Some tough charts for a while

[Jim Eshelman]

I thought I would mention that I'm in the middle of, and coming up into more of, some unusually severe astrological patterns. Granted, I have an unusually good Solar Return for the context; but that's rather where the relief ends.

First of all, Saturn is crossing my IC (which also means squares my Ascendant and semi-squares my Mercury). That's not necessarily horrible, though it's unremitting for a while. After squaring my Moon in January, Saturn moved into orb of my angles February 14, and will continue there partile (through a station and retrogradation and so forth) through May 29, then square my Moon June 30 to August 9 and September 10 to October 17, then back to the angles November 12 to December 4. In other words, fairly unremitting for the rest of the year.

My lunar returns have been one tough one after another back-to-back with little break. Beginning late March, angular focus has been Moon-Saturn (3/25), Mars (4/9), Moon-Saturn (4/23), Neptune (5/5), and now, tomorrow, Neptune precisely setting while a foreground Moon is square Mars on one side and Saturn on the other. After that, I get a June 2 reprieve with Jupiter setting (and the Moon-Mars-Saturn acutely background).

So here we are in the last severe one for a stretch (they become a little more mixed for a while after that. My new lunar is Neptune exactly setting and a foreground Moon square Saturn on one side and Mars (closer) on the other. Mars makes the exact square to my Moon May 24, and then an exact Mars-Saturn opposition occurs in the exact degree of my MC May 29. (Mars crosses MC precisely May 30. It's exact in Marion's SSR, but acutely background.)

This is the stuff of which classic malefic tales are made. One possibility that simplifies everything, of course, is a health crises. It certainly risks my vacation (beginning May 29) turning sour, but we'll work on making that not happen. Otherwise (s0ciologically_ it speaks of attack, maligning, betrayal, poison (whether physical or social), and every other string of afflictions you can come up with. I've asked Marion to be really sure the car insurance is up to date before we hit the road. (Remember, Mars-Saturn to my angles also is 45/135 to my Mercury.)

And, of course, nothing is ever (usually) as bad as it looks or as good as it looks. I'll becoming out of an exhausting three-day seminar teaching astrology morning to night to a private group, and will need to rest and recover on the road and in the forests.

I just thought I[d mention this so you can watch from the sidelines. If you never hear from me again after the first of June, you'll have a spectacular example to show the next generation of astrologers ")

[Jim Eshelman]

On the other hand, not long ago progressed Ascendant left orb of conjunction with my progressed Saturn. They are currently 1°25' apart. Transiting Moon just squared my progressed Sun (it was May 10; I'd missed this in the flurry of the Solunars site transition that began May 7) and will be opposed by transiting Pluto in mid-June.

[SteveS]

Those are tough cycles Jim, be as careful as you can.

[Danica]

Jim, on the bright side:

your current DSSR has Jupiter-Sun-Pluto on angles, Sun & Jupiter being closest; and the SSR itself is very good.

And transits:
From mid-June till end of Sept t Uranus will be going exact to your natal Ju-Ur;
and t Jupiter will conjunct n Sun during end-July to first week of Aug, then coming to n Neptune in Sept.

(I know you know all of that, but I feel I had to note it anyways )

[Jim Eshelman]

The Jupiter-Uranus... yes, quite nice, I imagine. Uranus will concurrently be on my SSR Descendant.

On the Demi-SSR.... I grow increasingly unimpressed with these with every year. I almost never consult them for anyone else, and never spend enough time with my own to remember what it says. Demi-lunars, yes - essentially as strong as the SLR. Solars? I'm not so sure anymore (other than for the specific timing purpose of isolating the "hot" quarter of the year that matches the SSR symbolism).

The good news is that I'm even less impressed in the Quarti-SSR, and my next one has Saturn and Neptune on the angles