The Daily Astro for July 12, 2012

The Moon remains in Taurus today, a grounding influence (and it’s exalted there, so it’s firing on all cylinders). Get as much done as possible today before Uranus and Mercury move to retrograde on Friday/Saturday, as things may get a little complicated. I was contemplating this early today, as traffic snafus slowed movement to a standstill; it took 2 ½ hours to make it into New York City today. While sitting, I noticed that a large dragonfly was completely obsessed with the car ahead of us. It flew around the perimeter, zipping back and forth, around and around, then left–and came back! It then began its ritual of flying closely around the car for another few minutes. This held my interest for quite a while; I’ve never seen anything like it. It also encapsulates the message of retrogrades: you may not get where you think you want to go, but your attention will be drawn to other things that are more important. So when everything’s glitchy, when things fall apart or don’t work the way they used to, check out the diversions, the stop-and-stretch moments–and pay attention. The Moon-Pluto trine urges us to delve deeper into the mystery of nature and our own psyche (take note of anything that seems symbolic that pops into your head). Deep healing continues as the Moon sextiles Chiron this afternoon. It’s also a good day for creative and artistic work. The Moon/Mercury aspect at 8:35 PM EDT can cause some friction as fixed signs square off –basic values, pride and inability to compromise can be a problem.
Since the dragonfly seems to be today’s totem, I decided to see what it symbolizes;  Toni Allen has a nice webpage with some information: http://www.whats-your-sign.com/animal-symbolism-dragonfly.html
Note: The license plate on the car the dragonfly was in love with added up to “22″, a master number, which I also found interesting. 22 is the number of the Master Builder, of turning dreams into reality, and its symbol is the square or the cube (which calls to mind the Emperor card in the tarot). It’s a very powerful number relating to the ability to envision something and bring it to fruition on a large, often world-wide, scale.
Sabian Symbol for today’s Sun: “ A prima donna singing. ”
Kozminsky Symbol for today’s Sun: “A man having jumped over a fence falls into a ditch on the other side of it..”

The Keyword for the Sabian Symbol is “Excellence ”.
The Keyword for the Kozminsky Symbol is “Hastiness”.

As Taurus relates to the throat and voice (many famous singers have planets in the sign Taurus), the Sabian Symbol of a prima donna nicely reflects the combination of artistry and hard work involved in perfecting a skill or talent. It’s also a symbol of sharing something beautiful with others, as an opera singer performs on stage for all to enjoy. This image also speaks of being inspired or carried away by beauty. The Kozminsky Symbol gives us a hint of what happens if we rush around and don’t pay attention during the upcoming Mercury and Uranus retrograde period–misjudgments can cause accidents and derail our plans. We may need to stop, slow down, and backpedal for a bit until we learn to work with the crazy rhythms of the retrograde. Impatience and trying to force things will not work.
Born on July 12:

Julius Caesar, Ashikage Yoshinori (Japanese Shogun), George Washington Carver, Henry David Thoreau, R. Buckminster Fuller, Michelle Rodriguez, Bill Cosby, Richard Simmons, Tom Kenny (Sponge Bob’s voice), Topher Grace, Kristi Yamaguchi, Cheryl Ladd, Milton Berle, Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac), Van Cliburn, Andrew Wyeth, Pablo Neruda, Oscar Hammerstein II, Josiah Wedgwood (pottery), Peter Chenel (saint), Nicolai Chernyshevsky, George Eastman (Eastman/Kodak), Louis B. Mayer (MGM, producer), Tod Browning (director), Louis II of Monaco, Jean Hersholt (actor), Joey Faye (comedian), Ernie Anastos (news anchor), Walter Egan, Denise Nicholas (actress), Jay Thomas (actor), Liz Mitchell (Boney M), Eugene Boudin (landscape painter), Phil Kramer (Iron Butterfly), Rolonda Watts (talk show host), Anna Friel, Robin Wilson (Gin Blossoms), Eric Carr (Kiss), Roger Smith (CEO of General Motors), John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Malcolm Jones (Runrig), Jennifer Sauders, Brian Grazer (producer), Willis Eugene Lamb (Nobel Prize physicist), Beah Richards (actress), Mark Hatfield (politician), Rick Husband (astronaut, died in space shuttle Columbia explosion), Donald Westlake (crime fiction), Souphanouvong, Red Prince (President of Laos).

Tarot Enhancer/Antidote: The Emperor/The Moon
“Secret Ruler.” Two Major Arcana today, so larger forces are at work. July’s a month of strong planetary energies, so this is appropriate. The Emperor shows up (see above for comments on the Emperor as related to the Master Builder/#22); the Moon throws a veil over the proceedings.  It’s interesting to note that today’s birthdays include Julius Caesar (there’s an Emperor prototype)!  This combination can signal that things are happening without our knowledge, or that those in charge are attempting to confuse us, but it can also mean that we need to apply our formidable energies towards spiritual growth. Practical knowledge, wise guidance and an ability to get things done, allied with using our intuition and ability to sense what is needed and when is a winning combination. The Moon can represent the masses, the “group soul” of people, so this may also be a signifier of what’s rumbling deep in the consciousness of masses of people. It certainly seems to indicate that there’s a “secret empire” lurking; or a new paradigm moving in to replace the one we’ve been living with for so long.

–Valerie Sylvester, July 12, 2012–