Category Archives: Astrology

Angels in the Mist

Astrology, Tarot, , , , , ,

The book that caught my attention this month is reviewed here.

By the way, you may like to check out Siobhan’s Mirror run by the fabulous Siobhan Rene. Among a lot of other things, she publishes a monthly tarotscopes page. 12 pro readers are invited to contribute. For the past few months I have been guesting there. This month I did a spread for Libra.

And other news: this blog has been named in the top 75 Tarot blogs. Take a look here There are some highly accomplished readers and authors on the list including but not limited to: The Tarot Lady, the splendid Theresa Reed, the amazing Benebell Wen, and the legendary Mary K Greer. Again, that page is here.

Many of the readers are also networked through the incredible Tarot School, run by tarot experts Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone out of New York

And so to Pisces … the element is water, the mode is mutable.

The eight, nine, ten of cups correspond with the three decans of Pisces. Each decan is a ten day period (flexible).

 The Lord of Abandoned Success

Saturn in Pisces.

But don’t be discouraged if you connect here. With Jupiter having general rulership of the sign (Neptune too) there is bound to be a dreamy tussle.

A number of high achievers have birthdays falling in this misty moment. From Steve Jobs to Anais Nin to Kenneth Williams. And they seemed to do alright!

 

Then comes expansive Jupiter in Pisces with celebration. The party monster of the deck aka The Lord of (with the word “Material” sometimes included in the title) Happiness.

Wild ravers born here include the late British Astronomer Royal, Sir Patrick Moore, the giant Russian intellect and esotericist P D Ouspensky and the great exponent of melancholy baroque Antonio Vivaldi.

So it’s not all cakes and ale. Not all the time anyway.

 

The Lord of Perfected Success

But there is martial energy here boiling and bubbling in the final phase of imaginative mutable water. It’s Mars that rules this decan. We end the cycle of the year here with Mars, but we meet Mars again in the very next decan, the first of spring (northern hemisphere). Why so?

Because 5 x 7 = 35 (5 sequences of the 7 planets of the ancient world. In this order Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon)

And 12 x 3 = 36 (12 signs each with 3 decans)

Striving dreamers born here include: Michaelangelo, James Taylor, Liza Minneli.

Outside the Box

Astrology, Tarot, Uncategorized, , , , ,

The book this month is The Only Way to Learn Astrology and it’s reviewed here.

Aquarius is an air sign. Where cardinal Libra can sometimes be dogmatic, where darting, mutable Gemini can chase every new shinny thought. Aquarius in fixed mode, can hold, investigate any paradigm and catch the emerging trend.

When the Sun moves into Aquarius expect the unexpected. Questions arise…

Aquarius, rules The Star card, and has in turn two planetary rulers. They are Saturn and Uranus. Saturn was featured in last month’s blog. Uranus delivers all that is random, chaotic, revolutionary. Revolving on a horizontal axis, this planet often brings progress through disruption.

Is that star quality? A bit of scientific but unconventional thinking. Inspiration that serves the community but is also free-spirited. Another thought, here.

The Goddess Nuit, great creatrix in the heavens, pours heavenly waters from inexhaustible vessels.

Venus in Aquarius – The Lord of Defeat.

Looks like a scene after a dust-up, doesn’t it? A disagreement became a conflict, which then involved violent use of weapons.

This card has a theatre reference in the picture. See the horizontal line behind the figure in the distance? It indicates a front-cloth. And the actors are playing a scene downstage of it. If the cloth were to fly out we’d see that we’re really in the great theatre of life. And then what?

What if we could resolve our disputes with a bit of storytelling. Some acting, even?

Mercury in Aquarius – The Lord of Earned Victory

The very middle of the sign. The second decan (period of ten days).

Journeys. Back and forth between realms. Exchange of information. The Planet Mercury facilitates travel, and therefore new understanding, reception of new influence. What is the victory and how difficult was it to earn it?

In life’s struggle which victories are the ones worth striving for? And what about the great journey that everyone who ever lived or ever shall, has already or must one day, take? As Tolstoy said, “… the truth of that, each of us will very soon know.”

Pamela Coleman-Smith who painted the pictures in this deck, worked as a theatrical designer.

The Moon in Aquarius – The Lord of Unstable Effort

The trickster tip-toes away from the encampment. Is this stealth to avert the discovery of a theft? Or is the trickster simply reclaiming a neglected debt? And what time of day is it, is this enterprise observed? If so by whom?

See that horizontal line? Theatre reference again?

“… that this huge stage presenteth naught but shows, whereon the stars in secret influence, comment.”

Shakespeare, sonnet 15.

 

 

Sex, Death and Taxes

Astrology, Tarot, , , , , , ,

It’s that time of year when the veil is thin.

The Death card rules Scorpio see thought maj13on this card here.

I am guest writer of tarot scopes. It’s an interestingly eclectic group of reader-writers. Check them out over at Siobhan’s Mirror.

Take a look at this month’s book review, here.

cups14

 

 

Meanwhile with the Sun now well ensconced in Scorpio, the realm of sex, death and taxes (2 of these 3 being inevitable, the third depending on other factors). If need be, deploy The King of Cups. He is the charmer of the deck.

 

 

cups05

The Five of Cups is Mars in Scorpio. Some intensity here, no doubt. And something has been lost, but 40% of the resources remain, can the cloaked figure find the strength to go forward?

Mars, of course is co-ruler of Scorpio, sharing that office with Pluto (discovered in 1930) and currently demoted from planetary status by the astronomers.

Does Mars express here the beserker rage of an uncouth thug? More likely the elevated warrior codes of say John Carter as described by Edgar Rice Burroughs in his martian novels.

 

cups06

The Six of Cups corresponds to the Sun itself in Scorpio. Of all the signs Scorpio is the most constant in friendship. Just one rule; never cross them.

Intensity, perception, courage are some of the Scorpionic virtues. Also, depth, loyalty and passion.

Oh, and even though this image deals with youthful or filial friendship, people with planets in this sign are frequently well along the sexier side of the spectrum.

 

cups07

The Seven of Cups, Venus in Scorpio, called the Lord of Illusory Success by the esotericists, shows the image (and the price) of falling in love with the wrong dreams.

Venus seeks harmony, peace, beauty. In Scorpio the longing for the beloved can turn a touch obsessive.

 

A Balancing Act

Astrology, Tarot, , , , , , ,

The Sun is in Libra. Below is the major arcana card that corresponds, meanwhile, and it seems appropriately Libran, this month I am beginning my own personal archive of brief book reviews here.

justice1

 

Justice

While on the one hand … yes, but have you considered … let’s look at it another way …

Nothing if not even handed, fair minded, able to see this side and that, Librans are the diplomats of the zodiac, and the idealists.

Yes, and Justice is not Judgement.

And here are the minor arcana correspondences:

swords02

 

The Moon in Libra.

1st decan September 21st to 30th.

There’s a decision to be made. Are all the facts in, how impartial is your judgement? Tiresias was the blind seer who knows the truth but sometimes wishes he did not.  Can you see more when you close your eyes?

th

Saturn in Libra.

2nd decan, 1st October to 10th.

There’s no way to say this image isn’t challenging.

But maybe there can be breakthrough work here? The insight of the head pierces the compassion of the heart. You need both, right?

 

swords04

Jupiter in Libra.

3rd decan 11th to 20th October.

Time to rest. Refresh, restore … repeat.

A little expansive retirement. A respite from life’s battle, go deep within and tap the wellspring of harmony.

Why not? It’s free and you’ll feel better for it!

 

 

 

What Would We Do Without Virgo?

Astrology, Tarot,

Well without Virgo in the world, no one would know where anything is. Who would do the filing, the tidying, who would notice that things are not quite as they should be? And who would fix it? Getting it done, well done.

I’m interrupting this post with a special. Brevity is the trademark here, but I’ve just been to Oxford in England for an (amazing) astrological summer school and there’s a (brief) account of it on a hidden page, here

f63465bf637c06b569cfc1cb77afb829-1

 

Back to Virgo, of all signs the most analytic. There he is, The Hermit. The major arcana card ascribed (by members of the Golden Dawn) to Virgo. What is his wisdom?

For today, let’s say he’s talking about how smart it is to get things in order!

pents08

 

 

The eight of pentacles, the Sun in Virgo.  Skill, craftsmanship. Knowing how to do a thing, and doing it!

 

nine-of-pentacles

 

 

The nine of pentacles, Venus in Virgo, well-ordered abundance.

th (1)

 

The ten of pentacles, Mercury in Virgo, the possibility of the fulfillment  of the mysterious perhaps, as suggested by the placement of the pentacles in this card? But only once there is a place for everything, and everything is in its place.

Tarot in Leo

Astrology, Tarot, , ,

It’s that Leonine time of year. Midsummer  in the northern hemisphere. Bold, assertive, entertaining. Leo is the star of the zodiac. Right downstage centre in a follow-spot. The stand-up, the charismatic speaker, the principal dancer.

The five of wands is Saturn in Leo. Last ten days of July.

wands05

 

 

Saturn, ruler of boundaries, restriction, delay, can also teach the useful lessons of patience, attention, and detail. This image from the most famous deck in the world is often characterized as competition, but the flip side is co-operation.

 

 

 

The six of wands is Jupiter in Leo.

wands06

 

The first ten days of August.

Expansive Jupiter is nothing if not celebratory. Bold in Leo, bringing a touch of regality in fixed fire, the card is rightly named, The Lord of Victory.

 

 

 

The seven of wands is Mars in Leo.

wands07

 

The middle ten days of August. Called The Lord of Valor.

Imagine undifferentiated rage, some thug going beserk. Now think of elevated, skilled force. A master martial artist perhaps.

Maybe this guy is an apprentice.

 

Tarot Telesummit

Astrology, Tarot, , ,

The Tarot Telesummit is an amazing resource. Twenty experienced tarot professionals each giving a seminar on some aspect of the cards and how to work with them.

But wait! There’s more!

Yesterday I did a talk on the astrological correspondences in tarot. There’s a system that is basically very simple. Click to get the free re-play today (August 2nd 2016) only – after today there is a charge.

maj17

 

All The Tarot You Can Eat

Astrology, Tarot, ,

servicesI am excited to tell you that I have been invited to be a guest speaker at Telesummit 3 Tarot Wisdom It’s quite an honor as the field of experts includes some of the best known names in tarot today. I’ll be talking live on Monday August 1st at 1pm Eastern time, USA.

My subject is the correspondence between the cards and the planets of the ancient world. My talk is called ‘The Stars in the Cards’ and will include a step by step demonstration of how this technical knowledge can greatly enhance your readings.

Click the link to register for free. Access 20 tarot specialists.

Did astrology see it coming?

Astrology, , ,

Here are 3 views on the macro effects of the planets from 3 distinguished sources.

The natal chart of the UK gives the Sun in Capricorn. Currently Pluto is transiting Capricorn. There is a very interesting article by Liz Greene here, not least because it was written in 2005.

Pluto_might_be_hiding_a-095575719972324399a8ec9ccd02cfeb

The natal chart of the EU has a stellium in Scorpio. And here is a very interesting technical analysis by Anton D’Abreu given in the blog of the Oxford Astrologer (Christina Rodenbeck) here.

And there’s this too not directly on the Brit/Euro dynamic but interesting about Neptune from Steven Forrest

And then, In the English natal chart (25th December 1066) transiting Saturn in Sag has been back and forth over natal Saturn in Virgo, Pluto touching the natal Sun/Mercury in Cap, and the Sun presently in Cancer trine natal Pluto. Does the English chart still apply? Scotland voted to stay in the EU – more referendums, perhaps?

To Me Fair Friend …

Astrology, Tarot, , , ,

rider-waite-03681 (1)

This is the encouraging image in the RW Tarot deck for the 2 of Cups. Well we got past those challenging images in the 9 and 10 of Swords — Mars and Sun in Gemini, respectively — more on that another time … I just didn’t want to go there this year.

And hey, I have a Gemini moon, so I’m not dissing the sign.

But now here we are at the start of northern hemisphere summer with lovely Venus in Cancer. The esoteric title of this card being ‘The Lord of Love’.