Day of the Solar Queen

Definitely a Leo/Sun type day on July 12th.  Went up to the Merchants Hall in Threadneedle Street, London for the Parkinsons UK Mervyn Peake awards.  Very impressive look, lots of heraldry and history, a courtyard where lots gathered, the weather and royalty, the Duchess of Gloucester!  Not entirely sure as a Leo who should be curtseying to who but lots of charm and dignity of course.

Lots of good things, the surroundings, the weather with its golden sun bright and strong, along with endless blue sky.  The stage and presentation with HRH, the certificate and praise for my poem, always a morale booster.  What was really inspirational though was the creative spirit that all entrants showed, despite physical problems.  That inner spark always shines through whatever’s happening on the outside, it can’t be pushed down.  Our sun on the inside, our interior supply of light.

 

Sea changes?

I had quite an interesting trip to Brighton recently.   Not in terms of the shops (uninspiring) or people (too many) but in terms of what people are watching at the cinema and reading.  The sea figures quite prominently too, it’s the reason I went there in part because of it’s healing/therapeutic qualities, somewhere I can ‘tune out’ and let my gaze wander.   Maybe it’s my Pisces South Node, Moon Square Neptune, Saturn in the 12th or just Neptune doing its thing in Pisces.

Anyway I went to see ‘Life of Pi’ in which water certainly plays a starring role, an unusual film with a somewhat ambiguous message which has captured the imagination of the viewing public without big names or a Hollywood blockbuster approach and whose images (3D) linger in the imagination.  You don’t have to think too much and you can get lost in the strange uneartlhly beauty of it all. It has a certain spiritual power, (or is it just seductive?) and as one critic remarked ‘I wasn’t really sure what I had just seen.’  Very Neptune!  It does lack structure and form but refreshes the spirit.  Who would have thought this ‘otherwordly’ visual experience would have such an effect.

I also noticed Susan Cain’s book ‘Quiet, The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking’ is Waterstone’s number one bestseller.  I would put myself in that category and I’ve got the book which has a lot of American references but makes its point more forcefully as the United States is a country which seems to thrive on dynamic thrusting achievers and external appearance.  It’s interesting to see how successful a book is that doesn’t  focus on the extrovert socialiser as the only acceptable way to behave. Something about this has clearly struck a chord.

Different Aspects

Producing and marketing my book has been an interesting reflection of factors that exist within my own chart eg the leo need to be creative, to be accepted and gain audience approval, plus the drama/performance element.  Add to the mix my Sun conjunct Uranus, Mercury conjunct Uranus and Jupiter trine Uranus which seeks to be seen as unusual and/or unique, to try something different which might not always be accepted/appreciated. Here we see the energies pulling in different directions, the Leo/Aquarius opposition. One side is saying accept me, the other almost wants to be different, a rebel and outsider. 

Then there’s the Sun opposite Chiron in Aquarius, a problem with believing in the self.  Being creative and different can be a lonely place despite what people tell you or how much positive feedback you receive.  Doubts about your own light still remain.  The South Node in Pisces is not always strong or confident either, though I have used the Pisces imagination and poetic soul in harness with the Virgo North Node practical, analytical, detail conscious side to produce something tangible and real.

Then of course there are all those Scorpio poems, somewhat unbalanced?  Pluto Square to the Ascendant and a twelfth house Scorpio, wide conjunction of Venus to Pluto.  The whole process has made me appreciate how complex something like this can be and how much of the self can be revealed by attempting it.

Feeding the Energy

Went down to Brighton today, a place that I often find draining, particularly on a crowded Saturday!  The fatigue lasted as I walked down from the station.  Then I saw the sea in a gap in-between streets and realised that was what I craved, just to look at the water, something healing and therapeutic.  I have an element inbalance, too many people, too much connected with air and fire, communication, writing, stimulation, everything connected with the book just published.  Having ‘Singular Voices’ here at last is exciting but draining, particularly for someone with Virgo/Pisces nodes.  The need to withdraw from all the stress is overwhelming but I know I can’t. 

I only have one outer planet in water and one personal planet in earth so I appreciated the good food at ‘Food for Friends, nourishment for the body,  feeding the body, something of the earth.  Plus going down to the sea of course.  I need more of these moments.

 

 

Mixed Feelings

As the publication of my book gets closer this Leo is more than a little apprehensive.    A big admission, Leos are not always brave and confident, though their public personna might contradict this.  I guess it’s also a creative project so pride and sensitivity to criticism are there in equal measure.  Not everyone will like it or want to buy it, still it’s actually been achieved and finished (Fixed persistence?). With Uranus currently in my fifth house I hope it’s sufficiently different and original to grab the attention. 

It also got me thinking about the part my nodes in Pisces (South) and Virgo (North) have played in the process too. There’s a strong sense of idealism here and a need for something to be perfect which for me tended to get in the way causing  anxiety.  Still, as Leos  like to paint with broad brushstrokes and creative energy, factors such as editing the book until it’s as good as it can be are a positive use of the Virgo North Node.  The Pisces energy helped with imagination and inspiration but taking a dream and making it real, giving those ideas  form owes much to the earthbound part of this collaboration.  On my nodal see-saw maybe this book represents a sense of balance. 

 

 

The Impatience of Fire

Winter can be a difficult time for a fire sign, the lack of light and colour (apart from Christmas).  This year I’m waiting for my book to be self-published as well so it seems doubly frustrating.  It seems to me that the earth and water signs are better suited to this time of year, Scorpio with its powers of endurance, intensity and depth, a darker sign in any case and then into December/January with Capricorn, a sign of patience and discipline.  With Aquarius we may be breaking the back of winter, beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, changes in the seasons and anticipation of a new start/ideas.  Then Pisces as the last sign leads us from one cycle into the next, into Aries and the spring equinox, new beginnings.  My book comes out in the spring which seems appropriate.  Earth, the slow movement towards a goal which can’t be rushed.

Let’s not forget the Sagittarius effect in all this, at present the arrow of fire pointing towards growth, expansion, exploration and discovery, a note of positive optimism in the middle of all our gloom and doom.  It always seemed strange to have a fire sign sitting in this place when Aries and Leo are signs occupying months of heat and light.  Maybe it’s the beacon of hope and optimism, the hermit with his lantern taking us towards the end of the year, encouraging us to grow and develop in 2012.

The spirit is willing…..!

I haven’t been feeling too well recently and it got me thinking about the aches and pains of a fire sign as they get older.  Aries, Leo and Sagittarius resent the demands and problems of the body because these are things of the earth and they get frustrated by the reality of parts wearing out and breaking down!  Really I feel they would like to be a disembodied spirit, a Tinkerbell spark of gold, flying here, there and everywhere without that heavy, unpredictable structure to tie them down.  Their vision often exceeds their physical capacity because to them there are no obstacles, no limits or barriers.  Fantasy can help I suppose and exploration of the mental variety.  Still I think fire signs are the most prone to growing old disgracefully.

Archer seeks his lady

I read yesterday in The Weekend Magazine that Brendan Coyle from Downton Abbey was looking for love.   The actor himself quoted Plato when he said that  ‘the unexamined life is not worth living’ so it got me thinking about what a Sagittarian might look for in a relationship, the elements that could be involved.

In many ways Sagittarius needs a friend and travelling companion, someone to share the journey with. There’s a lot of fire sign energy  here generally, operating under the influence of Jupiter (Mars and Mercury also in Sagittarius, an exact Sun Trine to Jupiter)  so vision and spirit are important, a need to explore and expand. Wisdom and insight are also present.  This can be a philosophical sign with a depth and breadth of knowledge that ranges far and wide so he needs freedom to pursue his dreams and support causes dear to his heart.  With the Moon in Cancer you can add to this mix the power of emotional motivation and sensitivity so there is a great capacity to give in many areas.  Whoever shares his life may have to realise that a sense of adventure fuels much of the action and with all these commitments there may be a reluctance to say no or to recognise boundaries.  There is also a tendency towards plain speaking, even bluntness though there is rarely malice or unkindness behind the words.  This sign just doesn’t have the patience to dress things up! 

I have to introduce the character of Venus in Capricorn here as well as we are multi-faceted with more than one dimension. We ourselves play a number of different roles.  His Venus in this sign indicates how he might relate to others or behave in his relationhips.  It may even indicate what kind of person he is drawn to.  As Sagittarius is outgoing and positive,  Capricorn can exhibit a certain amount of reserve but also dignity and an innate recognition of their own worth.   This placement can indicate someone who may appear to be something of a lone wolf, generating a subtle mystique that others are drawn to.  Quietly ambitious, they are drawn to achievement and status, admiring this in others too.  These are people who take responsibility very seriously.  Stability, both financial and emotional are also important.  Though it takes quite a while for them to open up to someone, once they feel safe and can trust that person they offer support and protection.  Loyal and reliable,  I feel that the characters of Anna and Bates share certain characteristics here.  They are not overly showy characters, they respect and admire each other and if they can ever truly get togther, will appreciate something that they have worked hard for, which has stood the test of time.

 

Grounded!

Another prospective balloon flight cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.  It’s frustrating when conditions here on earth stop a fire sign from taking off!  Still, they are elemental opposites and fire signs have to live in a physical world which seems to thwart their ability to generate excitement from everyday life.  Fire can be restless, volatile, romantic and passionate.  They need to look to the future,  explore possibiities, open doors.  I suppose that’s why air and fire mix well in this way, there’s a sense of freedom, exhanging ideas and sharing visions.  So being up in the air means space without boundaries (other than the basket of the balloon!) getting away from it all, soaring far away and upwards, closer to heaven.

In My Element

After the drama of Friday, a chance to build on the feel-good factor with some unaccustomed Bank Holiday sunshine and a meal outdoors with friends.  A boost to the energy and vitality which all fire signs need, particularly as summer draws to a close.  What boosts your elemental energy, all you fire, earth, air and water signs and how do you go about getting this from everyday life?  How do we get what we need in the colder, darker winter months, particularly Aries, Leo and Sagittarius?