Magic, Miracles, Mayhem… or a Mixture!
Checking Charts
If you want to see the sign and degree of the planets in your own or any other natal chart, (so you can check against the signs and degrees important this week), here’s the link to Astrotheme. Enter your data into the boxes provided:
https://www.astrotheme.com/horoscope_chart_sign_ascendant.php
The Astrology Blog 13 May 2019
All times given are stated in BST
“The first time i called myself a ‘witch’ was the most magical moment of my life.”
― from “Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America”
Margot Adler (16 April 1946, Sun Aries/Venus Taurus)
There’s a huge amount going on in the heavens this week. Unfortunately, being in the middle of running a course, I don’t have the time to do it all full justice. However, here’s the main overview.
Last week, you may remember that we had Jupiter and Pluto coming together by minor aspect – a semi-sextile. This happens when two planets are exactly two signs apart. The other fast moving planets are still playing into that alignment. Starting with the Sun at the beginning of the week – and then Mercury at the end of the week:
Monday 13 May
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Sun 23 Taurus quinqunx Jupiter 23 Sagittarius 19.29 BST
Tuesday 14 May
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Sun 23 Taurus trine Pluto 23 Capricorn 04.05 BST
The quinqunx is another minor aspect that happens when planets are exactly five signs apart. It is linked to awkwardness and blind spots. Last week I hit a pothole in the road. It happened within less than 24 hours of the actual Jupiter – Pluto link and did make me think of that aspect! Jupiter being travel, Pluto being black holes, and both being retrograde. I wasn’t going fast, but I wasn’t paying enough attention. So, the message is to read the road ahead and, if possible, not to take too much on. When we are preoccupied or distracted, we don’t have our usual powers of concentration.
So anything to do with travel will need careful planning at the beginning of the week. I am thinking about the new group due to arrive on Wednesday for Elisabeth Brooke’s workshop. Especially those who have booked last minute! I know when I go to the UK for my London events, it’s always a military operation to get away. And also to make sure that I’ve got everything I need, especially in terms of work material.
The Sun quinqunx Jupiter feels tiring, but the trine to Pluto signals a plan coming together.
It’s a “witchy” aspect, and is paving the way to the Full Moon in Scorpio (the sign co-ruled by Pluto) which falls at the weekend. All great for psychic and magical work.
Pluto is also about change of the transformative/all or nothing kind. It’s also about resources, including money. So this is a great aspect for dealing with financial issues. Or for turning around any situation that has been troublesome or out of control. Find your own power in a matter and recognize your own worth. It could be a significant turning point.
Love and money matters are primary this week as the love planets Venus (also rules money) and Mars come together by a harmonious sextile. Then both change sign:
Tuesday 14 May
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Venus 29 Aries sextile Mars 29 Gemini 14.59 BST
Wednesday 15 May
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Venus ingress Taurus 10.47 BST
Thursday 16 May
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Mars ingress Cancer 04.10 BST
So the Venus – Mars link happens at the very end of their current signs, marking closure and the end of a cycle.
Here in Greece it will mark the last day of the tarot course. Then we’ll move onto a different subject on Wed, when Venus changes sign. So pay special attention if you need to wrap something up and shift focus. Don’t leave any loose ends untied.
This aspect also definitely sensitizes affairs, with Mars being in the double sign of the Twins. If you’re involved in any kind of triangular complication this is a week when matters are likely to be resolved. With choices made and loyalties decided.
If you’re in a new relationship, this pattern indicates moving forwards. Moving away from the lighthearted, flirtatious or superficial chitchat stage. And into something much more intimate and reliable. If you meet someone new this week, then it’s the real deal, but not without its emotional challenges.
Venus especially is gathering strength as she leaves Aries (her sign of detriment) and enters Taurus (one of her signs of dignity). She’ll be travelling through this sign until 9 June. Here’s a flavor of this combination as a natal placing from my book Be Your Own Astrologer:
Venus in feminine, earthy Taurus is soft, sensual and tactile. These Venus people thrive on physical contact, although they do have to feel comfortable with you first. This is a safety conscious sign but, with emotional security in place, this Venus placing wins hands down when it comes to kisses and cuddles. Princess Diana was famous for many things but with her Venus in her 5th house (children) her hands-on, affectionate parenting was probably at the top of the list.
These Venus people tend not to rush into love unless they are young. The older they get the more they deliberate, and the more they will choose reliability and solvency – they love retail therapy – over physical attraction. The flipside to this Venus is complacency. They would be the first to admit to a lazy streak and dislike of change. They may either miss or ignore the early warning signs of love trouble.
As with Mercury in Taurus, the sign that rules the throat, this Venus often denotes the beautiful voice. Amira Willighagen who won Holland’s Got Talent 2014 at the age of 9 with a pure, operatic voice of a very mature angel, the “Godfather of Soul” James Brown, “Slowhand” Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney all have this Venus.
Mars
Mars’ change of sign is more complex as Cancer is his sign of “fall”. He will be travelling through this sign until 1 July. Cancer is the sign of the Moon. So start by noting that any Mars – Moon combination is tricky. This is signaled by their conflicting signs of dignity/exaltation (strength) and detriment/fall (weakness):
The Moon is dignified in Cancer, Mars’s sign of fall. And the Moon is in detriment in Capricorn, Mars’ sign of exaltation.
Mars is dignified in Scorpio, the Moon’s sign of fall. And is in detriment in Taurus, the Moon’s sign of exaltation.
Mars prefers to move in straight lines. However Cancer is depicted by the sideways moving crab.
Mars is direct and pointed, whilst Cancer is cautious, inward looking and prone to avoidant behavior.
So there’s a clear mismatch between planet and sign. Watch out for these hallmarks in any evolving relationship or situation.
The end of the week also brings a flurry of Mercury aspects. As I mentioned the other week, Mercury is currently at full speed and is poised to make a rapid succession of four aspects:
Thursday 16 May
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Mercury 18 Taurus sextile Neptune 16 Pisces 02.22 BST
Friday 17 May
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Mercury 20 Taurus trine Saturn 20 Capricorn 00.10 BST
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Mercury 22 Taurus quinqunx Jupiter 22 Sagittarius 22.50 BST
Saturday 18 May
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Mercury 23 Taurus trine Pluto 23 Capricorn 06.48 BST
So Mercury is re-invoking the Jupiter – Pluto aspect. On the way to that, he makes aspects to both Neptune and Saturn.
These feel productive. Mercury in hands on, “keep it real” Taurus, making positive aspects to Neptune (imaginative/empathic) and Saturn (work, goals, structure, finalizing). These planets are both in “dignity” being in their own signs of Pisces and Capricorn respectively. So this bodes well for all Mercurial issues. For example, communication in all its guises, ideas, information, news, decisions, insights and answers. And as Mercury is now fast moving, then based on the ‘as above, so below‘ principle – a key issue or situation could also now unfold and develop rapidly.
It’s a busy time, and we may need to wear lots of different hats. Or keep a lot of people happy/in the loop. But it’s all definitely orientated towards results and solution finding.
The weekend also brings the annual Venus – Uranus conjunction, followed by the witchiest Full Moon of the year:
Saturday 18 May
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Venus conjunct Uranus 4 Taurus 17.18 BST
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Full Moon 27 Scorpio 22.12 BST
As I was saying at the beginning of this blog, Uranus is the thing you didn’t bank on. Put that together with Venus – love/money/pleasures – and just about anything could happen.
If you have planets or angles at or very close to 4 degrees of Taurus. Or in the other Fixed signs of Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius then you’re in for a lively weekend.
This can be love or money surprises of the pleasant kind, given that Venus is now in her own sign.
But if you have Venusian issues in any kind of crisis, then outside factors that you didn’t expect, may well sort things out.
If you have planets or angles at the end of the Fixed signs. This Full Moon at the end of Scorpio will also be especially relevant. It’s a fantastic Moon for Elisabeth’s week on Astrology and Magic. And given that Uranus also rules groups, this feels like a real coven in the making!
But also be aware that the Full Moon is notorious for “domestics” and things going a bit nuts ….
Until next week,
With love from Greece
Joanna