Pluto Calling!

LOL, if you change up the lyrics a bit, this song is actually totally apropos for Mercury square Pluto, which is exact as I post.

Pluto has been calling me quite a bit lately, actually – I’ve had many Platinum Plutonians emerging from the woodwork and getting in touch in recent months. Most recently, it was a Scorpio girlfriend from 20 years ago texting me from out of the clear blue sky. Now I am a Plutonian as well, and usually when contact between myself and another dies off, I tend to just leave it wherever it lies and am not prone to reconnecting with people once the line has gone silent for whatever reason. But she has always been an exception to this general rule and I have thought of her fondly over the years – we were separated when she moved halfway across the country and lost touch during the tumultuous upheaval that was my youth…somewhere during my many changes of residence, I had lost her contact info. We were mutually jazzed to reconnect with one another and spent some time chatting on the phone and catching up – she is actually living in (of all places!) Sin City – I can’t think of a more hilariously apt locale for Scorpio!

I’ve also re-established contact with a Moon-Pluto woman whom I’ve always seen as sort of a surrogate mother figure. Tragically, she lost her home in a fire earlier this year…she had no idea she was a Moon conjunct Pluto gal, and yet for some reason has been inexplicably (well, unless you know astrology, LOL) drawn to Phoenix symbols to adorn her home, which is in the process of being rebuilt from the ashes as we speak (better than ever)! Truly, the stories she has about this are freakishly cool – I will save them for another time as this makes a very interesting astro-post all on its own.

There have been at least a half dozen instances of Plutonians connecting or re-connecting with me since this Pluto transit of mine kicked in. I do love & appreciate the higher-flying versions of this breed and have said for eons there is always room for another at my table. I don’t voluntarily orbit in the company of the Lo-Fi variants, though, and have theorized it might be because I scare them off…a bright light in a room will tend to send all the cockroaches scuttling for cover, LOL!

I do love and appreciate good Plutonians, though….they are a rarer breed by nature because Pluto energy can so easily corrupt, but there is none better than a Hi-Fi Plutonian ally. It would seem life appears to be sending them my way in droves and when you’re right in the midst of a major Pluto transit, lemme tell ya, there is no one else you would want supporting you! It’s a bit of funny role reversal for me as I have spent decades of my life always being the go-to (Plutonian) person for others during times of crisis and loss; the proverbial Ferryman across the river Styx shepherding lost souls through major transition.  Now I am on the receiving end.

BatSignalPerhaps since I spent so many years as an agent in his service, Pluto felt some small recompense was due and decided to bust out the Bat Signal on my behalf; psychically or subliminally communicating with his minions and giving them the impetus get in touch with me en masse. Regardless if this was the case or not, they have all proved to be invaluable resources for which I am very grateful. On a personal growth level, one other thing I can say is these contacts have all allowed me to strip away a protective shell of guardedness so people can communicate with and meet me at deeper, more authentic level, and I truly do treasure this. So if your BatPhone starts ringing off the hook, definitely don’t be afraid to pick it up and see if it’s Pluto calling….

09/09/2015

Venus/Pluto Word Of The Day

Let’s have a little fun as a retrograding Venus in Leo contacts Pluto, shall we? For your entertainment, the definition of a Plutonic term from my own personal lexicon –

Necromance (n.):

1) A Lo-Fi expression of Venus/Pluto energy that results in a love affair with (metaphorical) Dead Things, including but not limited to:

A) romantic liaisons that have long past their expiration dates but that are permitted to linger on in some half-dead state due to an unwillingness to let go, stick a fork in it, and call it “done”.

OR

B) relationships that have long ago ended but that have, for some ungodly reason, been resurrected when they should have just been allowed to Rest In Peace.

Indulging a necromance can lead to necrophilia; a.k.a. the (possibly renewed) consummation of a sexual relationship with an Undead Party when one would be much better off …Read More…

Saturn In Sagittarius Square Neptune In Pisces

This is a perfect little clip for the impending squares between Saturn in Sagittarius & Neptune in Pisces, the first hit of which will be happening in late November 2015. Do watch, because it will give you a pretty good feel for the contrast we have going on with these two astrological energies.

Note the clock (Saturn) sternly tolling in the middle of the segment, LOL…

So what have we learned from Cinderella and how does this apply to the astrology of the Saturn/Neptune squares of 2015 – 2016? I think the first theme of these squares center around the notion of staying strong in your belief and protecting your faith in your dreams, even when this is being challenged. With Saturn, a delay or obstacle shouldn’t be misconstrued as a denial – difficulty is NOT an indicator to throw our hands in the air and just give up! In reality, while I would indeed add a proviso onto the premise that if we just “keep on believing, a dream that [we] wish will come true” and state that we’re also going to need a hefty tub of Elbow Grease (work) to make it happen, the core takeaway is to protect our vision; whether it be personal OR vocational. And incidentally it IS worth noting how I did mention elsewhere that I do see this square as a potential indicator of professional disillusionment and a subsequent quest for meaningful vocation; particularly for two groups of people – those born circa ’86 who are just now experiencing their first Saturn Return & the ’72 – early ‘76 vintage who have Neptune in the early-mid degrees of Sagittarius and are contending with a simultaneous Neptune Square. Though we are all dealing with this to a greater or lesser extent over the next year+ depending upon which planets or points in our individual charts are being impacted, these specific age brackets are especially sensitized as a whole.

But I digress…my point is a challenge in manifesting our dream should be thought of as a philosophical test to hammer out how we might perhaps be seeing things the wrong way; where our well-intentioned implementation or execution of that vision is for some reason askew and thus cannot yield the results we wish to achieve if we were to leave it as-is. We may need a better, more supportive framework to protect that dream and make sure it will stand the test of time rather than allow it to be gradually eroded away via negligence like a sandcastle completely bereft of a seawall left standing at the water’s edge when the tide is coming in. When we seem to hit a wall, we must utilize a certain degree of intuitive wisdom to sense how to keep things fluid and able to adapt to shifting conditions while also recognizing the necessity of having a safe and sturdy container (a form) to hold that dream so it doesn’t wind up slowly seeping out and disappearing into the ground beneath our feet.

For this reason, I am equating the energy of Saturn in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces with the concept of  imagineering a better system – the difficulties we encounter may just be a prompting from The Universe that we need to go about things another way if we’re looking to turn that dream into a reality; perhaps by adjusting our plan, methodology, etc. for optimum functionality. During these squares we simultaneously have to learn how to flow/float while keeping ourselves tied off to a beneficial anchoring structure/framework of some kind…an interesting proposition for sure! It’s a bit like cave diving – even the most skilled divers know it’s easy to lose your way underwater if you don’t have a literal guideline to follow. Vision can be totally obscured by silt, the current can shift and carry you away….the point is drifting is not advised! So whether we are attempting to manifest a vision that is personal or professional during this square (which will run more or less continuously from late 2015 – late 2016), it is certainly good to keep this in mind.

With this test – as is usually the case with anything Saturn-related – if we don’t throw in the towel and give up when we encounter hardship, our persistence is usually rewarded 9 times out of 10. I say “usually” because if there IS a firm and repeated spiritual “no” involved w/ Saturn in Sagittarius, we can absolutely be sure it is for our own good – maybe Divinity has something better in mind that we just can’t see with our narrow focus. Maybe that dream we so badly want to come true is actually too confining for us…perhaps our imagination had certain limits we weren’t aware of and so we couldn’t dream what else might be possible due to certain contextual limitations. We could be blind, for example, to how the realization of that fantasy could actually somewhere down the line potentially restrict opportunities or stunt growth.

The point is, we may lack the capacity to understand the spiritual reason or lesson at the time, but I assure you that it IS there! I believe in the wisdom of The Universe and trust it fully, and I don’t think as mere mortals we can ever possibly pretend to know what the Divine Design is, exactly, because this would take all of the magic out of life. So if we work hard to realize a dream during the squares between Saturn in Sagittarius and Neptune in Pisces, making many sacrifices only to have it not to come true, we must at least stay strong in the belief that The Universe knows what it’s doing. Sometimes the “no” is because life has something better in store for us at a later date; something beyond the bounds of our current level of understanding that will become clear to us possibly years later. The blessing about having Saturn involved with Neptune is that our life lessons tend to be delivered with an infinite amount of mercy and compassion, even if there is a delay in the realization of this fact ❤

FootprintsInTheSand

08/26/2015

Astro-Soundbite Du Jour

LOL, I was chatting with my yoga teacher last night when she related a funny little story to me.  One of her other jobs is to run wilderness hiking tours at a prestigious local inn..she had this husband and wife couple wanting to do a scenic hike, and the amusing thing was the husband *insisted* on leading this excursion despite her being there.  She smiled to herself and decided it was No Big Deal…she’d just let him do his thing and see what happened.  Needless to say, she had a good internal chuckle as he then proceeded to get them very lost despite having the aid of a map, LOL.  She wasn’t lost, of course – she knew these woods like the back of her hand.  But he grew increasingly distressed as it became glaringly apparent to all that they were nowhere near the supposed landmarks he was looking for, insisting “But the map SAYS…!”  – umm, newsflash, dude: It helps if you hold the map the right way!  😛

This is what happens when …Read More…

Venus Conjunct Jupiter In Leo Humor….

VenusInLeoFLattery

LOL, nobody loves to be flattered quite like The King….except for maybe a Queenly Venus in Leo amped up by a conjunction to Jupiter!  😛   😀

But with Venus retrograde, on a more serious note mere plastic praises are not enough and a litmus-test square to Saturn does suggest making sure it’s REAL and not just a bunch of ingratiating BS!  Also? Don’t be the girl depicted in the cartoon above!  That same square to Saturn may indicate there’s some psychological work required, perhaps because self-worth might be lacking.  And it *is* possible to overcompensate for a sense of inadequacy via an excessive focus on the approbation of others.  So funk dat noise – keep in mind how last month’s newsletter mentioned that it is more important we learn how to self-validate with Venus Rx!

08/04/2014

Saturn Turns Direct!

LOL, in the animal kingdom, tortoises are a perfect representation of Saturn energy: slow-moving, covered in armor, and long-lived!

Just a little reminder that Saturn stations (turns) direct today, while in an almost exact square to Jupiter & Venus in Leo, no less! This may present a last chance for us to shut the door on energy-sink situations, relationships, or commitments – especially those with an overabundance of drama. Time is up and the train’s about to leave the station for good, as Saturn is departing for Sagittarius and won’t return to Scorpio for roughly another 26 years….that’s a loooong time to wait if you’re (literally and figuratively) stuck at the station.

08/02/2015

Venus & Jupiter In Leo Square Saturn In Scorpio

What an astrological clash we have going these next few days! On one hand we have this fun & fiery, creatively expanding, heart-opening, confidence-boosting, life-affirming, growth-oriented relationship potential that seems to carry a surplus of abundance and joy – Venus and Jupiter are the Lesser & Greater Benefics, respectively, and when they join with one another our blessings tend overflow on an astrological level. But this duo squares an intensely “all business” Saturn in Scorpio, threatening to dampen the festivities.

There are two big keynotes that tend to stand out to me regarding Saturn in Scorpio; these are the concepts of “psychological blockages” and also “obstacles to intimacy”. There seems to be some kind of hesitation in going deeper….could we perhaps be protecting ourselves with some kind of mask or cloaking device; harboring a growth-limiting fear of being physically, emotionally, or psychologically “naked” in relationships? Saturn in Scorpio can be a definite fear of exposure, one that may stem from the experience of an old and possibly unresolved trauma similar to the saying “once bitten, twice shy”. But something does seem to be getting in the way in relationships; perhaps a psychological obstacle where we may need to get a handle on some internal demons. I sense a huge potential self-love issue here with Venus currently retrograding in Leo next to Jupiter, and Venus/Saturn squares do tend to point to possible issues regarding self-worth. The impetus for this post actually arose because I awoke the other morning with this song inexplicably in my mind, and if you’re familiar with the lyrics at all you’ll definitely see how it parallels the astro in some ways:

Many a time have I seen a Venus/Saturn individual settle for meager crumbs in a relationship because on some deep and internalized level they felt like that was all they were worth. Often this stems from some kind of lack, as the parental model may have been inclined to be one where affection was scarce. And since we *are* currently dealing with Saturn in Scorpio, I think it behooves us to examine the attitudes or beliefs about love we may have inherited from our parents, because they may be quite outdated and getting in the way of all this Venus/Jupiter bounty. See, the Venus/Saturn inclination may be to believe this opportunity standing right in front of its eyes is too good, so it approaches with caution and suspicion; insisting such love is only the kind found in childrens’ storybooks and can’t be real. How wrong Venus/Saturn would be, though, in that assessment – the goods *are* there; abundantly so. In true Jupiter square Saturn fashion, it may be our perspective that’s all wrong, where we are limited by the darkness instead of looking to the light. So what is the internal subtext getting in the way here, and what are we wiling to work on and through so that we might claim the blessings Venus & Jupiter have to offer that we are indeed so deserving of?

“Oh, so just let me try
And I will be good to you
Just let me try
And I will be there for you
I’ll show you why
You’re so much more than good enough…”

Lastly, it’s worth mentioning – with a trine between Mars in Cancer and Saturn in Scorpio also going at the same time – this is not the time to hold our feelings in and it absolutely IS a time to confront the effects of the past upon the present. I see this as potentially being an emotional clot-buster of an influence, especially when we take into account the Moon also hitting Aries during the height of this square (August 4th & 5th) and thus amping up Mars via mutual reception. Mars is in its fall in Cancer, and there can be a strong predisposition to have all these competing feelings eddying around within and vying for dominance as our desires wax and wane. But the internal conflict that can surface during this square may just be enough to get us to act on our feelings and push us through any psychological walls that have prevented intimacy. So confront those feelings head-on, because facing our fears and/or inhibitions pays off with Mars/Saturn contacts. Take a calculated risk in being forward about how you feel, even…because emotional bravery may well be rewarded.

07/31/2015

Venus In Virgo: It’s Just A Little Crush….

I was discussing retrograding Venus-in-Virgo squaring Saturn-in-Scorpio matters of the heart with a girlfriend last night when I found myself trying to put things into perspective for her by dispensing the advice not to take things too seriously re: her current love interest. It was then, of course, the imaginary juke box in my head decided to fire up with this little ditty, LOL – it’s a sort pop-y one-hit wonder from circa the late 90’s, so don’t be surprised if you’ve never heard it before:

How perfect for the current astro! She was overanalyzing things (again) and getting way ahead of herself about where the relationship was/wasn’t going, so I kind of had to pull a “full stop” on her and jam on the brakes a bit, LOL. You may recall back at the beginning of the year that I outlined in my newsletter how the outset of this retrograde has the ability to cause us to re-evaluate relationships with a more critical eye, and that while healthy discernment does play a role in keeping us safe from any proverbial Trojan Horses, the old saying about “looking a gift horse in the mouth” does come to mind.

So why make more out of it (meaning, a relationship) than it is by turning it into A Big Deal? Not necessarily in the sense of getting more of a commitment out of a partner by defining dealbreakers or through requiring a more serious level of intimacy (though that’s certainly possible under this astro), but why not practice just being in the moment and appreciating a relationship for what it is in the now rather than …Read More…

Tips For Venus In Virgo Season

Arguable proof that all we really need to know we learned in kindergarten, LOL!
Arguable proof that all we really need to know we learned in kindergarten, LOL!

I thought it apropos to do a post on the topic of etiquette since it’s a subject that seems to be surfacing quite a bit lately with Venus in Virgo squaring Saturn. Venus is Ms. Manners and naturally favors consideration for others; being that she’s quite health-conscious in the sign of The Virgin, her current square to Saturn in Scorpio’s deteriorating standards would seem to indicate an ideal time to outline some very basic (yet essential) parameters for having a harmonious relationship with our fellow fitness buffs. So let’s have ourselves a little chat about gym etiquette, shall we?!  LOL!

1) Always wipe down equipment before and after use. It’s hygienic and shows appropriate concern for the comfort of others. It’s a logical given that working out will tend to entail sweating, however it is most uncouth to drip all over the treadmill and then leave it like that for somebody else to have to clean, savvy? Your bodily fluids are YOUR responsibility, LOL!

2) Share. Don’t hog a piece of equipment via “resting between sets” while using this as an opportunity to waste time by scrolling through your phone for 15 minutes, or through chatting with a workout buddy for an extended period whilst *not* actually using the equipment you’re on.

3) Understand that people have different workout styles – this will help avoid potential conflicts when encountering someone with a methodology different from your own. Some people …Read More…