It's Astro-Logical -- practical advice for conscious living -- Issue #23
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Last week was a strange and tough one for me. Some things didn't work out as planned -- and cost me some headway I thought I was making. But the downtime gave me a chance to think ... and reflect ... and maybe make some different decisions going forward. (I hope last week worked out better ... or a least as well .. for you.)
Of course, the patterns in the sky said that's exactly what I should expect. (And be aware, we're not over it yet.) Life is still getting over these bumps -- and straightening itself out again.
This is what it looked like to an Astrologer.
-- with delays and setbacks -- that give you time to reflect,
regroup, rethink your choices and strategies ... and then
make some decisions that lead to much smoother sailing.
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Delays, setbacks, disappointments, impediments ---> possibly involving conflicts and trouble between what you owe your spouse, your partners and allies -- people who are part of your "team" vs. what you owe your professional superiors -- like clients, customers, your boss, your public life colleagues, investors, etc. ---> people whose opinions and power affect your reputation and status.
Feeling pulled in at least two directions at once -- because you're essentially trying to handle two full time jobs. Each of these concerns tries to commandeer your complete attention ... and because you're only one person -- the stress becomes significant.
Fatigue and self-esteem problems -- as you start to wonder if you're really up to the job you're trying to do. Things like praise, help and encouragement may be in short supply -- to make things worse. Everything becomes an uphill slog -- full of obstacles, problems and complications that seem to just show up ... but are hard to work around.
Then ... after all this ... breakthrough into something much better, easier and far more productive. The satisfaction of simply moving forward again will be grand!!
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The Sun in Libra invites your attention to partnerships, alliances, close friendships, your connection to groups that are meaningful to you. This is a specific time of year when you need to take other people seriously into account.
You are especially aware now of the assets (and liabilities) other people bring to your life ... and how you manage your relationships with those closest to you. If something here needs attention, it's apt to come up for review.
Saturn in Capricorn brings an energy that is ambitious and hard-working. It's also very demanding -- unforgiving of errors, problems or any poor performance. When it's around you toe the line ... and you don't make excuses. You measure up -- regardless.
There is a constant feeling of someone judging you -- or looking over your shoulder. You are extra careful when making moves or decisions -- because the wrong one feels extra costly ... somehow. Much of this is your own Inner Critic giving you grief -- but knowing that doesn't help much.
Mars in Aquarius is about action -- taken in unusual or unpredictable ways. Mars in Aquarius acts on inspiration more than logic, but often what it does is inspired. This combination blends raw physical power -- the ability to move, do work, accomplish goals, make things happen -- with those flash-of-genius moments that can seem to arrive out of nowhere.
This energy is idealistic and highly creative -- with many progressive ideas and a true humanitarian slant. It takes chances. It experiments. It's not shackled by habit or tradition. It's full of surprises, but it reveals originality and true creative invention more powerfully than any other mix in the Zodiac.
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Positive Sun aspects support your confidence and ambitions. They help you feel powerful and able to do the things you want ... the way you want to do them. Negative Sun aspects undermine your self-esteem. They show self-doubt, being overwhelmed and discouraged. They can also point to physical fatigue. In this pattern, we have one of each. Trines are easy and fun. Squares ... not so much.
Saturn squares indicate frustrations and limitations. They show burdensome situations and ideas that have you locked into patterns or habits that are deeply entrenched and hard to change.
They show problems that keep your plans from moving forward as fast as you'd like -- and sometimes you're not able to move forward at all. At the least they show hindrances and set-backs you didn't count on. And they can leave you tied up on a holding pattern that seems to last forever. It takes twice as much effort to get half as much done.
Mars trines show an easy flow of energy -- energy and action invested in channels that produce nice results. You can use your talents and skills to make progress -- and learn some things in the bargain. This is a wonderful energy of ease and self-development -- so that you have more tricks to fall back on the next time you hit a bump in the road -- like this one.
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Sun / Saturn Squares bring challenges, delays, problems, blockages and plenty of frustration. You can feel you've lost control of situations that matter to you -- and getting them back on track either takes tremendous effort (and lots of wasted work and time) ... or people who might be able to help you either aren't able to do so ... or can't be bothered. Just when you think you see light at the end of the tunnel ... you get hit by an oncoming train.
Have you had to deal with a lot of blockages, potholes and obstructions that left you feeling paralyzed or brought to a dead stop? Is your feeling of powerlessness over your situation especially exasperating -- and your reaction to it a bit over the top? Have you had to remember to B-R-E-A-T-H-E and resign yourself to waiting while "other people's problems" got sorted out?
Has your Inner Critic been pounding on you for one reason or another? Or has he been sniping instead at the people and situations that continue to stand in your way? Has depression been a problem -- partially because you don't see good ways around all this clutter and mess?
Time will solve a lot of these issues -- which may help you stay calm in the meantime ... unless time is the one commodity you really don't have. (Some Saturn squares are worse than others. But a lot can depend on your reaction -- and ability to roll with the punches.)
This is a constructive, ambitious energy with a lot of power behind it. It's full of originality and drive -- ready to try unusual things, implement original ideas, blaze new trails, open new territory and take some calculated risks that may really pay off!!
It carries a feeling of speed and momentum ... rather than feeling pushed or forced or pressured. It suggests here that you may be able to coast effortlessly down the other side for a while, once you get past the top of the hill.
It shows that when you're finally able to move forward again the sheer momentum of it all is exhilarating. This particular one-two punch suggests the enforced downtime may be a blessing in disguise.
You may move forward differently once the path is clear again. Since your creativity never rests, there may be an unexpected flair of style and originality to what you do next -- that might not have happened if your original plans had come off the way you expected.
Libra and Aquarius are both extremely intellectual energies. You may actually learn a lot from this experience -- about how to deal with delays and still keep your creativity fizzing. You may have devised some interesting ways to "mark time" -- and still get things done by working on your preparation and tactics ... things that you control, no matter what else is going on.
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The Sun in this pattern is at around 3° of Libra. Where is that in your horoscope? It's an area of life deeply influenced by your connections to other people, your partnerships and close relationships.
It's where you feel you are required to take other people into account -- and where events or successes or problems are often contingent on the behavior of these other people. This is were your self-esteem issues are centered now -- where your sense of investment and personal objectives reside (for the moment.)
On the one hand, you feel restricted and hemmed in here now by the obstructions and barriers coming from the life area ruled by the house where Saturn is transiting now. Saturn is at 3° of Capricorn. Where is that in your horoscope?
It's a life area where where you want structure, organization and status. Your attitudes here now are disciplined and self-controlled. Only this square and its stress sour the atmosphere.
Because of the competition between these two sets of concerns, you likely feel judged, criticized and impeded -- possibly by your own Inner Critic. You may feel you've taken on more than you can handle ... that you're in over your head ... or that you're not keeping up with expectations and responsibilities and that you ought to do better.
This is where those self-esteem issues I mentioned come from. Some of what's going on may not be your fault -- but you're still in line to take the blame for trouble -- especially from people who are depending on you ... or who feel they have the right to evaluate your performance.
Granted it's not an easy situation to cope with, but -- if possible -- look for ways to direct your energy and frustration into your Aquarius house. Where is that in your horoscope? Mars is at 4° of Aquarius ... and this is where liberation awaits.
Is there something you can do to break the log-jam ... and feeling of being tied-down and crippled? It may not seem related to the Saturn-based problems ... but something available here can open up new options and projects.
Instead of focusing on how inadequate you feel ... and how much you'd like to influence other people's opinion of you ... do something original and spectacular in the life area where the energy flow is easy and fruitful.
That's lots better than banging your head into a wall -- and at the end of the day you could have something really nice to show for your trouble. The momentum here could pay off more than you know.
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By mid October, your life will be moving in a somewhat different direction ... and the partnerships you have will be obliged to accommodate those instead ... as the current issues become just a memory.
Sun / Saturn squares happen twice a year. Honestly, time takes care of virtually all the problems they drop in your lap. Once this one is over, we're clear on this for another six months.
If you've always known there was more to Astrology than Sun Sign material and the three line daily horoscope in the newspaper, climb aboard and follow this blog. You'll find a world of wisdom detailing how you were designed to work with life ... and why you are the way you are -- all in quick-to-read, easy-to-digest-and-remember, written-in-plain-English essays that offer plenty of food for thought.
Little by little, I'm doing a set of articles that talks about all the elements in your horoscope and what they have to say about you. If you "know something" about Astrology -- or know something about your chart placements, that will help you get more from this material.
If you don't ... well, this is one place you can learn. We all have to start somewhere ... because we aren't born knowing this stuff. Meanwhile, if you've never seen your horoscope ... and don't have a clue how to work with it, maybe it's time to find out. There are lots of "chart services" on the internet -- some of whom produce decent, readable charts "for free" and some are so awful and confusing that even I can't read them easily -- and I've worked with charts for decades.
One extremely user-friendly chart site is here: AstroLabe. I recommend them if you want a simple, easy-to-read chart. I think they even give a reasonable little interpretive reading of your horoscope as part of the package. You'll need to know your birth information -- day, month, year, time and geographical place. Without all that your chart will have limited accuracy.
Or, if you want to get serious and really talk about this, upvote this post and start a conversation in the comments section sometime in the next six days from the time of publication. We'll go from there depending on what you want to know.
Questions about any of this? -- Upvote this post and talk to me in comments. It's a terrific way to build value for yourself and the community ... and it will give me ideas of what to write about in future posts. Believe me there is lots to say about the way The Sun, The Moon -- and all the other elements in a horoscope, all the other components of Astrology -- work together to interpret you and your story -- and what it all means to the person you've become.
Although sometimes the background pictures in our visual essays support the topic and text, they don't always. Sometimes the connection is clear. Sometimes it's symbolic and subtle. Sometimes, there's no connection at all.
The scenes depict landscapes and natural features, buildings and wildlife. They were chosen because they show something lovely or interesting ... or simply because the photo appealed to me.
Our spectacular and remarkable planet is changing at astonishing speed. Rarely are these changes for the better. Few people seem to know ... or care ... or have the will and power to do anything about this. It may not be long before the world humans have known and lived in for centuries is forever lost. We certainly won't be able to make repairs as fast as we destroyed it.
So a few years ago I began collecting pictures of the way things were ... and still are for now, a record of the beauty we have while it is still ours to love and honor.
The photos here are part of that collection, with sincere thanks to the artists who saw these moments ... and with their cameras ... preserved them. All of us at Enchanted Spirit are profoundly grateful to them for their generosity and skill ... and for the added grace, depth and dimension their art brings to ours.
Original images used under this Creative Commons license or this Creative Commons license and modified by added text.
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