Something Wicked This Way Comes...

Consumed by Corruption, Michael Shaheen, CCL

How far would you go to gain the power to change the world around you? Subject reality to your whims? What lines would you cross? Are there any that you wouldn’t, even if that was all that stood between you and your ultimate expression? What sacrifices would you be willing to suffer? What atrocities would you commit in the name of your own greatest good?

How corrupted and vile would you allow yourself to become in pursuit of your power?

Now that Saturn is officially well and out of Scorpio, and into Saggo, these thoughts weigh heavily on my mind. Today I realized, driving home and listening to one of my new favorite songs for the 300^th or so time, that Saturn in Sagittarius will be testing you, specifically on your most deeply held ideals. He will push and prod you, having your back pressed further and further up against the wall, to see what guns you will stick to, and what you will sacrifice in the name of self-preservation. This will not be easier than Scorpio. He will not be kind. He will force you to see where you have already surrendered to the monster within you during his Scorpio trip, and he will engineer situations to force you further down that path. What you will find however, is that by following that path, you will gain more and more control, strength and power. This comes at a steep cost- the idea of who you were, the good and pure within you, what some would call your soul. It is essentially signing a deal with the devil, as they say.

That is the cost of the fast road.

And lord, you will be tempted. Saturn WANTS you to give in, he wants to see you surrender. And make no mistake, this is you surrendering to yourself. The desire to go faster, do more, do better NOW is you. And it is oh so human. No god, devil, or bloated gasbag of a planet can make you want this- This comes from within you. I can’t tell you whether or not to use it, to go further down into your own corruption, that will be up to you. Lord knows im hardly the spokesperson for restraint, and the slow road. There hasn’t been a line yet that I haven’t been willing to cross. My corruption is so much that it is impossible for me to even remember where I started. I offer no apologies however- if I didn’t make the choices that I made, I wouldn’t be alive to look back and sit in judgment of myself. I know where one old line is still drawn, however; and I am still pure enough to be sickened by the corrupted parts of me, but to be at my maximum I must bring them within me- The poison is my cure. Yet I hesitate on the threshold. Must I really embody that which disgusts me, which I reject? Is there no other way? Acceptance will lead to further corruption, but my current state is nothing more than a stopgap- I am stuck in neutral if I do not move forward. Is it even tenable to try and withstand it? How long can I possibly teeter on the edge? If it is inevitable that I fall further, why am I wasting valuable time and energy fighting what I have no chance against, as it is me locked in a civil war with myself?

I have no doubt that my rambling and questions mirror your own inner monologue. We are all facing this same quandary, in one way or another. I have no more answers than you do, all I offer you at this point is the solace that you do not face this alone. Well, allright that’s a lie. You are in this alone. But you have others with you locked in the same struggle. This will get easier once Jupiter moves into Libra, but by then we will be busy trying not to get dragged under the tsunami that is coming (Summer 2016. It will make the Cardinal Crisis look like chicken shit).

No rest for the wicked.

Lunar Eclipse in Aries- Fight or Flight

Fear by Nathan O'nions, CCL

I open with a confession- I am terrified.

 This is a Lunar Eclipse, at the Moon’s closest approach to the Earth. On this day, above all else, I promise that you will feel. And that, above all else, scares me to death.

I am not a brave or strong man. I am a man who, long ago, figured out how to shut off his own emotional response to just about any situation. It enables me to survive, on nothing but pure bloody-mindedness and refusal to quit, long after I should have fallen. That will not work today. Today, I must face the rotting, necrotic corpse of what I once was. Today I must face the creature that I helped to survive. It is not me, not anymore. What I once was is dead, and I must move on with what is by facing the shattering of the fantasy. The day I am forced to feel again, I fear that the cumulative emotion will tear me to shreds, like the proverbial dam breaking and unleashing a torrent.

You will all face this in one way or another. This one will slip through the cracks in your armor, not matter how tightly you have wrapped it around yourself. You cannot run, you cannot negotiate or talk your way out of it, and you sure as hell cannot fight it. What you CAN do is dive in, and let it envelop and permeate everything that you are. You can give in to it. Stop resisting it and let it do its work. You must jump into the black abyss that holds everything that you fear and everything you want. You may die, alone and scared as you run out of oxygen. You may face terrible creatures, the stuff of nightmares that mankind has never seen; black and terrible things, hell-bent on making you their lunch. Or, you may swim like your life depends on it, giving it everything you have and just a little bit more, and you may emerge into a chamber filled with light, and sweet, sweet oxygen. You may find a reason to live when you hit the bottom and things look their bleakest.

The Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto- Yes, you’re reading that right. It’s insane. This is highly concentrated energy, and it can easily crush you if you let it. It’s mammoth, gargantuan, and overwhelming. But know this- This is the paradigm. It’s set now. In the cardinal crisis, things could and did shift monumentally in the blink of a moment. For better or for worse, this is what you have to work with. This is forward motion; unfortunately it’s all uphill. Good for the calves though- Leg day and all. This is all set against the backdrop of the Nodes, as all eclipses are… *editors note- from here its just me rambling. I tried to edit it but it didnt make any sense. Skip to Venus if you want pure astro* Huh. I just realized, mid-sentence why eclipses are so feared- The nodes are massive channels of pure, formless potential energy. Their symbol in the charts looks like gateways. When the sun/moon combines with them, the gate is opened and the energy is released, for better or for worse. Think of it like Ghostbusters (the original, when they open the fridge to the other dimension). It’s up to us to shape what comes through the gate, just like Gozer could not choose its own form- It needed a human for that. Which brings us to Saturn (not that I can even follow my own train of thought on this, but trust me it’s there) Saturn is the one holding this shit together, as he almost always does. He will help bring form to whatever you put your energy into (Mars), bringing it out of the potential and into the real (Mercury-Neptune). Even though it doesn’t seem like it, YOU are the one in command of this energy (Jupiter). Wield it or be destroyed by it (Pluto).

If you will indulge me another reference, I will explain in terms of a really good story. In one of my favorite super nerdy book series, Shannara (There are about 30 or so books so far, and it’s going to be a series on MTV!)  There exist objects called Elfstones (coincidentally, the name of the book they are starting the MTV series with!) which all have different properties. Blue for Seeking, Red for Destruction, White for Protection, and so on, but each one comes with a cost, as magic is never free. There are three of each set, one stone for Head, Heart, and Body. All three need to be present and in tune to work. This is true for all but one stone, the Black Elfstone. It is self-contained and surpasses anything that any of the others can do. Upon its first use, it destroys all in its path at the cost of its user’s life, sacrificing himself for his friends and his mission. Another time it was used as a means of deterrent and ended up turning both users into monsters, warped beyond all former semblance of what they used to be. On its final use, it is used to take on magic that was deadly to any other person- The user was able to take the magic into himself, and upon doing so found both power, wisdom, and a new mission, not to mention a personal catharsis and coming to terms with the use of his own magic that he continually rejected. He suffered a death of sorts, and came out the other side, healed in ways that he was unaware could be healed. He embraced the challenge before him, and refused to allow his own limits, rage and fears stop him from doing what must be done, even if it meant becoming the very thing he hated. Once the crisis was over, he was able to move on and accept what was, by facing it head on. He never looked back, and was better for it.

Venus, Chiron and Uranus- See, this is the shit that scares me. The rest of you are still freaking about the other nonsense that I barely explained. This is dam-breaking Astro if I’ve ever seen it. The catastrophe that you have been trying to hold at bay, the worst case scenario that has kept you up at night, maybe for years, will come to pass. It will be sudden, and all your plans won’t amount to shit. It will be bad. You will need to face it and will not be able to run from it. But no matter how the chips fall, they will fall. This is a good thing, because it is taking so much energy to fear this thing happening, that even if the worst happens, then it will be a relief to no longer have it hanging over your head. It is a brave new world out there, and you can’t take this old fear with you. Your deepest weaknesses and insecurities will be exposed, and you will be vulnerable. You may find yourself all alone. But it’s not the end. In fact, your load just got much lighter, and you can move on to the next stage in your story.

Solar Eclipse in Virgo- Distillation

Foreword- Jesus, its weird being back here. Like putting on an old suit that I never have an occasion to wear... Still it fits though, in the grand scheme of things. You may be wondering why this post is late, and why it isnt on the Darkworkers site. Darkworkers had some technical issues the day I needed to post this, and so I had to find another outlet for it. Fear not, Darkworkers will be back stronger, and much better than before, very very soon. Luckily, this is an eclipse and valid for 6 months. Below is the original, unedited post that didnt quite make it to print.

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I have written quite a few of these over the years, chronicling our journey through time since the early days of the Cardinal Crisis. I have learned a great deal, grown immensely, and found my voice as a writer. One thing I have learned more than anything else? The stars are a bunch of bitches. What can they do against a man with a vision, a goal, and the indomitable will to make it happen? How can they possibly stand against YOU? Most of them are millions and millions of miles away anyhow, who cares what they think? If there is something you desire: something you want to create, achieve or become, then there is no chance in hell that anything can stop you aside from your own unwillingness to bring it into form. Excuses are for those who are not creative or resourceful enough to find a way to make reality their bitch. Break your world, get rid of what is unnecessary, melt down the remains and shape it as you see fit. Just fucking let them HAVE it, darling!

More than anything else I write, this is the point, THE message behind this eclipse. Hell it’s the message for most of them if I’m being perfectly honest. The rest is just window dressing and funny hats.

The Sun, Moon, Mars and Uranus- The one thing that these particular stars are not short on is ENERGY! It is like a thousand shots of espresso in one tiny cup, perched in the hand of one of the most fabulous of the Virgoan fashion designer army, enabling them to bring out and tap their genius. Take the same liberties. This is one of those times where it is tantalizingly close to you, bubbling up to the surface and just aching to be grabbed. Reach out. It’s not a blissful walk in the park however- you will have your challenges to your awesome. Fear, doubt, insecurity, issues and situations that you thought long dead will attempt to drag you back the second you try and bust out of your mediocrity. Use it as your fuel and struggle harder. Break out of the quagmire. 

Mercury, Venus and Pluto- You will be holding your life up to a mirror, and I doubt that your hyper-critical eye will like what you see. That is okay, but get your frustrations out (preferably in list form) and identify why they are frustrating you, and how you can tackle each individual issue in order to live more fully in your own personal Nirvana. Your emotions will be wild and unmanageable and tantrums are likely, but high creative expression, at its very best will be possible as well. Let your passion fuel your expression, and leave your mark on this world NOW, because that is all any of us ever truly have. 

Jupiter and Neptune- These two are this eclipse in microcosm. Well, as microcosm as the macrocosm gets, anyway. And that is fundamentally the heart of the interplay of these two: Micro vs. Macro, You vs. The World, that sort of thing. You will be acutely aware of your mission in this world now, in broad strokes and gut feelings if not explicit detail. It will be far easier to understand your purpose, but will paradoxically be more difficult to find where you fit in the grand scheme. The search for this resolution and for the place you belong is so quintessentially Jupiter in Virgo that it hurts. A greater adventure awaits you- go chase it down, even if it hurts like a motherfucker at first. Quit making excuses, blaming other people for your problems and whining to anyone who will listen- Man up, take some responsibility for once and DO WHAT YOU CAME HERE TO DO ALREADY!

Saturn- Last but certainly never forgotten, the old bag of bones is boring this time at first glance, but upon closer inspection we find that he is actually at the heart of the undercurrents of the eclipse, and the nexus of its most interesting Astro, framing this eclipse in a whole new way. He takes what would otherwise be a singular event, a stumbling block or challenge, and weaves it into the grander tapestry of your life, lending perspective and giving it depth and scope. This moment, while frustrating and confusing now, will one day be something worth remembering, a start to something amazing. Let this be your beginning, and take your first steps into a grand new life.

Second From the Right, and Straight On Til Morning

Hellraisers, Its time.

Blogger cant hold me anymore, and Im officially moving to a new site. Id be very honored if you all came with me.

http://sett.com/astrogeek895

Everything on here will remain up for as long as blogger does.

Hobey-ho
-The Astrogeek

New Moon in Aries- Bloody, Bold and Resolute

Lawd jezus, its a FIAR! Oh I know its old now, but apropos. Anyways, Its MUHUGGIN ARIES up in here! New Moon in Aries; its one of my favorite New Moons. The energy in the air, Spring, just feeling like a certified champion... Hard to beat it. Still, you have to make it last til Capricorn so dont go too hog wild!!

Ill keep it as short and sweet as I can for you all, so lets just skydive right into it!

Sun, Moon, Venus and Mars- Yes hellraisers, its another Stellium up in here. I love these, they make my life much easier by making it much, much harder! All of these guys ar joined by Eris, so you can bet this placement is about stirring up your life (for the better) and getting you way out past your comfort zone. You'll know you're onto something when you find something worth fighting for. A trine to Chariklo shows that you will not see this shakeup coming, but once it happens you will realize there was no real way that it could play out otherwise. A trine to Ixion and Burney confirms this, saying that this may come as a result of a very poorly planned choice, or possibly because you neglected to make a choice that could prevent it. Now all of this is not meant to be negative, says Black Moon Lilith, because the result of the coming changes will be positive- however the circumstances leading up to them might not be. A trine to Hylonome may inspire a new feeling of loyalty to something you love, whether that is a relationship. A quincunx to Psyche does not make this easy for you, however. Find something that sets you on fire, and set your path in its pursuit. A sextile to Thereus confirms this, and shows that your pursuit may take you off the beaten path into some surprisng places! A square to Varuna demands that you make an effort to bring yourself out onto the stage, into a place where you can have a greater impact and be seen for it. A sextile to Vesta shows that you will need to make this a long term commitment, dont waste your time if you cant dedicate the time and effort to it. A square to Astraea demands that you give this your full attention, telling you that now is not the time to pull the ripcord. More work is needed. A square to Apophis warns that there will be several distractions and attempts to pull you off of this path, but you just need to stay focused (this will get loads easier in Taurus) and keep at it. Don't allow yourself to make excuses. A square to Bacchus, an opposition to Rhadamanthus, and a trine to Amycus all confirm this. Dont allow yourself to get shaken by your own doubts and insecurities. A square to Ascelpius pushes you on, trust yourself and do what is asked of you to the best of your ability. That is the way through.

Mercury- Most Holy Hanuman, is he STILL in freaking Pisces? Ugh. At any rate, its almost over. Soon you'll have a clear head again and you'll be set to blaze a new trail. A square to Lilith, Vesta and Quaoar tells you to watch out so that you dont slip into your old habits- What you do now sets the course for this whole year. I know its hard to believe, but trust me. A trine to Varuna shows that you just want to slip away from your obligations and swim off into freedom- Don't. Another trine, to Psyche, tells you that the challenges that you are facing right now are to be conquered, not worked around. Tap Aries, and remember that you are much, much greater than you allow yourself to believe. A sextile to Kassandra asks you to look ahead and start planning out your trajectory for where you want to be next year- Play the long game. A square to Arachne confirms this, but warns you against getting discouraged because of the complexity. The best solution to a Gordian Knot isnt always a Gladius. A square to Hybris tells you that instead of warning against being proud and boastful, you're at the point to where you now need to build yourself up again, but not from an ego perspective. No, you are challenged to rebuild your sense of pride and worth, but taking care that it is rooted in a more mindful, aware part of you- Your actual Self, what is called the I AM, having conquered the ego (Even if you don't think you have conquered it just yet- You've done more than you think).

Jupiter- If it wasn't enough that the bloated gasbag is barreling full speed ahead into Cancer, hes also hitting right on a very sensitive point- the degree of last year's Venus Transit. So that means that in addition to the Mars-Venus Conjunction and all of its insanity, you are going to be presented with all of the issues that the Venus transit brought up last year, and you will be shown just how far or not-so-far you've come since then. This is a chance to get it right this time. You know exactly what you need to do- Be the best version of yourself possible. If you truly want it, put in the sweat equity and make it work, however you need to. No excuses. A conjunction to Atropos confirms this, telling you that for better or worse, you've come full circle. Show us what you've learned. A quincunx to the North Node and to Pluto shows that you are ready to make the adjustments needed in order to succeed. JUST DO IT ALREADY!

Saturn- Um... This is actually a first- Nothing major to report here. I have a square to Juno, challenging you to make deeper connections in your relationships, and a trine to Teharonhiawako which is making it easier for you to do something creative that you really want to do. Seize that opportunity, it wont be around forever. Other than that, Ive got nothing (Seriously? Nothing? Wow!), so enjoy a week off from Saturn!

Uranus- A trine to Orius tells you that you need an outlet, some way to unleash your wild side. Pressure is building up and the release is needed. Put it into something constructive. A sextile to Juno and a conjunction to Amor highlights that there are some power plays brewing in your relationships. Be aware of your boundaries. An opposition to Toro highlights a low in your drive and ambition- dont allow yourself to slip back, not when you've made so much ground! A sextile to Hephaistos says that this might be not be a great time for self-discovery and reflection, but you're too busy coming up with ideas and plans for your work and career to hear me anyway. A square to Narcissus warns of becoming too self-absorbed; why not try to lavish and adore someone else for a change?

Neptune- Blah blah Orcus, something something sextile to Magdalena... Nothing new? Oh wait, here we go- A sextile to Pallas Athene. She demands that you focus on your craft. This needs to be a way for you to actually reach into yourself and share what you find with the world. If you don't pour yourself into it, don't bother. Give it all you have, and start on it now.

Pluto- Closely sextile Chiron, we're dealing with all those old wounds that he loves to open up when he gets the chance. Here's the crazy thing though- They're actually healing. Think about it, recent events that have pushed you out of your comfort zone, and that you have stepped up to the plate on, even with your reservations; have actually helped you to move past your misgivings and old pains. Its legitimately magic. Keep at it. The sextile/Mutual reception to Saturn and to Deucalion tells you that this is not a temporary thing- start to build with taking it into consideration, not avoiding it and going around it. A trine to Elatus shows that the carrot is actually within reach for you. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but you can actually have what you want. Aries will help you get it, but you have to put in the sweat equity yourself. This is the reward, the battle plan is whats outlined above.

Get at it Hellraisers. Never forget that you are in fact worthy.
-The Astrogeek

And of course, if I somehow did not sate your appetite for Astro, go check out Starzina and her Time of the Month Horoscopes and J.D. over at Astrolosophy!