The Astrology Blog – w/b 29 September 2014
All times stated are in BST
It’s a quiet start to the week with no major aspects until the weekend but we do have two planets changing sign, which indicates new cycles. Mercury newly arrived in Scorpio (ingress Saturday 27 September) and Venus entering Libra today (ingress 21.53).
The good news is that Venus is entering one of her own signs (she is dignified in Libra and also in Taurus). The sign of the Scales is associated in everyone’s mind with indecision – the constant balancing act of this or that, weighing up the pros and cons, the shall I/shan’t I, the resulting procrastination and so on. Herein lies the “lazy Libra” tag and it’s true that over thinking a matter can end up in total inertia.
However, Venus being dignified in Libra makes symbolic sense as the other side to this sign is that it correlates to the 7th house of the horoscope – the sector of the chart that rules “the significant other”. Here we find marriage and all important one to one partnerships. The Scales are then not just seen as an intricate balancing act but as the two sides to a relationship – and how every action of one side affects the other. The positive Libran characteristics are therefore cooperation, negotiation and diplomacy. The ultimate Libra lesson is about love that truly values equality, not about being passive and overly dependent on others.
Venus entering Libra was one of the decisive factors for choosing tomorrow for my sister’s wedding! This is called Elective Astrology, choosing a date for an occasion based on the astrology showing, and is generally not as easy as it looks. However this week Venus’ change of sign made the choice simple, moving from Virgo her sign of fall to Libra her sign of dignity. Also a planet is said to be especially powerful when at 0 degrees of its own sign.
The other good news for the first half of the week is that Mercury and Venus come together on Wednesday (05.21) by semi-sextile. This is a minor aspect, signaling that the two planets are exactly one sign apart, but I have nevertheless noticed in the past that this particular combination – at a universal level Mercury is news/connection and Venus is love/pleasure – tends to bring good news, a significant conversation or piece of information, the company of likeminded people, the enjoyment of girlfriends or help being given or received from friends.
The trickier part of the picture is that Venus’s only other aspect this week is a quinqunx to Neptune at the end of the week (Friday 03.37). This is that awkward “blind” aspect that happens when two planets are 5 signs apart and have absolutely nothing in common. Look out for disputes of “ne’er the twain shall meet” kind or for events that throw the spanner in the works with regard to plans. Note that Venus also rules money so be careful about cash flow and realistic about costs. Neptune in difficult aspect signals illusion or confusion and there is definitely a higher than average risk in the making of crossed wires or hurt feelings.
This awkward aspect is swiftly followed by two other difficult features on Saturday – the Sun square Pluto (09.04) and Mercury turning retrograde at 2 degrees of Scorpio (18.03) which is Pluto’s sign. So this is a double whammy of Pluto/Scorpio themes. Under such skies emotional issues are particularly intense or a tough decision may be called for. Factors beyond your control are also likely to bring changes and, especially if you have planets in the early degrees of Scorpio (0 to 5, something important will be up for a major rethink. However, do be careful not to burn any bridges in the heat of the moment and don’t issue ultimatums unless you really mean them and are capable of seeing them through. Pluto has a way of slamming doors behind him and Mercury starting his retreat through the deep, dark waters of Scorpio signals silences that will be hard to break.
The weekend finishes on a much livelier note with Mars trine (harmonious) Uranus in the fire signs of Sagittarius and Aries respectively in the early hours of Sunday (05.19), so this aspect will be “applying” for Saturday night. Uranus is always great for groups so say yes to a night out with friends, or to an invitation to do anything different. Also look out for sudden changes of plan of the exciting kind or for meeting someone you instantly connect with.
In terms of the bigger picture with regards to whatever is unfolding for you bear in mind that retrograde Mercury will be the backdrop for the next three weeks – he’ll be returning to Libra next week and will turn direct in this sign on 25 October. Until then tread carefully, delay important decisions and buy yourself time, and keep the following checklist in mind:
• Assume nothing, double check everything
• When in doubt, do nothing
• Keep a close watch on all belongings – especially keys or anything linked to communication such as phones, laptops, cameras etc and don’t even think about buying new ones for the time being.
• Take extra care with form filling/signing on dotted lines
• Back up all your computer work
• Operate by “re” words – review, rethink, rework, revisit etc
• No matter how strongly you may feel about something – or someone – you may change your mind in three weeks time. Or someone else will.
I’ll be talking more about Mercury next week so until then take care and look out for some thought provoking people or experiences. Anything that starts to change the way you think is Mercury quietly at work.
Thank you Joanna, i find your blogs very insightful and helpful…Best wishes. R xx