pic from dreamstime.com

My Scorpio hubby has Venus at 10 Libra (yes, I know he his Venus is currently being paid an extended visit from Saturn…but I haven’t told him that, so this is our little secret…) and his Moon at 9 Gemini. At 6.54pm on Friday evening (Sydney time) the Sun and the Moon will be joined at 9 Cancer 12…there will also be a solar eclipse happening…and these planets of his will be directly impacted.

I just mentioned this in passing while we were sharing a beer while he was preparing dinner tonight (which, I would like to point out, I had already done the decisioning and hunter gathering- he just had to finish the job and execute my vision).

‘So Darlin’,’ he says, ‘what does that mean?’

‘Well, it’s an eclipse, so it usually means something, but because it’s an eclipse, it’s not like I can predict exactly what it will be.’

‘Well, pretend I’m reading your blog {he never does} and explain it to me…’

Here goes…

Eclipses in aspect to Venus always have something to do with relationship and values or your relationship to what you value or even how you are valued in relationship. (At this point, he reminded me that I am about to hightail it off to Brisbane for a week for work, leaving him with work, domestic duties and Five Foot Something on School Holidays…point taken…).

Eclipses in aspect to the Moon are always about your defences and emotional security- the whole breakdown and breakthrough theory. You know the thing- your walls come down in some way so that you can get closer in another. This comment prompted a heap of other questions- he does have the Moon in Gemini, after all…

When the eclipse aspects Jupiter, the theme is one of faith and growth- when you need to grow and need to dream and need to take risks in order to do so. Likewise any aspecting the Sun will rise issues of ego and self expression.

In short, the eclipse takes on the theme of the planet being aspected, so think about keywords associated with those planets. The houses receiving the eclipse will give you an understanding of the area of life being affected.

As to the nature of the eclipse? Good news or bad? Not so easy to predict…in fact damn near impossible. Eclipses are wild cards, the jokers in the pack, and all astrologers have eclipse war stories. As Bernadette Brady writes in The Eagle and the Lark, “armed with (this) information, astrologers then delineate the effect of the eclipse as some type of random, possibly, but not necessarily stressful, event occurring in a particular area of the clients life.”

Sometimes the stress seems like extraordinary busyness, sometimes chaos comes out of the blue, sometimes it is good news from nowhere and sometimes it seems like a whole lot of not much at all.

The aspect can give an indication of the speed of “ease” with which the impact occurs…and when I say “ease”, I don’t mean “nice”, I mean, instead, speed or relative speed.

Trines are the path of least resistance- regardless as to whether the event is good or bad, obstacles are removed and it happens quickly.

Square (90degrees) is tension and frustration where action is forced, whilst the opposition (180degrees) usually involves someone doing something to you. In the case of a conjunction (0degrees), the energy is fused and strong. The inconjunct (150degrees) usually is an ending of something before you are ready for it to end, whilst a sextile (60degrees) represents an opportunity of some type. (With thanks to Bernadette Brady’s book for the paraphrasing above).

During a solar eclipse, the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, blocking out the Sun for just a few short, dramatic moments. During a solar eclipse, you may feel like something is about to happen…and it very often does. At a solar eclipse things happen around you or to you that have the ability to change the course of your life- although you may not recognise it as such at the time.

As to orbs? I’m of the closer is better school and work on no more than 2 degrees either way, possibly up to 4 degrees for aspects to the Sun, Moon, Ascendant or Midheaven…but that is just me.

So check out where Cancer is in your chart- this is where the eclipse is falling. You can refer to the “Basics” tab at the top of the page for house descriptions or even my Cancer through the signs Pt 1 and 2.

In short, if:

Your rising sign is Aries, Cancer rules your 4^th house

Your rising sign is Taurus, Cancer rules your 3^rd house

Your rising sign is Gemini, Cancer rules your 2^nd house

Your rising sign is Cancer, Cancer rules your 1^st house

Your rising sign is Leo, Cancer rules your 12^th house

Your rising sign is Virgo, Cancer rules your 11^th house

Your rising sign is Libra, Cancer rules your 10^th house

Your rising sign is Scorpio, Cancer rules your 9^th house

Your rising sign is Sagittarius, Cancer rules your 8^th house

Your rising sign is Capricorn, Cancer rules your 7^th house

Your rising sign is Aquarius, Cancer rules your 6^th house

Your rising sign is Pisces, Cancer rules your 5^th house

…with some exceptions for intercepted houses, but if you know about stuff like intercepted houses, you don’t need me to tell you where Cancer is in your chart!

Now have a look for any planets at or around:

• 7-11 Cancer- congratulations, you have a conjunction
• 7-11 Capricorn- yours is an opposition
• 7-11 Libra, Aries- square aspect
• 7-11 Pisces, Scorpio- trine
• 7-11 Virgo, Taurus- sextile
• 7-11 Aquarius, Sagittarius- inconjunct

Check out what each of these planets or points means…and then grab the magic 8 ball…ooops did that come out loud?

So, what did I tell my husband to watch out for? Difficult, tired and cranky women who are going to Brisbane and leaving him for a week with a lurgy infected and bored teenage daughter. Then I very nicely complimented him on executing my dinner vision so well! I’m such a Domestic Diva…

Want to know more about your own personal eclipse story? Check out April Elliott Kent’s Moonshadow reports

Pic from dreamstime.com

First a warning- this post will make a lot of references to “emotional attachment” and “deep feeling”…but what else would you expect from a Cancer post?

The Moon rules Cancer, and the Moon is, as we know, about our emotions, vulnerabilities, insecurities and the way in which we react when we don’t think about things first- the way we react unconsciously, the way we react from the heart. Which reminds me, in any Cancer post there will be references also to hearts and souls and roots.

It is this unconscious reaction that becomes important when we talk about the 7^th house and 7^th house people. Sure, the 7^th house is our primary relationships, but it is also where we find our enemies- well those who declare themselves to us, anyway (the back stabbing nasties who gossip about us while presenting a perfect smile to our faces are in the 12^th house).

Being opposite to the Ascendant, the 7^th house can also represent those parts of ourselves that we don’t show the world, or our weaknesses. It is often these needs that we project onto a partner (the whole concept of opposites attract, perhaps?) or the qualities that we look for in a long term relationship. It is also these things that we see in our enemies. These are possibly also the qualities that we may feel we are lacking and need in order to make us whole.

When I think of my enemies, or at least the ones I know about- and people who know me know that my radar is pretty crappy- there is always some jealousy or envy at the root of my feelings. Some quality that I lack that they have- or at least that I think they have- and vice versa. We project our weaknesses into the 7^th house.

With Cancer on the cusp of the 7^th your emotional attachment to your life partner is strong indeed- as is your ability to hold a grievance against your enemies. As with all things 7^th house, this can also go the opposite way and you may find yourself with someone who you “mother” or who “mothers” you- emotional dependency can go both ways.

With Cancer on the cusp of the 7^th, you are Capricorn Rising, so ambitious, practical and hard working. What you need, is someone who will help you get in touch with your emotions and sensitivity. Through partnership you learn about support and emotional nutrition. Through partnership your deepest emotional needs are met and through time bonds are strengthened.

Cancer on the cusp of the 8^th house

Sex, Death, taxes, inheritances, money of the partnership and transformative stuff

These may be areas of life that you simply don’t want to discuss or think about. In fact, you may be overly concerned about 8^th house issues and worry excessively about death and excessive debts. As for sex- what happens between the sheets stays between the sheets- no Sex and the City type conversations here. As for debts and possessions, with Cancer on the cusp of the 8^th, you are slow to trust and slow to share or risk joint resources. You will withdraw emotionally while you decide whether or not to make the ultimate commitment.

Cancer on the cusp of the 9^th house

Travel, Learning, Spirituality, Philosophy

Whatever it is you believe in, you will have an emotional attachment to those beliefs (I did warn you about the number of times I would make that reference in this piece). With Cancer on the cusp of the 9^th you can make a home wherever you travel- unlike the gardenias I am trying to move from my front yard to the back, your roots transplant easily.

Cancer on the cusp of the 10^th house

The 10^th is about career, public life, reputation and status in the world

Guess what? You have strong emotional attachment to your career, your reputation and the status you hold in the world. Surprised?

From a career viewpoint you do will in teaching others to help themselves- like that saying about buy a man some fish and he’ll have dinner versus buy him a fishing rod and he’ll never be hungry…or something like that.

Anyways, regardless of whether you have the fish or the fishing rod, with Cancer on the cusp of the 10^th you worry more about your reputation and supposed slights to your status or respect than may be warranted.

Cancer on the cusp of the 11^th house

The 11^th is about friends, social circles, community and organisations

You like to do your entertaining at home. You aren’t one for fancy pancy formal dinner parties but love nothing more than having a barbecue (or something equally as casual) with friends and family…or others you are especially emotionally attached to- there I got in another one! In fact, with this placement, close friends can be very like family- and you will look after them and feed them as such. At a Cancer gathering, no matter how informal, there is always plenty of food!

If you are involved with charities or other community organisations, you will be attached to the cause and work hard for the underdog.

Cancer on the cusp of the 12^th house

The 12^th is about the hidden things in life- where you escape to, what brings you undone, secret enemies and back-stabbing bitches

Cancer on the cusp of the 12^th is very like having the Moon in the 12^th or even like having the Moon in a Balsamic phase. You hide your emotions as much as possible and this may very well be the scene of your undoing. You feel often as if you are taken for granted or misunderstood, but that is because you have so much trouble expressing your emotional needs. This may also give you a “whatever” air when it comes to others or a “poor me” outlook when it comes to imagined or real slights. Yet for all that you are generous- but do have problems letting reciprocal generosity into your life.

Cancer on the cusp of houses 1-6 can be found here.

Floriade, Canberra. Pic by me

Cancer has the worries of the world on her shoulders, so where do those worries go when it all gets too much? Straight to the tummy of course… So, how does Cancer cope with stress when the tides of life get a tad too high? My latest post for astrology.com can be found here.

Pic from dreamstime.com

OK, this is a mini sort of non astrological sort of rant.

Regular readers know I am doing this learn to run thing. It had been going really well and according to schedule until last Friday when I had the workout from hell and my head got in the way of anything else. I completely froze up and freaked out? Why? Because of the seemingly unending miles and flipping miles of flipping concrete ahead of me.

It turned the workout into a journey and this little Piscean doesn’t like journeys. I like destinations or meditations or zoning out and escaping. I like to arrive. I don’t like having to know how far I have to go. So I froze up and freaked out.

As it turns out I was obviously also tired from the week and coming down with this cold that I now seem to have caught from the incessant sneezing and spluttering of the woman in 1F on my flight the other day.

The progress I had made had been making me feel strong and with a belief that I could do this.  Just as I zone out on black line swimming, I think I was getting close to doing the same with black line running.

Up till my mini freak out on Friday, I was actually beginning to enjoy my treadmill sessions…but don’t tell my BMF who is trying to convince me that I will become addicted- I, of course, don’t like anyone telling me what I can become addicted to- as a Piscean I find addictions only too easily. Having said that, I possibly could become addicted to the adrenaline rush of achievement and sweat (Venus in Aries) but not to the “journey”.

Rather than concentrating on distance milestones, I found that if I could tune out to the black line and the music in my ear I would get the job done: “if I can just get through this song…ok I got through that one, now I just need to get through the next…” in fact much how I got through labour without drugs…and trust me, the pain levels at this stage of the game are comparable.

So what changed? I went back outside. From doing 4x 1kms in a session I couldn’t get to 500m without stopping. From a zone out on a treadmill with my music as escape company I was looking at a far off destination and miles of bike path and my head didn’t like that.

My husband tells me I am expecting too much too soon and I need to stop the comparisons. He also told me that sometimes you have off days. He is right on both counts. He then uttered the dreaded “J for journey” word… and came dangerously close to having my glass of wine (for medicinal purposes) thrown over him. Having said that, he is being brilliantly supportive and not applying any sort of pressure…he says he knows better…

My chiropractor tells me that he would prefer that I run inside until all my joints have settled down and beyond. He is probably right too. All I know is that after Fridays session I haven’t fronted the gym. Sure I’m not well now, but what about over the weekend?

I recently turned in an article on Saturn, and the one big eye opener in it for me (aside from it being the hardest set of words I have had to write in a very long time), was how the sign position of Saturn shows up your fears and the way you deal with goals and obstacles. Whether you continue the climb one step at a time or whether you look for another way round…or give up entirely. He represents what you most need to face.

I have Saturn in Aries and, my biggest obstacle is myself. I have a tendency to compare and will give up if it becomes apparent that I won’t be the best or better than the next at whatever it is I am doing. Saturn in Aries wants a short flight not a long haul in economy.

Saturn in Aries needs goals to work towards, but they must come from within, not be imposed by someone else. I need support not pressure. Saturn in Aries needs to push herself to do the best she can be and has problems with orders and authority. She has to be sure that she is doing it for herself.

For regular runners this probably seems like one great big whinge fest and just flipping do it already…but it isn’t that easy for a 40 something who has never run more than the sideline of a football pitch.

And now I have a cold that is threatening to move to my lungs and undo all the good I have done.

Anyways, consistency not motivation is the key, so I will keep going- one song after the other…and the next person who tells me to “enjoy the journey” or “climb the mountain” or “put one foot in front of the next” is likely to get that foot jammed somewhere that feet shouldn’t go.

In the skies? The Moon is still in Taurus- and will be for another day. The Sun is getting ever closer to the opposition with Pluto. This one is always a power struggle and will result in tension and frustration if you have planets at 5-7 degrees of Cancer, Capricorn, Aries or Libra. You may also feel it if you have planets at 5-7 degrees in the other water or earth signs. For me? This is banging away at Mars in Scorpio and the nodal axis- by sextiles & trine, so “easier” in theory… Anything impacting Mars is about courage, and Pluto is about power, whilst the Sun is ego. Join the dots.

I’m for an early night and a little Piscean indulgence in feeling sorry for myself…so until next time…

Image from dreamstime.com

Mondo grass always seems like a great idea when it is first planted. The perfect natural border, I guess.

We have a relatively large house block here in the suburbs and I swear when we first moved in, at least one third of it was covered with mondo grass…which would be OK if mondo grass stayed where it was planted rather than spreading…madly.

I had planned on painting our bedroom this weekend. I have ordered some blinds to replace the manky old curtains and have bought a new brighter doona cover set. The idea was to replace the existing colour on the walls with a clean cream. But when it came to it, I just couldn’t do it. I love the existing colour too much.

So without a bedroom to transform, I hit the garden for a few exhausting hours- hence the mondo grass which, I must say, is no longer. Nor are a number of small trees & shrubs- under which I found a rather cute looking stepping stone path.

With the Moon in Taurus, gardening was one of the more practical activities today- less calories than comfort eating and less expensive than comfort shopping (both common Taurus Moon activities). And given that I just couldn’t be faffed going to the gym, some outdoors sweating at least meant that I got my activity quota in for the day.

This month the Taurus Moon will be even more into temptation, with Jupiter in play for much of today conjunct the Moon. According to Jupiter, why say no when yes is so much more fun!

For these couple of days each month, it may feel harder to get off the couch and energy may be just a tad more elusive. You will feel better, though, if you do move through it.

Other good Taurus Moon activities? Anything to do with the body, beauty and art. Walking is great, and it is the best couple of days of the month for massages and facials. Combine a few Taurus activities and take a wander through an art gallery…

If you do find yourself craving sweet treats, use the “lay-by” method ie promise yourself you can have it tomorrow…or the day after. Then if the cravings are still there, get the best quality whatever it is you want and savour every single mouthful…without guilt. Better still, indulge in something less calorific that engages the senses- some spices and brightly coloured pumpkin soup, licorice root or warm spicy teas, yoghurt with some pureed fruits, frozen banana- all things that taste good, smell good, look good & feel good on the tongue.

Who is more likely to be under the Taurus Moon spell? Anyone with the Sun, Moon or Ascendant in Taurus or Cancer…actually in Scorpio too. Capricorn and Virgo Moons may also find themselves a little more likely to stray off their chosen paths at this time of the month and Pisces…well does Pisces ever need an excuse?

The Sun is currently square Uranus and approaching an annual opposition with Pluto. The ego is taking a pasting from every direction as work/life struggles come under the microscope. Uranus adds unpredictability that neither the Sun in Cancer nor Pluto in Capricorn is too keen on.

Square aspects general herald a turning point, a tension or frustration where events out or your control are pushing you into a new, probably uncomfortable, path, whereas with the opposition, something being done to do is forcing you to change. Either way, with both Uranus and Pluto involved, you can bet a struggle is ahead. These aspects will still be in play at Fridays New Moon and eclipse- at which time Saturn will also come into play. More on that one later this week.

Want more on the Taurus Moon? Check out the link to a post I wrote a while ago…