Flo's 2024 SSR

[FlorencedeZ.]

Dear Jim,

Last year you suggested Tbilisi in Georgia for my 2023 SSR and it was truly awesome. One of the best holidays ever. My year so far has been going well despite having lost my mother last december. Sadness took over during many months. It's getting better knowing there is relief for her, she is at a better place now. The strong factors of Moon-Neptune in the SSR were highy felt which I accepted. Being aware of SSR aspects makes the year a lot easier to navigate I find. And my exposure to long term Pluto transit to natal Sun let me be more on my own which I preferred.
So far so good.

Today I was looking at my next SSR and it shows t. Sun and t. Moon angular. In Bergen op Zoom Sun becomes exact. This is not very far.
Do you think I can stay here? Or home? Mars and Pluto are widely angular. Do you think these need to be moved further away from the angles? T Moon is aspecting r. Neptune quite close and this cannot be avoided I reckon.
Natally, nothing comes to the fore apart from r. Sun.
Unfortunately t. Venus is far away and aspects t. Saturn. T Jupiter is slicing through India, for example New Dehli. Before I make any decisions, would you mind having a look when you have time? Thank you so much Jim. Regards, Flo

[Jim Eshelman]

Sure, let's take a look.

First glance: When I simply set it for Den Haag, the Mars-Pluto opposition catches my eye. It isn't overly close ecliptically, but it's almost partile mundanely. It isn't very close to the angles. Sun and Moon definitely have the advantage. Bergen is about the same.

(An aside: Did I ever tell you I played Otto Frank on stage? The name Bergen still sends an involuntary shudder through me, though it passes in a few seconds.)

Calculating with TM to get a better look: At Bergen, Moon is clearly strongest and Sun isn't much stronger than Pluto. The Sun-Mars-Pluto T-square in the foreground is pretty big in the chart (and with Moon square natal Neptune, partile and applying - meaning it will be exact three or four weeks later). Home improves this a bit because Sun is noticeably stronger - about like Moon.

I'm not liking this so much. - I've been thinking about the Mars-Pluto a lot since, even though it won't be in my next solar, Mars-Mars and Mars-Pluto show repeatedly in my lunars for the next year (I'll being doing a lot of short-hop travelling). With age, this becomes riskier for health (besides just being unpleasant). Though you're younger, the Moon-Neptune has a tendency to make one feel more vulnerable, temporarily giving the impression of aging faster. I can't in good conscience encourage you to take this Sun-Pluto and Mars-Pluto SSR that already has Moon-Neptune, even with strong luminaries.

So... now I have to see if I can find anything better for you

[Jim Eshelman]

I'm tending to be fond of Uranus today. The coolest part of your new SSR will be Uranus on your Mercury-Uranus. Additionally, transiting Jupiter has nothing wrong with it and is about 4° from your Moon. This gives us something to work with.

Unfortunately, this isn't helpful in Europe. One Uranus line cuts the Iran-Iraq border than curves west of Moscow toward St. Petersburg before it crosses northern Sweden and Norway. One Jupiter line is west of Ireland and east of Iceland.

There is a Sun IC line about the longitude of Bucharest (all places north-south) - I haven't checked individual places for other factors (it would be near Pluto in any case). Sun square Ascendant goes right through Rome (and because it's the horizon it keeps more distance from Mars and Pluto - I'll come back and check this).

I know you don't favor the Ivory Coast, so I won't detail that - but if you want to go farther, a beautiful Jupiter line drops right through the middle of India - through Delhi. The Precisely angular Jupiter opposes your Moon within 4°. The downside is that you get not only Moon to Neptune but also Neptune to Moon (mundane). Moon-Jupiter-Neptune for India would make for a nice spiritual pilgrimage.

But let's come back to Rome. Sun is a quarter degree from Nadir (you could tweak it a little). The Sun-Pluto and Mars-Pluto remain foreground they are both less foreground. Your natal Mars-Saturn is closely angular. - So, I think Rome is not a good idea (adding that last factor.)

This is a hard one. You may indeed want to maximize that Sun (and minimize natal Mars-Saturn) by staying in The Hague.

San Diego puts Venus exactly on MC, with transiting Venus and Uranus interfacing with natal Uranus and Pluto - certainly emotionally adventurous. It also brings a partile Moon-Venus partile square along with the ecliptic Moon-Neptune you have anyway. Some people would find this planet mix thrilling and others worrisome (probably depending on the current condition of their current relationships). Want to come to this side of the world?

[FlorencedeZ.]

Hi Jim,
thank you for your analysis on my next SSR. I wanted to reply much earlier and have been trying to figure out in the meantime if San Diego would be possibe amongst the other places you mentioned to travel to. This year I prefer to stay closer to home as lots of things are going on here at work.
I didn't know you played Otto Frank Jim. That's indeed sensitive and I empathise with your involuntary shudder for brief seconds.
I believe it was Bergen-Belsen in Germany.
In the Netherlands we have Bergen on the coast not far from Amsterdam and the Bergen I was thinking about is a town called Bergen op Zoom which is also near the coast albeith in the western part of Holland.
Bergen op Zoom shows an exact angular Sun for my next SSR and I think it may outsmart eventual negative manifestations. Most likely I will do that as this year I have little choice to travel at that time it seems. Thank you again Jim. Regards, Flo

[Jim Eshelman]

You're most welcome. It's tougher than usual to figure out and I think going with a precise Sun is a good tactic. It adds much light plus - I think this is the best way to say it - it leaves you with the feeling through the year that "you are in the driver's seat" making choices and steering the direction of your life.

Yes, it was Bergen-Belsen. I had always assumed it was in Germany like the other terrible camps but had never looked to be sure - and I realized when writing that, oh, maybe I was wrong and it was in the Netherlands and Dutch families were shipped there. I'm glad your Bergen is a place of sunlight and beauty.

[FlorencedeZ.]

Hi Jim,
I hope you had a enjoyable holiday.

Thank you for your previous reply. My company gave me approval to travel around my birthday and I was wondering Jim, would Catania in Sicily be good? It's further south from Rome and has natal Mars and Saturn away from the angles. Is t. Pluto (3'57') sufficiently away? (t.Mars-Pluto 2'17) Natal Eris comes to the foreground though. I would quite like to travel here.

Alternatively Brasschaat in Belgium may also be good.
Both places have an angular Sun.

Regards, Flo

[Jim Eshelman]

My company gave me approval to travel around my birthday and I was wondering Jim, would Catania in Sicily be good? It's further south from Rome and has natal Mars and Saturn away from the angles. Is t. Pluto (3'57') sufficiently away? (t.Mars-Pluto 2'17) Natal Eris comes to the foreground though. I would quite like to travel here.

Sun is, of course, the strongest force. It's conjoined by transiting Pluto which is moderately foreground. I don't consider this a bad aspect, and you're going to get the major transit anyway. It does signa; significant life-change and reinvention (or reinterpretation) of your view of yourself.

I'd be more concerned about the Mars-Pluto, though Mars isn't all that close to the angles. I wouldn't be concerned about that in any serious way if it were not for the Moon-Neptune exact aspect which does tend to magnify how things look and feel. We are still experimenting with PVP aspects so I can't say with confidence how the strong, potentially very positive Jupiter opposition to natal Moon (1°37') will work.

I think it realistic to tighten the orbs a little - drop out the widest angularities and their aspects - and see how the chart looks. In that case, we get this:

t Moon Asc -4°28'
---------------------
r Sun N +0°07'
t Pluto Dsc +4°06'
t Mars Asc +6°22'

t Moon sq r Neptune 0°47'
t Mars-Pluto op 2°17' M
t Pluto sq r Sun 2°18'

As a judgement call - an informed estimate, but still only an estimate of course - I'm not worried about the Mars-Pluto. It's far enough from the angles that even if it is troublesome it surely doesn't mean life changing trouble - just the normal difficulties one encounters here and there in life. The Sun is really quite strong and dominates the whole chart. I expect more trouble from the Moon-Neptune than anything, and you get that no matter where you go, so the best you can do is pick bright, clear, in-control supportive angularities - and this Sun is certainly an example of that.

Alternatively Brasschaat in Belgium may also be good. Both places have an angular Sun.

I see no significant astrological differences between the two. I suspect you'll love Sicily in October more than going next door to Belgium

[FlorencedeZ.]

Exactly right Jim.
Thank you very much for your explanation and support.
I now feel comfortable going to Italy.
Regards, Flo

[FlorencedeZ.]

I'm tending to be fond of Uranus today. The coolest part of your new SSR will be Uranus on your Mercury-Uranus. Additionally, transiting Jupiter has nothing wrong with it and is about 4° from your Moon. This gives us something to work with.

Unfortunately, this isn't helpful in Europe. One Uranus line cuts the Iran-Iraq border than curves west of Moscow toward St. Petersburg before it crosses northern Sweden and Norway. One Jupiter line is west of Ireland and east of Iceland.

What about a change of plan, you confirmed my excitement of going to Italy but I looked up the Uranus line and I noticed it crosses Armenia and t. Mercury is second.
Would you mind helping me once more with your insights?
West of the capital Yerevan, natal Uranus comes to the foreground as well, with a partile t. Sun-Moon squaring natal Sun in mundo.
I am curious to know if Uranus and Mercury are supportive angularities to potentially lessen the trouble of Moon-Neptune or would the Sun in Italy be a more secure choice. Thank you Jim.

[Jim Eshelman]

...I looked up the Uranus line and I noticed it crosses Armenia and t. Mercury is second. Would you mind helping me once more with your insights?
West of the capital Yerevan, natal Uranus comes to the foreground as well, with a partile t. Sun-Moon squaring natal Sun in mundo.
I am curious to know if Uranus and Mercury are supportive angularities to potentially lessen the trouble of Moon-Neptune or would the Sun in Italy be a more secure choice. Thank you Jim.

You really did like that part of the world last time, didn't you! This summer we've been drinking a lot of wine grown on the slopes of Mount Ararat.

Uranus is indeed on Zenith at Yerevan, the exact line passing near, say, Vagharshapat. Pictures from there look gorgeous. Here is one I found look at Mt. Ararat from there:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IMG_-Zvatnots.jpg

But, on with the astrology: This looks good! It changes the whole tone of Moon-Neptune to something more surreal than worrisome. I don't mean you're exempt from all Moon-Neptune variations, but the first impression is something quite different. It also adds a mundane Moon-Sun square that adds great psychological vitality to the whole. (PS: This is my first chance to use MikeV's addition of angles to the planet tables in TM.) The double-Uranus supported by two Mercuries seems a setup for quite a fascinating year and a great exploration and discovery adventure to the area.

r Pluto Asc -7°36'
r Mercury -3°26'
-------------------------
r Uranus Asc +0°36'
t Uranus on Z +0°13'
t Mercury IC +3°24'

t Moon sq r Neptune 0°47'
t Moon sq r Sun 0°50' M

t Uranus sq r Uranus
t Uranus sq r Pluto 1°15' M
t Uranus op r Mercury 1°51'
t Mercury sq r Uranus 2°48'

We don't yet have a firm opinion on whether PVP aspects are valid in return charts. If they are, then you also have these relevant aspects. They're less pleasant, though the Uranus + Mercury tone is solidly set by the angularities (and we don't know for sure that these aspects are valid). TM 0.6-alpha calculated them, then I've manually checked them. Notice that they all involve natal planets, no "forces from the outside."

r Mars-Uranus sq 0°19' p
r Saturn-Pluto sq 1°49' p
r Saturn-Uranus sq 1°50' p
r Mars-Saturn sq 1°52' p\

Yes, I'd go if it were my chart and situation!

[FlorencedeZ.]

Many thanks for confirming the SSR for Armenia Jim. Awesome!
I can't wait to see this view of the mountain. And try the wine.
Yes, it's true, I loved that part of Eurasia, everything is just nice and lots of places to visit.
Art gallery's plentiful.
You know Jim, Ibiza is very popular for holidays here or the busy southern spanish coastline but I am so glad that I don't have to go there.
Many thanks again. Regards, Flo