Full Moon in Sagittarius- Caelestis

Lightning Crashes by dollen, CCL

Effective Date- 6/20/16

Helios says:

Wait, hang on- didn't we just do this one? *checks files in a mad flurry, throws papers and ephemera around the room* Yeah, I'm NOT crazy!! Take that therapists! So this is the second full moon in Gemini season, at the absolute tail end of the sign- And despite my best efforts, it is hopeful as shit. That's Sagittarius for you- The moment things look darkest, there he comes riding in, looking perfect and with just the right wink to assure you that he has a plan, even when you both know he's just winging it. It makes you want to kiss him and punch him right in his smug face, just so he doesn't get too full of himself. It's aggravating and comforting in the same breath. It gives you that second wind, and a reason to fight on in the gravest circumstances.

And if you cry out to heaven for help now, it just may be your lucky day...

Artemis says:
"We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us. " -Joseph Campbell


O man O man, I don't know if it's the huge bowl of assorted liquors that I just drank, or this full moon is going to be fucking great.  Here I am, sputtering this away as best I can while my vision is fading, but what other way could someone write about Saggo full moon than plastered drunk at 3 in the morning (especially after pulling the 9 of Cups)?  Right as we are about to shed into Sun in Cancer, a surprising second moon in Sagittarius is going to be supplying the fire for our transformation.  This is a very special full moon indeed (as if we weren't having a fuck ton of weird and special astronomical events happening this past year already).  Halfway through this full moon, Luna will be switching from Sagittarius to Capricorn.  This makes it a duel ruled full moon.  This is a clear metaphor for metamorphosis.  It is brimming with electricity and excitement and lots of "push" energy.  This is a clear indicator that you need to just fucking jump into it and do it.  The self made person doesn't manifest their existence by observing the universe but by acting and actively seeking their destiny.  What is it that the Christians always say?  God only helps those who help themselves.  Yeah, I would say there is some truth to that.  It's time to make that critical move.  But hey, be playful about it.  Maybe drink an entire bowl of assorted liquors like I did, or hell, I dunno, run screaming into the hoard singing because we've fucking got this good good energy!

Helios: The Sun, Moon and Venus- To move forward, we have to look back. Think back to what you have already overcome to get to this point- Not to rest on your laurels or pat yourself on the back, but to see how you can build on your past successes as you are increasingly pushed out past your comfort zone. No, you will not always know the right play to make, and you will make some mistakes. But mistakes have brought you here, for better or for worse. As we broke down in the Venus post (click on her if you missed it) the road immediately ahead of us requires some vulnerability- the hard edge you have cultured since 2011 needs dulling- not all fights need to be fought (just don't let Mars hear me say that!). There is a storm within you, and it can either empower or destroy you- it all depends on how willing you are to dodge some lightning bolts! You must embody both your earthly self and the greater self that transcends this meager reality, with both power and humility. Be both the storm and the eye. You must also be honest with yourself about what it is that you want, and you must demand it from life. Not receiving what you don't ask for is your own damn fault. (Minor Planets- Juno, Lilith, Teharonhiawako, Logos, Isis, Terpschiore, Klotho, Pelion, Kassandra, Tantalus)

Artemis:  Sun (5 of Cups), Moon (9 of Cups/Ace of Pentacles), Venus (4 of Wands):   DRUNKENESS!  AND IT'S NOT JUST ME!  I pulled the 9 of Cups into the Ace of Pentacles for the full moon in Saggo/Capricorn, so it looks like there will be a lot of joy and insight brought by Luna.  With Venus in sensitive Cancer when this lunation takes place, there will be an opportunity for ecstatic states of vision and happiness available to us if we can move past the fact that nothing will ever be absolutely how we imagine it to be.  If we can realize that no situation can be perfect, nor will it ever be perfect, we can actually make due and ENJOY what we have.  I know it's hard to realize that dreams don't always manifest the way that we want them to.  We spend countless hours daydreaming about what our perfected actions could sprout into our world, but it takes a special kind of courage to realize when something is not right for your path.  It also takes a special kind of person to look up from the mess around them to see what is still standing.  We can imagine ourselves happy in millions of scenarios in our head, but we must also realize that what we are imagining is limited in scope.  Life is full of disappointments left and right, and finding out that something we fantasized so deeply about is going to crumble in our hands is a hard fucking thing to swallow.  The thing is, if we take the energy of this full moon and just let the fuck go, we will be gifted with eyes to see the REAL opportunities.  The expectations that we build will ruin us.  The things we demand will enslave us.  Saggo is all about the vision.  It never actually comes from him, but from the summation of everything around him.  This is why it is a vision.  One must be able to drop their own ego in order to receive what is truly the best course for them.  Sometimes we don't realize what we actually wanted - what was actually good for us - until we take that leap of faith.  Sagittarius craves an ecstatic state, and from this ecstatic state of vision, he moves his plan into the hands of Capricorn.  This full moon is all about the realization of destiny, and knowing that we must look up from the spilled milk to see it cross our path.  Sometimes broken things may be a vehicle for our destiny, but how high we climb the ladder our particular culture hands to us at birth has nothing to do with the real myth inside of us.  Saggo coming into Capricorn tells us that our work must be fueled by vision separate from the ego.  If we do not feel a fire from our work, then it is dead work.  Plain and simple.  Only through the fire shall find true fortune.  We must match our rhythm with that of the world around us.  Only then will we find the flow and stop fighting our eternal transformations.  You must LET GO in order to change.  We must allow ourselves, and the ghosts of dreams rattling in ours ears, to die before we may be fully renewed by the fires of this full moon.  Open your eyes to the people around you.  From the Gemini new moon onward, we are getting a push to alchemically meld with those in our tribe.  It is time for us to come out of the inner cavern of the past few months and celebrate and explore with others.  I am getting good signs in regards to love and friendship from this reading.  That is...  as long as we can look up from our egos and recognize that no vision is the the one vision.  We must juxtapose, and in order to do that, we must relate with openness.  So, in short, what this full moon is telling me is to let mutable Saggo melt your old expectations so that your real abilities may start to shape a more stable, realistic, far more adaptive future for you and those in your tribe.  As Mark Twain said, "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus."

Helios:  Mercury, Saturn and Neptune- Ooh, now this is some fun- and great news for us, right now. Neptune is the grand vision, Saturn is the work and the reality of the situation, and Mercury is the details that get handled to align the two. These three can be used to bring your wildest dreams into reality right now, all you have to do is be bold enough to state your desire. Oh, and do the work required of course. What that entails varies with each vision, but that will be made clear to you- Just not all at once. You have to be willing to take that great leap, even if you don't know where you will land. None of know where we are going to end up in the end, and it wouldn't be any fun if we did! (Minor Planets- Hidalgo, Toro, Asbolus, Astraea, Hekate)

Artemis:  Mercury (Page of Swords), Saturn (5 of Pentacles), Neptune (5 of Swords):  Well, this is an interesting combination.  The great thing about the 5 of Pentacles in Saturn is that it tells me that we will be forced to experience vision even if everything needs to be torn away from us for this to happen.  Don't let it get that far.  Do you hear that voice deep inside of you that has been tugging you a certain direction your entire life?  Yeah, follow that bliss.  If you don't follow that bliss, you will be met with challenge after challenge until you are so broken down, so impoverished that you are forced to look.  From rock bottom, you can't avoid seeing everything.  Again, don't let it get there.  Jump and leap now, follow your vision but please heed another warning; do not trample on others to do so.  Again I am getting a message that we must remain extremely open to other's opinions right now.  No-one is an island, so sail the seas that connect us and bring a greater vision to yourself and others.  Don't get so trapped in your own ego that Saturn needs to pwn the fuck out of you for you to finally see everyone you have been hurting with your viciousness.  When we are scared of the fragility of our vision, we attack.

Helios:  Mars, Uranus and Chiron- It's not enough that we have Uranus and Eris to deal with on this one, that we have to add in Mars and Chiron too? You are jumping at shadows, raring for a good scrap- You don't trust anyone around you, and you trust yourself least of all. You are still grappling with your own mind, and your base nature is coming out- the cracks on your facade are showing, and you are long past caring who sees; you are wearing your scars proudly, but is that getting you anywhere? What do you gain by continuing to play the victim? We all have wounds, its time for you to pull yourself together. Yes, there is a lot going on in your life, but its time to start taking care of your shit now- you have left it go far too long. Remind those around you that you are a force to be reckoned with. (Minor Planets- Eris, Ceres, Sedna, Varuna, Quaoar, Ixion, Psyche, Typhon, Apophis)

Artemis:  Mars (10 of Pentacles), Uranus (King of Cups), Chiron (The Fool):  Well daaaamn, the cards are letting me in on a little secret here.  You know all that bullshit you have been battling inside of you?  Uranus is not going to let is sit on that.  It's time to let it explode and do something with it.  With The Fool as Chiron, our ability to transform this deep hurt inside of us into something new and helpful will be at it's prime during this lunation.  Uranus is not going to sit there quietly while we bottle things up some more, noooope.  And Mars is going to help him dig out all of the gunk once and for all (until the next cycle, that is).  This is good.  Unless there is some fucked up shit that you are working on that may disturb your reputation, but in the end, it needs to come out for your own sanity.  Be prepared for exposure, but be aware that this is a great opportunity to use your past hurt to heal others setting out on similar paths  Again, this is a very tribal moon.   

Helios:  Jupiter and Pluto- Now here is a showstopper for the finale! Paradoxically, these two are the source of the great hope that tinges this whole lunation. Yes, the moon's ruler Jupiter is at full power right now, direct and heading towards Libra at full tilt, but its not just him- Pluto is winning hearts and minds of his own, and its all about what he promises that Jupiter can never deliver on. Jupiter, for all of his best intentions, will always fail to fully deliver on his promises. It's just his way- he will promise you everything, and you may get some of what he promised, but never all. Pluto on the other hand, promises you nothing but will leave you with greater treasures than you can imagine. He will strip away your illusions and leave you face to face with the truth: And it will hurt, unimaginably so if you have never fully worked with him- But it is worth it. In the sense of authentic power, he wins against his brothers every time- yet he continually is marginalized and stuck in the underworld, far from lofty Olympus. Why? Why do you let others marginalize you and stick you where you don't belong? Why do you accept this as your fate? Power and authenticity alone will not help you achieve your goals though- In the end, you have to inspire others, there must be a reason for others to join you in your aims. It cannot just be you. Isolating yourself and working towards your own glory is a recipe for disaster- ask Hillary Clinton. You must embody both Jupiter and Pluto- Carrying both Heaven and Hell within you. Only then can you see your dreams come to life. (Minor Planets- Vesta, Deucalion, Ceto, Bienor, Cyllarus)

Artemis:  Jupiter (Ace of Swords), Pluto (King of Wands):  Well isn't this lovely!  Jupiter is like Excalibur right now!  He is leading the way, pointing us to the exact place we need to go.  This is truly a visionary moon.  Get your thinking caps on, because now is the best time to implement what has been resting in your head.  Luck and fortune are here for us, and whatever we ask for will manifest very quickly.  With Pluto being the King of Wands, you can't do anything but thrive in your vision.  The god of the Underworld is demanding that we use our power to change things, and Jupiter is telling us that we are heading toward that change with a jovial heart and BLISS in mind.  Again, follow your bliss.  This seems to be the clearest message of all.  There is bliss in destruction just as there is bliss in creation, and Pluto teaches us that we must destroy in order to create.  So what are you willing to let burn away once and for all so that you can march forth without shackles toward your vision?  You can't fly with the world sitting on your shoulders.

Lillith in Scorpio- Dark Desires

in your eyes, morbo by Colectivo movimente CCL

Effective Dates: 5/22-12/2/16

Helios Says:

“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.” -Paulo Coehlo

So much for feeling stuck, right? It seems like events started moving again, going from 0 to 60 overnight (Which in terms of car speed, is actually insanely slow, but in cosmic terms not so much), and it couldn't have come quick enough! The events of the last two months have been grueling, to say the least- being slowly ground down, like each planet was raking a sheet of sandpaper across your soul an inch at a time, trying to buff out your edges and exposing the flaws.

Well I have some good news and I have some good news; The good news is, the greater part of this process is over, and we are on the other side of the storm (specifically the feelings of being stuck and impotent) - The bad news is that now the real work begins, and you are going to have to put your money where your mouth is. You see, now we have Lilith to contend with, and she is not the one to let you sit back and let life be something that just happens to you, especially not since she is in Scorpio! Your grace period is over and you forgot to cancel your subscription.

This will be an uncomfortable time, especially at the onset with it being Gemini season- You have a conflict between what you THINK you should do and what you actually WANT to do. Lilith will be running around in your subconscious as you try and keep pace in your mundane life, and will buck every attempt you try and make to get her under control- and that is a good thing.

This energy of this year is straight out of Fight Club- No, no, not the obvious "You don't talk about Fight Club" reference, I'm actually onto something here. In Fight Club, the narrator knows he is dying a little more every day, and he is losing himself in the inauthentic nature of his life. In fact, the creator, Chuck Palahniuk wrote the story after he had a fight on a camping trip, and came back to work bloody and bruised- None of his coworkers brought up the injuries to him and their reluctance to get involved in any kind of "messy" personal details or trying to forge any kind of authentic human connection was the inspiration for the book. These last few months have been the equivalent to that camping trip, and now we are coming back to work, battered and bruised. You will be given the same treatment as Palahniuk was given- and it will open your eyes. No one else will care about what is happening to you, they are too wrapped up in their own bullshit. Your isolation will be a boon, even if it doesn't feel like one. You will be made aware of what needs to change, and will not be able to ignore it. You will know what you have to do.

Work with Lilith and she will save your soul. Fight her and she will leave you to rot. She doesn't have time to waste on the unworthy. Show her what you can do!

Artemis says:

“We are all born sexual creatures, thank God, but it's a pity so many people despise and crush this natural gift.”  -- Marilyn Monroe
Cards:  The Devil, 8 of Swords, The Queen of Swords

You will hear me barking about mirrors all of the time.  It is one of my favorite topics.  We are all little mirrors running around, projecting our issues into the outside world and receiving projections from others.  Sometimes we forget where our reflection begins and where the reflections of others end.  Unlike a mirror you may use to look at your beautiful face, humans are living, lucid mirrors.  We are ever morphing like liquid, filling cracks, reflecting some more, creating labyrinths of the mind - projecting outward and beckoning our deepest, most repressed desires to manifest as people and events in our lives.  We take things in - traumatic events or hurtful words people say - and leave a void in the world.  This is where Black Moon Lilith comes in with her influence.

Who is the mirror of the moon?  Why, that is the Black Moon Lilith.  So what the fuck is that?  Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?  Why, Lilith gives no fucks about silly questions like that.  She is the "evil" queen, aka the wild, self owned woman who kicked Adam in the teeth and bore a bunch of demon babies in some myths.  She is not passive femininity like Eve, who is born of his rib and bound to her identity as a subplot of man.  No, she is as much of a full being as Adam.  She is associated with the dark sexual energy inside all of us that we unfortunately stifle due to the commands from "civilized" society.  And then we label those urges a "monster" or "demon."  How backwards is that?  "Exercise the beast, don't exorcise the beast," goes a famous Satanic saying.  You can't ever rid yourself of your primal side, so you better learn how to harness it and ride that dragon.  

Nature has no idea what the fuck we are talking about when we say shit like "good" and "evil."  It doesn't know "good" and "evil."  Nature only recognizes when things are out of wack and a horrible imbalance has crept into the fold.  With our actions, we create a pocket or a void in our life.  Back to Black Moon Lilith.  During this ingress of the Queen of mental darkness, Black Moon Lilith will show us just how tight our blindfolds are.  Shackles of various kinds lead to mental blocks that keep us from fully expressing our nature.  As the mirror of the moon, Lilith will show us what personality traits we have developed to repress our desires.  Scorpio is very heavy handed when it comes to transmutation.  Why are you so terrified to change?  You know that your job, spouse, whatever, sucks.  So why don't you leave?  Why don't you severe?  Because you are afraid of your own power.  Lilith left her position of glory because she did not love Adam and did not want to be his servant, as the Abrahamic god YHWH commanded.  That was some big fucking decision...  That means she wont take any of your shit excuses anymore.

It's time to change.  You feel it in the air, don't you?  All of the events the past couple of moons have been gearing us up for our ability to cut through this thick jungle of our mind.  We have witnessed deep misery.  We have witnessed the power of the cosmos and how we are mere peons when it comes to the force of nature.  The "dream" that society gives us is as fragile as glass when it comes to the forces inside of us.  Don't fight her.  Learn from her.  Lilith will crack you open and devour your insides.  She is ruthless.  Change is inevitable, and that realization alone is enlightening.  

Remember what I told you when Vesta entered Gemini?  Watch your mind.  You lie to yourself as much as you lie to others.  Those urges you feel in your gut, what do they say to you?  If you do not manifest what you truly desire, the demons in your external world will just get scarier and scarier.  And then they will seep back into your brain as anxieties and more trauma and back out like a horrifying wheel of death and destruction.  Break that fucking wheel!  This Lilith energy is very Kali, the dark dancing Hindu goddess of time, creation, preservation and destruction.  She is associated with Shakti energy, or feminine sexual energy that leads to Kundalini Awakening.  Creation and destruction are mirrors, and this is an ancient creative/destructive force we are dealing with.  The deep, repressed desires inside of you are your way to the light.  They only seem ugly because we are reflecting back the tremendous fear that society has for the wild.  The power inside all of us is tremendous and boundless.  Why wouldn't that terrify a handler?  

Lilith knows she was born a Queen, not a slave.  Let this lesson pass on.  Don't live your life in quiet servitude to those around you.  Transform, become one with your desires, let the fucking beast out of the cage.  Don't let them use your own mind against you.  Don't let them tell you what you want.  You know what you want.

Pluto Retrograde- Cocytus

The Wraith by Jay Parker, CCL

Effective Date- 4/17-9/25/16

Helios says- Close your eyes. Do you feel it? That overwhelming emptiness, barely kept out of your thoughts. You distract yourself from the ache, piling on obligations, frivolities, drugs, and meaningless sex, what have you…  But every time you blink, or rest your eyes, and breathe again, there it is- Always hovering at the edges, threatening to swallow you whole.

You fear it. You are afraid because you know it is powerful, you know that it cannot be stopped. It is pervasive and it never sleeps. It dwarfs your own mortality. It whispers dark lies to you in the quiet- that you are ugly, that you do not fit in, that you never were good enough and you never will be, no matter what you do. It whispers that your loved ones do not love you back, and that you cannot trust them, they will only betray you in the end.

It whispers to you that you are alone in this world.

It whispers that in the end, all you truly have is it, the emptiness- Your last stalwart companion.

This is Pluto Retrograde. He will summon shades of the truth; never the whole picture, that’s not his style- not when just a bit is enough to have power over you. He knows your fears and he will play on them. He will conjure up ghosts of your past to terrify you, forcing you further within yourself so that you are further and further isolated from anyone who can help you, leaving you with only the darkness to whisper in your ear.

You must not let this happen. I understand this temptation better than most- The darkness knows secrets beyond mortal ken, and will tempt you with this occult knowledge just as much as it will try to terrify you into submission (Pluto is nothing if not an extremely skilled Dom, with intimate knowledge of your weaknesses and just how far you can be pushed), and you will walk into this thinking that you can flirt with the darkness for a weekend and come out unscathed, because you have before. Before you were brought to the edge, and it gave you an amazing rush, just enough to remind you that you are still alive. Ever since, you have pushed further and further, dancing ever more erratically on the knife’s edge. You have grown careless and overconfident- because you have not faced any true consequences yet, you think that you never will. I am telling you that if you dance with the devil this time around, he will take his due.

That is not to say that you should never go out dancing again, far from it! I am just telling you that this time, decline the invitation and make the bastard work for it. You have become far too easy of a date, and you need to play hard to get! It’s time to make this relationship with the darkness work for you, rather than it be all on his terms! Dance on your own if you have to- don’t be so predictable that you will wait around for a partner, because he can smell that desperation a mile away and will absolutely prey on it.

Oh, and stop responding to his booty calls. Leave the bastard blue-balled for a bit- It builds character.

Artemis says- CARDS:  4 of Swords AND 6 of Swords

Rune:  Thoronzon

“Sometimes I feel like a Buddhist and I need to chant; sometimes a Baptist and I need to holler and shout; and sometimes I need to be a Catholic and need to purge my sins and confess. It just depends on where I am.” - Jill Scott

Pluto retrograde is a scary fucking time.  I mean, Pluto is already a scary fucking planet.  He is the dude that tells it like it is no matter the costs.  Those with prominent Pluto in their charts seem to carry around mega speakers and KABLAM energy anywhere they stomp.  This is because they are the reckoning.  They are the transformer.  They are death, the destroyer of words.  Get ready for nuclear bombs to set of inside your brain.  Pluto retrograde is on the horizon, and it’s in that devil of a goat of a sign ruled by super serious scary Saturn; Capricorn.

The one rune I pulled, Thurisaz (the thorn), is very clear with its meaning in this situation; total and utter war with the self + tilling of the soil.  You can’t plant new seeds if the soil is not fertile – if there is some harmful insect ready to eat anything you attempt to grow.  It’s going to be uncomfortable and it’s going to feel hollow, so I suggest you carry around a little light with you wherever you go – like a lantern.  Bring something or focus on something every day that brings some form of joy in your life.  In a lot of mystical circles it is tradition to purge before initiation.  Actors do this before they begin to learn a new character.  They must purge themselves, destroy the old character and rebirth into the personality of the new. 

It seems Pluto wants us to purge and become the next version of ourselves.  Hopefully it’s someone you WANT to be as opposed to someone you are being forced to become.  Unconscious forces will be magnified, and psychological issues may erupt more than usual.  You can expect a lot of people to be snapping due to aggression, especially when Mercury retrograde and Mars retrograde join this Pluto retrograde.  Please realize that a lot of your aggression toward other people may be due to miscommunication and everyone dealing with deep psychological issues during this period.

Because Pluto rules in the macro sphere as well, this is likely to be a period of mass corruption and secret warfare.  I expect a lot of what is going to go on here will be purged out and emerge for the public sphere when Pluto goes direct in a few months.    

The things that you really want, like money or power or fame or love, you will start to see all of the shadow reasons why you love these things.  You will see the rot that surrounds the edges of everything, and you will bring it out and transform it.  Or you will become more crippled and dead than before.  It’s your choice.  It’s always your choice.  Pluto is the god of the underworld and the reflection that being in this underworld brings, and these reflections are going to get violent. 

The two cards I pulled for Pluto Retrograde are both Swords; 4 of Swords and 6 of Swords.

Swords represent air and the season of winter.  They talk to us about ideas, the intellect, communication, truth, power, deception and violence.  With two of these cards playing off of each other, this Pluto Retrograde is going to be extremely cerebral.  I would say that if you have issues with anxiety or depression, you should build some safety nets for yourself for this 5 month period.  If you can anchor yourself in correctly and narrow in on one issue at a time and truly dive (with support from those you truly trust to watch over you), you will succeed in purging the demons holding you back from taking your next step.  If you really don’t trust a fucking soul, you’re going to have to grit down big time right now.  It’s going to be a rough fight, especially with these other retrogrades joining Pluto (Saturn, Mars, Mercury).  You need to be hyper aware in this time because illusions will become thick.  If you practice, it is a good time to work with deities like Shiva. 

Where 4 of Swords is forcing us to heal our inner wounds, the 6 of swords tells us to move the fuck on.  Hello!  Your boat has taken off (probably without you).  Good job.  Now you’re going to have to swim out to it instead of sitting comfortably inside of it as you transit to the next shore.  We warned you about this boat in former sky watches – well there it goes.   Don’t let the things that you want vanish like a ship in the night.  Start swimming, face your fears, dive into the depths and get on that boat and move the fuck on.  If you don’t, you can bet you’ll be trapped in last year’s karmic wheel.  You don’t want to go through all that bullshit again, do you?  It’s time to illuminate, destroy, and transform.  I wish you all the best of luck.    

Venus in Aries- Cadence

Bella Jovan by Jackie Baisa, CCL

Helios' ASTROLOGICAL reading of Venus in Aries (4/6-5/1/16)
"If you can't love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else?" -Rupaul

Okay, so I love this transit. Shocking, I know, as Venus and I NEVER get along. Luckily, this is my natal placement so this is the one time we can stop fighting and work together, like a hero-villan teamup. The peace is usually more or less kept until Cancer, and then its back at each others throats... But thats another day. This is Aries!!!

Now, the key to this transit is in that quote. Now I live for all things Rupaul, and I have heard that particular quote more times than I can count, but it was always one that I have just brushed off, it's just her send-off every episode (if you dont know Rupaul, or any of her wildly successful shows, please stop what you are doing and go binge on them IMMEDIATELY). The thing is though, the more you think about it, the more profound it is. If you cant love yourself, how can you love anyone else? I mean you can pretend, sure. But can you REALLY feel love for anyone else if you don't show it and give it to yourself, first and foremost? How is that fair to you? Are you not deserving of your own love?

At that last question you should have had a knee-jerk reaction, a small voice in the back of your head involuntarily whispering "no". I want you to chase down the source of that insecurity, really sit with and be present with it- figure out why it is that you have conditioned yourself to think so little of yourself, treating yourself so badly. When you realize what it is, it will probably be a surface-level bad thing you did, or habit/addiction you have, whatever- Dig deeper and you will find that that pattern or action has come about BECAUSE of your lack of self-love. Once you dig deeper than that and expose the real fear at the core, the magic will happen.

I am hardly one to lecture on this. I will be the first to admit that I LOATHE myself, I can't stand my own company at all. I am harder on myself than I will ever need to be, and harder than anyone else ever could be. I am so cruel to myself that it could be seen as a breach of my constitutional rights under the 8th Amendment. I am not good at what this transit is challenging us to do. Still, we MUST do this and we have to get it right. We will do it together, and lordt knows its going to be a rough ride. Luckily, I can call in a favor on this one. My good friend Asmoday has prepared a great lesson and exercise on how to overcome this, and I can personally attribute to its effectiveness.

We can do this. We can do better. We can stop being frauds and finally reach our true potential, not being hindered by ourselves. We can overcome our saboteur.

Can I get an Amen?


Artemis TAROT reading of Venus in Aries

Cards:  3 of Cups and Ace of Wands

“One bowman must hunt Sekhmet-Hathor… as she shifts, one phase Destroyer of Humankind, the next, Goddess of Love…” – On the Scarlet Lady, Unknown

No human can stand in a fire and not be consumed.  But we have no choice, do we?  Venus is entering Aries, and she becomes like Helen of Troy in this cosmic coupling.  We will be COMPELLED as if by some magnetic force toward the things we desire.  We will find excitement here, and a new sense of daring.  Dare to take that leap into love that Aries do so well (though ever fleeting, god damn commitment-phobe rams).  There is a lot of impulsive fire coming from this tarot reading, so I’m sure there will be a tremendous amount of impulsive romantic and sexual activity kicking in.  The Tarot cards I drew to describe the energy that is coming from this configuration are the 3 of Cups and Ace of Wands; both very spontaneous energies. 

I’m really relieved, guys.  We really needed this kind of energy to carry us through the next few weeks.  This transit actually looks really, really good.  I know Helios is just as excited for this Venus in Aries as I am.  We both kinda have an Aries fetish.  Not gunna lie. 

I can already hear the egos of every single Aries inflating as they read that.

People who are born with Venus in Aries in their natal charts are very courageous lovers.  They will immediately pursue an object of their desire and usually succeed in getting what they want.  Why?  Because who the hell doesn't love to feel desired?  Aries energy is lifeblood.  We crave it.  We get drunk off of it and end up doing stupid shit.  But, you know what?  It's FINE.  “Why is it fine, Artemis?”  WELL, because looking at the card reading, it looks like that very 3 of Cups fun loving, drunkenness is what is going to lead to the creative fire that is the Ace of Wands.  The 3 of Cups is traditionally depicted as 3 women having a blast dancing together (probably getting smashed off of wine).  It’s letting go.  It’s allowing a situation to turn into a fun time. 

We are all fucking stressed and broken down from what we see looming ahead of us and all of the corpses of our enemies behind us.  Let Aries do us this one solid and ride the chill the fuck out Venus train.  3 of Cups represents play and carefree socializing.  We have to learn to let go and trust and succumb to Venusean love energy right now. 

Am I asking you to play with fire?  Yes. 

Don’t hesitate.  An Aries never hesitates.  The cards are saying, “If you do this (if you emanate the 3 of cups), you will be rewarded with the Ace of Wands.”  What is the ace of wands? Well, punks, it is the symbol for pure sex and creativity.  It is the divine spark.  It is the first whisperings of a muse in your ear.  It is the smirk on an artist’s face as they suddenly realize exactly what they need to do.  It is inspiration in its purest and most malleable form.

Where is the seat of all creativity?  The Hindu Chakra system would say the Sacral Chakra.  Yes, that would be your sex chakra (also associated with self-worth).  The tarot would say the suit of Wands, which is also associated with sexuality.  The desires that Venus brings to us alchemically transform us.  No human can stand in a fire and not be consumed.  It’s time to take the Aries leap of faith and rise from the ashes. 

In short: Pursue the things you love with zeal, no hesitation, and do it genuinely.  Flowing, not fighting against them, is best right now because the things that you desire will be harder to resist anyway.  Probably for good reason.  It’s fine.  If you give in, the cards say you will get a nice, inspirational reward.  Probably a muse.

Cross your fingers for a muse. 

Please allow yourself to receive the word of our Lady of Beauty and Love!  I promise you the communion is far more fun than that of most of the other stiff collared gods.  

Saturn Retrograde- A Brief Candle

'Turn Around', Morocco, Merzouga, Ergg Chebbi Sand Dunes by Chris Ford, CCL

Helios:

Finally, we are actually, properly in Aries! Everyone, one time, with me now... "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS".  God I couldn't take one more minute of Pisces. Time to fix our gaze on what's ahead of us. This time though, that just so happens to be... a retrograde.

And not just any retrograde mind you- It's big daddy Saturn, and he is just the first. Let me tell you why that's awesome.

See normally Saturn rules things like ambition, success, the long hard road, work, achievement and pressure. He also is the one to place blockages and challenges in your path. He rules the future, forever out of reach. He is already weakened somewhat from being in Sagittarius, the sign of his son and rival, Jupiter. His challenges set are mental in this sign- Here you are your own worst enemy, you lose all confidence in yourself and your joie de vivre. It is an internal struggle, which comes as you are pushed to take on greater and greater external 

Now when a planet retrogrades, their influence is inverted, or internalized. With everything else that Saturn is currently putting on us, this can be interpreted as a time when we are not forced to trudge through the merde of the present in a hope of a better, far-off future. No, now it is the time to breathe the present in deep and fully live in this moment. It is like the clouds lifting and rolling back, allowing you the space you so desperately need. And it fits just so well with Aries, it couldn't come at a better time.

Now of course its not just Saturn we have to contend with- He is a guest in Jupiter's home and therefore subject to his rules, and he is in Virgo. The devil is in the details. Each moment you have matters, and it is high time that you start treasuring them. Time is our most valuable commodity, but my god how we squander it. We binge-watch the latest series on netflix, avoid real connection and conversation with those we love, trudge away in jobs we loathe, and dont get enough (or in some cases, get far too much!) sleep. Our lives flicker away like a candle flame. One of the greatest temptations for us in this age is to look behind us, to become trapped in nostalgia and wearing the past as a security blanket. As we hurtle headlong into a future that terrifies us more and more, the temptation can be overwhelming- The past is a sure thing, unchanging and set in stone. That is a luxury we do not have in the endlessly shifting present. This is a trap- as we indulge more and more into nostalgia, more and more time slips through our hands. The only cure is to dive completely into the NOW. Listen to the hottest music, absorb the most cutting edge TED talks and current podcasts, the most in the now movies and shows, the most groundbreaking science and discoveries. This is your ward against losing your time to the past and the secret to your success in this transit. 


Artemis:

SATURN RETROGRADE 2016

CARDS:  7 of Cups CROSSED BY King of Pentacles
Runes:  Ehwaz and Dagaz

"When the disciple
knows Saturn as the God
who offers opportunity
and does not only
feel him to be Deity
who brings disaster,
then he is on the path
of discipleship in truth
and in deed
and not just
theoretically." - Alice A Bailey, Esoteric Astrology


Saturn, Lord of Karma, is going retrograde.  This is the first of many retrogrades to come, guys.  Pretty much all of the planets will be moving backwards soon, and it's going to feel like a spinning vortex.  The sun entering Aries recently brought us back into the rulership of Martian war energy (as Mars is the ruler of the ram).  And right in the beginning of all of this blood god, we have father time deciding to hit rewind.  Saturn goes retrograde on March 25, which is 2 days after the full moon eclipse in Libra, and he is the first triggered event after the eclipses.  Saturn moves backward from March 23 through August 13, dragging along a heavier than usual dose of karma.    

The first 7 planets can be looked at as the first octave in the solar song, leaving Uranus to naturally be the blasting off into a new octave and new world entirely.  The outer planets are far more concerned with all of us as a collective than they are with individual, micro issues.  They are in charge of a different layer of our consciousness; the collective.

As an Aquarius, I have an intimate relationship with this old devil of a planet.  You see, Aquarians have two dads, Saturn and Uranus, and they both teach very different lessons.  One father has traditionally been called the great malefic (Mars is the lesser malefic).  A malefic in astrology is a planet that is traditionally thought of as "miss-fortunate."  Saturn represents restriction, the constructs of reality, and hard truths.  Our other father, Uranus, has been called the God of Chaos and freedom.  How the hell does Aquarius justify being ruled by such different energies?  The realization comes when you merge dualities in the planet Saturn.  In order to blast off into freedom, one must first learn their limitations.  A kite cannot fly without restriction, and freedom is what you do with what you have.  Aquarius is a very individualistic sign, but somehow also represents the collective.  This is because one must maintain the paradoxical idea of individuality in the collective in order for it to even work.  Without a hub, there is no wheel.

And the wheel of time turns, my friends, but now in the other direction.  "So, what the fuck does this retrograde mean for us, Artemis?"  Ok, ok, patience!  This is something we will be learning a great deal the coming 4 and a half months.  

Saturn sits right on the edge of this world.  As the last of it's octave, it both defines what came before it and prepares us for a chaotic re-birthing.  When Saturn goes retrograde, we turn inward and examine all of the decisions of our past.  Unfinished business will emerge like crazy, and you have to take care of it now or you will not make it to the next cycle.  Because the focus of mind will turn toward the past, so will the types of manifestations that happen in our life.  When we focus on the patterns of the past, they emerge as new lessons in our present.  What vibrational level have we been existing at?  What options remain for us to choose from because of the choices we have made in the past?

Like a record, a planet spinning backward will show us the hidden message buried inside of the structure.  What demonic chants have been inhabiting your subconscious?  It's time to root them out and devour them.

Saturn is relentless and he is going to test us.  Grab the weapons Aries has to offer, punks, because we are officially entering this battlefield.

7 of Cups represents all of the illusions set before us; all of the paths we BELIEVE we have available to us.  Mesmerized by the glowing cups before him, the man in this card can't seem to choose between all of the options he is presented with.  The secret to this card is that all of his choices are a part of the maya / illusion.  Unfortunately for him (and thus you, sorry), this card being crossed by the King of Pentacles means we are going to have to have to choose the path mastery over our material realm.  Represented by the heavy element of lead, Saturn is the master of the material world.  He is all things solidifying.  He is the ultimate meaning - the ultimate construct.  The temptations before us are empty of true Saturnian meaning.  Saturn is rewinding, slowing down time, and wrecking our lives to show us what we really need in order to reach our higher selves.  If you fight back, he will only suffocate you further.  You must act on the gnosis he brings.

The King of Pentacles is only the master of his environment because he KNOWS his environment.  He knows how much yield he will need to feed his people.  He knows how much material he needs to combine to construct his kingdom.  He is the cerebral quality behind earth; the structure needed in order to gain mastery of the elements.  Coupled with the rune Dagaz, he is telling us that this mastery wont come over night.  Saturn is slow and steady, gradual like the coming of the dawn.  If you don't have a steel will, you are going to get crushed under the heavy weight of this transit.  

The rune Dagaz also describes the point of melding between polarities.  Forget what you believe about the good and the bad.  They merge, they play, they exist only because someone put up a wall of restriction.  Saturn going retrograde now puts the responsibility in our hands.  Where are you going to put up your new boundaries?  Check your architectural plans, but keep in mind Saturn's karmic lesson.  Wherever you decide to lay those boundaries, they will have immense repercussions in your future.  Choose wisely.  Be still and meditate.  But also remember, in the end, Saturn is all about Capricornian action as well.  You must choose to build something or you will be devoured.  Once the retrograde ends and Saturn swoops back into forward drive, he will crush you if your plans are not well meditated.  

The rune Dagaz, oddly enough, also looks like an hourglass - representing Father Time quite nicely.  Tic toc, our time has finally come.  It seems the countdown for Tower Year is finally beginning on the precipice of the equinox.  There is so much balance symbolism coming at us right now; from the full moon Libra, eclipse, equinox, and now this Dagaz representation of the Saturnian retrograde.

On to the final piece of the puzzle; the rune Eihwaz.  There is a fire inside all of us; a storm.  Inside, we are empty, like a cup waiting to be filled.  Outside our empty core is the restrictive form.  As a storm progresses, the choice of it's landing becomes ever more clear and the breadth of it's form ever more sturdy.  This is the evolution of our "self."  We are born into this world with many more options than we have at our present.  Sometimes the storm may change course.  This retrograde represents one of those times.  You have been removed from your ability to see all the layers of your reality for far too long.  You are finally going to get some elation and clarity, and you are going to be able to pick which current you want to dive into.  Eihwaz represents the moment when you lose the fear of death, the scythe carrier.  And who else carries a scythe and represents death itself?  Saturn.  For now, we have a reprieve from Papa.  How will you use the creative fire inside of you to smith your future?  

Saturn rules Aquarius because Aquarius knows how to navigate the various currents of humanity.  He knows that no current is the end all be all structure of the world, and there are many ways for people on two different pathways to communicate.  There are many arrangements of form.  As the representative of the circulatory system and connecting pathways, Aquarius understands the impulse of rivers to move toward larger bodies of water.  Deep down, we are all born knowing our destiny.  We are all compelled to it like gravity.  It is confused and muddled by the illusion we are born into; false structures that will fall away in time.  You can see the rot in the world around you.  Shine your light, remove the unnecessary barriers you have set that restrict you from getting to where you need to go, and get on with it before some asshole builds a dam around you and keeps you from your destiny.

TNO Watch: Orcus

“Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one’s head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no to-morrow. To forget time, to forget life, to be at peace.”
—Oscar Wilde

Allow me to announce the triumphant return of the TNO Watch!

For those who aren't aware, we have far more than just the main 8 planets in our solar system: There are actually hundreds of thousands of bodies that we know of, and more are being discovered daily. Some of the most interesting ones are minor planets out past Neptune, given the designation Trans-Neptunian Objects, or TNOs.

And boy, do I have a good one to talk about today...

The Astronomy: Orcus is in the Kuiper belt, and has a large moon- Vanth. He is a plutino, locked in a 2:3 resonance with Neptune, extremely similar to Pluto's orbit,except that it is constrained to always be in the opposite phase of its orbit from Pluto: Orcus is at aphelion when Pluto is at perihelion and vice versa. Moreover, the aphelion of Orcus's orbit points in nearly the opposite direction from Pluto's, although the eccentricities and inclinations are similar. Because of these similarities and contrasts, along with its large moon Vanth that recalls Pluto's large moon Charon, Orcus has been regarded as the anti-Pluto. This was a major consideration in selecting its name, as the deity Orcus was the Etruscan equivalent of the Roman Pluto, and later became an alternate name for Pluto.

The Mythology: Orcus was a god of the underworld, the punisher of broken oaths in Italic and Roman mythology. As with Hades, the name of the god was also used for the underworld itself. Orcus was portrayed in paintings in Etruscan tombs as a hairy, bearded giant.  Orcus was chiefly worshiped in rural areas; he had no official cult in the cities. This remoteness allowed for him to survive in the countryside long after the more prevalent gods had ceased to be worshiped. He survived as a folk figure into the Middle Ages, and aspects of his worship were transmuted into the wild man festivals held in rural parts of Europe through modern times.

The Astrology: Since Orcus was only recently discovered, his astrological impact is still being studied by those of us who get off on this sort of thing. Still, from what we know we can glean a few things about how he works. He is a facet of the Underworld, much like Pluto; but unlike our favorite emo planet, Orcus is concerned more with the life-death-rebirth cycle than outright power and death. Orcus is the decomposition of living matter to become fertilizer or compost, enriching the soil so that it may bear fruit again next year. Orcus is fecundity, the knowledge that nothing ever truly dies, he is the law of conservation of matter.

Also interesting is his moon, Vanth, who I think has just as much import as the big guy does. Vanth is concerned with the passage of souls from the world of the living to the world of the dead: She is a psychopomp, being able to get in and out of hell as she chooses. Therefore, Orcus can be seen in that light as well, helping transition to the next stages in our life, helping us grow. Orcus is also the God of Oaths, so we find a connection to Pluto- Oaths can be seen as a pledge, or commitment of power, and Orcus has power over these, enforcing fairness and coming down HARD on those who cheat others, because in his eyes, they are cheating him!


To find out where he shows up in your chart, go to astro.com, put in your birth details and in the extended options, all the way at the bottom there will be a menu of additional objects with Orcus' name there. Once you see it, click it and generate the chart! Where does Orcus affect your life?

Juno Retrograde in Scorpio- Forlorn

"I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain - and back in rain.
I have out-walked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
One luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night."
-Robert Frost

Allow me to reintroduce myself- I am Helios, aka the Astrogeek, and I am Minor Planet Astrologer extraordinaire. I completely understand how you may have forgotten this, as I haven't exactly been focusing on those fascinating facets lately. Well that ends today.

Juno, Queen of everything, ruler of relationships and being the unquestioned Empress, outranking everyone but her consort and the power behind the throne, is currently in Scorpio, descending into the underworld with the rest of the common folk. She is a refugee just like us at the moment, with her empire under siege.

So what is a Queen to do when she loses everything? Is she still a queen without her crown?

Damn straight she is.

That will be the lesson of this transit-Discovering who you are with all extraneous bullshit stripped away. Everything that you cling so hard to protect, the details of your life that you use as a crutch to frame your concept of who you are, is up on the chopping block; It will be ripped away from you. At that point you will have a choice- Crumble under the weight of the loss, or rise up, naked and unafraid. That choice will be yours, and yours alone, to make.

This is also an immense gift. The best part of this is that it is a Scorpio transit, so the end result is that you will be unburdened. You have been collecting unnecessary people in your life, and one by one they will slip through your fingers. This is a life preserver that the cosmos is flinging your way. Cling to your own company, and refuse to allow anyone to lessen you.

This is where you prove that you are worthy of your crown, so that you can reclaim your Throne. Show us what you are made of.

Morrigan Says:
Cards:  2 of Cups CROSSED BY 10 of Cups
Rune:  Inguz and Algiz

“Only when we know our solitude to be different from our loneliness
can we be whole enough to honor another’s place.” - Tyriel of Rune Secrets

I'm SO EXCITED about my first minor planet report.  And it's Juno!  What do I know about Juno?  Mostly that she had to deal with Jupiter's drunk ass (sorry, celestial daddy, please send money, k thanks xD).  So what's the lesson, Juno?  What are you trying to say to us in this retrograde you are making through lustful Scorpio?

We're holding ourselves back from happiness.  It's true.  You may try and fight me on that one, but that simple statement is the truth.  The lesson continues, and the stars seem to be expressing an urgent message to REALIZE what resources you have been given.  Please see what you have before it is taken or leaves.  Are you afraid that it wont be perfect?  Unfortunately, the idea of perfection is exactly what is holding us back from the REAL GOOD stuff.

What makes us great, what sets us a part from the pack, is the ability to utilize the world as a tool to get what we want.  Scorpio asks us - what do you DESIRE?  And once Scorpio desires something, she doesn't let go until she has it.  Internalize.  Retrogrades are retreats within.  Knowing what you want is as simple as meditating, listening to the expressions of your heart.

"Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings - always darker, emptier and simpler."  - Nietzsche

Shut your brain off.  What does that bastard beating in the center of your chest have to say - in it's own language?  Now make a plan.  You're going to get exactly what you want, you just need to get rid of all of the bullshit you pretend to want.  Yes, all the things that are really meaningless to you.  Yes, all the people who you pretend to have a good time with.  Yes, all of the career milestones you are doing for everyone else's sake.  Dig deep, and don't you dare lie to yourself.

Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn/ Future 2016- Back To Hell

Torches in the Night by Marjan Lazarevski, CCL

Oh, here we go again… Yes y’all, right out of the gate in 2016 we have a Mercury Retrograde! That’s right- the transit that drags all the hack astrologers shrieking like harpies about contracts and data usage, or some such nonsense like the soot-ridden, rag-wearing oracles of old. Bless.

Now 2015 was a shitshow, we can all admit that now. Sure it had great moments, as all years do, but I’d never want to relive it if I had the chance, unless there was a LOT that I could change. I’m sure that I’m not alone in that, either. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what is on the agenda for this transit; fortunately, you have me to guide you through, like the Psychopomp himself, and have I ever steered you wrong before?

…Actually don’t answer that. Not sure my ego could handle it.

Back to Mercury! So hes going to be a right asshole this time, dragging you back through the drama of the last month or so, seemingly rehashing every lesson and failure of 2015, and glossing over your wins. No one wants a feel-good story anymore, there is only tragedy. Since it’s going to be mostly in Capricorn, this will mostly be concerns of status, and your place in the world. You will be made painfully aware (again) of just how low on the totem pole of society you are right now. This Astro will be cruel and cutting- Capricorn suffers no fools, and neither does Mercury to be quite honest.

Now, this is better than it sounds, because like all Astro, there is a purpose to it. The pressure and resentment of those above you who hold you down and crush you underfoot will build and build, and you will see a way to overcome it. That’s right, you’re not waiting anymore. No more Mr. Nice Guy; not with Mars in Scorpio (oldie, but goodie. In fact, the entire Scorpio Black Ops series is relevant again!), aiding and abetting Mercury. This pressure from without will build and build within you, and it will be up to you to allow it to explode, or channel it into building towards your own dreams- and what a year to do it! That’s right, its finally time to talk about the events of this coming summer, aka the conjunction of Uranus and motherfucking ERIS, in Aries! God help us all, these two are going to burn it all and dance maniacally in the embers. This was building last year, and still is, but will hit at the beginning of June. You are officially on 6-month notice. For now, channel the rage without suppressing it, every indignity and slight, while plotting the best revenge- getting out and living your life on YOUR terms. Use Eris, goddess of strife, to help you reach what you are striving for. You have been preparing for this since 2011, and while the odds have never been more stacked against you, it wouldn’t be fair otherwise with how far you have come. You can absolutely do this, you know you can. All it takes is doing the thing. Nothing to it!

Oh and no new phone contracts. Just to be safe.

Full Moon in Cancer- Unchained

Tortured victim screams in pain by Emerson Quinn, CCL

Peace is a lie.

Not the most optimistic way to start this festive Full Moon, but allow me the chance to explain why this is a good thing, and how the philosophy that Darth Vader and the Sith followed is your map for success this lunation. That’s right, this is a Star Wars thing. Deal with it.

Anyways, “Peace is a Lie, there is only Passion”. This is the start of the Sith code, the antithesis of the Jedi code, which starts out: There is no emotion, there is Peace. That may be a great ideal to strive for, complete control over one’s emotions, but it is one that is difficult to say the least. Even more dangerously, this way argues for stasis, the status quo. When you are in that mentality, you are against the forces of the universe- You resist change, growth, and the natural order and flow of life. You cut yourself off and remain apart. You lose ground to Time and Change every day, and that is a fight that you cannot win. When you reject Peace, your enemies become complacency, stagnation and outdated mentalities. You live a more energized life, far more in tune and aware of your surroundings and the natural energies of the cosmos, like this current Astro. On the surface, it feels dull and peaceful, boring even, but undeneath, things are brewing, threatening to bubble over…

The Sun and Moon- As we gather together to celebrate a myriad of holidays, all of which are offensive to someone out there, you must not lose sight of yourself and your needs. Your situation no longer feels like it is sustainable, because it isn’t. It is unraveling around you, in ways visible and invisible. Part of you knows this, but you are more than willing to write it off as holiday blues or some such nonsense. NO! That is your Passion, crying out to be heard and acted upon. The next part of the code, “Through Passion I gain Strength”, echoes this- When we ignore our passions, we sap away our vitality, which weakens us daily. The cumulative effect of this is crippling. We subjugate our passions, denying our deepest wants and desires to continue our banal, mediocre lives. Why? Why do we accept this as our reality when we could become so much greater, so much more than what we are? When did you give up on your dreams? And what would it take for you to believe in your ability to bring them into form again?

Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter- “Through Strength I gain Power”- At first glance the third line of the code seems to be at odds with the grouping of stars in this segment, but give it some thought. Yes, the line is simplistic at first, but is it really? Through your strength, and its continued use, you gain more power to affect change in your life and the world around you. Strength is your path to change, and you must constantly seek to improve yourself and grow your strength. This is fortuitous, as this stellium is all about power, whether it be Mercury’s mental prowess, the tsunami of broken hearts Venus leaves in her wake, Mars’ militaristic might, or Jupiter’s  place at the head of the pyramid, looking down onto the rest. Right now you must find and honor what makes you stronger as a person, and you need to work and hone that until it is your weapon to affect change in this world. It is also time to look toward the future- you have to make changes in your life, drastic ones. If you stay on your course you will die, a little more each day until there isn’t anything worth living for. Everything here already sucks so much, why in the seven hells would you want to drain your life of any joy and vitality as well? Let your passion lead you to new paths, which will remove less than ideal factors from you and your life, which will only make you stronger. The clarity from this will make the way forward much easier to see. Caution is advised however: now is not the time to be implementing these changes, it is a time of reflections and plotting. Action comes later.

Saturn and Neptune- These two have been dominating the recent Astro, and don’t expect that to change anytime soon. No, we won’t wake up from their hangover until we hit the summer and get tossed straight into the insanity that I have been talking about all year. But another time for that. Your next precept is “Through Power I gain Victory”- Again, another seemingly simplistic idea that belies its true nature. Over time, as you honor who you are as an individual, having found what separates you from others and allows you to excel and honing it, helping you to find your place in the world, you achieve your goals and win, shutting up those hateful voices trying to tear you down, both within and without. More important in this precept, and with the code as a whole, is the embracing of strife as a factor for growth and change. Think of it like a pearl. A bit of dirt gets under the shell of an oyster, and irritates it. The oyster tries to insulate itself from this, as it hurts like hell! The oyster is hurting where it is most vulnerable, and it tries to cover the pearl in its stomach juices, which harden and over time, become a pearl, smooth and perfect. To get there however, you need that speck of dirt which gets past your armor, and you need to suffer for a while. Hell, I don’t need to tell you anything about suffering- We have all been there. Some of us still are there, and can’t see a way out. What this precept and the Astro behind it are telling you is that the end goal is to improve your worth. Now, I preface this by saying I am wholeheartedly against the idea of suffer now to be rewarded later- that isn’t what this means. This is Saturn and Neptune telling you that one day, this will make sense and you will see why things had to be the way they were. To your part, Victory at all costs is only to be used as a last resort- there is far more value in a worthy victory, in which you prove what exactly you are made of. The conditions are set, and your path leads you forward…

Uranus, Chiron and Pluto- And straight into the biggest challenge, and the end of the code- “Through Victory my chains are broken”. I get chills every time I read that line, it is so crucial. Through this lens, it is revealed that victory and success are not the end goal- it is our freedom, our ability to live on our own terms, without being subjected to the whims and wishes of others- Working toward your own dreams, your own goals and plans, instead of building their monuments. In the end, this is the only thing worth doing, because it is whatever YOU want it to be. Doing this allows you to reach your fullest potential, unfettered by anything that would hold you back. This is the Cardinal Crisis in a nutshell. The worst may be over, but all of the pieces are still there, and you can still use them to affect change, but without the sword of Damocles (or lightsaber in this case, I suppose) hanging over your head! There is still time on this clock! You are not locked into anything yet! You can still say fuck it, drop everything, and run as fast and far as you can to build a brand new life. Sure, there are consequences, but there are also consequences to NOT living life on your terms. Which will you be more regretful of on your deathbed?  When your life flashes before your eye as your breathe your final breaths, will it be worth watching? Only you can make this call.

The Future is waiting for you. Are you ready to meet it?