An Albatross and Dangerous Waters
Dates and times are given for U.S. Pacific Time zone.
All Things in Moderation
It’s conventional astrological wisdom that Jupiter is fabulous and any planet touched by its beneficence will be a happy camper. I mean, I like Jupiter as much as the next person; but like any planet, it has a downside. Like a snake that’s swallowed a rodent larger than it can swallow. Jupiter’s eyes are often bigger than it’s stomach. And in its enthusiasm to take us to higher heights, it can lead us to underestimate risk, as well.
As the Sun in Libra opposes Jupiter this week (Sep. 26, 2022, 12:33 pm PDT), it will check those excesses of enthusiasm. Libra’s motto is, “All things in moderation.” And Libra also offers a gentle reminder to take the needs of important others into consideration before leaping off into a bold, new, Jupiter in Aries adventure.
Deploying a Strategy
Like all of us, I have some planetary aspects in my chart that I don’t love, and some that I do. The trine between Mars and Saturn in my chart definitely falls into the latter category. I’m not the best or smartest at everything I do, but I know how to formulate and deploy a strategy.
This week offers a taste of this strategic strength that everyone can enjoy. As Mars trines Saturn (Sep. 27, 2022, 10:48 pm PDT) in the airy signs of Gemini and Aquarius, it’s just a little easier than usual to outline a plan for how best to use your gifts, mental acuity, and networking skills to help you get where you’re trying to go. Apply yourself methodically in the first part of the week, and Saturn is likely to reward you in the latter part.
Just one caveat: The plan that comes together so effortlessly now just might unravel a bit after Mars turns retrograde at the end of next month. Fortunately, this is the first of three Mars-Saturn trines; and the other two (Nov. 28, 2022, and March 30, 2023) can help bring this plan to the finish line.
Balance
My Libran husband is a wonderful cook. He’s from the culinary school of “if a little bit of an ingredient is good, then certainly four times as much must be better.” And usually, the results are stupendous. But now and then, things go off balance and there’s a vegetable and rice dish with too little rice, or a pasta salad with a little too much lemon.
Balance is best in cooking and in most things. But is that also true of love, ruled by Venus? And can one ever have too much money or beauty, also ruled by Venus?
Well, yes, actually. And while Venus is in Libra (Sep. 29, 2022, 00:49 am PDT – through Oct. 23), it’s important to seek balance in even those things. In any relationship there may be one person who loves more, is vastly more beautiful, or brings far more wealth to the table than the other. But we don’t all have to bring the same qualities to a relationship, just as long as the sides of the scale balance out in the end.
The Campfire
On October 1st, Venus opposes Jupiter at 11:12 am PDT. This is the halfway point in a cycle that began on April 30, when Venus and Jupiter came together in a conjunction on a beautiful Sabian symbol, 28 Pisces, A fertile garden under a full moon. We can see, very clearly, the state of our garden. Is it fertile and is everything growing the way we hoped that it would? There’s such a striking contrast between Libra and Aries. Libra’s garden is filled with beautiful flowers that blossom under harmonious conditions; Aries’ flourishes in extreme conditions, where only the heartiest of plants survives.
Imagine Jupiter in Aries as a pioneer who’s gone west to make his fortune as a gold miner. It’s a harsh and punishing environment, rugged and uncivilized, with violence and backbreaking work. But then, a beautiful woman (Venus in Libra) enters the scene, representing the qualities of civilization, pleasure, and gentility. She muses, “I could watch you conquer the frontier all day long, it’s marvelous! But does everything have to be so dusty all the time? Can’t we have some paint on the walls and some proper tea to drink in the afternoon?”
What Venus in Libra brings to our Jupiter in Aries adventures is a more pleasant experience, with the niceties and small indulgences that even a rough-edged pioneer can enjoy. And for its part, Jupiter in Aries reminds us that too much luxury and leisure can blunt our motivation for blazing new trails.
Making New Memories
Mercury turns direct at last this week, on October 2nd at 2:07 AM Pacific Time, at 24°11′ Virgo, on the Sabian symbol 25 Virgo, A flag at half-mast. As Mercury has backed up into Virgo during its retrograde, it came close to repeating its opposition to Neptune (Aug. 21) and its reflection on loss. It might be the loss of someone in particular, or maybe just nostalgia for the person we used to be. A song or an old photograph can bring back a flood of memories, and we might think we’d like to go back in time. But usually, we’re just longing for a time when we still had youth, looks, health, and members of our family now gone. Mercury’s retrogrades can bring that yearning, especially when it’s involved with Neptune. Now that Mercury turns direct, it’s time to move forward and make new memories.
An Albatross and Dangerous Waters
The First Quarter Moon (Oct. 2, 2022, 5:14 pm Pacific Time) is at 9°46’ Capricorn, on the Sabian symbol An albatross feeding from the hand. It’s a symbol of kindness, and it’s also about finding the balance between doing too much for others and doing too little. This is the opening tension point in the Lunar Phase Family cycle that began at the January 2, 2022 New Moon at 12°20’ Capricorn. Something that was conceived or initiated at that time now requires action, or we meet some kind of initial crisis or obstruction, especially in our career.
The Sabian symbol for the Sun in Libra at this square, 10 Libra, is, A canoe approaching safety through dangerous waters. These dangerous waters represent the First Quarter Moon, the first crisis point of the lunar cycle. But we’re getting through it safely, at least.
The question with the Moon in Capricorn is, will we let ourselves accept kindness? Will we let others give to us? The albatross is usually associated with burden, “an albatross around the neck.” Taking care of others can be a burden, but Capricorn is used to that. It can be less comfortable, though, being a burden, letting others give us help and care. But asking for help might be exactly what helps us safely navigate the rugged waters of this First Quarter Moon.
Writing and collages © 2017-2022 April Elliott Kent
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