Astro-Notes on August 29, 2015 – Pisces Full Moon

Daily aspects:
– Moon ingress to Pisces at 4:50 am EDT
– Mars in Leo quincunx Pluto Rx in Cap and trine Pallas in Sagittarius
– Full Moon at 6:06 Pisces/Virgo at 2:35 pm EDT

The Moon’s ingress to Pisces early this morning could have left us longing for more sleep. This was certainly the case for me after I had to endure another ‘nightmare’ that woke me up in the early morning hours because of ruthless neighbors. With t Jupiter sitting on my natal Mars, I’m getting really cranky now and ready for a major blowup. After an exhausting day at work I’m too tired to concentrate on a blog post I wanted to have published this morning already. However, with the way things are and with Mars in Leo in quincunx aspect to a retrograde Pluto I had to adjust my personal motives or creative intentions accordingly, which means acknowledging that I need to recharge my batteries first (not just my gem stones). Therefore, as the Leo New Moon culminates in the Pisces Full Moon, the impulse that sounded forth with the Pisces New Moon back in March also comes to fruition. Thus, “the world server” (keyword for the Leo New Moon) “asserts himself uncompromisingly for his own truth” (keynote and keyword of the Sabian Symbol for the Pisces Full Moon) and “his ideal of greatness” or his “clearly visualized ideals” (Sabian Symbol of the Pisces New Moon) are met in “subservience to the desires of his emotional nature (or longings)” (keynote of the Sabian Symbol for the Sun in Virgo).

The Sabian Symbol for the Full Moon at 6:06 Pisces states:
“Illuminated by a shaft of light, a large sword lies on rocks surrounded by sea mist. Keynote: The spiritual blessing, which strengthens individuals, who happen what may, stand uncompromisingly for their own truth – SELF-ASSERTION.”
The Sabian Symbol for the Sun at 6:06 Virgo states:
“A harem. Keynote: A fateful (even if sought after) subservience to the vagaries or desires of the emotional nature – EMPTINESS OF WAITING.”

(Dane Rudhyar, “An Astrological Mandala: The Cycle of Transformations and its 360 Symbolical Phases”, Pages 272-273 and 154-155, respectively)

Announcements and moves have been made. Now, we have to be prepared for the ‘job’.

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Tarot card of the day is the “Knight of Swords”, indicating that we’re embarking on a new project or idea and there’s no stopping us. We’re headstrong and outspoken as we know what we are talking about and let others know where we or they stand, thereby going straight to the point. Certain things can no longer be avoided – the confrontation will come and commence. Yet, there is great ambition, determination and strength as our physical, emotional and spiritual energy is at a peak. Group discussions with like-minded people are best suited to inspire and motivate one another.

Astro-Notes on August 22, 2015 – First Quarter Moon

Daily aspects:
– Mars in Leo quincunx Neptune Rx in Pisces
– Mercury in Virgo quincunx Eris Rx in Aries
– First Quarter Moon at 29:23 Scorpio/Leo at 3:30 pm EDT
= Moon ingress to Sagittarius at 4:40 pm EDT
– Juno in Virgo opposite Chiron Rx in Pisces and quincunx Uranus Rx in Aries

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There have been quite a few tense aspects this week in addition to my challenging personal transits – in particular the transiting Sun one’s that turned transiting Saturn square my natal Saturn in house 6 of service into a fixed t-square. As a consequence, my work week was pretty stressful with one department manager on vacation and another sent to a different store, which increased my responsibilities, because I have to cover for them. Of course, I had 3 new modulars dropped on me on top of that and cover cash as well. Thus, I missed a deadline I had agreed upon with my SWAS-leader. However, it was only by half a day – so, we were able to work that out, though not without some hurt feelings, which is the nature of the game if things are getting too complicated and stressful and everybody is just frustrated and overworked. So, here are Saturn’s lessons. You can only do what you can possibly do, though try to do your best and to be of service. This message has been driven home with the First Quarter Moon that tempted us to pursue our personal agenda so that we can make progress and therefore, we might have struggled with ourselves to make some sacrifices for the greater good. Juno in Virgo has activated the Chiron-Uranus semi-sextile – the confrontation commenced and we had to decide whether we wanted to be the victim or the perpetrator, which meant in this case choosing the easy way out and reacting rather selfish. Yet, the question remains: Can we really be that perfect and just keep sacrificing and victimizing ourselves or do we have enough of it already and start putting ourselves first? I guess, it depends on what our conscience is telling us. I’m still feeling guilty for not pretending to help somebody I couldn’t help based on the circumstances. It’s bugging me, but I can live with it. In fact, I must. Things aren’t always that easy and straightforward and we can’t always take responsibility or even blame for everything. There will be ups and there will be downs – that’s life for us. On a more positive note – I’ll be off for the next four days I’ll be spending with my daughter. 🙂

Tarot card of the day is the “Queen of Pentacles”, representing an aspect of ourselves or others that is concerned about economic security and the promotion of physical wellbeing. We’re not only tending for ourselves, but also for our possessions. This involves being practical and capable in business affairs, in particular what effective management concerns, where we need to employ down-to-earth common sense and help things to flourish. Putting duty first, we use our resourcefulness to provide stability, to safeguard and to preserve.

Astro-Notes on August 14, 2015 – Leo New Moon

Daily aspects:
– New Moon at 21:30 Leo at 10:53 am EDT
– Venus Rx in Leo trine Eris Rx in Aries
– Mercury in Virgo square Pallas in Sagittarius
– Vesta Rx in Aries square Pluto Rx in Capricorn
– Chiron Rx in Pisces semi-sextile Uranus Rx in Aries

These last few days have we been spending reviewing our affairs or how things are standing for us and what we can do about that to get our house in order, so to speak. Consequently, we’ve been recommitting ourselves to our causes, thereby rekindling our inner flame and renewing our dedication or sacred vows to these matters. Thus, we had a chance to re-establish our authority as well as to manage and reorganize our zone of influence. We have been taking care of business and systematically assumed control over our specific set of circumstances. As a result, confidence has returned; we feel acknowledged and validated again, which allows us to remain positive, even though we don’t know yet how to deal with a bigger problem for which we don’t have the answers or the support to come up with a workable solution. This means instead of jumping to conclusions and focusing on the negatives of the situation, we are learning to figure things out and to improve our skills through negotiation and emulation.

The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon at 21:30 Leo states:

“A carrier pigeon fulfilling its mission. Keynote: Spirituality in terms of training for service to mankind – WORLD SERVER.”

(Dane Rudhyar, “An Astrological Mandala: The Cycle of Transformations and its 360 Symbolical Phases”, Pages 144-145)

We need to understand that life is a journey, not to be taken too seriously, but enjoyed and celebrated and lived out fully every single day. Although we haven’t reached our destination yet, we are on our way and have to trust that we will get there eventually. By applying a higher perspective and retaining an open mind and a cheerful attitude, we will ‘fly’ above petty issues and just focus on our goal.

Tarot card of the day is the “9 of Swords”, suggesting that is important to maintain trust and faith instead of letting negative thoughts, worries and concerns are getting the best of us. We need to be patient as better things or opportunities might come along soon. There is no need to put ourselves down or get overwhelmed or anxious. Circumstances are just unfortunate momentarily and the overall situation is rather complex.

Astro-Notes on August 10, 2015

Daily aspects:
– Moon ingress to Cancer at 8:08 am EDT
– Mercury in Virgo sesqui Uranus Rx in Aries

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At the onset of this lunation cycle I was visiting with my girlfriend in Philadelphia and didn’t write a blog post, because since this was my vacation we were busy enjoying our time together. However, since this New Moon fell into my 11th house, we held a New Moon workshop with her circle of participants the evening before. So, I can say that during this cycle I socialized a lot more and also made a few new connections. It was a quite exciting time. The theme that came forward with this new impulse pertained to social issues such as fairness, equality and individual freedom or causes for which we had to take a stand. Now that we reached the end of this cycle many energy shifts have happened and changed the landscape – inner as well as outer – setting up the stage for another big shift – Jupiter’s into Virgo that will happen tomorrow morning and will start a period of methodical, calculated expansion and growth during which we have opportunities to round up and perfect our knowledge, to select from the options presented to us and to analyze our truths and perspectives. Jupiter’s new dispositor Mercury is also in Virgo, the earth sign of his rulership, and engaged in a tense octile aspect to retro Uranus, which means, today is a critical day regarding proceedings and causes we side-stepped for a while. It is important that we review our progress in these matters and take action. Thus, we could be upgrading our agenda, communicating damage control or making plans and preparing ourselves for the future. For me it was time to update my blog and personal files so that I could finally begin using my new laptop. With the Moon in her home sign of Cancer I also did some cooking and baking and have been staying inside all day long, because the Mercury-Uranus aspect brought a change in the weather condition. A storm system is moving through the area and it has been raining heavily since the morning.

Tarot card of the day is the “10 of Pentacles”, suggesting that we seek out permanence and are looking for a solution that will last. Therefore, we are working on the creation of a lasting foundation by moving beyond makeshift arrangements and through a consensus of vision. This card refers to a climax in our foundational life, a culmination, completion or achievement we’ve reached that is the result of our material and tangible efforts and allows us to make a commitment to a sustainable future. We’re now investing in long-term benefits, knowing that we need a consistent approach in order to achieve success that will stand the test of time.

Astro-Notes on August 2, 2015 – waning Jupiter-Saturn square

Daily aspects:
– Saturn stations direct at 28:16 Scorpio at 1:52 am EDT (rx since on March 14 – new territory on Nov 8)
– Jupiter in Leo square Saturn S in Scorpio
– Vesta in Aries sesqui Jupiter in Leo
– Mercury in Leo trine Uranus Rx in Leo and quincunx Chiron Rx in Pisces

The month of August was ushered in by the festival of Lammas, a cross-quarter day in the wheel of the

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year that marks the middle of summer and beginning of the harvest season. It is considered a time of thanksgiving and is the first of the three Pagan harvest festivals, also known as Lughnasadh, Lammastide, and First Harvest Festival. The Sun’s strength begins to wane and the plants of spring start to wither and drop their fruits or seeds for our use as well as to ensure future crops. At this time, we become conscious of the sacrifice the Sun God is preparing to make. We experience a sense of abundance. Simultaneously, we begin to feel an urgency to prepare for the death of winter. First grains and fruits of the Earth are cut and stored for the dark winter months. Canning of fruits and vegetables goes into full swing, jams and jellies are getting made and cabinets are stocked with herbs before the onset of autumn. Lammas also represents the culmination of the marriage between the Goddess and the God that took place on Beltane. The God now becomes the product of that blessed union – the bountiful fruits and grains – and must be sacrificed. He is the personification of the crops that must be harvested for the survival of the people. Underneath the symbolism of sacrifice is the theme of rebirth. The Corn God must die, and He has to do so in order to return. Without the sacrifice, the cycle stops. Although His strength is waning, His essence is still palpable as His energies begin to merge with the harvested crops. It is at this time that the Sun King has reached the autumn of His years, and His rival (or dark self) has just reached puberty. The Sun God has reigned supreme over the ripening grain during the hot summer months. His dedication, perseverance, and action in tending the seeds sown in spring bring a ripe and fruitful bounty. ‘Lammas’ was the medieval Christian name for the holiday that means ‘loaf-mass’. Loaves of bread were baked from the first grain harvest and laid on the church altars as offerings. It was a day representative of ‘first fruits’ and early harvest.
I didn’t bake bread, but I bought a few grains I enjoyed as my evening meal down by the river where I also fed the loons, ducks and swans with sunflower seeds. As Saturn stationed direct in Scorpio in waning square aspect to Jupiter in Leo, I felt compelled to set a few things right in regard to my living conditions and also to end a certain set of circumstances with which I have been ‘playing around’ for too long. So, after four and a half months of intense inner restructuring have come to an end we could feel strengthened from within with a renewed sense of authority, form and discipline and this challenges us now to overcome those last hurdles in our way so that we can complete our mission and also take a stand in matters of ethics and morality – whether in our own life or society at large. It’s time that we get a perspective on our ego and for some to grow a conscience as witnessed in the case of the hunter-dentist, who killed Cecil, the famous lion. This story is a prime example of the archetypes at work, emphasizing the paternal principle or patriarchy and the theme of hubris taking place on the dark continent and involving the lion (connection to the heart), who enjoyed a certain status in this region based on his ‘harmlessness’ and friendliness (the 2 aspects of the ego are present – light and shadow). A member of the elite, this dentist has no regard for any form of life. He considers himself as superior and uses his sense of entitlement to collect trophies, assuming his wealth and status exclude him from the law by right of privilege. Thus, he has been living out the ‘shadow’ aspect of his ego when he could have done something for the greater good with all this money. Yet this thought might have never occurred to him in the selfish and imposing manner he has been conducting himself. However, with all the negative publicity and attention he has been attracting after this ‘last kill’, justice could have finally caught up with him. Not only are his reputation and business destroyed; petitions have been signed by a large amount of people who want to see him extradited to Zimbabwe for his crime. Pallas is about to station direct in Sagittarius.
Anyway, today’s astrological aspects indicate a change in plans, which could have caused us some disappointment. One of my girlfriend’s with whom I wanted to get together and party a bit canceled our meeting this morning due to an health issue she’s suffering from and later this afternoon when I had intended to walk downtown to stock up on a few things I’m out off we got a severe thunderstorm warning. So that was that. Moreover, I’m also struggling with the setup of my new laptop and had to ask one of my co-workers to assist me with this sometime next week.

Tarot card of the day is the “Ace of Cups”, suggesting that love is the essence of the situation and that positive energy and emotion can be created, if we let our heart lead the way and empathize and cooperate with others. This is a time of giving and peacemaking, when we have a new opportunity to help or bring happiness to others and when relationships can be taken to a new level or when there’s a new beginning in our interactions with others. It can moreover represent the start of a project in which a great deal of loving and creative energy is invested. We are at a point in our life where we are comfortable with who we are and express that part to others. Moreover, we see new potential, are open to new possibilities as well as to the stimulation of our imagination, which allows our creative juices to flow and our talents to unfold. In general, we can make a fresh start and there’s a chance that things may change for the better from now on, especially what our happiness and contentment concerns.