Black Moon Lilith In Scorpio

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ 2 Comments
"Caduceus" by sculptor James Muir.
“Caduceus” by sculptor James Muir.

Black Moon Lilith first entered Scorpio back on May 21, 2016, but it’s only recently this energy has become incredible palpable to me. I’ve always felt the Black Moon has a natural affinity for Scorpio, where it tends to really heighten her witchy, occult side and her sinuous vibes seem to have entwined themselves into my consciousness as of late.  I have been positively inundated with Lilith symbolism for weeks now, which is certainly no surprise given that I am gearing up for a Lilith Return.  It began with the conspicuous appearance of two real-life snakes within a week of each other and subsequently kicked into high gear when I found myself immersed in some deep and heavy Lilith-themed topics.  Then last night I had a dream…

Let me preface what I am about to say by first explaining that I have an extremely strong connection with the animal kingdom and always have ever since I was a child.  I also frequently dream of animals – everything from whales to mice and pretty much every kind of critter in between; many of which are not even indigenous to my part of the world.  A paradigm-shifting conversation with my shaman girlfriend clued me into the fact this was extremely unusual, and she encouraged me to start looking at these animal appearances on a symbolic level. Now every time I have a real-life animal encounter or dream of one I meditate upon its esoteric meaning – if nothing immediately jumps out at me, I hit up the interwebz for further info using search terms like “whale symbolism”, “leopard totem”, “bear Medicine”, or similar.

In my dream last night, I was bitten by an opalescent cobra. Everyone around me had been running from it, but for some reason I wasn’t afraid and walked toward the serpent.  From afar it looked typical of its species at first, but when I got close enough to it to pick it up I immediately saw that it had an almost mucosal iridescent sheen that made it appear rainbow-colored – it was then I realized I held something extraordinary. I gazed at it head-on, taking note of its slender neck and small hood – almost as if hypnotized – and feeling how cool to the touch and heavy in its slinky muscularity it was. A moment or two after the realization I was holding such a remarkable creature, it quite naturally decided to strike and sink its fangs into my hand.  Although I was mildly surprised by the incident, I didn’t seem particularly concerned by the fact that I had just been bitten by a venomous creature.  But the event was nonetheless enough to rouse me from my slumber shortly thereafter.

I awoke with the words “rainbow serpent” embedded in my consciousness, knowing it was a “thing” and that I needed to research this topic further. I then laid there in semi-conscious, almost trance-like state scrying, letting my mind wander in order to ascertain more about its symbolic meaning. The first thing that popped into my head regarding the rainbow serpent was a connection to kundalini energy; the rainbow colors of the snake representing the kaleidoscopic colors of the body’s seven chakras and the cobra itself signifying this latent force that is said to be coiled at the base of the spine.  It was then the word “Lilith” surfaced in my awareness…according to my shaman girlfriend, bites, scratches, and stings are all symbolic Initiations where an animal imbues a person with their energy – I laughed, knowing I was indeed about to experience a Lilith Return.  I then roused myself to consult my digital ephemeris on a hunch…would you look at that – Black Moon Lilith in symbolism-loving Scorpio currently forming an exact sextile to injectable Pluto this morning!  Lilith definitely shot me up with a hefty dose of her Medicine in the wee hours last night, that’s for sure…!  😉

10/2/2016

Jupiter In Libra: Opening Doors For Others

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ 2 Comments

I was walking up to the wide double doors at my gym when out of the corner of my eye I spied a lovely young lass approaching from my left. As I opened one of the outermost doors for myself, I paused to hold it open for her as well and she responded by saying “Thank you so much – here, let me return the favor” as she proceeded to beckon me through the secondary set of doors leading into the building. As I walked through, I smiled and replied “One good turn deserves another”, all the while thinking what a Jupiter in Libra statement this was and wondering if she were a fellow Libran – perhaps the whole interaction had played out the way it did due a mutual energetic affinity with one another.

Building upon a previous post wherein I discussed some of the themes of Jupiter’s year-long tour of Libra and outlined some of the better ways to use this energy, one of the biggies with this placement is indeed the concept of reciprocal blessings and how one good turn really does deserve another. I asked my readers to contemplate whether they give as good as they get, and this mundane little tale about my goings-on at the gym is a precise and yet small-scale illustration of WHY it’s so important that we do so under this energy.

I just wanted to be nice, courteous, and to do a good deed for another – that’s all. It feels good – there was no expectation attached to the outcome or any hope for personal gain involved in doing so. But when the other party benefited from this straightforward and honest gesture of kindness, her appreciation led her to reciprocate. It’s a beautiful thing, really – this is what I mean when I said others help to bring out the best in us now. Our relationships are mirrors, and when our own vibe is up it tends to attract others who are similarly geared – we BOTH benefited from politely and harmoniously interacting with one another. I also particularly love the metaphor inherent in opening the door for someone – it symbolically represents both an invitation AND an opportunity, if you think about it. So be good and generous and to others, because they will be good to you!

openingthedoors

09/28/2016

Sun Conjunct Jupiter In Libra, Visually!

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ Leave a comment
parrishsunset
© EmpoweredDestiny.com 2016. All rights reserved.

Equinox Blessings! This is what the present conjunction of the Sun + Jupiter in Libra looks like on the western horizon; quite possibly the most gorgeous sunset I have ever personally witnessed! The photo above is totally unenhanced and the colors were absolutely unreal; a Parrish-esque smattering of apricot, peach & plum captured in the clouds as daylight waned and faded softly into the night. Traditionally the Sun is said to be “in its fall” in Libra, meaning “in a weakened state”. While this is certainly true on a physical level here in the Northern Hemisphere as the days grow shorter and its light & heat diminish, I myself am quite fond of this energy and find it to be a lovely placement – I fully acknowledge that I am biased, though, having some Libra energy myself.  😉

Libra is the sign of beauty and when the Sun graces this sign while boosted by Jupiter, the glory of the Sun becomes super enhanced; particularly at sunrise & sunset when these planets crest over the angular astrological plane we know as the horizon.  If you haven’t had an opportunity to appreciate just how stunning the Sun can be at these times, do make it a point to get out at dawn or dusk and take it all in over the next few days – you won’t be disappointed.  ❤

9/22/2016

Mercury Direct Trine Pluto: Un-Fuck Your Brain

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ 2 Comments

Apologies for the title and tone of this post, but with Mercury currently trine Pluto the intensity is wholly warranted.

This is a PSA: We have an extremely potent station of Mercury today courtesy of its tight contact to Pluto as both bodies turn from retrograde motion to direct movement – Mercury today, and Pluto on Monday. So rather than frittering away mental and verbal energy discussing mundane crap (Brangelina divorce, I’m lookin’ at you), why not expend it discussing deeper, more insightful subjects instead? Possibly uncomfortable ones that are darker in nature, even. Such as the Pluto-in-Capricorn topic of the murders police are perpetrating against people of color here in the USA. I know it’s not pleasant and may be disturbing, but we have to talk about the reality of all the ugly shit going down in order to transform it because it is a cancer in need of Radiation (Illumination). And with the Sun newly into Libra conjunct Jupiter, racial inequality sure would seem like a good place to start to me.

See also: “More Saturn In Sagittarius” and “An Important Saturn In Sagittarius Reminder”

More broadly & along a similar vein: “Saturn In Sagittarius & Xenophobia”

“But my point in explaining all of this is that I hope we will collectively challenge ourselves and work toward getting away from pointing fingers at those from different cultures, ethnicities, religions, etc. and using these events as, quite frankly, a bullshit excuse to support or defend bias.
…
…
Almost a year ago in that same December 2014 newsletter, I said that Saturn in Sagittarius will bring us tests of faith – boy, is it ever. And I think if there were ever a time for all the religious leaders of the world to unite together as one singular voice and denounce anything, it would be now and it would be to speak out strongly against the paradigm of “justified” killing of any stripe so there will eventually be no more “killing in the name of”.”

This trine between Mercury and Pluto remains very active through early next week, so whatcha gonna do with this energy, huh? Waste energy dishing about the latest pop-culture bullshit, or un-fuck your brain by descending to a more profound depth?

You know what to do.

09/22/2016

Being Venus/Pluto

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ Leave a comment

phoenixheartOne of the more difficult facets, I think, of being a Venus/Pluto native has to be the fact that there are so many layers to our love nature. A person or relationship that once suited us during a particular point in our emotional/psychological/spiritual development will often need to be molted over the course of our lives as our level of self-awareness intensifies and we gain insight into the very core of our love nature. As this happens, it can frequently mean that we have to let go of others, as love and loss are intrinsically linked with this pairing. This is the “curse” of Plutonic self-awareness, and even as we gain inner illumination it can make relationships incredibly difficult at times…especially when they have grown stagnant.

It is always sad whenever we love someone and they can’t or don’t want to develop a deeper connection, or practice the same level of insight into their inner workings to heal dysfunctional patterns of relating. But the only one we ever have control over is ourselves, and so we must honor where a loved one is at even as we grieve having to leave them behind while we move forward alone. Such is life with Pluto; its journeys often require isolation as we descend to the deepest reaches of our soul in order to heal and transform.

When the alternative means staying stuck in a non-functional union, it is so important to realize when we have indeed reached a relationship’s “expiration date”. Some simply don’t want to immerse themselves into a deeper level of relating and deal with all the intricacies this entails. Some are uncomfortable with the self-awareness that makes true intimacy possible in a relationship, because this would mean having to look at their shadow. Not everyone necessarily has the stomach for this, and this is something I’ve historically had a very difficult time relating to/accepting on a personal level – if there has been one constant in my life (a laughable concept if you only knew my history or my chart, LOL) it has been an unquenchable thirst to try and better myself and to transform all the psychological lead that I started out with in life into gold. Plutonians are all alchemists at their core, after all – this is the magick we possess. We’re happy to share it with you, but you have to be willing and able to get down to our level and become similarly enriched by all the psychological uncovering that happens during the process of relating.

09/20/2016

Jupiter In Libra

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ Leave a comment

What a busy couple of weeks it’s been! A Mercury retrograde, two eclipses (second one is on Friday!), the finale of the Saturn/Neptune Square, and Jupiter leaving Virgo for Libra! It’s this last event that I want to discuss today, mostly because it stands out as the bright spot in the middle of all of this tetchy astro. Jupiter transitioning from Virgo into Libra comes as a welcome gearshift for so many reasons, the first of which being this comes off the heels of it spending a whole year in a sign were it was debilitated. Jupiter’s energy doesn’t quite function at max capacity when in Virgo, and we generally have a harder time accessing its benefits…or perhaps I should say the benefits and opportunities it has to offer us frequently don’t seem big enough when it’s in the sign of minutiae.

Add to this the fact that we’ve had so much Mutable Madness going on since late last year and it really has been a challenge to keep perspective and feel optimistic, which are key in allowing us to capitalize on this planet’s blessings. I feel particularly bad for all the Virgos in the house – typically Jupiter passing through one’s sign is a boost, but all these mitigating factors may have left some Virgos feeling shafted; like The Cosmic Santa Claus somehow skipped over their house, or left a bag of coal in their stocking. Cheer up, Virgos – you’ve had (and will continue to have for quite some time) a long and fabulous collaboration with transformational Pluto at least, and within the next couple of years you’ll also start getting help from supportive Saturn & innovative Uranus!

Image courtesy of the Astrological Oracle cards by Castelli & Weatherstone.
Image courtesy of the Astrological Oracle by Castelli & Weatherstone.

But that is neither here nor there – right now we’re going to talk about Jupiter’s once-in-12-year visit to Libra, the sign of fairness, balance, cooperation, and relationship! During the year that Jupiter resides in Libra we are asked to contemplate whether we give as good as we get, as this energy is all about increasing the amount of reciprocity in our life. Have we been generous enough with Others? Have we perhaps been too giving? Better balance is a theme in general with this placement, but specifically with respect to generosity because this will help us to have happier relationships where the blessings spread BOTH ways!

Jupiter also tends to elevate our aesthetic sense in Libra and lends itself to an air of refinement. We come to appreciate the Finer Things in life more when this planet is here – everything from art, to music, to that which we find beautiful and pleasurable. There is a reason why I used the song “Puttin’ on the Ritz” to welcome Jupiter into this sign, as Libra IS the sign of High Society, after all – it is cultured, smooth, and super classy! Resonating with the Hi-Fi expression of this results in increased poise, better manners, and greater sophistication; the Lo-Fi end of this spectrum results when we allow this vibe to veer toward the direction of snooty and/or lookism.

Jupiter in Libra pertains to being more pleasant, polite, graceful, harmonious, and peaceable as well. Others are apt to bring out the best in us now – especially when we take this as an opportunity to grow together; where we mutually elevate one another & lift each other UP! There’s plenty of room at the top, so let’s invite others rise along side us, share in our bounty, and partake of the Good Things together. We must also be prepared to understand that not everyone can or will, though – as unfortunate as this is, we must accept the Truth that sometimes we grow apart instead of together while giving thanks for The Journey regardless. In this case, let’s wish them all the best while tempering this with the wisdom that we can’t want more or better for someone than they want for themselves, no matter how much we love them. Some are scared of heights, some just want their freedom, and others have a growth path that is simply on a different trajectory from the one we are on.

As to relationships specifically, Jupiter in Libra is lucky in love precisely because it appreciates that Love is a Journey rather than a destination. Loving someone is only the beginning – where you go from there is up to the both of you and it takes mutual cooperation, consent, and consciousness to continue walking the same Path together. Sometimes we can outgrow a relationship – we’d love to believe that “Love conquers all”, and perhaps it does…but not in the way that we may traditionally think. We must place our faith in each other and take a chance, leaving the rest up to Fate and spinning that Wheel Of Fortune while believing we’ll be better off for the experience regardless of the ups & downs. Do we believe in Love? Are we willing to take a gamble?

During the year that Jupiter resides in Libra (until Oct 2017) it becomes particularly important to also take a good look at our relationship philosophy and how this is/isn’t serving us. What do we believe about love & marriage? Are we merely adhering to some kind of dogma? Does our current relationship paradigm truly benefit us? An optimistic outlook can work wonders now – elevating “togetherness consciousness” is key, because “like” attracts “like”. If we want to attract a high-caliber relationship, we must up our game and BE a high-caliber partner! It’s not just about what someone else has to offer us – what do WE have to offer THEM? At its heart, Jupiter in Libra is about loving with an open hand – the old cliché “You make me want to be a better person” is sooooo true of Jupiter in Libra, as this planet loves opportunities to better itself via relationship! Trust that if your vibe us up & you have a lot to offer a prospective partner, the right partnership will come – have faith!

Jupiter in Libra has so much more in store – this is only the beginning!

To be continued…

09/13/2016

Adios, Jupiter In Virgo…

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ Leave a comment

JupiterInVirgo…and don’t let the door hit ya on the way out! Jupiter is leaving Virgo (where it has spent the last year) for Libra on 9/9/2016 – look at the numerological significance of that date; the ninth day of the ninth month of a nine year…looks to me like the close of a cycle for sure! It’s not as if there haven’t been benefits – the last year has been a great opportunity to optimize health, for one. For two, it’s certainly been helpful for living a more organized, efficient, and cleanly lifestyle. But I’ve grown oh-so-tired of the preachy dietary and wellness evangelists who think their “way” is the only “right” way under the Jupiter in Virgo vibe. I’m weary of vacation feeling more like procrastination because there’s been so much work to do. I am grateful for the work and love what I do, but time off means the tasks just pile up – unfortunately there aren’t any helpful little birdies or mice doing chores for Cinderella while she’s away at the ball so she can enjoy a worry & guilt-free night off, LOL!

VirgoOnThe good thing about being busy, though, is it forces you to be more efficient. You figure out how to make improvements to organization, scheduling, and your general routine. But I am ready for a better work/play balance, and perhaps even a fun little day trip or two – you? It’s coming, and perhaps the current Mercury retrograde in Virgo just as Jupiter is leaving this sign will help us to see what final little tweaks can benefit the situation & make this possible!

08/31/2016

Mars Conjunct Saturn In Sagittarius: Right Action Meets Right Timing

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ Leave a comment

After months of stalled or slowed activity, action planet Mars finally reaches escape velocity from its long and arduous retrograde phase. But before it finally achieves liftoff in earnest, it has one final pre-flight checklist to go over courtesy of its current conjunction with Saturn: Are we going the right way? Doing the right thing? Do we have a good plan in place to increase our chance of success with this initiative? Do we have optimal weather conditions and timing for our “launch”?

Mantis1
© EmpoweredDestiny.com 2016. All rights reserved.

You may recall that months ago while discussing this Mars retrograde phase, I mentioned the importance of waiting for “the Sign” to know when it’s “go time” – it amused me to no end to get confirmation of this via a visitation from a praying mantis yesterday just ahead of this conjunction. Mantis symbolism teaches the wisdom of right timing, and of not moving until we know for sure the moment is most opportune. I watched the mantis for a good 45 minutes, noting its very deliberate movements up the stalk of a flower until it sat just below a profusion of blooms that was sure to attract its prey. It was very patient – a few bees buzzed above it here and there at various points, however they were just out of reach and moving would have meant the risk of the mantis scaring its quarry off after it had found the perfect spot. After several more moments of observing, I watched with utter amazement as it snatched a hapless yellow jacket from mid-air with complete impunity right before my eyes – if that’s not a Sign about the veracity of waiting until the perfect moment to strike, I don’t know what is. And with Mars currently aligned with Saturn, it’s crucial to heed this wisdom and strike only when we’re certain right action and right timing have in fact converged.

If you are unsure of whether or not this is indeed the case for you, this duo squaring mystical Neptune indicates that stillness is the way. Meditate. Dream. Pray, like my mantis friend. Ask for Divine Guidance in the form of a vision.

08/24/2016

Mars Conjunct Saturn In Sagittarius & Doing The “Right” Thing

~ EmpwrdDstny ~ Leave a comment

At the beginning of August Mars re-entered Sagittarius, and since doing so it has been creeping ever closer to a conjunction with Saturn at 10˚ of this sign.  When Mars is in Sagittarius, our actions tend to be guided by our (subjective) perception of Truth; of what is right, good, and morally correct.  Sagittarius represents our internal compass, you see; our ability to perceive “right” from “wrong” and live in accordance with our moral bearings.  This is why Sadge has an association with (neutrally) our judgement, as well as (negatively, on the Lo-Fi side) hypocrisy – the old “Do As I Say, Not As I Do” when one fails to practice what they preach like an evangelistic pastor righteously railing against sin and then living a private life that would make Sodom & Gomorrah look like Disneyland.  Sometimes our internal compasses don’t always point to True North.

As Mars creeps ever closer to Saturn in Sagittarius, a tendency to “do the (again, subjectively) right thing” can become harder.  Saturn’s energy affecting Mars is much like running oneself up against a large stone wall – there’s often a sizeable challenge, impediment, or obstacle in the way that makes the going harder. It is possible there is a difficult reality to contend with and put into context.  Do we quit what we’re doing?  Perhaps, perhaps not.  But at the very least is IS important that we pause and take a look at this resistance to our actions, because this conjunction isn’t operating in a vacuum.

Image courtesy of the RWS Tarot deck.
Image courtesy of the RWS Tarot deck.

Enter Neptune.  Neptune is a mere degree away from an exact square to this duo, adding all kinds of distortion to the mix and potentially leading us to take an action where we metaphorically shoot ourselves in the foot.  Perhaps what we have perceived as “the right thing to do” is actually skewed and has caused us suffering – now we suspend judgement and turn our perspective upside-down much like The Hanged Man in the Tarot.  Maybe we are lacking self-compassion and have been holding ourselves to a higher standard of behavior than we would hold anyone else in similar circumstances. Perhaps the “resistance” we encounter as this conjunction of Mars and Saturn perfects on August 24th is merely trying to show us that we are going the wrong way.  Or doing the “wrong” thing.  To clarify, I don’t mean “wrong” in a moral context; I mean that it’s possible we’ve made an error in judgement where what we’ve been doing or the way we’ve been doing it has made it excessively hard on ourselves.  We are all human – nobody is Jesus.  We’re all just trying to do the best that we can do to in accordance with our own conscience so we can lay our head down on our pillow and sleep at night.

So if you find yourself trying to do what you believe is right and nonetheless encountering resistance from The Universe every step of the way as this conjunction tightens its iron vise-like grip, please pause and consider all of this. If it feels like you have a cross to bear, perhaps it is time to release.  Have compassion for yourself rather than punish yourself, because even Divinity has mercy.

08/18/2016