COURSES 2014
If you want to explore the fascinating subjects of astrology or tarot for yourself, and enjoy a week on this beautiful Greek island of Lefkada, here are the The Greek Island Summer School course dates for next year:
· 19 May Working with Tarot
· 2 June Discovering Astrology
· 8 September Astrology & Tarot – Combining the 2 crafts
· 22 September Good Timing – Predictive Techniques in Astrology
There’ll be more details on the website soon or contact me direct on joannaw@otenet.gr if you have any queries, no matter how small.
IMPORTANT CHANGE: Up until now there have been a maximum of 8 places per study group but from 2014 the numbers will be capped at 6.
Horoscopes
If you want to go straight to the columns here are the links – suggest you read your Rising Sign (Ascendant) first and then your Sun Sign:
Weekly horoscopes on Avon Connects, starting every Monday:
http://www.avonconnects.co.uk/docs/DOC-5930
Monthly horoscopes on Network She, OCTOBER STARS now up:
http://www.networkshe.co.uk/category/horoscope
What’s happening this week?
We kick off with Mars changing sign, moving tomorrow from Leo to Virgo. He has a two year cycle and therefore spends approximately 2 months in each sign, and he’ll be traveling through Virgo until 7 December and then entering the next sign of Libra. Jumping ahead for a minute:
· Note that Mars will be going retrograde at the beginning of next March
· This means that he’ll end up spending nearly 7 months in Libra – instead of the usual 2 months
The message? Make the most of Mars moving at normal speed. He is the planet of action and effort. He is the god of war and symbolizes how we go into battle, how we fight for what we want, how we recognize the difference between letting things happen and making things happen. He is active rather than passive and without him not a lot would get done.
With all of this now being expressed through diligent and painstaking Virgo it pays to start by putting your working life under scrutiny. What is your work ethic? What do you want to achieve by the end of the year? What moves can you make now that will make a difference? Are you using and improving your natural skills? Virgo also rules health. A new approach to diet/fitness or a specific health issue gets a huge tick.
Mars is also passion but the red planet can find it hard to sizzle in Virgo, an earth sign that is associated with perfectionism – although as I’ve noted before, Virgo’s “prim and proper” reputation is often misleading. However, the combination of Mars/Virgo can signal a battle with sexuality or celibacy – eg Stephen Fry, Sun and Mars in Virgo:
“Fry struggled to keep his homosexuality secret during his teenage years at public school, and by his own account did not engage in sexual activity for 16 years from 1979 until 1995.” (Wikipedia)
Sex, of course, is still one of the most controversial and complex areas of the human condition and is currently more of a theme than usual, underlined by the fact that Mercury is slowing down in Scorpio, the sign that traditionally rules sex. How do we talk about it? In particular, if my own client work is anything to go by, the lack of it seems to be an unbelievably common problem. As one client recently reported, “My gyney asked me about my sex life and I told him it was non-existent, to which he replied, you and the rest of the city!”
Mars’ first aspect will be an opposition to Neptune – exact in the early hours of next Sunday – adding yet another layer of mystique or confusion. For now, especially if you’re getting involved with someone new, tread carefully. Safe sex is not just about contraception.
In the meantime, Mercury in Scorpio is the backdrop to the astrological picture, and is now well into what is called the Shadow Period. Here’s how it works:
· 1 October – Mercury reached 2.29 (2 degrees, 29 minutes) of Scorpio. This is the degree at which Mercury will eventually turn direct and this is the beginning of the Shadow period.
· 21 October – Mercury turns retrograde at 18.22 Scorpio
· 10 November – Mercury turns direct at 2.29 Scorpio
· 27 November – Mercury reaches 18.22 Scorpio, the degree at which it turned retrograde and this is the end of the Shadow period.
I’ll be talking more about this next week but for now note that nothing is written in stone. Even situations that seem impossible or totally stuck are due for an overhaul.
What else? On a lighter note – hurray – Venus is trine (harmonious) to rebel Uranus on Wednesday night. Venus is the love planet, now in freedom loving Sagittarius, so there’s a big “don’t fence me in” feeling to this aspect. Do your own thing and let your other half do theirs rather than thinking you have to be joined at the hip. Fun, spontaneity, surprises, girls’ night out or get-togethers of any kind are all part of the picture. It’s also the best day of the week to finalize plans/seek agreements before Mercury turns retrograde next Monday.
Finally, the Full Moon at 26 degrees of Aries at the end of the week is also a Lunar Eclipse (exact at 00.39 GMT on Saturday). Eclipses are “power points” of change and tend to play a role in revealing new pictures. A shadow is thrown but lifts again. Triangular setups also feature as eclipses are about the intricate relationship between the three bodies of the Sun, Moon and Earth. Someone may be overshadowed while another emerges in a new light.
If you have planets conjunct or opposite this degree (give or take 5 degrees each way, but the tighter the aspect the more powerful the relevant event) you will no doubt be living through some intensely personal experience. If you don’t know if you have planets on or around this degree you can contact me free of charge. Just send your data of date, place and time of birth.