Next week’s astrology

Next week there will be some interesting stuff going on astrologically. The lunar nodes will be shifting from the Cancer-Capricorn to the Gemini-Sagittarius axis on the 5 of May (ten days before Venus goes retrograde), and two days later there will be a full moon at 17 degrees Scorpio.

If you have been following my work you have noticed that I don’t really write consistently about the lunations; but I am specially fond of the full moon in Scorpio though and I tend to write about it every time. I think that these full moons are so emotionally powerful that is worth to have a look at the astrological chart of it to gather insight into its general themes.

First with the lunar nodes changing, it seems like there could be a great shift into prioritising the exchange of information rather than the shadowy side of Sag’s dogmatism. Communication, teaching and learning, seems to be already in the collective awareness as we go through the current crisis and are forced to stay home as much as possible. (I think this big boom of online courses and information exchange could also be linked to Jupiter and Saturn’s meeting in December)

Regarding the full moon, both Venus and Mercury are in mutual reception, with Venus in Gemini and Mercury in Taurus, and it seems that this could be an opportunity to shine the light into what isn’t aligned with our values so we can let go of it and move on.

The Sun and Moon are both forming supportive aspects to Neptune in Pisces as well as Pluto and Jupiter in Capricorn, giving me the feeling that this could be insightful and help further the collective changes that we are going through now.

This quarantine is forcing us to look within, it is giving us the chance to do personal work which includes, hopefully, integrating the shadow. Under next week’s full moon we can become very much aware of this process and perhaps choose to make the most of it instead of resenting it….

Wishing you all a happy full Moon!

Productive quarantine and Pluto retrograde

I think that I am finally managing to create a productive routine during the lockdown. I guess moving countries again was also inevitably disruptive on my daily practices, etc.

That Mars/Uranus in Sagittarius in my chart reflecting the part of me that keeps travelling and moving around no matter what…

Anyway, Im enjoying the time and space to focus on the things that truly matter to me, in this case, my astrology work. I’ve been working on talks that I will be giving this June, and also taking the opportunity to watch free online courses as well. It really is mind blowing the quantity of online webinars and lectures available even for free at the moment.

That really made me think about the Saturn-Jupiter conjunction in Aquarius that will be taking place in December 21 this year. It seems like we are heading towards the direction of a massive boom of online education, where information is made accessible to a larger number of people.

These days I watched an interesting webinar on how to create online courses and it was quite insightful. Im glad I did it. Now Im being flooded with ideas for creating a short course on astrology myself. I love teaching and public speaking, especially about a subject that Im so passionate about like astrology, so I see potential for developing something really nice.

I even had someone getting in touch with me for a short astrological session in order to learn a bit, rather than just receive the interpretations. That is a sign, isn’t?!

As I work on my talks and think about these ideas of mine, I have to witness a very strong fear of coming out, perhaps a fear of failure, Im not entirely sure. But I do remember astrologer Frank Clifford talking about the journey of Virgo being connected with developing self-confidence because they never believe they know enough or that they are good enough.

That resonates with me so much!

My first big talk for the Astrological Association is happening in June 28 or 27 and Im dreading that moment and, at the same time, really looking forward to it because I will have to break an old pattern of fear, otherwise I won’t be able to do it.

I feel that I was born to be a communicator (amongst other things of course), but it does not come very easily in terms of taking action and being confidently encouraged. But once Im on stage it is almost like something else takes me over and it is really joyful, I feel incredibly high during and afterwards as well.

Anyway, Pluto is going retrograde today until around October the fifth, and this is a great time for revisiting our shadow work. Looking into those paralysing fears that are limiting our capacity to live our lives to the fullest, preventing us from being what we are meant to be.  That’s what Im going to do as I prepare myself for the series of talks that I will be giving in the near future…

Wish me luck!

And if you have been following me and my work for a while and feel that you could be interested in knowing more about the teaching side of it, get in touch. I would love to hear from you.

Brief acknowledgement of retrograde planets in 2020.

 

2020 seems to continue to be a very busy astrological year indeed!

Venus will be moving retrograde in about a month until the 24 of June.

On 29 of May Mercury will move to Cancer, and on the 18 of June it will be going retrograde at 14 degrees Cancer, going all the way back to 5 degrees Cancer. Mercury will move forward on the 12 of July.

Neptune goes retrograde on the 23 of June at 20 degrees Pisces.

Before that, on 26 of April Pluto goes retrograde at 24 degrees Capricorn, then Jupiter goes retrograde at 27 Capricorn on the 15 of May,  and a few days earlier, on 11 of May, Saturn goes retrograde at 1 degree Aquarius popping back into Capricorn from July 2 until 17 of December when finally moves to Aquarius for good. (the Saturn and Jupiter conjunction happens on 21 of December!)

On the 10 of September Mars will go retrograde at 28 degrees Aries.

That’s a lot of information to process but my purpose with bringing this all up is to have a general look at this info.

It seems to me that for the next few months there will be a lot of pondering and rethinking. Retrogradations in general are looked at as something negative but I usually find them enjoyable (sometimes painful) periods of contemplation and reflection.

Where are we in our journeys?

My idea was to write about Venus going retrograde and the possibility of reframing our values but with most of all the other planets somehow also going retrograde in the next few months period, it feels like something larger is at stake here.

This seems like a turning point. Collectively and, at the same time, Individually. Perfect for reassessment before taking action to move forward. May we use our time wisely!

 

 

Brief acknowledgement of retrograde planets in 2020.

 

2020 seems to continue to be a very busy astrological year indeed!

Venus will be moving retrograde in about a month until the 24 of June.

On 29 of May Mercury will move to Cancer, and on the 18 of June it will be going retrograde at 14 degrees Cancer, going all the way back to 5 degrees Cancer. Mercury will move forward on the 12 of July.

Neptune goes retrograde on the 23 of June at 20 degrees Pisces.

Before that, on 26 of April Pluto goes retrograde at 24 degrees Capricorn, then Jupiter goes retrograde at 27 Capricorn on the 15 of May,  and a few days earlier, on 11 of May, Saturn goes retrograde at 1 degree Aquarius popping back into Capricorn from July 2 until 17 of December when finally moves to Aquarius for good. (the Saturn and Jupiter conjunction happens on 21 of December!)

On the 10 of September Mars will go retrograde at 28 degrees Aries.

That’s a lot of information to process but my purpose with bringing this all up is to have a general look at this info.

It seems to me that for the next few months there will be a lot of pondering and rethinking. Retrogradations in general are looked at as something negative but I usually find them enjoyable (sometimes painful) periods of contemplation and reflection.

Where are we in our journeys?

My idea was to write about Venus going retrograde and the possibility of reframing our values but with most of all the other planets somehow also going retrograde in the next few months period, it feels like something larger is at stake here.

This seems like a turning point. Collectively and, at the same time, Individually. Perfect for reassessment before taking action to move forward. May we use our time wisely!

 

 

Astrology as an imaginative practice

As I listen to a birds song’s playlist I ponder about the importance that imagination plays in interpreting astrological symbols.

The more I explore and think about the subject of astrology the clearer it becomes to me that imagination is a fundamental faculty that needs to be used in order to get insights. And because imagination can hardly be quantified and tested in a scientific way it creates confusion amongst us astrologers and people interested in astrology in general.

We are coming from a world view that overemphasises science and rationality as the only true way to access valid information, and as we are conditioned by this mindset in a very fundamental level, it becomes very challenging to let go and recognise that imagination is an important and necessary function, as much as rationality is.

Everything has its place!

I saw a post the other day on social media with someone saying that after this quarantine we will finally understand and value artists, because if it wasn’t for music, films, etc, we would not be able to get through this tough time. I agree on that one.

And this brings me back to the idea of imagination being a fundamental part of ourselves and a valid way of engaging with reality.

Once I started thinking about the role of imagination in the interpretation of astrological charts I began to relax with the horoscope image for longer before making any judgement.

I feel that perhaps a successful astrological interpretation has a strong connection to the capacity that the astrologer has to stand uncertainty and let go of rationality a little bit, for a little while anyway.

I see the astrological chart as a painting, something to be felt as well as interpreted. So next time when you look at a horoscope, what if you didn’t rush into making assumptions and searched for reasoning? What if you also used this moment to get in touch with and to train your imagination?

Unless you’re a writer or something like that, in our educational system we are generally encouraged to dismiss imagination, and I feel that astrology can be such a powerful tool to befriend our imagination again, and perhaps, a tool to help us being aware and staying with the mystery that being alive entitles without rushing into explaining everything.

Astrology can help us engaging differently with the world so maybe there is no need to try and fit into a cookie cutter rational mode to be justified or respected as a subject.

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? …)

 

Creative quarantine

Life is turned upside down.

Suddenly it seems like the North Node in Cancer became the rule in our daily routines and the multiple campaigns talking about the importance of staying home now are just a reminder.

Funny to think that for things to get better and to move forward again it is required that we stay still at home. (It would have been pretty hard to imagine that sometime ago!)

The challenge is set.

We are all pretty much thrown back at ourselves and any personal work that hasn’t been done is coming back to catch up with us. Any anxiety or unhappiness that was lurking under the surface is now shouting at our face full blast.

I was listening to a very insightful podcast published by the Astrology University with Lynn Bell and Laurence Hillman, where they were talking about this moment as an invitation to descent. If we graciously accept the invitation or not isn’t the point, as we are taking a trip into the underworld regardless our willingness to do so.

So what would be the best thing to do right now?

I think that being conscious of this transitional moment can be really helpful. Knowing that this is a time for digging deeper within, and at the same time, for doing the things we love the most in order to keep our psychological balance and well being.

Be kind to yourself. Nurture yourself. Keep it simple.

This crisis is pointing out to what does not work in our society anymore, and in our personal lives as well. It’s like a collective and individual big purging happening simultaneously. Best to be present with it.

Sending you all much love and calm energy to deal with whatever it is that we have to now.

 

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?!

Neptunian longings …

Im feeling tremendously nostalgic as I prepare myself emotionally to move on from the past six months spent in Brazil. Its like I already miss everything around here so much…

Then I looked into the astrological chart of this moment and realised that the Sun is exactly conjoined Neptune in the sky. I tend to feel the Sun as a big spotlight that illuminates whatever else it touches, so in that sense, Neptune is really under the spotlight right now.

My melancolia has this Piscean Neptune’s signature.

I have always found hard to write about Neptune but Liz Greene’s book on Neptune really helped me understanding this archetypal dimension of life a bit more. She talked about it in relationship to a few different possibilities/themes like for example martyrdom, victimisation, art, transcendence, nostalgia, the scapegoat, and many other dimensions, including the longing to go back to the source.

This is such a complex and yet simple idea to think about, the longing to be in union with everything once again, a sense that resonates with the experience of being in the womb. It touches one of the main points regarding Neptune I believe, for Neptune really talks about our boundaries being easily dissolved. Compassion is a potential manifestation of this phenomena, but victimisation, a less pleasant one, is also a possibility when Neptune features strongly. They are two sides of the same coin.

With transiting Sun in an exact conjunction to Neptune I think that our longings are bound to come to the surface now. In my case is connected with the sense of belonging and searching for home, but I think that this might be a coverup to this deeper longing to stay in union, to go back and swim in the waters of the goddess’s womb. To be one again.

Today and tomorrow, and perhaps for this whole lunation cycle so rich in Neptunian energy since the New Moon was also conjoined with Neptune, we would do well in being aware of this longing underneath what we think we need. We would do well also in honouring this energy consciously by writing poetry, or painting, or appreciating beautiful music… anything that can help us dissolve the boundaries in a constructive way…

How are you feeling?   …

Pluto-Moon transit update and roots

In less than a month I will be heading back to the UK after almost 6 months living in Brazil. I have mixed feelings and think about how much the decision of living outside your home country changes things for good.

Where then is home?

For many years I rejected Brazil as my place of origin and adopted the foreigner identity, but now this seems to be changing again. I don’t feel completely Brazilian in a cliche sort of way, but I also don’t feel ‘not Brazilian’ anymore either.

These feelings made me think about writing a sort of update on my long lasting/ongoing Pluto-Moon transit.

For the last 5 years much has happened in connection to transiting Pluto forming a square to my natal Moon.

(if you’re curious about this whole process just click on the tag ‘Pluto Square Moon’)

I now find myself a lot more balanced and emotionally honest, giving more space for healthier emotional bonds in my life, and the list really goes on. Feeling more secure within myself, more solid, living what seems to be a more authentic life, more courageous in lots of different levels, with a transformed relationship with my mother but also the inner mother has changed a lot… (the list really goes on…) but…

I still find myself without a home.

Since I moved out from London in early 2015 I’ve travelled a lot and experimented a lot. I’ve developed myself through moving around, also through gathering the courage and guts to move on my own. I lived in Bristol, in Thailand for 3 months, I hitchhiked for 3 months, I’ve worked on summer festivals by myself, I moved to a community in the Forest of Dean for a year and a half, I came back to sense myself in Brazil for 6 months… I’ve put down roots just to shortly pull them up again.

I think I did a lot. (A lot of moving around, definitely)

Now, as I stare into my temporary keyring which is once more with multiple sets of keys (one for my mom’s, one for my friend’s where I currently live, and one from the guy I’ve been dating)  I wonder how long it will take until I’m able to have a home that’s not so much temporary…

How long until I can put down roots which will grow a little further than usual?

I am looking into buying a flat in Sao Paulo with my father and my intuition says that perhaps my 12 year chapter in England is coming to an end…

At the moment transiting Pluto is forming a trine/sextile to my ASC-DSC axis and trine to my natal Venus, but it will eventually conjunct my IC in Aquarius. And I wonder what will be the condition of my roots by then…

I also find interesting the fact that my Progressed Moon is in Aquarius, the sign of my IC, and in 6 months it will be crossing over it and into my 4th house, exactly when Im thinking about coming back to Brazil to spend another 6 months, but by then, possibly with a flat of my own.