Monthly Archives: December 2015

Astro-Notes on December 21, 2015 – Winter Solstice

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Daily aspects:
– Vesta in Aries quincunx Juno in Scorpio
– Mercury in Capricorn sextile Chiron in Pisces
– Mars in Libra opposite Eris Rx in Aries and semi-sextile Jupiter in Virgo
– Jupiter in Virgo quincunx Eris Rx in Aries
– Neptune in Pisces semi-square Eris Rx in Aries
– Sun ingress to Capricorn at 11:47 pm EST – winter solstice

The Sun’s ingress to Capricorn will happen very late tonight, when this day is almost over (this could mean that winter will be late this year – at least here in the Eastern Time Zone). In the wheel of the year we reached a quarter point that not only marks the beginning of a new season, but also the Winter Solstice, which refers to the Sun’s apparent standstill (apparent, because it is actually the Earth who revolves around the Sun) after he traveled to his farthest southward point in the Tropic of Capricorn, where he will turn around, hover for a while and then slowly begin his journey back toward the Equator (as seen from our point of view). Therefore, here in the Northern Hemisphere, we experience the shortest day and the longest night. However, from now on, the daylight will be growing again, which is the reason why this turning point symbolizes the ‘birth into Christ consciousness’. Moreover, it brings a change in energy that gives us a chance to stop and take stock to assimilate all that has been rapidly developing so that we can transition into a state of Being that could be termed ‘stasis’. Winter is memory, when we lie low and hibernate, perceive the seeds of future growth to make our resolutions for the New Year, gather intent and celebrate our togetherness and reunion. Although Winter Solstice implies relative lifelessness, it represents the light within, the concealed, surviving spark of the life-force in the midst of darkness, which contains the seed potential for rebirth at spring. The Sun’s yearly passage through Capricorn is also a time when we’re structuring our life and very existence through planning, organizing and goal-setting.

Winter Solstice 2015

With the Sun and Moon in earth signs in the chart for this event, which has relevance for the next season and even

the year ahead, our focus will be on practical and material matters, which concern our emotional and security needs. In this regard we have to ask ourselves if the ideals we are following are ‘right’ for us or are they just projections as the result of an unresolved and unrecognized inner conflict? Are we selling ourselves short? Are we sacrificing to the ‘wrong gods’? Are we suffering for the wrong reasons? Are our sacrifices and inner struggles even necessary? And lastly, are we blissfully ignorant, evasive or oblivious or too de-sensitized and ’empty’ or lost in our misery that we can’t be mindful and grateful or even sympathetic? We’re undergoing an existence-related crisis that requires awareness and selflessness from us, but not martyrdom. We have to find a healthy balance in this regard that allows for cooperation without compromising too much. Mercury is engaged in a sextile to Chiron and moving into a conjunction with Pallas in Capricorn. This represents an opportunity for us to work out some of our long-standing problems through goal-oriented thinking and planning and then devising realistic and feasible strategies to accomplish what we set out to do in gradual steps. It is moreover necessary that we make room for adjustments in our exchanges with others and seek to reconcile our intentions with the proposals made and the options and possibilities available to us.

Tarot card of the day is “The Fool”, referring to unlimited potential, new beginnings as well as a sense of innocence and naivety. Anything can happen as we start on this journey. We could be taken into unchartered territory and thus need to be aware of the risks and dangers we could encounter, but also need to be ready to take on the opportunities presented to us. This card encourages us to have faith and calls upon us to trust, believe in our spirit and to follow our heart.

I won’t be able to post a Full Moon blog post, because this event will happen on Christmas Day when I have my daughter over for a visit. My apologies and Merry Christmas to you all.

Astro-Notes on December 18, 2015 – First Quarter Moon

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Daily aspects:
– Sun in Sagittarius square nodal axis in Virgo/Pisces
– First Quarter Moon at 26:22 Pisces/Sagittarius at 10:14 am EST
– Pallas in Capricorn square Uranus Rx in Aries and sextile Chiron in Pisces
– Juno in Scorpio sesqui Chiron in Pisces
– Ceres in Aquarius semi-sextile Pluto in Capricorn
– Moon ingress to Aries at 4:26 pm EST
– Venus in Scorpio quincunx Uranus Rx in Aries

The Sun in Sagittarius has reached his square with the nodal axis and this happens at the same time as the waxing Pisces Moon forms the First Quarter square of the Sagittarius lunation cycle. So, this turning point on our path and in our life’s direction (especially in regard to what has been seeded at the time of the last Solar Eclipse in Virgo) sees us struggling with the challenge the ‘crisis in action’ has thrown us and this is also evident in Pallas in Capricorn’s square to retrograde Uranus in Aries. There have been new developments or trends that caught us by surprise and could have even brought our vision of the holidays or whatever master plan we’re working on crushing down – if just for a moment, because we are asked to change our personal agenda. However, we could reconsider and put shared values or common goals first for which we are not ready nor willing – it’s just too inconvenient or too much of a sacrifice from our viewpoint and therefore, naturally, we seek to justify our position and to convince others of our righteousness in this matter, though we aren’t too convinced ourselves, while the issue keeps bugging us like a nasty itch, because we’re feeling guilty about it. With Juno in Scorpio involved in a tense sesqui-quadrate aspect to Chiron in Pisces, who also receives a sextile from Pallas in Capricorn, and Venus in Scorpio casting a quincunx to retrograde Uranus in Aries, we can actually find a solution to this seemingly irreconcilable problem that causes us so much trouble if we avoid the unnecessary complications and try to come up with an alternative or different option that works for all parties concerned. After the Moon’s ingress to Aries are we more likely inclined to take action in this regard.

Tarot card of the day is the “7 of Swords”, emphasizing a need to remain focused, keep distractions at a minimum, sustain an effort and pour energy into our projects. We could be working in an unstable way, using evasive tactics or escaping from the situation somehow. Awareness of an irritated, distracted, restless or bored mentality is imperative. In order to succeed we must accept that we might require regular stimulus and change or our efforts might be futile. If something doesn’t work out as planned or expected, we need to stretch our mind and look for an alternative. In addition, we could be facing serious relationship issues, where it is best to avoid any confrontation, but to employ tact and diplomacy instead. Moreover, we need to be honest and upfront in all our dealings and at the same time be cautious and wary as to who we trust.

Astro-Notes on December 11, 2015 – Sagittarius New Moon

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Daily aspects:
– Ceres in Aquarius sesqui-quadrate NN in Virgo/semi-square SN in Pisces
– Venus in Scorpio trine Neptune in Pisces
– Pallas conjunct Pluto in Capricorn
– New Moon at 19:02 Sagittarius at 5:29 am EST
– Mars in Libra opposite Uranus in Rx in Aries and quincunx Chiron in Pisces
– Jupiter in Virgo quincunx Eris Rx in Aries

The ingresses of Mercury to Capricorn and Juno to Scorpio in the last couple of days have preceded the Sagittarius New Moon. Therefore, we enter this new lunation cycle with a shift in perception and in our interrelations that has turned our focus toward practical, realistic and materialistic concerns, especially in regard to shared values and common goals, which call for planning, organizing, managing and executing. Thus, on the forefront of our minds are work or duties, obligations and responsibilities as well as a sense of structure and order. We want to be prepared for the festive season or whatever provides us with a sense of celebration and achievement and make sure that everything goes according to our master plan. Moreover, time is of the essence, which means strategies have to be devised that allow us to accomplish what we set out to do and also to systematically gain control over our circumstances or to remain on top of our affairs. The latest twist or turn of events required from us to bridge a conflict of interests or intentions so that a long-standing or recurring problem could be resolved. In some instances that meant that new people were welcomed in our midst. In others, where ignorance and insensitivity became intolerable, ties were cut. For the most part though, sacrifices we made have paid off and expectations have been met. We are more involved in whatever great vision, dream or ideals we hold, show solidarity and engage with each other. As a consequence, our relationship principle can now be taken to the next level and evolve as relationship dynamics are becoming more complex and complicated and interactions or exchanges with others are getting more intense – either as a result of the deepening of our commitments and our feelings of unity or a darkening of our emotions, leading to hatred, extremes, violence and revenge.

The Sagittarius New Moon’s ruler, Jupiter, is in Virgo, forming a quincunx aspect to retrograde Eris in Aries, indicating that adjustments in this regard will be made depending on how ‘selectively’ we interpret the truth, seek justification or make sense of the social situation based on our ‘trained’ mentality (state of mind) and worldview, or in other words, the ‘fires of our beliefs and convictions’. Sagittarius is a mutable fire sign that has its place in the wheel of the year at the end of the fall season, the darkest time in the Northern Hemisphere. Yet, it is a jolly, merry time for many of us, because we’re getting in the spirit of Christmas, decorating our homes lavishly, buying gifts and lighting everything up. A sense of abundance, generosity and joy is in the air and it is contagious. Jupiter’s expansiveness is living through us. With Ceres in Aquarius in octile aspects to the nodal axis though, this is a critical time this year to work on our future prospects and improvement of our situation in general by drawing from our compassion and higher values, thus making progress in the way we support and nurture or take care of our causes – individual, collective or humanitarian.

The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon at 19:02 Sagittarius states:

“In an old-fashioned northern village men cut the ice of a frozen pond for use during the summer. Keynote: The foresighted use of natural resources to supply future human needs – ASSURING SUPPLY.”

(Dane Rudhyar, “An Astrological Mandala: The Cycle of Transformations and its 360 Symbolical Phases”, Page 222)

Sagittarius NM 2015

Tarot card of the day is “The Hermit”, suggesting that we enter a stage of introspection, where we need to look for the answers within, thereby engaging in soul searching. It’s a solitary quest, because the truths we’re seeking do not lie in the external world, but within us. Therefore, we begin to re-evaluate our goals and might change our overall direction. In recognizing that each of our thoughts and actions is a brick we use to build our lives, we partake in the creation of our own reality. We have to find the light within and allow ourselves to be touched and illuminated by it as well as help to light the way for others. Alas, all the darkness that seems to surround us cannot blot out the light. Moreover, there is an emphasis on peace and patience as well as on accepting the limitations of time and age. The Hermit also symbolizes a taskmaster, who leads with purpose and wisdom gathered from years of experience. He furthermore represents completion. Thus, we may well be progress to a new stage of life, but need to remove any difficulties from a current situation in order to make progress.

Astro-Notes on December 3, 2015 – Third Quarter Moon

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Daily aspects:
– Venus conjunct Juno in Libra and semi-sextile NN in Virgo/quincunx SN in Pisces
– Third Quarter Moon at 10:48 Virgo/Sagittarius at 2:40 am EST
– Vesta ingress to Aries at 12:45 pm EST (until March 8)

Early this morning Venus met up with Juno in Libra and then, over the course of the day, both engaged in a semi- sextile aspect to the North Node in Virgo (quincunx SN in Pisces), while the “crisis in consciousness” – the Third


Quarter Moon of the Scorpio lunation cycle – transpired. This is the phase in the cycle when we need to put things into the larger perspective and in this case it concerns the same discussions or issues we’re having over and over again (the Sabian Symbol for the Scorpio lunation cycle is “A parrot repeats the conversation he has overheard”), because we didn’t do anything about the situation or learned from our mistakes. The latest mass shooting in California serves as a testament of the present climate in our worldly affairs. “We have a pattern now of mass shootings in this country that has no parallel anywhere else in the world, and there’s some steps we could take, not to eliminate every one of these mass shootings, but to improve the odds that they don’t happen as frequently, common-sense gun safety laws, stronger background checks”, American President Obama said during an interview. This statement expresses the astrological archetypes at play perfectly. Therefore, with Vesta re-entering the sign Aries (first ingress was on June 6 of this year) and crossing over the Aries Point, where the ‘personal becomes political’, we have to make the necessary adjustments and take action or start initiatives to save lives in the future or to survive and also to get our life or “mojo” (drive) back. We need to stoke and rekindle the inner flame and devote us to the ‘sacredness of life’. Also, we have to work out how to co-exist peacefully, how to relate to others in a civil and cultured manner and strive for fairness, impartiality and social grace.

Tarot card of the day is the “2 of Wands”, representing the urge to move on, be bold and daring as well as original and proactive. This card indicates that we have come to a time of decision, where we must decide whether we want to build on what we have or perhaps expand in a new direction. Therefore, it is imperative that we bring forward the patience and focus of our intent and maximize on these opportunities, which are coming our way now. We need to confront the situation head-on, leave familiar grounds behind, step out into a new world and explore our options. Moreover, this card can also refer to the productive meeting of minds, from which partnerships can prosper and be successful.