Astroblogick

Beltane: The Gate of Summer

        Outside my window, bright sparks of color punctuate a vivid, monochromatic green landscape as Nature fully awakens from her deep dream of winter. A cool rain begins to fall as I pen these words; the fragrance of lilac and redbud, carried on the back of a small breeze accompanies the comforting chatter of birds and the distant bark of a dog. The natural world revels in its awakening, yet deeply at peace, folding into its predictable cycle of rebirth; paying no never-mind to the unpredictable dream-creations of the human race, struggling to awaken from its dark dream of history.

    Behold! The glad season of Beltane is close at hand and love is in the air. It’s the time of year when we make the jump from spring to summer; a mirrored reflection of Samhain, when we transitioned from autumn to winter, six months ago. As per the seasonal/pagan/Wiccan calendar, we’ve reached the cross-quarter festival of Beltane, May Day and the commencement of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. A long time ago, this was considered a high holy day; a time for fertility rituals, lovemaking in the fields and activities recognizing and honoring the intelligence of nature, to curry favor with the Great Mother. Figuratively and literally, this then is the time for digging deeply into the composted soil, planting our seeds of hope and renewal as we prepare to navigate the long, hot summer that stretches before us.

The Week Ahead

    The current forecast period appears relatively calm if not for the ongoing chaos of the pandemic and areas of the U.S. reopening, even before the virus has been contained and wider testing has been established. Despite this large horsefly squirming in the ointment, we’re encouraged to move forward with whatever projects or plans that can safely be executed that won’t endanger ourselves or others.

    The Moon enters its First Quarter Phase on Thursday, offering us an opportunity to adjust our trajectory as we cross the threshold, of May and the beginning of Beltane on Friday. As this is the midpoint of the Moon’s waxing phase, it’s a time for development and growth with personal initiatives gaining momentum ahead of next week’s Wesak Full Moon. Despite recent setbacks and fiscal anxiety, it's important to continue to out-picture best-case scenarios while protecting ourselves and others with a dose of common sense and realism in these trying times.

    Pluto stationed retrograde on Saturday, its dark theme of transformation continues to reverberate throughout the coming week. Its retrograde station often coincides with extremes and matters concerning life and death on a large scale while remembering that COVID-19 was spawned during the most intense phase of the Saturn-Pluto conjunction which only recently began to separate. Stationary Pluto is likely to find us remaining face-to-face with our collective shadow, but how this manifests is difficult to wrap one’s head around as we’re already dealing with an overdose of weirdness.

    We’ll want to watch for the Sun and Mercury joining Uranus this week, with further craziness spewing from the mouth of Donald Trump, illustrating in no uncertain terms that the most powerful country in the world is being run into the ground by a mentally-ill mobster (Sun conjunct Uranus).

    Later in the week we see the potential for surprising or unexpected news coming to the foreground; hopefully, this will involve medical or scientific breakthroughs with respect to CV19 (Mercury conjunct Uranus). Otherwise, this could point to further revelations with regard to Trump, his administration and his GOP enablers, bringing up information that will find greater expression during the second half of May and all of June when Venus and Mercury retrograde. Keep in mind that while our attention is tightly focused on the pandemic, the levy holding back a massive cesspool of suppressed truth is showing signs of an imminent collapse. Wash your hands, lace-up your boots and tie on your mask, it's about to get stinky in these parts.

Lunar Gardening Report

    With spring busting out all over, it might be hard to be disciplined when it comes to following the Moon’s movements this week. Sunday and Monday morning are poor times for planting or feeding, but all this changes early afternoon Monday through Wednesday with the waxing Moon occupying its domicile in Cancer. This is considered one of the most fertile lunar placements in astrology, favoring germination, direct seeding, transplanting, repotting, fertilizing and pruning to encourage growth. Thursday and Friday are better days for cutting, clearing, weeding and pest control than planting or feeding under the fiery Leo Moon. The following weekend sees the Moon in less-than-fertile Virgo, but I wouldn’t hesitate to plant during that time.

Daily Forecast (For all signs)
(Times are Eastern Daylight/-0400UTC

Sunday, April 26: We’re still experiencing reverberations from yesterday’s Pluto station which will continue in the background through the remainder of the week. The Sun makes its annual conjunction with Uranus this morning with sudden shifts and rebellious attitudes shaking the tree and the perfect time to let your freak flag fly. Virtual lunch dates and friendly chats are indicated around noon before a more animated indicator encourages us to get outside for some fresh air in the late afternoon. Dreamier vibes arise after sunset where we might watch the thin, crescent Moon in Gemini align with Venus in the twilight sky.

Monday, April 27: It might be a busy morning under the Gemini Moon with assorted matters needing to be tend to in the communication department. After the Moon enters a short, 30-minute VOC at 1:00 pm, it crosses into Cancer where thoughts give way to feelings and an emphasis on themes involving family, home, parents, parenting and security. Considering how focused we’ve been on these things over the past six weeks, we might consider tapping into the Cancer Moon energy to allow repressed feelings to surface. Mercury exits the impulsive fires of Aries for the slow, deliberate energies of Taurus where patience and fewer words can be an effective strategy over the next two weeks. Fixed-earth Taurus is one of the few signs capable of grounding the high-strung nature of Mercury into creative accomplishments.

Tuesday, April 28: The morning hours are better for communication and errands under the Cancer Moon while we’re urged to back off the gas as we approach noon. We should expect delays, blockages, impasses, detours, frustrations and glitches during the early afternoon (Mercury square Saturn) while a quieter, less frazzled evening lies in store. Don't cave to the Couldawouldashoulda Syndrome tonight, it isn't helpful..

Wednesday, April 29: Emotions continue to take the lead under the waxing Cancer Moon, matters involving living situations could arise during the afternoon in search of resolution. Moody-broody states might linger in the early evening before a more upbeat and expressive one kicks us out of our funk at 9:00 pm when the Moon enters Leo. Stand-offs and slammed doors are possible close to midnight.

Thursday, April 30: Walpurgis. Unexpected twists and turns are possible this morning, but not so much in the way of problems if you can remain flexible in the face of change. The Leo Moon enters its First Quarter Phase in the late afternoon, citing the need for course corrections and reconsiderations ahead of next week’s Wesak Full Moon. Surprising news, breakthroughs, discoveries, revelations and assorted twists are possible later tonight (Mercury conjunct Uranus); this might signal an important mental shift taking place within. This is a night for rituals and oracles and witchy ways; when the boundaries thin between the seen and unseen; the time we call our perfect human future into existence. Seriously. Blessedly.

Friday, May 1: Beltane. In the seasonal calendar, today marks the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere with the surging life force of Nature exploding on the scene. Harmonious vibes in the early morning while a more energetic and potentially conflict-laden lunar aspect perfects at noon, setting-off a VOC period that will extend for the remainder of the day, making for a great time to step in it. Chill.

Saturday, May 2: The Virgo Moon points to a weekend largely devoted to cleaning, clearing and organizing as well as contemplating a creative project in the early afternoon. Phone calls or Zoom cocktail parties are favored tonight while a sense of harmony and balance is likely to carry us off to sleep. Sweet dreams, everyone.

Copyright 2020 Gary Paul Glynn

 

Down to Earth

    The Sun, representing the Solar Principle of creation and will, utilized its 30-day stay in the initiating fires of Aries to kick-start the engines of Nature before exiting on Sunday. Crossing the cusp into Taurus, the Sun carries the energetic impulse into this grounded, material and sensual realm as evidenced by the massive wave of green, sweeping over the Northern Hemisphere. Solar Taurus opens a month geared toward outward forms of physical manifestation, where we turn our desires into concrete realities. But only if we realize we have the inherent power to do so.

Taurean Lunation

    Three days following the Sun’s entrance into Taurus, the Moon joins it there to form the New Moon on Wednesday at 10:26 p.m. (Eastern Time), opening a new cycle in the very early degrees of Taurus (03Tau34). It’s more than fitting that Wednesday also happens to be Earth Day, so a celebration of sorts is in order. Perhaps during this global hush, when the skies clear and Nature reclaims lost territory, it occurs to us just how much we’ve been missing amidst the blur of our daily madness. Maybe this is where we collectively begin to see our beautiful blue planet in a new light; as a living, breathing organism of which we’re an inseparable part of instead of a commodity to own and plunder for petty, short-term gain. Just maybe.

    On a mundane level of expression, the New Moon taking place in Taurus points us toward matters involving money, finance, resources, talents, possessions and other tangible assets as well as comfort and sensual pleasures. This is largely due to the fact that Venus is the ruler of Taurus, where values and relationships find concrete expression. The next two weeks (leading to the Full Moon) are likely to bring important developments where it concerns the cratering global economy; although it's difficult to say which direction this will take, the need for radical and creative action is paramount. Even after these developments unfold, we’re still anticipating Taurus’ ruling planet, Venus, turning retrograde in mid-May for six weeks - time enough to chew over where all this is leading us.

    It’s important to note that we’re moving into a time where the phrase “thoughts become things” is more than a catchy, New Age sentiment; it’s vitally important that we shift our attention away from the “way things are supposed to be” or when “things get back to normal” and refocus on the inherent possibilities arising out of our collective predicament. As Above, So Below is the ancient, Hermetic dictum that ties heaven together with the Earth as one, seamless whole. We’re auspiciously reminded of this by the Sabian Symbol for Earth Day and its New Moon in Taurus:

PHASE 34 (TAURUS 4°): THE POT OF GOLD AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW.

KEYNOTE: Riches that come from linking the celestial and the earthly nature.

    In Genesis, the rainbow is the symbol of the Covenant of God with Noah. In all mythologies it expresses, in one way or another, a linking process — or the bridge used by divine beings to communicate with mortals. What the linking process brings to the individual consciousness is elusive, as the rainbow never ends where you are, yet it is the source of symbolic, universally valid wealth. All wealth, in a very real sense, comes from "commerce"; i.e. from the commingling of minds and from contracts, and thus is based on faith in the validity of a promise.

    At this fourth stage of the five-fold process we are given a mode of operation, which reminds us of the symbol for the second stage, "an electrical storm." Man need not be overawed by the celestial display of power, for it leads to a fruitful contact with beings of light. This is a natural kind of COMMUNION, involving a transubstantiation of matter.

-Dane Rudhyar, An Astrological Mandala

Lunar Gardening Report

    Sunday is an okay day for working soil and prepping garden beds, but with the Moon in its closing Balsamic Phase, it's too early to plant anything until after Wednesday’s New Moon. The Moon enters its final closure in Aries Monday through Wednesday afternoon, good for clearing, cleaning, weeding, pest control and putting your back into gardening activities that don’t require planting or fertilizing. Although the Taurus Moon is a good sign to plant under, we need to wait until after Wednesday’s New Moon, Friday to be exact, when the Moon takes on a sliver of light before putting stuff in the ground. On Friday, we’ll need to pause again for the Gemini Moon dominating the weekend, a poor time for any kind of planting or feeding while we wait until the Moon enters fertile Cancer on Monday, April 27 and we finally hit pay dirt.

Daily Forecast (For all signs)
(Times are Eastern Daylight/-0400UTC)

Sunday, April 19: The Pisces Moon visits Neptune just before sunrise, suggesting deep dreams and a reluctance to get out of bed. Even so, with the Sun entering Taurus at 10:45 am, you may wish to celebrate with a large brunch and a leisurely stroll in the woods. It’s time to ground and center ourselves, resolute in the face of setbacks and in it for the long haul. Happy Solar Return fellow Taureans! News involving political shenanigans will try to spoil the party later in the day, but only if we let it.

Monday, April 20: With the Aries Moon in deep closure ahead of Wednesday’s New Moon, whatever impulse for action we might have would be best directed into finishing-up things already in some state of completion. Restless energies could be mitigated to some extent by engaging in physical activity; this is particularly true seeing how the Moon will be joined with the health planet, Chiron in the late afternoon. A sense of increased emotional gravity along with feelings of loss or grief are possible during the late night hours (Sun square Saturn). Deep reflection and willingness to let such emotions wash over us will go a long way in helping us heal.

Tuesday, April 21: We might be dealing with heavy emotions as well as feelings of blockage or an inability to rise to the challenge this morning (Sun square Saturn). Be sure to cut yourself plenty of slack in the face of conditions you have no control over. Energy levels perk-up later this morning while a heart-to-heart conversation could go a long way toward helping us feel better later this afternoon.

Wednesday, April 22: Earth Day. Considerable energy is available during the morning hours with the potential for taking on more than we can handle. It’s also important to keep in mind that with the Moon VOC in Aries at 8:30 am we don’t accidentally launch before the Moon enters Taurus at 3:36 pm, when the real party gets started. Minor delays and blockages in the early evening should be taken in stride as we await the New Moon, opening a new cycle at 10:26 pm in the early degrees of Taurus (03TAu24). The Cazimi Window for new beginnings will be open between 10:00 and 11:00 pm, otherwise it would be good to wait until Friday to set things in motion. Dance barefoot on the cold ground while singing a song for the Earth, the Great Mother, who sustains us all.

Thursday, April 23: Besides unexpected changes this morning, things are rather quiet under the freshly-hatched New Moon in Taurus and a good time to make plans for when the lights turn green tomorrow. The Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins tonight at the first sight to the New Crescent Moon, given even greater significance in light of the pandemic sweeping the globe.

Friday, April 24: If you’re interested in an ideal time to launch a new project, today is an excellent time for doing just that with the Moon continuing to take on light in Taurus, lending greater levels of practical skills and approaches to whatever you choose to undertake. Obviously, money is a concern right now, so anything in the personal finance department that you can act upon should go well for you while avoiding any unnecessary stress if you’re feeling financially powerless for any reason. Out-picture positive developments instead of feeding fears about the uncertain future, especially during the early evening hours.

Saturday, April 25: The Gemini Moon lends itself to an overabundance of news and information which may or may not be a good thing, depending on your reaction or response to any of it. Mercury, ruler/analog of Gemini is extremely active today as well, suggesting major news stories breaking as it forms a hard aspect (square) to Jupiter-Pluto. These stories are likely to revolve around money, power and an assortment of abuses occurring while the pandemic distracts and misdirects the program. The potential for challenging news is particularly concerning due to the fact that Pluto stations retrograde today in late Capricorn (24Cap59); considered the peak of its two week station which began at the beginning of the current forecast period and will extend until the first week in May. Securely fasten your seatbelts fellow passengers, we’re in for considerable psychic turbulence now and into the coming week as we shake the darkness loose. Be well. Be safe. Be kind. Keep the faith.

Copyright 2020 Gary Paul Glynn

Transfiguration

      We reach Easter Sunday, the high point of the liturgical calendar as we witness the Pope celebrating Mass to an empty St. Peter’s Square, even as the sacred rite is broadcast to millions of the faithful around the world via the miracle of the Internet. This is set against the backdrop of the Sagittarius Moon harmoniously aligning with the Aries Sun, just as it rises in the east; speaking of faith in action; symbolizing the alchemical process of transfiguration while activating the spark of divine light stirring within every human heart, longing to awaken from this long, sad dream of history.

    You needn’t be a person that adheres to any religious belief or dogma to appreciate the symbolism inherent in the sacred rites of Passover, Easter or Ramadan and how they seem to take on deeper significance during this time of humanity’s greatest need and sense of loss. These are the symbolic rites of death and rebirth, illuminating the promise of rising out of the darkness of ignorance and fear, to embrace a new way of experiencing ourselves in the world.

    I realize this is a very challenging time for so many of my friends, family and readers while it gives me no joy to report potentially dark astrological signatures in the face of such suffering and anxiety. Having spent many years working in the restaurant industry, it’s easy for me to put myself in the shoes of so many of you who, living from shift to shift, paycheck to paycheck, have seen their livelihoods disappear with no warning, overnight. And there are so many others who also live at the margins, many of whom are now faced with far more exposure to COVID-19 than the rest of us while waiting for the curve to flatten enough to breathe easily again.

    I would suggest that while we weather this storm, we use the time to go inward more frequently to tap into the unending supply of inspiration, hope and awareness in order to align ourselves with better conditions ahead. I would reckon some of you are out of a job you absolutely hated, just barely tolerated in order to pay the unending stream of bills, now finding yourselves somewhat relieved not to have to go into your soul-sucking job in the face of our new normal. Now would be an auspicious time to begin envisioning yourself in a new role, a new job, a new field of endeavor, participating in some kind of work that gives you a sense of purpose and satisfaction.

    As the old world and its paradigm of separation collapses under the weight of centuries of ignorance, hatred and fear; we begin to envision a world waking to the truth that everything is interconnected with everything else. The astrological signatures that trace the outlines of human history now point to an unprecedented shift, long in coming, and instead of falling into despair over the loss of an antiquated model that no longer functions, it is time to out-picture a better reality for ourselves, our families, our friends and every sentient being that lives and breathes on this beautiful blue planet.

On Grounding

    For many of us, the prospect of physical distancing has been difficult to navigate as we humans weren’t built for separation, and this is especially true for those of you who are self-isolating. Of course, having Zoom, Skype and Facetime are great for seeing others, but our lack of physicality means many of us are going through oxytocin withdrawal.

    On a regular basis, being a single person reduces my ability to generate large amounts of oxytocin, but I now see that my daily rituals of handshakes, fist bumps, friendly back-patting, occasional kisses and an assortment of hugs really has a positive effect on my mental-emotional well-being. Alas, there really isn’t much that can be done about this dilemma we’re in right now, but there is something we can do to assist our other electro-physical systems to function properly - by intentionally becoming grounded.

    Something I would highly recommend for everyone, but especially those of you who have been feeling trapped inside and experiencing growing feelings of anxiety and restlessness, is to go outside and stand barefoot someplace where your feet are in direct contact with the Earth. Breathing-in the dense, vibrational frequency of the planet through the soles of your feet and then picture it being circulated through your body’s electrical field can go a long way to feeling more grounded, centered and a lot less anxious. Something perhaps to tide us over until we can start touching each other once again. Try it.

The Week Ahead

    Only today (Saturday) I’m coming away from a 48-hour power outage which took place during lockdown, taking with it my ability to begin writing this post on Thursday and Friday as I typically do. This of course means I’m once again late posting this week’s edition, so thank you for your patience. And for a blissful change of pace, I also don’t have anything particularly dark to report in the way of problematic astrological signatures, at least beyond the usual, daily stuff.

    Most of the coming week falls within the Moon’s closing, Last Quarter Phase beginning Tuesday night, marking a time for completions, clearances, finalizations, endings and releases. New business should be contemplated and loosely planned but needs to wait until after next week’s New Moon in Taurus to be executed. Next week appears a bit more active, so take this week as a cue for self-care and quiet contemplation.

Lunar Gardening Report

    Seeing the waning Moon in Sagittarius most of the day on Sunday, the gardening game-plan should largely focus on preparing beds as well as cutting and clearing stuff you don’t want growing back anytime soon. The last best days for planting and fertilizing fall on Monday and most of Tuesday with the Moon in Capricorn, favoring anything requiring strong root development as well as an ideal time to plant onion sets and potatoes. The Capricorn Moon enters its Last Quarter Phase Tuesday evening, effectively closing the window for planting and fertilizing until the Moon emerges from the shadow of the Taurus New Moon on April 24. Wednesday through Friday morning are unfavorable for any kind of gardening work besides general maintenance while it's probably okay to feed plants a little when the Moon occupies Pisces Friday afternoon through Saturday.

Daily Forecast (For all signs)
(Times are Eastern Daylight/-0400UTC)

Sunday, April 12: Easter. With the Moon entering its Waning Gibbous Phase at daybreak, we have the perfect window for offering gratitudes and blessings to the divine presence, awakening within the human family. Considering the Moon remains unaspected in spacious Sagittarius most of the day, the skies appear calm, favoring indoor games or outdoor activities centered close to home (and away from other people). Just before sunset, the Moon crosses the cusp into Capricorn, where emotional gravity takes hold with somber, sober outlooks for some people, and perhaps a sense of malaise or despair in others. A better use for the Capricorn Moon would be to out-picture best-case scenarios that require some effort on your part beginning tomorrow. Peace.

Monday, April 13: Dingus Day. The fact that there won’t be any polka dancing and packed beer halls seems appropriate in the face of the Capricorn Moon’s puritanical distaste for fun and frivolous entertainments, especially on Mondays. (Just kidding!) For those of you who no longer know (or even care) what day it is, there may still be an urge to accomplish some task, be it large or small, in order to be at peace with yourself. With Capricorn being an initiating earth sign, today and tomorrow would also be excellent days to ground yourself by taking off your shoes and socks to stand barefoot on a patch of grass or in a mud puddle. If this is something you haven’t done in a while, I think you’ll feel amazingly better for it.

Tuesday, April 14: Shit is getting serious under the continued auspices of the waning Capricorn Moon, moving into its Last Quarter Phase where we make some final adjustments before the Moon enters its one-week closure phase. Harsh realities, power grabs and all manner of extremes are possible during the morning hours (Sun square Pluto), underscored with the Moon echoing these same themes later tonight. News and information regarding the pandemic and other health threats (that we haven’t heard a million times already) are likely to get our attention tonight and tomorrow (Mercury conjunct Chiron in Aries).

Wednesday, April 15: With the Last Quarter Moon in Aquarius, we get the signal to begin putting a wrap of sorts on whatever activity was launched in late March with completions and finishing touches favored over new initiatives. Health news continues to reverberate (Mercury-Chiron) while we’re likely to see someone arrogantly and shamelessly playing politics with our current crisis (Sun square Jupiter). On a personal scale of expression, this aspect favors reaching out to long-lost friends or family members we rarely speak with. Unexpected or surprising changes are likely in the afternoon while we might sense greater levels of buoyancy later tonight.

Thursday, April 16: The Aquarius Moon presides over an extremely quiet day in the heavens with nothing in the way of lunar or planetary aspects to trouble the psychic atmosphere any more than it’s troubled already. Aquarius pertains to the group, and with social distancing still being enforced (Saturn and Mars in Aquarius), we’re left to rely on technology (another Aquarian specialty) to participate in the miracle of online gatherings for business, education and other, more pleasurable pursuits. Passover ends at sunset tonight while we might notice a growing sense of restlessness or agitation as we move into the midnight hour. Be safe.

Friday, April 17: With the Aquarius Moon entering a four-hour VOC period beginning at 10:30 am, we might wish to hold-off from important decisions or agreements until the Moon enters Pisces at 2:30 pm. There are numerous ways in which to take advantage of the Pisces Moon during lock-down, including the default Happy Hour setting (starting a little earlier than usual) as well as all forms of artistic and musical expression, story-telling, reading and writing poetry, yoga, meditation, altered states, highly visual movies or Epsom salt baths. Words of love and appreciation are possible just after midnight (Mercury sextile Venus), invoking an image of quiet pillow talk before drifting off to sleep. Sweet dreams, everyone.

Saturday, April 18: On this final day of solar Aries, the Pisces Moon continues to lend its dreamy auspices to what might already seem like a low-budget, 70s science fiction movie of empty streets and furtive shoppers. Differences in tastes and values may become apparent mid-afternoon with conversations taking on characteristics of a high school debate club later tonight (Mercury sextile Mars). Whatever comes of it, avoid taking stuff personally. Everyone is stir-crazy and a bit on edge right now, so it would be good to hold space for one another while letting perceived slights or criticisms slide right off in an authentic act of grace.

Copyright 2020 Gary Paul Glynn