The four planets that are easiest to see in the sky are Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn. In the past month, Venus swept past Jupiter visible in the morning sky, and Mars crept past Saturn viewable in the evening sky.
Right now, I am staying with friends in Southern California in a beautiful house with an amazing view toward the east. The sunrise here is about 40 minutes later than in Austin. When I first arrived about a week ago, I got to see Venus separating from Jupiter and heading toward the sun. Each day, Jupiter appears higher above the pending sunrise, and Venus closer to it. As I mentioned earlier, Venus will join the sun in late October and then become an evening star.
I’ve also been keeping tabs on Mars and Saturn as they continue to separate. The best way to see them is in the western sky during and after dusk. This particular conjunction hit me hard, so I’m glad to see it waning.
Today, we have another (very brief) conjunction, but not one that you can see. The moon will pass by Pluto (@11 Capricorn 5) at 9:56 am PDT. The moon conjuncts Pluto once a month, however this time, it happens in close aspect to the sun (@12 Virgo 5) and Jupiter (@10 Leo 55).
In the past two Tarot readings, both Death and The Emperor have shown up together. Picking 8 cards out of 78 and getting the same two twice is unlikely…except when it is an active meme. When I look at today’s chart, I see that same meme again.
Jupiter in Leo feels very much like The Emperor. The Emperor represents empowerment. The words even look the same. Fire signs are active, but Leo is Fixed Fire. It is a slow and steady burn. The sun is the ruler of Leo, which is appropriate. To me, the sun is about will, presence, personality, and being-ness (not necessarily doing-ness).
I often say this: The Emperor sits on his throne. He sits within his empowerment. He is no longer trying to prove his worth…to himself or others. He owns his worth. The Emperor card is not about taking action, but rather being within a state where one is ready, willing, and able to take (future) action, if / when needed.
In life, we, as human men and women, sometimes struggle with empowerment. We don’t feel worthy in our being-ness. We feel like we have to earn respect, earn wealth, earn health, etc. We are constantly looking for what we can do to improve our situation, our feelings, our happiness…
Jupiter in Leo says you are worthy. Do as an expression of who you are; do not do in order to prove who you are. Do because it is fun. Show off your assets and talents.
Death, in the Tarot, is about transformation…and in Astrology that equates to Pluto. Transformation takes time, and Pluto is a very slow planet. We don’t live long enough to see Pluto lap the sun.
Jupiter in Leo is showing us where to be. Pluto is showing us how to get there. The moon is reminding us that if we follow our heart, the journey is not a labor, but an adventure. And the Virgo sun is telling us to pay attention to the details.
These days, I’m building another chicken coop, but one that is much larger than the previous two. When you’re building something big, small errors get magnified. When you’re placing a two-foot board at an angle, a degree one way or the other will be unnoticed. But for a ten-foot board, a full degree will put you inches off at the far end.
Jupiter in Leo wants you to go long. Go for the 60-yard pass…the time is right. Apply all that you have been working on for the past 2 years, 7 years, or 12 years. Give it a shot, and then observe the results. Virgo has a keen eye, so really look at the details…what worked and what didn’t work. But don’t fall into the trap of over-emphasizing the error, just make the adjustment and try again.
Mars was pushing us as he neared Saturn. There was a feeling of urgency. Saturn slowed him down and now progress is rolling along at a more comfortable pace.
Take inventory of your own empowerment. You may feel empowered in some areas, and doubtful in others. Jot down your findings, and then set your GPS to guide you where you want to go. Remember, GPS only tells you what to do next (or maybe the next two steps). It never tells you to go faster…to hurry up. It never says, “If you don’t turn now, you’ll miss your opportunity.”
And celebrate the moments as they pass. Today is opening day for the NFL, and we’ll be gathered around the TV for it! We’ll also show off our progress on the chicken coop project and others…
A Fool's Inclination 