I swear even if I didn’t study astrology, I’d know it was an Eclipse Week. It’s hard to articulate “eclipsey” vibes vs your average 2020-2022 craziness; suffice to say if you are feeling out of sorts or wondering if someone is acting weird, just file it under this week’s astrology.
First, Venus is about to be all up in our bizness, especially folks with personal planets in Pisces, Taurus, and Libra. Venus rules our self worth and everything we place value on. She also personifies how we identify in relationships so when she shows up hard in a reading, brace your heart for an upgrade. On Tuesday Ms Thing aspects the North Node, on Wednesday she meets up with Neptune, and finally on the day of the Solar Eclipse, she joins Jupiter… all in the sign of her exaltation, the archetype of the High Priestess. Meanwhile, Pluto is stationing to go retrograde on Friday and that just adds a whole other shade of weird to the situation. If you feel a power struggle brewing, just don’t. Pause is your bff The Solar Eclipse happens on Friday, and it’s conjunct Uranus AND (drumroll) it’s the eve of Beltane aka peak springtime. Then on Sunday Venus makes one more aspect to Pluto thus wrapping up a weird AF week. Instead of telling you what I think about how this could play out, I’m just gonna sit here with popcorn and watch. I’m feeling some Sansa Stark vibes (that could just be menopause) but like she went to a bunch of CODA meetings, found a good therapist and realized what a bad bitch she was. I mean nothing was more satisfying than watching that dog eat Ramsay’s face right?? Look, there’s a million astrologers out here in the metaverse. I’m just here to remind you that you matter, you’re a bad bitch, and you got this. Again, my Pisces, Taurus and Libra people are in for a wild ride. Buckle up All my clients this week have mentioned loneliness. Whether single, partnered, with or without children, there is an energy floating around that has got my people feeling some kinda way.
Is it that Jupiter amplifies the Sun’s mood as it traverses emo Pisces? Or maybe capitalism has us all thinking that our most important connections come from having one partner who loves us exactly right and a certain kind of family / friend group that shows up in a certain kind of way etc. My teacher always said that life is a mystery school and we’re all here learning love. Bell Hooks wrote that love’s purpose wasn’t to provide a permanent state of bliss or security but to transform us. Thich Nhat Hanh said that love is a desire to find our true home which is inside of each of us. This is the work. And Pisces is the way… through radical self compassion, brave vulnerability, and loving boundaries. Love is more than a feeling, it’s a way of life and a spiritual path. It’s so much bigger than one can imagine, and we get to explore all the ways, in this mystery school called life. It’s a strange and wonderful time here.
Carnival season is happening whether we like it or not. Everyone has mixed feelings, understandably, but I feel it’s a necessary step forward. As I marched through crumbling streets in the French Quarter last night, I looked back at my friends and thought, “Where am I??” It could’ve been 2022 or 1422 and it hit me that we all just experienced another middle age which means we’re due for another renaissance and enlightenment. So that’s something to be cheerful about. It also hit me that my friends and I are growing older… together. And wiser and gentler and grumpier (me). And that was a very sweet thing to realize at the peak of my own, personal middle age. The astrology right now is asking us to review our commitments and love languages. Venus is retrograde for three more weeks and this week she’s making harmonious aspects to Neptune, Juno and the Sun. Venus shows us what we value most, and we’re learning through her relationships how to upgrade our own. Pay attention to what and who you love. Are you holding back in any way? If so, can you observe, with compassion, any fear that might be the cause? And going deeper, can you hold that fear tenderly and say “thank you for keeping me alive but I’m going to release you” 🕊 SOLAR ECLIPSE 12° SAGITTARIUS
I recently told a friend that I don’t mention quincunxes in my posts because astrology is complicated enough! And yet this Solar Eclipse is in Sagittarius, a sign known for holding many truths at once. Not a bad idea to embrace paradox in the search for truth & wisdom. This weekend when the Moon and Sun form a quincunx to Uranus, we can expect a groundbreaking of sorts- unexpected and sudden shifts that lead us to the next leg of the journey. Saturn’s square to Uranus reminds us that boundaries are the bedrock of opportunity, and with the South Node leaving Sagittarius prepare for endings- old stories, philosophies, and moral identities. Pro tips:
It’s a choose your own adventure kind of week. You got this. Today I gathered these cones from a small cluster of pines in City Park. The same pines that I’ve seen owls perched in, way above the oaks and cypress. I grew up near the Black Forest in Germany where snow capped evergreens were part of the winter landscape. In contrast to stark white snow, the trees sent a message of resilience. I remember lighting my Advent’s wreath every Sunday night and praying with my Oma. The intimacy of our ritual gave me a feeling of warmth & belonging that I still cling to. I learned early on that creating coziness or “gemütlichkeit” was a necessity if one hoped to make it through those short, dark days. In the weeks leading up to the winter solstice, many of us find ourselves straddling the line between hope and despair. And yet something so magical, so promising is also in the air. We can trust that. Here’s a blessing from me to you as you find your way back to the light ✨✨✨ The astrology for December is all about getting down to the truth, no matter what. It seems like a given, but truth can be challenging for a number of reasons. In many cases, the closer we get the more we risk. Comfort, stability, and the idea that we’re in charge all goes to the wayside when we invite Truth to preside over our lives. We put ourselves at risk for disillusionment and failed expectations. We invite disappointment, and even scarier, we invite self-examination. And we also invite freedom. It’s no joke, “the truth will set you free.” The question is whether or not we’re ready to handle that kind of freedom. The Solar eclipse in Sagittarius happens at 1:43am (CT) on December 4th. As with all new moons, there will be endings. When anything leaves, a vacuum is created, and it’s not so much in the planting but in that sacred darkness that the magic happens. When we align ourselves with the Truth, I believe we have nothing to fear. Remember the litany against fear in my lunar eclipse post? Keep it in your pocket. LUNAR ECLIPSE 27° TAURUS
The Taurus / Scorpio axis is one of the most intense oppositions in astrology and if used wisely, can teach us to navigate fear. Taurus / Scorpio brings up early attachment (and with that comes early abandonment). Fear of losing what or who we love is the root of all shadow work in relationships. Some examples of how early abandonment manifests in adulthood… Fear it could be real. Fear of destroying it. Fear of being disappointed, tricked, hurt. Fear of rejection & betrayal. Fear of change. Fear of being trapped. And the greatest of all… fear of death. In the days leading up to the eclipse and the days following, the challenge is to sit with our fears and listen. What are they teaching us about our current attachment styles and our instincts to control or surrender? And as Scorpio Sun illuminates the Full Moon how do we embody the steadfast stamina of the Taurus to face our fear and own our projections? Here’s a mantra to get you through the eclipse. Rest assured that by the end of the week when the Sun crosses into Sagittarius, you’ll be feeling like a badass warrior witch. This is galvanizing astrology. “I have no fear, for fear is the little death that kills me over and over. Without fear I die but once.”
Blessed Solstice.
The sky is on fire. The moon is pregnant. Baby ducklings are everywhere, and we just had our first tropical storm of the season down here in New Orleans. With Sun, Venus, Jupiter and Neptune all in water signs, I'm thinking we might be in for a wet summer. Wet and dreamy... perfect for napping and making art and reading fiction. Not so great for making rational choices based solely on data & intellect. But that's exactly what the last solar eclipse was about... honing our instincts and opening that third eye. Trusting what we know without knowing, what we feel without seeing. Listening to our bodies, to nature, and to the stars. We are, after all, stardust. Here's to the beautiful bounty of the season. May you all be inspired to create new paradigms for living, to widen your perspectives and embody truth. Ashé |
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