Amelia’s Blog

“The sweetness and generosity and politeness and humanity of the French has shown me how lovely life can be if one takes time to be friendly.” Julia Childs

“There are pleasures to be found where you would never look for them. “Marilynne Robinson

Mercury enters the sign of Virgo on Monday this week. The silver lipped Messenger god has been transiting  the late degree is Leo and in the process squaring Uranus. He will still continue to align with  Uranus in an out- of- sign square for a few days. But this influence which can bring surprises in communication and snafus with technology and travel, is on the wane.

This is helped by the Virgo ingress.  Mercury is the ruler of this sign and it brings a strength and practicality to the mind. Common sense can be strong with this placement.

It is a good time to get involved with service of some kind.

Mercury is quincunxing Pluto on Monday. The quincunx is an awkward aspect and indicates a need for adjustment. Pluto entered the sign of Aquarius this year and  backtracked into the 29th degree of Capricorn September 2. It will transit this degree through late November when the Lord of Transformation will enter the sign of Aquarius through 2044.

The 29th degree is considered the “karmic degree” astrology, giving any planet at this degree more significance.

This time frame, now through late November is a good time to review how things may have changed in your life or are in a process of transformation since 2008.

Also this week the Sun in Virgo will Be moving up to a square with Jupiter in Gemini. This is a good time for luck and good fortune. With both planets in Mercury-ruled signs it’s a great time for expansion in terms of thinking and planning – just be aware that Jupiter can be associated with excess- plans and ideas formed under this influence may  be great in nature but in need of tempering.

Venus is Virgo is moving up to a beneficial trine to Jupiter. This is a wonderful aspect for having fun, positive thinking and experiencing the pleasure side of life. It’s a good time to get out and socialize with friends and allies.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is, “A woman reading tea leaves.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“You are not the oil, you are not the air-merely the point of combustion, the flash-point where the light is born.”Dag Hammarskjold

The New Moon is on Monday September 2 at 9:55 PM at 11 degrees of Virgo. The Moon will be conjunct the asteroid Vesta. Vesta’s name is derived from sanscrit and means “shining.” Although not the largest of the asteroids, she is the brightest and the only one that can be seen from earth with the naked eye. The symbol for Vesta is the flame.

This close alignment with the New Moon in Virgo provides good timing to look at what it is that provides light or inspiration in your life.

Virgo is the sign associated with discrimination so this New Moon cycle ushers in a good  time for sorting through things, creating more organized systems and planning.

It’s a good time to look at he the body/mind connection in terms of health and daily routine to see if some improvements could be made.

Mercury is making a square to Uranus this week – which can bring some unexpected news and  events  as well as possible snafus with communications, travel and  electronics.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”An expressionist painter making a futuristic drawing.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

 

 

 

It’s a very warm, summer day here in New Hampshire. This morning when I walked out of the library, I heard a hawk’s cry and looked up to see two harks circling in the sky above me.

In Native American traditions, a hawk is considered a messenger. If you hear a hawk’s cry it is a sign to heighten awareness to receive a message.

This was a  good reminder for me as Mercury stations today – Wednesday August 28 – and it bodes well for a few days before and after Mercury stations to be aware of information that surfaces. These times can represent a culmination of information.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,” A carrier pigeon fulfilling her mission.

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“Why sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible  things before breakfast.” Lewis Carroll

“Life is what happens when your’re making other plans.” John Lennon

Mercury is slowing down now in preparation to  station direct on 5:15 PM EDT on Wednesday, bringing an end to the retrograde period.

Mercury has been squaring Uranus during the retrograde period and this alignment will continue through September 9 or so. This can bring snafus with timing, communications and technology. On the bright side, Uranus/Mercury aspects are associated with innovation in thinking. Often inventors have this aspect in their natal  charts.

Uranus transits can be hard on the nervous system so it’s wise, if needed, to create extra downtime this week for relaxation and rejuvenation.

Venus is opposing Neptune this week. This can be an influence  that bodes well for creativity and inspiration when in a favorable aspect. In an opposition such as this though, there can be illusions about the Venus – ruled aspects of life – pleasure, romance and love as well as finances. It’s best to keep your feet on the ground and proceed  pragmaticaly  when making any decisions this week.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A fertile garden under the Full Moon.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill.

“The essence of health is an inner kind of balance.” Andrew Weil

“One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words. It is expressed in the choices one makes.” Eleanor Roosevelt

The Sun enters  the sign of Virgo on Thursday this week. This ushers in a good time for getting more organized with endeavors – a good time to get down to the details and create more efficient systems if needed.

The sign of Virgo is associated with the Hermit Card in the Tarot deck. This card- in Waite’s deck -pictures a person on a mountain top in a hooded cloak shining a lantern on the path before her. The number of this card is 9 and it proceeds the card of change, the Wheel of Fortune which is number 10.

The Hermit Card governs discrimination as does the sign of Virgo, and represents the time before significant change – the time of weighing choices and options before moving forward. It represents the time of inner reflection – of looking back and looking forward – before taking action.

Virgo rules the sixth house  in the astrology chart . This house governs well being and the relationship between your health and your work life. It’s a good time to  to see if a  better balance can be struck  so that your  daily routines better support and build health and strength.

The symbol of Virgo is of the Virgin holding a sheaf of wheat. This symbolizes the harvest and the gathering in of what is needed for the winter. The recent Perseid Meteor showers herald the changing of seasons to come, as does this sign.

The Sun will transit the sign of Virgo through the 22nd of September.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is, “Two guardian angels bringing protection.”

 

 

“Change provides the doorways through which we each must travel to find true peace.” Meredith Lady Young

Change is in the air with this month’s Full Moon Monday August 19 at 2:26 PM. At this time Uranus in Taurus will square the Sun in Leo and the Moon in Aquarius at 27 degrees of the fixed signs.

Uranus is the planet of the future and of personal evolution. It governs the process of sudden awakening. Sometimes this alignment can bring a sudden realization about the need for a change in direction or perspective.

This can be a time when new opportunities present themselves.
Uranus in Taurus is challenging us to remain open and flexible during time of rapid change.

It’s wise to provide some extra down time for the integration of events.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”Daybreak – the luminescence of dawn in the eastern sky.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

 

“Inch by inch, row by row
Going to make this garden grow.
All you need is a rake and a hoe
And a piece of fertile ground.

Inch by inch, row by row
Someone bless these seeds I sow,
Someone warm them from below,
Til the rains come tumbling down.” David Mallet

“We must learn to reawaken and
keep ourselves awake, not by
mechanical aids, but by an infinite
expectation of the dawn.” Thoreau

This week the Sun in Gemini is forming a favorable alignment with Jupiter, the planet of wisdom, of self confidence and expansion.  This provides good timing to think about how you would like to expand your life-  in what directions would you like to grow.

It is a good alignment for assessing self confidence to see if there are ways that you would like to grow in this area.

The Jupiter/Saturn conjunction in Pisces , exact on the 19th, is one of the significant alignments of 2024. This is an indication to  have patience and take your time with goals and aspirations, as under this influence the timing can be one step forward, two steps back. Jupiter’s exuberance is tempered by Saturn’s “rules of the road.”

On Wednesday this week retrograde Mercury joins Venus at 3 degrees of Virgo. Mercury/ Venus conjunctions provide a good time for discussing emotional issues as the head and heart connection is direct. Just a caution- with the alignment in Virgo do watch for being overly critical and for overthinking.

In general overthinking or scattered or distracted thinking is very much on the front burner these days with Mercury and Venus in Virgo, Jupiter in Gemini and Saturn in Pisces. Good mental boundaries will be helpful if and when and if this occurs.

Neptune will be opposing Juno, the planet of commitment in Virgo.  Neptune can represent wishful thinking, fantasy, and an escape from reality – from what is.  The sign of Virgo represents clarity and discernment in thinking. This is a good time to look at what ideas and habits may be  stuck in this realm and blocking progress – particularly in areas of work, health and commitments of all kinds.

Juno moves into the partnership sign of Libra this week. Juno is comfortable in this placement. It’s a good time to review issues of justice, fairness and balance in relationship and move towards initiating change if necessary. New friendships and relationships can emerge under this alignment.

Pluto is moving up to a favorable alignment with Juno this week – lending support to change and transformation in commitments – both inner and outer.

My friend, Elizabeth Spring, who is an astrologer and a writer, once said that one thing she loves about doing astrology charts is that it correlates the personal with the mythological. This can bring in a new and expanded perspective and be very helpful  with problem solving and timing.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”The dawn of a new day reveals everything changed.”

An Astrologer or Tarot Card reader should be a trusted ally on your life’s path.

 

“We must always be thinking about what we are thinking.” Dalai Lama

“All we are is the result of what we have thought.” Buddha

Jupiter, the planet of expansion and sometimes, excess, is in the sign of Gemini now through early June of 2025.

Gemini, the  sign of the Twins in astrology, is a mutable, adaptable sign associated with the gathering of information and the ability to see many sides of a situation.  With Jupiter’s influence, it’s an excellent time to expand thinking and gather information, but there also can be the tendency to overload and, as a result, to have scattered thoughts.

If this occurs, a good antidote is to set a boundary limiting how far you will let your thoughts go. This is also a good strategy now in general, with Saturn’s placement in Pisces, which can be on its own a boundary-less placement.

The New Moon this month is on Sunday August 4th at 12 degrees of Leo. The Sabian symbol associated with this time is, “An old sea captain rocking on the porch of his cottage,” summoning up the image of a man towards the end of his life,  gazing out at sea,  contemplating or rethinking his experience from a wiser point of view.

This symbol is very  apt at this time with Mercury stationing retrograde the next day at 4 degrees of Virgo – ushering in a good time to sort through ideas. Life is moving at a fast pace on Planet Earth these days and this period – through August 25 – gives us a good opportunity to slow down, integrate recent events and to discern which ideas and plans to pursue and which ones need to be put to the side.

An astrologer or Tarot Card reader should be a trusted ally on your life’s path.

 

The fleet -footed messenger god, Mercury  is transiting the late degrees of Leo now and will station retrograde on August 5 at 4 degrees of Virgo.

The sign of Virgo governs  critical thinking and discrimination. Symbolically it is represented by the process of separating the wheat from the chaff – using discrimination to separate what is important from what is not. The key word associated with it is “I analyse.”

The symbol of this sign – The Virgin holding a sheaf of wheat- represents the gathering of material needs at harvest time. This detail- oriented sign rules the assimilative system in the body.

The retrograde period will last through August 28 when Mercury will station direct at 21 degrees of Leo.

Retrograde periods are a good time to rethink, redo, refresh and  revive. It’s a good time to revisit the order and routines in your life, whether they build or tax strength and overall well being and if change would be beneficial.

If you’ve been wanting to make changes in your diet or lifestyle, this time -frame would be beneficial for thinking about or researching what to do and how best to implement it.

Mercury will then retrograde down into the late degrees of Leo, providing a good time to revisit creative projects and think about the kind of activities that provide recreation in your life – not just fun but “re-creation” or restoration of the vital energies.

There can be new and fresh perspectives that come to life as the result of this retrograde period.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A person becoming aware of nature spirits and normally unseen spiritual energies.”

 

 

 

“That full bellied Moon, she’s shinin’ on me.
She pulls on my heart like she pulls on the sea.” Gregory Alan Isakoff

Emotional tides run high at the Full Moon and Sunday’s Full Moon in Capricorn  at 6:17 AM EDT is no exception. It is a good time to stay grounded and maintain equilibrium.

The Moon in Capricorn, in general, provides a good time to look at goals and aspirations and assess whether your  efforts and strategies have been effective. And to think about putting others in place if not.

At the time of the Full Moon, the Sun, the Moon and Neptune  are all at the 29th degree. The 29th degree in astrology signals a time when there can be more confusion than usual so it’s wise to exercise caution  with any decisions that need to be made at this time.

The Moon will be conjunct Pluto and the Sun will oppose it indicating a time which can be emotional and intense.

The Sun and Moon will be making good aspects to Neptune – which can provide insight and inspiration.

The pull to addictive  behavior can be stronger at this time.

Best to keep it simple. Strong boundaries and pragmatic solutions will work best at this time.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,” Directors of a large business meet in secret conference.”