Tag: Mars (Page 6 of 11)

September 2024 in Astrology

29/08/2024 / adrian / 0 Comments

September will be an interesting month, as we enter Eclipse season, with a Lunar Eclipse this month and a Solar one early in October. Eclipses always signal a time of tension, strong emotions and turning points. Along for the ride, September also has many other interesting aspects going on and promoting change.

But first, I’d like to take a flashback to last month’s predictions:

We will see a lot of issues from around 2020 making a comeback of sorts. The square flips the script, and people are much less receptive, or simply different, about the issues in question.

The above was written about Jupiter square Saturn aspect, which entered in effect last month. In a recent public letter, Mark Zuckerberg expressed regret over censorship issues around 2020. I reiterate this point, and I believe that in the coming months we will see more key 2020 issues coming back, specially with regrets and disavowing of past actions.

Going back to September, we start the month in a double shadow. Mercury just went direct on August 28th. Things are slowly coming back to normal, and we are adjusting. But Mercury is in a delicate position early September. Around the 4th and 5th of September, we can deal with turbulent communications or outright conflict.

From September 4th until the 13th, Mercury will transit Magha nakshatra. I consider this star to be the worst one for technology matters. During this transit, we can see some outages, data leaks and other issues happening. Some have already happened in early August, when it was retrograde in Magha. But we can see more issues being revealed now.

The second shadow is Uranus retrograde, as planets change directions, they slow down and leave a stronger impression in the world. With Uranus being a planet of change and revolution, early September is a strong time for sudden events, sudden developments and all kinds of shifts in the world.

Events in September 2024

01/09/2024 10:43 Uranus retrograde 03°03’19” Taurus
- 30/01/2025 12:18 Uranus direct 29°03’12” Aries
02/09/2024 21:56 New Moon in Purva Phalguni 16°52’06” Leo
04/09/2024 02:12 Mercury in Leo
08/09/2024 00:35 Sun Opposing Saturn 21°49’33” Leo 21°49’33” Aqu R
16/09/2024 10:13 Sun in Virgo
16/09/2024 17:54 Mars square Rahu/Ketu (in effect ~08/09-24/09)
17/09/2024 22:44 Lunar Eclipse in Purva Bhadrapada 01°35′ Pisces
18/09/2024 04:27 Venus in Libra
20/09/2024 20:17 Sun Opposing Neptune 04°18’47” Vir 04°18’47” Pis R
23/09/2024 00:41 Mercury in Virgo
28/09/2024 23:04 Sun conjunct Ketu 12°15’55 Virgo
02/10/2024 14:45 Solar Eclipse in Hasta 15°50′ Virgo
09/10/2024 02:38 Jupiter retrograde 27°08’07” Taurus
- 04/02/2025 04:54 Jupiter direct 17°04’13” Taurus

Uranus is on the final leg of his Aries transit. Currently in Taurus, it will retrograde back into Aries in December this year. Entering Taurus again around March 2025, remaining in the sign until 2031. This final whiff of Aries will be more relevant later, but I think it’s important to mention it now.

Aries is all about feistiness and enthusiasm, so this end of the transit can be a time of great declarations and strong rhetoric. But what about results? Well, oh well.

Maybe they can happen, but not nearly as great as what was announced or promised. I’ve published a full text on Uranus in Aries, a year ago, where I went in more detail about this. But overall, I see this current transit in Aries as a time of rhetoric, with a total lack of actual follow-through.

The final months of 2024, and early 2025, will be filled with great promises. Great plans. Grand declarations. And not much actual consequences or accomplishments.

Going back to the shorter term, Uranus retrograde in Taurus, until December will put a focus on economic issues. Anger about the economy, inflation and finances will tend to dominate the conversation. Watch out as well for issues and revelations in regards to food in the next few months. Things like recalls, contamination or lack of quality.

The New Moon this month happens on Purva Phalguni, usually a calm and somewhat fun star to have a New/Full Moon, but it happens with complicated aspects around it. Reducing some of the benevolence.

First of all, Mercury will be gandanta, so it can show a time of complicated communications and provocative announcements. Second, it happens as the Sun approaches an opposition to Saturn. Said aspect, exact on Sep 8th, can show a time of conflict with leaders and those in power.

Also on September 8th, Mars aligns with the lunar nodes. This aspect will be in effect for most of the month, borrowing from the previous alignment in January:

On the positive, this is a good jolt of energy, great for getting out of a slump. On the negative, whenever Mars is prominent, it is a time of fighting. So arguments, aggressions and displays of force could figure late in the month.

With Mars in Gemini, the fighting can deal a lot with technology and communications. Issues around social media, censorship and regulation could become prominent this month. The aspect will be exact on the 16th, tagging along with the big event of the month, the Lunar Eclipse on the 17th.

The Lunar Eclipse happens in Purva Bhadrapada. This is a fierce nakshatra with strong meanings, related to radical or extreme views, as well as some violent or shocking trends. The star also deals with duplicity, leading double lives, or hiding something. As this Eclipse will happen conjunct Neptune, this final meaning tends to come alive.

Along with the other aspects discussed above, a lot shows September as a time of high rhetoric, aggravation and anger. Shocking events, provocations and illusions will tend to come out around this Eclipse.

After the Eclipse, the Sun will align towards an opposition to Neptune, highlighting yet again the trend towards illusions and inflammatory speech.

In the lamest segue ever, some good news! Venus will enter Libra on the 18th, leaving the debilitation sign of Virgo. This improves the mood on beauty, love and romance matters. Who cares about love with so much chaos in the world? Many people.

Back to the complicated stuff that you crave, let’s talk about October and some of the stuff coming that month.

Jupiter will turn retrograde on October 9th, going direct only on February 4th next year. Jupiter promotes hope and enthusiasm, Jupiter retrograde promotes skepticism. Specially in Taurus, people might be feeling uncertain or unsafe in these final months of 2024. As I’ve mentioned above about Uranus Retrograde in Taurus, economic issues and dissatisfaction will become prominent in the coming months.

Jupiter retrograde also tend to promote a wicked trend in judicial questions. Leading towards issues with corruption or biased judges. Going along with the Eclipses, and other aspects going on, this wickedness of Jupiter will lead towards aggravations and conflict in the coming months.

The Solar Eclipse happens in Hasta. A nakshatra that has many meanings related to deception. It could be related to trickery, gambling or the used car-salesman archetype. This nakshatra can also be related to technology, specially smartphones. This Eclipse in October similarly promotes matters of manipulation. So a lot points towards people being riled up late in 2024.

Summary

September and October promise to be hectic months, with the incoming Eclipses, as well as other aspects going on. On Eclipses, they are long spanning events, which tend to reveal themselves in the months surrounding them. In my view, the incoming Lunar Eclipse of September is already in effect in many levels.

A lot of that energy deals with violence, duplicitousness and deception. The Mars aspects of July and August showed this, with the Trump assassination attempt, as well as other feisty events around the globe. Notably, I mention the protests and violence in the UK. Where three young girls were stabbed to death while attending a dance class, in a small British town, many others were injured as well. Also worth mentioning the political violence in Venezuela, where violent repression is happening to those protesting against the regime there.

Both of the Eclipses deal with deception, the Solar one specially deals with manipulation. Along with other transits going on, the coming months can be inflammatory times, of strong rhetoric and conflict around the world.

In the coming months, issues regarding the economy will tend to be prominent. With inflation and other issues being strong on people’s lives and minds. We can also see issues in regards to food quality and delivery, with issues of supply or contamination. People can feel unsafe or insecure in regards to these matters.

Issues of censorship and regulation can also become prominent, in regards to technology and social media. Courts, judges and legislators will be specially related to this. Rogue and corrupt behavior is possible.

On the longer term, December will end the year with high rhetoric and people riled up. As of September, the temperature is rising, but things will become hotter with time.

A final point to be noted deals with Jupiter square Saturn, an aspect in effect from this August until around July 2025. It shows a turning point in regards to the matters of 2020-2021, when the conjunction of these two planets happened. Many issues of 2020 can come back now, with regrets and undoings.

Editorial

On a mundane level, this is a very complicated month. I believe this is the longest monthly prediction I’ve written, as I wanted to be through with the information. Similarly, in September and October, I will focus a lot more on mundane matters and issues. We will take a break from some of the natal subjects. This includes my nakshatra series.

I hate ambulance chasing, and this excessive focus into the present that plagues some astrologers. We are supposed to see the future, the macro, the big picture. The combined influences of past, present and future.

And yet, a lot of astrologers are addicted to their newsfeeds, and parrot what they see there. Journalists say that every story is the most important one yet, the one that will change the world forever, because that sells. Notice how the most important election ever in the US is happening, as it did in 2020, as well as 2016 — probably in 2012 too, but I wasn’t paying that much attention at the time.

If each and every election is the most important one ever, none of them are, as they all become equal in the hysteria quality you assigned them.

I talk about the present, I talk about the issues (many times chaos) happening in the now. But I never build sandcastles around it. Because I never lose sight of the future.

Everything in the now seems bigger than it is. What was your biggest problem a year ago? Can you remember? If yes, can you remember details? Either way, it is just not that vivid anymore. At the time, it felt like death, it felt horrible. Now it is a faint memory, and you’re still here, everything is fairly normal.

This is the perspective I want to transmit. The present matters, but there is always a future. We are in a very volatile moment, so it becomes easy to build illusions around this, making things bigger than they are. Losing sight of the calm after the storm.

So in the next two months, I will talk a lot about mundane matters, specially longer term trends. I want to put things in perspective, explain what is happening, rather than just parroting the daily anxiety fuel you can get from any news site.

Personal

On a personal perspective, September is a month where we can feel a strong urge for change and transformation, specially towards finding something new and different. Doing something we haven’t done before. This is a great time to discover new things, new perspectives, and learn more about yourself.

On the Eclipses, I have a full text on their personal effects. I recommend checking if any of the planets in your chart will be affected by the Eclipses.

Questions, July 15th 2024

15/07/2024 / adrian / 0 Comments

This time we have, yet again, Mercury retrograde. A galore of retrogrades, discussion on the most evil and difficult nakshatra. 2025, the year of ascension. We have god, we have lasagna, we have everything.

See the previous Q&A here.

Mercury Retrograde, but this time it’s different

"i was born with mercury retrograde. some places say this is good, others say that it is bad, what is it?"
Name: Yuri

Short answer: neither.

Long answer:

Retrogrades are a controversial topic in Astrology, with varied interpretations of it. Let’s make a couple of inferences:

Retrograde motion makes planets slower, therefore more noticeable, or stronger.
Retrograde means moving backwards, so the effects tend to be “reversed” in some manner.

Both of these points tend to be an agreed basis on interpretating retrogrades, the problem comes in making the actual interpretation.

On point number 1, we have the classical issue of reductionism. Everything is good or bad, demons and angels, highs and lows. Nothing can be human or in-between. So people assume that “stronger” will always mean better, and “smaller” will always mean worse.

On a brash example, would having a stronger cancer be better? Nope, not really. Retrograde planets are stronger, period. Whether that is “good” or “bad” depends on the what, the when and the who.

On point number 2, what does reversion entails is the million dollar question. In my view, this deals with internalization and externalization. The qualities of a retrograde planet are internalized, meaning that a native relies more on his inner fortitude, than on external circumstances.

For instance, Saturn retrograde tends to make hard workers and people who aren’t easily put down by life. Saturn itself tends to create challenges and obstacles in life. A Saturn direct person tends to see these problems, and get boggled down by the unfairness of life. A Saturn retrograde person will tend to rise above, and want to work towards solving things, rather than blaming the circumstances.

Going into Mercury, what does retrograde entail?

Mercury deals with perception, the senses, communication, the nervous system. It deals a lot with noticing things, analyzing and seeing. Retrograde makes this stronger, so these people tend to notice more. On one hand, this gives great intelligence. On the other hand, issues of sensory overload or mental exhaustion can arise.

On the internalization front, Mercury here can be less communicative, natives might have a hard time making themselves heard or expressing themselves. A fear of telling your real thoughts can arise, and get in your way at times, as you yield to please people and forget about your own needs.

Overall, Mercury Retrograde in a natal chart tends to make highly intelligent people, who can excel in academia or any mental work. Still, the excessive mental activity can create some nervous issues, as well as things like anxiety. It can also lead to a fear of expressing yourself, which needs to be remedied and worked on, learning to show your true self (and true intentions) without fear is a big lesson with this placement.

Retrograde Galore

"mercury gets all the attention, tell us about other retrogrades"
Name: Lasagna 2

Short answer: Hi Lasagna 2, love you too, my darling.

Long answer:

The answer above is a really good intro and complement to this, but let’s make a retrogrades galore:

→ Mars retrograde: Coming this December! I like to explain Mars Retrograde with a garden hose. Open the faucet, cover the hose hole with your thumb. You will have a huge build-up of water, and pressure, that will seemingly explode when you remove your thumb. This is Mars retrograde.

Mars retrograde internalizes Mars, which is a planet that deals a lot with externalizing and making things. So we feel the anger, the lust, of Mars. But we build it up inside, instead of releasing it. There are less confrontations, less aggression and less turbulence with Mars retro. The few things that happen tend to be ineffective. But the anger is still there, building up inside.

When Mars goes direct, all that pressure is released, much like with our hose example. The weeks (sometimes months) after Mars goes direct tend to be times of trouble, aggression and conflict. As Mars retro built up all that pressure.

→ Pluto retrograde: Pluto deals a lot with inner fears or tensions that arise out of a need for control. Dealing a lot with the internal, retrograde tends to invert that, and Pluto gets externalized.

During Pluto retrograde, we are more inclined to face our fears in tangible manners. For instance, going after something we want, rather than just sitting and complaining. Getting yourself into the dating market, rather than just complaining about your love woes. Having hard conversations, etc.

On the other hand, Pluto retro tends to promote violence, as people similarly want to externalize their desires for power and security.

→ Jupiter and Saturn retrograde: Grouping these two together, when discussing their retrogrades, is interesting. As they represent positive and negative, in many ways. Jupiter is growth, Saturn is decay. Jupiter is glory and prosperity, Saturn is lack of recognition and poverty.

When Saturn goes retrograde, we tend to internalize the karmic conscient ways of Saturn. The idea that we make our own troubles, as well as our own fortune. Saturn retrograde is a strong time for problem solving, life improvement, as we tend to stop blaming external circumstances and focusing more on our own ways.

Jupiter retrograde makes us careful, we tend to spend less money, and we are fearful of pushing our luck, so we tend to plan and act in less flamboyant ways. People who get financial windfalls during Jupiter retrograde, tend to save it or invest it carefully, rather than making lavish mindless purchases.

When these two go retrograde together, it is easier to be productive and focused, as both of their cycles tend to stimulate hard work. In recent (not that much) years like 2018 and 2019, this happened for many months. This year, we will have October with both of them retrograde.

The Hardest Most Evil Meanie of Nakshatras

"i have moon in kritika, joni patry has just called it 'the most difficult nakshatra' is that true? 😧"
Name: april

Short answer: No, I don’t think so.

Long answer:

I’ve been around with Nakshatras. I’ve read, heard and researched a ridiculous amount of opinions on them. I can honestly say that I’ve never seen someone classifying Krittika like this, not even once, not even kinda.

Usually, the crown of “most difficult” is fought between Ashlesha and Purva Bhadrapada, with some other contenders occasionally popping by. And I haven’t seen Krittika appearing among the contenders.

Let’s remember some points about Krittika. It is represented by fire and a scalpel. It is ruled by Agni, the fire god. It has an energy akin to Mars, dealing with intensity, passion and force. This can be, and usually is, harnessed towards productive possibilities. But it can lead towards aggression, combativeness or violence.

There is potential for trouble, yes. But I wouldn’t even classify it as “one of the most difficult”, let alone the most difficult itself. Usually, these natives tend to harness their excessive energy, finding some outlet for their fieriness. A lot of them get involved in cooking (knifes, fire and yelling Gordon Ramsay style) or with fitness and sports. Competitive, fast paced work environments are a similar expression, with things like the stock market — on a more white collar route. The inner fire of Krittika placements is usually easy to handle, as long as the native finds an outlet. So no, I don’t think it is difficult, let alone the most difficult one.

On the why she said this, I can only speculate, as I couldn’t find where she said it. But I remember an interview with Joni, where she talked about equating the Fixed Stars (of western astrology) with the Nakshatras in her practice. Something that I would call questionable, to put it softly. My guess is she is equating this nakshatra with some disastrous fixed star meaning.

By principle, I like to think that things have names for a reason. Paul is not John. Paulette is not Paul. John is neither Paul or Paulette. They are all different people. Fixed Stars are one thing, Nakshatras are another. Fixed stars are points to be searched, and analyzed when a planet is conjunct them. Nakshatras are a zodiac of their own.

Fixed Stars are usually applied with a 3° orb of influence, sometimes even less than that. So a Fixed Star would span about 6° of influence in a sign. A Nakshatra spans 13 degrees and 20 minutes. Equating a Fixed Star, of about 6°, to an entire Nakshatra, of 13°20′, is questionable in many ways.

Could I wear my 10 year old cousin’s t-shirt? Yes, but it would be a cropped top on me, and some establishments might kick me out because of dress code, no matter how cute my belly button looks. It wouldn’t fit like a t-shirt, it wouldn’t be the same.

2025

"is 2025 the year of the rapture?"
Name: god

Short answer: No.

Middle answer: I got multiple questions about 2025, I kept the most fun one, too lazy to add more.

Long answer:

If you’ve been around occult circles, you know the hype about 2025. As early as 2016 you could read about it. People talking about ascension, raptures, return of christ, mass awakenings, a new golden age and things of the sort. Usually, this type of hype would die down, the more we approached the actual year. But this time around this isn’t happening. The hype is either the same, maybe even more, than it was a few years ago.

Do I believe the hype? No.

What do I think? Well, that is a long answer so long, that I would rather just make into an actual text. Was actually working on it even before this Q&A, will put it out soon¹. But for now, a short preview/summary:

Most of the hype about 2025 deals with a Saturn-Neptune conjunction, that happens about every 36 years, last time it was 1989. Some have taken this to mean a new era for humankind, where everything will be unicorns and rainbows.

To me it, is just another cycle. The Saturn-Neptune cycle shows our illusions, hopes for society, taste in arts and creative works. So those will certainly change. For the better? Maybe, one can only hope, but probably not. Will the world be fixed, and we will be surrounded by love and peace everywhere? In my view, The Beatles coming back, with Kanye West replacing John Lennon, is more likely — the music would probably be better².

But hey, I could be wrong and all of the rapture people could be right. One can only hope for the best, we can’t guarantee it.

¹Sometime between now and never, most likely around late July or early August.

²Yes, I had to say it. Yes, I wanted to get boomers mad. I couldn’t have asked for a better ending for the Q&A.