The Astrology Blog 28 October 2019
“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”
― Aristotle
Checking your Chart – What does this Mean?
A frequent comment from my non astrological readers (ie not students) is something along the lines of, “I love your blog but it’s too technical. I just take away the bits that I can understand, but I generally get the main points!” It’s wonderful that so many non astrologers faithfully read the blog every week. My challenge is that it was originally written for astrology students, so it’s a source of learning as well as being a guide for the week ahead. So I can’t make it non technical – ie I can’t take out all the aspects being formed each week, I can’t stop explaining the rules of traditional astrological craft – but I’m going to try and make the format and planetary symbolism a bit clearer by putting “in a nutshell” keywords for each planet/point. Also the following explanation may help.
Universal Symbolism
Astrology works in many ways but at a week to week level there are two approaches that can be taken either separately or together. Firstly there are the themes of the week, that work at a universal level and will show in the world around you.
For example, we currently have Venus (love, women) travelling through Scorpio (life and death cycle, power). Last week it was announced that abortion has been decriminalized in Northern Ireland, meaning that women needing an abortion can no longer be prosecuted and neither can the health care workers involved.
Particular Symbolism
Secondly, you can compare the position of the planets each week to the position of the planets in your own horoscope. If there are any that match up then this means that you’re experiencing personal transits – that is, the transiting (travelling, where it is now) planet will have reached the same sign and degree as one of your natal planets, and therefore the themes of the week will be more pertinent to you. The journey/themes of the planet in question will unfold in some personal way for you in your own life. Only YOU have the context – your own story.
If you don’t already have your own chart or a list of where all your natal planets are then go to the link here, fill in your birth data (date, place and time) and this will take you to a visual of your horoscope.
https://www.astrotheme.com/horoscope_chart_sign_ascendant.php
You can hover the mouse over each planet and in the bar above the chart it will tell you which planet it is, what degree of which sign, and which house it’s in.
For example, look at the visual for Prince Charles –
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Charles,_Prince_of_Wales
Hover your mouse over the letters AC on the left and it will tell you in the bar above that this is the Ascendant (or rising sign) at 5.20 Leo, beginning to the 1st House. Hover your mouse over the glyph for the Moon at the top of his chart and it will tell you in the bar that this is the Moon at 0.26 Taurus in the 10th House – and so on. If you’re new to astrology I recommend that you make a list of the positions of all of your natal planets and the Angles – ie Ascendant and Midheaven (beginning to the 10th House of career and purpose).
Interpretation – Universal v Personal
There is no website or software in the world that can interpret your horoscope. Fact. This is because the objective astrological activity needs the context of the individual’s subjective experience and life situation. You will do a better job of it yourself just by studying your own chart, following the current astrology and seeing how it shows.
For example, one showing of Venus in Scorpio out in the world last week was the change of abortion laws. Venus going into Scorpio didn’t MAKE the Irish government change the law. Rather, the current astrology works at a “as above, so below” level. As I often say it’s like looking into a huge celestial mirror, seeing how the heavens reflect back to us the events taking place on planet Earth.
Scorpio Season
At a personal level, for example, if you have a planet at any degree of Scorpio in your own horoscope –
- At some point between the 23 October and 22 November the Sun will transit that planet. In other words the Sun will highlight it and bring it to life for 24 hours or so
- Venus is now on the last leg of her journey through Scorpio, as she’s been travelling through this sign since 8 October and will move on into Sagittarius at the end of this week. So again at some point Venus will have transited or is about to transit your own planet in Scorpio, depending on the degree.
- Probably more importantly at the moment, Mercury is also in this sign and is about to turn retrograde (at 27 degrees Scorpio, backtracking over the next three weeks to 11 degrees of Scorpio). So if you have a planet anywhere between 11 and 27 degrees of Scorpio you will get a Mercury transit three times.
This week’s blog explores more info on how retrograde Mercury can manifest.
What’s Happening this Week?
- New Moon = New cycles
- Scorpio = Power, life/death/rebirth, transformative change
- Uranus = the Unexpected
I mentioned the New Moon at the end of last week’s blog as this event has just happened, in the early hours of this morning –
Monday 28 October
- New Moon 4.25 Scorpio 03.40 GMT
- Moon 4.37 Scorpio opposite Uranus 4.37 Taurus 03.59 GMT
- Sun 4.37 Scorpio opposite Uranus 4.37 Taurus 08.16 GMT
I was taught that either a New or Full Moon counts for two weeks (ie until the next lunation, the next New or Full Moon) and I’ve often found that to be the case. However, the closer the event to the actual date, the more powerfully it shows. The headlines this morning announced a new regime for Argentina with a new president Alberto Fernández after Mr Macri conceded defeat on Sunday night –
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50203727
It’s the Full Moon that’s associated with lunacy (lunar) and things going nuts, but this New Moon falling exactly opposite unpredictable Uranus is also a recipe for springing surprises. Listen out for eyebrow raising news. Events over the last few days may have put a different spin on how you look at something or someone, and for some this will have far reaching reverberations. Rethinking is a huge theme this week so be open to changing your mind and don’t forge ahead on the basis of any assumptions.
Otherwise this New Moon is promising for new ventures, especially those that involve groups or which benefit your community as Uranus rules the collective. However, with Mercury about to throw a spanner in the works, we have to say that nothing is likely to be immediate or easy. From the drawing board to completion is likely to be a long road ahead.
Mars isn’t helping, being in a sign he doesn’t like and tangled up with the outer planets, the square to Saturn last week, this minor aspect to Neptune now and another square still to come, to Pluto next week –
- Mars = action
- Aspect Quinqunx = a minor aspect but symbolizes blind spots
- Neptune = by difficult aspect, confusion or deception
Tuesday 29 October
- Mars 16 Libra quinqunx Neptune 16 Pisces 03.59 GMT
Mars is now halfway through his journey in Libra, one of Mars’ signs of detriment. In other words it’s a mismatch. Mars likes to get things done and move in straight lines, but Libra as the sign of the Scales likes to weigh things up, procrastinate or give too much weight to what other people might think. Mind the gap between what someone says and what they actually do. This week it’s especially helpful to check that you’re seeing something or someone as their behavior demonstrates, and not what you imagine them to be.
This is a difficult aspect for emotional issues as Mars is pain and Neptune by difficult aspect is yearning for something that is difficult or even impossible to attain, sadness or grief. At a practical level it’s a classic aspect for water related problems, such as heavy rains, flooding, faulty plumbing or washing machines/dishwashers and so on.
From the emotional to the practical bear in mind that the quinqunx nearly always indicates difficulty with getting to the real problem, which rather sets the tone for the rest of the week.
Retrograde Mercury
Mercury loops backwards for three weeks at a time, three times a year. The textbook definition for these times is “problems with transport and communication”, which is basically a huge umbrella for the myriad of things that we do in our day to day lives.
Between now and Thursday Mercury is “stationing”, ie appearing to slow down to the point of stopping and switching direction. Remember the plane analogy? A plane coming in to land doesn’t drop out of the sky to the tarmac below but makes a slow descent. The same for taking off again – ie when Mercury turns direct (20 November at 11 Scorpio).
This is already showing. Last week I got a new phone, hoping that I was staying several steps ahead of troublesome Mercury. Several problems have transpired since bringing the new baby home, the main ones being not synching with my main email account, and not being compatible with the version of Whatsapp on my desktop computer. I’ve spent several frustrating hours trying to sort this out but to no avail so this week I’ll have to find someone who knows what to do! I’ve also just realized that my passport expires in January and learned that it’s no longer possible to send it off to Athens as I did ten years ago. Now it can only be done on line, I have to produce utilities bills with my name on them for my address but I don’t have any as my home is rented and all the bills are in the landlady’s name. Another headache!
An extra factor in Mercury’s turnaround this time is that Venus reaches 27 Scorpio at the same time, so the two planets make an exact conjunction less than 24 hours before Mercury turns retrograde.
- Mercury = communication
- Venus = love, money, life’s pleasures
- Scorpio = emotional intensity, sexual attraction, secrets, power/control issues
Wednesday
- Mercury conjunct Venus 27 Scorpio 22.06 GMT
Thursday 31 October
- Mercury turns retrograde 27 Scorpio 15.42 GMT
Mercury – Venus combinations are usually good news, and this one falling in passionate Scorpio is brilliant for pillow talk and all kinds of heart to hearts. But with Mercury going straight into reverse, how much of this can we rely on? Important conversations may reveal the things we didn’t want to hear, promises that can’t be kept, pulling away from someone who can’t give us what we want or vice versa, changes of plan connected to financial feasibility or reaching agreements that can’t be actioned immediately or which will change again in their essential details. You may have to decide what or who is worth waiting for.
Pay very close attention to what comes up for you, especially midweek, as unfolding events, your own instinctive feelings and reactions, or someone’s actual words will be packed with clues. But it’s definitely out with complacency and in with patience, and a good time to adopt Wayne Dyer’s mantra that I quoted last week – “have a mind that is open to everything, and attached to nothing”.
Forewarned is Forearmed
These are the kind of themes to look out for, which you may already be experiencing or which will unfold during the next three weeks –
- Guard against trying to construct situations or distress yourself with regard to anything beyond your control. Forcing any kind of round pegs into square holes won’t be worth the effort and could cost you dearly
- Know that there are things you don’t know – yet
- Try to operate by “re” words – review, revise, research, reappraise, rethink, repair, redress the balance and so on. Also remember rest and relaxation, give the brain some time off and try not to put yourself under unnecessary pressure
- Expect cancellations or rescheduling of appointments or personal arrangements
- Buy yourself time wherever needed – keep options open
- When in doubt, check it out – second hand opinions are a dead cert for getting hold of the wrong end of the stick – and don’t believe everything you hear
- Write things down and double check everything – forgetfulness, being distracted, inattention etc can be a troublesome theme
- Back up all your computer work
- Don’t delete any documents – you may need them at a later date
- Getting back to ideas on the back burner
- Getting back in touch with those who’ve been neglected or important to you in the past – let them know how much they matter
- Keep a close watch on all belongings – especially keys or anything linked to communication such as phones, laptops, tablets, cameras etc and don’t even think about buying new ones for the time being
- The same for cars – never buy any mode of transport under a retro Mercury
- Plan any journey with extra care, don’t trust to luck, don’t travel unless you have to and make sure tickets are covered on your insurance
- Kill your speed when driving – allow extra time for getting there slowly but safely
- Take extra care with form filling/signing on dotted lines – paperwork and admin of all kinds are a minefield
- Decide to ease the pain or cool the resentment. Write the letter you can’t send or you’ll never send – whether it’s to someone you’ve lost or to someone you want to strangle it’s great therapy
- Turning this the other way around you can also write a letter to yourself from someone you’ve lost – which is even greater therapy. I’ve done this in the past, from my twin Sue, and it was unbelievably powerful
- Stop trying to fix others – just focus on yourself. Changes starts with us, and within us, from the inside out, not the other way around
- Assume nothing. No matter how certain a situation might seem there is a good chance that it will morph into something else over the next couple of weeks – the “x” factor is at work …
- Reserve the right to change your mind/keep an open mind. As you start to see something from a different angle the truth, reality or logistics will evolve in a way that you couldn’t possibly have planned or expected
- KEEP A SENSE OF HUMOUR J
So, it’s not looking like the easiest of weeks, but the more cheerful news is that Venus will leave Scorpio (one of her signs of detriment) and enter sunny Sagittarius in time for the coming weekend –
Friday 1 November
- Venus ingress Sagittarius 20.26 GMT
Venus will be travelling through Jupiter’s sign until 26 November, and as Jupiter himself is on his last leg of the journey through this sign this means that the lovely annual Venus – Jupiter conjunction is in the making. It will be exact on 24 November, at 28 Sagittarius. Both of these planets are known as the “benefics” – they’re good for us – and the combination of the two is fabulous for love or money luck, liberation, optimism and travel plans of all kinds. Maybe my new passport will arrive on or around that date! If nothing else this aspect is a glorious light at the end of the tunnel and it’s only a month away so keep your eye on that light, no matter what curved balls Mercury may be throwing your way.
Until next week, with love from Greece
Joanna