The Sun enters Libra, the last season of the year is eventually here. How is it possible? Where did summer go? It’s been like just a moment of fresh air, a sigh of relief caught between all the restrictions we’ve been through. And boom—it is already gone.
The Autumn Equinox was supposed to be a moment of perfect balance. Light and darkness meeting each other perfectly halfway, exchanging the baton. But this year knows no balance at all. 2020 is going to be remembered as a year full of extremes.
And now that fall is coming, we can feel it in the air. We need more light, more warmth, more life. Too much death and fear have been running through the ethers. We are not ready for darkness and cold yet, nor for witnessing Mother Nature’s death.
When there was light out there we faced our own shadows, in isolation. Now that the time of darkness is getting here we feel like we’ve already payed the price. Never have we experienced such a great need for inner light.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Today light and darkness are perfectly balancing each other out. This is the day when we can celebrate the forces of light taking over darkness. The promise of the new light we witness every year at Christmas (Yule, the Wheel) is kept in this day. It’s part of the great process of Nature.
This is a very important date for astrologers. According to our art, this is the first of the year which starts with the entrance of the Sun in Aries. Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac, a powerful fire sign that grants us the initial boost typical of new beginnings.
So, what about you?
What were your Resolutions for the New Year? After all they are just like seeds, so this is the right time for making them sprout. Start to work on them, as the fire energy of the new year rises.
How is it going with Venus Retrograde and Jupiter Retrograde? They are important opportunities to work on our belief system. In addition, they are part of the Astrological Chart of 2017, so they are going to affect us for the following 12 months.
What does the warrior side of your personality look like? How did it help you to overcome darkness in the past? Since Mars is the ruler of Aries, this is a great time to reconnect with this powerful archetype.
Also remember to take a break and have a walk in Nature. Sometimes it’s all it takes to clear your mind and recharge the batteries. We are so taken by our daily life that we often forget to simply look around and appreciate beauty. As Dostoevsky once said, beauty will save the world. And what is it, if not symmetry and balance?
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Reading Time : 3minutesThe Spring Equinox is upon us! Temperatures are rising and the days are getting longer and longer. Have you already gone for a walk in nature? You definitely should, the Sun is smiling at us (here in Italy at least). But what about the stars?
As you may know according to Astrology the Spring Equinox is the first of the year. It is the moment when the Sun enters Aries, the first sign of the zodiac. A new cycle starts, and since Astrology holds beginnings in high regard this event is huge. As your life is affected by the moment of your birth, so is the next year.
Let’s take a closer look to the chart of the Sun entrance in Aries.
A Pressure Cooker
First of all, we have an excess of fire energy here. Usually it’s not uncommon to find—as in this case—both Mercury and Venus in Aries as well. This because they never stray too far away from the Sun. But this year we also have Uranus, the Moon and Saturn: six out of ten planets in fire signs. Uranus is nothing new: it is in Aries for several years. On top of that, Saturn is in Sagittarius since 2015. But the Moon? Seriously? Do we really need other fire?
Fire is the element of action, will, passion, desire and ultimately transformation. No need to say that the last year has been quite… eventful. So we can expect this trend to continue the next year.
But how is it Mars? We want to check it out because the relief valve of all this fire is usually the god of war. It is in Taurus, though—duh! Taurus is about stability, consolidation and tranquility… so basically the relief valve is not going to work properly. He tends to defend the castle and never come out! And those left out—well—they can go to hell.
The Cardinal T-Square
So, what’s cooking? The Cardinal T-Square, of course. We have already discussed about it, so let’s sum it up briefly. Pluto, Uranus and Jupiter are battling in the sky, so to speak. They represent respectively the financial elites (Pluto in Capricorn), the people who stand up all around the world protesting for social justice (Uranus in Aries) and the legal systems (Jupiter in Libra) that abide mainly what is formally correct rather than what feels right for the people.
In the chart of the year we find Saturn conjunct the Moon. This means that the public opinion (the Moon represents the mass) is going to feel blocked and oppressed. The conjunction with Saturn is always very challenging; and in this case it is partile, meaning that the planets are on the same degree at 28° Sagittarius. In the end, having a weak Mars we can expect that the general discontent will increase. Coincidentally, the Saturn-Moon conjunction makes a trine with Uranus. This means that the protests will definitely rise, but their effect for this year will still be very weak due to Saturn.
On top of that, Mercury in Aries will set the media on fire. This will contribute to the above mentioned general discontent. Nothing new, right? This is after all a very well known media strategy to make us feel vulnerable and scared, as the Moon conjunct Saturn aspect suggests.
Both the Benefics are Retrograde
In the chart of the year Jupiter and Venus are both retrograde—which doesn’t help at all. Usually the benefics are able to balance tension with harmony (Venus) and pessimism with confidence (Jupiter). But in this case they are retrograde, which means that mainly they are going to make us question ourselves.
We can say that all that rising frustration can be an opportunity for questioning what we think to be right or wrong (read Jupiter Retrograde in Libra 2017 for further details) and the way passion affects our relationships (see Venus Retrograde in Aries 2017).
In Conclusion
I am not going to lie: this year is going to be tough. Obviously this is a very general interpretation that concerns the collective unconscious on a global scale. Each single country, as well as each single person, is going to be affected in a very specific way that doesn’t necessarily match this reading. However, the dynamic aspects involved (T-Square), the benefics retrograde, the Moon-Saturn conjunction, the excess of fire and a very weak Mars are all symptoms of both tension and energy stagnation.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
We are about halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. The light of the new sun has begun to shine bright, emerging from the darkness of deep winter. And even though the cold season has not ended yet, we are out of its hardest part.
As every main festival celebrating the Wheel of the Year, Imbolc is about light. In this case the light coming back again, getting everything ready for the upcoming spring (actually, for the Celts Imbolc was the first day of the season).
The light of Imbolc is the white light of purification. It dispels the darkness, revitalizing the stagnant energies of the old year. It is a time of renewal—especially physical—which often manifests through colds and flus.
It is no coincidence that this festival falls under the sign of Aquarius. It is the sign of revolution which breaks through old, dysfunctional structures, bringing a new order under the auspices of high ideals such as modernity and progress.
New year resolutions—sown early in the season—find at Imbolc the first opportunity to turn into a clear vision.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Hey everybody, I hope you had a great time during the holidays and also had a good start to the year! May the light of the new Sun shine before you strong and bright, clearing your thoughts and intentions, warming your soul with enthusiasm and giving you health and vitality to accomplish your goals!
As probably most of you did, I spent these days chilling with friends and family. I really had the need to rest and clear my mind in order to figure out my new year resolutions the best way possible. What about you? Do you have any? This time of the year is always full of hope and good intentions.
New Year Resolutions for the Blog
New Text Based Template. I think the reader should have the best experience possible, so I have decided that I’m going for a new text based template. I really like the way they emphasize text appearance making the reading more enjoyable. If it’s going to turn out too complicated I will stick with the one I’m using, readjusting just the font family, size and color.
Search Engine Optimization. A friend of mine complained about how difficult it is to find my website googling “astronomicon”. I really like the name but I’m afraid it’s too hard to remember, not to mention that it is used also in other fields. I don’t think I’m going to do anything drastic—like changing the name of the blog—but I’m definitely going to focus more on SEO.
Contents. Blogging isn’t just about posting—it also involves a lot of editing. I’m entering that phase where I feel the need to revisit all the static pages I posted, especially the “about” and “skywatch” sections.
Services Section. When I started this blog the main goal was to build a platform that would allowed me to start a small online business in Astrology Consultations. It requires an online store and appointment scheduler which I’ve already set up. Unfortunately the hard part is the international tax management, especially the VAT which in Europe at least is a real mess (each country has its own!).
I don’t want to go too far because [ictt-tweet-inline]we all know how it works with new year resolutions[/ictt-tweet-inline]—especially if you have too many, right?
Stay tuned on the blog, I’m going to post soon an update about the Cardinal T-Square I mentioned in this article, which is still going to affect us for a while.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Castel del Monte, Andria (BT), ITALY— photo shot by Niccolò Rigacci
I can feel the warmth of sunlight on the face; the smells of the tired earth; the cool autumn wind on my chest. Today is Michaelmas, the festival dedicated to the Archangel Michael—warrior of the light. It is a potent archetype which reminds us to start feeding an inner light inside of us—preventing darkness to reach out our hearts.
Michael doesn’t kill the dragon. Our lower nature must not be rejected, condemned or despised. The only demons that exist in us are the ones we need. Sometimes we all need to blame something—or someone—especially when things go wrong. It is part of our nature—one of those weaknesses that make us human. And also the main reason why we create scapegoats (what demons really are).
Micheal’s symbols—the sword and the scale—have several traditional meanings. But today, as if I was interpreting a personal dream, I’m going to tell you the meaning they have for me. I like to think they are an exhortation to fight for that frail balance I was talking about on the Autumnal Equinox.
November is a tough month, isn’t it? It is the period of the year when the life of summer definitively dies. That’s why—as the external light fades away—an inner light must gradually replace it. After all, what’s depression if not the feeling that every light has gone? This might happen suddenly, but most of times you slip slowly into it.
That’s why it is important to feed an inner light. It can be anything that resonates within you: the memory of your loved ones, your meditation practice, contemplating nature, a sense of honor and integrity, and so on. Just find your own way—it will be like having a lantern that enlightens your way through the season.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
Summer is about to end. The Autumnal Equinox is coming—light and darkness balancing each other. The physical warmth of the season is aging, turning slowly into a spiritual fire that kindly awakens human souls on earth. You can feel it everywhere, in the smells of the earth.
Equinoxes are challenging. They are all about balance between two opposite—yet complementary—forces. There is no effort without resting; no achievement without patience; no celebration without hard work. So, where are you stumbling? We all are, somewhere. We are indeed creatures of habit, but our habits are rarely balanced.
Personally, I worry too much. I always think to the worst case scenario, acting according to my pessimist mindset. Sometimes this might be a pro, but actually it is exhausting most of the time. I know you just can’t live like that, butto me trusting the Universe is hard. And in the end, a challenge.
What about you? What is your challenge?
The Sun Enters Libra
The Sun is about to enter Libra—the sign of balance. As you may know, I don’t really believe in general horoscopes. Nevertheless, I’m curious: how is the Sun doing with this equinox? If we are struggling with balance, why shouldn’t he? It sounds like a bad joke, but technically the Sun in Libra is in his fall. It’s a hard time for everybody.
Let’s see… he is leaving behind Virgo—where he had a bad square to Mars in Sagittarius—to conjunct Jupiter in Libra. I don’t want to make it too complicated, after all we are just playing a little bit with astrology here. Still, this image speaks by itself. No more controversy, struggles and fights—the lord of trust, faith and wisdom is waiting for the new Sun of Autumn.
I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
