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Astro-web tour

It’s been awhile since I collected others’ blogs and I think I found a good mix: some historical and political reports, a few great resources for research, some comforting words about loss, and a few comments about the near-term, that is, this week’s aspects. I hope you enjoy reading whatever draws you in this mix (and have time for it!).

The prolific writer and political observer Jude Cowell of Stars Over Washington writes October 13, 2015: The First Democratic Primary Debate. She first considers the horoscope of the “ringmaster of the evening,” moderator Anderson Cooper. If you are new to Jude’s writing, she is a well-versed astrologer and includes Sabians, midpoints, eclipse degrees, and much more in her analysis.

Doug Kellogg’s site, 500 Year Party: An astrological study of history and politics, has many substantive articles, accompanied by the beautiful and colorful chart graphics of his design.(Doug is a long-time astrologer and software programmer.) In the new post, linked above, Doug discusses the generations as defined by outer-planet markers.

Another entry, A Brief Look at 2016, focuses on the upcoming transit of Saturn over the U.S. Sibly Ascendant in Sagittarius, referring back to previous cycles of Saturn transiting conjunct the U.S. Ascendant — 1986, Reagan’s second term; 1957, the Cold War, etc. This transit will be accompanied by Neptune square the Sibly Ascendant. The Neptune square “is part of a bigger complex that will come into play in the following years. This Neptune square starts in the early spring of 2016, and by late spring we have Saturn on the Ascendant and Neptune square the Ascendant.”

AstroFix: the blog of an astrology addict, is an active spot that displays a mix of modalities well suited for the digital format — there are snapshots of aspects, lots of graphics and gifs, a lively comment section. Here’s a sample: Pluto/Ascendant aspects: Mesmerizing. Magnetic. Intense. Captivating. Entrancing. You don’t reach out to people, you wait for people to be drawn to you. You’re an enigma and people are fascinated by you. You don’t engage, you hypnotize. Opening doors to secret places with just a look. Gaining access to mysterious places by looks and manner alone. Making people believe you are powerful. You intimidate people. Making people believe you do in fact know secrets. Curl of concealment. No one says hi to you first.”

Jessica Shepherd at Moonkissd wrote a nice piece about Pluto, How to Burn, inspired by the rampage of loss in the California fires which triggered her memory of grievous loss earlier in her life. “It takes a very long time to come to terms with this loss, far longer than you believe you’ll be able to tolerate. You no longer have friends. Some were too fearful that what was happening to you could happen to them. Others moved on with their own lives…. … You’ve lost everything. You spend a lot of time crying, lost and in denial. The day you begin to accept your new reality is as sad and terrifying as it is liberating. You realize you still have a heart, at least, beating wildly for air, and maybe that is enough…….Yes, you will feel destroyed again. But you cannot be destroyed. You are eternal. When you forget this, go outside and stand in your garden. Feel the air on your skin. Let your puppy lick your face. Allow life to show you its generosity… in giving so much more than it takes away. Trust the beating of your wild heart as you do the rising Sun. Live from inside. Here.”

Patricia L. Walsh, Agent 999 at C*I*A, writes on Saturn in Sagittarius. She concludes: “The last time Saturn was in Sagittarius, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded seconds after launch (1986). Barring explosions, you may simply be torn between the urge for wider fields to romp in, while needing to handle responsibilities that limit your freedom. Focus is heightened, and there may be an urge to rush to the finish line as the goal is so clearly in sight, but that yellow brick road may have some misplaced bricks, causing bruised toes and stumbles. Slow down….and remember Dorothy’s biggest lesson, You already have everything you need…take time to notice what’s right in front of you ….. and keep your eyes on the road……….”

Philip M. Graves is a British astrological historian who has created a remarkable resource at his website, Astrolearn. There are various branches of his ambitious project, including “the establishment of a thorough online bibliography of printed astrological literature based upon direct access to and examination of the holdings of an archive of astrological literature.” Graves has collected astrological literature since 1995; he now has over 6,000 volumes of books and pamphlets, and over 9,000 individual issues of hundreds of periodicals.
In one section, there are succinct and detailed articles on 17 topics which he wrote between 2002- 2004 when he was an active and informed participant on several Internet forums. Topics herein include Introduction to Prenatal Eclipses and Introduction to Celestial Bodies.
There is also an assemblage of shorter articles, written for blogs or FB between 2006-2013.

Perhaps the main treasure of his work is the series of five DVDs archiving rare astrological literature. The DVDs are organized into five historical periods, beginning with From Lilly to Partridge: English Renaissance Astrology Texts, 1598 – 1723, and ending with Itinerant to Eternity: the Alan Leo Legacy, Volume Two — “Modern Astrology,” 1913 – 1938. The DVDs contain very high-quality, full-color scans from the original printings of books and journals that Graves has collected, “informed by an acquired wealth of specialised knowledge of the early modern history of western astrology, and driven by a passion to preserve and disseminate to today’s historians and astrologers its literary legacy.” The DVDs are extremely reasonably priced (approximately £45 or $70) with shipping and tax depending on the country. (Graves resides in Sweden.)

Astrolearn is an ongoing project “being run on a shoestring private budget,” and Graves invites others to be involved in his laudable work. He’s looking for new additions to his collection and is open to support from astrological organizations and individuals. His web site is unlike any other, so do go and see what he’s up to.

The Astrology Dictionary, a growing site written by Chris Brennan, is “designed to be a comprehensive online glossary and encyclopedia for people who need to look up the meaning of an astrological term or concept.” Along with definitions, there is relevant historical information and diagrams. Defined terms include those used in modern (e.g., outer planets) and traditional approaches (e.g., katarche), all very handy for those momentary memory lapses.

Suzi Dronzek at starcana has a short guide to the week’s aspects — When Perfection Matters. “Being on the same page as another may be a bit more challenging with an uncomfortable Sun/Pluto square on Tuesday, October 6. While we may ‘talk a great talk’ because of a Mercury/Saturn sextile; making good on our word could be an issue with the Mars/Neptune opposition on Tuesday night.”

From Astrology by Lauren: Astrologer, Astro-Blogger, incessantly seeking, from the far side of somewhere: Lauren writes an entry called Damage Control, on the general week’s aspects, followed by specific delineations for each of the twelve signs. “Although Mercury is swift and ephemeral, Saturn is slow and deliberate. So this is great weather for working on long-term projects that require deliberate focus and concentration: editing, reviewing, studying, researching. Mercury/Saturn is also very good for creating plans, or some sort of road map, and organizing the next few months as well as our calendars.”

Onwards everyone. Have a good week and stay connected.

1 Comment

  1. Hmm, nice write up; love the astrofix link. thanks


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