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.
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.
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…
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…
LOL, the above was something I used to tell a Virgo stellium girlfriend of mine once upon a time – I almost got it printed on a workout T-shirt for her to wear to yoga or at the gym, but you know how…particular…Virgo can sometimes be and so I thought better of it in the end! It probably would’ve had to been made of unbleached organic cotton or some other very specific hypoallergenic all-natural fiber, or maybe the font wouldn’t have been quite right, or she might have preferred a v-neck to a crewneck…by now, you are probably getting the picture as to why I ultimately refrained. 😉
But with Jupiter about to enter Virgo for a year-long stay on August 11th, “Keep calm & Virgo on” could well become our new mantra for the next 365+ days! If you’re not subbed to my free monthly newsletter, now would be a good time to do so because the August edition (which will come out on or around the 1st) is featuring an editorial on the subject in question. In this issue I discuss some vital considerations and key themes for this placement, and although I will build on this via some supplemental blog posts on the topic, you are totally missing out if you’re not on the list. Not only is this where I share some of my more insightful musings, but subbing also gets you insider-only access to special promos. You can always unsubscribe at any time if you change your mind later, so what are you waiting for?
07/25/2015
Omen (n) : a prophetic sign; something that happens that is regarded as a sign of how somebody or something will fare in the future. See also “portent”.
As fairly Plutonic person, I find that am perpetually seeing “signs” everywhere – it is somewhat of an occupational hazard, you might say, when this planet is active in your nativity. Things that might otherwise remain invisible to others tend to stand out to me as if they’ve been bathed in Luminol, LOL.
However, I realize that it can be challenging for many to work out exactly how to know if something is indeed an omen. That’s a tad hard for me to put into words, actually – when you’re naturally inclined to latch onto even the smallest of details and follow them like a proverbial breadcrumb trail and don’t believe that anything in life is a mere coincidence, synchronicity is found EVERYWHERE. Yet for the sake of this post, I will try anyway so that readers may understand – beyond a shadow of a doubt – exactly how to identify an omen.
So here is a related anecdote for you: Tonight on my way home from the gym, I saw one of these:
What if I told you, though, that exactly three weeks before this instance – after emerging from a very profound healing session on the Gemini New Moon (that was conjunct Mars, BTW) – ANOTHER had appeared before me?
Yeah, that’s just SPOOKY! “Can you hear me NOW? Good!”
Always on a Tuesday, the day of the week ruled by Mars. And always lingering just long enough for me to get the shot before it literally vanished into thin air right in front of my eyes. Is it coincidence also that magical Neptune is currently affecting my (Plutonic-flavored) 8th House Mars, LOL? I don’t think you get much more magical than a rainbow, do you? Those are certainly neat correlations, but the primary takeaway for me lies in contemplating the symbolism of rainbows, which I always take as a harbinger of happiness after a difficult period (i.e. the preceding storm). Here is a quote from famed astrologer Isabel Hickey (rest her soul) regarding 8th house energies, taken directly from her fabulous book Astrology: A Cosmic Science – “Every 8th House operation is a celestial messenger in disguise and a challenge to penetrate this disguise and become the recipient of the blessing he bears. In the wake of an 8th House storm there is always a rainbow if we but lift our eyes to perceive it.”
So what’s the moral of this story? You cannot go wrong if you abide by the old Rule Of Three regarding omens! There is no way – in this writer’s humble opinion – if you encounter something via three separate instances, that it’s NOT a sign! This is roughly the equivalent of being hit in the head with a Cosmic 2 x 4, in my estimation. So if all else fails and you’re not sure if something is a sign or not? Watch how many more times it manifests – you’ll have yourself a definitive answer!
Proof that Pluto does indeed have a heart! Image comes courtesy of the New Horizons Spacecraft @ NASA, which made a close approach to Pluto on 7/14/2015.
Well this news certainly comes as no surprise to any Venus/Pluto native, LOL!
The high-functioning Venus/Pluto heart beats powerfully – its love goes deeper than even the most yawning of subterranean chasms. For it has been consecrated many times over by offerings made upon on a funeral pyre; these dying rites serving to transform the love nature into a truly supernatural force. The Venusian Phoenix has made multiple journeys within to illuminate and vanquish its relationship demons, these acts serving to consecrate a heart that may have previously resided in the shadow of ignorance, or that might have even committed a multitude of sins. Venus/Pluto love swallows you whole with its intensity – it will drag you through the territory of obsession and compulsion, force you to get “down in it”, suck you into the undertow of dysfunction…until you arrive at the threshold where decide you’ve had enough loss and strip it all away to look at the darkness found reflected back to you in the mirror of Another. It is there that you will unearth a treasure trove of insight about the very nature of love itself that will lead you out The Other Side; what it is, what it isn’t, and also how it can be damaged, renewed, or uncovered.
(Hint: it is always found within!)
I have also found, through my own journeys with Venus/Pluto, there is something to the concept of a graceful exit; being able to let go kindly when the time has come. To be fair and loving when you know in your soul that a relationship has hit a point of no return so you both might let go and find love again. Many times when a relationship meets an end, instead of blessing and releasing it can be all too easy to blight. We cannot truly let go if we still hold onto things like anger, bitterness, resentment, or other sundry negative emotion, and I believe the prominent heart-shaped stamp on Pluto’s face can serve as a reminder that even in death it is all about love.
Originally written and performed by incomparable Bill Withers, this cover is a personal favorite due the addition of crescendoing violins – a lovely touch! Upon hearing it today, I was struck by how it seems to epitomize the current square between Venus in Leo and Saturn in Scorpio – a vibe that will more or less pervade during the next 3 weeks courtesy of Venus’ slowed motion and subsequent (impending) retrograde. Venus square Saturn can indeed be a time of hardship or testing in relationships…the shields may seem to be up and it may be a lot more challenging to access some lovin’. Since we have Saturn in Scorpio involved, there may be a psychological, sexual, or other energetic barrier involved – remember what I said in an earlier post about the possible tendency to put ourselves on lockdown. It could be self-protective, and there may even be an element of fear involved when real intimacy is on the line.
Typically, Venus in Leo would rather play, but this is serious business and she’s less able to be footloose and fancy-free than she would otherwise be when unbound by Saturn’s constraints. It would appear she has some commitments she may be duty-bound to honor and simply might not have the time to invest in her relationships the way that she might like. Demands and responsibilities seem to be cramping her style – especially due work – and she may well have to take her sunshine away and TCOB for the time being. But it won’t be this way forever, nor for comparatively very long, so freak not if things seem to be stalling for you on the partnership front. Venus clears her second square with Saturn after August 5th, her next point-of-contact being liberating Uranus on August 19th – that is the ideal time to really jailbreak and remove any hardware restrictions!
Though Sagittarius is currently getting a brief reprieve from Saturn’s energy until September 17th due its temporary backtrack into Scorpio, I find the effects of this energy still lingering on my mind nonetheless. There is a particular a visual image conjured forth when I contemplate Saturn in Sagittarius – it is that of a bush pilot skillfully navigating through dicey terrain; soaring toward an as-yet unknown landing zone in some remote, aboriginal destination. Sadge has long been associated with air travel, and with Saturn as our captain it seems we are indeed learning to fly in a metaphorical sense.
Being this planet squares Neptune in Pisces a total of three times between now and late 2016, we should expect this could turn out to be a water landing, so hopefully you will come prepared for this possibility and thus equip your aircraft with pontoon floats. In a figurative sense, the ground beneath our feet is not solid at all during these squares; rather it is liquid. Consequently, conditions such as this can make it difficult to gain traction; however this is not the point. As is always …Read More…
An oddly appropriate song for the conjunction of Venus & Jupiter in mane-oriented Leo (exact Wednesday), LOL – have a listen:
“Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet? Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day? And head back to the milky way? And tell me, did Venus blow your mind…?”
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