The Daily Astro for October 3, 2012

In terms of aspects and sign changes, there are two major events today: Venus enters the sign of Virgo (2:59 AM EDT early this morning through October 28th), and that very same Venus in opposition to Neptune in Pisces at 6:26 PM EDT. The Moon remains in Taurus today.

When Venus switches signs, a new area is “lit up” and you may notice a distinct change in “tone” from the flashier, more dramatic Venus in Leo. Venus in Virgo tells us that we need to learn to love the details of our lives, and to invest concern and care into the little things that keep the daily mechanisms running efficiently. It can be as simple as brightening a cluttered space with fresh flowers, laying out clothing at night so you can get moving faster in the morning, or giving more attention and care to your pets or plants. This placement, combined with the Moon in Taurus, also tells us to take a good look at our financial affairs, our values, anything we’ve saved or stockpiled, and do an inventory in order to get a handle on how to proceed in the future.

Being observant, discriminating (but not obsessive or bitchy) and selective will help streamline your life. Of course, with Venus in Virgo opposing Neptune in Pisces, we might find external forces or other people confuse us or mess up our orderly proceedings! The day began here with a dense fog over most of the area–that’s what this energy can feel like. We might find our vision is hazy and we can’t see very far ahead, or we don’t see that other car in front of us on the highway until we’ve almost crashed into it. (This aspect can mean that we’re vulnerable to only seeing what we want to see or trying to avoid things until there’s no choice and we’re caught short). Drifting away into fantasy can leach some of our energy today if we’re not careful. Instead, wait until this evening, then engage in activities that you find soothing and that nurture your creative spirit. Get carried away: immerse yourself in a good book, inspiring music, or a film fantasy!

Sabian Symbol for today’s Sun: “A professor peering over his glasses.”
Kozminsky Symbol for today’s Sun: “A crow with a large rat in its beak.”
Keyword for the Sabian Symbol is: “Specialization.”
The Keyword for the Kozminsky Symbol is “Defiance.”

The Sabian Symbol is a perfect representation of the shift of Venus to the sign of Virgo. The mental processes are related to Mercury, which rules the sign of Virgo, and the key word, “specialization”, can also be considered a key word for Virgo. Most degrees involve focusing/zeroing in on one area of study in great detail (another Virgo word). The professor has gained mastery in an area of specialization and is passing that information on to students (generally younger people seeking knowledge, which relates to Mercury). Most teachers tend to love (Venus) the subject that they teach and enjoy their relationship with their classes.
The warning here is not to criticize or put down others because they don’t know what you know (hinted at by the professor peering over his glasses in what could be perceived as a critical or stern manner).

Today’s Kozminsky Symbol is intriguing. Crows are usually regarded as omens, messengers, and agents of magic and mystery (which ties in with the planet of magic and mystery, Neptune, in opposition to Venus). Crows are black like the night, like the creative void–and they’re also masters of strategy and cunning. In this image, the crow has figured out how to defeat an enemy (the large rat), via skill, patience, and planning (Kozminsky assigns this degree to Saturn, the Master Teacher–we learn by overcoming obstacles).

Born on October 3:

Seann William Scott (actor), Gwen Stefani (musician, “No Doubt”/fashion designer), Ashlee Simpson (I’m not sure exactly what she does), Tommy Lee (musician, Motley Crew), Al Sharpton (Civil Rights activist), Neve Campbell (actor), Clive Owen (actor), Kathryn D. Sullivan (astronaut), Gore Vidal (author/playwright/gadfly), Roy Horn (of Siegfried & Roy; they hang out with big cats), Kevin Richardson (Back Street Boys), India Arie (singer/songwriter), Stevie Ray Vaughn (blues guitarist), Dave Winfield (National Baseball Hall of Fame player), Chubby Checker (singer, made “The Twist” a sensation), Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac), James Herriot (veterinarian/writer of “All Creatures Great and Small”), Hart Bochner (actor), Yekaterina Ivanova (cosmonaut), Ronnie Laws (Earth, Wind & Fire), Eddie Cochran (rock-and-roller), Steve Reich (composer), Thomas Wolfe (novelist–“You Can’t Go Home Again”), Roy Webb (music composer for films), Eleanora Duse (actor), Mikhail Lermontov (writer), Li Tzu-ch’eng (Chinese revolutionary), John Gorrie (inventor of the cold-air process for refrigeration), Leopold II (Grand Duke of Tuscany), Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters), Greg Proops (comedian), Keb’Mo (singer), Bernard Cooper (writer), Jack Grondin (.38 Special), Bert Stern (photographer), Leo McCarey (film director), Pierre Bonnard (painter), Patrick Manson (“The father of tropical medicine”), Louis Aragon (poet), Alain-Fournier (French writer), Paul Foster Case (occultist/B.O.T.A.), Yohji Yamamoto (designer), Kal-el Coppola Cage (embarrassingly-Superman-ily named son of actor Nicolas Cage), Madlyn Rhue (actress), Herve Faye (astronomer, discovered “Faye’s Comet”), Anne Horniman (founded Abbey Theater, Dublin), Adolf Reichwein (economist/educator/Resistance fighter, executed in 1944), Warner Oland (actor, played Charlie Chan),Ronnie Laws (blues saxophonist), John Joseph (Cro-Mags).
Today’s Card Draw:
Today I’ve switched to “The Crystal Oracle” by Toni Carmine Salerno
Go to http://www.tonicarminesalerno.com/crystaloracle.htm for more information about this deck.

Today’s card is:   GOLD WITH QUARTZ

The keywords for this card are “PHYSICALLY GROUNDING” and “ABSTRACT IDEAS AND INSPIRATIONS”. Salerno says that drawing this card means that the ideas and inspirations in the keyword will help “manifest many of the things your heart has, for so long, desired.” It also points to an increase in intuition and an awareness of the “universal spirit that flows through all things”. She notes that this will bring a “new found sense of joy and wonder” and that we should give thanks: “Your ideas and inspirations are divinely guided, so trust them!”

I like the combination of something of great value (gold) and beauty, together with a stone that is regarded as the master stone of psychic awareness (quartz). We draw inspiration to us, but must then determine a way to channel it to manifest or create something of value. This echoes today’s aspect of Venus in Virgo opposite Neptune in Pisces. What’s the most amazing thing you can imagine? What value does it have to you? How can you best express this inspiration, or bring it into your daily life as a practice or use it for service to others you meet while doing errands, working, or just living your life? (Venus in Virgo and Moon in Taurus tell us that we need to integrate this into the rituals of daily life before we really understand its value.)

–Valerie Sylvester, October 3, 2012 —