Tag Archives: Mars

The Day of Fine Appearance: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Sept. 19
The Day of Fine Appearance | Order 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio | You can also pre-order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

Pretty much anything is possible with enough devotion and passion driving you. The dream, the desire, are just the beginning; though they also provide the motivation to keep going when you need it the most. What’s important is that they are sincere. That is, you’re pursuing your own plans, rather than what you’re told or expected to follow. With enough determination, you can sculpt a whole new way of being from the raw materials of the present.
— by Amy Elliott

If your Sun, Moon or rising sign is Virgo, you are heading into a most unusual solar year, set up to do the thing Virgo is designed for: integrate the elements of your being, find your direction and purpose, and act on it. Eric lays it all out in your 2019-2020 Virgo Astrology Studio, now available for instant access.

Written in the Planets

Mars in Virgo making a supportive aspect to Pluto in Capricorn today describes the willingness to work for what you want. If you’re experiencing a Thursday slump to your workweek, or if you have a project that got bogged down recently, this could be a good day to re-start your engines. Is there anything you’ve been trying to do but have lacked the right opportunity for?

Note that the Virgo Sun is moving into a square with the centaur Ixion and the Galactic Core in Sagittarius (Chaos in Gemini makes it a T-square). What actually serves your highest good, and by extension the highest good for all? It appears that a sense of tension might exist around this question, namely in the form of feeling like there’s a second chance to get something ‘right’. Can you let yourself off the hook if you feel like you got it ‘wrong’ the first time?

Self-criticism, especially in the form of guilt or shame, can easily get in the way of one’s ability to feel ‘worthy’ of trying again. But it’s never too late to make adjustments to your inner compass, and to orient more closely on ethical choices. It still might not feel easy, but it’s always your birthright to choose differently for yourself — and to learn from your mistakes, heal, and grow.
— by Amanda Painter

My readings offer a place of refuge, an opportunity to suspend self-judgment, and my careful reading of the charts. I offer you reasons to be motivated, and strategies for handling the strange complexity of society at this time. To this work, I bring all of what I have learned as a journalist, editor, astrologer, spiritual student and man of the world; and I offer it to you for an affordable price. Read more here.

Now available for instant access!

The Day of Passionate Care: Birthdays and Planet News

Leave a reply

If Your Birthday is Sept. 13
The Day of Passionate Care Order 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

Particularly if you move with confidence, those around you are likely to sit up and pay attention. You seem to be invested with substantial charm, and may need to be prepared for a surge of interest in you and your projects. If you’re working on something specific and introduce it to the public view, there’s a chance it could take off unexpectedly. Regardless of what happens, practice honesty, clarity and setting boundaries. These could almost certainly be put to some use.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Tonight into the wee hours tomorrow is the Pisces Full Moon. It’s a special one, since it’s conjunct Neptune. Possibly you’ve been feeling a subtly building form of pressure — not as hot as an Aries Full Moon, not as piercing as a Scorpio Full Moon. More like (to borrow a recent description by Eric) your bladder filling with 50 gallons of water. It’s hard to move, it feels like it will never release, and somehow you didn’t see it coming until you realized you were full.

Adding to the sense of pressure building is that the Moon has been gradually opposing all the other objects in Virgo yesterday and today. So we’ve been getting various preliminary flavors of this Full Moon, all infused by the rather confusing, soggy notes of Neptune. It may be worth tracking your various moods, urges, doubts and inspirations from the last couple days and through the weekend; you might find yourself figuring out something you did not even realize you were puzzling over.

Mars in Virgo is opposite Neptune currently (exact tomorrow). This aspect serves as a caution — for instance, about overestimating how much you can drink or indulge in drugs. Best to avoid them; stay home if you’re not willing to abstain. Beware of misjudging what you can handle physically and mentally, particularly if you’re feeling stressed out. No matter how much you want things to go a certain way, don’t let that desire cloud your ability to see what people are really doing. Misunderstandings could feel especially frustrating right now, but staying aware of your ego-based reactions could help in understanding yourself and navigating the conflict.

Now available for instant access!

The Day of the Fearless Crusader: Birthdays and Planet News

Leave a reply

If Your Birthday is Sept. 12
The Day of the Fearless Crusader Order 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

Remember that your primary relationship is really with yourself, and fulfillment in every other kind of setting comes much more easily if you can give yourself love. This may sound a little counterintuitive, because society teaches us that we are lacking, and that self-acceptance is allegedly arrogance. Yet in truth, embracing who you are is an important aspect of your wellbeing. Love is not a zero-sum game; it’s more like music. The more you practice on your own, the more you have to offer to others.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

While you might not actually have the Golden Touch right now, you may in fact be able to create some ‘luck’ for yourself today. Yet that’s unlikely to come through impulsive risk-taking, and more through intelligent foresight and planning, with Mars in Virgo making a square to Jupiter in Sagittarius.

Running off with a “so crazy it just might work!” idea could be enticing, and the thought might be just the boost you need to take some initial steps. But Neptune’s proximity to Mars and Jupiter is likely having a slight dissipating effect on what is usually a high-energy aspect. That might actually be for the best. Patient persistence appears to be the more conducive option this week.

Are you experiencing any déjà vu regarding self-critical thoughts or speaking critically to someone else? Mercury and Venus are in a T-square with Ixion and the Galactic Core in Sagittarius, and the asteroid Chaos in Gemini. One of the silver linings to feeling like you keep repeating the same lessons is that each time is an opportunity to make a different choice — one that’s focused on things like ethical behavior, empathy, alignment with dharma, or the highest good of all concerned. That does not always feel fun in the moment. But there appears to be an opportunity to imagine that you’re in the space before all decisions — before any guilt or shame entered into your thinking. From that primordial (or less compromised) mindset, what could you do?

Final note: we’re getting close to the Pisces Full Moon, which is early on Saturday. The Moon enters Pisces today. Keep tabs on any interpersonal situations that are feeling edgy, extra sensitive, or just plain unclear. Gently inquiring about matters is likely better than trying to pin the other person down, though another couple days of patience could be all that’s needed.
— by Amanda Painter

Now available for instant access!

The Day of Private Goals: Birthdays and Planet News

Leave a reply

If Your Birthday is Sept. 10
The Day of Private Goals | Order 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

With an impressive Sun-Neptune opposition culminating on your birthday, you may at times have trouble figuring out where you end and other people begin. Remember, though, that what you might see as qualities exclusively owned by them are almost certainly present somewhere in your psyche. One way to recognize this is to work on acknowledging and accepting yourself as a full and complex being, in need of no-one to ‘complete’ you, because you are yourself entirely whole.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Although interpersonal interactions could still include for a while yet layers of confusion, uncertainty or misapplied expectations, some of the recent fog may begin gently burning off today. The Virgo Sun is making its exact opposition to Neptune in Pisces. Can you see something emerging in slightly more solid form? If not, give it time. Not only does Neptune have a far-reaching influence, and not only are other personal planets still under its thrall, but we’re also moving toward a Full Moon this weekend that will be quite close to The Watery One.

Along those lines, have you been asking yourself recently whether you’re getting ‘spiritual’ or intuitive information about a situation, or whether you might be deceiving yourself (or letting someone deceive you)? That’s another dynamic worth watching closely this week. Remember that moving gradually looks like the way to go right now. Identify some reachable goals related to your vision for your life, and see if you can begin filling that metaphorical bucket drop by drop. Putting just even a small amount of physical energy into activities that could inch you closer to a dream will likely help to mitigate nervous tension or stress, if any is looming in your life.
— by Amanda Painter

Now available for instant access!

The Day of Difficult Demand: Birthdays and Planet News

Leave a reply

If Your Birthday is Sept. 9
The Day of Difficult Demand | Order 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

You’re likely to have an abundance of opportunities to inject more fun into your daily life, should you wish to. Most of us have some kind of routine, though it doesn’t need to be entirely repetitive or dull; and if it becomes so there are usually quite a few ways to add some sparkle. There’s an art to finding joy in the everyday: this tends to be easier the more time you devote to the activities you love. See if you can set aside room to do just that, as often as possible.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Mondays can be tricky, but there are ways to make them a little easier. Today that might include giving yourself little reminders that it’s okay to go with the flow. Mars in Virgo making a square to a deep-space anomaly called the Great Attractor in Sagittarius could amplify pickiness over how certain things should be done. As in, that there is a ‘correct’ way, and that it is the ‘only’ way to do something. Any complaints you make to that effect could be especially polarizing to those around you (and vice versa); and other factors indicate that many people may be feeling sensitive in various ways (emotionally, psychically, etc.).

The more often you can pull back to see that many roads lead to the same destination, the easier it should be to stay in the space of serving a collective vision with your efforts. If you find yourself struggling with that, how many of your tasks can you complete solo and uninterrupted? The Capricorn Moon suggests a more conservative approach to interactions most of the day; once it moves to Aquarius in the evening (5:34 pm EDT / 21:23:37 UTC) there may be more openness to new or unusual methods.
— by Amanda Painter

Publishing Soon!

Navigating an Impressionistic Sea

Leave a reply

By Amanda Painter

Have you ever seen an image of an outrigger canoe? Attached to the main portion of the boat is a smaller hull (without seating) that sets out a ways from the primary hull. These boats were developed by early Austronesian-speaking peoples of the Southeast Asian islands for sea travel; the design — and its offshoots, such as catamarans — continue to be popular.

Fire engine abstract; photo by Amanda Painter

Something about this week’s astrology reminds me of an outrigger canoe.

Mainly, it’s that the Virgo planets opposing Neptune are receiving some stability from Saturn in Capricorn. The relationship from Virgo to Capricorn is a trine between earth signs: a relationship of harmony and support, but not great power.

In an outrigger canoe, all the power to move the boat comes from the people in the main hull, paddling. Nobody is paddling in the second hull; it has no seats for people. It’s strictly to help keep the boat balanced and afloat on ocean swells.

The outrigger part of the boat offers stability, but not a guarantee. As we know, the ocean is vast, deep and very, very powerful.

You could say the same about Neptune, particularly in Pisces. It might not be a ‘stormy’ placement. But it can describe a high probability of disorientation. Without landmarks or literal stars visible — such as on a dark, cloudy day — early ocean navigation (pre-compass and sextant) could be incredibly difficult.

Continue reading →

The Day of the Mold Breaker: Birthdays and Planet News

Leave a reply

If Your Birthday is Sept. 3
The Day of the Mold Breaker | The 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio can now be pre-ordered | All Other Signs

Perhaps more than anything else, the truth of your word is the foundation of your honor and character. This year’s astrology seems to be calling on you not merely to practice honesty, but to keep it at the forefront of all you say and do. Be especially wary when you feel absolute certainty on any point that isn’t as obvious as 1+1=2. That’s a signal you may need to slow down and examine your understanding. In many cases there’s more to a situation than what we think we know.
— by Amy Elliott

If your Sun, Moon or rising sign is Virgo, You are heading into a most unusual solar year, set up to do the thing Virgo is designed for: integrate the elements of your being, find your direction and purpose, and act on it. Eric will lay it all out in your 2019-2020 Virgo Astrology Studio.

Written in the Planets

Today’s sky describes a high degree of mental energy. It will be up to you to direct it toward productive tasks, constructive communication, and other ways of expressing the ideas that are most important to you, and with which you identify most strongly. We’re currently experiencing a triple conjunction in Virgo of the Sun, Mercury and Mars. This could bode very well for engaging any kind of intellectual work that requires stamina or confidence.

Yet you’ll want to give all this energy a clear job to do, ideally in the service of some larger good (that is, not just for your own satisfaction, or to prove to someone that you were right after all). This could also be a good time to fulfill any outstanding promises you’ve made to others. Without these kinds of clear focus, it’s possible to take yourself and what you have to say a tad too seriously. If you feel like debating for fun, choose your sparring partners carefully — for example, someone who’s already used to playing with this side of you.

Also, notice if you begin feeling like your very existence is on the line, or a similarly high-stakes level of urgency. Step away, literally or figuratively. See if you can get some perspective on what — if anything — you really need to defend here.

With these Virgo planets opposite Neptune and the centaur planet Nessus, there may be a degree of mirage or displaced emotion involved. That is, you might not be arguing about what you think you are; or your emotions might relate to a situation or person from your past more than to the person at hand. If you feel like you’re on the receiving end of someone’s defensiveness, see if you can draw them out with questions to help clarify what’s up. Chances are that process will benefit all involved.
— by Amanda Painter

It is difficult to feel good these days; it’s challenging to focus on your growth and self-care, or even to relax. We are pulled out of ourselves constantly, and often distracted from our core purposes. IN THESE TIMES, the Planet Waves autumn reading, will help.

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Read more here.

The Day of the Businesslike Attitude: Birthdays and Planet News

Leave a reply

If Your Birthday is Sept. 2
The Day of the Businesslike Attitude | The 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio can now be pre-ordered | All Other Signs

You have the determination and energy to succeed, regardless of any obstacles you perceive to be in your path. You know what you want to attain, and that perseverance is key to getting past any moments of self-doubt. This is a gradual but steady growth process that begins with you planting the seed of desire, and then gently nurturing it as it matures, strengthens and blossoms. Yet notice how that requires your action. The courage to seek for what you want is a crucial ingredient.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

If you’re at work today, you may at least encounter a congenial atmosphere with coworkers. That may be especially true in the later part of the day, though self-discipline is likely to be hard to come by, thanks to a square between Venus in Virgo and Jupiter in Sagittarius. This aspect could also describe overindulging, such as at a holiday cookout or sale.

With Neptune in the picture, don’t be surprised if daydreams are hard to shake — just take off the rose-colored glasses when it comes to romance and financial transactions. Both of those could be especially slippery this week. Are your head and your heart really in the same place, or are you trying to rationalize your dreams?

Note also that the Sun and Mars in Virgo are opposite the centaur Nessus in Pisces today. Pay attention to any power dynamics showing up in your relationships, particularly (but not only) when it comes to sex. Can you relate any interpersonal patterns you’re seeing now to past inner emotional patterns (such as around being desired and who you desire), or to certain old thought patterns from earlier phases of your life? If you can locate where a particular feeling and train of thought comes from in your past, it may be easier to separate your personal ancient history from present events and people.
— by Amanda Painter

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Read more here.