Friday, June 26, 2015

June 24 - Jul 01 sun signs



June 24 - Jul 01


This week sees no serious movements in the heavens, so I will discuss the Mars Ingress into Cancer June 24, 2015, 11:32:53 pm Geelong Victoria Australia. The blowup which has happened for many people over the past few weeks has been about communication, information, and short trips, but will take on a more personal and sensitive twist and be revisited in a couple of weeks. Be prepared for misunderstanding and bitterness to become more personal as Mercury conjoins Mars in Cancer.




The Venus/Jupiter conjunction which happens in Leo early next week, July 1, 2015 5:50:46 pm. Venus and Jupiter are the two brightest planets in the heavens and they make quite a spectacle in the evening sky together! Go out and have a look one evening, (especially if you are a Leo) these are the two planets which usually make us feel good about ourselves.


The moon is waxing to full this week, so seeing our labours bearing fruit is a big part of this cycle.


Aries- While sensitivity will annoy you for the next month or so, a period will exist in the middle of this week where sensitivity is not so bad. Be prepared for your opinion to change back again as the week progresses.


Taurus- Enhance the sensitive soul this week for a better perspective on an otherwise irritating week. Judgement will seem harsh for a while yet. Being oblivious to it will help, but it will not get to the root cause.


Gemini- While this week starts with sensitive folk being helpful, as the week progresses the shine wears off. You are still a chatterbox, and you are still going to make progress on your goals, it just does not feel as good.


Cancer-The week begins with tension, but make use of the ease that follows it for reinforcement rather than just resting. This will make the coming difficulty easier to deal with. Be careful not to let anger take control this week.


Leo- What seems helpful becomes tense and then it all gets easier, use that ease to your benefit. You feel like you can do no wrong at the moment, use it-it will not last forever. If familiarity has bred contempt, a more objective look might be useful.


Virgo-Helpfulness is your key for making lemonade out of lemons this week. Expect help from unexpected sources.


Libra-The week starts off looking promising but ends up being more of the same. There is help coming from expected sources this week. Use your ease of communication to your advantage.


Scorpio- Things seem “righter” than they have for a while, and helpfulness becomes something you can do later in the week. Concentrate on the big picture and do not let minute details or petty feelings grind you into the dust.


Sagittarius- It is hard to win an argument this week, but taking into account the perspective of your opponent helps. The last part of the week feels better than the first and your luck still holds.





Capricorn- Things start out difficult this week but end up alright. The big picture is always your friend, and allies are hard to come by at the moment. There is always some joy in seeing the perspective of another, but it is hard going at the moment.


Aquarius- Leave things go for the first several days of this week, then ease yourself into a helpful position for a couple of days. There is benefit to seeing the opposite point of view.


Pisces- Winning debates was never your strong suit, though you can expect help from unusual sources at the moment. Do not rest upon your laurels, build yourself up while you can. Life will continue to leave you feeling a bit out of sorts for a while yet.

June 17-24 Sun Sign....

I am a bit late with this week's sun sign, but I have a couple in reserve.... what I am doing is a major reshape of Musical Harmonics to make the aspects experienced by Venus and Mercury more consistent with how other aspects are calculated.... more on that as I get the work up to speed then revamp the website...in the meantime , here are the sun sign columns that I have missed.....

June 17-June 24....Cancer ingress June 22
The Cancer ingress (June 22, 2:33:53 AEST) was chosen for the launch of my Sun Sign column because it contains many elements personal to me and to Musical Harmonics, my Astrological system. The ingress itself has Moon sextile Sun, Mercury and Venus at musical octave intervals with the Sun, and Mars conjunct Sun, so it is a very good starting place having lots if beginning energy and the two octave intervals by which Musical Harmonics is defined. As a sun sign column, each and every planet has its own bearing on the sign, and that will be my focus, though I will introduce each week with some ingress or other piece if Astronomical/ Astrological trivia.
This ingress sees a waxing sextile (crescent) Moon, Mercury as morning star and at 22.5 degrees from the Sun, so it is visible in the morning (Mercury can turn as little as 18 degrees from the Sun and as much as 29 degrees); Venus is visible in the evening and at just under 45 degrees from the Sun in the other direction! (Venus always turns around the 46 degree mark from the Sun); Mars currently rises with the Sun, and will not be seen on its own until early August, at which time he will be seen in the morning; Jupiter is currently visible in the evening, a little further out than Venus at the moment and Venus will go retrograde (in front of the Sun) before Jupiter catches it up; Saturn is currently retrograde in motion (appears to move backwards to us), but is visible at night and will remain so until it moves forward and joins the Sun. Uranus is still in Aries, Neptune is still in Pisces, and Pluto is still in Capricorn; all three are separating from the Sun and would be visible in the morning if we could see them.
This ingress of the Sun is followed in short order by an ingress of Mars into Cancer later that same day. Mars in Cancer is a mixed blessing as the aggressive nature of Mars stirs up the water of Cancer, but martial aggression is not a natural energy in water. Interesting times ensue.
In my home of Geelong, the (helpful) sextile between Sun and Moon is exactly bisected by the MC/IC axis and the Ascendant of this chart makes a Sextile with the Sun and Trine with the Moon; all up very good aspects for beginning a venture. Remember that this ingress marks the winter solstice, and the future gets brighter from here!

Aries- What has seemed like assistance now comes with emotional baggage late this week. Good things happen for you when you take people for what they are rather than making them fit your mould. Remembering to work with sensitivity rather than against it will help.

Taurus- The time for battling it out in your own ends this week with some assistance coming from a sensitive source. Be prepared for some challenges though, as not everything is a rosy as it looks. Learn to find challenge in an opposing point of view.

Gemini- Assistance is one thing, but familiarity can breed contempt, but it stops towards the end of this week for a while. Although this looks tragic it can feel strangely comfortable if you let it.

Cancer- The sense of being “all alone” ends at the end of this week. It has felt as if the world is in love with its own voice and just cannot help itself. More sensitive voices begin to be heard this week, and you will find strength in emotional security.

Leo- While assistance will seem to stop in one sense, there are several other ways in which it keeps going. Life feels like it is on a winning streak this week, so keep it going. Helpfulness is a key energy for you.

Virgo- Relentless chatter will seem more useful by the end of this week, though it is still annoying. Go with it, it is useful as well as irritating. By the end of this week you will feel much more in control than you have until now.

Libra- What has been useful information will become a source of mild irritation later in this week. Stay with it a little longer, but be prepared for a change. Finding a useful context for conflict will be helpful this week.

Scorpio- Things are looking up towards the end of the week, with some real relief coming from the “lack of clarity” that has plagued you these last few weeks. Look for security in more sensitive sources by the end of this week.

Sagittarius- The time for information overload is drawing to a close. Find security in the things you know well for a while, as other things make little sense. Regroup for a little while.

Capricorn- The time for being on your own is finished but it is time now to learn from the adversity that you now face. The tendency to be in control needs to be kept in check at the moment, other people do not appreciate it.

Aquarius- If you have not used the ease of the last month to regenerate and renew yourself, the time is fast drawing to a close. By the end of the week you will a harder time of it, and you will need to win more debates to maintain your edge.

Pisces- Things will get easier as the week progresses, and if you turn adversity to your advantage you will reap the benefits. Do not be lulled into a sense of idleness this month, use the time to rebuild and regenerate. Life has been a struggle. Relax a little and rebuild. 

Monday, June 15, 2015

June 10-June 17, Mercury, Neptune and Saturn

Three major events occur this week as Mercury goes direct, Neptune goes retrograde, and Saturn pulls back into Scorpio.

Let us deal with Mercury Direct first. Mercury begins its forward movement again on June 12 2015. This basically means that parallax has finished its magic and Mercury resumes forward motion, but this time from its Morning Star mode in lower ecliptic longitude than the Sun. Mercury changes course at about 4° gemini while the Sun stays steady at about 20° gemini. Of course, Mercury has to build up speed slowly until June 25 when he reaches his maximum elongation. For all of that time (Jun 12- 25) Mercury is still moving slower than the Sun and is still capable of playing his “misunderstanding” game. Whenever Mercury us on the near side of the Sun he is capable of playing his tricks. While he appears to move away from and slower than the Sun it is more likely to be a misinterpretation of valid data that brings us undone. Misinformation per se was more likely to occur as Mercury appeared to move toward the Sun (May 7 - 31).

So we are not out of the woods yet as far as Mercury is concerned!

Now for neptune….Neptune goes retrograde in Pisces this week, but what does that mean? What does it actually mean when Mercury goes retrograde for that matter? 

We orbit the Sun at a fairly even pace (1° per day give or take a bit). So does everything else orbit the sun at different rates. Mercury and Venus are closer to the Sun than we are, therefore they go between us and the Sun on a fairly regular basis (3 times or more per year for Mercury, about once in 18 months or so for Venus as we keep closer to Venus’ pace). The rest of the planets (Mars through Pluto) travel further out from the Sun than us, therefore they only conjoin the Sun when they are on the other side of it. When they are on the near side, they oppose the Sun from our perspective. For inner planets like Mercury and Venus, maximum elongation is as far as they can visibly go from the Sun and retrograde motion happens as they move between us and the Sun. For outer Planets like Neptune, the square transit happens when they are visibly as far from the Sun as we can see them, and retrograde motion occurs when we make our pass between them and the Sun. This outer planet retrograde is made a little more confusing when you consider that the nearer an outer planet is, the less time it spends in retrograde transit, but that is a story for another day.

To map the cycle of Neptune, it was on the far side when it was conjunct to the Sun on Feb 26 at 7°15’ of Pisces, it goes retrograde this week at 9°49’ of Pisces, (it went retrograde last year at 7°35’ of Pisces) it opposes the Sun on September 1 at 8°24’ of Pisces and it goes direct again November 19 at 7°01’ (previous Neptune Direct was 4°47’) of Pisces and it conjoins the Sun again early on Feb 29 next year at 9°29’ of Pisces having advanced 2°14’ since its last conjunction and gone backwards 2°48’ in the same cycle!. However when comparing like figures with like figures a steady progress of 2°14’ becomes visible, and any discrepancy is seen as a variance in earth’s movement rather than a variance in Neptune’s orbit.

So it goes retrograde this week in Pisces. With outer planets (Uranus,Neptune, and Pluto) I tend to discount their retrograde status because they are far enough away that they are retrograde a lot of the time (June12-Nov 19-over 5 months) and their presence in the sign that they inhabit (Pisces for many years yet with Neptune) gives their flavour to that sign for the duration. Also the three outer planets cross the same degree of the Zodiac many times before they move on, adding gravity to their transits of specific degrees. To work out whether that degree is affected in your chart requires having an Astrologer cast a chart for you. If you have the right details (date,  TIME, and place of birth) astro.com can erect a free chart for you. A useable chart can be erected for midday if you do not have a time. 

Neptune goes retrograde a 9° 49’ of Pisces this week and it goes direct again at 7° 1’ of Pisces in November, so anything between 6 and 11 degrees of Pisces, Cancer, or Scorpio is under Neptune’s “image is everything” spotlight. Neptune is predominantly image focussed rather than reality focussed. This means that under Neptune’s influence we can be oblivious to details where our image is concerned.

Saturn returns to Scorpio for a little while this week. It turns Direct at 28°16’ of Scorpio on Aug 2 this year, and it returns to Sagittarius for good on September18 later this year. Saturn provides much needed structure for the water signs (Scorpio, Cancer and Pisces) who are under a long-standing Neptune transit, so they had best make use of it while it is still available. Use the Scorpio transit of Saturn to ground those pesky details for the high-flying plans (Neptune) that you have. Mercury and Mars can also be good for that, so there is always hope, but you are wise to make use of Saturn while you have him. Saturn in Scorpio can as easily be a drag if you let it (death, destruction, accountability) so why not use it to your benefit? We are the sum total of the choices we make, and Saturn likes to remind us of those, so make wise choices!

I will write a paper about planetary cycles and put it permanently on my website shortly because this topic is likely to come up many times in the future and I do not want to spend the rest of my life repeating myself.

I will do sun-signs in a separate post this week.




Tuesday, June 09, 2015

Venus enters Leo




On June 6, Venus enters Leo and it continues to pull away from the sun, but more slowly. It actually reaches its maximum elongation sometime on June 7th and from then heads back towards the Sun. Venus is very bright in the evening sky at the moment, and Jupiter can be seen a little further from the Sun.

Of course, Venus is still moving forwards, it is just that the Sun is moving forwards faster than Venus now. Eventually Venus will go retrograde which happens when parallax takes over and Venus appears to move backwards across the face of the Sun.

I view Venus at this elongation to be equivalent to an opposition transit. At this time, people with strong Leo in their charts should be feeling suddenly refreshed, almost as though a piece of the puzzle has fallen into place, and what has been a pretty good ride until now has gone into overdrive. Those with a prominent Leo will feel on top of the world until Saturn reaches Scorpio next week. 

Taureans and Librans will become more assertive under the Venus in Leo transit. 

Aries- Helpfulness will still win the day for our Ram, though some active conflict turns quiet which makes his world calmer if nothing else. Things look better than they are,so be careful, they also look better at the start of this week than the end.

Taurus- Remember that adversity is what we are here for and your attempts to help may be interpreted as conflict. Helpfulness will be a key energy of yours as you assert yourself. You will be putting yourself out there a lot more than is comfortable. Get used to it.

Gemini- Putting your foot in your mouth has been the order of the day, and will be until Mercury goes direct. Help is coming from self assured sources later in the week, and your best emotional efforts fall largely on deaf ears. Creative solutions are still good for you, but get used to going through all of your modes really quickly as Mercury pulls away from the Sun on the helpful evening side.

Cancer- The feeling like you are out on your own feels stronger this week as Venus says goodbye and joins Leo. You can still offer emotional support, and that becomes important later in the week.

Leo- The feeling that you can do no wrong is increased this week as Venus joins your cause. This will last until Saturn makes its way into Scorpio later in the month. Now is the time to make the most of positive perspectives! Make your plans and see them come to pass.

Virgo- Have you ever felt like you just cannot win? As Venus goes into Leo even things that looked OK on the surface appear to be taken away from you! It will be a while before things change much, so it is better to see adversity as something that makes us stronger rather than just giving up!

Libra- Mercury’s retrograde transit appears to be working to your benefit. It helps more when Venus enters Leo and you get to shine a little brighter! Make the most of good times while they last! Emotionally, you can be more useful than you think.

Scorpio- The feeling like you are all alone in the world increases as you feel cut off even by people who were just leaving you alone anyway. Saturn will bring some much needed order to your world in another week. Emotionally, you can be helpful to others this week.

Sagittarius- With Venus’ slide into Leo, you are starting to feel like you can do no wrong. Be careful of overconfidence, Saturn is still in your house, and Mars is opposing it along with Mercury Retro so you can slip up more easily than you think.

Capricorn- Being mindful of life’s bigger picture is what is getting you through this time of “not very much happening”. Helping others is what you are best at this week.

Aquarius- Feeling a little more positive this week as more things go your way. Seeing the other point of view will help you a lot here. Being a positive influence will not help as much as it should this week.


Pisces- “Being where the conflict is not” will be a key energy this week, and seeing obstacles as things to be overcome rather than being victimised by them will help a lot. You can be more help than you might otherwise feel this week.

Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Sun Sign Column


Mercury conjoins the Sun on the 31st while it is in retrograde transit, so it is about to explode with aspects as it makes its way out to its maximum elongation. Venus is at her maximum stretch at the moment, but is still heading slowly out from the Sun. She is at an octave or opposition relationship with the Sun at the moment. Those unfamiliar with Musical Harmonics will be unaware that I make a full set of aspects for Mercury and Venus with regard to the Sun by working with their maximum elongations.

These sun sign columns are a trial, to see if I can find a voice for myself in the Sun sign world. Using ancient sign relationships, it should be possible to give meaningful but general advice to everyone. (More refined advice comes from a birth chart and solar return charts etc. which I still prefer.) 

I will endeavour to put these up a week in advance and see how they go. For the moment I am using AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time) I may move to GMT at some point.

Anyway Enjoy!!

PS..It took me several days to navigate Blogspot with my new computer, sorry about that!!

Aries- Currently feeling helped along by life in general, the major stumbling blocks are in the love life at the moment. Taking notice of the other point of view might help. Emotionally, you will feel better towards the end of the week. Take a moment to regroup rather than just relax.

Taurus- Some help is feeling very valuable in a world which seems mostly unfriendly at the moment. You can make complete sense of situations where others see conflict. Emotionally life is better at the beginning of the week. Conflict will be resolved by looking at the other point of view.

Gemini- You are really feeling this retrograde transit of Mercury with people getting the message wrong (or getting the wrong message!). Conflict is hard to avoid, but clear communication helps. Hang in there. Emotionally your week has a bright spot, but is otherwise lacklustre.

Cancer- While nobody is immune from retrograde Mercury, it has been less personal for you. People still think you can do no wrong, which is useful but not enduring. See it for what it is rather than what you want it to be. Helpfulness gives way to tension which in turn gives way to rest…use the rest to your advantage, you will need it in the coming weeks.

Leo- The feeling like you can do no wrong will  increase in another week or two. Seeing another point of view is essential. The week starts off emotionally dry, but it heats up during the week to leave you exhausted by the weeks end.

Virgo- Remember that difficulty is what we are born for and Virgo has more than its fair share of difficulty at at the moment. Think of the stories you will be able to tell rather than the details which will drive you to distraction. Your emotional week starts off better than it finishes.

Libra- Try to resist the urge to rest on your laurels at the moment, use the time to your advantage as the day is coming when you will need it. Try to be of use where you can. Remember that difficulty is actually your friend. Your week may end more happily than you expect.

Scorpio- Life is happening around you at the moment and the temptation to do nothing is strong regroup and get ready for Saturn to come back into your sign for a brief (but nevertheless telling) visit. Emotionally, you will feel intense in the middle of the week, otherwise you wont feel much at all.

Sagittarius- Being in charge and in control has a good feeling about it. Watching everyone else’s chaos has its merits, but so does lending a hand where it is required. A helping hand will be required of you this week as your clear sight  will be required.

Capricorn- Being somewhat out of sorts is not your natural way to be, seeing the other point of view will help. Seeing difficulty is one thing, offering help is a better thing. There will be better times to get more directly involved.

Aquarius- Your tendency to stay out of personal disputes is admirable. Being a benign help is a better thing than just being an observer. Make use of Saturn (rules and control) wile it is still in Sagittarius, once it gets to Scorpio it is a problem for you. 


Pisces- Your ability to make trouble where it did not previously exist stays with you for the moment. Realise that difficulty makes life interesting. Emotionally there is a brightspot midweek but mostly your success will require seeing alternative points of view.