By Amanda Painter

As I write this on Wednesday morning, I’m hearing reports of explosive devices discovered at the homes of Barack Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton, and also at the CNN offices in New York; this is following an explosive found at the home of billionaire philanthropist George Soros on Monday. By the time you read this, there will likely be more information available; but as I write, I’m most interested in the accompanying astrology. (Ed. note: as of Thursday morning, we’re up to ten suspicious/explosive packages sent to eight people.)

Photo by Amanda Painter, taken at the 2016 annual Sacred and Profane Festival on Peaks Island, Maine.

As if the party or parties responsible for these actions had consulted an astrologer, this all unfolded in the lead-up to Wednesday’s Taurus Full Moon conjunct Uranus (the explosive planet), opposite the Scorpio Sun (secrets, death, other people’s money). Close to the Sun in Scorpio is retrograde Venus — ruler of the Taurus Full Moon.

Sometimes it’s just astonishing how well the aspects mirror the themes of events. By now I shouldn’t be surprised, yet it can still catch me off-guard.

I’m curious whether it’s possible that the connection of Venus to laid-back Taurus is a factor in the explosives being discovered before they could detonate. Is it something about the retrograde quality? What is the significance of the lunar nodes square the Full Moon configuration; is it some kind of balancing point between what we know and what we don’t know, or a choice between paths of action?

It also occurs to me this might signify a tipping point or sudden shift in where our collective attention is being drawn. After all, with midterm elections a-week-and-a-half away, continued revelations about Russian involvement in the 2016 election, and the ongoing, gruesome details of journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s death at the Saudi consulate in Turkey, there is plenty happening that someone might want to distract us from.

I’m not going to try hazarding a guess as to who might be responsible. But I am fascinated by the timing, both astrological and political. Barely a day into Scorpio, events are speaking its language fluently, even if the meaning behind the words is a mystery for the time being.

For those who are working on unraveling the secrets of these explosives — or any other secrets, whether political, historical, deeply personal, sexual, financial, emotional and so on — the astrology of the next few days appears to be on your side. I can’t promise you’ll find the answers you desire, but it looks like a good time to make the effort. Sometimes we reap unexpected benefits in the process; it could also be that you’re the one who offers the insights someone else didn’t even know they were looking for.

The main aspect in question is the Sun’s conjunction with retrograde Venus in Scorpio. Called the ‘interior’ or ‘inferior’ conjunction, it marks the astrological midpoint of the retrograde.

Under other circumstances, a Sun-Venus conjunction is said to signify a great time for self-expression through creativity and relationships, in as many ways as possible — primarily doing so with another person. It tends to be a social and affectionate time.

How does being in the sign Scorpio, with Venus in retrograde motion, affect this, though? One possibility that occurs to me is the expression of something you’ve long held close to the vest; and that conveying it might tell you even more about yourself than it tells the other person (or perhaps tells you just as much). It could be that even though your intention in getting something off your chest is more assertive or even aggressive than what Venus is usually known for, the retrograde quality might act a little like a boomerang: rather than the other person feeling stung, you get a clearer sense of your own underlying energies and motives.

These could be interesting things to consider, and to notice if they plays out for you. Are you being more assertive about getting the attention of friends, lovers, crushes (whether current or from the past)? Are you simply wishing you could? How does that feel?

The other thing I noticed about this Sun-Venus conjunction is that it is closely sextile Saturn. Venus made its exact sextile to Saturn on Wednesday, a little before the Full Moon; the Sun makes its exact sextile Saturday night into Sunday. But it’s essentially one event.

Saturn here is all about keeping things real. Whatever your fantasies (whether of sex, revenge, coming into money, getting to the bottom of something, letting someone know how you really feel, etc.) at some point you have to deal with ‘what is’ in your relationships to others. If you can sit down with a loved one and discuss consciously your expectations of each other, you may come away with a deeper understanding and a more functional friendship or partnership.

We sometimes get so fascinated by Scorpio’s reputation for intensity, darkness and sexuality that we forget its higher functioning: as a sign of deep transformation and even service. Venus sextile Saturn is boosting that orientation on service; the Sun sextile Saturn is offering the ability to get down to business and get things done.

In whatever secrets you’re trying to unravel, a practical approach will likely serve you well this weekend. You might probe a little deeper than usual, but chances are you can do so in an orderly, detailed way. Seeking wisdom from someone more experienced may also prove fruitful — though in the case of an inner quest especially, you must be the final arbiter. What feels in alignment internally? How does any advice or modeling you receive square with the known facts? What don’t you know yet?

Perhaps more importantly: are you willing to find out? And then there’s the question of what you do with what you learn. Pushing new facts and insights back into the shadows is becoming less and less of an option, no matter how doggedly so many people commit to their denial. You can’t un-know something; even in the darkness, it’s just a matter of encountering it differently, and often less effectively. Might as well bring it into the light and deal with it as consciously as circumstances will allow.

Order Eric’s Autumn Reading, which will cover Venus retrograde and beyond, and comprises all 12 signs. This will give you crucial insight into your Sun and rising signs, plus those of your closest partners, friends, family members and prospective lovers. Each sign will be 30 to 40 minutes each, and the set will come with a video introduction. You may order here, or call us at (845) 481-5616.