Category: Current Astrology

Pluto In Capricorn Transits, Part 4

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ Leave a comment

Get caught up on this topic with the other installments in this series:
Pluto In Capricorn Transits, Part 1
Pluto In Capricorn Transits, Part 2
Pluto In Capricorn Transits, Part 3

Continuing our contemplation of Pluto in Capricorn transits, there is yet another invaluable angle to consider if this body contacts a planet or point in our personal astrological chart.  In addition to being deeply interior, Plutonic energies also represent a kind of breaking down process so that healthy renewal might take place.  When we pause to reflect upon Capricorn’s association with protection and defenses, we see how this energy can relate to the beneficial destruction of psychological  walls, barriers, etc. that we may have knowingly or unconsciously put up to keep people at a safe distance.  I will explain –

Whenever we endure some kind of trauma or negative experience in life, sometimes it’s possible to harden over and develop this self-protective “crust”.  The psyche develops this shell to function like shield or armor; to guard us from something that on some level may have seemed to threaten our very existence.  While originally intended as a sort fail-safe mechanism to limit the level of devastation we experience, sometimes the perimeter wall becomes a bit extreme, as in a “No trespassing: Intruders will be shot” kind of thing. What once triggered a “normal” survival instinct actually becomes pathological, where we become afraid of real intimacy.

I believe one function of transiting Pluto in Capricorn touching a natal planet or point may be to show us how this kind of exoskeleton is obsolete; that a transit from Pluto in Capricorn can actually illuminate any kind of PTSD-like response so that we can learn to control it and let time and experience serve as a guide in determining when and with whom it’s safe to drop our defenses a bit and expose what we would otherwise be inclined to keep hidden under lock & key.  It’s about learning to parse “normal” survival instincts that serve a legitimate function and that keep us safe from the ones that have – through no particular fault of our own – become twisted.

There is always strong resurrection potential whenever we are dealing with Pluto energy.  But first we have to be willing to burn off all the dross….

05/02/2016

In Honor Of Mars Rx…

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The 8 of Swords, reversed:

Image courtesy of the Robin Wood Tarot.
Image courtesy of the Robin Wood Tarot.

“She wasn’t looking for a knight; she was looking for a sword.”  – @AtticusPoetry

In tarot, the 8 of Swords upright is the traditional “damsel in distress” card. Here we see a woman bound and ostensibly waiting for some handsome, heroic, knightly Mars figure to come rushing to her rescue. When the card becomes inverted (Rx), however, it’s a bit of a different story. Instead, she uses the edge of the sword (intellect) to which she was tied to cut her bonds free – what she had really been a prisoner of was her own mind!  But by whittling away at a stuck situation little by little (mentally and/or physically), she was able to emancipate herself and rip the blindfold off that prevented her from seeing the way out of her predicament.

The moral of this story: With Mars stationing retrograde in Sagittarius, if you are feeling stuck try shifting your perspective to one of being your OWN hero. It may take some time and you may have to slay a few dragons or “demons” (within or without) on the way with this planet parked near Fixed Star Antares, but nothing is impossible if you harness the abundant Martial might this placement can offer.

04/16/2016

Mutable Madness: “Mobilis In Mobili”

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Mutable Madness: A motto for the incoming astrology of May & June.
A motto for May & June’s Mutable Madness.

We have some Mutable Madness on the way with another round of Jupiter in Virgo squaring Saturn in Sagittarius during late May and then version 2.0 of the Saturn/Neptune Square hitting in mid June.  When considering the incoming astro, “Mobilis in mobili” popped into my mind – it’s a latin phrase that means “moving around within the moving thing” and I thought it absolutely perfect for describing the flavor of the approaching vibe!  From this we can get the sense of movement; of things being in a state of flux, and can take away a sense that flexibility and being able to juggle multiple balls in the air at once is going to be a requirement for the task(s) at hand.  People with placements between 11-15 degrees of any of the Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) should pay extra attention, as they are going to find themselves plugged into this energy quite directly.

The strength AND weakness of all this Mutable Madness lies in its adaptability – on one hand when we find ourselves dealing with delays/impediments/obstacles, it certainly behooves us to see if there is an “alternate route” available to us. On the other, though, we do have to be *very* careful not to diffuse our energies with too much vacillation under such a “scattered” vibe.  Mutable energy always creates a tendency to bob and weave, however it’s entirely possible that in doing so we may find ourselves pulled in too many different directions at once and/or generally lacking in beneficial continuity.  Know that diversification can be an asset or a liability depending on how we work it under this astrology – the key is awareness.

Although this energy peaks from late May through mid June, all the players involved are already within proximity so this influence officially builds from hereon out. We can prep for this period by minimizing any/all unnecessary distractions ahead of time and relieving ourselves of excessive/extraneous duties or burdens in order to maximize focus and productivity, because if it feels like something is too much work NOW, just wait until this Mutable Madness *really* gets into full swing…!  If we’ve bitten off more than we can chew the approaching astro will definitely let us know it, so it is important to let go of what we can lest we find ourselves overwhelmed by inconsequentials  and/or driven to distraction.

04/11/2016

Mars Conjunct Saturn In Sadge: Punching Above Your Weight

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Warrior planet Mars has been traversing Sagittarius since early March, but it is only now that we find The Red Planet coming within proximity to a conjunction with hefty Saturn, almost as if it were getting ready for some kind of huge and highly-publicized title fight. Though Mars retreats from this confrontation due his impending retrograde (which begins on April 17th) and this conjunction won’t get a chance to perfect until August, I keep seeing this duo factoring prominently in consultation lately and it has been calling to mind the concept of “punching above your weight” – let me explain…

In Traditional astrology, Mars & Saturn are considered malefics; i.e. generally speaking wherever these guys go in the chart, Trouble tends to follow. It’s not as if they are without their positive facets; it’s just that – as a first order – what you are inclined to get is conflict (Mars) and adversity (Saturn). Can these be overcome? Absolutely. But I think when these two celestial bodies join together to form an astrological Tag Team of Tribulation, it is only good sense to be on the lookout for problematic manifestations.

When I see this duo expressing their energies within the confines of a specific house or concentrating their energies upon a certain planet, I feel there is a real possibility of finding ourselves at some kind of competitive disadvantage in that area of life. For example, we may literally be going up against a stronger opponent; someone with a better reputation, more status, authority, or general clout. This isn’t meant to inspire fear; rather to instill an appropriate level of respect for the challenges we may be up against in a given area of life – particularly if we find ourselves outranked/outclassed in some way. So before initiating some kind of conflict (especially a legal one with both malefics in litigious Sadge) that could blow up and carry big consequences, I think it’s important to pause and check the ego. Because when Mars occupies this sign, the default inclination may be to operate from a place of moralistic “right fighting”. It is certainly one thing to fight for Justice and/or Truth, but it’s quite another to identify the ego so strongly with the principle of being “right” that we fail to see the warning signs that advise “Danger Ahead”.

Remember Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out for the NES back in the day? Playing this dude named Little Mac & invariably getting your ass kicked the first time you went up against old Iron Mike? Yeah, that.

Mars combining with Saturn can so often lend itself to an “Enforcer” type of vibe, and especially if we find ourselves placing our perception of Truth up against someone else’s, this can indeed be a recipe for Trouble when righteousness runs amok. We may get so focused upon what someone else is doing “wrong” that we could lose sight of our own behavior (and thus the broader ramifications that may come of this) in the process. This isn’t a time to let a beef become something bigger than it needs to be – ideally, we manage it at an optimally appropriate level whenever possible. If for some reason these containment measures aren’t enough and we wind up legitimately needing to escalate it, we do so gradually and with a full understanding of the totality of what we’re up against.

Pausing to show beneficial self-restraint while considering the big-picture perspective of whether or not – in the Grand Scheme of Things – this is a philosophical hill worth metaphorically dying upon can help us avoid bigger problems down the road….I’m thinking potential scenarios that could entail damage to things like our reputation or bigger long-term career prospects, for example. Because this to me looks like it can have all the makings of a public and high-profile fight of some kind….perhaps one of biblical proportions, even. It’s not that David can’t overcome Goliath; it’s just that before we find ourselves in a “punching above our weight” kind of scenario, it’s prudent to take a step back and consider whether we really want a conflict to become a potentially defining moment/event in our lives. If this is indeed something we must do, then preparation and timing will be key – train hard and make sure to land a solid hit at the most opportune moment possible. A sling may also help. 😉

Be advised the energy of this conjunction will be loosely in effect throughout April, but it returns for a rematch in August which will be the true Main Event.

04/01/2016

The Libra Lunar Eclipse

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ 2 Comments

Today’s lunar eclipse in Libra definitely has our feelings about relationships taking center stage! Libra is the sign of partnership after all, and when I take into account Venus – the ruler of this eclipse – being rather prone to mooning over lost unions during its current tour of Pisces, I’ve been getting a wicked “White Flag” vibe off this lunation.

“But I will go down with this ship;
And I won’t put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I’m in love
And always will be.

And when we meet
Which I’m sure we will
All that was there
Will be there still
I’ll let it pass
And hold my tongue
And you will think
That I’ve moved on….”

As of this post’s publication, Venus has been conjunct Neptune for several days now, which has definitely heightened the inclination to pine for Love; possibly to even become a martyr to it.  These two planets are parting – perhaps with a bit of sweet sorrow – as we speak, but the vibe of this eclipse will be a slow one to dissipate while Venus moves toward the South Node and then Chiron over the next week or so.  What we don’t want to do, then, is take a cue from Dido and go down with the ship!

I think whenever we have truly loved someone, it can be hard to release the ideal of “Happily Ever After”. But Love is not a fairy tale, and so the dream can fade as partners go their separate ways. I believe it is important – when this happens – to honor the love that was there, yet to also recognize when a connection no longer has relevance in our lives.  It is sad, yes, but to sentimentally insist we will always be *in love* with someone discounts the possibility they served a spiritual purpose in our lives for the time they were in it and the connection was meant to be ephemeral.  If we cling to the past like this instead of blessing and releasing, how will we ever move forward and come to fall in love with Another in the future?

I propose that if we find ourselves reflecting upon a past partner at this time and wanting to reach out to them, we also need to be careful of our motivation for doing so.  It’s one thing if we feel as if we need to apologize for causing someone pain, but we should be aware this often isn’t experienced as helpful or healing to the other party involved and that what we may really looking for is absolution for ourselves.

Reflecting upon my own past loves, I can say that when I’ve been able to look at my past Self via the mirror of relationship and felt I’ve had something to apologize for,  I’ve never been shy about doing so.  But I’ve also never sought out an ex expressly for this purpose, either – fate simply intervened and brought us back into contact again, though only for the sake of expressing our mutual regrets and then releasing the attachment for good….a true case of “touch and go”.  I do think I will probably always love anyone that I’ve ever genuinely been in love with to a degree, but it is a very different feeling to me than actually still being *in love* with them.  I harbor the kind of vague, dormant affection one might for an old friend that hasn’t been seen in many years.  You acknowledge the history and love what they represented to you at one point in your life, but you also don’t linger in the past.  And with this Libra Eclipse infused with energy from the Aries Sun & Mercury plus its contact to Mars, it is all about living in The Now and being ready to embrace The New.  So if you catch yourself humming “White Flag” whilst pondering an ex, surrender the attachment as best you can.  Give it up to God/Goddess/The Universe.  And trust that if there were loose ends meant to be tied up, that you won’t have to go seeking him or her – Divinity will intervene to ensure that your paths cross again one day…


03/23/2016

Venus In Pisces: A Sweet Surrender

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Venus recently dipped into the sign of its exaltation – Pisces – this past weekend, infusing the current astro with some rather dulcet tones. Her siren song calls out, begging us for escape and for sweet surrender to the principle of Love. Love becomes a transcendental force when Venus resides here; representing a soul-union on the spiritual plane that transcends all reason, bounds, rules, classes, colors, and backgrounds. Venus in Pisces is the quintessential fairytale romance; the kind of idealized union we find in dreams or fantasize about. And it IS rather intoxicating, as it certainly does feel wonderful to simply let go & release into the heart swells as we float in an infinite ocean of Love. If nothing else, its warm embrace can certainly provide a beautiful – if temporary – respite.

SirenSong
“The Siren” by John William Waterhouse

As pleasant as all of this is, however, it can absolutely wind up being a siren song in so many ways if we weigh anchor and allow ourselves to get entirely swept away. Love may also make us blind under this influence…we tend to ignore red flags, gloss over faults, and put partners upon precariously high pedestals under this vibe. We can also pine for a union that’s not to be, or find ourselves so disillusioned with a present relationship situation that we check out and fantasize or try to drown our sorrows in a bottle rather than deal with problems head-on. This energy can involve themes of suffering and sacrifice as well…it may simply mean we have to give up a lot on the material plane for the love we so yearn for; the princess or prince becoming a pauper in order to be with their Beloved. Or we may become so trusting that we give our compassion, love, and/or money away to someone who isn’t worth it….a liar, a bum, an addict, a cheat, or a deadbeat, for example.

These cautions are mentioned because the more problematic expressions of Venus in Pisces may surface shortly as this planet finds itself approaching Neptune while engaged in a contentious T-square with Jupiter in Virgo & Saturn in Sagittarius between March 20-25. There are so many potential ways this can manifest, but one core takeaway involves this magical, courtly sort of love beset by Reality (Saturn) and Truth (Jupiter). It becomes essential to understand there can be a wide variance regarding our philosophical stance about Love at this time, and that it can run the gamut from idealism, to healthy optimism, to beneficial pragmatism, to excessive criticism, to pessimism….sometimes all happening at the same time. Jupiter in Virgo + Saturn in Sagittarius may threaten to poke holes in these romantic dreams; to deflate the insular little bubble we may have otherwise surrounded ourselves with via tuning out and failing to take an honest and perhaps hard look at the very real imperfections contained therein. We can swing from hopeless romanticism to overblown criticism easily in the blink of an eye in cases where the reality check that is delivered happens to be excessively harsh; potentially causing that dream love to come undone and dissolve entirely.

But does it have to come to this? With Venus so well-placed in Pisces, I am hard-pressed to say “yes”…I propose instead that what we really need is a good anchor, and we do get that with Saturn’s involvement. We need to slow it down for our own benefit; to bring ourselves back to Earth gradually where we look honestly at the flaws and faults regarding a romantic ideal to hopefully arrive at what I will call an optimistic state of realism. Can we take what we may now understand to be a castle in the air and work with it, without throwing the proverbial baby out with the bath water? Make it more substantial by shoring up any weakness in that vision, even if it takes an abundance of time & effort?

Personally, I do think it can be done, but then I am somewhat of a romantic at heart….  😉   ❤


03/17/2016

Jupiter Trine Pluto: Auspicious Omens

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ 4 Comments

There’s something in the air during March & June…or perhaps more precisely, the Earth. Earth Element, that is – Jupiter in Virgo and Pluto in Capricorn form a trine during these two months, and some auspicious omens may appear to us during these times.

LaughingBuddhaAt first they may seem small…trivial, even. Small enough to miss if we were to take each one out of context and look at it on its own. But they will also be bountiful – we’re going to get so many of them that if we back up and take it all in, it will coalesce into something huge we can’t miss. Jupiter in Virgo is like pointillism – if we stand too close, we only see the tiny dots and so don’t think much of it. But if we get some distance (read:perspective), we can see how all the minor details actually come together to make this grand picture. So what is “insignificant” under this energy, really? Nothing, because when we put all the little pieces together and connect the dots, The Sign becomes concrete. It’s regarding a major renovation/upgrade somewhere in our life…perhaps something health/wealth/work-related since we do have the Earth signs involved. If you have a planet or point in your chart situated between 14-20 degrees of Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn, do pay particular attention…

03/10/2016

The Quotable Mars in Scorpio, Right On Cue

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Speaking of “inner demons” and “Seven Deadly Sins” –

“You sharpen the human appetite to the point where it can split atoms with its desire” – Al Pacino in “The Devil’s Advocate”

If that’s not a quote for Mars in Scorpio, I’m not sure what is…! In my last post I did say that desire trumps all with this placement, did I not? In a freakish turn of events, I had set that post to automatically publish late in the evening and as it did so I happened to find “The Devil’s Advocate” on TV. Hmmm…interesting, right? I am not usually a night owl, but the timing of this was way too compelling so I sat down to watch the movie and I’m glad I did because that’s when the above line jumped out at me. That whole MOVIE is very Mars in Scorpio/Mars on Antares if you ask me…we even see the Mars in Sagittarius component alive and well by virtue of the fact the main characters are aaaaaallll lawyers and Sadge has strong ties to the judicial system. When the movie ended, I was even further taken aback by the fact that the next movie on the docket immediately following this happened to be “Seven”, as in the previous post’s mention of the “Seven Deadly Sins”..! Intrigued by the “coincidence” – which I knew straight away was no coincidence – on a hunch I decided to pull a chart for the time my post was published and I began watching the movie. Wouldn’t you know, Mars in Scorpio Rising?

Does the Astrology imitate Art or does Art imitate the Astrology? Six of one, half a dozen of the other – I think it’s pretty cool either way….

02/20/2016

Mars Mojo Risin’!

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Well, THIS is certainly going to be interesting with Mars more or less remaining in Scorpio through August due its impending April retrograde! Mars typically spends circa 2 months in a sign, but when it retrogrades (which is about every 2 years) its tour of duty in a given area of the zodiac is extended.

For reference, The Red Planet first entered Scorpio back in early January…perhaps you felt this energy shift; the relentless intensity driving things below the surface. Something is brewing, and although we may sense all the action being pushed to the back burner for the time being with Mars making ready to backtrack in fairly short order, we might think of it instead as simply pausing for just the right opportunity to strike. It’s all very “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” to me….So how do we know when to act – when to pull the trigger on something – when we have a pre-retrograde Mars lingering in Scorpio? It’s easy – you wait for The Sign.  The one that hits you in the face. Nobody loves an omen quite like Scorpio, so rest assured that when it is indeed “go time”, there will most definitely be a sign that only YOUR eyes can see!

There is an undercurrent of restlessness for the next few months with Mars traveling back and forth between Scorpio and Sagittarius – the Will may be aligned and the intention may be set regarding a given course of action, but the execution may be prematurely put on hold once this planet enters Sagittarius and then subsequently finds itself parked at its retrograde station before it has to throw it into reverse. While Mars is indeed powerful in Scorpio precisely because it has a sense that things truly are “do or die”, it exits this sign at reduced speed and then finds itself in proximity to Saturn as it grinds to a halt on April 17th, so it doesn’t get to leave the gate quite the way it should and we may have to hold our horses for the time being.

What might the esoteric reason for this be, though? I will tell you a little secret – when Mars is in Scorpio, desire trumps all but it is secretive; hidden from view. An all-consuming passion may percolate within, perhaps one that can even manifest “Seven Deadly Sins” style if left unchecked. Mars in Scorpio is compulsive; but this becomes exacerbated by the fact that when it leaves this sign and halts motion in Sagittarius, it will do so on Antares, the Heart of the Scorpion. There exists the capacity for some kind of powerful, detrimental modus operandi underpinning our actions with Mars on this star…this is also a very rash “going where angels fear to tread” sort of energy, and for this reason I say we may be held back because there could well be some psychological confrontation that must be done; some kind of inner demon(s) to be illuminated and vanquished.

Mars is the Hero archetype – because it spends such a long time in Scorpio, this is prime time for taking that brave energy and applying it to our own psyche; to be pushing our skeletons out of the closet and confronting any of our own “shadow” behavior square in the face.

Sounds fun, right?   😛

A surefire marker that we are indeed doing the Hi-Fi side of this energy is squirming uncomfortably from time to time during this undertaking. But this won’t stop us from emerging victorious and thus relishing a tremendous sense of personal empowerment when it’s all said and done. For this reason,  I think our specific “weapon of choice” during this time may well be the therapeutic process…it might be an ideal time to start (or re-start) counseling; perhaps even going so far as to proactively frontload in preparation some major life transition we sense ahead on the horizon. It could involve facing themes of loss/devastation/trauma; especially if there is anything preventing us from going into a “dark” place in our subconscious. It could also certainly entail combating some sort of vice or character defect that we may have previously recoiled from because we thought it too “ugly” to meet head-on. It’s also worth noting that with Scorpio energy, it is not uncommon to feel as if we might be gazing into some kind of Abyss that could threaten to swallow us whole; where we become afraid to turn on the flashlight on the chance that it may reveal something horrifying. But what if that menacing shadow isn’t quite what we think it is and it is only our wiliness to continue to allow this darkness to fester in secret that turns whatever it is into the Big Bad Boogeyman?  It is time to stop hiding under the covers; time to address anything that would leave us psychologically castrated and powerless….it is time to take our mojo back!

02/19/2016

Even Sports Teams Are Affected By Astrology

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I found this to be a REALLY interesting depiction of the current astrology…American football fans have recently been dealing with the proposed relocation of several teams due the National Football League’s (NFL’s) concern that the stadium facilities for said teams were inadequate/outdated. While plans were submitted for renovation á la Pluto in Capricorn, despite this it ultimately looks as if the St. Louis Rams (hello, Aries!) and the San Diego Chargers – known affectionately as “The Bolts” for their electric, lightning-bolt insignia (hello, Uranus!) are going to relocate to Los Angeles, California.

Why is this astrologically significant? Because when news of this first hit during mid January 2016, Pluto in Capricorn & Uranus in Aries were squaring each other pretty hardcore.  One better? Black Moon Lilith in companionship-oriented Libra was added to this mix as well, traveling opposite Uranus in Aries (that would be the Rams and the Chargers) and squaring those Pluto in Capricorn renovation plans, so it is rather fitting that these two teams would find themselves “together in exile” from their cities over degraded, sub-par stadium standards (Pluto in Capricorn) since BML symbolizes the (voluntary or involuntary) “Outcast”.

It’s funny, weird, and cool to see the astrology in play so plainly regarding such an ordinary thing; as if these sports teams were somehow literal “avatars” for the astrological energies in  play, LOL!

ChargersRams

02/02/2016