By Amanda Painter

With each new natural disaster that has swept through the news recently (hurricanes, floods, fires, earthquakes…) it feels as though the planet is trying to get our attention: no matter how much technological ‘progress’ we make, it won’t matter until we face the damage we do to the Earth, commit to changing harmful behavior patterns, and act to heal the environment — our home. By healing the environment we can heal ourselves; and the process can also work in reverse.

Photo by Amanda Painter

Interestingly, the astrology now and through the weekend speaks to this dynamic.

And although it may seem to be speaking on an entirely personal level, extrapolating the message to the macro level and applying it to the planet (both environmentally and socially) makes sense. But let’s start with the personal.

Tomorrow (Friday), Mercury in Virgo opposes the centaur planet Nessus in Pisces. I wrote this week on Planet Waves that this aspect “looks like a reminder: no matter how logical and rational you think you are, emotionally dysfunctional patterns from the past (including those you’ve inherited from your parents or grandparents) need to be faced and seen for what they are, and for what they to do to you. Once you can see them, you can begin addressing and disarming them.”

It’s worth noting that just yesterday, on Wednesday, Mars in Virgo made its own opposition to Nessus. And on Saturday, Mercury and Mars form a conjunction. So this Mercury-Nessus conjunction also has the firepower of Mars behind it.

Continue reading →

By Amanda Painter

By now, whatever emotional energy peak you may have experienced with the Full Moon should be dissipating. And while you still might feel a little foggy or unsure about certain situations (thanks to Neptune’s lingering influence), at least the mental shenanigans of Mercury are slowly beginning to sort themselves out. ‘Easy does it’ is still the mantra du jour, though.

Photo by Amanda Painter

That might even go double for any unexpected pieces of information that came to you as Mercury stationed direct Tuesday morning.

As Mercury traces its way back through the degrees of the zodiac where it was just retrograde, see if you can follow the trail of breadcrumbs back from whatever you’ve been reflecting on or reviewing. Even though Mercury is returning to the same slice of zodiac where it was on Aug. 12, all of the other planets have shifted (whether slightly or dramatically). Don’t be surprised if, as you follow your breadcrumb trail back, you find yourself in a slightly different place, with slightly — or dramatically — different self-understanding or insight.

Saturday, Sept. 9, Mercury re-enters Virgo at 10:52 pm EDT (2:52 UTC Sunday), in direct motion. Waiting for it just inside the doorstep are the hypothetical point Transpluto at 2 degrees Virgo, and Mars at 4 degrees Virgo.

Continue reading →

By Amanda Painter

It’s almost cliché for astrologers to talk about the dual nature of fire: how it can be warming, life giving and inspirational; yet, if mishandled, can burn metaphorical bridges and cause literal destruction. Despite the Sun now being in Virgo, there’s still a lot of fire in the sky involving key planets. How you feel it and how you use it may depend partly on personal circumstances, but what matters most is the awareness you bring to it.

Crescent Moon and beach bonfire at Dance New England late last week. Photo by Amanda Painter.

Here are the key players:

Today, Mercury re-enters Leo via the back door, thanks to its apparent retrograde motion. On Sunday, it will make an exact conjunction to Mars in Leo; notably, this happens in the same degree as last week’s total solar eclipse.

In between those events, Mars makes an exact trine to Uranus in Aries on Saturday.

Item number one to notice about this setup is the way it very directly rings the bell of the Aug. 21 eclipse. That immediately tells you that this astrology, and what it brings up for you, is related to that event. It’s connected to the patterns you were in the process of setting; to the goals and desires you focused your intentions on; and to any unexpected discoveries, encounters and opportunities that came your way around that time.

Continue reading →

By Amanda Painter

With the Great American Eclipse now behind you, how are you feeling? Do you notice anything different? Do you feel like things are pretty much business as usual, or has your life changed dramatically?

Photo by Amanda Painter

Due to previously made plans for this week, I’m actually writing this several days ahead of when you’re reading it; as I type, the eclipse is still about 24 hours away and fast approaching.

I just turned down an unexpected creative opportunity in favor of getting done all the things I’m obligated to complete, and (as sometimes happens around eclipses), I’m wondering if I’ve just ignored some kind of signal from the universe that I ought to have said ‘yes’ to.

Perhaps you can relate to that feeling of uncertainty and second-guessing. If so, you probably know it’s sometimes a tricky thing to shake.

Continue reading →

By Amanda Painter

I know a lot of people who are really excited about the total solar eclipse of the Sun on Monday; I also know a lot of people who are tied up in knots of outrage, fear and despair regarding last weekend’s white-supremacist attacks in Charlottesville, VA, and the President’s response to it. You may even count yourself in both categories (I suspect many people do), and be wondering how to deal with it all.

Continue reading →