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us to examine the attitudes or beliefs about love we may have inherited from our parents, because they may be quite outdated and getting in the way of all this Venus/Jupiter bounty.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

Saturn Has A Theme Song….

….And this is what it sounds like:

Much as I love the original, I must say I’m quite taken with this cover.

Lyrics:

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run; you missed the starting gun

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it’s sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way, but you’re older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I’d something more to say…

A frightfully apt song with Saturn passing back into Scorpio – especially when we take into account the broader astrological context that it will eventually creep toward a square with Jupiter/Venus in Leo during early August! If ever an advertising slogan fit a particular transit, I’d say the old Reebok tagline “Life is short; play hard” seems pretty damn apt for this upcoming square. Jupiter + Venus in Leo is hedonism to the nines, ostensibly spurred by Saturn’s realization that it could all end at any moment and that nothing in life is guaranteed except death and taxes.

I think that if you’re grimly hanging onto anything that you shouldn’t be at this point in life and thinking you still have time to make up for it, the tension of this square could be quite the wakeup call. Entrenchment in defunct situations because we are locked in and too afraid to let go (perhaps due the prospect of loss) could be preventing something wonderful and life-affirming from entering our lives – things like happiness, abundance, joy, and love, for example. When Venus and Jupiter are in league, our cups may runneth over…but with Saturn and Pluto back in mutual reception once again, there may be a contrasting psychological barrier where we’re putting ourselves on lockdown for some reason. Perhaps in true Saturn/Pluto fashion, we find ourselves making an effort to delay the inevitable and may fear the potentially life-changing ramifications of opening ourselves up to whatever opportunities Venus & Jupiter present. Saturn squaring Venus especially calls to mind possible issues regarding self-worth that inhibit pleasure because on some level we might not feel deserving of this bounty. While we can’t take it all in one bite and forgo paying the piper entirely with this square, we can certainly work on any psychological complexes that stand to limit personal growth and fulfillment.

Ergo, during this square I say to hell with the concept of “hanging on in quiet desperation”- in a case like this, I think it’s important we know when to quit and then steel ourselves to take that hit, because the alternative may mean staying stuck in a dysfunctional scenario that does indeed have severely limited growth potential. Jupiter & Venus in Leo are all about opening and expanding the Heart Center; especially as it relates to self-love. Remember they are the Greater and Lesser Benefics, respectively – are you sure you want to shut the door on them if they come knocking?

06/09/2015

Sure Signs That Jupiter Is In Leo…!

….Your “Intro to Ballroom” dance class is full to capacity and then some! The enthusiasm and encouragement of your ballroom Guru is positively contagious, creating a warm and festive atmosphere that fills up the room to the point of overflowing. Your heart rate is elevated; the dew in your mane collecting at the nape of your neck and causing stray wisps of hair to spring into buoyant curls. The upbeat tempo of swing and joy of just having fun has you bubbling over with exuberance and laughter.

From the Robin Wood Tarot.  Doesn't our King just look like he's extending an arm to his lady and asking her to tango? Grab that hand - it's time to dance!
From the Robin Wood Tarot. Doesn’t our King just look like he’s extending an arm to his lady and asking her to tango? Grab that hand – it’s time to dance!

Everybody has a King/Queen of Wands somewhere within them – these archetypal monarchs have joie-de-vivre in spades and absolutely lust for life! Venus has just entered Leo and will eventually augment Jupiter, so don’t be a wallflower because this is a time to put yourself on display! Leo is a consummate performer and entertainer, so why not give ‘em a show? We have expanded access to these fiery archetypes within our personas now and can easily connect to our vivacity, creativity, confidence, and belief in ourselves as talented individuals, so show the world how YOU shine!  All the world is your stage – embrace the close-up!

06/06/2015

Sadges On Jupiter In Leo

A group of Sadges partying hard under Jupiter in Leo, LOL!  Image from Disney's Fantasia.
A group of Sadges partying hard under Jupiter in Leo, LOL! Image from Disney’s Fantasia.

Ever since Jupiter arrived in Leo last summer, nothing has brought out the party animal in Sadge quite like this energy! But maaaaaybe it might be time to dial it back a bit, yes? We know how this sign already tends to do things to the max (read: excess) – and being on Jupiter in Leo 24/7/365 has definitely strengthened the inclination to perhaps overdo it a bit when it comes to having a good time.

But with the longer-running influence of Saturn passing over your Sun at some point during the next 2+ years coupled with the fact that Jupiter will soon slip into Virgo, it may be time to dial it back a bit, no? Saturn transits always call for the cultivation of self-restraint – couple this with Jupiter passing into wellness-oriented Virgo in a few months, and it may be time to think about cleaning up your act before your health suffers for it, yes?

06/01/2015

Jupiter In Leo: A Perspective On Drama

More words *NOT* to live by with Jupiter in Leo – unless of course you’re in the Performing Arts field, LOL…

Everybody’s got drama at times – me, you, him, her, them. It’s something that – at one point or another – is universal to the human experience, so this isn’t about judgment because we all experience the natural ebb-and-flow of the Comedy & Tragedy known as “life”. But there is a distinct difference between this being “situational” vs. “habitual” in nature, and as the Leo Moon joins with Jupiter in Leo, I want to talk specifically about the latter variety of drama. Jupiter is a planet that excels at providing us with perspective when resonating in Hi-Fi – when something is too “first-person” for us to see, it allows us to back up and get a bigger-picture view on things as if we were looking it from high above. Now the Moon is a creature of habit; it shows where we do things instinctively on auto-pilot because we are in our “comfort zones”, for good or ill. The Leo Moon can be habituated to drama when expressed in Lo-Fi, where it derives some measure of satisfaction off there being some sort of “scene” for it to star in. When resonating with this end of the vibrational spectrum, the Moon in Leo may indeed be fed off a “big production” in one respect or another in some (or multiple) area(s) of life, and it’s precisely this craving that can lead Lo-Fi Leo to create more of the same. Allow me to explain and provide some perspective….

Leo/Solar energy is primarily one of display, where we’re apt to “put on a show” or “make a spectacle” for better or worse – putting it more succinctly, this often translates to “drama” in one form or another. Now sometimes this characteristic is used for entertainment value or comedic effect where this “performing” energy can be channeled beneficially, because here we are sharing our “light” with others – reference famous Leo entertainers Lucille Ball, Steve Martin, Tom Green, Steve Carell, and Denis Leary just to name a few examples. Indeed, one facet of Jupiter in Leo’s energy entails looking at positive avenues of self-expression, because Jupiter has been classically referred to as The Great Benefic and Leo is the sign of creative self-expression. This can entail comedy, dance, and of course, the Performing (or Visual) Arts.

But, as we know, each planetary vibration also has the capacity to be done in Lo-Fi. Jupiter’s Lo-Fi manifestation can signify excess, where there’s “too much” of a given thing. In the sign of Leo, this can be drama as well as self-centeredness, as the dark side of Leo/Solar energy can be that it expects the world to revolve entirely around it. Thus this energetic combination does have the capacity to create what I’ll (half-humorously) refer to as “Drama-Llamas” – you know, the types of people who habitually seem to have an over-abundance of it in their life (usually the self-created kind) and so it becomes all about *them* and *their show*? It’s no longer about sharing one’s light and giving of oneself; it concerns having an audience, and it seems as though their whole raison d’etre may be to get the world to stop and revolve around them. I generally correlate this sort of behavior to there being a lack of positive attention in childhood, because Leo is the sign of children and Jupiter can have an overcompensatory vibe. In such instances, the individual may subscribe to the (conscious or unconscious) belief that any attention is good attention if it gets people to notice them, and – more specifically – if it gets people to notice their needs if the Moon is involved (say in Leo, the 5th House, or wired to the Sun).

DramaTruthNow I don’t know about you, but when I encounter this sort of thing, I’m personally inclined to change the channel. This kind of schtick is only entertaining in comedy clubs, soap operas, or on late-night TV – I really don’t want it in a close personal relationship of any kind, because how could there possibly be space for reciprocity – that all-important relationship maker or breaker – if someone’s too busy making it all about their own made-for-primetime telenovela? There is no room for co-stars, no; this Demanding Diva energy says there is only ONE. But with Saturn in Scorpio currently engaged in a loose but ongoing square to Jupiter in Leo, looking at the angle of how an excess of drama (Jupiter in Leo) can be a real time & energy sink (Saturn in Scorpio) is a wise thing to do. Drama-Llamas often fail to see just how self-centered (again, we’re talking about Lo-Fi Leo here) and taxing (Saturn in Scorp) this behavior can be, because this would require them to step outside of the first-person, which they’re not usually accustomed to doing by default.  But Jupiter reminds us to put the repercussions of this kind of behavior into perspective as well, as Saturn is an energy that signifies consequences.  Because when one habitually creates drama, this vicariously spills out onto close associations (Significant Other, family, friends, etc. ). Bystanders are then forced to watch “The Drama-Llama Show”, as such behavior leaves said Llama unavailable to be present for others’ trials, successes, tribulations, etc. since they’re too wrapped up in starring in their own production. That is, of course, unless we change the channel or turn it off….

 

CLICK

 

09/19/2014

Words (Not) To Live By With Jupiter In Leo:

Photo by Rafieff via Wikimedia Commons
Photo by Rafieff via Wikimedia Commons

“We were swollen in the head… and shrunken in the heart” -Metallica lead singer James Hetfield, Leo Sun w/ a Capricorn Moon, on a period when his band was, in his own words, “believing in [their] own hype”.

This is where rock star Leo energy has the capacity to go wrong, when (as the late, great Isabel Hickey would say) Leos “enthrone the ego” where the heart should be. Leo may be the regal king of the zodiac resplendent in all his warm, benevolent glory, but on the other hand he can also be the tyrannical despot when he becomes the center of his own universe and attempts to arrogantly force the world to revolve around his own ginormous ego. This is one of the potential hazards with Jupiter – The Great Expander – now residing in Leo, the Sultan of Swagger. The head must not be allowed to grow larger than the heart, and (false) pride coupled with a lack of genuine confidence is what generally causes this to happen. Fortunately for James, his Capricorn Moon is there to keep it real and keep it grounded – experience has taught him firsthand the importance of humility, so with any luck at all he’ll be able to maintain this level of wise self-awareness even as Jupiter creeps up to his Sun to launch him further into the stratosphere. Others – including those with a predominance of the Fire element in their chart – might want to keep an eye on this tendency during the next year, because when misapplied Jupiter in Leo does lend itself to braggadocio.

08/19/2014

Astro-News Flash: Jupiter Has Entered Leo

Stock image courtesy Kevin Pluck
Stock image courtesy Kevin Pluck

Globe-trekking, beneficent Jupiter has entered fiery Leo, where it will remain for an entire year!

So what can we expect out of this year-long transit? Well, for one it’s a very beneficial energy for creative types – this can be art, sculpture, writing…any medium used for self-expression at all, really – because it expands creative mojo. Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) in particular are really going to be juiced by this energy, but Sadge and Leo Suns will feel it in spades. Jupiter is also known as The Promotor – he blows us up and makes us larger-than-life so that our reach is expanded and we’re more visible to a wider (hopefully global) audience. As such, this astro-influence is bound to be a boon for artists & other creative types looking to get their creations “out there” and seen because this is such a conspicuous, high-profile energy.

While we’re on the topic of the pro-creativity vibe, I should also mention this can extend on a biological level as well since Leo is the sign of children. Want more kids or A kid? It’s possible you may get some astrological help in this department because child-related matters are indeed emphasized with Jupiter in Leo. Now by no means does this mean you *will* have a child, it just means that  …Read More…

Dreaming Of Lions…..

I awoke from a dream this morning, hazily recalling that my sleeping hours had been spent in a house filled with loads and LOADS of lions!

Amusingly, the Sun enters Leo today…and when it does it will be greeted by the Lord of Abundance, Jupiter, who just entered Leo for a year-long stay. A plethora of lions indeed….!

Needless to say, the Leo vibe is getting super juiced up, and it only grows stronger as we approach the weekend. A Leo-infused New Moon takes place on Saturday right next to Jupiter – be on the lookout for lions crossing….

 

LionCrossing

 

07/22/2014