Imagine Mercury’s shenanigans Shrove Tuesday when those winged feet come to a stop at the last degree of the zodiac!
Take 2: If at first you don’t succeed
Sometimes past efforts can seem like a dismal failure because we didn’t reach the desired outcome. Other times a past success is a springboard to something else or something even better. It’s all in our perspective.
Here’s a photo by @KyleinCpt on Facebook (yes, that’s Kyle of Cape Town, South Africa). His first try was far from a dismal failure, as you’ll read. But this more recent effort, stitched together from photos shot on the very same night, create an image that’s to me both sublimely feminine and heroically spectacular! Somehow it reminded me of this full Moon, a SuperMoon in Virgo, which happens to conjoin the fixed royal star, Regulus.
About Kyle’s process:
In April last year I posted a photo of the milky way over Lion’s Head which went viral on facebook reaching over 2 million people. Today I unveil Milky Way over Lion’s Head 2.0 😜.
This is a separate set of images I took on that same night spanning across Camps Bay. This panorama is made up of 15 images taken with my nikon D600 and loawa 12mm lens at 15 sec f4 iso1600. Stitching these photos was quite a challenge due to the lens distortion of the super wide 12mm as well as trying to stitch images made up of faint stars, but after some trial and error I finally came out with this image. I must say I don’t think it came out that badly :).
On a side note what helped make this image possible was the low fog over Camps Bay which helped dissipate some of the extreme light pollution, making the core more visible.
How do we get from here to there when we don’t know the way? Kyle’s photo helps me imagine a chariot of stars to take us where we need to be. It shows that we mustn’t be afraid to make mistakes: his process of trial and error led to a brilliant result. And like Kyle, we can even use negative environmental factors to our advantage, if we persist. Good lessons for a Full SuperMoon in Virgo.
“All heroines eventually return home,” says Dream astrologer, Gary Caton in his January 24, article on magical winter transits, published on Astrology.com:
“This full moon is conjunct Regulus, aka Cor Leonisor the Heart of the Lion. A royal star, Regulus grants success when you channel passions toward the highest, most refined goals. Together, a supermoon on a royal star feels rather heroic!”
May this Virgo full moon light our way forward, be it near or far. May it inspire us to cobble together elements of previous efforts to create something new and useful and beautifully healthful for our surrounds and their inhabitants. May it fill us with courage to tackle the work that lies ahead, and may it gift us with the strength and confidence to persist.
Year of the Yin Earth Pig
And so it begins!
As the 12th, or “last,” Animal in the Chinese Zodiac, the Pig is the party at the end! All your Ancestors have ever wanted is for you to invite the people you love into your home, so you can cook, eat, and make babies—your enjoyment is their immortality.
Enjoy the whole article on Tigers Play Astrology!
Taking aim and loving it
On the first Monday of the new year, I took aim at a target, cleaning out and re-organizing my file cabinet. By day’s end I’d finished, feeling lighter, energized, and oh so productive. Each day between now and Feb 2, I’m gonna take aim at one task or another and see how much gets accomplished during Venus’ transit of Sagittarius. Care to join me?
First eclipse of 2019
If you don’t know astrologer Ed Tamplin, it’s high time! With all the current planetary action in tropical Capricorn, political and economic matters are up for us to digest, and there’s no better mundane analyst in astrology than Ed. Check out his most recent post on the January solar eclipse.
New Year awakens
My first celestial view of 2019 was a glorious siting of The Moon with Venus rising in the East well before dawn outside my kitchen window.
I’ll take it!
Happy New Year, everyone.
Hope’s name is November
Doorways to the other world were flung open yesterday at sunset. Goblins and faeries, carousing dinosaurs and unicorns, not to mention diminutive fire-breathing Ruth Bader Ginsburgs, paraded through darkened neighborhoods for a few hours in search of sugar, applause and community. Their costumes, masks and playful antics invited us to re-imagine what’s possible.
That other world of Halloween now segues into a month jammed with swinging doors to reverse into or walk through, daring us to hope.
The November short list:
Nov. 5-6: Sun trine Neptune at 13 deg. Scorpio-Pisces. Try your ideals on for size.Do they fit? Exercise them.
Nov. 6: (USA election day) Uranus temporarily leaves Taurus and backs into Aries for the next four months: old issues challenge, demanding action or change; PLUS the lunar nodes shift into the Cancer/Capricorn axis. How would it feel to prioritize the home-front over the workplace, the heart-space over the headspace, for the next 18 months? what would that look like?
Nov. 7: A new Moon at 15 deg. Scorpio sows the seed for a new, deeper, more meaningful kind of sharing.
Nov. 8: For the first time in 12 years, Jupiter enters Sagittarius, where he’ll remain the next 13 months. Envision your future, set goals, aim high.
Nov. 15: Action planet Mars swims into Pisces. I’m already feeling a certain amount of relief, considering he was in Aquarius FOREVER. Relief aside, it’s best to prepare for busyness in the Pisces sector of your chart over the next six weeks. Dare to become your very own imagineer/ artist. How might you dedicate yourself to compassionate service?
Nov. 16: Venus stations direct at 25 deg. Libra in the wee hours. Thank the goddess! That ugly retrograde turf war around love/money is behind us, right?. We have a wiser, clearer perspective now about how to share and get along. Right? Hold your horses. Don’t gallop into the sunset just yet. Mercury stations retrograde at 13 deg Sagittarius later in the day, giving us a three week opportunity to re-evaluate beliefs and opinions. Do try communicating in someone else’s language for a change. Practice being your humble, authentic self, please.
Nov. 22: USA Thanksgiving begins with the Sun entering expansive, jovial Sagittarius and ends with a full Moon at 0 deg. Gemini. As your celebration culminates, the stomach may feel heavy, but keep the conversation light.
Nov. 24: Neptune stations direct at 13 deg Pisces. Should you choose to accept it, your mission is to practice devotion with good boundaries. Rinse and repeat for the next 6 months.
Nov. 25: The Sun conjoins Jupiter at 3 deg. Sagittarius. Did I just mention boundaries? This conjunction is OTT energy. Handle with care, confidence, and optimism. No jumping on the beds. Go outside and play, please!
Nov. 27: Mercury conjoins Jupiter at 4 deg. Sagittarius. Planning for the future comes to mind. Visualizations help. Set intentions.
Nov. 30: The month ends with the last of three Venus-Uranus oppositions at 29 deg Libra-Aries. We get a final opportunity to practice excitement instead of upset when faced with a situation that’s out of (our) control. What triggered you during the other two oppositions (Sept 12 and Oct 31)? How would the wiser you handle a similar situation today? Kid gloves or fists?
November’s Reading List:
Walk through each door with head up and eyes open.
Part 3: Past meets present, Earth meets sky
Monday morning, September 17, we set out from Green River, UT. With a Libra Ascendant and Venus soon to rise, neither of us had any doubt that beauty would once again be our companion on the lonely highways of the American West.
Yet we experienced little of the ebullience of our first day on the road. Blame it on the sexual assault allegation against the Supreme Court nominee, if you must, but a long shadow had been cast. The Capricorn-laden third house (Moon-Saturn and Pluto-IC conjunctions) of our day 2 travel chart not only reflected the scenery, but it steered our conversation in a decidedly somber direction. We shared stories about relationships
that had changed our lives irrevocably: mystical unions, brutal betrayals, breached boundaries, and the end of innocence thanks to secrets and lies, denials and broken promises. You know, the big stuff of Jupiter in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces.
Somewhere near the western border of Utah, I urgently felt the need to stop. STOP the car, STOP the conversation. STOP. I longed to move, breathe, clear my head, clear the air
of an icy hot rage that had welled up within. Martian T-square energy came on without warning, like a volcano spewing the hot burning emotion and searing pain of every woman over all time who’s been used, abused or betrayed. (T-square apex: AQ Mars-south node square VE in Scorpio and UR in Taurus along the 1st-7th axis)
That apex conjoined my natal Sun-Venus that day, re-birthing ancient fury and my Sacred Bitch. Warrior energy filled my being. Mercury, exact on my natal IC, was hurtling towards the Sun too fast for words. What spoke volumes was the cloying sulphuric smell that rose off my body.
We drove into Nevada along the Loneliest Road in America in relative silence, until reaching our next stopping place, Eureka, population 610.
Before you start clapping, we endured three distinctly irritating (Sun-Mercury in Virgo) events during our very brief stay at the Sundown Lodge, each of the Mars-Uranus variety. The remote car key stopped functioning. The construction workers bunking upstairs triggered a VERY loud fire alarm outside our motel room, waking us out of a sound sleep at 3:20am. Finally, our attempt to get an early start was thwarted when my friend realized her driver’s license was missing. After looking for it everywhere, she cast a horary chart which led us to suspect the license was in the motel office. The sleepy attendant was called, and apologetically unlocked the office and fumbled for the license. The good news? Horary works, my friends. Trying to get a decent night’s sleep or early start in Eureka, NV clearly does not.
On our way out of Dodge, I swerved to avoid a coyote crossing Highway 50. Two miles later, yet another, reminding us of the Trickster energy at play along the Loneliest Road in America.
I was trying to laugh, I really was.
Part 2: Past meets Present, Earth meets Sky
As you learned in the previous post, my friend and I arrived in Green River, UT September 16, on time for that memorable Sunday sunset.
What I wasn’t aware of, until we settled in for the night, was that the Washington Post (WAPO) had published an Investigations piece a few hours earlier by Emma Brown and her team of four other women reporters and researchers that would change everything. “California professor, writer of confidential Brett Kavanaugh letter, speaks out about her allegation of sexual assault”
Day One of the road trip had already flooded me with plenty of old memories. Now trying to wind down, I couldn’t stop myself from time-traveling back to October 12, 1991, when attorney Anita Hill was grilled for an entire day by the Senate Judiciary Committee, 14 white men in grey suits, about the sexual harassment she was subjected to by her former boss, SCOTUS nominee, Judge Clarence Thomas. Since then, she’s been an icon for Everywoman who’s reported sexual harassment or assault and was subsequently dismissed and demeaned for doing so. For a 30-something mother and business person, this was truly a bleak time. Now, 27 years later, WAPO’s report showed what a long way we have to go as a nation before women are truly respected as equals.
For your interest, here’s the chart for the Washington Post piece which broke the Christine Blasey Ford bombshell, timed to the moment its author, investigative reporter Emma Brown, retweeted her story after correcting a typo.
A few significations in the event chart:
Professor Blasey Ford’s hidden truth, her sexual assault by someone who is now a judge, becoming public knowledge (Jupiter in Scorpio in 9th house), details of which she’d confided years before to her husband and therapist (Sun-Mercury in Virgo in the intimate 7th house), getting leaked (Neptune in Pisces in 1st house) after she brought the assault to the attention of her senior US Senator from California, Dianne Feinstein (Moon in Sagittarius in the government 10th house) in confidence (Sun square Moon). The WAPO report was shocking (charts’ ASC in Aquarius) as Kavanaugh’s nomination was considered by many a done deal. Alleged was his sexual attack of young Christine while they were at a high school party (violent Mars square to Venus in Scorpio in the sex-oriented 8th house) egged on by his friend (Mars in wild and crazy Aquarius, the sign of friendship) while he held her down behind closed doors (12th house). As if the bizarre violence forced upon her as a teen (Venus in Scorpio opposite Uranus in Taurus) wasn’t enough, the leak of Professor Ford’s allegation would open her to death threats (Mars in AQ crazy violent words in the 12th house of hidden enemies) as well as to the public judgment of many conservatives (Saturn in Capricorn in the 11th house). It would also motivate many other aggrieved victims of sexual violence (Pluto in Capricorn in the 11th house) to come out of hiding and share their stories (trine Sun-Mercury in Virgo).
Last, but by no means least, the August 11, 2018 solar eclipse at 18 deg. 42′ Leo, is a few arc minutes from setting in this chart (Descendant 18 degrees 45′)! Remember, Trump nominated Kavanaugh on July 9, two days prior to the eclipse. Perhaps there is hope.
Ok, so this road trip wasn’t exactly the lark I’d naively hoped it would be. There’s no escaping collective karma. I fell asleep that night in a Green River hotel nursing an undeniable sense of dread. It seemed entirely possible that a man accused of sexual assault and lying about it could become our next Supreme Court Justice of the United States.
Part 3 of Past meets Present, Earth meets Sky coming soon. I promise there’ll be more scenery!
Past meets present, Earth meets sky.
Even astrologers need a break from the mundane. So when a dear friend and colleague, recently back from overseas and in delicate health, explained that she needed to get herself and her car from Santa Fe to Northern California on time for her nephew’s equinox nuptials, I did some quick math.
My work calendar had me in Dallas just before she needed to leave New Mexico; my astro calendar showed transiting Mars and the Moon’s south node practically on top of my natal Sun-Venus. A road trip across territory frequented in days gone by seemed an appropriate experience of the transit. I proposed flying from Dallas to Santa Fe to help my friend get to the wedding on time.
The chart below marked my arrival to Santa Fe. Its Virgo Sun and Mercury in the 11th house of friendship described the purpose: a courier mission helping out a friend with a car. The chart’s Sun conjoined my natal IC, as if to shine a light on my roots: exactly 38 years beforehand I’d given birth for the first time (Happy solar return, Jamie Starr) in neighboring Colorado, my home from 1978-1998. The Moon and Jupiter in the chart’s 1st house offered a chance to expand and deepen connection to the landscape of my past in the company of a friend (who also has a Scorpio Moon). Both the traditional (Mars) and modern (Pluto) rulers of the chart’s Scorpio Ascendant are in the transportation-related 3rd house. The chart’s T-square [Mars and south node at its apex in the 3rd house at 90 degree angles to a Venus-Uranus opposition along the horizon] showed the promise for an adventure free from normal responsibilities and the gift of solitude in desolate landscapes with their big, beautiful skies. The chart’s Mercury-Neptune opposition across the 5-11 [creativity and self-expression] axis promised inspiration and far horizons. Last but never least, Saturn in Capricorn in the value-oriented 2nd house limited my possessions and costs and would keep my attitude sober and responsible at the wheel.
Two Jupiter cycles (24 years) had passed since my last visit to the Land of Enchantment. While Santa Fe’s borders have expanded significantly since then, somehow the nation’s oldest capital city (1610 AD) continues to captivate residents and visitors with its arts, culture, and pueblo style architecture. Artists, writers, and retirees aren’t the only folks who gravitate to Santa Fe! The city draws people of all ilk into its historic confines.
With the car packed to the gills, I selected a shamanic astrology card from my friend’s deck (Aries– perfect for the driver) and we set out Sunday morning heading northwest towards Pagosa Springs, Colorado, having cast a departure chart graced with the Moon in optimistic, expansive Sagittarius.
We stopped very briefly at the roadside in Abiquiu, 53 miles north of Santa Fe, to honor the last home place of renown painter, Georgia O’Keeffe. Quite a few movies were filmed nearby including one of the Indiana Jones, the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, as well as Cowboys & Aliens, City Slickers, Red Dawn, Wyatt Earp, The Last Outlaw, and the TV series Earth 2. The topography definitely fits. A visit to Ghost Ranch, the Georgia O’Keefe Museum, and the Poshuouinge Ruins would have to wait. We had many miles awaiting us.
Our next stop was seven miles south of the Colorado border. Chama, NM is known for its 130-year-old narrow gauge steam train. Too bad the rails only go for 64 miles, not far enough for our transportation needs. The sign below grabbed my attention though, and I pulled over and parked out front.
Curtis, the blacksmith and proprietor, was sitting next to his ex-wife in his open air workspace. They waved us inside and introductions were made. We’ve been divorced a while, but we can seem to part, she explained. Oh, you’ve got karma in Chama, I teased. That drew laughter all around. Curtis arrived in Chama 41 years ago, half a Uranus cycle. We astrologers understand that change is ahead for this small town artisan. His ex, Cathy, a Chama native, added a few pertinent details. Curtis has had a number of back surgeries and is looking at another very soon. His bones may be crumbling, but Curtis shows up every day and keeps on smiling. I could have stayed all day listening to these two, but we had many miles to cover before nightfall.
In the blink of an eye we reached Pagosa Springs, CO where our western trajectory began in earnest.
Where ever we find light there’s also shadow, and Colorado has a lot of both. It’s not a singular place. I learned much about duality there, about self and other, over two decades in two mountain towns through two marriages and the births of two children, two career paths, and two political trajectories. Now revisiting the contrast of its high peaks and deep valleys recalled the elation and emotional depths experienced there, as well as the resilience I cultivated as a result. Colorado continues to be a land of extremes. During our drive from Pagosa to Cortez we witnessed wealth and stunning beauty as well as a toxic waste site and the sad, addicted poverty of Four Corners, the junction of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona, and home to the Navajo, Hopi, Ute, and Zuni tribal lands.
One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do
Two can be as bad as one
It’s the loneliest number since the number one
Three Dog Night
Onwards to Utah. The 45th state and I enjoyed a beautiful relationship that began in the 1980’s. The red rock of Canyonlands and Arches National Monument outside of Moab thawed my frozen winter body faithfully for seven consecutive springs on hikes and mountain biking trips, around campfires, in tents, and along muddy rivers. Approaching it again after the passage of an entire Saturn cycle (28 yrs) was thrilling. The Sun was low in the sky, lighting up the canyon rock so magnificently that awed travelers couldn’t help but pull to the side of the highway to breathe in the glowing light. Two vans filled with yogis emptied and did sun salutations on the road’s shoulder. The wide-eyed German couple ahead of us blissfully related highlights of their extensive road trip through the Southwest. Today’s view of Utah’s canyon country wasn’t just another roadside attraction, it was a sacred experience. I thought of my son, daughter-in-law, and grand baby who relocated a week before to Park City, four hours to the north, and allowed myself to dream about returning here someday with them.
We drove right through Moab, no longer a sleepy tiny town, hoping to make it to our final destination by nightfall. The Green River sunset did not disappoint!
Stay tuned for Installment 2 of the “Past meets present, Earth meets sky” road trip
the galactic gogo 