Mercury Lingers On The Libra North Node….

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Mercury has been in close proximity to the Moon’s North Node for what seems like eons now – because this planet’s movement was slowed and then halted by its recent change of direction last Friday, it has virtually been kept right on top of the fated point that symbolizes where maximum soul-growth lies. I always associate the North Node with some of our greatest spiritual lessons of the moment, and when it falls in Libra this often has to do with relating to others. Mercury fusing itself to this point – as it has for roughly the last week – brings communication dynamics in relationships to the fore and asks us to consider a few key themes.

The first item brought to mind with Mercury in Libra joined to the North Node, is that it’s generally a good time to consider abiding by the old “If you don’t have anything nice to say…” axiom. With Mercury and Venus currently in mutual reception to one another we catch more flies with honey anyway, so before opening up our mouths to say something critical or rude we might want to take a time-out to reflect upon this. It takes an equal (if not lesser) expenditure of mental and verbal energy to verbalize something complimentary or to simply say nothing at all rather than voice something negative, and with Mercury and Saturn currently in also in contact with each other, when we’re feeling compelled to say something “not nice” it is often better to just hold our tongue.

Mercury on the Libra North Node is also a call to mind our manners – saying things like “pardon me”, “please”, and “thank you”, go a long way now and may actually facilitate agreeable conversations that have a hand in shaping our destiny. For example, under this energy it’s entirely possible to make polite conversation with someone while standing in line somewhere running routine errands, and then to later go to a job interview to find out the person you were chatting with is actually your would-be employer…! Aren’t you glad you were courteous and made pleasant small talk? Imagine if you hadn’t been quite so polite and charming…! My point is no dialog can really be considered insignificant when Mercury joins with the North Node, so why not make it a point to say things that are polite and agreeable as a general rule?

Third, Mercury hovering over this point also tends to bring up a lot of important conversations about relationships. The sweetness of Mercury in Libra can be used, for example, to let others know we like them – we could even go so far as to use this energy to tell someone we love them. Perhaps instead we find ourselves weighing some important decisions about a partnership and needing to have a crucial discussion with a Significant Other. We could also use the verbal finesse of this pairing to bring people together to facilitate harmonious agreements or negotiate some kind of metaphorical peace treaty.

Mercury remains within close proximity to the Libra North Node through Wednesday, so it’s good to keep all of this in mind at least for the next few days – if not for the entirety of Mercury’s remaining stay in Libra, which will last until November 2nd.

10/12/2015

Repost: Tips For Venus In Virgo Season

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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!

NB: Due Mercury’s current stationary status, it’s a perfect time for an astro-redux or two!  Ergo, the following is an updated repost applicable now that Venus has returned to Virgo once again!

I thought it apropos to do a post on the topic of etiquette since 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 Sagittarius’ elevated 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 raise the bar (bad pun intended) by having ourselves a little chat about gym etiquette, shall we?!  LOL!  Here are 10 tips perfect for Venus in Virgo season:

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…

Repost: The Mercury/Venus Mutual Reception

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The Mercury/Venus Mutual Reception: Mercury will be in Libra; Venus in Virgo.
The Mercury/Venus Mutual Reception: Mercury will be in Libra; Venus in Virgo.

NB: This is actually an updated repost outlining themes that will be relevant for the next 3+ weeks – it’s totally appropriate to do a repost (or two!) while Mercury is stationing direct!   Enjoy!

Just a head’s up that we have a mutual reception in play between October 8th – Nov 2nd, when Mercury and Venus play the role of exchange students by occupying one another’s home signs! Yes, Mercury & Venus will be mixing & mingling their energies and playing off each other for a period of about 3 1/2 weeks between October & November, so here are some highlighted themes you may notice in play as a result of this combination:

Discrimination involving our choice of partners; combining work and love;  the health of a Significant Other or biz partner; being conscious of our dietary sugar intake; talking about partnerships; sibling relationships; diplomatic conversations; discussion that involves fair give-and-take; kidney health; finding love on the job; tactful choice of words; mental equilibrium; love at the gym; getting along w/ your coworkers; appreciating your employees; criticism from a spouse or Significant Other;  evaluating the health of a partnership; looking at relationship routines; the girl next door; married to your job; a balanced diet; relationships with neighbors; intestinal flora and the enteric balance; analyzing how we earn/spend money & assessing financial health; a job we love; relationship health; lazy co-workers/employees; making the everyday luxe; beauty routines; discriminating taste; relationships on the brain; making money with our hands or communication abilities; relationship news; agreements in writing; a love of cleanliness & organization; helpful & pleasant; equal distribution of chores in a partnership; money made in service trades; picking lovely & perfect words; improving relationships by talking things out & via soft, kind criticisms.

10/09/2015

Cars & Mercury Retrograde

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We always seem to hear about the scheduling SNAFUS, communication challenges, and tech fails associated with Mercury retrograde periods as a whole – many astrologers will advise their clients not to sign anything, to take extra care spelling things out when dialoging with others, and to backup all data, for example. But while we may hear the occasional word of caution about possible travel delays/problems, I find I often don’t hear much about Mercury retrograde’s effects upon our wheels, which strikes me as odd – cars are Mercury’s domain too, remember?

I’ve always found that Mercury retrogrades tend to be tough on anything automotive-related as a whole…anything from breakdowns, to accidents, to our cars suddenly developing weird quirks or making strange sounds, to (mis)diagnosed mechanical issues, to going in for something as basic as an oil change and then finding out you need major repairs of one stripe or another – you name it. For example, if I had a client come to me who wanted to make a cross-country road trip during Mercury Rx, I’d advise them to 1) think about rescheduling/postponing if possible 2) have their vehicle looked over very thoroughly by a good mechanic well ahead of the Rx period if moving the date of the trip weren’t an option. (Sidenote: These times are also somewhat notorious for having our GPS lie to us like a rug, LOL – a map and/or printed directions may well save our bacon when this planet backtracks, but that’s a transportation-related tangent for another time.)

Still not entirely convinced that automobiles can be affected by Mercury Rx? Have I got a good little story for you, LOL! I was chatting with an acquaintance (who doesn’t know I’m an astrologer, BTW) yesterday and he’s a bit of a hobbyist gearhead. Like all good motorphiles, he has himself a suped-up set of wheels and was relating to me the trials and tribulations he’s been dealing with regarding a supercharger he recently purchased for his car (unbeknownst to him, during this recent Mercury Rx). Superchargers are computer-controlled organisms, and he was experiencing some software compatibility issues that were preventing him from being able to properly tune his car. You can’t just bolt one of these things on and then you’re good to go, no – you actually have to “marry” (not kidding – that’s the actual terminology used in the automotive world!) the supercharger to the car and once that’s done that supercharger will only work on that car unless you go through the steps to “unmarry” it (LOL, I personally think that “divorce” is a more appropriate word!) if you want to use that supercharger on another vehicle or sell it to someone else. Now I ask you, with this current Mercury retrograde taking place in marriage-minded LIBRA, do you think it’s just a coincidence that my friend was experiencing problems getting his supercharger MARRIED to his CAR??

NOW do you believe me, LOL? I think this anecdote provides a perfect case-in-point of how our wheels are indeed affected by Mercury’s movements! This is why I love astrology – everyone can benefit from knowing what’s going on in the skies, whether you’re a regular blue-collar guy or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Thinking about tweaking your car during Mercury Rx? Might wanna think again! And as we are a mere 24 hours away from Mercury resuming direct motion at this point, may I delicately suggest that today might be a less-than-ideal time to consider tearing your engine apart for a complete overhaul?  😉

Don't believe Mercury retrograde affects cars? Look very closely at the badge above the grille - it says it all! Image credit: Kaz Andrew
Don’t believe Mercury retrograde affects cars? Look very closely at the badge above the grille – it says it all! Image credit: Kaz Andrew


10/08/2015

Planetary Archetypes In Nature, Part 2

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My shaman friend Deana once told me that my line of work and hers weren’t all that different; astrology deals with the energy of heavenly archetypes (i.e. the sun/moon/planets/stars) while shamanism works with the earthly manifestations of these archetypes via animal symbolism. I have always been an animal lover, but my relationship to the animal kingdom experienced a huge shift after that conversation, as now I saw them more as living, breathing symbols in their own right and finally understood that all those dreams I’d been having of various critters almost nightly all my life weren’t simply neat oddities spawned by my abiding love for fauna. No, the critters themselves actually carried messages, so I started pondering and/or researching their symbolism whenever I would come upon them in my dreams or in real life.

Why the preface, you ask? Because yesterday when I was in the garden harvesting some stray heirloom tomatoes and preparing to pull up a few beets to roast in this chilly autumn weather, I had quite an interesting encounter in the carrot row. Gathering the small pile of tomatoes into my arms, I turned to bring them inside before focusing my attention on the selection of beets when I heard something rustling in the leaves below. My gaze fell toward my feet and the black landscape fabric beneath that was radiating heat garnered from the absorption of afternoon rays, when I suddenly spied a small snake – he must have been trying to warm himself up when my movements startled him and sent him into hiding beneath the tangled mass of carrot fronds nearby!

A living, breathing terrestrial manifestation of Pluto energy!
A living, breathing terrestrial manifestation of Pluto energy!

Naturally, I quickly placed my bounty on the ground and moved closer to inspect – he darted from my grasp and even tried to strike at me a few times before I was finally able to pick him up and have a good look at him. I told him aloud that I wasn’t going to hurt him – he responded by repeatedly flicking a red and black forked tongue over in my direction, as if suspicious of my stated intent.  He was a juvenile Eastern Brown Snake about a foot long and no wider than my pinky, and by the look of his milky eyes it seemed he was getting ready to molt.

Now you may recall from a previous post how snakes are linked to Pluto energy – would it surprise you then to know I caught this little fella basking in the Sun just as the Sun and Pluto were approaching a square to one another? I always love it when life/nature imitates astrology…! So as not to cause the snake further distress, I placed him back where I had found him and he wasted absolutely no time in slithering deep into the carrots to make himself invisible. But this story is an excellent example of the old “As Above, So Below” axiom in action – if you see it in the sky, look closer because you’ll see it on the ground, too. There is no real division between Heaven and Earth  – it’s just an illusion if the spiritual and material worlds seem separate because the reality is it’s all intertwined…

10/5/2015

Mercury In The Beak Of The Raven

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Clever Crow caught something in his beak today - Mercury! Image courtesy BS Thurner Hof.
Clever Crow caught something in his beak today – Mercury!
Image courtesy BS Thurner Hof.

The raven sees; the raven saw; and in the corn he sayeth “cah”.

LOL, the crows are yammering in the background as I write, believe it or not…! Mercury is currently conjunct the star Alchita in the constellation of Covus; A.K.A. the Raven or Crow as known by its more common nomenclature. More precisely, this star is located in the vicinity of its beak – with that in mind, what has a little birdie told YOU lately? Now may be a time to listen intently, because we might even unearth a Word Of Power or two hidden in a conversation. What key things speak to us now? Perhaps with Mercury also square Pluto, minute, almost imperceptible things such as body language, tone, or phrasing may be the most telling. Perhaps it’s not words at all, but something symbolic that piques our interest and speaks deafeningly to us like some kind of ultrasonic call only our acutely attuned ears pick up; an omen or sign of some sort…crows are magical as they are often witches’ familiars, after all!

I find that I am prone to seeing portents all the time, especially from birds. I’m freakishly attuned to my avian friends and do have many wild stories about Cool Encounters of the Winged Kind. There’s the vultures, the whopping total of 10 feathers recently gifted to me by the doves during Venus Retrograde, the incident a few weeks back where I was walking under a stand of walnut trees and listening with delight to a buzzy little bluebird tittering in the boughs above me when he floated a beautiful azure feather down to me – it was quite magical! Finding feathers is also supposedly a sign of angelic presence, FWIW. So if you come across a random feather, look twice because there may be a message there for you! If you can, try to I.D. the species and then perform an internet search for the symbolism of that particular bird. I realize that not everyone is a nature nerd like Yours Truly, LOL, so if you’re not able to identify the genus it came from, no worries there – you can always look up just the symbolism of the color itself. But this is an example of how messages don’t always require words, and with a retrograde Mercury on Alchita, I think this is something certainly worth pondering.

From a more esoteric standpoint, one other thing I want to mention is Mercury on this particular star makes me think it could be a good time to connect to our throat chakra and do a little scan to see if this energy center is either blocked or, conversely, overactive.

Let’s speak our Truth…or just plain speak up, period! Do we have something to crow about? If so, let it fly!

On the opposite side of the coin, have we been jabbering on noisily? Do we need to moderate our loquacious ways by closing our bills a bit? Perhaps we would be better served by giving our beaks a more concerted focus! Mercury in Libra loves a mindset of “All things in moderation”, so perhaps Alchita’s cawing is just a reminder to keep the yin/yang balance….

09/25/2015

Pluto’s Snakeskin

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Image of Pluto’s “snakeskin” surface comes courtesy of the New Horizons Spacecraft @ NASA.

Wow, this Pluto thing just keeps getting better & better, doesn’t it? Now NASA has revealed that Pluto appears to have a surface reminiscent of snakeskin, something that definitely comes as no surprise to both astrologers & Plutonians alike! In astrological lore, Pluto energy has long been analogous to a snake shedding its skin – I’m not kidding; pick up pretty much any beginner’s book on astrology or perform a cursory internet search using these terms and you’re virtually guaranteed to come across this metaphor.

Boy, for or a bunch of pseudoscience kooks, we astrologers sure do seem amazingly clued in sometimes, don’t you think? 😉 As I once remarked elsewhere, someday science will catch up with the things astrology already knows. It’s all part of the joys of this being a Uranian art – people think you’re crazy when actually you’re just way ahead of the times. Like, apparently decades ahead in this case…!

And one better?  The sign of Capricorn is associated with (among many other things) the skin, so how fitting with Pluto currently traversing Capricorn that we’re getting a good look at Pluto’s epidermis!

09/25/2015

Today’s Feminist Post, Brought To You By Venus Trine Uranus

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BAM! A radiant and revolutionary Venus for the Aquarian Age – *LOVE* it!

VenusInLeo

I mean, holy Venus in Leo – what a muse….! The hair, head-held-high attitude, use of the word “glorious”….I’m not sure you get much more Venus in Leo than this (well, maybe if she were wearing a crown, LOL). Add that in-your-face liberated edge from Uranus in Aries, and I suppose this is what you wind up with – so perfect for the final trine between Venus in Leo and Uranus in Aries that is about to be exact tonight. As the Sun slips into mutual reception with Venus, no less….you go, girl!

09/22/2015

Mercury In Libra

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With Mercury remaining in Libra until November 2nd due its current retrograde motion, it’s certainly as good a time as any for a thorough discussion of the pros and cons of this particular astrological placement! Libra is a sign known for its social graces and when Mercury travels here this brings a sense of refinement to the mind and mouth, resulting in conversational poise and finesse. I think of this energy as very European in a way; two airy kisses on the cheek coupled with a “Dahling, we simply *must* do lunch!” It’s the Libran way to be charming, polite, and agreeable – if occasionally a bit flowery – and when Mercury travels through this sign these qualities come through in how we communicate. Yet there are two sides to every coin, as every astrological energy has its strengths and drawbacks, and this one is certainly no exception…

Mercury In Libra: The Art Nouveau Mercury!
Mercury in Libra: The Art Nouveau Mercury!

On one hand this placement blesses our words with a natural ease and elegance – Mercury is a smooth-as-silk, silver-tongued little imp when visiting Libra; one who may be fond of using honeyed words punctuated with terms of endearment like “sweetie”, “hon”, “sugar”, or “darlin’”. Mercury makes a good conversationalist when found in this sign because it seems to have a natural knack for being able to say things that put others at ease. Libra’s natural consideration for others allows this planet to find common ground quite easily in any discussion, while good manners, mindfulness of etiquette, and a preference for pleasantness help in gliding delicately away from verbal faux pas and tempestuous topics. When found here, Mercury can also make a skilled negotiator/mediator who knows how to reach agreements through compromise and thinking about the win/win scenario.

But for a balanced discussion (something Mercury in Libra *adores*, BTW) of this energy, we must also look to the other end of the spectrum. Lo-Fi Mercury in Libra is often …Read More…

Mercury Stations Retrograde In Libra

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Lyrics:

“I’ve heard it all before…
I’ve heard it all before…
I’ve heard it all before…
I’ve heard it all before…
I’ve heard it all before…
I’ve heard it all before…
I’ve heard it all before…
I’ve heard it all before…

I don’t wanna hear
I don’t wanna know
Please don’t say you’re sorry
I’ve heard it all before…”

Oh boy – what an apt song this is with Mercury about to station retrograde in Libra, LOL…!

Have you ever had the same discussion with a Significant Other over and over, like a broken record? Asked them nicely and repeatedly for the same point of consideration, only to have it fall on deaf ears?  Squabbled with them over the same. damn. thing. time and time again?  Gotten so sick of hearing the words “I’m sorry” that even years afterward these two words tend to either trigger A) nausea or B) some kind of post traumatic stress-induced response, LOL? True story: I once had a partner who would only bring me flowers when he screwed up.  It got so bad that I eventually had to tell (read: yell at) him to stop giving me flowers, as the negative mental association I was beginning to form with cut and carefully arranged flora was proving a bit too much for me – I was essentially being conditioned by these repetitious experiences to associate a man giving me a bouquet with something bad.  Like Pavlov’s dog, only more traumatic, LMAO!

So if you have answered “yes” to any of the above questions, you might want to strap in because there may be a lot of these kinds of things going around over the next several weeks with Mercury retrograding in Libra – especially given its contact to Pluto at the beginning of this timeframe.  I foresee substantial potential for circular dialog occurring with this energy in play – this could manifest as repetitive discussion between partners and/or regarding the topic of partnership matters in general…couples will be hashing things out, others will be re-negotiating the terms of their agreements or re-thinking a particular union/alliance. So for all intents and purposes, we should be prepared for the distinct possibility of having the same conversation with someone more than once during this period.  Not everyone will do this politely, either – at the outset of Mercury’s backtrack a loose opposition between Mercury and Uranus can ramp up the potential at that something shocking may be said  if/when other, more polite methods of trying to get our message across fail.  Some may even resort to calling a relationship off (or at least threatening to call it off) if the communication dynamic doesn’t change within a partnership.  And change it must, with Uranus & Pluto involved!

TrapThose of us who are single aren’t out of the woods, either – ever have that one ex who is prone to ringing you up every so often?  Yup, Mercury retrograde in Libra can reconnect us to past partners just as easily as it can herald talks with a current one! In mythology, Mercury was the guide who shepherded souls to the Underworld, so he’s quite accustomed to having contact with Dead Things.  You know what I mean, right – the ex who repeatedly apologizes, begs for forgiveness, and asks you to take them back?  Or who uses a bunch of silver-tongued words in the hopes of ingratiating themselves to you (why hello Mercury in Libra in a SEXtile to Venus in Leo!) and luring you back into their boudoir?  It’s a traaaaaaap, LOL! No, seriously – it just might be with Mercury stationing in a square to Pluto, so definitely don’t buy any lines someone tries to feed you about how they “think about you all the time” or “just want to talk to you to get some closure”!  With Mercury retrograding in a square to Pluto even if you’re the one who thinks about them constantly or who is obsessively looking for “resolution”, you’re probably far better off just hanging up, letting the line go dead, then deleting them from your contacts (if you haven’t already done so).  If all else fails, you can always change your number, LOL.

I realize sometimes this may be easier said than done when there are children involved and we share joint parenting responsibilities with a former partner.  In this case, keep dialog as polite and civil as possible while maintaining a laser-focus upon the task at hand; i.e. your kids. If you/your ex have re-partnered with somebody else, dealing with step-parent issues can get particularly tricky and will need to be handled with tact and finesse.  Friendly distance is generally best, as detachment it makes it that much easier to stay cool.

09/16/2015