And before my life is done, got to find me a place in the Sun
— Stevie Wonder
There is an interesting pattern in the sky this week. The pattern favors finding your place in a larger scheme of things than just your personal life. It has to do with how the sign rulers have temporarily sorted themselves out. As always, the final and crucial ingredient in making this astrology work for you is your awareness, holistic perception and conscious response.
With an exception for the Moon’s unique scope, sign rulers associated with your personal life (the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars) are clustered into a relatively narrow arc of the zodiac — all within 60 degrees of each other.
As result (and once again, with the fast-moving Moon as an occasional brief exception) the so-called “personal planets” are not perfecting any major aspects to each other in the near future.
That’s because Venus is now separating from its weekend conjunction with Mars, which occured as both entered Aries. Also because the next major aspect after a conjunction is a sextile, which requires a separation of 60 degrees. That’s something Venus will not quite achieve from either the Pisces Sun or Mercury (which is accelerating faster in Aquarius than Venus is in Aries) anytime soon.
Instead, the four sign-ruling planets closest to the Sun are exclusively aspecting their peers in the outer part of the solar system for the time being. Proportionally speaking, it’s a big jump from the orbital period of Mars (about 2 years) to the approximately 12 years it takes for Jupiter to circle the Sun and the zodiac. The same is true for Saturn’s circuit of nearly 30 years.
For that reason, Jupiter and Saturn are usually interpreted as corresponding to entire segments of your life rather than the frequently repeating life cycles that correlate to personal planets. That’s how Jupiter and Saturn have come to be thought of as trans-personal planets, completing their respective orbital periods to distinguish passages associated with generations.
Beginning with Uranus (which takes approximately 84 years to move through all 12 signs), and continuing on out to include the even longer periodicity of Neptune and Pluto, the modern sign-rulers tend to mesh with historical cycles and social entities that transpire over multiple generations.
Hence, the fact that personal planets are now focusing their most meaningful angular attentions on the outer solar system has a symbolic message for you: now is a good time to place yourself in a larger, longer context.
You might say the process started yesterday with the Pisces Sun achieving a separation of 90 degrees (a square aspect) from Saturn in Sagittarius. Therefore, in order to place yourself in context with the sky, try to recall whether you experienced anything other than the usual weekly return of anxieties normally associated with Mondays.
Specifically, if you consciously encountered or contemplated any long-term milestone with a sense of trepidation in the last day or so, don’t be troubled. Instead, take consolation from the fact that yesterday’s inner tension is the handle by which you may open the door to this week’s astrology.
The handle yesterday’s discomfort provided will allow you to reach within yourself. With but a little contemplation you might attain an instinctive sense of reconciliation with your place in a larger, longer scheme now — as today’s fire trine from Venus to Saturn would support your doing.
If you can but stretch to get a hold within yourself today, it will help tomorrow. For even though Mars is falling behind Venus as they both move through Aries, it is still close enough to perfect a fire trine of its own by reaching precisely 120 degrees of separation from Saturn in Sagittarius tomorrow.
Yes, trines are supposed to be easy. Without awareness, however, any aspect between Mars and Saturn might feel unduly intense. Now that you know what’s coming (and assuming your experience yesterday opened a door to understanding), you can conceivably place yourself to apply any intensity as opposed to weathering it.
Plus (and this is where seeing astrology holistically comes in really handy) when the Sun’s conjunction with Neptune peaks tomorrow, you will be able to take inspiration rather than being confused. It will be a matter of simply getting things in the right order. First, listen to your imagination. Then, act to build just a little reality on what you imagined. Just a little will do.
You need not build Rome this week. Instead, simply find your place in Rome (or its equivalent for you) as your first order of business. Then, do a little something to assert your place. Do a little for now. It will be enough.
Doing enough for now will establish a foundation to build on. Subsequent construction will be supported later by the waxing Moon. So too Mercury, which is on approach to expand your mind with a sextile to Uranus in Aries and an opposition to Jupiter in Leo.
But that’s another story (ideally your story), to be meaningfully continued.
Offered In Service
Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.
You got lucky again Len, or maybe it’s more than just luck? This is so perfect and quite a relief, I was a mess yesterday, such a difficult day. I could feel it a bit before yesterday and even now today, like a sand statue under rain, trying to remain itself while everything empowering like hope, vision and purpose was being questioned. Maybe it was just for me like this, but it is a relief to read your broader view telling about Saturn square Sun, so it wasn’t just me in a broader sense. I’ve always had the idea that difficult Sun-Saturn aspects are kind of heartbreaking and that it sometimes manifests in difficult Father-Son relationships, which I was a witness to yesterday, although I don’t know if it is really true or just coincidence.
The Sun diving into Pisces sure has me swimming in oceans of emotions and it’s just begun. It’s incredible what there is in Pisces, so beautiful, so scary, so many tides and currents, so wet. Being born a fire Sun sign one is used to maintaning a flame, a torch, a bonfire and keeping it lit and if you can bring more to burn the better, haha, in a good sense I mean.
Thank you for this wonderful piece, it is perfect and brilliant, you show the steps and shine a light in the way that is just like a perfect tapdance. Thanks Len, it’s days like these when astrology lights the way and kind of saves the day.
Nicolas: Thank you. It is gratifying to know my service today resonated with your life. That’s my intent – to find in the ambient astrology something that resonates somehow for each person and everybody in general. So, it’s not luck. Nevertheless, some days my efforts resonate better and for more people that others. Glad it was a good day for you.
Hi Len. Well, you did it again — told me all about my life experiences by way of the sky. Funny how the planets and my experiences are just totally in sync right now, as though they had something to do with each other (haha).
Well then, I have experienced some extra anxiety and some of it based in very tangible situations (thankful, as tangible is usually better than intangible) which I have proceeded to address in my own very Piscean way; asserting myself while remaining open to understanding other points of view.
In fact, Piscean (natal Sun) traits seem a bit stronger than Aries (Moon) just now, all the transits around my BDay must have opened the door for a little more “gracious-confidence” than I’ve had lately (been more at the end of my rope than the front of it for awhile).
On the surface things still feel hard, but the undertow is definitely more trine-like.
Thanks for the heads-up and affirmation that all is “as it should be” or “well” at the least.
Len, your elucidatory insight is not only grounding, but uplifting.
(I’m gonna go morbid on you here for a second..)
In my perception as of some time, you’ve conveyed a sense of understanding regarding the time frames of mortality. I possess, in all uncertain understanding, a certain anxiety regarding a true and full moment of reality.
Aside from my own B.S., ..by what ‘understanding’ means, do you find yourself a continuant in established/(perhaps)unestablished carnal existence? What for you, would be ‘tops’, regarding the aquisition of your participation within such existence?
..Hey man! I didn’t mean to get too weird on ya’!! ..I’m fairly sure all is cool.. never learn if you don’t ask.
(Your writing is magic. You are a gentle Soul that soothes the Soul. I praise your form as well as being. I Love You.)
Your friend, fellow field tripper, and ‘that crazy cat kickin’ back on the other end of the wire’,
Jere
It feels like I’ve been carrying a generational box full of Nessus with three padlocks on it. One just released, the other is imminent and the third will surely follow.
A trip to Italy sounds wonderful. Grazie, Len.
Yes, exactly what Nicholas said… thanks, Len, we needed that.
Correction, Nicolas.
aWord: Thank you. It’s encouraging to know my service clicked for you as well. Your being in sync with the planets probably has as much to do with what has long appeared to be your native proficiency for connection with the sky. You appear to be a bellwether in many ways. For example, being able to discern tangible from intangible sources of anxiety is inspiring. Your resolve to intentionally address those sources and consciously release the tension is an example we would all do well to follow. You deserve affirmation because you have earned it.
Jere: Ah! Thank you! Like any great poet, you have drilled down to the truth, yet implicitly rather than pedantically. There is no “B.S.” in your words, not today, not ever. In addition, your experience as a gardener shines through with an understanding that shadowy material (like compost) is a very rich resource after being integrated. In answer to your first question (assuming i understand you correctly), yes i do have a sense of participating in a continuum of carnal existence. As regards to what would be “tops” regarding my participation, i would say my ideal is a situation where giving and receiving become the same and when the healer and healed become indistinguishable from one another. Please let me know if i did not properly understand your questions, or if my answer seems somehow unsatisfactory. Please do not worry about getting weird on me. We are entirely cool so far as i am concerned. It is a great comfort to feel you kicking it from the other end of the wire. Please keep up with your good work.
Mandy: Ah! Thank you! Speaking of poetry, i love your image of the Nessus box. One thing about transiting Nessus, it gives us plenty of time, especially now. No need to force those locks. If you should in fact follow through with that notion for travel to Italy, you might want to consider scheduling it for when Jupiter enters Virgo on August 11 to oppose Nessus. Sure, it might be very warm at the time, but you will also probably be home well before the last Mercury retrograde of the year begins in the middle of September.
Deborah: And thanks to you as well. It’s the spirit, not the spelling, that counts.
Fair enough man. Just felt like throwin’ out feelers, seein’ what happens.. (gotta go Universal most of the time,.. only way I Understand shit.)
Thank you for your participation and I hope to banter with you for a while to come, (the collective narrative gets a little more ‘Wonderland’ everyday.. and I’m still awake..)
Jere
Jere: So long as you feel understood, we are good. Please let me know if you ever think i need to do a better job of standing under and looking up.
You’re humility fuckin’ kills me sometimes..
You’re actually one of the best dude’s I’ve ever met..
..I ask for your blessing and you ask for mine..?
..If you’ve never done any L.S.D., I’d be hella surprised due to your understanding. (Not tryin’ to be a propagandist for substance, I haven’t touched the shit since ’97. Won’t touch it again…)
You man.. stand a god amongst humans.
..And I appreciate you, on bended knee..
Jere
I’m with you, Jere. Pitfalls (& pratfalls) of hero-worship aside, it’s good to have Len in our midst.
I bow to your astuteness, heroine.
Love,
Jere
What an insightful and inspiring piece ~ bless you.
Sara Victoria: Your kind and generous blessing is gratefully received. My thanks to you in turn.
Len, I’m sorry if my comment lacked any virtue. I’m not very good at commenting these days and I keep in mind not to but then I feel I have to. If I stop commenting know that I’m still reading and enjoying and grateful, that’s all, thanks.
Nicolas? Please what do you mean? Your comments have never lacked virtue, and many of us reading here are enriched by what you have to say.
Ok, great, thanks!
Thank you, Jere. i’m just like you or anybody else, doing my best. Sometimes doing my best is enough. Sometimes it’s not.
simply beautiful to read you all. thank you!!
That explains it. Couldn’t wake up and had to do everything twice because I messed it up the first time. That was Monday. The Divine orders are to pause and get clear on a decision and a plan, and let the next step reveal based on that commitment. You hit it on the noggin, Len. I join the others in their genuflections before your acuity and gift of communicating. Let it in!
puma pink, Strawberry, DivaCarla: Thank you for being so very kind.
Len,
you are bigger than life (:
you even got the caps right!
your light travels bright and generous to all and it’s so nice. i am happy for myself to find someone to express this to.
I’m still re-eeling from the Mercury Retrograde! The Nessus box for me has been more like a Pandora’s box…I got the lock off alright! It released a BIG (as in several weeks worth of ) re-visit life re-view…the what was, what might have been…couldas, shouldas, wouldas, oh nos, reallys?…questioning EVERYTHING…and ended up well, right here…in the right now…
Good to know I still hae an chhance to find my place! Thanks Len!
Oops, I too can spell, really! I’m a friggin’ teacher!
Gwen: Well put, well taken, thank you. Don’t worry about the spelling (we won’t tell your students). You got the groove and that’s what counts.
puma pink: Tarzan just lucky, i guess.
Strawberry: Your smile is dawn made real.
Len, thanks for the look ahead to August 11 – it’s a very interesting and exciting looking chart!
I like warm weather, so that’s just fine.
Nicolas: Thank you from my heart.
Mandy: You are most welcome.
Fascinating article Len, glad I’m not a week late this time (and hope to be able to catch your newest offering a little later today too!)
I would add that today, just as the Sun moves beyond Neptune, transiting Mercury conjuncts that degree that all 3 outer planets, Neptune, Pluto, Uranus, have in common these days. Eleven plus Aquarius. The outer solar system is indeed speaking to us.
be
Thank you, Barbara. Not only for your kind blessing, but also for both your persistence through your computer problems, and (most of all) your astute and comprehensive understanding of astrology.