Skeptical Astrology

astrology for people skeptical of astrology

[skepticalastrology-blog]

It’s been a minute, or a few months... I’m sure I have a good excuse, but if you’ve been feeling disillusioned, and like it’s all just too much work to put the energy in to whatever it is that you’ve got going right now, you’re not the only one. This big red T-Square is bringing it all up to a head when the eclipse hits early Thursday morning (not to mention Mercury turning retrograde at the same time).

The under normal circumstances an eclipse is like a pumped up new Moon. It’s a shift towards something new and a resetting of what was happening before. In this case it’s happening square to the Saturn/Mars conjunction in Sagittarius that’s just starting to pull apart, and opposite Neptune in Pisces. 

Neptune in Pisces just wants to let things happen, and has this dream where if it doesn’t just happen, it’s probably not worth doing, while Saturn brings a stark does of reality like a bucket of cold water on Neptune’s dream. 

So how do we combat the disillusionment? With Mars in Sagittarius with Saturn, it’s a good time to put in some work towards the ideals you know are important. Know what your big picture goals are, keep the dream in mind, but get specific about the higher goal, and be prepared to focus on the details (our eclipse is in Virgo after all). 

If it sounds like conflicting advice, it certainly is, but that’s what we’re faced with this week, a lot of conflict. So if you’re feeling it like I am, hang in there, keep faith, and if something is worth working on, now is the time to set your intention towards working on it.

[skepticalastrology-blog]

Where have I been?

In some kind of hermitage I think. Mercury has been retrograde, but now it’s now. Probably time to start communicating again. Let’s see what happens.

[skepticalastrology-blog]

Things Have Been A Little Weird

And I’ve fallen off on keeping this up daily. Last week was astrologically challenging and I did manage to get a post out about it. If you’re following this blog it shouldn’t surprise you that astrologically challenging weeks tend to be personally challenging, even when we can see them coming. 

BUT

Things are looking up. Last week where we had all squares, this week it’s mostly trines. Sure, Mercury is still in retrograde, but that happens all the time, and Jupiter is now Rx as well, spending even more time uncomfortable in Virgo, but it’s trine the Sun and Mercury in Capricorn, and that has to help. 

Saturn squaring the Moon in Pisces feels a bit heavy, but then the trine from Mars in Scorpio (I still need to write about his one) is giving it some energy so it’s not all lead. 

And finally Uranus is still Square Pluto, but the Trine from Venus is Sagittarius is giving it a bit of a glow. 

The long and short of it is that if last week was a bit of a drag, you can expect things to pick up a bit. Mercury is still in retrograde, so keep getting things fixed, keep catching up on lost threads of communication, hold off on getting anything new going on that front. We have a full Moon Grand Trine coming on the 24th, and Mercury turns direct on the 25th, so hang in there for that. Things will get better once the Sun is in Aquarius.

[skepticalastrology-blog]

Squares Everywhere

And the Sun is conjunct Pluto. And Mercury just turned retrograde. Just avoid doing anything today. I’m even avoiding writing about it. Just hang back and hideout. 

[skepticalastrology-blog]

Mars is in Scorpio square Mercury in Aquarius

And Venus is in Sagittarius square Neptune. I don’t know what to say about it right now, and I suppose that’s due to Mars square Mercury--- I mean how am I even supposed to put words together? I’d like to say more about Mars in Scorpio, but I’m going to let it sit for a day or two. For today, just expect that sex and romance will be at odds with communication and spirituality or something. 

[skepticalastrology-blog]

I have no idea

I don’t even usually track semi-squares (45°) or sesquiquadrate (135°) aspects, but today they are exact so they’re showing up. We also have an exact Mercury/Mars square, so expect to be a little tongue tied.

[skepticalastrology-blog]

the truth is your sign has nothing to do with how good-looking you are, and every sign has beautiful and ugly sides to it. 

[sagittaris]

….. pieces, arises.

[skepticalastrology-blog]

FUCK YOU TAURUS YOU’RE FAT CAPRICORN YOU LOOK LIKE A GOAT SCORPIO... you could be pretty BUT YOU’RE JUST TOO FUCKING WEIRD

[skepticalastrology-blog]

Venus into Sagittarius

It’s been weird having Venus and Mars in Mutual Reception these past few weeks, but it’s all about to end when Venus enters Sagittarius at midnight PST. It’s a pretty significant shift in terms of romantic mood. 

Venus in Scorpio is generally a bit grossed out by the whole Mars sex dungeon vibe, but puts on her leather mask and does her best. In Sagittarius she’s quite a bit happier. Although Venus has no special dignity in Sagittarius (dignity by Term from 8° - 14°, but it has dignity by Term from 14° - 21° in Scorpio, in spite of being in Detriment), but it is exalted in Pisces the other sign ruled by Jupiter, and as such it tends to be more comfortable in Sagittarius, though it is sort of like being at Jupiter’s party house, when you’re normally much happier in his meditation temple. 

Nonetheless we can expect romantic entanglement to feel less threatening once Venus crosses into Sagittarius. It will be easier to just go with it, and let the smaller details slide for the sake of our ideal vision of Love. The danger is that with Venus in Sagittarius it can be a bit too easy to get carried away with the idea of Love and feel like we could fall in Love with just about anyone, while overlooking the details that will drive us crazy in the long run. 

I’m really not trying to talk anyone out of going for it though. Love is worth taking a long shot, and even if you miss the mark, there’s something to be said for taking some target practice.

[skepticalastrology-blog]

Is it hot? It feels hot....

We have the Moon making it’s way through Leo and trine to Uranus in Aries, once again setting off the Uranus/Pluto Square. It’s not like we haven’t seen this before, but now Uranus is pretty much at station, not going anywhere, and sure the Moon moves pretty quick, but it feels like we’re going to get some fire today. 

Granted there are non-astrological factors for my assessment. It’s the Monday after Christmas, and people have been holding off making any news until now, when it’s likely to get noticed. 

It’s a good bet the Trump will add to his ongoing tirade of inflammatory rhetoric, but it feels like something more is coming. Someone... some thing... is in need of attention today. Let’s hope it doesn’t make too big of a mess.

[skepticalastrology-blog]

All Planets Direct

This actually happened on Christmas day, so I need a late pass, but there was enough other things happening in the sky the past couple days I thought it was reasonable to delay posting about it, and also because I’m not really sure how significant it is. Other astrologers I talk to have made more of this than I might, so I think it’s worth mentioning even if I’m not sure what make of it.

In general I don’t think the retrograde vs direct motion of the planets outside of the Earth’s orbit sway their influence that dramatically beyond prolonging their transit through one sign or another, but the fact that all are direct at once seem like we should be able to charge forward on all fronts. 

The last time all planets were direct was  January 30, 2013 – February 18, 2013, and the next occurrence will be  Jan. 8, 2017  –  Feb. 6,  2017. This period of all planets direct will end when Mercury turns retrograde on January 6, 2016.

To me the main significance of Uranus turning direct is that we’ve now past the closest orb of this period of the Uranus/Pluto Square (within 2 degrees), and now that it begins to separate we expect those tensions to cool down, albeit slowly.

A lot of astrologers will talk about all planets being direct as a period of galactic harmony when all the energy in the universe is in synchronistic harmony, which kind of makes me want to roll my eyes, since retrograde planets are often in harmony with direct planets in the way that looking back in one area of life, can guide us moving forward in another.

If we are to draw any conclusions during this period it is that it is likely a good time to start new endeavors of any kind. Which is appropriate for the beginning of a new year. So if there’s something you’ve been holding off on getting started, jump on it before Mercury puts its retrograde twist on things January 5.

[razorshapes]

Mike Gottschalk

[skepticalastrology-blog]

hi! I was wondering... what is the reason behind not considering certain yods as 'true' and what is the significance of having a yod like pattern that's not quite 'true'? how does it act differently compared to a 'true' yod? I know that yods are considered the real deal only when the fastest planet is at the apex, but I'm curious why that is. :)

Sure, a with a “true” Yod the apex is the fastest moving planet of the three. So there is an ongoing sextile, which is briefly accented by the quincunx to both planets in the sextile. If you have an ongoing quincunx which is acccented briefly by a faster planet sextile to one, and quincunx to the other, you have the Yod pattern, but it isn’t considered “true”.

A “true” Yod, particularly in a birth chart, creates a point opposite the apex, between the two sextile planets, which is the sort of astrological target for when to do things relating to the Yod. The tendency for someone with a Yod in their chart will usually be to do things either too early or too late, when planets transit one of the two sextile planets in their chart, when the right time to act will typically be when the transiting planet opposes the apex of the Yod.

[skepticalastrology-blog]

The Moon is Still in Cancer

So someone might still do or say something awful that will make you cry. You made it through Christmas at least, but so did everyone else and now that it’s over they can safely say all those fucked up hurtful things without being blamed for ruining another Christmas-- “GOD DAMNIT UNCLE PHIL DO YOU HAVE TO BRING UP THE SPELLING BEE EVERY YEAR??”

Today is especially unusual  since we have a cradle combined with a T-Square, which has come up before, but today it is:

Within a 3° orb

Comprised entirely of visible planets

It’s a tricky powder keg since the whole thing is ruled by the Moon in Cancer, with Juipeter, Mars, and Venus all in detriment. It’s a pattern for conflict, but productive conflict. Things need to be said, and if you’ve been holding back this week, they are likely to come out today given the Moon feeling at home in Cancer, with Mars putting some fire into it, and Mercury ready to supply the right words, and Venus in Scorpio telling us that “love is meant to sting at times”, and Jupiter in Virgo telling us the “big things are all made of little things”. It will be an easy day to pick a fight, and that might not be a bad thing. Some fights need to be picked. And if you have no fights to pick, and nothing but love for your family-- today is a good day to them and be grateful.

[spaceexp]

[pevikles]

Saturn on April 4, 2014

Source: Lights In The Dark

[skepticalastrology-blog]

Your Christmas Full Moon Has Set

As iconic as the image of Santa flying across a full Moon backdrop might be, it’s a pretty rare occurrence that we get a full Moon in Cancer over Christmas. The last time was 1977 and the next time will be 2034, but last night was on and visible even here in rainy Philadelphia. 

A fully Moon is of course an opposition of the Sun and Moon, but also illustrates that oppositions aren’t truly opposites astrologically speaking, but rather compliments-- two approaches to the same subject, each necessary for the other to succeed. 

The Sun in Capricorn is concerned about security in the physical sense, while the Moon in Cancer is concerned with emotional security. The Sun in Capricorn makes sure the house is warm, the bills are paid, and the grain stores are full for the winter, but such measures are empty without a family to feed and keep warm during the cold months. Hence romantic love becomes the necessary reason for the work Capricorn does every year at the onset of winter.

Christmas, as we celebrate it in the United States, has little to do with Jesus, and everything to do with a symbolic display of opulence  meant to illustrate our material security.  Gift giving is not so much about how we feel about our family and loved ones, but how we want them to feel about us, and in a most Capricornian way, we want them to feel like we got things taken care of--- from a material standpoint anyway. We have enough that we can provide extravagant extras every year and because of that the emotional space is also secure, and it’s safe to be yourself.

Of course we’re lying to ourselves, and our family. We go further and further into credit card debt every year, and don’t really have the stores of wealth that extravagant gift giving is intended to symbolize. But we keep buying presents every year because it is consumption that keeps our economy going. If it weren’t for Christmas, our economic system would collapse for lack of people buying things they don’t really need.

So this Christmas don’t be a scrooge, but consider actually having feelings for your family instead of just participating in this weird exchange of symbols. The Moon is in Cancer after all.

[skepticalastrology-blog]

could you explain the outcome of the nodes in their signs opposite house? for example n node in Scorpio 2nd house, s node in Taurus 8th house

Well you have to figure this is happening in the greater context of your signs and houses all being more or less flipped, which is the Libra rising syndrome, and a rather Libra-like way of balancing everything out. 

But to your specific question, it’s worth remembering that houses provide the setting in which planets act out the character of the signs they occupy. In the case of the Lunar Nodes there are no planets, just mathematical points, so their influence is more elective--- something we choose to embrace and follow or avoid and retreat from. 

If we accept the thesis that the Lunar Nodes represent our “life path” in some sort of spiritual sense, and the sign position of the South Node indicates the default capabilities we’re born into this life with, and the North Node’s sign indicates the qualities we are to develop if we are true to this “life path”, then we should look at the house position of the North Node as the social or personal context in which we achieve this. 

In the case of Scorpio North Node in the second house, it would suggest that there needs to be some work on revealing the hidden emotional currents which underlie our attachment to material and personal possession. 

Just as a point of reference, I also have Scorpio North Node and Taurus South Node, but North Node in the 11th, and it’s not easy to untangle exactly what that means, other than some kind of emotional revelation in the broader social space. 

Again, I have to reserve judgment on the lunar nodes since I don’t think that they’ve been in common astrological use to be clearly defined in the context of the birth chart, and these are just points, not objects, which from my perspective makes them ultimately less influential.