The Astrology Blog 1 June 2020
All times in BST
“If you believe that feeling bad or worrying long enough will change a past or future event, then you are residing on another planet with a different reality system.”
“Longevity is not an indication of success in marriage … Dependency should not be confused with love.”
― Your Erroneous Zones, Wayne Dyer (author and psychiatrist)
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Wayne_Dyer
Last week was dominated by Mercury making his last aspect while in Gemini and then his first aspect in the new journey through Cancer. The first was to Jupiter in Capricorn and the second was to Saturn in Aquarius, both now on their retrograde journeys that will last up until September, and both aspects were the Quinqunx, sometimes called the Inconjunct.
As I wrote last week, “this aspect is formed when two planets are exactly five signs apart and is in the category of being a minor aspect, but it’s not always minor by impact, being awkward by nature as well as by name. At a symbolic level then this is an alignment that signifies blind spots, deception, mismatches or the things that confuse us or even broadside us.”
This showed in all sorts of ways in my life and in those around me. Here are a few examples. Last Tuesday when the Mercury – Jupiter quinqunx was exact I walked my dogs, got back in the car and called at the local supermarket on the way home on the main road. Both dogs were on the back seat, new rescue dog Lola still on her lead. In the split second that it took me to open my driver’s door and stand up she jumped from the back, onto the driver’s seat, and out the door ahead of me – and ran into the road. She then stopped in the middle of the road, clearly confused, and obviously had thought we were home. Nothing was coming, thank all the gods, as we still have virtually no visitors and traffic is quiet, and my heartbeat has just about returned to normal. From now on the lead is being clipped to the back seat safety belt. Lesson learned.
The Mercury – Saturn quinqunx also involved Lola, when she suddenly started rubbing her face against the sofa, shaking her head and getting increasingly frantic. The “blind spot” was obvious, I couldn’t see anything wrong on the outside, and I was just on the point of a late night dash to the vet when I realized that she’d probably got something stuck on the roof of her mouth or throat. At this time of year there are thousands of really prickly grass burrs everywhere. So I fed her tiny bits of soft sausage which fortunately she took from me and kept swallowing and it did the trick. Another panic over.
Health stuff is not my area of expertise, I always turn to medical astrologer and herbalist Elisabeth Brooke for this and I was interested in what she would have to say. She wrote that Mercury – Saturn would show as an obstruction or blockage involving the mouth/tongue and also showed the panic, which was interesting. I had never made that connection, but Elisabeth says it shows in Mercury’s rulership of Virgo, whose ailments include things connected to worry, anxiety, OCD and so on. Wayne Dyer writes brilliantly about how guilt (the past) and worry (the future) keeps us immobilized in the present, the main theme of his book Your Erroneous Zones, hence the choice for this week’s quote.
Back to humans, on that Mercury – Saturn blind spot aspect a friend of mine and her partner flew back from the UK to their home in the Canary Islands, having no choice but to fly through Spain. During the flight a Spanish passenger received information that he’d tested positive for the virus. When they landed police in full taped up virus proof suits and goggles came on board and took the guy and those by him away. Other passengers had no idea what was going on until they were interviewed by a nurse in the airport.
Last week I also wrote about the Mercury – Saturn aspect that, Traditionally this aspect is associated with illness too so it has to be said that it’s not an ideal picture as far as relaxing lockdown rules goes. Stick to your social distancing guidelines… and it will almost certainly feel as if Mercury is retrograde, especially as Venus really is retrograde in Gemini, Mercury’s sign.
Contrary to popular belief my friends don’t all consult me before doing anything, and neither do I advise them unless asked or else I’d be constantly interfering. They’re all on their own “journey” but on this occasion I definitely would have advised against flying last Friday. Any kind of tricky Mercury stuff is not great for travel!
Last word on these quinqunx aspects, and it’s not the first time I’ve thought this, is that I think they’re very definitely linked to learning experiences. The best way to learn what any astrology is about is empirically – that is, to see what shows in your life and in the world when any particular astrological event is taking place.
WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK?
There are two major features this week and Venus’ activity is one of them. Venus is now halfway through her 6 week retrograde journey –
- Venus turned retrograde at 22 Gemini – 13 May
- Venus will turn direct again at 5 Gemini – 25 June
At the halfway point, at any time when Venus is retrograde, she meets up with the Sun. On this occasion, she squares up to Mars first –
Wednesday 3 June
- Venus 14 Gemini square Mars 14 Pisces 01.42
- Sun conjunct retrograde Venus 13 Gemini 18.45
Any planet conjunct the Sun within 17 minutes of arc (ie just over a quarter of a degree) is said to be “cazimi”, which is A Good Thing. Venus will be cazimi for about five hours either side of the exact conjunction, so from 13.45 to 23.45 BST. This is the heart of her retrograde loop, with the planet in the heart of the Sun, when symbolically Venus has gone past the risk point of being burned up and is said to empowered by the Solar principles of the life force, illumination and brilliance.
THE HEART OF THE MATTER
Venus is love, the Sun is heat so the message is clear. Get to the heat and the heart of the matter. Revitalize the things that matter to you. Warm your hands at this blaze of creativity, work on your ideas and pay attention to your intuition, the function that Jung aligns with the element of fire. In your love life minimise the things that have been niggling at you (do they really matter, aren’t they just passion killers?) and put that energy into some burning desire instead. This will do wonders for your well being and your partner’s ego! If you think someone’s hot then tell them so, don’t leave them guessing, what have you got to lose? If nothing else living through a pandemic has forcibly reminded us of how precarious and short life can be.
No relationship or creative venture can get off the ground without at least a little emotional risk taking. A Venus – Sun conjunction is a bit like experiencing Venus in Leo (the Sun’s sign, which in the physical body rules the heart), so the trick is to tap into the passion and the vision but to go steady on the pride/grandeur bit. If it’s your pride that’s stopping you from getting or saying what you really want, in any relationship and in any area of your life, then maybe ask yourself what’s the worst that can happen? Remember that Leo the Lion is also associated with courage as well as dignity. And some healthy self belief and sense of entitlement is the road to being Top Cat.
The Leo associations however don’t override the fact that this conjunction is in Gemini, sign of the Twins and everything to do with duality. Love wise if you’re in the “it’s complicated” (usually affairs, being “the other lover”) or “it’s impossible” category then this week you may wonder if you’re about to self combust. Or if the situation will. Such scenarios are reflected in the fact that Venus is also squaring (friction/blocks) Mars, the other love planet. This is obvious symbolism for geographical logistics and social distancing as well as for love scenarios of the complex kind, or for discovering just how different from you someone really is. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be together. Research shows that trying to make someone the same as you are is one of the most common reasons for a relationship failing. But we all have certain criteria that is non negotiable. For example someone not being an animal lover would be a deal breaker for me. Going back many years I remember a new love interest making his dislike of my cats blatantly obvious. He might as well have poured a bucket of cold water over me.
“Heart of the matter” is nearly always a designated card in a tarot spread so try consulting the cards. This could throw some light on what’s really holding things up or even tell you whether you should persevere or not. Either way the Lunar Eclipse at the end of the week may well bring more significant changes and sort things out, more on that below. But here’s a relationship spread that you might find useful.
The Relationship Spread
| 3
Current situation |
4
Issues Arising |
5
Heart of the Matter |
6
Short term Future |
7
Long term Future |
||||
| 1
The Querent |
2
The Partner |
|
Sorry about the strange format – but you can see the layout!
Let’s not forget that Venus also rules money. For many it’s now a time of getting back to work. Watch out too for golden opportunities for boosting your income or themes of generosity, whether you’re on the giving or receiving end.
MERCURY’S MESSAGES
Mercury is also still in the news, just starting to slow down a bit now in readiness for turning retrograde 18 June, but on the new journey through Cancer and making his first major aspect, and then a minor one to Venus in the early hours of next Monday so it counts for this coming weekend. The two aspects are either side of the Full Moon, which is also a Lunar Eclipse –
Friday 5 June
- Mercury 8 Cancer sextile Uranus 8 Taurus 12.05
- Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse 15 Sagittarius 20.14
Monday 8 June
- Mercury 11 Cancer semi-sextile Venus 11 Gemini 02.30
The link to Uranus is, as ever, important for the current situation as this is the planet of both the collective and also objectivity, differentness and aloofness in all its guises. The sextile is a harmonious aspect (two signs apart). If nothing else it’s a reminder of the vital importance of being apart in terms of social distancing. As a friend posted on FB this morning, Just in case people don’t understand, places are reopening for the economy and not because it is safe.
Restrictions being observed, Mercury – Uranus combinations are great for social get togethers, groups events and any connections via technology. Uranus also carries the X factor and, even by good aspect, this duo can deliver news of the surprising or even shocking kind. But spontaneity is in the mix too and, again, that’s a theme in Wayne Dyer’s book that I’ve mentioned this week, particularly in relation to how there’s no such thing as planned spontaneity! Without it, Dyers writes, we risk rigidity, lack of creativity, lack of innovation and warmth – all the things that this week’s cazimi Venus is reminding us of.
THE LUNAR ECLIPSE
Eclipses are always important milestones and this one takes on extra significance by falling at 15 Sag, opposite the degree of the Sun – Venus conjunction at 13 Gemini. In other words, whatever unfolds for you midweek on the cazimi Venus is likely to throw up pivotal changes and choices that will be even more obvious by the end of the week. This will apply especially to you if you have planets or Angles at or close to these degrees in these signs.
Eclipses work in pairs so we’ll have the Solar Eclipse in two weeks time on the New Moon (21 June at 0 Cancer, another powerful event as this is the Summer Solstice). As well as symbolizing tipping points of change Eclipses are also crux points for triangular situations (symbolized by the intricate relationship between the three bodies of the Sun, Moon and Earth) such as affairs, promotions or any competitive situation. Who is going to overshadow whom?
There is often a flavour of death/rebirth symbolism – the light disappearing and coming back on again to reveal a different picture. In terms of good mental health, how someone else steals our light, how we give away our power and how to take it back again, are all crucial issues in terms of getting our energy back, re-empowering ourselves or avoiding the dependency trap (often characterized by themes of dominance – submission roles) in any key relationship.
Finally, at a universal level, Sagittarius is the sign of all things overseas and long distance travel. So for many people international travel plans are likely to be eclipsed, most probably in that post eclipse new picture way, what happened when the light was out … the biggest risk factor lies with the thousands who are asymptomatic and that is the information that will be coming to light in a couple of weeks time. So don’t book your tickets just yet!
Stay local, stay safe,
With love from Greece
Joanna
