The Saturn/Pluto Mutual Reception & The NSA Scandal

OuroborosUpon mulling over the tale of Edward Snowden & the NSA, it conjured to my mind the image of an ouroboros – a serpent eating its own tail. I found this quite interesting, as the snake is 1) a symbol of Pluto energy and 2) also another word for traitor. Interesting, and decidedly not coincidental as these two appear to have a mutually parasitic relationship to one another where they do seem to be going around & around in an eternal circle….

The story of the NSA scandal has Saturn/Pluto written all over it on a number of levels. The government (Saturn) reaped the consequences (Saturn) of spying (Pluto) on its citizens w/ Snowden’s exposure (Pluto) of what the NSA has been secretly doing to …Read more….

Mars Stationary Direct: Waiting In The Wings

Image: Degas, "Ballet Dancers In The Wings"
Image: Degas, “Ballet Dancers In The Wings”

 

Something is about to emerge – can you feel it?  Mars has just stationed direct in Libra, and it won’t be long now before a flurry of activity commences.  Watch for developments in relationships & alliances in particular.  But not *quite* yet, as Mars has to warm up his atrophied muscled first before making his grand re-entrance….be patient, but stand at the ready and be alert for the signal.  It’s almost “go time”…..

05/19/2014

Lilith In Leo Shows Her Claws!

In this viral video clip, superstar heroine feline Tara comes to the aid of her “boy” when he’s viciously attacked by a neighbor’s dog that was on the loose.  She springs into action and trounces the marauding canine, sending it packing and giving chase before swiftly turning on her heel to make sure the little boy was OK.

Now what’s the astrology of this event, you ask? Well, both children and kitties are Leo’s domain, and that’s where Black Moon Lilith is right now.  BML is a dark feminine energy, and a real force of nature when provoked. Seeing a “cub” under attack would certainly elicit this kind of fierceness, because when she gets juiced up by Mars (as she is now), she has no qualms about throwing on the war paint and going into battle – it’s on like Donkey Kong!  Mars sometimes gets a bad rap for being aggressive, but at its very best it represents hero energy.  This little kitty was very brave – she had no idea she wasn’t “supposed” to attack a dog that was larger than her.  She simply took split-second action when she saw one of her pride under attack.

Double astro-bonus points? Lion goddess Sekhmet, protector of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, (asteroid #5381) was also joined with Black Moon Lilith at the time of this event.  Maybe this feline was only doing what had been hardwired in her DNA to do on a primal level since ye olden times – protect the young pharaoh!

Tara the housecat is a perfect (or is that purr-fect, LOL?) example of this astro-energy in action – may she long bask in the glory of her newfound Leonine rock star status!

The other thing I like about this event is it can help spur a needed re-balance in the ages old cats-vs-dogs debate.  This isn’t to imply that one is better than the other; however it’s possible a story like this can help level the playing field so people see them more as equals, because there’s nothing BML dislikes more than being considered a lesser/subordinate.  Since Black Moon Lilith represents the outcast (in Leo, it can represent the exiled/disowned feline), perhaps those who have previously counted themselves as cat detractors will start to come around to equalize their position a bit in the wake of this kitty’s daring, defiant actions!  At the very least, I’m sure this event will prove to be a boon for all the shelter cats looking for good homes!

05/15/2014

Setting The Record Straight About Mutual Receptions

With the May 2014 mutual reception between Mars and Venus having just reached a fever pitch on Sunday, I thought this would be a really good time to clear up a prevailing misconception regarding how these astrological events are interpreted.  The recent article I did seems to be getting quite a bit of traffic, and I’ve also had this topic come up in consultation, so it seems this is a topic people are pretty interested in.  Here is the issue we have at hand:

I have to say that I scratch my head whenever hear of blanket statements being issued within the astrological community somewhere along the lines of “mutual receptions are always a good thing”.  This seems to be a fairly pervasive notion, but one I would like to challenge because I don’t think one can (or should) ever issue such a hard-and-fast pronouncement regarding this topic.  My point of view is that each mutual reception must be examined on a case-by-case basis purely on its own merits, because if astrology teaches us one thing, it’s that every astrological energy has a potential dark side.  It’s why there are no “good” or “bad” signs; each is fully capable of a wide range of expression ranging anywhere from Hi-Fi to Lo-Fi.  In my opinion (and experience) neglecting the reality that every astro-energy – including a mutual reception – has a potential shadow only makes it much more likely that it will turn around and bite us in the butt, because then we are not paying attention!  Awareness is our ally; ignorance our enemy – looking at ALL possible manifestations of an energy helps us figure out ways to avoid potholes while actively seeking out ways to create or capitalize on opportunity.  I don’t think this is something, we – as astrologers – should be turning a blind eye to, because it does our clients (and our profession) a disservice.  Mutual receptions should not be handed an automatic pass where they’re exempt from the same kind of scrutiny we give to any other energy in the chart, because to do so would be rather Pollyanna of us.

So let’s talk turkey, shall we?  When we have two planets exchanging energy in a mutual reception, we know this creates a strong resonant interplay between two planets’ energy – they start vibrating at the same frequency, we could say.  And as this vibration increases, it gets LOUDER.  It becomes amplified, almost as if it were one singular sound.  The solo becomes a duet, and as these voices join together they get harder to ignore because the decibel level is cranked up.  If the planets involved in this mutual reception also happen to aspect one another, we could even consider the volume kicked up ANOTHER notch as this third voice is added to make it a trio!  From an interpretation standpoint, it becomes much easier to see the intermingling of these planetary energies when they work cahoots like this because they are making themselves pretty obvious.  Now loud is neither bad nor good; it just is.  Whether or not this sound manifests as harmonious or dissonant to our ears will depend upon who the singers are and whether or not they have a case of laryngitis at show time….and we can determine this by looking at the planets involved to note if they are dignified or debilitated.  Planets that are dignified are like a Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin paring – there’s a significantly higher likelihood that we’re going to like the sound they produce. But debilitated planets? That’s more like an Axl Rose/Cydi Lauper travesty – eeeesh! Oh you’ll get a sound, alright, but it’s gonna take a little work for it to hit the Top 10!

As based upon the work of astrologer Isabel Hickey.
As based upon the work of astrologer Isabel Hickey.

We also have to consider if the energies of the planets in question tend to work well together, or if they’re naturally wired to contradict one another.  Using the Mars-Venus mutual reception that’s in effect during May 2014, Mars and Venus are opposite energies.  They *can* work well together as complimentary opposites and help take some of the edge off one another, but in this case, they’re also BOTH DEBILITATED in the signs they occupy!  Mars is in its detriment in Libra, same with Venus in Aries.  Girly-girl Venus all in pink with her hair & nails done, hanging in Mars The Barbarian’s man-cave while he’s not at home?  Trying to make herself comfortable in such a setting while simultaneously turning her nose up at the stockpile of ramen noodles, the sink full of unwashed dishes, and toilet seat that’s always left up?  She’s definitely a little annoyed about all of this!  And think of Mars (or maybe I should say Conan?) residing in her Palace of Pink, trying desperately not to break all her delicate fine china and having to civilize himself by raising his pinky in the air as he sips tea!  By natural default, I think it’s going to be a challenge for either of these energies to take something positive/beneficial away from this experience, don’t you?  It can be done, but it’s likely to take some work as both energies are *really* out of their element!  In such scenarios, correctly identifying ahead of time the ways in which the combination of these energies can discordantly manifest helps us avoid playing into their shadows while looking for opportunities to manifest the facets of this energy that are going to work best for our specific needs.  The energy is there for us to pull from – ALL sides of it!  The question then becomes “How we will use it?”  We are the co-creators of our own destiny – The Universe may hand us some basic parameters to work within, but knowing what these are leaves us completely free to play the hand we are dealt to maximum advantage!

My hope is those who read what I’ve written above will question the notion that “a mutual reception is always a good thing” – do test that astro-theory out before adopting it as your own to see if it holds water and is actually true in practice.  Because after over 15 years of observing the effects of various mutual receptions in action, I can say with certainty that I’ve seen dark sides to every single one of them, so I urge both novice and pro alike to reconsider their stance on this topic for the sake of increasing the accuracy of our interpretations.  I love this field, and my sole intention in challenging this particular paradigm is to encourage critical thinking & empirical research in a way that will only help to elevate astrology’s credibility within mainstream culture!

05/12/2014

Dealing With Uranus Transits: Part Dos

So we’ve already talked about some of the basic manifestations of Uranian energy – including some of the Lo-Fi expressions of it – here.  But what about the flip?

If you’re dealing w/ a Uranus transit – meaning this planet has come into contact with a planet or angle in your astrological chart – it’s definitely time to start embracing your inner geek! The Hi-Fi expression of this planet’s energy is brilliant, super tech-savvy, and very forward-thinking. It’s a cerebral energy most comfortable operating on the “genius intellectual” level, and because of this, it embraces the label of “eccentric” or “weirdo” without so much as even batting an eye.  After all, let’s face it – aren’t we’re all a little weird somehow?

(Says the practicing astrologer, LOL!) 😉

Besides, life would be bland & uninteresting if everyone was the same! Uranian energy gives us the courage to be different and  march to the beat of our own drum, flying our freak flags proudly – torpedoes be damned! It represents originality, a desire to stand out from the crowd, to embrace things outside of mainstream culture, and to color outside the lines. Uranian energy is anything but cookie-cutter, adoring the odd and unusual; the “B” movies, independent record labels, and of course all things geek-chic & nerd-tastic in the world.BoldlyGo

When dealing with a Uranus transit, we become more inventive and open to experimenting with things/lifestyles/relationships that are different, strange, and novel. There’s also a highly progressive, future-oriented edge to this vibe that can help bust us out of ruts and put us on the fast-track to tomorrow. Uranian energy represents EVOLUTION; it is the process of change and awakening. In order to accomplish this, we must often be prepared to take a quantum leap somewhere in our lives that will put us *far* outside of our individual comfort zones!

The other awesome thing about Uranian energy is that it helps us connect to other like-minded individuals due to its egalitarian nature. With this vibe, we are more likely to appreciate what’s cool & unique about others through developing a friendly, intellectual rapport with them rather than holding the expectation that we should all be homogenous. Uranian energy also teaches us how to de-personalize so that we can work our social networks like a MoFo without the tail wagging the dog – a true Uranian is very good at remaining detached from internet drama, FB dustups, and any situation involving highly keyed emotion. This planet’s energy helps us to stay cool as a cucumber and rational in situations that might ordinarily frazzle others.KeepCalmAndBoldlyGo

I have always admired strongly Uranian individuals – they definitely make life MUCH more interesting and I appreciate the way they think for themselves & are inclined to question the Established Order. There exists the capacity within every Uranian to enact powerful reforms and to be an agent of change – evolution simply would not be possible without their hand. Consider the substantial societal contributions made by Uranians Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, FDR, Jackie Robinson, and Charles Darwin, just to name a few. These are all people who were revolutionary for their time and smack-on the proverbial “cutting edge”.

But even if your astrological chart isn’t hardwired to display these qualities from birth, each of us is handed an opportunity to tap into this energy whenever we deal with Uranus energy by transit (or progression). The natal chart shows us the energies we have available to draw from all our lives – it’s our birthday suit, so to speak. Transits and progressions, however, represent the costume changes where we get to try on the energies of certain planets for the time being, hopefully figuring out during this process how we can play them up to the hilt and use them to maximum advantage.

One suggestion for anyone who finds themselves dealing with this energy is to tap into this juice by finding a muse who embodies the facets of this vibe you would strive to emulate. If it’s genius scientist, Darwin might be your man. If it’s the will to fly in the face of inequity, Rosa parks just might be your gal. If it’s the spirit of a luminary tech-savvy inventor you want to embody, how about Thomas Alva Edison? You get the picture – figure out who your Huckleberry is and roll with it to get some positive inspiration!

05/05/2014