Pallas Astrology

Archetypal Astrology, Tarot & Counseling by Maud Gemmeke

Astrology Forecasts

Musings on Venus retrograde in Capricorn (and the mythology of Inanna)

(Photographer unknown. Please let me know if you know who took this picture.)

“When Venus retrogrades we get to work with all that is in opposition to it. One of Venus’s many retrograde lessons is that the abuse of all things Venus is old and deep. Wide and ready to be acknowledged. This goddess is hungry for justice too long withheld from her.” Words by Chani Nicholas.

Venus is retrograde, for a period of about 6 weeks, every 18 months. When a planet is direct, it moves forward (from our viewpoint here on Earth). When a planet is retrograde, it moves backward (from our viewpoint here on Earth). Retrogrades are an optical illusion, just as the speed of a planet. Planets actually don’t change direction. But from our viewpoint here on Earth it sometimes seems like they do. The apparent direction and speed of a planet, as we perceive it, is dependent on the planet’s relative position to the Sun.

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Annular Solar Eclipse in Gemini – Cleaning out Mercury’s closet

Photo (Incarnation 2) from a series made in 2014 in Mali, by photographer Joe Penney (New York city, United States) and actor and artist Abdou Ouloguem (Bamako, Mali). I picked this photo because the sign Gemini is related to the hands and arms of the human body (all signs are related to certain body parts).

The New Moon arrives on June 10th 6.52 am ET / 12.52 pm CET at 19 degrees Gemini. This New Moon is an annular Solar eclipse. 

The New Moon is under the ruling of Mercury retrograde in Gemini. Who’s very close to the Sun, at 20 degrees Gemini. Mercury cazimi (the conjunction of Mercury and the Sun) takes place only some hours after the New Moon on June 10th 9.12 pm ET / June 11th 03.12 am CET. Mercury cazimi marks the midpoint of the Mercury retrograde period that started on May 29th/30th and ends on June 22nd/23rd. Mercury cazimi often comes with insights as to what the Mercury retrograde period is about. This New Moon Solar eclipse and Mercury retrograde are closely connected with each other. How do we understand these transits?

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Total Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius – Welcome your life lessons

Photo by Henrik Bülow https://henrikbulow.com

The Full Moon arrives on May 26th 7.13 am ET / 1.13 pm CET at 5 degrees Sagittarius. The Lunar Nodes are at 10 degrees Sagittarius and Gemini, which means that this Full Moon is an eclipse. 

Eclipses occur when the New Moon or Full Moon occurs within 18 degrees of the North Node or South Node of the Moon. Every six months the New Moon and Full Moon align with the nodes. So every six months there is a set of eclipses (either two or three Solar and Lunar eclipses). The North Node and South Node are the points where the Moon’s orbit crosses the ecliptic.

A Solar eclipse occurs during a New Moon. The Sun and Moon are conjunct, together in the same sign on the same degree. When a Solar eclipse occurs the Sun and Moon are aligned from our viewpoint on earth; the Moon blocking the light from the Sun. The Sun disappears (partially) from our sight. A Lunar eclipse occurs during a Full Moon. The Sun and Moon are opposite of each other, in signs opposite of each other at the same degrees. The Earth is in between the Sun and the Moon. During an eclipse the Earth blocks the light of the Sun that wants to reach the Moon. Thus the Moon doesn’t reflect the Sun’s light and disappears (partially) from our sight. 

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New Moon in Taurus – The calm before the storm

Photo by Imdad Barbhuyan, New Delhi based visual artist https://www.imdadbarbhuyan.com

The New Moon arrives on May 11th 2.59 pm ET / 8.59 pm CET at 21 degrees Taurus. The Full Moon in Scorpio from two weeks ago was an intense one. We’re approaching eclipse season with the first eclipse of this Summer arriving at the end of May. This New Moon in Taurus is the calm between two storms. 

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Full Moon in Scorpio – transformation; death and rebirth

Art by Juul Kraijer http://www.juulkraijer.com

I often use the word intense, when it comes to describing transits. Maybe I use it too much, because now I’m afraid the word intense has lost its meaning. This Full Moon is intense. The Full Moon in Scorpio arrives on April 26th 11.31 pm ET / April 27th 5.31 am CET at 7 degrees Scorpio. There’s a LOT that goes on in the heavens above when the Full Moon arrives.

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New Moon in Aries – Go go go!

Artist unknown, picture found via Pinterest

The New Moon arrives on April 11th 10.30 pm ET / 12th 4.30 am CET at 22 degrees Aries. This is an active New Moon. The Moon is under the ruling of Mars. Mars is in Gemini, the sign of the ever moving twins, separating from a conjunction with the North Node and supported by trine by Jupiter. The Moon is also connected with Jupiter, by sextile, and connected with Mars, also by sextile. In other words, there are some supportive connections here, which is nice. The Gemini and Aries vibes make this an active New Moon (and the North Node adds some activity too). Hence the title of this article: go go go. There’s lots of stuff going on. The Moon is digesting a lot of input. This Full Moon wants you to go out and achieve. This is a New Moon ‘to do’, not one to relax. This is a good New Moon for work, sports, debating. This is a New Moon to work on your goals.

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Full Moon in Libra – Peace Restored

Art by Cloditta (https://cloditta.com)

The Full Moon arrives on March 28th 3.48 pm ET / 8.48 pm CET at 8 degrees Libra. Venus, the ruler of this Full Moon, will be conjunct the Sun at 8 degrees Aries. The conjunction of Venus and the Sun is exact on the 26th of March at 5 degrees Aries, two days before the Full Moon arrives, thus the conjunction is separating with the Full Moon. 

Venus conjunct the Sun means that she’s being burned by the Sun. As Venus starts a new cycle, and goes through her rebirthing process, she needs to do so in the sign of her detriment (Aries). Venus in Aries is on unfamiliar grounds. Aries is a fire sign. Venus likes cooler surroundings. Thus, in at least two ways, Aphrodite is being burned. Matters of love and relating might feel challenging at the moment. Venus’s process is, however, one of purification. Every negative comes with a positive. When Venus finishes her journey of purification, and when Venus is in Taurus later this Spring, the Goddess of Love will be and feel reborn. 

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New Moon in Pisces – Exalted Venus swims with Neptune

Art by Madeleine Gross

A lovely alignment occurs in Pisces when the Moon finishes her cycle and starts a new one. When the Moon journeys through Pisces later this week, she meets up with Venus and Neptune after which she conjuncts the Sun. The New Moon occurs on March 13th 5.21 am ET / 11.21 am CET at 23 degrees Pisces, with Venus at 19 degrees Pisces and Neptune at 20 degrees Pisces. 

This is a lovely New Moon, for connection and relaxation. Carve out time in your calendar for a relaxing ritual bath, intimate romantic night or for drinking wine with friends. Or if you want to go a step further; spirit work, tantra, LSD, the like. This New Moon is about your relationships. Your relationships to your friends / lovers / spirits / gods and goddesses, whoever or whatever comes to mind as you read the word relationships. How do you relate to that entity? Have your feelings or thoughts on this relationship changed since Pisces season started? Venus in her sign of exaltation, combust the Sun (meaning she’s super close to the Sun) and conjunct Neptune; Aphrodite is releasing old relationship baggage and gaining clarity where there was confusion. 

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