Slowly coming back

by with 3 Comments Astrology and meProfessional Astrologer

I finally completed my master’s degree.

(Nothing else to be done other than wait for my dissertation to be marked)

I am so happy to have managed it, but then, at the same time, it is also such a strange feeling. To finish something that you were dedicating your full attention and commitment for 4 years is bittersweet. On one hand the great feeling of accomplishment: you managed, you did it, after so many sleepless nights and stressing over deadlines and whatnots. But at the same time: what now? I feel a little empty…

Have you experienced anything like that before too?

It hasn’t even been a month since I submitted my thesis and I’m already feeling anxious with the need to be busy again. To have my sense of purpose validated by external activities.

And that leads me back to astrology.

Life is cyclic, seasonal. We breath in, breath out. Why do we so easily forget that and keep trying to ‘breath out’ all the time?

Back to astrology: new moon, transits to the IC, planets progressing into the twelfth house, progressed new moons, retrograde planets…

Life is also about resting, about quietly gestating or preparing the ground for a new phase.

Let there be balance. (a reminder to myself)

October is such an interesting month astrologically. Many planets still moving retrograde, with Mars in Gemini joining in the backwards motion soon, and the start of eclipse season. We are in a period for evaluation and creative envisioning. What would you like your life to look like? What direction do you want things to go?

I am here writing this to remind you (and myself) that these times of contraction and introspection are valuable and necessary for creation. The conception of an idea is as important as its execution.

I’ll be back soon with more, and I wish you all a great time of rest.

New Moon Eclipse musings

by with 2 Comments Astrological InsightsAstrology and meSearch for home

Happy new moon solar eclipse!

I have wanted to come here and write a blog post for a while now, but have been so busy that it was almost impossible.

I’m all packed and ready to go again. London still feels like home, but the world is calling me. Next destination: Athens.

Let the digital nomadic life begin!

I heard that some astrologers talk about eclipses not being a good time to begin anything, but I am a strong believer of connecting with your instincts and feelings as a way of knowing better. A way of knowing what is better for YOU.

When it comes to natal charts, no astrological rule can be absolute.

Eclipses are not always traumatic, as observed by Bernadette Brady, sometimes eclipses can reflect very happy changes. This is how I personally feel now. This is a very happy change for me and my partner, who btw has the new moon eclipse right on his Venus and DSC, talk about timings!

No, I didn’t plan or calculated to move countries on a new moon eclipse. Although a professional astrologer, I don’t always keep an eye on the ephemeris when it comes to making decisions. Maybe I should, but oftentimes I see beautiful synchronicities in life events happen naturally.

Like this one now, for example.

Anyhow, this new moon eclipse has a very beautiful energy with Venus and Jupiter conjoined in Pisces (at the very degree of Venus’ exaltation!). Abundance, forgiveness, healing, moving on to the next stage of our lives, cleaner from emotional debris. Inspiration, artistic and spiritual as well, are also potentially a great part of this configuration.

What would an inspiring life look like to YOU? How could you bring that to fruition?

Today is the day to ponder on that. To love yourself and to hold your deepest values close to your heart. To think of ways where you can align all different dimension of your life (your job, your relationships, your daily routines, etc) with those values. A perfect time also to inhabit you body – to nourish, look after and enjoy the pleasures of having one.

Give yourself a massive hug and whisper to yourself how much you appreciate all the effort.

The sabian symbols for this new moon configuration is also massively inspiring. For 10 degrees Taurus is ‘A woman sprinkling flowers’ and 27 degrees Pisces ‘A fertile garden under the full moon’.

What flowers would you like to see growing in the garden of your life? The ground is fertile now, be wise and present with the seeds you will be sprinkling.

Happy gardening everyone.

Transiting Nodes part 2

by with No Comment Astrological InsightsAstrology and me

And here comes the lunar nodes again!

Over the years I have noticed a great interest in one of my blog posts called ‘Transiting Nodes’ , I just recently re-read and (apart from some typos :/ which my Virgo planets couldn’t help but notice) it dawned on me that here I am going through another interesting transit from the Nodes that I could share.

At the risk of sounding a bit ageist, (I am not!), I have to say that there is something quite interesting that happens when you’re interested in astrology for long enough as an adult.

(no, doing astrology when you’re 10 years old does not count here, sorry)

You get to see, little by little, all sorts of transits happening and being reflected by circumstances in your life. You learn astrology from another, more experiential, angle.

For example, in the article mentioned above, I was writing my observations when transiting North Node of the Moon made a conjunction to my ASC back in early 2013. That happened simultaneously with my Saturn return and a lot of lessons surrounding the Scorpio archetype and my personal experience of those symbols in my chart.

Now, transiting North Node in Taurus is making an exact conjunction to my DSC, the opposite transit to the one I had back in 2013.

What do I observe here? How is this playing out now?

A lot of it seems to be about relationships, at least in my life because my natal lunar North Node is in the 7th house anyway. So as much as I believe in the connection between the nodes and karmic relationships in general, I’m still not a hundred percent sure if this is because of my natal signature or not. And also, obviously, these transits were activating the ASC-DSC axis, the relationship axis.

But here are my insights nevertheless:

When I had my lunar node return, just a few months before the transit I’m having now, I was getting involved with a person that I’m still currently in a relationship with. Mind you, isolating transits is never a great policy, if there is something big happening to you, it might be worth checking everything that’s going on in the sky.

(In many occasions I see people commenting on an intense full Moon and how emotionally difficult it feels but they are also having a challenging transit from Pluto to their natal Moon. Yes, the full Moon might reflect an enhanced emotional atmosphere, but the Pluto transit is reflecting a challenge and change that is a lot deeper and more endurable.)

So I would say always keep an eye in every transit to your natal chart, know your planet’s degrees by heart, etc.

My other transits are also pointing out to changes in relationships, Pluto is trine my natal Venus, progressed Venus was conjoined Saturn, etc. But also the lunar node is conjoined my DSC – the way that this seems to be playing out for me is very much connected with changing the type of people that I get involved with.

Yes, the relationship seems to have a more karmic feeling as well, the amount of compatibility I have with this person is very different from what I felt before. There is no glamour or an overly romantic aura this time. Instead, there seems to be something very fundamentally human and ‘easy’.

I don’t mean easy as not having difficult feelings being triggered, I mean easy as to how we deal with those feelings together, how we can easily communicate with each other, etc.

So from 2013 when I was learning how to refine my attitudes and choices regarding relationships, for example how my own behaviour had an impact on my happiness or how to take more responsibility for the choices I made, I now came to the other side. How much can we grow when we make these choices based on actual compatibility, the lesson isn’t so focused on dealing with the consequences of my actions in relationships, but simply to relate.

When you are finally with the ‘right person’ the lessons and growth won’t stop there. What happens is that another kind of growth begins, a growth in togetherness. The old scripts are uncomfortably challenged again and again, old traumas are triggered, but there is someone else there with you. The dynamic is different.

So I still believe that transits from the lunar nodes point out to important developments and some kind of karmic growth. Relevant people seems to show up. (nodes in synastry seems to have the same effect)

Have you noticed the nodes transiting something in your chart? How did that play out for you?

Pisces all around: Inspiration and Creation

by with No Comment Astrological Insights

Today transiting Sun is very close to Jupiter at 15 degrees in Pisces. After this week’s new moon in Pisces, the general vibe seems to be very hopeful and dreamy. (I also just realised that my progressed moon has moved to Pisces about a week ago!)

Yes, as I have already spoken about it lots of times, astrology is very much reliant on context – I believe we can only manifest things that we have the tools to create. In the same way, context is what gives flesh to the bones, in this case, to astrological symbolism.

So Jupiter and Sun are both travelling together in the sky, what are you going to wish for in your life?

I was quickly checking a list of fixed stars and came upon this one here, saying that 15 degrees Pisces is the fixed star ‘Achernar’, also known for ‘sudden success in public office, religious benefits, access to another realm’. I am particularly interested in the ‘access to another realm’, because with this powerful emphasis in Pisces, this definitely rings true.

This whole week has been resonating with this kind of energy to me, hopeful, watery and somehow abundant. But, as it would, a tad foggy… more like a surrounding feeling, a timid sensation.

Fertility.

If you knew your garden had the most powerfully fertile soil, what would you grow in there?

The current emphasis in Pisces, as well as the coming conjunction between Jupiter and Neptune at 23 Pisces happening in April holds a somewhat powerful energy.

Dreams are more vivid.

Pisces, the sign co-ruled by Neptune and Jupiter, naturally connected with the mysteries of the 12th house, seems to be symbolically carrying a very precious seed of potential.

Sure illusions and disillusionment, addictions or victimisation could also be in the picture there. But for now, let’s stay with its most positive potential, because what really drives that is you and your consciousness.

Yes, that’s it, read it again, you.

We are the conductors of these potentials and this is the main reason why I believe in brainstorming as much potential as possible when I’m seeing a client, rather than telling them something is a hundred percent concrete.

Astrological symbols are reliant on context, a Mars-Uranus individual will express the tendencies in various different ways according to cultural upbringing, life’s situations and levels of awareness. There isn’t a formula that works in every circumstance, there is no absolute when it comes to interpreting astrology. No matter how much some astrologers may plead otherwise, I continue to strongly disagree.

So, after reading this, close your eyes and think about Pisces energy and the mysterious waters reflected by the last of the zodiac signs. The sign that somehow represents completion, other realms and the longing to transcend. Spirituality, soulfulness, art, compassion, uplifting… these are some of the topics that comes to mind.

The wishing well.

Where is Pisces placed in your chart? Do you have anything in it? And, more importantly, how would a more fulfilling and creative life look like for you? Where could you serve as a channel to the higher realms? Even if it seems mundane at first sight, following your joy and doing something with your heart can prove to be healing beyond your sense of individuality. It has power and it somehow creates a certain aura. Have you been around someone that was just in their flow? How contagious was that?

We are not separated.

The more you are you, the more I am able to be me.

During this strong Pisces emphasis, one of the best potentials could be to find or manifest your flow.

Happy Pisces season!

Get ready for Venus retrograde in 2 months!

by with 6 Comments Astrological Insights

Astrology is such a wonderful tool for observing cycles – cycles within cycles within cycles…it seems to me that that’s what life is made of. 

We can investigate any of the planetary movements and brainstorm what it might mean collectively or personally as you place it in the context of your natal chart. 

I have been thinking about Venus a lot recently, as my progressed Venus made a conjunction to natal Saturn and transiting Pluto and Neptune slowly activate my Venus at the same time, I become increasingly aware about the importance of being attuned to our personal values in a deeper sense.

How do you make your decisions in life? How do you ponder which way to go when you reach a crossroad?

I find that Venus, differently than what we find in most basic astrological textbooks, has a very important function when it comes to our decision-making process. 

A life worth living is a life aligned with our deepest values and we can only be aware of our values if we relate to the Venusian principle in our charts authentically. 

Yes, Venus is about what we find attractive and how we attract, what is beautiful and pleasant for us, but in a deeper level, it is reflecting what we value the most. Venus in Sagittarius will value freedom and being adventurous outdoors very much whereas Venus in Scorpio will value intensity, exploring taboos and harsh inner landscapes more. 

You get the gist.  

When we look at Venus in our charts, we also must contextualise, for instance, Venus isn’t just in Virgo, it is also forming aspects (or not), and it is also placed in a house. Everything will have something to say about what you value the most and how you value yourself as well. 

This little article is a heads up so we can prepare ourselves for the next Venus’ cycle of retrogradation which will be happening in 2 months. So here is some astrological info on this cycle and hopefully we will be able to get some insights into our own journey. 

The last time Venus was retrograde was from May 13 until June 25 in 2020, it happened in Gemini and this cycle of retrogradation involved Neptune in Pisces as there was a square between the two planets. Around that time, we were dealing with illusions of all kinds but also potentially refining our values through the longings that were brought to the surface. 

The next time Venus will go retrograde is in December 19 at 26 degrees Capricorn and conjoined Pluto (at 25 degrees Capricorn). This one seems to be a powerful period for revisiting and purging everything Venus related – our compulsive relationship patterns, our values, how we enjoy ourselves, pleasurable obsessions, etc. 

Venus takes a trip into the underworld for a longer period here! 

The last time Venus and Pluto met in the sky was at the end of January 2021 at 25 degrees Capricorn – the exact degree of the next conjunction this coming December. Do you remember what was going on around that time?

(It is interesting to see how I felt the urge to write this little article whilst Mercury is retrograde at 24 degrees Libra and square Pluto right now. Libra, a Venus ruled sign, has a strong resonance with one-to-one relationships and the process of knowing oneself through the eyes of another. And Mercury retrograde is about reassessing, rethinking, etc.) 

Venus will turn direct on the 29 of January 2022 at 11 degrees Capricorn but before that, on January 17th, there will be a full moon at 27 degrees Cancer (closely activating the degree of the conjunction between Pluto and Venus). Full moons usually reflect culminations and the potential for intense situations providing insights into our journey. Whatever happens around this full moon will have something to do with that Venusian purging process which started during the conjunction between Venus and Pluto in December 2021. 

It won’t be until March 2022 that Venus, now in its forward motion, will meet Pluto again at 27 degrees Capricorn. The interesting thing is that this conjunction will be a triple one also involving Mars in Capricorn – and because Venus will be coming out of its retrogradation period, and for that reason slower in motion, they (Venus and Mars) will be moving together for quite a while (most of February and March 2022). 

Masculine and feminine (yin/yang) will be aligned not only with each other but also with Pluto!

What a powerful time ahead for revisiting and realigning ourselves with our deepest values. The conjunction between Mars/Venus/Pluto in March 2022 could be reflecting not only the purging of what/how we love, but also how our actions could be aligned with it. 

We could detox and empower the ‘yin/yang’ principle within us by that time. 

So, take the next few months to think, feel and reflect on what are your deepest values and how aligned with it, or not, your life is – and here I mean all areas. Periods of retrogradation are wonderful for asking questions rather than rushing into answering them. 

Do you love your job? How do you invest your time in general? What is the state of your personal relationships? Do you love your home? Do you love yourself, and if so, how do you express that on a daily basis? What are the things that you value the most in yourself, in your friends, in your partner, in your life in general? 

These are some of the questions that can guide you to a transformative and empowering process reflected by the coming Venus retrograde conjoined Pluto. 

Let’s take responsibility (Capricorn) and make the most of it!      

Quick Full Moon Insights

by with One Comment Astrological Insights

In two days we will be having the full moon in Pisces and I’d like to write a few words about it.

One of the things that I like about lunar cycles is exactly that – it’s cyclic motion. Just like the seasons, when autumn begins and we reach out for our warmer coats or fluffier blankets, we could also align ourselves with the monthly lunar cycle to a certain extent.

In the last full Moon, the second one in Aquarius this year, we witnessed some interesting configurations in the sky. There was a grand trine involving Saturn in Aquarius, the North node in Gemini and Venus in Libra and I wrote a little about potential reconciliations etc.

Well, we will have an almost grand trine again involving Saturn and the North node, but this time with Mars in Libra instead of Venus.

Last month we also witnessed Mars forming a trine to Uranus and now we will see Venus coming to oppose Uranus – there seems to be some kind of theme there.

What comes to mind is somehow connected with relationships, communication of needs and assertion.

If last month, with Venus in Libra, I was thinking about reconciliation, this time seems like our individual needs could be a little more under the spotlight. Venus and Mars are in mutual reception, that is, in each other’s rulership sign, and this also indicates some potential for working creatively with conflicting desires.

Mercury will be forming a trine to Jupiter, a pretty tight one, and this could be tremendously supportive of clear and rational communication. We can express ourselves in a more considerate (Mercury in Libra) and focused on growth and the greater good of all involved (Jupiter in Aquarius). We can see the bigger picture if we try.

Mind you, Mercury is in its shadow period and will be retrograde from September 27, so we might have to rethink and renegotiate some of the conversations we have during this full Moon. Best to try and be flexible.

And not to forget that both Mars and Venus are in the sign of their detriment reflecting a need to be cautious in our relationships in general – especially as the Moon won’t be too far from Neptune indicating the potential for some degree of confusion.

With Venus in Scorpio (the sign known for an all or nothing approach) applying to oppose Uranus, it is best to not make any hasty decisions for the next few days or you could regret. Work with whatever comes up, acknowledge and observe it. Mars in Libra can also be talking about rational actions rather than being impulsive.

We are preparing the ground for when Venus goes retrograde in December this year.

This full Moon could bring great opportunities for becoming more aware of how you truly feel about your values, relationships and what you’re passionate about (all the Venus in Scorpio stuff), as well as finding creative mediums to express yourself and get acquainted with those desires. Make the most of it by avoiding creating unnecessary drama.

Wishing you all a beautiful and empowering full Moon.

Uranian new moon in Leo today

by with 6 Comments Astrology and meInner life

As Saturn made its way back into my 3rd house again recently, I have been feeling this strong urge to express myself through writing. I also realised, once more, how much I actually love words and playing around with them.

Today is the new moon in Leo, with a waning square to Uranus in Taurus. I don’t know about you people, but I have been struggling a bit with the disruptive energies reflected by that particular configuration. Interestingly, I do have a Sun-Uranus square in my natal chart, shouldn’t I be more familiar with that type of cosmic weather?

I guess this logic makes sense, but it is always important to see the natal chart as a whole, and the Sun-Uranus square in my chart is actually part of a t square which involves Chiron in Gemini in the 7th house and Mars in the first.

Ouch!

Yes, charged disruption, restless feelings, behaviours that although outdated have proven to still be extremely compelling. All of that fuelled (perhaps fuelling at the same time) by miscommunication with others.

But that have also thrown me back to writing. I find tremendous solace in the written word. I have the time and space to express myself more accurately, more eloquently, sometimes even poetically… a real achievement to my analytical mind.

Transiting Saturn isn’t only back in my third house, but it is also applying to trine my Chiron in Gemini (with north node conjoined it right now!). Yes, maybe this is a time where I can work with communication blocks differently.

Obviously, with the nodes activating my natal super charged Uranian configuration, I also sense this to be a big time, a great opportunity for me to rethink/reset some of my patterns. Why do I have this extreme urge to do what I want, when I want, and I don’t take a no as an answer? Or the voice in the back of my mind that wants to sabotage intimate relationships by being uncompromising in a disguised manner? It is daunting to see this side of myself in comparison to my moon in Libra and Venus square Neptune, all those two want to do is compromise all the time.

A tug of war within.

But now, with this new moon square Uranus, I believe this is an interesting time for setting intentions regarding expression of the Uranian dimension of our charts. I somehow really think about the Sun-Uranus people out there as the new moon takes place in Leo.

Everything in the chart seems to be charged with tremendous power (some configurations more than others, of course) and it is our job to fine tune it. It is our job to use awareness to direct that power.

Surely it is challenging to do that constantly, but I believe that consciousness it’s like a muscle. The more we train it, the stronger and more present it becomes.

So I will be using this new moon to envision how I could express that strong urge to be my own man in a more creative and conscious manner, somehow, and hopefully, less taxing on my connections. Perhaps more active on my astrology work and less urgently and compulsively expressed in my private life. I feel this is what the alchemists have talked about, about how nature isn’t finalised but requires our conscious dedication to transform the lead into gold.

The archetype of the magician…also the trickster, hence the difficulty…but I believe it is possible… Happy new moon everyone.

A note on Mars retrograde

by with No Comment Astrological InsightsSearch for home

I officially moved into my flat on Saturday night and yet I feel strange. The current energies seem to be so heavy that I can almost touch it with my hands.

During the day I felt sad, nostalgic, lonely, irritable, I don’t know what else…

Retrograde Mars in Aries is coming up to square Saturn again, followed by a square to Pluto and Jupiter, all in Capricorn. In addition to that, Mercury in Libra is also coming to an opposition with Mars.

We better brace ourselves!

If you feel angry and frustrated the probability is that you are also picking up on these tense, to say the least, energies. Better not to act out unconsciously. This isn’t the best time to set your boundaries, to tell someone off or to go with road rage.

Be cool, be calm, this should be the mantra!

The best we can do with retrograde planets is to go inwards rather than outwards, is to reassess how we express the archetype reflected. In this case, with Mars, how do we deal with anger? How do we express frustration? What triggers irritation? These are some of the questions that are worth asking ourselves now until the end of November. Ask yourself but try not to take action right now as when the planet moves forward again we tend to regret what we did during its retrogradation period.

Wishing you (me included) all peace, patience and calm as much as possible during the most challenging moments until the energies shift again.

Be well everyone.

Next week’s astrology

by with 3 Comments Astrological Insights

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!

Brief acknowledgement of retrograde planets in 2020.

by with 4 Comments Astrological InsightsInner life

 

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!