Astrology and the pursuit of love

Deep down most of us are searching for love, even the most unromantic of us end up seeking a partner, somebody to share our lives with. On the spiritual side we are told that, 'love is all there is' and so perhaps seeking love is not what life is about at all?

Traditionally in the astrological chart; Venus is known as the love planet. Always denoted to represent how we experience and express loved, based on its position in our charts; the simplest way to look at our relationship potential and compatibility has always been to regard the position of Venus.

In the older astrological teachings from say the Victorian era and prior; Venus was the only planet associated with love and in those days before; Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Chiron etc. were known about it worked well. Life was more simple then, more about survival and intrinsically love had to be bound up with ones financial prospects and trust particularly for women who were less able to survive without a man unless independently wealthy.

It's interesting to observe how much things have changed over a couple of hundred years, and how, interestingly the discoveries of additional planets represent these changes.

Neptune was discovered in 1846 and has always been linked to photography, film, music and higher love. It's interesting to consider that it was during this period that the in the UK the Queen Victoria was seen to be in a highly romantic relationship with her husband and that this was the first time a monarch, or figure head was recognised to be focused on their love relationship also.

In fact is during this period that the first onslaught of paparazzi as we know it now, began to develop. The media was just beginning to become more visual and due to the industrial revolution newspapers could be printed daily and started to be concerned more with gossip and aspirational lifestyles. Victoria was one of the first fashion icons and was the forerunner of many trends we still follow now.

Neptune has never been linked to fashion as such, and the industrial revolution has always been more connected to Uranus, discovered 50 or so years earlier, but Neptune's capacity to dream, aspire and imagine ones ideals was intrinsically affected by the new media world of the mid-19th century.

We all know now that we can manifest our 'dreams' by using imagination, clear focus, imagery and then gratitude. This entire process is the realm of positive Neptune and is concerned with using the love that is all around us, as Universal power. Harnessing the beauty that exists to help co-ordinate our more ideal life paths.

As stated Neptune isn't so much concerned with the here and now; rather with what could and can. For the deep dark vibrant truths we tend to, as astrologers, look to Pluto.

If you would like to understand how to work with love in your relationship and access true love, then you can book a love reading from me via my etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Waxyjo 

Discovered in 1930 Pluto has been linked to splitting the atom and deep transformation. Interestingly, it was around this time that the analogue computer was invented, along with the jet engine and frozen food. All inventions that have gradually but completely altered the way we live in the modern world. Pluto has always been about great transformations; for better and for worse and the fact that without recognition of our deepest darkest truths we will only live in fear of them.

The discovery of Pluto is perfectly linked to the development of psychology, and studies of the subconscious, psyche and super-conscious becoming mainstream concepts which became integrated into teachings and therapies which are still used today.

The main precept of Pluto, or at least how best to deal with the dark fears that it can bring up for all of us, is to learn how to 'let go'. Most of us will be familiar with areas of our personalities which are controlling, and static. We all have a tendency, in the modern world, to become attached to people and things. Partly, because our basic needs are fulfilled and so the pursuit of happiness and contentment can become a more primary focus and also in part because we've mostly been encouraged to build our lives out of bricks; both physically and metaphorically.

The need to let go probably wasn't a necessity prior to 1930, in quite the way it is now. Certainly in the westernised class system with ultra traditional values, there weren't many options available. If one was wealthy then duties were clear, concise and unavoidable and if poor, then loss was so inevitable it had to be accepted as a part of normal life.

It's therefore interesting to consider how the Wall Street Crash had such an effect on the economy that the structures of the class system and concepts of who was rich and who was poor began to change forever and it all happened at around the same time that Pluto was discovered. In this case, “what goes down, must {eventually}go back up.”

To go back to the main preface of this article. What does any of this have to do with love?

Well, to consider that 'love is all there is', surely the only way to access true love is by letting go?

Pluto is very much involved in relationship astrology. As well as everything else it also represents sex, obsession, deep transformative connections and will also feature between the charts of soulmates.

Due to the deeply compulsive qualities of Pluto it can become all too easy to be addicted in a Plutonic relationship; when actually by learning to transmute jealousy into freedom, neediness into acceptance and sexual needs into tantra.

By allowing ourselves to be freed from shackles of all that Pluto uses to confine us, we can better experience the connection to all that is, and that which is true love.

And so what IS true love? Well of course it is about accepting the other and loving them unconditionally, but it's also about seeing them as they are, beyond ones needs. Again this comes back to learning to step into the depths of Pluto, in order to disregard the energies that hold us to all of the ego-based earth bound energies.

True love is freedom and faith; truth and forgiveness; kindness and giving. In order to access the higher more spiritual attributes of true love, one must then look to Chiron.

Chiron was discovered in 1977 around the same time the twin flame concept was beginning to surge in the modern world and it really does hold the key to understanding more about the twin flame connection….

More about that in another article.

If you would like to understand how to work with love in your relationship and access true love, then you can book a love reading from me via my etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Waxyjo

Shalom and blessings~~~~

The Eclipse Season ~~ January 2019

The year begins on a sombre tone, celebrations will be tamer and less elaborate than usual. There may be some how can ignore the Sun meeting up with Saturn from 1st to 3rd January, in fact indulging in excess is possibly only way to avoid it. So, those prone to extremes, may be more so, but overall most will have their eye on the year ahead, with the consideration of how to make it a productive and successful one.

It could be my own eyes, from my environment, but it seemed that 2018 was a particularly difficult year for most. Whether we can consider that to be a result of both Saturn and Pluto being in Capricorn, and the fact that Chiron in early Aries was having a little show down with Saturn for a large part of the year, it's hard to say. Maybe having 6 months of the year taken down by inner planet retrogrades; with Venus and Mars adding to Mercury's regular backward parade, also played a large part in slowing down progress and enjoyment for many.

{PS – if any of you really loved 2018 and had a great year, I would be very interested to hear about it – please do email me at: waxlobster@hotmail.com}

The first Eclipse of the year will be at 1:29am on Sunday 6th January – as always it will effect those with a birthday falling around this date the most, or those whose birthday is at the opposite end of the zodiac; around 8th July (give or take a couple of days either side). The is a New Moon eclipse and a partial Solar Eclipse (mostly visible in Russia) which signifies new beginnings.

This will be a very interesting year for those who have planets affected by 15'25º Capricorn, particularly those who begin their year at this time (if your birthday is around 6th January).

The Sun and Moon fall close to Saturn at 12º Capricorn and close enough to Pluto at 20º Capricorn, this is, in effect a taste of what is to come later, as these planets dancer closer together and then step apart once more. They don't actually meet up in the sky until year 2020 and it's fair to expect all manner of change when they do.

As this particular eclipse links up the chasm between them in the sky, there will be a sense of change in the air. A nice aspect to Neptune in Pisces softens the energy and gives a kind of ambitious flavour to the week. Although there is a feeling that fate and destiny are irrevocable forces, Neptune brings the potential for dreams, creativity and the imagination to provide an uplifting outlet. When WW2 broke Saturn and Pluto were in an exact aspect – a hard square – those who lived through this time will talk about how this time brought out the best in people though too.

In a world which has been racing into a materialistic, technological age, in which the rich and poor divide is once more becoming more pronounced, something does need to give. There are all manner of possible eventualities and ways that big changes are due over the next 2 years, but I think there is a sense of inevitability about the fact that they will occur.

The last time Saturn and Pluto met up in this manner; was in 1982 in Libra and I think it's fair to say that this marked the beginning of capitalism as we now know it. The start of 'the throwaway society' when things began to be made with less artistry and integrity, so that they could be more quickly replaced and profited upon. What kind of an era will be see the beginning of 2020? Well I shall look deeper into that later in the year, in the meantime know that the planets show change, but it's the people on the planet who dictate the kinds of change that will occur….

As an interesting side note, the last time Saturn and Pluto met up in the same sign; Capricorn, it was 1518. The treaty of London at this time created a peace union between all the countries in Europe and a promise to defend one another against attacks from other Empires! This time around we have Brexit….

{Do you feel like lots is going on in your life, even though you don't have a birthday at these times? Contact me for a reading. There is a lot going on in the sky, I can help guide you. A simple chart consulation via messenger or skype will cost just £1 per minute. Email me: waxlobster@hotmail.com or visit my page: www.facebook.com/waxyjo}

The second January eclipse takes place on Monday 21st January at 5:16am, with the Sun having moved into Aquarius the previous day, this eclipse falls at 0'51 Leo. So all of you Leos who are born on the first day of your sign (over the cusp from Cancer) will definitely feel this quite intensely!

On the plus side, energy will be high during this Full Moon. Venus and Jupiter will be having a jolly old time in Sagittarius, lifting spirits, encouraging the more upbeat and brighter side of life is appreciated. Jupiter is all about fun and laughter on the upside, and congenial, peacemaking Venus does tend to bring out this side in Jupiter, especially whilst traversing through the sign of Sagittarius which Jupiter rules and correlates to.

There is, however also a square to Mars in Aries in the mix here. Now if you wanted to do something daring, random and sporty, this is a great time to most enjoy such an activity. If though, you are in more restrained environment, hoping that disputes don't break out and tempers don't flare….well I'm afraid you'll need to wish hard. Mars is Aries is fast, reactive and armed with great energy and drive. Jupiter in Sagittarius, is over opinionated, zealous and can be quite combative. There is only so much Venus can mitigate with pleasantries when there is a Full Moon in the mix also.

This eclipse could bring about some explosive energy, Uranus about to leave Aries for the final time, may well wish to make it's mark through fire and intensity. It is at a square to the eclipse point and there is a potential for; natural disasters, uprisings and disputes on small and large scales to come about as a result of this eclipse.

It is important to note that eclipses can be activated for up to 6 months before and after their events. Planets touching on the areas in the sky where the eclipse falls at all time in coming months, could re-activate them. So, for this one in particular, when Mars makes a square to the 0'51 Leo point from 0'51 Taurus, we could find that all that I cited above is reactivated for a day or so. Sometimes the reactivation points are stronger, so 15th and 16th February 2019 could be dates to be cautious. Days to lie low, book in a massage, or cosy time this weekend perhaps.

Overall it is rather an intense beginning to the year. The New Year always begins with the Sun in Capricorn but this year, having the two heavy weights (Saturn and Pluto) traversing up and down, activating eclipses and hitting the personal planets makes it all a whole lot more intense.

For those of you who are ambitious and want to make waves in your career, there is a good potential in fact in these areas. Things are a little more rigid and conservative, but hard work is more notably rewarded at this time also.

Jupiter in Sagittarius suggests a more global approach at this time. Travel is not necessary for the world to connect up any more. New areas of commerce and different ways of trading are increasing in popularity and will continue trending when Uranus moves back into Taurus on 6th March 2019. Think outside the box, or if you're more like me ~~~burn the box!

Shalom and blessings~~~~ WaxyJo

Escapism in the natal chart ~how we have learned to see ‘addiction’

The study of ‘addiction’ is one which fascinates me, how much of it is habitual, or rebellion, is it really as heady and definitive as we are led to believe?

In the astrological chart, most will look to Neptune as the perpetrator of addictive tendencies, it’s often those with Neptune (or Pisces) in a prominent position natal (at birth) who will declare themselves to have ‘addictive personalities’. In my experience what this means is that they tend to experience difficulty in calling on ‘willpower’ which is deemed to be what is best utilised in the fight against dependency upon substances.

Pluto can also be interpreted to be linked to compulsive and more destructive behavioural patterns. Those people with a strong Pluto (or Scorpio) signature in their charts are likely to want to explore, embrace and be enveloped by the ‘darker’ or shadow side of the psyche.

On the other hand Saturn, the planet of control, structure and authoritative obedience, is far less likely to be found in the chart of ‘addicts’ or those who like to indulge. It is the planet which rules the concept and implementation of all which, ‘willpower’ is deemed to represent.

So, how about I turn the tables on these concepts and look a little more deeply into the actual mechanisms of that which causes compulsive behavioural characteristics?

I have noted that those who have Saturn and the desire to be ‘in control’ prominently featured in their personality, are often drawn to the intoxicating effects to alcohol. Having studied charts for many years I have noted that when drunk; the effect it has on most people, is that Saturn fails to function in the personality. So, to consider somebody with a very prominently placed Saturn, say touching up the more personal areas of a chart, these areas which are usually processed through a refined and fairly restricted filter, the alcohol effectively helps to liberate these parts of the psyche.

This can work in a destabilising manner, or a liberating manner, it will actually vary based upon other circumstances, but it's fair to say that there will be a 'freeing' effect in the particular area of the chart where Saturn is prominent. In a reverse motion, those who suffer from anxiety may find that this is pronounced in just the same area of the personality when the effect of alcohol wears off.

As always the key is in balance, a little bit of intoxication can uninhibit a very uptight personality in an extremely beneficial way. On the other hand, if taken to the extreme, built up stresses and tensions are liable to be released, so it's not a one fix cure.

Neptune, on the other hand, the planet which is said to 'rule' addiction and forms of escapism, may actually operate alone in its ability to be able to create an alternative reality. In a well-developed, creatively open personality, Neptune needs no encouragement to bring transcendental, visionary and expressive alternatives. Often somebody with a strongly placed Neptune will only turn towards mind-enhancement substances when they are actively suppressed, or pressured by outside forces. Therefore, in and of itself, Neptune does not indicate any proclivity towards the likelihood of the individual turning to alcohol or drugs as a 'crutch'. However, it is true that the more spiritual and uplifting sensations that Neptune can create are such that; once experienced in their vividity, never forgotten. On this basis, if any kind of drugs is used as an aid to reach these levels, the likelihood of wishing to do so again is high.

Those with a weaker placement of Neptune may very well be more inclined towards the externally created visionary experience, as they are less able to do so without assistant aids.

In many ways, those who use substances to remove the confines of Saturn are more likely to behave in a manner which resembles what is regarded to be 'addiction'. This is simply because Saturn is far more affiliated towards 'routine' and a lot of apparent dependency is connected to having a very predictable life. If I could tell you the amount of times I have been told that somebody finds it difficult to give up smoking, because of the, “cigarette after the meal,” or, “first thing in the morning,” or “with a drink at the pub.”

This is nothing to do with physical addiction, it is emotional dependence, based upon an apparently mundane view of their own lives and the need for something to appear to 'lift' oneself higher than ones usual state. I will also add, that when I (accidentally) gave up smoking I experienced no physical withdrawals whatsoever, and because I had chosen not to make associations between smoking and other activities, I found this was not a problem either. Of course this does lead to the question of whether physical withdrawal symptoms are mentally created, in some cases, on the basis of expectation and mental programming. Smoking itself does not link particularly to any planetary signature, it links simply to emotional suppression and that is more of a cultural (or anti-cultural) issue, from what I have observed.

Now a lot of people will find that no matter what the signature of their natal chart, a trigger from the currently movement of the planets will exacerbate or rebalance habitual behaviour. In this situation, where Neptune links to the personal planets, there can be a problem with sudden dependency upon external mind-altering substances (or indeed, an enhancement in the sensory experience of one's life). This is where most of the issues come in, and actually, even more so with Pluto transits.

Pluto tends to link itself to extremes and a desire to uncover the deepest, darkest, depths of the psyche. Strongly placed in a natal chart, we see people with a gift for analysis, psychological profiling, psychic/intuitive ability and problem solving. A person with a lot of Pluto/Scorpio will often want to try every drug available; not because they are liable to become addicted, but because their need to explore and understand everything; especially the more taboo areas, is profound. This actually doesn't lead to addictive-type behaviour, simple because this would interfere with the mission to discover in other areas.

On the contrary however, Pluto aspecting a chart which is not so well connected with this natally, is the most dangerous indicator of extreme and life-threatening behavioural changes. It is a given that Pluto will bring the darkest and most intense upheavals to an individual affected by this small outer planet. For those who are less comfortable with uncovering dark truths, this can be a devastating experience; one which tends to leave us wiser, more enlightened, and freer, but during can bring us to our knees. In terms of becoming dependent upon substances or a mind-altering variety, this is the worst time in which to indulge, as they will provide a temporary release, followed by a more profound sense of alarm in many cases.

So, the summarise, the kind of charts I observe to tend to turn to mind altering and alcohol dependency on a very regular basis often feature very prominent Saturns. Mostly because society in the West is restrictive to the point of overload for those who are already naturally conscientious. Those charts which feature strong Neptunes will often use escapist measures, but are less likely to become addicted, unless in an environment which calls for unnatural levels of prescience (i.e. the music industry, and other performing roles; where alertness is required against the odds).

Charts with strong Plutos will use substances to empathise and explore other mental states.

Pluto aspects can create a likelihood of a more dangerous desire to uncover the darkness and deepest levels of addiction. Saturn transits will require an escape outlet and Neptune transits will provide a temporarily heady and explorative existence, but one which will often rebalance after the occasion.

For those who are born with personal aspects between Saturn and Neptune or Saturn and Pluto, a more complex signature has to be acknowledged, but one which I am loathe to cover on a general basis.

If you would like to learn more about your own personal chart and how addiction and/or escapist tendencies are marked. Or, if you would like some assistance with rebalancing a life which is dependent upon certain substances, then do contact me for a reading.

I can do a specific analysis on the subject for just £30, whether via IM, in a report format, or face to face. Contact me at: waxlobster@hotmail.com

And for more details follow my new facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/waxyjo/