Amelia’s Blog

“We need to remember that we are all created creative and can invent new scenarios as frequently as they are needed. ” Maya  Angelou

“We can know the dark and dream it into a new image.” Starhawk

The Moon waxes new on Sunday at 4 degrees of Scorpio at 11:38 PM EDT. Scorpio is the sign of the seer, the shaman, the investigator, the mystic . It is a sign of depth and perception and seeing through to the essence of things.

The Sun, Moon, Venus, Pallas and Mercury will all be in this sign  of mystery and magic at this time. It is a good time to be in touch with your soul’s deeper aspirations and to shed attitudes and beliefs that no longer fit. Uranus, the planet of innovation and freedom is strong at this time – forming an opposition to the Sun and Moon. This supports moving in a direction of increased authenticity.

The Sabian symbol for this time is, “A broken bottle and spilled perfume.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

“Mercury retrograde  provides a time of slowing down, allowing for more space to pause, reflect, take stock, hone intentions and course correct as needed.” Henry Seltzer

My cell phone is on its last legs and I’ve been in the process of deciding how best to replace it.  I called my friend – also an astrologer – who I often have tea with. She has a number of planets in Aquarius and interfaces with the cyber world with more ease than I do.

We explored options. But as the conversation was winding down, she cautioned, “Whatever you do, do it before Mercury turns retrograde.”

I’m not totally on board with this kind of thinking. Mercury retrograde periods are good for tying up loose ends and attending to  things left undone- in other words, going back and redoing or replacing something already in progress. It is often a time when lost things can be found. Or if you have lost something during the retrograde period, it can often be found after Mercury turns direct.

But as far as cyber things go, I think it is best to resolve any related issues before Mercury stations retrograde. Mercury does rule communications.  And to avoid particularly,  a couple of days before the station retrograde and the following station direct when the influence can be stronger and more confusing.

There was a good example of this in November of 2000. I remember standing in line to vote on election day during the Bush /Gore race when a friend across the hall called out to me, “Who do you think will win today?”

Knowing that  Mercury was stationing, I said, “I think it won’t be decided for awhile. It will be back and forth with delays. ” (Very typical Mercury retrograde activity.)

It took quite awhile to resolve.

Mercury is slowing down in the sky now to station retrograde on October 31- Nov 21 and the influence can be felt as we move towards the station. It’s a good time to back up important info.

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

“New ways of thinking about familiar things can release new energies and make all manner of things possible.” Charles Handy

Mercury is is slowing down in preparation to station retrograde on October 31 in the late morning EDT. Mercury will station at 27 degrees of Scorpio  and retrograde down to 11  degrees  on Scorpio when it stations direct on Nov 21 ending the retrograde period.

In a nutshell this retrograde period will be a good time to get to the bottom of things and/or deepen your thinking in order to create a shift in perception.

It’s a good time to check your chart and see in which house Mercury is stationing. For instance, stationing in the first house would indicate a time to rethink or renew your sense of identity, in the fourth house, issues related to roots, home, family and ancestry and in the tenth house, the way forward on your life path.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”The king of the fairies approaching his domain.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

“Dreams can be cultivated, requested and experienced in ways that are difficult to anticipate.”Sandra Weintraub

“No one can give a definition of soul. But we know what it feels like. The soul is a burning desire to breathe in this world of light and to never lose it – to remain children of light.” Albert Schweitzer

“Soul is what connects you to everyone and everything else. ” Tom Chappell

The Moon waxes full Sunday at 20 degrees of Aries 5:08 PM EDT. At this time the Sun will be making a challenging aspect to both Pluto an Saturn. This indicates a powerful time of opportunity to release old patterns. This in turn will make room for new visions and opportunities.

There is a grand trine – a very beneficent alignment- between Mercury, Neptune an the North Node of life path and personal destiny. This indicates a very good time for inspiration and guidance about your soul’s yearnings and your path forward. Meditation and creativity can flourish under this influence.

The Full Moon is in Aries indicating a good time to look at interaction in relationships. It’s wise to consider how you handle self assertion and whether there’s room for improvement.  It’s also wise to consider how you handle anger and conflict in your relationships with others. Do impulsiveness and impatience need to be tempered and would more cooperation be beneficial? If any changes are called for, this is a very good time for releasing unproductive behavior patterns as there is support for creating new and more effective ones.

There is also considerable help from higher forces in moving along your life path at this time.

Venus is making a favorable aspect  to Neptune at this time making it a good time to follow your intuition about relationships and what kind of relationships you’d like going forward. It’s a good time to identify the relationships in your life that support your soul’s path forward. This aspect is also very good for spiritual growth and creative projects and a good time to make way for the new based on intuition.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A gate opens to the garden of all fulfilled desires.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

“Anyone can become angry-that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way- this is not easy.” Aristotle

Mars is now in Libra through late November. Mars is the god of action, drive and passion and is not happy in the more accomodating sign of Libra.

It is wise throughout this month and next  when dealing with others, to keep in mind patience,  sensitivity and tactfulness  to avoid the upsets and misunderstandings that can more easily occur  under this placement.

In the beginning of the week  Pallas Athene – the goddess of wisdom and strategic vision is in a favorable alignment with Neptune, the planet of idealism, dreams and visions. Pallas  brought the knowledge of diplomacy and conflict resolution to the gods and goddesses. She excelled at both but when battle was the only option left, she proved invincible. This alignment provides a good time to be open to inspiration, imagination and guidance  in terms of what you are advocating for in your life. It is also a good time to reaffirm your resolve to make it happen.

The Sun moves up to a square to Saturn at the beginning of the week. This is a good placement for getting work done as long as you are willing to overcome  obstacles that might arise  in the process.

Venus moves out of the sign of Libra Tuesday and into the sign of Scorpio. Venus in Libra likes relationships that are harmonious and Venus in Scorpio is more about the deep, passionate, transformative side of partnership.

Mars in Libra will move up to a challenging alignment to Chiron this week – bringing to  awareness challenges about personal power and self assertion. It’s a good time to rethink this are of life and see if any adjustments would be helpful.

Venus makes an inconjunct to Neptune indicating that it’s wise to avoid idealizing others, relationships and situations. The pull of addictions can be stronger under this influence. Best to keep  moderation and pragmatics in mind.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is, “A youth holding a lighted candle in a devotional ritual gains a sense of the great ‘other world.'”

Sabian symbol by Lynda Hill

 

“True magic is not a means of control or manipulation. It is about cooperating with the most positive energy arising in any situation to create the best outcome for all concerned.” Carol S. Pearson.

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Arthur C. Clarke

In the beginning of this week there is a very favorable alignment between Pallas  Athene, the North Node and Neptune. This indicates a very good time for dreams, intuition and creative visualization.  It bodes well  to heed intuition and guidance that offers new perspectives and options for the path forward.  As Leonard Cohen wrote, “God is alive and magic is afoot.”

On Thursday  Pluto stations direct at 20 degrees of Capricorn at 2:37 AM EDT.  Pluto has been retrograde since late April.  Pluto direct adds an extra ability to get to the bottom of things that might not have been visible before – particularly concerning power and how power is used.  It’s a good week to get clear on how your direct your power and your will to move towards your aspirations.

Both Mercury and Mars will be lingering on the 29th degree this week before changing signs. This can add a bit of indecisiveness to the mix and a feeling that not all the information is in.

Mercury will enter Scorpio on Thursday and Mars will enter Libra on Friday.

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

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“Compassion and justice are companions, not choices.” William Sloane Coffin

“Justice and compassion must play a great role: to guide, steer and bridle our imaginations so they serve a greater cause.”Matthew Fox

On Saturday the Moon waxes new at 5 degrees of Libra at 2:26 PM EDT. The sign of Libra governs justice, fairness and equilibrium.  Libra is the sign often associated with partnership and the process of reconciling differences by reaching an agreement. It is often found in the charts of diplomats.

New Moons are a good time to set or reaffirm intentions. This Moon in particular has a strong inner nature to it and bodes well for more closely aligning intentions with everyday  actions.  It’s a good time to work towards resolution on unresolved relationship issues of an inner nature. It can be an important time or turning point in relationships due to realizations that occur now.

Because the tendency towards projection is strong it’s best to focus on inner issues and avoid blaming others at this time.

It’s a good time to dream big and look at to let go of things that have stood in the way of your moving towards the big  picture dream in your life.

It’s also a good time to commit to the discipline and perseverance necessary to accomplish what you are setting out to do.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A woman teaching the true inner knowledge of the new world to her students..”

 

“Everything that exists is an expression of relationships, alliances and balances of energies, powers and spirits.” L. David Peat

“Through a spiritual discipline we prevent the world from filling our lives to such an extend that there is no place left to listen.” Henri J Nouwen

Today the sun enters Libra, marking the time of the Autumn Equinox.  This ushers in a time having to do with relationships of all kinds as well as a time when it bodes well to focus on cooperation, collaboration and balance.

Both Venus and Mercury are now in Libra and will be making a harmonious aspect to the North Node which governs life path.  It is a good time to shift the focus forward in terms of what you’d like to accomplish and the partnerships that will help you get there.

This week Saturn conjuncts the South Node for the third and last time. This indicates a time when it bodes well to look at the various  responsibilities and commitments  you have in your life and to see whether a better balance can be struck. The South Node has to do with the past.  The shadow side of what it governs has to do with the  long standing habits and  patterns that can undermine our efforts.  When partnered up with Saturn it indicates a threshold time when it is wise the consider the role discipline, responsibility and boundaries play in keeping the commitments in your life. Sometimes people assume too much responsibility or too little. Responsibility to others can change over time as new commitments are made. This is a good week to get current on these areas of life.

Challenging relationship issues are more likely to emerge this week and projection is in the air. If you’re looking for change in partnership of some kind, look first to what you are willing to do.

It’s best to provide extra downtime and keep moderation in mind.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”An ancient bas-relief carved in granite remains a witness to a long forgotten culture.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

“The bamboo for prosperity.” a Japanese friend explained to me,”the pine for long life, the plum for courage…the plum for courage because the plum puts forth blossoms while the snow is still on the ground.” Anne Morrow Lindbergh

“We live in a time when the greatest form of courage is to act as if our lives made a difference.” William Sullivan 

The tiny purple and white  daisies that bloom this time of year are sometimes called Michaelmas daisies because they bloom near the feast of St. Michael or Michaelmas.

Michaelmas is celebrated around the time of  the Autumn Equinox when the Sun enters the sign of Libra. This year The Equinox falls on the 23 of September and Michaelmas on the 29th.

For centuries Michaelmas  celebrations have been held commemorating the triumph of the lowly peasant, George over the fearsome dragon who was terrifying his village.

Many others before George had in vain attempted to fight and slay the dragon and had lost their lives as a result. But it was because of the intervention of the archangel Michael- the mightiest of the archangels, known as the protector of humanity and protector against darkness- that George was able to succeed.

The symbolism of Michaelmas has to do with the battle between the forces of Light and Darkness in both our outer and inner worlds. The darkness symbolizes fear and doubt – and the Light represents hope, faith and courage – the qualities which protect us during the dark night of the soul and during times like the Fall when the power of the Light wanes and the forces of darkness grow stronger.

It is a good time to cultivate courage and keep the inner fires of inspiration burning bright.

One of the Sabian symbols for Michelmas is,”A man watches his ideals taking concrete form before his inner vision.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill

 

“Redeem
The time. Redeem
The unread vision in the higher dream
While jewelled unicorns draw by the gilded hearse. TS Eliot

“There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”Leonard Cohen

There’s significant astrological activity this week including the Saturn station on Wednesday and the exact square of Jupiter and Neptune on Saturday.

Both Mercury and Venus, now in Libra will make a challenging alignment to Chiron – the asteroid of the Wounded Healer. This asteroid is a reminder that the journey of wounding and healing is a lifelong one. It’s a good week to watch your words as they can be unintentionally wounding – and to watch your thoughts as there is a tendency for confusion to arise around old wounds related to self worth and self love.  It’s best all week if things seem confusing, to look to what is calling for inner resolution.

Mercury will also make a challenging aspect to Uranus this week. This indicates there are likely to be surprising or startling revelations and events. It can make it more of an intense time when irritability and frayed nerves could easily be on the rise.

It’s a very good week to provide extra downtime for the integration of information. It’s also a good week to do things that restore a sense of wholeness and connectedness. I was recently reading a book by Heather Durham called Going Feral, Field Notes on Wonder and Wanderlust. In one section she writes (and I’m paraphrasing now) “when I walk into the woods I feel all the connections – how everything is connected.”

Saturn will station direct on Wednesday conjunct the South Node. The planet Saturn governs the process of self mastery and responsibility that leads to success. This planetary duo is about taking responsibility for things that are unresolved. The South Node governs the area of life where you tend to lose your power. It’s also governs gifts and challenges that evolve down ancestral or genetic lines. The station indicates a good time for reaffirming or creating new intentions about how you plan to handle challenges to this area of life.

Mercury and Venus will be squaring  the South Node as well. Squares indicate the need to overcome something – and again this can be something of an inherited nature that has a weakening force. It bodes well to keep open to what is revealed while keeping a healthy inner balance all week.

Mars is trining Pluto. This  lends strength, energy and drive for  projects. It is a good influence for doing things that build or bring back your strength. It’s wise under this influence to do things that feel rejuvenating  like  a walk in the woods or a massage.

The final square of Jupiter and Neptune is Saturday – ending a mostly year long transit. This planetary duo is correlated with exuberance and idealism but due to the tendency to overdo or exaggerate, it  can easily  lead to confusion, denial and disillusionment. It’s wise to keep moderation and equilibrium in mind all week.

One of the Sabian symbols for this time is,”A man teaching the true inner knowledge of the new world to his students.”

Sabian symbol from Lynda Hill