Holistic Astrologer Blog

Traveling to Japan Between Nov 3rd - 17th (Taking Reader Requests & Questions)

2009-11-01T23:31:00.007-05:00

This is a quick note to let you know that I will be visiting my family in Japan from November 3rd - 17th. I'll be finishing the last consultation on Monday the 2nd, and will be available again after the 18th.

I'm looking forward to seeing the beautiful autumn leaves, and hope to take lots of photos.

In general I have more time to think, meditate and write during travel, so if you have requests or questions about a certain astrological topic, please feel free to send me an email or post a comment, and I will be happy to write about it and post the reply when I get home. Thanks so much for reading & enjoying the blog!

Solar Return and the Intent for the Next Year

2009-10-26T08:30:00.000-04:00

Birthday is a terrific time to appreciate the development of the past year and look forward to a new cycle of growth. As the Sun returns to its natal position each year, it shines light on our core life intent and makes it easier for us to live from our center (i.e. the place of rest, peace, power and authenticity). Many people consult their astrologers around their birthdays for this very reason.

Today is my Solar return, and I wanted to meditate a bit on the core life intent represented by my natal Sun:

Sun's Sign & House Placement
My Scorpio Sun in the 8th house suggests that one of my core life intent is to heal and integrate a wide range of human emotions, from the deepest feelings of anger, fear and shame to the height of joy, unity and compassion. The 8th house association with "matters of death" in this case also suggests a process of ego transformation, which is basically dying to your old self again and again.

Position of Sun's ruler: Pluto
The position of the Sun's ruler may also illuminate where the core focus of life will be. Scorpio Sun's ruler is Pluto, and in my case Pluto is found in the 7th house of relationships with others. This has varied implications, from whom I will forge lasting significant relationships (people with deep insights and emotional intensity) to what will catalyze my transformation.

The "T" Word Is...
Transformation is a euphemism for the intense emotional process that involves many unpleasantness (for me, at least.) Typically you don't "transform" when everything is going great in your work, relationship and family - so universe sends you challenges. Repeatedly. Until you get it.

Recently the challenge that has been coming up for me was how to let go of needing people's approvals in order to feel okay. A situation has come up where I felt attacked and disapproved by others, which really bothered me for days.

To come back to my center, I had to let go of my pride again and again, which definitely felt like dying - but otherwise I couldn't function in compassion. I'm learning that forgiveness is a gift not for others but myself, and that my pride has to die in order for me to give this gift to myself.

Operating From the Center : Intent for the Next Year
For centering, meditation helps, and so does contemplative physical exercise. I started the morning with some tai chi and meditation, and I feel more centered than I have in days. For today, my practice will be to operate my whole day from this restful place. For this year, my intent will be to keep discovering what takes me away from the center, and to keep letting go of my old emotional wounds as they surface, so more of my inner light can come forth.

If you recently had your birthday or are expecting one soon, what does your Sun's (and its ruler's) placement suggest your core life intent is? What can you do this year to live more from that intent? Please feel free to share through email or comments.

Working with Jupiter (4): Success, Intention and Growth

2009-10-15T23:00:00.006-04:00

(photo source: reuters.com)
Success is a New Beginning
Jupiter is frequently associated with success and reward. In Disney movies success comes at the end of the story, and people live happily ever after. In actual life, success almost always is a beginning of a new journey.

Famous Examples of Success & Reward During Jupiter Transit
Jupiter's orbit is 12 years, so the "planet of reward" touches the sensitive spots in your horoscope once every 12 years*. While not all Jupiter transit will coincide with breakthroughs and huge success, here are some well known examples:

1) Last week President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, surprising pretty much everybody. Transiting Jupiter conjoined his Ascendant exactly within 1 degree orb. (link to chart)

2) When Oprah Winfrey first began hosting a low-rated morning show called AM Chicago, transiting Jupiter was about to conjoin her Ascendant. Within a matter of months, AM Chicago became the number one rated morning show in America, and later was renamed Oprah Winfrey show.

3) Pope John Paul II was unexpectedly elected to be Pope on October 16, 1978. Transiting Jupiter was exactly conjunct his Midheaven.

4) Pamela Anderson was accidentally discovered during the Summer of 1989. Within a few months she was selected as the cover model for October 1989 issue of Playboy magazine. Transiting Jupiter was conjunct her Ascendant in June '89, and then went on to conjoin her Sun in September of '89.

Jupiter's Reward as the Bridge to Future
In all of these cases the reward or "success" that coincided with the Jupiter transit was a beginning of a new career or a new phase of responsibility. In the case of Obama's award of the Nobel Peace Prize, almost everyone - including the President himself - saw the prize as a "call to action" in the upcoming future, rather than the reward of past achievements.

Intention and Growth: How to Work with Jupiter Transits
Whenever Jupiter crosses an Angle (especially Ascendant and Midheaven) or the Sun in your natal chart, we can consider that period as a peak in its 12 year journey**. While the precise interpretation of the transit varies with each birth chart and other measurements, this is a good time to ask yourself "What new path is opening before me? What do I want the next 12 years to look like? Looking back at the past 12 years, what old habits and thought patterns can I leave behind?"

Asking ourselves these questions during a major Jupiter transit will help us respond positively to the opportunities and reward that are present at these times. By setting our intention for future growth at this time, we may well be sowing a seed at precisely the right time, which will result in our reaping the desired fruits at the appointed time in future.

If you have upcoming (or recently occurred) Jupiter transit to an Angle or the Sun, please feel free to share your experience and intention for your next 12 year journey. I will share mine when Jupiter transits my Pisces Ascendant next Spring.

*In the case of retrograde motion, Jupiter may contact a particular spot a few times over the span of several months.

**So you can see that there are several peaks and valleys within the journey, and their sequence differs with each horoscope, creating a unique landscape over the field of time.

Related posts: More "Working with Jupiter" posts from the past.

Archetypal Musings: the Solar Journey

2009-10-07T22:00:00.003-04:00

The Sun and the King Archetype
In astrology the Sun represents our core authentic self. The Solar journey is a quest for true self knowledge and authenticity.

Think of the last time you felt really centered and able to feel the joy of being fully alive in the moment. That was a Solar moment, where you were most likely expressing true facets of your being. All of our fears, challenges and personal shortcomings fade away when we are in that special moment.

Robert Bly called this Solar experience as "being in the presence of the King." King (or Queen) is an image frequently connected to the archetype of the Sun. Like all archetypes this image is embedded in our collective consciousness. The King archetype brings order into the psyche and the world: we usually project it onto National/Religious leaders and celebrities (Obama, the Pope, or Oprah etc) because our psyche desperately needs these figures to make sense of the world.

The Natal Sun and The Solar Quest
The placement of the Sun in your horoscope represents the path you must take to reach the King archetype (i.e. the state of true authenticity.) In my case I have a Scorpio Sun in the 8th house of occult, ruling the 6th house of service: thus I feel very centered when helping others through astrology.

To get a full picture of the journey, however, we must also take a look at the challenge that our natal Sun placement suggests: in the case of a Scorpio Sun in the 8th house, we can expect deep, dark emotions that must be confronted within the psyche, such as fear, shame, jealousy, resentment etc. These emotions somehow need to be successfully integrated along the way before a King can be reached.

The Threat of Non-Authenticity
For me I start to feel scattered and unfocused (i.e. King-less) when I'm not paying attention to my deeper emotions. By choosing to ignore the messages from my deeper psyche, I in turn lose touch with my Solar self. Often the reminders are painful - I may need to feel the emotions of fear or anger that I have been ignoring for some time - just acknowledging their existence can bring more centered-ness, reminding me to stay on the path of healing the wounded emotions.

For other Sun placement it is most likely different - a Leo Sun may begin to lose touch with its authentic power when it doesn't confront someone that mistreated him/her. A Sagittarius Sun may wither if not allowed to assert itself. A Capricorn Sun may get lost without setting real world goals to make happen, whereas a Cancer Sun needs to nurture others and herself to be fully in the moment.

Summary: Our Individual Solar Journey
The natal Sun placement can be regarded as a prescription for authenticity and aliveness. With a Scorpio Sun in the 8th house, there is no way I can be an easy going person with lovely thoughts all the time and be authentic - when I try that I get anxious, obviously because I have yet to finish with my underworld journey! For me the jewels lie beneath the turbulent ocean of feelings. While I don't always engage in emotional work, I know it is what I need if I'm not feeling as alive or centered as I want to be.

This exercise can be expanded to include the aspects to the Sun. If your Sun placement suggests a definite need of taking a certain path toward centered-ness and authenticity, please feel free to share your story through comments or emails.

Astrology of Time Management: Bringing Balance Into Productivity

2009-09-29T23:00:00.005-04:00

Being extremely busy is inevitable for most of us some of the time - especially if you have passionate commitments in several life areas, and/or you need to support your family. During certain heavy transits or progressions (e.g. Pluto's hard transit to Saturn* or vice versa), the responsibility and workload may increase to an overwhelming degree, creating potential for a lot of stress.

When feeling overwhelmed, it's important for us to gain a clear perspective. Here I share with you a tool that I learned in one of my coaching sessions. You might have heard of it:

The Mind Dump
It's very simple - you take a sheet of paper (larger the better), and begin writing everything you want/need to do that is on your mind, in any areas of your life. Don't stop to figure out how to complete each task at this stage, just keep listing your problems, goals, concerns etc, from the most mundane (change the light bulb, make a minor car repair, call that person) to most significant (your life goals, or dreams of traveling to a foreign country etc.)

If you're overwhelmed, chances are you'll end up with a quite long list. I just did mine and ended up with some 80 or so tasks...No wonder I was feeling overwhelmed! The benefit of taking time to do this may be self evident as you go through it, but here are some of them:

It frees up the mind enormously not to have to carry these tasks/concerns in our head.
By having it on paper you can begin to tackle the tasks one by one, and ensure to get everything done eventually.
It's easier to prioritize between tasks if you have them listed in one place.

If you feel overwhelmed or stressed out (or if you simply want to be more productive,) give it a try - I promise you will feel a lot less burdened after completion.

Mind Dump & Holistic Time Management - Astrologer's Version
Here is how you might want to work with the result of the mind dump: As I went through the list, I noticed that about 75% of the tasks were related to work/business, and other 25% of them related to nonprofit work. As these have to do with 10th and 6th house (and naturally correspond to 2nd house of finance and self worth, as well as 8th house of others' well being), you could say these are the high priority life areas for me at this time in my life.

The thing is, I can easily make myself work from morning to late evening and burn myself out - that would be an imbalance, with too much focus on 10th and 6th house. However, if I find myself avoiding work and spending lots of time doing other things (say 5th house of entertainment or 9th house of inspirational study) I'd be out of balance there as well.

To be balanced, I'd need to recognize my priorities, then manage my time accordingly, without losing sight of other important life areas. Consider the following life areas:

12 Houses and Possible Ways of Spending Time
Fire House (Improving Self image; Re-creation, Inspiration)

1st house - Taking time to exercise and reinforcing a positive body image as well as improve health.
5th house - Entertainment (TV, reading fiction, sex, watching sports, and creative hobbies.) Taking care of your children. Letting your inner child come out and play.
9th house - Elevating the Mind: Studying a spiritual text, traveling abroad, learning about another culture or language, attending an inspirational seminar, etc. Changing the worldview.

Earth House (Work, Service, Creating Values)

2nd house - Taking care of your finance (saving, investing long term etc.) Improving your self worth. Clarifying what you value.
6th house - Engaging in service of/with others. A job. Helping people.
10th house - Your career and vocation. A calling in life. Taking on responsibilities in an organization.

Air House (Intellectual growth, Social Life, Relationship)

3rd house - Reading periodicals (keeping up with news), gathering and sharing interesting/useful information. Fixing your car. Commuting.
7th house - Relationships with significant others, or the public in general.
11th house - Being among a group of like minded people. Helping others.

Water House (Nourishing Emotions, Intuitions, and the Spirit)

4th house - Taking care of your home and family. Nourishing yourself through physical/emotional food. Home improvement. Or simply relaxing at home.
8th house - Healing activities. Being a custodian of others' wealth or well being.
12th house - Private suffering. Enjoying solitude. Having a retreat. Working with dreams (taking time to sleep). Meditation. Releasing ego's attachment to all other houses.

Summary
If you feel overwhelmed with too much to do, try the Mind Dump. See where your priorities are, and where your time is going. For me, I found that I wasn't taking enough time with Water house activities (or non-activities) - and being a very Watery-horoscope person, I felt dried up after a few weeks of overwork. I took time for Fire house activities through exercise, entertainment and inspirational study, but they didn't substitute for the rest and quiet time represented by the Water houses.

If you try this exercise and make any helpful discoveries, please feel free to share through comments or emails.

*Saturn represents responsibility, and Pluto transit magnifies its symbolism to an extreme degree. Hence the hard aspect transit/progression between these two planets signify hard, hard work, with emphasized threat of loss (Saturn.)

Libra Archetype and the Balance Test

2009-09-21T17:00:00.006-04:00

Sun enters Libra on Sept 22nd amidst Mercury retrograde conjunct Saturn, giving us an opportunity to reflect on the discipline of being balanced.

The Discipline of Balance
We know that Libra the Scale represents the ideal of balance and equilibrium. Despite these peaceful sounding words, anyone who tried to balance a scale knows that it takes an effort to manage the state of equipoise, and how fragile that state is.

In other words, being in balance isn't a static state that involves no conscious effort on your part. If we are passive and unaware, the scale starts to tip in one direction or the other all too easily, leaving our lives out of balance.

Is Your Life In Balance? Mercury Retrograde Review
Since it's Mercury retrograde, it's a good time to reassess and review our lives. I invite you to reexamine each of the following life areas to see whether you are in or out of balance:

Work: Do you work too much or too little? Do you spend time working on what matters, or are too busy spending time in nonproductive areas of your work?
Exercise: Do you exercise your body too much or too little?
Diet: Do you eat too much or too little? Do you take care to eat nourishing, nutritious food or find yourself eating comfort food and drive-throughs?
Water: Do you drink too little water? Did you know that water is the only liquid that can cleanse some of your organs (i.e. not teas, coffee, juice etc)?
Rest: Do you sleep too much or too little? Do you stay up much later than you know is healthy?
Relationship: Do you make sure to spend quality time with your family and loved ones? Do you find yourself spending most of your time interacting with people that are relatively important/unimportant to you?
Fun: Do you spend time doing what you enjoy? Do you do that too much or too little?
Education: Do you spend time learning something that will make you more effective in life, or do you find yourself watching mindless programs on TV or internet?
Money: Do you spend too much on frivolous purchases? Or are you too tight with your money, afraid to purchase something you need or want?
Appearance: Do you take care to groom yourself and look nice? Do you spend too much or too little time working on your appearance?
Spirituality: Do you take time to be connected to your inner source? Are you inspired?

My Review and Re-commitment
Looking at this list made me realize that I was off in a few areas. For me daily meditation practice is crucial for staying in balance, yet it has been suffering due to my staying up way too late over the course of several weeks - which makes me too tired to get up early in the morning, etc. I was out of balance.

The lesson I'm learning now is that being in balance is about discipline and commitment - two Saturnian words - hence we have Saturn's exaltation in Libra. I'm recommitting myself to my morning & evening meditations - which tends to have a beneficial influence on all other areas of my life. I'm also recommitting on drinking enough water, etc.

If you found yourself to be out of balance in some areas after reading the list above, perhaps you could also pick an area or two to recommit yourself to being in balance. If you feel so inspired, feel free to share your intentions with me through email or comments, I'll be happy to support you. Have fun re-balancing!

Mercury Retrograde as a Transit

2009-09-14T22:50:00.001-04:00

We're 1 week into the current Mercury retrograde period, with 2 more weeks to go.

Play of Words
Someone said activities that start with 're' is appropriate during Mercury retrograde cycle. According to an etymology dictionary, re means "back to the original place, again," also with a sense of "undoing," as well as "again, back, against."

Here are some common activities during Mercury Rx period:

Repair: you may find that your cars and electronic appliances may be in need of repair

Review, reevaluate: looking back to reassess priorities, values etc.

Reconnect: meet the people that you haven't seen/heard from in a while

Retrace: 2 steps forward, 1 step back. No worries.

Relax: take time to retreat, rejuvenate, reflect, etc.

Mercury Retrograde as a Transit
Last Mercury retrograde occurred in early Gemini/late Taurus, and Mercury ended up transiting over my 3rd house Jupiter 3 times during the retrograde cycle (direct, retrograde, direct.) Besides being a great period of study, so many ideas came to me during this period that I was able to write enough blogs to last me several months (I published them as weekly posts.)

So in this case, Mercury transiting the 3rd house Jupiter several times was clearly an emphasis on study and communication (the combination of Mercury and Jupiter in general seems to be conducive to writing, as it represents big ideas and growth through study/communication.)

The current retrograde in early Libra/late Virgo is happening in my 7th house, involving no planets in particular. I still see it as a welcome period of reflection, but I'm also rather busy participating in many meetings and group projects. In keeping with Virgo archetype, perhaps, I'm also dealing with personal feelings around guilt and imperfections.

Summary
Mercury retrograde is a time of retracing steps, of going back to retrieve something of value, or a time of renewal. Depending on where it occurs in your horoscope, there may be an intense mental focus on the planet/points transited by the Mercury retrograde. If you are experiencing significant transit of Mercury retrograde, please feel free to share/discuss via emails or comments.

Archetypal Scenes of Life: Metaphors for Transits & Progressions

2009-09-06T23:55:00.004-04:00

"Planets don't do anything, people do" is an oft-repeated phrase that astrologers use to discourage fatalism. With this in mind, what do transits and progressions "do"?

My view is that astrological transits prepare the environment in which you exercise your free will. In looking at upcoming transits and progressions, a part of astrologer's work is to capture the quality of the environment that is being prepared for the client.

Consider the following archetypal scenes, each with a set of possible astrological measurements:

1) The Scene of War: There is a power struggle between two opposing forces. This can be a literal war between two people, or an internal war fought within your psyche, between the two selves. Does the fight result in a victory or a stalemate? Does either side win? What happens as a result?

Example: Uranus and Saturn represents the New and the Old, respectively, and when these two planets are in hard aspect, there is a clash between the old and the new.

Noel Tyl stated that whenever this happens, Uranus must win. Note that the two planets were in exact opposition during the 2008 election; President Obama's victory represents that people collectively voted for change (Uranus.)

If Uranus transits your natal Saturn, consider similar battles taking place within your life or your psyche. Another important point in your horoscope is the Sun/Moon midpoint, as it represents a point of psychic union (or separation), and heavy transits to this midpoint can also stir up long standing issues between the opposing forces within you.

2) The Beginning: There is a beginning of a new journey or an adventure. This can be a new job, new relationship, or a new place to live in. What story will unfold? What changes will you go through as a result of this new journey? Where are you going?

Example: Ascendant and the Midheaven axes are the threshold of life development. Transits to these points often coincide with new beginnings and new directions.

3) The Setback: the protagonist faces considerable odds, perhaps going back to square one, seemingly lost. This can be the literal loss of a job, health or relationship. Or it could be an internal setback - being paralyzed by fear or disappointment with self. The story halts for a moment - the pause can last a long time - the question is, what will it take for you to move through the setback?

Example: Saturn transit can provide such challenging environment, wherein your only option seems to be to persevere with your effort (you could always give up, but that doesn't make for a particularly good story - unless you decide that you shouldn't have begun that particular project in the first place. That happens too.)

Summary
So you can see that the list of archetypal scenes and their astrological correspondence can be quite long if we keep exploring. If you want to play with this idea, please feel free to email me or leave comments with an archetypal scene of life, along with possible corresponding astrological measurements.

Working with Saturn, Part 6: On Fear of Restrictions and Limitations

2009-08-31T23:00:00.002-04:00

Saturn gets a bad rap as the symbol of limitations & restrictions in life, but it's the very knowledge of our limitations that lets us enjoy. Consider this:

1) Saturn represents work and all the responsibility it entails - from our work schedule to company policies we must follow, we are forced to come under the rule of authority.

While many people claim to enjoy the freedom of leisure more than the restriction of work, this is found to be untrue once someone actually retires or loses a job - people do not thrive without feeling the sense of value they derive from working.

2) Saturn represents old age and the sickness & death it brings - illness or loss of our family makes us appreciate our health & life more fully. The awareness of limited time we have on earth increases our productivity and gratitude.

3) Saturn represents commitment - a voluntary restriction of possibilities: we choose one project, one career, one relationship as our life path, and decide to explore it fully and deeply - the reward is self evident.

Summary
When Saturn transits the sensitive spots in your horoscope, it helps if we do not fear work, commitment, or even loss. We could argue that there is nothing inherently pain inducing with work, commitment or death - it's our wrong conception of them that create the suffering.

Work can be joyful, commitment deepens growth, and death is a sublime reminder of the miracle of our existence. If we live this way, Saturn becomes your friend. And if you can befriend Saturn, what have you to fear on heaven or earth?

Leo the Gatekeeper & Intercepted Virgo - Reader Question

2009-08-25T23:00:00.002-04:00

After the previous post on Virgo archetype, someone emailed me to ask about her natal configuration:

"I'd be interested to see what you thought of my Virgo 'set up'. I have Leo rising at 23 degrees, Virgo intercepted in the first house. Mars at 7 degrees Virgo, Pluto at 19 degrees Virgo and Uranus at 22 degrees Virgo. Pluto and Uranus are opposed by Moon, Chiron, Saturn in Pisces in the 7th."

I will use the answer to discuss the interception of signs.

1) Intercepted Virgo: [For beginners, interception means the entire sign is contained within a single house. In this case Leo is on the 1st house cusp, and probably Libra is on the 2nd house cusp, thus containing the whole sign of Virgo within the 1st house.]

Whenever a sign is intercepted, often there is a difficulty accessing its energy directly. Consider the sign on the cusp (in this case, Leo) as the gatekeeper, and the intercepted sign (Virgo) as someone living deep within the house, in a room with no windows. Before you can let the Virgin out of the house, you need to be on friendly terms with the gatekeeper.

So in the above example, this lady needs to be comfortable with expressing the Leo energy (i.e. self love, enthusiasm, creativity & generous expression of emotions) before the Virgo attributes can shine.

2) Gatekeeper (i.e. sign on the cusp) can pose a challenge: Often the challenge with interception is to successfully find a blend of two incompatible energies (in this case, Leo & Virgo.) One or the other won't do - both signs need to be successfully expressed. This calls for some time to adjust & refine the approach throughout your life, before you can find what works for you.

In the example given, the Pisces Moon is under quite a bit of stress (from Saturn, Uranus, Pluto & Chiron) which suggests interruption in the nurturing bond with the caretaker.

Depending on how deep the wound is, there will be a varying degree of challenge in self-acceptance and self love. This in turn will affect how comfortable one is to express the child-like enthusiasm associated with Leo (which in turn will affect how one behaves in intimate relationships, etc.)

3) If you skip the gatekeeper, the power diminishes: if the growth path of Leo is skipped (i.e. no effort is made to boldly express one's passion), you may express the Virgo energy in its lower form - i.e. utilizing your analytical skills for unsatisfying careers, or being lost in criticizing and analyzing yourself.

Summary & Further Thoughts
Here the ideal blend of two energies results in a bold expression of one's analytical intelligence, used to gain personal significance in one's field. The ego is grounded in reality and service, but is free from paralyzing self doubt. You express yourself through the quality of your work.

We can do this exercise with any intercepted signs - because the two consecutive signs are often incompatible in nature, it calls for a more creative expression to successfully blend together. In my case I have Pisces rising with Aries intercepted, and self assertion must blend with a degree of compassion - otherwise it just doesn't work...So Pisces is the gatekeeper for me.

If you have intercepted signs in your horoscope and would like to try the exercise, please feel free to share comments or send me an email.

Virgo Archetype & The Path of Perfection

2009-08-22T06:00:00.001-04:00

The Sun Enters Virgo today, and it may be a collective opportunity to realize where we can improve through loving attention to detail.

Virgo archetype symbolizes the mind's double edged quest for the ideal of perfection. While walking on Virgo's developmental path, we simultaneously recognize that "God is in the details", but that perfectionism sucks the joy out of work.

A planet or a house affected by this sign needs to pay attention to the details and seek perfection; at the same time it must maintain trust (a word favored by the opposing sign Pisces) that everything will work out fine, even if not 100% perfect.

It may be interesting to see where Virgo falls in your horoscope, as there you'll need to "have it together", seeing the details and ready to be the one to correct the situation when needed. If a significant number of planets occupy Virgo, then your path will be that of responsibility to detail, and an ongoing quest to improve yourself, others, or any project that you or they are working on.

It's interesting that some people may be a complete master of detail in one area while quite relaxed in others. The psyche needs to balance somehow - so allowing relaxation is necessary. True masters of arts (including martial arts) report a combined state of relaxation and focus, an awareness of detail (Virgo) and the whole picture (Pisces). Perhaps this is the goal of the Virgin's path.

I have Pisces rising and thus Virgo in the 7th house cusp - so for me, relationships open the door to the Virgo archetype. I do attract responsible, detail oriented people in my life, and I've learned and absorbed much of their positive characteristics over the years. People usually see me as detail oriented and organized - I've also had much attraction to people that have perfected a certain form of discipline, such as music, martial arts and meditation - these things all have to do with focus and attention to detail, but the masters are in complete, relaxed flow.

So look at your horoscope, see where Virgo falls in terms of a house cusp, and ask yourself "How does this life area open me to the archetypal growth path of Virgo?" Please feel free to email or comment to share what you see!

Working with Saturn, part 5: Older and Wiser?

2009-08-16T23:00:00.002-04:00

Saturn the Old Man
Imagine a man in a certain sign, and make him really, really old: He went through phases of being a hotheaded youth, vigorous middle year prime, and now he is in considered to be an elder in his community. This is the archetypal picture of Saturn, who is often associated with old age.

Older = Wiser or Bitter? Two Types of Old Man
The Old Man went through many successes and failures in his long life; he knows what works and what doesn't, so he naturally wouldn't make the same mistakes that the young people make - but he wouldn't take as much risks either.

Let's say there are two kinds of old man: the one that became wiser through his various trials and errors, and the one that became embittered through his many disappointments. The wise old man preserves many of the characteristics he had in his youth - there is a twinkling in his eyes, and compassion for the mistakes of youth. If he was born in the mythical tribe of Leo, he is still very much a Leo, but through the years he has learned to express his creativity and humor in a graceful manner, that takes into consideration the feelings of others around him.

The bitter old man is very different: if he was born in the Leo tribe, then he has been so hurt by unsuccessful attempts to win the applause of everyone, that he is determined never to "make a fool of himself" again. He is jealous of young people expressing their creativity, and is often critical of their imperfections. He's determined to maintain a semblance of respectability by not failing, which often means not trying at all.

Wherever Saturn is found in your birth chart, you will find both types of old man there. Let's see a glimpse of how they will behave according to the tribe (sign) they are from*:

Saturn (a.k.a. Two Elders) Through the Signs
Saturn in Aries: The "need to be Number One" is tempered by old age. In the case of wise elder this means you are willing to develop leadership qualities in younger people, and other people's success do not threaten you. The bitter elder will resent other people's leadership.

Saturn in Taurus: The need to build and maintain security is perfected in old age. The wise elder is a good steward of his resources, while the bitter elder is always suspicious of someone taking what he has. The former is more emotional secure and confident, while the latter is inflexible and fearful of change.

Saturn in Gemini: The need to communicate and diversify is matured in old age. The wise elder will have a lot of interesting knowledge, and is a master of conversation. The bitter elder tends to think and say negative things about everything.

Saturn in Cancer: The need to be emotionally secure is tested in old age. The wise elder has shown much love and compassion for others during his long life, that he is loved by his family and honored by others in the community. The bitter elder has neglected to nurture others in his lifetime, and thus leads a lonely life.

Saturn in Leo: The need to be loved and honored is tested in old age. The wise elder has entertained, inspired and encouraged others during his lifetime, that everyone naturally loves and respects him. The bitter elder was too prideful to show much interest in others, and consequently was forgotten once he was past his prime.

Saturn in Virgo: The need to refine and discriminate is matured in old age. The wise elder has achieved mastery in his specialty, and his attitude to be helpful to others is such that people come from all over to receive his services. The bitter elder is also good at what he does, but he can't understand why people don't "get it" the way he does. He tends to be unforgiving of his own and others' shortcomings.

Saturn in Libra: The need to be fair and popular is perfected in old age. The wise elder is completely charming and thoughtful, that he is naturally elevated in social status wherever he goes. The bitter elder is still nice to others, but tends to be more withdrawn.

Saturn in Scorpio: The need to be deep, reliable and in control is intensified in old age. The wise elder has achieved a remarkable depth of character, and is an agent of transformation himself. The bitter elder is hungry for power, and will use manipulation to control weaker people around him.

Saturn in Sagittarius: The need to have one's opinion respected is tested in old age. The wise elder has spent his life learning from many wise teachers, and is happy to share his wealth of knowledge with young seekers. The bitter elder was too prideful to continue learning from others, and thus does not have much to say despite being verbose.

Saturn in Capricorn: The need to make things happen is perfected in old age. The wise elder is a powerhouse of vision, leadership and resourcefulness; he continues to make one thing after another happen for a meaningful cause. The bitter elder thinks small due to his past failures, and is envious of wise elder's achievements.

Saturn in Aquarius: The need to be socially significant is matured in old age. The wise elder has a big vision for helping a lot of people, and has enough friends in right places to make a difference. The bitter elder didn't have the courage to stand for his vision, and consequently hangs out with people that don't inspire him.

Saturn in Pisces: The need to "identify the ideal, and work with the intangible" is tested in old age. The wise elder has developed his art and consciousness to an impressive degree, and he is often in a state of creative or blissful contemplation. The bitter elder has scattered his days in unsuccessful attempts to escape reality; now he is spiritually impoverished.

Which of the two elders is stronger in your life? Which one do you want to be when you grow old?

*Here the analogy of tribe is used to describe the 12 signs; more is discussed in this post, where signs are considered as "clans."

Can Astrology Tell When You'll Suffer Rejection?

2009-08-09T23:00:00.002-04:00

Several months ago, I was working with my life coach about some issues I had around rejection. In our work she helped me realize that pretty much all of the pain was self-created, and in most cases it wasn't a rejection at all, but perceived as such.

"No" is not a rejection
Whether in relationships or career development, we're bound to hear "no" sometimes, i.e. someone you really like are interested in someone else, or a position you really want gets filled by someone else. The thing is, many times we go through several "no-s" before succeeding in finding the right partner or the right position.

Consider a case of a successful car salesman - how many customers must he make his pitch for before someone buys a car? In this case, he obviously doesn't take the "no" personally, and just moves on to sell to someone else. In the span of one day he may go through 10 no-s but sell 2-3 cars, and go home happy and elated because he was so "successful."

It's a little tougher to not take "no" personally when it's about marriage and love relationships - we tend to feel rejected if someone we lived with for a long time says they don't want to be with us anymore, etc. But again, we see that successful people usually don't make the "no" to mean something is wrong with them.

So rejection isn't a matter of someone saying no, but about our own self worth: if we feel worth "less" because someone said no to you, then we've created that pain by judging ourselves and making the rejection personal.

"It wasn't a rejection at all, because it wasn't about you," my coach told me.

Astrology of Rejection, Recession etc.
So my thesis is that you don't see rejection coming up in astrological transit, progression etc, but what you'll see is the time where your self worth will be challenged. Among other things, this would be the time where 2nd house significator (i.e. planetary ruler or planets in 2nd house), and perhaps Venus, will receive tension from the transiting/progressed planets.

Consider the recession going on, and relate it to the 2nd house significators of your chart - doesn't it challenge your sense of self worth if your income has suddenly gone down (or vanished, if your company shut down)? But does it mean you'll end up jobless during this period of time? Of course not - you keep finding ways to survive.

In this example, you'll go through as many "no-s" as necessary before you'll find work. In the process, you'll feel more confident, because you've proven it to yourself that you can overcome the challenges (the "no-s" of life) and produce the outcome you wanted.

So astrology doesn't show rejection per se, but rather it shows a time of opportunity for you to reevaluate your sense of self worth, which brings up hidden insecurities so that they may be released.

Bill Clinton & Aquarian Triple Conjunction

2009-08-05T17:30:00.003-04:00

Astrologers have been writing much about the current triple conjunction of the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune in Aquarius. While the archetypal range of its expressions can vary, one possibility is that of reawakening faith and hope in the universe, perhaps especially with our humanitarian efforts to heal the world.

Today we saw one such hopeful expression of the triple conjunction:

Freed Journalists Home in US After N.Korea Pardon

Former president Bill Clinton was exactly the right person for this delicate diplomatic mission, and his success has resulted in well deserved public recognition and admiration.

Astrologically, Mr. Clinton's Sun has been closely opposed by the triple Aquarian conjunction for the last several months. In a way he became an individual channel (a living symbol, if you will) for the expression of the collective idealism and hope (Neptune and Jupiter).

If a sensitive part of your horoscope is touched by the triple conjunction, you're quite likely to experience some manifestation of their symbolism. If you have any story to share, please feel free to send me an email or leave a comment below.

Neptune and Pluto in Natal Chart, Transit or Solar Arc

2009-08-02T22:00:00.000-04:00

Neptune and Pluto: Collective Unconscious + Desire for Power
In Escape from freedom, social psychologist Erich Fromm suggests that the reason Hitler was so successful in gaining power over people was that he has expressed what the masses felt at the time: "the craving for power over men and the longing for submission to an overwhelmingly strong outside power." Astrologically, this domination/submission instinct is represented by Pluto (which is often associated with sadomasochism.)

Neptune rules mass consciousness (or collective subconscious): for example, it rules television and arts, which are both transmitters of the collective desires and values of that time. Noel Tyl ascribes the element of "charisma" (a power to attract and influence others) to the combination of Neptune and Mars in the natal chart.

Interestingly, Hitler has Neptune conjunct Pluto in his natal chart*: this suggests that the issue of dominance and submission was coming up in the collective unconscious at the time of his birth - and Hitler became the chosen representative of the era as he became the focus for this collective energy, to express and act out the darkest possible spectrum of human desire for dominance and submission.

There are other famous leaders born with the same conjunction: Mao Zedong of China, Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam, and Dwight D. Eisenhower of United States - each of them expressing their political power quite differently.

Other expressions of the Neptune-Pluto combination, in natal chart and in transit/solar arc:
Pluto-Neptune conjunction can be seen in a number of well known spiritual leaders that you might have heard of: Paramhansa Yogananda, Swami Sivananda, Sri Meher Baba, Jeddu Krishnamurti. The transit or Solar Arc involving the conjunction, square or opposition of Neptune and Pluto is known to correspond with a time when paranormal or spiritual dimensions of life is emphasized in the individual's life.

In science, Niels Bohr, a Nobel Prize winning physicist who was involved in the creation of atomic bomb (symbolized by Pluto,) has Neptune conjunct Pluto. There are two other Nobel Prize winners with the same conjunction: Walher Bothe (radiation of neutrons) and Louis de Broglie (wave theory.) So we could think of the combination of Pluto and Neptune (in natal chart and transit) to include the openness to explore a deeper, more subtle dimensions of life.

Whether it's science, spirituality or politics, the combination of Neptune and Pluto in a natal chart will reflect humankind's collective subconscious desire to gain power. Most people will not come in position to wield much power over others, but those that do will be challenged to use it wisely, for there will be a lot of power to do both good and harm, affecting possibly millions of people.

*This is an extremely rare historical conjunction, occurring just under every 500 years. The next conjunction will be in 2384...perhaps a plenty of time for mankind to forget its lessons learned during the 20th century - should we inscribe a warning for a second Hitler on a stonewall somewhere? (Just kidding...or maybe not.)

Too Much Sun? Balancing Solar and Lunar Habits in a Hyperactive Culture

2009-07-26T23:00:00.001-04:00

Our culture is hyper yang, which exhausts the Leo or Solar part of ourselves - we're expected to remain upbeat and social at work in order to be successful, and at home we bombard our senses with TV programs that insist on fast, intense activities.

The problem is, most of us hardly spend any quality time with ourselves, due to all the responsibilities and the emphasis on speed and action. This can cause our inner creative well to dry up, which leads to unexplainable 'down' feelings periodically (uncontrollable mood swing is a complaint from the Lunar half of our psyche.)

We periodically need to disconnect from outer strivings and obligations in order to reconnect with ourselves. Astrologically, we know Leo (self expression) follows Cancer (emotional introspection), which is to say there needs to be a yin (Lunar) habit that supports the yang (Solar) expression...So it's about balancing the culture's emphasis on extroversion with our own introspective habit.

Some Lunar habits recommended by creative professionals
Julia Cameron suggests cultivating the following three habits:

1) Write 3 pages every day about anything that's in your mind and heart (this is called Morning Pages, as she suggests doing it first thing in the morning.)

2) Take yourself to a walk several times a week.

3) Take yourself on an "Artist Date" once a week - take time for yourself, and do something that feels nourishing to the creative child within.

Another writer suggests going for a walk alone every day, for an hour. You can tell that creative people can be pretty hardcore about scheduling time to connect with themselves. They probably know that otherwise their inner creative wells start to dry up from too much Solar activity.

Lunar times
Astrologically, Mercury retrograde period seems to be especially well suited for reflection. So is a Neptune (and sometimes Pluto) transit period to any significant point in a natal chart. Neptune seems to represent a force in the psyche that acts to counterbalance the hyperactive Solar ego - to help it calm down, get in touch and renew one's perspective.

So if you feel exhausted, you may be in one of these Lunar periods where the psyche is acting to rebalance the yin/yang scale. After you've cultivated some Lunar habits during this period, you're bound to feel a lot more inspired and able to continue being creative. The Solar/Lunar cycle can thus begin anew.

Chiron Monthly Ephemeris

2009-07-24T21:45:00.002-04:00

Chiron monthly ephemeris - courtesy of Eric Francis at Planet Waves Astrology News...A very generous offering.

Saturn, Venus & the Fear of Intimacy - A Reader Question

2009-07-23T12:00:00.004-04:00

Someone emailed me to ask about Venus - Saturn aspect and the fear of intimacy:

"I was looking for the deeper connection to Venus 12th square Saturn 3rd natally. I am a 49 year old female approaching a chiron return, and in the midst of awakening to the fact that I have repressed/feared emotions-intimacy as I never received any.

...Your article helped me to integrate/understand why I have fears...now I have to figure out how to let them go. Is Venus in the 12th also about "clandestine affairs" due to the fears of emotional intimacy? My natal chart speaks about the almost certainty of 'affairs'?"

So we see two questions here...One about how to increase the capacity for emotional intimacy, and another one about whether she is prone to having secret affairs due to the configuration of her natal Venus.

Question One: The Affair
To answer the easy one first: we can probably agree that the clandestine affair doesn't solve the intimacy problem in the long run, as such relationships are based on fantasy and not responsibility (recall the recent post on Venus, Saturn and the balance between play and responsibility in love), but it may be tempting because it lets you forget the issue for a while...No one can judge that.

If you choose to go through this path, a part of you will know that you're trying to take the easy way out - so my feeling is that the pleasure will not last very long, thereby perpetuating the traditional interpretation for Venus in 12th house square Saturn. Ultimately Venus can't act without Saturn due to the emphatic natal connection - here the difficult balance of love, playfulness and responsibility will need to be achieved.

Question Two: Developing the Capacity for Intimacy
We probably need to choose a more difficult but ultimately more rewarding way: by answering the tough question of "how to release fears of emotions and intimacy."

Saturn in 3rd (mindset) square Venus in 12th suggests that some factors in the environment interfered with the development of emotions and social confidence (hence her saying she never received any intimacy.) This factor most likely led to a serious mindset, possibly with a tendency for depression.

The challenge here is how to uncover the numerous mental defenses and get to honest feelings within. With this pattern in a horoscope, often there will be an elaborate mental structure that keeps one from experiencing the core emotional pain.

To approach this task, you may need outside help; an experienced counselor or a coach will be able to see where your thinking is leading you away from experiencing the real emotions. That said, you can usually begin by keeping a daily emotional journal, through gently describing what you're feeling at the moment, and what that reminds you of from your past.

You don't have to push; you can choose to take it as slowly as you like with yourself. It's an ongoing process, but the more you go through this Plutonian process, you'll feel closer to yourself and more empowered in romantic relationships.

The barrier to intimacy is created within ourselves - because first we alienate ourselves from ourselves. No matter how close your lover is to you physically, he/she will not be able to cross the invisible wall you have elected around your core emotions, until you begin to remove them a block at a time.

Leo Through The 12 Houses: Working with Personal Significance

2009-07-21T23:00:00.003-04:00

As the Sun enters Leo, we have a collective opportunity to feel genuine pride in expressing our true selves. The sign Leo represents authentic self expression, delivered with true emotion.

3 Scenarios for Leo
When Leo is found in a certain house, we can expect one or more of the following experiences, depending on how much you're able to express your true self without fear or shame:

1) Experience of Personal Significance - You feel like a rock star in that area of life: people love and honor you for who you are, and you love expressing this part (defined by the house) of yourself to others. You will most likely be elevated somehow in others' eyes, in this life area.

2) Experience of Insignificance - You feel like you're nothing, no good, and nobody in this area - or at the least, not enough. This is a negative extreme of Leo, where the self image was somehow damaged in the psyche, and now you're afraid to show yourself or be who you are.

3) Experience of Arrogance - You feel very strong or significant in this life area: in fact, you feel like you're better than others in general - so you pass judgment on others, etc, and pride goes before the fall (i.e. you go back to the state described in #2). This is another extreme, which is most likely an overcompensation for feeling insignificant underneath.

A Personal Example about Personal Significance, Pride, Joy etc.:
I have Pisces Rising and Leo in the 6th house of health, work and service. Besides astrology I'm quite involved in a volunteer activity and is on a board of an international nonprofit organization. The good thing was, the service gave me so much sense of significance, meaning and purpose in my life, and I felt loved and honored by others that I worked with.

The catch was that I was feeling rather full of myself (although I was unconscious of it at the time,) and it was affecting my relationships in a negative way, especially with the people I worked with.

Regarding this my life coach told me once: "You look like you're trying to get your own worth out of this important position - but it doesn't work like that." Ouch. And she was right - in truth my self worth at the time was so low that I needed the outer prop (a significant position in an organization, in this case) to feel good about myself.

Once I've got in touch with the underlying lack of self acceptance, I realized that I was out of balance. I had to be able to feel good about myself regardless of what I did or what position I had. So I began working on myself some more, and things have improved.

It's this kind of issues around personal significance (or the lack of it) that we tend to experience in the Leo houses (we can make a similar case for the house occupied by the Sun, Leo's ruler.)

Leo Through the 12 Houses
Let's briefly take Leo through the Houses, keeping the 3 scenarios in mind:

Leo in 1st House (self image): Here we may need to start from feeling more or less "I'm no good," especially if the Sun is under stress via aspects. The goal is to reach a state of deep self love & acceptance, which leads to authentic (and therefore courageous) self expression in relationships.

Leo in 2nd House (possessions): Here we may feel genuine (or false) pride in our possessions - our material accomplishments as well as spouses become a source of deep personal significance. Everything you own will reflect who you are and how you feel about yourself - in the best scenario, this means you'll derive pure joy from your possessions. In the worse scenario, you identify with your material props, so you're never sure whether people love you or your possessions.

Leo in 3rd House (communication): At best we're authentic communicators that can reach the hearts of an admiring audience. There is a gift of communication (note that commonly Gemini rising coincides with this placement.)

A problematic experience in the early life may delay this development, however - it's possible for you to start out feeling less intelligent than others, thereby making you feel shy about speaking up or trusting your own mind.

Leo in the 4th House (Home, Family): You may be the star within your own home - the household revolves around you, and everyone knows you're the one in charge. You may be quite proud of how you keep your home.

If the early home environment was hostile to healthy self expression, then one's home becomes a place of healing, retracing steps and dealing with the unfinished businesses of childhood.

Leo in the 5th House (Play, Love Affair): You may have others' attention, love and respect through your athletic ability, as well as your sexual prowess. Later you may take delight in your own children's growth, or in coaching younger people.

A blocked expression (the feeling of insignificance) here suggests deep hurt around self expression, the body, and sexual confidence. Arrogance about or overdependence on one's sexual attractiveness could be masking similar anxieties about one's core self image.

Leo in the 6th House (Work, Health, Service): (See above) You may derive personal significance through health, service or your work. You might be the health expert, or the person everyone looks up to in your workplace. If you feel insignificant, you might turn into a workaholic in order to feel some sense of worth. If you try to overcompensate, then you could become a tyrant at the workplace.

Leo in the 7th House (Relationship, Public): You may feel your best when expressing yourself to the public in some way - the public love and honor you for being authentic. If you feel insignificant, then you become dependent on others' approval in relationships in order to feel worthy.

Leo in the 8th House (Other's Possessions): One possibility here is that personal significance is achieved through people's trust in you. You may be in a position to add considerable value to others' wealth, health, or well being.

Another possibility is that you feel immensely proud of your partner's possessions, or what the two of you have purchased/accomplished together (like a dream home). We can also add the dimensions of occult, alternative healing and psychology as possible pathways to achieve significance and authentic self expression.

Leo in the 9th House (Philosophy, Higher Ed, Internationalism): Personal significance is experienced through expanding the mind and mingling with other cultures. If you feel insignificant, you may try to get your worth out of credentials (e.g. doctorates, MBA etc.) Spirituality may become an important source of personal significance.

Leo in the 10th House (Career): In the best scenario, you are the shining star within your organization, perhaps even the head of your own business. If you feel insignificant in your career, chances are that you aren't expressing your true self at work, for whatever reason. A job title can't give you self worth, but meaningful work can help a great deal. If you lose balance, you may use your position of authority to feel superior to others - this is a dark road.

Leo in the 11th House (Friends): You feel super among groups of people, and have lots of like minded friends. You're a star in the social community (note that Libra rising is common with this position.) If you feel insignificant, then you become desparate for your friends' approval.

Leo in the 12th House (Secrets, Self Undoing): This may be that you experience personal significance in ways that are not obvious to others. Much of your work may be done behind the scenes, but still give you plenty of satisfaction. Spirituality is a possible expression of this - the experience is completely internal. In the internet age, a famous virtual identity is also a possibility.

In summary, we can't experience true feelings of personal significance through what we do or have - rather, we've got to start feel better about ourselves right now in order to start shining our light. The house signified by Leo points out which life area is most likely highlighted in this quest.

Relationship Astrology (5) Are you seriously in love?

2009-07-19T23:00:00.008-04:00

I was browsing books in Borders the other day, and read a spiritual teacher's dialogue with his student that went something like this:

Student: "When I'm in a relationship, how could I tell if my partner is seriously in love with me, or if she's just playing a game?"

Teacher: "Now that's really difficult to answer, because you see, love relationship is a game - so by definition, you're playing - you're not there to be serious."

I don't know about you, but I thought that was a beautiful explanation of romantic love - if everyone understood it, maybe there would be less hurt feelings.

Where wrong expectations occur
Romantic relationship is definitely a game ruled by Venus - she is all about play and beauty - that's why we dance together, sing songs, write poems and make each other laugh in a relationship. Venus is charming and fickle, and is not known for being faithful - what we call "a serious relationship" isn't really her idea.

Marriage and other long term commitments are more under the rule of Saturn - it's about voluntarily choosing to restrict your options, and within that boundary we try to build something worthwhile and lasting, like a home and a family. We also note that many cultures practiced arranged marriages (some still do today) -which made marriages entirely Saturnian events.

We know that love and responsibilities (seriousness) are both necessary, but it can cause a lot of heartache if the partners go into a relationship with different sets of expectations. It won't work if you try to bring Saturn into the relationship (i.e demand seriousness & commitment etc) when your partner just wants to be in love, and vice versa.

Giving Venus Her Space in a Long Term Relationship
It takes a special grace to make love happen in a legally committed relationship such as marriage. Knowing that love and seriousness (responsibility) are ruled by different gods, if you will, might help us to honor both: we can be playful yet committed. The partners may feel stifled if the relationship becomes only about responsibilities - and this may make them want to start looking for love outside of the relationship.

The balance between the two gods have to be achieved according to each partner's make up. Each of us fall somewhere on the spectrum between wanting more playfulness and needing more seriousness. Knowing where your partner is on the scale may help you to appreciate him/her needs better - since it is more likely that you have chosen someone that have different needs from you.

Connecting Past, Present and Future - A Way to Wholeness

2009-07-12T23:00:00.004-04:00

Everyone knows it's wrong to get "stuck in the past" - after a tragic event, our friends usually tell us to go on with our lives - things will get better in the future. So here is a question:

Did we really manage to "move on" without getting stuck?
To answer this, we need to define what "getting stuck" means: when we're stuck, our mental and/or emotional energies are fixated on a particular event, unable to be utilized in the present moment.

Using a computer analogy, it's like having a system error that crashes one application, and instead of rebooting the system, you keep running the system for hours, which means part of the processing power is tied up trying to work the program that crashed a long time ago.

How do you know if some part of you is stuck in the past? Here are some symptoms:

Mental fixation: You can't help but refer to a specific event that happened in the past that is causing you to be unhappy today
Emotional fixation: You feel a strong emotional charge - anger, for instance - about a past event, usually tied to a specific person.
Repression: You feel less emotionally alive compared to the past. You have less range of emotions (e.g. joy, anger, or sorrow) compared to when you were a child, or a teenager.

If none of these apply to you, congratulations! You're one of the rare people that managed to stay vibrantly whole despite life's many challenges. Feel free to skip the rest of the post, I'll see you next week.

In case you're stuck
I think most people leave some parts of themselves in the past, especially around past relationships. The problem with this is, just like trying to run a crashed computer without rebooting, you're a lot less efficient, and unable to give your whole energy to solving the present problems in life.

Consider this: If your emotional energies are stuck around painful past relationships, or frozen around a traumatic childhood event, you have that much less to give to your present partner.

The result: a relationship that is less alive than the one you were able to have in the past, and it isn't your present partner's fault!

So then, in order to have a satisfying relationship (or a satisfying life, for that matter), it seems imperative to get our emotions released from the past painful events and relationships. In order to do this, it is necessary to revisit the past, at least initially, so that you'll have the opportunity to feel and heal the emotions.

In doing this, some people may say you are getting stuck in the past. But this is actually the opposite - in truth you're revisiting the past simply in order to reclaim your lost emotions, which allows you to be fully connected to the present. By being fully connected in the present, we experience the magic of relationships that can lead us to the future we dream of.

Where is Astrology Going? / Developing Your Own Voice

2009-07-08T22:30:00.003-04:00

This post is for professional/aspiring astrologers and anyone interested in our craft, and where it might be heading:

In his monthly essay Noel Tyl muses on how astrology adapted to the evolution of modern culture (e.g. how it was influenced by the development of scientific thinking, as well as developmental psychology.) In effect he's asking the big question: where is astrology going? Where are astrologers going to be?

I'm pasting my response to it and additional thoughts on it below:

"With the advent of computer age, measurements have become 95% automatic, and reports compiling planetary positions and aspects can be assembled without any human involvement. A talented writer can then author an astrology report (darn sophisticated one at that) and sell it for $20 apiece to hundreds of people.

This means that the value of astrologer as an "astrological measuring device" has been diminished to just about zero - no one wants to come hear an astrologer describe her signs, houses and aspects - they can get all of that free or almost free.

If 20th century saw the adaptation of astrology into the power of automated computing, then in this century astrologers must add something that the generic reports cannot give - this entails studying about practical options in life, how to effectively help people become open to their inner potentials, and each of us developing our own unique voice that touches the right people in the right way. The bar has been raised."

Developing Your Own Voice
There is something magical that happens when you're with the people you're meant to help (if you're destined to help people, then you have your people - no questions about it.) Understanding who you're meant to help probably has a lot to do with identifying your own unique voice.

I'd like to meditate on this some more, but please feel free to give me your input via email or comments: What is your unique voice? How do you uniquely help others? Do you feel you're meant to help some special people, and who are they?

Cancer and the Shadow Side of Security

2009-07-06T20:00:00.001-04:00

Your natal chart can be visualized as a map of the ocean with various currents originating from different sources (i.e. the planets): Some currents flow to the East, while some flow to the West.

There is a dynamic equilibrium in the ocean that contains all these currents and crosscurrents: and so it is in our natal chart (which is to say, our psyche.)

The current is a metaphor for the intention (conscious or unconscious) that we carry in our mind, and represents the need of the planets expressed through the 12 signs. In this post we'll pay attention to one of them: the sign Cancer.

Most of us desire success in career and relationships: we want to achieve significance, to be noticed and appreciated by many, and form meaningful relationships throughout our lives. But there can be an unconscious, conflicting intention that may be getting in our way.

Identifying Conflicting Intentions
What Cancer needs, as we've been discussing in the last couple of weeks, is security and privacy: it wants to stay hidden, even invisible, from the bright glare of social recognition.

Let us note that Cancer is at the opposite of the sign Capricorn, which represents ambition, productivity and responsibility. While the Capricorn part of us may have all the intention of pursuing success, it may create a lot of fear within the Cancerian part of us: "what would happen to my privacy if I achieve my goals and become wildly successful? I'd be so busy socializing with all these people that I may not even like. Some people may reject me...It all sounds so risky, I'd rather stay hidden and invisible - at least I know it's safe and comfortable that way."

Then what happens? Self sabotage ensues, keeping you from becoming recognized, promoted, or successful. All because of the unrecognized intention that is carried in your mind.

This is the shadow side of Cancer, and it could be experienced by any one of us when we are at a point of growth and further success. Becoming aware of this hidden intention is the first step: you honor what it's telling you, and learn to build some alone time into your schedule, thereby keeping a dynamic equilibrium within your psyche, which allows various needs within you to coexist (just not at the same time.)

Neptune Transit and Giving Up (a.k.a. Spiritual Breakthrough)

2009-07-04T09:24:00.004-04:00

It's painful to try to control your life from a small space in the left hemisphere of your brain.

But that's what I was trying to do, for so many years. My mentor told me "You do this because
it's safer to live there - you get to disconnect from painful feelings."

And there is some power in the intellect. Enough to get the job done and be paid well. In terms of the level of joy, though, you end up very poor because you've left home.

"There is a feeling of deadness in my chest" one person told me in a consultation some time ago. He was a successful professional, but was making the same mistake.

The flight to the closed space in our head (left side) is a reaction that some of us will choose, as a result of painful experience some time in the past. We could expect it if the horoscope has heavily Scorpio/Plutonian emphasis, as well as a strong Mercury complex. It's like we begin to rely on our strength just a little too much, and try to make life work from the head, detached from the rest of us.

The result is that the ego becomes defined by intellect and control. The feeling of power that comes from living in our head overcompensates for the underlying powerlessness.

Neptune/Pisces complex is antithetical to all of this, and it requires that you give up control. I am presently going through a major transit called Neptune square Sun/Moon midpoint, and living from the head stopped working entirely in my relationships.

So one night it got so bad, and I was on my knees praying (something I haven't done in a long time), and suddenly something broke open: I felt a sense of peace and grace that I haven't experienced in years - it was like I was liberated from this tiny cage that was the left side of my brain, and there was this vast space filled with wind and light.

At the moment I was praying, basically I gave up control of my life as I seemed to be making a mess of it, and have asked the higher power (whatever you want to call it) to run my life. And everything came into place - emotionally, relationship wise, and now I think and work better.

All this is to say that I have a Scorpio Sun with Pisces rising, and a very strong Mercury. The balance was lost, and this Neptunian transit was the period when the balance was restored. Now I'm praying a lot more, and trying to let in the higher power in everything - so this seems to be one of the significant spiritual breakthroughs of my life.

If you have similar experiences under Neptunian transit, please feel free to email me or add comments below. Thanks for reading, and happy Independence Day!

Pluto in Capricorn: Challenging Cancerian Security

2009-06-28T23:00:00.000-04:00

One of Pluto's meaning is death/destruction necessary before the rebirth.

Capricorn rules structure; Cancer security. Pluto's entrance to Capricorn suggests the destruction of the weakened economic structure (affecting businesses and governments) before the renewal. At the same time, Pluto's opposition to Cancer powerfully challenges our sense of security.

United States is a deeply Cancerian nation (the USA chart has 4 planets in Cancer) - emotional security is of a supreme value. Pluto is currently forming a transiting opposition to US Venus (money, worth, peace), and will continue on to oppose US Jupiter (sense of wealth, reward).

Along with the troubled financial system, Pluto may be destroying the false sense of security we've been holding onto, which was based on unsustainable conditions (i.e. is my sense of security based on the value of my asset, which is inevitably linked to the current struggling economy?)

As Pluto forces us out of happy denials, we'll probably end up facing our fears before finding a new foundation to stand on. The hoped-for end result will be a stronger, more sustainable sense of security, both on a personal and a national level.

(Note: this post was inspired by Raymond Merriman's piece on the June/July 2009 issue of Mountain Astrologer - if you want more details I recommend you check out the article - it's very good.)