October 2010 - Balance

The transition of energies that occurred in September under the self-critical Virgo Sun and fiery Aries Full Moon has caused rapid fluctuations in our confidence levels. For example, you've probably come home one night from work and had a realization that you're very happy; you feel privileged and you love your life. The next morning you wake up, and you don't even want to see yourself in the mirror. You feel lost or confused; your confidence is shattered.

Let's face it, we all struggle to place our self-images in the world around us, and it's never easily done. It often seems like the image doesn't quite fit; it seems somehow different from its context, but impalpably so. Similarly, we often feel like we're making too many compromises with the world around us. Everyone else has their own agenda, and every single thing has its place and purpose. True happiness can only come from discovering and establishing the equilibria between oneself and literally everything else, which brings us to this month's theme: balance.

We've been feeling a bit scattered lately, as the previously concentrated planets have now begun to spread themselves thin across the cosmos. While I'll do my best to summarize the astrological weather of the month, October is going to be quite a mixed bag. Be prepared for several ups and downs.



This October, we find ourselves in a lunar cycle capped on both ends by a Full Moon in Aries; one back on September 23, and coming October 22. These Full Moons are heated with a direct, decisive energy that settles any inner disputes about oneself. However, both these Full Moons oppose the Sun's transit through Libra, which urges us to balance our own happiness by pleasing others as well. October is the month in which you will most easily find a balance between your own needs and the needs of those you care about.

And speaking of those you care about, you'll be scrambling to figure out the ins and outs of your romantic life this month. Although an early-month conjunction of the cosmic lovers Mars and Venus coincides nicely with Mercury's entrance into Libra on the 3rd, Venus retrograde (beginning the 8th, lasting until mid-November) is no time for making progress in your love life. You'll feel as if you're living in the past, as your decisions last month (and maybe beyond) come back to haunt you now. Mercury in Libra does make for a comfortable forum for communication, so be sure to talk things out with your partner and help each other discover the important balance of taking and giving. After all, you will still need them to satisfy your Venus-in-Scorpio desires.



This month will be a good time to develop your social life. You will be at your most charming and outgoing as Mercury swings through Libra to conjoin the Sun on the 16th. Although stern Saturn's slow shuffle through Libra may have you feeling conservative, with "no" being your operative comfort word, try to be at least a little bit adventurous, and you'll be surprised at how well you thrive. Meet some new people, and even consider starting new relationships (platonic or amorous); they have the potential to grow stronger and more serious as the Sun enters Scorpio on the 23rd.

Don't be discouraged when retrograde Venus puts a damper on your developments this month. Remember that for every two steps you go forward, it's acceptable (and often advisable) that you take one step back. You receive, you give. The operative word is balance.


Breakdown by Sun sign coming soon.

Jungian Synchronicity

Great article from Astrodienst about Carl Jung's concept of synchronicity and how it applies to astrology. Check it out!

Astrodienst - Synchronicity

Coming Down, the World Turned Over

This morning, at 6:30am for us east coasters, the waning Moon moved to conjoin the Sun in the middle of Virgo, beginning a new Lunar cycle on a somewhat awkward footing. Luna received a warm welcome yesterday when it ingressed Virgo; Mercury, ruling planet of Virgo, conjoined the Moon shortly after its entrance, providing it some words of comfort and rationale after a heated stay in Leo. This interaction would normally bode well for this Lunar cycle. However, Mercury is in retrograde: its influence questionable, its motives unclear, its trickery subtle, always managing to subvert the trust constructs we work so hard to establish.

Later this morning, just before noon, Venus entered Scorpio for the first time since November of 2009. Venus' romantic energies are intensified in this mysteriously powerful water sign; you will probably feel an increase in your passion for the subject(s) of your affection, or you may feel a heightened desire for intimacy. Although your romantic and sexual drives are always naturally ebbing and flowing, you are now starting to feel an undeniable presence of libido. These energies will require either a positive outlet (which may include other sensual pleasures besides sex/intimacy) or a great deal of self-control. If you are seeking a new partner, this New Moon is a fine time to start developing new relationships; this astrological context will encourage friendships to blossom into romance by the end of the month. However, don't expect everything to come easily between you and your partner; the magnetically dramatic energies of Scorpio don't always play well with Venus' tranquilly amorous nature.

Only 13 hours after Venus' arrival in Scorpio, Jupiter will slip backwards through the zodiac into watery Pisces. Be prepared to feel more empathetic and less self-centered; you are more likely to feel emotional connections to people or objects you previously considered distant or obsolete. This transit is also another stage of the deconstruction of the cardinal t-square, a formerly powerful cardinal cross which will soon be only a weakening cardinal square between Saturn in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn. This deconstruction is likely to bring us a winding down feeling from the excitement of the past four months; now is a great opportunity to eliminate distractions, collect yourself, and take a practical, calculated approach to realizing your goals.

Jupiter in Pisces, Venus in Scorpio: both instances of transits to water signs. Furthering this trend will be Mars' entrance into its home sign of Scorpio next Tuesday. After this point, the only major bodies (besides the Moon, which transits every 2-3 days) in air signs will be Neptune retrograde in Aquarius and Saturn in Libra. There are no major planets in any of the three fire signs. This concentration of planets in water and earth signs has a cooling down / coming down effect (think blazing fire to cool water, up in the air to down to earth). Alongside the decay of the cardinal cross, we can consider ourselves in the denouement of a complex and powerful drama with several climaxes (the eclipse cycle of June-July, the perfection of the cardinal cross through July and August, to name a couple). Take some time to stand back and reflect on the major decisions, changes, and opportunities of the past several months and what you've done to get to where you are now. What have you learned?

Mercury's stationing direct this Sunday (in Virgo, an earth sign), combined with Pluto stationing direct (in Capricorn, another earth sign) two days later alongside the aforementioned Mars transit, could not better mark a time for us to settle down. We may be feeling a little woozy or thick-headed right now, but by one week from today, everything will seem much clearer. These next six days are loaded with transitions and reversals, and although it seems chaotic, they are all necessary pieces falling into place in the grand puzzle.

Start your projects now, and let them grow with the New Moon. You will start to see results in a week, and your quick progress and uninhibited focus will surprise you.

For all you fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) and air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) signs, you'll start to feel restless soon. Find an outlet for your energy, be it physical or intellectual (or both). Your time to shine is coming, and after the Sun's transit to Libra on the 22nd, you'll feel like your normal self again. For water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) and earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) signs, the planets are favoring you this month, and you should feel more calm and generally more confident, especially with Pluto soon direct in Capricorn. Think big, but work small; your attention to detail will be the determinant factor in your level of success.


Note to readers: I've been experimenting the past few months with writing for the Examiner, an online newspaper. This move was part of my goal to relate the seemingly far-fetched concepts of astrology to Joe Skeptical. However, I found myself wasting far too much time worrying about their rules, requirements, and poorly coded publishing tools. The little bit of money I saw was not nearly worth the trouble.
So, here I am, back to good ol' Practical Astrology. But my goal of spreading the good word still stands, so please, follow, subscribe, and tell your friends!

Mercury Retrograde in Virgo

Mercury in retrograde. If these words mean anything to you, they probably carry connotations of confusion and unstable communications. They may rouse memories of misunderstanding, or of decisions made and later regretted. Integral to the retrograde cycle of Mercury, our great communicator (and nimble trickster), is the notion that our communicative processes are not in sync: not within ourselves, and definitely not with others. Mercury retrograde is a time to double check every agreement you make and scour your agenda for any little details that may surface later as larger issues. The trickster Mercury tends to bury his foolery in the minutia of our day to day lives, and therefore we must be very detail oriented and attentive to our critical tendencies.

You do not have to believe in the existence of a God, a higher organizational force, or a trickster deity to understand the effects of Mercury retrograde. The trickster is within us, the trickery involving no malicious foul play but rather a distortion of perspectives. Such is the astronomical nature of this cycle; Mercury has not actually changed directions, but only appears to move backwards in our sky when the Earth (in its shorter orbital ellipse, being closer to the Sun) passes it.

Although Mercury retrograde happens rather frequently (about every four months), it always seems to take a different approach to putting certain things in perspective. Similarly, its effects on our relationships can vary from cycle to cycle. Just as we use context clues to discern the meaning of a complicated or obscure word, so we must observe the context of this retrograde cycle to decipher its meaning and anticipate its effects. This is not so much predictive astrology as an attempt to tap into the energies of the orbital bodies to help us emerge a benefactor rather than a victim of this predictably cruel astrological weather.



Most prevalent in our sky at the moment Mercury began its retrograde motion two days ago (the 20th) was a conjunction of Mars and Venus in Libra. As these cosmic lovers move at different speeds, their brief meeting (and most ideal situation for connection and compromise in the harmonious Libra scales) is tainted by a lack of trust. Trust, the ability to take your partner's word as fact, is the most fundamental operator in intimate relationships. Without it, there can be no development as individuals or as a team; you are stopped cold at the surface of this other individual. This is not an impass, but rather an obstacle that (should both partners acknowledge its existence) can be worked through with very direct and honest dialogue.

The Sun's transit to Virgo (which is both ruled by Mercury and home to this retrograde cycle) on the 23rd will set the tone for the next few weeks. The theme is details, details, details, and there's no better place to iron out the little wrinkles in the fabric of our socio-romantic lives than in critical Virgo. Now is not a time to make plans or move forward, but rather reflect upon and learn from the ups and downs your relationships have experienced over the past several months. Mercury retrograde in Virgo is an ideal time to assimilate knowledge into practical, useable information that can be utilized for self-improvement.



I consider this Mercury retrograde to be the third (and most powerful) in a series, in that this is the third consecutive retrograde cycle occurring in an Earth sign (last winter in Capricorn, last spring in Taurus, now in Virgo). In each of these cycles, Mercury draws strength from its proximity to the Sun, giving it an added burst of energy that seems to shorten our tempers and limit our patience. However, patience and caution are the only proven counters to the trickster's woes, so don't be fooled into making decisions in an angry or emotional unstable state. The Earth sign context of these happenings gives us a firm grounding, and prevents us from completely losing ourselves in the mayhem; however, Earth signs also have us at our most self-critical, rendering us weak and subject to persuasion, most notably in our professional lives. Especially challenging for our aspirations will be Jupiter's retrograde transit to Pisces on the 9th. Be sure of yourself; you know what your goals are, and don't lose sight of them.

One last caution: Venus' transit to Scorpio on the 7th will likely inspire you to seek new intimate friends or even sexual partners. Remember, new acquaintances are hard to read, especially when our perspectives are distorted by Mercury's slight of hand. It's okay to be adventurous, but beware of any agreements you make or permanent changes you make to any of your relationships; you may realize how deeply you regret your decisions after Mercury stations direct on the 12th. Proceed with caution.

And remember: it's all in the details.

From Examiner.com.

Weekend Forecast

This week has been a bit more dramatic than you had hoped it would be. Moon conjoin Sun in Leo is a very energetic combination; tempers run high, and people feel pressured to assert themselves more than usual. Everyone around you has a need for attention, and they are not doing a very good job of hiding it right now. The constant clamoring for applause and appreciation may have you at the end of your patience. Keep a cool head for a little while longer, and as Uranus departs from Aries late Friday night, you should feel some relief of your increasing aggravation.

The Moon has joined our ever powerful cardinal cross, opposing Jupiter, squaring Pluto, and conjoining Saturn in the earliest degrees of Libra. This has raised our awareness of our connections with those around us as well as our importance in the grander schemes of our society. You are likely to feel more emotional about a certain issue that until now has felt somewhat distant, be it the war, the oil spill, or any other large-scale issue.

Now, the Moon moves through Libra alongside Mars and Venus. As these planets move towards conjunction, we will start to feel a decrease in the pressures of our relationships. An increase in comfort and a decrease in tension will enable us to communicate better with one another, ultimately strengthening our intellectual connections.

A Moon in Scorpio Saturday and Sunday combined with a short list of planetary aspects should make for a rather uncomplicated two days. Take some time to get to know and get closer with one of your friends or acquaintances. Jupiter opposite Saturn will have you feeling stressed overly self-critical next week, but save your worries for then. Right now, enjoy the beautiful weather, and appreciate the simple things in life that we sometimes take for granted, i.e. a trustworthy relationship.

From Examiner.com.

August: Sun sign horoscopes

Aries:
August for the Aries ram should be a month of reaffirmations and reevaluations. Jupiter retrograde in your sign encourages you to check up on your goals, and reminds you that a goal without plans is merely a wish. When Mercury stations retrograde (20th) in Virgo, it's time to inspect the minutia of your life. Be sure to double and triple check any work you do at this point; the planets suggest that you will miss something somewhere.
Taurus:
Venus slips into Libra on the 6th, beginning the bull's August with an air of comfort and stability. However, retrograde Uranus is headed for Pisces, and when it lands there on the 14th, it is sure to cause a disruption. Uranus in your 11th house of friendships suggests imminent upheaval in your social circle. Use Venus' conjunction with Mars on the 20th as an opportunity to take some initiative in forging a new friendship.
Gemini:
Jupiter retrograde in your 11th house of hopes and wishes has you thinking big. However, sobering Saturn (in Libra) opposes Jupiter, informing you of the faults that stand between you and your dreams. Sun in Virgo at the end of the month will help you to fix these faults. You should probably lay low and avoid major commitments when your ruling planet, Mercury, goes retrograde on the 20th. It's stationing direct in early September will be your time to shine; until then, play your cards conservatively.
Cancer:
The New Moon in Leo on the 9th will renew in you a sense of self-worth (a concept you've been questioning recently) and may even inspire you to assume a leadership position amongst your peers. Take on a project that will challenge your intellect and exercise your creative impulses. The Full Moon on the 24th occurs in your 9th house of growth, which indicates that you are likely to learn a lot from any attempts you make to come out of your protective shell this month. Be adventurous.
Leo:
You always tend to shine amongst your social circle, even if its in your own subtle way. But this lion's Sun is no time to be humble. Upon the New Moon in Leo on the 9th, start working on a project that will show off your strengths and creativity while consuming all the excess energy you seem to be generating. When the Sun transits to Virgo, its time to focus on someone else besides you; you can discover a lot about yourself by listening to others and helping them with their problems.
Virgo:
Venus transits to your 2nd house on the 6th, enabling your occasional propensity for overspending. You will find yourself valuing money and materials more than usual. The Moon in your 4th house from the 17th-19th will hopefully remind you that the most valuable thing you own comes at no cost: your family. You may feel immobilized by everything seeming like it's up in the air right now, but when the Sun transits to your sign on the 23rd, your adaptability and practical nature will kick in, enabling you to problem solve like a pro.
Libra:
Tempestuous emotions abound under the Leo Sun, amplified for Libra by a concentration of planets in your sign. Unfortunately, your restlessness will continue until Mars and Venus conjoin in Libra on the 20th. The Sun's subsequent transit to Virgo should restore you to your normally balanced self. Retrograde Uranus enters your 6th house of health on the 14th, advising you to take care of yourself. A sudden accident could jeopardize your physical well-being if you're not cautious.
Scorpio:
Patience, scorpion. Pluto retrograde in your 3rd house of communications does not bode well for hasty decision making. In fact, it may even pressure you to come to conclusions that you are not ready for. Mercury in retrograde, beginning on the 20th, seems to agree; life is a marathon, not a sprint, so move at your own pace. Don't be pressured into action by your peers. Thoroughly investigate every situation (as you love to do) and avoid at all costs rushing to any judgements.
Sagittarius:
Your self esteem may be at a low at the beginning of the month as Jupiter (your ruling planet) in your 5th house of self-expression is opposed by critical Saturn. Both planets squaring Pluto along the cardinal cross brings emotional issues quickly to a heated point, so don't get too caught up in your feelings. Things will cool off a bit after Mars conjoins Venus on the 20th, and when the Sun transits to your 10th house of career on the 23rd, it will bring back into focus your aspirations and practical plans for achieving them.
Capricorn:
Your practical, responsible, level-headed approach to any situation is at its strongest this month, so have confidence in your endeavors. Your ruling planet, Saturn, has entered your 10th house of careers, cautioning you to avoid any unnecessary risk taking. Opposite Saturn is Jupiter in Aries, which tames your ambitions and reminds you that growth is a process. Hasty attempts at yielding immediate results are predestined to be fruitless. Uranus retrograde in your 3rd house of communications (14th) combined with Mercury in retrograde (20th) are going to wreak havoc on your interpersonal interactions the end of this month; be prepared for tricky social situations, mixed signals, and sudden cancellations.
Aquarius:
Although you are a rebel at heart, you tend to go with the flow in the interest of appeasing the masses. However, now is a time to be independent and confident in your solo act. Pluto retrograde in your 12th house of inevitability and entrapment may force certain decisions upon you that you are not ready to make. You will be tempted by Neptune and Uranus in retrograde to escape reality; while you don't have to make all your decisions right now, that does not mean that you can ignore them. The second half of the month will try your patience, and you will feel as if your friends do not understand you. Odds are, at this point in your life, they probably do not.
Pisces:
Jupiter in Aries has your energies at a pinnacle early this month, so take advantage of your extra enthusiasm to do some light traveling or exploring. Retrograde Neptune in your mystical 12th house suggests that you get in touch with your spiritual side. Retrograde Uranus entering your sign on the 14th will bring about some sudden changes, so try to be flexible to avoid disruptive conflict. The Full Moon in your sign on the 24th will have you most compassionate, so reach out a helping hand to a friend in need.

Be sure to check out the August general reading for the major astrological events of the coming month.

From Examiner.com.

August: a general reading

August 2010 is shaping up to be a month of reevaluation, with the retrograde cycles of Pluto, Neptune, Jupiter, and Mercury aligning to remind us that appearances can be deceiving.

Although it may seem to you that your relationships and life's decisions are taking you in the direction you've been planning, it may be merely a product of perspective: an illusion, if you will. Try to step outside yourself and objectively examine why and how you've gotten to where you are, and what steps you need to take to start some momentum towards your eventual destination. Perspective, after all, is what gives humanity its unique dynamicism; when one sees determination, another may see stubbornness. Some see success, and some see greed, which is all the more reason to take with a grain of salt the pressures of the opinionated peanut gallery that commentates your life, i.e. your social critics or workplace superiors.

The month kicks off with an ongoing square between Jupiter and Pluto, which causes us a great deal of stress whenever our financial future or career is concerned. A concentration of planetary energy in Libra will hopefully inspire us to be honest with ourselves; mighty Saturn will help us to identify our inherent faults that spearate us from out ideal roles in society and the workplace. The pressure you're feeling now should be somewhat relieved come the 13th, when Uranus slips backwards through the zodiac into compassionate Pisces. Here it will find an explaination for the somewhat erratic decision making you've recently been making, be it in your love life or regarding your professional ambitions.

Speaking of your love life, you've probably felt a rising uncertainty in your sexual relationships. In a classic role reversal, Venus (the woman) chases Mars (the man) through Libra. Although they are both moving in the same direction, the two bodies move at different speeds, which makes for a less than stable relationship. Here, the duality of the Libra territory will come into play; as the sign of balance, it will instill in us (and our partners) a sense of comfort and harmony that may overshadow the underlying issues that generate our disagreements. However, the Libra scales also help us to make a more objective assessment of our situation; by weighing the options and examining both sides of an arguement, ideally we can make the right decisions that will bring us closer to a balanced state. The two planets conjoin perfectly on the 20th, so it is around this time that you should start to see some progress made in your relationships.

Unfortunately, just as we're starting to feel the love, Mercury begins its retrograde movement on the 20th, a cycle classically associated with confusion and miscommunication. But there is another side to this event; Mercury retrograde can also be a reflective period ideal for rejuvination. When Mercury shifts gears, it is time to assimilate and learn from the knowledge we've gained since the last Mercury retrograde ended in early May. While this time can be quite challenging for all interpersonal communications, it also provides a nice break from the tiny responsibilities associated with companionship that sometimes make our friendships seem to be more trouble than they're worth.

Alas, another opportunity to step outside yourself and take an intellectual approach to assessing the bigger picture; the stars suggest that you take advantage. You will learn a lot about yourself in the next three weeks.

Fortunately, the Sun's transit to Virgo (23rd) affords you an opportunity to act upon your newfound introspective wisdom. A Virgo sun is an ideal time for fixing anything that's broken. Take this time not only to help yourself, but to help others. Your compassion will be strongly supported by a full Moon in Pisces (which shortly thereafter sextiles Pluto, adding an extra emotional element to this lunar cycle) on the 24th. Reaching out to another person can be a great way to intellectually enlighten and emotionally fulfill yourself; however, remember to proceed with caution as Mercury remains in retrograde, playing tricks on us by disrupting communications not only with other people but within our own thought processes. You may quickly find yourself in over your head if you say "yes" one too many times. Do not be upset when your selfless endeavors don't receive the attention and appreciation they deserve.

The month closes out with Venus and Neptune moving towards a trine (not to be perfected until September) that will start to stimulate some inventive ideas. The Moon's transit to Gemini on the 31st will bring out our keenest intellect, making the end of August a perfect time to start a creative project such as making a piece of art or redecorating.

Stay tuned for a breakdown of the August horoscope by Sun sign.

From Examiner.com.