Decans Horoscope Column

One of my current ventures involves writing a monthly horoscope column for the www.totally4women.com website; however, it is a horoscope column with a difference.  Instead of focussing on the typical forecasts for the 12 signs of the zodiac (which I have been doing in various places for the past 23 years), this time I am writing about the zodiacal decans ("You what?"  - I hear you say!  Bear with me...).  I am referring to the divisions of each of the zodiac signs, into three, separate sections, which cover a specific time span in the calendar months and which are each ruled by a different planet.  So if you were born - or know someone else who was born - in the first week of May, for example, chances are you or they are a 'Second Decan' Taurean.  And that means something different, astrologically, than whatever you already know about Taurus.  As it happens, the sign of Taurus is the focal point of the latest piece, which has just been published at this fun and fascinating women's website: http://www.totally4women.com/2013/04/21/what-the-stars-say-taurus-horoscope/.

 
You can also find information at T4W about the Decans in general, as they relate to every zodiac sign and the information for previous signs already published, including Aquarius, Pisces and Aries: http://www.totally4women.com/life/what-the-stars-say-zodiac/.


Celestially Yours

 

Venus Pluto Aspects - Pluto Stationary Retrograde

With Pluto shortly about to reach a station and then turn to retrograde motion, at around 11 degrees of the zodiac sign of Capricorn, it is no surprise  to have lately heard from quite a few people with strong Plutonic connections in the birth chart.  In particular, I am hearing about relationship problems and, in several cases, the people concerned have a powerful Venus-Pluto aspect in the chart. 

The word  ‘aspect’, is our technical term in astrology for a specific kind of angular connection, from the visual mathematics of geometry.  It is also a term used by estate agents to describe the views from windows in the rooms in properties that they show.  The term has a common ground here, because when we talk about planetary aspects we are describing the way in which planets seem to look out at one another.

Astrologers sometimes talk about “hard” and “easy” aspects.  In the first case we usually mean squares (planets 90 degrees apart) and oppositions (180 degrees apart) – and sometimes conjunctions, which describe when planets are right next to one another, or in the exact same place.  Easy aspects are trines (planets 120 degrees apart) and sextiles (60 degrees apart).

The difficult Venus-Pluto aspects are the ones I think of as particularly powerful in a chart, in that they seem to be hard to live with at times.  Therefore the person concerned experiences any current planetary connections to their Venus-Pluto aspect very intensely – and perhaps not least of all because Pluto itself seems linked to rather intense energy!

I sometimes find it a good analogy to personalise the planets as characters.  So, if you can imagine Pluto interacting with Venus, here we have a bit of a bully, prepared to do almost anything, even if it is underhand or illegal, in order to have his own way (Pluto).  This manipulative, forceful and sometimes deceitful energy is strongly drawn to attractive, lush, sensual Venus.  In Tarot Venus is linked with the Empress and so contains the qualities of nurturing, support and kindness.  In astrology Venus takes a variety of forms, depending upon which sign she resides in, at the time.  She can be anything from soft and gentle to alluring and seductive.  For Pluto it is fairly simple: he just wants all that Venus can give and will try any trick in the book to get it.

Some say that  Pluto – whose character equivalent in Greek mythology is Hades – is not all bad, but there is little doubt that he is tricky.  And for any Venusian person caught up in a relationship with a Plutonic kind of personality, it is frequently not an easy ride.  Therefore, Venusian people may need their wits about them as Pluto changes direction, to spot when they may be falling for some trick, drawn in almost magnetically by an energy field that feels somehow “wrong” or uncomfortable, or unwittingly under some kind of attack.

As for the Pluto personality, the key to freedom from any destructive or miserable cycle is to realise – or remember – that you can have what you want, or close to it, but you don’t have to go to extremes to get it.  Sometimes the cause of Pluto’s ongoing discontent is a growing sense of jealousy, which registers painfully in the body – but the pain is caused by the mind.  The jealousy comes, perhaps, from an internal dialogue of comparison, which pits others as “up there” and “better” in some way.  They seem to have what the Pluto person wants and which feels out of reach.  But is it really out of reach?  Probably not.  This child comes into life with blessings and gifts, also, but maybe not the right conditions and opportunities for them to blossom in the usual way or time span.  The key to true happiness for the Pluto personality is to work from the roots up, creating the right conditions – not trying to artificially pinch them from the outside and paste them into place.  They will become dislodged too easily that way and it will take a lot of energy to keep them there!  But what grows from the roots up can be lasting and beautiful – it just needs time and the right care and attention.

Ironically, both characters need the  same thing when Venus and Pluto are challenged astrologically – to turn towards greater self-care and let the love and healing take place on the inside.

©Diana McMahon Collis 11 April 2013
Image of Woman in Venus Mask © Boguslavovna | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

Tarot Numbers - Sixes

Today, the seasons are transitioning - and in the UK this is more marked right now than at the Spring Equinox itself, as our clocks have "gone back" and the evenings are visibly lighter for longer.  So I want to talk about a transition number in the tarot.  It is number Six.  Firstly, the previous number, Five, reminds me of being on a see-saw.  It represents a midway point in the Minor Arcana of the tarot; a point from which we can roll back, stay static or move forward, possibly in a new direction.

Six is the actual step forward.  Six is when we have the impetus, or sense of safety, or feeling of a 'green light', which is telling us and showing us that we can go ahead.  So if Sixes come up in your reading for yourself or another, it means some forward movement is on the way and that, generally, it will be good.  This is perhaps most obvious with the Six of Wands, one of the keywords for which is 'victory'.  Or with the Six of Swords, which indicates a journey to a safer place, usually after a period of stress, strife or difficulty.

Bearing in mind that the Six of Cups is often linked with the past - past places, past contacts, etc - does this hold true for that card?  Yes it does.  At least it does if you're seeing several Sixes in the reading and/or if other cards are pointing to forward motion and change - say The Chariot, The Fool or The Wheel, from the Major Arcana are showing up.  Or one or more Sixes appear in the spread of cards.  Then you can be fairly sure that this is the case.  The Six of Cups, in particular, may be saying that a connection with the past will help to pivot you forward to a new future.


The Six of Pentacles is an interesting card, because it suggests doing more financially and work-wise. I think it's a card that warns to consider the choice carefully because, whilst success may be promised, there can be the risk of overburdening. I use the Cosmic Tarot for some of my professional tarot readings and this is especially obvious in the imagery on that card - a man holds out his arms with the six Pentacles between them, rather like a juggler. If those arms go any wider he might find he drops one of the Pentacles! So it's a card about limits as well.

We can also sometimes think about the Six as an actual measure of time, of course. We may need to think about the unit of time - Six years, months, weeks, etc.  And as to whether the figure six runs from the current time or a past time.  In a recent client reading two Sixes appeared in the Celtic Cross tarot spread and, after discussing the client's life context a little, it became clear that the time period would be measured from when she had lost someone important in her life.  The Sixes here were showing a transition forward after a period of bereavement.

If you have experience of, thoughts on or questions about working with the Sixes in the tarot, I'd love to hear your comments, here on the blog!

For those who have been following this blog, it's been a while, I know. Celestial spot has been publicly quiet but only because Celestia has been hard at work 'in the ring', as it were! The desire to write is very powerful, though and I think the blog will soon have new life because of this. Posts may be a little shorter sometimes, but better a little than not at all, we figure - and hope you agree. We hope you enjoy the latest!  Happy Easter (or your favoured festival, at this time of the year) to all.

Celestially Yours

Retrograde Planets - Mercury, Venus and Mars

Did you experience a lot of grief around the recent spate of Mercury retrograde through Aries and Pisces?  That would have been from around 12th March to 4th April 2012.  I thought the cosmos was having a bit too much of a laugh when things went wrong with my computer, my mobile phone, our land line AND the TV!  If something to do with communication could go wrong, it did go wrong.  So I said prayers to the astral God of Communication (Mercury) - and, guess what, they slowly started to go right!

I really don't believe that the astrological deities are cruel though.  When Mercury is retrograde it pings those words starting with 're' - review, reverse, return....  I should have returned my mobile to Orange when it first started going wrong; it turns out it is still under warranty with Sony Ericsson and I was advised I could return it to the manufacturer to be fixed.  Nonetheless, I've been thinking about upgrading my mobile to a smart phone - time for a review!  As for the TV - well it needed retuning, of course, because of the digital upgrade.  And why did I feel it so keenly?  Well, the Sun in my chart is in a sign that Mercury rules (with the idea of the planets as 'deities', they 'rule' over certain domains in the chart...in this case the domain of Virgo).

Not all that occurs in relation to retrograde planets is painful, though, particularly at the point where they change direction and go forward again!.  A client had several things go right for them soon after Mars recently turned direct - around 14th April 2012.  Why, especially would that matter for them, though, when their Sun sign has not much to do with Mars or Virgo, the sign it was in?  Well, my client's rising sign (aka the chart's Ascendant) is Aries and that is one of the signs that Mars traditionally rules.  So, if the zodiac on your chart's Ascendant - your 'rising sign' is governed by the planet that has gone retrograde (appearing to be backward in motion) or indeed direct (appearing to be forward in motion) you're probably going to feel it extra strongly.

The next big change of this nature that's coming up is Venus retrograde in Gemini, from around 15th May to 27th June 2012.  So, yes, Sun Geminis will feel it, as will those people with other personal planets or their rising sign in Gemini.  But anyone with a Venusian planet rising will likely feel it too - that is, if the sign of Taurus or Libra was in the Ascendant at your time of birth.  Ditto for anyone with the Sun, Moon or personal planet such as Mercury, Venus or Mars in Taurus or Libra in their birth chart.

Questions or comments? Let us know....!

Celestially yours,

Twelfth House Planets

Twelfth house planets are a bit of a mystery.  There are various theories about what this house really means.  The old astrology books talk about this - the 12th house - as the house of downfall.  When I was learning astrology my tutors sometimes described planets placed here as representing things or people lost to you - or lost to the person whose chart we were looking at.  The twelfth/12th house has also been labelled the house of dreams.   To an extent all of this rings true to me.  Perhaps most of all, though, this resonates for me as one of the houses of secrets in the birth chart. 

Everyone has a few secrets and if astrology can hint at them, it is usually thought to do so through three particular houses in the chart: the 4th, 8th and 12th houses.  The 4th house often relates to family secrets, the 8th house to financial and sexual secrets and the 12th house to secrets we even keep from ourselves.  You may want to think of it as the house of denial, because it is said to represent the unconscious mind and it is the contents of this part of the mind that we can often deny and ignore - those details only filtering through in dreams and passing thoughts, odd coincidences and so forth.

I think the 12th house is a bridge house - a house that really clearly sits at the edge of a doorway, the doorway to the Self, which arrives and shows itself more fully in the 1st house.  So, what happens when a planet is moving through the 12th house by transit - ie, when a planet currently in the sky is moving through the 12th house area in the birth chart?  I think that something so secret that it is virtually hidden from the self and the conscious mind may be trying to bubble through to the surface.  This may be especially appropriate if there was a planet already in the 12th house of the chart at the time of birth.  But it might be significant in the way I've described, even if that is not the case.

As an example, Venus transiting the 12th house might hint at a love affair or secret crush.  Maybe the person does not yet realise that they are very drawn to someone.  Or maybe they have a clue about an attraction but don't yet want to fully face it, because it would make their life very difficult (remember the theme of downfall!).  To some extent this may be a painful house, a battle ground area where the unconscious mind and conscious mind are trying to connect.  If you have a planet moving through this house over time, perhaps something that makes much more sense of feelings and intuitions will emerge when the planet enters into the 1st house.

It would be great to hear of your experiences of the twelfth house and planets therein, or planets transiting or progressing through this house!

Celestially yours....

What's the use of Astrology? - New Zealand Earthquake Chart Link

We are delighted to welcome guest blogger and fellow astrology colleague, Faye Cossar, who is based in the Netherlands.  Faye is originally from New Zealand, making the recent earthquake disaster very close to her heart.  Faye asks:


What's the use of Astrology?

A criticism often levelled at astrologers is "if you know so much, why didn't you predict this and warn people." This is a fair question and I wish this was possible. But it would mean having to study every minute of every day in every town, obviously an impossible task. And even if it was possible I'm not sure that having a warning would help in cases like this, unless we could say "at a particular time don't be anywhere near Christchurch". The huge amount of damage is inevitable - perhaps the earth has a mind of her own. In my view, astrology cannot predict an exact outcome, as the universe is very creative with its messages. It would be great if we could control things with our predictions, but we can't. Life is never 'under control' and we need to deal with that. I suspect that if it was, nothing would change. Pluto, who is often one of the culprits in disasters of this nature, wants transformation.


So what is the use of Astrology?

We astrologers are always being accused of predicting things after the event. But what any astrologer worth his salt is really doing by looking at charts after events like this, is two-fold. One is to try to find some meaning in the universe and the other is to add to our own knowledge of "how stuff works". Astrologers will give many reasons for events like this, based on their favourite techniques. For me, I am looking for something exact at that location. There are many heavy things with the planets in the air at present and these energies will be a backdrop.


This blog contribution consists of excerpts from a larger article on the astrology of New Zealand and the recent 22 February 2011 earthquake disaster; please follow the link below to Faye's Pisces 2011 newsletter newsletter, which features the New Zealand chart and an interesting astrological analysis.

http://www.juxtaposition.nl/newsletter/2011pisces_text.html
 
Faye's web site, where you can subscribe to the newsletter, is at:
 
http://www.juxtaposition.nl/ezine.html

She also has a blog at:

http://juxtaheartandsoul.blogspot.com/
 
With thanks to Faye for allowing Celestial Spot to feature her work.
 
Celestia
 
For individual, emailed readings from the UK visit : http://mindbliss.co.uk

The Hand of Fate & Destiny, Friendship & your True Self

When it comes to the hands of fate, destiny and friendship, which of these do we accept the most readily?

Friendship means a lot, but we have to work out if we trust people. There are also times when it seems impossible to discuss certain issues with friends or other people that we are close to. At such times people will often turn to an outside, trusted source of wisdom and someone who can hear about their situation, or reflect it to them in some way that is meaningful. I think this is often where ‘psychic’ readings and other divinations come in.

As for the ideas around fate and destiny, sometimes people use these words fate and destiny interchangeably. However, to me, the word destiny has tended to always carry the idea of something self-created, whilst the word fate seems to suggest the idea of a sealed fate that no amount of human intervention can alter.

In this model, destiny is in our own hands, whilst fate is something eked out upon us, something we have to endure or, at best, a set of results we have to discover – as though we have no option about where we go or what we do. Perhaps it doesn’t really matter how we view it. The question still hangs in the air – are we victims of circumstance in the situations we encounter or do we create our own lives through our choices?

This is a question I remember first thinking about in depth as a teenager, studying English literature in college. We were looking at Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles and one of the exam questions centred precisely on this subject. Tess, the central character, appeared to be lucky in some ways and unlucky in others. Was her sorry situation all her own doing or were others to blame?

I did not have a strong opinion about it at the time, although now I think that Tess was sometimes too proud. But she tried to keep to her principles and some would admire her for that. Either way, whether we see ourselves as victims, whether we our own worst enemies and whether we choose the hard path in life are all worth considering. Because there are always choices; sometimes we just don’t see them. Not without some help, anyway.

Think about a situation in your life now, especially one you are not too happy with. Ask yourself: are we victims of circumstances or do we have a hand in our own fate? Maybe you will have some feelings coming up as you consider this.

Interestingly, this is also a question that often appears in the context of giving and receiving Astrology, Tarot and Angel card readings. These are basically private, person-to-person, soul focussed readings, designed to put a person in touch with their true, inner Self. My belief is that this inner Self is a part of us (or may even consist of several parts!) that can get overlooked or repressed in various situations. I find that the tools in these readings act like witnesses and advisors. Tarot and Astrology never lie and Angel energy adds a strong sense of protection.

There are times when the true Self gets closed down – when the mores of society or the limitations of our personal circumstances don’t allow us to say what we really think and feel. Indeed, sometimes we can’t even feel what we really do feel, we go numb for a while, which can lead to feeling depressed or disoriented, tired or heavy. When we have a chance to acknowledge feelings, then these symptoms of dis-ease lift. The relationship between a trusted reader and the person seeking the reading (the client or querent) is in my opinion sacred because it allows for a person to explore their truth and thereby to contact their true Self in a safe environment. This is one of the reasons why readings ‘work’ for people. So, when clients come asking me “what is going to happen in my future?” I often go into their reading with the question in my mind: ‘well, what do you want to happen in your future?’ – because I don’t see it as cast in stone and fated. I see the reading as an opportunity to explore the paths ahead and for the client to discover more about what he thinks and feels, as an individual person. For therein lies some freedom, power and a chance to choose and create more of his/her own destiny.