The Daily Astro for October 10, 2012

Very early this morning (3:32 AM EDT), Mercury sextiles Pluto (maybe you were a private investigator in one of your dreams? This combination reminds me of a benign film noir, if there is such a thing!) I hope you woke up with deep insights or figured out the missing piece in some particularly complicated puzzle that’s been plaguing you.

The Moon’s in Leo today, going void of course after 5:40 PM EDT until it enters Virgo at 3:23 AM tomorrow. The Moon sextiles both Jupiter and the Sun, boosting our mood and amping up the optimism level, though since it’s in a void period, we might have better luck finishing up with the old rather than jumping into new projects. The big deal today (also occurring during the void period, at 10:38 PM EDT) is Saturn in Scorpio trining Neptune in Pisces. Saturn and Neptune aren’t natural partners, as Saturn is the reality principle and Neptune tends more towards escaping reality by any means possible. The thing to do is learn how to integrate the two energies, rather than having them work at cross-purposes. In short: make your dreams real. Saturn in Scorpio isn’t going to let you off the wheel, so you might as well buckle down and come up with a plan to make those Neptune in Pisces ideals coalesce into something that does some good on this earth. Most of us will find we’re not allowed to just sit and ruminate, whether we’re stewing in negativity, fomenting revenge plans or hiding behind pie-in-sky wish fulfillment fantasies. Whatever your comfort zone is, it’s going to be challenged. It’s all going to get real–we’re looking for a new vision, one that works for today (the old one’s run its course).
Sabian Symbol for today’s Sun: “Two men placed under arrest.”
Kozminsky Symbol for today’s Sun: “ A fireman rescuing a little child from a burning house.”

The Keyword for the Sabian Symbol is: “Consequence.”
The Keyword for the Kozminsky Symbol is: “Self-sacrifice.”

The Symbols are uncanny today, seeming to take either end of the Saturn in Scorpio/Neptune in Pisces trine aspect. The Sabian Symbol of men being arrested is the Saturn in Scorpio side. Consequences, rules, being caught, restrictions (jail!), discovering limitations, are all Saturn in Scorpio turf. This Symbol tells us to put a lid on it– if we don’t maintain control over our darker instincts, there are ramifications. Getting involved in “dark side” activities is a big no-no right now–you will be caught out. Obviously this applies on both a material and psychic or spiritual level. There’s no “get out of jail free” card here! We’re being urged to do what’s right, not just because we’ll get caught, but because we need to stretch ourselves to be our highest and best, to develop self-control and to purge ourselves of negative behavior patterns.

The Kozminsky Symbol pertains to the Neptune in Pisces side of today’s main aspect (with some of the boldness of today’s Leo Moon!) The fireman sees a child in danger, and rushes into a burning building without thinking of himself or of the danger inherent in the situation. At its best, Neptune in Pisces shows us the best of our nature, directing us away from self-centered concerns towards utterly compassionate and selfless acts. This isn’t about being a martyr; it transcends ego. It’s about wanting to make life better for those who are less fortunate or in difficult situations because we feel empathy for their pain and suffering and we have a burning need to do something about it. We step out of ourselves and our “normal” day-to-day reality zone, into a new realm where all is one.

Born on October 10:

Isabella II (Queen of Spain), Richard de Foumival (medieval philosopher, “Bestaire d’ amour”), Daniel Defoe (writer, “Robinson Crusoe”), Benjamin West (painter), Henry Cavendish (physicist/chemist, discovered hydrogen), Jean Antoine Watteau (French painter), Charles II (Duke of Savoy), Mary Plantagenet (English princess), Infanta Caterina Michaela (Spain), Giuseppe Verdi (opera composer, “Rigoletto”), Thelonious Monk (jazz pianist/composer), David Lee Roth (singer, Van Halen), Brett Favre (football quarterback), Mya (singer), Helen Hayes (actor), Ben Vereen (dancer/actor), Dale Earnhardt (NASCAR driver from racing family), Richard Jaeckel (actor), Edward D. Wood (Sub-“B” movie director portrayed by Johnny Depp), Bai Ling (actor), Tanya Tucker (country singer), Mike Malinin (drummer, Goo Goo Dolls), Rebecca Pidgeon (singer/actress), Daniel Jacob Pearl (journalist murdered in Pakistan in 2002), Peter Coyote (actor), Harold Pinter (playwright), Gavin Newson (mayor of San Francisco), Neneh Cherry (musician), Rex J. Walheim (astronaut), Martin Kemp (bassist, Spandau Ballet), Eric Martin (singer, Mr. Big), Chris Lowe (keyboards, Pet Shop Boys), “Maestro” Jimmy Fearnley (accordion player, The Pogues), Midge Ure (Ultravox), Jessica Harper (actor), Franco Maleba (astronaut), John Prine (musician), Alan Cartwright (Procul Harum), Greg Douglas (Steve Miller Band), Jean-Jacques Annaud (film director), Oscar Brown (songwriter), Harvey “Piano” Smith (musician), Ludmilla Tcherine (ballet dancer/actor), Dorothy Lamour (actor), Alberto Giacometti (painter/sculptor), Lin Yutang (writer), Paulus Kruger (President of South African Republic/Boer leader), Fridtjof Nansen (Arctic explorer), Lilly Dache (French milliner), Ivory Joe Hunter (musician), James Clavell (author, “Shogun”), Adlai Stevenson III (politician), Jay Sebring (hair stylist and victim of Manson Family, 1969), Abu Jihad (founder of Fatah), Frederick Barthelme (author),Severine (French singer), Nora Roberts (novelist), Kirsty McColl (singer), Chris Penn (actor, brother of Sean Penn), Toshi (singer), Rekha (actress, Bollywood films), Remy Chauvin (biologist/writer), Alex Eisenhower (son of Julie Nixon and David Eisenhower), Winston Spencer Churchill (grandson of WWII British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill), James A. Eshelman (astrologer/writer), Jack Hemingway (first son of Ernest Hemingway, father of Margaux and Mariel), Stefano Magaddino (aka “Don Stefano” and “The Undertaker”, boss of Buffalo NY crime family), Claire Hollingworth (journalist, first to report outbreak of WWII), DJ Skribble (DJ/producer), Philippe Lioret (film director), Naoto Kan (Financial Minister/Vice Prime Minister, Japan), Jon Phan (pro poker player), Crystal Waters (singer/songwriter, great niece of Ethel Waters).

Today’s Card Draw:

Today’s Oracle Deck is “The Mythic Oracle” by Carisa Mellado and Michele-Lee Phelan.
You can see some of the cards, including today’s card draw, at Aeclectic Tarot’s site: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/mythic-oracle/
The official website for the cards is:
http://www.beyondword.com/mythic-oracle/deal.php

Today’s Card is THANATOS

Keyword for this card is: DEATH
Thanatos is the son of Nyx (night) and Erebus (darkness) and is a twin of Hypnos (sleep). According to the Mythic Oracle guidebook, Thanatos was seen during the Trojan War, carrying off the dead (accompanied by his twin brother Hypnos). Thanatos is parallel to the Death card in the tarot, relating to beginnings/endings/death/rebirth.

The appearance of Thanatos indicates a transformational period in your life, plus the need to give something up that is “linked with your identity and sense of self within the world”. This can be a way of thinking about yourself, a job, a relationship, certain behaviors or activities–anything that you think defines who you are, or something that you cling to and feel you can’t live without.

This card also tells you, according to the authors, that “If you feel frustrated with life or the world around you, you may have been directing your attention to the wrong source”. In other words, it’s an inside job. Your life has constellated around your thoughts and beliefs, and it’s in need of a major shake-up session.

The key here is that we hate to “lose” or “give up” things we think are essential, but in reality what we’re afraid to lose is often ego-based and isn’t the true self, but an overlay. Again from the book: “The true essence of the self isn’t lost after the removal of those ego-based attachments, but rather comes to live once they are released”. This card tells us it’s time to let go of our illusions, our diversions and attachments in order to find our truth.

If you look at this card and think about today’s major aspect, Saturn in Scorpio trine Neptune in Pisces, the advice is “don’t fear the reaper”! We’ve all been asleep, but it’s time to wake up. Saturn is the bones that support the whole body, the structure underneath, and Scorpio is related to the Death card in tarot, so we’re being boiled down to essentials here. Saturn in Scorpio can also be seen as “when it’s your time, it’s your time”; it activates the karmic countdown. Neptune in Pisces relates to the mystery of the night and the oblivion of sleep, the time where we travel to distant realms, fall into dream states, enter a new reality, and alter our destiny.
—Valerie Sylvester, October 10, 2012–