The Astrology Blog 12 October
One of the big events last week was Mercury turning direct. This is good news for all of us in terms of getting life back up to speed, especially with regard to decisions, plans and projects of all kinds, and especially if you have planets at or close to the point at which Mercury switched direction, 1 degree of Libra. I omitted to say that this turning point last week was doubly important as Mercury turned conjunct the Moon’s North Node, then also at 1 degree of Libra. The Nodes are now in the news again with a change of sign.
If you want to go straight to this week’s blog just skip this section on the Nodes, which is intended for the astrological student/those who are interested in learning more about how astrology works:
The Moon’s Nodes
The North and South Nodes are not planets but imaginary/mathematical points at which the Moon cuts across the Ecliptic (the path of the Sun).
Astronomically they carry huge weight as the Ecliptic takes its name from the fact that eclipses can happen only when a New or Full Moon is also conjunct the Moon’s Nodes.
Astrologically their importance varies in the eyes of different astrologers, some giving them the same status as planets, others seeing them as having a lesser but nevertheless important role to play. In my view the Moon’s Nodes do warrant interpretation in their own right in the natal chart, but are especially meaningful when caught up in other patterns in the chart, when they act as “testimony”, supporting the themes that the astrologer locates when first assessing the mechanics of each individual horoscope (example to follow).
You will find the position of the Moon’s Nodes in their own column in the Ephemerides, the astrologer’s must-have tables that track the daily movement of the planets. You’ll find only the North Node listed as the South Node is always at exactly the opposite point. For example, if in your horoscope you have the North Node at 10 degrees of Aries your South Node will be at 10 degrees of Libra.
You’ll also find two columns – the True Node (more exact) and the Mean Node (averaged out). The difference between the two is roughly two degrees and which one you use really comes down to personal preference. I usually hedge my bets and look at both!
In traditional astrology the line of the Nodes is personified as a dragon:
The North Node (ascending) marks the point where the Moon crosses the ecliptic from south to north, known as Caput Draconis – the head of the dragon. Fortunate – where the dragon feeds and gains nourishment. The future, and good Karma, or what we need to seek.
The South Node (descending) marks the point where the Moon crosses the ecliptic from north to south, known as Cauda Draconis – the tail of the dragon. Unfortunate – where the dragon excretes. The past, and bad Karma, or what we need to release and leave behind.
The Sun and the Moon (the Lights) symbolize the eyes of the dragon, and the dragon “eating” the Lights refers to the phenomenon of eclipses.
Change of Sign
The Nodes move in retrograde motion and change sign approximately every 18 – 20 months, and the True and the Mean Nodes change signs on different dates, about a month apart. The last change of sign was from Scorpio to Libra:
• True Node on 19 February 2014
• Mean Node on 23 March 2014
The Nodes are now moving from Libra to Virgo, this time the Mean Node first:
• Mean Node on 10 October
• True Node on 11 November
Examples
Prince Charles’ Moon is positioned at 0 degrees of Taurus in his 10th House (the section of the horoscope in which we locate career/public life). This is the Moon’s sign of “exaltation”, symbolizing the influential women in his life, the iconic Diana and his mother being Queen, especially as the Queen’s own Sun marries up with this point, also being at 0 degrees of Taurus. This is what is known as “the cosmic marriage” – when one person’s Sun is conjunct the other person’s Moon to within 5 degrees. This already powerful picture is reinforced by the fact that Prince Charles’ Moon is also conjunct the North Node at 5 degrees of Taurus.
The Nodes are of especial interest to me at the moment. I moved house, to share with my sister and brother in law, on 19 February last year – the exact date that The True Node changed sign. They are now moving again, and the date of their next move coincides almost exactly (within a couple of days) with the True Node’s next change of sign. For me I see this period of time as one in which I’ve been moved away from living alone and being completely independent (Aries, the self) to learning the Libra lessons of cooperation and being reminded of the nature of family life (Mike is Libra, Sue is Libra rising just for good measure!)
What else is happening this week?
All times posted in BST
Tuesday New Moon at 19 degrees of Libra (01.07)
New Moons, new cycles – and particularly with regard to matters that speak of the sign in question. The Node theme continues for me as this New Moon falls conjunct the Mean Node in my natal chart of 19 Libra. Here are the usual links for checking the position of your own planets and angles:
http://www.alwaysastrology.com/birth-chart-calculator.html
You can also try this calculator, which lists all your planets and angles rather than bringing up the visual of the horoscope, so for non astrologers it’s a easier to use.
http://astro.cafeastrology.com/cgi-bin/astro/natal
Libra’s concerns are “the other” and partnership of all kinds, with the spotlight on the negotiating and cooperative skills needed to make agreements or do deals. This theme is strongly underlined by the fact that the New Moon coincides with the third and final alignment of Mercury and Saturn just ten hours later –
Tuesday Mercury sextile (harmonious) Saturn (10.56)
The other two sextiles occurred on 26 August and 6 October. If these dates fit any kind of timeline for you or a significant other then you can now expect resolution, such as final decisions or making agreements that will stick. Otherwise this is a great time for wrapping things up and tying up loose ends of any kind. Look out too for a matter coming to a natural conclusion or for being taken out of your hands. This aspect coinciding with the New Moon in Libra may seem like a contradiction at first – but it’s probably a matter of one thing ending allowing another to start. For example, if you’re in the process of transition from one relationship to another, now’s the time to make it official.
Relationship issues continue to feature strongly throughout the rest of the week as well as the love planets Venus and Mars are the key players –
Friday Mars trine Pluto (04.32)
Saturday Venus opposite Neptune (03.55) and Mars conjunct Jupiter (23.41)
You may remember that last week we had Mars in Virgo opposite Neptune in Pisces, followed by Venus then moving into Virgo, so now it’s her turn to oppose Neptune. These oppositions happen at 7 degrees. As explained last week –
Slow moving Neptune is even slower than usual at the moment as this planet is also gearing up to turn direct, in the middle of next month. During the slowing down journey, the moment of turning and then the time it takes to pick up speed again Neptune is “stuck” at 7 degrees of Pisces (on this degree from mid September 2015 to mid January 2016) – so this opposition happens with Mars at 7 degrees of the opposite sign of Virgo. If you have planets or angles at or very close to 7 degrees of these signs, or the other mutable signs of Gemini and Sagittarius, then this aspect is one to watch. Note that Neptune under any difficult aspect symbolizes confusion, distortion, deception or idealization.
If you’re struggling for clarity on any point I would suggest that once this Venus aspect clears then so will the picture. Mercury picking up speed again backs this up.
The Mars aspects this week are also powerful, starting with the trine to Pluto, whose job it is to strip things back to basics, showing us how to brush the deadwood out of our lives and start afresh. At a practical level it’s a fantastic time for de-junking your home or office. Psychologically there is also a message here about living your life fearlessly, of showing that you’re not afraid to stand up for yourself (Mars is god of war) or of hard work (Virgo). Identify and focus on your true goals/wishes and you’ll see that what, with effort and determination, can be made good.
The finale of the week is a true fanfare. The Mars – Jupiter conjunction happens approximately once every two years (the last one was 22 July 2013 at 6 degrees of Cancer) and its nature is victorious and triumphant. This one falls at 14 degrees of Virgo so if you have planets or angles at or close to this point, or the opposite Pisces, this event signals major events or opportunity, possibly of the life changing kind.
There is also something of the evangelical or crusading spirit wrapped up in this aspect, so make time for any cause or concern close to your heart, but universally it’s the starting gun for any plan of action. Jupiter is traditionally the Greater Benefic, he’s good for us, so events unfolding or new people coming into our lives at this time are those of the lucky break/just what the doctor ordered variety. More specifically Jupiter rules travel and education, so any plan connected to horizon expanding matters (geographically or mentally) also get a huge tick.
Wishing you a productive and fortuitous week!
With love from Greece
Joanna
Relationship Astrology Workshops London
Lust, Love, Loss and Longing
Saturday 31 October & Sunday 1 November
10am-5pm
Venue: The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place W1U 8EA
£85.00 per day, or £150.00 for both
(9 of 25 places available on either or both days)
Join us for an exciting weekend of relationship astrology in London, designed to be suitable for all levels. The two days are completely different but are designed to complement one another, so you can choose to do either day, or both. I’ll be joining forces with Ingrid Hoffman – astrologer and Imago Practitioner, founder of Trueheartwork, for this magical weekend. You can read more about Ingrid, and her beautifully crafted and insightful blogs, on:
http://blog.trueheartwork.com/
Ingrid will be leading the therapeutic Saturday workshop, designed to explore Venus and Mars through the signs, and to show you how to:
• Understand the wondrous duality of male and female, within yourself and in your relationships
• Revisit and connect with the powerful attractive energy of Venus in your psyche
• Step into the assertive Mars energy that is being sapped by stress or financial worry
Bring attraction and assertion into balance so you can begin to manifest the love you desire
• Learn new ways of connecting and communicating with you partner or partner-to-be
I will be leading the Sunday workshop, in which I’ll be teaching how traditional horoscopy lies at the heart of assessing and understanding the synastry between two individuals. My colleague, astrologer Grant Davis, will also be joining us on the Sunday to assist with the work on everyone’s individual horoscopes:
• What kind of partner do you attract and why?
• How can astrology tell you when an attraction is mutual and beneficial, and whether or not you are compatible?
• What is a “cosmic marriage” and how do you know if you’re with a true soul mate?
• Why can you live easily with one person but not another?
• How to compare the all important Moon signs in terms of emotional natures and needs
• How to use astrology to answer all types of love questions, including how to handle conflict, and how to use the timing measures of transits and New/Full Moons to predict dates for meetings, marriages and significant milestones within a relationship
You’ll be working on your own horoscope on both days so please have your data to hand when booking – your date, place and time of birth. Your own chart will be drawn up by me in advance but you can also bring along one other horoscope of your choice, either a partner or a key person in your life, if you wish.
