Relationships are difficult, confusing and ambiguous. They force us to feel weak, needy and vulnerable—and who likes to feel that way? Love is a mystery, the other person a whole, new and frightening Universe to explore. Is it going to swallow us in a black hole? Or is it perhaps a shimmering galaxy full of wonders? Most of the times it can be both, because there is no black or white when it comes to romance.
Astrology is often consulted for love questions. Does he love me? Is he going to come back? Does she want to have kids? The uncertainty brought by this mysterious dimension makes us shiver like autumn leaves. And if it doesn’t, you might have built up very good defenses. But protecting yourself from love is like trying to live by fasting as long as you can. Is it worth it?
Venus. The ruler of the fifth house. The lord of the seventh house. His Moon. Her Sun. We can look at the charts and get a very neat analysis of the situation. And sometimes a synastry—that’s how we call it—definitely helps. We can better understand the situation, so we can at least figure out what to expect. But does it change the way we feel?
Love is Not Power
Love never hurts. Never. You might be rolling your eyes replying that not only love does hurt, but it hurts a lot. Unrequited love, a break up, cheating are just some of the countless examples of painful love. My take on this, is that it’s not love that hurts. It is something else, something that always comes with it. In a word, it’s about Power.
Love is not power. Even though I can’t deny that love always comes with power, they are not the same thing. In this article I am going through some astrological examples to show you how power is always getting in the way. There are in fact many forms of power, and we can analyze them according to the planets.
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.
Previously, we’ve talked about the Saturn-Pluto Conjunction for China and Italy. In this article we are going to discuss about the same issue in regards to India. We are going to focus not only on Saturn, that rules three important points related to health issues, but also on Mercury. Being in the Tenth House, Mercury activates issues related to the rule of democratic law. Let’s check it out.
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.
Previously, we’ve talked about the Saturn-Pluto Conjunction for China. In this article we are going to tackle the same issue in regards to Italy. We are also going to compare the two situations, specifically by looking at their Moon. In fact, we are going to find an interesting correlation between the two, as they are both going to be receiving similar transits.
Now, we all know at this point that this is a pandemic. So, does it make any sense to consider the situation just for a single nation? The short answer is yes. Even though this is a world wide issue, we don’t have to forget that the outbreak hit first—and more violently—some nations and not others. Italy has been the first and most involved among the European countries, so it definitely has a leading role in fighting the outbreak.
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 : 3minutesSometimes the Universe wants us to be aware. And to do that we can’t rely too much on the outside world; we have to count on ourselves. The following weeks are going to be demanding, since today Saturn is joining the Retrograde Club.
When Jupiter, Venus, Mercury and Saturn are all retrograde things are not easy. This because usually awareness comes with struggle: it is the impact with reality that makes us open our eyes. But it is also true that we can’t learn the lesson always the hard way. And maybe, this time there is too much to handle.
I know it’s wrong to generalize. We all have our own battles to fight, and the meaning of each planet strongly depends on the individual. But despite any particular interpretation, the level of emotional processing that we are asked this time is very high. We are challenged at the same time on our beliefs (Jupiter), relationships (Venus), sense of security (Mercury) and now also on our moral sense.
Let’s see together what this Saturn Retrograde is all about.
Saturn Retrograde in Sagittarius
Saturn is a very slow planet. In fact, it is going to be retrograde for almost 5 months: from April 7 to August 26. This means that its effects are not necessarily going to manifest right away. Nevertheless, they will inevitably be felt. This is after all how Saturn usually works: it gives you all the time to get ready, but you’d better be when it hits.
Saturn Retrograde in Sagittarius is about ethics and morality. We could say that it’s a sort of moralizing energy that easily turns into bigotry. Do you usually feel morally superior to other people? If that’s the case, this long lasting transit could be very important for you—as an opportunity.
When a planet turns retrograde, it mainly affects us inwardly. In that sense, Saturn acts like the super-ego: it constantly reminds us our moral flaws, making us feel guilty for everything. The more you resonate with this behaviour (if you are a person who tends to blame other people, for example), the more this inner voice is going to torture you. It literally turns on you.
The lesson to learn here is to be just. You shouldn’t judge other people on the basis of your moral standards without trying to put yourself in their shoes. Also remember that the way you treat other people is going to reflect on the way you treat yourself. I don’t usually quote the Gospels, but this verse makes the point quite nicely:
“For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2).
When will all this end?
Usually, I don’t like this question. But in this case I think it’s totally understandable. So, here’s the list of the end dates for the retrograde planets I mentioned above:
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 : 3minutesI used to like eclipses. They are dark, mysterious—glamorous, in a way. But now that I am a little bit more aware of what they represent, I have become immune to their charm. More or less.
They are indeed a very cool phenomenon. But in ancient times they were also seen as an omen of doom—or even worse. Actually, it must have been terrible to attend to a Solar Eclipse. The very source of all life on earth suddenly faded away. Only priests and astrologers could give them a deeper meaning—exorcising the fear.
But we are not going to talk about a Solar Eclipse in this post. [ictt-tweet-inline]On February 10 a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse is going to occur[/ictt-tweet-inline]. Basically a dark shading will appear on the Moon’s face. During the peak of the eclipse the shadow will be larger and darker.
Lunar eclipses always happen on a full moon night. This because the Sun, the Earth and the Moon need to be aligned properly. When they are, the Earth casts its shadow on the Moon.
Full Moon in Leo
When the Moon is full its cycle reaches the peak. It is the culmination of both energy and light, a moment of revelation. The night is lighted at most—as it is our unconscious mind. [ictt-tweet-inline]It’s time for lucid dreaming, core shadow work and deep understanding of the psyche[/ictt-tweet-inline].
The Full Moon in Leo brings a subtle golden light which gently marries the pure white silver energy of Imbolc. It relates to the archetype of the Good Queen—loved by all the people as the mother of the realm. She brings abundance, generosity, magnanimity, protection and a golden legacy.
A Good Eclipse
This is going to be a good eclipse. For starters, the North Lunar Node is involved. If you are not familiar with lunar nodes, you can think of them as the spots in the sky where eclipses can occur. They are the North Node and the South Node, opposed to each other. In a nutshell, astrologers of old regarded the North Node as a Jupiter-like energy point (which is good); the South Node, as a Saturn-like one (which is bad). Please note I am oversimplifying here.
The North Node is about expansion, new energy, and material wealth. Combined with the Lunar Eclipse, it is going to reveal shadow aspects or dysfunctional behaviors in order to enable positive change. This doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy—eclipses never are. Nevertheless—although your discoveries may be hard—in the end it will be worth it.
As always, your Natal Chart houses will provide the context (work, family, romance, etc.). But generally speaking this eclipse is saying: not all that glitters is gold. Or vice versa, things we usually look down on may turn out to be very valuable.
Grand Trine of Fire and Mystic Rectangle
The second reason that brings me to say this is going to be a good eclipse lies in its beauty. The Moon is going to close two major planetary configurations: a Grand Trine of Fire (Moon in Leo, Saturn in Sagittarius and Uranus in Aries) and a Mystic Rectangle (Moon in Leo, Sun in Aquarius, Jupiter in Libra and Uranus in Aries).
They are both easing configurations that are going to affect the ongoing Cardinal T-Square. The Grand Trine of Fire represents a positive cooperation between forces of the same element. It’s like having the Good Queen (Moon in Leo) giving the representative of the people (Uranus in Aries) an audience to listen to his complaints with the advice of the old High Priest (Saturn in Sagittarius).
On the other hand, the Mystic Rectangle combines the dynamic energy of two oppositions with the balancing contribution of two trines and two sextiles. It’s like funneling a bad tension towards a constructive outcome. The main tension here is the well known opposition between Jupiter in Libra and Uranus in Aries. To put it simply, what it is legally right (Jupiter in Libra) doesn’t necessarily correspond to justice for the people (Uranus in Aries).
In Conclusion
We can expect a “moment of truth” coming—a bolt from the blue that turns your world upside down. What we believed to be valuable had no solid foundation; what we considered worthless will prove to be worthy. At first, it will feel like having the earth missing under your feet. But eventually, everything is going to fall into place.
Please note that the effects of an eclipse take some time to manifest. This kind of event creates a sensible spot (22° Leo) that should be monitored for the next months. Upcoming transits will definitely trigger it again in the very next future.
The Eclipse is going to occur with the Moon and the Sun at 22° Leo and Aquarius respectively. It’s going to be visible from America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
Start Time: FEB10 @ 22:34 (UTC) — FEB10 at 5:34 PM (New York Time)
Eclipse Peak: FEB11 @ 00:43 (UTC) — FEB 10 @ 7:43 PM (New York Time)
End Time: FEB11 @ 02:53 (UTC) — FEB 10 @ 9:53 PN (New York Time)
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.
Each new moon occurs in darkness—like a seed sprouting underground. The doors of the skies are opened and new astral forces can penetrate into the orbit of the earth. Every month this process happens under the auspices of a zodiac sign, which leaves its mark on these energies.
The New Moon in Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter. As we know, the great benefic is located for months in Libra, where he embraces the role of bearer of justice—the archetype of the Good Magistrate. But what is the cause he is pursuing? What is triggering his attention?
This month we are assisting to a T-square (2 squares and 1 opposition) configuration between Jupiter, Pluto and Uranus. Pluto square Uranus is the great, slow aspect mainly involved in the financial crisis of 2007, and the astral cause behind all its consequences we are still witnessing.
In fact Pluto in Capricorn represents the elites of occult powers (financial groups, banks, etc.), whereas Uranus in Aries ruled the rising rebellion of people around the world demanding equal rights. Just think about all movements born under these omens such as Occupy Wall Street and the Arab Spring.
Now, this aspect is getting more and more loose and its influence is gradually weakening. Still, we have to wait until May 2018—entrance of Uranus in Taurus—to bring this never-ending story to a conclusion. However, Jupiter’s transit is an important milestone in this process. Let’s check it out.
Jupiter closing the T-Square
We have already talked about Pluto square Uranus. Let’s see now the remaining aspects which complete the T-Square configuration: Jupiter opposite Uranus and Jupiter square Pluto.
Jupiter opposite Uranus: the opposition occurs on the Aries-Libra axis. These signs are confronting each other on many different levels: thinking against action, compromises against unilateralism, harmony against struggle. Just think of this opposition as a wise person (Jupiter)—looking for a just compromise—versus a insurrectionist fanatic (Uranus) who is tired, and just wants to take justice into his own hands.
Jupiter square Pluto: in this historical period the elite groups of occult powers (Pluto in Capricorn) are more than ever exposed. They know they can do anything they want—as they always have—but in the last decade the bearer of light (Uranus) has clearly revealed the strings they are pulling. Jupiter square Pluto is going to put this issue to trial.
Please consider that this is a slow transit that is going to accompany us for several months. Jupiter opposite Uranus is going to be perfect on December 27th 2016 and again on March 3rd 2017 due to combined retrograde motions. It will finally end only with Jupiter’s entrance in Scorpio on October 2017 (but only as a dissociate aspect).
The easing role of Saturn
Saturn is forming a sextile with Jupiter and a trine with Uranus: it is basically getting in the way of the opposition, trying to soothe the tension between them.
You can think of Saturn in Sagittarius as on old priest, a bigoted moralist which always wants to appear politically correct. As you can imagine this kind of energy is very judgmental, and being the Sagittarius ruled by Jupiter we can expect Saturn to mainly assist him in his role.
This configuration is very interesting and we are definitely going to analyze it further in future articles. How is this going to turn out? Has the election of Donald Trump anything to do with that? Is he really going to stand on people’s side?
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 25 November
If you follow me on Facebook you may have noticed my post about Pluto conjunct Venus. This lunar cycle features this aspect, which is dangerous especially for women’s safety. In fact the archetype regarding this conjunction refers to the myth of the rape of Proserpina.
Hence, we are joining the message of the United Nations to raise awareness on this issue that US elections seem to have weakened, all over the world.
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.
Sometimes life is wierd. Simple, everyday actions sudenly go wrong and you find yourself injured—stuck in a hospital for three weeks. This is at least what doctors are saying, and no—I’m not talking about me.
Last week my boyfriend had a bad burn, caused by a hot water bottle that blew up behind his lower back. I am still cursing that damn thing. How can an object so small and common make such a damage? I still can’t figure it out.
Burns are hard. They are probably the worst kind of injuries you can get. They loose liquids, you are exposed to infections and the skin is not able to regenerate easily by itself. It takes time—if not a surgery—and you need to be very patient.
Furthermore, hospitals are like holes in spacetime. If you stay in bed long enough they start to mess with your head. Daylight and night time blend together—eclipsed by articial light—while restelessness, pain and meds welcome you in Wonderland.
Apparently, this is burns time. The staff of this department is very busy because a lot of people get hurt trying to start stoves or fireplaces (guys, please don’t use alcohol!). Personally, I like to think that this is the bad influence of Venus in Scorpio which—when this blog is published—will be in Sagittarius. Let’s talk about it.
The Skin according to Astrology
In Astrology the planets ruling the skin are Saturn and Venus, which give us two very different perspectives on the matter.
First of all, being the Reaper, Saturn has power over all dead things. Furthermore—as the Guardian of the Threshold—he also rules all sorts of borders and boundaries. Combining these symbols together we’ve got “dead borders”. This is obviously related to the skin considered as the border of our body which—at least on the outer layer—is made of dead cells.
In regards to Venus, we can say that she rules beauty, as well as pleasure or—in this case—well being. [ictt-tweet-inline hashtags=”astrology”]All women know that a luminous and young skin is the secret of beauty[/ictt-tweet-inline]—otherwise why bother with lotions and makeup? Our well being is seen by the skin, too.
Boundary (Saturn, earth element) and appearence (Venus, air element) are the two pillars of the skin according to medical astrology.
The Goddess and the Serpent
Scorpio is ruled by Mars and Pluto. It is the sign of death and rebirth, so every process of regeneration deals with its energies. This also applies to skin regeneration—just think about the well known metaphor of the serpent changing its envelope. This is mainly due to Pluto’s influence on the sign.
What about Mars instead? This fiery planet—the God of War—is the lord of all injuries. This is the main reason why the goddess of pleasure is not well here. [ictt-tweet-inline]Beauty and contentment are both sacrificed on the altar of deep regeneration[/ictt-tweet-inline] that requires a blood toll. Ironically, in my previous blogI compared red wine to blood, just inspired by Venus in Scorpio.
In conclusion I’d like to say that I don’t believe that a single planetary transit is able to affect people in such a deterministic way. As you may know [ictt-tweet-inline hashtags=”astrology”]I look at the sky looking for inspiration, not for mass prediction[/ictt-tweet-inline]. If you want to use astrology to dispel the darkness of an unclear event you should always—always—go back to your Natal Chart.
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.
