This November I wrote a novel- yep, in one month. Well, I am calling it a novel, although really the only things that qualify it as a novel are its length- just over 50,000 words and the fact that it is loosely a piece of fiction- albeit an extremely rough first draft. The genre? I like to call it a self-indulgent, semi autobiographical fictionalised quasi love story- in other words a piece of crapology. But then again, I really shouldn’t be so hard on myself. The achievement was in sticking to a goal for a whole month- and those that know me know that neither commitment nor goal setting are really my forte.  And who knows? Maybe one day parts of my effort (tentatively titled Brand New Without Tags) will find their way out of my experiment and into a real live novel.

So why did I put myself through National Novel Writing Month? Mainly because I needed to prove to myself that I could do it- that I could set a daily goal, meet it and actually finish something that I started.

More importantly, from an astro viewpoint I had words inside of me that I just couldn’t get out. The bit between heart and head (ie throat) seems to be permanently blocked in my case. I have no problems at all in getting other people’s messages across, but when it comes to discussing my innermost feelings? No can do.

With the amount of Pisces in my chart, that is not that unusual. Pisces, like all water signs, is very private. But where Scorpio and Cancer can be both protective and mistrustful when it comes to conveying their deeper emotions, with Pisces there is a need to hold onto the dream or the fantasy. To speak it out loud is to make it real and reality can be both confronting and frightening.

To compound this, my Mercury, the planet of communication, is also in Pisces- the sign of both its detriment and fall. In other words, Mercury doesn’t function well in Pisces- it is “mute” in this sign. Further, in my chart Mercury falls in the 12^th house- the place we escape to, the area of our self undoing, the secrets in our closet.

This is probably why I choose to express myself in ways which are non verbal- through lines in songs that say what I want to say; this blog (to a certain extent) and now creative writing. By fictionalising a mix of dream, fantasy and reality I have been able to get onto paper (well, sort of paper) things from the last few years that I haven’t been able to deal with or talk about.

Speaking astrologically, with Jupiter (which rules publishing etc) moving through my 12^th house, and Progressed Moon in the 8^th house where we confront and deal with our fears, there was really no better time to undertake this effort.

It has been cathartic and surprising. Cathartic because I now feel like the shit has been dealt with and banished, and surprising,  in that my totally fictional ending was very different to the just as fictional ending I had originally intended to write. All along I had been concentrating on the wrong “hero”, the wrong images and a completely different outcome.

At times during the process the words dried up- as they tend to do when you are trying to write 50,000 of them. At that point I would randomly select something from my favourite playlist and conjure up what that meant for me. Augie March,  A Fine Frenzy , Taylor Swift and even The Partridge Family all helped to get the words from heart to keyboard.

They are my words, my feelings, but placed into fictional characters and situations- exactly the way I like to deal with such things. And even though they will never see the light of day, or be read by anyone else, at least not in their current format, my sense of achievement is humungous- I now know that I can write a novel.

And in the words of Michael Buble:

It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life
For me
And I’m feeling good

Another bad habit of mine is reading a book and as the character develops trying to second guess the sun sign. Sad I know. One such character that has really grated at me is that of Bella from the Twilight series. (Harry Potter was another & even though I know what his chart is, I still have problems with that one… but that is for another post).  One of my favourite authors Kerry Greenwood has actually posted the chart for the heroine of her Phryne Fisher series, saving me the speculation.

Growing up I loved Wuthering Heights and that whole undying love, grand passion, endless frustration thing- but again, never really liked the character of Catherine. I did think that Heathcliff was really brooding and mysterious & I probably would have fallen for him if he had decent biceps. I still think he was misunderstood and badly treated and may have actually been a nicer man if he hadn’t had such a bad childhood- and wasn’t so sexually frustrated by the endless teasing of Catherine, who then betrayed him for money and a chinless wonder. Sometimes a decent shag can mend many bad moods- but that is just my theory.

What I love about the Twilight series is that whole romantic premise that love can conquer all. But, hey, I am a triple Pisces and the fantasy element really does it for me. I also like to live in a world where nobody is truly evil and everybody has at least one redeeming feature- which is why I like the  vegetarian fangers of Twilight equally to the synthetic blood version in the sexier and gutsier True Blood.

I recall the first time I read Bella’s birth date and realised she was a Virgo that my initial response was WTF? No way! To me she always seemed more emotional and watery than an Earth sign and definitely did not show any of the practicality and security that Earth needs to feel safe. I have read the books a number of times and my opinion has not changed. In my opinion, there are only a few pointers towards Virgo:

-          The organised way in which she addresses the analysis of who and what Edward really is

-          The way in which she looks after her father and takes responsibility for the scattiness of her mother

-          She doesn’t think very highly of herself- Virgo can have a blind spot in this regard

-          Her propensity to suffer pain for someone else- but then again, martyrdom for love is a very Pisces thing as well

-          She does show some commitment to a goal when the bikes are being repaired- OK, I am grabbing at straws now.

Now is probably the right time for me to go on record as saying I love the books, but I have never really liked the character of Bella and have a huge problem with the whole Renesmee thing (again… WTF????)… but please don’t hate me for that.

So if not Virgo, then what?

She isn’t social enough to be any of the Air signs, and is way too melancholic for Fire. Earth can definitely do melancholy in need- Taurus in particular finds it difficult to let go- but Earth has too much practicality and security to risk loss of soul and other injuries for love. Water is motivated by feeling and emotion, so if I was a betting girl, I would have my money on Water.

I thought about Cancer- that would definitely explain the moods. Scorpio perhaps? Makes sense regarding the fascination with the underworld and the extreme lows. But neither Cancer nor Scorpio would expose their soft underbelly to a vampire without a certain amount of paranoia, distrust and some proving of intentions. And, my fellow watery beings, I do mean that in the nicest possible of ways. Pisces seems closer to the mark, but, to be as completely Bella-ish as Bella is, requires a double whammy- a water moon as well as a water sun.

(Birth time not known)

According to Wikipedia her birth date is 13/9/87 in Forks. Attached is her chart. I couldn’t find a birth time so cast it at 12pm. I don’t intend on doing a full chart reading (quite frankly can’t be faffed) on this but, some salient points to support my, admittedly loose, theory:

The Moon moved out of Cancer into Gemini at 11pm on the previous day. Someone with a Gemini Moon would not be able to resist talking through stuff more- yet we know Bella is a private & very emotional  person- more in keeping with a water sun or moon or both.

We know Bella likes to be rescued- hello Pisces! In fact, she unthinkingly and selfishly puts herself in the line of danger, just so she can hear Edward’s voice in her head.

We know Bella wants to give her entire soul to Edward- nobody other than the most Pisces of Pisceans would ever do that… surely. Only Pisces can have a complete lack of boundaries to the extent that she ceases to exist without him. Although such complete immersion into the soul of another is very Scorpio as well.

 Jupiter in Aries does come out when she charges off to Italy to rescue her love, but I would have expected more of a fight in the first place. In fact, that is one of the things that really irritates me- she didn’t fight for him. We just see a fall into a deep depression, but where are the tears of heartbreak… ooops that is just me again?

The Venus/Uranus connection does indicate unusual love, I guess. Likewise I could go out on a limb and suggest that the Virgo Mars maybe indicates she likes men who are picky eaters (he is definitely that).

Probably the thing that irritates me the most is that I have just spent a period of time justifying a theory which no one in the world really cares about simply to put off a task that I know needs to be done. Come to think of it, maybe her lack of procrastination is proof that no matter what the other evidence is to the contrary, she isn’t a Pisces….mmmm  maybe if I review the books again along those lines I can put off doing the ironing as well?

 The opinions expressed in this post are those of the writer only, so anyone who doesn’t agree with me and wants to keep Bella as a Virgo, go right ahead & leave your stakes at home- I am well fortified with garlic and silver. Having said that, astro twerps- would love your opinions!

(Jupiter meets air- OK, not exactly Gemini, but same leap of faith! Symbalon cards)

I know we are deep in Scorpio territory, but I was just listening to this song while pondering the potential of generators to change ones business life and 2 things hit me:

1. There really is a Pet Shop Boys song for all scenarios and
2. Is this or is this not the perfect song lyrics to describe the Sagittarius/ Gemini opposition? 

Opportunities by The Pet Shop Boys

(with apologies to PSB I have removed all the ooohs and aaaahs in the lyrics)

I’ve got the brains, you’ve got the looks
Let’s make lots of money
You’ve got the brawn, I’ve got the brains
Let’s make lots of

I’ve had enough of scheming and messing around with jerks
My car is parked outside, I’m afraid it doesn’t work
I’m looking for a partner, someone who gets things fixed
Ask yourself this question: Do you want to be rich?

I’ve got the brains, you’ve got the looks
Let’s make lots of money
You’ve got the brawn, I’ve got the brains
Let’s make lots of money

You can tell I’m educated, I studied at the Sorbonne
Doctorate in mathematics, I could have been a don
I can program a computer, choose the perfect time
If you’ve got the inclination, I have got the crime

Oh, there’s a lot of opportunities
If you know when to take them, you know?
There’s a lot of opportunities
If there aren’t, you can make them
Make or break them

I’ve got the brains, you’ve got the looks
Let’s make lots of money
Let’s make lots of (Oooooooh)Money

You can see I’m single-minded, I know what I could be
How’d you feel about it, come and take a walk with me?
I’m looking for a partner, regardless of expense
Think about it seriously, you know, it makes sense

Let’s (Got the brains)
Make (Got the looks)
Let’s make lots of money (Oohh money)
(Let’s) You’ve got the brawn
(Make) I’ve got the brain
Let’s make lots of money (Oohh money)
I’ve got the brains (Got the brains)
You’ve got the looks (Got the looks)
Let’s make lots of money (Oohh money)
Money

Not exactly Wuthering Heights- the Desert Rd,north Island, NZ (Pic by me)

Wuthering Heights is one of my all time favourite books. It has all the ingredients of a truly obsessive, passionate, all consuming romance… with a bit of revenge thrown in…and that gets me going quite nicely thank-you very much. I don’t think Emily Bronte was interested in astrology- it wasn’t really the done thing back in those days for well brought up young girls… (actually writing such a heavy handed romance probably wasn’t the done thing either, which was probably why she published it as Ellis Bell). That being said, Heathcliff is incredibly scorpionic:

• Abandoned as a child, he transforms himself into a wealthy and powerful man- like a phoenix from the ashes, he is reborn and unrecognisable.
• He had magnetism and sex appeal to coax Isabella into running away with him
• His love for Cathy was all consuming, undying and obsessive. He was not prepared to share her. The scene where he does the unthinkable and opens her grave in order to ensure that in death he can be as one with her is base level Scorpio.
• Revenge fantasies… need I say more? Heathcliff patiently builds his fortune and plots the downfall of those who have hurt him- revenge being served very cold indeed.

I could go on, but you get the picture?

(Pic by me)

Emily Bronte has not been the only author over the years to use the Heathcliff imagery. Many romance novelists unconsciously use the male Scorpio archetype as their Hero.  Consider, a powerful, magnetic presence, extremely male, with eyes a girl could melt in and a mesmerising physical presence which can be felt and inhaled. Despite her best efforts she can’t resist the attraction, and hates herself for it, but his raw sexuality is the stuff fantasies are made of. The Hero himself is incredibly private and manages to control his feelings behind the pain of previous heartbreak that must be acknowledged and dealt with before he can give himself to the heroine and be transformed by love. He sends signals so subtle that she is unsure of his feelings and often struggles between the fantasy being played out in her head against what he says and how he acts. Welcome to Venus in Scorpio.

Venus in Scorpio is considered in traditional astrology to be in her detriment. Scorpios natural secrecy, paranoia and reluctance to trust makes it difficult for love to be given and received freely. These traits often lead others to consider Venus in Scorpio as being anti-social, but really she just likes to stand on the sidelines and observe.

In order to feel close to others she must feel intensely. This is emotional and physical penetration- something which can be quite frightening to signs not as motivated by their emotions. It can be especially un-nerving to Venus in air and fire signs where freedom and a level of detachment are required in order to function at their most creative. Venus in Scorpio has no time for detachment- relationships are all-consuming and ultimately healing.

(Pic courtesy of www.dreamstime.com)

Women with Venus in Scorpio are intensely sexual. This is the archetypal vamp whereby her sexuality and her ability to attract becomes very much part of her ego and confidence- more so, perhaps, than her ability to connect with her partners in a non sexual manner. A woman with Venus in Scorpio is able to have sex like a man (remember that episode of Sex and the City?).

A man with this placement is after a powerful woman, someone with Scorpio traits, a strong Mars identity, someone who is into intense relationships. He wants to be transformed through his relationships. The perfect housewife need not apply- this man needs passion and intensity. Twin sets and pearls don’t have a place… unless they are used for role-playing in the bedroom… but that is the subject of an entirely different post

Venus is in Scorpio from November 9 to December 1… enjoy   

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!