The Daily Astro for September 10, 2013

by Valerie Sylvester

TODAY’S ASPECTS:

The Moon remains in Scorpio today (it changes signs at 2:36 AM EDT tomorrow). Yesterday’s psychodramas continue, but since the Moon remains Void-of-Course after its sextile to the Sun at 5:21 AM EDT today until it enters Sagittarius, we may get a little breather (or at least shut the bedlam door for a while and pretend we don’t hear the screaming). The day starts with Moon trine Jupiter and that sextile to the Sun, and it’s probably a good idea to take advantage of this tail wind and get moving early if you actually want to accomplish anything.

A Moon/Pluto hookup at 4:11 PM EDT adds an undertone of mystery and intrigue. Don’t get carried away with playing the brooding antihero, though. A Venus/Saturn parallel at 8:17 PM EDT and a Moon /Uranus sesquisquare create a real “Casablanca” feel. Maybe we love and feel responsible for someone who doesn’t reciprocate; maybe they take a sudden night flight out of the country. We know we did the right thing, but it still hurts.

There’s a lot of movement today into tomorrow morning as the asteroid Vesta switches to Virgo and Venus slithers into Scorpio early Wednesday (2:16 AM EDT). The Vestal Virgin and the Holy Whore are doing the tango. Precision and passion combine, and it’s pretty damn inspiring. Since Venus trines Neptune, maybe what you see isn’t what you get, but it’s really enchanting to watch, even if it turns out to be the hoochie-coochie dance. Watch your wallet.

With the Moon moving from Scorpio to Sagittarius (2:36 AM EDT tomorrow), we’re taking a guided tour of the Underworld, so do pay attention, even if the tour’s conducted in a foreign language. With flamethrower Mars in Leo squaring the Moon’s Nodes (plus Saturn is hanging out with the North Node), we’ve opened the Karma Picture Book. Do you like what you’re looking at? Have you learned your lessons and paid attention to the teacher, or are you that disruptive kid who keeps losing the milk-and-cookies privileges?

Mars has been pretty busy lately, with a finger on the trigger of more than one astrological configuration, and at 2:29 AM EDT it quincunxes Pluto and starts igniting the ongoing Uranus-Pluto square. Energy has to go somewhere, and after yesterday’s frustration, we may feel compelled to “go off” if we feel trapped. The pressure is on, and this energy is explosive, especially if we’ve been hanging on to resentment or harboring jealous or resentful feelings. Visualize this as a jack-in-the-box armed with a hand grenade. Turn the handle, listen to the hurdy-gurdy music—then duck and cover! Realize that change may be required, but a scorched-earth policy isn’t necessary if adjustments are made early on.

THE SYMBOLS:

Sabian Symbol for today’s SUN: “A swimming race.”

Kozminsky Symbol for today’s SUN: “A rough fire mountain, from several parts of which smoke is rising. On one of the slopes labourers are working. ” (Influence is NEPTUNE.)

The Keyword for the Sabian Symbol is: “ELIMINATION.”

The Keyword for the Kozminsky Symbol is: “ENDEAVOUR.”

Today’s Sabian Symbol relates to competition and timing, so ties in nicely with yesterday’s Mars/Saturn connection. Mars enjoys a good contest, and since it’s in Leo, accepting an award while everybody applauds is a good thing, too. Saturn adds stamina and willpower. This symbol is about discovering and nurturing your own unique talents. It can also indicate a race against time limits and a winnowing process–as the race progresses, some fall behind. It’s about setting goals for yourself and perfecting your skills. As Neptune is associated with all things watery and the unconscious realm, this image brings to mind the collective unconscious, where we’re all part of a giant synchronized swimming pageant as we glide through the water together. Key concept: coordination. On the down side, this symbol can indicate some who is unable to cooperate with others or who always has to be #1, no matter what it takes. It can indicate our timing is off or we’ve underestimated the competition. The keyword “elimination”, is a very Pluto/Scorpio concept. Swimmers sometimes remove all the hair from their bodies in order to cut through the water more efficiently. What do you need to eliminate in order to win the race?

The Kozminsky Symbol features fog and water, more Neptune signifiers. A group of workers toil away, even though they’re clearly in the midst of possibly dangerous situations. It’s a good metaphor for Saturn in Scorpio, too. It requires a hefty dose of self-discipline and caution to work in a hazardous situation, but someone needs to get the work done. Kozminsky says of this Symbol, “His soul is full of enterprise.” This is someone who doesn’t give up, even when under difficult conditions. Saturn’s motto is “I endure”. This Symbol can relate to an area in your life where persistence is needed. Extra effort may be required in order to reach your goal, but don’t give up.

THE DAILY DRAW:

7 of Pentacles / 5 of Pentacles

The first thing I thought when seeing this combination is that we might be seeing a repeat of something that occurred in 1975. So I’m throwing that out there. Since both cards are Pentacles, it may relate to financial challenges, the stock market, allocation of resources, or earth changes. Those of you who remember the mid-1970s probably don’t look fondly back at Watergate, stagflation, and long lines at gas stations!

The 7 of Pentacles often relates to a difficult decision that has to be made, something that requires a risk, a leap of faith, or an investment of time, energy or money. Sometimes it’s a weird situation or something we’d never ordinarily consider. Followed by the 5 of Pentacles, it tells us that we’re in a state of depletion and need to reassess the situation. Maybe we’ve lost faith in ourselves or don’t value our talents and skills properly. It’s time to take a look at how and what we’ve gotten ourselves into. In what ways have we abdicated responsibility? Are we clinging to a faulty set of values? Has it led us down the wrong path or impoverished us in some way? We need to re-energize ourselves spiritually and revitalize our belief systems. We learn to illuminate ourselves from within and rekindle the fire. This combination says it’s time to take a chance, even if by doing so we place ourselves in a situation that seems precarious. Maybe we leave a secure job to pursue something that doesn’t offer the same stability or financial rewards but is more in tune with our value system. Or we experience a downturn or are discouraged after we take the first step. Sudden events may expose the limitations of our belief systems. Learning to trust our intuition or gut feelings.