We will enter the Mercury retrograde 'shadow' period at 21’45 degrees of Capricorn on December 26, 2008 - Mercury will return to this degree again and pass over this point February 1, 2009 as he stations direct and prepares to leave the storm on February 7th. Prepare to rethink, redraw, replan, renegotiate, etc something that happens over December 25th - 26th around then (January 31 - February 5)! This Mercury retrograde will stir up the most trouble for Aquarius, Leo, Capricorn, Cancer, Aries, Libra, Taurus, and Scorpio - particularly the degrees ranging from 21 - 30 (Cancer/Capricorn & Aries/Libra) and 1 -7 (Leo/Aquarius & Taurus/Scorpio). Check your natal charts to see where your Sun (or other planets, points, etc) lie in any of these signs to see how this Mercury retro will affect you (or let me do it for you! Online Consultations and Readings).
On January 7, Mercury enters its 'Storm' (this is when the planet moves less than 40 minutes of arc per day) so if you have a lot of things you need to get started, I advise you get it moving now...
Read more about the upcoming Mercury retro, including what to expect while Mercury is retro in both Aquarius and Capricorn, click here
16 December 2008
01 December 2008
Tonight...and the Wild Ride
Today/tonight there is a relatively 'rare' line-up with the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter in conjunction. If you have clear skies, take a peek. This line-up is the same as on the day I was born only this one is taking place in Capricorn rather than Scorpio, even the moon phase is the same - Crescent. Look up and find the Crescent moon, then close by you will see two bright objects - Venus and Jupiter. The occultation could be seen in Eastern Europe, I believe. The Moon has already moved on past (haven't bothered to look to see the exact time when, but it happened when it was daylight in the US) but is still in orb. Just checked and see that Venus has moved on too - Moon is at 27 Capricorn, Venus is at 23 Capricorn, and Jupiter is at 22 degrees...still in orb for those tiny ones being born tonight.
Picked up the new copy of Mountain Astrologer...I could not resist the title: The Wild Ride of 2009. Sounds like they are talking about my life!!! LOL
Love in the darkness,
Dena
Picked up the new copy of Mountain Astrologer...I could not resist the title: The Wild Ride of 2009. Sounds like they are talking about my life!!! LOL
Love in the darkness,
Dena
18 October 2008
Venus caught in the Crossfire (Saturn - Uranus opposition - November 3 - 4, 2008)
There’s all sorts of talk in astrocircles on the web about the upcoming Saturn/Uranus opposition (exact at 8:35 am EST on November 4, 2008) and what this means on a global economic level…there is also a consistent focus on the upcoming US election. What everyone has failed to notice (from my perspective) is that this opposition also has the potential to affect many of us very personally (especially Virgo/Pisces, Gemini/Sagittarius) as Venus is caught up in a T-square formation with Saturn and Uranus on November 3, just as the two karmic planets are approaching one another. Saturn is moving forward and Uranus retrogrades back to meet him. Caught in their crossfire is Venus…we can bet she is trying to persuade both of them to compromise and learn to work together. The outlet point of this T-square will be 18 - 19 degrees Gemini (with transiting Pallas close enough to round this energy out into a Grand Cross, which I will touch on briefly). While I find the global focus to be important, it takes many individuals to make up a world.
The clash of Saturn and Uranus is where old meets new; we can no longer wallow in our comfort zones. Preaching to one another about how it ‘used’ to be and the good old days will not get us through this collision. There’s no such thing as the good old days, as any serious study of global history will show. We have had periods of peace and periods of war - this is the cyclic nature of life. The involvement of Venus in this forceful confrontation can have far reaching effects on individual relationships and love lives. Current relationships may no longer feel satisfying, especially for those who have important points, planets, or lights at 17 - 20 degrees Virgo/Pisces and Sagittarius/Gemini (Check your natal, synastry, composite, and progressed charts to see what’s being activated for you and your relationships personally). The old way of relating no longer cuts it…some relationships may blow up entirely by the end of November as Venus makes a second connection (sextile) to Uranus on November 28th, the very day after Uranus turns direct. She follows this up with a quickly blown kiss (trine) to Saturn on the 29th. For those who aren’t quite ready to pack their bags and run, the Saturn/Uranus/Venus T-square will force partners to deal with underlying issues in the relationship that have been lingering for some time. Saturn builds up structure, grounds, and stabilizes partnerships but after awhile lovers tend to fall into a rut and end up bored out of their minds with one another. With Uranus approaching Saturn in retrograde motion, karmic doors can swing wide open in the psyches of individuals and there may be a (seemingly) sudden call for revolution in the way relationship is handled. Anger may be available in abundance (helped along by Venus’ opposition to Pallas and semisextile to Mars)…if you have been having problems in an ongoing love relationship, sparks may well fly on November 3 - 4, 2008. Men may have a tendency to feel attacked by their partners and may withdraw (dragging on the Saturnian energy), only to make matters worse. Venus will be prepared to reveal her uglier side if Saturn and Uranus are unable to find a workable solution…this includes manipulation, ploys for attention, and using sex as a weapon. Don’t make her do that! She will do anything to turn the tide in her favor - you have been warned. If a love situation deteriorates to this point, there will be no winners in the end.
Saturn in Virgo will want to focus on all the details and dredge up wrongs made in the past. He will be happy to point out exactly what is going right or wrong in a relationship and he will want to come up with solutions that will improve the structure of the partnership. Yet his focus on the past and how it was leaves little room for what is now, and what will be, could be, in the future. His cold and critical stance can infuriate both Venus and Uranus, and all at once. Saturn’s traditional stance in love, especially in marriage, focuses on ‘Until death do we part.’ No matter what happens between two lovers, Saturn wants to hold the relationship together…he fails to recognize just how unhappy his partner may be (indeed, he doesn’t even recognize how unhappy he may be!) because he just wants to keep everything the same. Uranus, however, wants to have more space, more freedom to develop and breathe in the scent of the collective. He doesn’t have much appreciation for old things or even stable ones…he is comfortable with change and loves to upset rotting applecarts and stale love affairs. In Pisces, Uranus is very attuned to the collective energy and intuitively knows that to stay in the same place goes against the purpose of life itself. When Saturn and Uranus confront one another, there is a great opportunity for creative and empowered, purposeful change. Saturn can help stabilize Uranus’ out-of-control energy and ground it enough to be constructive. Uranus can rock Saturn from his stance and show him that reformation can lead to greater growth and help secure future stability. With Venus caught up between these two, it is very clear to me that it is time to experiment with Love…within relatively stable relationships, it is time to openly share how you are feeling with one another and to express any ideas you may have to improve the quality of your love life. Unstable relationships may become much more difficult, especially if one of you wants to make changes and the other clings to outmoded beliefs and feelings concerning how a relationship should function. If one of you is unhappy and the other isn’t willing to discuss making changes to improve the situation, there may really be no other option than to walk away and end the partnership. The Saturn/Venus/Uranus T-square energy may prove to be the final catalyst that helps you to see that you are doing no one any favor by staying in a relationship that is draining, unsatisfying, and a dead end. Sometimes we have to let loved ones go in order to live ourselves.
Taking this energy as a Grand Cross, we have a containment of tense, almost war-like situation. Luckily the planets (Venus, Saturn, Uranus) and the asteroid (Pallas) are all in mutable signs…this means that there is some flexibility here, and Venus may be able to charm the others into some sort of surface harmony long enough to actually discuss what is going on, which could lead to satisfactory problem solving. Of course this depends on the personalities of the two partners involved, their history together, their evolutionary level, and how this Grand Cross is connected to the individual and relationship charts. Another factor is the face Pallas decides to show…she has great healing power and can help Saturn and Uranus find a way to balance and integrate their conflicting energies - IF (and that is a big If) she wants to. She also is a fine mediator and counselor as long as she is not outraged or feels the ‘little’ people are being taken advantage of. If one of the partners in the relationship appear to be victimized by the other, Pallas will defend the underdog very verbally, perhaps poetically (she’s in Gemini) but the power of her words could be startling to stern Saturn or unsettle Uranus (who really doesn’t want to be here anyway). It is quite possible that Pallas will be too vocal, too certain of what she is putting forth, and add further friction to the potent Saturn/Uranus brew…she will tend to side with the Uranian partner, which will lead to overloaded nervous systems, erratic thinking, and Saturn’s stern and cold withdrawal if they are ganging up on him and accusing him of being the source of the trouble. Venus will not take kindly to Pallas’ interference (they are opposing one another) and before we know it, the situation could quickly escalate into a war…perhaps a distant ‘cold’ war, but a war nonetheless. Again, once Venus reveals her uglier side there will be no winners.
Hasty decisions could be made almost immediately in long-painful situations…however, it is important to keep in mind that while it may seem sudden, in reality what happens between two partners in early November is really just the icing on the cake. The cake itself may have taken years to bake (Saturn) but Uranus is going to be quick about spreading the icing. The cake is already stale, the icing fresh…but who in their right mind wants to eat it?? Only Saturn…he will take a huge bite just to prove his point. No way is Venus going to let a crumb get near her lips…Pallas is appalled that Saturn took so long to bake a simple cake, and Uranus is content licking the frosting bowl. If you are the one thinking about breaking free of a partnership, you may have all the planetary support needed to break away in November…if you haven’t started the process early in the month, you may well do so more calmly as November comes to a close. For those of you facing a potential separation and it is the last thing you desire, then you must open up to change. If a lover asks you to enter counseling with him or her, do it. If changes need to be made to satisfy you both, be willing to discuss it. Closing off, getting angry, or criticizing a lover will backfire. Not much can grow in the tundra. Finding common ground may not be easy now, but for love to grow it is imperative that partners compromise and work together to find new, more fulfilling, avenues of expression.
Venus caught in the Crossfire Chart
Relationship consulting and counseling with Dena
The clash of Saturn and Uranus is where old meets new; we can no longer wallow in our comfort zones. Preaching to one another about how it ‘used’ to be and the good old days will not get us through this collision. There’s no such thing as the good old days, as any serious study of global history will show. We have had periods of peace and periods of war - this is the cyclic nature of life. The involvement of Venus in this forceful confrontation can have far reaching effects on individual relationships and love lives. Current relationships may no longer feel satisfying, especially for those who have important points, planets, or lights at 17 - 20 degrees Virgo/Pisces and Sagittarius/Gemini (Check your natal, synastry, composite, and progressed charts to see what’s being activated for you and your relationships personally). The old way of relating no longer cuts it…some relationships may blow up entirely by the end of November as Venus makes a second connection (sextile) to Uranus on November 28th, the very day after Uranus turns direct. She follows this up with a quickly blown kiss (trine) to Saturn on the 29th. For those who aren’t quite ready to pack their bags and run, the Saturn/Uranus/Venus T-square will force partners to deal with underlying issues in the relationship that have been lingering for some time. Saturn builds up structure, grounds, and stabilizes partnerships but after awhile lovers tend to fall into a rut and end up bored out of their minds with one another. With Uranus approaching Saturn in retrograde motion, karmic doors can swing wide open in the psyches of individuals and there may be a (seemingly) sudden call for revolution in the way relationship is handled. Anger may be available in abundance (helped along by Venus’ opposition to Pallas and semisextile to Mars)…if you have been having problems in an ongoing love relationship, sparks may well fly on November 3 - 4, 2008. Men may have a tendency to feel attacked by their partners and may withdraw (dragging on the Saturnian energy), only to make matters worse. Venus will be prepared to reveal her uglier side if Saturn and Uranus are unable to find a workable solution…this includes manipulation, ploys for attention, and using sex as a weapon. Don’t make her do that! She will do anything to turn the tide in her favor - you have been warned. If a love situation deteriorates to this point, there will be no winners in the end.
Saturn in Virgo will want to focus on all the details and dredge up wrongs made in the past. He will be happy to point out exactly what is going right or wrong in a relationship and he will want to come up with solutions that will improve the structure of the partnership. Yet his focus on the past and how it was leaves little room for what is now, and what will be, could be, in the future. His cold and critical stance can infuriate both Venus and Uranus, and all at once. Saturn’s traditional stance in love, especially in marriage, focuses on ‘Until death do we part.’ No matter what happens between two lovers, Saturn wants to hold the relationship together…he fails to recognize just how unhappy his partner may be (indeed, he doesn’t even recognize how unhappy he may be!) because he just wants to keep everything the same. Uranus, however, wants to have more space, more freedom to develop and breathe in the scent of the collective. He doesn’t have much appreciation for old things or even stable ones…he is comfortable with change and loves to upset rotting applecarts and stale love affairs. In Pisces, Uranus is very attuned to the collective energy and intuitively knows that to stay in the same place goes against the purpose of life itself. When Saturn and Uranus confront one another, there is a great opportunity for creative and empowered, purposeful change. Saturn can help stabilize Uranus’ out-of-control energy and ground it enough to be constructive. Uranus can rock Saturn from his stance and show him that reformation can lead to greater growth and help secure future stability. With Venus caught up between these two, it is very clear to me that it is time to experiment with Love…within relatively stable relationships, it is time to openly share how you are feeling with one another and to express any ideas you may have to improve the quality of your love life. Unstable relationships may become much more difficult, especially if one of you wants to make changes and the other clings to outmoded beliefs and feelings concerning how a relationship should function. If one of you is unhappy and the other isn’t willing to discuss making changes to improve the situation, there may really be no other option than to walk away and end the partnership. The Saturn/Venus/Uranus T-square energy may prove to be the final catalyst that helps you to see that you are doing no one any favor by staying in a relationship that is draining, unsatisfying, and a dead end. Sometimes we have to let loved ones go in order to live ourselves.
Taking this energy as a Grand Cross, we have a containment of tense, almost war-like situation. Luckily the planets (Venus, Saturn, Uranus) and the asteroid (Pallas) are all in mutable signs…this means that there is some flexibility here, and Venus may be able to charm the others into some sort of surface harmony long enough to actually discuss what is going on, which could lead to satisfactory problem solving. Of course this depends on the personalities of the two partners involved, their history together, their evolutionary level, and how this Grand Cross is connected to the individual and relationship charts. Another factor is the face Pallas decides to show…she has great healing power and can help Saturn and Uranus find a way to balance and integrate their conflicting energies - IF (and that is a big If) she wants to. She also is a fine mediator and counselor as long as she is not outraged or feels the ‘little’ people are being taken advantage of. If one of the partners in the relationship appear to be victimized by the other, Pallas will defend the underdog very verbally, perhaps poetically (she’s in Gemini) but the power of her words could be startling to stern Saturn or unsettle Uranus (who really doesn’t want to be here anyway). It is quite possible that Pallas will be too vocal, too certain of what she is putting forth, and add further friction to the potent Saturn/Uranus brew…she will tend to side with the Uranian partner, which will lead to overloaded nervous systems, erratic thinking, and Saturn’s stern and cold withdrawal if they are ganging up on him and accusing him of being the source of the trouble. Venus will not take kindly to Pallas’ interference (they are opposing one another) and before we know it, the situation could quickly escalate into a war…perhaps a distant ‘cold’ war, but a war nonetheless. Again, once Venus reveals her uglier side there will be no winners.
Hasty decisions could be made almost immediately in long-painful situations…however, it is important to keep in mind that while it may seem sudden, in reality what happens between two partners in early November is really just the icing on the cake. The cake itself may have taken years to bake (Saturn) but Uranus is going to be quick about spreading the icing. The cake is already stale, the icing fresh…but who in their right mind wants to eat it?? Only Saturn…he will take a huge bite just to prove his point. No way is Venus going to let a crumb get near her lips…Pallas is appalled that Saturn took so long to bake a simple cake, and Uranus is content licking the frosting bowl. If you are the one thinking about breaking free of a partnership, you may have all the planetary support needed to break away in November…if you haven’t started the process early in the month, you may well do so more calmly as November comes to a close. For those of you facing a potential separation and it is the last thing you desire, then you must open up to change. If a lover asks you to enter counseling with him or her, do it. If changes need to be made to satisfy you both, be willing to discuss it. Closing off, getting angry, or criticizing a lover will backfire. Not much can grow in the tundra. Finding common ground may not be easy now, but for love to grow it is imperative that partners compromise and work together to find new, more fulfilling, avenues of expression.
Venus caught in the Crossfire Chart
Relationship consulting and counseling with Dena
29 August 2008
HEADS UP! Mercury Retrograde...coming soon to a place near you - September - October 2008
Mercury is retrograde from 9/24/2008 - 10/15/2008
We will enter the Mercury retrograde 'shadow' period at 7’34 degrees of Libra on September 4, 2008 - Mercury will return to this degree again and pass over this point October 15th as he stations direct and prepares to leave the storm on October 20th. Prepare to rethink, redraw, replan, renegotiate, etc something that is happening this week (September 4 - 5) around then (October 15 - 20)! This Mercury retrograde will stir up the most trouble for Libra, Aries, Cancer, and Capricorn - particularly the degrees ranging from 7 - 24 in these signs. Check your natal charts to see where your Sun (or other planets, points, etc) lie in any of these signs to see how this Mercury retro will affect you (or let me do it for you! Online Consultations and Readings) .
On September 17, Mercury enters its 'Storm' (this is when the planet moves less than 40 minutes of arc per day) so if you have a lot of things you need to get started, I advise you get it moving now...
Read more here - Mercury aspects during the retrograde, the meaning of Mercury retrograd in Libra, more!
The Fear of Venus in the modern world ~ Learning to Love the Self & Other
Plato
Venus is a very deep and personal energy within us; it is not only the ability to love others but also to love our SELF, to cherish ourselves and to accept even the darker aspects of our own being. If a person does not love the Self, they are not able to love another.
The inability to love the Self is the source of much pain and tragedy in the world...so many women (and men) have children and do not know how to love them because they do not have self-love. Children should have the opportunity to develop the ability to love the Self and others from their connection to their parents and family, but as we so often see in our day to day lives, many children, even those within so-called ‘good’ family situations are often stymied, expected to behave according to their culture’s societal expectations and religion and to ‘make the parent’s proud.’ Other children find themselves treated as if they have no worth (as shown through such phrases as “children should be seen and not heard” or “I put you in this world, so I own you.”) or as if they are mere projections of the parents or family…puppets to serve the family function, with no worth as an individual. Still others will have to deal with jealous, hateful, and abusive parents. At the very core of these challenges is a deep-seated fear of Venus and the power she holds within our psyches…an inability to embrace the part of our own being that resonates with the Goddess Venus (Aphrodite) as symbolized by the placement of Venus in our natal chart and the aspects made to her. If we are unhappy, self-negating individuals ourselves, how can we interact with our children in a way that supports the healthy development of their own individuality and ability to love?
In today’s world, the majority of us try to subjugate Venusian energy…we want to contain it and belittle it so we do not have to deal with such potent feminine power. Once released from the shackles, who knows what she will do or how she will affect our lives. Many may feel it is safer to keep her in the closet painting her nails, but Venus will not calmly remain in hiding forever…and the longer we keep her hidden, the greater her power over us and our actions will be when she finally breaks free. This is the energy of Attraction…a raw, sexual power…a power so potent that Aphrodite won Paris’ favor simply by loosening her belt! This power lies dormant within us all, if only we learn to recognize, embrace, and harness it to learn more about our own individual needs and how to make the best choices for our own spiritual growth. Venusian energy may seem immoral, particularly to those who have disowned it within their own lives, but the energy is there to spur us forward and to help us become a productive, happy, and loving individual.
But how do we know if we are embracing or neglecting this energy in our lives? It isn’t difficult to determine....
Read the rest of this article here!
25 July 2008
Pluto's entry into Capricorn
I was posed a question by a client/friend a few days ago, asking me about how I felt about Pluto's entry into Capricorn and the year 2009. He has been kind enough to give permission for me to share my response here in my astrology blog - Thank You! :D Please note that all of my thoughts here are just that, thoughts. I did not do any research or astrological work to arrive at anything I have said.
To be honest, I haven't given much thought to next year on a personal or global scale. My life is so difficult at the moment it takes all I have to maintain my family and my daily work load. I have never studied worldly trends so much as I am a very personal astrologer, focusing on individuals and their relationships (and helping them get through trying times) although the world situation does affect us all and sometimes in dramatic ways.
I feel overall that we are in a major shift in consciousness and it may get worse before it gets better...it takes people like you and I to try to maintain a higher perspective and inspire others even when maybe we, ourselves, are having trouble too. It is a major challenge and can be draining to carry so many people energetically. The economic crisis will result in many turning to more spiritual things...and others to crime. With younger souls generally leading the governments, there will be continued clashes of authority and threats to all of our safety.
Pluto's entry into Capricorn may bring about karmic closures on a worldscale...closures in preparation for a new mind-set and new beginnings. Some countries may see an end to their existence or shift in how they are viewed within the world society...loss of authority for some is possible and this will lead to new laws and a new power structure within the larger picture. This position of Pluto will help us transform our philosophy and identity in order to link more solidly within a larger framework...in essence, I could say it is very possible we as the human race will begin to move more toward a global society with global laws and infrastructure. This will be a major shakeup for everyone as we shift into a larger mindset. Anger and fear of loss will drive any new wars or increase already existing tensions as boundaries become less rigid...this means also that invasions could well be on the agenda as fear drives authority figures to conquer and attempt to dominate in order to maintain their power. Any abuse of power with Pluto in Capricorn will stir up a major karmic backlash. Guilt, depression, and heavy judgment may all go hand in hand. Loss of power combined with guilt for wrong action could drive us, at absolute worst, into a new global war as countries struggle to maintain their identity. At best, those in positions of power will begin to see the error of their ways and strive to evolve and move forward into a global society/economy. Guilt for past wrongs could help bring about a deeper awareness of a need to join together to create a more peaceful environment for us all to live within. I feel that we may have to go through the darker manifestation of Pluto in Capricorn before we can move into the more positive expression.
There will of course be positive things in 2009, as always :D Even in the worst moments of life there will be something positive to hold on to and to share with others.
Blessings,
Dena
To be honest, I haven't given much thought to next year on a personal or global scale. My life is so difficult at the moment it takes all I have to maintain my family and my daily work load. I have never studied worldly trends so much as I am a very personal astrologer, focusing on individuals and their relationships (and helping them get through trying times) although the world situation does affect us all and sometimes in dramatic ways.
I feel overall that we are in a major shift in consciousness and it may get worse before it gets better...it takes people like you and I to try to maintain a higher perspective and inspire others even when maybe we, ourselves, are having trouble too. It is a major challenge and can be draining to carry so many people energetically. The economic crisis will result in many turning to more spiritual things...and others to crime. With younger souls generally leading the governments, there will be continued clashes of authority and threats to all of our safety.
Pluto's entry into Capricorn may bring about karmic closures on a worldscale...closures in preparation for a new mind-set and new beginnings. Some countries may see an end to their existence or shift in how they are viewed within the world society...loss of authority for some is possible and this will lead to new laws and a new power structure within the larger picture. This position of Pluto will help us transform our philosophy and identity in order to link more solidly within a larger framework...in essence, I could say it is very possible we as the human race will begin to move more toward a global society with global laws and infrastructure. This will be a major shakeup for everyone as we shift into a larger mindset. Anger and fear of loss will drive any new wars or increase already existing tensions as boundaries become less rigid...this means also that invasions could well be on the agenda as fear drives authority figures to conquer and attempt to dominate in order to maintain their power. Any abuse of power with Pluto in Capricorn will stir up a major karmic backlash. Guilt, depression, and heavy judgment may all go hand in hand. Loss of power combined with guilt for wrong action could drive us, at absolute worst, into a new global war as countries struggle to maintain their identity. At best, those in positions of power will begin to see the error of their ways and strive to evolve and move forward into a global society/economy. Guilt for past wrongs could help bring about a deeper awareness of a need to join together to create a more peaceful environment for us all to live within. I feel that we may have to go through the darker manifestation of Pluto in Capricorn before we can move into the more positive expression.
There will of course be positive things in 2009, as always :D Even in the worst moments of life there will be something positive to hold on to and to share with others.
Blessings,
Dena
15 May 2008
Ceres - Demeter...The All Nourishing Mother
Today while weeding and watering my garden and my baby plants I started thinking about the Asteroid Ceres (Greek -Demeter) and how powerful she must currently be in my chart. Oddly enough, when I came back in to the computer, I only pulled my natal chart and took a quick peek. I intend to look at the transits and progressions because my urge to be digging in dirt and nurturing my little green babies is just so strong right now. A few months prior to this new experiment I was making almost all the food we were eating from scratch and we have moved further into eating more organically despite the expense. I spent hours each week making bread, pizza crust, muffins, homemade soups, peeling and dicing all veggies, etc...and yes, I LOVED it (wasn't the first time I've done this either). Unfortunately my life is so hectic and busy with so many demands, I have sort of drifted away from that but maybe I can get things in better balance over the summer. And my baking is GLUTEN FREE and CASEIN FREE...it's a challenge and I doubt just anyone can do it unless they are very patient and willing to experiment, but my son and I both need special diets. All of this cooking and nurturing is also ruled by Ceres, the All Nourishing Mother. So I know something is really going on for me, I just need to look! LOL Didn't you know that astrologers spend their lives pouring over everyone else's chart but their own?? Early on I spent much more time on myself, now I only tend to do it when something strikes me (such as thinking about an Asteroid while in the Garden...come on, is that what most people think about when they are weeding??) :D Astrology is one of my greatest loves but she seems to be moving over a bit and allowing other loves to come in now.
Ceres is a complex figure in mythology and the Asteroid named after her is complex as well. Her associated rulerships not only encompass Virgo (my sun sign) & Cancer (my MC) but also the Taurus/Scorpio polarity. I have a supercharged Scorpio Moon (conjunct Venus AND Jupiter in my first house) which all oppose my natal Taurean Ceres in the 7th house. So I guess we could say that the energy of this asteroid is strong in my life :) The polarites of Ceres are that of Compassion and Anger, which are very much a part of my life. It is interesting to note that Ceres is the Goddess of Agriculture and all growing cycles...she is a symbol of mothering psychology within us. As a side note, the asteroids do not always appear to function obviously in some charts/lives...my opinion is that a person must be AWARE and at a certain evolutionary level before the asteroids will make a significant impact on a Soul. For those of us impacted by the asteroids, it's important to note that the energy of Ceres as Mother and Nurturer, as our Food Goddess, can be destructive just as easily as sustaining. Not all of us have pleasant supportive mothers; indeed, some of us have mothers who would just as soon swallow us alive and spit us out than provide love and guidance. And here we have the energy as expressed as a need to adapt to our environment - no matter how destitute - and survive. This is Demeter in pain, 'losing' her daughter (Persephone) to Hades/Pluto (modern ruler of Scorpio) and making the entire world pay by bringing on a famine. We see her face as a Goddess of Death and Transformation in the Persephone myth...by cutting off her nourishment, Ceres can make or break us. When her daughter finally reappears, Ceres finds that her girl is now a strong woman and not just any woman, but the Queen of the Underworld! The mother-daughter bond is transformed forever, yet Ceres once again allowed the crops to grow...once again nourishing the world, albeit with new rules.
My other interests are leaning heavily toward medical astrology and becoming a master herbalist, which is very Ceres-Virgo in nature. Using only the traditional planets and luminaries and 'major' aspects, my Sun is 'unaspected'...I have a semisquare to Venus and a quintile to Neptune (both of these are very powerfully reflected in my life, which is why I do use so-called minor aspects in my work for others...but like the asteroids, the energy isn't always strong. Again, I feel it depends on the evolutionary status of the individual). Plug in Ceres and we see that my Sun is in trine, from the 11th (Sun) to the 7th (Ceres). I do feel I am growing into my Sun sign more and more each year. Although I am not aware of other astrologers thinking this way, I believe that the Moon Sign is much more 'who' we are and that we gradually grow into our Sun...in other words, we are already our Moon - it is our natural expression of energy from birth until we begin to learn the lessons associated with our Sun sign in a more powerful way. Whatever is striking my Ceres is certainly empowering my Virgo Sun. I'm sleepy now but if I have time over the next few days I will check out the transits and progressions.
If you are interested in reading my gardening blog, you can see it here: Garden of Light & Shadows
Ceres is a complex figure in mythology and the Asteroid named after her is complex as well. Her associated rulerships not only encompass Virgo (my sun sign) & Cancer (my MC) but also the Taurus/Scorpio polarity. I have a supercharged Scorpio Moon (conjunct Venus AND Jupiter in my first house) which all oppose my natal Taurean Ceres in the 7th house. So I guess we could say that the energy of this asteroid is strong in my life :) The polarites of Ceres are that of Compassion and Anger, which are very much a part of my life. It is interesting to note that Ceres is the Goddess of Agriculture and all growing cycles...she is a symbol of mothering psychology within us. As a side note, the asteroids do not always appear to function obviously in some charts/lives...my opinion is that a person must be AWARE and at a certain evolutionary level before the asteroids will make a significant impact on a Soul. For those of us impacted by the asteroids, it's important to note that the energy of Ceres as Mother and Nurturer, as our Food Goddess, can be destructive just as easily as sustaining. Not all of us have pleasant supportive mothers; indeed, some of us have mothers who would just as soon swallow us alive and spit us out than provide love and guidance. And here we have the energy as expressed as a need to adapt to our environment - no matter how destitute - and survive. This is Demeter in pain, 'losing' her daughter (Persephone) to Hades/Pluto (modern ruler of Scorpio) and making the entire world pay by bringing on a famine. We see her face as a Goddess of Death and Transformation in the Persephone myth...by cutting off her nourishment, Ceres can make or break us. When her daughter finally reappears, Ceres finds that her girl is now a strong woman and not just any woman, but the Queen of the Underworld! The mother-daughter bond is transformed forever, yet Ceres once again allowed the crops to grow...once again nourishing the world, albeit with new rules.
My other interests are leaning heavily toward medical astrology and becoming a master herbalist, which is very Ceres-Virgo in nature. Using only the traditional planets and luminaries and 'major' aspects, my Sun is 'unaspected'...I have a semisquare to Venus and a quintile to Neptune (both of these are very powerfully reflected in my life, which is why I do use so-called minor aspects in my work for others...but like the asteroids, the energy isn't always strong. Again, I feel it depends on the evolutionary status of the individual). Plug in Ceres and we see that my Sun is in trine, from the 11th (Sun) to the 7th (Ceres). I do feel I am growing into my Sun sign more and more each year. Although I am not aware of other astrologers thinking this way, I believe that the Moon Sign is much more 'who' we are and that we gradually grow into our Sun...in other words, we are already our Moon - it is our natural expression of energy from birth until we begin to learn the lessons associated with our Sun sign in a more powerful way. Whatever is striking my Ceres is certainly empowering my Virgo Sun. I'm sleepy now but if I have time over the next few days I will check out the transits and progressions.
If you are interested in reading my gardening blog, you can see it here: Garden of Light & Shadows
11 April 2008
On Creativity and Self-acceptance
This article was first published in 2001 or 2002 in the UK in a magazine that I can't even remember the name of now. It was a New Age/Metaphysical magazine with a focus on women in business and life. I found it today while searching on several discs for an old sexual compatibility reading I did for a client back then. Never found the reading but found this! It is a very personal article that talks about how I 'fell' into my profession and discovered myself. I hope it may be useful or inspire others. I experienced my Saturn return at 29 1/2 and it was pretty much exact when I met the man mentioned in the article, for me and him both. We also share exact conjunct Ascendants. I do not discuss the Saturn return in the article because the audience would not have understood it - it wasn't written for astrologers or astrology students :)
On Creativity and Self-acceptance
By Dena L. Moore
It wasn’t until I was nearly thirty that I began to accept myself for who I am. I have always been different—creative. The years spent trying to fit in were a waste of time and energy. I am not one of those people who sigh and say, “I’ve always wanted to be a writer.” I’ve always been a writer. I cannot remember not writing, or not wanting to write. It is as natural to me as breathing. It is how I communicate, how I function. My first poem was published at the age of seven, so I was definitely writing then. I completed my first novel in the tenth grade, and then two more at the age of twenty-five. At this writing I have two published poetry books and I am working on a third. My novels, two complete and two in progress, are currently gathering dust.
Why did I finally give up on fitting in? I had a spiritual awakening. Meeting a new person propelled me into a world of self-discovery and self-acceptance, primarily through astrology. The way I met the man I'll simply call B was also very ‘unique.’ B and my boyfriend of 10 years had been friends since grade school, but I never met him until about a month after we purchased a computer. B grew up 20 miles from my hometown, but by the time I had met my partner in 1991, B was in the US Army serving overseas and then he married an Irish lady. The night before I met him, I dreamed of meeting him online, via MSM. The next morning, he came online, on MSM, and said “Hi.” From that very instant, we knew each other—not about each other, but we recognized each other on a soul level. It was an instantenous connection. That same night I had another dream. This dream was rather strange. All that was in it was a newspaper and the subject line was “New Computer Virus.” I scanned down the page and saw the heading—“B: New Virus.” When I went to read the article, it was written in astrological symbols. Rows and rows of them! I had never studied astrology before; in fact, I was rather skeptical of anything spiritual at that point in my life. But, I knew exactly what the symbols were. The next day I told B about the dream, and he sent me a World-of-Wisdom interpretation of my natal chart. I was amazed by the accuracy.
Since that day, I have immersed myself in astrology. It took the objectivity of astrology to learn about myself. I realized I was who I was meant to be. As a victim of sexual, mental, and physical abuse as a child, this was no small feat. The self-hatred and self-blame finally began to disperse. I was suddenly no longer a victim, but a survivor. Learning astrology came as naturally to me as writing. I didn’t begin by learning keywords and natal charts. I began my studies with synastry charts, which uses four charts at once rather than just one. I learned to read natal charts as a by-product of studying synastry. As I got deeper into my astro-studies, I began having spontaneous past-life regressions. At this point I began studying karmic astrology and found that this was the area where I was most able to help others. I realized I have a gift to see into the past. About a year after meeting B, I had a regression that showed me why I loved astrology so much and why B had been the person to awaken this interest inside of me. In this short regression, which lasted maybe 3-4 minutes at the most, B was some type of Chief/King in the area surrounding the Tigris/Euphrates rivers. I was his 'Worker of the Stars,' his right hand man and advisor. The title "Worker of the Stars" meant one thing to me--I was his Astrologer in ancient times. In this 'vision,' B was very stressed and repeating over and over, "work the stars, work the stars..." In our current life together, B and I met when he was going through a very difficult personal time, and I like to think that I was able to help him through the stress and pain, just as I was able to in the ancient past.
At this juncture in my life, I am quite amused—I am a dual major at the University of South Florida studying History and Creative Writing. When I first began college, back in 1988, I wanted to pursue Creative Writing but honestly believed I was not creative. I began by working on Journalism, but found it too restrictive. Then, after a five-year long break from college, I returned to study business and accounting. Although I am very capable in this field, I found it boring. Now I am pursuing what I enjoy the most, and I find myself sometimes wondering why I used to think I wasn’t creative, especially with my fierce writing throughout my life. I can only blame it on my own outlook of my own worthiness. Now life is finally making sense; the pieces of the puzzle are clicking into place. Through this rather uncommon journey I have found that as I help others, I am helping myself. As I teach others, I too am learning. When I ask for help or guidance, I receive it. Now I know it is good to be different—and creative.
By Dena L. Moore
It wasn’t until I was nearly thirty that I began to accept myself for who I am. I have always been different—creative. The years spent trying to fit in were a waste of time and energy. I am not one of those people who sigh and say, “I’ve always wanted to be a writer.” I’ve always been a writer. I cannot remember not writing, or not wanting to write. It is as natural to me as breathing. It is how I communicate, how I function. My first poem was published at the age of seven, so I was definitely writing then. I completed my first novel in the tenth grade, and then two more at the age of twenty-five. At this writing I have two published poetry books and I am working on a third. My novels, two complete and two in progress, are currently gathering dust.
Why did I finally give up on fitting in? I had a spiritual awakening. Meeting a new person propelled me into a world of self-discovery and self-acceptance, primarily through astrology. The way I met the man I'll simply call B was also very ‘unique.’ B and my boyfriend of 10 years had been friends since grade school, but I never met him until about a month after we purchased a computer. B grew up 20 miles from my hometown, but by the time I had met my partner in 1991, B was in the US Army serving overseas and then he married an Irish lady. The night before I met him, I dreamed of meeting him online, via MSM. The next morning, he came online, on MSM, and said “Hi.” From that very instant, we knew each other—not about each other, but we recognized each other on a soul level. It was an instantenous connection. That same night I had another dream. This dream was rather strange. All that was in it was a newspaper and the subject line was “New Computer Virus.” I scanned down the page and saw the heading—“B: New Virus.” When I went to read the article, it was written in astrological symbols. Rows and rows of them! I had never studied astrology before; in fact, I was rather skeptical of anything spiritual at that point in my life. But, I knew exactly what the symbols were. The next day I told B about the dream, and he sent me a World-of-Wisdom interpretation of my natal chart. I was amazed by the accuracy.
Since that day, I have immersed myself in astrology. It took the objectivity of astrology to learn about myself. I realized I was who I was meant to be. As a victim of sexual, mental, and physical abuse as a child, this was no small feat. The self-hatred and self-blame finally began to disperse. I was suddenly no longer a victim, but a survivor. Learning astrology came as naturally to me as writing. I didn’t begin by learning keywords and natal charts. I began my studies with synastry charts, which uses four charts at once rather than just one. I learned to read natal charts as a by-product of studying synastry. As I got deeper into my astro-studies, I began having spontaneous past-life regressions. At this point I began studying karmic astrology and found that this was the area where I was most able to help others. I realized I have a gift to see into the past. About a year after meeting B, I had a regression that showed me why I loved astrology so much and why B had been the person to awaken this interest inside of me. In this short regression, which lasted maybe 3-4 minutes at the most, B was some type of Chief/King in the area surrounding the Tigris/Euphrates rivers. I was his 'Worker of the Stars,' his right hand man and advisor. The title "Worker of the Stars" meant one thing to me--I was his Astrologer in ancient times. In this 'vision,' B was very stressed and repeating over and over, "work the stars, work the stars..." In our current life together, B and I met when he was going through a very difficult personal time, and I like to think that I was able to help him through the stress and pain, just as I was able to in the ancient past.
At this juncture in my life, I am quite amused—I am a dual major at the University of South Florida studying History and Creative Writing. When I first began college, back in 1988, I wanted to pursue Creative Writing but honestly believed I was not creative. I began by working on Journalism, but found it too restrictive. Then, after a five-year long break from college, I returned to study business and accounting. Although I am very capable in this field, I found it boring. Now I am pursuing what I enjoy the most, and I find myself sometimes wondering why I used to think I wasn’t creative, especially with my fierce writing throughout my life. I can only blame it on my own outlook of my own worthiness. Now life is finally making sense; the pieces of the puzzle are clicking into place. Through this rather uncommon journey I have found that as I help others, I am helping myself. As I teach others, I too am learning. When I ask for help or guidance, I receive it. Now I know it is good to be different—and creative.
28 January 2008
Love and Saturn Retrograde ~ Understanding the anxiety and getting past the fear of intimacy
We all have our share of intimacy fears that develop during our childhood and difficult early relationship experiences, but for most of us, our desire to be with another - to open our Self and share our inner being with someone - is much stronger than our fears. Because our inherent drive to be with someone is so powerful, we put ourselves out there and hope for the best. Through connecting with and interacting with others romantically, we get to know ourselves and learn about our own needs and desires when it comes to relating.
For a person with Saturn retrograde in the natal chart, intimacy fears are enormous. They may have an easy time connecting with others (depending on other factors in their chart) and could be very friendly and seemingly outgoing, but if you take a closer look you will soon realize that the Saturn retrograde person gets along fabulously with strangers or ‘new’ friends but tends to shut off - castrate - those who grow to love him or her or anyone who gets close enough to notice the fine cracks in the façade the native presents to others. There is a very tender and vulnerable emotional infant lurking within the Saturn retrograde native…this may be a very small aspect of the soul, or it could be a huge part of the personality, but beneath the strongly contained ego that appears to have it all together, there is a child wanting to be loved for who he or she is… an infant wanting to be nurtured and cherished and most of all, understood and appreciated. The fear of not being good enough, not being what is expected, of being weak and vulnerable to others or worse, superseded or totally unneeded by anyone, drives the Soul with Saturn retrograde deeper and deeper into a cocoon of their own making…an isolated and lonely place to be, a stranger in the shadows watching others and wondering why he (or she) feels so horribly alone.
The Saturn retrograde individual is like a sponge that absorbs all of the energy around him (her) and intuitively knows what is going on and how to protect the self within that atmosphere…he may also take on the beliefs or thought patterns of others, especially in youth, without even being aware that these beliefs aren’t really his own but were absorbed from the family or society/culture he was raised in. There is a (karmic) distortion in the personality that allows the external world to permeate the Soul, rendering the Saturn retrograde native’s early attempts at constructing boundaries ineffective. As the ego develops, it learns to construct higher and thicker emotional walls, extremely defensive barriers, and a reserve with others that says, “Do NOT approach.” Of course those superficially involved with the native may not sense or feel any of this because the fears aren’t activated until the Saturn retro individual grows closer or more involved with a person. Let him (or her) fall in Love and Bam…the fear floods in and the walls come up. The worries that the loved one will not love the ‘true’ self can be so strong that they distance themselves or sever the relationship in order to protect the loved one…and the Self.
Ironically, if they would move toward the lover, open to the lover, and find a way to let down the barriers...
Read the rest of my article, Love and Saturn Retrograde
Currently reading: Women Who Run With the Wolves ~ Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph. D. Highly recommend...I already AM a Wild Woman, LOL
07 January 2008
Heads up! Mercury Retrograde...coming soon
Mercury is retrograde from 1/28/08 - 2/18/08
We will enter the Mercury retrograde 'shadow' period at 8 degrees of Aquarius on January 13, 2008 - Mercury will return to this degree again and pass over this point February 18th as he stations direct and prepares to leave the storm on February 23rd. Prepare to rethink, redraw, replan, renegotiate, etc something that is happening this weekend (January 12 -13) around then (February 19 - 23)! This Mercury retrograde will stir up the most trouble for Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio, and Taurus - particularly the degrees ranging from 7 - 24 in these signs. Check your natal charts to see where your Sun (or other planets) lie in any of these signs to see how this Mercury retro will affect you (or let me do it for you! Online Consultations and Readings)
On January 25, Mercury enters its 'Storm' (this is when the planet
moves less than 40 minutes of arc per day) so if you have a lot of things you need to get started, I advise you get it moving now...Mercury finally stalls...
Read more about this Mercury retro, the aspects Mercury makes during this retrograde period, how Mercury retro expresses itself in Aquarius, and much more, including information about Mercury and Karma...pop in to my website!
Currently reading: Changing the Course of Autism: A Scientific Approach for Parents & Physicians by Bryan Jepson, MD and Dangerous Grains: Why Gluten Cereal Grains may be hazardous to your health by James Braly, MD & Ron Hoggan, MA
We will enter the Mercury retrograde 'shadow' period at 8 degrees of Aquarius on January 13, 2008 - Mercury will return to this degree again and pass over this point February 18th as he stations direct and prepares to leave the storm on February 23rd. Prepare to rethink, redraw, replan, renegotiate, etc something that is happening this weekend (January 12 -13) around then (February 19 - 23)! This Mercury retrograde will stir up the most trouble for Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio, and Taurus - particularly the degrees ranging from 7 - 24 in these signs. Check your natal charts to see where your Sun (or other planets) lie in any of these signs to see how this Mercury retro will affect you (or let me do it for you! Online Consultations and Readings)
On January 25, Mercury enters its 'Storm' (this is when the planet
moves less than 40 minutes of arc per day) so if you have a lot of things you need to get started, I advise you get it moving now...Mercury finally stalls...
Read more about this Mercury retro, the aspects Mercury makes during this retrograde period, how Mercury retro expresses itself in Aquarius, and much more, including information about Mercury and Karma...pop in to my website!
Currently reading: Changing the Course of Autism: A Scientific Approach for Parents & Physicians by Bryan Jepson, MD and Dangerous Grains: Why Gluten Cereal Grains may be hazardous to your health by James Braly, MD & Ron Hoggan, MA
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