The Astrology Blog 21 February 2022
All times in GMT
“Dependency may appear to be love because it is a force that causes people to fiercely attach themselves to one another. But in actuality it is not love; it is a form of antilove … it seeks to receive rather than to give. It nourishes infantilism rather than growth. It works to trap and constrict rather than to liberate. Ultimately it destroys rather than builds relationships, and it destroys rather than builds people.”
M. Scott Peck
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/M._Scott_Peck
“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 – 1860)
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Arthur_Schopenhauer
This week’s quotations come from men with opposing world views. German philosopher Schopenhauer is known for his “doctrine of pessimism”, ultimately concluding that life is about striving and suffering, to the extent that it’s not really worth living.
Psychotherapist Scott Peck also concludes that life is about striving and suffering, the opening line of his best known work The Road Less Travelled is “Life is difficult”, but, given the right tools, is supremely worth living. Combined with his spiritual beliefs his work led him to the truth that often, “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived.”
You won’t be surprised to read that I’m with Scott Peck. One of the greatest benefits of becoming astrologically literate is to see, without doubt, that the hand of destiny is at work in our lives. It can be a real safety net with regards to depression. Astrology provides us with a frame of reference that doesn’t offer us magic wands but does help us to make sense of our world. Even the worst times will pass.
The other huge value of astrology is that it reminds us that we all matter, not just collectively but as individuals. Think about faces. Everyone is born with two eyes, a nose and a mouth, yet we all look different from one another. Even identical twins have differences.
Every single person on this planet has a horoscope that is unique to that person and can never be repeated. It’s our celestial DNA. As I always teach my students, the horoscope is the person, the person is the horoscope. Same thing. Astrology doesn’t exist separately from us, somewhere out there. Whether we’re aware of it or not, we’re living out our charts the whole time. Part of the astrologer’s job is to tell you which bit you’re living out right now and how it’s going.
ONGOING ASPECTS – THE BACKDROP
A) THE JUPITER – URANUS COMBO
Friday 18 February
- Jupiter 11 Pisces sextile Uranus 11 Taurus 00.12
These two giants aligned by sextile last week, an aspect formed when two planets arrive at the same degree exactly two signs apart. The sextile, along with the trine which is formed when planets are exactly four signs apart, are considered to be the most harmonious.
However, as I was discussing in the blog a couple of weeks ago, how important actually are the aspects in terms of denoting “good” or “bad”? On the whole I would say that this rule applies more particularly to natal patterns (how the planets align in your own horoscope) but when you’re looking at the progressed chart (predictive, literally how things are progressing) or at what is called mundane astrology (events out in the world) it’s the essential nature of the two planets that is more important.
For example, in natal astrology, we learn about “what is this planet? and then move on to “who is this planet?” Your horoscope isn’t just about you as a personality, it’s about your whole life and everyone and everything in it.
In other words, two planets coming together can translate into two people coming together, a new face coming into the picture, and this activity is crucial in relationship astrology, as demonstrated in last week’s blog for Valentine’s Day. The aspect itself counts but is less important than the nature of which two planets are involved.
Another important point is that good and bad generally doesn’t work out in a straightforward way when an aspect involves a personal planet (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) with an outer planet (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Chiron). The latter are double edged swords and really can cut both ways.
Because personal planet Jupiter (12 year cycle) and outer planet Uranus (84 year cycle) are slow moving they stay in aspect (in relationship) until the gap between them passes 6 degrees. The gap between them reaches the full stretch of 6 degrees mid March so they’re in the picture for another few weeks.
So, back to the point about “good” aspects, nothing like hindsight for learning astrological language. This huge aspect coincided with the massive Storm Eunice, who battered the UK and brought most of the country to a standstill. Jupiter – Mr Big – lots of, in Pisces = lots of water, with Uranus – the rug puller – disruption nationwide.
Look out for more events that marry one or more of these themes –
Jupiter – opportunity, luck, liberation, good fortune, abundance, generosity both giving and receiving, learning, publishing, truth and justice/all legal concerns. Long distance travel, foreigners, and all matters or people related to overseas.
Uranus – main principle is change, especially of the sudden or shocking kind, the “bolt from the blue”. Uranian events are innovative, explosive, sudden, unexpected, erratic or unpredictable. They bear the hallmarks of brilliance, being different, unconventional or original in some way. Uranus also rules the collective and groups of all kinds.
B) THE VENUS – MARS CONJUNCTION
Wednesday 16 February
- Venus conjunct Mars 16 Capricorn 14.30
Last week we also had the Venus – Mars conjunction, and this aspect (along with the square, opposition and trine) lasts until the gap between the two planets passes 8 degrees.
This aspect would normally last for a couple of weeks as the faster moving Venus would overtake Mars and speed on. However, as Venus has recently been retrograde (turned direct 29 January and is still not quite back up to full speed) we have the rare event of Mars currently being the faster moving planet.
This translates into the two travelling on parallel tracks for weeks, with the exact conjunction repeating 6 March when both planets arrive in Aquarius at the same time. They continue to stay in conjunction until 6 April, so about another six weeks to go.
It struck me that this next Venus – Mars conjunction 6 March falls at 0 degrees of Aquarius. This in itself is a “critical” (sensitized) degree (as is 29 degrees) as the first is a beginning and the latter an ending. But it was also the degree of the huge Jupiter – Saturn conjunction that fell on 21 December 2020, the major hallmark of going into the second year of the pandemic. Jupiter – I want to go out and enjoy myself and travel, Saturn – no, you can’t.
Everyone is now talking about the worst of the pandemic being over, that we’re now moving into “living with Covid”. To have Venus and Mars linking up at 0 Aquarius, instead of the major slower planets Jupiter and Saturn, amounts to new and more personal beginnings in the sign of the collective, and a great way to enter the spring.
At a personal level the pairing of Venus and Mars in hard working Capricorn is a wonderful showing for love as work in progress. If you’ve never read The Road Less Travelled I strongly recommend that you do as it’s a book that explodes romantic myths and equates love with effort. This includes the crucial act of really listening rather than just trying to make yourself be heard –
“Listening well is an exercise of attention and by necessity hard work. It is because most people do not realize this or they are not willing to do the work that they do not listen well.”
Back to the point about Scott Peck saying that we need the right tools here are his “Four Tools of Discipline”. No space to explore them here but well worth reading the book –
- Delaying gratification
- Accepting responsibility
- Dedication to reality
- Balancing
MERCURY AND VENUS – COMING OUT OF SHADOW
As both of these planets have recently turned direct after making their retrograde backwards loops through the heavens they’re both picking up speed again. When a planet returns to the exact position at which it originally turned retrograde this is called “coming out of shadow” –
- Thursday 24 February for Mercury
- next Wednesday 2 March for Venus.
The moment that a planet comes out of shadow also means, astronomically, that the planet is back up to full speed. Symbolically then this translates into the same thing happening for us – as above, so below. It also implies the revelation of that which has been hidden or unknown up until now. In this sense it’s a bit like Eclipse symbolism, shadows falling and then lifting again to reveal a new picture.
For example, something you’ve been working on could take off, a health issue gets resolved and restores you to full power again, a relationship that’s been secret could go public, information comes to light that proves crucial to a decision or problem solving, lost objects come to light or you find what you’ve been looking for. And so on, you get the picture.
Note however that this can swing both ways, that not everything coming into the light will be welcome, the situation in Ukraine being the most obvious example, and which is also why Schopenhauer’s quote jumped out at me, about the truth being ridiculed on the way to becoming “the bleedin’ obvious”.
- America – you’re planning a war aren’t you?
- Russia – no we’re not, we’re de-escalating and getting ready to withdraw
- America – it looks as if you’re getting ready to invade
- Russia – no, don’t be ridiculous, that’s just western propaganda
- America – satellite images show that you’ve built a full scale military hospital
- Russia – normal practice for scheduled military exercises etc etc etc
So if you’re up against any kind of distortion of the truth – you’re having an affair aren’t you, no I’m not, don’t be silly (from my client work last week) – then events unfolding this week are likely to reveal the reality.
There’s a minor aspect this week that is clanging a few alarm bells, especially as it falls within just a few hours of the Mars – Neptune aspect (Mars god of war rules the military) –
Wednesday 23 February
- Jupiter 12 Pisces semi-square Pluto 27 Capricorn 22.02
So a square is 90 degrees (planets 3 signs apart), the semi-square is literally half a square, so it’s not so easy to spot. It’s considered to be inharmonious, surprise, surprise.
It IS a minor aspect BUT these are major planets. Think back to the first year of the pandemic when the three conjunctions of Jupiter – Pluto were the major hallmark of the first year of the pandemic. Jupiter – I want to go out and enjoy myself and travel, Pluto – no, you can’t – and not just because those are the rules (Saturn) but because there aren’t any flights (Pluto = wipeout). So midweek is crunch point for any matter already in crisis.
WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK?
As already mentioned Mercury will be coming out of shadow on Thursday, coinciding with Mars and Venus both making the sextile aspect to Neptune –
Wednesday 23 February
- Mars 22 Capricorn sextile Neptune 22 Pisces 19.14
- Jupiter 12 Pisces semi-square Pluto 27 Capricorn 22.02
Thursday 24 February
- Mercury comes out of shadow 05.00
- Venus 22 Capricorn sextile Neptune 22 Pisces 16.06
So the love planets continuing to travel side by side means that when one makes an aspect then so does the other one. This link to Neptune, who treks on through his own sign of Pisces, is either a huge slosh of misty eyed romanticism or it’s a wakeup call about what can or can’t happen. Reality checks are a bigger theme than usual at the moment. Try not to operate on fantasy, look at what is rooted in fact.
The Venus – Mars union is reinvoked again at the weekend. I don’t normally list lunar aspects as there are so many of them but these are worth noting, especially if you’re in any kind of growing relationship or healing a broken one, and especially if you have planets or Angles at or very close to these degrees –
Sunday 27 February
- Moon conjunct Venus 24 Capricorn 09.07
- Moon conjunct Mars 25 Capricorn 10.07
At the end of the week Mercury (communication, news, information etc) makes his first aspects after coming out of shadow, playing into the Jupiter – Uranus alliance –
Friday 25 February
- Mercury 11 Aquarius square Uranus 11 Taurus 02.22
Saturday 26 February
- Mercury 13 Aquarius semi-sextile Jupiter 13 Pisces 12.17
This certainly fits in with the theme of shocks or surprises being on the cards, but it’s another mixed bag. For some, events unfolding at the end of the week will link back to the middle of last week. Or it will be one of those moments when you have to accept that a problem isn’t going to sort itself out and that you need to troubleshoot.
Whatever your own scenario look out for a) the things you suspected being proved true or false b) the things you didn’t know about now making a difference c) the things you hadn’t understood before now explaining everything d) the thing that you never thought would happen e) the help, info or decisions from other people that you’ve been waiting for in order to move a matter on.
THE QUEEN
Last but by no means least it was reported in the news last week that Charles and then Camilla were down with Covid and that Charles had visited his mother two days before testing positive. Given that the dominant strain of the virus has reached new levels of infectiousness it was inevitable that the Queen would also catch it.
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Elizabeth_II
The Queen is not having the best of times with her two elder sons. Andrew squeaks through the sex scandal (Uranus) by the skin of his teeth, thanks to the skills of extremely clever lawyers (Jupiter) and the ability to pay out undisclosed millions, while Charles gives her Covid. Great.
The Queen has a Capricorn Ascendant and is therefore ruled by Saturn, who dominates her horoscope by sitting exactly on her Midheaven and being the focal point of a Fixed T-Square across her 1st and 7th Houses. The shape of the T is formed with Mars/Jupiter at 21/22 Aquarius, opposite Neptune at 22 Leo, all square the Saturn at 24 Scorpio.
From a natal point of view this aspect pattern reflects her physical hardiness and the personal sacrifices that have come with the job. From a predictive point of view Saturn is now the most active planet in her horoscope –
- Saturn has approx 30 year cycle
- This translates into taking roughly 2.5 years to travel through each sign
- Saturn is now more than halfway through Aquarius
- Saturn will therefore be working his way through the Queen’s T-Square, and is already kicking in as Saturn heads into the last decanate (the last 10 degrees) of Aquarius from 11 March
- The exact dates – starts when Saturn reaches her Mars 19 March and ending with the last contact to Saturn next January
It’s true that Saturnian types often tend to weather Saturn transits better than most, but even so they can be unbelievably heavy, and very often that relates to health issues too. If nothing else I would say that these transits, Covid or no Covid, indicate that the Queen is really up against her physical limitations, which she will hate. If it wasn’t for her historic staying power I’d say she might even abdicate. But for as long as she can deal with matters of state that’s unlikely to happen. Let’s hope she gets well soon, not because she’s the Queen but because she’s an amazing woman and is having a hard time.
Next week it’s Venus’ turn to come out of shadow, the Sun’s turn to play into the Jupiter – Uranus, while Venus and Mars both catch up with Pluto before changing sign. So there’s a lot more to come,
Until then, keep your feet on the floor,
With love from Greece
Joanna