate myself to something meaningful and enjoyable for quite sometime.

But as I was crying and feeling the tension throughout my body today I suddenly realised that that too feels like ‘work’, like something serious and important, and that I need to find ways of relaxing and having lightness and fun in my life. At the moment I doubt my capacity for doing that, for enjoying myself without studying or working or being productive in some way. One of the only ways that I could do that was by having a romance and dating someone but the last thing I want to bring into my life now is frivolity, and dating seems very shallow to me at the moment (says the progressed Venus exact conjoined natal Saturn in the 12th).

I feel heavy. Hope you are feeling better out there.

Stellium in the 3rd

Interesting to think about the amount of spare time that we all suddenly have at our disposal, and the job that we are all probably having to redesign our routines at the same time.

Everything seems to be a little disorientating at the moment.

The multiple conjunction between Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn seems to be reflecting very well our current situation. The polemics created by some of our leaders trying to prioritise the economy over ‘a small number of deaths’, the collective response to the situation, if any. The general panic shopping around the world, and someone observed, I think maybe Lynn Bell, the interesting connection between the conjunction of Pluto with the planets mentioned and people stockpiling toilet roll…

Pluto is connected with purging and detoxing, release, defecation… Richard Swatton used to call Pluto the ‘cosmic toilet’.  There you go. Astrology in manifestation once more.

All of these big transits happening in the 3rd house of my horoscope and the MA Im currently doing seems to be connected because it sure is bringing me a lot of food for thought.

These days I’ve been, for the first time in a long time (maybe ever to be honest), questioning my desire to continue defining my career path as an astrologer. Quite shocking at first, as I always had that certainty. But to be honest, my certainty remains in the fact that astrology is my passion. What I am not so sure anymore is perhaps astrology as a profession.

Im working on an essay about the decline of astrology in the seventeenth century and it is bringing me a lot of questions regarding my profession.

According to Patrick Curry there are 3 types of astrology, high astrology, middling astrology and low astrology. Sounds quite simplistic putting in this way, but I feel that this being my blog, differently from my essays, I don’t necessarily need to go much deeper into it.

High astrology is the astrology of the scholars and theologians, the big philosophical questions about the universe and how the planets affect terrestrial affairs; the middling astrology is judicial astrology, reading charts to clients for example. The last one, low astrology, is connected with the popular horoscopes written in the newspapers, etc.

According to Curry what happened in the seventeenth century was a decline of both the high and middling, and the rise of its popular version, low astrology, which was highly criticised by some astrologers, scientists and the church as well.

With that in mind, we start to have an idea about the complexity of astrology’s history and process of development.

In addition to this picture, we also have a myriad of techniques, and types of astrology practiced around the world. Perhaps even because of that astrology has failed in producing a professional organ with cohesion, at least in the seventeenth century.

During this quarantine I’ve been questioning myself and my choices regarding profession. At least I’ve been realising the frustration in having to decide on so many intricacies within my profession because I need to explain to people what is that I do.

And what is that I really do?!

(Do I believe in fate? Do I believe the stars are causing something or are reflecting something? Can I foretell the future? Is there any positivity in telling someone about the future? Do I psychologise astrology too much so it fits within the capitalist/secular paradigm? …)

 

Aquarian New Moon thoughts

Im coming here to write a little bit about the coming new moon in Aquarius which is happening tomorrow, the 24 of January, but before that I wanted to mentioned that one of my articles has been republished at the astro.com website after being published by the IAM infinity astrological magazine. That was such a surprise as I really didn’t expect it would happen, at least not for now. But what a wonderful surprise! If you haven’t seen it and would like to read just go on the website and my article should be in the main page on the Infinity Astrological Magazine section.

(Im finding my current Solar return to be quite accurate with the stellium in Virgo in the 3rd house and me enjoying being super busy with writing! Also, probably, obviously Saturn and Pluto transiting my third house as well might be reflecting something about this process…)

Going back to the new moon analysis… it will be taking place at 4 degrees Aquarius and separating from a square to Uranus at 2 degrees Taurus. I see this as a double whammy, twice a similar idea connected with the aquarian/uranian archetype. New beginnings relating to our differentness, where we are outside the box and don’t quite feel that we belong. I also think that all of this weirdness can have an important role in the collective, and this is also another characteristic of Aquarius, focusing on the group.

We do have to consider, because it is a square between the Sun-Moon with Uranus, that rebelliousness is also part of the picture here. Not wanting to be told what to do or how to behave, etc, and perhaps during this lunation we could do with cultivating patience not to throw the baby out with the bath water.

I love to think that by the end of this year Saturn and Jupiter will be meeting in the sky in Aquarius, reflecting the beginning of a long cycle between these two planets in the air signs, and this new moon could be a great opportunity for insight into the bigger changes we will be witnessing this year, and perhaps even to get in touch with ideas of how can we best play our part in this process. How can our uniqueness (Leo-Aquarius axis) contribute for a healthier balance in the group?!

Another thing that caught my eye when I was looking into the chart for the new moon is an applying square between Venus and Mars. Venus will also be heading towards a conjunction with Neptune and this makes me think of issues with boundaries here, the balance between give and take is a little out of sync. Because Venus in Pisces and Mars in Sagittarius are both ruled by Jupiter which is currently in Capricorn and ruled by Saturn, I feel that being rational in order to balance and better manage boundaries is necessary here. Responsibility, focus, commitment are all words that Saturn in Capricorn stands for, so I feel that these are very important to be included in your new moon intention’s list.

The symbolism points out to blending what you believe in with commitment and action taken rationally.

Happy new moon to you all!

This week’s powerful astrology…

I feel the need to write something about this powerful week that it’s about to start. Not only we are still full on in a super Capricorn season, with lots of planets and points in the sky in Capricorn, but we are also just about to have another eclipse, a full moon in Cancer this time, and the much talked about conjunction between Saturn and Pluto will be exact on the 12th.

I don’t think that the exactitude of this encounter between Saturn and Pluto will necessarily create something that we haven’t been feeling all along, probably especially since last year already. But when aspects get exact, in my experience, there is usually something big that happens which symbolises the changes that have been brewing underneath. Many astrologers are talking about this in relation to Trump and what is happening between the USA and Iran.

Im not much of a mundane astrologer myself so I’d rather write about personal processes and what this configuration might be reflecting about our individual journey.

A full moon is usually considered a culmination, with an eclipse symbolising a kind of ‘rebooting the system’ energy. With many planets in Capricorn, including the South Node, one of the things that I feel will become clear is connected with ambitions versus how we treat ourselves and each other. The old ‘self care’ theme which I feel belongs to the Moon and naturally resonates with Cancer will come out strongly again. In this context I also think that much on how we care for the planet and nature in general will also be under the spotlight here.

Our survival as a species sort of depends on that! And with this in mind, I think that the encounter between Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn will be reflecting a fundamental and necessary change regarding the structures of our society and how power is distributed (or rather how it is not distributed).

Pluto talks a lot about survival, and in Capricorn is survival by the death of what does not work anymore regarding all of the known Capricorn themes of ambition, authorities, organisational structures like for instance big corporations etc… What feels like a cancer will have to go. And bringing this theme back to the individual, celular level, we have to reassess where in our lives there is an unhealthy pattern connected with the archetype of Capricorn.

Are we taking on too much? In what area of our lives are we prioritising activities that does not promote well being and true fulfilment? What beliefs regarding commitment, ambition (also reconsidering our ambitions!) and material success are we holding dear to us? Are there any misplaced values in need for reviewing so we can let go of the ‘rat race’?

Fear is also another common theme connected with both Saturn and Pluto, so being in touch with our fears wherever these planets are falling in your chart and whichever aspects is doing to our natal chart, it is symbolising this huge, and much needed, detoxing in this more specific area/dimension of life reflected in the astrology map.

Saturn and Pluto conjunction is falling in my third house and I feel that ideas and communication was taken to a whole new level since I started my MA in 2018. Regarding aspects, it is only forming a trine to my DSC, sextile my ASC, and a wider trine to my Venus. This is also feeling like the journey to me is very much connected with self worth and personal values, big time!

With a Venus Square Neptune in my natal chart (Neptune in the 2nd house!) my life has been this huge lack of clear self image and boundaries, with a tendency to just give myself away really cheaply. These two heavy planets, Saturn and Pluto, about to aspect my Venus is reflecting a process where it seems like I can see myself a little clearer and I am resolute! I won’t be repeating those patterns anymore by making sure that I take my time regarding relationships, flings, romance, etc. More solidity is needed in this area of my life and I want to dedicate my energy to consciously and slowly building a solid foundation within myself…

Also regarding the third house I am feeling more and more compelled to writing and public speaking, to perhaps finally leaving my shell and coming out into the world professionally speaking. And I know how much this MA is playing an important part in building up my confidence and clarity of mind.

What about you? How are you all feeling regarding this powerful process that we are going to witness the astrological culmination of this week? Where is the Saturn Pluto conjunction falling in your chart and how do you feel about that?

Jupiterianism and the academia.

This is a strong Jupiterian time for me.

Transiting Jupiter is making an exact conjunction to my ascendant, while transiting Saturn is conjunct my natal Jupiter.

Interestingly, my Solar Arc Venus has just moved into Scorpio and is forming a conjunction to my natal Pluto in the 12th house. I have been aware of this change for a long time and wondered what would that be reflecting in practical terms.

I thought maybe a crisis in my relationship, falling in love with someone else, an obsessive passion of some kind, perhaps my partner would fall in love with someone else.

It turns out, at least for now, that the obsession that Im getting myself into is actually researching the esoteric in the academia!

Jupiter in my chart rules the 2nd, 5th house and the South Node and I remember in 2009/2010, when transiting Pluto was conjunct my Jupiter, I had a sort of “awakening” regarding my interest in the occult.

I started researching it more deeply.

It was when I learned how to read tarot cards, when I got in touch with Jungian ideas for the first time, when I started understanding astrology with more depth.

Both Saturn and Pluto in Scorpio (the sign connected with the Occult) are placed in the 12th house in my chart and I think about Gaquelin’s connection of Saturn in the 12th with research (he says this placement is common in Scientists).

I have started a master degree in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology (slowly, as a part time Postgraduate certificate student first) and the amount of (academic) reading that I have done already is quite incredible.

Transiting Pluto, after the last hit to my natal Moon (which, by the way, rules the 9th house of higher education in my chart), made its way to my 3rd house (of reading, writing, ideas, etc) and it is going to be there for quite a while now. My progressed moon has moved into the 3rd also and transiting Saturn will move there sometime next year.

I can sense how much the intellectual stimulation, by exposing myself to academic work on the esoteric and the classics (Im currently reading Plato’s Timaeus for this week’s discussion in class), will have an impact on how I think and communicate, without even mentioning the impact on my work as an astrologer.

I know this journey is going to be really powerful and it is so exciting that a lot of the time I feel like screaming inside.

I think this is a good sign…