Jupiter, Mars in Capricorn and professional developments

This post is really meant to be a short one.

With the current energy of Mars moving to Capricorn (as well as my progressed Ascendant just on the edge of that very same shift – from Sagittarius to Capricorn), I felt the urge to use my creative energy more wisely and productively. To harness and make something more tangible with it.

Transiting Mars is also very close to my natal Jupiter in the second house, the house where values and resources are found, and at the same time, transiting Jupiter is opposing my Sun-Mercury conjunction in the 10th house of career and visibility.

Anyway, I am loving the new guts that I just found within myself to (finally) start posting videos on my YouTube Channel AND begin a podcast all by myself. Phew, so much new stuff happening to me professionally, I am truly excited and I hope that you enjoy the new format and content.

For now I am planning on keeping the podcast short – 15 or 20 mins max – and mainly focus on reflections and personal thoughts/experiences with astrology coming out every Monday, whereas the videos will be more teaching based. Case studies, classes, tools and tips on how to work with astrology every Tuesday.

I still want to write here more regularly (Thursdays) as well as it is such a passion of mine. (a kind of love and hate one)

On top of all of this, I am beginning to be more hands on with my masters dissertation/research, the reading and planning and applying phase is sort of over for now, and I finally got my questionnaire’s first draft ready and sent to my supervisor! Hurray!

(In fact, I literally just got his positive feedback and I’m moving on to a pilot study – I feel so excited that I could jump and dance around my room, if only I had space to do that…[my room is so tiny])

Smiles.

Hope you are enjoying and making the most of the current Jupiter in Pisces and Mars in Capricorn too.

A note on progressions

Have you experimented with secondary progressions much?

I have been observing it for a few years now, a few times that my progressed moon has shifted signs for example, and watched how that manifested in my life. But it was only today, whilst preparing one of my webinars on prognostication, that it actually clearly dawned on me how much progressions relates to internal transitions and our inner reality.

Currently my progressed Moon is just about to conjoin my natal IC, which in a few months will then be transited by Jupiter and Saturn; followed by Pluto a few years down the line. Whatever is brewing within myself regarding belonging, home, family, and a reconnection with my roots will have a long lasting effect, it seems.

For the last 12 years I have been living in the UK and travelling around, I have been living a very nomad life style, always on the go without allowing any roots to become too strong and prevent me from experiencing what it seemed like ‘freedom’. My relocated chart in England has Sagittarius rising, with my Mars-Uranus quite close to it, and exactly conjoined my South Node in Sag. I feel free around here…

But it turns out that I am not sure this is what I want anymore, and when I check my progressed chart I see my p. ASC just about to move from Sagittarius to Capricorn, there is a huge shift happening within myself. It is really baffling to be able to see them so clearly reflected on my progressed chart!

Since my Moon progressed to Aquarius I have been thinking about home a lot, about Brazil, about my cultural heritage. I’ve been missing to speak my language and the small silent understanding that talking with someone from where you come from brings you.

I never thought this would happen! But as my progressed Moon moves closer and closer to my natal IC, these issues are becoming greater and greater. And I wonder what is the point on keeping the so called ‘freedom’ in detriment to human connection? As humans, do we all need to have and develop a sense of belonging and being accepted?

I also think about the easiness, the recognition, the familiarity which is calling me louder and louder from within. This is the progressed chart manifesting in a very obvious way in my life…

A note on Mercury

These days I watched the MISPA event celebrating the 10 years that the astrology school has been open and they had many astrology talks with great astrologers on. But the main one that I wanted to talk about here is the one that Darby Costello did on Mercury and Hermes.

I absolutely loved how she talked about this archetype and I feel that we (at least myself) tend to take for granted planets like Mercury, only paying attention to it when is retrograde and saying that it relates to your intellect, full stop. There are many dimensions to each archetypal pattern represented by the symbols in astrology.

And Mercury isn’t an exception!

Darby said that Mercury relates to travelling and movement, as is already largely spoken in the astrological community, but she connected that with the idea of information as well. Thats why Mercury in the Jupiter ruled signs are in fall or detriment, because Jupiter relates to belief and truth. And when we are communicating something that we believe is the truth we automatically shut down the process of exchanging information, which is the function of Mercury.

She also said that Mercury is about the collection and exchange of information that can be useful to people, that is the relationship to Gemini and Virgo, the two signs ruled by Mercury.

It was so insightful to me as I have such a powerful mercurial nature, with Sun, Mercury, Venus, Chiron and the North node all ruled by Mercury in my chart.

Darby also talked about Mercury being a guide, for Hermes is the one that can take people into the underworld, and in order for us to tap into that guidance we have to keep in motion. When you are stagnated Mercury does not help you, but once you go on a journey, it is there to help or trick you.

Astrology is such a magical subject with many facets for us to realise and empower ourselves with!!

Saturnian Quarantine, times of change!

I’ve been back in the UK for the past 5 days and things here (regarding the corona virus) are more heated than it was in Brazil when I left (apparently the panic is beginning to catch up there too).

My friend has left to Brazil and I’ve decided to live in Brighton, a small town on the beach 50 minutes by train from London. Im currently staying at his bedroom until the girls in the bedroom next door (which is meant to be mine) are able to travel (they were planning to go to USA and Spain, both have their boarders shut at the moment).

In moments like this I think of what Liz Greene said about the outer planets talking about collective movements of change related to survival and how much we individuals have little to say regarding that. Some things are beyond our control and we would do good in keeping our peace and mental health in any way that works for us. Meditation, prayer, drawing, painting, dancing, jogging… you name it. Whatever works!

This is actually what I wanted to write about in here. We are in a situation where a quarantine is somehow ‘forced’ upon us, take that as an opportunity to go back to yourself. To reflect upon your life, your choices, your values and who you are in the most authentic way. Who are you? What do you truly need? How can you best contribute with the transformation that we (collectively) and the world seems to be going through?

Jupiter and Mars joining in the conjunction of Pluto and Saturn in Capricorn seems to be reflecting this ’emergency crisis’ in the forefront and I feel this to be symbolising what has been going on in the last few years, a big political and economic crisis. It seems like we are hitting a point where we cannot ignore what is going on anymore. The structures that organize our society are purging and in need for massive transformation.

How can we contribute in this process?

This is one of the questions that we could ask ourselves during the quarantine. What would we like to see more in the world? It’s another one.

By the end of the year Saturn and Jupiter will conjoin in Aquarius marking the beginning of a long cycle in the air element (it will be a change from earth to air) and a 20 year cycle focusing in the aquarian archetype.

Aquarius at best connects with humanitarianism, how individuals can best contribute with the group, progress in a digital sense and acceleration of time (more?). As Jessica Murray said, we will be moving from materialism to idealism.

How is the best way that we, as individuals, can take responsibility in this process?

I think that the answers to some of these big questions could come up as we take advantage of this quarantine to do some soul searching rather than wallow in fear and panic.

What kind of society would you like to see manifesting, starting from your neighbourhood?!

Piscean Mercury Retrograde 2020

For a while I’ve been meaning to come here and write a little about this cycle of retrogradation of Mercury in Pisces which begins today.

We usually attribute imagination to the symbolism of Mercury in Pisces but as I look into the chart for the moment that it will start moving backwards later on today, I have the sense that much of the themes emerging back will have something to do with rebalancing the emphasis we put on relationships and other people’s needs versus our own.

How did I get to that idea?

Both the Moon and Mercury will be forming an almost exact square, from Sagittarius to Pisces, and I see here a conflict between merging (Pisces) and freeing yourself in order to pursue what is meaningful to you (Sagittarius). Both are ruled by Jupiter in Capricorn somehow reflecting the need to be grounded and take responsibility for working with this duality.

Venus is in Aries, quite close to Chiron also in Aries (speaking of dealing with the different layers of our wounded sense of self?), emphasising individuality, and Mars just recently moved into Capricorn. Here our awareness is brought back to the Stellium in Capricorn which has being under the spotlight for a few months now (comprised of Saturn, Pluto, South Node and Jupiter).

What is it that we better take responsibility for?

Mercury in Pisces has a resonance with intuitive thinking, dreams, imagination, but the final dispositor for this cycle of retrogradation is Saturn in Capricorn, a symbol reflecting separation, inner authority, hard work and maturation. I feel that this could be a wonderful 3 weeks to regain focus on what truly matters to us as individuals, even if in a creative and intuitive manner, as opposed to what other people expect from us, including our partner.

As usual, during the Mercury retrograde period we do well in revisiting, rethinking, reassessing, etc… and also, not to forget to always bring the symbolism of transits into your natal chart in order to figure out how “exactly” and in which area of your life this process is bound to take place, and in this way, achieve further insight.

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!

Wishes for the coming new decade…

We are heading towards a new decade in couple of weeks and I thought that I should somehow honour that by writing something.

When I look back, from 2010 until now a lot of important things have happened in my life, first it was during this decade that I decided to take astrology and esoteric studies seriously and became a professional astrologer. What a journey this has been…

I also had my first conscious experience of multiple transits and the depth of transformation that this reflects, and feeling the intense pain that was brought up with it… and surviving it all, feeling stronger and renewed.

There was so much growth, sooo much!

What will this coming decade be about, I wonder?

I am currently having my Jupiter return, which is activating my natal Jupiter-Sun/Mercury trine and I have started experimenting with doing videos on social media. I’ve been doing stories on instagram, sharing some ideas and it’s been really enjoyable. After a long period of transformation with a lack of clarity regarding my identity and voice it seems like I am slowly stepping into another place, another phase is slowly dawning and I feel excited.

It seems like what I enjoy doing is to bring the academic discussion into a more popular format, when I did a video on the full moon it somehow didn’t resonate much with what I want to be doing. Im not entirely sure what will be, but that is how I feel for now.  I would like to focus on sharing some of the information I am coming across in the MA with other fellow astrologers and the general public. Bring in the deeper, bigger, questions so we can discuss the nature of our art and work.

I know that I can be inconsistent sometimes, so I will go with the flow and see what comes out of it without expectation. What is really important to me is the authenticity of it all. I don’t want to fake anything just to have more ‘followers’. It has to be real!

So cheers to this decade for teaching me so many difficult lessons, and welcome to the new! May the coming 10 years bring us much growth, understanding, healthier values (collectively speaking) and love.

Love al-ways!

 

Insights on today’s Full Moon!

Today is Full Moon on Jupiter day!

This already gives away much of what I felt in relation to the energies reflected by this lunation. When the full moon takes place in the axis of Sagittarius and Gemini I feel that there is usually great intellectual energy in the air. Information gets somehow revealed, and because of Mercury travelling in Sagittarius at the moment as well, we can also potentially put the newly found information within the bigger picture of our lives and contextualise.

Astrology reveals cycles within cycles and the interconnection of everything, this full moon wouldn’t be different and I see it as a moment of revelation pos Scorpio Season (also pos last month’s reassessment and insight reflected by Mercury retrograde in Scorpio). I feel that now we can digest all of that much more and by contextualising it, we can achieve not only greater understanding, but we can also move on from whatever came up in the last month.

Mind you, I did see the T square that both the Sun and Moon were doing with Neptune, a planet usually connected to confusion and dissolution of boundaries, so maybe some confusion might still be in the air, but because this t square is a separating one, rather than an applying one, I see it as past confusion not coming confusion. I can imagine Neptune’s presence in the configuration as a reminder to search for something higher in whatever situation you find yourself in.

Transcendence, Neptune also talks about that, so transcending the limitations that we came to meet from very close during last month’s lunation and mercury’s retrogradation process..

Another strong presence during this full moon is Saturn/Venus/Pluto, all very close to each other in Capricorn. This configuration reflects the need to become deadly serious about our values! Ask yourself what do you truly value, how do you value yourself, is there any way of improving this? How do you communicate your values? What are your values in relationships? Transformation is also in the air, and it is important to be conscious of what needs to be changed in order to achieve greater empowerment within and without!

Light at the end of the tunnel, New Moon in Sagittarius !

I just finished writing my essay! Hurray ! Such a great feeling to finish something challenging, something that requires a certain degree of difficulty. (is that Saturn, ruler of my 3rd house speaking?)

I thought to celebrate I came here to write a little about the coming new moon (still me trying to be a consistent blogger…)

This month’s new moon will be taking place on the 26 of November at 4 degrees Sagittarius, Im feeling excited about this one as it is sort of marking the transition from Scorpio Season into Sagittarius Season and Im looking forward to this shift in energy. (probably many of us are!)

Last month has been quite challenging and charged with intensity. A lot of stuff from the past coming up again, old patterns of behaviour getting strongly triggered, old emotions coming back, basically, a lot of shadow work was being asked from us. It’s been tiring but also rewarding, and Mercury retrograde in Scorpio was reflecting this process of  deeply reviewing the hidden contents in our psyche.

Well, Mercury is already moving forward since the 20 of November and we are still dealing with those themes, but now heading more towards conclusion and insight rather than emotional involvement with whatever it was that we had to revisit during this period.

Regarding the new moon now, as I stare into the astrological map of that moment, a few things pop into my mind. Mercury is still picking up speed in Scorpio and Mars will be at the exact degree of the previous new moon in Scorpio (the one that was opposite Uranus and reflected much of the disruptive energy that was going on during the month of November). This tells me that the difficult themes we had to deal with are still going to be lingering on, and as Mars travels through the exact degree of that new moon perhaps this is the moment where action might be taken or at least we will feel compelled to act on whatever insights we’ve been having this month.

We better be conscious because this is not reflecting an easy going process and best to think well before acting, as Uranus is involved in the picture, Uranus the planet of sudden changes and unpredictability. It might turn out as pretty liberating as well, but nevertheless is best to be as conscious and present as possible.

Another thing that catches my eye is the Moon and Sun in Sagittarius after such a dark period, illuminating our higher aspirations and future drives. This can feel as a real relief as we regain optimism and visions regarding the bigger picture. Great for setting intentions connected to expansion, personal growth, anything to do with our purpose in life, all of those jupiterian themes.

Planet Jupiter is still in Sagittarius and just about to move into Capricorn for the next year and I see this as a reinforcement to think about what our highest goals are because as we move on to Capricorn season, and Jupiter moving also to Capricorn, we will have the energy to actualize these goals in a realistic and pragmatic fashion.

Mercury in Scorpio will be forming a harmonious aspect to Neptune in Pisces and I also have the feeling that this could be reflecting a process of letting go and forgiving whichever demons came to visit us during the difficult month of November.

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

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!