Amanda Painter
At 3pm on Saturday, February 27, Chronogram's astrologer, Eric Francis, will be giving a talk at Inquiring Minds Coffee House and Bookstore. Location is 68 Partition Street, Saugerties, NY. The topic is Tarot, Divination and Chaos Theory. This will be followed by members of the Psychic Saturday Meetup Group offering readings.
This event actually dovetails quite well with the weekend’s major astrological event, one that can indicate deepened interest in the occult, in spiritual pursuits, and in the ‘deeper truths’ hidden behind everyday life: the Sun conjunct Neptune in Pisces.
Sun conjunct Neptune is exact at 10:47 am EST on Sunday. Of all the planets, Neptune is known to have the widest ‘orb of influence’ -- that is, as other planets come into aspect with Neptune, the effects of that contact have influence well before and long after it’s exact.
In other words, the Sun’s conjunction to Neptune has been coloring the overall background of your consciousness for at least a good week or so (maybe more), gradually increasing in strength. Yet, Neptune being what it is and acting as it does, chances are the shift has been subtle. You likely have not noticed it at all; if you have, it’s possible those moments slipped away before you could pin down what felt different. Maybe you’ve denied that anything’s tugging at your intuition at all.
It’s easy to chalk up anything unusual, erratic, or overwhelming to the Full Moon, and we just experienced one along the Virgo-Pisces axis on Monday, within splashing distance of Neptune. Hopefully if any situations came to a head with that event, you’ve been able to move with the waves to calmer waters. But are you fully aware of what’s going on beneath the surface?
For example, have you taken the time to journal about any interesting dreams you’ve been having? Or, if you’re feeling weary or taxed psychically/psychologically, energetically or emotionally, have you stopped to sort out what or who is draining you? Sources could range from national political insanity and the desperate state of the world, to individuals in your immediate family or social circle who are struggling in some way.
Sun-Neptune conjunctions can bring out a general concern with the wellbeing of others, sensitivity to how others feel, and a deep desire to help them. It’s a wonderful boost for service-oriented endeavors that benefit from genuine empathy. If you’re someone who sometimes feels awkward or reserved about reaching out to help others, try going with this flow and see how good it feels.
At the same time, if you’re someone who always puts others first -- often to your own detriment -- notice if you’re starting to feel especially overwhelmed lately. You might need to indulge in a little healthy escape. (Note that using drugs or alcohol heavily does not fit this category, and actually comes with a warning label this weekend, since sensitivity is heightened.)
Rather, meditation or a solo walk out in nature come first to mind; or something that lets you zone out while taking care of yourself, like a massage or shutting off the phone to immerse in some favorite music. Daydreams can be a harmless form of relief, providing you don’t get so lost in them that you begin to fully evade reality.
In fact, daydreams can lead to creative ‘ah-ha’ moments; jot them down before they slip back into the mist. With asteroid Ceres in Pisces close to the Sun and Neptune, you might ask yourself what feeds your dreams and your creative vision. Can you indulge in some of that this weekend? The more you feed your creativity, and the self-care that sustains it, the more your creativity can feed you -- and the greater ability you have to sustain others in that way, too.
Interestingly, about ten hours before Sun-Neptune is exact, the Moon in Scorpio makes a trine aspect (water sign to water sign) to them at 12:51 am EST Sunday. When Sun-Neptune is exact, the Moon is nearly conjunct the asteroid Juno in Scorpio, and is just one degree past a trine to Ceres in Pisces.
Trines indicate flow and harmony, and I see a particular message in the contact from Scorpio to Pisces this weekend. Don’t underestimate the deep connection between your sexual feelings (and the expression of your sexual needs) and your creative capacity. Underneath the surface of all the art-making and music-making, and selfless service, and psychic/emotional sensitivity, and desire to escape, human beings contain some very primal urges that tie directly to creation -- our own conception, and our participation in the sexual activities that could create a new life.
That’s intense stuff. Most of the time we channel it into pleasure rather than conscious procreation. Yet, I’m guessing most people never connect that their sexual energy and their ‘artistic’ creativity share the same root. Ask yourself this weekend: how many ways does your erotic energy feed you? And are you open to feeding it in return?
