Tag Archives: Neptune

Navigating an Impressionistic Sea

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.

Photo by Amanda Painter

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.

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The Day of the Builder: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Sept. 4
The Day of the Builder The 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio can now be pre-ordered | All Other Signs

You may feel you want to pursue a particular set of goals, though unsure as to how some people might respond. Where possible, you could seek clarification; there’s certainly nothing wrong with taking other people’s viewpoints into account. However, ultimately you are the arbiter of your own life, and everyone else is in a peripheral role. Therefore, start by being clear within yourself, and prioritize what you feel and know to be right for you in any decision. — 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

Thinking, communicating and feeling could all feel rather fuzzy today, and for a good several days more. Venus is exactly opposite Neptune, and Mercury is moving into the same position. This is classic ‘wait and see’ astrology. As in, wait and see if the person turns out to be who you think they are; or, wait to make permanent decisions and commitments based on your current perceptions.

This does not mean you must cease all activity and cocoon yourself. More like, go about your business and relationships, and appreciate everything about them, but with the understanding that you might need to adapt to further information down the road. The Scorpio Moon could be intensifying emotions, making them especially compelling. This Moon could also describe greater ability to read between the lines. Even so, you might consider holding in confidence what you think you’re intuiting until late in the month.
— 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.

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The Day of the Mold Breaker: Birthdays and Planet News

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.

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The Day of the Businesslike Attitude: Birthdays and Planet News

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

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

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


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.

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The Day of No Nonsense: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Sept. 1
The Day of the Rock | The 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio can now be pre-ordered | All Other Signs

When you consider your strengths and abilities, do you acknowledge their entire worth, or do you tend to join those who underestimate themselves? This year, there is an opening for you to count yourself in fully as a valued participant in society. You are already cherished more than you know by friends and loved ones. Your charts are calling you to step forward and offer your views, your ideas and your works, and to let go any shyness or reticence. The spotlight awaits.
— 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 looks like another good day for making an effort at something that matters to you a lot, or with which you closely identify. The more physical it is, the better; and you may find that when you’re really focused on this project or task, it feels best to work solo. Even so, deciding details by committee might simply be the situation you’re in. If that’s the case, keep tabs on any sources of irritation or annoyance so you can strategize how to work around them as needed. Following your intuition in the process is likely to yield unexpected or unusual ways to resolve an issue.

A trine between Venus in Virgo and Saturn in Capricorn describes stability in relationships. Yet be aware that Venus is also opposite Neptune in Pisces. There could be more of a rosy glow coloring your view of a partner or prospect than what you realize. Keep checking your fantasies against what the other person has actually done and said. People usually let us know who they are, if we’re willing to see it.
— 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.

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Welcome to the Movie Theater of Your Mind

By Amanda Painter

I was meditating this morning on the chart for Friday’s Virgo New Moon (which is exact at 6:37 am EDT / 10:37:01 UTC) to see if a new angle on it might emerge. And an image did come to me: people collected together in a movie theater, watching a film being projected onto a screen.

Cropped still from Alfonso Cuaron's 2018 film Roma.

Cropped still from Alfonso Cuaron’s 2018 film Roma.

It surprised me how tangibly the scene came through, and how appropriate it was, with an unusual collection of Virgo points clustered together opposite Neptune in Pisces.

For example, all of the ‘personal planets’ — the ones that describe our most basic traits and urges — are in early Virgo: Mercury (the mind, communication), the Sun (ego, conscious self-expression), the Moon (emotions, the unconscious), Mars (drive, ‘masculine’), Venus (receptivity, ‘feminine’). Along with them are the asteroid Juno (relationship needs), a hypothetical point called Transpluto (narrow focus, learning wholeness and integration) and a few other minor objects named for ancient deities with all-too-human characteristics.

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The Day of Explosive Power: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Aug. 17
The Day of Explosive Power | The 2019-20 Virgo Astrology Studio can now be pre-ordered | 2019-20 Leo Astrology Studio is available for instant access | All Other Signs

You seem to be on the verge of completing a project or moving forward into the next phase of one, and at least part of the outcome may be uncertain, or subject to apparent chance. In some sense, however, this is true of all major decisions and actions we take; the future is unpredictable, and helping to create it takes courage. Focus on what you do know, the factors you can control for, and the strides you’ve already made. You are more than likely thoroughly prepared for whatever comes next.
— by Amy Elliott

Do you have a Leo Sun, rising sign or Moon? Your last couple years may have left you reeling trying to figure out which path forward is best. Hear Eric’s thoughts on expediting your post-eclipse process in your 2019-2020 Leo Astrology Studio reading.

Written in the Planets

The Pisces Moon moves through the ongoing square between Jupiter in Sagittarius and Neptune in Pisces today. This may lend an extra-dreamy, wistful or imaginative tone to visions for the future that might already be based more in fantasy than in reality. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; you may find your intuition is heightened, or that you’re able to feel your way toward a more nuanced or creative understanding of how you could move forward.

Saturn is in contact with Neptune as well, after all — though drawing on its discipline and structuring capabilities will require conscious choice and action on your part. Depending on your personal tendencies and circumstances, that could be too much a stretch today, but that’s okay. There will be time to harness Saturn when the Moon’s in a more action-oriented sign, and chances are you’ll feel the shift.

For now, keep tabs on unexpected ideas and insights (preferably by documenting them), and don’t be surprised if you and those you’re with change your minds randomly. If that impacts pre-set commitments and promises, you may need to renegotiate them. Doing so is only fair, though guilt need not play a role. Clear boundaries make for healthy relationships (and can also be renegotiated), and should actually help the ongoing good vibes of the Leo Sun and Venus find the space they need to flourish and warm all. Particularly artsy or playful pursuits could feel good today.
— 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.

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The Day of Convention: Birthdays and Planet News

If Your Birthday is Aug. 12
The Day of Validation 2019-20 Leo Astrology Studio is available for instant access | All Other Signs

It might seem to you as if various recent storms and shake-ups are essentially the shape of your daily life now. Yet every moment of change or turbulence is offering you an opportunity to review and make alterations where you see fit. Put another way, you could consider these events as a kind of beta test, showing you how far your current routines serve you. This should also highlight any knotty areas, most likely the sources of any dissatisfaction you feel. Focusing your energy there will make the biggest difference.
— by Amy Elliott

Do you have a Leo Sun, rising sign or Moon? Your last couple years may have left you reeling trying to figure out which path forward is best. Hear Eric’s thoughts on expediting your post-eclipse process in your 2019-2020 Leo Astrology Studio reading.

Written in the Planets

Jupiter has stationed direct, and is now heading for its square to Neptune. This will be an extended study in what is true and what is not; what is real and what is something else. Still, the forward motion of Jupiter is saying take steps toward your goals, and test them out. See what activity you stick to, and what sticks to you. Meanwhile, the tide is rising toward the Aquarius Full Moon. This lunation is shouting the same thing from every angle you may read it: get together with others. Do it somewhere that money does not have to change hands. Check your phone at the door, preferably in a bucket of ice water. Notice who is around you, what they say and how they feel. Notice the same things about yourself.
— by Eric Francis


COMING SOON FROM PLANET WAVES…

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