I’m seriously behind on my posts. I blame the weekend in Canberra.

I’ve got a shit of a headache. I blame lack of sleep.

Venus is conjunct my Ascendant, but instead of feeling pretty oh so pretty, I’m feeling more than a tad bloated oh so bloated. I blame wheat and willpower.

And this Grand Cross thing is seriously heating up. The peak of the activity will be over the next few days. How do I know? Check out the list of aspects (times are Sydney times).

• 20/4/14 1.55pm Sun into Taurus
• 20/4/14 5.27pm Jupiter square Uranus
• 21/4/14 3.40am Venus conjunct Chiron (16 Pisces)
• 21/4/14 9.24am Jupiter opposite Pluto
• 22/4/14 5.20am Uranus square Pluto
• 22/4/14 5.27am Mars square Jupiter
• 23/4/14 5.08pm Mars opposite Uranus
• 23/4/14 7.15pm Mercury into Taurus
• 23/4/14 11.38pm Mars square Pluto
• 25/4/14 3.14pm Venus trine Saturn (21 Pisces)
• 26/4/14 1.26pm Sun conjunct Mercury
• 27/4/14 3.26am Mercury sextile Neptune
• 27/4/14 8.33pm Sun sextile Neptune

As I said last week, this is all about hanging onto things- whether it’s power, the perception of power, a habit, a dream, knowledge, a belief.

It’s about letting go of what we don’t need to be hanging on to, and it’s about knowing the difference.

It’s about doing the same things over and over again and expecting the same result.

It’s about treating knowledge and experience and the way it’s always been done as power and wondering why things are passing you by.

It’s about having the same fight about the same stuff and wondering why it’s not all going away.

It’s about closing your mind against the fear of change and progress and not seeing the possibility.

It’s about tension, and chaos, and headaches, and sleep full of mad dreams and intuitions.

It’s about seeing through the bullshit and into the truth.

It’s about recognising that something or someone or somewhere is now so yesterday and that you’re so tomorrow already.

It’s about dynamic starts, innovations and inspired and future driven beginnings.

It’s about looking at things from a new and possibly radical angle.

It’s about swimming against the tide, and running outside the herd.

It’s about looking forward not back.

It’s about letting go, not hanging on.

It’s about meditating through the chaos into inspiration.

It’s about all of these things.

It’s about all of this- and you don’t have to have planets at 13 degrees of the cardinal signs to be feeling it.

We all have 13 Cancer, Capricorn, Libra and Aries somewhere in our charts- it’s those parts of life that the current aspect arrangement is impacting.

It could be someone ripping into your life who has a heap of planets at these degrees in their chart. It could be a partner, a sibling, a parent, a child, any old person.

Is it all bad?

Absolutely not.

Will it be uncomfortable?

Possibly. Probably. Most change is.

With the Sun newly in Taurus, although the action is happening in cardinal signs, the Sun’s energy is currently fixed, so ask yourself whether whatever it is that you’re protecting is worth protecting.

We have a few days yet, but at the end of it all are some lovely Venus and Neptune aspects- yes, I’m counting Venus trine Saturn. Don’t discount these. Not only do they provide a breather, they’ll hep provide perspective, perhaps some sweetness, and even a slowing down and consolidation.

Anyways, you’re going to ask how all of this affects you. I’m too busy dealing with the fallout happening around here to respond to each of you. Besides, here at Jo Tracey Astrology we’re (that would be me and Kali the wonder spaniel) all about helping you do it yourself. Here’s how:

DIY Cardinal Cross

• Look at where 13 Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn falls for you.
• Now look at the houses that are ruled by the planets involved in this arrangement:
• Look at the house that has Aries on the cusp- this is the house ruled by Mars.
• Look for the house that has Sagittarius on the cusp- this is the house ruled by Jupiter.
• Look at the house that has Scorpio on the cusp- this is the house ruled by Pluto.
• Look at the house that has Aquarius on the cusp- this is the house ruled by Uranus.
• Do the whole exercise again with any natal planets that are being aspected by Jupiter, Mars, Pluto and Uranus.

Don’t know your chart? Check out my post on how to cast it.

Don’t know your birth time? It won’t be that accurate, but you won’t go too far wrong by popping your Sun sign in as the Rising sign.

Don’t know what the houses mean or what part of life is what? Check out the Basics page.

Cardinal Signs

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Aries, Cancer, Capricorn or Libra:

• The cardinal cross will be falling in your 1^st, 4^th, 7^th & 10th houses. This is where the action is for you.
• These are action houses, so something is under threat that action is required for. It could be your identity, your relationship, your material worth and ambition or your underlying security and past that is at risk and requires protective or progressive action.

Fixed Signs

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius:

• The cardinal cross will be falling in your 12^th, 3^rd,  6^th and 9^th houses. This is where things are happening for you.
• These are learning or knowledge houses, so there is something that you need to listen to, open your mind for, or learn about. This is learning at the social level, the soul level, the level of identity and learning how to deal with material affairs.

Mutable Signs

If your Sun or Ascendant is in Pisces, Gemini, Virgo or Sagittarius:

• The cardinal cross will be falling in your 2^nd, 5^th, 8^th and 11^th houses.
• These houses are your security houses, so material, identity, emotional or social and intellectual security may be threatened.

See also this post about natal Grand Crosses…