The Astrology Blog 10 May 2021
All times in BST
“The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them. The hunt to uncover those jewels – that’s creative living. The often surprising results of that hunt – that’s what I call Big Magic.”
“When I refer to creative living I’m talking about living a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear.”
from Big Magic – Creative Living Beyond Fear – by Elizabeth Gilbert
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Elizabeth_Gilbert
LIFE IS STILL MAGICAL
Some of you may recognize the name of Elizabeth Gilbert above as the author best known for her 2006 memoirs, Eat, Pray, Love. It stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list for over three years and in 2010 was also made into a film by the same name, starring Julia Roberts. I didn’t see the movie but I read the book. Last week I was combing my bookshelves for something to read. I know I can read just about anything on line but I love books, there’s nothing to beat the actual turning of the pages. As if by magic, this book Big Magic jumped out at me. I didn’t even know I had it so it must have belonged to my sister.
I started reading it and couldn’t put it down. I won’t spoil it by saying too much but the book is all about identifying and harnessing your creativity, discovering what this really means, and is divided into six sections – Courage, Enchantment, Permission, Persistence, Trust, Divinity.
The message that jumps off the pages within the first two chapters is that there is indisputably something magical going on in this life, including how ideas come to us and how inspiration works. She quotes examples from her own experiences and from those of others known to her, powerful things for which there can be no possible logical or purely scientific explanation.
I firmly believe that astrology is part of this magic. Make that “know”, because astrology is not a belief or a faith, it’s a craft. When we start to tap into the mysteries of this world, when we link up with that “something” that is bigger than us, the all knowing universe or God or whatever you want to call it, we become receptive to the extraordinary.
Elizabeth Gilbert identifies the start of this process with the recognition of our fears, how we can name them but never banish them, how we can instead learn to live with these fears as travelling companions – they can come along for the ride, but they’re not allowed to drive. That’s an example of her style, immediately engaging and funny as she brings the extraordinary down to earth. As we’re living through a time of being up close and personal with fear even more than usual, this kind of wisdom and humour seems especially appealing and helpful.
NO FIRE – AGAIN!
Have been meaning to comment on this for the last few weeks as the Sun and Mercury both exited the fire sign of Aries 19 April, just after Venus 14 April. So we’re back to having no personal planets, or any outer planets come to that with the exception of Chiron in his long slog through Aries, in the element of fire. Apart from anything else we can experience such times as passionless and boring, especially if you’re a strong fire type as I am. But at least we are emerging from lockdown here and I blew the cobwebs off my makeup bag last week and had an evening out for the first time since the beginning of last November!
The next blaze of fire will start 11 June, when Mars enters Leo and will be travelling through all of Leo between then and the end of July. Am wondering if Mars’ change of sign then from “stay at home” Cancer (his sign of “fall”, Mars’ most difficult placing) to Leo – the Sun’s sign – will be when more European holiday destinations will be moved from the amber to the green lists.
For now my divination for whether to cancel May and June Summer School courses, which was a clear yes, is at least making sense in terms of the bigger picture. They would’ve been cancelled anyway and I’ve saved myself and a lot of other people from unnecessary effort and expense in trying to get this schedule to work. The picture for September however continues to look promising,
BILL GATES
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Bill_Gates
https://www.facebook.com/groups/131108987086161/
I’m not covering any news items this week because it’s too depressing. All I will say in terms of the astrology is that the Saturn – Uranus square (big backdrop for the whole year) is certainly making its presence known in terms of civil unrest, violence and fractured lives. As I’ve commented in the past, there are times when a news moratorium for a while is the healthy choice. If there’s anything you really need to know you can be sure that someone will tell you.
But if you belong to my Facebook group The World of Astrology (link above) you’ll already have seen the post I put up last week about Bill and Melinda Gates. This is a clear showing of major transits at work in a natal chart, reinforced by a lunation (a New or Full Moon) –
- Bill Gates Descendant (marriage Angle) is 26.58 Capricorn
- His Sun is 5 Scorpio
- Pluto transits are often especially significant for Scorpios as Pluto co-rules this sign (Mars being the traditional ruler)
- “Wipeout” Pluto is currently SR (Stationary Retrograde, appearing to stand still in the heavens) at 26.48 Capricorn
- That means that when Pluto turned retrograde two weeks ago it was within 10 “minutes of arc” of his Descendant, ie one sixth of a degree
- This is the start of Pluto going back and forth over this degree, from now to end of next year, something that can happen only once every 248 years. In other words, the timing is exact
- Pluto switched to retrograde on 27 April – exactly the same day as the Full Moon at 7 Scorpio, conjunct his Sun
Chiron also in a long transit over his Moon in Aries (chart ruler, as he has Cancer rising), will turn direct 18 Dec again within 10 mins of arc of the natal position. The announcement of the divorce came with Jupiter bang opposite his natal Jupiter/Pluto for the first time, another transit that will repeat in August and December. I don’t care what they say, this is no simple or easy divorce and has a long way to go.
NEW MOON IN TAURUS – ALIGNING WITH NEPTUNE
The Sun on the home stretch through Taurus is a dominant feature, starting with the New Moon (the moment each month when the Moon and Sun are exactly conjunct each other), immediately followed by the sextile to Neptune. A couple of weeks ago I was talking about the importance of themes in astrology (and in fact it was re the Scorpio Full Moon coinciding with Pluto turning retrograde) and we have the same thing at work now. The New Moon herself takes on a Neptunian flavor being in a very close harmonious aspect to this planet, and that aspect in turn is followed by Jupiter changing sign, moving into Pisces – ruled by Jupiter but co-ruled by Neptune –
Tuesday 11 May
- New Moon 21 Taurus 20.01
Thursday 13 May
- Sun 22 Taurus sextile Neptune 22 Pisces 06.47
- Jupiter ingress Pisces 23.36
Monday 17 May
- Sun 26 Taurus trine Pluto 26 Capricorn 10.46
New Moons equal new cycles, and Taurus is the Moon’s favourite sign being her sign of “exaltation”. We can start by honouring all that earthy Taurus represents, such as our connection to nature, our relationship with food, how we make money and what we spend it on, how we enjoy earthly pleasures, the ones that money can’t buy as well as the ones it can.
Taurus is ruled by Venus, planet of love, money and sensuality. Throw in dreamy Neptune for good measure and this softens all the edges even further. It’s a wonderful picture for falling in love or for finding ways to make dreams come true! Remember that astrology can work at such a literal level as well, and Neptune is Poseidon, god of the sea. I already know what I’m doing on Thursday as my favourite beach taverna is opening on that day and I’m going out for lunch for the first time since last October. What a brilliant showing for Taurus food/Neptune location. Am just so sorry for all the students who should’ve been here this week but we’ll make up for it in September.
But just before we all get totally seduced by Neptune there’s something else to consider on this New Moon, beautifully described by my colleague Ingrid Hoffman –
This New Moon is conjunct Black Moon Lilith, (the point where the Moon’s orbit is furthest from Earth) and Black Moon Lilith symbolises the wild, untamed feminine energy that is rooted in our instincts, that speaks to us in our dreams. This is the impulse to change the way we live, the way we love; the is the energy that empowers, makes us rise up rooted against the backdrop of the Saturn/Uranus square which will continue to curtail our freedoms, challenge our beliefs about our personal rights.
Black Moon Lilith has been moving through Taurus from October 2020 and will remain there until July 2021. Lilith carries the aspect of the Dark Goddess, though patriarchal religion demonises her as the feisty first wife of Adam, who refused to lie beneath him and insisted on being his equal. Lilith, like so many strong women, has been relegated to being denigrated as a temptress who seduced men and killed new-born children.
If you want to find out more about Ingrid’s amazing work visit her website: www.trueheartwork.com
Pay close attention to what surfaces for you at the time of this New Moon as it could be a lot more interesting than you at first imagine, especially if you have planets or Angles at or close to 21-22 Taurus or the opposite sign of Scorpio.
A WORD ABOUT JUPITER
Jupiter has a 12 year cycle and as we have 12 signs of the zodiac this means that Jupiter takes a year to travel through each one. Last year Jupiter was in Capricorn (sign of fall, the year of suffering in the travel and airline industries as Jupiter rules everything connected with overseas) and then arrived in Aquarius at the end of December.
So how come Jupiter is already moving into the next sign of Pisces? This is because Jupiter’s last change of direction – from retrograde to direct – happened last September and he’s therefore been at full speed, racing through the whole of Aquarius in five months. This arrival in Pisces however is something of a false start –
- Jupiter is already starting to slow down and will only get as far as 2 degrees of Pisces before turning retrograde again on 20 June
- Jupiter is always retrograde for four months at a time
- This in turn means that Jupiter will slide back into Aquarius (28 July) and will turn direct at 22 Aquarius (18 October)
- Jupiter will return to Pisces for the second time at the end of this year (29 December)
- So Pisceans, or those of you with Pisces placings, you are only having Jupiter transits this year if you have planets or Angles in the first 2 degrees of this sign. Anything from 3 degrees onwards, you’ll have to wait till next year!
So Jupiter is dipping his toes into the sea for a paddle but not a full on swim into deeper waters just yet. As with any major shift again pay attention to what surfaces for you, especially during this next two weeks while Jupiter travels through 0 degrees of Pisces (beginnings), and test the waters yourself in any new situation or relationship. This is all echoing the themes of the New Moon, and covering the space between this lunation and the next one which will be the Full Moon/Total Lunar Eclipse at 5 Sagittarius. This whole picture adds up to change and points of transition, even or maybe especially in any situation that has been hopelessly stuck.
WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK?
Mars continues his journey through Cancer, sign of the sideways moving Crab, Mars’ sign of “fall”. Mars is the planet of action and loves straight lines, the A to B directness and immediacy of Aries, so the current combination is a mismatch and can add up to something of a long and winding road.
In this respect Mars’ aspect to Uranus could be a good thing. As much as it’s a volatile and even potentially explosive meeting there is at least the chance to get a situation moving. Things have a way of happening quickly and in the way you least expected when Uranus is in on the act –
Wednesday 13 May
- Mars 11 Cancer sextile Uranus 11 Taurus 03.48
- Mercury 13 Gemini trine Saturn 13 Aquarius 19.35
Friday 14 May
- Mars 13 Cancer quinqunx Saturn 13 Aquarius 15.50
Note that Mars finishes the week in that awkward blind spot aspect to Saturn, which in turn tells us that Mars is in fact playing into the big Saturn – Uranus square. This can obviously play out in all kinds of ways but that quinqunx is a minor aspect, meaning that things can be a hassle but work through quickly, but it adds up to nothing being set in stone. Saturn likes things to stay the same, Uranus likes to shake things up, Mars is going around in circles. Top advice is no unnecessary risk taking, and patience, especially with all matters related to family, property and domestic issues (Cancer).
Mercury is also in this scrum in a harmonious trine to Saturn, which is good news as Mercury is dignified in his own sign of quick and clever Gemini, great at coming up with answers, and Saturn too is dignified in his own sign of Aquarius. But there’s another “but” in the mix – great! And that is Saturn – as mentioned with Pluto earlier – is now also SR, Stationary Retrograde, stuck at 13 degrees Aquarius.
If you have planets or Angles at or close to 13 degrees of Aquarius or the opposite sign of Leo, or 13 degrees of Gemini or the opposite sign of Sagittarius, then this Mercury – Saturn get together will be extra important for you. Universally though look out for changes of plan, delays, that back to the drawing board feeling or the start of new projects which are now changing shape or the reappearance of people/plans from the recent or further back past. SR planets have a way of stopping us in our tracks and taking us back. Gemini often links to choices.
Next week Venus now in Gemini will be making the same aspect to Saturn, followed by the Sun also moving into the sign of the Twins, and I’ll be talking more about these themes next week,
Until then, with love from Greece
Joanna