The Daily Astro for January 29, 2013

by Valerie Sylvester

 

The Moon is in Virgo all day today.  Early on (6:14 AM EST), we can get bogged down by spending too much time thinking about all the things we want accomplish today (or else we overestimate what we can reasonably do in any given time period), but later in the day we really get into the groove. The key is FOCUS.  No slackers allowed today! Use the Moon in Virgo trine Pluto and sextile Saturn to bear down on whatever it is you’re trying to perfect or master, and you’ll feel a real sense of achievement.  Saturn and Pluto aren’t lightweights, so don’t fritter away the energy by spiraling into  worry or entertaining  visions of gloom and doom. Serious attention to matters at hand is rewarded and can bring positive results that may manifest fully after Jupiter goes direct tomorrow.

This might be one of those “I vant to be alone” afternoons, so if you need to retreat for work or study, go for it. Close the door and put out the “do not disturb” sign.  Think of the Hermit card in the tarot. We all need to go “off the radar” sometimes!  With the Moon in Virgo there can also be an emphasis on being of service or helping others heal (the Moon opposes Chiron in Pisces at 8:27 AM EST).  The sense is that our weakest spots and deepest fears are the catalysts for transformation and rebuilding our lives. So, today’s also favorable for any and all self-help activities, whether you’re trying to get in shape, lose weight, eliminate bad habits or want to take the first steps towards creating a more fulfilling life.  Later this evening (8:20 PM EST), a Sun/Pluto connection has a “power to the people” feel, and group efforts can be rewarding. The Moon/Uranus parallel even later (10:37 PM EST) means you might want to cut back on the caffeine as this brings a jittery, unsettled energy to the close of the day.

 

THE SYMBOLS

Sabian Symbol for Today’s Sun:  “A popularity that proves ephemeral.”

Kozminsky Symbol for Today’s Sun:  “A woman, blind and in chains, in a magnificent and brilliantly lighted room.”

The Sabian Symbol keyword is “Approbation.”

The Kozminsky Symbol keyword is “Narrowness”.

If you put these two images together, it reminds me of an ex-teeny-bopper idol who’s past his prime and is sitting around wondering where all the fans went. Or it’s Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond in “Sunset Boulevard”, wandering around in decaying splendor, trapped by her visions of past glory. The Sabian Symbol reiterates today’s Moon in Virgo theme of “doing the work”.  Daily effort and discipline is required–even if we’re the flavor of the week now, there’s always next week looming!  Don’t worry today if someone who liked you before now ignores you or puts you down–you know you’ve put forth your best effort. Maintain integrity, be true to yourself and don’t be rattled by externals–remember the Hermit and be complete within yourself.  This Symbol is also a warning about the transitory nature of fame–what’s trendy one minute is gone the next. The Moon aspecting Saturn and Pluto remind us that most things have an expiration date, but what we’re seeking is a connection with timeless truths.

The Kozminsky Symbol continues our Hermit/Moon in Virgo theme. A blind woman, chained, sits in a beautiful, well-lit room. This image makes me think of the Devil card as well.  We sit, blinkered and tied, chained to our own illusions or deceptions.  What’s holding us back from fulfillment? How did we wind up in this position? This Symbol asks us to examine our past actions, regrets, habit patterns, addictions and self-delusion in order to throw off the chains and open our eyes to the light.  Here’s an image of isolation, but with no enlightenment (unlike the Hermit, who’s alone but seeking the way), unless we free ourselves from whatever holds us down. If we’ve over-indulged, the pendulum swings back and we now have to exercise discipline and take a hard look at what we’ve manifested to date.

Both Symbols warn against sitting still and assuming that what we have now will last forever (the Sabian Symbol) or becoming immobilized by past habits or indulgences (the Kozminsky Symbol). There’s a feeling of abandonment in both Symbols, of being rejected or cast off from the rest of society and being forced back on our own inner resources for a period of time. Maybe some “behind-the-scenes” work is necessary before we venture out again, or we need to reassess our life and our goals.

 

THE DAILY DRAW

Wheel of Fortune/Tower

Get ready for some big changes! Jupiter is stationing, set to move forward tomorrow. Jupiter is associated with the Wheel of Fortune card, so we can see there’s something being held in the balance right now, a sense that we’re on the verge of a change, a turn of fortune, big news, huge change (Jupiter does everything in a big way)!  Then, of course, we see the Tower card, so we know anything built on an improper foundation needs to go. This card has a Mars/Pluto energy, so putting the two together, it looks like we’ll see something being triggered when Jupiter goes direct. It could be a giant earthquake, or some large uprising, riot, or violent event, but it’s something major and it shows where things have rotted or degenerated to the point that there’s nothing to do but let it collapse in order to start again. Jupiter’s in Gemini so we need some new, expansive ideas and some structural changes in the system in order to make things work again. On a personal level, this tells us that we’re all likely to be impacted by major external events and this will set off a chain reaction of change in our own lives that may effect our daily routines. The Moon in Virgo always reminds me of chiropractors –I’ve had a couple chiropractors with Moon in Virgo–and health workers, so we’re being told “adjustments” are necessary in order to get things flowing properly again.  We can’t hang on to our past “fame and glory” like a faded popstar or a silent movie queen. We may be sad to leave our old selves behind, but there’s really no other choice right now!

— January 29, 2013