Eric’s podcast is here. For old player and links to the guests featured on the program, please see the adjoining post.
Today is Wednesday, July 6, 2011 The Moon is in Virgo all day and ingresses Libra aat 11:52 pm EDT. Like yesterday, the newly waxing Moon is gathering the solar light through a mentally-oriented, practical and usually introspective Earth sign, so it is still a great time for catching up on quiet detail-oriented work and making the most of your analytical powers. The Moon can influence your mood; you can follow the Moon’s signs and notice over time how you feel during a particular transit.
Contrasting somewhat with the Moon’s inner trip, Venus in Cancer is beginning a process of making many aspects — to Uranus, Chiron, Jupiter and Pluto, to name a few. And when the Moon enters Libra tonight, it will begin to do the same thing, aspecting every planet on the Cardinal cross and indeed many others scattered in the early degrees of numerous signs.
Meanwhile, Mars in Gemini and Saturn in Libra making a trine to each other. The trine aspect, which is 120 degrees or a third of the circle, tells us right away that we have an interaction between two planets occupying signs of the same element, in this case air (which in classical astrology is generally masculine, yang or upward moving). In psychological astrology air is mental, expressive, moved by ideas and a bit unstable. And they like change. Mars energy is very much like using a blade — that pointy thing sticking up tells you you’re dealing with a sharp object. It can be an extremely useful tool to have around but not one you want to whip out, say, at the office, or in a bar (however, this does happen). What you do with that knife is important; the knife is neutral and the intention that drives it is anything but neutral.
Saturn adds some maturity to the equation. Rather than just cutting things down to size, Saturn separates things according to their function within a certain pre-conceived structure. The structure Saturn is now working with is very new and possibly still fragile. Remember the rough-cut gem symbol for the eclipse degree? Since the eclipse, you may have been getting subtle signals, whether in dreams or synchronicities, of a new structure which is trying to emerge. This may have begun even before the eclipse and is now culminating.
If you’re tempted to begin taking on the role of gem cutter and making a bold slice of some kind in your life, I suggest you do this first only as a thought experiment. Try to imagine what any kind of cut or separation will look like. More important, imagine what options this will leave you. Most important, imagine if this reveals or smooths anything inherent and fundamental which was previously hidden.
The mentally-driven energy of today is somewhat in contrast to the overall astrological climate which is pretty moist and nurturing. So if you really tune into this energy and start sorting things out on a mental basis, you’ll want to be conscious, careful and considerate, because contrasting energies can have a powerful reaction when brought together. If on the other hand you feel some kind of separation come your way today, don’t let it bother you too much. Look for what it reveals in the overall picture. The sky is a big adventure right now, so if you move with awareness, you can feel positive — just remember to feel, and to empathize, if you discover your mind is running away with you, or if you feel tempted to judge anyone.
— By Gary Caton with Eric Franics
hey paola love your poem thanx
Another Mars-Saturn one:
I stop making war to life.
Yes.
I forgive life.
I forgive suffering.
I forgive dentists.
I make peace with life.
Hi Amanda.
I’ve recently had 2 incidents with baby crows stuck in my backyard – with parents making all sorts of noise. . . especially with my 2 cats sitting right next to one of them. Both times a “wild life expert” who lives nearby came over and picked up the babies (I was shocked at how easy it looked) and we put them up in the lower branch of a tree – and left them alone for a few hours until they flew away.
Major baby crow medicine around here.
LOL, shebear that is priceless! thanks for giving us something saturnian to chuckle over and then ponder the wisdom of 🙂
“Saturn adds some maturity to the equation.” I am certainly feeling the effects of Saturn in my life, forcing me to grow up and deal with a mountain of paperwork that must be sorted, filed or shredded so I can move forward with my life.
Speaking of synchronicity, while I was pondering a few things Saturnian, I happened upon a book of sayings that my son uttered as a little one and this one is definitely worth sharing. He was pondering the notion of the passage of time and he blurted out:
“A whole day will take two weeks tomorrow.” 😉
Still makes me chuckle!
Gary,
Thanks for the link. . and what if there is no gold in Ft. Knox left to sell? But I believe the seniors will settle the matter of the debt ceiling due to the transit of Uranus over all the degree points of Eris when those seniors were born. That alone would be revolutionary! In any case I think you are right, Pres. Obama will use his charm in some way to “git ‘er done”.
And thanks too for noting the Cancer ingress chart; how remarkable that the U.S SR chart has the Moon almost exactly opposite the Pisces Moon in the ingress chart. Well it’s too much for me to ponder at this late hour, unless maybe the U.S. citizens’ needs are pitted against the needs of the whole of humanity in some way.
be
that 9th house Mars in the Sibly SR is raising some legal questions around the refusal of republicans to raise the debt ceiling
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/obama-democrats-not-ready-to-play-14th-amendment-card-with-debt-ceiling/2011/07/06/gIQAVU1O1H_story.html
hey bkoehler, interesting commentary. im glad to see someone applying this stuff 🙂
even tho i like the sibly chart and find it very useful, i usually use ingress charts rather than solar returns of national charts. but you have caught my interest
strangely enough the sibly sr has the same early libra asc as the cancer ingress chart and so the outers fall in about the same places…
regarding mars and separation/cutting vis a vis congress, i think the need for cuts and the differences between parties on what to cut could not be clearer. what they need, imho, is actually some moist energy to bring the sides together and stop all this posturing and grandstanding.
in this light, it is rather interesting that venus in the sibly sr is in the early degrees of cancer, same as natal and same as president obama’s chart. i think he did recently tell congress to “get it done” but perhaps he will have to use some of his personal charm to grease the wheels of commerce as they say
Gary and Eric,
I second paola’s remarks and this article in particular got my attention because I had just looked at the chart for the USA (per Sibly natal) Solar Return, which features this Mars trine Saturn aspect. Last week you taught me that “the nature of Mars is to make distinctions between one thing and another” and teamed up with Saturn, we could expect some careful deliberation in Congress regarding what cuts are to be made according to this astrology.
However, the SR Moon at 9 Virgo 02 is square the SR Mars at 10 Gemini 19, but does sextile the SR (and natal Sun) at 13 Cancer 19, so somebody is listening to the people who may have a problem with some cuts. Then of course, the Sun squares Saturn, so no matter how careful the cutting process, it looks to me like creating the “new structure” trying to emerge will be arduous.
Among the other interesting things going on in the US Solar Return chart is the emphasis of Mercury. Not only does it conjunct the north node in the natal chart, it is the apex of a yod that includes the sextile between Pluto and Chiron. This year promises to be an evolutionary turning point in our country’s history. When speaking of this degree’s symbolic picture Dane Rudhyar says ” (this degree) refers to a collective cultural and social crisis which challenges us to realize THE RELATIVITY OF SOCIAL VALUES.”
hey thanks paola, glad to her it. i appreciate you reading and offering feedback. must be the Earth element in my chart you are connecting with, or perhaps my sun saturn conjunction
amanda, kewl link. thanks! i think it is safe to say that crow may be trying to reach you as a protector spirit or “totem.” watch for crow in dreams. also see if you can connect with crow in your minds eye, in your “imagination,” through a guided meditation around a tree that you like perhaps. ask crow if s/he is your friend or protector. if s/he is you can ask questions and/or receive intuitive guidance from crow
my personal fave resource for animal medicine are the medicine cards by jamie sams
Thank you, I like the articles co-written with this new (for me at least) author, Gary Caton. They feel very clear, peaceful, plain.
thanks gary, though eric gets the bulk of the credit for the editing — i just smoothed out a couple things. 🙂
what is interesting to me about the crow thing, is that i took my first crow photos on christmas day this past winter. i had gone for a walk near my parents’ house, and in an old apple tree in a pasture was this partly-decomposed crow carcass hanging upside down, tied there with twine by one leg.
it was a bizarre sight, but i immediately knew that was why i’d had this thought to bring my camera — and had to go back for it. those photos are amazing, too, but as you might imagine, the feeling-tone is very different. so far i haven’t found the appropriate moment to share them here. 🙂
but the timing is fascinating to me: dead crow on christmas day where i grew up, baby crow just over 6 months later where i live now. hmmmm…
and last night i found myself completely absorbed by this ornithologist’s website about crow behavior:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/crowfaq.htm#birdbath
Very interesting pics, Amanda, and fantastic job editing this. Thanks!
Yes, Crow Medicine is very special. They are extremely interesting and intelligent animals who can use tools and have a language of diverse calls or “caws” for various purposes. This has been documented in scientific experiments where adult Crows were seen to scold a human wearing a scary mask with a particular noise when they have babies around. The babies were later documented using this same call to scold the man with the mask when they grew up and flew off on their own.
Hopefully this little one will get the help s/he needs and live to scold about it.
gc
Hi Amanda,
that is an interesting crow experience that you reported. You might find
Ted Andrew’s explanation of the meaning of crow coming to you very interesting. ( in Animal Speak) It is always fortuitous and magical. Haven’t read your artcile yet. Just back from a 1000 mile trip. Hug.