Tag Archives: astrology

“Mystic Mountain,” a detail from the much more extensive Carina Nebula, which astronomers are studying the complicated physical processes that form new stars. Photo by NASA, ESA, and M. Livio and the Hubble 20th Anniversary Team (STScI)

What We Birth Amidst the Chaos

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By Amanda Painter

On Saturday, the Aries Sun slides right into the square between Pluto in Capricorn and Eris in Aries. As was written about at the beginning of the week, this is part of a long series of era-changing and defining aspects covering the last ten-plus years. Chances are you can see a substantial amount of the change, stress, growth and discovery in your own life in that span of time as a reflection of this astrology; this week’s rumblings may be stirring up some uncertainty and tension — possibly with deep roots, along with great creative potential.

“Mystic Mountain,” a detail from the much more extensive Carina Nebula, which astronomers are studying the complicated physical processes that form new stars. Photo by NASA, ESA, and M. Livio and the Hubble 20th Anniversary Team (STScI)

“Mystic Mountain,” a detail from the much more extensive Carina Nebula, via which astronomers are studying the complicated physical processes that form new stars. Photo by NASA, ESA, and M. Livio and the Hubble 20th Anniversary Team (STScI)

One thing that could feel tricky about it, though, is getting a handle on how this energy is coming through for you personally.

Eris and Pluto move slowly; they tend to describe generational (or longer) processes.

Pluto, in particular, drives social (and, in Capricorn, institutional) evolution by breaking down what’s no longer functioning constructively. Eris adds a destabilizing factor: an element of chaos, subversion and (in its recent association with Uranus) provocation via the ways we define identity itself.

Another thing that might be challenging right now — yet easier to grasp — is the lingering effects of Mercury, and now Venus, moving through the focus-dissolving, imagination-distracting, and enticingly escapist field of Neptune in Pisces. Mercury is also still working through its post-retrograde shadow phase (it exits for new astrological turf on April 16). I’m hearing from a number of people comments about how this is still feeling a bit hiccup-y. It’s okay to continue taking things as slowly and deliberately as you need to.

Looking at Saturday’s chart, I noticed an interesting complement of minor objects in close contact with the Sun-Pluto-Eris aspect. I think they paint a fairly clear thematic picture, whether applied personally as you see fit, or culturally. I’m going to list them briefly.

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The Day of Excess: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is April 9
The Day of Excess | Order Your 2019-20 Aries Reading | All Other Signs

Employ your powers of reason and strategy to the utmost. You already have the passion, drive and willingness to work toward your goal. Now you just need to figure out how to get there efficiently and without having to take too many backward steps. A solid plan will be well worth the time and energy spent on careful crafting and double-checking details. Let your enthusiasm serve as fuel, without letting it run away with the process.
— By Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Small moves appear to count for a lot right now, particularly in the realms of sex, healing, teaching, being seen for who you are, and holding space for unorthodox relationships, desires and identities. So if you’re feeling tension around any of those topics, how might you express and release that energy just a little? It’s not that you can’t go bigger; it’s that you can probably accomplish more with less effort than you’d expect. The aspect pattern in question is the centaur Pholus (small cause, big effect) in Capricorn making a square to a triple conjunction of Vesta (holding space), Chiron (raising awareness) and Salacia (sex, especially if ‘scandalous’) in Aries.

If you’ve been actively trying to repress and ignore any tension related to one of these topics, how is that working out for you? Is it starting to come out sideways, or to feel even more overwhelming and messier already? Note that with Aries involved (a sign ruled by Mars), it would be wise to consider your anger, too. Do you have a safe place in which to express your anger and frustration (including sexual frustration)? Can you create one — such as shouting out in the woods alone, or asking a very grounded friend (or counselor) with good emotional boundaries to hold non-judgmental space, and to witness you as you rage? (Just remember not to direct your fury at your witness; that’s asking them to process your feelings for you, which is solely your job.)

We don’t have a lot of practice with this in Western culture, especially for men; and ranting on Twitter or Facebook does not count. If anger is not part of the equation for you, creating art, writing, ritual or masturbation could just as easily be part of your process. The idea is to find or create a space in which you can get to the root of whatever’s itching to be let out of the proverbial bottle. It might not turn out to be what you think it is; and that discovery could itself open the way to actual healing.
— By Amanda Painter

The Day of Conscience: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is April 8
The Day of Conscience | Order Your 2019-20 Aries Reading | All Other Signs

Be yourself openly and without apology. We all have responsibilities toward others, and a duty to consider them with compassion and empathy. However, you need not allow this to stifle your self-expression. In fact, more than anything just now, the world could do with people who have the courage to be honest about themselves, regardless of how others respond. In any case, it is simply your right to live freely, make your decisions and keep on growing and evolving.
— By Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Although the conjunction of Venus and Neptune in Pisces is not exact until Wednesday, it has been building these last few days. Chances are it’s being reflected in subtly increasing ways through your general mood, your ability to focus, and your feelings toward those you care about most. At its best, you might notice this as a sense of selflessness toward, or soulful union with, someone you care about. But everything in astrology can also describe a less constructive dynamic, too; in this case, you may wish to check the expectations you have of loved ones. Setting them unrealistically high could lead to disappointment — since, after all, we are mere mortals. If you have the time and space to linger in daydreams, go for it; just stay aware that they are, in fact, fantasy and not reality. Using this energy for some inspired creativity could be ideal, since art tends to flourish where we suspend or soften our judgment. Things like finances and the nuts-and-bolts of relationships tend to require a little more discernment.
— By Amanda Painter

The Day of Enthusiastic Belief: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is April 7
The Day of Enthusiastic Belief | Order Your 2019-20 Aries Reading | All Other Signs

Plan ahead and think strategically for best success in the coming months. It would probably be worth staying as organized as possible, and checking in routinely, and thoughtfully, with your progress. You have the power to forge the developments you want to see, and direct much of the course of events with little interference. Your endeavors can create something of lasting impact in the world, and give it running shoes.
— By Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

You may find it easier to see what needs to be corrected today — but not in a hypercritical way; more like being able to see the good in a situation and understanding how to bring errors and obstacles into alignment. Mercury in Pisces is offering your mind access to the ideal vision, and is in a sextile to Saturn in Capricorn, which should help you to ground those ideas in reality. (If you’re still working on your taxes, make sure you check your instincts against the details and rules — especially since another building aspect speaks of a rather dreamy approach to life.) Mercury-Saturn could also represent a formal or informal teaching situation, or seeking an older person’s wisdom.

Venus in Pisces in a square to Ceres in Sagittarius brings to that theme a mentoring-as-nurturing element. Yet it does so in a way that could feel at odds with how you’d like to share your love (or receive love) right now. What would help you find that sweet spot between having freedom and your more romantic and intimate desires or offerings? One thought is to be clear with yourself (and with anyone else involved) that ‘mothering’ behavior and being a lover are not the same thing. Sometimes compassion blurs the line between the two, and sometimes that can work. But if that blending of roles is feeling at all stifling, it might be time to carve out a little time for yourself, solo, and then see how that spaciousness can open the way back to intimacy.
— By Amanda Painter

Have you tried the Astrology Readings Channel?

Planet Waves offers readings for all the signs and rising signs. These readings are must-haves among a core group of people who love them, though perhaps you have not heard what Eric is doing. We’ve taken many readings from 2018 and put them on a 24-hour audio stream, which anyone can tune into. Whatever your sign, you will find it interesting no matter when you tune in. If you’re up late and want something soothing and informative to listen to, or if you’re curious about astrology, tune in here. No login is required.

The Day of the Experimenter: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is April 6
The Day of the Experimenter | Order Your 2019-20 Aries Reading | All Other Signs

Prepare to follow through on an idea, or a project you’ve recently begun. This would seem to be an optimal moment for keeping a steady rhythm and focusing on getting things done. That said, a few touches of imaginative flair will do much to enliven your regular routines and weave a golden thread of joy into the process. Consider yourself free to take the initiative when it comes to thinking outside the box.
— By Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

As the Moon leaves Aries and enters Taurus today, you may find you’re better able to channel some energy into more steady efforts toward a new project or goal. The day could come with a surprise or two, as the first major aspect the Moon makes in Taurus is a brief conjunction to Uranus (exact at 12:09 in the afternoon EDT / 4:09 pm UTC for those who like to track these things). Where are you being called to exercise some extra flexibility today? Emotional resiliency in particular may come in handy — as in, not camping out in your initial reaction if you experience a disruption. Finances, use or acquisition of material objects, your sense of security, your body and senses, and the enjoyment of art are a few areas that stand out as a potential focus. If you have yet to file your taxes, today looks particularly suited for making tangible, consistent progress toward completing them.
— By Amanda Painter

Have you tried the Astrology Readings Channel?

Planet Waves offers readings for all the signs and rising signs. These readings are must-haves among a core group of people who love them, though perhaps you have not heard what Eric is doing. We’ve taken many readings from 2018 and put them on a 24-hour audio stream, which anyone can tune into. Whatever your sign, you will find it interesting no matter when you tune in. If you’re up late and want something soothing and informative to listen to, or if you’re curious about astrology, tune in here. No login is required.

The Day of Consequence: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is April 5
The Day of Initiative | Pre-order Your 2019-20 Aries Reading | All Other Signs

Focus your energy actively on your higher ambitions and thoughts. Resolve that distractions will be kept to a minimum. This is a pivotal moment for you, and you have every support possible at your disposal to facilitate constant growth. Treat the matter as if no door is closed to you, because that will be pretty near the truth. Even if getting through some of them might take considerable effort, set no limit on your sights.
— By Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Today’s Aries New Moon — a conjunction of the Sun and Moon — takes place at the very midpoint of the sign. This means it’s also square the position of the Capricorn New Moon and partial solar eclipse that we experienced on Jan. 5. You might take a moment today to think back to that week (and the whole winter eclipse season). How does what you’re doing now relate to the clearing, intention-setting, constructing and initiating you were involved with three months ago? Can you see any continuation, development or sense of integration?

Also intriguing about this New Moon chart is that it features four separate conjunctions across Pisces and Aries: Venus conjunct the centaur planet Nessus in Pisces, Mercury-Neptune in Pisces, Vesta conjunct the centaur Chiron in Aries, and then the Aries Sun and Moon. Taking a broad view, this mix of spiritually sensitive and imaginative energy with the fiery get-up-and-go of Aries could be a potent combination for getting some things done. What might those things be? Healing of past hurts and growth processes is one possibility.

This chart also speaks of the process of bringing vision out of the clouds and into contact with vital life-force energy — whether that be through creativity, sex, or any other form of enacted agency. As in, the kind of thing that creates you as you are creating it. Any time we commit energy to tangible actions, we not only have an effect on our environment, but on our perception of who we are. That effect might be subtle; it might take a while to fully manifest, or for you to begin noticing the ways you’re growing into it. Why not plant some seeds of initiative and see what next step appears before you?
— By Amanda Painter

Have you tried the Astrology Readings Channel?

Planet Waves offers readings for all the signs and rising signs. These readings are must-haves among a core group of people who love them, though perhaps you have not heard what Eric is doing. We’ve taken many readings from 2018 and put them on a 24-hour audio stream, which anyone can tune into. Whatever your sign, you will find it interesting no matter when you tune in. If you’re up late and want something soothing and informative to listen to, or if you’re curious about astrology, tune in here. No login is required.

The Day of Initiative: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is April 4
The Day of Initiative | Pre-order Your 2019-20 Aries Reading | All Other Signs

Cultivate your sense of compassion and of commonality with other living beings, as a stage of your personal journey. An active, conscious effort for unity is needed at present to counteract the divisiveness of the age, and you have an opportunity to be in the vanguard of that work, setting an example for those around you. Flexibility of opinions and a willingness to learn will help you a good deal.
— By Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Be on the lookout for possible conflation between how you’re feeling (and what you’re sensing from others) now, and the echoes of any past hurts or boundary issues. There may be a bit of a blind spot there, described by a conjunction of Venus with the centaur planet Nessus. (Also, the continuing Mercury-Neptune conjunction could be adding a layer of “is this insight or is this delusion?” confusion.) If you’re concerned about making the same transgressions others have made against you, stay in touch with your empathy toward the other person to help you make a different choice.

That said, with so much Pisces energy still in the sky, it could be easy to lose sight of the fact that true empathy means feeling the actual emotions of another, not assuming that what you’re picking up on through indirect channels is correct. In other words, you have to ask the other person what’s going on for them to know for sure how they feel. A current Sun-Ceres contact suggests harmony between self-expression and what feeds you spiritually, including via travel or mentorship. Even so, particularly for situations where you’re in a position to offer guidance, keep reality-checking your boundary awareness.

You may be feeling an impulse to initiate a new step in your healing process — or some form of learning or teaching. Start putting pieces in place, and then see what insights come through about how to begin in earnest as tomorrow’s Aries New Moon approaches.
— By Amanda Painter

Have you tried the Astrology Readings Channel?

Planet Waves offers readings for all the signs and rising signs. These readings are must-haves among a core group of people who love them, though perhaps you have not heard what Eric is doing. We’ve taken many readings from 2018 and put them on a 24-hour audio stream, which anyone can tune into. Whatever your sign, you will find it interesting no matter when you tune in. If you’re up late and want something soothing and informative to listen to, or if you’re curious about astrology, tune in here. No login is required.

Pairing Up with the Aries New Moon

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By Amanda Painter

Early on Friday the Sun and Moon conjoin in Aries for the Aries New Moon. This is occurring right at the midpoint of the sign, in a rather interesting chart. The sky right now features a strong mix of Aries and Pisces; and while that often occurs at the very beginning of this season, the mix is feeling especially striking to me this year.

Simplified chart section for Friday's Aries New Moon, showing the four pairs of conjunctions. From top: Nessus & Venus, Neptune & Mercury, Vesta & Chiron, Sun & Moon.

Simplified chart section for the Aries New Moon, showing four conjunctions in Pisces and Aries. From top: Nessus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury, Vesta, Chiron, Sun, Moon.

I chalk that up partly to the fact that the Mercury-Neptune conjunction is still going strong, its influence seemingly all the more potent due to its level of exactness when Mercury stationed direct a week ago.

Related to that, for the last week I’ve been repeatedly confronted by a mix of my intuition being right on some things, and other thoughts and feelings — sometimes related to the same topic — being completely wrong. Heightened awareness of energetic, emotional or spiritual boundaries, particularly when I’m starting to overstep them, has been another prominent theme for me.

What has your week been like? Your personal experience of the energy may vary considerably, yet Mercury-Neptune is the background against which tomorrow’s New Moon occurs, so it’s worth considering. I sometimes think of the Aries New Moon as kind of the ‘other shoe’ to the equinox. It’s a ‘restart button’ for a shorter-term cycle (lunar rather than seasonal) that invokes, concentrates and then releases into the same energy of newness, growth and initiative.

Yet what caught my eye about this New Moon chart is that the Sun-Moon and Mercury-Neptune conjunctions are only two of four conjunctions in effect right now across Pisces and Aries. There’s also Venus conjunct the centaur planet Nessus in Pisces, and Vesta conjunct the centaur Chiron in Aries.

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