Help with Love

My previous post was all about how I'm not blogging. I was emailing with a fellow astrologer about this and I can't remember what the result was.

One thing I have noticed though is that my energy is like this. I can be all hot to finish something. And then... it cools off. But it always comes back.

It makes me thing of Venus square Mars in a natal chart. That aspect is supposed to signify someone who is "hot and cold" in relationships. But sometimes I wonder if my Venus square Saturn does something similar. Venus square Saturn is, among other things, about timing. Maybe he loves you and you don't love him or she feels warm to you and you don't feel warm in response... at the time, at the moment. And then the warm feeling comes around again. Or the cool feeling comes around again.

Venus square Saturn challenges you to... get it right. To get "on the same page," as they say.

I have a good friend who has Venus opposition Saturn and I always wonder about the differences between his opposition and my square. Squares, in my experience, are about so much inner tension. They may lead you to act or to project, but the problem is yours (at least to start off with). Oppositions, on the other hand, are something external, something coming at you, for better or worse, to challenge you. For better or worse. Asking you to find that balance and not side with one side or the other.

So, in my friend's life, who is the Venus and who is the Saturn? Where does he find balance? Does he find balance? How does he not take sides? Or does he? How does he find committment when his Venus (in Gemini, by the way) wants to fly...

It makes me think that this opposition will cause people to come into his life to help him with this issue, whether he wants it or not. And he seems to want it. He always has a woman or two or three in his life, helping him with love. With love.

My New Jupiter

I'm having blog guilt.

I created this blog with much enthusiasm and astro-obsession but other stuff has taken my attention lately. I don't know if anyone is out there reading this. Someone might wind up here by accident. Are there any accidents?

But I want to talk a little about Sun and Jupiter in opposition.

One of the best ways to study and learn astrology is to pay attention to your current transits. Then you can really feel it. Feel what's going on.

So if some transiting planet is making an aspect to one of your natal planets... read up on it in books, on-line... discover what others have to say, and then match that up with your own experience.

Transiting Jupiter in Capricorn is opposing my natal Sun in Cancer and I do feel it. Wanting to expand in every direction! Lots of creative energy (Jupiter is in my 5th house), romantic energy, but it's directed, it's work (Capricorn).

And I keep wanting to make everything big. Like this blog, for example. Started it with so much Jupiter energy, as well as my webpage, but now the web page is sitting and something else, something even more important to me, but also writing related (also Jupiter) is taking my attention. With Jupiter/Sun, EVERYTHING wants to expand. Everything wants your attention. And you can't do it all. You have to choose.

And something else I read about it, which I am finding to be true: you will tempted to expand materially but you must not forget the spiritual. This has been happening with me. My meditation practice has suffered this week. I had a lot of work and a lot of creative energy, but I haven't been sitting. I will sit this morning...

Sometimes when you read about a transit, it doesn't ring true. You need to find the authors, the teachers, who resonate with you, with your experience and ideas. Learn from them, from your experience, and make it your own. Then share with others :)

Jupiter will go on to oppose my Mercury and then my Mars. Big ideas, big communications, big writing, big energy...

Last night, was at a friend's apartment and I was looking up his partner's chart. His partner also is having (or going to be having) a Sun Jupiter opposition, also in Cancer and Capricorn. How ready I was to tell him a little about what he might feel in the coming weeks...

Intuition and the multi-cat household

I had written a new post, but deleted it somehow without realizing it and it didn't get saved anywhere so I am going to try to remember, try to piece it together. I haven't had any caffeine yet but want to put something here since it's been a few days.

The original post was about intuition, that if you go along this path, if you study these things, your intuition will improve. It can't help it. Intention is important as well in these matters. I was speaking to someone last night who was asking me if he thought my "improvements" were from "higher sources" or "lower" ones. And I'm not even going to address that here for the time being...

But let me tell a story...

So this summer I started to study the Tarot and really fell in love with it. I began to read many books and do little card spreads for myself and friends and then on Halloween night I read Tarot for patrons at a bar, hour after hour, into the wee hours. It was intense. My third-eye hurt after the end of that night. I'm not sure if that was the turning point. I think the turning point was even a couple of months later, but I do know that working with Tarot helped my Astrology and that the two systems correspond and have nice conversations with each other. Working with Tarot (as well as having a regular meditation practice) made a difference. It was nothing I could force and I kind of forgot about it.

The other night though I was on the phone with my sister. She had two cats and then added two more to her cat family. Of course any cat person knows an adjustment period will follow. On the spot, I did a few quick three-card spreads for each cat and then emailed her my results or further questions. I was right-on with what I was saying. I guess the special thing here was that she could tell me right away if I was on track whereas with clients at the bar that night, some of them just sat with arms folded across chest and I couldn't figure it out. Some of them were tough. It wasn't until later that I found out the feedback had been so good.

Anyway, so I was telling my sister things about the new cats, their pasts, how they got to her... whatever the cards and my intuition and Spirit would have me know.

And then there came a moment when I did a little spread for Violet one of the original cats (and I did three cards again, but not in order i.e. not past/present/future, but I like to do three for a wholistic reading and then figure out if a timeline is involved or not). And I got a feeling. A strong sad feeling in my body, my heart. At first I just saw it as mine, my feeling. I mean, I can often feel sad all of a sudden for seemingly no reason. No big deal.

Then I realized, recognized that the feeling wasn't mine. It was Violet's. I was picking up on her energy. The feeling didn't belong to me. And once I realized that, the feeling pretty much dissapated (after I went deeper into it). It was as though I were watching this happen....

It happened again, a night or so later.. a different situation, without the Tarot, but picking up on someone's emotional state after receiving an email. It was a mood of crisis and there was, late at night, in bed, tossing and turning, feeling this strong crisis feeling. And then I remembered: wait a minute! THIS isn't MINE!

I am sharing all this because it was new to me and exciting and interesting. I have always been an empath but these events seemed to represent a new.... clarification. A new line being drawn. Others in my life have told me that I pick up feelings from my environment, but it never seemed so clear to me before...

Learning Astrology and Reverb

I've learned astrology from a number of amazing astrologers/teachers. I've learned it from formal classes, from drop in groups, from one on one lessons, from readings (a great way to learn because then you are exposed to the astrologer's thought process, which fascinates me), from talking with others who also love this stuff, from doing readings, and from books.

Last night I was listening to a tape of a class I was in last year and my teacher was talking about the echo effect of aspects. Reverberation. (Did I spell that right?)

That even when an aspect has passed the exact degree as well as heading out of orb, the effect may not only still be felt, but may be quite strong!

I know that was the case with transiting Mars square my natal Pluto that I wrote about before. The most intense manifestation of that difficult aspect for me was when the aspect was separating. Hmm. It's the separation that was so hard! It was fighting to hang on!

And I think it may be different for each person and each transit as well as where the person feels it, whatever the transit, whatever the house, whatever the theory.

Ultimately how transits affect you is personal to you. Yes, there are accepted meanings and plenty of books and teachers to share those, and often they do figure in. But there is always nuance because you are special....

And this is what I love about astrology: it's where knowledge and intution meet.

So in the sky is an applying Mars/Pluto opposition. If you were sitting in front of me, I would ask you where Gemini/Cancer and Sag/Capricorn are in your chart... and we'd go from there. We'd find out how this powerful aspect will feel to you...

For me, it's 10th house (Mars) and 4th House (Pluto). I don't have too many planets at low degrees (to aspect the Mars/Pluto opposition), but I do have asteroid Hera at 1 degree Taurus, my nodes in Virgo/Pisces at 3 degrees, and... Uranus at 4 degrees of Libra. Hmm...

I'll get back to you on this one... and will hope for a swift moving Mars.

back to saturn, back in charge?

Saturn is going to conjuct my Ascendent this summer.

My Iowa astrologer said, "It means you're back in charge." I like her view. But I'll definitely let you know how it goes... if I feel in charge! Or just somber, since it will go on to join my Moon...

This weekend I'm going to talk to someone about her Saturn Return. She's just about done with it. Are the challenges over? I look forward to hearing about her experience. I was unaware of this stuff when I was her age. Funny, that phrase "when I was her age." That, too, is Saturn.

They say Saturn teaches us what we need to learn.

In your life, when you feel stuck, which planet do YOU blame ;)

Does Neptune make you feel foggy and confused?
Does Pluto unearth what you'd rather leave hidden?
And Uranus? Expect the unexpected.

Jupiter is the "great benefic" and makes things big, but what if it's Jupiter (expansion) and Mars (energy/anger/sex). It depends on the situation, doesn't it? That's where timing comes in, which leads me back to Saturn.

Maybe you (whoever is reading this, astrology fan or dazed reader who walked in here by accident, or beloved friend I sent a link to) don't think about the planets at all. It's possible. But, you see, they think of you. Astrology is just one way, one really cool way, one set of symbols, archetypes, metaphors... to help you understand you better.

I usually don't feel each and every transit, especially if they are quick ones... and the outer planets take their time. It's not one thing, boom, and it's over. It's energy, cycles of energy. And change.

What did the eclipse bring you?

Yes, I realize I'm writing an Astro-Diary. A little love life, a dash of daily routine, a helping of philosophical confusion. And some pictures of the city, the city, the city.

The planets are poetic for me. The metaphors resonate with me. And the technology boggles my mind. Even Blogger. This evening I tried to add something to my template and just couldn't succeed...

So here I am in my noisy neighborhood, blogging for who reads.

Searching mind for astrological tidbit and coming up with nothing. I've worked hard today on other things.... the positions of the planets will have to catch up with me tomorrow. Perhaps this malaise is post-eclipse malaise? A weary-mind after that intense energy? Maybe. What is needed to get in touch with the self, with Spirit? Meditation, yes. Prayer, yes. A quiet room, yes.

And it snowed today. Snowed and snowed and snowed. Perhaps that was also post-eclipse response, New York City style. Just cover everything, just dampen everything, just slush it all up, just make it so mud-wonderful, puddle-luscious (apologies to e.e. cummings)...

What did the eclipse bring you?

Snow

No post today (yet)... just snow.