The Astrology Blog 3 September 2022
All times in BST
“Peace is not unity in similarity but unity in diversity, in the comparison and conciliation of differences.”
Mikhail Gorbachev – Sun Pisces, Moon Leo & Ascendant Libra
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Mikhail_Gorbachev
“It’s never too late – never too late to start over, never too late to be happy. Stay curious, keep learning and keep growing.”
Jane Fonda – Sun Sagittarius, Moon Leo, Ascendant Capricorn
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Jane_Fonda
CAT SANCTUARY
I never charge for the blog but I occasionally do a fund raiser. One more shout out for our local cat sanctuary who I mention twice a year and a huge thank you from Evie Soldatos for the 230 Euros that we’ve raised so far.
It’s been a really bad year for mites and ringworm infestation – treatment involves vaccinations of 2 shots 2 weeks apart, meds, cortisone and antibiotic injections plus the vet consults. This comes to well over 100 Euros per cat. The cats can go crazy with scratching so every Euro in donations is really hugely appreciated xx
https://gogetfunding.com/joanna-watters-for-cat-sanctuary-lefkas/
HOROSCOPES IN THE NEWS
For starters look at all the Scorpio stuff with Sanna Marin – she may be prime minister of Finland but she’s got four planets in Scorpio including a Venus – Pluto conjunction (powerful AND sexy), and she’s only 36.
Of course she needs to party. But didn’t she learn anything from Bojo’s Partygate? Or Trump with his ongoing “above the law” behavior? Being in a position of power = need to be squeaky clean, and if you’re not then the media/your own party/the electorate/the FBI will, eventually, find you out.
I hope her raunchy photos don’t come back to haunt her even further. But all three of these individuals have got planets in Gemini, where Mars is now and going to be for the next 7 months in a massively long retrograde loop, so certain matters are going to take the scenic route and will take a long time to wrap up or go away.
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Sanna_Marin
This week we said goodbye to Mikhail Gorbachev, who was the last leader of the Soviet Union, link to his horoscope at the top of the page. He left a controversial legacy but he campaigned for Russia’s social-democratic movement and won the Nobel Peace Prize, which is not bad for a Piscean (redemption) with a Libra Ascendant.
His astrology for shuffling off the mortal coil was spot on, transiting Pluto at 26.30 Capricorn on the day exactly conjunct his chart ruler Venus at 26.24 Capricorn, in turn opposite Mars at 27.39 Cancer. The Pluto transit was exact to within 6′ of arc, or 1/10th of a degree, on a transit that happens only once every 248 years. That’s what you call spookily spot on timing. Every time I see astrology like this it reminds me that “there’s a plan”, something bigger than us, and that’s been the subject of a lot of fascinating debate here with my group these last few days.
Pluto is not far off a change of sign, heading into Aquarius next March, but will retrograde back into the late degrees of Capricorn. This is relevant astrology for Jane Fonda with her Ascendant at 28 Capricorn and Jupiter (major planet for her, being a Sag, her words above capture the optimism and big thinking of this sign) at 0 Aquarius. She’s just announced that she’s undergoing chemo for lymphoma. She’s also just had her Uranus Return, which we all get if we’re lucky enough to reach the age of 84.
WHAT’S HAPPENING OVER THE NEXT 3 WEEKS?
Looking ahead here’s your “at a glance” of the celestial calendar for the next 3 weeks. I’ve included the two major aspects from this last week but for the sake of time I’ve skipped some of the minor aspects, but even so we can see that the list isn’t that extensive for such a long stretch of time. Notably there are a couple of long gaps (between Monday and Friday of the 2nd and 3rd week) in which there are no major aspects or events at all, but with the backdrop of a retrograde Mercury coming into play the words “suspiciously quiet” come to mind!
Thursday 1 September
- Mars 6 Gemini sextile Jupiter 6 Aries 12.53
Saturday 3 September
- Mercury 6 Libra opposite Jupiter 6 Aries 02.51
Monday 5 September
- Venus ingress Virgo 05.06
Saturday 10 September
- Mercury turns retrograde 9 Libra 04.39
- Full Moon 17 Pisces 11.50
- Moon conjunct Neptune 24 Pisces 21.57
Sunday 11 September
- Sun 18 Virgo trine Uranus 18 Taurus 14.10
- Moon conjunct Jupiter 5 Aries 17.32
Monday 12 September
- Mercury 8 Libra semi-sextile Venus 8 Virgo 05.50
Friday 16 September
- Venus 14 Virgo square Mars 14 Gemini 19.50
- Sun 24 Virgo opposite Neptune 24 Pisces 23.23
Sunday 18 September
- Mercury 4 Libra opposite Jupiter 4 Aries 23.35
Monday 19 September
- Sun 26 Virgo trine Pluto 26 Capricorn 04.56
Tuesday 20 September
- Venus 18 Virgo trine Uranus 18 Taurus 05.45
Wednesday 21 September
- Jupiter 4 Aries semi-square Saturn 19 Aquarius
Friday 23 September
- Sun ingress Libra 02.05
- Sun conjunct Mercury 0 Libra 07.51
- Mercury (retrograde) ingress Virgo 13.06
Saturday 24 September
- Venus 23 Virgo opposite Neptune 23 Pisces 09.53
Sunday 25 September
- New Moon 2 Libra 22.56
THE JUPITER THREAD
Last week I wrote about the Mercury – Pluto thread. These two planets come together by harmonious trine (4 signs apart) with Mercury in the earth sign of Virgo linking to Pluto in fellow earth sign of Capricorn. Mercury’s imminent retrograde period means that this aspect will be formed three times (21 August, 27 Sept and 7 Oct) – ie the middle date is when Mercury comes back again and the third and final date is when he’s direct again.
I somehow managed to miss the fact that Mercury opposing Jupiter will also happen three times, starting this coming weekend as the first opposition was exact early this morning. The second one will be 18 Sept and the third and final one will be 12 October.
I think my blind spot must’ve been in the fact that these three aspects happen with Mercury in the next sign of Libra – ie Mercury is going to turn retrograde in Libra but will slide back into Virgo this coming retrograde loop will be “across signs”. So we’ve got 2 lots of aspects x 3 (Mercury – Pluto, Mercury – Jupiter) but involving 4 signs.
Thursday 1 September
- Mars 6 Gemini sextile Jupiter 6 Aries 12.53
Saturday 3 September
- Mercury 6 Libra opposite Jupiter 6 Aries 02.51
Sunday 11 September
- Moon conjunct Jupiter 5 Aries 17.32
Sunday 18 September
- Mercury 4 Libra opposite Jupiter 4 Aries (2nd time) 23.35
As always clock what happens as these sequences get underway as they can show single events or the beginning of matters that definitely have more to come, especially if you have planets or Angles in the early degrees of the Aries – Libra polarity. Clock the monthly Moon – Jupiter conjunction in the middle, generally a high spot.
At a general level Mercury – Jupiter combinations are good (Jupiter) news (Mercury) but it’s an opposition and Jupiter is retrograde. This is currently showing in the world, as noted in the last blog, as a lot of news around inflation. Jupiter’s top principle is expansion. This can sometimes show literally, by natal aspect or by transit, for putting on a lot of weight.
Energy bills are beyond all of our control but take note of where prices elsewhere are being ridiculously inflated.
Here’s a summary of the Mercury sequences at work that I posted last time but which now include the Jupiter thread –
- 21 August Mercury trine Pluto 1st time
- 26 August Mercury enters Libra
- 3 Sept Mercury opposite Jupiter
- 10 Sept Mercury turns retrograde at 9 Libra
- 18 Sept Mercury opposite Jupiter 2nd time
- 23 Sept Mercury slides back into Virgo
- 27 Sept Mercury trine Pluto 2nd time (retrograde)
- 2 Oct Mercury turns direct 24 Virgo
- 7 Oct Mercury trine Pluto 3rd and final time
- 8 Oct Pluto turns direct 26 Virgo
- 10 Oct Mercury enters Libra 2nd time
- 12 Oct Mercury opposite Jupiter 3rd and final time
At the end of the blog I’ll post the usual checklist of things to look out for while Mercury is retrograde. The big event in the middle is also a date to watch –
Friday 23 September
- Sun ingress Libra 02.05
- Sun conjunct Mercury 0 Libra 07.51
We get Sun conjunct Mercury 6 times a year, 3 times when Mercury is moving direct (the superior conjunction) and 3 times when Mercury is retrograde (the inferior conjunction). So whenever Mercury is retrograde the exact conjunction with the Sun falls somewhere roughly in the middle of that three week backwards journey.
This one happens just as the Sun arrives in Libra, meeting up with Mercury coming the other way, just before Mercury slides back into Virgo. This happened last time too in May, just as the Sun entered Gemini and Mercury getting back to 0 Gemini. 0 degrees is great for beginnings and fresh starts of all kinds, even if you can’t action something immediately. Both 0 and 29 are known as “critical” degrees, not necessarily in terms of crisis – but can be – but more usually in terms of beginnings and endings.
Any planet, not just Mercury, conjunct the Sun to within 17 minutes of arc (ie just over a quarter of a degree) is said to be “cazimi” – defined as being in “the heart of the Sun”. The symbolism of this is about the other planet drawing strength from that heat instead of being burned up by it. It’s a window of opportunity, the stuff of light bulb moments, vital information or having the chance to get your point across exactly in the right way and at the right time. In that hot spot is a golden nugget of truth or a lifeline of help.
- The Mercury cazimi period lasts approximately for 8 hours, about four hours either side of the exact conjunction
- This cazimi will therefore be from approx 4.00 through to midday BST. Adjust to your own time zone – eg Greece 6am through to 2pm
- Look out for that Mercury moment, especially things that shine a light into your understanding, help you to make a decision, negotiate a deal or find the right words to get an important conversation started. Information that surfaces on the cazimi is often invaluable and can make a real difference
VENUS – LOVE & MONEY
You’ll see from the list at the top that Venus is going to change sign on Monday, moving into Virgo, and has three major aspects to come in the second half of the month. Generally this isn’t the easiest of pictures as Venus is in her sign of “fall” in Virgo, a Mercury sign that is known for being analytical at best, overly critical at worst. Guard against fault finding and keep your expectations realistic. Don’t try to “reason” with anyone about their feelings, or even with yourself come to that! Head and heart stuff struggle to find a meeting point with this combination, so it’s time to tap into that gentle streak that Virgo definitely has even if it’s sometimes deeply buried.
However it’s great for being industrious, for learning new skills, for making some extra money or for making economies that will really pay off over the next few weeks.
With love from Greece
Joanna
Regardless of what is going on in the world, here’s a reminder of the usual checklist of the kind of themes to look out for when Mercury is retrograde. Traditional astrology says expect problems with “communication, information and travel” and this list certainly includes those areas in all their guises, but has also been compiled from other observations over the years.
- Be cautious or at least selective in your use of social media. Avoid posting anything too personal or getting involved in any kind of angry debates. Also check privacy settings
- Guard against trying to construct situations or distressing yourself with regard to anything beyond your control. Forcing any kind of round pegs into square holes won’t be worth the effort and could cost you dearly
- Adopt the mantra of one day at a time … going too far ahead creates anxiety, especially with problems which have no clear or immediate answers
- Know that there are things you don’t know – yet
- Try to operate by “re” words – review, revise, research, reappraise, rethink, repair, redress the balance and so on. Also remember rest and relaxation, give the brain some time off and try not to put yourself under unnecessary pressure
- Expect cancellations or rescheduling of appointments or personal arrangements
- Buy yourself time wherever needed – keep options open
- When in doubt, check it out – second hand opinions are a dead cert for getting hold of the wrong end of the stick – and don’t believe everything you hear
- Write things down and double check everything – forgetfulness, being distracted, inattention etc can be a troublesome theme
- Back up all your computer work
- Don’t delete any documents – you may need them at a later date
- Getting back to ideas on the back burner
- Getting back in touch with those who’ve been neglected or important to you in the past – let them know how much they matter
- Keep a close watch on all belongings – especially keys or anything linked to communication such as phones, laptops, tablets, cameras etc and don’t even think about buying new ones for the time being
- The same for cars – it’s best to avoid buying any mode of transport under a retro Mercury BUT it’s the ideal time for doing all the hunting and research
- Plan any journey with extra care, don’t trust to luck or to fine timing, and make sure tickets are covered on your insurance
- Kill your speed when driving – allow extra time for getting there slowly but safely
- Take extra care with form filling/signing on dotted lines – paperwork and admin of all kinds are a minefield
- Decide to ease the pain or cool the resentment. Write the letter you can’t send or you’ll never send – whether it’s to someone you’ve lost or to someone you want to strangle it’s great therapy
- Turning this the other way around you can also write a letter to yourself from someone you’ve lost – which is even greater therapy. I’ve done this in the past, from my twin Sue, and it was unbelievably powerful
- Stop trying to fix others – just focus on yourself. Changes starts with us, and within us, from the inside out, not the other way around
- Assume nothing. No matter how certain a situation might seem there is a good chance that it will morph into something else over the next couple of weeks – the “x” factor is at work …
- Reserve the right to change your mind/keep an open mind. As you start to see something from a different angle the truth, reality or logistics will evolve in a way that you couldn’t possibly have planned or expected
- KEEP A SENSE OF HUMOUR 🙂