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Astrology

Mystic and Me: Experiencing a Transit through your Dog

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Well, the holidays are over but I still have a guest at my house. Her name is Neptune. Now moving away from my Uranus/Jupiter conjunction in the second house, Neptune inches ever closer to laying a square on my Moon (6) opposition Mercury (12) doorstep but I have till May 2012 before it actually makes direct contact. Not such a big concern yet. However, the universe in its infinite wisdom, has given me a small preview of coming attractions. “They” have put me together with my dog Mystic who just happens to be dealing with Neptune conjunct her Sun! Yes, animals are people too and they have transits just like anybody else. Mystic, (I know, I know, the symbolism in the coincidental name of my dog has not been lost on me) has had a simply awful 6 months. In August when Neptune was making yet another pass at her sun she was diagnosed with Lyme’s Disease. At that time she also had the Sun, Mercury and Venus in opposition to her natal Sun.
Here I will to pause to make note of something. I use our planet Earth in all my astrology charts. Although most astrologers pay it no mind I feel that the inclusion of Earth is not only important but a very essential addition to our charts. I explain this in great detail with a book I’ve written and currently trying to get published called: “Earth Rise:  A Case for Studying and Using Planet Earth in Astrology” I’ll let you know if I have any luck. Anyway, in studying this planet one of the things I’ve discovered is its link to the body. The body is the earthly vehicle our spirit inhabits and so it is logical that the planet Earth’s symbolism be reflective of that in astrology charts. When people (and pets) have dealings with their bodies, Earth usually shows up right in the middle of the mix. When Mystic was suffering through her symptoms of Lyme’s Disease she also tore a tendon in the right knee. Along with Neptune, the planet Earth was also sitting on her Sun in transit in August 2011.On December 21st 2011 Mystic went in for knee surgery. The Surgery to correct took place with Neptune once again in conjunction to her Sun but now the Earth placement had progressed and was Trine her Sun and Sextile her own natal Earth! She is recovering but now Neptune’s test (and mine) begins.
The vet has given us strict instructions to keep her quiet. That includes no running and jumping. Mystic is a West Highland Terrier. We live in the country alongside many wild animals. Does anyone see a problem here? In short: It’s been hell. We pile pillows on the couch, she climbs over them, we stack up items on the chairs and she stands on her hind legs to reach the window sills instead, dying for a glimpse of the squirrels, the deer or the raccoons. Then she races through the house barking and we try and tackle her before she does herself harm. We are now the enforcers of the universal will. More than that, we too have restrictions: we can’t laugh, raise our voices or wrestle/rough house or she will get excited and jump or run. I can’t go to town much as she can’t be left alone and taking her raises other issues. So! What has happened is a Neptune transit is being vicariously lived through for everyone in the house. Since I am the one home most hours, next to Mystic, this transit is mostly mine too. It is odd to watch the restriction of movement (we have to carry her down to her dog yard for potty breaks) and the enforcing of the quiet contemplative time that Neptune bestows on someone so close to you and yet not have the immediate burden producing it. In the past when my clients have had Neptune clamp down on them I have counseled relaxation or meditation, a time to take a break from the everyday and dream up new realities for their life. But I don’t know what dogs are supposed to do with their Neptune transits? Do dogs need down time? (Maybe terriers do) Do they contemplate their life and make plans for a new future? Or, is their frustration all in vain? Whatever the case may be, Mystic and I continue to find our way through the shared hurdles of a Neptune transit.
Astrology

Another kind of Neptune Transit, Hello Jupiter (and Uranus)

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Well, I’ve had a few weeks and still I’ve only just begun the Neptune transit to my Moon and Mercury. In the meantime, I have also discovered (I’m a little slow) that Neptune is just moving away from a Quincunx or Inconjunct to my natal Uranus/Jupiter conjunction.This makes sense as I have been questioning my belief system (Jupiter and Neptune ruled) quite a bit. Had a long talk with a very nice, devout Christian and even borrowed a bible to see if there was anything I had missed when I passed Christianity by. I found out there wasn’t. It was as I remembered and I couldn’t reconcile my personal relationship with God/Goddess with the guy they were talking about in the Book. This is not a slam to any Christians out there, I have the greatest respect for all paths leading to Spirit. This is just my personal quest and where The Great Spirit has lead me in this life. But, during this transit I was very open to new ideas and now that Neptune is moving away I find that one cannot deny one’s own expereinces and connections to the world even if others (or even temporarily, you!) think they are wrong. This much I learned, and not for the first time I might add. Now that Neptune is leaving my Jupiter/Uranus conjunction Uranus is giving me back the courage, nay the impetus, to hold to my own truth no matter what. With Uranus it is always about your truth or the absolute truth in any situation you find yourself in, and you had better be real about it, no matter what. So I have come full circle and find myself back where I was at the beginning of this journey. It was not for nothing though. It had been years since I took a look at other religions. It was time to explore them again. I was so much younger then, I may have gotten it wrong. It is good to know that I didn’t. At least, not for me. I feel more sure of myself and perhaps just a little frustrated that, as I told my Christian friend: “The game is rigged.” I cannot just decide to be something I am not because it is easier and far less lonely. 
Astrology

A Neptune Transit

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As an astrologer I have certain advantages over an average citizen of the world. I can track the up and down cycles of my life and study them. When bad things happen to astrologers they have charts and graphs and books they can pour over that give them answers to many of life’s trickier questions. At the very least, we can see when a particularly harrowing time will have an end. That is, until that old devil Neptune comes a calling.
I was born with a fairly tight opposition between my Moon and Mercury in my natal chart. The natal chart Moon is primarily someone’s feelings and emotions.
That is: what and how you feel about things, how you process those feelings, your intuition, your empathy, the irrational side of you and how you find and cultivate your own feelings of security in an insecure world. Other themes that orbit around the moon include your subconscious and anything to do with females, (mom, and women in general) just to name a few.
On the other hand, Mercury represents the mind. What we think about, how we think about it, what and how we talk about, and communication of almost any kind.
Neptune is currently stomping on them both in the form of a square. It isn’t pretty and since Neptune moves very slowly and with the orb I use I could be in this situation for a few years. In short, I have a long way to go. Neptune’s influence on any planet is soon felt in the form of loss, even futility. Neptune “erodes” “fogs up” and “dissolves” much of the foundational strength and understanding you may have spent a lifetime building. In this case it is my feelings and emotions and my mental processes, like thinking and communicating. That’s all.
So, how does that feel? Well, it feels awful. First you start feeling unsure about yourself. The insecurity comes from the fact that your usual mode of operation (M.O.) is not working anymore. Either because other people are challenging it or you can’t find it. Suddenly the things that used to inspire you or conversely, tick you off just aren’t anymore…HUH? What happened? Or, in the current vernacular: WTF? Whatever Neptune is touching, the planet and all it represents, begins to get erased to a certain extent. Then because you aren’t sure anymore what is “what” you look outside of yourself for some indicators, loose your boundaries and end up confusing what others think or feel with what you think or feel. You say things you don’t really mean and take what other people say wrong as well. Grand hi-jinks ensue and not the fun city kind. Nothing is as you thought it was. How could you be so stupid, blind, naïve etc.?
A very disconcerting vulnerability descends on your psyche. 
You walk around uncharacteristically crying and when people ask you what the trouble is, you may have an answer, but you know that if things were normal you wouldn’t be this upset. You just can’t handle what you used to handle and you don’t know why. You get touchy and depressed. What is the point of it all? If I survive this week that will come in the form of part two.
Astrology

The Once a Week Moon and my Mother

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I live in the country so going to town is always an expedition of sorts. One that I can easily track by the moon’s movements through my chart. My trips to town almost always involve my mother because we enjoy shopping together. I pick her up and we embark on those essential errands of life that usually include food, liquor, and hardware acquisitions. The day of the week that I choose to do these things always involves the moon. This is as it should be for the moon’s transits are indicative of when I will feel like doing something. The day I go to town the transiting moon makes contact with certain planets in my chart. This isn’t that unusual because once again, the moon moves fast so it is bound to run through a few aspect angles to some point or planet in my chart throughout the course of a day. It’s the two or three consistent planets the moon is making contact with that grabs my attention. There is always an exact major aspect by the moon to my moon, my Venus and to a lesser degree my sun whenever I go to town. We all know that the sun symbolically represents our individuality, our center of operations so that aspect is fairly prosaic. In addition to mood, feelings and emotions the moon most commonly represents mother and nurturing. In addition to love, beautification and our social life in natal charts Venus represents women in general.  
Day by day the moon in the sky is busy setting up small happenings throughout each day and the planets in a chart that the moon is having major transits with tells us with whom or what are we dealing with? What is the flavor of the day? The moon/mood of that day for me, is consistently about women and almost always involves one woman in particular: my mother.

 

Astrology

Everything is Transitory

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Many of the entries in this blog will be about Transits. Transits in astrology are the tracking of the planets (and points) above our head, what they are doing right now, what position they are in (sign) and what geometric angle or what relationship they are having to, not only the other planets in the sky but our own natal charts as well. I have never been one of those astrologers who checked their transits religiously in fact, I almost never check my transits at all! The short answer to why would be sheer laziness on my part. There have been times in my life when some happening had me running for my ephemeris (the big book of planetary movements) for answers to: “What the hell was that?” after it’s passing left me bleeding in the street. Anyway, after some time in this field of study I have just acquired enough experience that I can pretty much tell what kind of transit I am having by the flavor of it, the signature traits are just there and soon recognized as a familiar pattern. This usually applies only to the really big transits, the ones from the powerful outer planets (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) as they make themselves known pretty fast, loud and long. However, with this blog I will be moving into a new territory on my map, requiring me to monitor more closely some of the smaller, faster planetary movements and the effect they have on me and consequently, all of us. This will be a fun learning experience for me. (Spoken like a true Gemini rising) 
One “planet” I am starting to gain some new feeling of movement from is the Moon. (Yes, we astrologers know that the Moon is not a planet but in astrology the Sun and Moon are called planets) The Moon moves very fast and it’s effects on people are likewise fleeting. However it can make a big difference in a day, one day in our lives. A lot can happen in a day can’t it? The Moon can act like a trigger to a larger transit gun that is pointed straight at your life. BOOM! Even if the pieces take weeks, months or even years to sort themselves out, the Moon by it’s movement will make this particular day your day of reckoning by adding it’s energy to the Neptune or Pluto transit already in the works. 
When we don’t have major transits sitting on us or in our natal charts, times are quieter. Then the Moon is a daily barometer of every day life. What kind of day did I have today? How did I feel? How did everyone around me feel? What is the mood out there anyway? The sign the moon is in and where it sits in my chart and yours will tell us that. Tomorrow it will all be different…after all, tomorrow is another day!