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confronting us with the need to review our approach, work on uncompleted projects, reset schedules and adjust our priorities accordingly. The Sun in Pisces’ square to Juno in Sagittarius challenges us to get a better understanding of our role in relationship dynamics to avoid a potentially overwhelming effect as well as an overflow of exchanges, which could either utterly confuse us or lead to self-undoing or both. After the Moon’s ingress to Aries at 9:47 pm EST and instant semi-sextile to Neptune in Pisces, we will feel a lot more energetic, but this will only be short-lived as the day is almost over. So, this emerging action urge has to be saved for the next day.

Tarot card of the day is the “Page of Pentacles”, a card that encourages us to begin to put in place clear plans and actions that will ultimately lead us toward the fulfillment of our goals and dreams. It is time to start acting on all those grand ideas and concepts that have been brewing in our imagination. No matter what’ll take, we need to see the project through and work on the realization of our vision.

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The Sun-Pallas conjunction in Pisces begins a new synodic cycle that involves our sense of Self and self-expression and the mental strategy we use, colored in the receptive, imaginative, sensitive and idealistic template of the sign Pisces. Consequently, we’ll be showing our emotional intelligence today or the lack thereof together with our ability for holistic thinking and synthesis. We’ll be highly perceptive to all kinds of influences and vibrations, which calls for discernment. Venus in Aries’ quincunx to her dispositor, retrograde Mars in Virgo, requires an adjustment of our evaluating faculties in order to be motivated accordingly and to ‘function’ properly.

Tarot card of the day is “The Moon”, suggesting that things are vague and illusive, neither clear nor certain or definitive in any way. We may be torn between many influences and these distractions could have taken us away from our core path. Therefore, we need to reflect upon our life and use our intuitive abilities or listen to our inner voice to get in touch with our vision. Renewal is possible and secrets may be revealed as we’re walking these dreamscapes. The Moon is moreover a symbol of the turning tides and can refer to healing abilities and other psychic or intuitive work.

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spirit, but also with the application of higher values. Enforcing our desires or responding with anger or from the lower primal instinctual level might be helpful to release these ‘heated’ emotions, but get us nowhere. After the Moon’s ingress to Pisces at 12:31 pm EST and instant conjunction with Neptune, sentimentality and sensitivities run high, which could have a potentially overwhelming effect on feelings and composure. Mercury in Pisces’ tense sesqui-quadrate to retrograde Saturn in Libra acts as a reminder that calls us back to order and mental discipline, demanding that we restore control over our mind and stabilize our focus, because we have to be organized and prepared for situations that require proper management. This is the lead-up to the Pisces New Moon that will transpire at 5:34 pm EST, followed up by the Sun in Pisces’ semi-sextile aspect to Uranus in Aries, which emphasizes that our self-image should complement the changes and progress we’ve initiated. Therefore, Self-awareness is needed, if we want to live up to this vision we have of ourselves and this has to inspire our actions accordingly. It’s moreover the time of the year, where we have to close accounts, tie up any remaining loose ends and attend to unfinished business. As we empty ourselves, purify and purge, we make space for new seeds to be planted and liberate ourselves from the ‘karmic residue’ that’s staining our soul so that a new life can emerge, which allows us to start over at the Vernal Equinox.

The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon at 2:42 Pisces states:

“Petrified tree trunks lie broken on desert sands. Keynote: The power to preserve records of their achievements, which is inherent in fully matured cultures – INDESTRUCTABILITY.”

(Dane Rudhyar, “An Astrological Mandala: The Cycle of Transformations and its 360 Symbolical Phases”, Page 270)

“A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.”
Saint Basil the Great (329 – 379)

In this sense, reflecting upon what we wish to plant or to be remembered by will be essential in regard to our ‘karmic records’ and also for our soul’s peace or at least for a clean conscience.

Tarot card of the day is “Strength”, suggesting that we draw upon our inner strength and the power of our spirit and will. With compassion and understanding can we handle the most difficult situation and also tame the beast within. We have the ability to be tolerant, forgiving and accepting and thus can gently influence our environment. Furthermore, we can be assured that we have enough endurance to see things through to their end and get a lot accomplished.

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The perfecting semi-sextile between Pallas in Pisces and Uranus in Aries indicates that a strategic adjustment toward progress has been made that ends a phase of waiting or cluelessness during which we weren’t sure if we could proceed with our projects as we had envisioned. As Ceres in Aries also completes her trine to the North Node in Sagittarius (sextile to the South Node in Gemini), we now know that support is within reach and thus that our long-term future prospects have been taken care of, because we can rely on revived connections from the past that help us to get ahead.

Tarot card of the day is the “7 of Wands”, suggesting that we’ve come out on top of the situation. Things should be going well and projects should be moving right along. Positive change is coming (this card follows the Tower card from yesterday) and we can go after what we want.

Personal Note: I was finally able to talk to my mom yesterday. She’s still very much incapacitated from her fall and the head wound she suffered, which came quite as a shock to me (The Tower card yesterday), because nobody had really said much about her accident and we had the impression that it wasn’t as bad as we had feared. Well, she has been lucky to get immediate assistance, which prevented the worst-case scenario as she’s a bleeder now due to the medications she has to take because of her heart pacemaker. So, the important thing is that she rests and slows down instead of being on her feet and doing chores, which is something that doesn’t come easy to her unfortunately. I urged her to be careful, but that would be the first time she would listen. Sigh. Also, I found out that she has sent me a letter with pictures and some funds, which hasn’t arrived yet or might even be lost. This has never happened before, but there’s nothing we can do about it. Hopefully, it might just be late due to the weather. In the world news an example of the daily astro-weather is provided in the avalanche in the Seattler area in the Cascade mountains that took the lives of 3 experienced skiers. The survivor, though shocked and devastated, says that she will definitely go skiing again.

Courtesy of Flicker: Image Source is David Blackwell's photostream

conjunction. Therefore, this energy shift also begins a new synodic cycle that involves our sense of Self, our creativity and performance in relation to our visions, dreams, ideals and awareness, colored in the holistic, synthesizing, uniting and unifying template of the sign Pisces. Consequently, today we’ll be experiencing a heightened identity sensitivity, which could incline us to give in to escapism, no matter in which shade or disguise that comes. The Moon followed suit with an ingress to Aquarius at 5:28 am EST and instant semi-sextile to the Sun and Neptune. Whatever interfered with our sound sleep at that time has been discarded quickly so that we were able to dose off for another while. Throughout the day though, we’ll be excitable, a bit edgy, ready for change and prone to sudden mood swings. As Mercury in Pisces forms a semi-sextile with Ceres in Aries and then squares the nodal axis, we need to finish up what we’ve started in matters that refer to communication and connectivity, which means we have to take care of uncompleted texts and letters and act in support of plans we have envisioned. We’ve reached a turning point destiny-wise, where we have to release outdated thought patterns and instead embrace broader concepts in order to expand our horizons and extend our connections.

Tarot card of the day is “The Tower”, signifying inevitable change that can bring liberation and freedom. Our present lifestyle, attitude or people in our environment are changing. There might be shock due to the suddenness of the events as well as upheaval, but if we’ve been stuck in a rut this will help us to climb out of it.

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As the Sun in Aquarius trines retrograde Saturn in Libra, we’ve advanced our personal cause and achieved more independence in the process due to restoring control over our life. With Mercury in Pisces in sextile to Pluto in Capricorn, we have a chance to release thoughts of limitation and powerlessness and thus to end an oppressive situation that only existed in our mind anyway.

Tarot card of the day is the “3 of Cups”, a card which refers to the wellspring of fertility, whether material or spiritual. Consequently, we could be feeling on top of the world and overflowing with high spirits. We’re putting ourselves out there and helping each other. It’s a card of celebration and accomplishment.

Personal Note: I slept in and it felt good. However, I was quite shocked when I looked at the time. Those late shifts just really tire me, because business is so slow. Meanwhile, it has snowed overnight and we’re still getting more. Oh well. At least, it’s not as bad as in Europe. In the world news we have an excellent example of accomplishment, a ‘wellspring of fertility’ “earned” by HP CEO and former eBay leader Meg Whitman, who got a $16.5 million payout in the first four weeks after taking over the computer-maker. Thus, she can claim the status as “one-percenter of the week” (Sun in Aquarius trine Saturn Rx in Libra). This makes me ask “what is wrong with the world? Is this for real? Are we still living in times of feudalism? How can we justify wealth distribution like this with poverty and unemployment on the rise?”

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sextile to Neptune in Pisces, which gave us a chance to retreat and find rest, especially since we could have been feeling the tiredness in every bone of our body. Sufficient sleep will be important to get us through this last work day (to whom this may apply) when all we want is to feel accomplished and get things done. Mercury in Pisces’ semi-square to Eris in Aries calls for mindfulness and a strong will so that we can fight any mind-numbing tendencies and act in our self-interest as Venus in Aries trines the North Node in Sagittarius (sextile to South Node in Gemini), aligning our personal desires with our long-term future prospects. As a consequence, a sign of appreciation from revived past connections will go a long way, resulting in emotional elevation and a growing sense of wellbeing.

Tarot card of the day is the “2 of Cups”, suggesting that there is a mutual understanding between the people involved in a relationship and that interactions are balanced and harmonious, because of an awareness of the expectations each person has, which allows for growth and very special relationships. Our focus is on win-win situations as we show kindness and thoughtfulness.

Personal Note: It’s nice outside again. The Sun shone into my apartment this morning when I got up and then I got a call from my landlord, who was asking about how I’m doing with the new neighbor around and because he noticed that nothing had been done in the hallway. So, I let him know that everything is good so far, considering the young age of my neighbor. What would you expect, right? But I also told him about the incident when renovations were done in the other apartment in the middle of the night and that neither the hallway nor the stairs have ever been cleaned, which has been annoying me for a while with all the dirt that has been dragged in. He offered to reimburse me for my troubles and I responded that he really doesn’t have to, but that I’d appreciate if he would look into all these issues. Well, he wants to come by as soon as he’ll be back from the U.S. and he’s a man who stands by his word. So, I might get lucky with my next rent cheque. Crossing my fingers as I’m typing this. After that I checked my email and saw that finally a mail from my sister had arrived and also another one from my best friend together with one from one of my cousins. Feeling good so far!

Mercury’s conjunction to Chiron in Pisces

Tarot card of the day is the “2 of Swords”, representing a delicate balance. We may feel as though we have reached an impasse or even a stalemate. What is needed is a truce so that the problems we’re dealing with can be resolved using logic and the intellect, especially if we don’t know how to proceed. It’s a card of choice that could require from us to make a split decision. There is a sense of being caught between a rock and a hard place, which could make decision-making difficult or, on the other hand, could have us torn by indecision or opposing choices. Awareness of the consequences of our decisions is therefore imperative. However, resolutions will be found and a new beginning is arising out of this.

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that we make progress in matters of communication we left uncompleted or unaddressed and therefore have to be aware of our words or suggestions in a relationship situation where we need to show understanding and tolerance if we want to expand upon it. As Venus in Aries first squares Pluto in Capricorn and then moves into a conjunction with Ceres, things might not work out as we prefer and consequently, we might be struggling to get our needs met and to break through the resistance, before we can start a new cycle, where we have a chance to act in support of our values and self-worth and also take care of our wants and needs. With Venus’ dispositor Mars in retrograde motion in Virgo and engaged in a tense sesqui-quadrate to Jupiter in Taurus we have to revise our attitude and review our intentions and actions for their effectiveness to ensure our continuing growth.   

Tarot card of the day is the “Queen of Cups”, symbolizing a seeker of inner transformation (especially as this card follows the Knight of Swords we had yesterday and who took us on a journey of self-examination). Suggested is furthermore that we are acknowledging our emotions and feelings. We trust our intuition and listen to our inner voice as well as to the sensations and impressions we’re getting from our environment. In our interactions with others we need to empathize and show true compassion. This is a day when we’ll be following the lead of our heart.

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Valentine’s Day begins under the influence of the Mercury-Neptune-Pallas conjunction in Pisces (see yesterday’s post), which leads directly into the Third Quarter Moon Phase. The actual event will transpire at 12:03 pm EST when the waning Scorpio Moon will square the Aquarius Sun and this will result in a ‘crisis in consciousness’. Consequently, the temporary ‘perceptual incapacity’ we’re experiencing is testing our ‘indomitability’ (keyword for the Sun in Aquarius at the Leo Full Moon) at this stage in the process of “desocialization” (keyword for the Aquarius New Moon). As 2 other stage-setting aspects perfect as well – Ceres in Aries’ square to Pluto in Capricorn and Jupiter in Taurus’ sextile to Chiron in Pisces – we’re challenged to “seek freedom from social rigidity” (keynote of the Sabian Symbol for the Leo Full Moon) by breaking the cycle and stop feeding into frustration, anger, failure, despondency, fear and all the other dark emotions or lower vibrations, supporting our empowerment instead. Rather than feeling hopeless and helpless, we need to cultivate faith, ensure our wholeness and sanity, remain open to the blessings and slowly, but surely, build up awareness. We can dream a new world into being (as promised by yesterday’s Tarot card – the Magician). After the Moon’s ingress to Sagittarius at 7:56 pm EST and subsequent square to the Mercury-Neptune-Pallas conjunction in Pisces, our newly-found optimism and enthusiasm, which accompany this shift, is troubled by confusing or even disillusioning news, signs or gestures we need to deal with from a point of higher understanding in order to overcome either cluelessness, bewilderment or disappointment and thus, to be able to show tolerance.

Tarot card of the day is the “Knight of Swords”, indicating that we’re taking control over a situation and finding solutions to problems by changing our ideals and beliefs. We’re on a journey of Self-examination and we’re ready to tackle any challenges that stand in our way as we suddenly understand that we can no longer avoid certain issues.

For instance, Valentine’s Day is another day that has become overly commercialized. By having so many customers with Valentine’s cards, flowers, candies and chocolates checking out through my register, I noticed the prices of these items and found it quite unbelievable as well as unrealistic. When did we ever get to the point where a card costs between $5 and $10? A card??? No wonder, almost everybody is so highly indebted. Who can afford to perpetuate this exaggerated consumerism? And yet, we do it for the sake of “love” and traditions.

Personal Note: On this day, 12 years ago (a whole Jupiter cycle), did I enter Canada with my daughter and soon-to-be husband to stay for good. Not much did I know about the journey I had embarked upon (and neither about my now ex-husband) at that time. In spite of all the hardships and trials, it hasn’t destroyed me and what doesn’t destroy us only makes us stronger – as the saying goes. I’m looking forward to my Jupiter return. :)  Happy Valentine’s Day!