Piscean Mercury Retrograde 2020

by with 9 Comments Astrological Insights

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.

Reflections in the darkness

by with No Comment Astrological InsightsAstrology and me

(Written last night)

There was a thunderstorm here earlier today and we are still out of electricity, it has probably been around 5 hours and a half already (already?) and time moves very slow. These words just made me think about the energy reflected by the symbolism of Uranus, which is usually linked to electricity and lightning bolt speed insights.

Uranus and boredom don’t go very well, in my vision.

Interesting to see myself without all of these gadgets that electric power enables us to have on our daily life, our daily routines. How much of my experience of reality changes, how much more presence can I feel versus how much more boredom? Or do I feel as much boredom in my daily life but just have a myriad of different options of gadgets that serves best as a distraction for myself and, at the same time, a distraction from myself?

For now, I still have my laptop, though with only 20 per cent of battery, so a few more ‘not sure how many minutes’ moments for me, and I just caught myself writing this and moving my thoughts again to ‘when will the electricity finally come back’?

It’s helpless.

But another interesting idea that just came to my mind is observing how much more limited having a laptop without wifi is. What really is the internet? This blob of connections with a massive capacity for keeping information, sort of like a giant invisible brain that forms and keeps connections. Infinite connections. Infinite combinations and possibilities?

And then there is me here, disconnected. But I somehow hear the sounds of my neighbours more clearly, and the children laughing at a distance, I think they might be playing on the street? Sounds like they’re having fun. There is electricity on that side though and I wonder if the laughter is caused by a distraction or by more presence in playful games. Sounds like they’re running.

And I listen. And I also hear my thoughts, and my feelings seem to be a little louder by candlelight. I’m not really sure.

Coming back to what perhaps my first idea in writing this piece was on and the relationship to astrology and some material that I’ve been recently reading on ‘Deep Ecology’. I read a very interesting paper where the author critically discusses the relationship between ‘Social justice’, ‘Mysticism’ and ‘Deep Ecology’ and different possible combinations between the three. For example, sometimes criticising mysticism and at other times arguing that the feeling underlining mystical experiences is the same feeling described by Deep Ecology and is a requirement for a change of paradigm powerful enough to promote the social changes we are so much in need for. (or is this the idealism of Uranus speaking through me here?)

I excitedly ask myself if astrology can promote a mystical experience by reconnecting us with the cosmos and the sense of unity which always seems to be importantly present in the description of these kinds of experiences. Maybe I will pursue this question in my dissertation.

Anyway, my insight is that this year of 2020 seems to be an important one regarding ecology and collective change especially reflected by Saturn and Jupiter conjunction in Aquarius that will happen later on this year. And how can we make these necessary changes without changing ourselves first? Impossible I believe.

How can we become greener in our psyches? And I don’t mean here becoming greener by only cutting down your consume of meat or plastic, although these changes on routine and priorities are also an important part of the process. I mean doing the inner work at the same time. Changing our old patterns of thinking and behaviour, becoming more conscious and elevated in our self-awareness and relationship to each other and to the world around us.

And how is that process going for you?

Only 15 per cent of battery left for me and still no sign of electricity. Dogs are now barking in the background. And I listen.

Aquarian New Moon thoughts

by with 3 Comments Astrological InsightsProfessional Astrologer

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!

Not just another Saturn-Pluto post…

by with No Comment Astrological InsightsAstrology and meProfessional Astrologer

The building up of the conjunction between Saturn and Pluto is happening and Im feeling more and more excited about ideas and compelled to write more as well. (The stellium in Capricorn is transiting my third house at the moment!)

The other day I had orgasmic sensations, not joking, when I had the thought that I would like to write my dissertation on mystical experiences, astrology and deep ecology. Im in the process of communicating with my tutors and enquiring about the feasibility of my ideas, at the moment it looks like is too much of a big theme for a master thesis. On another hand, I still have time to reformulate and polish it up so it hopefully becomes more achievable. I love the idea of including deep ecology into my dissertation for this is such an important theme right now.

I think that the conjunction between Pluto and Saturn also reflects the importance of thinking and contributing with research that can enlighten and enhance our relationship with nature and mental health as well… I have very strong feelings towards this. And Im thinking about researching on what might be the role of astrology in this process, if any.

After I wrote my last essay on ‘peak experience’ and astrology I realised that one of the main ideas that connects both is a sort of dependency on a feeling of interconnection between everything. In a similar way, I think that deep ecology’s backbone also relies on the premise that everything is part of a greater system, regardless the illusory sense of separation that we have most of the time. Based on this premise, investing our energy in a system that prioritise competition above cooperation is a fallacy and a threat to, not only our physical and mental health, but also to the myriad of existing ecosystems.

What can we do about it? I think that this question is one of the most pertinent ones during this great conjunction between Pluto and Saturn in Capricorn… and I also feel that whatever this conjunction is activating in your chart is reflecting where you can contribute the most for the changes that we are collectively in need of making. The changes that you successfully facilitate in yourself now will have an impact on the collective change.

This is our responsibility (Saturn) in the regeneration (Pluto) of our social structures and values (Capricorn).

How are you doing after yesterday’s eclipse? Im feeling wonderfully excited. Hope you are all doing well.

 

This week’s powerful astrology…

by with 4 Comments Astrological InsightsAstrology and me

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?

Saturnian times, no time to waste…

by with 4 Comments Astrology and meInner life

At the moment we have so many planets and points in Capricorn or Saturn ruled: Sun, Mercury, South Node, Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto in Capricorn and Venus in Aquarius, which is traditionally ruled by Saturn.

This is a massive Saturn time and I can really feel it. No mater how much in theory I should be celebrating and enjoying some sort of summer holidays here in Brazil, Im just struggling not to feel the seriousness of this moment. All I want to do is work on my astrological practice, on my master, or whatever else career and commitment related.

I wonder if anyone else out there is feeling the same?

Now is also my Jupiter return, which is in the 2nd house trine my natal Sun/Mercury conjunction, and from the cliche astrological cook book perspective, this is an amazing time of growth and optimism, but I just feel burdened and deadly serious. Would that be because my Jupiter is in fall? Some would probably say yes to that, but I just think that this is Saturn/Capricorn energy in general. The seriousness and goal oriented tendency is very much part of this dimension of life.

I woke up today and all I can think about is setting intentions for making my living solo with what I love doing, no more odd jobs please!

I don’t care where Im going to be on New Year’s Eve, if it’s going to be a good party with interesting people, I don’t even care if Im on my own to be honest (like I have done a few times in the past).

I just want to make sure that I do the important stuff, that I take responsibility for my future success. That I take charge of my life and do something of substance with it.

It feels life Im a hundred years old without any time for frivolous things right now… and I truly wonder how people are feeling out there with such an emphasis on Saturn’s archetype? Could people be really gay and truly lighthearted right now? Maybe they are projecting their Saturn elsewhere… I don’t know.

I secretly envy people’s lightness and carelessness … or would that be Saturn’s archetype taking possession of me?!

Wishes for the coming new decade…

by with 2 Comments Astrology and meInner life

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!

 

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

by with No Comment Astrological Insights

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.

Mercurial and Jupiterian questions…

by with 2 Comments Astrology and me

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

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

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

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

The planets are not doing anything to you!

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

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

It is not ‘the truth’!

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

 

Solar return intentions

by with 4 Comments Astrology and me

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

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

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

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

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

Im off now to continue with birthday celebrations and intentions 🙂