Autumnal Equinox, Aries Lunar eclipse (Sun in Libra 9/22/13 through 10/22/13 PDT)

I’ll let you in, dear reader, on a little trade secret:  The experience of chart interpretation illustrates the energy of the chart.  The fancy word for this is metalogue, in which one experiences the very thing one is talking or thinking about.  As I pour my consciousness over the charts I consult to write this report (insert mental image here of a golden, viscous elixir pouring from a silver pitcher, & spreading smoothly over symbols that weave themselves in shifting multi-dimensional webs), I experience conflicting bursts of insight, periods of disenchantment & distraction, & tugs between my private affairs and my responsibilities & relationships.

The crux of this preamble is we have many conflicting energies to deal with in the coming month, & throughout Autumn.  This time period requires strong staying power to keep on task once you determine what that task is for you.  Further, it won’t be just one task, although you’ll probably wish it was.  The good news is there will be profound rewards for these efforts, so roll up your pant-legs & slog on through.

First, let’s explore 9/19’s Pisces Full Harvest Moon, which you’ll feel stronger on 9/18.  Generally, at this full moon, we kiss summer good-bye, reap our harvests (figuratively & metaphorically), & ideally take some time to feel & express deep gratitude for the abundance in our lives.  Pisces’ influence can add qualities of overwhelm & overindulgence, or profound gratitude & transcendence - choose your own adventure, as always.

The big to-do at this full moon, however, is the conjunction of Saturn & the North Node - i.e. the heavy hitters in karma-land - in “dig-deeper” Scorpio.  This combination asks for enormous release in order for a truer path to emerge.  As Venus moves through these two points this week, you can expect transformation to occur in your relationships - closure, new relationships, new phases within existing relationships, power struggles, & profound sexual encounters are all fair game.

Full Moon Homework:

What do your deepest, core values indicate as your true responsibilities?

Is there anything in life that you are experiencing pain about?

Is there something you’re grasping at in relationship to that pain?

What might come forth if you let that go?

What do you have to be grateful for at this time?  What are you harvesting?

Pluto stations direct in the days between the full moon & the equinox.  It could be fruitful to review any major internal shifts you’ve felt since mid-April.  The big questions in this regard are:
What new sense of power have I discovered since April?

What are the limitations of my power?

What responsibilities come with this power?

How can I best direct my power for the greater good?

The Autumn Equinox occurs as the Sun enters Libra on 9/22.  A chart cast for this season shows various flavors of tension & conflict, but also potential for big rewards for work done honestly, thoroughly & with devotion.  Take a risk, this Autumn, on following those inner longings, but be sure to see them through whatever set-backs, delays, & losses may occur along the way.

Venus is the queen in this chart - ruling the Sun in Libra, conjunct Saturn and the North Node in Scorpio (be responsible for & take action on what & who has deepest value to you, & let go of anything  that does not resonate with your heart of hearts), square Mars in Leo (conflict between your deepest values & your need for joy & enjoyment, as well as strong potential for impatience & ego-infused disagreements), trine Jupiter in Cancer (here’s that reward for taking a leap of faith on your deepest longings, but Saturn’s influence will add delays & setbacks), and opposite the South Node & Moon in Taurus (the imperative for change & risk trumps desires for stability & serenity,).  What a busy gal, that Venus.  Somehow, amidst all of this, she imparts her sense of style & grace.  The colors this season?  With Venus in Scorpio, & conjunct Saturn, it’ll be black, deep reds, burgundy, greys & earth tones.  Yes, astrology affects fashion too!

The energetic intensity knob turns up in early October.  The New Moon at 12 degrees Libra on 10/4 hearkens back to last month’s Cardinal Cross.  You may review last month’s report for details on this energy.  The short version is use your growing awareness of what really, truly matters to keep you focused as you feel pulled between inner & outer responsibilities - personal & relationship needs, worldly calling & family needs.  You can’t attend to all of these needs in any one moment, but try to keep the balance right in the greater time-context of your life.  In addition to this drawn-&-quartered potential, Mercury is moving into a conjunction with the North Node & Saturn as he enters the shadow of his retrograde in Scorpio (10/21 - 11/10).  This combination brings more clarity to the questions posed at the beginning of this report (see the full moon homework above).

This pre-retrograde shadow period in the first couple weeks of October 2013 is interplanetary back-up your computers & other devices, & service your cars & bicycles time.  Take care of such pesky details in the first half of October, so you can really dig into the Scorpionic depths of painful loss in exchange for profound gain & true empowerment without any mundane distractions getting in the way.  More on that in next month’s report.

Although New Moons are generally times to be quiet & internal, the forces pulling you outwards at this time will likely overwhelm that sense of return & renewal.  A Grand Cardinal Cross is anything but internal, pulling you in every worldly direction imaginable.  But even stronger than that, this new moon marks the build-up towards the Aries Lunar Eclipse on 10/18.  Eclipses are extremely powerful forces that affect us for months before & after the actual eclipse date.  Yes, that means you’ve already been tasting this fine Aries/Libra wine.  This eclipse is the first in the next year & a half of Aries/Libra eclipses, so it functions as an introduction to the themes we’ll be working with through the spring of 2016.

The Aries/Libra axis brings up questions of self versus “other,” who/what we are versus who/what we are not, how much to stand up for ourselves & how much to compromise for the sake of harmony in relationships.  Expect to confront your fears & have your courage tested.  Expect to face some tricky decisions.  In the next year and a half, let this quote from Hillel be your guide:

“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?  If I am not for others, what am I?  If not now, when?”

How these Aries/Libra eclipses will affect you depends on whether you tend towards the me-first side of things, or the compromise-until-you-snap side of things.  Both of those attitudes are somewhat valid, depending on the greater context of your situation, but neither of those extremes is helpful or effective as a catch-all solution.  By spring 2016, if you stay on top of your Aries/Libra eclipse lessons, you will be a master at knowing when & how much me-first force to apply, & when & how much compromise to give in to.

In the meantime, however, there will be growing pains.  This lunar eclipse finds the Moon aligned with the exacting planetoid, Eris, goddess of strife & discord, & both luminaries square Jupiter in Cancer.  It’s safe to say you can expect some emotional ow-ies.  Eris’ strife occurs when something essential is left out.  Until the missing pieces are acknowledged & integrated into the whole (the whole of yourself, the whole of your relationship, etc), there is discord & suffering.  Because lunar eclipses pull us apart so we can put the pieces back together in a truer way, perhaps you’ll find a new way to fit that missing, strife-inducing black sheep back into the fold.

Bare in mind that these energies are affecting us on the global level as well as the personal level.  Another aspect of the Aries/Libra axis is war versus peace.  Consider the war & suffering in the world, & do what you can to balance it by maintaining peace within & peace in your relationships.  This may seem esoteric, but we are interconnected in ways we cannot sense or comprehend with our rational minds.  Mystics have known this for ages, & physics has proved this, but society has yet to embrace it.  Here’s your chance to be ahead of the curve!  Instill peace in the world by being peace.  It is a kind of direct action - subtle but immensely powerful.

Aries Lunar Eclipse Homework:

Do I tend to be a me-first person or a compromise-until-I-snap person?  Hint: You might be both.

What situations in my life would shift & improve with more of a me-first attitude?

What situations in my life would shift & improve with more compromise?

What is the strife I am experiencing?

Does that strife indicate what is missing in my life?

What discord am I encountering in my relationships?

Does that discord indicate what is missing in my relationships?

Some final advice, in regards to Uranus, Eris & the Moon in Aries during this eclipse:

This is volatile & potentially hurtful energy, made more incisive & critical by Aries’ ruler, Mars, transiting through Virgo.  Curb your anger & impatience by drawing upon the compassion & forgiveness available from Neptune in Pisces opposite Mars, & the expansive, gregarious & generous energy of Venus in Sagittarius, ruling that Libra Sun.  Remember to relate the parts to the whole, keeping your sights on both the details & the context in which you find them.  Be generous with your kindness, forgiveness & love - for yourself, for those you are in relations with, & ultimately, for humanity.

For more personalized insight, you may go here to schedule a private astrological consult, a Coalithesis energy healing treatment, or an intensive Alithesis healing session.  If you enjoy these reports, please forward this page on & repost it as you see fit.  Until next month’s posting (on Mercury’s retrograde & more), maintain that tricky balance of inner & outer needs, practice kindness towards yourself and others, & shed your old skin so your true self can shine forth.  Thanks for reading,

Sun in Virgo, Grand Cardinal Cross (Sun in Virgo: 8/22/13 through 9/22/13)

I hope you’re ready to grow because staying safely within comfortable limitations, within the bounds of the known, within the same-old, challenge-free & familiar status quo is about to be officially and cosmically disallowed.  These are stern & firm orders from the big balls of rock and gas out yonder in the solar system, so I suggest you roll up your sleeves, and get to work doing those things you know in your heart it’s time to do.

But first, let’s take a moment to orient ourselves in solar time.  Let’s orient ourselves with the Sun - the center of our solar system, the massive ball of nuclear fission-fueled fire that keeps all of these other balls of rock & gas in line.  As the Sun completes its transit through Leo, its home sign, in the next few days, we are still in the phase of connecting with & expressing our heart’s joy.

Once the Sun enters Virgo on 8/22, we will be in the time of harvest.  Virgo’s unfortunate reputation as a hyper-critical fuzz-budget is an over-inflation of this rich sign’s shadow.  The light of Virgo is wholeness & mastery, which is attained first through understanding the order of things (how all the parts fit into the whole) in this material realm.  Mastery brings forth a great harvest, which Virgo is intended to thoroughly enjoy.  The shadowy critical side of Virgo comes forth if Virgo forgets to relate the parts to the whole.

Here are some guiding questions through the time of sensitive & sensual Virgo:

What do I perceive as the order of things in my life, in my relationships, in my career, in my family, in my past, in my present, & in the world around me?

What are the contexts within which I find myself, my various relationships, my career, my family, my past, my present, etc?

How can I ground myself & my perceptions within these greater contexts?

What am I harvesting?  Hint: harvests can be joyous &/or painful.  Note both.

What am I mastering?

Who are my teachers?

Who are my students?

What are my skills?  How can I improve upon them, or improve upon my sharing of them?

In what ways am I of service?  Does this feel in proper alignment with the wholeness of myself & the contexts in which I find myself?

Because Virgo enjoys being of service, you may enjoy helping me a wee bit by posting this introduction to my work in your emails & f-book pages.  Much obliged, dear readers.

And now it’s time to dig into the nitty-gritty of the Grand Cardinal Cross - the major energetic imperative of this solar month.  In true Virgo fashion, let’s look at the parts, & relate them to the greater whole.  In this case, the whole is a grand cross in cardinal signs.  Cardinal signs are initiators, so this is time of new beginnings.  A grand cross occurs when four or more planets form a cross in the sky - two sets of opposing forces that are simultaneously at odds with each other.  We are overthrowing the old, & bringing some new vision into four major areas of life (in this case selfhood, relationship, nourishment & calling).  Another imperative of a grand cross is to consider a united whole (further supported by this Virgo solar month), rather than being drawn & quartered by the various needs that pull at you from hither & thither.

At the crux of this configuration, we have the longterm square (2010 through 2015) between Pluto in Capricorn (death and rebirth at the structural level) and Uranus in Aries (revolution now, often in sudden & aggressive ways).  What is similar about these two energies is the imperative for change, but the difference is in style & timing.  Both Capricorn and Pluto are in it for the long haul, making slight shifts that lead to major change over time, & focusing on the big picture & on major goals.  Uranus & Aries, on the other hand, are more sudden.  Aries is impatient & interested in proving itself, while Uranus is inspired & revolutionary, & tends to act in disruptive ways.  This energy is affecting us on the personal & collective levels (hence all of the revolutionary activity in various countries, overhauling of governments, massive earthquakes shifting the tilt of the planet, etc).

Part two of the Grand Cross is Jupiter in Cancer - opposite Pluto, & square Uranus.  This energy has been building throughout the Leo solar month, so you may already be familiar with the three-way tugs between your family/nourishment needs, your outer world responsibilities, & your personal freedom/desire for newness.

The final element of the Grand Cross is peace-loving Libra, initially graced by its ruling planet, Venus, & then swiftly traversed by wily Mercury.  Because Venus is in this Grand Cross position at the time of the Sun’s entry into Virgo, however, her energy permeates the Grand Cross throughout the solar month.  In layman’s terms, we now have the added elements of right relationship, wise compromise, grace, beauty, & fair communication thrown into the mix.

Add it all together, and what do you get?

1, Death and rebirth at the structural level with attendance to appropriate longterm goals & right use of power

2, in proper balance with increasing personal nourishment, attending to home, family, & a more buoyant sense of personal history,

3, while at the same time balancing personal revolution based on fresh insights

4, with fairness, beauty, & grace in relationships, with the added help of open & honest communication.

Here are some leading questions to help you bring these opposing energies into a whole picture:

Bringing out the best of Jupiter in Cancer:

How can I be more nourished by my career/calling?

How can I be more nourished in my various relationships?

Which relationships do I need to nourish more, & which relationships do I need to back off on?

How can I alter my sense of self so that I receive more nourishment, just from being who I naturally am?

Bringing out the best of Venus & Mercury in Libra:

Am I making compromises that are equally fair to myself & to those I am in relationship to?

Am I able to effectively articulate my perceptions, while maintaining openness to my partner’s perceptions?

Do I need to learn better communication skills (good listening as well as right speech)?

What is the beauty in myself, in my relationships, in my home, in my calling, & in my life?

How can I increase my experience & awareness of beauty?

Bringing out the best of Pluto in Capricorn:

What is my true calling?  How can I better answer that call?

How might I alter the structures of my life so that they are more nourishing, & allow for a healthy balance of inner & outer world needs?

What is dying in my life, & how can I let go, & allow it to die?

What is the rebirth, already in motion, that follows that death?  How can I create space for that newness?

Bringing out the best of Uranus in Aries:

Who am I now?  Hint: Forget, for a moment, who you have been, & who you would like to be.

How can I perceive & express myself in ways that deeply nourish me?

How can I perceive & express myself in ways that are respectful of those I’m in relationship with?

How can I perceive & express myself in ways that move me in the direction of my true calling?

In what ways have I freed myself since 2010?  For fun, write up a 5-year self-liberation plan.

Well, friends, thanks for reading.  Next month’s posting will cover the lunar eclipse in Aries, & get you prepared for October/November’s round of Mercury in retrograde.

For more personalized insight, you may go here to schedule a private astrological consult, or an Alithesis healing session.  As I transition into Oakland, CA, I’ll be available for astrological consultations over the phone, & for Alithesis house calls.  My studio will be up & running by October 1st.  Until next month’s posting, return to the wholeness of yourself, & thoroughly enjoy the fruits of your personal harvest.  Please forward this posting on & repost it as you see fit.  Thanks for reading,

Rae Diamond

rae13diamond {at} gmail.com

Mercury Stations Direct, Grand Sextile, Sun in Leo: 7/22/13 through 8/22/13

The great summer sea voyage of 2013 continues with another watery month.  True, we have some islands popping up in our midst, enabling us to rest & replenish now & again in the warming sun as it creeps out from behind the drifting & shifting Cancerian clouds into its full & fiery Leonine blaze.  Now, more than ever, your heart is your compass, & synchronicity is your guiding star.  With Venus entering Virgo shortly before & the full moon exact only a couple hours after the entry of the Sun into Leo, the month promises to be full-throttle, with a need to push outwards & upwards, & all the while, managing both the details & the big picture.  Ready?  Set?  Here we go.

But first, a public service announcement: Come see my last art show in Seattle, up at the Columbia City Bakery through 7/27.  It’s a magical retrospective of my favorite works from the past decade.  I’m moving to California, so some prices just might be negotiable...

The mind grinds to a halt in the last few days of the Cancer solar month as Uranus (insight) stations retrograde on 7/17 & then Mercury (perception) stations direct on 7/20.  In addition, we have no major planets in air signs for a while, so we must rely on our emotions (half of the major planets are in water signs) to guide us.  Although we’re in the bright days of summer, we are feeling our way through the darkness of our subconscious.  As for Uranus’ retrograde (7/17 - 12/17), whatever your big push for freedom is, allow it to change form as needed, perhaps in sudden & even shocking ways in the coming months.  With Mercury’s shift into direct motion, you can expect things that have felt hung up to get rolling by the end of July.  The best question to answer as Mercury finishes his thrice-long swim in Cancer is:

In what ways are my perceptions based on my past experiences, rather than what is actually happening here & now?

The grandest version of 2013’s Grand Water Trine is exact during the week of the 15th, further activated by Mars towards the end of that week, just before it morphs into a Grand Sextile at the end of the month.  This is a use it or lose it opportunity.  Maybe you’re trusting that everything will take care of itself, or day-dreaming a lot, or feeling swept up in shifting emotional tides.  That’s all well & good, but there are profound opportunities showing up during this time that do require action.  The general rules of thumb to follow are:

1, Think bigger.  Dream bigger.  Explore with & expand from your heart.

2, Put effort into manifesting what has deepest meaning to you, but be patient as this may require more time than you had anticipated, & you’ll need to stay open to surprising turns & detours.

3, Leave space & time for dreams & meditation.  Notice & welcome synchronicity, & above all, allow life to surprise you.

It’s a tricky balance of trust, effort & all the while leaving space for magic to come in to play.

7/27 through 7/31 are massively potent days with Mars activating a T-square with Pluto & Uranus, & the extremely rare occurrence of a Grand Sextile.  These two configurations offer a nice blend of the kind of discomfort that forces growth with the kind of ideal conditions that allow for growth.  Once again, I remind you to seize opportunities that come your way, & give them your all.

The Grand Sextile is a double grand trine, forming a six-pointed star.  Consider that astrology is based on how the planets appear from the perspective of the earth.  Hence, on Monday, 7/29, the earth will be surrounded by a six-pointed star - a potent mandala for those of you who enjoy meditating on images & yantras.  One triangle is the grand water (emotions) trine, made up of slow & fairly slow moving planets  (giving the configuration more potency because it lasts longer).  The other triangle, facing in the opposite direction, is a grand earth (manifestation) trine, lasting only that day.  The most basic interpretation of this energy is we are granted the ability to manifest our dreams.  Sounds good, eh?  As always, however, there is a potential dark side.  You must first make sure you are dreaming the dreams that are right for you:

Have I been ignoring my needs or the needs of my family in my strivings for personal freedom & attainment of major goals?

How can I advocate for myself & make sure I’m being nourished, even as I strive for freedom & for the attainment of major goals?

What are my Big Life Dreams, & what will it take to actually manifest them?

Are my dreams my own, or have I taken on the dreams of my family, of society, or otherwise obscured my true desires?

What is my body actually capable of doing from this point on, in regards to these aims?

Do my dreams, & my plans to manifest my dreams feel deeply nourishing to me?

Am I dreaming as big as I can, while remaining within the realm of what is actually possible to manifest?

Am I walking my talk?  How can I better walk my talk?

Is there anything (dream that doesn’t fit, a used-up relationship, work that no longer nourishes, etc) I need to sacrifice in order to attain those dreams that are truest & most important to me?

Let’s take an energetic look at the concept of sacrifice, which is a strong element in this grand water trine, & further potentized by that edgy T-square.  Sacrifice entails a massive release of energy - giving up something big, but also giving up the energy it took to hold onto & maintain that big thing - for the purpose of honoring something even bigger than that which was released.  There is, in this act, the opportunity to break a curse, to break free of bondage, & to open to a reality that may actually surpass the bounty & beauty of our dreams.  One final set of questions, then, to ask yourself throughout the remainder of July is:

What am I holding onto that is holding me back?

How do I feel bound, or perhaps even cursed?

What might happen if I gave up something/someone I never thought I’d give up?

What is the newness that is aching to emerge?  What nourishes that newness, & what squelches it?

What do I love that loves me back?  What stands in the way of that exchange?

In regards to this issue, you can keep that old saying in mind: If you love something, let it go.  If it comes back to you, it’s yours.  If it doesn’t return to you, it never actually was yours.  Sounds like another version on the theme of trust, eh?

The first half of August gives us an opportunity to assimilate the shifts instigated in the latter half of June & all of July.  How do you assimilate?  Rest!  Be present, & above all, BE.  There will be plenty to do in late August.  Take some time out in solitude at the New Leo Moon on 8/6 to connect very intentionally with your heart, perhaps through some creative outlet.  Express yourself to yourself, & see how you’ve changed.  Notice:

What brings you joy now that you are who you are in this particular time & place?

Well, friends, thanks for reading.  Next month’s posting will go into the nitty-gritty of another round of T-square activity, & more.  Until then, please wish me luck in my move to California, & drop me a line if you know of a nice cottage for rent in Oakland or Berkeley!

For more personalized insight, you may go here to schedule a private astrological consult, or an Alithesis healing session in Seattle (July 18th is my last available day).  In August, I’ll be available for phone consultations & for Alithesis house calls in the Bay Area.  By September, I’ll be practicing in Oakland, CA.  Until next month’s posting, carpe diem!  Please forward this posting on & repost it as you see fit.  Thanks for reading,

Rae Diamond

rae13diamond {at} gmail.com