Astrology / Mentoring / Workshops
ASTRO-DRAMA
Your Weekly Celestial Theater Forecast
Exquisite Corpse
This week’s Astro-Drama reflects upon the upcoming Sun trine Pluto aspect perfecting on Monday 9/19.
I have a friend living abroad that I frequently correspond with. The content of our conversations varies. We share about the highs and lows of our day-to-day lives, but mostly we talk about film, music, and art. The creative indulgences that gives us hope and inspires us to keep dreaming and feeling spiritually connected in a diverging and complicated world.
A mercurial magician from my past, but still alive in my present, this man has become an undulating but specific archetype in my life. Part muse, library, trickster, and rebel. Part knight, artist, romantic, and shadow. An intricate jewel reflecting back the inner facets of my psychology. Isn’t that what relationships do?
He’s with me and not with me. A telepathic playmate, remote yet intimate and alive with kindred friction. We’ll never be together and we’ll never be apart. The archetype lives within. Some years back, while visiting NYC together, we discovered that Jung’s original Red Book was on display at the Rubin Museum of Art. We viewed the book together, imbibing the potent drawings and paintings. Relishing a language we both understood and longed to master.
On a whim this week, I suggested we play a game of pseudo exquisite corpse poetry.
Exquisite Corpse is a game-like exercise invented by a few early Surrealists. Each participant takes a turn drawing on a folded sheet of paper, conceals their contribution, and then passes it on to the next player to complete the next segment.
I typed out a couple of lines and sent them off to him. The next day I received his line of the poem, and on it goes. With each volley, we surprise each other. The ground beneath us dissolves. Our words, carefully chosen, sculpted, and arranged. The veil peels back, exposing a ripe form of communication, one rich with complexity and mystery.
I trust that the next line will come and expose something new. That the process will take me to places unexpected. That I will keep digging into the earth, looking for the root and following it deep underground.
The upcoming Sun in Virgo trine Pluto in Capricorn transit provides the opportunity to bring forth buried earthen stories and archetypes. This transit feels like devotional inspiration rooted in deep resonance with the layers of self. It’s time to dig deep and acknowledge the occult world that operates within. Honor it, listen to it, give it shape, let it speak.
The Sun in Virgo, Mercury’s exaltation, loves crafting words and cutting away the extraneous. Pluto is feeling generous and happy to share some of his underworld booty. He’s briefly opened the gates for us to take advantage of a more productive exploration of the dark underbelly that drives our ambitions, behaviors and holds space for our wounds.
Like the exquisite Corpse, our deeper nature and drives lie hidden. They often become visible in times of crisis, conflict, or disappointment. This week is a great time to meditate on what’s taking place backstage and who’s running the show. The Curtain is drawn. The spot light is on.
Star wisdom for the week: Allow the illumination of the Sun to bathe the inner realms of your underworld drama. What words come to mind.? What do you see? What roots you? Who shakes you? What treasures can you pluck from Pluto’s arcane garden ?
Artwork: Remi, Wichart, and Skordal
Published on 9/19/22
I have a friend living abroad that I frequently correspond with. The content of our conversations varies. We share about the highs and lows of our day-to-day lives, but mostly we talk about film, music, and art. The creative indulgences that gives us hope and inspires us to keep dreaming and feeling spiritually connected in a diverging and complicated world.
A mercurial magician from my past, but still alive in my present, this man has become an undulating but specific archetype in my life. Part muse, library, trickster, and rebel. Part knight, artist, romantic, and shadow. An intricate jewel reflecting back the inner facets of my psychology. Isn’t that what relationships do?
He’s with me and not with me. A telepathic playmate, remote yet intimate and alive with kindred friction. We’ll never be together and we’ll never be apart. The archetype lives within. Some years back, while visiting NYC together, we discovered that Jung’s original Red Book was on display at the Rubin Museum of Art. We viewed the book together, imbibing the potent drawings and paintings. Relishing a language we both understood and longed to master.
On a whim this week, I suggested we play a game of pseudo exquisite corpse poetry.
Exquisite Corpse is a game-like exercise invented by a few early Surrealists. Each participant takes a turn drawing on a folded sheet of paper, conceals their contribution, and then passes it on to the next player to complete the next segment.
I typed out a couple of lines and sent them off to him. The next day I received his line of the poem, and on it goes. With each volley, we surprise each other. The ground beneath us dissolves. Our words, carefully chosen, sculpted, and arranged. The veil peels back, exposing a ripe form of communication, one rich with complexity and mystery.
I trust that the next line will come and expose something new. That the process will take me to places unexpected. That I will keep digging into the earth, looking for the root and following it deep underground.
The upcoming Sun in Virgo trine Pluto in Capricorn transit provides the opportunity to bring forth buried earthen stories and archetypes. This transit feels like devotional inspiration rooted in deep resonance with the layers of self. It’s time to dig deep and acknowledge the occult world that operates within. Honor it, listen to it, give it shape, let it speak.
The Sun in Virgo, Mercury’s exaltation, loves crafting words and cutting away the extraneous. Pluto is feeling generous and happy to share some of his underworld booty. He’s briefly opened the gates for us to take advantage of a more productive exploration of the dark underbelly that drives our ambitions, behaviors and holds space for our wounds.
Like the exquisite Corpse, our deeper nature and drives lie hidden. They often become visible in times of crisis, conflict, or disappointment. This week is a great time to meditate on what’s taking place backstage and who’s running the show. The Curtain is drawn. The spot light is on.
Star wisdom for the week: Allow the illumination of the Sun to bathe the inner realms of your underworld drama. What words come to mind.? What do you see? What roots you? Who shakes you? What treasures can you pluck from Pluto’s arcane garden ?
Artwork: Remi, Wichart, and Skordal
Published on 9/19/22
Full Moon Dirge
ASTRO-DRAMA: Full Moon Dirge
Episode 14
Flicker Warning! Those sensitive to flickering images may want to just listen to the sound.
For me, words often fail to describe the tone of the environment under a Pisces full moon. You’ll often hear words like dreamy, healing, emotional, magical, otherworldly, etc. Yes, the moon can be absolutely sublime, bathing in Pisces mystical waters, but this moon is different.
Other actors rumble in the background. The sky clashes with Martian overtones, Venus in her fall, Mercury in reverse, and a lunar sextile to Uranus. With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, an era has ended.
The Queen’s natal Venus was exalted in Pisces. It seems fitting astrologically that she would pass as the moon waxes full and fallen Venus stands across the sky in Virgo. The celestial poetry never ceases to stun and amaze me.
Whatever your personal opinion is of Queen Elizabeth, there’s no denying the archetypal significance of the moment. The moon is the original Queen and she declares that this isn’t the time for words, but a time to feel the feels and dream the visions.
The Astro-Dramas are beginning to take on a life of their own. I never know what they will be from week to week. It became clear to me that this week wasn’t about words, but about embodiment. What does the sky feel, sound, and look like? How can we interpret cosmic energies through a work of art?
The Full Moon Dirge is a video and sound work that explores the clashing energies present in the Pisces full moon sky. It’s not an entirely peaceful work, but one that is complex and layered with the emotional chaos that currently hums throughout the world.
If you are sensitive to flickering images, you may want to just listen to the sound.
Long live the Queen of our sky.
Our Moon. Our Goddess. Our Mother.
Original sound and video by Colleen Keough
Episode 14
Flicker Warning! Those sensitive to flickering images may want to just listen to the sound.
For me, words often fail to describe the tone of the environment under a Pisces full moon. You’ll often hear words like dreamy, healing, emotional, magical, otherworldly, etc. Yes, the moon can be absolutely sublime, bathing in Pisces mystical waters, but this moon is different.
Other actors rumble in the background. The sky clashes with Martian overtones, Venus in her fall, Mercury in reverse, and a lunar sextile to Uranus. With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, an era has ended.
The Queen’s natal Venus was exalted in Pisces. It seems fitting astrologically that she would pass as the moon waxes full and fallen Venus stands across the sky in Virgo. The celestial poetry never ceases to stun and amaze me.
Whatever your personal opinion is of Queen Elizabeth, there’s no denying the archetypal significance of the moment. The moon is the original Queen and she declares that this isn’t the time for words, but a time to feel the feels and dream the visions.
The Astro-Dramas are beginning to take on a life of their own. I never know what they will be from week to week. It became clear to me that this week wasn’t about words, but about embodiment. What does the sky feel, sound, and look like? How can we interpret cosmic energies through a work of art?
The Full Moon Dirge is a video and sound work that explores the clashing energies present in the Pisces full moon sky. It’s not an entirely peaceful work, but one that is complex and layered with the emotional chaos that currently hums throughout the world.
If you are sensitive to flickering images, you may want to just listen to the sound.
Long live the Queen of our sky.
Our Moon. Our Goddess. Our Mother.
Original sound and video by Colleen Keough
Dream On
This week’s ASTRO-DRAMA is inspired by rock legend Steven Tyler, and takes the shape of a podcast episode.
Mercury in Libra retrograde 9/10 - 10/2
Sun in Virgo trine Uranus in Taurus 9/8 - 9/13
While waiting in the Starbucks drive-through this week, the song Dream On by Aerosmith came on the radio, and was immediately reminded of the documentary Out on a Limb that chronicles Steven Tyler’s departure into Country Music in 2016.
I watched the documentary several weeks ago, and have to confess, prior to seeing the documentary, I had never bothered to check out the album or how it was received. It turns out, the album, “We’re All Somebody From Somewhere” is critically acclaimed and a huge success for Tyler.
So, what does this have to do with this week’s ASTRO-DRAMA, which is inspired by the upcoming Mercury retrograde transit? I am asking myself that same question right now. Let’s see how this weaves together.
We’re all pretty familiar with the term Mercury retrograde. Anyone can google this term and find the most commonly associated keywords for this transit which includes things like technical issues, travel delays, tickets lost, information glitches, email snafus, communication troubles, problematic purchases, deals and contracts stalled, reversals, reviews, going back over things, making adjustments and revising, etc. The list goes on.
The Mercury retrograde will take place in the sign of Libra this time around, which situates this Astro-Drama on a stage ruled by Venus, the goddess of love, art, beauty, and relationships.
Mercury is a double-bodied or mutable sign. It’s known as a messenger, trickster, a psychopomp, a thief. Its nature is fluid and gender-less. Mercury moves between worlds and has the capacity to not only move and shake on the surface, but can travel to the underworld, acting as a conductor ferrying souls of the dead to their final destination.
Mercury also enjoys challenging rules and boundaries. The archetype is highly mischievous, it will sometimes flip and change course unexpectedly. This is one of the reasons why you will hear astrologers suggest to try avoiding signing contracts and making big purchases during a Mercury retro period.
Mercury or Herme’s as they're referred to in Greek mythology, is known as a dream-walker, due to their abilities to travel between worlds and the in-between states of dreaming. This is where the connection to Steven Tyler steps in.
I find it curious that these two pieces connected to Tyler presented themselves to me this week. Hearing the song Dream On, and recalling the Documentary about his breakout country album, Out On A Limb.
Being in a band is REALLY hard work. Why? As with any kind of collaboration, it’s about relationships, temperaments, and trying to come to a unified consensus. You’re always making adjustments and shifts to include everyone’s contributions. As you can imagine, it’s not an easy dance. In fact, many people describe band relationships as a type of long-term marriage.
As many of you probably know already, Aerosmith has gone through major ups and downs throughout the band’s career. They’ve separated and come back together, stumbled and recovered, feuded and reconciled, and gotten sober together. It’s been an ongoing very public drama.
Now we’re getting into the nitty gritty of the Mercury in Libra retrograde.
Sometimes relationships and our participation with our longer-term collaborators, communities, fellowships can become routine, and even start to feel a little dull or confining. We begin to crave something new, something different, something outside of our usual stomping grounds.
With Tyler, that took the shape of taking a huge risk and stepping outside the rock ’n Roll genre he’s known for and built his whole career on, by becoming curious about exploring a new music dream, and new folks to collaborate with.
Libra is all about relating, relationships, considering the self and the other and evaluating what is fair, balanced, equal and just.
With Mercury turning retrograde in Libra over the next few weeks, we may find ourselves reassessing and analyzing our loves, desires, passions, friendships, legal contracts, ways we communicate, project revisions, reversals, our reconsidering creative projects, etc.
We can expect a general feeling of spinning our wheels at times.
Keep in mind that Mars has taken up residence in Mercury ruled Gemini, and will be in conversation with the messenger through a trine, throughout the three week retrograde period.
This speaks to a lot of assertive and/or aggressive communications disguised as diplomatic rigorous banter. An example would be contract negotiations, legal sparring, or creative and/or literary editing and re-visions being made. In the end, it should all be very productive, but may feel challenging as we’re moving through it.
With the Sun in Virgo trining Uranus in Taurus over the next two weeks, it’s also a really good time to zap existing paradigms.
Pay attention to sudden opportunities to do something different, with perhaps someone different. Be open to stretching yourself in practical, results oriented ways.
As I worked on this episode, I listened to Tyler’s We’re All Somebody From Somewhere. It’s a solid album with a stellar back-up band. I would describe it as an eclectic mix of alt country, rock, and pop.
It’s not your typical country album, and that’s why it worked for him. Check it out and especially the track My Own Worst Enemy. It get’s into the bones.
Star Wisdom for the week: Do you have your own version of a breakout country album living inside you? What is it? Whose on it? And when does it drop? Give yourself the space and freedom to dream a new dream.
Published on 9/3/2022
Mercury in Libra retrograde 9/10 - 10/2
Sun in Virgo trine Uranus in Taurus 9/8 - 9/13
While waiting in the Starbucks drive-through this week, the song Dream On by Aerosmith came on the radio, and was immediately reminded of the documentary Out on a Limb that chronicles Steven Tyler’s departure into Country Music in 2016.
I watched the documentary several weeks ago, and have to confess, prior to seeing the documentary, I had never bothered to check out the album or how it was received. It turns out, the album, “We’re All Somebody From Somewhere” is critically acclaimed and a huge success for Tyler.
So, what does this have to do with this week’s ASTRO-DRAMA, which is inspired by the upcoming Mercury retrograde transit? I am asking myself that same question right now. Let’s see how this weaves together.
We’re all pretty familiar with the term Mercury retrograde. Anyone can google this term and find the most commonly associated keywords for this transit which includes things like technical issues, travel delays, tickets lost, information glitches, email snafus, communication troubles, problematic purchases, deals and contracts stalled, reversals, reviews, going back over things, making adjustments and revising, etc. The list goes on.
The Mercury retrograde will take place in the sign of Libra this time around, which situates this Astro-Drama on a stage ruled by Venus, the goddess of love, art, beauty, and relationships.
Mercury is a double-bodied or mutable sign. It’s known as a messenger, trickster, a psychopomp, a thief. Its nature is fluid and gender-less. Mercury moves between worlds and has the capacity to not only move and shake on the surface, but can travel to the underworld, acting as a conductor ferrying souls of the dead to their final destination.
Mercury also enjoys challenging rules and boundaries. The archetype is highly mischievous, it will sometimes flip and change course unexpectedly. This is one of the reasons why you will hear astrologers suggest to try avoiding signing contracts and making big purchases during a Mercury retro period.
Mercury or Herme’s as they're referred to in Greek mythology, is known as a dream-walker, due to their abilities to travel between worlds and the in-between states of dreaming. This is where the connection to Steven Tyler steps in.
I find it curious that these two pieces connected to Tyler presented themselves to me this week. Hearing the song Dream On, and recalling the Documentary about his breakout country album, Out On A Limb.
Being in a band is REALLY hard work. Why? As with any kind of collaboration, it’s about relationships, temperaments, and trying to come to a unified consensus. You’re always making adjustments and shifts to include everyone’s contributions. As you can imagine, it’s not an easy dance. In fact, many people describe band relationships as a type of long-term marriage.
As many of you probably know already, Aerosmith has gone through major ups and downs throughout the band’s career. They’ve separated and come back together, stumbled and recovered, feuded and reconciled, and gotten sober together. It’s been an ongoing very public drama.
Now we’re getting into the nitty gritty of the Mercury in Libra retrograde.
Sometimes relationships and our participation with our longer-term collaborators, communities, fellowships can become routine, and even start to feel a little dull or confining. We begin to crave something new, something different, something outside of our usual stomping grounds.
With Tyler, that took the shape of taking a huge risk and stepping outside the rock ’n Roll genre he’s known for and built his whole career on, by becoming curious about exploring a new music dream, and new folks to collaborate with.
Libra is all about relating, relationships, considering the self and the other and evaluating what is fair, balanced, equal and just.
With Mercury turning retrograde in Libra over the next few weeks, we may find ourselves reassessing and analyzing our loves, desires, passions, friendships, legal contracts, ways we communicate, project revisions, reversals, our reconsidering creative projects, etc.
We can expect a general feeling of spinning our wheels at times.
Keep in mind that Mars has taken up residence in Mercury ruled Gemini, and will be in conversation with the messenger through a trine, throughout the three week retrograde period.
This speaks to a lot of assertive and/or aggressive communications disguised as diplomatic rigorous banter. An example would be contract negotiations, legal sparring, or creative and/or literary editing and re-visions being made. In the end, it should all be very productive, but may feel challenging as we’re moving through it.
With the Sun in Virgo trining Uranus in Taurus over the next two weeks, it’s also a really good time to zap existing paradigms.
Pay attention to sudden opportunities to do something different, with perhaps someone different. Be open to stretching yourself in practical, results oriented ways.
As I worked on this episode, I listened to Tyler’s We’re All Somebody From Somewhere. It’s a solid album with a stellar back-up band. I would describe it as an eclectic mix of alt country, rock, and pop.
It’s not your typical country album, and that’s why it worked for him. Check it out and especially the track My Own Worst Enemy. It get’s into the bones.
Star Wisdom for the week: Do you have your own version of a breakout country album living inside you? What is it? Whose on it? And when does it drop? Give yourself the space and freedom to dream a new dream.
Published on 9/3/2022
Greased Lightning
New Moon in Virgo Square Mars in Gemini
Venus in Leo square Uranus and North Node in Taurus
Venus in Leo opposite Saturn in Aquarius
Greased Lightning
Have you ever read the lyrics to the song Greased Lightning? They’re pretty racy! I recall sitting on a rocking chair next to my parents’ 1970s stereo system, clutching the album, and singing along to every song on the record. I picture millions of pre-teen girls in 1978 belting out “You know that it ain’t shit, we’ll be gettin’ lots of tit, greased lightnin” and “You know that I ain’t braggin’, she’s a real pussy wagon greased lightnin” and let’s not forget “You are supreme, the chicks’ll cream, for greased lightnin” I find this notion utterly hilarious. But before we get to this part of the drama, let’s rewind the VHS tape and start at the beginning.
The opening montage in the movie Grease captures the sheen of this week’s Virgo New Moon.
The Moon and Sun in Virgo share an innocent end of summer kiss. Sandy is the Moon. A quintessential cinematic virgin-maiden. Danny, the Sun. The celluloid bad-boy, leader of the T-Birds. They meet at the beach and share a wholesome summer love, filled with ice cream cones, hand holding, and sand castles.
But, wait. There’s more to this story. That perfect kiss initiates something deeper, hidden, and unexpected. Sandy has a dark side she’s destined to discover.
When we first meet Sandy, she’s like an advertisement for whole milk and apple pie. A pristine good-girl in immaculate white penny loafers. And if it wasn’t for meeting Danny, she may have just continued to float through life on the surface.
We see Sandy’s repressive facade reflected in the supporting role of Venus in Leo, opposite Saturn in Aquarius aspect. Her image is carefully controlled and curated. Her tastes and expectations geared towards societal norms. An Inner tug-of-war persists between letting her lioness roar and playing it safe.
The thing is, Mars, aka love interest Danny Zuko, has joined this new moon party and brings the heat through a sextile to Venus. Danny’s Gemini duplicity is gloriously frustrating for Sandy. He’s hard to nail down and keeps modulating between his leather jacket persona and the sweet boy she met over the Summer. The sexual tension is thick but confusing. To make things even more interesting, Uranus, the god of lightning bolts, liberation, and sudden awakenings, squares both Venus and Saturn. Uranus says, it’s time to break the mold!
As we fast forward through the film, we witness Sandy’s evolution. She tries to keep doing things the old way, but gets the same disappointing results. It isn’t until she’s at Thunder Road and watches Danny race Greased Lightning to victory that she finally has an epiphany. She must change from the inside out.
In the final scene, Sandy struts her newly born self all over the high school carnival grounds. She is at once virtuous and wild. Maiden and temptress. She owns her dark feminine instincts and embraces the unchartered path before her.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve got chills and they’re multiplying.
Star Wisdom for the week: Dust off that Grease album and ask yourself. Is it time to blow up my pure and tidy life and forge a new and exciting path? Let the mystical initiation of the Virgo New Moon light your way to freedom. Take Greased Lightning for a spin. Don’t feel guilty about it.
All hail Olivia Newton-John and her bad-ass iconic Candie mules. RIP.
Published 8/27/22
Venus in Leo square Uranus and North Node in Taurus
Venus in Leo opposite Saturn in Aquarius
Greased Lightning
Have you ever read the lyrics to the song Greased Lightning? They’re pretty racy! I recall sitting on a rocking chair next to my parents’ 1970s stereo system, clutching the album, and singing along to every song on the record. I picture millions of pre-teen girls in 1978 belting out “You know that it ain’t shit, we’ll be gettin’ lots of tit, greased lightnin” and “You know that I ain’t braggin’, she’s a real pussy wagon greased lightnin” and let’s not forget “You are supreme, the chicks’ll cream, for greased lightnin” I find this notion utterly hilarious. But before we get to this part of the drama, let’s rewind the VHS tape and start at the beginning.
The opening montage in the movie Grease captures the sheen of this week’s Virgo New Moon.
The Moon and Sun in Virgo share an innocent end of summer kiss. Sandy is the Moon. A quintessential cinematic virgin-maiden. Danny, the Sun. The celluloid bad-boy, leader of the T-Birds. They meet at the beach and share a wholesome summer love, filled with ice cream cones, hand holding, and sand castles.
But, wait. There’s more to this story. That perfect kiss initiates something deeper, hidden, and unexpected. Sandy has a dark side she’s destined to discover.
When we first meet Sandy, she’s like an advertisement for whole milk and apple pie. A pristine good-girl in immaculate white penny loafers. And if it wasn’t for meeting Danny, she may have just continued to float through life on the surface.
We see Sandy’s repressive facade reflected in the supporting role of Venus in Leo, opposite Saturn in Aquarius aspect. Her image is carefully controlled and curated. Her tastes and expectations geared towards societal norms. An Inner tug-of-war persists between letting her lioness roar and playing it safe.
The thing is, Mars, aka love interest Danny Zuko, has joined this new moon party and brings the heat through a sextile to Venus. Danny’s Gemini duplicity is gloriously frustrating for Sandy. He’s hard to nail down and keeps modulating between his leather jacket persona and the sweet boy she met over the Summer. The sexual tension is thick but confusing. To make things even more interesting, Uranus, the god of lightning bolts, liberation, and sudden awakenings, squares both Venus and Saturn. Uranus says, it’s time to break the mold!
As we fast forward through the film, we witness Sandy’s evolution. She tries to keep doing things the old way, but gets the same disappointing results. It isn’t until she’s at Thunder Road and watches Danny race Greased Lightning to victory that she finally has an epiphany. She must change from the inside out.
In the final scene, Sandy struts her newly born self all over the high school carnival grounds. She is at once virtuous and wild. Maiden and temptress. She owns her dark feminine instincts and embraces the unchartered path before her.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve got chills and they’re multiplying.
Star Wisdom for the week: Dust off that Grease album and ask yourself. Is it time to blow up my pure and tidy life and forge a new and exciting path? Let the mystical initiation of the Virgo New Moon light your way to freedom. Take Greased Lightning for a spin. Don’t feel guilty about it.
All hail Olivia Newton-John and her bad-ass iconic Candie mules. RIP.
Published 8/27/22
Surrealist Brawl
This week’s ASTRO-DRAMA is inspired by a vintage circa 1920’s original, unsigned drawing (left) I found in a local thrift shop this week. Our drama takes place in 1920’s Paris.
Mars enters Gemini = sharp intellect, cutting words, passionate communications, impulse to move forward, to pioneer, vigorous curiosity, aggressive social media banter, cyber attacks, cyber espionage, deceitful communication, harmful messages, witnesses flip.
Mercury opposite Neptune = Facts lost in a sea of confusion, magical thinking, psychedelics, details dissolve, fantasy literature, logic vs fantasy, delusional thinking, spirit communication, messages being lost, flooding lands, earth and water issues.
Mildred fussed with her hair as she sat waiting in the smokey Parisian cafe for her companion to arrive. It was late in the evening at La Rotonde, and the crowded room teemed with spirits and charismatic voices. Bursts of booming laughter and the clinking of glasses echoed around the room. She lit a cigarette and checked her bright red lipstick in her pocket mirror. Over her shoulder appeared Kiki, wild-eyed and brimming with a post-cabaret performance glow.
The pair of women ordered drinks and settled in for some good-natured Parisian gossip. Seated across from them, a cluster of tables filled with local artists, writers, and musicians dominated the mobbed cafe. “You can always tell when Hemingway, arrives” Kiki quipped. “The walls start shaking”. The two women laughed and continued to observe their peers.
Seated at the throng of tables were, Hemingway, Gertrude and Leo Stein, Ezra Pound, Man Ray, Modigliani, Sylvia Beach, Luis Buñuel, Josephine Baker, Levity Breezeworth, Salvador Dalí, James Joyce, Picasso, Tsugouharu Foujita, Rene Magritte, Andre Breton, Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore.
Identical twin waiters Jean and Claude, worked the room like a couple of seasoned circus acrobats. Impossible to distinguish the two apart, patrons rarely knew which one was their server. In a fit of frustration, Hemingway began calling them both Jean-Claude, and it stuck.
Passionate, creative, philosophical, and political discussions lit up the cafe like the blinding marquee of the Moulin Rouge. Jean-Claude swiftly delivered trays full of absinthe, plates of cheese, and French cuisine. They spoke in verbal codes and ping-pong gestures, each returning the serve in perfect time.
Mildred and Kiki, slightly buzzed and engrossed in conversation, get interrupted by angry shouts emanating from the center of the cafe.
Hemingway is on his feet, shaking a fist at Dali. His meat and potatoes frame lunge forward, sending plates and glasses crashing to the floor. Dali stands upon his chair, miming that he is conducting an invisible orchestra, as Hemingway, now unhinged, loses his shit. Piping hot duck confit sails through the air smacking Gertrude Stein in the noggin, while the guests having ingested the bright green absinthe begin to hallucinate.
Intellectual fireworks quickly decay into surrealist performance art. An artistic brawl ensues, pitting writers against artists and servers against patrons. Chairs are busted, clothing burned, and fine, French sauces splatter the walls.
With three quarters of the cafe high on absinthe, the police find it difficult to parse out fact from fiction. Colorful tales of flying ducks, musical interludes, and burning mustaches fill their police report.
Mildred and Kiki escape the absurd, surrealist crime scene by slipping out the backdoor. They say their goodbyes and make plans to meet again the following evening. They can’t wait to see what happens next.
Star wisdom for the week: When Hemingway approaches you, shaking his meaty fists, channel the great Dali and conduct a mystical, neptunian orchestra. This may help disarm
any martian aggressors.
Intermission
Sun opposite Saturn (separating) 8/15 = Not this time, buddy
Moon square Pluto 8/16 = cathartic
Moon square Saturn 8/18 = controlled
Moon conjunct North node, Uranus, Mars 8/18, 8/19 = free for all
Venus trine Jupiter 8/18 = colorful expressive jubilant displays
Intermission
The intermission is a break or pause in a cinematic screening or theatrical performance. The film or play stops midpoint, and the spectators, for a brief period of time, are released from the unfolding drama. Depending on what the production is, an opera, movie, or play, audiences may stroll to the lobby to enjoy a glass of champagne and some chitchat, grab some popcorn and snacks at the concession stand, or opt for some fresh air and a quick smoke.
I can’t give you the exact dates of when intermissions in theatrical presentations began. I read on a thread in Quora that they originated in the Middle Ages. When productions moved indoors, they needed to switch out the expiring candles after a certain amount of time, and thus required a break in the performance to execute the task. I don’t know if this is true. How fast did Middle Age candles take to burn down to the nub, anyway?
In early cinema, the intermission was necessary so the Projectionist could switch out the film reels. I imagine hearing the last clicks of the film frames spinning behind the lens, and the bright white light of the screen snapping the audience out of their hypnotic gaze. Deep breath’s and sighs heard as the spectators shifted in their seats and stood up to stretch their limbs.
To pause, to be present and in-between, like a hot-air balloon floating gently above the action, removed yet participating. A moment of rest, refreshment and perspective. I suggest such a reprieve this week from the multiple immersive dramas playing out in our archetypal heavens and earth below.
The current sky reflects the intensity that is playing out on the world-stage. The global rubber band stretches taut. Systems are being tested to their limits. Some failing while others teeter on the brink. What we’ve always relied upon in terms of norms and protocols is being improvised and reinvented. The over used word “unprecedented” echos across media platforms and rings on repeat in our ears. Mass delusion and distrust reign supreme.
How can one wake up from such an incessant dream? The intermission.
These days intermissions rarely occur. The pace of our dramas is relentless. The news cycle hammers away with continuous shifts in the storyline and outrageous acts of violence that keep reaching new peaks. This week’s transits bring a mixture of tense and harmonious aspects. As Mars perches to enter Gemini at the end of the week, we can expect the political rhetoric in the news and on social media to increase and become even more aggressive, but I digress..
The moon moves quickly but will make some pithy aspects this week. The emotional environment swings erratic. See my key words above.
Like the early projectionist, take the film reel off the projector and set it aside. For now, and into the near future, give yourself the gift of the Intermission. Do whatever you need to do to feel at peace with yourself and with others.
Star wisdom for the week: Are you being a brat? The snack bar is open. Give yourself a time-out.
Moon square Pluto 8/16 = cathartic
Moon square Saturn 8/18 = controlled
Moon conjunct North node, Uranus, Mars 8/18, 8/19 = free for all
Venus trine Jupiter 8/18 = colorful expressive jubilant displays
Intermission
The intermission is a break or pause in a cinematic screening or theatrical performance. The film or play stops midpoint, and the spectators, for a brief period of time, are released from the unfolding drama. Depending on what the production is, an opera, movie, or play, audiences may stroll to the lobby to enjoy a glass of champagne and some chitchat, grab some popcorn and snacks at the concession stand, or opt for some fresh air and a quick smoke.
I can’t give you the exact dates of when intermissions in theatrical presentations began. I read on a thread in Quora that they originated in the Middle Ages. When productions moved indoors, they needed to switch out the expiring candles after a certain amount of time, and thus required a break in the performance to execute the task. I don’t know if this is true. How fast did Middle Age candles take to burn down to the nub, anyway?
In early cinema, the intermission was necessary so the Projectionist could switch out the film reels. I imagine hearing the last clicks of the film frames spinning behind the lens, and the bright white light of the screen snapping the audience out of their hypnotic gaze. Deep breath’s and sighs heard as the spectators shifted in their seats and stood up to stretch their limbs.
To pause, to be present and in-between, like a hot-air balloon floating gently above the action, removed yet participating. A moment of rest, refreshment and perspective. I suggest such a reprieve this week from the multiple immersive dramas playing out in our archetypal heavens and earth below.
The current sky reflects the intensity that is playing out on the world-stage. The global rubber band stretches taut. Systems are being tested to their limits. Some failing while others teeter on the brink. What we’ve always relied upon in terms of norms and protocols is being improvised and reinvented. The over used word “unprecedented” echos across media platforms and rings on repeat in our ears. Mass delusion and distrust reign supreme.
How can one wake up from such an incessant dream? The intermission.
These days intermissions rarely occur. The pace of our dramas is relentless. The news cycle hammers away with continuous shifts in the storyline and outrageous acts of violence that keep reaching new peaks. This week’s transits bring a mixture of tense and harmonious aspects. As Mars perches to enter Gemini at the end of the week, we can expect the political rhetoric in the news and on social media to increase and become even more aggressive, but I digress..
The moon moves quickly but will make some pithy aspects this week. The emotional environment swings erratic. See my key words above.
Like the early projectionist, take the film reel off the projector and set it aside. For now, and into the near future, give yourself the gift of the Intermission. Do whatever you need to do to feel at peace with yourself and with others.
Star wisdom for the week: Are you being a brat? The snack bar is open. Give yourself a time-out.
Primal Scream
8/9 Venus in Cancer opposite Pluto in Capricorn
Primal Scream
Do you remember the promotional movie poster for the 1975 Spielberg, film JAWS?
At the top part of the poster, a nude woman swims on the surface of the water. Thrusting up from the depths beneath her, a mammoth great white shark comes in for the kill. The shark’s grizzly jaws are open, exposing his monstrous sharp bloody teeth. Its black dead eyes fixate on the woman’s thrashing body above, and our imaginations fill in the rest.
We all know how this scene ends. It ends with a chewed-up arm washed up on the beach in a tangle of seaweed and crabs. And Sheriff Brody’s face a wash of fear and quiet horror, as the gravity of the situation sets in. What later ensues is an epic hunt for the elusive beast of the dark cold New England waters, but let’s get back to the woman, the shark’s first victim.
The Venusian beauty swims nude. She’s vulnerable, alone, and exposed. It’s nighttime. There are no signs on the surface that she is in danger. This drama takes place beneath the surface, in the hidden realms of another world entirely.
When the Great White strikes the first time, she’s pulled under for a moment. Stunned, she resurfaces, gasping for breath. The second strike is more lethal. The shark has a firm hold of her now. We see her being dragged back and forth, moving through the midnight waters with significant force. Her primal screams are disturbing and terrifying. The monster of her dreams, now a shocking reality. The thing that isn’t supposed to happen, happening to gruesome effect.
Demons. Everyone’s got them. Those unruly repressed traumas and wounds we keep locked up in the basement. Our dark thoughts and desires. The underbelly of the psyche, what Jung referred to as the Unconscious and Freud the Id. What we deny and what we withhold. The force that grabs hold of us without conscious consent, nor the logic of consequence.
Venus in Cancer, opposite Pluto in Capricorn, suggests such a tug of war between Beauty and the Beast. Women’s bodies and government control. Feminism vs. Patriarchy. Church infiltrating State. The icy grip of Capricorn clutching the collective mother womb. Illegitimate power. Desperate attempts at control. Violence against women. Fear of the goddess and her powerful forces of creation and destruction.
Later on in the film is a classic scene that takes place in the ship’s hull. Quint, Brody, and Hooper share a drink and some war stories. They compare their battle scars. Evidence of previous encounters with the unseen, the unknown, the watery realm of the deep.
Hooper hoists his leg onto the table, revealing a bull shark wound. Quint responds, revealing his own leg wound from a thresher shark, while Brody sheepishly looks at a concealed scar beneath his waistline.
This is a turning point in the film. From here the Melvillean battle begins and is ultimately won, but they suffer a casualty when Quint gets chomped in half.
Our collective traumas are surfacing all over the planet. There are a multitude. Do I need to list them?
Venus is vulnerable this week. Keep your eyes on the water and toes in the sand.
Star Wisdom for the Week: Don’t wait for the shark to attack. Exorcise those demons before a crisis point is reached. Be careful in the water.
Primal Scream
Do you remember the promotional movie poster for the 1975 Spielberg, film JAWS?
At the top part of the poster, a nude woman swims on the surface of the water. Thrusting up from the depths beneath her, a mammoth great white shark comes in for the kill. The shark’s grizzly jaws are open, exposing his monstrous sharp bloody teeth. Its black dead eyes fixate on the woman’s thrashing body above, and our imaginations fill in the rest.
We all know how this scene ends. It ends with a chewed-up arm washed up on the beach in a tangle of seaweed and crabs. And Sheriff Brody’s face a wash of fear and quiet horror, as the gravity of the situation sets in. What later ensues is an epic hunt for the elusive beast of the dark cold New England waters, but let’s get back to the woman, the shark’s first victim.
The Venusian beauty swims nude. She’s vulnerable, alone, and exposed. It’s nighttime. There are no signs on the surface that she is in danger. This drama takes place beneath the surface, in the hidden realms of another world entirely.
When the Great White strikes the first time, she’s pulled under for a moment. Stunned, she resurfaces, gasping for breath. The second strike is more lethal. The shark has a firm hold of her now. We see her being dragged back and forth, moving through the midnight waters with significant force. Her primal screams are disturbing and terrifying. The monster of her dreams, now a shocking reality. The thing that isn’t supposed to happen, happening to gruesome effect.
Demons. Everyone’s got them. Those unruly repressed traumas and wounds we keep locked up in the basement. Our dark thoughts and desires. The underbelly of the psyche, what Jung referred to as the Unconscious and Freud the Id. What we deny and what we withhold. The force that grabs hold of us without conscious consent, nor the logic of consequence.
Venus in Cancer, opposite Pluto in Capricorn, suggests such a tug of war between Beauty and the Beast. Women’s bodies and government control. Feminism vs. Patriarchy. Church infiltrating State. The icy grip of Capricorn clutching the collective mother womb. Illegitimate power. Desperate attempts at control. Violence against women. Fear of the goddess and her powerful forces of creation and destruction.
Later on in the film is a classic scene that takes place in the ship’s hull. Quint, Brody, and Hooper share a drink and some war stories. They compare their battle scars. Evidence of previous encounters with the unseen, the unknown, the watery realm of the deep.
Hooper hoists his leg onto the table, revealing a bull shark wound. Quint responds, revealing his own leg wound from a thresher shark, while Brody sheepishly looks at a concealed scar beneath his waistline.
This is a turning point in the film. From here the Melvillean battle begins and is ultimately won, but they suffer a casualty when Quint gets chomped in half.
Our collective traumas are surfacing all over the planet. There are a multitude. Do I need to list them?
Venus is vulnerable this week. Keep your eyes on the water and toes in the sand.
Star Wisdom for the Week: Don’t wait for the shark to attack. Exorcise those demons before a crisis point is reached. Be careful in the water.
Honey Guzzle
Mars, Uranus, North Node conjunct in Taurus.
Based on a true story that occurred as Mars was applying to Uranus and the North Node in Taurus.
Bear: I’m a mother-fucking bear. God-dammit, I’m starving. I got no berries, no fishies, no damn tummy-yummies!
Narrator: An adolescent bear lumbers through the forest. The glaring sun beats down upon him, baking the earth. We see the signs of a depleted environment and ecosystem. Shriveled berries dangle from branches, and a once healthy brook trickles with only a thin slither of fresh water. Pausing for a moment, the bear lifts its head, sniffing the breeze.
Bear: I smell HONEY!
Narrator: The bear sprints out of the woods and hides behind a tree in the human’s backyard. He sets his gaze upon the rustic cabin and decides the coast is clear.
He charges forward with claws thrashing, obliterates the back screen door and enters the dwelling. Overcome by the smells of sweet sugary delights, he stumbles into the kitchen.
There it is. A lonely jar of honey perched upon the shelf. Thwak! Down it comes. The bear wrestles with the jar until at last the gooey golden goodness oozes out. The bear guzzles the honey. The sweet deliciousness turns his eyes over in their sockets whilst his jaws smack with insatiable hunger.
Next up is the maple syrup. With one swat of his paw, the syrup comes tumbling down, along with a bag of nuts and some crackers. Jackpot!
Bear: Ohhhhhh Yessssss… Ohhhhh boy.. Aw yeah, Sooooooo goooooood.
Narrator: After what we can only describe as a hedonistic honey, nut, and cracker orgy, the bear sits in a sticky mess of his own glutinous excess.
The human, having returned from her mid-day swim, pulls into the driveway.
With a face full of crackers and syrup, the bear, now slightly ashamed of himself, but not too ashamed, makes a bee-line for the woods and disappears into the brush.
The bear would return twice more. Ripping screens off the windows, clawing countertops and generally wreaking havoc, in his quest to extinguish his insatiable, furious hunger.
Star wisdom for the week:
You may be inspired to partake in sensory and bodily indulgences this week. Enjoy, but just don’t rip the screens or back door off your neighbors’ house.
Published on 7/31/22
Based on a true story that occurred as Mars was applying to Uranus and the North Node in Taurus.
Bear: I’m a mother-fucking bear. God-dammit, I’m starving. I got no berries, no fishies, no damn tummy-yummies!
Narrator: An adolescent bear lumbers through the forest. The glaring sun beats down upon him, baking the earth. We see the signs of a depleted environment and ecosystem. Shriveled berries dangle from branches, and a once healthy brook trickles with only a thin slither of fresh water. Pausing for a moment, the bear lifts its head, sniffing the breeze.
Bear: I smell HONEY!
Narrator: The bear sprints out of the woods and hides behind a tree in the human’s backyard. He sets his gaze upon the rustic cabin and decides the coast is clear.
He charges forward with claws thrashing, obliterates the back screen door and enters the dwelling. Overcome by the smells of sweet sugary delights, he stumbles into the kitchen.
There it is. A lonely jar of honey perched upon the shelf. Thwak! Down it comes. The bear wrestles with the jar until at last the gooey golden goodness oozes out. The bear guzzles the honey. The sweet deliciousness turns his eyes over in their sockets whilst his jaws smack with insatiable hunger.
Next up is the maple syrup. With one swat of his paw, the syrup comes tumbling down, along with a bag of nuts and some crackers. Jackpot!
Bear: Ohhhhhh Yessssss… Ohhhhh boy.. Aw yeah, Sooooooo goooooood.
Narrator: After what we can only describe as a hedonistic honey, nut, and cracker orgy, the bear sits in a sticky mess of his own glutinous excess.
The human, having returned from her mid-day swim, pulls into the driveway.
With a face full of crackers and syrup, the bear, now slightly ashamed of himself, but not too ashamed, makes a bee-line for the woods and disappears into the brush.
The bear would return twice more. Ripping screens off the windows, clawing countertops and generally wreaking havoc, in his quest to extinguish his insatiable, furious hunger.
Star wisdom for the week:
You may be inspired to partake in sensory and bodily indulgences this week. Enjoy, but just don’t rip the screens or back door off your neighbors’ house.
Published on 7/31/22
Roaring Diva
New Moon in Leo
Mercury square Uranus, North Node, Mars
Venus in Cancer
Roaring Diva
Backstage at a renowned opera house, a woman prepares for her debut performance. It’s opening night, and the highly anticipated production enjoys a full house.
Assistants mill about, helping the young Diva get into costume and character. The bright lights framing the make-up mirror shine upon her, illuminating her distant stare. A soft lilac color paints her face with accents of rouge, pink, and gold above the eyes.
Her headdress and gown are dazzling kinetic sculptures that change hue and dance in a constant flow of motion. She takes a deep breath as the make-up artist applies the final touches, and emerges from her dressing room to wait in the wings for her cue.
The theater is pitch dark, and the audience is silent.
A single sustained note swells, enveloping the crowd. The tone multiplies, breaks into sparks of light, and flies around the venue like a swarm of bees.
Sensations of terror and delight sweeps through the theater. The audience shrieks, laughs, and pop out of their seats as the swirling light-bees dive in playful acrobatics. Never have the viewers seen such inventive, creative technology.
Now center stage, the Diva stands still and quiet. The bees form a mandala of light around her, and the audience gasps. Rainbows of prismatic color flicker as her gown oscillates. Her heart beats wildly in her chest. She takes a beat, looks towards the heavens, and opens her lungs.
Ethereal vocals rip through the theater space. A shocked and bewildered audience takes hold of one another as they witness the birth of a pioneering and revolutionary artist. They revel for the duration, astounded and forever changed.
After the performance, theatergoers leave the venue in stunned-euphoria. Some weep, some smile, some choose not to speak for days.
A roaring Diva is born, and a new trail blazed.
Published on 7/25/22
Mercury square Uranus, North Node, Mars
Venus in Cancer
Roaring Diva
Backstage at a renowned opera house, a woman prepares for her debut performance. It’s opening night, and the highly anticipated production enjoys a full house.
Assistants mill about, helping the young Diva get into costume and character. The bright lights framing the make-up mirror shine upon her, illuminating her distant stare. A soft lilac color paints her face with accents of rouge, pink, and gold above the eyes.
Her headdress and gown are dazzling kinetic sculptures that change hue and dance in a constant flow of motion. She takes a deep breath as the make-up artist applies the final touches, and emerges from her dressing room to wait in the wings for her cue.
The theater is pitch dark, and the audience is silent.
A single sustained note swells, enveloping the crowd. The tone multiplies, breaks into sparks of light, and flies around the venue like a swarm of bees.
Sensations of terror and delight sweeps through the theater. The audience shrieks, laughs, and pop out of their seats as the swirling light-bees dive in playful acrobatics. Never have the viewers seen such inventive, creative technology.
Now center stage, the Diva stands still and quiet. The bees form a mandala of light around her, and the audience gasps. Rainbows of prismatic color flicker as her gown oscillates. Her heart beats wildly in her chest. She takes a beat, looks towards the heavens, and opens her lungs.
Ethereal vocals rip through the theater space. A shocked and bewildered audience takes hold of one another as they witness the birth of a pioneering and revolutionary artist. They revel for the duration, astounded and forever changed.
After the performance, theatergoers leave the venue in stunned-euphoria. Some weep, some smile, some choose not to speak for days.
A roaring Diva is born, and a new trail blazed.
Published on 7/25/22
Red Pill Blue Pill
Mercury, Pluto opposition
Mercury, Sun trine Neptune
Sun, Pluto, opposition
Mercury enters Leo
Red Pill Blue Pill
It’s late in the evening. We see an open suitcase lying on an unmade bed. The walls drip with reflective sheets of silver that catch Mercury’s glowing, undulating form as they zip around the room gathering items to be packed.
Pluto’s rich dark-roast voice booms over the speakerphone. The device rattles as he spills his guts. Mercury is gobsmacked. Their eyes are wide with disbelief as Pluto performs his emphatic underworld tantrum. Pluto’s got a reputation for keeping things hidden, so this salacious purge is surprising. Mercury is no fool. They’re aware the contents of their private conversation will soon go viral.
Mercury’s dubious about what to believe. The Moon and Neptune dance in the background to a melodious, hypnotic tune. It’s a red pill, blue pill moment, and they’re not sure which one to swallow. They opt to swallow both. One foot wading in the sensitive waters of Cancer, the other in the cool nether regions of Capricorn.
Mercury struggles to stay focused as Pluto vomits a stream of toads and lizards. The mobile phone sparks, smolders, and smells of pungent T-Rex breath. Pluto flaunts his power and control over the underworld, making it known that he’s got an agenda, and mercury is the trickster that will relay his message.
Apollo, having witnessed this explosive cellular meltdown, strolls into Mercury’s quarters flashing a beguiling grin. Mercury quickly hangs up with the underworld God and continues packing. Soon, they will be on their way to the Sun’s glinting Leo temple. Free to shake off the clinging lunar sentiments they’ve collected over the past few weeks.
Apollo schemes to challenge Pluto to a good old-fashioned arm wrestling match. He’s sensitive to Pluto’s point of view, but even more determined to wield genuine power.
A day later, we see Mercury DJing and dancing for a throng of fans. It feels fantastic to let loose and spin some records. They feel like a kid again. Awake, alive, passionate, and up for absolutely anything.
Star Wisdom for the Week: Let the idiots indulge in temporary power struggles. Get that vinyl out and dance without inhibition to your beloved teenage rock ‘n’ roll idols.
Published 7/18/2022
Mercury, Sun trine Neptune
Sun, Pluto, opposition
Mercury enters Leo
Red Pill Blue Pill
It’s late in the evening. We see an open suitcase lying on an unmade bed. The walls drip with reflective sheets of silver that catch Mercury’s glowing, undulating form as they zip around the room gathering items to be packed.
Pluto’s rich dark-roast voice booms over the speakerphone. The device rattles as he spills his guts. Mercury is gobsmacked. Their eyes are wide with disbelief as Pluto performs his emphatic underworld tantrum. Pluto’s got a reputation for keeping things hidden, so this salacious purge is surprising. Mercury is no fool. They’re aware the contents of their private conversation will soon go viral.
Mercury’s dubious about what to believe. The Moon and Neptune dance in the background to a melodious, hypnotic tune. It’s a red pill, blue pill moment, and they’re not sure which one to swallow. They opt to swallow both. One foot wading in the sensitive waters of Cancer, the other in the cool nether regions of Capricorn.
Mercury struggles to stay focused as Pluto vomits a stream of toads and lizards. The mobile phone sparks, smolders, and smells of pungent T-Rex breath. Pluto flaunts his power and control over the underworld, making it known that he’s got an agenda, and mercury is the trickster that will relay his message.
Apollo, having witnessed this explosive cellular meltdown, strolls into Mercury’s quarters flashing a beguiling grin. Mercury quickly hangs up with the underworld God and continues packing. Soon, they will be on their way to the Sun’s glinting Leo temple. Free to shake off the clinging lunar sentiments they’ve collected over the past few weeks.
Apollo schemes to challenge Pluto to a good old-fashioned arm wrestling match. He’s sensitive to Pluto’s point of view, but even more determined to wield genuine power.
A day later, we see Mercury DJing and dancing for a throng of fans. It feels fantastic to let loose and spin some records. They feel like a kid again. Awake, alive, passionate, and up for absolutely anything.
Star Wisdom for the Week: Let the idiots indulge in temporary power struggles. Get that vinyl out and dance without inhibition to your beloved teenage rock ‘n’ roll idols.
Published 7/18/2022
Sweetly Blinded
July 16 3:25:25 PM EST
Mercury Cazimi in Cancer
Mercury’s Diary Entry
Sweetly Blinded: Mercury Cazimi
Within the molten heart,
We are sweetly blinded
Sun-kissed
Lambent
Formless
Thriving
Juiced-up
On light medicine
And newly born
Aware
Aware
Aware of future’s form
Time’s tender flashes
Break fast
And strobe clean
A shivering remembrance
Imbues the hour’s esteem
Honeyed drops of nectar
Rain upon the tongue
Unleashing wild benevolent
Stories yet to come
We cast off ripe desires
And prosaic dreams
To embody fresh elixirs
The solar purpose brings
The mind fire burns holy
And bounds forth anew
Rising in the heavens
As evening stars will do
Mercury Cazimi in Cancer
Mercury’s Diary Entry
Sweetly Blinded: Mercury Cazimi
Within the molten heart,
We are sweetly blinded
Sun-kissed
Lambent
Formless
Thriving
Juiced-up
On light medicine
And newly born
Aware
Aware
Aware of future’s form
Time’s tender flashes
Break fast
And strobe clean
A shivering remembrance
Imbues the hour’s esteem
Honeyed drops of nectar
Rain upon the tongue
Unleashing wild benevolent
Stories yet to come
We cast off ripe desires
And prosaic dreams
To embody fresh elixirs
The solar purpose brings
The mind fire burns holy
And bounds forth anew
Rising in the heavens
As evening stars will do
Shield Maiden
Mercury ingress into Cancer July 5
Mars ingress into Taurus July 5
Mercury sextile Mars July 5
Sun sextile Uranus July 10
Shield Maiden
A tribe of shield maidens collect in a pastoral valley. Across the ocean their homeland is visible, but utterly out of reach. The serene and bucolic landscape where they have set up camp is at complete odds with the boiling emotions and warring temperament that tones the group. They wait for their marching orders.
Heated deliberations concerning a recent grave injustice sweeps across the band of women. For the moment, the maidens’ exiled status weighs heavily upon them. They must patiently wait for the tides to turn. For now, they debate and discuss strategy.
Mercury, the messenger, has just arrived at the Moon's shining Cancer lunar temple. They remain in contact with the maidens, gathering intel and transmitting their plight to the great mother goddess.
The maidens grow restless. They’re eager to act swiftly and retaliate against their oppressors. Quarrels break out amongst them concerning the best course of action. They feel powerless, defeated, and betrayed.
In the evening, the women commune and hold ceremony with the goddess. The great goddess reminds them she is omnipresent, and to not allow the horrific actions of a few feral and deranged law-makers throw them off their game.
Meanwhile, inventive and rebellious Uranus and the purpose-driven Sun collude in the sky. An omen that a piece of positive news or sudden auspicious developments are about to illuminate the tribe.
The Shield Maidens chant in unison.
As does the Moon, and so the Sun.
The goddess rises, always.
Again and again.
Star Wisdom for the week: Circumstances may look grim, but remember, all of your shield maiden sisters are out there preparing to fight for equality. Take comfort in knowing that your tribe is larger than it appears. Nurture yourself and others. Rest and reassemble in a safe place. Offer chants to the moon.
Mars ingress into Taurus July 5
Mercury sextile Mars July 5
Sun sextile Uranus July 10
Shield Maiden
A tribe of shield maidens collect in a pastoral valley. Across the ocean their homeland is visible, but utterly out of reach. The serene and bucolic landscape where they have set up camp is at complete odds with the boiling emotions and warring temperament that tones the group. They wait for their marching orders.
Heated deliberations concerning a recent grave injustice sweeps across the band of women. For the moment, the maidens’ exiled status weighs heavily upon them. They must patiently wait for the tides to turn. For now, they debate and discuss strategy.
Mercury, the messenger, has just arrived at the Moon's shining Cancer lunar temple. They remain in contact with the maidens, gathering intel and transmitting their plight to the great mother goddess.
The maidens grow restless. They’re eager to act swiftly and retaliate against their oppressors. Quarrels break out amongst them concerning the best course of action. They feel powerless, defeated, and betrayed.
In the evening, the women commune and hold ceremony with the goddess. The great goddess reminds them she is omnipresent, and to not allow the horrific actions of a few feral and deranged law-makers throw them off their game.
Meanwhile, inventive and rebellious Uranus and the purpose-driven Sun collude in the sky. An omen that a piece of positive news or sudden auspicious developments are about to illuminate the tribe.
The Shield Maidens chant in unison.
As does the Moon, and so the Sun.
The goddess rises, always.
Again and again.
Star Wisdom for the week: Circumstances may look grim, but remember, all of your shield maiden sisters are out there preparing to fight for equality. Take comfort in knowing that your tribe is larger than it appears. Nurture yourself and others. Rest and reassemble in a safe place. Offer chants to the moon.
Split screen: Babble On
Mercury and Venus co-present in Gemini
Split screen: Babble On
An audience sits in a darkened movie theater. The projector reels turn, illuminating a split-screen.
On the left side of the screen we see Venus, the goddess of love, hurrying through the halls of Mercury’s estate. She’s giddy with potential as she excitedly searches for her host.
On the right side of the screen is Mercury, the winged messenger. They grin widely, delighted to be back home and corresponding with anyone and everyone they please.
Venus is adapting to these new mercurial rhythms. The pace of life has quickened since she first arrived, and it’s almost impossible to keep up with Mercury’s flickering ideas and stream-of-consciousness babble.
Mercury, now immersed in the inspired twin-energy of their home sign Gemini, is taking full advantage of a playful and fluid retreat. “Be curious. Take chances.” they mutter to themselves.
Venus phones Mercury to share her splendidly provocative ideas. We see her lounging on a thick shag carpet as she presses the phone to her ear. Mercury, having prophesied her call, answers before the phone rings.
Like a flock of chattering birds, the sparks of collaboration swiftly ignite between them. Venus suggests they dress up like ancient deep-sea marine life and invent a new language. “We’ll summon primordial tongues and serenade the new moon. I will be the oracle, and you the magician. I, the bonfire, and you, the branches. I, purification, and you initiation.”
Minutes later, an iridescent hologram appears above Mercury’s mansion. It’s Venus. Her faceted image projects across the night sky, unleashing waves of light and gilded ripples of sound. The pair continue to riff from dusk until dawn, jamming with the stars to babble on, babble on.
Back in the darkened movie house, the screen splits into four sections, then 8, 16, 32, 64 and so on, multiplying in infinitude.
A phone rings in the projection booth, and the screen goes dark.
Star Wisdom for the week: Babble on friend, Babble on. Jam it out with witty, clever companions that know their way around the realms of imagination and invention.
Published on 6/27/2022
Split screen: Babble On
An audience sits in a darkened movie theater. The projector reels turn, illuminating a split-screen.
On the left side of the screen we see Venus, the goddess of love, hurrying through the halls of Mercury’s estate. She’s giddy with potential as she excitedly searches for her host.
On the right side of the screen is Mercury, the winged messenger. They grin widely, delighted to be back home and corresponding with anyone and everyone they please.
Venus is adapting to these new mercurial rhythms. The pace of life has quickened since she first arrived, and it’s almost impossible to keep up with Mercury’s flickering ideas and stream-of-consciousness babble.
Mercury, now immersed in the inspired twin-energy of their home sign Gemini, is taking full advantage of a playful and fluid retreat. “Be curious. Take chances.” they mutter to themselves.
Venus phones Mercury to share her splendidly provocative ideas. We see her lounging on a thick shag carpet as she presses the phone to her ear. Mercury, having prophesied her call, answers before the phone rings.
Like a flock of chattering birds, the sparks of collaboration swiftly ignite between them. Venus suggests they dress up like ancient deep-sea marine life and invent a new language. “We’ll summon primordial tongues and serenade the new moon. I will be the oracle, and you the magician. I, the bonfire, and you, the branches. I, purification, and you initiation.”
Minutes later, an iridescent hologram appears above Mercury’s mansion. It’s Venus. Her faceted image projects across the night sky, unleashing waves of light and gilded ripples of sound. The pair continue to riff from dusk until dawn, jamming with the stars to babble on, babble on.
Back in the darkened movie house, the screen splits into four sections, then 8, 16, 32, 64 and so on, multiplying in infinitude.
A phone rings in the projection booth, and the screen goes dark.
Star Wisdom for the week: Babble on friend, Babble on. Jam it out with witty, clever companions that know their way around the realms of imagination and invention.
Published on 6/27/2022
Dionysian Rapture
Dionysian Rapture
6/27 – 7/5
Mars square Pluto
Thick blood-red light floods the smokey stage. The rhythmic and ritualistic beats of Densmore’s drums bellow through the audience. Hairs at the nape of your neck stand on end. The tension builds as the crowd sways in mystical union. Morrison appears out of nowhere. Possessed by forces unseen, he bounds across the front of the stage in cathartic, twisting leaps and moans. Morrison writhes in sweat-soaked leather pants, howling and grinding himself into the stage. Ride the Snake. Ride the snake, he growls.
He is Dionysus.
He is Mars erotica.
He is fire and earth.
In stark contrast, lining the front of the stage is stone-faced law enforcement. They attempt to hold back an inflamed crowd that begs to taste this shaman and his stage magic. Or are they holding back Morrison from delivering a collective Dionysian climax? The ultimate authoritarian cock-block on full display.
Morrison walks a tightrope of chaos and creation. He taunts authority and whips the crowd into frenzied ecstasy. He does it with words and sound. Body and form. Knowing and not knowing if he will push too far.
Will there be rapture, or will there be rupture?
Rapture or Rupture?
This is the dynamic that this week’s transits and especially Mars square Pluto speaks to. These energies sit at the nexus of chaos, creation, and destruction, and describe a tipping point, a pressure cooker. Mars in Aries stomping on a stage to the beat of pounding war drums. Emoting coded incantations and mind-altering tongue lashes. The poet conjures primal forces, shaping his will into manifestation, breaching the underworld and cracking open the ancient Orphic Egg. Cardinal fire meets cardinal earth.
I recently re-watched Oliver Stone’s 1991 film, The Doors.
I was struck by Val Kilmer’s potent portrayal and embodiment of Morrison, and the lengths an actor or performer will sometimes go to, to get it right. The tightrope walk. A delicate balance between artistic immersion and unruly self-indulgence. Obliteration of boundaries within and without.
Break on through.
Break on through.
Break on through.
Not every battle requires engagement, but Mars’s natural state is to conquer, to burst in headlong with quick powerful strikes. Mars in Aries lacks the strategic vision of Scorpio, his other domicile, so he may just literally lose his shit. Conversely, he may take advantage of that sextile to Saturn to make his influence more controlled and productive. It is a choice. But a choice that a charging ram’s head full of fire can easily miss or ignore.
Morrison always pushed for the edge. He consistently sought to disrupt the status quo and longed to free his audience from societal taboos and inhibitions. In a world that is going through some serious contractions, we may want to ask ourselves. Are we choosing to ride the snake or scorch the earth?
Star Wisdom for the week: Conjure the spirit of Jim Morrison and ride the snake. Be at peace, but take up space like a Chieftain warrior.
Published on 6/20/22
6/27 – 7/5
Mars square Pluto
Thick blood-red light floods the smokey stage. The rhythmic and ritualistic beats of Densmore’s drums bellow through the audience. Hairs at the nape of your neck stand on end. The tension builds as the crowd sways in mystical union. Morrison appears out of nowhere. Possessed by forces unseen, he bounds across the front of the stage in cathartic, twisting leaps and moans. Morrison writhes in sweat-soaked leather pants, howling and grinding himself into the stage. Ride the Snake. Ride the snake, he growls.
He is Dionysus.
He is Mars erotica.
He is fire and earth.
In stark contrast, lining the front of the stage is stone-faced law enforcement. They attempt to hold back an inflamed crowd that begs to taste this shaman and his stage magic. Or are they holding back Morrison from delivering a collective Dionysian climax? The ultimate authoritarian cock-block on full display.
Morrison walks a tightrope of chaos and creation. He taunts authority and whips the crowd into frenzied ecstasy. He does it with words and sound. Body and form. Knowing and not knowing if he will push too far.
Will there be rapture, or will there be rupture?
Rapture or Rupture?
This is the dynamic that this week’s transits and especially Mars square Pluto speaks to. These energies sit at the nexus of chaos, creation, and destruction, and describe a tipping point, a pressure cooker. Mars in Aries stomping on a stage to the beat of pounding war drums. Emoting coded incantations and mind-altering tongue lashes. The poet conjures primal forces, shaping his will into manifestation, breaching the underworld and cracking open the ancient Orphic Egg. Cardinal fire meets cardinal earth.
I recently re-watched Oliver Stone’s 1991 film, The Doors.
I was struck by Val Kilmer’s potent portrayal and embodiment of Morrison, and the lengths an actor or performer will sometimes go to, to get it right. The tightrope walk. A delicate balance between artistic immersion and unruly self-indulgence. Obliteration of boundaries within and without.
Break on through.
Break on through.
Break on through.
Not every battle requires engagement, but Mars’s natural state is to conquer, to burst in headlong with quick powerful strikes. Mars in Aries lacks the strategic vision of Scorpio, his other domicile, so he may just literally lose his shit. Conversely, he may take advantage of that sextile to Saturn to make his influence more controlled and productive. It is a choice. But a choice that a charging ram’s head full of fire can easily miss or ignore.
Morrison always pushed for the edge. He consistently sought to disrupt the status quo and longed to free his audience from societal taboos and inhibitions. In a world that is going through some serious contractions, we may want to ask ourselves. Are we choosing to ride the snake or scorch the earth?
Star Wisdom for the week: Conjure the spirit of Jim Morrison and ride the snake. Be at peace, but take up space like a Chieftain warrior.
Published on 6/20/22
Joie de vivre
6/12 - 6/21
Sun in Gemini square Neptune in Pisces
6/16 - 6/21
Venus in Taurus sextile Neptune in Pisces
6/16 - 6/22
Venus in Taurus square Saturn in Aquarius
6/18 - 6/22
Venus in Taurus trine Pluto in Capricorn
Earthy and sensual Venus in Taurus resides in her home garden of delights until the end of the week. I picture her barefoot, wearing a diaphanous white flowing garment as she walks the grounds of her temple, tending to the copious flowering plant, tree, and vegetable life that spills forth in all directions. The air is scented with magnolia and honeysuckle. A warm breeze dances through her hair and golden sunlight shimmers upon her skin. This is where Venus lives. Where her desires take root in body and land. A multi-sensory world of lush satisfaction.
The Sun casts an otherworldly light, bathing her homestead in a dreamy haze of liminal suspension. She finds it hard to focus and is compelled to escape by lounging and daydreaming. She melts into reverie, unsettled yet expectant.
While there have been many parties and pleasures over the past weeks, a sobering presence looms nearby. Venus knows she must leave soon. Mercury has sent message that they eagerly await her arrival. But first, she has work to do. Saturn beckons her to get it together. She has responsibilities and a list of tasks to complete. The question is, how will she use the energy of this imminent square to stern Saturn? Venus likes to take her time these days, but the hourglass is draining. Saturn, now retrograde, has taken a bird's-eye view and is reevaluating the past several months and making adjustments to his master plan. Both parties dwell in their respective domiciles and are dignified. Neither wants to budge.
Venus understands that something has got to give. She must be flexible, especially if she wants to thrive in Mercury's domain in the coming weeks. It's time to get serious about matters of the heart, body, relationships, and finances. Time to curb spending and identify whom she wants to keep in the friend zone and with whom she will share her Netflix password. That waterfall she'd like to install in the back garden may have to wait. It's just not the right time. But the new landscaping friend she has become acquainted with is a keeper, and she may want to get exclusive and put them on retainer. Or perhaps she receives a text from an old flame who’d like to reminisce about the good old days. Regardless, she has her work cut out for her, tidying up and getting the grounds ready and in good shape for her departure.
By the time Venus has satisfied Saturn’s need for order and form, the Plutonic impulse to dig deep and experience the subterranean layers of connection, attraction, self-sufficiency, and empowerment enters the picture. She may even get a message of encouragement or an enticing offer from a powerful ally. After all that hard work, Venus basks in the literal fruits of her success. Her joie de vivre reignited, she invites the locals over for an exquisite impassioned farewell feast, the last hurrah before jetting to Mercurys' lair.
Star Wisdom for the week: Don't cut corners while taking care of business. Do it right. Do it clean. Spend time in the garden, commune with nature. Throw a Venusian themed solstice party, invite the locals.
Published on 6/13/22
Sun in Gemini square Neptune in Pisces
6/16 - 6/21
Venus in Taurus sextile Neptune in Pisces
6/16 - 6/22
Venus in Taurus square Saturn in Aquarius
6/18 - 6/22
Venus in Taurus trine Pluto in Capricorn
Earthy and sensual Venus in Taurus resides in her home garden of delights until the end of the week. I picture her barefoot, wearing a diaphanous white flowing garment as she walks the grounds of her temple, tending to the copious flowering plant, tree, and vegetable life that spills forth in all directions. The air is scented with magnolia and honeysuckle. A warm breeze dances through her hair and golden sunlight shimmers upon her skin. This is where Venus lives. Where her desires take root in body and land. A multi-sensory world of lush satisfaction.
The Sun casts an otherworldly light, bathing her homestead in a dreamy haze of liminal suspension. She finds it hard to focus and is compelled to escape by lounging and daydreaming. She melts into reverie, unsettled yet expectant.
While there have been many parties and pleasures over the past weeks, a sobering presence looms nearby. Venus knows she must leave soon. Mercury has sent message that they eagerly await her arrival. But first, she has work to do. Saturn beckons her to get it together. She has responsibilities and a list of tasks to complete. The question is, how will she use the energy of this imminent square to stern Saturn? Venus likes to take her time these days, but the hourglass is draining. Saturn, now retrograde, has taken a bird's-eye view and is reevaluating the past several months and making adjustments to his master plan. Both parties dwell in their respective domiciles and are dignified. Neither wants to budge.
Venus understands that something has got to give. She must be flexible, especially if she wants to thrive in Mercury's domain in the coming weeks. It's time to get serious about matters of the heart, body, relationships, and finances. Time to curb spending and identify whom she wants to keep in the friend zone and with whom she will share her Netflix password. That waterfall she'd like to install in the back garden may have to wait. It's just not the right time. But the new landscaping friend she has become acquainted with is a keeper, and she may want to get exclusive and put them on retainer. Or perhaps she receives a text from an old flame who’d like to reminisce about the good old days. Regardless, she has her work cut out for her, tidying up and getting the grounds ready and in good shape for her departure.
By the time Venus has satisfied Saturn’s need for order and form, the Plutonic impulse to dig deep and experience the subterranean layers of connection, attraction, self-sufficiency, and empowerment enters the picture. She may even get a message of encouragement or an enticing offer from a powerful ally. After all that hard work, Venus basks in the literal fruits of her success. Her joie de vivre reignited, she invites the locals over for an exquisite impassioned farewell feast, the last hurrah before jetting to Mercurys' lair.
Star Wisdom for the week: Don't cut corners while taking care of business. Do it right. Do it clean. Spend time in the garden, commune with nature. Throw a Venusian themed solstice party, invite the locals.
Published on 6/13/22