Where Is Everybody? José Manuel Ballester

In the golden light, I wait for you….

Pleinairpril 9/30. I really love middle eastern architecture. This is Ispahan in Iran, the photo I used as a reference is from  Mohammad Reza Tavajjoh

i really like to imagine ancient natural historians hanging out on tumblr because they would fucking love it here. you can post all the dumb unverified bullshit you want and people will not only believe you without factchecking, but they’ll spread your bullshit around? pliny the elder would have a heyday. aelian would go absolutely apeshit. aristotle would be crying. they would run a ‘today i learned’ blog together and post stuff like ‘TIL that men have more teeth than women!’ and get 50,000 notes

Opposites & Their Goals

Aries/Libra: Fighting for peace

Taurus/Scorpio: Living soulfully on Earth

Gemini/Sagittarius: Speaking words without a voice

Cancer/Capricorn: Loving for good despite the unsuccesses

Leo/Aquarius: Confidence for an unfamiliar self

Virgo/Pisces: Cleaning up an always-messy world

part of becoming confident with yourself is just… posting it anyway. writing it anyway. even if you feel like it won’t be recognized, the process is just as important as the results. if you like what you do and who you are that validation will come naturally. shit won’t feel forced either.

Power and Control: Planets, Aspects and Influences in the Zodiac Chart

Mars in the 1st House – You like being in charge, asserting what you want, and you can be seen as a motivator for others. This is the position of the fearless leader, the unstoppable and the one who will be driven to see things through to the end if all aspects prove favorable. Here we see the entrepreneurs, the go-getters and those who are rarely phased by social criticisms about them. This is the position for someone who constantly hungers for more and their batteries are rarely out.

Mars in the 6th House – Here we have someone who is not a pushover, who takes on challenges with ease and who does things meticulously, even if the rage of Mars may follow them through work. This is not an aspect for the light hearted, as Mars here challenges and focuses their energy on things that make them passionate. Work will keep you motivated and even if this is a sixth House placement, you will easily catch everyone’s eye at work with just how good you are.

Mars in the 10th House –Charisma, charm and a workaholic. When Mars is placed here, you like to be in control. There is a power surge that goes through you, especially when you are praised by all. Mars in this position can make you a dictator at work, which will lead to your underlings to fear or respect you. There is a ruthlessness that comes with this placement because the native has worked hard to make it to their position. As with most tenth House placements, the native needs to learn to balance and be more considerate of others. Power comes easy but learn to be responsible with it.

Pluto in the 1st House – You exude power and control. This placement makes you polarize as people debate either fawning over you or despising you for no apparent reason. Here we see someone who has come to an understanding with their power. Pluto governs the underworld, hidden contracts and exposing truths. These natives had to go through a lot to be in the position they are in today. They hone and control it, while subtly letting others know that they are not to be messed with.

Pluto in the 10th House – To those with Pluto in the 10th, it is easy for you to come to terms with positions of power. You accept them gracefully, but you can be unbearable when you have authority over others. The lesson here is to learn to be more compassionate but to command the respect you crave. There needs to be a balance achieved in order for you to succeed, because if you let your power-hungry urges take over, you will self-destruct and start anew.

Tenth House Stellium – The perfectionist is unleashed when there is a Stellium in the House that Saturn governs. It is not a surprise if the native might come across as a control freak, that yearns for the limelight and wants to make it to the top. This is someone who will push themselves from an early age and will try to prove that they are the best. One failure can be heartbreaking to them, but they have the ability to bounce back with greater energy and control. For those with this Stellium, consider it both a curse and a gift. You can easily feel like Icarus, so make sure not to fly too close to the Sun because you can shine brightly on your own and do not need to prove or risk it all to make a point.

Pluto Conjunct the Midheaven – Much like Pluto in the 1st, this person commands with their presence and can be as polarizing. Beware of becoming infamous because you can easily become a savior and reach the heavens, but your enemies will aim to clip your wings and bring you down to hell. Humility and grace can be a challenge for someone with this position; however, if they do have their wings clipped, they will have a brutal fall and a powerful rise. Like the Phoenix, expect them to reemerge and reclaim their power. They will become stronger and potentially more ruthless the second time around.

Saturn in the 1st House – Magic comes with this placement because your life might feel like a fairy tale. There is nothing magical in the beginning, just hardship and trials that never seem to end. And then, something randomly shifts, and you are taking control of the situation. Because of the challenges you faced early on, you will be more equipped to tackle things later. You crave stability, which makes you seem power hungry, but in reality, you just want to find your footing and maintain permanence in your life.

Saturn in the 10th House –The obsessive and hardworking native will have a hard time listening to others who they do not respect. Saturn here makes the native respect authority and will simply tackle any tasks brought to them. This position makes the native obsess with their reputation. Work will fuel them and make them feel needed and secure. Their social standings will be tied in with their work ethic. To those with this position, taking a break may make them feel guilty.

Sun in the 10th House – An aura that captivates and allures when the Sun is in the tenth House. There will be smooth relationships with people at work. You command respect and represent authority, but in a way that makes people want to approach you. If Mercury is well aspected, you may even inspire with your words as your presence only grows with more power with time. Here we witness a natural leader with the support of their followers and peers to take on the world.

Sun Conjunct the Midheaven – When the Sun is making contact with the MC, this person represents a beacon of hope and can be a light in the hearts of many people. From the beginning of their Elementary School period, the native may have noticed there was something special about them. As time progressed and they entered the realm of higher education, they noticed that connecting and meeting people was easy for them. Those born with this position are at the highest point in their natal chart, so it only makes sense that they will be admired, beloved and adored as they get older.

Saturn Conjunct the Midheaven – Saturn here leaves their legacy for the world. They work hard and represent ambition. This is a position for the revolutionary, not in the way that Uranus promotes, but the type that will remembered decades after. Your work ethic is admirable, even enviable at times. There is a tendency to easily inspire others, especially when you are in positions of power. Saturn here (assuming aspects are favorable) can lead with pride and ethics. In this position, achieving your dreams has been tough but once you have conquered and taken your throne at the summit, only a Divine act can stop you.

“The Pianist” (Roman Polański, 2002).

I am a(n):

⚪ Male

⚪ Female

🔘 Writer

Looking for

⚪ Boyfriend

⚪ Girlfriend

🔘 An incredibly specific word that I can't remember

Unburdened by scholarly apparatus. Nemfrog. 2018. Source. 

How to Interpret a Transit

So, when it comes to transits, I recommend you start with the outer planets. In particular, if you want to know what’s going on in your life right now, check Saturn. Then Jupiter, then Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. You can look to the inner planets for info on your mood, or fleeting effects that don’t make a fundamental impact on your life. Mars is sort of in-betweener that it is worth paying attention to just in case it’s up to something.

Step one: The moving planet. I’ve talked a bit about each planet’s transiting effect here so I won’t repeat it in this post. In general, you know when you have a Pluto transit that something transformative will happen. You know with a Jupiter transit that something expansive will happen. This is the nature of the action that will take place. 

Step two: The natal point. This is the point that the transiting planet will share its energy with. It is your natural proclivity that will be challenged or lend its aid to the transit. This is the part of your inner world that is resonating with the transiting planet.

Step three: The natal houses. Where are the planets involved in your natal chart? If the transiting planet is Pluto, for example, in what house is your natal Pluto? In what house is the natal point being transited, as well? Things are not necessarily happening in these houses, but they generally hold the cause or the foundations of the action that will take place. Circumstances in these houses usually lead to the action of the transit.

Step four: The transited house. Here is where the action takes place. The transiting planet will cause a thing to happen in the area of life ruled by this house. The thing that happens, will have the energy of the transiting planet and the natal point. Tough to get more specific than that in a general post, but for example may you have Pluto transiting your Venus. Pluto will cause a transformation to the things ruled by this house, which will be closely related to your loving and aesthetic energy.

Step five: The ruled houses. This is a commonly misunderstood concept. For ruling planets, check the sign of each house. The planet associated with that sign, is the ruling planet of that house. For example, my 2nd house cusp is in Gemini. Mercury rules my second house, though it does not sit there in my chart. Anyway, these houses are where you will see the effects of the transit. When the action is completed in the transiting house, you will see the results in these houses.

Step six: The aspect. Took me long enough to get to this one, huh? In short, a conjunction indicated a change that is personal, that deeply concerns your identity. It also represents both the culmination and the beginning of a cycle. A sextile represents an opportunity that it is up to you to take advantage of. A square represents a challenge that will force you to take initiative, or prove yourself. It may show that your previous course of action was incorrect, or show you areas in which you require change and adaptation. A trine represents the removal of obstacles, a time when things move quickly because the energies involved are so in tune. An opposition represents a confrontation between you and the transiting energy, often in the form of a person. During an opposition, you will be forced to make a decision.

Step seven: Timing. I just wanted to do some quick notes on this that I may expand on later. First of all, with Uranus through Pluto especially, transits will be marked by a direct motion over the point, then a retrograde back, then one last direct motion over it before it moves on. The first direct motion will set up the issue, the retrograde back will be when it becomes most personal to you, then the last direct motion over will be the wrapping up of the issue, the introduction of the conclusions.

Times of contact with the same natal point involving both an outer planet and an inner planet may also be flashpoints for the overall lesson of the transit. Definitely keep your eye out for these, as they may indicate very significant moments in your life.

Well there you have it! As always, feel free to ask me any questions you may have. Remember not to worry about your transits. They just represent life experiences that help us to grow!