Mutable Appreciation

In case you haven't been enjoying the sunny Venus in Leo transit, I would like to once again reiterate that you should take advantage of the increased creativity and make the most of this favourable period for all artistic endeavours.

I was thrilled to find that I had not one - but two people comment on my Mercury and Law of attraction post which is about the Mercury "gatorade" and this is most synchronistic as one person was a Gemini and the other a Virgo. I am a Pisces and all I need now is for a wandering Sagittarian to comment and we will then be able to form some sort of cyber mutable appreciation society! Could things get any more Mercurial, all happening online in the bloggersphere too, if you have any doubts as to the validity of astrology, this must surely be evidence that it expresses a higher truth!

What made my day was the Gemini leaving their twitter id, and on a post about the planet Mercury too, does it get any better than that? Well, when I saw the comment from the Virgo gentleman about his tinfoil hat duck covering circus antics I thought it was Christmas, Easter and my birthday rolled in to one big glorious day!

Mutable signs are generally the curious, dexterous, flexible, flighty social signs. If there is an obstacle they simply change course, where a cardinal sign would seek to win the battle, or the fixed sign would spend the next 6 months climbing over it a mutable sign veers off on another course to pastures new. Pretty soon the obstacle that caused the radical departure is forgotten and there are new tangents ahead! It's good to be flexible and open to new possibilities. When you think about mutable signs think movement, change, flux, bending and flowing.

So far the Mercury retrograde is going well for me, as the planet of logic and reasoning moves backwards I feel rather oblivious to this. As a Piscean with my natal Mercury in Pisces I live in a constant woolly minded state of confusion, most days I leave the house without an essential item and I can't even remember what happened last Tuesday, I just go with the flow and trust that the universe is unfolding the way it should and I feel no concern about the possible miss-haps of a Mercury retrograde. My life is a never ending ebb and flow of losing things, being late for things, forgetting things, being late, things turning up, things being remembered, such is the way of the creative mind.

So, perhaps we could start collecting comments from the other signs of the zodiac on the current Mercury retrograde, has anyone else considered the tinfoil hat option or is it just our Virgo friend so far?

Mercury Retrograde and The Law of Attraction

In case you are wondering why this post comes with a picture of me and a cow it is because I was attempting to communicate and bond with this creature. Mercury is also a planet that rules all forms of communication as well as the mind, logic, short journeys, transportation, reasoning and education.

From tomorrow Mercury will appear to be retracing it’s steps, going backwards in its orbit if you are to observe it from Earth and this phenomena is called a retrograde period (all planets have them).

Perhaps the only thing to do during a Mercury retrograde is to go with the flow and not be too anal about it. Mercury retrograde always seem to create a bit of a buzz online and I can’t help thinking that there may be a degree of self fulfilling prophesy at play here. As the law of attraction states – what we think about most we attract.

Recently I have been reflecting upon the potential dangers of astrology, especially when people blindly follow traditional and accepted notions with no discernment or critical thinking, this kind of blind acceptance leads to fatalistic attitudes and superstition. Such superstitious thinking is extremely harmful to ourselves and others, next time you find yourself entertaining supersticious fancies I would suggest that you think back to the middle ages when nice old ladies that talked to their pet cats were burned at the stake for being witches – I’m sure you get the picture!

However, just in case you remain convinced that some sort of disaster may befall you during Mercury’s current retrograde period I have devised the following: strategies.

1. The duck and cover method
2. Wear a tin foil hat
3. Run away and join the circus

Let’s now take the time to look at how effective each of these strategies may be:

1. Duck and cover: This has proved to be ineffective in the event of a nuclear bomb exploding and I would not recommend this strategy for dealing with this month’s Mercury Retrograde cycle as it begins on September 7th and ends September 29th. This is far too long to hide underneath something!
2. Wear a tin foil hat: While making the tin foil hat may be a creatively rewarding pastime and will appeal to the more paranoid among you it could backfire on you. I shall explain; if you hope to protect your brain from any cosmic rays consider the following; antennae are also made of metal and you may end up attracting more cosmic rays thus amplifying the effects of the Mercury Retrograde.
3. Run away and join the circus: This is my personal favourite, however, as Mercury rules short journeys and travel is one of the things that is often affected during a Mercury Retrograde I'm afraid that you may never even reach the circus.

So, what we need to do is not panic, the trickster Mercury rules two mutable signs, Virgo and Gemini, both known for their dexterity and flexibility, and I think herein is where the solution lies. If we try not to be too rigid in our plans, expect the unexpected and we are prepared to go with the flow we can better deal with any setbacks that we encounter during this period.

Sure, computers misbehave, letters get lost and delays are possible and we might get to work late, but none of these are catastrophic happenings and remember, a Mercury Retrograde is great for going over the fine details of previous projects, you may come across a gem of information you missed first time round.

Venus in Leo

An ex once said to me “it’s all about you isn’t it.” “I’m sorry, was that feeble attempt at sarcasm meant to be some form of insult, because actually I couldn’t agree more!” I thought!

Maybe you think that the writer of this blog is a rather self centred individual, well, what else would you expect from someone with Leo rising (not to mention Venus in Aries) and since when was a sense of self importance a bad thing anyway? Perhaps if we weren’t told from an early age not to blow our own trumpets, to put others first there wouldn’t be so many insecure, down trodden people.

The honest truth is that I have been feeling sorry for myself the last couple of weeks, what with extra work, being poorly and then the revelation hit me. I have Venus in Leo transiting my first house. And as soon as I have got the boring chores out of the way I shall enjoy being in this groove right up until the 17th of September. I strongly suggest that you do the same!

You see, as well as being somewhat pompous, arrogant and a bit of a show off, Leo is also ruled by the Sun and radiates a special sort of warmth. Leo is a fixed fire sign, and a friendship with a Leo is as warm and unrelenting as the hot Sun on a beautiful Summer’s day. Leo’s have creativity and depth that ensures they could never be accused of being superficial. In fact in those with a strong Leo influence emotions are as strong as the midday sun and despite the pomp and ceremony Leo’s are surprisingly vulnerable and they just need to be loved and appreciated.

In addition to the pussy cat there is the flip side to Leo and they make a formidable enemy, well, only an idiot would poke a lion with a big stick. Word of warning, you could well witness the darkest of their darker side if you should encroach in any way upon their home and family. The Lion is a regal creature and their home is their kingdom and they are fiercely loyal and protective.

Venus in Leo is a great time to reflect on your self-worth, give yourself some tlc and it is also a great time to reconnect with your creativity and think about how best to express yourself. Venus in Leo doesn’t want us to be shy, she wants us all to shine, even the wallflowers among us!

She would like to cordially invite us to thoroughly enjoy ourselves and engage in playful and fun filled activities, do things that make us happy and to fully appreciate that we are the centre of our own universes. Get creative and think about what you would most like to manifest in your life, realise the power and beauty of your own creativity!

As Venus is also gracing my first house I feel that I should express my individuality at this time, a tricky aspect with Uranus may put naughty notions in to my mind of streaking through my local Tesco’s but thankfully I have free will, so I am not about to get arrested for indecent exposure any time soon!

During this transit I shall revel in the self love and fully appreciate the more Leonine qualities of my nature and affirm that it is indeed all about me. After all, if I am happy, healthy and well, so are my loved ones – and that my friends, is a truly Leonine sentiment!

A Big Funky Jungian Awakening

Being the fickle creature that I am I have been absent from blogging as I have been on holiday and other such things and I have now returned to my somewhat neglected blog to address an issue that has been on my mind of late.

What does the Neptune, Chiron, Jupiter alignment mean to me and what does it mean to you?
I have been mulling this over between onerous tasks which include building a website, proof reading reviews general web nerdy-ness; while also having a rather nasy water infection much to my dismay. One thing is for sure, those with planets and points in the latter degrees of the fixed signs Tarus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius will feel the alignments personally.

Where Chiron is concerned you can be pretty certain that the healing of old wounds is going to be brought to ones attention. Is it any wonder that I have been forced to readdress the way in which I live my life and the physical problems I have encountered this year point at a deeper underlying spiritual malaise.

But enough about me! With Chiron being the wounded healer, Neptune being a planet of illusion, spirituality and effusiveness and Jupiter being a lovely expansive planet of good will I feel that some sort of spiritual awakening or transition is on the cards – or in the stars. In Aquarius a sign of universal brotherhood and fraternity this could be interpreted as taking place on the level of our collective subconscious in some sort of big, funky Jungian cosmic gathering.

This subject demands more scrutiny, but I must ease myself slowly back in to my blogging so as not to upset my finely tuned and delicate Piscean sensibilities.

Progressions and Mercurial Mayhem

Following the Virgo-phile post of yesterday got me thinking more about progressed charts and while engaged in less interesting tasks I have, of late been reflecting on my new progressed Ascendant. I almost heard the gears change when this happened, although at the time I never considered the changing of my progressed Ascendant from Leo to Virgo to be the culprit.

As you get older you have what is known as a progressed chart. Your natal chart is a snapshot of the universe on the day of your birth and as your chart changes and the planets and points shift positions which makes perfect sense if you think about it. So, I started off with Leo rising and now I have Virgo rising instead and this would make the ruler of my progressed chart Mercury. However, Mercury has now progressed in to Taurus which I hope will dispel some of the Piscean branching logic that seems to land me in trouble with more linear thinking types. Unfortunately this will probably not be the case and I also have some hard aspects to my progressed Mercury including an interesting Mercury Uranus opposition. But enough of hard aspects to Uranus this is all about Hermes!

I became sensitive to Mercury changing sign in such a way that I had never experienced in the past and I couldn't help think how odd this was, there was also a sudden sharp increase in my desire for Mercurial pastimes and activities, again this was odd.

Curiously I noticed that in addition to an increased sensitivity to Mercury transits and I seem to be feeling more reserved and very health conscious. So, the burning question that I now need to know from as many people as possible is have they noticed a change in themselves? Have they noticed a change in others? If we take these changes and look at the corresponding charts we may well find some interesting things. I was suddenly able to account for strange things that had been afoot and changes within myself including a sudden new found affinity with the movements of Mercury. It was all in the progressed chart and it all made perfect sense.

If you would like to find out your progressed Ascendant you can go to Astrodienst.com and simply select the progressed chart from the dropdown menu in their extended chart selection section.

In Praise of Virgo

Perhaps it's the focus on health that I have been through so far this year and tehy fact that recently my progressed ascendant moved in to the sign of Virgo that makes me want to sing the praises of this understatedly beautiful gem of a sign. Or perhaps it's the fact that a good Virgoan friend of mine is coming to visit next Monday. Maybe it is this comment left by an online friend of mine on my blog during my period of illness.

"Hi Bex,

I have Venus in Virgo, I always used to have bad comments about that, such as being uptight etc

Your words described me perfectly!! Yes, I am a nutter with a crazy sense of humour, which most people don't get!"

This just about sums Virgo up, this lady knows that I have been rather poorly recently (thankfully I am now fixed) and took the time to show she cared by leaving a comment on my blog. Despite a reputation for being highly critical and nit-picking Virgo is a deeply caring sign, to get a better handle on this it is worth considering the fact that it's opposite polarity is Pisces.

Whereas Pisces hates to hurt your feelings and could be accused of being a woolley-minded people-pleasing liberal at times (I am willing to testify to that with my Pisces Sun!), Virgo is guilty of no such crime and will be happy to tell you when you are heading off in to dodgy territory as this is a wonderfully practical earth sign. Virgo along side Pisces is a sign of service and they are great at doing little things to cheer you up and to let you know that they care when you're down in the dumps.

There is nothing superficial about Virgo, this sign is also a sign of abundance, lest we forget the time of year at which this sign falls; the harvest, the virgin is fertile and full of the fruits of the Earth. The sign is resplendent with sincerity, compassion and a perfectionism that in its highest expression is an overwhelming desire for the highest good. They won't just tell you what they think you want to hear, they have far too much integrity for that sort of malarky and anyhow, my mate Niki (one of my favourite Virgo's) would consider such triteness to be a complete nonsense and a waste of time as she is always busy working hard and doing far more important and real things than that.

It is also worth remembering when thinking about Virgo that there is a light hearted and Mercurial aspect (Mercury being the ruling planet of course) that adds a sharp and keen intellect. My Grandfather was a Virgo Sun and a very successful electrical/mechanical draughtsman, he devoured all sorts of puzzles and had a brilliant, ever so quirky sense of humour and most of all, I remember him as being a man who had a genuinely lovely, kind and placid nature despite coming from a very poor area in the Black-Country and having a very hard start in life.

Before I go, I will mention another Virgo who is very special to me; Niki, once again, she blends a good humoured, kind nature and quick Mercurial Virgo wit. This lady has a Scorpio Ascendant and a powerful Pluto, so she can be quite formidable and will not suffer fools gladly. However, she has the customary good nature and easy going down to earth quality that is the hall mark of this sign. Yes I did say easy going, and yes I did say Virgo? Well, yes, I actually find that these folk are easy to get along with, but maybe that's because I have a Pisces Sun and I love my opposite sign.

Venus in the signs Libra to Pisces

After yesterdays musings I think it is only proper to follow up with Venus in the signs; Libra through to Pisces.

I have been in a funny old mood today, actually there has been nothing funny about it! I would actually say I have been in a downright scary mood and searching as I have been for an astrological explanation for this I may just have to put it down to good old fashioned women's things! If you missed Venus in the signs; Aries to Virgo you may want to check it out, my PMS wasn't as bad yesterday and it was written with considerably less venom and vitriol!

Libra is a funny old sign, I say this because despite having a reputation for being incredibly charming, urbane and refined both my mother and father are Librans and I will share a couple of brief Libran anecdotes about them with you.

My mother affects a rather posh accent despite being from Herefordshire, and she does get very upset at my blue and un-lady like language (to quote an ex boyfriend I have "a mouth like a builders arse."), however, I was watching one of the Lord of the Rings films with her when she piped up and said "whenever I see The Eye of Sauran it reminds me of a giant fiery vag", excuse me while I wipe the tears of laughter from my eyes. I still find this absolutely hysterical when I think of my mother, a white haired old lady who bakes muffins and cakes uttering such filth! What makes this even funnier is the fact that it is true.

Then there is my father who is one of the most tactless and impatient people that I know, once he was in his local supermarket and was in a rush, he actually told someone to get the f**k out of his way! This obviously is the shadow side and lest we forget that Libra is a cardinal sign who are go getters whatever many books on astrology would have you believe, they do have quite a nasty temper I have found, and this is not just my parents.

Venus in Libra is at home in this sign as she rules Libra in addition to Taurus. What I will say about this placement is that Venus loves beautiful things, cannot stand mess and will not tolerate unfairness. For all the potential fussiness (and I would say this trait can be worse here than Venus in Virgo) and being a little bit prissy and Venusian Libran is a charming, fun loving kind of person who has an inherent sense of justice. However, despite being born to a couple of Libran parents their objectivity can be baffling and frustrating at times.

Mysterious and sexy Venus in Scorpio, probably traditionally the most sizzling Venus placement, well let me tell you that these people are mere mortals like the rest of us and are not imbued with some sort of magical sex appeal although they would love us all to believe that. Granted these people can be very sexual creatures and I have had my fingers burnt more than once by a Scorpio man and after that I have vowed to stay away from them in matters of the heart! These people are passionate and possessive; the physical side will be great until you tire of the petty vindictiveness and predictability. However, if you want intensity look no further.

Sagittarius is a funny Venus sign, these people are great to go out and get drunk with, but don't leave them alone with your partner! These people could well have no morals, and what is more they don't care, as long as they're having fun they don't care, they may pretend that they feel bad for being so irresponsible and inconsiderate, but that's just lip service - if it helps grease the wheels. If that sounds mean I feel I am completely justified as I have my Moon in Sagittarius, I have a Sagittarian brother so I am all too painfully aware of the less savoury side of this sign. What I will say is that it is all part of the merry charm that is the Sagittarius experience, take them as you find them and enjoy having a bawdy laugh.

Venus in Capricorn is another funny one. Again, I find that traditional interpretations appear to have been written by someone from another planet. I know many people with Venus in Capricorn that are hard partying hedonists that could drink most people under the table. They are very cuddly warm people once you get past the icy and unapproachable veneer so don't be fooled. However, you will have to prove your worthiness, also I can say from an observers view point that these people are not always the most faithful companions, so if you have a feeling that they are eyeing up the nearest hottie and you don't think you can trust them you are probably correct! Dump them immediately.

Venus in Aquaruis, again, much as these people would like you to believe that they are futuristic eccentrics who are ahead of their time do not be fooled. There is a fine line between genius and madness and they are probably not interesting enough to fall in to either. They are stubborn and oddly enough have something of a Leonine diva-like quality about them. I don't know where Aquarius got their reputation for unpredictability from because the Aquarians I know are predictable and don't take kindly to change just like the other fixed signs Taurus, Leo and Scorpio. Now I have finished giving Aquarius a hard time I'd like to add that they are very loyal, interesting and independent folk who do have a good head on their shoulders and are generally up for the crack.

Last of all is Venus in Pisces. Now whoever said that Pisces was a rather meek sign has got the wrong end of the stick, I am a Pisces and boy can I go off with a crack, in fact, I am quite scary when I am in the wrong sort of mood (which I have been for most of today). However, Pisces is very martyrish and emotional; I thank my lucky stars that I have Venus in Aries to counteract some of these qualities! If you think your Venusian Piscean will be at your beck and call think again. This sign is the master of illusion and Piscean people are major flirts and they are devious too, some folk say that Gemini's are bad; however the fish is slippery and impossible to pin down.

Now that I have finished my hormone crazed cussing of Venus placements from Libra through to Pisces I will love you and leave you as I have to go and lift some weights. I am utilising a mars Jupiter conjunction in my natal chart to fuel a fitness plan so I can realise my true Leo Ascendant brilliance and soon I will be able to bask in the mirror in the glow of my own lovely buffness! I jest of course - I just like to keep active.