“Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport”

The Daily Astro for July 18, 2012

The Moon remains in Cancer, but it’s heading towards the New Moon (more on that tomorrow) at 12:24 AM EDT Thursday. The Jupiter/Pluto aspect early in the day sets the theme: we may feel we’re on shifting ground and can’t quite get our footing. We may be stymied by larger forces that influence huge numbers of people or land in the middle of other people’s wacky power plays. It doesn’t help that we can wake up a little befuddled (dream leftovers?) due to a jarring Moon/Neptune aspect early in the AM. Around lunch time (Noon through 1:00 – 2:00 PM EDT) is a good time to get together with friends, take a break, and enjoy friendly conversations. After that, the Moon/Saturn square may set off a round of reactive/insecure behavior, as people feel somehow exposed or let down. This evening (9:55 PM EDT), Mars is at it again (remember yesterday?), this time exactly opposing Uranus, a volatile combination that can spark odd, restless, contrarian, or violent behavior. Slow down, take care, pay attention to warnings and road signs if driving and remain alert. It’s not a good day to take unnecessary chances (I’d avoid mountain climbing, hang-gliding and/or drag racing today.) Mars/Uranus is banging down the gate, but the Sun/Moon in Cancer combo isn’t thrilled about its fortress being besieged, so the energies are clashing today and everyone’s a little stressed out. Something feels ‘off’, the energy is herky-jerky. It reminds me of kangaroos fighting, hence today’s image at the top of the blog!  World events may reflect this dynamic today–people may be rebellious, but the Powers That Be aren’t necessarily in the mood to compromise. This is the kind of day that’s so charged we may feel worn out when we finally retire for the evening.

Sabian Symbol for today’s Sun: “ A violent storm in a canyon filled with expensive homes. ”
Kozminsky Symbol for today’s Sun: “A moth circling round a flame.”

The Keyword for the Sabian Symbol is “Intensification ”.
The Keyword for the Kozminsky Symbol is “Glitter”.

Both of today’s Symbols have the underlying theme of “don’t get too comfortable” or “all that glitters is not gold”. The Sabian Symbol brings to mind California, with all those exquisite homes built by extremely wealthy people. Those  imposing edifices, perched in canyons, subject to mudslides, fires, and earthquake, can vanish in a flash. The lesson here is the ability to function in a crisis and to figure out what really matters in life and what’s extraneous. The theme is crisis, catharsis, change, and internal awakening, sometimes prompted by external stimulus or through rising to the occasion as we have no other choice.

In the Kozminsky Symbol, the moth is fascinated by the flame and flies closer and closer to it, risking destruction but unable to stop. This Symbol warns us to consider what risks are worth taking, and whether the glitter and glow we’re attracted to conceals a destructive core. The Sun and Moon are both in Cancer today, emphasizing the theme of “home” and protection and all things related to our earliest memories and the core of our being. With the current planetary aspects (see above), our ideas of what is stable, what we need to feel at home, may be rapidly shifting and changing, causing us to feel insecure. We need to remember that if we access the core of ourselves, we will feel at home anywhere. The other theme related to the astrological aspects is the need to be flexible and prepared in the midst of unexpected changes (violent storms) so not to get swept away or burned up/out (like the moth). We can take advantage of our “gut feelings” and intuition (Cancer) to know when to leave a situation that has the potential to flip over into danger-land.

Born on July 18:

Nelson Mandela, Richard Branson, Red Skelton, James Brolin, Hunter S. Thompson, Chace Crawford, Vin Diesel, Harriet Nelson (“Ozzie and Harriet”), “Machine Gun” Kelly, Joe Torre, John Glenn, Hume Cronyn, Martha Reeves (Vandellas), Paul Verhoeven, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Ricky Skaggs (country singer), Ricardo Dela Corte (“test tube baby” born to oldest mother), Steve Forbes (Forbes Magazine), Tim Lynch (Flamin’ Groovies), Danny McCullock (Animals), Bobby Sherman (former teen heartthrob), Lonnie Mack, Brian Auger, Dion DiMucci (Dion & The Belmonts), Yevgeny Yevtushenko (poet), “Papa” Dee Allen (War), Andrei A. Gromyko (Russian politician), Clifford Odets (playwright), S.I. Hayakawa (senator), Chill Wills (actor), Herbert Marcuse (philosopher), Vidkun Al Quisling (Norwegian WW2 defense minister whose last name became synonymous with “collaborationist”), Elisabeth of St. Drieenheid (French mystic), Napoleon V Bonaparte (French pretender to throne), William Makepeace Thackeray (Victorian novelist), Rudolf II of Habsburg (Emperor of Germany), Isabella of Burgundy (wife of Christian II of Denmakr), William Gilbert Grace (Victorian-era cricket star), Rose Hartwick Thorpe (poet), Sade Yacco (Japanese actress), Albert di Jorio (former head of Vatican Bank), Frank Forde (former Prime Minister of Australia), Phil Harris (Ace), Ian Stewart (pianist “the 6th Rolling Stone”), Audrey Landers (actress), Elizabeth McGovern (actress), Wendy Williams (radio host), Priyanka Chopra (movie actress), Robert Hooke (biology pioneer), Giacomo Balla (painter), Madame Soleil (astrologer, radio host), Robin Mac Donald (The Dakotas/Billy J. Kramer),Alexander Morozench (Russian chess champ), Kenneth Armitage (sculptor), Michael Erlewine (musician/astrologer), Molly Brown (“unsinkable” socialite, activist), Richard Dix (film star), Alexis Flores (FBI’s 10 Most Wanted for kidnap/rape/murder),Pauline Viardot (mezzo-soprano/composer).

Enhancer/Antidote: 8 Wands/Lovers

We’re at the crossroads today, with messages flying fast and furious. We’re picking up information from the ether, but aren’t sure what to do with it. The 8 is a “communication” card and the Lovers is associated with Gemini, so our nervous system may be highly sensitive and “tuned” to retrieve and pass along to others what we’ve absorbed. We may need to make a decision, but have to take care not to rush it–our information may not be complete. A key to getting through this rather difficult week is to understand the need to work with others, to compromise and develop mature relationships. Rushing into things solo and demanding others accommodate us is not going to work in long-term.
–Valerie Sylvester, July 18, 2012–