Saturn Direct + Getting Clear

I haven't been around for a while so I just wanted to write a little something today.

I've had Saturn ON the brain lately. Probably because it is currently transiting my first house and so ALL up in my business. It was retrograding (appearing to travel backward from our perspective here on Earth), and only a few days ago turned direct again.

For me, a big theme of the retrograde was realizing that I need to become more clear about what it is I want for myself. The first house is the house of the self. Not that I magically have it all figured out now that it's direct or anything, but I had to strip down to the essentials. I saw this literally, physically- I stopped wearing makeup for about a month (literally used to be unthinkable for me. Now I'm back to using a little bit), stopped using anti-antiperspirant all together.

Silly examples maybe, but it was like an echo of what's going on inside with me. As above, so below. I'm trying to move forward on my path and I get SO discouraged at times, but I know that I have to keep putting in the work. It's Saturn. I have to put the work in.

If you take a moment and peek at your chart, see where Saturn is transiting for you. That could be the area of life where you need to get rid of the fluff, get down to basics, lay out a game plan.

Does that make sense? I'd love to hear if this rings true for you.

*Edited to add instructions for finding where Saturn is in your chart. Go to astro.com. From there:

1. Click "Free Horoscopes" on the upper right-hand side

2. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page, and click "Extended Chart Selection."

3. In the third drop down menu that says "Please select the type of chart you want," Select "Natal Chart and Transits."

4. On the outside of the chart, there will be symbols in green. ♄ is Saturn. You'll be able to see which house it's in (houses are numbered 1-12 around the wheel). Voila!

*Note: At some point in the process you will have to put your birth info into astro.com. You can do that either by signing up or just doing a guest chart.

Let me know if you need any help! Seriously, I'm happy to. :)

Sometimes it feels like this, right? 

sag moon redux

Re: my most recent blog post, I received some feedback in which my friend A hilariously noted that I had gotten "a little ADD" and strayed from the topic of actual moon in Sagittarius. Which was the entire original point! It made me giggle since it's SO true (I heart feedback, btw), and instead of making edits after the fact, I decided to just clean it up with another short little blog post. :)

Anyway- moon in Sag! Aspects aside, this is generally regarded as a happy, sociable time. Could be a little freewheeling (look out for rash decision-making). A good time for self-reflection/evaluation, and spiritual/philosophical endeavors. (Side note: I purchased my first ever deck of Tarot cards today, during the Sag moon. Not planned that way- just, the shop I got them at was closed yesterday. :) ).

So that's sort of the general mood of Sag moon. There are more layers. For one, the aspects (interactions) the moon makes with other planetary bodies. Today, the moon made many different aspects- the moon is/was busy! So this takes the general energy of the moon and bends it a bit.

For example, an opposition to Jupiter in Gemini happened earlier today. Sensitive types may still be picking up on this theme- reconciling our needs (the moon) with that which we want to expand (jupiter). Where these two transiting planets fall in your chart will give you more clues. For example, if you had the transiting moon in the fourth house, and Jupiter in the tenth, you may be feeling a bit of a tug of war between your basic, family, home-based needs (fourth house- are you feeling as though you're in a shell?) and the desire to expand your career (tenth house). How can you meet in the middle? That's what oppositions encourage... And I just inadvertently talked about the second layer- where the planets fall specifically in your chart. That's where astrology gets personal, and becomes a helpful psychological tool. And that is why I'm obsessed with Astrology. Psychology undergrad turned Astrologer-in-training. :)

The moon is in Sagittarius until early morning Thursday. Embrace this monthly retreat to those Sag endeavors!

Expanding on your needs... one theme from today. :)

What's a transit?

Alternate title: Look at my new buttons! :) I love 'em. I'm thinking about adding an instagram one as well, but the problem is that I have to do a third-party thing (since instagram is mobile-only, officially), and I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with that yet. Anyway, you want these buttons for your website, I found them here.

So. What's a transit? It's something I've talked about before on here but today I realized that I never really defined it. You know how you have your birth, or natal, chart, right? Your birth chart captures the exact moment of time when and where you were born on this Earth. Transits refer to the planets' positions at any given time. To the right, you'll see a box under "Today's Solar System." This tells you all of the planets' current positions. 

Does that make sense? Next is the tricky part, but not really because astro makes it super simple. 

So you have your chart. Now, take those current planets and put them into your chart. Where the current planets fall tell you what houses in your chart- parts of your life- are being activated. Maybe there's a current planet or two in an empty house of yours; perhaps a planet is forming an aspect to a personal planet (fancy talk for a planet in your birth chart), and activating that planet in a different way.

That's it. To expedite finding yours, go here (astro.com's "extended chart selection" page), and select natal chart and transits* from the first drop down menu. After putting in your birth data, you will see your birth chart as usual, but with green symbols around the chart, which stand for various planets. This provides a visual to see where the current, transiting planets are falling in your chart.

example of the natal chart with transits*  selection on astro.com. note the green planets around the chart.

I've done blog posts on different house transits here and here, if you'd care to check them out.

Thanks for reading! xo

way down east, maine.

foggy drive. way down east. maine.

quick note

this morning felt like autumn. so cool, crisp, and breezy... perfect cardigan weather! but now it is hot, and i am not complaining at all, but i'm glad i dressed in layers...

so obviously i'm not really focused on blogging at this particular moment in time, but i wanted to say, that i am starting to do astrology chart readings. Right now they will be both free and brief- i'm fairly new to chart interpretation but am getting the hang of it, and learning more and more every day. :) so, yeah. if you're interested, you can leave a comment below or email me at the.earth.and.stars@gmail dot com and let me know if you'd like me to look at your natal chart and/or transits, and any particular questions you may have. This is really good practice for me, so thank you in advance! :)

repeat offender of taking queen anne's lace photos.

portland, maine.

roque bluffs, maine. <3wc

10th house and career

Lately the subject of career has been coming up, and I've been thinking about mine, too! So I figured I'd write about what different planets in your 10th house- which rules career and your public persona- might look like. Let me know if it's accurate, I'm new at this! ;)


This is how I find a chart and transits (it's under 'free horoscopes,' then 'extended chart selection,' then 'natal chart and transits' in the drop down menu... or you can ask me to find it for you, I don't mind ;) ). Around the outside of the charts, the symbols for the planets are in green... that's where the current planets fall in your chart! Like this... so, this made up person has the moon transiting their 10th house.
 


(note- if you sign up at astro, you can save chart info so you don't have to enter it every time)

The sun here is going to illuminate the subject of career in your life- will bring to light what's working, and also what isn't, and you may be able to glean some important information. You'll probably want your efforts to be recognized and appreciated, perhaps through a raise, some other sort of perk, or maybe leaving a place that takes you for granted for a better fit. Just keep your ego in check!

The moon rules emotions and nurturing, among other things, so every approximately 28 days for about 2 1/2 days (the moon's cycle and time in each sign, respectively), you need to take some you time and decompress. Care for yourself as much as you care for others in whatever your work is- and that could be anything, not necessarily a job you get paid for. After all, you can't do well at your profession if you don't have yourself together, so do what you need to do to really relax. :)

Mercury is all about communication, words, and work, but the word work could mean different things for different people. ;) I see this as either helping communication or revealing professional relationships that are weak in this area. Either way, this is a good time to get info on careers you are interested in and explore your options. Mercury loves to multi-task!

Venus rules beauty and the arts, I see this as a time when you can improve your current career space (and yes, this could be by quitting and starting a new path) so it better suits you and your needs, and/or make time to do the things you love- maybe to make it your life's work, maybe just to feel more balance in your life because you've been working too much lately and need to reconnect with the rest that life has to offer. :)

I think of Mars as bringing a boost of energy to whatever house he is visiting in your chart! So think of this as the time to really get shit done to reach your goals, short and/or long-term. It's just that- an energy boost. Savor it, but remember to still take care of yourself, and get enough sleep so you don't burn out.

I view Jupiter as expanding this area of life- bringing new opportunities, or showing advancement of some sort in whatever it is that's your career/what you're trying to make your career. Depending on the sign these opportunities may be hidden, but they are there! :)

Saturn is going to bring the principles of hard work and discipline into your career path. You may have a vision, and have the necessary training and are just trying to earn money/get ahead in your line of work. The time you bring in will also bring you reward, especially if you're not just phoning in your efforts.

Uranus brings a shakeup of some sort. Maybe an opportunity out of nowhere, or a shake up at your current employment. Maybe you'll suddenly just go in a new direction altogether, and forge your own way. A good time to show and live independence, especially in the area of career! I'm thinking that this is something that others will really take notice of, as well.

Neptune is going to help your dream job vision, if you let yourself go there! ;) I'm seeing this as a great time to pursue your interests and make time to do the things you truly enjoy, in whatever propensity is doable. Just revisiting, or doing more of, these things, you will bring inspiration!

Pluto may bring a shake up, but a different kind than Uranus. I see this as a time where you may have to regroup and strategy. What are your values? And not just in the career world, but in real life. Is whatever you're doing living up to those values? What can you do to change that? Look inside yourself and learn.

If you don't have a planet in your 10th house right now, worry not! Something will be there soon, and besides, other areas of your life may be taking front stage right now. You can always look at the sign that starts the 10th house (and the corresponding planet- for example, in the chart, Sag is the beginning of the 10th house, and it's ruled by Jupiter), and see how your attitude in work may be in general. :)

musings inspired

*My dudes watching last weekend's Scorpio full moon... yay for warm nights!

*I'm cross-posting from everyday adventures (my totally unfocused, whatever blog), but will add a little extra here as well!

*To better understand astrology and myself... I have began keeping a celestial journal, of sorts. (I ordered one on Amazon, and I was so happy to get it in the mail today... but I ordered the 2011 edition instead of the 2012! d'oh... but in my defense, why were they even selling 2011 anymore?!) So, I will return that one, and will get a 2012 one, but until then just have my own.

*I am focusing on the transits of the moon. I was reading on skywriter (amazing site, btw) that, because the moon runs through all the signs so quickly, you can observe how you feel when certain aspects are made with your personal planets. Get an idea of how you're affected. Like, when I felt insane the other night? Oh look, Scorpio moon directly opposing my natal moon in Taurus, in the 8th house. And it passed quickly, like the moon through degrees, but when it was exact, it was intense. Feeling inadequate, lost, unloved. I found this out after the fact, by the way. There's a quote about this, about not being controlled by the stars, but rather being freed by them... Astrology helps me like that. Helps me to understand certain influences, and that even when I'm having a crazy Caroline moment, that it's temporary, and I can choose how to behave... or something.

*Anyway, today my 3rd and 6th houses are really being activated by the moon. Communications, work, writing. I've been studying for about an hour, got my journal all organized, cleaned around the house, story time with the babe, who is now napping. Talked to and firmed up plans with an old friend I haven't seen in... years! :) Moon on my Mars today, in the 3rd=action from communication, with an old friend=very Sagittarian. :)


*And yesterday, it was funny, day two of this journal and early in the day the transiting (current) moon was conjunct (right on) my Saturn, in the second house. Now, one of the themes of the moon is home. Saturn is all about duty, work, achievements. Well, I woke up, had some coffee, made my kid breakfast, and did a MAJOR house(apartment)clean. Stuff had gotten really messy. Then later on in the day when I did my journaling, I find that, oh, well that makes sense, as together, Saturn and the moon, that I want to work on my home. Just funny things like that. :)


*If you want to get an idea on your transits, it's quite easy to find. I use a combo of sources... here on astro, next to "Please select the type of chart you want," select "Natal charts and transits." It puts all the transiting planets on the outside of your chart. Also, if you have an iPhone or iPad, you can get Astrolabe's app Celeste, which after you put in your chart you can select "weather" and it tells you aspects that the transiting planets are making to your natal ones. (aka the ones in your own chart.) If you're interested in doing this but are having trouble, let me know! I'd be happy to help... I'm also happy to do short readings, for now, for free, as I am still learning, and you would totally be a guinea pig. :)


*That's all for now... maybe more later.