The Daily Astro for October 10, 2013

by Valerie Sylvester

TODAY’S ASPECTS:

I thought today needed a theme song (see link, above, to the classic Animals tune). Neptune aspects are prominent today, so we’re looking for the escape hatch. Early in the day, this feeling is aided and abetted by the Moon in “I need a change of scenery” Sagittarius. At 5:05 AM EDT, Venus squares Neptune. Aside from squishy technicolor dreams, what else can this aspect reflect? It’s a square, so there’s a struggle going on. Venus relates to relating, and in Sagittarius, we expand our parameters. If Venus is about love and connection, Neptune takes us into the unconditional love zone, particularly since it’s in Pisces. We might wake up feeling we’re in love with the universe and everything in it. It’s a Big Love. Since we’re dealing with a friction aspect, it’s Big Love meets Chaos Theory in Bamboozleland. We may want to believe in something so much we convince ourselves it’s the Real Thing. This aspect reminds me of the teen idol phenomenon, especially, since I remember this, those who materialized in the 60s and early 70s. Hordes of little girls fell in love with Davy Jones of the Monkees, Bobby Sherman (“Easy Come, Easy Go”) or one of the Cassidy brothers, later on. These put out records, popped up on magazine covers, had their own TV shows, and flooded the media with their toothy grins and perfect hair, causing mass hormonal hysteria in a certain cohort of young girls. They were the ideal hook to hang a fantasy on, but within a few years, the magic wore off and they were replaced by newer models.

Neptune/Venus connections can be tricky around the dreams/reality continuum, Things get fuzzy around the edges when these two collide. We’re prone to idealize a person, relationship or situation. Because we want to believe, to leave the mundane behind, we’re ready to rush at whatever we think leads to nirvana. This often leads straight to deflation and disillusionment when the spell wears off. Of course, all this let-down action is often the first step to enlightenment. Sometimes. Flexing the fantasy muscles helps us stretch the limits of what’s possible. Even so, just be careful that your urge to escape the mundane doesn’t lead you down some dark alleys instead. Watch out for flim-flammers and all things too good to be true.

The Moon trines Mars at 6:11 AM EDT, so we’re booted into high gear early on. This is a fiery combination, so get a jumpstart on the day and push forward–use the huge imaging powers of the Venus/Neptune combo to provide inspiration for the lift-off. After the Moon/Mars trine, the Moon’s Void of Course until 11:18 AM, when it enters Capricorn. One thing that I find seems to true about Void-of-Course Moons–things don’t go as you planned or veer off in weird directions. We’d hope for early-morning peace and quiet in the office today, but when we got there, an entire crew of noisy workmen were cleaning up, banging and clanging (well, I guess Moon trine Mars is ever so apt here). We’d received no notice they were showing up (Mars likes to barge into the joint) and it did interrupt our fantasy of a nice quiet morning!

The Moon in Capricorn is the perfect antidote for nebulous Neptune aspects (there are three today). The Moon’s not always comfortable in Capricorn, since Cap doesn’t always know what to do with all those oozy-gushy feelings, so generally just puts a lid on ’em and hopes nobody notices they’re bubbling away underneath. Since the Moon sextiles Neptune at 4:11 PM and semisextiles Venus at 4:11 PM EDT, it’s an echo of this morning’s Venus/Neptune lovefest, but with Moon in Capricorn acting as referee, the rules of the game are a little clearer. It’s like your grandparents telling you tales of their courting days. It may also be easier to get a handle on what you’re feeling. Ideas that have been swarming around in your head may finally coalesce, giving you a foundation to build on. We may need to shore up the battlements and add water to the moat when the Sun moves to sesquiquadrate Neptune (yes, Neptune again) at 9:04 PM EDT. Boundaries are a weird thing. You can lock yourself in and suffocate if they’re too strong (negative use of Saturn/Capricorn), but reasonable barriers show a good sense of self-worth (Sun) that shines the light on deception, delusion and con-artistry of all kinds (symptoms of an out-of- control Neptune), With Mercury in Scorpio getting ready to retrograde, we’re getting depth-charge messages from the underground. What’s the hidden history that informs your behavior and the way you communicate with others? It all gets really intense as we head towards the upcoming eclipses (in Aries, October 18 and in Scorpio November 3).

THE SYMBOLS:

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.” (Influence is: MARS.)

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

The Keyword for the Kozminsky Symbol is: “SELF-SACRIFICE.”

Today’s Symbols have a Mars-Neptune theme. The Kozminsky Symbol shows a fireman (Mars for bravery and the ability to leap into action) rescuing a child from a burning house (Neptune, for the willingness to sacrifice or put yourself at risk to help others). Mars-Neptune is going to be a theme of the October 18 lunar eclipse, so we’re foreshadowing here. Mars relates to the primal energy that sustains life, and Neptune connects with spirituality, universal love, and the unseen world. Since the child also symbolizes nascent abilities, we’re called to rescue ourselves in order to develop to our highest abilities, to be as strong as we can on all levels so we can assist others to develop and grow. As the Tower burns (tarot alert: Tower card/connection with Mars!) we realize we have to leave the empty shell behind and rebuild on a better foundation. Mars/Neptune connections can also tie into the victim/rescuer paradigm. Have we been waiting for someone to rescue us? Are we allowing someone to dominate or confuse us to the point of inertia? How’s that energy level? If you’re feeling drained, check the basement for a stray emotional vampire or two. Or take a look at the way bottled-up anger saps your spirit.

The Sabian Symbol features classic 12th house connection/Neptune imagery (men being arrested–they’re going to the slammer), plus a Mars influence (policemen fall under Mars). If you’re playing fast and loose with boundaries (negative Neptune), you have to deal with the consequences of those actions (Mars influences can lead to rash behaviors). The long arm of the Law (Saturn, karma) tends to even things out in the long run, and sometimes in the short run! The theme is being or feeling trapped or stuck (note the song of the day). It can indicate an inability to plan for the future, excessive impulsiveness, antisocial or disruptive behavior, not liking to follow the rules, and getting involved in shady activities. Since there are two men, it’s a team effort, coordinated and planned, so it warns us to be careful about who we associate with. Who are you in cohoots with?

Today’s the kind of day where we discover the consequences of actions that took place some time in the past. Maybe someone who disappeared after committing a crime is finally apprehended. Don’t think you can get away with anything today, secrets will be discovered. Some people may feel paralyzed or unable to move forward. A reversed meaning here relates to Mercury in Scorpio in its retrograde shadow phase–the ability to ferret out secret information that solves a problem or is the catalyst for a major change. An image: working undercover like a private investigator in an old movie (digging up the dirt to solve the case).

THE DAILY DRAW

6 of Wands / 10 of Wands

“The Hunter Pursued by the Game”

It looks like we won the prize but right about now (10th month/October), we’re feeling imprisoned by our success (see the Sabian Symbol, above). This combo reminds me of those huge Hollywood stars who are/were insanely famous for a particular image or style, but then got stuck re-enacting the same roles over and over again, even though they wanted to expand their range. It’s about getting the gold statuette and discovering it’s only crappy gold paint. The 6 of Wands does show a moment of glory, our “day in the sun” where we get to enjoy the applause, but we need to remember to keep things in balance. We all know how fickle crowds can be. Just ask any teenage heartthrob of yesteryear.

Since the 10 of Wands follows, it looks like we decided that if working hard leads to reward, then working 10 times as hard will be even better. Or maybe we’re so desperate for approval we’ll do anything to keep it coming. You asked for it, you got it! In the Mythic Tarot, this relates to the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece. His quest for the Fleece was successful, but what’s next once you’ve done that? This combination is fire out of control (like the fire in the Kozminsky Symbol): extreme burnout. The 10 of Wands is like a mini-Tower tarot card. We feel burdened, oppressed, and weighed down by the very things that we thought would make us happy. There’s a huge energy build-up that needs to be released. We’re using that power negatively. Maybe we’ve taken on too much, or taken on everyone’s baggage (why?). Too much emphasis on achievement and security gives us no time to stoke the inner fire. We’ve lost our “oomph”. Maybe we’re trying too hard to be perfect. We need to light a fire under ourselves. Time to let go of self-imposed encumbrances. Dumping the baggage frees us to move on. This may indicate a person or company that has initial success but diversifies too much, takes on too much, then stumbles under the weight of its responsibilities. Maybe it’s time to get out before it all collapses. Initial success, but it all blows up later on due to a flaw in the design. The failure of a large corporation or enterprise that everyone thought was “golden”.