Tag Archives: Pluto

Secrets and Surprises

By Amanda Painter

In one week, on Oct. 31, Mercury stations retrograde in Scorpio. On the way there, this Saturday, the Sun and Moon make a conjunction — the Scorpio New Moon — which is opposite Uranus. One translation of all this: the next seven-plus days may well be characterized by secrets and surprises. The question is: what determines whether such things feel like tricks or treats?

Illuminated offering at the 2016 Sacred and Profane Festival, Peaks Island, Maine. Photo by Amanda Painter.

The short answer is, “you.”

More specifically, it’s things like your perspective, attitude, agility in responding to new information, and emotional attachments (whether to people, to certain ways of doing and thinking about things, to the familiar, to what you think you know about yourself and others) that will contribute to whether life feels like an enticing mystery that you’re unraveling, or a haunted hayride you didn’t want to go on in the first place.

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The Day of the Projector: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 19
The Day of the Projector | 2019-20 Scorpio Astrology Studio now available for pre-order | Order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

If you’re looking at changing or enhancing your career, this could be your moment. What you may need to factor in, however, is the importance of work that not only brings home the funds, but really calls to you. This isn’t even about enjoying your job, though that’s certainly a major component. What you do every day must align as far as possible with your principles and your personal journey, and speak to you on a soul level. Keep this in mind.
— by Amy Elliott

Do you have your Sun, Moon or rising sign in Libra? If so, Eric has much to say about stabilizing your relationships in the chaos of the internet, getting some traction in your career, and most of all, how to frame your own reality. in the 2019-2020 Libra Astrology Studio, now available for instant access. Check out the video preview for the reading here.

Written in the Planets

What mysteries are you puzzling over these days? What questions about your relationships, motives, desires, fears, needs, growth and obstacles have seemed just out of reach but now beckon to you to probe their depths? If you’ve discovered some answers, do you feel more compelled to keep them quiet for further exploration or to tell others about the profound truths you’ve finally uncovered?

Of course, these questions, prompted by a sextile between Mercury in Scorpio and Pluto in Capricorn, might not be such an internal investigation for you. You may be entertaining proposals from others or unclear situations that require thorough questioning. Topics such as psychology, the occult, healing and anything else related to any kind of regeneration and transformation are also ripe for in-depth study. Either way, the superficial is unlikely to hold much attraction today, compared to ‘real’ knowledge.

Whatever you learn is likely to assist you in birthing some new relationship (or new stage of a relationship) from unusual or unexpected parts of your life. As in, social spheres where relationships might not normally spring up for you. Or you may start to relate to someone differently, from a newfound understanding of yourself. All in all, a deeper sense of balance may be available.
— by Amanda Painter

In 2020 we have not one but two conjunctions that mark the turn of a generation, and of an era in history. On Jan. 12, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn form their once per 33-year conjunction. Then on Dec. 21. 2020, Jupiter and Saturn, both now in Aquarius, form a conjunction in the first degree of that sign. Read more here…

The Day of Precarious Balance: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 17
The Day of Precarious Balance | 2019-20 Scorpio Astrology Studio now available for pre-order | Order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

What excites your curiosity? What drives your desire? These are things always worth pursuing, though society has a way of frowning on anyone who looks like they’re having too much fun. Yet this makes doing so all the more important. By brushing off ridiculous moral codes and openly dancing to your own rhythm, you’re providing an important public service, because others will notice your example and some will follow it. In any case, though, this is the most honest way to live.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

You may find yourself in the role of peacemaker or of trying to get things started today — potentially in response to someone who’s being less than direct about their needs. Manipulative or attention-seeking behaviors are the thing to watch for. Can you respond by taking a stance that is fair and balanced, yet still cuts through the bullshit? This kind of thing calls for being specific; that is, being able to identify why certain behaviors are counterproductive. You can do this with understanding and empathy, rather than as a punitive or shaming act.

Ask yourself: What’s it like to set boundaries and make corrections, yet allow a person to maintain their dignity? Does that generally happen best in public or in private? How do you maintain your own healthy boundaries, and not get sucked into enabling or codependent dynamics, passive-aggressive retaliation, or game playing? (Libra Sun opposite Eris in Aries is the aspect du jour.)

On the flip side, if you feel like you’re having a hard time this week, how are you expressing that? Are you able to articulate what is triggering you, what the trigger is tapping into (usually something from the past), and what you feel like you need in response? It’s the inability to acknowledge these things to yourself (or an inability to speak it to those you’re interacting with), that can start to come out sideways. When that happens, we often sabotage the very things we desire most — namely: healthy, functional, trust-based, respectful relationships with others, and with ourselves.

Everyone is under a lot of pressure these days. It takes patience and awareness to navigate its effects; for most people, this is a lifelong learning curve. Luckily, the universe is more than happy to oblige with as many opportunities as we need.
— by Amanda Painter

Chaos, Balance and Birth

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By Amanda Painter

Mercury may still be two weeks from its station retrograde in Scorpio on Oct. 31, but I feel like I’ve been noticing its effects all week. How about you? Hopefully this means the retrograde proper will be less about glitches and more about rewarding (if intensive) introspection and evolution — though that’s always partly a matter of personal intention and perspective.

Fire engine abstract #2; Photo by Amanda Painter.

Against this mercurial backdrop, the sky is offering some additional prompts to assist you on your journey of self-awareness — and in just trying to get by. Given the chaos and confusion the world is throwing at us (such as Pres. Trump escalating conflict between Syria and Turkey by turning on allied Kurdish rebels — on a dime, and apparently on a bluff), sometimes just trying to get by constitutes a day well lived.

Today’s major aspect is an opposition between the Libra Sun and Eris in Aries. On one level, this is the ‘other shoe’ dropping in our fall preview of the January Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn, which will be square Eris.

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The Day of Moderation: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 14
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Yesterday’s magnificent Full Moon in your opposite sign is still resonating, and its power is helping you to clear the path ahead. It’s time for you to dispense with old lingering doubts and other such bullshit, so that you can proceed without interruption. Keep your promises and act as compassion requires, but otherwise be firm if anyone or anything acts as a hindrance. You will want to invest as much of your time and energy as possible in the work you most need to do.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Though the reverberations of yesterday’s Full Moon should be softening, the Libra Sun is still exactly square Pluto in Capricorn. So you may still be feeling some internal pressure, of the kind that requires you to be very honest with yourself about what parts of your life are not working. That can feel a little scary, but it has a significant up side: moving away from behaviors that keep tripping you up opens the way to focus on what is going well, and on your highest priorities. Mercury and Saturn in aspect to each other describe an ability to identify exactly what you need to do. And challenges that you succeed in tackling today may emerge as sources of strength you can call on in the future.

The Moon moving through Taurus during the second part of the day offers a more relaxed emotional tone and overall pace, which could come as a relief if you prefer to move deliberately — though Uranus may still throw a curve ball or two. Perhaps, however, Uranus simply indicates that you’ll surprise yourself with an ability to take it all in stride. Not everything that we expect to be upsetting turns out to be so. Usually this is a sign that we’ve been growing without even realizing it.
— by Amanda Painter

My autumn readings, called In These Times, 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.

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The Day of the Tough Cookie: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 13
The Day of the Tough Cookie | Order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

Given that your birthday is marked by the Aries Full Moon closely square Pluto, it’s safe to say this is likely to be a big year for you. There’s a lot you can get done, and you may well find yourself holding the torch to help guide friends and loved ones into the next phase of your collective experience. Not only do you possess unique wisdom that you can share, but you also seem to have a finger on the pulse of our time in history, and a means to lead the way forward into the future.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Tonight’s Aries Full Moon, which is exact at 5:08 pm EDT (21:07:45 UTC), brings the January Saturn-Pluto conjunction to the forefront. Full Moons are one of the most palpable astrological events we experience — both internally, and through witnessing others’ behavior. This one is like running the essence of Saturn-Pluto in through an IV line. In other words, it could feel particularly intense and marked by an inner sense of pressure to make some changes — such as letting go of unproductive behaviors and emotional habits. This is in addition to whatever friction or stalemates you may encounter with other people.

For interpersonal situations of any flavor that seem genuinely intractable, consider calling a truce on pushing it until after this evening. You can’t avoid addressing important issues, but you can be conscious about holding a space for them that’s running less voltage.

That said, sometimes things just need to get out in the open where they can be dealt with consciously. Kind of like how it’s not always obvious that a machine needs maintenance until it’s clearly not working well. Often how we address issues is just as important as the fact of addressing them in the first place. Knee-jerk reactions can fan flames rather than move people toward solutions; same with manipulative tactics, which tend to backfire in the long run.

Yet Jupiter in Sagittarius is exactly trine the Aries Moon and sextile the Libra Sun today. This offers a little buoyancy to what could otherwise be a heavy (and heavily polarized) situation — it’s the comic relief of, say, Trevor Noah and John Oliver as they observe political events, or your ability to see the absurdity of a personal argument while you’re in the midst of it. Jupiter in this position might also describe an ability to take the long view on your struggles: to connect some of the dots between current pressure or upheaval and the growth needed to achieve your broader goals. Gears are in motion, and they are inviting you to move with them.
— by Amanda Painter

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The Day of Prudent Economy: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 10
The Day of Prudent Economy | Order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

Were there not sufficient time for pauses and smelling the flowers, our lives would be rather dull. Society seems to place little value on such moments, but you know better; you’re aware that finding something in each day to enjoy is the summit of human experience. Make sure you keep that understanding in mind this year, especially during those times when you’re at your busiest. Let the child and the artist in you out to play often, in order to kindle and rekindle your love of the world and its many beauties.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

As we get closer to Sunday’s Full Moon in Aries, you may notice certain relationships are intensifying — along with any of your usual Full Moon effects such as sleep pattern shifts, changes in emotional responses, or needing to negotiate a situation that’s starting to feel a little stuck. Even though the Moon is not even in Aries yet, the Libra Sun is making contact with Pluto in Capricorn and Ceres and Jupiter in Sagittarius — all of which will be directly in aspect to the Full Moon.

Jupiter’s presence may be greasing the wheels of any potential power struggles (especially with authority figures) that you might be navigating currently. Normally a Sun-Jupiter sextile is considered ‘lucky’ and good for social interactions of all kinds, but Pluto’s a pretty serious heavyweight. So rather than leaning on Jupiter to push your luck in risky ways, perhaps think of it as just enough of a buffer from the full pressure of Pluto to allow you to do what needs to be done — with careful reflection on your plans. A close look at any attendant fears or other emotional issues could also offer significant benefit today and through the weekend.

With Ceres there, we get an image of how we can teach by example, and learn from the examples and mentorship of others. What new lessons are you learning now, both from your inner grappling and from your interactions with people — including those you might be in a position to guide? What feels like a bit of an adventure, or is otherwise nourishing to your spirit? Who might be looking up to you, taking notes on what you say and the choices you make? Who are you seeking guidance from, and in what form? The more actively you can engage these questions and processes, the more you’re likely to get out of them — and the more you’ll have to give in the balance.
— by Amanda Painter

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The Aries Full Moon and Friends

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By Amanda Painter

How’s your sleep this week? And your relationship to authority figures — the ‘real’ ones and the internalized ones? Where are your thoughts going, and how do you feel about it? What about your urges and responses in your more intimate relationships? How conscious are you about using your energy in a creative, focused way?

The 2015 Aries Full Moon; photo by Amanda Painter.

As we end this week, several planetary events are conspiring to drive questions like those. The headlining act is the Aries Full Moon on Sunday.

Before we get there, Mercury enters its pre-retrograde echo (or shadow) phase tomorrow. On Saturday, Venus opposes Uranus to add a little extra voltage. Let’s take them in chronological order.

Mercury entering its shadow/echo phase Friday evening is your heads up to prepare any and all things related to communication, its related technologies, spending, transit, and how you handle your frame of mind in general. As in: back up your computer, tie up any loose ends with contracts and major purchases, and begin to get back into habits that help to safeguard against sending emails that ought not to be sent.

Mercury won’t actually station retrograde until Oct. 31 (Trick or Treat!). But as you may know, things can sometimes get even funkier prior to the retrograde than during it. Mercury will station direct — still in Scorpio — on Nov. 20.

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