Saturn Return Can Bite Me

And even more eclipse links, 'cause this is gonna go on awhile.

I keep finding good stuff!

Stuff from the April 25 eclipse:

• Tracy's Astro Salon: "What has come up in the last two weeks?  What emotions are swirling around you?  How are you using it?   Has anything come up that is calling you in a new way?  Are you responding?  Can you be practical about that response?   Can you use it to further your goals you set two weeks ago.  Even if you didn’t make a treasure map look at your calendar for the last two weeks.   What came up?  How does it speak to what you want in the next year?    And if you didn’t make a treasure map, take an orange piece of paper and write down the things you want but write it in an empowered voice."
• The Oxford Astrologer:  This one is really interesting to read, especially with her RL examples:  "It’s obvious that it’s not just the actual eclipse degrees themselves, but the position of the North and South Lunar Nodes that’s important. As you know, the signs through which the Nodes are transiting are the signs of the current eclipses. The closer the Sun or Moon is to the nodal axis on the day of the Full or New Moon, the greater the eclipse. So when you were born, the eclipses were taking place in the signs of your Nodes. This should give you an idea of the fated quality of eclipses, but also of the Nodal axis in your chart."
• Moonkissd: "The Scorpio Full Moon sheds light on the honest, bloody, ooey-gooey guts of things. The Truth is, we cannot be wholly loved without being whole, and we cannot be whole without being fully seen by the Other. Our icky, wounded parts and all. Whether we’ve been struggling with hidden patterns in intimacy, or we feel blocked from moving forward in our lives, eclipse energy is giving us an opportunity to re-set the system, to course-correct the broken record we keep re-playing in our lives, relationships."

This last one reminds me of the Michael Lutin eclipse pattern of 2013 message. Which I ordered, but I suspect I'd get in trouble for talking about online since it's for pay. This is a lulu enough for me (and my mom, who is also having an eclipse around her birthday... FUN TIMES THIS YEAR YOU GUYS) that I paid up and...well, I would say that if you're a Taurus or Scorpio or rising of either, or have both like I do, go get it. It's very good relationship-y talk along the lines of SunShines. I'd like to note that he doesn't even put anything up for the upcoming week this week (not a permalink) EXCEPT for that message....which is frightening.

 On another note, here's a post on Beltane for tomorrow. Which is also very heavily reminding me of the Lutin message:

"Heavy energy out there. All that fixed earth Taurus. It’s easy to get bogged down. And to give up.

You know that’s Shadow Taurus, right? Giving up. Withdrawing. Isolating. Shutting down. It’s a survival instinct, gone wrong. If you’re feeling less than enthused, this could be why.

But this is still a fertile season. Taurus is also about new growth. Yes, even with the current opposition from Saturn in Scorpio.

The evening of April 30th to May 1st is Beltane, a fertility festival. Even if you don’t feel like celebrating, the wheel of the year continues to turn. The energy is potent right now for creating something new. Saturn’s limits may narrow the scope, but there’s still something to work with. The pulse of new life is happening, and it’s bigger than you. This is encouraging, because it means there’s always hope, no matter how insurmountable your problems are. Not that your problems aren’t valid, but there’s always something more to reach for.

Remember, efforts made in Taurus will be slooow. You may have to push a bit harder, be a bit more patient, take things one day at a time."

Next, posting for the May 9 eclipse:

• ElsaElsa:"The day is focused on the stellium in Taurus, opposing Saturn in Scorpio.  We’re sure to see some interaction here, with people going back and forth.  A person may attempt to  block, thwart, control, or oppress (Saturn) their love (Taurus) via manipulation (Scorpio), but they may also support, empower and reinforce their lover, or perhaps make a lasting (Taurus) commitment (Saturn)."
• Taproots: "This a very fertile moon, if you don’t want to be pregnant, refrain from sex or triple up on protection. And for all of those non sexual desires you have, its fertile for those too! There are 4 planets in Taurus at this New Moon: Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Mars. And Venus is freshly out of Taurus at the exact moment of the New Moon. Earth is fertile. You’ve been informed." ...Yeah, I am not gonna worry about that. Hah.
• Planet Waves: "In the time of eclipses, it’s necessary to project your life in the direction you want, and in a sense, to look where you want to be. It can be easy to be caught up in the drama of the moment, though there is enormous creative power in these events."

Also, the monthly horoscopes:

"Taurus (April 19-May 20)
You are surrounded on all sides by potential, and by people who believe in you. Yet you may have an ominous feeling, as if something is brewing that you don’t understand and cannot discern clearly. Yet consider all that you’ve learned about yourself the past few weeks — how many things you would not necessarily have considered, and were probably not expecting. These have worked out well, and many situations are still developing. The ominous feeling is an eclipse of the Sun in your sign on May 9. This is profoundly meaningful astrology that will deliver a clear message to you. You may not be certain if it’s a sign from the distant past or something entirely new; in a way, both are true. What this eclipse signals is a kind of growth checkpoint. There are two questions that I see. One is: what do you ‘take on’ when you engage with someone in an intimate relationship? There’s something suggesting that you become like that person, at least a little, and I suggest that you decide consciously the extent you want to do this. Another image in the chart involves your father, and your tendency to want to live up to what you perceived as his expectations of you, or his image of you. It’s more likely that your highest vision of yourself would take you in another direction entirely. It will help if you notice this negotiation process with full awareness rather than having it run in the background."

Hooooooly shiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

"Yet you may have an ominous feeling, as if something is brewing that you don’t understand and cannot discern clearly. Yet consider all that you’ve learned about yourself the past few weeks — how many things you would not necessarily have considered, and were probably not expecting. These have worked out well, and many situations are still developing. The ominous feeling is an eclipse of the Sun in your sign on May 9. This is profoundly meaningful astrology that will deliver a clear message to you. You may not be certain if it’s a sign from the distant past or something entirely new; in a way, both are true."

That has definitely happened. And seriously, JUST WAITING ON THAT SIGN THERE!

"Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
To what extent are you invested in a close partner, and have you considered whether you might be over-invested? This isn’t necessarily an easy question, though you may be getting some new information on this topic in the near future. This is, however, not a new story. Indeed, it’s the latest step in the process of your rewriting what may be a very old story, and that relates to certain fixed patterns of how you tend to think of yourself, your relationship partners and your mutual role in one another’s lives. This question is valid whether or not you currently are with a partner. The underlying material remains the same. The question gets more relevance if you tend to repeat patterns in your relationships. It gets even more relevance if you tend to come up against certain emotional issues and then skip them over, expecting a different result from last time. The current astrology is, to use a strong word, demanding that you be real with yourself. You know it’s also time for you to be relating to others on real terms, and call nothing less than that intimacy. I know there is a temptation to have the pleasure, security and emotional contact of relationships without taking the risk of vulnerability. Yet it’s never long before this runs out. If you’re someone who does value depth and intimacy and who takes emotional risks, the next few weeks promise to be a daring, meaningful and beautiful time in your life."

Okay, with all of this prediction stuff? If I continue to be immune to the charms of everyone even after this year, I need to just freaking shoot myself because that means ain't nothing gonna move me :P

Apocalypse sortakindanowbutnotreallyish

astrobarry is sick of writing the same kinds of warnings every week:

"Lately, I've encountered a certain intensity fatigue. Call it a hazard of my profession, but how many times can one trot an article that describes one more 'especially intense week or two ahead' and not begin to feel like you're just repeating the same banal sentiments over and over again ad nauseum? I proudly do the best I can to actually provide distinct enough descriptions that help qualitatively distinguish between the myriad forms of intensity we might encounter at a given time. Still, due to the intense overall flavor of this era—so markedly infused with this uncommon revolutionary Uranus/Pluto unrest-instability-and-discomfort energy—I could probably phone in one generic essay after another that basically says, 'Shit's intense, dude!' and then head out for an artisanal pizza and some locally-crafted microbrew. I'm forced to up my writerly game."

Mark Morford on the definition of apocalypse:

"Apocalypse can also be far more subtle than that, more interesting, more messy, perhaps even more personally charged. And as with any sort of collective vibrational hump day, it is what you make of it."

April Elliot Kent on the Sagittarius new moon:

"It occurred to me the other evening, watching “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” for maybe the 40th time, how many of the stories we enjoy revisiting each year during December – the month when the Sun moves through Sagittarius – are tales of heroic journeys. Rudolph hits the road with his fellow misfit, Hermey the Elf, in search of a place where they fit in. The three wise men embark on the ultimate road trip, with only a star to lead them to the newborn savior. George Bailey and Clarence, and Ebeneezer Scrooge and his ghostly tour guides, travel to alternate universes to better grasp the importance of a single human life.

For each of us, Sagittarius represents our own Hero’s Journey, complete with tortuous paths, ordeals and rewards, and the promise of redemption. We recognize ourselves in Rudolph, in George, and even in poor old Scrooge. We understand their dissatisfaction and despair, and the feeling that there’s no better way to reboot our lives than to launch ourselves into the vast unknown. We know the fear of failure and the sadness of feeling like a stranger, and we know that there are times in life when proving that we can overcome that fear and sadness is exactly what we need in order to feel truly alive."

 

Full moon in Taurus links

• "If Taurus could be distilled and bottled, the manufacturers of Xanax would soon be out of business. Before you get the wrong idea — because Taurus is forever being compared to things like rocks, and they don’t always take it as a compliment — I mean this as a tribute to the Bull’s calm and steadying influence. When Taurus walks in to a room, the level of melodrama plummets. Situations that previously seemed impossible to resolve suddenly seem completely under control. Taurus brings with it a degree of confidence and practicality that simplifies what’s overwhelming and demystifies all that is vaguely terrifying. Taurus would have laughed about the trail of maple syrup, settled the visiting friend with a cup of tea and a friendly cat, and calmly diagnosed the website problem. There would have been no flapping of arms, no dramatic cries of victimization. Things would simply have gotten done, with no fuss."
• "Anytime you get a Full Moon in earthy Taurus, there’s potential for solid manifestation. But it will be based on what you’ve experienced in the areas of your chart with Taurus/Scorpio. Despite Mercury’s pie in the sky square to Neptune, this will not be the Moon where your dreams come true. Especially not with transiting Saturn (realities) in Taurus’ opposite sign. Here’s how it will work. Take the exciting opportunities from October 28th (Mars opposite Jupiter and Venus in Libra) and apply them in a real life context. Full Moons always represent a build up of energy; they are based on what has already happened.  So there’s some wiggle room for new potential, but it will work in the context of your existing structure (Saturn). It’s still positive, but it’s grounded (Taurus)."

 

Aspects that get you in trouble

So I was reading this discussion online of the latest Lance Armstrong drama and couldn't help but notice a few things:

• "Don't care if everyone else is doing it, if you have Saturn square Moon people will find out and you will FALL. Jupiter retrograding exactly square his Moon.  Moon square Saturn, especially a public figure like Lance, means you have to have an impeccable record or at least be impeccably good at hiding your tracks. Saturn always bring comeuppance. Less Saturn-"gifted "folk can get away with such things, I'd think."
• "When you have a Sun-Pluto conjunction like Lance does, and lots of Saturn, there is a good chance you will end up wearing the shadow for the collective whether eveyone is doing it or not. The majority  of professional athletes probably have multiple affairs, but someone like Tiger Woods is going to wear the shadow having all that Saturn and and Sun/Pluto. If you are held as an authority/role model and you wield great power. If your actions are discovered to not be in alignment with the "light" you are emitting.....you WILL be wearing that shadow period. You will be the example. Saturn people will be either role model or disgraced ex authority."

Hmmm. I have Saturn square the moon and I always take care to well, follow the rules and be a good girl, and I've always assumed I'd get caught if I wasn't perfectly angelic. Plus well, I have Saturn in the tenth, so that's a similar "better be behaved or else" aspect.

The Sun/Pluto thing is interesting as well.

A moon-centric horoscope

Now that's interesting...

Moon-Saturn--this stuff is so true

"Adrian Ross Duncan describes the tremendous need inside the Moon/Saturn person. When they finally decide that it’s safe to unlock Saturn’s iron cage, a clingy, vulnerable person jumps out. Suddenly, they demand constant reassurance. They appear to need (Moon) more support than anyone can provide. If the Moon/Saturn person receives a whiff of hesitation from their partner, they will interpret this as rejection. The cage door slams shut, and the Moon/Saturn person abruptly withdraws, becoming Mr. or Mrs. Cool once again."

Oh lord, this describes me and my mother in a nutshell.

Aspects to avoid when dating men

Elsa's got a good point here.

"I have concern when I see both the Moon and Venus beat up in a man’s chart. My number one rule is to run with men who like women and when I see this stuff in a man’s chart, I am very, very careful."

Good point. Never date a heterosexual who hates women. I have a cousin like this (if I remembered his birthday I'd be checking this now) and I feel very sorry for the women he's dated/been engaged to/married.

Then again, I have those beat up in my chart and I don't hate women...I just don't fit with traditional women's behaviors.

New Moonin'

So the next new moon (Sunday night/early Tuesday morning, ish) should be squaring my AC/DC axis and Sun/Chiron and opposing Mars. This does not sound like fun times, does it?

I am currently in Reality Anvil Mode, as it looks like I will not be able to get a car loan due to my credit stupidity and I may have to resort to more distastful methods. I also feel sick at the thought of dealing with car dealerships and sleazy salesmen. I despise salesmen and frankly, the only reason I didn't scream/punch out the sleazeballs my mom went to listen to over the years was that they weren't pitching the giant load of bull directly at me. Now I'll be the number one target. UGH.

Can I stand this? Oh god. I don't think so.

So now is that time of the month where you need to think of what you want to manifest. Some suggestions from online:

Ruby Slipper:

Aquarius is about liberation so this Moon will be a chance to free yourself from some chains.

Think about what Jupiter in Taurus symbolizes: material gains, expanding security, hoarding. It can be positive, but when it forms a difficult (square) aspect like this we see freedom (Aquarius) versus stubborn security (Taurus).

New Moons symbolize beginnings so think about what you can start to loosen your grip on. Or, what/who do you need to get away from?  Taurus is the conformist who bases his/her self-sufficiency on material status. Aquarius is the rebel who bases his/her independence on outsider status.

Planet Waves:

The outcome of what starts for you with the Aquarius New Moon will therefore not be as contingent on what you do, so much as how you do it. If you can manage to remain aware of a scenario with the outer world on a roll and your inner conscience at a crossroads, you will recognize the corresponding events, impressions, and feelings for what they are, and see them in their place. Following that vision with action will, in turn, be your means to an inner resolution.

Moon Pluto Astrology:

So for this New Moon try setting some intentions around… not taking it all so personally. For this New Moon, try setting some intentions around… the energy of mid-winter. (Damn I want to quote that Wallace Stevens poem The Snow Man right now. Google it, okay?)

And for this New Moon, set an intention and do it in a way, with a ritual, that’s different than you’ve ever done before. Very different. Weird. Break patterns. Create new ones. Saturn builds. Uranus breaks. They both rule Aquarius.

Elsa:

There are times when you can open throttle towards a goal. But there are some things that can only be accomplished by planning and slow progress. For example, you are not going to be able to run up Mount Everest, I don’t care who you are.

The new Moon is a time where we set an intention.  The intention should be associated with the house in your chart where the new Moon falls. It should also consider the sign of the Sun and Moon as well as the planets that aspect them so keep the Jupiter/Saturn Everest concept in mind when you set your intention.   These keywords might help:

• Long range goals
• Beliefs or a philosophy that supports you
• Committing to your vision

With Aquarius, we’re talking about change and innovation.

I'm going to have to think about this. Right now I need to work on long term stuff and committing...but I'm having a hard time sticking to that commitment when reality is punching me in the face and going, "This is probably way too fucking hard for you to do alone and you kinda do have to do it alone."

BLEAH.

Neptune in Pisces

I'm not particularly Neptunian. Aquarius is in my fourth house and only has an asteroid in there, so I haven't had any planets getting kicked by it directly for a long while. Venus was getting squared by it, but since I have no love life...well, hm.

But oh goody, now it's going to be squaring my moon till 2014. Awesome. Oh wait, not.

Neptune will also square planets between 0-4 degrees Sagittarius. This transit will challenge what you believe by expanding your urge for exploration in relationships. This could mean a time of wandering without a map in new relationship territory. It could also be your Dark Night of the Soul. Watch that the search for meaning doesn’t get you tangled up with a partner who takes advantage of you.

If your Sun is in Sagittarius, your ego is healthy and your will is focused on the future. You see no reason why a relationship can’t work out. If you’re single, it’s okay because you’ll meet someone when it’s meant to happen. Neptune’s square can undermine this fiery energy. You may find yourself questioning what you bring to a relationship and how special you really are. When faith in yourself vanishes, where do you look?

For many Sagittarians, this could be the first time without your optimism to keep you warm. The ensuing search might make you do some interesting things. Potential romantic partners who come into your life during this time should be viewed as experiments, not saviors. Your faith hasn’t gone anywhere, you’ll just be questioning it. This is what will make it stronger and turn you into a more empathetic partner.

For any sign, the rule of thumb during a hard Neptune transit is to hold off on new romantic commitments until the influence is over (although of course there are exceptions to every rule). Neptune’s influence on planets between 0-4 degrees will continue (roughly) until early 2014. Many people wake up after these transits and wonder what they ever saw in their Dream Lover. Some are fortunate enough to experience a capital “R” romance that is positive and healing. Everyone who goes through this transit will be gifted with the opportunity to transcend their relationship limits.

You know what annoys me? It's like there is constantly some "omg awful, please wait until that transit is over to find love" thing going on with me, one right after the other right after the other. This will probably surprise no one, but it gets fucking old. I especially loved (not) a Vedic astrology reading I got once saying "don't even bother until your late 40's."

It's a good thing 50% of me wants to stay single, because apparently I'd just lose if I tried otherwise.

Eclipse fears

The next eclipse is on my moon...and oh god:

"Eclipses closely conjoining, opposing, or squaring your most stressed natal planet or aspect can coincide with dramatic external events — the death of someone close to you, an illness, a job change or relocation, a great romance, a divorce; like depression. In any event these times or simply profound internal events,are often marked by events so dramatic they seem to take place in a dream state of suspended animation; when we regain consciousness the entire landscape of our lives have changed.

Look to “personal” planets, particularly the Sun and Moon, in difficult aspect to the outer planets (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) to find your most sensitive planetary combination. My Moon/Pluto square, for instance, is extremely sensitive to eclipse aspects, inevitably heralding profound events which force me to confront my fear of loss. On the other hand, eclipses aspecting my fairly happy natal Venus (trine Neptune, sextile Pluto) usually presage fairly pleasant transitions.

Unless an eclipse triggers a “high tension” planet or aspect in your natal chart, or one of the angles, you are likely to experience it as a subtle or psychological influence. About every nine and a half years the pivotal planet will receive a solar or lunar eclipse conjunction or opposition, and each time you navigate this pivotal eclipse “season” you have another opportunity to face your fear — perhaps a fear of anonymity (the Sun), of disconnection (the Moon), of authoring your own life (Saturn), of sudden change (Uranus).

Not all eclipses are associated with what we think of as unhappy events. Many coincide with events which are joyous — a marriage, say, or the birth of a child. These eclipse events are in some ways more traumatic than tragic ones, because we don’t expect to be frightened or disoriented by them, and receive little support from others for our feelings (“For heaven’s sake, can’t you even enjoy it when something good happens to you?”). But the energy of eclipses is crisis, a crossroads, a turning point. Choosing something good for your life — a partner, a child, a high powered career — necessarily means closing the door on something else (life as a single person, total freedom, relative lack of responsibility). It’s normal to mourn loss, even loss that’s necessary to clear your path to joy."

Since mine is in the second house...you know, I know my money is going to go away if I am planning on getting a car and moving without a job. So I am planning on doing it to myself, really, eclipse or no eclipse.

Mine is equally stressed (in a T-square) and unstressed (two trines), so...yeah, it'll probably be bad. Giving up on having the amount of money I have been comfortable living on in order to move. Ugh. Not something I want to think about in the Season of Spending.