2008 April : Big Sky AstroBlog

Apr

24

I’ve been doing a lot of electional astrology lately - more than usual. It’s a process that involves sitting for hours in front of Win*Star (I use Solar Fire for most things, but I prefer Win*Star’s rectification tool) toggling charts by an hour here, a minute there, trying to keep nasty planets out of the seventh house, a good relationship between rulers of the first and seventh houses, figuring out where to put that pesky Saturn/Uranus opposition, etc. It’s gotten to the point where I view every chart as an electional challenge. Yesterday I calculated the natal chart for a bride and when it came up on my screen I instinctively lunged for the “rectify” button, eager to move her natal Saturn out of the seventh house. Which I suspect she would have appreciated, actually.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could torque our natal charts to correct nasty placements? Though I’m sure my natal chart is chock full of necessary karmic lessons and so forth, if given the chance I’d definitely move Saturn out of my 2nd house, where it’s plagued me with overwhelming insecurity; and Mars/Pluto away from Midheaven, which I believe symbolizes my unique ability to anger people to the point of insanity. And I’d probably try to do something about that Virgo Midheaven, too; although I share this noble placement with the likes of Steven Forrest and Elvis, my Leo Sun occasionally bristles under Virgo’s insistence on humility and modesty.

Chart torquing is, I suppose, what we attempt to do when we relocate natal charts for different locations to see how we might like the astral weather there. (To calculate your chart for a location different from your birthplace, just enter your natal birth date and time, but the time zone and coordinates for the new city.) Occasionally, forces beyond our control relocate our charts for us, and we end up in places we never would have chosen on our own. In Southern California, where I’ve lived most of my life, I do have the Sun conjunct a rock-star Leo midheaven, Saturn in the 3rd instead of the 2nd, and Mars/Pluto a good distance from the Midheaven. But there are always trade-offs. I’ve also got a Scorpio ascendant instead of happy-go-lucky Sagittarius rising, the Moon in the brooding 8th instead of the cooperative 7th, and Neptune awfully close to the Ascendant (apparently rendering me invisible when I walk into a store and require service). Not sure I’d have chosen those. And in fact, I didn’t choose to come here. I have, however, chosen to stay for 37 years so far.

If you could torque your chart, how would you rearrange things?

April 24, 2008 | 13 Comments

Apr

17

FULL MOON IN SCORPIO
Sunday, April 20, 2008
3:25 am PDT/6:25 am EDT
Sun at 0.43 Taurus / Moon at 0.43 Scorpio

My latest article, in which I score a great new pair of shoes and manage to maintain my sunny disposition despite Carl Kasell’s determination to kill my buzz:

What’s So Bad About Feeling Good?
Each year during the Sun in Taurus season, the Scorpio Full Moon asks us to halt our hedonistic Spring revels and take a moment to remember those unhappy truths we would prefer to ignore, such as suffering, destruction, and mortality. But this year, I’m learning something new: namely, the same penetrating Scorpio insight that needles us with inconvenient truths can also make us keenly, ecstatically aware of our blessings….

(read the full article here)

April 17, 2008 | 3 Comments

Apr

12

Last May - just a couple of months after my progressed Moon nudged its way into my third house (the house of neighbors) - our beloved next-door neighbor died. Since then, the dear old house next door has been sitting empty, and I imagine it must have been as stunned to lose Mildred - its inhabitant for more than 50 years - as we were. After probate ran its course the family sold it to a young real estate entrepreneur at a shockingly low price, and he proceeded to flash it up for a quick flip, as though he hadn’t heard the news that the local real estate market was imploding. A few months and a lot of paint later, it was on the market. Where it sat, quietly empty, until last week.

Here’s something you should know about me: I’m freakishly sensitive to my living environment. Particular noises can make me crazy, and apparently I have some kind of gnarly karma to fulfill because for many years I’ve been plagued by a series of neighbors with robotically barking dogs and loud bass booming out of their stereos. We scoped this place out very carefully before buying it, and it was blissfully quiet; of course, the day we moved in, a family of renters moved in next door with a pit bull that kept us awake all night, every night, barking five feet from our bedroom window. (Dog owners, please don’t get me wrong - I love dogs too, truly. So much so that I’m really offended by people who bring dogs into their lives and then leave these companionable creatures alone outside all day long, bored out of their minds and lonely, so that they naturally bark and bark. They’re unhappy, I’m unhappy, it’s a mess.)

Anyway, after several lively months the pit bull owners were evicted for failing to pay their rent (delightful people) and quiet neighbors moved in, and in due course quiet owners. Quiet, cat-loving Mildred, who was 97 years old when she died, was of course the ideal neighbor for the likes of me (not to mention a great friend and a kick-ass cook). For a long time, we’ve had a stable situation around here.

Then my progressed Moon moved into my third house, and all that changed. For nearly a year I’ve been in a fugue of anxiety, worried about who would move into Mildred’s house. For nearly a year I’ve performed ritual after ritual, beseeching the gods to send us lovely neighbors. The third is the house of neighbors, but it’s also the house of communication. As Caroline Casey says, the gods want to help us, but we have to ask them. Ritual is basically a conversation with the gods, and for nearly a year I’ve been talking their ears off.

A couple of weeks ago, a termite control company came and tented the house next door - a sure sign it had been sold. My anxiety ratcheted up. Then one day last week we came home to find a series of stakes surrounding the front yard, clearly marking the boundary for a fence. My blood turned to ice water: a dog! I was sick with worry.

Then the new neighbor came over to introduce himself and to discuss the fence; how would we feel about his cutting away the old, low hedge separating his yard from our driveway? It was considerate of him to ask instead of just hacking away, as some people might. He seemed so nice… but I was wary. Before we could ask any more about the fence, he volunteered that he and his wife have a sweet old cat who likes to go outside but is kind of shy and easily spooked. Thus, the fence.

I nearly fell into his arms and showered him with kisses. But I didn’t want to scare off our perfect new neighbor. So I gave him my heartfelt blessing to get rid of the hedge, warmly welcomed him to the neighborhood, and the next day performed a joyful ritual of thanks to the gods - and to Mildred, who I suspect has been looking out for us all along.

April 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Apr

9

Are you now, or have you ever been, married? Help me in my ongoing research into the astrology of marriage by filling out this simple online form!

(go to survey form)

April 9, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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Sign of Leo

Moon sextiles Mercury at
4:20 pm on Jul.5, 2008

Moon opposes Neptune at
5:22 pm on Jul.5, 2008

Moon trines Pluto at
3:05 am on Jul.6, 2008

Moon goes void of course at
3:05 am on Jul.6, 2008

Moon enters Virgo at
4:04 am on Jul.6, 2008

Moon conjuncts Mars at
9:19 am on Jul.6, 2008