April 2013

Lunar_eclipse600_june_2010_northup copy

Apr 25 2013

April’s Scorpio Partial Lunar Eclipse

 

“While the partial lunar eclipses might not be as potent as full eclipses on our astrological psyche, they still open up brief windows of opportunities to embrace new energy…”

Not only is April 25, 2013’s full moon in Scorpio, it’s also a partial lunar eclipse at 5 degrees Scorpio (see myastrologylife.com’s Facebook post, “Planet Watch/Week of April 21”). The moon transits through our astrological charts quickly and its influence is brief, but eclipses can have a lingering impact. While the partial lunar eclipses might not be as potent as full eclipses on our astrological psyche, they still open up brief windows of opportunities to embrace new energy for those who have Celestial Bodies with which the moon comes into direct aspect.  Fixed Signs (Scorpio, Taurus, Leo and Aquarius) can take advantage of tonight’s eclipse. This is especially so if you have a Sun, Moon, or Ascendant in Scorpio that is within a few degrees of this eclipse. You can choose to invite into your life a period of openness to deep, probing, investigative inner work (Scorpio) as it pertains to the Celestial Body/s and House/s the moon is aspecting. For example, if you have a 6th House Scorpio Sun within tight aspect to the transiting moon (within a few degrees but especially if exact), use this energy to focus on transforming any patterns related to health, day-to-day work, service to others: Fully research and understand a new exercise regimen or the benefits of an improved diet. Intensify your effort to add efficiency to your job. Commit to opening up to more experiences by being less rigid in your day-to-day routine. You get the idea! If it’s your Scorpio Moon that’s in tight conjunction with this transiting Moon, you could be impacted on an emotional level. Remember, the Moon signifies our feminine, emotional side, so look to your emotional patterns to see if there is room for transformation. Scorpio Moons are intense. Do you tend to react with jealousy or obsessiveness in relationships? Ask yourself why you feel the way you do and search for the answer. You might also look to where the Natal Ruler of Scorpio, Pluto, resides. If it’s in direct contact with this eclipse, take inner inventory there too.

Bottom line: Use this eclipse (and any eclipse) energy, though partial, to open up, at least to yourself, to ways of improvement. All else will follow.

2013 Solar & Lunar Eclipse Schedule

Partial Lunar    Apr. 25 in Scorpio

Annular Solar   May 10 in Taurus

Penumbral Lunar   May 25 in Sagittarius

Penumbral Lunar   Oct. 18  in Aries

Hybrid Solar    Nov. 03 in Scorpio

Shown: A partial lunar eclipse on June 26, 2010, close to maximum. Viewed from Canberra, Australia. By Mdekool

 

By • Quality, Transiting Planets • • Tags: , , ,

Taurusbull

Apr 20 2013

Taurus Sun Sign

 

Astrological Sun Sign Taurus
Planetary Ruler: Venus
Element: Earth
Quality: Fixed

Sensual, stubborn, slow to decide, pleasure loving, cozy, artistic, practical, materialistic, persistent, resists change

Taurus (April 20 – May 20), the sign of the Bull, is the second of the Zodiac signs. Generally, Taureans are practical, cozy and affectionate folk who enjoy the “good life” as in all things that its planetary ruler, Venus, represents…music, food, good friends, the best of the best. They are slow to anger but you can count on them usually having a good reason to become furious when they do. Consider the Bull…if they do get mad, you better hope it’s not while they’re in a in a china shop (or at least that you are not with them)! The good news is that their anger generally doesn’t last long and they move back to the wide-open fields to happily graze and rest among the flowers, preferring the more passive life than the bull fight…Read: Ferdinand the Bull. (The Bull is also a symbol for Wall Street: Taureans generally excel with their finances, which is why Taurus is the Natural Ruling Sign for the Second House, the House of Value.) The Element for Taurus is fixed, so they can be immovable in their ideas, opinions and decisions. That said, they can achieve much in whatever they pursue because of their single-minded focus. And if their routine or comfort place is changed, they can be quite the pouters and a force de la resistance. Like their wrath, their decision making is slow and cautious, but rest assured that, when they do finally make a decision, they have no doubt or regrets about their decision and will go full force to support it or implement it. And that holds true when and if they ever have to defend or support their own. This loyalty, along with their Venusian attentiveness, to Venusian loved ones is a heady spell that often dispels any frustration with what can be otherwise a slow and stubborn nature that is not so tolerable in “lesser” Sun signs. Embrace and bask, in yourself if you are a Taurus Sun Sign, or loved by one.

Taurus Sun in the Houses
If you or a loved one are a Taurus Sun, do you know which House your Sun (or theirs) resides? If not, see if any of these general descriptors fit you or your familiar (not withstanding hard aspects if they exist):

1st: Good-natured, extroverted, friendly, appearance  saavy, possible battles with weight control due to a healthy enjoyment of all things culinary, but overall solid health.

2nd: This House, the House of “Value” is the Natural House for Taurus. A knack for money matters and for spending it on yourself, but only if the items are of worth and quality; can tend to indulge in extravagance, but might be less so with others, at least those that are not in your inner circle.

3rd: You bring your Venusian flair but with a down-to-earth manner to how you communicate, whether it’s by way of the written word or your oral prowess,  making it hard for others to resist your entreaties; often sought for comfort and advice by those near you.

4th: With Taurus generally having a natural knack for finances, having your Sun here might indicate success in real estate and/or antiques or the “past”. It’s likely you will not only want to surround yourself with beauty in your own home but also showcase your appreciation for beauty as well as your appetite for the culinary…for your own enjoyment and for others.

5th: Here, in the House of Creativity, the Bull folk can shine thanks to their natural love for beauty and talent, and for creating it around them (at least for themselves!).  Whether that creativity manifests as an artist, musician, athlete, venture capitalist, or parent, they will strive to shine.

6th: With the Sun here people will trust your cozy, honest, and unassuming  nature, indicating someone who is in service to others—this could present itself in the form of a financial advisor or even a personal chef!

7th: Having a Taurus Sun here, in the house of one-on-one relationships, is indicative of a business-type relationship, whether it’s for business or romance. If you are both out for financial security and share a bit of taste for power, it will be a harmonious union, but with benefits of the Venusian touch.

8th: The five senses so familiar to Taurus, no matter where the Sun resides, will be emphasized here, especially toward physical pleasure and financial gain through other peoples finances.

9th: Any Sun Sign placed here indicates a romantic soul who wants to see and experience the world through travel, spiritual encounters, and even then more so by sharing their experiences or philosophies gained, with others. This is especially so with Taurean Suns. The challenge will be to leave the comfort of your routine and surroundings, but if you can break away from these, you will thrive and then wonder why you had such a hard time making the decision to do something so enriching! Just remember that the next time the opportunity comes your way to explore, don’t get stuck and not take it!

10th: Here, your career, status and reputation are the highlight. As a Taurus Sun, you will want to show the world your best side, from your affable, solid, trusting personality to one who is  and is surrounded by the best…clothing, spouse, home, car and a reputation for giving a good party. As a result, the public will likely find you a comforting, practical sort who is easy to trust and follow.

11th: Those with their Taurus Sun placed here can be preoccupied with status, particularly the status of those with whom they surround themselves. They can seek friends and social circles that will assist in their goals and ambitions. That said, these folks can be solid, reliable and loyal friends, and are often known for giving a good party, offering a comfortable and safe place for all to let their hair (s) down!

12th: A Taurean Sun here can indicate a soul who will use his/her financial resources (or be handy at finding such resources) for the disadvantaged and/or for spiritual causes, and the glowing reputation that will earned as a result. They can also devote time to creative activities, but these will likely be behind the scenes, more to replenish their energies than for others to see.

If you’re still not sure, consider a natal birth chart analysis, but only if you know—or can get—your exact birth time.

Myastrologylife.com makes every effort to share knowledge throughout our website and social media that is fact checked and researched. However, please let us know if we have presented inaccurate and/or incomplete information so we can rectify any misinformation. We too are only humans after all:)

By • Birth Chart, Elements, Quality, Ruling Planets, Zodiac Signs • • Tags: , , , ,

solarsystem2013wiki600

Apr 18 2013

Sun Transit Into Taurus & You

As we mentioned in our Planet Watch for this week on Facebook, the Sun will leave Aries for Taurus today, April 19—specifically at 6:08 p.m. Mars will be quickly following on the Sun’s heels April 20. The significance here is that the Sun and Mars have been traveling in conjunction, which means Mars’ Aries energy will stick around in Taurus: Folks, the relaxing ride in the lovely Venusian world of Taurus might be a tad more lively with the Sun/Mars conjunction. You might feel this especially in the House the pair are visiting in your natal chart. Plus, Saturn forms an opposition to the Dynamic Duo, adding restriction to the Martian energy, giving it a “pent up” feeling, with no relief until the end of April.  Hint: If you find you’re frustrated in an area of your life during the next few weeks, try to consciously focus that vital (Sun) energy (Mars) into getting something done in that House…Whether it’s spring cleaning (4th), looking for that new job (6th or 10th), adding excitement to that committed relationship (7th), paying more attention to your appearance (1st) or whatever, take action! To find out more about Mars energy check out the Aries Ruling Planet-Mars post.

Note: It is clear that this conjunction is having an obvious impact on the larger picture, especially as it pertains to the United States’ Birth Chart. We cannot begin to express our sorrow for the loss of life and our condolences for those who have been injured or have lost their loved ones as a result of the recent events in Boston, Mass., and  West, Texas. Know that we are not ignoring the issue…we think about it daily. We are not yet versed well enough in the U.S. birth chart to address this. However, we believe the astrology community is giving it due attention. As a result, myastrologylife.com will focus on the lighter side of this aspect and how those of us not directly impacted by the injury or loss of loved ones might use it in a useful, positive way. God Bless to all.

By • Ruling Planets, Transiting Planets, Uncategorized, Zodiac Signs • • Tags: , ,

PlutoRX_SymNasa copy

Apr 13 2013

Transiting Pluto Retrograde & You

“Myastrologylife has a fondness for the Planet of the Deep both as a natal planet and a transiting one…we find it offers a person a chance for a subterranean shift that can transform the psyche to a place where there is no going back. A place called Forward.”


Pluto is now retrograde in Capricorn until Sept. 20, 2013. First, let’s clarify what “retrograde” really means. In as near scientific terms as we can understand and conjure (so please speak up if we get it wrong!), when a planet is retrograde, it’s not actually going backwards as the term implies, but only seems as if it is to those of us who happen to be inhabiting the planets that are passing each other at certain times of their orbits. Earth is closer to the Sun and, thus, on an inner lane of the orbital race track, so to speak, while Pluto is on what might as well be considered, for now, an outside lane of the track. As the faster planet’s (Earth) pulls parallel to the slower planet (Pluto), the planets appear stationary to each other for a “moment’, until Earth passes Pluto. It’s at this point, it appears that one or the other is going backward, depending on which planet you’re living on. “Appears” is the operative word here. Or if you prefer more “earth bound” analogies, consider when a fast car approaches a slower car…for a moment two cars seem simpatico, but not for long. As the fast car pulls ahead, the slow car appears to move backward. That’s not really the case, as we know. Something called physics is happening! In the case of Pluto, a small and distant planet on the “outside track” it will appear to be moving backward beginning April 12, 2013, as the Earth, on the inside track, whips by the dwarf planet. It’s at these times the slower planet is said to be in retrograde motion.

A Few Fun Plutoids

  • Pluto is Retrograde approximately 5 months of the year.
  • Its 40x farther than the Earth is from the Sun and it takes 248 years to work its way around the Sun…and your natal chart.
  • It spends about two decades, give or take a few years, in each of your Astrological Houses.
  • One day on Pluto lasts about 6.5 Earth days.
  • Recategorized as a dwarf planet within the Kuiper Belt in 2006. Also called a plutoid (in this case not our play on words, but meaning a planet that’s farther out in space than Neptune—it’s one of three plutoids we know about so far). Check out our take on whether Pluto is a planet or not on FB.
  • It’s as wide as the United States
  • It has an eccentric orbit around Sun
  • We should know more about the planet when the spacecraft New Horizons, launched in 2006, reaches Pluto’s realm in 2015 (barring any mishaps along its way).
Sideview of Pluto's ecliptic orbit (red) shows its large inclination to Earth's ecliptic orbital plane. Original simulation by Todd K. Timberlake
Sideview of Pluto’s ecliptic orbit (red) shows its large inclination to Earth’s ecliptic orbital plane. Original simulation by Todd K. Timberlake

What Does Pluto’s Retrograde Mean to You?
Myastrologylife has a fondness for the Planet of the Deep (our dub) both as a natal planet and a transiting one because, generally speaking, when we surrender to its powerful inner command to look intensely within to analyze the area of our lives it’s impacting, we find it offers a person a chance for a subterranean shift that can transform the psyche to a place where there is no going back. A place called Forward. It’s command can be even more intensified when it is in retrograde, as it is now. We won’t dwell on what happens if you choose to leave the white flag at home and wage battle with Pluto. It’s choices like that that will be thrown right back at you during a retrograde if there’s still work to be done by you in the House it is transiting, as well as the House in which it natally resides. As the ruler of Scorpio, you will also feel it in the House that Scorpio resides. Because the inner work Pluto asks us to do is hard and intense, this transformation can take a lifetime, and, thus, the results of all that hard work might not be seen until the middle to later periods of our lives.

Currently, transiting Pluto is in the Cardinal Sign of Capricorn (and will be until 2023), placing emphasis on power, money, responsibility, maturity, revolutionary changes in ways of thinking and how we lead our lives. We can see this influence happening on a mass consciousness level, with governments and economies, for example. On a personal level, these themes will likely surface in the House(s) Pluto is impacting, especially if transiting Pluto is in hard aspect to a natal planet. If you don’t know your birth chart House placement for Capricorn, your natal Pluto, or Scorpio (the planet’s natural sign), consider if there is an/are area/s of your life in which you feel out of control or that you have recurring issues on an inner level, issues that might not be apparent to those on the outside. If you have avoided such analysis, it can manifest subconsciously as an uncomfortable feeling that something isn’t right. If that’s the case, take time to look at this “feeling” square on and try to access it. Is it Relationships (7th)? Work/Day-to-Day life(6th)? Career/Public Life (10th)? Family/Homelife (4th)? Where ever Pluto’s focus is, take the opportunity to dig deep and be honest about what you see. It will pay off in the long run.

On the other hand, if the transiting planet isn’t in hard aspect, or if you’ve done your work to get your Pluto-related Houses in order, you’ll reap one of the benefits: Pluto’s retrograde likely will go unnoticed!

By • Transiting Planets • • Tags: , , , , , ,

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Apr 9 2013

Importance of True Birth Time to Your Astrology

“And, to be fair, even a birth certificate might not be wholly accurate. Things happen during and after that incredible moment…”

Why is knowing your birth time so important? The key to a birth chart is the locations of the Celestial Bodies (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Pluto) and angles/points (North Node) at the exact time of your birth. It is also the only way to accurately determine your Ascendant, or Rising Sign, which in turn determines the houses in which the CBs and Nodes reside in your chart. And, to be fair, even a birth certificate might not be wholly accurate. Things happen during and after that incredible moment. Including forgetting to record the exact time of that moment, which in turn could lead to some fudging on the ‘ole certificate!  If it’s more than a few minutes off of your true birth time, it will produce information that is incorrect. This we would know if there is some information that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. It is possible to rectify a chart to come up with the correct birth time, but this is still not the most accurate and it takes more time and will cost more.

What is an Ascendant?  In basic terms, it is the zodiac sign that was rising on the eastern horizon (or the First House) at the time of your birth. The traits and qualities of this sign manifest in your outward appearance to others. By knowing what is in your First House, we can determine what Houses (there are 12 total) everything else falls into in your chart. If we only have your birth date and year, we can determine the signs of your CBs but not the Houses or degrees. For more detail on this and the basic structure of a birth chart, read the post, Basic Architecture of a Birth Chart.

Photo by Maros

By • Birth Chart, Zodiac Signs • • Tags: , ,

elements

Apr 6 2013

What’s Your Element: Earth, Fire, Water or Air?

 

Each Astrological Sign has an “Element” that characterizes it. There are four Elements in total, with three Signs assigned to each. Specifically:

Earth is the Element for Virgo, Capricorn and Taurus.

Fire the Element for Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.

Water for Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.

Air for Gemini, Libra and Aquarius (yes, Aquarius is an Air sign, not a Water Sign!).

The Element of your Sun Sign, or the essence of your personality, offers a general description to how you might react to or approach situations.  For example, generally you can count on the Earth Signs of Virgo, Capricorn and Taurus to be steadfast, practical and sensual; pessimistic, materialistic and cool.

Fire Signs tend to be spontaneous, independent and romantic; aggressive, quick tempered and blunt. Water Signs, emotional, nurturing and deep; moody, withdrawn and selfish.  Air Signs, detached, idealistic and intellectual; cool,  superficial and unrealistic.

Now, remember, these are general characteristics to a Sign—and usually it’s in reference to the Sun Sign.  But the Elements also apply to the Moon Sign and Ascendant Sign (this is taken into account in myastrologylife.com’s analyses). Once the “heavy” in the triad is tallied, that will likely be the overriding Element reflected in your personality, regardless if it’s your Sun Sign’s or not. For example, if an Earth Sun Sign (Virgo, Capricorn or Taurus) has a Water Moon and Water Ascendant Sign (Cancer, Scorpio or Pisces), it’s likely that while you will have Earthy qualities (the Sun Sign’s element will always be at least a thread throughout one’s personality), the Water characteristics will be just as apparent if not more so in how you react emotionally (Moon) and appear to others (Ascendant).

As life has probably taught you by now, there is always a caveat! So, it won’t surprise you when we say there are additional scenarios that can influence the Element characteristics. Let’s say you have a Fire Sun Sign but your Moon and Ascendant are characterized by the Earth Element, plus you have a couple of planets in Earth Signs. It’s likely you will appear more “earthy” than “firey”.  And there are more scenarios that can influence the Element characteristics, but let’s leave that be for now and focus on the Sun Sign. Let’s  have some fun: See if the Element for your Sun Sign aptly describe your general personality.  If it doesn’t, ask several people close to you to give you 3-5 adjectives that would describe your general personality.  Classify them accordingly for your Element Tally. What did you get?

By • Elements, Zodiac Signs • • Tags: , , , , , ,

chart

Apr 3 2013

Basic Architecture of a Birth Chart

 

“Having a combination of these Conjunctions, Oppositions, Squares and Trines/Sextiles is actually a good thing, with the red and yellow aspects indicating opportunities for personal growth, success, genius and inspiration, often with much hard work, but well worth it! … Or not.”

For those of you who might be unfamiliar with birth charts, we thought it would be a good idea to describe to you the basic architecture of a birth chart against a visual of an actual birth chart. This will help give you a reference point should you have an analysis done (and is included) and it will also help you with some of the common vocabulary used throughout myastrologylife.com’s content.  We will build upon this post with others, adding more information each time, so it might be easier to absorb and learn. And there is always Google should you desire to investigate things further in the meantime. Just be careful in your research and to be sure to confirm your “answers” by finding at least 3 sources that offer similar information. There can be a lot of varying information floating around our virtual world, and much of it can be misleading. OK, on to the “lesson”. Please reference the image as you read.

1) Houses are represented on the 360-degree Astrological Wheel by the pie-shaped pieces. There are 12 total, usually of varying sizes using the Placidus House System. Houses 1-6 are below the horizontal line, beginning with the First House on the left (or eastern) side, below the dark horizontal line. Houses 7-12 are above the horizontal line, with the 7th house the first one on the right, above the horizontal line. Each House varies in size and represents an area/areas of one’s life. Generally, the Frst House represents Self, Second Value; Third Communication/Nearby Community/Short Distance Trips/Primary Education; Fourth Home/Parent/Ancestors; Fifth Creativity/How We Love One-on-One; Sixth Service/Health/Day-to-Day Work; Seventh One-on-One Partnerships; Eighth Sex/Other People’s Finances & Property/Occult/Inheritance; 9th Religion/Philosophy/Foreign Travel/Higher Education; 10th Career/Public LIfe/Parent; 11th Groups/Organizations/Friends/How Others Love Us; 12th Hidden Matters/Karma.  Mind you, the meanings listed here are generally the primary ones for each house, but by no means the finite list.

Astrological Sign Symbols
Astrological Sign Symbols

2) The Symbols on the outer ring of the chart Astrological Wheel are the Astrological Signs. As with the Houses, there are 12 Astrological Signs, each representing 30 degrees of space. The natural order of the signs is: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces (more on that in another post). Whatever Sign begins a House is considered the House’s Ruling Sign. In this chart Cancer is Rising (First House). Then the signs follow in consecutive order from that point on. Cancer is followed by: Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus and ending with Gemini Ruling the 12th.

3) The various Symbols you see scattered within the Houses are the Celestial Bodies (often just referenced as planets and luminaries). These are the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto. Additionally there are important angles/points included in a birth chart, including the Ascendant (always represented by the Astrological Sign that rules your First House) and the North Node (the earphone shaped symbol). Each one of these has a place in your chart, falling in a House and in a Sign. For example, this person Sun is in the 10th House/Pisces; Moon in the 6th House/Sag; Jupiter 9th House/Aquarius; North Node 8th House/Aquarius. Can you find them?

Astrological Symbols for Celestial Bodies (Planets, Luminaries, North Node)
Astrological Symbols for Celestial Bodies (Planets, Luminaries (but for the earphone shaped North Node)

4) The green lines indicate Trines and Sextile, aka harmonious, aspects between the CBs or angles they connect. For example, here, Moon/6th/Sag  is Trine Venus/10th/Aries; Sun 10th/Pisces is Sextile Mars/7th/Capricorn and North Node/8th/Aquarius.

5) The red lines are Oppositions, a hard aspect, which represent areas where there is a sort of “tug of war” between the CBs or angles  they connect In this case there is only one opposition—Jupiter/9th/Aquarius Opposite Uranus/3rd/Virgo (barely).

6) The yellow lines are Squares, another hard aspect, forming a tension between the connected CBs or angle. An example here is Pluto/11th/Taurus Squares Uranus/3rd/Virgo (barely).

7) The small red lines are Conjunctions, also considered a hard aspect, but one that’s “easier” than the others, providing an emphasis or intense focus of energy between the CBs or angle. Here, there’s only one: Mars/7th/ Capricorn Conjuncts North Node/7th/Capricorn.

These aspects all are determined by the angles/degrees (within a margin, not exceeding 10 degrees) between the CBs and angles/points involved. For example, a Trine represents 120 degrees between two (or more) CBs and/or angles/points, give or take up to 8ish degrees; a Sextile 60 degrees within margin; an Opposition 180 degrees within margin; a Square 90 degrees) within margin; and a Conjunction 0 degrees within margin (in case of a Conjunction 2 degrees or so).

Having a combination of these Conjunctions, Oppositions, Squares and Trines/Sextiles is actually a good thing, with the red and yellow aspects indicating opportunities for personal growth (Wayne Dyer), success (Steve Jobs), genius (Einstein) and inspiration (Deepak Chopra), often with much hard work, but well worth it! The green aspects represent areas of ease that can be capitalized upon to help manifest a positive outcome of the squares and oppositions, especially as you mature. Or not. Sometimes it can depends on how you allow these aspects affect your personality and choices. At myastrologylife.com, despite any struggle there might be, we choose to focus on the positive side of the coin, and you can, too.

There are several more aspects, all determined by the degrees between them, but the aforementioned three are the basic and most common ones to be concerned about for now.

Note: The colors used to represent the aspects are myastrologylife.com’s…and much to the chagrin of one astrologer colleague…and are not necessarily industry standard.

BTW: Can you guess whose chart this is? There is an Easter Egg, but we’ll be sure to tell all soon.

By • Birth Chart, Famous People, Zodiac Signs • • Tags: , , , , , , , ,