“Do not consider me now as an elegant female intending to plague you, but as a rational creature speaking the truth from her heart.”
— Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen helped bring me up. I was in my mid-teens when my school class began reading Pride and Prejudice. I was a mess; my parents’ separation a few years previously had resulted in two households where, for various reasons, I was neither schooled nor nurtured.

Portrait of Jane Austen by her sister Cassandra (c. 1810).

So I turned for help to the best books I could lay my hands on, and Jane’s were among them.

For an author so well known, the details of Jane Austen’s life are strangely vague. Part of the reason for this was that her family burnt most of her letters after her death: her beloved sister Cassandra did not wish the younger members to see the “sometimes acid or forthright comments” Jane had written about their elders.

What is known is that she was born in Steventon on Dec. 16, 1775, to a rector and his wife. She had seven siblings. Her father allowed his daughters the run of the family library, and supported their artistic ambitions and supplied paper. All of this was unusual. According to the standards of the time, a woman’s education was supposed to be limited; as Jane herself remarked in Northanger Abbey, “A woman, especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can.” Women were also not meant to have any public station; for women, publicity meant notoriety.

Hence the very gift that made Jane Austen so unique was frowned upon in wider society. During her lifetime, her works were published anonymously; her gravestone epitaph by her brother James, following her death at the age of 41, does not explicitly mention her writing. It was only after she died that she was identified as the author of her novels.

Jane’s writing itself bucked another trend of the times. Sentimental and Gothic novels were in vogue, as was the poetry of Byron and Cowper. In Love and Freindship [sic], which she wrote at only 15, she cleverly skewered the fashion for sentimentality and the smugness behind it. Northanger Abbey was a pastiche of Gothic fiction, parodying the cartoonish villainies and ludicrous predicaments of that genre while explaining, through the character of General Tilney, what a real villain did.

She was not unaware of controversial social issues, either: openly mentioning slavery in one novel, and in another giving a repulsive character the same surname as a well-known slave owner. In Mansfield Park, she also criticized the double standards of morality imposed on men and women.

So what of her astrology? Well, unusually for someone born in the 18th century, we have a birth time: a quarter before midnight. This gives Jane Virgo rising. It’s very clear that she cared about getting the details correct; her vocabulary and character drawing were both tools she wielded with minute precision. Neptune rising, also in Virgo, combines that attention to detail with a potent imagination.

Her sense of humor can be found in the Sagittarius Sun and Mercury, with Venus (her Moon ruler) in Scorpio perhaps adding the acerbic wit. Mercury’s third-house position is suggestive of the local flavor of her writing; Vesta in the fifth house shows her devotion to her craft, which helped her to break out of a restrictive web of social mores.

I could probably rattle on for several paragraphs longer, but I’ll leave further discussion for the comments, and hand you over to the lady herself:

For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?
— Mr. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen’s natal chart, courtesy of Solar Fire.

Monday morning, Mercury will begin its retrograde in mid-Capricorn. About an hour and a half before Mercury shifts into reverse, Mars will leave Aquarius behind to slip into Pisces. Yesterday, in the Planet Waves weekly subscriber edition, Eric delivered an in-depth examination of the Mercury station retrograde in context with the U.S. electoral process.

There will be no attempt here to go over the same ground Eric already covered so well. There is room, however, to add some additional context for what appears to be some historically significant astrology in the making.

First, it is worth noting that Mercury will have initiated four retrogrades by the time 2016 has become history. The usual generalization for Mercury retrogrades is three times a year for approximately three weeks at a time. The fact that Mercury has stationed into reverse four times this year does not mean the solar system has shifted into fourth gear. Planets move predictably like clockwork, but their schedule does not overlay our civil calendar with regularity.

Hence, in context with our calendar, this has been an unusual year for Mercury’s rhythm. In addition, the territory covered by Mercury’s 2016 back-and-forths has been entirely in earth signs (Capricorn, Taurus and Virgo) with two notable exceptions.

When Mercury started its first retreat of the year (back on Jan. 5, 2016), it was just over one degree into Aquarius. As result, a touch of air sign cachet preceded the earth sign flavor that has prevailed ever since. Interestingly, when the impending Mercury retrograde comes to an end on Jan. 8, 2017, direct motion will resume from less than two degrees into the fire sign Sagittarius — symbolically leaving a distinctive aftertaste to the departure.

The next Mercury station direct, on Jan. 8, 2017, is worth mentioning for another reason. There is a lot going on astrologically in the latter degrees of Sagittarius. Without going into a lot of technical detail, the end of this upcoming retrograde will come with a lot of astrological complexity. In correlation with your life, you will probably be saying or hearing the phrase “it’s complicated” a lot as this year ends and next year begins.

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All during Mercury’s next back-and-forth, Mars will be wading through Pisces. That is emblematically complicated, too, especially when you consider how Venus (metaphorical complement of Mars) will be following close behind (but not quite catching up) as it slows into its own retrograde next year.

For astrologers, the big events can be be boiled down into four categories. Eclipses probably earn the heaviest weighting. We will get to two of those in February.

After eclipses, sign changes are a big deal because they essentially represent an actor (a planet) changing its costume (sign) with an implicit change of character as result. In context, retrogrades are usually more subtle in the short run, but often end up being a bigger deal in the long run.

Of course, the fourth major category of astrological event is probably also the most underrated and taken for granted: New and Full Moons. Time does not wither, nor does custom stale, the infinite variety of expressions that spring from the monthly cycles of the Sun and Moon. It is the ultimate context of astrology.

All told, the Sun, Moon, Mercury and Mars will soon be moving with the rest of the solar system so as to imply a lot of complication. If you can only remember one thing about the astrology for the rest of this year and into the next, that would be it. If you could choose only one thing to do in concert with the local cosmos (of which you are an important part — believe it or not), acting to make things less complicated would probably function more than anything else to make your life easier.

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Combined images from the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, all pointed into the Galactic Center. Photo by NASA/ESA/SSC/CXC/STScI

By Amanda Painter

How aware are you of your impact on others — especially on the wider world beyond your immediate personal interactions? Come to think of it, how often do you truly get to know your full impact on those individuals with whom you are in direct contact?

I ask because the astrology from now through the weekend seems to emphasize that kind of awareness.

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One question astrologers often receive from clients is: “What does it mean?” That’s a fair question to ask, so long as you do not expect simply to be given a pat answer. In general, astrology does not provide clear-cut answers. What astrology affords instead is some context in which you might discover, and even create, meaning on and of your own.

The purpose of this particular column is to propose a context for the Full Moon in Gemini coming up later today (or early tomorrow, depending on where you live). Your role, should you choose to participate, will be to take that information and embark upon a very achievable voyage of discovery and creation.

Let’s start off with some basics. Every Full Moon is but one phase in a cycle of lunar phases that takes approximately one month to complete. Most astrologers consider an old lunar cycle to end (and a new lunar cycle simultaneously to begin) with what is called a New Moon.

Every New Moon takes place when the Sun and Moon occupy the same degree of the same sign, moving through the sky alongside each other basically one day a month. About two weeks after every New Moon (halfway through the monthly cycle), the Sun and Moon move to occupy the same degree of opposite signs. That’s a Full Moon, when the Sun and Moon are in opposite parts of the sky, again essentially once a month.

The Gemini Full Moon shortly after 7:05 pm EST this evening (which translates to about five minutes after midnight UTC tomorrow morning) will therefore be opposed by the Sun in Sagittarius.

To begin deriving a useful meaning for tonight’s Full Moon you should first place it into context with whatever initiated for you during the Sagittarius New Moon of Nov. 29. Having done that, you will also have an equal time frame to work within between now and the next New Moon, in Capricorn on Dec. 28.

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The last two weeks have come and gone. You can’t change what happened in the past. By the same token, however, what has happened since the last New Moon does not have to dictate what will happen until the next one.

If you want to know what the Gemini Full Moon tonight means for you, try sticking to the basics. You are now implicitly halfway through something.

What’s more, with just a little time to review the fortnight just past, you should be able to discover what that something is. Once you’ve made that discovery, you should also be able to at least envision how you would like that something to turn out.

Once you have that vision, you will have a context in which to act. By acting you can enhance the probability of an outcome dictated (at least in part) by your will. If you can do just that, you will have taken your first small step towards making the giant leap of never having to ask anybody else what any Full Moon means ever again. That, you must admit, would quite an achievement indeed.

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When it comes to the Sun’s role in astrology, the simpler the better. In his book Horoscope Symbols, the inestimable Robert Hand probably put it best, concisely referring to the Sun as “day, light and consciousness.” Over the next handful of days (at least) the astrology will function as if to emphasize the Sun’s central role in both tangible reality and metaphor.

Tomorrow, the Sun will share the same degree of Sagittarius with another of astrology’s emblems of executive function: Saturn. Interestingly, that conjunction will come with a supportive sextile aspect from symbolically sovereign Jupiter (ruler of Sagittarius) precisely sixty degrees away in Libra.

As if in counterpoint to the simultaneous props the Sun will receive from both Saturn and Jupiter tomorrow, there will be an amazingly timed encounter with an asteroid of nominal serendipity.

For astrologers who see fit to use them, smaller objects orbiting the Sun often serve to reiterate major planet themes while also adding informative detail. Tomorrow will be no exception. Among the solar system’s more compact members is a group called “Apollo asteroids”.

Like many figures of ancient mythology, Apollo was conceived of as a complex multi-tasking entity. Even so, there is no denying Apollo’s close association with day, light and its source: the Sun. To simplify things, Apollo asteroids are so named because their orbits come close to the Sun – often crossing Earth’s orbit in the process.

Tomorrow, the Apollo asteroid which (so far as we know) comes closest to the Sun will be making its nearest approach to Earth (about 6 million miles) until the end of this century. That object is named 3200 Phaethon, and its relatively close encounter with Earth will come as it is speeding through Aries, the sign in which astrologers consider the Sun to be “exalted”.

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In mythology, Phaethon was Apollo’s errant son who took the family car (the Sun – or solar chariot, if you will) for a spin even though his driving skills were less than adequate. Because poor Phaethon could not stay in his proverbial lane, Earth was nearly frozen and burnt over the course of one disastrous day, forcing Jupiter to dispatch him with a bolt of lighting.

For astrologers, Phaethon unavoidably invokes both the Sun and Jupiter, albeit as a contrasting motif. When taken in holistic context with the rest of our current and impending astrology, Phaethon’s role tomorrow would seem to emphasize the Sun most of all. The prominence of the Sun will then continue through next week and into the week after that, even though (for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere) this is the darkest time of year.

If you are reading a lot about the Sun’s role in astrology over the next couple weeks, you should not be surprised. In more ways than one, the Sun will be at center stage for some time. When you consider any such reports in the context of your own life, you would probably do best to keep things simple. To the extent that your place on Earth minimizes the time of day and light, consider responding by maximizing your focus on being alert and aware. If you can do just that, the Sun will be working for you around the clock.

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By Amanda Painter

Although the particulars will vary between individuals and among communities (both in-the-flesh and online), we seem to be in a moment of rich awareness and potential for participating with purpose. Issues like the standoff at Standing Rock and post-election developments are comingling with people’s usual end-of-year charitable giving habits and, of course, both religious and secular ideas about the spirit of compassion inherent in Christmas. Even if you do not celebrate Christmas, if you’re in the U.S. (among other countries), you’re surrounded by its themes.

Photo by Amanda Painter

The astrology as we head into the weekend looks custom-made for this environment, and for getting involved.

First of all, the Sun is always in Sagittarius this time of year, which highlights many themes around philosophy, religion, how we perceive and respond to humanity, and even the heightened urge to socialize despite the shortening days. Between Friday and Saturday, the Sagittarius Sun makes a pair of aspects (really one event) to two major planets, Jupiter and Saturn. A handful of other planets within range add some extra flavor.

First, the Sun will make a sextile to Jupiter in Libra (exact at 4:39 pm EST / 21:39 UTC Friday). Sextiles are harmonious aspects that offer their full benefit when we actively work the energy. According to astrologer Isabel Hickey, Sun-Jupiter sextiles provide a useful boost for almost any activity. Astrologer Robert Hand notes that this aspect can particularly strengthen the desire to participate in something larger than yourself.

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Venus enters Aquarius shortly before 10 am EST (14:51:00 UTC) tomorrow, Dec. 7, as if to teach a lesson. The instructive principle being referred to here will not be readily apparent in a chart for the ingress. Instead, this particular teaching will become evident only through the unique context time and patience can provide.

Broadly speaking, you would not be far off to say that Venus will convey an advocacy of patience when it leaves Capricorn behind and moves on to Aquarius. It would be even more accurate, however, to perceive an exhortation towards a long view.

A big part of the message Venus will carry into Aquarius has to do with its astrological complement: Mars. For astrologers, the relationship between Venus and Mars is not a contest for supremacy. It is instead a cyclical dynamic symbolically seeking equilibrium, which never repeats in quite the same way. As with most astrological cycles, the synodic period germane to Venus and Mars both ends and begins with a conjunction.

Speaking very roughly for the sake of simplicity, Venus and Mars come together in the same degree of the same sign to form a conjunction aspect every other year. Periodically, there are exceptions. Last year was a particularly special case. Venus and Mars conjoined three times in three different signs during 2015.

In 2017, Venus and Mars will return to form by conjoining just once. As is also more usual, their conjunction next year will take place when Venus (the fleeter of the two) catches Mars from behind to meet for a day before moving on to begin their next cycle. Were you to look at the chart for tomorrow’s Venus ingress all by itself, you might easily conclude that the next such merger of Venus and Mars was close at hand. That’s because Mars is also currently in Aquarius.

Indeed, when Venus reaches the first degree of Aquarius tomorrow, Mars will be only a bit more than 20 degrees ahead. If you consider that Mars takes roughly twice as long as Venus does to make one circuit of all 12 zodiac signs, and if you had only tomorrow’s ingress chart to look at, you could easily jump to an errant conclusion: that Venus and Mars would meet up as early as next month. In fact, the one exact 2017 conjunction from Venus and Mars will not take place until Oct. 5 — basically ten months from now.

That’s because Venus is even now slowing down on its way to station retrograde in Aries on March 4. By that time, Mars will have turned the usual tables and pulled away from Venus, almost (but not quite) catching up by the end of January.

When it comes to life themes that resonate with the yin-yang motif of Venus and Mars, you might want to keep their impending almost-but-not-quite in mind. What now seems like a done deal in the making could actually be only the beginning of either a merry or exhausting chase, which will not be resolved until late next year. Better to play the long game and enhance the possibility of merry.

Just as important for those of you who practice or aspire to astrology is to remember that one chart does not contain all the pertinent information needed to interpret its given moment. It’s also vital to consistently consult your trusty ephemeris and other resources so as to see how one event fits not only into the spatial context of the whole sky, but also into the temporal context an entire cycle — even an entire life.

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If you consider the distribution of sign-ruling planets, it’s evident that the zodiac is rather lopsided right now. Today the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Pluto are all clustered in either Sagittarius (ruled by Jupiter) or Capricorn (ruled by Saturn). That’s just one-sixth of the sky. But wait, there’s more.

Throw in Mars in Aquarius (traditionally ruled by Saturn, now co-ruled by Uranus), and Neptune in its modern Pisces domain (originally ruled by Jupiter) and you have eight of the ten sign-rulers in just one single quadrant of the zodiac.

The other two are Jupiter and Uranus. Jupiter is ensconced in Libra (ruled by Venus, which is now moving through Capricorn) until late next year. Uranus, for its part, is doing a significant deed with Eris in Aries (ruled by Mars). In other words, by either direct location or symbolic association, the roads being traced by the most astrologically significant objects in the solar system all lead back to either Jupiter or Saturn at this time. It is a situation that will continue through the end of this year and well into the 2017.

Jupiter and Saturn have an interesting relationship. You might consider them to be complementary, but on a different level from the very personal yin-yang dynamic that the relationship between Venus and Mars represents. When you consider both their size and orbital periods Jupiter and Saturn are evidently emblematic of something bigger and more enduring than purely personal concerns.

You would not be wrong to label Jupiter and Saturn interpersonal planets, corresponding to the concerns of entire generations. Jupiter, in the words of Robert Hand, “is a planet of growth and enlargement.” Its downside is excess.

Although ancient astrological tradition is not as kind to Saturn as it is to Jupiter, it also has a very real upside having to do with definition and structure. On its better-known downside, Saturn correlates with confinement and oppression. When their upsides are emphasized and in balance with each other, Jupiter and Saturn combine to represent the characteristics of both a healthy life and a functional society: enough expansiveness to be inclusive and enough structure to hold together.

When the downsides of Jupiter and Saturn are emphasized, or when they are out of balance with each other, things tend to get dysfunctional. That’s where you come in. It is people, both separately and collectively, who decide how and when to assert the combined qualities of Jupiter and Saturn. If you look at your life right now, you will probably see Jupiter and Saturn operating together for better or worse. Simply being aware means you can act as a moderating influence if necessary.

On the larger, interpersonal scale of current events, it is abundantly clear that the combined natures of Saturn and Jupiter are both evident and in need of moderation. Principles of inclusiveness are taking a beating. Where structure is not falling apart, it is serving to confine rather than helping to define vast numbers of people. Excess is everywhere. Simply being aware of those dysfunctions also serves as a guide towards which actions would be most timely and efficacious.

Weather permitting, the current distribution of visible planets makes for some good astronomical viewing, especially in the western sky just after dark. Astrologically, the picture is both bigger and deeper. Beyond the current symbolic dominance of Jupiter and Saturn, there is something more — a clear indication that simply looking on will not function to change anything at all.

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Pre-order the 2017 Planet Waves Annual, The Book of Your Life, to lock in our special early pricing. Read more here or go straight to the purchase page.