Because I am disorganised, here is last years Gemini Sun post, updated just a tad for now…

© Binkski | Dreamstime.com

Apparently the end of the world will occur in approx 1 hour (Sydney time) and the chosen few will be sucked into rapturous oblivion (in fact, according the time zones, it should have already happened in New Zealand…). Just in case it does I am wondering a couple of things:

• If the end of the world is coming, why did I bother going for what approximated a “run” yesterday (and which I am now in a world of pain about today)
• If the end of the world is coming, I may as well greet it with a glass of wine
• If the end of the world is coming, there are things that need to be said to people I have never said them to…but then again, if the end of the world is coming, I am sure that what I didn’t say will be the last thing they think about.

Words don’t come easily to me. They get stuck in my throat and often remain unsaid. Water signs tend to be naturally private and I am more watery than most with absolutely no planets in Air signs anywhere in my chart and the worst Mercury in living history.

I can manipulate and play games and flirt and generally bullshit with the best. I can sell coal to Newcastle if I need to. But I have always had difficulty expressing what I want, what I need or how I feel about people. As soon as things get serious my throat closes up and I bolt for cover. I am a consummate actress in those circumstances.

So, what does one do when one has no Air and when one has something to say? Usually nothing. Absolutely nothing. It helps that I tend to be closest to people with strong water placements- they usually “get me” without me having to get the actual words out.

If I am brutally honest with myself, I actually don’t see the need in all the endless talk and analysis and dissection. Feelings are felt, not described, and very often (at least in my watery experience) have very little to do with logic and even less to do with the detail that is often sought.

Alternatively one does what I have unconsciously done in recent years…surround myself with Gemini. It is as if I am filling up the empty parts of my chart with the Air that I am missing. My husbands’ chart is full of Air planets (Mercury and Venus in Libra and the Moon in Gemini) so communication for him is a big thing, whereas for me, I say what I need to say through…well, I guess I don’t really say what I need to say!

Three of my closest girlfriends have their Sun in Gemini- which is unusual in that Air signs are usually those I have most trouble with. I don’t get the head stuff…just as I know many other signs have major problems with Pisces- they don’t get the heart/drama/victim/martyr/check out from reality stuff. Each to their own. Anyways, as I was saying…

One, who I have known for nearly 20 years, is easily one of my oldest and closest friends. With a 3rd house Moon/ Mercury conjunction she is able to pour her heart and soul into birthday and Xmas Cards- cards which mean more to me than I will ever be able to tell her… as does her friendship. Her Sun squares my Moon.

Another challenges me to tell the absolute honest no nonsense truth and encourages me to get my Piscean head out of the sand and see reality. We met at an astro workshop and clicked. I think I can safely say that we have each taught the other more about astrology than we learned that day. She asks questions to get to the extra detail where I simply accept. OK, I would feel happier if she allowed me to remove Saturn and all his talk of responsibility and commitment from my chart forever, but I understand that sometimes I can’t avoid real life and all its’ (unwelcome) consequences. Her Sun squares my Ascendant and my Sun.

The third lives in Perth and is someone to whom I have divulged more than I probably should have without fear of reprisal or commonsense (which is seriously over rated). She possibly knows more about the stupid stuff I have done, continue to do and the reasons why I do the things I do and feel the way I do… and she is fine with that- no judgement…ever.  She has an 8^th house Pisces Moon/Jupiter conjunction which conjuncts my Mercury. For some reason she always knows when I am going to need to vent or to cry my eyes out and will call exactly at that moment. When I have major ugly and fat “not good enough” moments, she is sensible enough to know that at that single point in time it is something that I truly believe where others would dismiss it as a cry for attention. She also knows that the moods soon pass.

A fellow Pisces Moon she understands my need for space, as I understand hers. She knows when to back off and when to probe. She understands and doesn’t question or even comment when I allow the same people to kick me again & again, she knows who they are and she doesn’t question why. She just knows and understands. Her Sun squares my Mercury.  She is my Partner in Plan.

I value all of my friends for different reasons, but each of these Gemini girls are slowly and painfully teaching me to talk… not just surface social chit chat, but actual expression. I am still not great at it and keep little pieces completely hidden away- trust me, no one wants to see inside my head!

Todays piece is one of the harder ones I have had to write- not because Scorpio is one of those signs which I have difficulty with, but because Scorpio has such a bad reputation. Whilst all signs have their shadow, it is the dark side of Scorpio which is most often held to be true.  So with much love to Scorpio, here is my attempt at balancing the account- not that you need me to stand up for you, of course!

(Symbolon Cards)

Think about fear… just for a minute. Go on… what are you really scared of? Is it death, dying, aging, crowds, rejection, heartbreak, feeling too much? Think about that fear, go to the root of it and below into the murky depths of your soul. Now you are seeing and feeling Scorpio. This is the place where our most basic fears and instincts live. This is the deepest and most intensely authentic part of you. But before you run away, this is also the area where you have the most potential to effect transformation.

It is this mix of intensity and transformational potential which makes us turn away from Scorpio, and indeed from the 8^th house. It is this fear and the association with life, death and sex that also gives Scorpio, the most deeply darkly emotional of the water signs, a bad reputation. As with all signs, there is a positive and a shadow side to Scorpio, but often it is only the shadow cliché which we associate with Scorpio and which we hold to be true. This makes sense – Scorpio is so incredibly guarded and private that we may only see beneath the surface when a line is crossed.  

The fixed and focused nature of Scorpio is such that once hurt, never forgiven, never forgotten- revenge will be taken. The scorpion can lie in wait as long as it takes, his hapless victims will not know what hit them, but satisfaction will be attained.  What is being avenged here is more essential than a real or imagined slight, it is instead about honesty, betrayal and authenticity. Scorpio is that critical point between life and death where nothing else matters and everything comes down to the rawest and most honest truth- and nothing but the truth. And before I hear you say in your best Jack Nicholson voice “You can’t handle the truth.” Let me tell you, Scorpio can and will. What she can’t handle is being lied to. And really, why should she?

I am surrounded by Scorpios- I love their intensity, their drive, their passion, their focus, their loyalty, their depth and their ability to completely transform the status quo- no other sign can go even close to matching it. No one can get to your soul, your heart or your truth as effectively as Scorpio.  Unfortunately, this can also mean that Scorpio has the potential to hurt and damage you should they choose to. What I also see is those Scorpios close to me struggling with the fear that comes with these extremes- the fear of feeling too much, the fear of relinquishing control, and the fear of letting go.  

If you have the Sun in Scorpio, you will be motivated to experience intense emotional connections- merging with someone else in a way which transcends the physical. It is this, and the fact that Scorpio rules the sexual organs and the organs of elimination in the body, that also gives rise to the cliché of Scorpio being the most sexual of signs. But sex for Scorpio is about more than physical release and pleasure. It is about la petite mort, the little death- the raw transformative experience that complete physical and emotional merging can bring. It can, however, also be about the darker motivations of control, obsession and possession- Scorpio does not like to share and can guard that which is “his” with jealous paranoia in need. Feeling with the intensity of Scorpio is also to expose the soft inner core and to risk betrayal, abandonment and heartbreak. Scorpio is, as a result, slow to trust and will not do so until all data has been gathered, examined and you have proven yourself and given yourself body and soul into his keeping . In return he will give himself- not something to be taken lightly.

In the meantime, it pays to listen carefully to your intuition. If Scorpio is interested in you, she will be subtle. The signals themselves are a test. Opening up is to risk rejection, instead Scorpio needs you to prove your intentions and reciprocation by risking yourself first. If you have planets in Scorpio, whatever is represented by those planets will be where this plays out in your life. With plenty of Pisces planets, my intuition is pretty good, but with Mars in Scorpio in the 8^th house in my chart, my Scorpio hubby and I circled each other for some time before we finally hooked up. I was reading his signals, he was reading mine, but I was not going to risk rejection by making the 1^st move and nor was he. We only got together because a mutual friend arranged for us both to go to a movie with her & when she (deliberately) didn’t turn up we found ourselves on neutral ground.   Twenty years on, I guess I would have to say the risk was worth it!

It has occurred to me this morning, that I have neglected to post anything at all on Libra planets. So here goes… with apologies to all those beautiful Librans out there… It also gives me an excuse to show off some favourite flower pics- all in the name of grace & beauty.  

The Ballerina, Sydney Botanical Gardens (Pic by me)

Walking through the Botanical Gardens yesterday I lost count of the number of weddings I passed. Not only was it a glorious Spring day with the Jacarandas in bloom, the Harbour glistening and ferries gliding past, but with the New Moon in Libra, it was also a pretty good day for a Wedding Chart.

New Moon in Libra

New Moons are always about new starts, the energy of beginning something, well, new. Plenty has been written over the last week or so about the Libra New Moon. Rather than going back through it all, I will quote a passage from Jeff Jawer that says it all “The New Moon in Libra sows seeds of relationships and new alliances. It provides opportunities for rebalancing partnerships to create harmony and justice.”

Isn’t that what a wedding is about?

What makes this New Moon uber important is that it highlights and area of life that will come into focus towards the end of this month when Saturn moves out of Virgo into Libra where the ringed man is naturally very strong. Take a look at what houses Libra covers in your chart- this area of your life will require extra energy and commitment over the next couple of years.

Sun in Libra

Libra is that point where the individual meets the other. Sounds pretty deep, but in essence it means that the Sun in Libra is motivated by harmony and balance and defines itself through relationships with others. All of this makes Libra social, fair, a born diplomat and just a tad (?) flirtatious.

An Air sign, Libra Sun people have good brains, are able to see both sides of a story and come to an agreement between the two without necessarily anyone compromising their own beliefs. Ruled by Venus, Libra Sun people are also refined and love beauty, grace and gorgeousness in their surroundings.  Loud noises, clashing colours, and disharmony of any sort sends shivers up the spine of a Libran. Tastes, colours and music must be balanced.

It is this drive for balance, parity and relationship which is also Libra’s shadow. In keeping a relationship alive, it can be very easy to forget that 2 individual people come into a relationship- one of which is yourself. In smoothing the tides of discontent, your often hide your own needs and feelings. In finding balance and peace, you also need to practice moderation.

Venus in Libra

(Pic by me)

This placement is Venus at her most beautiful and most charming. This is not, however, a particularly passionate placement for Venus. Libra is an air sign, so the idea and ideal of relationship is perhaps more real to them than the down and dirty sexual nature of a relationship- often leaving disappointment in its wake. Contrary to more watery Venus placements, Venus in Libra is able to rationalise what went wrong and dust herself off rather than indulge in feasts of chocolate and alcohol.

Venus in Libra is in the sign of her rulership. She is strong, refined, and what the traditional astrologers would term “essentially dignified”. Alluring and attractive, she is often a little like the fashion plate in a glossy magazine, just a little aloof and untouchable, but ever so gorgeous.  Potty mouths and lager louts need not apply- this placement likes to be treated like a lady- nice manners, courtesy and appearance is important.

In a mans chart, Venus in Libra indicates a man who likes a woman with sophistication, high standards, and who doesn’t let them slip. He will be happy and able to cope with maintenance routines, but won’t take kindly to his love sucking down a Crownie and belting out “working Class Man” in the local pub.

Mercury in Libra

Wellington Botanical Gardens (Pic by me)

My very Scorpio husband (SH) has Mercury and Venus in Libra. The placement of these 2 planets turns ordering at restaurants into prolonged sagas as he balances what he wants to eat against what he thinks I will order. This deliberation is to ensure that both meals balance each other, that we each taste something we want to try and that the wine will match. But it drives me flipping crazy.

We have this thing in our house called Decision Night. It is the one night of the week where he has to make a decision. During the rest of the week, I will hunter gather and make the big decisions like… what we are going to eat that night. Most nights SH will come home, take over the kitchen & execute my vision perfectly. But on Thursdays I refuse to cooperate.

The conversation normally starts something like this:

Four Foot Nothing (FFN): What’s for dinner?

Me: I don’t know. You’ll have to ask your father.

FFN: That’s right, its decision night. (She phones SH)

FFN: Hey Dad, its decision night. What’s for dinner or are we going out?

SH: Does your Mum want to go out?

FFN: She says I have to ask you- its decision night.

SH: But I don’t know what eating regime she is on this week.

FFN: She says she is happy with whatever you decide, Dad.

SH: Can you put her on?

FFN: She says she doesn’t want to talk to you- this has to be your decision.

And so it goes on. Every Thursday night.

We have a giggle about it every week. It isn’t so much that he doesn’t like to make decisions- he makes many every day- it is that he doesn’t want the wrong decision to impact household harmony. Mercury in Libra weighs all possible outcomes before calling it. This is where the reputation for indecision comes in. Likewise, Libra ability to overlook the small stuff is in complete contrast to Virgos criticality.

In its higher form, with cooperation, compromise can be reached and marital balance and harmony preserved… and dinner on the table. 

A really busy week coming up. My astro pal AstroSparkles (follow her on Twitter) likened it to a Conga Line… and it is:

Mars in Cancer 26/8

Venus in Leo 27/8

Sun in Virgo 23/8

Mercury in Libra 26/8

With Jupiter and Neptune both continuing their retrograde through Aquarius, Uranus retrograde in Pisces and Pluto back in the 1st degree of Capricorn, the elemental energy in the sky is very clearly balanced through all elements. Not often that happens.

Anyway, here is a brief rundown of what Mercury, Mars and Venus will be up to:

Mercury in Libra 26/8/09 (around 3am Sydney time)

Mercury moves (briefly) into Libra early on Wednesday morning. He is slowing down, though, ready to turn retrograde. More on that next week.

Mercury in Libra is often accused of being indecisive… but then again…

What comes across as indecision is often a calculated balancing act as Mercury in Libra weighs all possible alternatives and viewpoints before presenting the most diplomatic response. And that is the real reason your decisions take so long- you don’t want to upset anyone (arguments and conflict can be messy and unsightly) and charm is a significantly more attractive feature.

Mars in Cancer 26/8/09 (around 4am Sydney time)

Mars moves out of social Gemini into the strong emotional cravings of Cancer. And Mars can be surprisingly sexual and responsive in Cancer… as long as their partner is able to read those oh so subtle signals. The Crab needs to be wanted and can be as sexually possessive as Scorpio… long after you probably should have yelled and screamed and thrown things and moved on.  But how do you manage to let go when you bury everything so deep and showing your passion is to risk rejection?

If you have Mars in Cancer, what you want (Mars) is Cancerian in nature, ie security, safety. You will express anger (Mars) in a very Cancerian way too- generally by sidestepping conflict and running back to your shell to stew and practice what you would have, should have said or thrown (personally I find a Colorado wedge to be the most aero-dynamic and accurate- and has such a satisfying thud when it hits the target). Getting a handle on your moods is difficult, exposing them is harder still.

Girls, if you are fortunate enough to have a man with Mars in Cancer, enjoy him. OK, he may not be direct with his feelings, you may need to do some guesswork and deal with some sulks and the occasional passive aggressive grumping, but he will have a good understanding of your needs- Mars in Cancer is sensitive… he will also protect you for all he is worth.

Venus in Leo 27/8/09 (around 2.30am Sydney time)

Venus in Leo personifies the drama of romance, to be in love with love, the whole queenly concept of “wooing”-do people actually “woo” these days?  Leo likes to shine and what better way to shine than in the light of being adored. Venus in Leo is creative, dramatic and the ultimate brand diva- she loves luxury and is always impeccably groomed. Venus in Leo is a hairdresser’s cash-flow dream come true.

It isn’t all one way traffic though; Venus in Leo is proud in her relationships and will repay respect with loyalty and generosity. Venus in Leo will demonstrate her affections freely and flamboyantly, but be warned- affection, loyalty and respect are not able to be separated. If she can’t respect you, she can’t be loyal to you and she can’t love you- likewise, if you can’t be loyal to her, she won’t respect you and so on. Boredom kicks in when the admiration stops… ignore her and Venus in Leo will find someone else who will pay her the attention she needs. Venus in Leo works hard to look great and needs to be admired, to a large degree the ego is closely linked with the level to which one is adored.

Men with Venus in Leo are looking for their “Queen”, someone other men can admire (from a distance) and someone whose looks or recognition will enhance their own ego. The Madonna factor- someone out of the ordinary, someone who can grace a red carpet with aplomb is who Mr Venus Leo is after.

Virgo (Image from the Symbalon Deck)

Virgo gets a bad rap. The perfectionist, the clean freak, the nag, the nit- picker, the martyr, the critic. With this post, however, I really was trying to avoid the clichés. Virgo deserves better than that, and my Virgo friends deserve better than that. This week, however, I have been bombarded with images of the shadow Virgo. My Grandmother (not the 91 year old dancing in stilettos one) once said to me “Jo, you have no idea how hard it is to be a Virgo.” Its true, I don’t.  The ultimate cliché is that it has taken me a few days of re-write to complete this post… and I still don’t believe I have done justice to Virgo.

As with all signs, there are contradictions within Virgo. Just as everyone can hold up a non-competitive Aries Sun as proof that astrology doesn’t work, we all know a Virgo living in, shall we say, less than perfect hygienic conditions. If we looked closely at that Aries, we would find an area of life in which that person is a veritable warrior. Likewise, if we examine the Virgo in question, there will be some part of their existence which is controlled and organised. Further, we all have an area of life controlled by Virgo. It will be that part of us which most desires perfection. I am getting ahead of myself.

In describing the true purpose and motivation of Sun sign, I often find it useful to look at the part of the body ruled by the sign. With Virgo, it is digestion and assimilation. This function looks critically at the fuel which has been ingested, analyses its value and sends it to where it needs to go. Sound familiar? Critical analysis of the information received. Attention to detail is an absolute requirement to achieve the desired result. So it is in life. Virgo, operating at its highest has the ability to absorb information, break it down into more manageable pieces, classify it, organise it and get it to where it needs to go.  Virgo is the ultimate Project Manager in this regard. Pretty essential stuff, but often over-looked and taken for granted.

Whilst the reward can be completed tasks with all boxes ticked, the downside can be an over attention to detail on occasions where that the big picture does not require it. Virgo is prone to mental exhaustion due to her propensity to stress over little things- to make mountains out of a mole-hill, as my mother would say. Again, I am ahead of myself.

Virgo is a mutable earth sign ruled by Mercury. This means Virgo has the real and honest practicality and sensuality of earth, the love of information of Mercury, and the flexibility to juggle it. But more than anything, Virgo knows that perfection can be attained, that things really can be as good as they should be. This is not the unbridled optimism of Jupiter and Sagittarius, but rather a firm conviction that if tasks and issues are broken down and organised, jobs will be completed and problems resolved and perfection realised. In balance, this potential for growth and achievement is exciting.  This is why when Virgo appears to be nagging or critical, it truly is because they think you have the potential and ability to make things better and be the best you can be. Your bum really might look fat in those jeans.

Taking this one step further, Virgo is identified with the 6^th house of the birth chart. This area of life is concerned with the details of life, with service, servants and (traditionally) sickness or (in more modern times) health.   Virgo is here to serve. Virgo service is not entirely selfless, nor is it associated with the spotlight ego of Leo service. It is simply service. Service is the purpose of Virgo and Virgo becomes its’ work. This also explains why health and hygiene is often a key focus for Virgo. A Virgo friend once joked (at least I thought it was a joke) that she likes nothing better than to have her husband on a diet.  

The Virgo shadow, and the grounds on which the clichés are built, comes when the drive for perfection becomes all encompassing. When the self is martyred to an impossibly exhausting and ever growing task-list. In project terms, we would call it “scope-creep”. We see it often in the workplace where Virgo does a great job, is “rewarded” with more work, which increases the pressure on detail, which creates anxiety, which may lead to mistakes, which leads to more pressure and so on.

I read a great article that could have been written for Virgo the other day in Mind Food magazine entitled The Myth of Perfection. The article talks about the use of the terms “I should”, or “I must” and warns of the dissatisfaction which can come from high expectations and unrealistic goals, and the pressure on the relationships of those who demand perfection. There can be the idea that if something can’t be done perfectly it shouldn’t be done at all- the image of the dieter who, on accepting one square of chocolate, decides that she can’t do this properly so may as well finish the block.

This is the shadow of Virgo. It is one where opportunities for growth, fun and achievement are lost or hidden under the weight of what must be done. Where the schedule must be maintained no matter what other distractions or temptations or enjoyment can be had. Where a social outing can’t be enjoyed until after the bathroom has been cleaned.   The saddest part of this scenario is the lack of compassion Virgo can show towards herself. Virgo unfairly undervalues herself and in doing so reinforces the cycle, thinking she can be better, more virtuous, and more indispensable. In doing for others, Virgo often shows little kindness towards herself.

As I briefly mentioned earlier, wherever Virgo is in your chart will be the part of life which you want to make perfect. Such idealism is wonderful, but needs to be tempered with the risk of scope creep. Personally, with Virgo on the cusp of my 7^th house, the area of life I am most likely to be critical of, and least likely to be satisfied, is in relationships- including that with myself. With a Pisces Sun/ Virgo Pluto opposition, I am only just starting to realise that I am projecting my own tendencies towards perfectionism and self sacrifice into my relationships.

Polarity is an important concept in astrology, sort of like homeopathy in a way, but in this case, we can look to a little of the opposite sign to provide the medicine. In the case of a Virgo shadow, a little Piscean slacking off can be a good thing. (Just as with the Pisces shadow, a little Virgo attention to detail helps). My astro pal Neeti Ray suggested on Facebook that I “give that Virgo a wine”… not a bad idea- I was hung up on the detail.

My message to Virgo? Show yourself some compassion, you are enough now as you are… the sun is shining and the bathroom can wait… maybe even until next weekend.

The Sun moves into Virgo around 10am 23/8/09 Sydney time.