The Daily Astro for October 25, 2012

The Moon remains in Pisces today.  The day opens with a thud as the Sun in Scorpio joins with “heavy metal” planet Saturn at 4:32 AM EDT. As indicated in yesterday’s Daily Astro, this combination can make us feel like the fickle finger of fate is beckoning. To boil it down (now there’s a Saturn/Scorpio concept), anything we haven’t dealt with that’s piled up somewhere in our lives or in our psyche is now banging at that door we thought was securely locked and bolted. It’s time to open the doors and windows, let some light in, and deal with the things we’ve been avoiding. We don’t want to walk in the shadows anymore, and if we try to, we’ll find our path is strewn with obstacles.  That Saturn/Sun aspect adds structure and organization to our lives and can bring up old issues related to control and resistance. It also provides us with an opportunity to renew and reorganize what we’ve neglected.

At 7:33 AM EDT the Moon squares Mars in Sagittarius and then at 12:09 PM EDT squares Jupiter in Gemini, so we can slide into an “anywhere but here”  mode as temptation lurks and far-away delights beckon, but try to stick with what ‘s been started–and see it through. Running away only leads to mean more work when you come back! Mercury, also in Scorpio, harmonizes with Venus in Virgo, so  ideas can be translated to reality with a bit of effort. Ask other people for advice, too–they may pop up with some ideas you haven’t considered. Mercury is now in the shadow period before its retrograde, and since it’s backing into Scorpio, we may all be having a blast (from the past) as we re-encounter patterns related to any and all of the following:  secrets being unearthed, why we should learn when to talk and when to remain silent, and how to talk about “taboo” subjects. People can be a bit obsessive now, too, or fixated on something (or someone). Don’t be surprised if you feel a bit of “deja vu all over again” during this time period (Mercury goes direct on November 26th).

Sabian Symbol for today’s Sun:  “A house-raising.”
Kozminsky Symbol for today’s Sun: “Blacksmith striking an anvil, the impact causing a dazzling flash of bright light.”

Keyword for the Sabian Symbol is: “HELPFULNESS.”
The Keyword for the Kozminsky Symbol is “PENETRATION.”

The Kozminsky Symbol is right on target with today’s aspects. This image is meant to show someone who awakens others as he strikes a blow against the forces of materialism to bring them the light. It’s a Prometheus image, one who brings fire to humanity. It represents the spark that survives the densest matter, and tells us that we often develop our greatest strength under pressure. This is a clear representation of today’s Sun/Saturn in Scorpio aspect. The blacksmith also relates to Pluto (or Vulcan), lord of the underworld, who is sometimes represented as a blacksmiith. Pluto, as ruler of Scorpio, is the planet of transformation and removal of impurities. Here we’re forged in the fire and return in another form (one of the Pluto/Scorpio symbols is the Phoenix, a reincarnatory bird of fire and light). This Symbol urges us to hone ourselves into instruments of light and crawl out of the darkness of karmic traps, fears and restrictions. It requires dedication, discipline and hard work (Saturn), but will illuminate and reveal our essence (Sun) if we are brave enough to persist.

The Sabian Symbol relates to the practice, more common in frontier America but still existing today (mainly in Amish and Mennonite farming communities), of an entire community getting together to help one member or family build a house or barn. By working together, the job can be completed quickly and efficiently, and the act of gathering together builds community. Teamwork and cooperation is required; sharing is emphasized. Helping others, volunteering, making people feel at home, and being “neighborly” are all key concepts.  The flip side of this Symbol is going it alone, not being able to share, not working well with others, or wanting everything our own way.  This Sabian Symbol taps into today’s Moon in Pisces and the Mercury in Scorpio/Venus in Virgo aspect. Compassion (Moon in Pisces) for our neighbors (Mercury) who need help, perhaps due to a tragedy (often the community got together for a barn-raising after a neighbor’s barn burned down), lead to a desire to offer practical assistance (Venus in Virgo) to help others return to the tasks of daily life . There’s also a social aspect to these gatherings (Mercury/Venus) as people get to know one another while sharing the work.

Born on October 25:

Michael I, King of Romania, Louis II of Flanders, Renee of France (princess), Elizabeth Farnese (Princess of Parma, Queen of Spain), James Beattie (poet/philosopher), Johann Baptist Strauss (composer, “The Waltz King”), Levi Eshkol (Prime Minister of Israel, 1963-69), Baron Grenville (British Prime Minister 1806-07), Father Coughlin (Roman Catholic priest and pro-fascist radio personality), Abel Gance (film director, “Napoleon”), Richard E. Byrd (polar explorer), George Alfred Schumann (composer), Scott Anthony Haneline (murderer on FBI Most Wanted list), Walter Hyatt (musician, The Contenders), Jay Chiat (US businessman), Marion Ross (actor, “Happy Days”), Warner Chirstopher (lawyer/diplomat), Evariste Galois (French revolutionary/mathematician), Gerard Duroc (French general associated with Napoleon), John Francis Dodge (automobile pioneer), Athena Chu (singer), Ed Robertson (musician, Barenaked Ladies), 2 Cold Scorpio (pro wrestler), Nick Thorpe (musician, Curiosity Killed the Cat), Robbie Macintosh( guitarist, Pretenders), Matthias Jabs (guitarist, Scorpions), Robin Eubanks (jazz trombonist), Richard Lloyd (guitarist, Television), Katy Perry (singer), Pablo Picasso (artist), Minnie Pearl (country singer), Ciara (singer), Georges Bizet (composer, “Carmen”), Chad Smith (musician, Red Hot Chili Peppers), Nancy Cartwright (voice of Bart Simpson in “The Simpsons”), Helen Reddy (singer/hypnotherapist), Sara Lumholdt (singer, The A Team pop group), Jon Anderson (vocalist, Yes), Leo G. Carroll (actor, “Topper”), Billy Barty (actor), Chely Wright (country musician), Adam Goldberg (actor), Tracy Nelson (actor, Rick Nelson’s daughter), David Furnish (director/partner of Elton John), Anthony Franciosa (actor), Barabara Cook (singer/actor), Rob Halford (singer, Judas Priest), Glenn Tipton (guitarist, Judas Priest), James Carville (political strategist/commentator), Roy Lynes (organist, Status Quo), Anne Tyler (writer), Bobby Knight (college basketball coach), Russell Schweikart (astronaut), Eugene “Porky” Lee (child actor), Klaus Barbie (Gestapo chief, Lyon), John Berryman (poet), Jack Kent Cook (NFL team owner), Whit Bissel (actor), Eddie Lang (jazz guitarist), Fritz Haarman (German serial killer), Gale Anne Hurd (film producer), Jack Haley Jr. (director/producer once married to Liza Minelli), Genevieve deGaulle-Anthonioz (niece of French leader General de Gaulle, member of French Resistance), Achille Silvestrini (Vatican diplomat in John Paul II era), Chubby Jackson (jazz bandleader), Bob Jansky (author/astrologer), Hong Sang-oo (film director), Christina Amphlett (singer, Divinyls), Robert Delford Brown (performance artist), Bud Held (javelin-toss champion), Pedro Martinez (baseball player, Cy Young award), Chuck Roberts (broadcast journalist).

Today’s Card Draw:

Today’s Deck is “The Sirian Starseed Tarot” by Patricia Cori and Alysa Bartha http://www.northatlanticbooks.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781583945360

There are some images and a review of this deck at Aeclectic Tarot: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/sirian-starseed/

Today’s Card is: FIVE OF ORBS (5 of Swords)

In this card, a faceless juggler balances himself on a cliff at the edge of the sea. Dark clouds loom everywhere (he has his back to them) and two of his five orbs are cracked.  He’s wearing a tight green outfit that makes him look somewhat reptilian.  He has a furtive look (even without a face!), and his footing is unsure. He’s alone in every sense of the word, going through the motions, doing his juggling act even though there’s no one there to see it. This card to me is a perfect representation of obsessive thought processes and destructive self-talk. The same thoughts whirl in our heads in an endless loop, and we can’t seem to let go of them even though the consequences grow increasingly negative.

Here’s the dark side of the Sun/Saturn in Scorpio combination with Mercury set to retrograde. We’re going to be confronted with our own shadow sides, where we’ve gone off the path, where we’ve isolated ourselves. This is also a warning to watch our words and how we talk to others. We may not mean to sound harsh, but sometimes it comes oozing out of us, damaging our relationships with others. By getting to the root cause of the problem we can begin to shed that old reptile skin that we’ve now outgrown.
—Valerie Sylvester, October 25, 2012–