Knots in Stomachs about Growing Up

A new moon in Virgo has just passed, and it was conjunct Saturn. I can think of warmer, cozier combinations but not more correct or starched ones. Last night as the moon was exactly new I sat at my kitchen table with a schedule for September. Tomorrow my son begins his first day of a new school in 5th grade. As I am out in the neighborhood, I have run into other mothers talking about how their children are nervous about the new school that goes all the way up to 12th grade with really big kids. Tomorrow's 5th graders have knots in their stomachs, and maybe we all still have butterflies from the full moon eclipse two weeks ago.

On Monday, moon goes into Libra at 1:45 Central European Time, and this will be a good time to works out the knots one on one. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are stellium in Libra days so it may come more naturally for us non-Librans to put our partners first. Early on Thursday morning, Sun conjuncts Saturn, just as Moon conjuncted Saturn last night, but this time Moon will be in Scorpio, not Virgo. Rather than having knots in our stomachs, I think Thursday and Friday we will be able to feel the psychology in our new Fall structures. There may be a skeptic vibe in the air, as Scorpio brings. Rather than project this on someone else, maybe we can identify power struggles in our own personalities and situations. If we can own our darkest shadows we may free ourselves to grow up and ultimately enjoy the advantages of trusting our lives.

New Moon in Virgo

When Virgo Moon is new and improved, it doesnt get better than this — especially with Saturn giving us a long, awaited sign. "You may now begin", says Saturn, as he nods his head once with a quiet, approving and unexpected grin.

"S" is for Sun in Virgo Moon in Taurus

ince last night when my 9-year old son called to say where he had been, I have had an image in my head. "It's kind of hard to explain", he said, "but we went along a river in the shape of an 'S'. The water was so clear we could see fish. The fish were in magenta and sienna and as big as magazines. It was so pretty." He said when he got back he would try to draw it. I couldn't wait so here is my impression of what he saw but in the style of a scarf, like those scarves for Hermès, whose other name is Mercury and by the way,
Sun is now in Virgo.

Mars in Libra: On the Beauty Warpath

While Mars is in Libra, a curling iron could be a good investment for the straight haired as would be a straightener for the curly. Look to Libran Angie Dickenson for that understated, elegant swoop. If your life is intense, and it just could well be, channel beauty as a kind of therapy. Sun is in Leo, create a little mane.

I picked Angie Dickenson because my dad, a Libran, lusts after her and always has, when she was the star of Police Woman and especially when she was in Point Blank. Wikipedia says: "The impact of Police Woman resulted not only in a rash of sexy, but also strong female-driven series (mostly of a more fanciful nature) like Charlie's Angels, The Bionic Woman and Wonder Woman during the mid-197s."

This week, while Mars is in Libra and the Moon is about to go into Aries, action is in the air. On Thursday, Sun still in Leo trines Pluto and the anthem could be "I Am Woman" for both genders to enjoy. Helen Reddy also Sang "Angie Baby", and I always thought that was about Angie Dickenson (more likely it was inspired by the Rolling Stones). Wikipedia says the song's author, Alan O'Day "finally revealed in 1998 that the 'crazy' heroine in the song had 'magic power' and 'special abilities', and that he had deliberately blurred the lines between fantasy and reality."

As the Sun passes through the last days of Leo, we can creatively tune into our ideals and new paths shown to us from the eclipses. Particularly this week with the Sun trine Pluto and the T-Square with Mars-Pluto-Moon, channel your energy into beauty, along the lines of give peace a chance.

The Point Blank poster was designed in Poland by Bronislaw Zelek in 1967.

Crafts & Entertaining

While Mars is in Libra, why not take out your electric saw and make something elegant for your house. The immediate gratification could come fast, so have a little party to celebrate. Invite people in twos and let them arrange themselves symmetrically. If you have a meat, a vegetable and a carb on the dinnerplates, let grace be Eenie Meenie Miny Mo, deciding for the guests where to begin. After dinner entertainment may include extremely talented friends playing music for the size of the situation. Couple up and play cats cradle on a cusion for two at the window seat, as the mood gently builds in dulcet and rowdy restraint. If the tension becomes unbearable, politley shoo guests away, handing each couple an equal amount of party favors. Mars in Libra until October 4.

Lunar Eclipse Looking Glass-Poetry

The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done--
"It's very rude of him," she said,
To come and spoil the fun!"
excerpt, The Walrus and the Carpenter
from Through the Looking-Glass (1871), by Lewis Carroll

Tonight's sulky full moon in Aquarius is conjunct Neptune. As Neptune and Uranus are in mutual reception, and lunar eclipses do make a difference, we may find insight in the brilliant (Uranus) and enchanting (Neptune) work of Lewis Carroll, an Aquarius.

In the chart of Lewis Carroll (data from Astrotheme) his Aquarian Sun is conjunct Uranus and the South Node. He was born 4 days before a solar eclipse. Aquarius can be associated with the future and is certainly associated with being different. When the Sun is conjunct the South Node, this person may feel like he is fighting the current, or swimming upstream like a salmon, with the constant notion that the competition is never sleeping. Having a grand trine in Earth with Mercury (writing), Saturn (discipline) and Chiron (awareness), Lewis Carrol was able to describe how it was to have his chart — a rambunctious combination of Aquarian and Sagittarian energy over aiming his target to try to arrive on time. It could be that time travel in Through the Looking Glass was an expression of realism, considering his chart.

In Through the Looking-Glass, Alice discovers a book of looking glass poetry, 'Jabberwocky' and reads it in the mirror:

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Some classify this work as literary nonsense, but that is just a term. I find it almost impossible to surpress my wish to find meaning, code, or at least some insight into the subconscious mind. And somehow today I come upon an idea (Uranus) to read Lewis Carroll on the day of a full moon lunar eclipse in Aquarius, mutual reception running in the backgroound like an operating system.

Photographicly, part of what has happened during the mutual reception is it seems nearly all of our collective has bought digital (Uranian) cameras (Neptune) and web (Uranian) cams (Neptune) and we have entered our own looking glass. From an Aquarian perspective our collective awakens to the mystical and dreamlike. From a Pisces perspective we can be hypnotized or in a trance in our electronic world.

The Neptune-Uranus mutual reception will separate in March, 2011 and we will be left with one month of Neptune dangling at 29 Aquarius, while Uranus starts a firework rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the key of Aries. At that point in time, we may come back through the Looking-Glass, but for today if only a small part we can pay hommage to the looking glass poetry (Neptune) of Lewis Carroll (Uranus).

Life Decisions & Growing Up

I made my first life decision on the first day of kindergarten. Our nun took our drink order and the choices were: white milk, chocolate milk, or orange juice. And here was the clincher: we had to decide in September and that's what we would get for the rest of the year until June, no changes, no exceptions.

This felt way out of line to me. Since when was I allowed to decide what I drink. If my mother knew the raucous that was already going on in this place called kindergarten...

I began the process of elimination. Orange juice was completely out; it was too sour back then. The heart of the problem was that chocolate was in the offering. That was like offering us Coke, basically. What fool would say no? The nun went around the room starting on her left side and I was sitting on her right. She asked each child and each one said chocolate.

My transit at that time was transiting Saturn conjunct Mercury in Pisces and I had a big decision to make about a liquid. My little sister had just been born, too. It was 1965. The Vietnam War was gaining more and more momentum, Bob Dylan had just released "Like A Rolling Stone", the Beatles had just performed the first stadium concert at Shea Stadium, and I was sitting at a Catholic kindergarten deciding between chocolate and white. I was very aware I was too young to grow up, but I had to.

The nun finally got to me. I said white out of terror. I could not imagine a world where I would be allowed to drink chocolate milk every day.

Tomorrow, Mercury will conjunct Saturn at 9° Virgo. If any nuns come up to you and try to force any long term, high impact, life decisions, I say pour yourself a glass of chocolate milk. It may be that we will make some long term decisions tomorrow and I suggest we decide with love instead of fear.

Venus conjunct Saturn Looks Eclipses in the Eyes

Moon is in Capricorn all day. Venus will conjunct Saturn later today letting us take a good hard look at the eclipse fortnight which seems to go on forever. The last eclipse seems about a month ago to me.

Today we can negotiate the Venusian — perhaps not with the usual poetry, more like taking attendance how many days were we here, versus not here. How much money will we make verusus not make. Shall we make love even though its not the weekend. Or shall we be in love even if we cant see each other. Or lets get married because when you paint the ceiling I know I wont have to wash the floor.

Does this sound dull? Well it's not, nothing is dull during the eclipse portal. We are getting our assignments for the semester so we can't space out because in November we have to remember the assignment we got back in August. Document, take notes and minutes and store in your archive of fate.

Satisfying Sources of Sanity

On Wednesday this week, Venus conjuncts Saturn at 9° Virgo. Two days later on Friday, Mercury conjuncts Saturn at 9° Virgo, while Sun at 22° Leo opposes Neptune at 11° Leo.

Swimming, bathing showering and cleaning with water are all good remedies. Take your worries to the car wash and watch them rinse away. Leave the facility feeling organized, bright and cheery, for your car is clean. Try to be happy about this all day, all week.

As an alternative or supplement, we can especially enjoy getting dressed on Wednesday in clean, matching and garments of pure fibers. Match everything from backpack to bobby pin, booots to brassiere, co-ordination even in hidden places can be our big, satisfying sources of sanity.

In this mood we can tackle all things which normally bug us, like organizing receipts and bills. We can invent new ways to make our every day more effective. To celebrate the details, we surrender to another task and stop by a green grocer to buy the makings for super duper healthy food and feel immediate gratification. As we are driving home, we can notice that big shine on our cars one more time and get a big smile across our faces. This is just foreplay to the exciting season of Virgo.

Photo: Hu Totya, Wikipedia Commons, Carwash in Budapest

Moon in Sagittarius: An Unusual Good Mood

This evening Mercury celebrates its last night with Leo until next year with a deep trine to Pluto. We can have great meaningful talks that actually get us somewhere, like dancing into early wee Sunday morning hours, as Moon enters Sagittarius.

I think the I.Q. of our collective will be raised on Sunday when Mercury enters Virgo. For me as a Pisces, I imagine that thinking in a Virgo way could feel like the way a harpsichord sounds. With a harpsichord, because of the way it is constructed, I am very aware of each individual note, not like a piano with the pedals pressed so that the melody turns into a pisces, watercolor blur.

I looked up harpsichord in Wikipedia and found there is a subgrouping of harpsichords call Virginals, which are a "smaller and simpler rectangular form of the harpsichord with only one string per note running parallel to the keyboard on the long side of the case." It seems unclear why they are named virginals but one theory is "the name derives from the instrument's association with female performers, or its sound, which has been likened by some musical theorists to the sound of a young girl's voice (vox virginalis). Other views are that the term comes from the word virgin, as it was most commonly played by young women, or that the name derives from the Virgin Mary as it was used by nuns to accompany hymns in honour of the Virgin."

Later on Sunday evening Moon will move into a square to Saturn, so we may want to go home alone and play our Virginals. Sun will oppose Chiron. If you do play a musical instrument, you may want to give a friend a concert to sooth everyone's soul. If you don't play a musical instrument, write a letter as if you are playing the harpsichord / virginal. Enjoy the feeling of each letter passing from your mind to your fingers. When Sun opposes Chiron I say act on behalf of Chiron and find the sun in your partners soul. Speak gently, lovingly, and stay very aware of what is criticism and what is not. And on this note, let the new week, the week building toward a lunar eclipse, begin.

Painter:
Jan Vermeer van Delft
Year:
1672
Title:
Lady Seated at a Virginal
Museum:
National Gallery London

Quarter Moon in Scorpio

The quarter moon in Scorpio is waxxing this evening, looking like half half. We are at the mid turning point between the solar and lunar eclipses. Perhaps we have let go of something; perhaps we will get it back. Next weekend is the Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius building toward looking at our highly emotional issues intellectually and from a distance.

Mars Opposed Uranus

Moon stays in Libra today politely pleading us to exchange pleasantries as some potentially challenging aspects become exact Eastern Daylight Time:
Mars opposed Uranus 2:37 pm | A Surprise
Mercury opposed Neptune 2:39 pm | Obscured Information
Moon trineNeptune 6:00 pm | Courteous Collective
Venus square Pallas 7:52 pm | Keep Overall Patterns in Sight
Today is a good day to consult someone about computer repair. There may be some problems which could be complicated. With the plethora of wattage charging us today, we may dig uncharachteristically deeper, feeling proud to find a surprising and best solution.
Once your computer is repaired you can look for poetic songs on the internet. Stay away from gossip and keep your end of the deal forthright. Storming off today could jipp us out of nice dinner with people we love deeply and gently. Keeping our focus on the forest, the broader picture, and not analyzing the bark on individual trees could help us feel strong in understanding our greatest and most important priorities.

Mars Opposed Uranus; Freak Safely

Keep notes on this week's Mars-Uranus opposition. You may want to look back on these notes around election day, during the Saturn-Uranus opposition. In the mean time, we've got excess ideas, electricity and energy on our hands. Vent, rant and release legally. Dance like men. I made a list which is not to be taken so seriously but to give an idea of my impresion of the energy.

1. If your gusto settings are adjustable, slide to medium; salute cruise control. Obey everything.

2. Try not to make fun of your friends' accessories or works of art.

3. Hold onto the pole on the bus.

4. March in place rambunctiously while reciting the serenity prayer-

5. Russel up the crew against any odds; lead with winning visions and make a splash.

6. Drink some warm milk and listen to a Billy Joel lullaby before you go to bed -- after listening to Smells Like Teen Spirit.

7. Work out rage in a dream or in the moments between unscrewing the cap of toothpaste and looking in the mirror.

8. Try out all the percussion instruments in the musical instrument store.

9. Ride in a truck with no upholstery and feel your body rattle on the road.

10. Take a walk around town buying newspapers from the homeless and donate them to all your favorite cafes.

11. Remember the last impulse purchase which left you drenched in regret.

12. Wait a couple weeks before popping the question.

Steeple Hit By Lightening One Day After Eclipse

Last Saturday, 24 hours and nine minutes after the total eclipse, this steeple of Mount Vernon United Methodist Church in Baltimore, was struck by lightening causing a fire which destroyed the 160-year-old church.

The parish of Mount Vernon Methodist church had been dwindling. In the 70's, there were 200 active members, today there are 40. There was already discussion amongst the local Methodist churches about their small and aging congregations. this church was already struggling, now the question is will the church be able to raise 5.5 million dollars needed to rebuild?

In the last 15 years since Pluto has been going through Sagittarius, many churches have been confronted with the same issues of shrinking congregations, while Mega Churches elsewhere have grown with mega budgets. Last Saturday's Leo eclipse blitz accelerated the issue dramatically.The future of this church remains unclear. Parisioners met Sunday and expressed hope that their church can be saved, and maybe it will be. Sometimes it takes a dramatic eclipse event to open our eyes and hearts to faith.

Fiddler On The Roof... Tradition!

I spent the Leo eclipse evening watching a childrens' summer camp theater production of Fiddler On The Roof. In the middle of the musical, Moon conjuncted South Node in Leo and all of us were transported back in time — either to another Fiddler On The Roof time in our lives, or for kids under 10, they just thought it was all old fashioned. "TRADITION!", the children called out on Eclipse Evening as Jupiter in Capricorn, dramatized a big stories of culture, religion and philosophy.

I didnt know that the musical was named after the Marc Chagall painting, but it was. In the late 1800's in Eastern Europe, the fiddle was a symbol of having a good time, despite the bad times, that reminds me of Jupiter in Capricorn too.

A big topic in Fiddler On The Roof is marrying within the religion, and fathers doing the arranging. Daughters being headstrong made it hard for the culture to be the culture. As I looked at the kids in the production, most were being raised by strong, single moms. Also, most of the kids in this production were Catholic. Moon in Leo made a joyous context to reflect on the cultural and sociological changes of this hundred-year-old story brought to life on stage once again. We are reminded that there are creative solutions to cultural conflict, and to express our will with joy, still maintaining the bonds of our families if possible.

Moon enters Virgo today at 5:00 pm EDT, and the creative mood from yesterdays eclipse may organize itself into the practical things we didn't get done this week — especiall tomorrow morning, Sunday at 7:00 am EDT as Moon will conjunct Saturn. If you really wnat to get a lot done, and don't care about good moods, wake up early and mop your floor and de-mold the refrigerator. In the evening Moon in Virgo will trine Jupiter, and we can enjoy our tidy successes.

We are now in the two week period between the eclipses. Notice who comes in your life, what symbol they carry and what is new. We are all in the Wardrobe together (the wardrobe of C.S. Lewis) so lets keep our eyes open and enjoy our lives.