ingression

Libra season 2019’s tough balancing act

Well, here we are, the Autumnal Equinox and the Sun's shift into Libra. For such a classically temperate archetype, this year's "Libra season" comes packed chalk-full of some rather tough questions to ask ourselves.

The classic themes of Libra are all there in its' ingression chart  of this year (which happened 3:50a.m. this morning) - balance within ourselves, balance with others, relating and relationships, fairness, diplomacy, mentally weighing what's on our minds and seeking "conflict" resolution, inside and out.

This year, however, we have some specific, and much more unique variables to weigh on our scales.

For starters, this year's Libra Sun, during its' ingression, points to themes of personal value and self-worth, inviting an interesting consideration and weighing of personal and interpersonal values of a unique sort- Do we know our worth in our relationships? Do we act on it or stand on others' treating us accordingly? Do we value those we're in various relationships with? Do we take anything or anyone for granted? What does it show us about our own values when it comes to that complex yet beautiful life arena of interpersonal relating?

What's more, Libra's ruler, Venus, is forming a powerful and tricky configuration with the Nodes of the Moon, which each have its' current-sign's rulers conjoining them.
All this results in a very serious questioning of, who's relating values & agenda have we been carrying?
The Saturn in Capricorn on the South Node implies there are behavior patterns in our relationships which were formed out of fear (in many cases, inherited fears, which weren't even ours) and are either keeping us from being seen and fully appreciated, and/or create a demand for attention which we either project out onto others, and/or hold for ourselves as a self-interest that may have become unhealthily self-centered.

Many of us feeling this pattern most fully may be realizing you're staying in your relationship patterns for one of those 2 main reasons (whether the pattern is to stick in a relationship that's more hierarchical than fair, to feed your commitment-phobias and keep on running from connections where you can see and be seen by the other, or some other variation).

Meanwhile, the Cancer Moon during the ingression moment, conjunct the North Node, points us towards greater caring, emotional nourishment and the comfort and security needs to belong, sensitizing us to collective opinion around what certain relating "containers"(or lacks thereof) should look and feel like- all the while, challenging Venus (and Mercury) in Libra and potentially wanting to dampen the Libra'esque call for examining our relating patterns and values for the fairness they do or do not contain, and whether or not they encourage or discourage a greater sense of inner balance and an exploration of our own worth and how to live from our values when interacting with others (not always an easy feat), rather than settle for what's comfortable, but less than fair to all.

The invitation is to consider and communicate (Venus & Mercury in the 3rd house), about who feels what, needs what, fears what - even if you're just quietly pondering it to yourself - and to listen and seek to understand others, and know we deserve to be heard in our turn.

By doing so, we are likely to be reminded, that our own feelings and concerns, boundaries and fears, are utterly relatable - as are others'. If nothing else, this is a healing truth to come back to, one that opens the  doors to deeper compassion and more authentic relating, and the possibility of further solidifying those connections where a mutual sense of witnessing each other feeds and validates each of the people involved.

In some cases, people might be feeling like, in a way, they have "become their relationships" (or their lone-wolf-ness), and that somehow their worth is tied to either having, or not having, human relating of a certain kind in their life.

This isn't limited to romantic relationships, either. Libra is concerned with all kinds of one-on-one relating, and all of the above could be showing up in your life with a good friend, with a business associate as well as a romantic other. The questions to ask yourself are all the same though- how do I express what I value, to or within those interactions? Is there fairness, listening, on both sides? Can compromises be found that address what each person brings to the table, and is each person willing to seek a middle-ground?

And, perhaps the hardest of all, seeing as the Libra Sun is opposing a Chiron Retrograde in Aries- can you find the courage to tread a new path in relating with others, even/especially when you feel vulnerable? Do you have the courage, to acknowledge the loneliness at the heart of the human condition, and let that be the ironic bridge that connects us in our separateness?
And, if not (or if the other cannot meet you on that bridge- cannot find the courage or self-honesty, and/or is responding with defensiveness, or aggression), can you embrace your alone-ness, and make space in your life, for relating that's more fair to all involved?

I'd imagine many of us might be facing (or considering) changing statuses in our primary relationships this coming month, with themes like these upon us, but whether you're married, single, or anything in between, it's a powerful time to do the soul-searching related to how we view, create and maintain our own worth, and honor the worth of another we're in communion with, in a balance which serves both, equally.

Happy transits, from Nurture Astrology!

P.S.- As always, how exactly these themes show up for you personally, and which areas of your life and personality they'll touch most, is specific to your personal chart's interaction with these themes. For a closer look and some extra support with how all this is showing up for you, and how to make the most of it, please contact me to book a personal reading.

How to stay balanced during Virgo season

Strive for balance and progress, not "perfection."

Strive for balance and progress, not "perfection."

With Virgo season increasingly upon us (starting with the Jupiter ingression into Virgo on August 11th, and continuing from there with other players joining the field), my own personal motto right now has been "progress, not perfection".
Why? well, to reap the best that Virgo season has to offer, of course.
As any healthy Virgo-type should be able to tell you,perfection doesn't really exist, and undoing the previous work of loving our humanity and living in compassion for self and others, isn't going to serve anyone.

There's a balance being struck between the Virgo/Pisces natural polarity (Neptune and Chiron in Pisces; not to mention the past few years'-worthy of work on self nurturing and self-love which Jupiter in Cancer, then Leo, have been teaching us). It is seeing, and loving, the imperfect human-ness of something or someone, and finding the compassion for them/ourselves, which leads to the kind of sacred service, and improvement with love, which is the best of Virgo.

Miss that point, and you may find yourself either escaping from working on something which matters to you(and/or scares you), drowning in cynicism which has its' roots in an underlying feeling/sense of victim-hood or martyrdom, or being so hard on yourself that you're basically being self-abusive, leading full-circle to the avoident escapism which people drown their sorrows in, such as overindulgence in substances and other escapist behaviors.

On the plus side, healthy mixes of the Virgo/Pisces energies could look like having music playing while puttering around on manial tasks, keeping yourself busy yet still putting time aside for a movie or a drink with a friend, working on anything artistic or humanitarian which takes you beyond yourself and lends your hands and heart towards a greater picture etc.

Most importantly, let inspiration and a deep sense of vision inform all you do, and let your efforts be in service to that vision. That is the key to an imperfectly perfect balance.
Happy transits, folks!

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Mars moves into Scorpio- behold the inner momentum!

Mars in Scorpio, image by NurtureAstrology.com- free to share without modification!

Mars moves into Scorpio, and the waiting-game is over. Time to act on what really matters to you. Follow your heart's passion now, and transform or remove all that stands in your way!

Whether you've been following the Astrological current events of the past months or not, most of us have been aware of a sense of underlying frustration to these past 8 months, while Mars, planet of willpower-in-action, was making an unusually long track through Libra, a sign it rarely felt comfortable within.
These past months have been an important, if not always satisfying, period of reflection, weighing options, learning to "play nice" (even/especially under stress), and channel our energy into acting in balance, with tact and consideration. All vitally important to learn...
but not so satisfying if you just... wanna... get... on... with it!

Well, now we can!
On 10:24p.m. last night (EDT),  the symbol of willpower-in-action slipped silently into the sign of Scorpio, and it's full-steam-ahead from hereon-in!
Mars feels right at home in Scorpio, in which it inspires us to stop weighing the options and walking on eggshells, and finally act on our passions, whatever those are, and transform or remove all that's in our way. Continue reading →

Chiron’s move into Pisces, and what it means…

Chiron, asteroid in charge of our collective (and individual) wounds and healing, shifted into the sign of Pisces February 9th, 2011. Don’t give me the “who cares?” just yet, you wanna hear this! As a relatively slow-moving little bugger, it’s staying there until April 2018… and that means, it’s gonna be playing/indicating a major part in the events we are about to see coming about in the world. Ahh, got your attention now, haven’t I?! 
All this talk of 2012 (no, the world isn’t ending! Cut it out you melodramatics!) has a lot of us wondering about what’s to come. Myself included (except, ya know, as an astrologer, I have the perks of just looking up the themes and not wondering anymore :-p) Well, here’s one of the key themes, coming to the fore: Chiron’s energy filtered into Pisces allows us (collectively, notwithstanding how it’d act in each individual’s personal chart) to heal ourselves and others via practicing transcendence, deep compassion, and creativity, which expands our awareness beyond the ego’s reach. All this, while navigating around a tendency to play (or become) the victim or martyr, or engage in unhealthy escapism (especially via substance abuse… a bigger no-no then usual these days). Chiron in Pisces can do WONDERS in terms of healing the spirit and reconnecting with the greater whole. Chiron’s transit of Pisces can draw out the compassionate nature of our society and breach many of the divides that apathy and ego have built up. People and societal branches that most rely on such apathy to continue their ways of life, are very likely to get a wake-up call or 10. There is no disconnecting from the greater whole, from the fact that what we do affects others, and Chiron in Pisces is likely to serve up some major reminders of this over the next 7 years. That’s where the possible themes of victim-hood, martyrdom or escapist can come into play and be especially troublesome. Acute sensitivity (shame, guilt, pain) is not something one can hide from, and wearing your own suffering as a cloak only keeps you suffering longer. The keys to our own healing, which Chiron in Pisces tries to make us aware of enough to grasp, is TRANSCENDENCE! As Ghandi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”. Whatever you feel you lack, try giving to another… you’ll find that you always have more then you thought you did. Just make extra sure that whatever compassionate service to others is being undertaken, it does not go overboard and turn you into one of the victims as well… as they say, throw a drowning person a rope, but do not jump in where you will also drown. Within these next 7 years, whatever happens, consider adapting this quote as your personal mantra: “I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; I will not refuse to do something I can do.” - Helen Keller There is nothing to fear, only things to understand. About the Author: Bella V. Vid has been practicing Astrology for over 16 years. She specializes in one-on-one counseling, with a clarifying, supportive and empowering tone to all she offers. To book a private reading with her via Skype, please see the contact page above.