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Today and Tomorrow are Nine of Swords Days

With the Sun in Virgo (worry-wart) and the Moon in Taurus (fixed, stiff, rigid), today and tomorrow are Nine of Swords days.

In the Joie de Vivre tarot deck, we find Woe, sitting in a tree, frozen by fear. If only he would look up and see the bright flowers on the branches above him, he might feel better. But it would seem that he chooses instead to keep his eyes  firmly fixed on the harpies surrounding him.

th-1.jpegA change in his perspective would make all the difference. But Woe hasn’t yet learned the wisdom offered by the tarot suit of swords – a troubled mind will bring nothing but troubles. Truly, you’re a prisoner of your thoughts.

The Nine of Swords is the most difficult of the deck. It’s reputation as one of ill-omen is well-earned. It is with this card that we plunge in the depths of unconscious conflicts, hidden complexes, and deep-seated neuroses. If you’re not careful with this energy you might even manage to drive yourself mad!

Now, if Woe were a friend of yours, what advice might you give to him?

Buck up? It can’t be that bad? There’s always a solution?

 

Solar Return (2016-17) Happy Birthday Ms D

Here’s a solar return (2016-17) for a friend of mine – Happy birthday Ms D:

  • Sun conjunct Venus in 11th house
  • Moon in 4th house making no aspects
  • Mercury in 11th house in a grand trine with Pluto and Jupiter
  • Saturn in 5th house in T cross with Neptune and Jupiter

 

ms D

Summary – the focus this year will be on friends how they fit into the fondest hopes and dreams of Ms. D. However, this may not be as easy as it sounds because such friendships will likely come with some ‘sticky’ strings. This in turn is likely to present Ms. D with some ethical issues – such as are we ‘lovers’ or ‘just friends’ – additionally further complications may arise due to changes in domestic routine, whether due to moving house, or home renovations, some disruption in this arena will become a significant emotional focus.

Sun / Venus

The 11th house is associated with hopes and dreams, group interactions, and friendships.

With bright and shining Solar Return (SR) Venus here, Ms. D is more likely to enjoy a fair share of pleasant friendships with people who will happily support her in achieving her goals. But because the 11th house is also associated with moral dilemmas & social expectations, these friendships may come with some (sticky) strings attached.

The SR Sun is all about intellectual focus = so with the SR Sun (the most significant planet in the solar return chart) also here in the 11th house, the indication is that Ms. M will spend a good bit of time and energy dealing with these ethical issues surrounding these (sticky) strings.

Because (1) the 11th is in opposition to the 5th house (love affairs and creative self-expression) and (2) Venus is conjunct the Sun in the 11th, dilemmas may well arise with issues such as – are we ‘just friends’ or ‘lovers’?

Moon

The SR Moon is about emotional focus and in the 4th house, the focus is on house and home. Perhaps Ms. D will be moving house during the year or otherwise changing her residence or domestic situation – there is undoubtedly going to be some domestic-related change or disruption. Because the Moon makes no aspects to other planets, this suggests that Ms. M may be undertaking these alone or that these changes may make her feel as if she’s alone. The good news is that such changes do not appear to be the result of outside interferences hence such decisions are likely based on decisions taken based on their merits to suit the preferences of Ms. M.

Mercury

SR Mercury is about mental condition – i.e. what Ms. D will be primarily thinking about. Again because SR Mercury is in the 11th house, her mental focus will likely be both on hopes and dreams and how they relate to those friends who come with (sticky) strings. That SR Mercury is caught up in a grand trine with Jupiter and Pluto, suggests those hopes and dreams may well  have significant psychological impact – in the sense that unconscious motivations come to the front and are more clear. There is also a possibility of verbal power plays – knowledge is power – who knows what it is that you need to know?!

Saturn

SR Saturn is caught up with Jupiter/Neptune in hard aspect. According to Liz Greene, both these rulers of Pisces (Jupiter & Neptune) have a taste for the boundless – together they are the visionary; they are also hallmarks of the the foolhardy dreamer. Potentially misplaced optimism, pie-in the sky hopes and dreams, miscalculations, and poor decisions are all possibilities – secrecy and perhaps downright deception may also play a part here. ‘Buyer beware’ comes to mind – if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

SR Saturn symbolizes the reality of any given situation and emphasizes how we really are ultimately responsible for our lives. SR Saturn is in the 5th house of love affairs and creative self-expression and suggests circumstances making it difficult to express yourself naturally as you have in the past. Relationships, especially love affairs, can be difficult especially due to limitations imposed by circumstances beyond your control. For example, she may not really fit in with his friends or he may not really relate to her friends.

Because of the influence of Jupiter/Neptune, such a situation might tempt either to pretend to be something other than who she or he really. But with Saturn around, this is probably not going to turn out to be such a good idea.

Composite Jupiter/Neptune

Composite Charts

The composite chart is created by taking the midpoint between pairs of each of two person’s natal planets (in this case Venus and Uranus) and using them to create a third, new chart. The composite chart is not the same as synastry, which examines how one person impacts the other. Instead the composite chart represents the relationship as a whole giving insight into the dynamics upon which it, as a relationship, functions.

Composite Jupiter

Jupiter symbolises key areas of  growth for the relationship as well as how the partners to that relationship find meaning together. Composite Jupiter also provides a shared spiritual commitment – an inspired, optimistic vision for the future. The trick is not to go overboard.

Composite Neptune

Neptune brings magic, colour, and soul into a relationship, shared creativity and beguilingly beautiful dreams. The problem with Neptune is that is that doesn’t play by ordinary rules. Hence Neptune is oft associated with disappointment, deceit, and disillusion.

Impossible-Dream-300x213Composite Jupiter/Neptune

Both Jupiter and Neptune share a taste for the boundless. They are the signature of the dreamer/visionary with a foolhardy naivety about the ‘real world’. When Neptune is involved in a composite chart, there is bound to be a sense of being soul-mates and hence it is all the harder to put on the brakes.

Neptune/ Jupiter is likely to manifest in a shared spiritual or idealistic vision that unfortunately might turn out to be pure delusion:

  • This is especially the case with the conjunction.

  • With trines and sextiles the idealism is not likely to be as destructive although it can turn a romance into something more platonic like a student/teacher relationship.

  • With the square, it is important to ensure both parties know where they stand with each other and avoid reluctance to acknowledge relationship problems.

  • The opposition is also likely to allow both parties to build up a false sense of security. The key with making this aspect work out is to avoid idealizing each other. Equally important is to avoid playing deceptive games with each other. If you honestly understand yourselves and what you have to together, there can be no illusion. If you don’t, you’re likely headed for disaster.

An Interesting Solar Return Year

Recently, I was asked what to make of a solar return (SR) chart with:

  • Venus conjunct Neptune in the 10th house (opposition to Jupiter in the 4th)
  •  the Moon (2nd house) trine Mars (6th house)
  • Pluto is in the 8th

Remember that a SR chart serves as an astrological map for the next 12 months starting with an individual’s birthday.

Executive Summary

Emotional focus on joint finances. Expect unpleasant power plays. Money/wealth seems to ‘slip away’ causing financial uncertainty; this is probably to do with finances relating to the home. At the end of the day, however, this individual can expect the year to result in a positive life changing experience.

UnknownMoon

Moon/Mars aspects in the SR chart are suggestive of mixed emotions which, because the Moon in the 2nd house, reflects mixed emotional needs regarding finances. The first question to ask is how financially dependent is the person in question upon others? The next question  is how does that make him/her feel? With the Moon in the 2nd SR house, it is clear that finances will play a major role during this individual’s unfolding year and that this will be his/her  emotional focus.  How it will all play out we don’t yet know but, with Pluto in the 8th SR house, we can be sure there will be unpleasant power plays regarding shared finances. Because that Pluto is caught up in the current Jupiter/Pluto trine, however, we can  expect this to be a (beneficial) life changing experience.

Venus

SR Venus can either relate to romantic relationships or finance but with the Moon in the 2nd SR house of finances, the focus here will be on wealth/money. With Neptune around, money seems to slip away perhaps due to unemployment, illness, or even divorce. The by-word with this configuration is financial insecurity. Expect ‘something too good to be true’ regarding finances that will lead to disappointment and disillusionment and because this Venus/Neptune is in the 10th house, it’s all going to play out in a very public sphere.

Jupiter

SR Jupiter in the 4th house indicates the need for peace and security within the home. But because of other configurations in the chart, this year this probably isn’t achieveable. Renovations or other improvements are a possibility either related or unrelated to the need to refinance or pay off a mortgage. In any event, because SR Venus/Neptune (financial insecurity) is in opposition to this Jupiter in the 4th house, finances regarding the home are likely to become an issue. But because Jupiter is in trine to Pluto, in the long run this is likely to somehow benefit this individual.

The Curious Case of Ms C

Ms C is a ‘man-eater’-  or at least so I’ve been told – and with her Venus in Leo, I can believe how folks might have reached that conclusion.

Contrary to popular belief, astrological Venus isn’t so much about love for others as it is about love of ‘self’. Venus in Leo is a special case – like a lantern in the dark of night, her charm and warmth draws us close.  She brings soVenusLeoul into the lives of those she touches and who couldn’t use a bit of that?

But this is not all that she brings. She is the most selfish and tawdry of the lot. Let’s make no mistake about it, when it comes to relationships, Venus in Leo looks out only for herself.

But this is not why Ms C is so dangerous.

The real issue with Ms C is her Aquarian Moon; like anyone with an air moon, she can be coldly calculating. That in itself isn’t bad. But in relationship with that fiery Venus, this Moon has the potential to be devastating.

The Moon and Venus are the two faces of the feminine and astrologically, both are about relationship albeit the operate differently. As noted above, Venus relates through differentiation – I am X and you are Y and X is so much better.  On the other hand, the Moon relates by symbiosis – I am X and you are Y and together, XY, we will be forever, together. When the Moon and Venus are in friendly relationship (trine or sextile) in a chart, they can form a working relationship. But when they are not (square or opposition), as is the case with Ms C, then we can expect her to constantly see-saw between them – identifying with one and projecting the other.Ms C

The other party to the relationship can have no idea what to expect – one minute he has a cuddly kitten on his hands and the next, a full-blown hurricane. This isn’t helped by the fact that Ms C has Mars in Aries – highly impulsive, intuitive, does what she damned well pleases. Not only that, but Ms C has natal Uranus in opposition to her Mars – and with that we have a reckless disregard regard for authority as well as being exceptionally self-willed.

Now, it just so happens that Ms C is connected with a certain Mr A, who was the subject of two earlier posts; I’ll let the astrologers amongst you put two and two together – as I’m certain that you will. For everyone else, I suppose you’ll just have to watch this space in the event that I’m ever in the position to go into more detail.

But for now I think that it is safe to say that in Ms C, Mr A has more than met his match.