October Eclipse Readings

Eclipses Are Major Turning Points, And Why You Should Always Leave Room for Surprise

Agnes Pelton, Orbits, oil on canvas, 1934

As we approach the Fall of eclipses of 2023, I wanted to take a moment to tell you a bit about them, and to let you know that I will be offering Eclipse Readings through October 13th. I will also share a personal eclipse story to illuminate how they can impact our lives in profound and surprising ways — and why you should always leave room for the unexpected (no matter what the astrology appears to be saying).

Since ancient times and across cultures, eclipses have regarded as a time where the normal patterns of daily life are suspended and thrown off course by the temporary occlusion of the sun’s light, generating awe and terror in its observers. Coming from the Greek word meaning “disappearance”, eclipses seem to coincide with high gusts of change, kicking up psychic debris and instigating major beginnings and endings (especially when impacting a planet or point in your birth chart specifically). When this happens, major life shifts can occur that often have the quality of feeling fated.

Calculating an eclipse, from 15th c Germany

Eclipses always occur near the North and South Nodes of the Moon, which travel as a pair in opposite signs of the zodiac, and have been depicted as a dragon head and tail since the dawn of astrology. The Dragon’s Head as the North Node represents desire, increase, gain, and accumulation; the Dragon’s Tail as the South Node symbolizes release, surrender, loss, and letting go. Thus, eclipses tend to highlight where we are being pushed to grow and expand (and where we can sometimes be blinded by an insatiable hunger), or else where we are being encouraged to let go and release (and where we sometimes resist change).

The Nodes as a dragon, Peter Apian, "Astronomicum Caesareum" 1540

2023 brings the end of the Taurus-Scorpio eclipses (which began in late 2021) and the beginning of Aries-Libra eclipses (which began with an Aries eclipse in April 2023). Whereas the Taurus-Scorpio axis deals with resources and security, the Aries-Libra axis highlights questions of relationship — to the self and to others.

The eclipse on October 14th marks the first Libra eclipse in almost two decades. It is a South Node eclipse, highlighting themes of release and surrender, but it is also a New Moon eclipse, which indicates beginnings and new seeds being planted. That these two themes are highlighted simultaneously suggests that something must be released in order for something new to take root.

The story that will play out across your Libra and Aries houses are the site of these beginnings and endings, and I would love to help you glimpse the possibilities of what this new cycle may catalyze for you. I have 7 spots available before October 14th for Eclipse Readings, and if you’re so inclined, you can book yours below!

The second eclipse of the Fall season, the Taurus eclipse on October 28th, closes out a two year Taurus-Scorpio eclipse cycle which began in November of 2021. This eclipse will act as a kind of closure on whatever has transpired for you over this eclipse series — at least until the next Scorpio-Taurus eclipses occur in 2041.

If I may look back at the Taurus-Scorpio eclipses for a moment: as a Scorpio rising, they occurred across my 1st house of identity and my 7th house of committed partnership. These eclipses coincided almost to the day with two very different kinds of life events: major financial losses due to investments which had been made under misleading pretenses, as well as the official intertwining of my life to my now husband through marriage and a wedding. As I was forced to let go of my attachment to that which brought me a sense of security (Scorpio South Node eclipses in the 1st house), I was also reconfiguring my identity as an essentially autonomous person through marriage (Taurus North Node eclipses in my 7th house of partnership).

Because of how precisely the first two Scorpio eclipses coincided with financial losses (in May and November of 2022), I was looking towards the third and final Scorpio eclipse of May 2023 with a slight feeling of dread. It had all the markings of a decidedly gnarly moment (the Moon in fall in Scorpio conjunct the South Node, ruled by Mars in fall in Cancer, opposite Uranus in Taurus). It was also within 1 degree of my Ascendant, the most sensitive part of any chart, making this the most personal eclipse in my lifetime thus far. Against my better judgement, I couldn’t stop myself from wondering and worrying, what else would I lose?

The Great Eclipse of 1878, pastel drawing by E.L. Trouvelot, 1878

If you read my last newsletter, you will already know that I discovered I was pregnant during the Mercury cazimi on May 1st (from an at-home test). As it turned out, May 5th was the day that I received official confirmation of this pregnancy from a blood test done at my doctor’s office. Suffice to say that this news, received on the day of the final Scorpio eclipse, came as a tremendous relief and underscored the theme, experienced earlier in the year through my marriage, of a deep reconfiguration of my sense of self. The signatures of the eclipse were on point: a highly personal loss of some aspect of my identity (as a biologically individual person) was underway, but it was also an opportunity to expand my definition of self to include the possibility of new life.

Agnes Pelton, Departure, oil on canvas, 1952

I share this personal tale with you to illustrate how, even when the astrological signatures inspire fear, trepidation, or anxiety, it is always in our best interest to leave room to be surprised. So for all the Libra risings out there, who will also have the South Node eclipses in your 1st house of identity: ye shall not forget that experiences of loss, release, and surrender can also act as catalysts for massive gifts. Everyone will experience this eclipse in some part of your chart, so this sentiment applies to all, though to varying degrees of intensity based on your chart.

With astrology, planetary cycles recur and morph and re-iterate, but they don’t ever truly end. It is us who have definite endings, though we have been granted the gift (or curse?) of living inside time, and to have the distinctly human experience of living through endings and beginnings in many ways, both big and small, throughout our lives. Eclipses are like micro-moments of the birth and death process, and if you feel called to explore, I would be thrilled to be your astrological guide through this season of change.

Venus Direct/Mercury Direct

Newsletter from September 4th, 2023

Venus with Taurus and Libra, from the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, 1945

Dear Reader,

Alas! As of today, Venus has emerged from her 40 day retrograde visit to the underworld, and is preparing to be re-birthed anew. Now visible in the early morning skies, Venus’ re-emergence symbolizes an opportunity to reflect on what’s transpired over the past month and a half. For a review of your Venus retrograde horoscopes by rising sign, click here. A common theme of Venus retrogrades is breaking or renewing attachments to precious people, projects, desires and ideals. What (if anything) have you uncovered, been surprised by, reclaimed, re-subscribed to, un-subscribed to, or reconnected with in the past month and a half? Did it in any way link to or rhyme with what was happening in August-September of 2015* (the last time Venus went retrograde in Leo)?

La Volupte (Sensual Pleasure), vintage French playing card

And although Mercury is still retrograde (thus hijinx), this week promises a moment of clarity and insight via the Sun-Mercury cazimi which happens on Wednesday, September 6th. A cazimi is a short window of time when Mercury (the planet of communication and messages) enters “the heart of the Sun” — astronomically speaking, when they are at the exact same degree of the zodiac. This phenomenon is associated with revelations, insights, breakthroughs, and receiving messages or news of importance, as the communicative power of Mercury is amplified and illuminated during these few hours.

Robert Fludd, from Utriusque Cosmi, 1621

If you’re so inclined, you may take this moment on this day to pull a tarot card. Or you may prefer to let life reveal what it will, through conversations, communications, encounters, or dreams. It’s a good day for staying a little extra alert to what you hear, see, read, and think. Sometimes these cazimi insights are as soft as a whisper, and sometimes they are as loud as the angel’s trumpet on the Judgement card.

Judgement, from the Tarot Minchiate Florentinas

I will offer a recent example from my own life:

Earlier this year on May 1st, the Sun and Mercury formed a cazimi in the sign of Taurus. It was during this cazimi that I discovered I was pregnant.

I took an at home pregnancy test because I was a couple days late, though I figured it was due to an irregularity in my cycle rather than a pregnancy. I thought this was the case because my husband and I were under the impression that it would be exceedingly difficult to become pregnant naturally. It had only been a couple of weeks since a fertility doctor told us (after reviewing some tests) that we had a less than 3% chance of getting pregnant without medical interventions.

I read the positive result of my at home pregnancy test with disbelief, and immediately looked to the chart of the sky at that moment — there was Mercury and Sun, both at 11 degrees of Taurus, meeting in my 7th house of one-on-one partnerships. While the 7th house isn’t typically associated with children or pregnancy, I can’t imagine a more intimate partnership than having another living being growing inside of you, absorbing everything that travels through you, physically and psychically. A revelation about a partnership, indeed, and easily the most profound and life changing *message* I’ve ever received.

Robert Fludd, from Utriusque Cosmi, 1621

I share this to illustrate the ways in which observing the astrological currents can infuse your own life with a kind of heightened awareness to the symbolic dimension of reality — which in turn, can promote a deepened appreciation (or at least a greater acceptance) for whatever life brings. If you’d like a thorough understanding of how this Venus retrograde, the Mercury cazimi, or the upcoming Fall astro-weather may impact your own life, I would be happy to assist with a one-on-one consultation, which you can book here.

Venus in Leo Retrograde Horoscopes

Venus and Cupid by Lorenzo Lotto, 1520

Venus, the planet of love, beauty and values, goes retrograde from July 22nd - September 3rd for 40 days and 40 nights. If that length of time sounds familiar, it might be because it appears numerous times throughout the Bible (or perhaps because of the early 2000s rom-com starring Josh Hartnett). In both the movie and the Bible, 40 days and nights is time in which someone (Moses, Noah, Elijah, Josh, etc) was tested in order to receive illumination or absolution (or a date with Shannon Sossamon) following a period of trials and tests.

40 weeks is also the average length of time it takes to gestate a human life —as well as the period following birth, commonly referred to as “the first 40 days”, a necessary period of healing, rest and integration. 40 seems to denote a meaningful length of time in which one can endure a challenge, reflect on it, and come through it alchemized in some way.

Ancient Roman uterus talisman for childbirth

During the retrograde period, Venus descends to the Underworld to help us reignite lost connections, re-think creative projects, reconnect with forgotten pleasures, and recover shards of connection to our true selves which got lost in the forward-momentum of life’s usual pace. Since it’s happening in Leo, there will be overarching themes of re-evaluating our self-expression, creative urges, and our impulses for originality and individuality. Additionally, the people and activities which bring a sense of joy, pleasure, ease and connection may be up for review.

Medieval alchemical illustration of Leo and the Sun

During the retrograde, Venus will come as close in her orbit as she ever gets to the Earth. Symbolically, Venus’ proximity to us helps us to magnify our true desires and to examine them intimately. This period of review, re-examination, and re-evaluation of where we put our relational, libidinal and creative energy can help us to refine and clarify our desires, claim them, and emerge from this period with a deeper, heart-felt connection to that which we want to be in relationship with, to express, and to radiate.

Read on for your rising sign-based horoscopes (or if you use Placidus, you can look them up based on what house/s the retrograde will hit).

Aries Rising / 5th House Venus Rx

The Birth of Venus by Alexandre Cabanel, 1875

Venus will be retrograding through your 5th house of creativity, romance and fertility, representing that which we give life to either literally or metaphorically. The tug to re-examine what you want to create may feel especially strong, with an air of heaviness or seriousness as you review and reconsider what you’re putting your energy into. You may no longer feel satisfied by once brought a sense of pleasure and this period can help you refine what brings a deeper sense of joy. If you feel abandoned by your creative muses or your usual pathways to fun, allow a new current of inspiration to find you by digging through forgotten mediums and abandoned or unfinished projects. When this period ends, you can emerge with a renewed vitality and connection to your creative and life-giving energy.

Taurus Rising / 4th House Venus Rx

Snuffbox with decoration of Venus and Cupid, Jean Baptiste Carnay, 1766

Venus will be retrograding through your 4th house of home, family, foundations, and your past or lineage. During Venus’ sojourn through the roots of your chart, you may be prompted to review some aspect of your current or past home life. Whether you are considering literally moving house, redecorating, or are reconnecting with family, this period can be fruitful for aligning with a deeper set of values and principles in your home life. You could be uncovering some aspect of your family past or reconnecting to an aspect of your childhood which allowed you to feel creative, expressive, and playful. When this period ends, you can emerge with new ideas about what you need to feel authentically yourself at home.

Gemini Rising / 3rd House Venus Rx

18th c French decorative paper featuring Venus

With Venus retrograding through your 3rd house, you may be prompted to review your daily routines, communications with others, social activity, and the general amount of noise in your daily activities. Venus slowing down here can prompt you to reconsider what of your daily habits and patterns brings a true sense of joy, pleasure, and creative stimulation; and what feels less exciting or draining. If you’ve been working on translating an idea into a communicable form or media, you could be reviewing and re-working the way you want to get your message out in ways that are truly resonant with what you want to share, express or communicate. Allow this period to help you let go of, shift, and reconnect with your creative expression in unexpected ways.

Cancer Rising / 2nd House Venus Rx

Pendant with Venus and Cupid on a Dolphin, Alfred Andre, 1865

Venus will retrograde through your 2nd house of resources, prompting you to review the ways you earn money and the values that guide your income-generating activities. This period could also motivate you to review your possessions and assets to understand if they are offering you maximum pleasure and value. You could be reconsidering the ways that your self-expression or creativity impact the way/s that you earn money with a desire to calibrate a more clear expression of self. It may require a re-prioritization of resources or projects to allow you to see what work efforts are truly worth your time. If your sense of self-worth is deeply enmeshed with your income, this period of time could offer some opportunities to examine and disentangle these aspects of self.

Leo Rising / 1st House Venus Rx

The Planet Venus, German, mid-16th c

Venus will retrograde through your 1st house of self and identity, offering you some major opportunities to reflect on the way you channel your essence outwards through your style, presentation of self, and your persona. You may feel like your self-presentation is no longer resonant with who you feel you are now, and you want to channel your essence outwards with more specificity, performativity, play, and jouissance. There may also be opportunities to assess whether you feel supported to be your true self in the context of your close relationships, and to make adjustments if not. This retrograde can offer you opportunities to tweak your inner sense of identity as well as your outward appearance, and work to make changes so that they are in more alignment with each other.

Virgo Rising / 12th house Venus Rx

Venus and Psyche Pointing to the Underworld, 1530

Venus’ underworld journey happens in the part of your chart which corresponds neatly to your own underworld: the part of your psyche which is just beyond conscious awareness, the place where subconscious motivations, fears, and desires can bubble to the surface through dreams, intuitive insights, or nagging feelings. What Venus reveals during the retrograde can help you to reclaim something that’s been cast into the shadows — a part of your heart, your creativity, or your desire for self-expression which may slowly make itself known over this period of time. Stay open to receiving insights or clues in unexpected ways, which can help you reconnect to something vital that lives deep within. This period of time can offer you the opportunity to transform something that feels shadowy, fearful or unknown into a source of strength, creativity and pride.

Libra Rising / 11th House Venus Rx

Venus talisman with symbol of Libra, 16th-18th c

Venus’ retrograde tour through your 11th house of social and professional networks can instigate a period of review and adjustment in your social life, where you want to direct your social energy, and how that intersects with your larger hopes, aspirations and goals. With Leo on your 11th house, you may feel the need to connect with groups which allow you to feel a part of something larger, creative, and inspiring. The ways in which your friendships or alliances may feel disappointing or challenging can be highlighted during this time, prompting you to realign with those who you feel more connected to or who mirror your own creative energy.

Scorpio Rising / 10th House Venus Rx

Venus Triumphant by Fatima Ronquillo, 2017

Venus will be retrograding through your most public house of your vocation and career, prompting you to re-examine some aspect of the way that you show up in your professional role/s. With Leo on your 10th house, you’re driven to make your professional work a vehicle for self-expression, play and creativity, a place where you can channel your essence into your work. This retrograde might prompt you to reimagine how you express this part of yourself, initiating untold re-brands, launches and new offerings. How can what you “do” be more You — or at least, some version of you? Use this period to examine the ways that you can show up more confidently in your work and you can emerge from it with a renewed clarity on what values you want to embody and offer the world.

Sagittarius Rising / 9th House Venus Rx

Temple of Venus, manufactured by Meissen Manufactory, 1710

With Venus retrograding through your 9th house of higher values, you may find that this period draws you into an imaginative reverie on your ideals, beliefs and big-picture goals, with a desire to re-imagine how you embody them in the world. This can be an expansive time where you reformulate some aspect of what guides you creatively or ideologically, and a time where you can reconnect to some forgotten ideal, wish or idea that serves to inspire you and remind you of a buried but important truth. You might find that the prism through which you see the world expands, as you notice more facets to the jewel and observe the multitude of beautiful perspectives available to you. Through this process, you can formulate new paradigms of beauty, self-expression, and creativity.

Capricorn Rising / 8th House Venus Rx

Bath of Venus by Sir Edward Jones, 1890s

The shadows that live in your 8th house of sex, death and money are ripe for examination during the Venus retrograde. During this time, you can uncover some buried psychic treasure through therapy, journaling, or other forms of self-exploration which reveal your own forgotten desires and needs within partnership. This time could also see you reviewing your financial agreements and shared financial responsibilities with others to renegotiate and find new ways of sharing the load. The way through this retrograde is to go within and to look at what you share with others (emotionally, sexually, or financially) and to examine the ways that these agreements can be made more equitable, expansive or creative.

Aquarius Rising / 7th House Venus Rx

Venus and Mars engraved gem, ancient Greece

Venus will retrograde through your 7th house of committed relationships, prompting you to recover forgotten pleasures, people, or desires within partnership. If you’re in a committed romantic or business partnership, you may be reviewing the relational needs, wants, and agreements (spoken or otherwise) between you, with the intention of setting new patterns in your relationship. If feelings of boredom or disenchantment start to percolate, allow them to be the bread crumbs that lead you towards greater connection and pleasure. If you’re not attached, you could be revisiting connections from the past, though you could also just be reviewing the ways you want to show up in partnership in ways that feel more embodied, more true to who you are now.

Pisces Rising / 6th House Venus Rx

Anatomical Venus, Fontana Workshop, 1780

Venus will be retrograding through your 6th house of daily routines, health, and employment, prompting you to examine the structure and contents of your daily life. If your routines start to feel dull or limiting, you may be prompted to discover new pathways to pleasure, new ways of seeking employment or new health regimens that feel more expansive. Allow any feelings of boredom or limitation to guide you towards what feels more exciting, expansive and inspiring. If your days feel weighed down by boredom and drudgery, Venus’ retrograde tour wants to show you the way out and back towards a feeling of aliveness in your body and in your days.