The Moon is in Cancer today.

The Daily Astro for May 24, 2012

The Moon is right at home in the sign it rules, Cancer, today. Emotions may be close to the surface, but we’ll also be more sensitive to others and to emotional crosscurrents today, a plus during these tricky times. Since the Moon trines Chiron, it’s a good day for bringing forward and healing deep-seated emotions, and the Moon’s sextile to Mars gives us the energy to take that first step forward. Some of you may have noticed the time period around the eclipse on May 20th has been a particularly intense roller-coaster ride. With five planets now in mutable signs (Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Neptune), we will find it easier to roll with the changes and adapt ourselves to circumstances.  Mercury enters Gemini at 7:12 AM EDT today. Mercury’s comfortable in Gemini and will speed up our thinking and incline us to pursue a multiplicity of interests. The theme of adaptability comes into play with this pairing as well–be playful, try different things, and  if you’re blocked, move from one thing to another to jumpstart yourself, then return, refreshed, to previous efforts.  The down side here is that we may find it hard to focus or we may start too many things that we never finish. But a Moon/Jupiter contact “elevates the aura” and puts us in a good mood while we scuttle around during this busy day!

Sabian Symbol for today’s Sun: “Holly and mistletoe. ”

Kozminsky Symbol for today’s Sun: “A human face, the expression calm and serene, a silvery triangle pointing upwards below, a dark square above. ”

The Keyword for the Sabian Symbol is “Ritualization”.
The Keyword for the Kozminsky Symbol is “Transcendentalism ”.

The Sabian Symbol for today relates to change and the way we mark changes during the year. Holly and mistletoe have a long history of being used for decoration/symbolism for the Christmas and winter solstice holidays, and bring in the idea of passion, love, new growth and transformation. They signal to all a time of getting together with others, sharing with relatives and friends and commemorating the season. It’s a ritual everyone knows and feels comfortable with, which echoes the Cancer Moon today–family, food, being happy at home–that’s a Moon in Cancer paradise! Our mutable planets and Mercury in Gemini show up in the idea of changing the decor, of getting ready for the holidays, running around the neighborhood collecting necessary items and chatting with friends, neighbors and vendors as we gather what is needed (or just gossip a little)   The Kozminsky Symbol emphasizes the messenger aspect of Mercury (ruler of Gemini) and points to the need to use the higher mind in order to transcend the weight of the mundane. We must quiet the “chattering mind” and quell distractions in order to go deeper and understand what lies below the surface, in more mysterious (Moon in Cancer) realms. The importance of melding the spiritual, emotional, and physical realms is emphasized, with change being the alchemical agent that brings us to a new understanding.

Born on May 24:
Julius Caesar Germanicus, Gian Gastone de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, George III (Great Britain), Queen Victoria, Jean-Paul Marat (French revolutionary), Charles Emanuel II (King of Sardinia), Abraham Geiger (leader of Reform Judaism), Charles Napier Henry, Benjamin Cardozo, Samuel I. Newhouse, Henri Michaux (poet), Aram Katchaturian, George Formby, Mikhail Sholokov, Wilbur Mills, Barbara West (Titanic survivor), George Tabori, Lilli Palmer, Theodore Hesburgh, Siobhan McKenna, Mai Zetterling, Tommy Chong (Cheech & Chong), Gary Burghoff, Bob Dylan, Joseph Brodsky, Tony Valentino (Standells), Derek Quinn (Freddie & the Dreamers), Helen Terry, Arthur Brown (“Fire”), Roseanne Cash, Patti LaBelle, Priscilla Presley, Steve Upton (Wishbone Ash), Jim Broadbent, John Illsley (Dire Straits), Alfred Molina, Nell Campbell, William Gilbert (astronomer), Elsa Maxwell, Michael Chabon, Waddy Wachtel, John C. Reilly, Heavy D, Rich Robinson (Black Crowes), Joe Dumars (NBA), Billy Gilman, Steve McDonald (Redd Kross), Kristin Scott Thomas, Harold Budd (ambient music composer), Will Sasso, Sadao Bekka (composer), Sybil Danning, Cerrone, Cynthia Plaster Caster.

Tarot Enhancer/Antidote: Page of Cups/9 of Wands
“The Waterchild’s Journey”. Here’s a combination that tells us we need to love and nurture ourselves and keep pressing forward even though it may be a struggle. This suggests a lifelong quest for understanding, and we need to realize that there’s always hope–and help-even in the most difficult moments. The youthfulness and “beginner” status of the Page of Cups, with a pinch of  narcissism thrown in (Pages are youths, and young people are associated with Gemini) contrasts with the “end of the line” feel of the 9 of Wands, but also suggests a need to go back and remember our inner core, what sustains us (the Moon in Cancer) as we travel our life’s path. The 9 of Wands tells us we’ll make it through, but we need to complete the journey and pay our dues. This combination reminds me of the journey through our entire lives from youth to old age, and of the spiritual journey of the heart as we mature in understanding the forces that have shaped our life.

–Valerie Sylvester, May 24 2012–