TRUMPASTROLOGY: Donal Trump and the still very active February 2018 and August-September 2017 Solar and Lunar Eclipses

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For Astrology students and seekers

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Donald Trump and the February 15 2018 Solar Eclipse

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Donald Trump and the January 31 / February 1 2018 Lunar Eclipse

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Donald Trump and the August 21 2017 Solar Eclipse

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Donald Trump and the August 7 2017 Lunar Eclipse

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The Waxing Moon transits Gemini from December 30 2017 to January 1 2018, between the Taurus Gibbous and the Cancer Full Moon Phases

GEMINI, Moon of mental flexibility and communication
Inquisitive and social

The WAXING MOON TRANSITS GEMINI from December 30, 7.30 pm,

to January 1 2018 at 7.10 pm, with the ingress into CANCER.

Suitable energy for traveling, studying, researching, reading, writing, teaching, moving, walking, running, advertising, talking, brain storming, contact with siblings, computer work, accounting, graphic designing, artistic skills. Purchase of books, magazines, school gear, cars, bikes, art equipment. Quick action, rapid response, motivated by present circumstances and the curiosity to know. Adaptable mental energy. Friendly, sisterly, brotherly feelings, independent, needing change and variety. Beware of inconstancy, nervousness, irritability, mental games, gossips, double dealings, cold intellectualism, superficiality.

*** In the garden Gemini is considered too dry and barren for growing anything. Its energy is suitable for cultivating, general maintenance, pruning, pest control, weeding, and harvesting. Today the energy could be right for designing the garden, for parties and get-togethers with friends and siblings.

*** Healing Herbs: Coltsfoot, Hyssop, Lemon Balm, Mullein.

A note: the garden activities associated with the Moon Sign depend also on the cycle the Moon is in. The Moon transiting through a fertile or productive Sign will no be so favorable if the Phase is not a productive one, and vice-versa. For best results the Sign and Phase of the Moon have to be considered together.

Gibbous Moon

The TAURUS GIBBOUS MOON PHASE begins on December 30, 8:42:51 am,

and ends on January 2, 1.23 pm, with the 11° CANCER FULL MOON PHASE

The Moon is waxing, 135 degrees ahead of the Sun, only 45 degrees or three and half days to the Full Moon. The Moon shows a strange shape now, like a rugby ball. Our goals are becoming more clear and we can power ahead, not too concerned about possible obstacles on our path. The power of attraction of the Full Moon proves irresistible.

*** In the garden as in life there should be plenty of activities and a sense of urgency, least one should waste the great energy available at the moment. When the Moon transits a very fertile Sign like Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces, or a productive Sign like Taurus, Libra and Capricorn in this phase practically every plant and seed can go into the garden successfully. This is the middle of the second waxing week. Ideally, after sowing or planting leafy vegetables in the first week, we should be busy putting in those plants we grow for their fruit or seedpods (tomatoes, beans, etc.).

Full Moon

At Full Moon the Moon has reached a distance of 180 degrees ahead of the Sun, becoming diametrically opposed to it, with planet Earth in the middle. This is symbolically harvest time, when we reap what we have sown in the waxing period. We might experience success or failure, but either way we are coming to some important realization. The cycle has now reached its half way mark and is at its most intense. Like the New Moon a fortnight earlier this is also a time for new beginnings, not in the naïve, tentative way of the New Moon, but in a more mature and conscious way.

*** In the garden the Full Moon is a great divide: before the exact phase the increasing light and surging energy are particularly good for Annuals and above the ground crops; after the phase Perennials, Biennials, Trees and Root crops are more suited. Traditionally no sowing or planting are recommended however twelve hours before or after the phase itself. Some authors suggest even 24 hours.

 

Sunday December 31 2017: Sunrise Rainbow Horoscope

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Sunrise Sun’s Degree on December 31, 2017

CAPRICORN 09°16’26”

EARTH/CARDINAL

First to Second Decan of CAPRICORN (portion of ten degrees): CAPRICORN/CAPRICORN ~ CAPRICORN/TAURUS

Fourth to Fifth Dwad of CAPRICORN (portion of 2.5 degrees): CAPRICORN/ARIES ~ CAPRICORN/TAURUS

On December 22 the Sun entered the Cardinal Earth Sign of CAPRICORN. This was the Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, the Sun stalling on its southernmost declination on the Tropic of Capricorn, before retracing its steps northward. This was the longest day of the year in Australia and the shortest in the Northern Hemisphere.
The SUN will transit CAPRICORN from December 22, at 3.27.53 am (Australia Eastern Daylight Saving Time = 11 hours East of Greenwich). The Sun will be in this Cardinal Earth Sign until January 20, 2.08.56 pm, with the ingress into Aquarius.

And HERE you’ll find my take on the Major Transits for 2018, in a nutshell.

click HERE to view the Rainbow Horoscope of this cosmic event

(my Dwad Table)

The time for the following Sunrise Charts is Australian Summer Time (=11 hours East of Greenwich).

Click HERE to change it into your own Time Zone. Daylight Saving will begin again in NSW on October 1 at 2 am.

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2017 Capricorn Solstice Rainbow Horoscope !!! Saturn in charge !!!

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2017 CAPRICORN SOLSTICE RAINBOW HOROSCOPE
!!! SATURN in CHARGE !!!

Please note the perfect conjunction of the Sun to mighty Saturn, a sign that the year ahead will be one of restructuring and hard work, a reality check on a grand scale, individually and collectively.
If interested please navigate from HERE to my post: ‘2018 in an astrological nutshell’.

2017 Capricorn Solstice, December 22

Mercury stalling on the cusp of Capricorn begins its Retro Period in Sagittarius, on December 3 2017

Thoth, Egyptian Hermes-Mercury street art

Timeline of December 2017 Mercury’s Retro Period in Sagittarius

Just as Mercury reached the very last degree of Sagittarius, and the cusp of Capricorn, on December 3, it began its Retro Station. It will be January 11 2018 before Mercury will finally make it into Capricorn. The period of Retrogradation will last until December 23. This seems good news for Christmas holidays, family get-togethers and travel’s plans. Until then however re-check your plane-train-bus tickets and the addresses on your postal parcels or email greetings, the Trickster is on the prowl for unwary victims!

Other possible effects of this Mercury’s Retro Period in Sagittarius

When Mercury moves from a Fire Sign to an Earth Sign we can expect to enter a more suitable frame of mind to put into practice all the ideas we have been brewing in our heads during the Fire transit. Sagittarius is a very speculative and future oriented Fire Sign but not one accomplished in manifesting the same as viable propositions and down to earth realities. Hesitating as it does on the cusp of Capricorn Mercury shows a collective reluctance to stop speculating and dreaming big and start dealing with real stuff. Until December 23 we will be revisiting all the recent projects and aspirations, perhaps to correct inconsistencies and errors of judgement or just to face instructive setbacks and delays.

It will be only after December 23 and, even better, after January 11 2018 (Mercury in Capricorn), that we may start looking more seriously for ways of putting everything to more rigorous reality tests. Capricorn then will not suffer delays and procrastination but will spur us into action.

As I often remind my readers, the apparent backward motion of Mercury is not just an optical illusion but actually marks the time when the planet is at its closest to us, circling the Sun within the Earth’s own orbit. The astrological Mercury is said to rule, among other things, over the collective and individual mind, the way we process and share ideas and thoughts.

The present transits of Mercury in Sagittarius (December 3 2017 to January 11 2018)

The most important transits of Mercury will be a conjunction (direct alignment on the same degree of longitude) to mighty Saturn on December 6, time to seriously re-consider our ideas and projects in a somewhat more cynical light, hopefully without knocking the wind out of them completely. This transit will be repeated once again, with Mercury moving in direct motion, on January 13 2018; with the big difference that Mercury and Saturn will be then in Earthy Capricorn, a much more suitable Sign to get things done.

On December 10 Mercury will trine Uranus in Aries (harmonious transit). The same will be repeated on January 7 2018, in direct motion. This could mean a blast of unusual, brilliant or just crazy new ideas flooding our mind, encouraging us to take uncharted paths, to go on odd tangents, to start peculiar conversations with or be inspired by eccentric or very inventive people. Make the most of this influence to move out of stale or conventional ways of thinking.

The big one though will be the Sun-Mercury alignment in Sagittarius (Inferior Conjunction) on December 13.  This will begin a few weeks period (until about mid February 2018) of Mercury apparition as a Morning Star (rising just before sunrise). This is astrologically considered an outgoing time for our Trickster, during which we may be able to communicate our thoughts and ideas more openly and directly, even with a certain degree of recklessness.

Conclusion

Mercury’s Retrogradation through Sagittarius, between December 3 and 23, could particularly affect people with the last fifteen degrees of the Mutable Signs highlighted in their Natal Charts: Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini and Virgo. The natural changeability and eclecticism of Mercury in Sagittarius could end up driving us too much off the tangent, at times, wasting precious mental and verbal energy into useless speculations and pie in the sky dreams.

Of course this will not be just in the mind, but circumstances, interruptions, other people interference, unexpected complications and delays may all arise at this time to test our patience.

Neptune in Pisces activated by the Virgo transits between September and October 2017

Poem by Sarah Tittle Bolton (1814 – 1893) – artwork by Beth Conklin

Return to the big picture

Often, when we concentrate on the present, zooming into the changeable astrological signatures from week to week, this New Moon, that Full Moon, Mercury Retro, Mars changing Signs etc, we forget the overall interlacing cycles of which the present period is part.

In order to make some sense of the difficulties we are all facing at present I find myself looking again at those cycles of collective evolution: the transits of the slow moving planets, especially Chiron, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

Neptune in Pisces

Here is a revised post on Neptune’s transit through Pisces that I published in June 2016.  A cluster of celestial bodies in Pisces’ opposite complementary Sign of Virgo, between September and October 2017, will tend to activate the Neptune transit, bringing its effect down to earth, for want of a better expression, thus affecting more our daily lives. The Sun will be in Virgo until September 23, reaching the opposition to Neptune on September 5; Mars will be in Virgo from September 5 to October 23, reaching the opposition to Neptune on September 25; Mercury will return to Virgo, after retrogradation, between September 10 and 30; and Venus will transit Virgo from September 20 to October 14, reaching the opposition to Neptune on September 30. The Asteroid Vesta is also transiting Virgo, from July 18 to September 18.

The individuals more directly affected by these Pisces/Virgo transits will be those who have the Mutable Sign highlighted in their Birth Chart, Pisces, Virgo, Gemini and Sagittarius. The dates given above representing the periods of greater and more tangible effects.

At the end of this post I have added a list of negative and positive key words/phrases to describe the possible expressions of Neptune in transit.

Neptune in Pisces in recent historical times

Neptune remains in each Sign approximately 14 years, orbiting the Sun in about 148 years.  At present Neptune is on its sixth year into the Sign of Pisces. It will remain in this Sign until 2025, entering then the Sign of Aries.

The last historical passage of Neptune through Pisces happened between 1848 and 1862 (soon after its discovery in 1846). This is often referred to as  the Romantic period in the arts and literature, and ideologically one that saw the rise of  socialistic ideals, with the writing of Marx and Frederick Engels (the Communist Manifesto was published in 1848). A very significant Occult Revival occurred then also, in response to the rationalistic and materialistic ideologies that flourished during the so called age of Reason brought about by modern industrialization.

The present era of Neptune in Pisces (2011-2015)

A new Romantic era is upon us. We are witnessing the resurgence of interest in the mantic arts, like alternative healing methods, astrology, palmistry, tarot, occultism, etc. There is a renaissance of the feminine spirit in art, religion, philosophy and in lives of discerning men and women. We may more consciously seek experiences of transcendence, via trans-personal psychology, channeling, active dreaming, out of the body experiences, meditation etc. These and similar activities will become more widely accepted and sought after by an increasing number of people. The visual arts, the media, music will all be influenced by this mystical trend.

Neptune symbolizes the ever present longing for a lost state of bliss and unity, the lost individual paradise of the womb and the collective paradise of humanity’s Golden Age. With Neptune in Pisces this longing will permeate the lives of more and more people, perhaps stirred by the ecological catastrophes threatening our world. This transit shows the collective desire for unity to be on the increase, despite the worsening outer struggles of our troubled world.

Chiron, in Pisces since early 2011 will remain in this Sign until 2018/19, accompanying Neptune in his journey; its transit showing the potential for healing our collective ills by embracing wiser and more compassionate ways.

As our daily lives become more and more impacted by the momentous adjustments and disruptions all around us, Neptune in Pisces can show us transcendental ways to navigate the troubled waters of the present, enhancing creativity, imagination and compassion. There will be a sense of underlying unity between us and the planet, a striving toward greater integration among races, religions and ideologies, in the face of the still polarized situation on the surface of things. Outlasting many other transits that preoccupy astrologers at the present time, this influence gives us real hope that we will be guided toward greater spiritual unity in the next decade and beyond. The fate of the planet, I feel, depends very much on the way we will be able to embrace Neptune in Pisces, avoiding its downside of extreme passivity and escapism.

When viewed in the light of the other major transits, in particular of Pluto in Capricorn (to 2023/2024) and Uranus in Aries (to 2018/2019), the passage of Neptune and Chiron in Pisces could be just what we need to keep a sense of unity and transcendental meaning to our lives, in times of dramatic social, political, economic, ideological changes. Through Pisces we may be able to distill the spiritual essence of this period of evolution, the coming together of all the separated bits to form a new wholeness. Many sacrifices, personal and collective, will be required to truly embrace the visionary age opening in 2025 with the ingress of Neptune into Aries, beginning a complete new cycle in our spiritual evolution.

People born while Neptune transits Pisces

Neptune’s passage through a new Sign will be reflected in a shift in the spiritual aspirations of the world. The generation of people born with Neptune in Pisces, between 2011 and 2025, will produce some charismatic visionaries and artists of a higher order, contributing to a spiritual and artistic renaissance, as people born with the same Neptune’s placement have done in the past, like Rudolph Steiner, Emmanuel Swedenborg, Gustav Mahler, to name just three. This transit will define an epoch in human history, reflecting on our spiritual and aesthetic values for years to come.

This generation will be extra sensitive to our spiritual connection to the Earth as the all giving Mother. Neptune in fact, traditionally depicted as a powerful male god, rising from the ocean’s waves with his  mighty trident, is actually very much a feminine energy, passive and inclusive, fluid and changeable, a shape-shifter, helping us to glimpse the subtle aspects of all situations and relationships.

This generation will hopefully be also more sensitive to our collective suffering, including that endured by the Earth itself, and be ready to work selflessly toward global solutions, including everyone in this world’s multicultural melting pot, from which the flower of a new humanity may be able to emerge.

Positive and negative key words to describe the effect of Neptune in Pisces

Negative

Hopelessness in the face of overwhelming events

Escapism, to remove ourselves from what we feel we cannot face

Passivity and depression, feeling exhausted of life energy, depleted, weak

Going along with whatever

Indulgence, promiscuity, dissipation of energy, debauch

Delusions of easy fixes

Raise of messianic figures who promise to change everything for the better

Excessive idealism, impracticality, lack of realism and common sense

Greater than ever use of drugs, legal and not legal, to compensate for an uninspired, meaningless, soulless existence

Collective mayhem, mass madness, riots, chaotic gathering

Many death at sea, drownings, disasters involving water

Collective hysteria

Positive

Spiritual and artistic Renaissance

Charismatic visionaries and artists of a high order

Occult revival

Socialistic ideals

Self sacrifice for common or universal causes

Love of Nature

Compassion, tolerance, a sense of Oneness

Holistic Medicine

Transcendence, metaphysics

Creativity, imagination

Meditation, dreaming

Mercury Retrograde from August 12 to September 6 2017 -Virgo 11° to Leo 28°

Hermes statue @ the National Roman Museum

Timeline of Mercury’s Retro Period

Mercury will enter Virgo in late July when it will also reach its maximum elongation (visual distance from the Sun), a period of greater mental clarity when the planet appears as an Evening Star for about an hour after sunset, until mid-August.

The Retro motion will begin on August 12 with Mercury becoming Stationary on the eleventh degree of Virgo. Our Little Brother will eventually retrace his steps into Leo on September 1; only for ten days though, and only along the distance of two degrees, re-entering Virgo for good on September 10.

The possible effects of this Mercury’s Retro Period

The apparent backward motion of Mercury is not just an optical illusion but actually marks the time when the planet is at its closest to us, circling the Sun within the Earth’s own orbit. The astrological Mercury is said to rule, among other things, over the collective and individual mind, the way we process and share ideas and thoughts. When in the Fire Sign of Leo Mercury promotes creativity and passion, when in Virgo discrimination and practicality. During a retro period we are made to re-think our thinking, often having to go over-drive with the particular character of the Sign involved.

The transits of Mercury while Retrograde through Virgo (August 12 to end of August)

Mercury’s Retrogradation through Virgo, between August 12 and 30, could particularly affect people with the first twelve degrees of the Mutable Signs highlighted in their Natal Charts: Virgo, Pisces, Gemini and Sagittarius. The quality of discrimination and practicality usually indicated by Mercury in Virgo could end up driving us crazy as we get lost in minute details while missing on the big picture, a waste of time at least or, at worst, a never good enough attitude of mind that can become really paralyzing.

Of course this will not be just in the mind, but circumstances, interruptions, weird tangents, other people interference, unexpected complications may all arise at this time to try our patience.

At the time of its Retro Station on August 12, 13 (when the planet will seem stationary around the eleventh degree of Virgo, just before starting to move backward), Mercury will be very close but not yet exactly opposed to Neptune in Pisces. I feel that this opposition will compound the tendency of this Mercury Retrograde period to create confusing or even chaotic circumstances, especially in the areas of communication. Neptune in fact is more than any other planets an archetype of the often foggy and dream-like astral universe of our individual and collective psyche; the opposition between Mercury and Neptune signifying the conflict between our left brain reasoning/rational and our right brain creative/intuitive faculties. The opposition usually implies the idea of reconciling these two different attitudes, blending them into a more holistic way of thinking and communicating.

On August 27 Mercury will align with the Sun in Virgo, marking the shift between its Evening and Morning appearances. Mercury will be more easily observable as a Morning Star between September 6 and 20, when back in Virgo in direct motion.

The transits of Mercury while Retrograde through Leo (September 1 to 6)

On September 3, by then back into Leo, Mercury will align to Mars, a very active planet during this Eclipse Season (and the reason for its potential intensity), at the same time forming a positive aspect to Uranus in Aries (trine), both transits helping to flare up our imagination. Great ideas may pop up into our mind at this time. They may be more experimental than immediately viable but could eventually form a fertile ground for future accomplishments. These transits could also make us more assertive and controversial in speech and writing, with a risk of becoming somewhat forceful and autocratic, but also with great potential for inventiveness and originality.

How to make the most of this strange period during the Virgo transit?

Tuning in somehow will help to gain the insights a Mercury Retro period is ideally meant to bring.  The Virgo’s aptitude of paying great attention to details, for instance, can be creative and liberating too if part of a integrated spiritual system. A good example would be the art of Feng Shui through which the precise arrangements of objects and features in our homes and work spaces  can be a source of greater harmony in our lives. Learning skills that in the past seemed too demanding and complicated could also fill this period with meaningful activities: learning a new language for example, grammar and all, crafts of all kind: pottery, crocheting, knitting, typing, wood working, stained glass making, beading, ikebana, calligraphy, macrame’, embroidering etc. By putting some painstaking effort on doing something small, we may realize that the reward of mastering a skill is the skill itself, rather than the finished product.

How to make the most of this strange period during the Leo transit?

The first ten days in September Retro Mercury transiting the last two degrees of Leo could prove particularly trying for people with the last three to four degrees of Leo, Aquarius, Taurus and Scorpio highlighted in their Natal Charts. Usually creative even flamboyant Mercury in Leo when Retrograde may add a touch of obsession to our creative endeavors, helping us to go deeper in whatever we are doing but also running the risk of becoming dangerously one minded and self-centered for a while. Letting go of the usual control we try to exert on things and, in particular, on our creative efforts could make light of the many possible disruptions of a Leo Retro period. Let’s try to enjoy a little chaos, who knows what marvel of imagination, inspiration and originality it could bring?

 

June-July 2017 Astrology: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and the Cancer Solstice

The Cancer Solstice – June 21 2017 – Winter Solstice

Cancer Solstice 2017 – click to view larger image

Cancer Solstice 2017 Data – click to view larger image

This article was published in early June in The Uki Village News; the following is a slightly extended version.

Hi everyone, welcome to my take on the astrological period June-July 2017, gearing up to be full of surprises and new developments.

June: in early June Mercury, Venus and Mars shifted Signs around the same time. These are known as ‘Personal Planets’ because they tend to dominate our personal, day to day life for shorter spurts of time than the more distant planets, who take care instead of the big picture behind any given period.
Mars will transit Cancer from June 5 to July 20: a time that could prove emotionally challenging to the Cardinal Signs (Cancer-Capricorn-Aries-Libra). There is a real risk of falling into emotional extremes and give into irrational or aggressive behaviour: moderation and control of impulsiveness key words here. To put this transit to good use we could all employ the extra energy to tackle practical tasks and activities that need drive, initiative and courage.

On June 6 Venus entered Taurus and will transit this Sign until July 5. This is a positive shift for the Fixed Signs (Taurus-Scorpio-Leo-Aquarius), stimulating creativity, enjoyment of social activities, loving opportunities and financial ease.

Between June 7 and 21 Mercury will transit its own Sign of Gemini, a helpful development for the Mutable Signs (Gemini-Sagittarius-Virgo-Pisces), bringing greater ease in communication, learning, encouraging  travel and all activities that require mental flexibility and rapid responses.

Entering the Water Sign of Cancer on June 21 Mercury will align with Mars on June 29, greatly stimulating communication and travel, but also increasing restlessness and exacerbating the risks of confrontations and disagreements, especially for the Cardinal Signs (Cancer-Capricorn, Aries-Libra).

On June 15 the Sun will reach the yearly opposition to Saturn, the best time to observe the ringed planet in the night sky, rising as the Sun sets and climbing up throughout the night. Astrologically this is the time when we confront the results of the previous six months activities, checks and balances, successes and failures.

If you plan to celebrate the Winter Solstice (= ingress of the Sun in Cancer, its northernmost declination), this year it will fall on June 21, 2.24 pm, NSW standard time.

July: From July 5 to August 1 Venus will grace the Air Sign of Gemini, helping all of us to bond our creative talents to our ability to communicate the same to other people, an exciting influence especially for the Mutable Signs (Gemini-Sagittarius-Virgo-Pisces). This is a great stimulus for travel, friendship, parties, get-togethers, creative writing and the arts.  Mercury in Leo, between July 6 and 26, will also encourage creativity, playfulness and spontaneity, especially for the Fixed Signs (Leo-Aquarius-Taurus-Scorpio).

Mars will transit Leo from July 20 to September 5. Leo is a more compatible Sign for this fiery planet, not much oriented toward the past as Cancer, but rather projected toward the future and its brighter possibilities. This could be a positive, outgoing, creative energy especially for the Fixed Signs (Leo-Aquarius-Taurus-Scorpio).

Looking at the bigger picture now: on June 10 Jupiter will turn Stationary Direct in the middle of Libra, powering on toward its next destinations, its last difficult encounters with Pluto, on August 5 (close to a Lunar Eclipse on August 8) and Uranus, on September 28, to finally enter the Sign of Scorpio on October 10. All the developments that began earlier on in the year, but were considerably slowed down by Jupiter’s four months Retrogradation, will once more gain rapid momentum, inciting unexpected breakthroughs and radical changes, but also greater volatility and unpredictability in our personal and collective life.

Happy transits everyone

The Waxing/Waning Moon transits Leo between February 9 and 12, at 51 minutes past midnight, during the Full Moon Phase, also the First Lunar Eclipse of 2017

‘Temple Gardens’ by Catherine Nelson

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LEO, Moon of creativity and passion
Warm and fun loving

From  February 9, 8.40 pm, to February 12, 0.51 am

Suitable energy for creative work, especially of the visual type, display, fun, joy, drama, theatre, inspiration, organization, leisure, pleasure, vacation, spending fun times with the children, being a child again, love making, romance, passion. Purchase of jewellery, gold, precious objects, luxury items, cats. Action motivated by spontaneous need for self expression. Dramatic display of generous feelings, warm hearted, loyal, passionate, but somewhat egotistic. Beware of domineering and controlling attitudes, ego inflation, extremes of passion, exaggeration, arrogance, pride.

♣ ♣ ♣ In the garden Leo, like all the other Fire Signs, is traditionally considered too hot, dry and barren for growing anything. Its energy is very suitable instead for cultivating, general maintenance, pruning, pest control, weeding, and harvesting. Great Moon time for designing the garden, introducing ornamental objects and features, and, of course, Garden Parties.

♥ ♥ ♥ Healing Herbs: Borage, Hawthorn, Motherwort.

A note: the garden activities associated with the Moon Sign depend also on the cycle the Moon is in. The Moon transiting through a fertile or productive Sign will no be so favorable if the Phase is not a productive one, and vice-versa. For best results the Sign and Phase of the Moon have to be considered together.

Full Moon

At Full Moon the Moon has reached a distance of 180 degrees ahead of the Sun, becoming diametrically opposed to it, with planet Earth in the middle. This is symbolically harvest time, when we reap what we have sown in the waxing period. We might experience success or failure, but either way we are coming to some important realization. The cycle has now reached its half way mark and is at its most intense. Like the New Moon a fortnight earlier this is also a time for new beginnings, not in the naïve, tentative way of the New Moon, but in a more mature and conscious way.

♣ ♣ ♣ In the garden the Full Moon is a great divide: before the exact phase the increasing light and surging energy are particularly good for Annuals and above the ground crops; after the phase Perennials, Biennials, Trees and Root crops are more suited. Traditionally no sowing or planting are recommended however twelve hours before or after the phase itself. Some authors suggest even 24 hours.

The astrological end of 2021, another dramatic year: Pluto in Capricorn square Eris in Aries. Venus Retro in Capricorn. Will 2022 bring more of the same? Our reasons for hope. Last Eclipse of 2021

A shorter version of this article has been published in the Uki Village News issue 121, December 2021 – January 2022.

Last eclipse season for 2021 and last pass of the Saturn-Uranus’
to farewell another difficult year

The Sagittarius Solar Eclipse (December 4, 6.42 pm, dls), connected to Uranus, planet of revolutions and upheaval, will be a rather special New Moon, setting the tone not just for the month ahead but for the next six months or more.   The adventurous Sagittarius New Moon, occurring around this time every year, marks usually a time when we are eager to turn a page on the past, feeling ready to embrace the future with renewed optimism and vision; time for aspiring New Year resolutions, seldom destined to withstand the test of time. This time the Moon is eclipsed while, due to the collective experiences of the past two years, we feel more impatient than usual to move ahead. The Sun and Moon, during the Solar Eclipse, will also connect directly with Uranus, planet of revolutions and upheaval (extremely close 150 degrees or inconjunct aspects).  Again, finding ways to moderate extremes of feelings and passions will be a must in the coming months, to maintain a modicum of peace and harmony in our lives.
Because the third/last pass of the Saturn-Uranus square is still approaching (Christmas Eve) our impatience will be yet tested by limiting circumstances (Saturn’s effect) but also fired up by a spirit of rebellion (Uranus’ effect). This significant transit, that permeated the whole of 2021, remains influential, especially because it occurs around the Capricorn Solstice, heralding the New Year. Must this still be a recipe for frustration and antagonism?  Or an opportunity to find a healthy medium between social responsibilities and our innate desire for self-determination?
For sure, next year the challenging right angle between Saturn and Uranus will be over, getting closer again in September-October but not becoming exact again. Jupiter though, transiting Pisces on and off in the coming year, will form difficult if minor angles with both Saturn and Uranus (semi-squares). It could then, in 2022 and early 2023, become an agent for those two sworn enemies’ ongoing feud. 
Hopefully Jupiter in adaptable Pisces could also play the role of a deal-breaker, by providing greater tolerance of differences, with the ability to forgive and move on.

The Retrogradation of Venus in Capricorn

This loop takes place every eighteen months or so and represents an opportunity for self reflection in the area of relationships. One of the major consequences of this transit will be to greatly intensify and extend in time the effect of a Venus-Pluto conjunction. The Retrogradation will last from December 19 2021 to January 29 2022, while Venus transits backward between 26^th/11^th degrees of Capricorn. Usually a yearly transit that remains active for just a few days, this time the conjunction will repeat three times: on December 12-25, and again on March 4 2022.

These events could shape our attitude on relationships and love (Venus), presenting to us in a revealing light some recurrent negative patterns we experience, while also providing us with the psychological tools to tackle them. In particular matters of shared assets and/or finances could come to the fore, as well as issues of control, jealousy, repressed resentments, perhaps feelings and thoughts that have remained hidden for a while or that, for peace sake, we have evaded so far (Pluto). What are we seeking from those who are close to us?  What are they looking for in us? This is not time to be content with superficial answers. Not only there is a need to be more realistic (Capricorn), but to be also ruthlessly honest, first of all with ourselves (Pluto).   

2022 Jupiter’s journey between worlds: from Pisces to Aries and back again

Just as the year ends, on December 29, Jupiter will be moving into Pisces and transit this last Zodiacal Sign until May 11, when it will enter Aries, first in the sequence. Due to Retrogradation it will re-enter Pisces again, just for a few days, between October 28 and December 21.
Jupiter is well placed in Pisces, having been associated with this Sign since antiquity.
In Pisces the philosophical function that Jupiter represents merges with our collective longing for spirituality, unity and compassion. It could be especially so in 2022, because Neptune, the metaphysical function within our collective psyche, is also still transiting Pisces (until 2025) and Jupiter will become conjunct Neptune on April 13. Regrettably there will be only one pass of this beautiful transit, enough hopefully to inspire the collective to embrace non judgemental, non divisive ways to deal with each other and our ailing blue planet.
It has been this year that pharmaceutical companies began to make public some of the positive results of new anti-viral drugs, while some of those have already become available to help in the fight against covid19. Jupiter has already entered Pisces earlier this year (May 14 to July 28). This synchronicity could be a sign that Jupiter’s return into Pisces at the end of December will bring some improvement and progress in these areas too, Pisces being the Sign of drugs and medications and Jupiter the planet of expansion and optimism.
The transits of Jupiter through Pisces could also encourage the grassroots involvement of people from all walks of life in the fight against environmental crimes and neglect. Many will respond more readily to the calls for help the natural environment and its creatures have been sending us for a very long time.
When in Aries (May 11 2022 to October 28 2023) Jupiter will be likely to inspire us to embrace a more militant mindset, eager to change the world. Actions will speak louder than words, our collective mind expanding by being more courageous and driven.

Pluto in Capricorn square Eris in Aries

Another positive change happening now is the near end of Pluto’s square to Eris, a very difficult transit, active since 2019/20. This aspect has been a powerful ingredient of the extreme experiences we have had during the last couple of years.
 
Eris (at first known as Xena) is a dwarf planet, only discovered in 2005, orbiting the outer reaches of the solar system, at three times the distance of Pluto from our Earth. Eris is part of the so called Kuiper Belt of which Pluto is also a member. Its orbit around the Sun is a very slow 558 years! Due to its extremely elliptical orbit Eris spends different lengths of time in each Sign.  Eris is not just a generational planet but rather a multi-generational planet. For instance Eris is now transiting Aries, having entered this Sign in 1926. It will be 2048 before she leaves Aries to enter Taurus.  Its influence then has more to do with slow historical trends, developing over centuries, rather than specific events within a number of months or years.  
 
Who is Eris astrologically? She was the Greek Goddess of strife and discord, wicked sister of sweet Harmonia, Goddess of peace and harmony, and of ferocious war mongering Ares (Mars).
 
After the discovery of Eris and other dwarf planets (within the space that is now known as the Kuiper belt) astronomers decided to demote Pluto from its status as planet to dwarf planet. The first effect of her introduction in the planetary pantheon was thus to disrupt the status quo, creating controversies that are still raging today.  Many astrologers have found fault particularly in the demotion of Pluto, fact that seems to somehow belittle its amply proven impact on our lives.
 
Curiously the same name of Eris was also given to another, not so unpleasant Goddess, who presided over good works, in particular cultivation of the land. She exerted her power by stirring people into action when they compared themselves to more successful and ambitious neighbours!
Both forms of Eris were known for causing some form of strife, but while one was mainly negative, encouraging violence for violence sake and pitiless if righteous revenge, the other Eris had a more constructive role.

Of course there is a very positive and evolutionary role for the first Eris to play too, in particular regarding the emancipation of women and their still fierce battle against misogyny and inequality. While transiting Aries this Goddess has taken a more militant form, pro-active and courageous rather than just vengeful. Seeking revenge can be viewed in fact as a form of passive aggression, when direct opposition is not an option.  

After the profound crisis caused by the First World War, during which many women took on more masculine roles, in the absence of husbands, fathers and brothers figures, the 20s ushered a time of greater freedom for women, continuing unabated to the present day.  A good example, now part of the history books, was the massive and global Women Marches of January 2017 (estimated five million worldwide), when revolutionary Uranus became conjunct to Eris (transit active from June 2016 to March 2017).

In 2020 and 2021 the difficult angle between Pluto (ultimate experiences, power abuses, trauma) and blood-thirsty Eris contributed, together with other cosmic clashes, to the discord and violence that spread all over the globe, not just in response to the pandemic measures, but also via proliferation of conflicts in countries fighting for basic democratic rights and social justice, as well as governments’ fierce resistance to relinquish their grip on power.

Furthermore, due to the dramatic tension between Pluto and Eris, much corruption and dirty secrets have been revealed, with major beneficial results. The same transit though has also fomented much paranoia and misguided mistrust among people and people/governments/main stream/social media, wrecking more havoc that has added to the pandemic many challenges.

Pluto is still close to the square aspect but it will not return to it in 2022 or for the foreseeable future.

2022 and beyond

2022 seems to be a transition year for the world, hopefully less eventful and unsettling; said that, many astrologers, including myself, have been prematurely optimist before. We really need to wait and see how long and how severe the global crisis will still be.

For a while now some extraordinary planetary dynamics have been pointing out at spectacular shifts impending on the world, on many levels. These cannot be summed up just by few dramatic events, but they will be rather part of a long drawn and difficult process of transformation and rebirth.

In my view the existential treat of the climate crisis, with an ever more populated world scrambling for resources, is at the root of our collective angst. This pandemic and possible future ones are just symptoms of the general malaise the world is suffering from: the lack of the spiritual values needed to turn things around and speed up our human evolution.  

All we can say is that the effects of the dramatic 2020/21 transits are still lingering, but no major alignments will be activated in 2022. 

Amazing cosmic shifts loom in the future though: Saturn will enter Pisces in 2023; Pluto Aquarius, in 2023/24; Neptune Aries and Uranus Gemini, in 2025; and Chiron Taurus in 2026. Pluto’s exit from Capricorn many astrologers consider to be particularly significant when looking for an end to the pandemic crisis, with all its dark connotations.
 
The world could indeed look like a different place when all of the above have come to pass.

Paola Emma’s Astrology for December 2019 ~ January 2020. Jupiter in Capricorn, conjunction to Saturn and Pluto; Capricorn/Cancer Eclipse Season

A shorter version of this article has been recently published in the Uki Village News, issue 109.

We are now at the end of an eventful year and the beginning of a decade that will be remembered in the annals of the world as a watershed of immense consequence. Where we are going from here will very much depend on the action or lack of action the world nations will take in the area of natural resources exploitation, climate crisis, the planet endangered ecology, social justice, ongoing conflicts, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction etc.  To anyone who is keeping abreast of the national and international events it might seem that I am just stating the obvious here. The fact is that the global astrology for the upcoming period shows also very clearly an escalation, not an easing of the present crisis, social, political and ecological. At the personal level some individuals could be impacted more deeply, but we are all in it, one way or another.  We have to remind ourselves though that the extreme and volatile events we are witnessing here and around the world, as well as the intense transits I’m discussing all have a bright silver lining, providing the momentum, power and resources for addressing the unprecedented problems the planet is facing.

To start from the beginning, on December 3, Jupiter has moved Sign (a yearly event) to enter Capricorn (a twelve years cycle), indicating that the collective mindset should become more realistic in the coming year, ditching grandiose schemes for a more practical hands on approach.  Capricorn is very much a matter of fact Sign (Earth Element), as well as an active and motivated one (Cardinal Mode), so that the philosophy that Jupiter’s symbol embodies will be embracing viable alternatives rather than impossible to achieve ideals and difficult to maintain standards. Of interest to astrological students is the fact that the ingress of Jupiter into Capricorn corresponded, to a day, to the beginning of the UN Madrid Conference on Climate Change (December 2 to 13, 2019) !

What is especially significant here is that Pluto and Saturn, since 2008 and December 2017 respectively, have been also transiting Capricorn, the most important planetary indicators of the make or break nature of this historical period. Pluto will remain in Capricorn until 2023/24, while Saturn will hover on the first two degrees of Aquarius between March 22 (around the Aries Equinox) and July 2 2020, when it will re-enter Capricorn, transiting this Sign again until December 17 2020, day of its proper ingress into Aquarius. After that Saturn will remain in Aquarius until March 8 2023.
Jupiter then is the last of the history making planets to enter Capricorn. Being faster than the other two it will act as a catalyst for their energies, hopefully having a positive impact.

All these transits in Capricorn are becoming more critically significant due to the already active Saturn-Pluto’s conjunction, becoming exact on January 13 2020; undoubtedly the most important transit for the whole of 2020 and beyond. Among other factors this conjunction will also be the first, since 2009, to mark a waxing cycle of Saturn, a sign of active changes in the political and ideological leadership around the world.

The Sun, Mercury and largest asteroid Ceres (Earth Mother symbol) will also be in Capricorn, becoming aligned to Saturn-Pluto the day before and after their conjunction, strengthening the impact of the alignment. Furthermore, on January 11, Uranus will turn Direct, potentially accelerating the pace and increasing the scope of the alignment.

The frequency of such planetary configurations varies because Pluto has a very elliptical orbit, spending different lengths of time in each Sign, so that Saturn would take more or less time to catch up with it. There were three such alignments last century: the first in 1915, at the onset of the Great War, in the Sign of Cancer; the second in 1947, in Leo, when post war upheavals changed the face of Europe, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent, historical events of enormous consequence for the whole world. The cycle that will end in January 2020 began in November 1982, with a conjunction in Libra, reaching its mid-point, a sort of climax, in August- November 2001, around the events now known as 9/11. That cycle is closing now and this could be good news! A new cycle always representing an opportunity to make a fresh start.

A factor that could make this conjunction more intense and relevant for future developments is that two Eclipses are in the cards for December 2019 and January 2020. A Solar Eclipse on the fourth degree of Capricorn will occur at New Moon on Boxing Day and a Lunar Eclipse on the 20^thdegree of Cancer will follow on January 11, when the Sun, Mercury, Saturn, Pluto and Ceres will all oppose the Cancer Full Moon and align with the Sun in Capricorn! Big stuff. Eclipses often mark eventful times, individually and collectively, crises encouraging significant changes of perspective.

Before we can find in history the same conjunction of Saturn and Pluto, in the same Sign of Capricorn, we need to go much further back in time, to January 1518. This was the beginning time of the Protestant Revolution of Martin Luther. These events and their aftermath changed European culture in a big way, in particular helping to separate the religious authority from the secular. That revolution introduced new philosophical concepts centered on human rather than divine law and justice. It is odd that the 1518 historical alignment occurred around the same time of the year, on January 3 of the Julian calendar which is eleven days behind the Gregorian calendar we use now, introduced only in 1582. This means that the Sun was around the same degree of Capricorn as it will be on January 13 in 2020. Furthermore Uranus had also just entered the Sign of Taurus, as it is the case now!

Comparing the historical changes that occurred then could provide us with some inklings of upheavals this conjunction may bring, with due consideration for the obvious differences between then and now. The Protestant revolution, with all it failings and horrors, was basically a rebellion against the Catholic Church’s autocratic rule and its authoritarian high jacking of both worldly and spiritual laws. Capricorn represents in fact the power that is established by tradition and the passing of time. Pluto‘s function is to shake Capricorn’s established order from its roots, eliminating those aspects that do not align anymore with the growing global consciousness and the current needs of the planet. It is also in the nature of Pluto to create power struggles that can destroy our collective sense of belonging. Pluto is not a gentle energy but a rather forceful one, when issues are faced squarely and often ruthlessly. It is the planet of necessity rather than choice, when things have to happen, no matter what. A plutonian transformation is like birth or rebirth, never an easy process. Saturn, on the other hand, aligning with Pluto, can provide practical ways to address the challenges those radical adjustments present, realistic guidelines that could bring the collective to some very positive outcome, if we don’t put up too much resistance, leaning hopelessly toward the status quo, the devil we know. Saturn could add the resilience and efficiency needed to address the challenges the Pluto’s radical adjustments demand. Ultimately their conjunction indicates a strong drive toward major re-distributions of power around the world.

One person who may do well to watch out for these complex cosmic event is USA President Trump because the zodiacal degrees involved are in near perfect opposition to a conjunction of Venus to Saturn in Cancer in his Birth Chart. Also Neptune transiting Pisces will soon reach a difficult ninety degrees angle to his Birth Gemini Sun and Sagittarius Moon, his very own personal Full Moon! No wonder he is already feeling he cannot trust anyone and cannot see his future from the fog. We could prepare for even more irrational and misleading performances from this controversial man.

If you like to celebrate the Capricorn Solstice, the ancient pre-Christian winter festival, the date and time this year will be: December 22, 3.19 pm local time.