Good Stars Jyotish

It’s time for another natal chart guessing game, although I thought I’d mix things up this time and present the chart of a famous actor instead of a writer this time around.

Have fun guessing who this person might be!

Here are the astrology details I mention in the podcast:

* Leo rising with Neptune in the 1st house, ascendant ruler is Gemini on the fixed star Aldebaran in the auspicious 11th house, lucky, lucky

* Aquarius Moon conjunct Jupiter in the 7th house, square Saturn in Scorpio in the 4th

* Pisces Mars conjunct Uranus in the 8th house

* Pluto conjunct in the North Node in the 12th house (I mention this one at the end of the podcast after the reveal

As always, listen to the podcast for my interpretation of what all this astro mumbo jumbo means. :)

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Today I talk about the Lunar cycle for July 2021, which brings us a New Moon in Cancer on July 9/10 and a Full Moon in Aquarius on July 24. Here are the highlights:

Cancer is a moon-ruled sign, which means the moon will have a lot of power on July 10. The moon is about nuturance, comfort, care and togetherness, and all of those topics will be flowing quick nicely during this New Moon. A harmonious trine from Neptune will also give the New Moon a glittery feeling of boundlessness – all in all, a great day to lounge at the spa, spend a day at the beach or do anything else that makes you feel especially good.

However, the Cancer New Moon also brings in an opposition with Pluto. This aspect lends the New Moon a feeling of intensity and impending crisis, particularly involving anything to do with emotional conditioning or the past. This dynamic strikes again during the quarter moon on July 17, when the moon has a challenging square to Pluto.

Photo by Anderson Rian on Unsplash

This month’s full moon takes place in Aquarius on July 24. Aquarius is traditionally ruled by Saturn, and is conjunct Saturn on the 24th, which gives this Full Moon a very strong Saturnian vibe.

Saturn moon aspects are challenging because these two planets have very different natures: the moon is changeable and quick, whereas Saturn is constant and slow. The moon stands for mother and child, while Saturn is maturity and old age. The moon is comfort, but Saturn is harshness hardship.

After such a cushy-yet-cathartic New Moon, this Full Moon is asking us to take responsibility for our emotions and needs and gain an inner sense of authority, but this might also leave us feeling isolated and blue.

The Full Moon also ties us into the Saturn square Uranus dynamic of the year (the moon will square Uranus on July 25). Some questions to ask yourself as the moon begins to wane are: How do I stand with my own authority? Am I someone who feels called to hold up the status quo (Saturn) or bring in innovation and volatile change (Uranus)? What is the emotional line between rigidity and authoritarianism and chaos and radical change?

Very interesting lunar cycle this time around indeed. As always, how strongly it affects you personally will depend on your personal birth chart.

Let me know how things go!

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July is upon us, and the astrology is definitely going to heat things up both literally and figuratively. In this forecast, I talk through the following aspects in detail with a phrase here for each one to get you started:

* July 1: Mars in Leo in opposition to Saturn in Aquarius (=road rage day)

* July 4: Mars in Leo square Uranus in Taurus (=a blow torch and a can of gasoline – if you’re in the US, go easy on the fireworks!!)

* July 6: Mercury in Gemini square Neptune in Pisces (=miscommunication, misunderstandings and lost packages, part 3)

* July 7: Venus in Leo in opposition to Saturn in Aquarius (=Venus wants to party, Saturn says, “You’re grounded,” and locks her in her room)

* July 8: Venus in Leo square Uranus in Taurus (=Venus gets rebel-without-a-cause Uranus to bust her out of there, but they get in a fight and part ways)

* July 13: Venus in Leo conjunct Mars in Leo (=bring on the heat, in more ways than one!)

* July 22: Venus ingresses into Virgo in opposition to Jupiter in Pisces (=a cool down in the volatility and heat this month has brought us so far)

* July 28: Jupiter retrogrades back into Aquarius (=Saturn gets to call the shots again, but Jupiter will offer his help)

* July 29: Mars in Leo in opposition to Jupiter in Pisces (=Mars serves up a sucker punch to Santa before he flees into Virgo)

* The two lunations for July 2021 are a New Moon in Cancer on July 10 and a Full Moon in Aquarius on July 24. I don’t go into the moon cycles in the podcast, but plan to address them individually later in the month.

For more about the astrology of July 2021, check out the podcast and leave your thoughts and questions in the comments section below – it’s always good to hear from you.

In the meantime, if you’re in the Northern hemisphere, be sure to keep cool this month – it looks like it’s going to be a scorcher!

Photo by Ava Sol on Unsplash

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On June 24, 2021 we will have a full moon in Capricorn. This is the first lunation we’ve had in a while that is not an eclipse. Eclipses can sometimes bring drama and supercharged emotions, so a regular old full moon should bring us a sense of relief for the time being.

This Capricorn full moon is the first glimpse at culmination for what the Gemini solar eclipse will ultimately manifest in our lives (the final act for the solar eclipse will be on December 19, when we have the full moon in Gemini).

Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash

This full moon is all about the Capricorn/Cancer axis

The moon is about or unconscious needs; it’s about what makes us feel comfortable and how comforted, how we nuture, and feel nurtured. It speaks to our mental health, our memory and our relationship to our mothers and mothering in general.

The moon seeks connection, both personal and familial, and symbolizes our longing to belong. It is ruled by the sign of Cancer, which is sensitive, but can also be clingy and moody at times.

Capricorn, on the other hand, is ruled to Saturn. This sign is what is called the sign of fall for the moon, which means it comes with some challenges.

The moon wants to belong and be with others, whereas Saturn stands for isolation. The moon wants to be nurtured and feel safe and secure, but Saturn brings hardship and suffering. The moon stands likes to stays in its comfort zone, while Saturn says grin and bear it.

With the sun in Cancer, which stands for our consciousness, and the full moon in Capricorn, we are called to examine the places where we need to establish a sense of maturity, independence and responsibility (Saturn) that are also balanced with our emotional needs, ability to be vulnerable and connection with others (moon).

During the full moon, this Capricorn/Cancer aspect is brought up in another aspect that I mention below.

The Saturn Uranus square is baked into the Capricorn full moon

Since this Capricorn full moon is brought to us by its ruler Saturn, the Saturn Uranus square also comes into play.

Saturn square Uranus brings conflict, action and a sense of friction into urgency into such topics as:

* tradition vs innovation

* authoritarianism vs rebellion

* old versus young

* the established vs the shock of the new

* order vs chaos

Aspects between slower planets such as Saturn – the last of the visible planets – and Uranus often tend to play out more in the collective than in our personal lives. However, you will be plugged into this aspect in a more personal way if you have any personal planets in fixed signs (Aquarius, Taurus, Leo, Scorpio), especially if they are between 10 to 15 degree in any of these signs.

The full moon in Capricorn bring us Venus in opposition to Pluto

Another aspect that comes into play in June 24th’s full moon in Capricorn is Venus in Cancer in opposition to Pluto in Capricorn.

Venus is about bringing people together, about how we relate to each other as both friends and lovers, how we experience joy, entertainment and artistic expression. The planet can also stand for women in general, particularly younger women.

When Pluto aspects a planet, it intensifies what it stand for and can bring about crisis and catharsis. The god of the underworld, Pluto calls us to examine that which usually remains hidden and unseen in the shadows.

Therefore, the Capricorn full moon may also emphasize crisis and catharsis in relationships, around sexuality, women’s issues and artistic projects.

Although what Pluto brings can be overwhelming and painful, if you’re brave enough to venture into the underworld, it can also bring healing and the chance to “face your demons” and undergo powerful change and transformation.

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As I said in my previous text and podcast, I want to create a better balance between writing and talking about astrology, tarot and magic here at Age of Air, since things have been a bit heavy on the astro side now for a while.

So, ta-da! Here’s a little podcast and text about my approach to tarot!

People take different approaches to the cards, just like they do with astrology, so I thought it would be important for you to understanding where I’m coming from before I get started doing more with tarot.

Here are the three things I consider most important, and the system I prefer.

The question asked is key

To get a precise answer to the question, you need to ask a precise question. Rather than ask a general, broad question like, Will I ever be happy in my career? ask something more specific that gets to the heart of what you actually want to know, for example:

Why am I unhappy in my career right now? What changes can I make? Should I throw in the towel and go into business for myself? and so on.

Questions about the far-off future are less effective

The tarot is better for short-term insights no longer than six months to maybe a year away. Anything else is likely to get vague and muddled. In general, this is true for other forms of divination as well, such as hoary astrology.

Therefore, when reading tarot or having someone read for you, when it comes to questions, think precise and to the point about topics either in the past, present, or near future.

The cards deliver radical clarity

If you ever have your cards read and the person only says marvellously positive things that reassure you that the outcome you’ll have is exactly what you hoped and dreamed it would be, then I’d say it’s time to start getting sceptical.

Sure, there is a chance that a lot of great things are on the horizon for you, and if so, then lucky you!

However, the greater chance is that this may be a cartomancer who is keeping their customers happy by just telling them what they want to hear. No wonder, since often the underlying reason why most people ask a question is because they want to be reassured that what they wish for will come true.

This I understand, since I’d be lying if I said I don’t sometimes feel that itch for reassurance when I read for myself as well.

However, the real power of the cards is their ability to help us see more clearly. They can cut through our confusion, our blindness, our delusions and illusions and tell us what is, what was and what is likely to be.

But the saying is true: truth hurts. Therefore, it’s important to only ask questions you honestly want answered, even if the true answer may not be something you want to hear.

If you’re open to the answer, be what it may be, the tarot can lift up the veil and reveal what you knew all along at some level, which is incredibly liberating, even though its sometimes hard.

The card system I prefer

In the English-speaking world, the esoteric Waite-Smith tarot (1909) is the most popular system to use. Created by Arthur Waite and the artist Pamela Smith, this tarot system married the Tarot de Marseille cards with many other occult disciplines and symbolism, such as astrology, Kabbalah, Christian symbolism, and so on. Here’s what the original (minor arcana) cards looked like.

Both Waite and Smith were members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a secret occult society for magic and spiritual development, which is why their system focuses on (spiritual) self-betterment and the “journey through life.”

These days I prefer the directness and simplicity of the original Tarot de Marseille. It can seem a bit more intimidating because the pips (called minor arcana in the Waite-Smith tarot) don’t have pictures. However, the system offers much more flexibility, and trims the fat of all that extra symbolism, which in my opinion sometimes gets in the way of reading clearly.

Here’s an example of the coins suit in the deck. As you can see it looks more like a playing card that the Waite-Smith deck, where you get a picture. However, the pictures tend to point you in the direction that Waite decided you should go, which is ultimately more restrictive and less creative.

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On June 14, the Saturn square Uranus became exact again for the second time in 2021, and the square will remain very close for the rest of the month into early July. Mars moved into Leo on June 12, which will add more heat, aggression, drama and volatility to this aspect. This will come to a head at the end of the month when Mars enters into a tighter square with both Saturn and Uranus.

Saturn stand for things like tradition, established structures, boundaries, the old, tried and true on the one hand and authoritarianism, harsh limitations and rigidity on the other.

Uranus stands for revolution, brilliant innovation, disruption and the new on the one hand, and destructive chaos, surprising shocks and sudden unexpected turns of events (either positive or negative) on the other.

In my podcast, I offer some examples on how this square between these two planets might manifest.

However, one thing I forgot to mention is this: Since the planets involved here are all fixed sign modalities, this amps up their stubbornness, fixation on their own viewpoint and general inflexibility. This means two sides who are convinced their standpoint is the “right” one, which makes any kind of compromise extremely difficult if not impossible. Mars heating up these guys this month is therefore a potential recipe for extreme action and disaster.

The last time (Act I) the Saturn square Uranus aspect was exact and heated up by Mars was in early to mid-February 2021. Act III will take place in December, so hold on to your hats and stay tuned!

Photo by Amber Kipp on Unsplash

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In today’s podcast I talk about the solar eclipse in Gemini which will be taking place on June 10, 2021.

This particular eclipse will be on the Lunar North Node, which means that you will be seeing growth and new developments in the house in your chart that is ruled by Gemini.

You can find out a bit more about what eclipses and eclipse season are from an astronomical standpoint here. I also will be writing an article about the Gemini solar eclipse through the houses in a few days, so stay tuned.

Two other important astrological happenings for the second week of June are as follows:

* Mars moves into Leo on June 11: In some ways this is positive, because Cancer is a challenging sign for Mars to be in. However, Mars in Leo also squares the Saturn/Uranus square, which means it brings more heat, tension, aggression or possibly violence into this dynamic. We’ll get more of a taste for what this means when the Saturn/Uranus square becomes exact again next week.

* Sun conjunct Mercury retrograde in Gemini on June 11: This will shine a spotlight on whatever it is Mercury retrograde is asking us to rethink or reexamine.

Enjoy the podcast and all the best!

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It’s time for another guess the writer astrological guessing game. For this, I describe the natal chart of the writer above without saying who they are until the end.

These games also show you the basic, quick way to do an astrological reading, which is by looking at the Ascendant, Ascendant ruler, the Sun, Moon and their house placements and aspects.

For this person, the astrological details I cover are as follows:

Ascendant in Aquarius

Ascendant ruler is Saturn in Capricorn in opposition to Pluto in Cancer

Moon in Libra in the 9th house

Virgo stellium in the 8th house (Venus, Jupiter and Neptune)

Sun and Mercury in Scorpio in the 10th house

Leo Mars in the 7th square Mercury in the 10th

I go off on a bit of a tangent about the nodes of the moon, which is way too complex to get into for a mini reading like this. If you want to know more about the traditional take on the nodal access, check out this video, which is one in a series.

Here’s the lowdown on the 27 club I mentioned.

I’ll be back soon to talk about next week’s solar eclipse, so stayed tuned.

p.s. Sorry about the weird buzz at the end of the podcast, not sure what that’s about!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ageofair.substack.com

It’s time for another guess the writer astrological guessing game. For this, I describe the natal chart of the writer above without saying who they are until the end.

These games also show you the basic, quick way to do an astrological reading, which is by looking at the Ascendant, Ascendant ruler, the Sun, Moon and their house placements and aspects.

For this person, the astrological details I cover are as follows:

* Ascendant in Aquarius

* Ascendant ruler is Saturn in Capricorn in opposition to Pluto in Cancer

* Moon in Libra in the 9th house

* Virgo stellium in the 8th house (Venus, Jupiter and Neptune)

* Sun and Mercury in Scorpio in the 10th house

* Leo Mars in the 7th square Mercury in the 10th

I go off on a bit of a tangent about the nodes of the moon, which is way too complex to get into for a mini reading like this. If you want to know more about the traditional take on the nodal access, check out this video, which is one in a series.

Here’s the lowdown on the 27 club I mentioned.

I’ll be back soon to talk about next week’s solar eclipse, so stayed tuned.

p.s. Sorry about the weird buzz at the end of the podcast, not sure what that’s about!

Get full access to Crossroads Astrology at crossroadsastrology.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I talk about the astrology of June 2021. Since this month has a lot of important astrological aspects, I’m going to go through them week by week instead of all in one go.

Here’s a summary of the first week of June astrological aspects/ingresses I talk about in the podcast:

* Mercury is stationing retrograde in Gemini on May 29/30

* The Sun in Gemini is conjunct the North Node on June 1

* Venus ingresses into Cancer on June 2

* Venus in Cancer is trine Jupiter in Pisces on June 4 – a day of good fortune!

* Retrograde Mercury is square Neptune on June 5

* Mars in Cancer is in opposition to Pluto on June 5

The last two aspects are happening almost simultaneously and really bring with them the potential for emotionally-motivated aggressive, or even violent acts (Mars) on a mass scale (Pluto) which may also be based or greatly influenced by confusion, unclear thinking or miscommunication (Retrograde Mercury square Neptune).

Tarot reading for Mars in opposition to Pluto and Retrograde Mercury square Neptune

Since this aspect on June 5 is potentially challenging and explosive, I thought I’d do a reading to see if the cards had any advice.

Question: What is the best way to handle the challenges of these aspects around June 5?

I pulled the Hermit, Judgement and the Lovers and interpret the card’s advice as follows:

There may be a loud announcement, or perhaps people digging into each other even more virulently than usual on Twitter & co. (Judgement), which may make you feel like you have to choose sides (the Lovers). But don’t forget, you can always withdraw into yourself and walk away (the Hermit) – sometimes refusing to get involved is the wisest choice of all.

Considering the likely emotional volatility and unclear thinking these aspects suggest, this is very sage advice indeed.

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