Good Stars Jyotish

On January 11, 2022 Mercury will make an exact conjunction with Pluto at around 26 degrees of Capricorn and stay close to the planet for several days before and after.

Since Mercury just recently finished a retrograde cycle, this is the third time it will meet up with Pluto in Capricorn. The first time was on December 30, 2021, then again on January 30 when Mercury was retrograde, and now for the third time on February 11.

Mercury conjunct Pluto can be great for:

* delving deeply into topics

* investigative research

* facing deeply seated emotional issues

* exploring intense, dark or taboo subjects

* engaging in ancestral work

Pluto intensifies whatever it touches, and and this case, it’s the intellect (Mercury). Although this can be used positively as listed above, you also need to watch out for overly obsessive thinking and paranoia with this combination.

To better understand how the energy might show up in your own life, look at the house with Capricorn on the cusp and think about the dates when this aspect became exact in the past six weeks or so. What types of topics came up and what were you called to reexamine or revisit?

Here are a few other ideas for how to lean into this energy in positive ways.

Working with the dead

One thing this particular aspect really speaks to is “working with the dead.” Capricorn is the sign of graveyards and its ruler, Saturn, is the lord of death. Pluto is literally the god of the underworld and Mercury is a psychopomp who leads newly departed souls to the afterlife, a god who can freely move between worlds.

Because of this, the energy from now until around February 16 (my birthday!) when Mercury moves back into Aquarius would be great for anything from delving deeper into genealogy and family history, bringing fresh flowers to the grave of a loved one, setting up an altar to your ancestors or simply taking a stroll through a graveyard, like this lovely one near my apartment.

If you’d like to go even deeper into ancestral work and healing, I highly suggest working with Daniel Foor’s book Ancestral Medicine: Rituals for Personal and Family Healing.

Shamanic Journeying: How to visit the lower world

As I mentioned in the podcast, my mother taught me how do shamanic journeying in my 20s and I’ve found it very useful for working on emotional, creative and spiritual topics or issues. Since its all about moving between worlds (and in this case, the “lower” or underworld), giving it a try also nicely ties in with this Mercury conjunct Pluto energy.

Shamanism splits the world into three:

* the lower world, which is the world of ancestors and animal and other spirits

* the middle world, which is the spirit dimension of our world

* the upper world, which is the dimension of ethereal and celestial beings

Today we’re going to talk about visiting the lower world, which is the one I’ve personally found the most helpful. Here’s the basics on how to get there.

To visit the lower world:

lie down somewhere comfortable and close your eyes. Focus on your breath and relax for a minute or two.

When you’re ready, imagine a very large tree. It can be a tree you’ve seen in pictures, one you simply imagine or even that tall Elm tree in your backyard with a rope swing hanging from its branches.

Walk towards the tree. Near its roots, you find a hole. Go down that hole under the ground. Once you reach the other side, enter into the new space. Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a jungle with monkeys swinging from the branches, or a desert vista with a hawk soaring high above or an ocean shore where a seal and its mother frolic in the waves.

Perhaps you don’t see much of anything, just a few shadows or the feeling that you’re in a different space. That’s also ok.

Take note of any animals or creatures you might see, but know that you do not need to interact with them unless you want to.

Explore as long as you like. When you feel ready, go back up the hole the same way and reenter the “real” world.

So that’s about it for how to enter the lower world. If you found it difficult or nothing much happened, that’s totally normal. Although some people find it more easy than other, it is something that takes practice for everyone.

Another tip: If imagining a tree is not your not your cup of tea, you can imagine any other opening leading under ground, like a cellar door, stairs down to the subway or even a rabbit hole a la Alice in Wonderland. It may also be helpful to listen to drumming like this one (the fast drumming at the end means its time to go back up the hole):

If you feel like sharing your experience, please feel free to do so. If you stick with it, you’ll see there are worlds upon worlds down there, in the rich and sometimes eerie place where dreams and stories come from.

On January 8/9, Venus Retrograde in Capricorn will be conjunct the Sun. In traditional astrology, this is called Cazimi, or being in the “heart of the Sun”. When a planet is Cazimi, it is placed in a spotlight and allowed to express what it wants before moving on to enter a new phase in its cycle.

The Venus Synodic Cycle

To understand what this means in a deeper way, it’s important to touch briefly on the Venus synodic cycle.

In literal terms, a synodic cycle is the amount of time it takes for a planet to return to the sun as seen from Earth. In Venus’s case, this begins with what is called the “superior conjunction” when she is direct. At this time, she disappears under the sun’s beams and reemerges as the evening star, which starts a new synodic cycle.

Halfway through this cycle, Venus makes what is called the “inferior conjunction” when she is retrograde. Like before, she first disappears under the sun’s beams and reemerges as the morning star. The Cazimi this weekend also marks the mid-way point in her retrograde cycle.

After this point, she continues on until the next superior conjunction, when a new cycle begins. In total, each Venus synodic cycle takes 584 days.

In figurative terms, synodic cycles represent the life and death of a planet and what is stands for.

When Venus enters the sun’s beams before the superior conjunction (the last one happened on March 26, 2021 in Aries), she’s worn out and spent. Rejoining the sun, she is “burnt up” by his rays which is a death of sorts, but also a purification.

When she reemerges as the evening star, she is Venus at her happiest: reborn, fresh, dewy eyed and young and ready to embark on a new cycle which calls us to explore new terrain around Venusian topics, like relationships, desires, beauty, sexuality, joy, women, creativity and so on.

By the time she comes to the inferior conjunction, she’s already done stuff and had her experiences. Think of her as someone who’s finished school and they’re ready to start a new chapter in their lives as a mature adult, but first they have to reexamine and revisit those Venusian topics I just mentioned.

Do they still want what they wanted at the beginning, or do adjustments and changes need to be made?

At the end of January, Venus will reemerge as the morning star.

What this means for you

Since this Venus Retrograde Sun Cazimi is taking place in Capricorn, you should look at the house in your chart with this sign on the cusp to better understand what this particular aspects means for you. You can check out this post here where I go through the houses and what Venus Retrograde might mean in each one of them.

If you’d like to deep dive and connect with this energy even more, you can also do the planetary attunement work I suggest here.

Most likely you already know what topics are coming up for you – I know I do – but if not, this Cazimi might be a Eureka moment where things become clearer and you get a better sense for what to do and where things are headed.

Even if that’s not the case, sit tight, keep on exploring whatever comes up, and get ready for Venus’ reemergence as the morning star at the end of the month.

While Venus shows her more yin, harmonious qualities as the evening star, when she becomes the morning star, her energy is yang and much more assertive – a true action-oriented warrior goddess or, in more modern terms, a bad-ass girl boss.

Photo by Daria Sheveleva on Unsplash

Happy New Year! I wish you all a wonderful start into 2022 and look forward to exploring astrology, magic and tarot with you in the months to come.

To kick off the year, I thought I’d post another Guess the Writer Natal Chart Guessing Game. I’m going through the chart of someone here who was “born to be famous” in many ways, but who also struggled with depression and mental illness at times.

Here are the astro stats:

* Ascendant at 10 degree 28 of Gemini and the ascendant ruler Mercury at 18 degrees 03 Aquarius in the 9th house

* Ascendant directly on the fixed star Aldebaran and the Sun directly on the MC at 5 degrees 29 of Aquarius

* Mercury square Neptune in the 12th, which gave this person a dreamy, poetic quality to their writing, but also memory and delusional problems at times

* Moon in Aries at the end of the 11th house square Venus and conjunct Saturn

Have fun guessing and have a great week!

On December 24, 2021, Christmas Eve, we will experience the third and final exact square between Saturn and Uranus. The planets made an exact square for the first time on February 7 and again on around June 12 because Saturn went retrograde.

When an aspect perfects like this, the energy is intensified, but really we’ve been feeling the energy all year both in our personal lives and the collective, this tension between authoritarianism and protest, blocks and limitations and the intense urge to break them down and get things moving, the urge to stick with the tried and true and traditional as opposed to the drive for revolutionary innovation and breakthrough, those who seek to create long lasting structures that are slow to build while the other camp call for their destruction – they’d prefer chaos to the slow march of progressive Aquarian humanitarianism.

This aspect has also been linked with the pandemic, and whenever it goes exact, we’ve seen major spikes in Covid cases slightly after. With Omnicron variant on the loose, perhaps its not surprising that we get the final square on a day when people are more likely to gather in larger groups.

In 2022, the square between Saturn and Uranus stays close, but it never goes exact again, which suggests we will see at least a slight easing up of that which it signifies. Jupiter is also finally moving out of a Saturn-ruled sign into Pisces, a sign that it rules, on December 30, which should bring some extra bubbles to your champagne and a renewed sense of optimism we haven’t felt in far too long.

To finish off the year, as well as say goodbye to this aspect, or at least to the intensity when it goes exact, I thought I’d write another little poem, so here goes.

Saturn square Uranus: the poem!

Stalwart Saturn, rigid and unyielding,

But Uranus?

Uranus is the shock you get from a metal

Saturn square Uranus is a horde of rebels

Or:

Saturn square Uranus is the elder statesman,

But an angry mob seeks to beat down his door.

Yes.

In their eyes, what is must be destroyed.

Or:

Saturn square Uranus is a frenzied

It’s the authoritarian father, lecturing from behind the

Wise? Perhaps. But also unwilling to compromise.

But Uranus is there too, his mohawk magnificently blue,

The Astrology of 2022

If you’d like a sneak peek into the astrology of 2022, I highly suggest this video put out by the Astrology Podcast.

As I mentioned in my podcast, it’s a good idea to split the video up into section rather than take in all at once. You can also find an audio-only version on Spotify or other streaming services.

On December 18/19 we will have a full moon in Gemini which I’ve dubbed “a friendly farewell and an optimistic hello.” I’ve chosen this name because, at 28 degrees of Aquarius, Jupiter is making a lovely trine to both the sun and the moon.

A trine is a flowing, harmonious aspect, and Jupiter is the planet that stands for optimism, vision, seeing a way forward, expansion and growth. With this trine, Jupiter is saying a friendly hello, as if to remind us he’s about to leave Saturn’s icy lair and move back into his own sumptuous castle by the sea when he ingresses into Pisces, a sign he traditionally rules, on December 30, 2021.

A word on Saturn and Jupiter

Saturn features very prominently in my chart, so Saturnian energy in both its negative and more positive forms is something I’m well acquainted with. But Jupiter also has his say: my ascendant ruler is in a Jupiter-ruled sign and Jupiter himself is conjunct my sun. Perhaps because of this balance within me, I tend to attract people who are either very Saturnian or very Jupiterian.

What I love about Saturnian people is their shrewdness and incredible b******t detector. These people take commitments seriously, frown on flakiness and don’t balk at hardwork or that which requires discipline.

However, they also tend to be pessimistic, true glass is half full people who dwell on the negative or impossible, which at times seems like nearly everything.

What I love about Jupiterian people is their optimistic vision. These are people who live to be inspired and inspiring and love the excitement of a new possibility. Sure, ugliness exists in the world, but so does beauty and deep spiritual connection, which they prefer to focus on.

However, they tend to sometimes be blindly optimistic, either having too much faith that something will just work out even if its clearly not very realistic (a Saturn word) that it will. Although naturally exuberant, these glass half full people also have a tendency to sometimes err on the side of foolish, rose colored glasses thinking.

In my circle of friends, I try to keep those with a distinct leaning in one way or another separate from each other, because when they do come together, the comments inevitably come in later:

So and so is nice, but they seem naively optimisitic. Can anyone really be that upbeat all the time? (Saturnian person about a Jupiterian person)

I like so and so, but they seem like a bit of a negative Nancy. Are they depressed? (Jupiterian person about a Saturnian person)

Thinking about these people makes me realize how uncomfortable things have been the last two years for Jupiter – he’s been in a Saturn-ruled sign since December 3, 2019 – as well as what he stands for.

Jupiter is in his fall in Saturn-ruled Capricorn, which means Jupiterian principles like optimism, growth, expansion, helpful solutions, etc. were out of commission for nearly all of 2020 at a time when Pluto conjunct Saturn was busy amping up intensifying Saturn’s more challenging significations: fear, limitations, restrictions, death.

On December 20, 2020, Jupiter left Capricorn and ingressed into Saturn-ruled Aquarius, ushering in the Age of Air one day later. Although still bunking with Saturn, Jupiter is in better shape in Aquarius and can get on board with Aquarian virtues, like humanitarianism and helping build positive new structures and public works.

But Jupiter is most definitely hankering to move on into Pisces, and his gain in strength will surely benefit us, not to mention create a greater balance once more between Saturnian seriousness and severity and Jupiterian buoyancy and hope – a welcome change for sure.

The Lunar Nodes

This full moon also signifies a somewhat premature farewell to the lunar nodes in Gemini and Sagittarius. The nodes have been on the Gemini-Sag axis since May 2020, which means the eclipse cycles have been happening in the houses in your chart with these signs on the cusps during this time.

Eclipses signify upheavals, changes as well as endings and new beginnings in the areas of your life signified by the Gemini and Sag-ruled houses for the past year and a half. The nodes will move on to Taurus-Scorpio on January 19, 2022 and stay in those signs until July 17, 2023.

Since we had our final eclipse on this axis on December 4 (asolar eclipse in Sagittarius), with this Gemini moon as the final culmination in the lunar cycle, the nodes also take a bow.

Full Moon in Gemini: Suggested Ritual

In many magical traditions, the moon plays a central role. We track her as she waxes and wanes, using her power and cycles for manifestation.

New moons are when we set intentions, waxing moons are for growth, waning moons for ridding ourselves of things.

However, there is one widespread misconception: full moons are not actually an ideal time to manifest new things into your life with magic. When a moon is full, it has peaked and reached its culmination. Brimming with light, its energy can go no further, it can only recede.

That said, full moons are definitely still powerful moments and a great time for meditation, among other things.

For this Gemini new moon, I therefore suggest the following ritual:

During this full moon – possibly during the hour of the moon if possible – find a quiet place to meditate

* Light a candle and some lunar incense, such as eucalyptus, camphor, iris or violet

* Close your eyes and imagine your body filling up with the moon’s silvery light

* Visualize Jupiter, a friendly, rotund figure and feel the promising buoyancy and optimism he brings into this full moon. Still cloaked in the ashen, threadbare gown of Saturn, his lavish sea green robe, encrusted with shells and jewels, is near. Soon he will move into Pisces and wear it once more, bringing us the abundance of the oceans.

* Breathe and allow yourself to dream and harbor hope, a feeling far too long in short supply.

* If you like, simply stay with Jupiter or you can move on and visualize the changes that have occurred in your life regarding the houses in your chart with Gemini and Sag on the cusp. Honor that which has faded away, celebrate that which has entered and hold an open heart for the changes yet to come, even those that might be difficult.

* Breathe and sit with the energy as long as you like.

On December 19, 2021, Venus will be stationing retrograde in the sign of Capricorn – she won’t be turning direct until January 30, 2022. In my last podcast and post I went through the meaning of Venus conjunct Pluto through the houses, which still applies here as well.

Venus goes retrograde every 18 months, and when she does relationships are being challenged: we are asked to review what is working, what needs to be adjusted and perhaps what needs to come to an end. However, this does not just mean romantic relationships, it can also speak to how we relate to our neighborhood, our family, our ancestry and so on. The topics that might come up for you will depend on which house has Capricorn on the cusp in your natal house.

To gain additional insight into how this might affect you personally, it’s also useful to think back to the last time Venus went retrograde in Capricorn (and was also quite close to Pluto), which was from December 31, 2013 to February 1, 2014. The topics and themes that came up for you at that time will help give you a preview of what might come up this time around.

Pluto is very much about power and the hidden, particularly that which we fear. With Venus retrograde conjunct Pluto, I think a lot of issues will be coming up in the collective around (poisonous) power, the abuse of power and powerlessness (all Plutonian themes) and particularly how they pertain to women and sexuality (Venus) in terms of respect, or lack thereof, within structures (Capricorn).

Planetary attunement ritual

As I mentioned in the podcast, I’m personally locked into this Venus Pluto retrograde cycle because it will be sitting directly on top of my own natal Venus in the 5th house. I plan to channel this energy into some creative projects (the 5th house is perfect for this) as well as do planetary attunements to lean into things a bit.

So what is a planetary attunement?

A planetary attunement is a short ritual you do on the day and hour of a certain planet to check in and feel its energy. If that planet is doing great, the ritual will feel pleasant and easy going (unless its Mars or Saturn, in which case it will feel “good” in the way they do good). If it’s in bad shape (e.g. in the sign of its detriment or fall, getting some nasty aspect from the malefics, etc.) you’ll feel this too.

Sometimes people get nervous about doing planetary attunement rituals, because they’re worried this more challenging or negative energy might affect them in a direct way, but really you’re just checking in. In my experience, you feel the energy during the ritual and a little bit afterward, but it’s not something that lingers.

If you’d like to feel your way into what Venus retrograde conjunct Pluto stands for (instead of just trying to understand it intellectually), or lean into it if it’s affecting you personally, feel free to try out this little ritual. However, don’t feel like you have to. Plutonian energy is pretty intense, so if you don’t feel up to it or if you give the ritual a try and it feels overwhelming, you most definitely do not have to continue.

Venus planetary attunement

A Venus planetary attunement should be performed on Fridays (the day Venus rules) during the hour of Venus. Venus always rules the hour when the sun rises on her day, but if – like me– you’re not a morning person, you can choose to do the ritual on one of the other hours she rules on Friday (the afternoon one is usually between 12:30 and 3:00 depending on the time of year). To find the right time, check here.

Day and hour is the most ideal choice, but if Fridays just don’t work for some reason, you could do it during Venus’ hour on another day instead. If you want to throw yourself into things even more, you could do the ritual several times a week on any day during Venus’ hour, although I’m not sure I’d suggest doing so when the energy is this intense.

Once you have the right time, do the following (shout out to my teacher Austin Coppock for suggesting the first part here!):

* Sit down and get comfortable

* Light a candle and incense (for Venus, a good choice is rose, peppermint or anything that smells sweet and pleasant)

* Close your eyes and focus for a minute on your breath

* Now imagine your body is surrounded by a rich, verdant green. Breathe it in.

* Now imagine liquid copper is flowing up from the Earth. It enters through the soles of your feet and coats your bones, going slowly up your spine, down your arms, all the way to the top of your head.

* Imagine the planet Venus floating above your head. Once you’ve visualized this, imagine the symbol for Venus inside your heart.

* Keeping your eyes closed, breathe and sit with the energy as long as you like.

At this point, I also usually recite the Orphic hymn to Venus before the final short meditation, so feel free to add that in if you’d like.

During this Venus retrograde conjunct Pluto period, I plan to try reciting the poem I wrote yesterday and read in the podcast. If it resonates with you, you can do the same, but please only keep it for your own personal use:

Oh Venus, fecund maiden, many splendoured queen, wrapped in furs and jewels;

Now stripped bare and smeared with mud and damp in the dark.

Leeches cling to your trembling limbs; they do not care that your skin is so cold to the touch.

Where is the joy in a freshly formed pearl, the beauty of a laughing child, the pleasure in a stolen kiss? Gone for now, but this too shall have an end.

I am with you on this journey, hand in hand, that we might face the darkness and emerge battered but not broken, our deep wounds drained of poison and cleansed, may they heal and never fester.

I am with you on this journey. You are not alone.

On December 11, 2021 Venus will conjunct Pluto at 25 degree 19 Capricorn. Pluto intensifies whatever it touches and speaks to our sometimes darker, subconscious urges.

Although it initially often brings about a sense of crisis, Pluto also rewards us with the promise of transformation. However, there is a caveat: we first have to be brave enough to embark on a journey to the underworld and face what we fear or the uncomfortable shadow that lurks insides of all of us.

When Venus joins with Pluto, we are called to examine our relationships, in particular in their more obsessive, compulsive and addictive forms. Although this might speak to romantic relationships, its can also mean your relationship to money, to your family, to your body and so on. The distinction depends on which house in your natal chart is ruled by Capricorn.

Other topics that might come up are examining how much you sacrifice for the sake of harmony as well as places where your desires may be out of control. It may bring up issues around beauty, women, enjoyment and sexuality, since these are all topics Venus signifies. Since Capricorn is a Saturn-ruled sign, topics around respect and commitment might also come up.

To embark on a Plutonian journey can be frightening, but it also promises reward in the form of transformation and truly letting go of that which binds and possesses you but does not (or no longer) serves a healthy purpose.

To help you get a preview of what might be in store for you during this Venus Pluto conjunction, as well as the Venus retrograde cycle that begins on December 19, read about your rising sign below.

Capricorn Rising

If you have Capricorn rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 1st house. This house is what is called one of the angular houses and it is powerful point in the chart that represents your physical body, who you are and your life purpose and direction. When Venus and Pluto meetup here, you are asked to examine your relationship to yourself and your body.

Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:

* How can I show up for myself with more respect and commitment?

* Do I treat my body right?

* Is my life heading in a direction that is true to me, and if not, what unhealthy patterns or behaviors are getting in the way?

Aquarius Rising

If you have Aquarius rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 12th house. The 12th house speaks to the ways we undermine ourselves as well as our hidden fears, which makes this placement and difficult but powerful one. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine the ways in which you are your own worst enemy. As this is also the house of solitude, taking up or intensifying a meditation practice during this time would be very helpful

Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:

* How can I show up for myself with more respect and commitment?

* How do I get in my own way and cause problems for myself?

* Do I have any issues with addiction or overly obsessive behavior? If so, what steps can I take and what commitments can I make to address these problems in a healthy way?

Pisces Rising

If you have Pisces rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 11th house. The 12th house speaks to your friends, networks and associations within groups of people. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine these aspects of your life.

Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:

* How can I show up for my friendship and alliances more respect and commitment?

* Do I have any toxic relationships in this sphere of life? If so, have I been acting as an enabler for inappropriate behavior just to keep the peace?

* What are my fears or obsessions in this area of life and how can I learn to face them and let them go?

Aries Rising

If you have Aries rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 10th house. Like the 1st house, the 10th house is a powerful angular house that represents your career and public image as well as your mother. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine your relationships in the workplace and to your career and ambition in general or your relationship with your mother.

Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:

* Do I have issues with respect and commitment at the workplace or my relationship with my mother, either involving others or my own actions?

* Do I have any toxic relationships in this sphere of life? If so, have I been acting as an enabler for inappropriate behavior just to keep the peace?

* What are my fears or obsessions in this area of life and how can I learn to face them and let them go?

* Does my career bring me joy? If not, what changes do I need to make?

Taurus Rising

If you have Taurus rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 9th house. The 9th house represents our beliefs, higher learning and foreign travel. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine what you believe in as well as your relationship to people and places foreign to you. Any higher learning studies or spiritual practices are also highlighted here.

Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:

* Do I have issues with respect and commitment at university, within a religious/spiritual group or discipline?

* Do I have any toxic relationships in this sphere of life? If so, have I been acting as an enabler for inappropriate behavior just to keep the peace?

* What are my fears or obsessions in this area of life and how can I learn to face them and let them go?

* Have my attitudes towards people from other countries been fear-based, negative, obsessive or sexually charged in any way? If so, how can I work on establishing healthier attitudes and let go of my prejudice or objectification?

Gemini Rising

If you have Gemini rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 8th house. One of the heavier houses, the 8th house represents death, other people’s money (i.e. what we owe, our partners income or inheritance) and fear itself. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine your relationships to these types of topics

Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:

* Do I have issues with respect and commitment concerning my spouse’s income, either on their side or mine?

* Do I have a toxic relationships to fear? In other words, has my “fear of fear” something I either compulsively refuse to face or obsessively dwell on?

* Is my fear of death overpowering? What ways could I work on a healthier relationship towards the inevitable end of life?

Cancer Rising

If you have Cancer rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 7th house. Another one of the powerful angular houses in your chart, the 7th house represents your partnerships, be they your spouse or business partners as well as other people you encounter in general. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine these central relationships.

Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:

* Do I have issues with respect and commitment concerning my spouse, business partner or other people in general, either on their side or mine?

* Do I have an intimate toxic or addictive relationship in my life? If so, have I been acting as an enabler for inappropriate behavior just to keep the peace?

* If I don’t have a romantic partner at this time, do I have any issues or compulsive patterns around choosing the wrong partner? How can I make changes to make more room for healthier choices?

Leo Rising

If you have Leo rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 6th house. The 6th house represents illness and hard, usually thankless work. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine these types of topics.

Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:

* Do I have issues with respect and commitment to your body that might be resulting in illnesses? If so, how might you transform your routines?

* Do I have any health issues I have been ignoring that need to be addressed?

* Do I have issues with responsibility and establishing healthy routines, including hard work that is not always appealing (i.e. housework, less appealing tasks at work)?

Virgo Rising

If you have Virgo rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 5th house. The 5th house stands for romance, pleasure, entertainment, hobbies, children and sexuality. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine these topics in your life.

Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:

* Do I have issues with respect and commitment concerning my children, lovers or my relationship to pleasure and enjoyment (please note that I say “lovers” here because a more established relationship would be described by the 7th house, but in the 5th we see things like love affairs or dating)?

* Do I have any compulsive or addictive issues around sexuality?

* If I don’t have any romantic interests at this time, do I have any issues or compulsive patterns around who I choose to become sexually or romantically involved with? How can I make changes to make more room for healthier choices?

* If I have children (especially female children), what is the state of my relationship with them? Is there anything I need to face or come to terms with?

Libra Rising

If you have Libra rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 4th house. Another one of the powerful angular houses in your chart, the 4th house represents you home, ancestry and your parents in general and father in particular. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine these topics and relationships in your life.

Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:

* Do I have issues with respect and commitment concerning my relationship with your father, parents or ancestry, either on my side or theirs?

* What is my relationship to my home and how might it need to change?

* Do I have any compulsive or addictive issues within my family that I need to come to terms with?

Scorpio Rising

If you have Scorpio rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 3rd house. The 3rd house stands for your local neighborhood or region, communication (including online) and your siblings. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine these topics in your life.

Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:

* Do I have issues with respect and commitment concerning the area where I live, how I communicate with others or in my relationship with neighbors and siblings, either on my side or theirs?

* Do I have any compulsive or obsessive issues around communication online? If so, what adjustments do I need to make?

* If you have any siblings (especially sisters), how is your relationship? Are there any deep-seated issues welling to the surface that need to be addressed?

Sagittarius Rising

If you have Sagittarius rising, this means Venus conjunct Pluto and the Venus retrograde cycle will be taking place in your 2nd house. The 2nd house represents your finances and belongings. When Venus and Pluto meet up here, you are asked to examine these topics in your life.

Questions to ask yourself and what you might be called to face:

* Do I have issues with respect or obsessive tendencies concerning my relationship to money and belongings?

* Do I have any compulsive or toxic issues surrounding my finances? If so, what needs to change?

* How do I feel about spending money on Venusian things (i.e. beautiful objects, romance, entertainment, etc.)? Are there any deep-seated issues welling to the surface that need to be addressed?

I’ll be back soon with a post and podcast about Venus retrograde, which happens on December 10 – so subscribe and stay tuned!

Photo by Daniele D'Andreti on Unsplash

On November 28 there’s an awesome election for starting a new project or endeavour with a Mars signature. This election gives you drive, willpower and helps spur you into action which is lasting, since Scorpio is a fixed sign.

Mars also rules the 5th house in the chart, which is the house of pleasure and enjoyment, so whatever Mars activity you initiate at this time should also be a lot of fun for you.

The technical astro details

This chart is for Sunday, November 28 at 6:31 am and is timed for my timezone in Berlin, Germany (CEST). It features:

* Mars directly on the Ascendant at around 19 degrees of Scorpio

* The Moon on the MC at around 14 degrees of Virgo

If you need to relocate this chart for your timezone, make sure Mars is within five degrees of the ascendant and that the Moon is between 10 to 18 degrees of Virgo (the next aspect it makes should be either a trine to Venus or a Sextile to Mars for the election to work).

What to use it for

This election is ideal to start any sort of task that requires physical exertion, like starting a new fitness routine or learning something like martial arts or sword fighting, if that’s your thing. It’s an especially great election if you usually struggle with working out, because the Mars in Scorpio combined with the fifth house will help give you stick-with-it power for sports that make you break a sweat, while still promising ultimate enjoyment.

With its detail-oriented Virgo moon and harmonious aspect to Venus in Capricorn, this election would also be really great to starting a new creative project that has a Mars quality to it (i.e. involves exertion, intensity, fire and/or sharp, poky things). For example, you could:

* start a cooking class (Mars is definitely into all that heat and knives)

* start a metalwork project

* learn to glaze pottery

* sign up for a Capoeira course (dance AND combat, the perfect mix here!)

However, the election is not ideal for starting writing projects, even Hemingway-esque projects about war Mars would dig, because Mercury (the planet of writing) is in its sign of detriment and combust, which means it’s not functioning well enough to offer enough support.

How to use it

To use elections, you need to make some sort of concrete action to get the ball rolling at the time of the election. For example, you could go jogging at the exact time of the election if that’s what you want to start, start melting down metal at the elected time to launch new jewelry projects or sign up for a Kung Fu course at the exact time (tip if you’re not a morning person=schedule the e-mail so that it’s sent off at the right time. That’s enough!)

To find out how to use this election magically (which is what I plan to do), you can purchase Nina Gryphon’s Magical Elections PDF here.

Happy enjoyable Mars-ing!

On November 19, 2021 we will experience a partial lunar eclipse in the sign of Taurus. In many ways, eclipses are like super charged full moons where emotions as well as any aspects built into the moon are particular heightened. These can be times of dramatic endings or dramatic beginnings, with their effects lasting around six months, which is much longer than your average moon cycle.

As is always the case, not everyone will feel this eclipse equally. You are more likely to have it affect you personally if you have your rising sign or any personal planets in a fixed sign (Aquarius, Taurus, Scorpio, Leo) because this means it will fall in a powerful angular house or make close aspects.

Eclipses can be times where it’s important to let go, and with this eclipse we are called to examine and let go of rage you may have been holding on to. However, be careful – and this goes for November in general – that you don’t lash out in anger or become so impatience that you do something rash you may later regret. If life isn’t moving at the speed you want it to, it’s better to take a step back and breathe. The astro energy is intense right now, but it won’t be like forever. If astrology teaches us anything, it’s that change is the only true constant.

For the collective and world leaders, eclipses are often particularly important, and with this one, this will be especially true for any places traditionally ruled by Taurus or one of the other fixed signs. This lunar eclipse is also uncomfortably close to the intensely difficult fixed star Algol, which can indicate the potential for mass violence. In this case, let’s hope the astrological symbolism does not choose to manifest itself in a literal fashion…It helps that the moon is making a square to Jupiter and a sign-based trine to Venus, which rules Taurus, which are both benefic, helpful planets, so fingers crossed!

Here are the astro stats for November 19th’s partial lunar eclipse:

* Moon at 27 degrees 47 Taurus, conjunct the fixed star Algol

* Moon square Jupiter and trine Pluto

* Moon conjunct Uranus in Taurus and in opposition to Mars and Mercury in Scorpio (these aspects will become exact the day before, but their affects will still be felt in the eclipse)

Please feel free to share any eclipses insights or experiences in the comments below!

Photo by Marek Okon on Unsplash