We know fine well, we can see this for ourselves, astrology or no astrology, that 2026 will not be a quiet year, but yet another pivotal year, marking a seismic level shift in the respective status quos of global power in a cycle likely to run some while yet.
2020 opened up a seismic crack in the previous status quo of world affairs. A “thing”-I I saw on the night of 20 January 2020 -I later called it a “djinn” simply for want of a better word- meant that business would never again be as usual, whatever we mean by usual.
But the astrology that is tracking it, that is for sure, is clearly announcing this turbulent geo-political weather will continue at least till 2028. There is no way back to the way things were done in 2019. This will hinge to a fundamental extent upon the events surrounding the Saturn-Neptune conjunction at degrees of Aries 20/21 February. The last time Saturn was so closely conjunct Neptune was 1989, when the Berlin Wall came down and the World Wide Web was launched.
There are always things we can’t control, at home, in nature and in society. But we weather them by means of our individual competencies, skills, knowledge, know-how, and by community and collaboration.
We are currently in the second decan of Capricorn, associated with the Three of Pentacles or Coins in Tarot.
From The Gilded Tarot
This is a quiet, thoughtful but productive card of arts, crafts, heritage, the art making of making things beautiful. “Form follows function.” A functional object, well made, well able to perform its job, will de facto also be a thing of beauty.
The Three of Coins also denotes part-time work, restoration work and community activities. In this emergent world of Techno-globalism, here is a reminder of the roots of our creative, handy, self-reliant selves, and of exchange and barter with neighbours, my help, time and skills for yours. This is the very basis of social exchange, the cradle of society and of modern industry. It has never gone away, and we may decide to reclaim it more actively. We could say that the artisanal Three of Coins is right at work here in this online writing community, enabled by Techno-globalism.
January and Janus
We say Happy New Year based on the Gregorian calendar, and before that, the Julian calendar, both solar based calendars. One could argue that the new year does not begin today. That this is calendar date was devised as a solution to tackle that timing problem of astronomy we call the leap year, caused by the approximately 23 degree tilt of the planet on its axis as it rotates. It is this axial tilt that gives us the seasons.
Otherwise, the seasonal events of Nature as observed on the ground would say that the new year starts either just after the winter solstice, or else after the spring equinox. And once upon a time, over centuries, other dates marked the start of the calendar, including March 25 and December 25.
Heron on the nearby frozen pond, January 2024
January was named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having a double-sided head, signifying that we can look both forwards and backwards in space and time.
Likewise Janus was a god of both war and peace, presiding over the beginning and ending of conflict. And as a god of transitions, he had functions pertaining to birth, and to journeys and exchange, and through his association with Portunus, another portal god, the guardian of harbours, Janus was also concerned with travelling, trading, and shipping with strong echoes here of the Mercurial Twins of Gemini. Seafarers used to ask the Gemini for protection on voyages.
Solar and Lunar calendars, different New Year dates
Other countries, signifying a quarter of the world’s population of 8.2 billion people, notably China and other countries in the Far East, calculate the date of their new year based on lunar cycles.
This year we will be entering the New Year of The Fire Horse, February 17.
Cute, eh? But the Fire Horse is fast and furious. One thinks of The Trojan Horse, or the terrible scenes in “Marco Polo,” when Kublai Khan ordered horses set alight and then stampeded them into enemy cities. All eyes on China, US and Taiwan, nothing new here except for a recent escalation of military threat displays following the signing of a trade deal between the US and Taiwan. Signs and portents etc etc.
Something or nothing. But the Fire Horse rides in so closely coinciding with The Saturn-Neptune conjunction in Aries, February 20, and additionally, Forbes tells us…
“Coincidentally, the Year of the Fire Horse begins and ends with a “ring of fire” annular solar eclipse, in Antarctica in 2026 and in South America and West Africa in 2027.”
This extra fiery Year of The Fire Horse brings great changes, challenges and opportunities. More so even than 2025, a year of the supposedly strategic, stealthy and self contained Wood Snake, and we are still in the year of the Wood Snake for another six weeks or so. The Fire Horse says that works best this year is to trust your first instinct, act on it pronto, going straight from A to B. It will serve better to act rather than to watch and wait. Better to speak plainly, better to be angry than afraid.
We can look back and make up our own minds at what the popular astrology had to say about the Wood Snake Year. It is hard to disagree about the stealth, the shedding of old skins of a few of the 2025 mighty fallen, and the abiding twistiness. https://astrostyle.com/2025-year-of-the-snake-wood-snake/
There is lots else out there already about the incoming year of the Fire Horse.
But we are not there yet. Sol Invictus. This is the solar new year celebration, not the lunar new year celebration, even while I look out of my window facing north east and see the rising waxing gibbous moon (which today is in Gemini AND Mercury, the co ruler of Gemini and Virgo will be moving into Capricorn later today (at 4.10 EST -5 hours behind where I am writing this in Lancashire UK).
Mercury in Capricorn January 1-January 20/21
Mercury will be staying in Capricorn until January 20. This could prove a very productive time for tackling various long overdue jobs, reducing our burdens and our overheads, breaking problems down into steps, drawing up a checklist, and tackling them slowly, methodically….unexciting, for sure. The same perhaps with certain fairly minor but vexatious health matters. But not much feel better than the sheer relief of making up our minds that we ARE going to wade into that pile of shit stuff, and come out the other side knowing we finally have it back under control and firmly back in its box.
No, cat. I said its. You may be a problem cat for all I know, but I don’t mean you.
We are getting on top of it. Thank you Mercury, for that welcome extra bit of lift when we were so tired. And now we feel ready to take on the world.
We weigh our words, choose them with care, strategically. Our words have weight.
This is the functional application, the power of Mercury in Capricorn, the gutsy and relentless mountain ibex. It just keeps on going. But now it has an added spring in its step. Nil Desperandum as they say.
Happy New Year
May Janus open wonderful new doors for you this coming year.
This World card is from The Gilded Tarot illustrated by Ciro Marchetti. This was one of my go-to working decks when I started reading professionally back in the noughties. A hard-worked deck of cards, as you can tell, but now relaxing in its box.
From The Gilded Tarot
“Dance dance wherever you may be…”
The World card correlates with Saturn in astrology, Old Father Time, and in readings involving timing questions can literally represent events that happen on a Saturday.
More broadly, The World card signifies the end of a chapter in our lives, the closing out of a cycle, the end of an era. Bittersweet, perhaps, or even a cause for grief, but not unexpected. Timely, due and inevitable. Somehow we must make our peace with that existential sword of Damocles, living in the clear and certain foreknowledge of loss and of our own mortality.
Que sera, sera, says the World card. What will be, will be. But that doesn’t mean we do not have an agency all of our own. World dancers, you and me, one and all. The adventure of Life is its own reason and meaning enough. The experience is its own purpose entire.
The odds against us being born as us, and not as someone else have been estimated as 1 in 400 trillion. But somehow it was us that got through. And here we are. Reaching out and across to one another, conversant in cyberspace.
Expansive, ebullient Jupiter doesn’t get all the fun. Saturn has its moments too. The World card not only signifies completions but adventure and opportunity. Where to next? “Dance dance wherever you may be…”
Saturn as the ruler of Capricorn holds the bottom line, however. It promises and demands honesty. Saturn is old age, memories, ancestry, parents. Saturn is work, responsibility, discipline and duty. Growing up. Facing life head on. Putting our shoulders to the wheel. Life is the eternal dance. So the artist shows us the world dancer. Her dancing signifies grace in effort, vision in struggle, form to music and movement. Something we can do, and make, and show for our time here in spite of, and in defiance of our natural fears, tribulations and anxieties.
Saturn has been going back and forth between Pisces and Aries in 2025, struggling to bring order to chaos, and having a Capricornian devil of a job trying, snared in Neptunian fog and wilful illusions and deceptions (Epstein’s island being just one of many examples under the searchlight throughout 2025, and with files released but heavily redacted.)
Saturn will finally settle into Aries 13/14 February 2026, and will stay there until 2028 in a whole new astrological cycle. New, because Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac. The spring-born ram-lamb baby of the Zodiac.
This Saturn in Aries cycle has been seen before. History tell us that previous cycles of Saturn in Aries have witnessed the rise of ideological fanaticism, new religious wars or revolutions, for example, The Reformation, The French Revolution and the American War of Independence.
People decide they are being pushed around, and now, they are not going to put up with it any longer. Lines get moved. Maps get redrawn, and so do constitutions, creeds and codes.
Saturn in Aries moving into the ultimate zodiac sign of new beginnings is like Saturn The Old Man of the Zodiac, herding the bumptious ram lamb. Saturn (settled authority) is rejuvenated but Saturn also needs to show that pioneering rebel ram-lamb how to focus, directing its energies and strategy to lasting effect, and to do the necessary legislative spadework and paperwork, operate through existing state apparatus.
Or else to overhaul it.
Health-wise, Saturn rules old age and specifically, the functionality of the knees. Saturn in Aries could mean wonderful advances in related medical knowledge and technology.
Saturn does not dispute we need to take proper care of ourselves. For our own sakes, first and foremost. But, as Saturn will advise Aries, “Ask not what your country/people/family can do for you but what you can do…”
Saturn enters Aries on February 13, 2026, and will stay there until April 2028. This transit marks a time of personal accountability, renewed ambition, and disciplined action. Collectively, Saturn in Aries encourages courage in leadership and a willingness to take bold, responsible steps toward progress. It asks society to rebuild systems with integrity, initiative, and resilience. As a result, the global focus turns toward independence, innovation, and defining success through effort and perseverance.
On a personal level, Saturn in Aries strengthens confidence, structure, and self-discipline. It challenges people to act with integrity and take ownership of their goals. For those with Aries ruling the 6th House, this influence reshapes daily work, health, and routines. Individuals need to set firm boundaries around time, energy, and service. Consequently, consistent effort and steady habits will lead to lasting results, empowering a healthier, more focused approach to both work and well-being.
And then….
Saturn and Neptune will Conjunct in Aries
On February 20, 2026, Saturn and Neptune form a conjunction in Aries at 0°45′, blending vision with discipline. This powerful alignment urges the collective to build new systems rooted in visionary ideas and action in a long cycle focused on spiritual leadership, inspired innovation, direct experience and courageous reinvention rather than blind faith.
We see ever more starkly now, that something has changed in the western societies that goes way beyond even the most important considerations of party politics. Something has fundamentally changed in the historic covenants between the People and elected Governments in the West, in the UK, in western Europe, in the US and Canada. This, we are coming to realize, is neither recent nor sudden nor organic and accidental. The New World Order. It has been quietly taking hold for a long time now, starting after the end of WW2, but now it is raising its head above the parapet, starting to flex, and whatever the good intentions, at least to begin with, the gimlet super-corporate gaze of this new Globalist Techno-Sphynx is not friendly, not even…or even least of all…to its own people.
The implications for this increasingly authoritarian so-called New World Order seem likely to come to a head during Saturn in Aries. Saturn is on the side of farmers, and the countryside. Mao crushed the farmers and starved the people. So did Stalin in The Holodomor, especially in the bread basket of Ukraine. Closer to home, when WW2 broke out, my maternal grandfather left his day job as the Curator of the Museum in Bolton, Lancashire, joined the Navy, and in 1942 was part of “Operation Pedestal”, and the convoy that went to the relief of hungry Malta.
The UK government has just relented somewhat in respect of lowering the threshold for inheritance tax which has threatened to close down smaller farmers. It wants the land for eco-energy, massive solar panel farms, truly huge, and we can see it shaping up nicely (not) very near where I am, and that certain companies and their shareholders are going to get incredibly wealthy, basically vandalizing the countryside and local economy on a fragile coastal flood plain, purportedly for environmental reasons, but actually for a mega-profit.
Saturn says we need land to live on. We need a base, a place to stay rooted and connected, however far we may travel. And those roots go very deep socially historically and even biologically. Not every soil is the same.
We need energy, yes. Lots of it, yes. The cleaner the better, yes. And we need reliable food supplies. It is madness for any government to rely too much on imports, not in times of war, and not in times of peace either.
Saturn, from the Latin “sator” is “The Sower of The Seed.”
There is revolution in the air when Aries is in Saturn. We may be seeing it again. Saturn is slow to rouse but if really pushed, then it will pick up pitchforks and shovels in defence of the land, local jobs and food supplies.
Resetting to Zero. What does that even mean in real terms? Zero emissions, zero anything? When can that happen in the real world?
But in terms of Tarot symbolism, The World card, major arcana 21, is the last card in the Tarot deck, thereby returning us to the beginnings represented by The Fool card, and its numinous portal, the number Zero.
The Fool stands for a landscape in which we do not have our map co-ordinates to know where we are right now, let alone plot our direction of travel.
(Alternatively, some Tarot scholars might say, the number 22, nicknamed “The Master Builder”, signifying that big changes are just round the corner, but on balance, it’s probably for the best right now to take a few chances.)
“The discovery of zero will always stand out as one of the greatest single achievements of the human race.”–Tobias Dantzig
But the number zero, so indispensable in the modern world, and to the new gods of the algorithms, was not discovered, or would not have been discovered, had it not been invented, used initially as a placeholder for accounting purposes, likely as far back as Sumeria about 4000 years ago (as usual).
Zero does not stand for nothing, but for an unknown value or quantity. Likewise, there are many unknowns in the natural world. But there is no zero.
We can decide to clear the decks, but the past is never dead and gone.
We stand witness. We carry the torch. We look for ways to pass the torch. That’s what we are doing here right now, you and I, and everyone else.
With the aurora borealis flaming coldly overhead, or the stars leaping in the frost dance, and the land numb and frozen under its pall of snow, this song of the huskies might have been the defiance of life, only it was pitched in minor key, with long-drawn wailings and half-sobs, and was more the pleading of life, the articulate travail of existence. It was an old song, old as the breed itself–one of the first songs of the younger world in a day when songs were sad.
Tonight and tomorrow night, 27/28 December, the first quarter Moon is in Aries. See what happens tomorrow, if there is any uptick in your energy levels, or in family news, or the pace of events.
And if the skies are clear tonight, and you see a brilliant planet a little way east of the crescent Moon in the southern skies, well, there it is.
The fixed water sign of the celestial Scorpion is the zodiac archetype of Halloween. Still waters run deep, truly, but this is water as steam, like the steaming geysers of Iceland, bursting out from sources deep down in the heart of the hot rock.
Traditional Associations
Zodiac glyph
Scorpio’s glyph is symbolic of a serpent representing the life force energy, the flow of that energy and the release of it. Imagine the M as a coil with the energy flow going outward with an arrow sign attached. This arrow represents the sting of the scorpion. It also represents futurity, but is also the arrow of Sagittarius, the next sign of the zodiac. The other “m” glyph in the Zodiac is Virgo, but here the M is imagined as a coiling serpent with its tail folded inward in protective, healing mode.
Ruling planets: Traditional: Mars. Modern: Pluto following Pluto’s discovery in 1930.
House: The Eighth House of power, secrets, sex, death, finance, legacy
Symbols: Scorpion, Serpent, Eagle/Phoenix (nearby constellation, Aquila, the Eagle.)
Element: Water (but this water STEAMS.)
Quality: Fixed
Keywords: I desire. I transform
Hebrew letter: Nun, meaning the snake. Scorpio has three glyphs, the only sign to do so; the snake, scorpion and eagle (or phoenix.) The snake sheds its skin and thus represents transformation, healing and magic.
Tissue cell salt: calcium sulphate, repair of tissues and resistance to infectious diseases.
Trees: Walnut, hawthorn, blackthorn
Tarot Cards: Death, King of Cups, 5, 6 and 7 of Cups. The major arcana card in the Tarot representing Scorpio is the Death card, one of the most feared cards in the Tarot deck. Note the Biblical ‘pale horse’ of Death and the white rose. He comes for all, the king, the archbishop, the child. But the rose signifies beauty and immortality. All that has ever once been, is recorded somewhere, somehow, forever.
Smith Waite Centennial Deck
The Death card is not usually about the literal death of any person. It may represent the death of something else, like the ending of a situation, chapter, project, plan, or relationship.
But. BUT. I have learned in my own experience as a reader, the Death card can mean exactly that, physical death, like it or not. The cards can mean exactly what it says on the tin and this has more than once hit me hard and very close to home in the literal, physical human sense. There is no Life without Death. We die. Even rivers can die. Even the stars die.
Old age is not our natural birth-right. Few animals reach old age living in the wild. It is this sharp focus of such an awareness that gives Scorpio its drive, intensity, its passion, or its preoccupation with the “darker” side of life, and with the occult and the mysterious, but also its power of regeneration, and the drive to procreate new life.
The scorpion is a staggeringly ancient creature. The earliest evidence dates from the Silurian period 450 million years ago, when the first scorpion ancestors left the seas for the land. Fossils from the Carboniferous 300 million years ago indicate little change since then but early scorpions may have had compound eyes.
They are arachnids: arachnida scorpiones, with a body in two sections, 2 pincers or pedi-palps, 8 legs like a spider, and an exo-skeleton made of chitin. They are more closely related to Harvestmen than spiders.
They dance before mating, a stately promenade. They give birth to live young and carry them on their backs until the babies have their first moult and disperse. The mothers may eat the young if resources are desperately scarce.
They have a long life span compared with other arachnids, 2-3 years in the wild but they have lived up to 25 years in captivity. They can live a year without food and they eat insects, spiders, other scorpions and lizards. They also eat small mammals, such as mice.
They glow in the dark except when newly moulted. Scorpion fossils still fluoresce, despite spending hundreds of millions of years embedded in rock.
They are famously venomous. However of the nearly 2,000 known species of scorpions, only 25 have venom powerful enough to be dangerous to an adult human. In the U.S., the Arizona bark scorpion, Centruroides sculpturatus, produces venom strong enough to kill a small child, but anti-venom means deaths are rare.
The Stars of Scorpio
Wiki: Till Credner
Nature, science, religion, astronomy and astrology were intertwined in the ancient world.
Scorpius is a massive, spectacular j- shaped constellation located in the skies over the southern hemisphere near the centre of the Milky Way. In the Northern hemisphere it can be seen in July and August, and in the Southern hemisphere, it’s visible from March to October.
Sometime around four thousand years ago the Babylonians looked up, discerned the huge and brightly leaning “J”- shape in the summer stars, saw in this the shape of a gigantic scorpion and called this constellation MUL.GIR.TAB – the ‘Scorpion’, literally read as ‘the (creature with) a burning sting.’
The movements and relative positions of Scorpius were mapped by Babylonian magicians and astrologers, who left written records of the omens they observed.
“When a halo surrounds the Moon and Scorpio stands in it, it will cause men to marry princesses, (or) lions will die, and the traffic of the land will be hindered.”
A comet appearing in Scorpius (Scorpio) was read as a dire warning of a coming plague, but when the Sun rose in Scorpius, alchemists saw their chance for the transmutation of lead into gold.
There are 18 known stars in Scorpius, the most famous being the red giant star Antares (rival of Mars, the god of war and the original planetary ruler of Scorpio) Antares, its biggest star, is almost unimaginably huge – our sun is barely more than a dot in comparison- is one of the brightest stars in the night sky.
Methuselah
Scorpius contains exo-planets, some extremely old, while others may be potentially habitable. The planet PSR B1620-26 b, nicknamed “Methuselah” is estimated at 12.7 billion years old (The universe is about 13.7 billion years old.) Methuselah has a mass about twice that of Jupiter and it orbits around not one, but two stars.
Cue existential angst. I may need to lie down awhile in a dark room. Where, pray, is the eau de cologne?
Hot water under pressure but it’s in a hosepipe this month, and it has sprung a few leaks, spouting scalding jets and clouds of steam. Water as steam. Full force.
Veritable spiders webs and networks. Flexing. At home here in the UK, amongst so many other terrible and furious things on the world stage right now, we see China threatening the UK government behind the scenes. Long suspected. Now we see it in plain sight. We are told it is presented as a case of “You will authorize the building of this monstrous new super embassy in the historic heart of your capital. Or there will be consequences.”
One thinks of the unquiet ghost of the failed Guido Fawkes. There are fireworks outside my window even now.
More hopeful news, The Met Police are now declaring they will no longer be policing NCHI’s – Non crime hate incidents. No more knocking on the doors of the citizenry to threaten them over social media posts that have upset “someone.” May the other police forces now swiftly follow suit. This is Britain, not North Korea, and there can be no apologies for drawing the parallel.
A bill to introduce Islamophobia as a new crime has not passed in the House of Commons. Thank goodness. But after all the furore a few weeks ago, they seem to have kept that rather quiet. England finally did away with blasphemy laws in England in 2008. The history is cruel. Ans so are the things that still happen now, in countries where blasphemy is still punishable by death. We do not want blasphemy laws creeping in again by the back door, enabled by our government in the name of so-called diversity and inclusion.
Just as in Scorpio season 2024 we are challenged with keeping our own equilibrium while watching yet another intense month of massive threat and fury in world events. And keep it we must, while maximising our own energy bursts to fix, to clear, to burnish, to cherish all those and all that which we most rightfully hold dear.
Eruption of the Strokker Geyser, Iceland, public domain, credit Andreas Tille
This month we are all children of The Scorpion. Scorpio may sting. And it may heal us. Scorpio is a great healer. Natural charisma and…anti venom.
But remembering the Death card, and Death offers a perfect white rose. Still, there are roses, always and for ever, even in the season of the Scorpion.
On July 22 we left the zodiac domain of Cancer; the zenith of the summer in the northern hemisphere, and moved into the sun sign territory of Leo until 22 August.
Traditional Associations
Ruler: The Sun Lucky Day: Sunday
Symbol: Lion
Element: Fire Quality: Fixed
Hebrew letter: Av (father, regal) Tet (coiled serpent) Tov (goodness)
Constitutional salt: Magnesium Phosphate (Mag Phos) Leo rules the heart and this salt is a cardiac tonic. Mag Phos is a muscle and motor nerve nutrient, helping to empower the muscles, or to relax them, helpful for all types of cramp or spasm, whether induced by physical exertion or by the menstrual cycle. May be beneficial dissolved in warm water for cramps in the stomach, or for colic in babies, crushed and rubbed onto the gums
Leo has since ancient times been associated with the sun and royalty, ruled by the sun in astrology, and is one of the oldest constellations collectively recognized as a lion. Archaeological evidence suggests that Mesopotamians recognized the star grouping we later came to know as Leo as early as 4000 BC. The Persians knew this constellation as Shir or Ser. The Babylonians called it UR.GU.LA (“the great lion.”) The Syrians knew it as Aryo and the Turks as Artan, while the Greeks associated Leo with the story of the Labours of Herakles/Hercules, and the slaying of the man- eating lion of Nemea.
Via Wiki
Leo is the 12th largest constellation in the zodiac, and one of the most recognizable in the skies of the northern hemisphere due to its many bright stars, and its distinctive shape suggesting a crouching lion facing to the right, located between the constellations of Cancer to the west and Virgo to the east. The bright planet pictured beneath Leo is Jupiter.
The best time to see the Leo constellation is in Spring in the northern hemisphere, from around the March equinox, and in the fall/autumn in the southern hemisphere where it can be seen in the northern skies, but is seen as if upside down. In early April, the constellation Leo reaches its high point for the night around 10 p.m. By around May 1, Leo reaches its highest point for the night around 8 p.m. local time.
In early May, Leo is beginning to set in the west around 2 a.m. local time, and by June it is descending in the west in the evening, drifting ever further westward. By late July and into early August, the Lion is fading into the sunset before disappearing, and by late September into October it is visible again, reappearing in the east before dawn, below the Big Dipper or as it is perhaps better known in the UK, The Plough.
Leo season includes the so-called Dog Days of summer, July 3 to August 11, the window of the warmest days in the Northern Hemisphere.
The ancient Egyptians and later the Romans noticed that the brightest star Sirius “the scorching one,” aka The Dog Star, aka, Canis Major, reappeared in the sky, rising in the east just before the sun each year 21- 23 July when the sun entered Leo. See more here on You Tube:
This was immediately prior to the annual flooding of the Nile River which started around August 15 for two weeks every year. The Nile floods, while potentially massively destructive, replenished the soil, bringing forth new life, renewing the lifeblood of their agriculture- and the nation entire.
New life, such is the symbolic meaning of the Sun in Leo, correlating with the Sun card and Strength in the tarot deck, and also the 5, 6 and 7 of Wands.
Lions were once upon a time a common sight in Egypt, roaming the semi-desert regions on either side of the Nile Valley, and there are surviving depictions of pharaohs hunting lions. The lions began to disappear during the New Kingdom (c. 1550-1070 B.C.) until eventually they became extinct in Egypt as the climate and environment became drier and the human population increased. But not before they had become an eternal part of the zodiac story.
By August in Egypt, the desert lions were becoming increasingly desperate for water after weeks of drought, coming ever closer in sight of the city walls in their search. But this lowest ebb in the lives of the desert lions was a welcome sign that the Nile floods were shortly on their way, the tributaries far upriver massively swollen by tropical storms over the highlands of Ethiopia and southern Sudan, and in their joy, the people honoured the lion with festivals.
Boston Public Library Kasr En Nil
Statues of lions can still be seen along the course of the Nile River, while the lion-headed fountains so popular with later Greek and Roman architects was a direct legacy of this great story of the zodiac, symbolizing the life-giving waters released by the sun in the season of Leo.
August the Eighth, the 8 of the 8th, is known as the Lions Gate, a mythical portal said to represent a peak of intensity in human affairs. 2024 is a number 8 year and we already know we are living in a time of new and increasing intensities.
Public Domain, photograph Petr Kratochvil
Thank you for reading. Back again soon with more on Leo in the Tarot, the decans, and the astrology of this Leo season 2024.
This year the sun is in the sign of Gemini from May 20- June 19, 2024. The dates for the sun signs can vary by a day or two from year to year for astronomical reasons. This year the sun leaves Gemini and enters Cancer on the day of the summer solstice, June 20.
The word ‘zodiac’ comes from the Greek meaning ‘circle of animals.’ The only zodiac sign that is non-representative of a living creature is Libra, the sign of the Scales. But in astronomy, even the Scales of Libra are borrowed from the stars of Scorpio and the claws of the giant scorpion in the heavens next door.
Gemini is the third sign of the Western Tropical Zodiac, and represents the end of spring and beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere.
Gemini associations
Symbol:
The Roman numeral for 2 is joined top and bottom in representation of the unity of duality
Hebrew letter: Zain, meaning, sword, weapon.
Ruling planet: Mercury
Affirmation: ‘I think, I inquire.’
Body: shoulders, arms and hands, lungs, autonomous central nervous system. The cell salt for Gemini is Kali Mur- potassium chloride, which builds fibrin in the blood, organs, and tissues of the body. Gemini is vulnerable to upper respiratory infections, bronchitis, and asthma (pollen season).
Birth Stone: If born in May, Emerald. If born in June, Pearl (although it is not a stone, it is thought to be ruled by Mercury)
Lucky stone: Tiger’s Eye. Why? The Tiger’s Eye is made of silicon dioxide with bands of iron. Grounds ‘flighty’ Gemini energy. Brings focus.
Public domain
Colour: Yellow
Tree: all kinds of nut trees
Flower: Lily of the Valley, Lavender
Tarot cards: Major Arcana: The Lovers (love, choices, decision-making) For some readers The Magician, associated with the Norse god Odin/Woden/ruler of Wednesday and the rune OS/ANSUZ (mouth, speech, oratory, answers.) Court card: The Knight of Swords. Minor Arcanacards: 8, 9 and 10 Swords.
Gemini is the northernmost constellation in the zodiac, and the thirtieth largest in size, appearing high in the winter sky in the northern hemisphere looking north east of the constellation of Orion between the Taurus and Cancer constellations. The best time to view Gemini is in February, and then by April and May, we’ll get the best views looking west soon after sunset.
Gemini was recorded by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century as “The Star of Apollo” (Castor) and “The Star of Heracles” (Pollux).
The two brightest stars in the constellation are the “twins” themselves – Castor and Pollux, representing the heads of the twins from Greek mythology, while fainter stars outline their bodies. Pollux, the westerly twin, is a red giant star 33 light-years from Earth and Castor is about 51 light-years away. A light-year is the distance that light travels in a year – about 6 trillion miles/9.6 trillion kilometres.
Pollux is the brighter of the two stars with a massive planet orbiting it; Genorium Beta, 1.6 times bigger than Jupiter (and Jupiter is so massive Earth could fit inside it x 1,300 times.)
Castor is actually not a single star, but a star system made of up six stars not visible to the naked eye.
History and Mythology
The concept of twins in mythology goes back at least as far as the so-called Age of Gemini, during the Palaeolithic, 6, 500 BCE, arising from our understanding of the duality fundamental to the nature of reality. There are male and female twins in world myth, but there are many twin brothers in particular standing for night and day, light and dark, heat and cold, male and female, war and peace, good and bad, life and death. The creation myths of ancient cultures reflect this eternal battle of seeming opposites. Many surviving objects feature twin gods and goddesses; a major theme across all cultures.
The ‘twin stars’ have been recognised as representing twins across all cultures, each with their own names and stories. In Arabic astronomy the twins were seen as peacocks. In Egyptian astrology they were twin goats, or else the two gods, Horus the Elder and Horus the Younger, while classical Greek mythology identified them as the twin brothers, Castor and Pollux, aka The Gemini, from the Latin word for twins. The name Castor comes from the Greek Καστωρ (Kastor) and means “to excel, to shine.” The name Pollux comes from the Roman form of the Greek Πολυδευκης (Polydeukes) meaning “very sweet.”
The circumstances of their birth were unusual to say the least. Queen Leda of Sparta was seduced by Zeus though seduced is putting it too politely. She was bathing in the river when he glided up, disguised as a swan, preening his feathers, and then pounced.
Later that evening, notwithstanding the undoubted trauma of this shocking event, Leda slept with her husband, King Tyndareus, and went on to produce four children all in one go; Castor, Pollux and their sisters Helen (later Helen of Troy) and Clytemnestra (later married to Agamemnon as queen of Mycenae.) Pollux and Helen were immortal, fathered by Zeus but Castor and Clytemnestra were mortal, fathered by Tyndareus.
Public Domain, the young Castor and Pollux (Meissen)
The mortal Castor was renowned as a horseman and a master at fencing, while the immortal Pollux was known for his great strength and skill at boxing. They went everywhere together. But then Castor was killed in a quarrel, in a disagreement over dividing the spoils after a cattle raid, and the sorrow of Pollux was so great he told Zeus he didn’t want his immortality, not if it meant eternal separation from his twin brother. Zeus scratched his head, wondering how to fix this, and then decided to place them both in the stars, to be together forever as the constellation Gemini.
The Greeks worshipped the twins as gods who helped shipwrecked sailors while the Romans later developed a cult around Castor and Pollux dating back to 484 B.C. building a temple to the twins in the Roman Forum in 414 BC in thanks for their help in defeating their old enemy, the Latins, in the battle of Regillus. Castor and Pollux were the patron gods of horses and the Roman cavalry, the equites, appearing as such on early Roman coins.
Gemini Zodiac Archetype
Mercury by Hendrick Goltzius, 1611, Public Domain
All the zodiac signs represent archetypes; meaning something that is considered to be a perfect or typical example of a particular kind of person or thing. The natal zodiac sun sign in western astrology paints a poetic portrait of a person born at a particular time of year, in a particular season as experienced in the northern hemisphere, in a tradition originating at the thirty sixth latitude (Sumeria, modern day Iraq).
The planetary ruler of Gemini is Mercury, the planet nearest the Sun, representing the winged god Mercury or Hermes; patron deity of all forms of communication, media, trade, global commerce and travel, medicine, research and analytics. Hermes was the son of the goddess Maia, one of the seven sisters of The Pleiades who gave her name to the month of May.
Mercury has a lesser known role as a psychopomp; one who can go between the realms of the living and the dead, a go-between and safe escort to the dead. It was Mercury/Hermes who escorted the souls of the newly dead to the banks of the Acheron or The Styx, where they waited for Charon to come in this boat and ferry them across to the Underworld. It was Hermes who escorted Persephone out of the dominion of Hades to be reunited with her mother Demeter.
Painting by Frederick Leighton
Gemini is a mutable sign, ruling the borderline between late spring and early summer. The other mutable signs are Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. The mutable signs are considered the most changeable and agile of the signs; inquiring, agile, adaptable, talented, cerebral, analytical, logical and restless.
The Gemini temperament is friendly yet watchful, generous but changeable -mercurial as personified by Hermes with his winged sandals and the caduceus- emblem of messages and trade. The well-known delivery company of the same name clearly chose its name for this same reason. At the same time, Gemini can also be surprisingly dogmatic, attaching themselves to causes, whether it is to do with religion or an entirely secular social or political manifesto, or to do with lifestyle; for example, exercise or diet choices. Gemini may become a born-again convert- or crusading missionary. Intellectually, Gemini is quick, but emotionally, can become fixated. Taurus is stubborn too, but Taurus doesn’t seek to convince or convert others to its own way of thinking.
Gemini can be, not insincere, at least, not in that moment, but quick to lose interest, fluttering like butterflies, looking for the next new thing, looking for some better, brighter flower. This can apply to the way they interact with other people, here today and gone tomorrow, even though once mature, and once committed, they make dutiful, devoted partners and parents.
Every suit in the Tarot deck has its own court with a king, a queen, a knight and a page. The principle court card associated with Gemini is the super- fast moving Knight of Swords.
Smith Waite Tarot
Card Meanings: news, sudden developments, strongly worded email, legal action, surgical procedure, dental procedure, shock, blow, attack, air strike, plane,missile, bird of prey, assertiveness, intelligence, calculation, a confident, forceful young person (aged about 25-40), injury, snow, hailstorm, windy weather, cold wind, east wind,
The Decans of Gemini
The word ‘Decan’ comes from the Latin meaning ‘ten.’ Each zodiac sign lasts about 30 days and is further divided into three blocks of roughly 10 days each. These are the decans or as they’re sometimes called, the ‘thirty-six faces of astrology,’ bringing added depth and nuance to the psychological profile associated with your natal sun sign. The minor arcana cards associated with Gemini; the Eight, Nine and Ten of Swords, correlate with the decans.
If you don’t feel like you are a ‘typical’ Gemini, well, we’re all unique, and our natal sun is the keynote in our natal chart but not the whole story. But it may be because you’re a second or third decan Gemini native, rather than a ‘most typical’ first decan Gemini. It’s all still equally Gemini, whatever the decan and this holds true for all the zodiac signs. But an early-born Gemini and a later-born Gemini are born under slightly different planetary influences.
First Decan Gemini (0-10 degrees)
21-31 May
Eight of Swords
Smith Waite Tarot
Card Meanings:Entrapment, uncertainty, helplessness, waiting for rescue. There is a way out if only you will open your eyes, look around and take a step forward. I have also come to associate this card with practical plumbing/drainage issues.
This decan gets a double dose of the planetary influence of inquisitive, rational, Mercury. This is an alert, perceptive, intellectual and forceful personality. The acumen is sharp. The negative side of this coin is a Gemini native who is just as inquisitive but careless, flighty, forgetful, restless and unreliable. First decan Gemini is a multi-talented juggler, light on their feet, graceful and agile. But at the same time they tend to develop a strong point of view on a wide range of subjects, and they have a clearly defined belief system. For all their apparent flightiness they are also tough and resilient-even stubborn, a quality more usually associated with Taurus, its next door neighbour and predecessor in the zodiac. Gemini make devoted partners, contrary to whatever people might assume. They will hang on in there when the going gets tough, though they are prone to boredom and quickly tire of routine. They have considerable charisma and sex appeal. But they also know when they’ve got a good thing, so long as there’s plenty of social interaction and sufficiently frequent short distance travel to keep their restlessness under control.
Second Decan Gemini (10-20 degrees)
June 1-10
Nine of Swords
Card Meanings: The so-called Nightmare card, also nicknamed “cruelty.” Worry, ‘the black dog,’ anxiety, stress, grief, insomnia, depression, the things that keep us awake at night.
The sub-ruler of this decan is Libra, ruled by Venus, planet of love, beauty- and money, while Libra is the natural ruler of the seventh house of marriage, partnerships, close associates, associations, and legal matters. This Gemini is more of a “me-too” person, rather than an “I-am” person compared with, say, a first decan Gemini. This Gemini native needs to be especially discriminating in their selection of companions/associates and to avoid making early decisions about a choice of partner. Gemini 2nd decan is often drawn to quiet, reserved people. Their reserve fascinates Gemini-Libra which matches up well with reliable, practical types who can get a job done with little fuss or excitement. This person will ground, refine and complement the Gemini-Libra.
People respond well to the Second Decan Gemini warm and effusive nature. They also have a sense of adventure, same as the other Gemini decans, and they enjoy travel for the sake of new experiences. Sharing is part of the Gemini-Libra life; they are generous with their time and friendship and also with possessions. Gemini-Libra is great company. Just don’t be surprised or upset if they disappear as suddenly as they appear, or if they go quiet on you without warning. It’s not personal. It’s just the way they are.
Third Decan Gemini (20-30 degrees)
11-20 June
Ten of Swords
Smith Waite Tarot
Card meanings: Destruction, despair, betrayal, stabbed in the back, ruin, dark night of the soul, and the darkness before dawn, the only way is up, illness, comatose, a fall, spinal injury, head injury.
The personal planets of the third decan Gemini are Saturn and Uranus, painting a portrait full of contradictions. Sometimes this person is ultra-careful, dutiful, responsible, serious, at other times carefree or even careless. Uranus combined with the planet Mercury suggests an unusually active or even brilliant mind possibly even verging on genius. This person may be a thinker who is ahead of their times. Or maybe they are just zany.
Aquarius – natural ruler of the eleventh house of friends, hopes, and wishes-makes this Gemini a social type, a friend-oriented individual interested in social causes. This Gemini is an optimist, always interested in trying out what is new, and never happier than when they are on the move.
Life is rarely dull with a cheerful Decan 3 Gemini around, but they are the most independent- natured Gemini decan. They need plenty of space and freedom, with a partner who makes few demands on their time and attention. They are very hard working when they put their mind to it. But keeping promises, fulfilling obligations and routines are not their strongest suit. It is a mistake for this Gemini native to marry early or settle too soon. Adventure, exploration and experimentation with ideas, people and places- this is what they are about. This is what makes them tick.
The Cusps of Gemini
Birthday May 21 through May 23
This is Gemini with Taurus tendencies. The ruling planets are Mercury and Venus. This is a strong and magnetic personality, often with talents in music, art and literature. They are lively and sociable, good conversationalists hospitable and fond of travel. They desire to excel but may suffer from a fear of rejection, and at times may worry overmuch about the opinion of others at the expense of their intellectual independence and the exercise of their personal agency.
Birthday June 18 through June 21
This is Gemini with Cancer tendencies, ruled by Mercury and the Moon. This native possesses foresight and analytical ability combined with idealism. They will do well so long as they stay practical and do not go in for speculation and risk taking. This birthday does not bring that particular kind of luck. They may at times be too sensitive for their own good, liable to take offence or be sorry for themselves. But, graceful in movement, tidy in appearance, affectionate in nature, this native is a good friend. If they say they will do something, they keep their word.
Famous Gemini natives
John F Kennedy, Donald Trump, Frank Lloyd Wright, Boris Johnson. Johnny Depp, Queen Victoria, Charles 11, George 111,George V, Muammar Gaddafi, Angelina Jolie, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, Carl Linnaeus, Peter the Great, Adam Smith, Richard Wagner, Arthur Conan Doyle, John Maynard Keynes.
Keynote Astrology Dates in Gemini 2024
May 20: Sun enters Gemini ruler of the third house of intellect, communications, siblings and neighbours
May 23: Full Flower Moon in Sagittarius. Futurism, a breakthrough, foreign affairs, possible summit, visionaries, possible progress on a ceasefire
May 23-June 16: Venus enters Gemini coming together with Jupiter. Feeling good, looking good. Dating and socializing. Making Art. Writing. Just watch the spending.
May 25: THE astrological event of Gemini season 2024. Jupiter enters the sign of Gemini until June 9 2025. Here is an intense focus on fact-finding, fact-checking and the power and meaning of words. Here are big things in public discourse, deep fakes, AI and space tech and all things, welcome or otherwise, carried on the wind and in the air. We are witnessing the Fourth Industrial revolution. Last time we had Jupiter in Gemini, June 12, 2012-June 26, 2013, Voyager 1, launched September 5 1977 was the first man-made object to enter interstellar space. Just be aware, Jupiter in Gemini can mean disinformation and cults. It can mean the mob and witch hunts, especially when Pluto is in Aquarius (think too of the French Revolution and the guillotine). It’s best not to rely on any one single information or news source before arriving at our conclusions about anything.
May 31: Mercury conjunction with Uranus in Taurus. Sudden changes, surprises or breakthroughs to what we may have thought were insoluble problems.
June 6: New Moon in Gemini. This one falls at in the second decan of Gemini correlating with the Nine of Swords. On the plus side, it’s conjunct Venus. Fun times. We’re in demand. There is a real buzz of adrenaline and mental energy. But it’s also square Saturn. We may gallop about the place non-stop, spreading ourselves too thin, or struggling with issues or memories to do with a difficult parental relationship.
June 9: Mars in Taurus: our energy might hit a bit of a slump but it’s all good. We can adapt, go a walk, feed the birds, tend the flowers, take it easy, refuse to brood, and work on long term planning
July 20: Mars in Gemini. And the energy is back again. You’re taking charge and it shows, but prioritize your health, rest and relaxation, especially if you are a natal sun sign Gemini.
To the witty, brilliant, charming and cheerful Gemini sun sign native, we say Happy Birthday! Pluto calls you to new learning, crafts and foreign travel, or even a permanent relocation over the next twenty years, while 2024 is the year to reassess your professional trajectory and your place in your chosen community. This is not the year for flightiness. This is a time to stand firm and concentrate. Tis is a time to dig and build. Or rebuild. Deep and emotional Pisces in Saturn, planet of duty, responsibility, or possibly even care for older relatives, in your tenth house of your public life and your career calls for a plan, for discipline and focus. Stand firm. August in particular may be a real roller-coaster ride or a turning point. This is your on-going challenge- and your great opportunity in 2024
Most of us know our Western Tropical zodiac sun sign, but what’s the story behind it? And what are the decans? It’s time to find out more about Pisces the Heavenly Fishes
Tissue Salt: Ferrum Phos (Iron Phosphate) An oxygen booster.
Birth Stone: Aquamarine but also amethyst, ruby, blood-stone and jasper. Aquamarine is the blue variety of beryl. Emerald is a green beryl. The aquamarine is believed to enhance foresight, clairvoyance and a sense of well-being.
Colours: Purple, violet, sea-green
Herbs/Flowers: the water lily (associated with Neptune)
Tarot cards: The Moon: ebb and flow, cyclical shifts, intuition, dreams, visionary capabilities, ghosts, fertility, instinct v societal norms, wild creatures, difficulties with travel, infection, poison, uncertainties, shadow boxing, wild creatures.
Other cards: the Knight of Cups and the 8, 9 and 10 Cups.
Pisces, named for the Latin plural of fish, is the 14th largest constellation overall, located in the first quadrant of the Northern Hemisphere and covering a large V-shaped region. But although it’s a fairly large constellation its stars are faint, none brighter than fourth magnitude. Not easy to see with the naked eye.
Even so, its brightest star, Eta Piscium, also known as Alphergor Kullat Nunuis a bright giant star 294 light-years from Earth, 316 times more luminous than the sun. Its Babylonian name is Kullat Nunu, ‘Nunu’ meaning ‘fish’ and ‘kullat’ meaning a bucket.
The fish of Pisces are often depicted in art as two koi carp swimming at right angles to each other; one to the north, one to the west, and attached by a cord. This imaginary cord, Alrescha or Alpha Piscium, is made up of a pair of white dwarf stars. Astronomer Ian Ridpath explains: “A cord joins the tails of Pisces. The horizontal dashed line passing through the southerly fish is the celestial equator, and the diagonal dashed line is the Sun’s annual path, the ecliptic. The point where they cross is known as the vernal (spring) equinox.”
Pisces rules the feet. Symbolically Pisces has one foot in the death of the old year, and one foot in the new life of springtime.Pisces is the twelfth and final sign of the zodiac year, ruling the twelfth house in a personal horoscope, representing hopes, dreams and fears- what lies beneath. “Can thou draw forth leviathan from the deep?”
In Christianity, Pisces represents Christ, and its opposite sign of Virgo represents Mary, the mother of Christ.
February and March is the time of the winter melt, the fullest mountain rivers and the first spawning of fresh water fishes in the Northern hemisphere. This was the flooding season in Mesopotamia where the zodiac signs and stories of the Western Tropical zodiac first originated. There is evidence of recorded astrology dating back to the third millennium BC/BCE.
Pisces is a mutable sign, marking the subtle transition of one season into another. Pisces marks the end of winter leading up to the vernal equinox. Of all the zodiac signs, the mutable signs; Pisces, Gemini and Sagittarius, are traditionally the most adaptable, the ones most at ease with endings, transitions and change.
The fishes of Pisces are attached by a cord of stars, just as life and death, and winter and spring are conjoined, and cannot be separated. Pisces is not only the last sign of winter, moving into spring; it is the last sign of the zodiac year; a symbolic culmination of all the signs that came before it.
From Urania’s Mirror, Sidney Hall, 1824
The end of winter often brings mourning. More than any other season, it is the end of winter that carries away the old and frail. A mild or green winter was especially feared as it “made fat the graveyard,” as the old saying went.
Pisces straddles winter’s grief and the bright green shoots of spring.
The court card of Pisces is the Knight of Cups, signifying an offer, an invitation, a proposal, a welcome message, a bringer of good news, an admirer, lover, chivalry, a Sir Galahad, good health, a healing cup, a loving cup, fertility, pregnancy.
Pisces is famous for its emotional depths and visionary capabilities; sensitive, intuitive, psychic, often musically or artistically gifted, but also capable of not only scientific or technical competence, but brilliance.
These are talented individuals and famously loyal once committed; compassionate and sensitive. They adapt with ease, are spontaneous and full of surprises, but while their steel may be largely hidden, all the same, it is there. Not much is said about this Piscean steel but Pisces can be, not just resilient, but downright tough in its own quiet way.
Many police officers, arbitrators and judges are born under Pisces, as well as artists and musicians. Administrative work, although Pisces can do it perfectly competently, is not their forte by and large.
Strengths
Pisces can make excellent and approachable leaders of small teams, loyal to the staff in their charge. They will take on injustice, and challenge those of superior status. But Pisces, unlike Aquarius, confines their remit to action on an individual basis. Pisces is not temperamentally disposed to the mounting of group actions, campaigns or crusades. Unless perhaps, they are early Pisces, born on the Aquarius cusp. The later subjects of this sign, born close to the Aries cusp are potentially very much the warrior ‘doers’ of Pisces, and they will keep their own counsel and act alone if their blood is up.
Pisces is brave, kindly and instinctive, but their constitutional physical energy, once depleted, is not buoyant or easily restored. If Pisces is prone to headaches at the back of the head, there may possibly be related bladder infections or other issues.
Pisces, while sociable, needs a fair bit of time to itself. Pisces thrives on rest, music, hobbies and relaxation time near to rivers, ponds and sea. The writer personally knows two freshwater anglers who are Pisces sun sign natives. One keeps his own pond of koi carp at home.
Challenges
Depending on other planetary placements, Pisces may fall prey to wishful thinking, melancholy or unhealthy lifestyle habits. They may struggle to recover and regroup from setbacks. Without enough to do, or without a clear sense of purpose or direction, Pisces can drift loose from their cord, becoming detached and living too much in their own imaginary world.
But of course there is no such thing in reality as the Pisces personality. You are a unique individual. Your zodiac sign (sun sign) is a major keynote, but it is nothing like the full picture in real life – or in astrology. There are many other factors in play in your natal chart; your rising sign, your Moon sign; the planets in your houses, the aspects, your decan, and the degree of the actual day you were born.
If you don’t feel like a ‘typical’ Pisces, perhaps you are a second or third decan Pisces, rather than a ‘most typical’ first decan Pisces.
The decans (or decanates) are a further way of marking time, breaking down each of the zodiac signs into three shorter blocks of roughly ten days each.
While the Mesopotamians (Babylon and Sumeria in what is modern day Iraq) were developing the signs of the zodiac and the concept of natal astrology, astrologers in Egypt were developing the system of the decans. These two astrological traditions came together sometime around the 1st Century BCE and the 36 decans were merged with the astrological signs.
The Zodiac is a belt of sky we see from earth, tracking the path of the sun across the sky over the course of the year. We call this pathway of the sun ‘the ecliptic.’ The Greeks named the zodiac signs after twelve of the constellations appearing on, or crossing this zodiac belt: Aries, Taurus, Gemini Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and lastly, Pisces.
Each of these designated zodiac signs represents a 30 degree section of the zodiac belt. Each sign is then further sub-divided into three blocks of ten degrees ten days in length, with slight variations. This gives us the decans or decanates from the Latin meaning ‘ten.’
The decans are popularly known as the ‘thirty-six faces of astrology,’ adding subtle depth and nuance to the stories of the signs of the zodiac, distinguishing between someone born at the start of their zodiac month from someone who is born during the middle or at the end of the zodiac month.
Readers may also use decans to help with the determining of timing issues.
Card meanings:Moving on, cutting ones losses, leaving something behind, but not in anger. Reversed: disillusionment, regret
The first decan of any sign is considered the most typical. Pisces makes for versatility and adaptability, while Neptune presents a soft or gentle manner or appearance. This Pisces decan is rarely aggressive or confrontational.
But there is a sense of a push and pull going on here. Jupiter means Pisces thinks big and steps forward. Neptune means Pisces swims in circles or hides in the weeds. This Pisces native connects with other people on an unconscious level, almost hearing what they are thinking. Maybe they haven’t noticed this about themselves yet, or they take their telepathy for granted, but if this is you, watch out for the signs.
While quiet, this Pisces has deep passions and their love life can be tempestuous. Their ideal partner will be lively and communicative with a can-do approach but the first decan Pisces tends to go on a lot of detours before arriving or settling in their happy place or rightful destination.
They often look younger than their age, but they need to be especially aware of their dietary and other habits in order to protect their health; mood, and the chest, lungs and feet in particular. Pisces is extra-sensitive to the effects of overindulgence of alcohol or mind altering drugs.
Card Meanings: the wish card, dreams come true, food and drink, the hospitality industry. Reversed: overindulgence, complacency, self-satisfaction
The sub-influence for this decan is Cancer, ruled by The Moon. Cancer is the natural ruler of the fourth house of home, family and security. These Pisces subjects typically stay close to birth family members. This Pisces may struggle to loosen parental ties, becoming fully independent, but must do so if they want to progress and develop and become the adult in the room (Saturn in Pisces
The zone of the sky from March 1 –10 houses the stars of the water of Aquarius, Eridanus the river and the western fish of Pisces. These are the faintest, most elusive stars. Now you see them, now you don’t.
These Pisceans blend in anywhere. Sensitive and psychic, this decan absorbs like moss. For the same reason these highly empathic people need to choose their company with care, and form healthy habits early on in life. These subjects are supremely susceptible to the influence of others in their environment, and this can work positively or negatively.
Card Meanings: contentment, completion, arrival, family life, stability, safety and security, team effort, a happy home Reversed: losses,family conflicts, break-ups, unhappiness
The sub-influences for this decan are Scorpio and its rulers, traditional Mars or modern Pluto. Energetic Mars and Scorpio – natural ruler of the eighth house of desire, willpower, drive and determination – brings to this Pisces extra charisma, and the drive and determination to push forward where Pisces in general can tend to err on the side of caution, holding back. This Pisces native has the artistic creativity of Pisces/Neptune with extra sticking power to turn dreams into realities.
Pluto brings depth and Mars brings speed and energy of attack. This Pisces native needs to keep busy, with plenty of energy outlets. Pisces marks the completion of the zodiac wheel. This final decan marks the point at which we move into Aries, the cycle starts over again and Aries too, is ruled by energetic Mars. What these Pisces natives start, they finish.
These Pisces natives, like the other decans, are enormously attuned to their environment, but they tend to stay more aloof and watchful, less likely to blend in. They are highly observant, natural detectives, well suited to police work or other kinds of investigative work. Pisces-Scorpio listens between the lines and notices what is not being said.
The Cusps of Pisces
Aquarius-Pisces: February 15-21
Aquarius-Pisces: This is a Pisces native with Aquarius tendencies; a person of high principles, quiet, refined, and with strong likes and dislikes. This Pisces native is likely to do a lot of travelling. They have executive capabilities and can earn or make a lot of money, but tend to become bored quite easily. This native needs to be careful not to get trapped, committing too soon in a relationship that doesn’t suit them, simply out of a fear of being left on their own.
Pisces-Aries: March 17-23
Born on the Pisces-Aries cusp, this native is especially instinctive and brave. This mix of energy combines physical and moral courage with compassion for others which can make this Pisces individual a successful leader. This person is loyal to friends and colleagues and they are also generous, and eager to see others do well.
Famous Pisces subjects
Michelangelo, Copernicus, George 111, Albert Einstein, Neville Chamberlain, Sidney Poitier, Elizabeth Taylor, Yuri Gagarin, Michael Gorbachev, Osama Bin Laden, Steve Irwin, Steve Jobs, President Erdogan of Turkey
The first of February marks the mid-point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It’s also known as Candlemas, the Christian festival of presenting Jesus at the temple. But long before Christianity, this time of year marked a more ancient celebration in Gaelic Britain: the rites of spring, and the fire festival of Imbolc.
Let’s get with the programme, Imbolc style, and parade down the street, and go pray for the health of the fields! It’s all about the soil. Modern soil scientists will agree.
February
The name February comes from the Latin ‘Februarius,’ referring to Februa; a Roman festival of ritual purification. Below, the Roman spa at Bath, UK.
Two new months of January and February were added to the older Julian calendar in the 700’s BCE to create the new Gregorian calendar, matching it up more closely with the actual length of the Earth’s journey round the sun.
But the Anglo Saxons called February Sōlmōnath, from sōl , the Old English word for wet sand or mud, alluding to the weather this time of year, and the effects of rain and snow-melt. The romantic Solway Firth between North West England and South West Scotland is actually the massive tidal ‘Mud Way’ rather than the romantic ‘Sun Way.’
The northern English scholar monk , saint Bede, wrote that February was celebrated as “the month of cakes,” when ritual offerings of savory cakes and loaves of bread were made to ensure a good year’s harvest.
Imbolc
The fire festival of Imbolc and Brigid began as a neolithic festival marking the 1/2 way point between the winter solstice (Yule) and the spring equinox (Beltane.)
Imbolc marks the start of spring, celebrating the arrival of the goddess deity Brigid, “The Exalted One,” the harbinger of the first lambs, so vital to the survival of those early communities. The deity Brigid later became conflated with the Christian figure of Saint Brigid of Kildare.
Brigid From The Sacred Circle Tarot
‘Imbolc’ is thought to mean ‘in the belly,’ referring to the precious ewes in lamb. Soon it would -it will be- be the time of the first lambs, though the start of the lambing season can vary by up to two weeks in any given year.
Brigid was a protector of women in childbirth, as well as the safe birthing of precious livestock. She was not only a goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann, The Tribe of the Gods, but a triple goddess of healers, poets and smiths.
Via Wiki Riders of the Sidhe, the Tuatha de Dannan
“The Tuatha de Danaan, the people of the (mother) goddess Danu in Celtic mythology; a race inhabiting Ireland before the arrival of the Milesians (the ancestors of the modern Irish). They were said to have been skilled in magic, and the earliest reference to them relates that, after they were banished from heaven because of their knowledge, they descended on Ireland in a cloud of mist. They were thought to have disappeared into the hills when overcome by the Milesians. The Leabhar Gabhála (Book of Invasions), a fictitious history of Ireland from the earliest times, treats them as actual people, and they were so regarded by native historians up to the 17th century. In popular legend they have become associated with the numerous fairies still supposed to inhabit the Irish landscape.”
From The Encylopedia Britannica
Brigid might visit one’s home at Imbolc. People would make a bed for her, and leave food and drink and items of clothing outside in the hope of receiving her blessings, petitioning her to protect their homes and livestock.
This was a time for feasting and visits to sacred wells, and a time for ritual divination. A St Brigid’s cross is made from rushes and was placed in doorways to protect the home from harm, representing the wheel of the seasons.
Fire and Spring is not gentle. New life is not gentle. It rises up fast and fierce. It has to, or it would never break through. Spring is fierce in its quickening of new shoots. It is initiation. Spring is fire, just as Aries the Ram of the zodiac is a cardinal fire sign, though we do not enter Aries until late March.
Where Brigid represented an essentially feminine energy, the old Norse rune ING/INWAZ or INGUZ is a fire sign rune, associated with male fertility, vitality and recovery from sickness. You can read more about runes here in a previous blog post on my website, True Tarot Tales.
This ancient masculine fire rune represents the power and potential of “The Seed” matched with action. Literally, the name of this rune means “the seed of the god Ing.” When we say we are do-ing, writ-ing …anything at all with -ing at the end of it, we are describing an action, and indirectly, invoking the magical energy of Ingwaz.
The people would light bonfires on the hilltops by night, and by day, they might run cattle through the smoke of lower lying bonfires, asking divine protection for the livestock.
The Cailleach
Imbolc was a key moment in weather forecasting. This was the time when The Cailleach —the divine crone of Gaelic tradition—gathered firewood for the rest of the winter. If the Cailleach knew the winter was going to last a good while longer, she’d make sure of good weather during Imbolc and would use it to gather more firewood to top up her stores.
Bad weather at Imbolc was regarded as great news. It meant the Cailleach wasn’t worried about running out of firewood. She had turned over and gone back to sleep, and the worst of winter was almost over. We shall see. It has been cold and clear and glorious today where I live on the NW coast of England.
Via Pinterest
I am somewhat mixing up cultures, systems and traditions here, but Nature is the common ground and I make no apology for it. Imbolc falls in the second decan of the fixed Air sign of Aquarius. The fixed signs denote the height of a season. The second decan of Aquarius marks the height of winter, at least symbolically speaking, in the northern hemisphere and now the snowdrops are here.
The Six of Swords in the Tarot deck is a card of recovery and onward progress. This can be read in terms of the natural seasons as the thawing, the passing of winter’s peak point, and now we are steering into spring.
The Gilded Tarot
See the toad in the rushes? The frogs and fishes are, right now, undergoing a alchemy of profound physiological changes, getting ready to spawn.
The light is coming back again, galloping faster it seems, by the day. Dark sacred night’…yes, and the night is dark. It is sacred. It brings rest and healing. But when the dark goes on too long, we start fighting back with the Promethean gift of fire and action.
We are HERE. And we overcame such odds just to be here, to get born as US and not someone else. Science suggests the statistical odds against you and me getting born as us and not someone else were 1 in 400 trillion. Yet here we are. Somehow WE burst through.
We must have had the need. We must have had our reasons. Mighty powerful ones.
The third decan of Capricorn correlates with the dates 11-20 January, and with the tarot card The Four of Pentacles.
Images from The Rider Waite Tarot and The Gilded Tarot
The Four of Pentacles is nicknamed The Miser card, unfairly, really, because he is holding on tight to what he’s got. Unfairly, because you can’t give or share what you haven’t got. We cannot make a place for ourselves without the will and the means to do so. You can’t create a shelter, a warm spot, a safe place, a sanctuary, for yourself or for others without the effort and the discipline it takes to put even just a little by, and not blow it, especially when there is little to spare.
The decans, as mentioned in previous posts, deal in seasonal archetypes. The third decan Capricorn native is clever, shrewd, proud, industrious and conscientious in the workplace. Possibly opinionated. They can be secretive, mistrustful of others, and when under pressure, calculating or possibly deceitful. They may be also constitutionally prone to melancholy, pessimism. But they have a keen, if mordant, wry, dry sense of humour, and they are kindly, indeed passionate in devotion; deeply attuned to the power of landscape, and the wild creatures that make it their own.
The Four of Pentacles represents a guarded, watchful pause, a time of taking stock, before we move forward into the volatility of the fixed Air potency of the Aquarian Five of Swords, commencing 20 January…which this year will be a planetary humdinger, coinciding with the momentous entry of Pluto into Aquarius for the first time this year.
The Five of Swords- conflict- Rider Waite Tarot
–Pluto represents the underworld, all that is underground, mining, power, secrets, deep state, momentous change, death in any sense of the word)
–Aquarius represents the element of Air, clouds, Humanity itself, Cloud Tech, Space Tech, Medical Tech, new ideas OR wholesale imposition of ideology, revolution.
Aquarius, the sign of the Water Bearer is also the Cloud Bearer, known to the Babylonians as Sabatu- The Curse of Rain, because it brought floods in February, and not infrequently these were devastating.
Sadly we are seeing this in action big time in the UK even before we have entered Aquarius in 2024.
Pluto in Aquarius is where the story is heading. The last time we were there, 1778-1798. what sort of things happened?
-The French Revolution
-The American Revolution
-The Haitian Revolution
-The Enlightenment
-The invention of cast iron and the cotton gin, beginning the Industrial Revolution
-Discovery of Uranus
-The Smallpox Vaccine
During the previous Pluto in Aquarius, 1523-1553, Europe underwent the upheaval of The Reformation, when King Henry v111 of England split with the Pope, and his subjects were now Catholic no more, on pain of being liable of being put to death for
a) heresy
b) treason
I live in Lancashire where this history leaves its ghostly marks to this day. Alice Nutter, who was hanged for being one of the Pendle witches, was part of a notable Lancashire Catholic family, and was likely targeted as such. Such is the darker fundamentalist potential of Pluto in Aquarius.
Roughlee, Nelson, Lancashire. Poignant statue in memory of Alice Nutter. Sculptor David Palmer
This will be a fascinating next twenty years in world history. But it’s not as if a new era is entered into overnight or indeed, is not already making itself felt. The Post Office Scandal in the UK, which convicted more than 700 innocent sub postmasters, some of whom actually to prison, including a pregnant lady, on the say-so of a computer glitch which no-one in charge at Fujitsu would admit to, though they knew about it, could hardly be more a dystopian display of the worst potential of Pluto in Aquarius if it tried, but has been going on since 1999. Read about it HERE
The New Super Moon in Capricorn 2024
Pluto in Aquarius is well nigh here, but we are not quite there yet. Meanwhile, today’s New Moon was in Capricorn very early in the morning, around 6:57 AM Eastern time. This New Moon is also a Super Moon. We can’t see it, but the Moon came closer today than in a normal New Moon, and today was only the first of five Super New Moons in 2024, a year of turbo charged lunar energy for digging and planting, instigating change. Typically, there are 3-4 Super moons in a year, and they can make a difference of 2 inches in the height of the world’s tides.
All New Moons are nature’s planning windows. Tonight, tomorrow and over the next few days, fortune works with us when we plant seeds and start to water them. Seeds of ideas for new projects or changes for example in the way we do our finances, or in our work direction or in the way we present ourselves to the wider world. This sturdy, hardworking, grounded yet experimental New Moon at 20 degrees of Capricorn will be trine Uranus, uber planet of change. Astrologically speaking this is a particularly optimistic, energetic, upbeat and potentially ambitious New Moon, not of making do, but of making and doing. Mars is also in Capricorn until 12 February, and this gives us an energy boost in tackling practical- and creative tasks.
There is a world of difference between taking a chance on doing something new or differently, and between being reckless, feckless or downright daft. They do say a change is as good as a rest. Capricorn thinks long term, and when it moves forward, it is not much given to wallowing or looking back.
This is a time for ditching what is long overdue for dumping, while surprises, chance encounters and new work opportunities all go with this territory.
All hail to Hecate, the Greeks and Romans would say in honour of the impending New Moon. Hecate was the goddess of the waning moon, where Persephone was the manifestation of the Waxing Moon, and Artemis was the face of the Full Moon.
Hecate, the keeper of the crossroads, is better known today as the goddess of witchcraft, but she was worshipped in Rome as a protecting household deity. None could enter without permission a household that was under the protection of Hecate. More HERE in a previous post:
Image via Pinterest
Tonight in magical practice would be the night to honour or petition Hecate’s help with prayers or gifts of incense, raisins or apparently she is partial to virtual offerings of currant cake.
Eat it on her behalf so Hecate can enjoy it vicariously. Give an ancient goddess a break. It’s tough I know, but think of Hecate. Someone’s got to do it.
True Tarot Tales 