The Astrology Blog 22 February 2021
All times in GMT
“You’ve been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself – and see what happens.
Louise Hay – Author of You Can Heal Your Life
“Always believe that something wonderful is going to happen. Never take a day for granted.”
Brigitte Nicole – Writer
STUART KAPLAN
On 9 February the world said goodbye to a giant in the esoteric world, Stuart Kaplan who passed away at the age of 88. This is from his obituary in The New York Times –
In 1968 Stuart Kaplan discovered a Tarot deck at the Nuremburg Toy Fair. Fascinated by this beautiful and mysterious treasure, he brought it back to New York, quit Wall Street and founded U.S. Games Inc. Stuart was committed to honouring Pamela Coleman-Smith, the artist of the Rider Waite tarot. If you wish to remember Stuart, follow your passion and never quit, and please do something kind for someone else.
What a wonderful legacy, to bring the tarot to so many millions, to leave behind a thriving company and above all to be remembered for his kindness. I never met Stuart Kaplan in person but I was told by my publishers that he’d praised my first book Tarot for Today and his support led to the book being bought by The Readers Digest, publishing thousands of copies as a box set with personalized cards.
That was nearly 20 years ago and I’ve never forgotten how much his encouragement and validation meant to me, and still does. It makes my recent correspondence with his daughter Jennifer Kaplan all the more special, when I’d mentioned this and she wrote back that her father was thrilled that his comments had got back to me.
If there is someone you’d like to thank or praise do it now – this might mean more than you realize and someone might be remembering your words in 20 years time.
MERCURY HAS TURNED DIRECT – SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
Last week I posted my divination for whether or not I should take up the offer of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The answer was a clear no. Since then I’ve been inundated with information from those who believe I made the right decision, and am grateful.
However I’ve also heard from others trying to make the same decision, who find it a major dilemma, but this is a very personal matter. My divination was to find my own answer, I shared it as an example of how I use astrology/tarot for guidance, and the act of divination is always individual not universal. It wasn’t intended as an answer for everyone and I definitely can’t take the responsibility of deciding for anyone else.
My regular students and clients will also know that I don’t do medical astrology in any shape or form and never have. It’s not my area of expertise. With Mercury now direct I’ve also decided to stop reading all this information for or against, because it’s inevitably fear based which creates anxiety. And the thing about anxiety is that it creeps up on you, it starts growing arms and legs, and before you know it you can’t think of anything else.
The time is right to address head on any misunderstandings or anything that is causing you anxiety, and to remind ourselves that dealing with something is usually a hundred times easier than worrying about it. This morning I rang the police station and made my appointment to go through my application for the new biometric residents permit. ✓Tick!
With Mercury turning direct there are so many news stories to choose from but here are some examples –
TANZANIA
Within hours of Mercury turning direct it was reported that the World Health Organization has urged Tanzania to start reporting coronavirus cases and share its data as concern is growing about the possibility of a hidden epidemic. There’s been no information since last May when 20 deaths were recorded, followed in June by president John Magufuli declaring Tanzania “coronavirus-free”. He continued to play down the virus and refused to take any lockdown measures. Now, after a series of deaths of government officials, the truth is being forced and he yesterday at least recommended the wearing of masks. Sound familiar?
PRINCESS LATIFA – born 5 December 1985
Latifa’s escape mission from Dubai in 2018 failed at the last minute when she was seized from a yacht when she was just miles away from the Indian coast. No time of birth but we can see in the Ephemerides (tables of the daily positions of all the planets) that Latifa has Sun conjunct Uranus in Sagittarius, with one or both square the Moon, and an exact Venus – Saturn conjunction at 2 degrees Sagittarius. This is an immediate and depressing picture of the restriction/removal (Saturn) of life’s pleasures (Venus) and freedom (Sagittarius).
In turn her father Sheik Maktoum has an exact Venus – Pluto (power, lord of the underworld, the abduction of Persephone inevitably comes to mind) conjunction in Leo and it turns out that Latifa is not the first of his daughters or wives to be abused, abducted and controlled. Another daughter Princess Shamsa was snatched from outside a pub in the UK over 20 years ago in 2000 and hasn’t been seen since. His sixth wife fled to the UK last year and a London High Court ruled that the Sheik had ordered and orchestrated the abductions and waged a war of fear on his wife.
Latifa also has Mercury (communication) on a critical degree, the last degree of Scorpio (29 Scorpio) and retrograde, a chilling showing of a terrified young woman’s secretly filmed footage that she smuggled out in order to reveal her plight to the world. Looking in the Ephemerides she is actually born on a stationary direct Mercury – turns direct at 29 Scorpio 3 days after her birthday on 8 December – and we can only hope that the courage of this act will turn things around and lead to her release.
What else has she got going for her? As a Sagittarian she’s ruled by Jupiter – planet of liberty, human rights and the law. Jupiter is at 13 degrees of Aquarius in her natal chart, square (tension) Pluto on the South Node in Scorpio. There’s the natal picture for her situation and the tyrannical abuse of power.
Jupiter has a cycle of approx 12 years so she’s on her third Jupiter Return – ie Jupiter having done 3 laps of her chart, returning to his natal position for the third time and this was in fact exact last weekend, just three days before this story broke and presumably exactly the time when she managed to smuggle out her footage. We also have Mercury stationary direct at 11 Aquarius, closely conjunct her natal Jupiter. She has Moon in Virgo and the Full Moon in this sign this coming weekend also bodes well as one of the jobs of the Full Moon is to illuminate and bring a matter full circle.
This would all normally bode well for her release but as you may remember it wasn’t just Jupiter who moved into Aquarius at the end of last year, but Saturn too. Jupiter is racing forwards but the slower moving Saturn casts a fearful shadow. Saturn will reach her Jupiter at the end of March and basically stays there for a couple of months, turning retrograde at 13 Aquarius on 13 May, exactly conjunct her Jupiter. Again let’s pray that this is not the immoveable father but the showing for the invoking of the authority of the UN and a human rights investigation.
SATURN 7 AQUARIUS SQUARE URANUS 7 TAURUS – exact 17 February
Starting with a reminder of last week’s info –
At a personal level these squares will be especially important for you if you have natal planets or Angles that match the signs and degrees involved –
- 17 February – Saturn 7 Aquarius square Uranus 7 Taurus
- 14 June – Saturn 13 Aquarius square Uranus 13 Taurus
- 24 December – Saturn 11 Aquarius square Uranus 11 Taurus
When I say match I mean within 2 – 3 degrees either side, but the closer the match the more important the aspect and therefore the more significant life events it indicates. You should also include the other two Fixed signs of Leo (opposite to Aquarius) and Scorpio (opposite to Taurus).
Latifa’s has Pluto at 6 Scorpio and her plight was breaking news on 16 February, just one day before this huge square was exact. We can only imagine the shockwaves that ran through her family and the massive risks taken by Latifa and at least one ally to get the video footage out. Her story has shocked (Uranus) the world and there have been global calls for an official (Saturn) UN investigation. “Proof of life” has already been requested but the reports back say only that she is being cared for by her family. Bullshit.
MOUNT ETNA/TEXAS
Last week I talked about how the Saturn – Uranus aspect can indicate combinations of upheaval, being blocked, hard work or impossible situations. I likened it to The Tower in the tarot, which was my visual for last week’s blog. Something disintegrates, something can no longer continue in its existing structure, something’s gotta give.
We often forget how astrology works at a literal level such as in natural disasters as well as those created by humans, eg the Tower card showing a tall structure being hit by lightning, the bolt from the blue. The tower of Mount Etna erupted either side of the aspect, on Tuesday and again in the early hours of Thursday, hot lava and ash clouds finding an escape route into the atmosphere as there was nowhere else to go. A dramatic showing of Uranus (explosions) in Taurus (Fixed Earth).
Extreme bad weather in the US, with temperatures plummeting to minus 18C, led to widespread power (Uranus rules electricity) cuts (Saturn), especially in Texas which was declared a major disaster zone. Wind turbines account for 20% of their electricity supply which was great until they froze, as did vital equipment at gas wells and in the nuclear industry, ie freezing temperatures affected a water system needed to run the South Texas Nuclear Power Station, causing one reactor to shut down.
Those whose power stayed on probably wish it hadn’t …. Some residents have reported bills in excess of $16,000 (£11,500) for a few days of usage. Nightmare!
AND MY STORY ….
Here’s another showing of Saturn’s literal blockages and Uranus drama. I’d noticed for about a week that the wood burner wasn’t working as effectively as it should but I thought that it was just the quality of the wood – ie probably not dried out enough. Late on Tuesday evening I decided to settle on the sofa and watch something on tv, and turned the dimmer lights down to their lowest setting.
The seriousness of the problem wasn’t immediately obvious in the semi dark, but my eyes started prickling. It was only when I went into my bedroom and found it full of haze that the penny dropped. Opened all doors and windows, outside it was only minus 4 … and waited for it to clear.
In the morning after very little sleep I tried lighting it again and then saw that smoke was coming out of the pipe – ie from the burner to the wall. Within minutes this time the house was full of smelly smoke that just hung in the cold air. It took all day to sort out and several days to get rid of the smell … I’ve noticed many times that something often goes wrong when Mercury is on the final leg of his retrograde journey and trust me, this is the abridged version –
- I ring the guy who brings my wood – oh yes Maki is the guy to fix it and I’ll call you back. He didn’t. I called back. Oh yes, sorry, he can’t come till Sunday. So what am I supposed to do for the next four days??
- Landlord came and put heatproof tape over the leaking pipe – and left. Mmm, sticking plaster over wound?
- More phone calls, and then the inspired idea of ringing a trusted Greek friend who also has a wood burner. She was brilliant and I was reminded of one my friends saying that the best man for a job is a woman lol. Within ten minutes someone was on their way.
- Guy turns up on a moped, carrying a bunch of chimney sweeping brushes. I half expected Dick van Dyke to be trotting along behind him. As he came through the gate I asked him his name. Maki. Are you George’s friend who couldn’t come until Sunday? Yes. Okay …
- I found out later that he was my friend’s cousin – everyone here is related – and that he was under threat of death if he didn’t turn up immediately. And he did a fantastic job.
- In my defense (!!) the pipes are supposed to be cleaned once a year but after only two months they were totally blocked with carbon. So the smoke had nowhere to go apart from forcing itself out through the joints in the pipework. I’m lucky to be alive.
- Everything had to be dismantled, unblocked and cleaned, inside pipes and also the outdoor chimney. Had to clean the whole house having only done it the day before, the smell was awful, had to cancel my poor client who’d waited weeks for her appointment but understood I was having a nightmare.
- The carbon monoxide detector/fire alarm didn’t go off which is my fault as it’s working – tested it again – but it was too low down. I was told this model could go on a table but that was incorrect, I just hadn’t thought about it. It’s now been repositioned!
WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK? MERCURY ON THE MOVE!
So Mercury has now turned direct in Aquarius and I’ve already been getting lots of showings for this, especially in the shape of news from friends near and far whose lives are suddenly “taking a turn” for the better, including starting a new business, a house move, applying for arts council grants, starting a new job – and a friend sending me phone numbers, website links and a list of all the things I need to get my application started for my new residents permit. Nearly all of these people are either Aquarians or have strongly placed planets in this sign, including my landlady who has to issue a new rental contract.
So for the first half of this week I would expect themes relating to Mercury getting back on track to be the main concerns. See the end of last week’s blog for a list of things to look out for. Incidentally pay attention to your Aquarian friends, either in terms of their advice or opinions, or with regard to significant news in their own lives.
Otherwise, the first major aspect of the week is also great for getting things done, the Mars – Pluto alliance which falls in the early hours of Thursday, followed by all the other astrological activity for the entire week except for the Full Moon which is exact on Sunday morning –
Thursday 25 February
- Mars 26 Taurus trine Pluto 26 Capricorn 01.47
- Venus ingress Pisces 13.13
- Sun 7 Pisces semi-sextile Saturn 7 Aquarius 14.26
- Sun 7 Pisces sextile Uranus 7 Taurus 21.14
Sunday 27 February
- Full Moon 9 Virgo
Starting with the Mars – Pluto in earth signs this is Mars’s last aspect before changing sign and moving on into quick and light Gemini next week. That will be a breath of fresh air. Mars is currently in “detriment” (debilitated) in Taurus which makes sense when you think about Mars being the planet of action and Taurus being Fixed Earth and the sign of the Bull. Mismatch. Explosions when provoked or pushed to limits. But it’s great for doing physical jobs or for workmen (men are from Mars) doing jobs for you. Mars was smack on my Descendant the day that I had to call in help for the wood burner.
Tackle anything practical, anything that involves physical effort or getting your hands dirty such as DIY. The positive face to Pluto is endings and eventual transformation so it’s also a great week to tackle anything that you’ve left half done and get it wrapped up. Financial matters are in this mix too.
Mars and Pluto coming together is not the easiest of combinations even by positive aspect like this trine so look out for the situations or events that require you to be tough. If you’re in a failing relationship this is likely to be an extremely testing week but it’s really important not to allow yourself to be bullied or overpowered in any way by someone else’s behavior. I would avoid the trap of thinking that you have to “try harder”. Any relationship that is just hard work needs to be questioned.
Note that this Mars – Pluto aspect falls on the same day that the Sun plays into the huge Saturn – Uranus square. It’s now separating – ie the two planets moving apart for now – but this separation will take ages so the tension is still there and unfolding events now can link to ongoing consequences, the “fallout” of dramas, disruptions or breakups. Remember that Uranus is the divorce planet so a big celebrity bust up was likely to hit headlines last week which it did, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, who has Uranus at 8 Scorpio.
VENUS ENTERS PISCES
This is good news as the love planet Venus arrives in her sign of “exaltation” – in other words the best combination of planet and sign. Sweet and simple symbolism for new love so if you’re single and searching pay close attention to any new face coming into your life at this time. The next New Moon 13 March at 23 Pisces coincides with the annual Venus – Neptune (Pisces planet) conjunction so these next few weeks are about picture perfect for new love or fresh starts of any kind related to love, pleasures or money. Hallmarks are romance and empathy, but don’t fall for sob stories.
As we have a lunation every 2 weeks, alternating New and Full Moons throughout the year, we have the Full Moon coming this weekend. If you have planets or Angles at or close to 9 degrees of Virgo then this will be an especially important lunation for you. At a universal level this may also be a significant milestone on the pandemic situation as Virgo rules health.
Full Moons illuminate, bring matters full circle, push you into the spotlight or push someone else into your life. They can also be moments of madness (lunacy) and bear in mind that emotions tend to be heightened and touchy at the times of the Full Moon in any sign. Make allowances, for yourself as well as others. And to finish by reminding you of the Louise Hay quote at the beginning of this blog the flipside of clever and industrious Virgo is fretting, criticizing and perfection seeking. As she says, has this ever worked?
Until next week, with love from Greece
Joanna