Ah, progress. We’re feeling it now. Any shellshock that befell us in September is fading with the green of the leaves. The point of all our inner and outer restructuring is starting to become clear, and not just on a mental level. New situations, stepping stones and reasons for optimism have been popping up and falling into place. Haven’t you felt some cause for celebration? More is on the way.
Jupiter, bringer of good fortune, gentle expander of everything he touches, slowed to a crawl last week and stations direct as this week starts, on Monday. (I mistyped last week when I said he was stationing direct then; what he was doing was entering the station to go direct, which happens late Monday.) It will be weeks before he moves off the degree of 17 Aquarius, but only good things can come from his hanging out there. Jupiter has been expanding our consciousness all year, reawakening our reasons for living and linking us to the wisdom of our higher guidance and to communities of like-minded (and like-hearted) individuals whose values, paths and missions are aligned with ours. More of that will be surfacing now, and some of what kicks into gear will have first come our way earlier this year.
Jupiter is inching forward now from the spot he reached around the spring equinox. Between now and the winter holidays he’ll be ever so slowly revisiting the territory he covered this past spring, from the equinox until the summer solstice. His forward march will stir matters that started this spring but then seemingly vanished. They didn’t go away; behind the scenes work was going on that has enabled these situations to return and develop in ways that they could not have before. It’s as if a cosmic pause button is being released. Don’t expect fanfare and flashing lights, though. Jupiter may be grandiose, but his transits can be surprisingly subtle, which means his gifts can sneak up on you. They will expand your horizons, encourage your dreams and invite you to trust your intuition even in the absence of mundane confirmation. (Speaking of which, Jupiter’s direct motion should shake loose tangible evidence that backs up hunches and messages that you received this summer and made you question your sanity.)
Jupiter’s bounty will become more obvious as the year goes on. As he gains speed, he’ll begin closing in on his traveling companions, Chiron and Neptune and, one sign away, Uranus, each of which will go direct and meet up with Jupiter in December. They will test and secure the bridge that was built earlier this year between concept and material reality, between intuition and physical senses, between all levels of time (from the boundless future to memories of the past, rewritten therapeutically to boot), between heaven and earth themselves.
Venus and Mars change signs this week, and each of them has a brush with Saturn and Pluto as a result. Saturn and Pluto are operating as dual gatekeepers for the rest of Saturn’s time in Virgo. Saturn says goodbye to planets as they are on their way out of a sign, and Pluto is the first to greet them on the other side. With this pair, changing modes is not a simple, breezy process, but weighty and profound (if not also intense). Instead of slipping quietly into the next room, each planet gets a pop quiz, which all of us have to answer in some way. Its final task in a sign right now is answering the basic question of what (or how much) we have learned. The contact to Saturn asks us to act responsibly in an area of life and to commit ourselves in some way. On the other side of the door, Pluto drops his scythe and trims that area or matter down to something basic and powerful.
Venus is going first. The shorthand description of what she rules is love and money, but she oversees the broader turf of what we value — in others, in possessions, in money, in art and beauty and in ourselves. Everything in her purview comes under Saturn’s scrutiny as the week starts. The examination goes on for a day, since Venus meets him be declination before dawn Monday EDT, then joins him by degree as the waking day starts Tuesday. We’re called upon to commit to our values and apply them with discrimination and discernment in financial and relationship matters. We know in our bones it’s time to get serious about them. In between Venus’ two meetings, Mars sextiles Saturn during the day Monday, which provides the opportunity to ground nurturing action in a stabilizing structure. We can take practical steps that support our own nurturing needs (or need to nurture) and create greater security for ourselves. Venus offers the benefits of her conference with Saturn to Mars when they sextile Tuesday afternoon. The heart has decided and committed, and it’s up to the will to further her agenda.
Venus enters Libra, one of her dual homes, on Wednesday. She’ll be there through the first week in November. The goddess of love is entering the sign of relationships, and everyone will pay attention to her and them now. Any self-denial, over-thinking or fault-finding that dogged relationships while she was in Virgo now easily slips away as she encourages contact and verbal wooing. She loves the beauty of words, exchanges of compliments and declarations of feelings. Before she gets up and running with invitations for dates, parties and concerts, she has business with Pluto on Thursday. Saturn made her get serious about what she really wants. Pluto demands a second look and lightening her load. What do you truly value? What is absolutely essential, and what is fluff? What empowers you and what distracts? What has growth potential and what is dead or dying? Fluff, distractions and artificial life support systems are being cut away. You can’t have everything; as Stephen Wright says, where would you put it? Pluto and Venus are making room. Bless whatever goes, people, situations, expectations, ambivalence, even memories that fade from importance. They are creating the space that will allow everything that remains to flourish. The first benefit: When the social bug kicks in with you, you’ll spend your time with people and activities that speak to your heart. The calendar has its limits, and you’ll fill it only with events of meaning.
Mars makes his shift on Friday, leaving emotion-laden Cancer for fiery, fun Leo. Leo is much more to his liking. A fire sign like his native Aries, Leo brings out his natural flair and bravado. It inspires him to generous action, flamboyance and even a regal mien. He’s on good terms with his lady love, too, which bodes well for the relationship choices Venus is making. He had his most recent liaison with her when she was at home in earthy Taurus. Now that she’s in her airy Libra home, they’re in the simpatico vibe of the sextile, a harmonious link that offers opportunities and invites cooperation. Relationships are on a streamlined, positive and optimistic track as we head into Sunday’s New Moon in the sign that rules them, Libra. This New Moon is the turning point in how we interact with each other. To drive home the point, we get extra time to soak it in. Like Venus’ all-day conference with Saturn at the start of the week, it stretches from pre-dawn Saturday, when the Sun and the Moon meet by declination, to the actual New Moon early Sunday morning. The year’s journey has brought the feminine and the masculine into an unprecedented balance, internally, energetically and in the collective. Each of us is more complete and intact than ever before. Our boundaries are more clearly delineated, we’re taking more responsibility for our own well-being, business and nurturing and we’ve pulled back on expecting other people to save us, feed us, handle our problems or complete us. Now the internal journey gives way to an external one. We are entering a new phase in relationship dynamics, which will give a fresh start to existing bonds and usher new ones in that are vastly different from what we have engaged in previously. If you view relationships as a mirror, you will begin to see now that the face looking back at you has changed. If you view relationships as a dance with your shadow, you will find the steps, the rhythm and your partner’s characteristics unlike what you have experienced before. This is preparing the way for Saturn’s entry into Libra at the end of the month, which begins two-plus years of ongoing work on relationships.
Pay attention to what comes in under this New Moon. It’s making a trine to transcendent Neptune, which could start the realization of your dreams. For more on the New Moon, read my report at the site.
Mars’ appointment with Pluto happens in the growing glow of this New Moon. He hits a crossroads with Pluto Sunday. We’re put to a choice: which way will our ambitions and drive go? Venus has already said what she wants. She’s already refined her desires with Pluto. Mars is already in agreement with her. So go with the heart, and leave behind anything that doesn’t support or nurture it.
Monday: It’s a big day. Actual events may be minor, but the air feels like major developments are locking into place. Before dawn we make a subconscious commitment to what we value and love, so notice where your attention is naturally gravitating today, especially when you wake up. If you’re not seeing it, give yourself time. (Saturn’s involved, and he prefers slow and sure to quick and wrong.) The process continues until dawn EDT tomorrow morning. It’s worth grabbing any opportunity to anchor your values in a mundane structure, however that may be offered to you. Optimism is on the upsurge, and it’s not baseless wishful thinking. Jupiter stations direct today and eases us all back into expansive perspectives. He’s also slowly, slowly resuscitating and amping up matters from the spring.
Tuesday: Another big day, continuing yesterday’s themes. It’ll probably even feel like another Monday, with the early morning meeting between Venus and Saturn having us all soldiering into the day. Obligations, responsibilities and commitments regarding financial and relationship issues dominate the day. It is time to take your personal values seriously and commit to them. When your heart commits, you’ll have all the motivation in the world to follow through. The evening has the long void of course moon during waking hours this week. (All the others are either short or largely overnight.) The Moon opposes Neptune first and sets off the question of what is real and what is fantasy. We have from early evening (5:21 PM EDT) into dreamtime to ponder. Run movie in your mind playing out various scenarios based on the decisions you’ve made yesterday and today.
Wednesday: Dreams assimilate our recent choices and explore the new dynamics they are bringing. The process is emotionally empowering, so let fragments of the night come to consciousness and play over and over in your mind. The atmosphere lightens as evening approaches. Venus is entering Libra and awakening a communal desire to reach out to friends and dear ones.
Thursday: Our subconscious sends more messages via dreams. This time they provide perspective on relationships and emotional needs. Potentially difficult but necessary conversations take place in the dream world, which also previews jolts that are coming or needed, in situations or the way we view them. It’s all psychological prep for the Venus/Pluto square that dominates the day. In this potent mix, desires escalate into compulsions, attractions into temptations with a magnetism that defies resistance. Pluto is demanding that we experience the force of our desires and bring them to consciousness. Power struggles are probable, between individuals as well as between earthbound and higher will. Watch for triangulations; Venus/Pluto contacts have a way of stirring them up. Pluto says you can’t have everything and demands a clearing of space. Some of what goes out the door could involve fantasy and illusion.
Friday: However your personal saga is playing out, you’ll find a new surge of energy at your disposal, as Mars moves into fiery, expressive Leo. Subtlety and emotional ploys are leaving his bag of tricks, and it’ll be easier now to take actions and move on agendas that demand and get attention. Much as he loves to play, there’s not much room for that today. Communications are sober or sobering; you might hear a “no” or mentally grasp the obligations or limitations that are inherent in a situation. The channel is open between the ego and higher guidance. Ask to be shown solutions or to be led in the direction of the good of all concerned. Be open to a course correction. A sudden detour (symbolic or actual) could land you exactly where you didn’t know you really wanted to be.
Saturday: The new beginning in relationship dynamics comes this morning, as the Moon and the Sun meet on the ecliptic shortly after midnight EDT. We’re in a relationship lab all weekend long. No sliding back into old patterns. Be mindful of — and present — who you really are, and see if all the people you interact with don’t do the same. We are coming together differently now, not just in terms of energy but in terms of motivation and purpose. When you are complete within yourself, you enter into a relationship with another because you want to, not because of need or expectation. Interact consciously today, and watch who and what comes in.
Sunday: The relationship lab continues. Early morning dreams deliver a new perspective on something that was said or that needs to be said. The new paradigm hits a stress test by late morning EDT, which could bring some “my way or the highway” moments. It’s all well and good to say you’re going to interact intactly from now on, but odds are somewhere in your psyche a compulsion is still lurking to control the situation. Watch for evidence that you are attempting to impose your agenda on a person or a situation. There’s always a choice. Seeing your options today will involve letting go of the reins.
NEW: SWAT readings of what’s going on now in your chart. 30 minutes, $100. Visit Kathy’s NEW SITE EmpowermentUnlimited.net for podcasts, mp3s, a discussion forum and more on the eclipses, the Aquarius/Pisces traveling party and the Saturn/Uranus opposition. To join her mailing list, send e-mail to kbiehl@fortunaworks.com.