A PISCEAN LIFE:
When he was four, older brother Gerard died. Jack later said he followed him throughout his life as a guardian angel. He was influenced by James Joyce’s stream of consciousness style; his books include The Subterraneans, Dharma Bums, On the Road; he wrote poetry, and about jazz and sex; deep love of Catholicism spirituality and serious student of Buddhism. Unparalleled influence on generation of artists and writers. Venus, ruler 2 and 9, exalted in Pisces and in mutual reception with Jupiter in Libra, ruler 4 and 7.
Born the day before a lunar eclipse: preponderance of mutable signs (angles & luminaries). His family was from Quebec, he spoke French exclusively until age 6. He died at age 47, a 12h profected year, ruled by the Sun.
“The fact that everybody in the world dreams every night ties all mankind together"
"Be in love with your life, every detail of it."

Words and inspiration: Mary Plumb ...

MERCURY ENTERS PISCES

A small bubble of air slips through the cracks of the ocean floor and begins its ascent to the surface.

Oxygen from the earth’s core has never seen the light of day - never mixed with the open expanse of our atmosphere.

Upon reaching its climax, this little air pocket will surely lose its shape and form - all its sense of individuality that it carried with it on its upward journey.

Is something being lost here? Or gained? Is union a threat to autonomy or a release from the agony of separation?

There remain places on this planet that human beings have never been - pristine habitats undisturbed by influences outside their own ecosystem.

Perhaps some things are better left a mystery - a notion that might offend the human mind… and ego.

Precious are the insights of the deep - made rare by the fact that the majority might not have the faculty (maybe courage?) to travel there.

The wandering poets of all eras tell us perennial stories of things that exist beyond our ordinary realm of knowing.

If we listen carefully, their words may invoke a trembling sensation of life inside us - their measured breathing begets our own.

The truth often shakes us at our core, releasing something unadulterated from our center. The ascent is slow and arduous… but any pilgrimage, ending at a merger with something larger than ourselves is well worth it.

Words: Ross O’Brien
Image: @acid__memories ...

Mentally here today... how about you?
What’s your Astro mood? ...

There is a huge vibe shift now, as Venus and Mars continue their co-created hero’s journey tightly wrapped around each other, as they leap across the chasm from physical yin Capricorn to mental yang Aquarius. 
This is the first time since early November that Venus hasn’t been in Capricorn.
Aquarius is Saturn’s daytime sign, and this new lens brings a fresh, cutting edge perspective to relationship matters.
Leaving Pluto in the rearview mirror is good news for all, and we know that forward thinking strategies are the key navigating these strange times.
The Aries Moon (never known for its tranquility) makes harsh squares to Pluto, Venus, and Mars today, although today also features the super fabulous, once every twelve years, Jupiter in Pisces cazimi with the Sun, which certainly does quite a bit to offset the jangly, cardinal-square vibe with some warm golden honey love. Drink deeply from this well as it is a magic healing balm that can be applied to your life in many ways.

Words: @paetratauchertastrology
Image: @junkheap ...

VENUS, MARS & PLUTO CONJUNCT IN CAPRICORN

The story of the hero, having to traverse the depths of the underworld to ‘rescue’ their beloved is an archetypal story that spans across time and culture - many religious/spiritual traditions have their own version of this myth.

Blatantly ruling out a grand coincidence here, the application of the underworld motif, to me, indicates the presence of a more universal and cosmic principle.

Certainly, every human ever born has had to contend with the idea of death and what occurs both during and beyond it.

Is the underworld a place or state of being? Is it something outside of us or does it exist within?

Our answers to these questions go a long way in determining our relationship to life and how we live it. Whether or not we find ourselves philosophizing, our underpinning ideologies always have an influence on our praxis.

When Pluto is at play, we are working with the hell realms. If that sounds bleak AF, it need not be. Pluto is also known as Hades, which simply means ‘the Hidden One.'

What if hell is not all 'fire and brimstone' but rather an allegory for the shadows hiding in our subconscious?

There’s a lifetime worth of unpacking to do here but fear not, I will pay my therapist for her time rather using this as a platform for processing my Judeo-Christian trauma.

If we wish to truly be in love (not simply from a romantic POV), then perhaps we must traverse our own personal hell(s) too, in order to actualize it in our lives.

For what other way, than mitigating the paralyzing effects of our ego, can we be fully be in union with another? And to alleviate the destructive patterns of our shadows, the first step is always beginning to know and understand them.

Words: Ross O’Brien
Image: ‘medicine’ gustav klimt ...

March New and Full Moons

March 2 hosts unarguably the most magical New Moon since the last time a New Moon joined Jupiter & Neptune in Pisces, in 1856.
I couldn’t come up with a more mystical combination if I tried. These wild times call for all hands on deck in terms of our guides, angels, protectors and totems.
We are the ones incarnated on Earth right now, but the invisible realm is in complete attendance. What happens here on Earth affects much more than just us. Our corridor of connection right now to divine is largely through prayer, meditation, and dreams, don’t hesitate to use them often, especially now.
This powerful New Moon is a crucial piece to the puzzle as we all start to feel the effects of the ayahuasca session known as the US Pluto return, (also featuring Mars, Venus, & Pluto at the US return degree.
Among other things being highlighted are the darkest parts of government control, overreach, and the desire to send our young people into war. 
This is a giant battle of good and evil that is so much more than what’s happening in Kiev. The New Moon also makes a tight sextile to Uranus, reminding us that we HAVE to move forward into the future, and that our old ways have brought us to this dangerous point. This is a cycle overseen by archangels.

The Full Moon in Virgo on St. Patrick’s Day (aka Reclaim the Snakes Day as the “snakes” Patrick drove out of Ireland were representative of the Old Goddess religion that predated Christianity by a long stretch) highlights the same magical conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune, but this phase brings some practicality into things.
The annual Virgo Full Moon always brings common sense into the mystical. By vibe, it’s definitely the origin of “Chop wood, carry water” before and after the enlightenment.
The Full Moon is singing in harmony with the North Node and Pluto, helping us to groove in our bodies in a sexy way. The erotic is the pulse of life and this Moon is juicy in perhaps a sort of kinky way, as Venus is in Aquarius, lovers of deviation from the norm.

Words: @paetratauchertastrology
Image: unknown. ...

This evening Mars the red hot planet of war, in a sign he feels very powerful in, joins Pluto at the degree of the US Pluto return. I am concerned about this activation to an already hot situation.
The presence of Venus alleviates things some, but she’s not in a position to do much good, it’s more that she’s in attendance of this meeting between the God of War with the Lord of the Underworld.

There is some help and hope as this team makes a trine to the North Node in Taurus. This reminds everyone that we are in service of the life force and that the shedding of old destructive matter and manners can be turned into fertile compost that aids in the rebirth that always comes after death, in
whatever form we find it.

Mercury joins Saturn at 18° Aquarius and we are on the knife’s edge waiting to see what comes next. 

Prayers to all the gods and guides are advised as a way to help this ongoing situation.
Words: @paetratauchertastrology
Image: plumonk ...

Mercury in Aquarius reaches a fixed square with Uranus in Taurus this last week, asking us to work on the ways that our mind and body may be holding differing agendas.
There is a bit of a Mercury rx quality to this aspect that could see some strange glitches in your devices, your mind, as well as the matrix. Another layer to the weave is the separating, but still active sextile between Jupiter and Uranus.
This is a ‘cosmic scientist’ combination that reads like Rudolph Steiner’s work on Biodynamics,
a method of organic farming that incorporates lunar phases, planetary cycles, and the use of ritual substances.
Consider using this type of thinking to temper the fixed square between Mercury and Uranus. If mind and body must work together, then astrological wisdom is a way to blend them for effective use. This can be used for gardening and farming, as well as cultivating the fields of the mind.

Words: @paetratauchertastrology ...

PREMIERE: CHANGING OF THE GODS
Link in bio 🌸
Celebrating the long-awaited premiere of the ten-part documentary, Changing of the Gods, here are additional parts of the discussion that's in the current issue.

"Rick Tarnas: Regarding the Pluto return, I would include the importance of facing the shadow at the level of our national consciousness and conscience, and also the willingness to go through the purgatorial fire of transformation that is Pluto’s signature."
(Viewing details for the documentary at the end of the blog.)
*We highly recommend you go watch this while you can ✨⭐️ ...

SUN ENTERS PISCES

Today, we salute the season of the fish! Technically, it’s two fish but as ‘fish' is the plural of ‘fish’, I think the sentiment holds. There is something curious and provocative about the word ‘fish’ referring to both/either one or an infinite amount.

As a fellow water Sun, I feel particularly kindred to this sign and thus revel in the opportunity to spread some love to all of our Piscean people out there.

I am called to the expression: fish don’t know they’re in water.

The origin of this phrase may have come from David Foster Wallace, author of Infinite Jest or it may actually derive from a joke circulating the internet:

Fish 1: How’s the water today?
Fish 2: What the hell is water?

Love me a good existential Dad joke.

Fluidity has its assets and its liabilities.

With minimal solidity, we can mold and be molded to fit any container.

And yet, without a clear structure, the challenge is usually in the realm of boundaries. What is me and what is you when I can be anything that’s asked of me?

This is where the archetypal sensitivity of Pisces dances in the divine play of cosmic balance.

Dreams, creativity, empathy, imagination all require a certain ability to leave the ‘reality’ of the self. It’s a beautiful gift when we can wield it with some skill.

Can we learn to vacation, but not abandon, in the expressions of the ‘other’?

Other people, other ideas, other realms…

It would be an archetypal insensitivity for me to have anything concrete to say today… or perhaps I’m just looking for an excuse to ramble.

Thus! In conclusion! Ipso facto!

Fish-scaled flickers of brilliance in the deep, pioneers of the oceanic expanse, guardians of weird (unfamiliar) spiritual wisdom... we celebrate you Pisces, in all your formless forms.

Words: Ross O’Brien
Image: unknown. ...

US PLUTO RETURN: Two Patterns to Know

Check out the latest blog at the link in our bio!

"Stationary bodies form embeds in consciousness, points which become loci of energy and exert an outsized importance on character or events. They are the still points upon which the chart revolves. In this instance, it’s quite remarkable to see celestial markers for the US itself (America) and its federal government (Washingtonia), at a time when the nation comes under review for its handling and distribution of power (the Pluto Return). The solar stellium depicts the crisis at hand, with its focus (Sun) on the looming threat (Damocles) to democracy itself (Demokritos)." ...

February 12th
With @ryanevans_astrology
We have been through a lot. We are all continuing to go through a lot. Some models show that we will always be going through a certain amount of stuff and others show it intensifying. There are a couple models that show prosperity ebbing and flowing over the next several years and one or two possible realities where there is almost what we would consider to be a renaissance occurring. A lot of it depends on what humans choose here in the next few weeks. While this is always the case, our choices now greatly determine our future. The Universe is looking very closely at not only what we choose but how we choose. So, the trick is that it not only comes down to the choice but the manner in which we make that choice. Therefore, today, or this year if it’s your birthday, remember to make choices from the heart. Let’s remember to feel our way through these challenges and not just think our way through. As some of us struggle to survive either materially or emotionally, let’s do what we can to let go of the struggle part and find as much nurturing, healing, and support that we can amidst it all. Take a bath. Do some yoga. Sit at the window and watch the birds. This weekend let’s do what we can to restore our equilibrium in our emotional bodies by applying whatever technique for healing and restoration that we have acquired in our life. You know what works for you. Take really good care of yourself. It’s more important than we realize.
The gardening calendar says to nourish and nurture your plans.
The space calendar shows Asteroid 1495 Helsinki Closest Approach To Earth (1.981 AU) ...