I really think there are many more maternal figures since Medea lost it who are worse than our subject; but it’s undeniable that her name has become a catchphrase for over-the-top histrionics and abuse (as well as the scourge of dry cleaners, through the admonition, “No! Wire! Hangars!”) Yes, I’m talking about the much maligned, and now nearly iconic symbol of dysfunctional mothering, actress and one-time Pepsico CEO Joan Crawford (23 March 1903, 10:00 PM, San Antonio Texas). To be fair to Joan, after a brief perusal of the mothering related factors in her chart, we’ll look at the chart of the adopted daughter who brought Joan’s alleged behavior to light, Christina Crawford (11 June 1939, 3:00 PM, Los Angeles California).

The attitude toward children in general, and one’s children in particular, is found in the 5th; for the senior Ms. Crawford, this is ruled by Neptune, alerting us immediately to the possibility that this woman does not see children in a realistic light. Neptune is in the 8th at 00 Cancer, implying that she may see children as a resource (something she was indeed accused of, in the sense of using her adopted children as props and a PR ploy), with the 00 placement in Cancer pointing up the emotional newness, even rawness, of Neptune related subjects–interesting in light of her lifelong occupation of film acting, with the 8th placement suggesting that she may have easily gained the support of others in this.

Neptune ruler, and symbol of both the mothering Joan received herself, and the attitude she carried toward mothering in general, the Moon, sits in Aquarius less than one degree from conjunction with Saturn, both in the 3rd. This is a combination for emotional repression, even coldness, as the emotions are processed intellectually; sitting in the 3rd this emphasized the mental approach to emotions, and this was communicated, whether she wanted others to see it or not. The Moon also trines Mars and Earth in Libra, marrying the emotions almost too easily to the material and to the ego and aggressive/ assertive urges, and the Moon sextiles Vesta and the Sun in Aries, making emotional challenges seem like ones that threaten her very identity, and giving the emotional scenario a label of ’sacred’–no one may contradict her emotional interpretation! The Moon also sextiles Juno in the 1st, making her Self empowered through emotional expression. So, though the emotions are directly suppressed, we see they have plenty of real-world outlets, along with many underlying assumptions about their sacrosanct nature.

Mars, ruler of the Sun and already part of the equation through contact with the Moon, rules the 6th of duty and everyday happenings/ routine, and holds Venus in Aries, valuing the martial spirit and the kind of strict, military style routines her adoptive daughter said were a household staple. Chiron, which can often show a wound that drives much of our compulsive behavior, is isolated in Capricorn at the bottom of the chart, suggesting attempts to stave off the wound and attendant bad feelings about the Self may have taken the form of extreme discipline and repression. Chiron sits at the midpoint of a square between Juno (Self-empowerment) and Jupiter (society), implying she might have seen these two interests as in conflict, setting up a ‘Joan vs. everyone else’ dynamic.

But does she really fit the model of a ‘devouring mother’? Pluto is essential to that picture, and in Joan Crawford’s chart it is chart ruler, posited in the 8th, opposes Uranus, ruler of the 4th, and square Piscean Mercury, which brings us back to Neptune. This suggests that she may have been tempted to destroy the very people and things that supported her, that she may have been in an internal death struggle with her own expression of individuality and a longing to be part of the group, and that she was as likely to communicate destructively as she was to communicate in a way that reflected her (somewhat disconnected from reality–see Neptune’s situation) ideals. Though she certainly qualifies as responding to the devouring Archetype, she seems more a figure to be pitied than condemned; the emotional dysfunctions and woundedness that drove her were not easily dealt with, even for someone Self-aware. Ms. Crawford seems to have been unwilling, and perhaps even unable, to recognize her own distorted nature.

Adopted daughter Christina (11 June 1939, 3:00 PM, Los Angeles California) may have had her own motivations (aside from just revealing events) in writing her tell-all book, ‘Mommie Dearest.’ The view of the mother is found in the 10th, and the experience of mothering received in the state of the Moon. Leo is on the 10th cusp, with ruler Sun in the 8th in Gemini and conjunct Mercury. The Sun is sesquiquadrate Mars in Aquarius at the bottom of the chart–it just happens to conjunct Joan’s Moon. Where else would Christina’s ego and aggressive urges, intellectualtized and hidden deep inside herself, go for outlet, but to Mommie? Her Moon is in Aries (ruled by the instrument of her ego/ anger/ assertion); the Moon rules the 9th of publishing, and is square Chiron (the primal wound) in Cancer (Mom again!) and is conjunct Jupiter, which rules the intercepted 2nd, suggesting that perhaps there was a deeply hidden idea of the Self as ‘big’ and in connection to the other energies may have felt the only way to express this ‘bigness’ was through the emotions (Moon/ Jupiter conjunct).

Of course, just because someone has Jupiter connected to the 2nd, it doesn’t mean they have an inflated Self-worth; but I do remember distinctly that the book featured many episodes where Christina asserted her talents failed to be recognized. I recall wondering what talents and abilities she repeatedly referred to in the abstract, as she seemed to take for granted that the reader assumed her to be almost magically accomplished and talented, though she made virtually no direct reference to exactly what those talents were. 5th House (creativity) Jupiter happens to be, among other salient aspects, trine Pluto, implying a syndrome I’ve seen at work before (and first saw mentioned in the work of the great Grant Lewi): frustrated individuals with Jupiter/ Pluto aspects often believe they possess a whole list of imaginary attributes; the unfortunate part is that they judge themselves on these, and miss connecting with their real talents, and thus short-circuit their opportunities in reality. I believe this particular kind of magical thinking was at work in Christina. Also of note: her Aries Moon is conjunct Joan’s Sun. Reincarnationists will of course enjoy that; I’ll just say that this speaks of the child’s emotional state (and needs) meeting the ego/ identity/ Soul of the mother, head on; could it have felt to both like there was competition for recognition of each of these needs/ energies in the other? Even looking at only the couple of contacts between these two charts we’ve mentioned (Mars/ Moon, Moon/ Sun), we can see that, no matter how Christina was treated, she likely would have seen Joan as trying to outshine her, and perhaps, in disowning her own aggression, Christina more than a little contributed to the situation that came about; even children have the full pallet of urges and attributes–when we forget that, we infantilize (and fail to respect) them, and put our ability to have a fulfilling relationship with them in peril.

Read more on relationship analysis here http://www.amazon.com/Astrology-Intimate-Relationship-Julie-Demboski/dp/0965836924/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1

So we have this T-square formed right now with the axis of the Taurus Sun/ Scorpio Earth squaring Aquarian Chiron, and coming into orb as it did just in time for the pseudo-holiday celebrating guilt and obligation that we generally feel toward our mothers (and come on ladies, it’s up to us to break the cycle with the next generation–let’s free our children, so that when they come to us, they come to us out of love, simply and completely), and this touchy config may have led to some less-than-pretty scenes. Oh, things may have gone well on the surface, but how many of us cringed with carrying out the expected (no, required) obeisance? And how many of us saw dissatisfaction expressed, the kind that poked at the primal wound (Chiron) through a not-so-positive evaluation of our material choices (Earth) or our Soul’s necessary direction (Sun)?

Don’t get me wrong; I’m a mother myself, and know what an incredibly difficult, long term task it is to even try to guide and provide for another human being who comes to us helpless and, to some extent, unformed. It’s been said that mothering is the toughest job in the world; but I believe that mothering well is the toughest job in the world. We definitely need to make a distinction between those who approach the job with the best of intentions and a willingness to do their utmost to provide what their child truly needs, and those for whom motherhood has been a role Self-centeredly, if not unconsciously, played.

If you were lucky yesterday (or today, or tomorrow, or the next day, until the Sun/ Earth moves askew to Chiron) you were or will be reminded of one or more of your most personal, unique, and useful skills/ strengths. These are talents you are born with (and as such your association to Mom may be in some way a trigger, or interwoven emotionally, with this, possibly triggered particularly by the Nodal proximity, which as we know is natally mother-related), that you are probably the best person on the planet to deliver to the world, that you don’t need a license, degree, or permission to use (though you may need to take this attribute from a sensitive spot to a positive ability before you can employ it), and these few days are ones that may bring this to the surface.

Now all of this is just a pre-rumination on the real-life possibilities of a terribly unflattering maternal Archetype, the Devouring Mother (and don’t worry, fathers get equal time; for instance, in the form of child-devouring Chronos, so frightened of a prediction that he would be surpassed by one of his offspring that he ate every one of them he could find!) I’ll post a second part soon, with the chart of a real-life example of the Devouring Mother for us all to inspect. In the meantime, try my book on Chiron’s presence in the life, CHIRON IN THE NATAL CHART  http://www.amazon.com/Chiron-Natal-Chart-Julie-Demboski/dp/0965836916/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_2_0

Current aspects wouldn’t look half so extraordinary if not for the asteroid Pallas, as it balances atop a number of trines and draws multiple Grand Trines in the sky. Without the Warrior Queen we might see only related arms Saturn trine Pluto, Saturn trine Juno, South Node trine Juno (and unrelated trines Sun to Jupiter, and Ceres to Chiron), and never realize that Pallas is taking these energies to another level. For instance, in the Grand Trine created by Pallas, Saturn, and Pluto, we add a dimension to the Saturn/ Pluto combo of restriction, destruction, or manifestation of current structures, with the possibility of destruction or transformation, through Pallas’s inherent wisdom and skill; rather than being compelled to either struggle against change or to bring it about at all costs, we are given the capacity to apply well-considered knowledge and the wisdom of ‘those who know,’ and we are equipped with practical skills on which we may rely to bring about the desired scenario. That’s quite a bit better than being subjected to compulsion or pushed to suppression without ryhme or reason. With Saturn, Pallas, and Juno we see empowerment and an ability to play by the rules commensurate with skills and accumulated wisdom–let the most experienced and ‘together’ person in the room do the leading, just for a while; on the personal side, incorporate Self-discipline, skill, wisdom, into personal responsibility–doing so may make you the most ‘together’ person around, and thus possibly in charge. With Pallas, South Node, and Juno we find wisdom that empowers through recognition and recall of the past. And with the two trines not involved with Pallas, we see the identity (Sun) out there for all to see (Jupiter), and authority (Ceres) either out to hurt or heal (Chiron)–let’s hope for each of us it’s the latter.

There’s also a Finger of God active, involving the South Node as the apex energy, quincunx Jupiter and Uranus in sextile to each other; let’s take this as divine direction. South Node sits in Leo–take careful note of the transiting Sun as it impacts your natal chart; this is where you’ll find important energies stimulated, and important outlets–this is where things can move forward, keeping in mind one’s past, and what one has learned from it. Jupiter and Uranus dial up the energy, the innovative capacity, the ability to see and be seen as an individual, and also as a member of a group or social order, and to gain status appropriate to this. Direct your efforts at unique Self-expression to the social arena through the lens of experiences of the past (and this can include wisdom gleaned from the experiences of others)–do in the present with an eye on where you come from, and what’s happened along the way.

The Sun/ Earth and Nodal axes create a Grand Cross throwing destiny, fate, plans, intentions, and Soul and material Purposes up into life’s cross-hairs; everyone will be dealing with major decisions, sorting out turning points, choosing their fate. It’s a good time to appreciate that you are under a lot of stress; know too that everyone surrounding you is having a similar experience, so cut everyone a little bit of slack. We behave strangely under pressure; coping mechanisms can too easily be taken at face value, rather than as the emergency protective measures that they truly are.

The Sun sextiles Uranus; expect surprises, especially about who you really are. Earth sextiles Jupiter; we can get more, if we make the effort. Mercury is semi-square Mars, tempting us to express frustrated ego energies by lashing out; restraint, and using words and thoughts to get ourselves moving, is a better expression of this by far. Mars quincunxes Pluto; until this moves off aspect, we could be prone to some highly destructive actions–again, restraint will be a worthwhile goal. And finally, Venus is sesquiquadrate both Juno and Pluto; values, relationships, and our own darker qualities are challenged situations involving the exercise of power, and personal responsibility–this is when we look to Pallas for wise advice (and to help you locate your current ‘wisdom’ source, Pallas sits at 26 Aries–find this in your chart–House matters will be the area where you’ll know your stuff (or where you can find out easily).

I’ll modify this a bit in the week, as some of these aspects are relatively short. In the meantime, buy my books! and check out services at ‘Want More?’ Thank you!

Though I’m loathe to talk about myself (1st House Pisces Moon–see my previous article on how we want to hide!) it almost seems a disservice to relate to my readers, and to astrology, as if it’s all an abstraction, ‘out there,’ and of course part of my job is to apply astrology to real life–so sometimes, as when I spoke of my own recent health crisis, it seems appropriate to share. Almost two weeks ago my husband was told his job would no longer exist as of July 1st. This was more than a shock (and Uranus is conjunct my natal Moon! I was warned of this by an alert reader months ago, but my response was, “Yes, but I think this has already come about with ‘x’” Boy was I off!)–the situation didn’t make sense–my husband’s the guy who actually supervises everyone else, does all the paperwork, keeps things in compliance and running–what were they thinking? That leaves the people who deal directly with the clients, and the big-wigs who do . . . I don’t know what. On top of this, we’ve always been the ones to do the leaving, to wave good-bye to one circumstance as it recedes in the rear view mirror and to head off toward another–no one’s ever said, “You can’t have this job anymore” to either of us. So setting aside the blow to the ego, we’ve both gone through the five stages (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance) in lightning-quick speed, largely because we’ve both got an extremely strong belief that the Universe is to be trusted, that this is happening not just with good reason, but with our consent. I look at the transits to my chart (and maybe this is a weakness for me, that I’m not constantly ruminating on my own chart) and of course see that one of my greatest fears (held for me in the subconscious 12th, which is Saturn-ruled), the fear of extreme impoverishment (and of course it’s extreme, my Libra Sun must swing to radical ends before it balances itself out) and destruction (my packed 8th House) has come to reality (T Saturn just 13 minutes from N Pluto in the 7th of spouse, the other, the audience, Art–Pluto rules the 9th, which contains Venus and the North Node–Saturn also squares the Midheaven, sextiles Neptune, semi-sextiles Mercury).

Or has it? The more time that passes, the more this seems like an obvious blessing. My husband’s workplace is not just dysfunctional, it seems to be imploding (and there’s some question as to whether his position received the ax because he pushed strongly for compliance with federal mandates, and the powers that be were highly resistant–likely because the obvious analysis would have displaced one or more of them). It has challenged us to move toward what we say we want–and though I love my life here, there are things I want to do that will not happen in this spot. It’s pushed us both to make choices, and I’m grateful for the wake-up call to move us forward in so many ways. Yes, we could still lose our house, could still find ourselves in tough straits–but as I work to live in the moment, what I find is that everything is really going very well–and I’m challenged to trust that whatever the future brings, even if it appears disastrous, is right for us.

Silly me, when I first contemplated the possibilities of the Saturn to Pluto transit, I skimmed over the idea of job loss for my husband (7th House location). Saturn and Pluto have always been my friends, and the idea of him losing his position didn’t make logical sense, so I actually looked forward to this. And now, almost two weeks after revelation, I finally am once again anticipating that this contact will, eventually, be a positive one. One last aside, as an astrologer I of course have done some horaries related to possibilities–and had to laugh, as in three separate charts asking three separate questions and cast at totally different times/ dates, the indication has consistently been that resolution (likely in the form of a new job) will manifest May 20th. I’ll keep you informed!

With Jupiter going retrograde and Mars entering Leo, we meet the weekend hoping to determine just where we stand. Jupiter sextiles Uranus and with its turnaround we may take a second look at our use of tech, our unique ideas and projects, our group affiliations, and our sense of our own intellect. Neptune looks on from its stationary degree and we get the sense that things are being obscured somehow, but this is indistinct, exactly what we expect from Neptune, so that in the end we may feel we’re moving through a fog, sounding out the possibilities, while at the same time we’d be hard pressed to say just what is preventing clear sight. The Sun is now within orb of aspecting all those placements in the low 20s, lighting them up, drawing our energy toward Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune, and the Nodes, even when they’re not affecting something in our own chart–the result may feel like ‘gee, I’d better pay attention to this,’ even though you, depending on your natal chart, may find no reason to concentrate on it. So, a feeling this weekend of spinning our wheels, tense with not knowing where to concentrate. Mercury gets us talking, and Venus gets us thinking about what we’ve got and what we want. Mars, meanwhile, is gung-ho, and in quincunx to Pluto may behave as if it’s just received the dare from the scariest place you can think of and has no intention of not taking it! All this combined says we’ll have a strong desire to act, a tough time knowing where to put our energy, and could make some radical missteps as a result, thanks to Pluto’s influence.

We might get the most out of the next couple of days by trying to connect to what’s around us, literally and figuratively, and by refusing to jump into anything just yet. Patience will out, with action better planned for execution as we come up on the Full Moon of the 19th (7:12 PM PDT). 

We may be feeling a little unhinged as of late, and I think I’ll lay blame at the feet of giant Jupiter as it retrogrades (the 9th at 3:57 AM PDT) and our little internal warrior Mars as it escapes Watery, touchy-feely Cancer for the bravura Fire of Leo (the 9th at 1:21 PM PDT). We’re stirred up yet short-circuited in our bid to keep getting bigger, in some vital way. Jupiter’s turnaround point forces a pause, and a reconsideration of just what we’ve been up to; and it always comes just when we feel we’re on the verge of that BIG breakout.

Why would the Universe orchestrate such a frustrating pattern? We get a clue in the way the Sun trines Jupiter just after retrograde–this points up that we have reached a reasonable peak relative to our efforts, and now must in some way re-visit our path to this moment, if not for revision then at least for time to truly assimilate what’s occurred. But what happens when, as we’ll see now, the ego and assertive urge undergoes its own ‘crisis’ as it moves from one sign to the next?

Mars is liable to burst forth as it hits Leo. Simultaneous to entry into the sign of the Lion, Mars will quincunx Pluto and then semi-sextile Saturn, and this influence will be felt! The urge to run forward will plunge us into some dark material, some of it by accident, some by design as we hope to erradicate problems and ‘clean it up.’ Saturn’s involvement may bring energies into reality more easily than we would typically anticipate–and then our Mars/ Pluto quincunx will be staring us right in the face–so what should we do, now that we have a chance to make real change?

My thought is that we can look to the House(s) Mars rules in the natal chart, and to Pluto’s natal state in general, for appropriate and effective outlets for this exuberant (and if not controlled, destructive) energy. Elimination of the negative, the encumbrance, the hurtful thing that’s been holding us back, is possible, and timed with Jupiter’s withdrawal of permission to expand indefinitely, implies a graceful intelligence at work in the Universe that prevents us from overdoing the destruction or elimination; instead Jupiter helps us avoid leaping over the brink, and saves us from devastating sturctures, relationships, and creations that we would never be able to recover.

Natal Moon in the 1st is desperate for intimate emotional contact; yet desperation just isn’t part of his or her schtick. The emotions are hidden, played close to the vest, and, even when the Moon is placed in a Water sign, the feelings are encoded, kept as private as possible. The irony is that for those with whom the 1st House Moon person interacts, the emotions seem to be right on the surface; but they often misread what they see, never anticipating the lengths to which Moon in the 1st will go to conceal the emotional reality.

And yet, when there is emotional shock, a displacement, something overwhelming, the emotions are very obvious to others, and this, above all else, is what the 1st House Moon works to avoid. This is a position that, when the individual chooses to reveal her- or himself emotionally, is scrupulously honest; but until that choice is made, he or she will do whatever it takes to obscure from the view of others’ their number one vulnerability.

Why? With Moon in the 1st the emotions seem to be the Self, that persona we present to the world. The 1st is a survival mask, a personality we adopt in order to continue to function–it is a compromise between who we are and the environment in which we exist early in life. The emotional state melded to what is in essence a defensive mask can mean that it continually feels as if the emotions are part of the defense, in the best case a buffer to blows from the world, while in the worst case it may feel as if one is having the emotions handed to the world on a plate, served up and vulnerable.

When any placement is below the horizon of the horoscope (that is, below the line of the Ascendant/ Descendant) it is mainly experienced on a personal level; think of it as a lens through which the individual looks to the outside world. He or she can’t avoid looking through this, and everything that happens in the life, whether it’s personally relevant to the individual or not, takes on a personal shade: what does this mean to me? Or rather, with the Moon, what does this feel like/ how does this feel to me?

We look at the Moon to know what’s emotionally necessary for an individual to thrive. These are life qualities this person must find, one way or another. Serious dysfunction results from denial of the Moon’s needs; and the aspects it makes, and the sign in which it’s posited, tells us what must be fulfilled. Often, failure to ‘feed’ the Moon means that one is literally unable to develop other talents and characteristics; in this sense the Moon can create an emotional ‘black hole’ that swallows all other attempts at accomplishment and relationship. With a 1st House Moon, a good emotional relationship with the Self and the personality one uses to interact with the world is a must in order to move on to other development.

With the Moon in the 1st we also should look to the House with Cancer on the cusp for clues as to what’s necessary for this person to feel emotionally whole. With Cancer on the 6th, for instance, we may see someone who needs a nurturing work situation or every day environment; with Cancer on the 8th one’s focus for emotional fulfillment might be on relating to the qualities of others, or feeling emotionally secure by accessing or handling another’s assets. The sign, too, gives us vital information, and the element can be most useful of all: when we know the element, we know the mode of emotional sensing that gives security and fulfillment.

We have a couple of examples of the 1st House Moon at work. One succinct one is in the chart of actor and director Leonard Nimoy (26 March 1931, 8:30 AM, Boston MA). His 1st House Moon sits at 26 Gemini, suggesting that mental expression is vital to emotional health. His Moon shows a square to 11th House Juno (emotional empowerment through what one has to give the world–and one may earn from this, 2nd House from the 10th), a trine to Aquarian Venus in the 10th (expression of values and earning potential through an intellectual or forward-thinking approach), and a sesquiquadrate to the Midheaven, implying a direct connection of the emotional state to the public persona/ career. All these relate to Mr. Nimoy’s most well-known role as Spock on ‘Star Trek,’ where he played a character who repressed emotion and glorified logic and the intellect.

In researching the Moon in the 1st House I noticed an extremely high number of children of the famous or accomplished; does this suggest that those with the 1st House Moon start life feeling overshadowed by the parental (nurturing) influence, or perhaps that they must nurture themselves, as the parents are busy pouring themselves out to the world? I suspect it might.

Our final example is critic and filmaker Francois Truffaut (6 February 1932, 6:00 AM, Paris France). Obsessed with the subjects of cinema, childhood, and man/ woman relationships, Truffaut made a brilliant career in criticism and film centered on these subjects, all rooted in the intellectual approach of the 1st House Aquarian Moon. Cancer is on the 7th and rules Pluto and Juno, saying that power relationships, particularly between a man and woman, are key to emotional expression (and Truffaut is known for regularly having affairs with his leading ladies, several of whom had children by him); ‘Jules and Jim’ is a classic of male/ female interaction that shows Truffaut’s views on the subject. His own harsh childhood during the Nazi occupation fueled his masterwork, ‘The 400 Blows,’ made when Truffaut was only 27 years old; this film is certainly reflective of a power struggle/ empowerment Moon picture, especially as it manifests through ‘the other’ (7th House connection). ‘Day for Night’ was definitive for cinema about cinema, and links to the modern/ avant garde facet of Aquarius.

Truffaut’s Moon is conjunct the Sun, blending it inextricably with the Soul intent and identity–he was what he felt–and is also conjunct Mars, incorporating his idea of himself as a man, as well as the action urge, ego, and the impetus behind the sex drive into the mix. There is also an opposition to Jupiter, suggesting he may have seen his own views and intellect as markedly different than society’s, and there is a square to Chiron perhaps saying that expressing the Moon was the way to deal with primal emotional wounding and the conflicts it brings, as well as to express the Chirotic gifts. Truffaut’s Moon also makes a quincunx to Juno, which it rules, and a sesquiquadrate to the South Node–could we see any more clearly how modification of the emotions was necessary to deal with both issues of empowerment and matters of the past?

Buy my book on Chiron’s effect in the life: http://www.amazon.com/Chiron-Natal-Chart-Julie-Demboski/dp/0965836916/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210190006&sr=1-1 or my book on relationships http://www.amazon.com/Astrology-Intimate-Relationship-Julie-Demboski/dp/0965836924/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210190063&sr=1-2

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Though the transiting Sun remains ‘out of touch’ with the other energies this week, we’ll feel it sneaking up on a square to the Nodal axis. The effect will be one of feeling in some basic way unable to see what’s happening, and yet having an overwhelming sense that BIG THINGS ARE COMING. Not the worst way to spend a week, unless you dread change; then you may be in for some tense and miserable moments. It doesn’t help that Neptune is still conjunct the North Node–or is it the other way around? We can’t tell, since it’s all foggy in here; what we do know is that when the Sun achieves square to this combo we will get a good solid look at what may be deluding us, inspiring us, and we’ll get the chance to envision quite clearly our ‘dream future.’ Not bad at all.

Mercury/ Venus are rolling along in rough semi-sextile, giving us ping-pong dynamics in communications, and relationship talk where we speak at each other. It takes a concerted effort to step outside our own heads and listen to the other person at this time, but it will be well worth it, especially if we can at present refrain from judging what we’re hearing–the true meaning and implications will all become clear with Sun/ Node contact.

Mars trips into Leo, and it will be like waking up. The ego may run amok, but measure efforts and enthusiasm with care, one because we may be lacking clarity in objectives at this point, and two because letting fly we may take all that leftover Water, apply Fire, and see our energy evaporate! If we’ve got an engine to drive with it (enough with the steam metaphors, right?) this could give us a big push forward in effort applied.

Of course I’ve buried what many may consider the lead this week, Jupiter turning retrograde. It’s doing this in sextile to Uranus, and does promise a surprise or two, and maybe a modest disappointment as it withdraws–but the effect may be more background than foreground, giving us a bit of a break.

See my books at http://www.amazon.com/Chiron-Natal-Chart-Julie-Demboski/dp/0965836916/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210016201&sr=1-1 and here http://www.amazon.com/Astrology-Intimate-Relationship-Julie-Demboski/dp/0965836924/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210016265&sr=1-2 Thanks!

I thought a re-print of this in reference to current activity in the sky and our previous discussion of the Jupiter/ Pluto cycle might be of interest; it first appeared at Yahoo 360 December 12, 2007

For the last few days I’ve been looking into the real life effects of the last Jupiter/ Pluto conjunction as experienced by myself, and by friends, relatives, and clients. I wasn’t just curious about what to expect; I wanted to know about that most illusive of astrological subjects, timing. Did your Jupiter/ Pluto experience occur immediately, as the aspect perfected? Was it a single event or change, or did the transformation come over time? Was the change within, from without, or some of both? These were some of the questions I’ve been asking, and the answers for the most part were surprisingly consistent: it seems, rather than a big, splashy trauma, most people described the effects as spreading out from the point of the conjunction like ripples on water. Though the conjunction itself was fraught with tension, not much in terms of immediate change occurred; only later did the reverberations come in waves that pushed people to make major decisions or commitments, to decide life-altering or life-determining alternatives, and to go forward in ways that made for deep, permanent, and fundamental change in the way they view themselves. All this came from compelling inner energies interacting with the individual’s current circumstances. This is the most important part of what I heard: that the changes springing from this time were ones that shaped Self-concept in a major way–that we saw ourselves, our abilities, and what we are capable of in a new light; not necessarily what we’d expect from a textbook reading of transiting Jupiter and Pluto conjunct.

Last night I saw a movie again that I had seen many years ago when it first came out, and looking into the subject of the movie, I drew a possible connection to the Jupiter/ Pluto conjunction at 20 Cancer of late 1930 through mid-1931, with an orb lasting either side of these points. The movie, ‘Carrington,’ centered on a member of the Bloomsbury circle, painter Dora Carrington (born 29 March 1893, no time available, Hereford, England) and her relationships, particularly her interaction with live-in gay companion Lytton Strachey. Even by the open standards of their social circle, which preached acceptance of all sexuality and no jealousy, these two had an unusual relationship. Despite any number of lovers for either, each behaved as the partner of the other, with Dora clearly in denial of the lack of potential for a full physical relationship, right through to Lytton’s death January 21, 1932. Always in precarious health, Lytton Strachey hid the seriousness of his illness as long as possible, with it becoming evident in the period of Jupiter conjunct Pluto. The day he died Dora had transiting Neptune sextile Uranus, ruler of the 7th, quite literally dissolving the partnership; the conjunction had occurred in Dora’s 12th, perhaps compelling the need to eventually face up to the true domestic/ emotional state (Cancer) that she likely was aware of all along but hid from herself (12th House). Lytton’s illness and death triggered a long-brewing despair in Dora, who had been feeling more and more the outsider as others found relationships with those for whom they had a true passion, while it became more and more evident that she was missing something that she would never have with Lytton, despite their feelings for each other. After an unsuccessful suicide attempt (she was saved by her husband, who was in residence with his mistress), she finally succeeded in ending her life March 11, 1932. At her death transiting Neptune was conjunct her Moon exact, Jupiter was exactly trine natal Mercury, Saturn had just moved up above the Descendant and sextiled her natal Venus at 00 Aries (and this placement itself suggests a newness to her expression as a female that would have made rough going in a Mars ruled sign–in fact, she many times expressed a wish that she were a man). Though a terribly unhappy example, this is a version of the kind of major changes, both internal and external, that can emerge, sometimes only reaching fruition months down the line, with Jupiter/ Pluto.

In my own case, the Jupiter/ Pluto conjunction of 13 years ago brought major change for me with the purchase of our first house, the decision to look, choosing, and making an offer proceeding at lightning speed, with initial action coming about a month after the conjunction and huge change put in place (the actual move) less than a month after that. We ended a nomadic existence that had taken us across continents for the previous 10 years, changed our views of ourselves by becoming suburban dwellers, and setting the stage for enormous financial changes over the next year.

And in other news: I’ve noticed a few attempts to access Personal Page #1; this is password protected because the individual has arranged for an ongoing horoscope detailed to their natal chart, transits, and Solar Arc directions. You can have one too! See pricing and conditions at ‘Want More?’ Contact me if interested at juliedemboski@hotmail.com  Thank you!