Sunday, July 01, 2007

A Cool Respite

The summer heat has fully arrived. Soon the fireworks, burning of animal parts, and backyard beery revelries will begin. Heat upon heat. So I'm taking the opportunity to bask in the green, and drink in the cool and moist, since my previous partying years have transmogrified into relative peace and quiet, and the body heat of alcohol is more of a rare condition. Not that this is permanent. Saturn in the 5th loves celebration, with some guidelines, hopefully.
In the desert, the dry direct heat is intense, but thank the universe for photosynthesis. I can't remember a time in my life that I haven't been near evergreens. And the leaves of the Mountain Ash in my yard are almost coming through the front door. I'm cool.
Photo: Starr Ockenga: European Larch

10 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

jm, I had an intriguing thought. Since the ASC represents what we are becoming, I wondered if it might be an indicator of our next incarnation. In other words, a Gem ASC may turn out to be a natal Gemini next time around.

Of course, it's impossible to know for sure, but how interesting if there was a connection.

1/7/07 4:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Drat, that was me.

1/7/07 4:15 PM  
Blogger jm said...

Joe, I love this question. It's definitely a possibility, and I would guess that if not the Sun sign, then something close. There is, however, the possibilty, that the lesson needs more work, then Saturn might be involved. I think saturn is an indication of ongoing karmic lessons.

My opinion of the Sun placement is that we aren't working on it so much, we've done it before and in this incarnation we ARE IT, and learning other things, unless the Saturn is in aspect. The stresses on the Sun placement are leading to development of other parts.

Nothing is more important than the ASC.

My Aries, for example, is teaching me identity and moving away from Cancer dependency.

Your Gemini is teaching mental separation and lightness of spirit moving away from the heavy pain of Scorpio. The Sun characterisrics are always there, but the ASC is the entire persona and how we survive in the outside world.

I think lack of identity with this point is a large part of life's problems. The ASC is our Ace. It gets us out of every jam.

I like your idea. Look at the families and see the cross current between Sun and Rising. Could very well be.

1/7/07 5:48 PM  
Blogger jm said...

You can even look at just the elements and see where it's going. Lots of Scorpio with any air Ascendant is teaching detachment and ideal intellectual love. Air with a fire Sun is teaching a calming of intensity, the tendency of fire to self immolate in flames. You can always tell air with it's dry, often amused by it all, in the moment way of communicating. Objective observation. Saturn in air is especially good at this.

Air with a water Sun is moving from merging to detachment.

The Moon is the real trickster. Very influential in the mix and not always easy to pinpoint.

1/7/07 5:59 PM  
Blogger jm said...

I love this subject, and this is why Saturn transits are so potentially beneficial.

As a Cancer Sun in the 4th I would like nothing more than to stay comfortable in my private world, protected and cared for, and not go out and conquer the planet with my Aries Rising, taking great risks.

Not in the cards. I lost every one of my dependencies to death when Saturn was last in Aries, from my 12th across the ASC. Now I have no choice. Because of astrology I understood completely what was happening and what I had to do.

I always advise paying particular attention to transits of the ASC and its ruler.

1/7/07 6:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi, jm - I still miss the mountain ash that stood outside one of my windows - that tree was full of life in all seasons. The leaves danced in the slightest breeze, which gave a sense of visual 'cool', in the midst of summer heat. And the contrast of leaves to berries - plus the birds that love those berries. More life on life. I think the ash is one of the woods that dowsing forks were made from - yes, just looked it up. Tho' metal hangers are used more often now.
About rising signs - would my Cancer rising be a moving away from caring as a 'should', out of a sense of obligation, to me accepting
that nurturing is part of what I have to offer?

Also, my daughter is in the final throes of Pluto in her first house - it has transited her ascendant in Sag and the four planets, plus SN, grouped around that asc, since she was in high school. She is now 23, and has, through incredible pain, completely remade herself. Knowing what was happening astrologically, I was able to help her understand the necessity and inevitability of the process, and was able,myself, to keep a semblance of objectivity about all that pain.
As far as the "ASC as our Ace" - that buoyant Sag optimism surfaced from time to time and kept her emotionally afloat.
Fascinating - I learn so much from Raging U.
tm

2/7/07 6:05 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You'll never stop learning here, tm. I can guarantee that.:o)

2/7/07 1:41 PM  
Blogger jm said...

About rising signs - would my Cancer rising be a moving away from caring as a 'should', out of a sense of obligation, to me accepting that nurturing is part of what I have to offer?

Tm, this is one of the most knowledgeable and inspired questions I've heard in ages and in a moment I will tell you why.

And joe! Thanks for all of this. I totally love this subject. And your genuine Gemini curiosity.

2/7/07 3:30 PM  
Blogger jm said...

The stellium in the 4th and Cancer Rising is a very focused incarnation developing nurturing characteristics.

caring as a 'should', out of a sense of obligation

This is what is so perceptive. Your ruling body, the Moon is conjunct Saturn and this is exactly why the feeling of obligation. It's in your 5th house of children, so here is where it plays out.

The obligation is really to yourself and your own creativity. Once that's mastered the guilt and and feelings of being pressured into giving will fade. But it has to be learned through trial and error and time with Saturn, How much to give in each moment, how to recognize the dependent games, how to know when real help is needed, etc. People pose as giving types all the time, but one with your setup is meant to give genuinely and recognize the difference. And not out of guilt, like most people. Trying to look good. And not being bled, like so many will do to you when they see sensitivity. Saturn is there to control the negatives. And to be honest with yourself as to what you can accomplish. And how it all nourishes your self expression.

You are absolutely right.

accepting that nurturing is part of what I have to offer?

It is you, through and through. You'll always care for the people and things in orbit around you. If you have a Libra sun, then moving from mental love to visceral is the path. Full incarnation into the feeling body, out of natural inclination. And on the ASC, incuding yourself in the magic circle of comfort. Maybe most of all.

There is a unique soulfulness associated with Cancer. An understanding of the human condition. They make great writers.

2/7/07 4:55 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

from tm:
I started this reply on the 2nd,
but had to put it away to ‘have a think’;
and,then, wouldn't ya know, life happens.

Of course, it makes sense that Saturn
conj the moon would
give that sense of “I should”. Funny, when I wrote that I was thinking about my Capricorn descendant. I still tend to think about charts in pieces, not seeing the whole interacting.

And, Amazing Revelation! that the obligation
is really to myself and to my own creativity;
so hard to see myself as my primary obligation.
I am just beginning to consciously work
with that realization.

“it has to be learned through trial and error
and time with Saturn, how much to give in
each moment, …”
This is where I feel Saturn helps me to say
to myself ‘whoa, I’m tapped out, can’t do
that right now.”

And yes, though I am still bending my mind
around it, the more I ‘work’ on my creative
inclinations, the more I am able to discriminate
between that innate need to give and the feeling
of being put upon from outside myself.

“Saturn is there to control the negatives”
I love this – how freeing to think of Saturn,
in this light, where the word ‘control’, (maybe the
definitive saturnian term), is meant in the manner
of ‘protect from’. Natal placement of Saturn as
a source of energy for to be used in a self-protective way, not as though one is under that heavy ‘should’.

“moving from mental love to visceral is the path.”
Yes, my sun is in Libra and I have "felt" love
as an abstract or a concept (a should) -
visceral is exactly right; from the center.

I continue to be amazed at your considered,
generous, deeply thoughtful responses
to everyone, jm.

thanks jm; and joe, for starting this inquiry.

4/7/07 8:32 AM  

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