Aspects for the week beginning 7 February 2010

“What men or gods are these?  What maidens loth?  What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?  What pipes and timbrels?  What wild ecstasy?”

~ John Keats

The brief triple conjunction of Venus-Chiron-Neptune at 25 degrees Aquarius today and tomorrow in Aquarius suggests people getting together for the purposes of healing and entertainment.  There’s a hint of the biblical phrase “For when two or three are gathered in my name, there am I with them”.  Venus with the other fellows may also bring poignancy in love, like the figures on the Grecian Urn lyricised by Keats.  These are the things which are conjured to mind in the imagination.  The reality may be very different.  Looking at my diary for the next two days, I have a get together with old friends today (Aquarius) in which the talk is likely and necessarily to turn to ailments (Chiron).  Tomorrow is a family get-together (Aquarius) at a funeral.  There will be refreshments afterwards (Venus) but thoughts are likely to turn to spiritual links (Neptune) rather than the Neptunian activity of dancing.  There may be a sense of closure (Venus conjunct Chiron) or a mood of serenity (Venus conjunct Neptune).  Venus-Chiron-Neptune at its best could bring the sublime and the miraculous.  The Venus-Chiron part happens today (emphasis on health and healing) and the Venus-Neptune tomorrow.  If you are interested in colour healing, magenta will bring together a group, while peach can bring out spiritual love (Venus conjunct Neptune) and salmon pink  Universal love.  The emphasis and tone of the week is characterized by the quick romp of the minor planets in contrast to the dominance of the heavies last week.  While the activities of the first half of the week emphasize sociability, the second half is dominated by Mercury and could be more cerebral.  You can keep your brain sharp and active by doing crossword puzzles and sudoku if you’re retired like me (though I’m finding nature abhors a vacuum and I don’t feel retired at all!)  Or you can whizz round visiting people on public transport (expressing the Mercury principle) if you’re not engaged in office work or board room wrangles.  Alternatively, if you are leading the more natural life, you may be paying extra attention to weather and the environment (Mercury) or exercising by walking (more Mercury) and refining your awareness of the nuances of climate change (ditto).  Down to specifics: Mercury enters Aquarius on Wednesday 10th and so joins the party, but from the other side of the room (Venus and Co are gathered at the end of Aquarius).  There may not be any direct contact between them (and the Sun shining in the middle of Aquarius), but they will all be singing from the same songsheet, i.e. Aquarius, which will be useful for wider group endeavours.  But the group will only enjoy the company of Venus one more day, for she moves on to Pisces the next day (Thursday 11th).  They may miss her harmony and warmth, but she will become more harmonious and warmer and more voluptuous for being in Pisces.  She will also be more emotional, gushing and sincere.  The other characters will be asking “What’s got into her?  One minute she’s this, and the other minute she’s that”.  Glamorous female celebrities may change their image or switch back to ex-partners.  Now that I am not wearing glasses I am able to zone out the covers of Heat and Hello magazines at the supermarket, nor can read the fine print on the cover of the National Enquirer, so I don’t know who has more claim on Brad Pitt these days…(ignorant bliss).  Mercury trines Saturn on Saturday 13th, which means you can apply your mind and possibly even tackle heavy mental tasks such as assembling your case for the pensions Ombudsman.  If engaged in studies, a good dose of reality will be what is learned from early morning, and later Mercury opposes Mars so there may be debate and lively discussion.  Minor accidents could also be on the cards, so drive safely.  Mercurial brain activity is not the contemplative kind, it’s more prosaic, but take a couple of moments out in your right brain to set up a happy outcome for Sunday (I know, I’m spilling over again) when the New Moon in Aquarius can cement social alliances and remind us to take pride in being part of the human race.