Solunars by Aldebaran Sidereal Academy

Hi everyone,
I am going through difficult transits and it ain't fun. I feel down and out with little energy and a general feeling of malaise. I try to navigate through them and accept what they symbolize such as doing lots of gardening, doing errands and some work that has yet not been done and not resist. It takes a lot of effort to do this.
Currently Saturn conjuncts natal Saturn and opposes Mars. Neptune is octile my natal Sun. And in my Lunar return I have a natal Mars/Saturn midpoint on the horizon.
Progressed Moon opposes p. and natal Uranus, however it doesn't seem to bring any relief because of the heavy transits. I contacted an old friend and that was fun but I couldn't be bothered to go and see him.
I know this will pass eventually but thought I'd share.
Regards,
Flo

It always helps me to know when the end is likely to come. I find that by seeing how much of the orb is left, and dividing that by the speed to come up with an approximate date the transit will be over.
Transiting Mars to N Sun is just past partile, and is moving about 38' a day, so about 2 days per degree, as it separates from your Sun, so if you use a 5° orb, it'll have moved off in about ten days or less.

Saturn conj Saturn is close enough to partile not to matter, and is moving Retrograde 1 minute 6 seconds a day right now. Molasses in January. But once it turns direct again, it speeds up. It'll station on the 20th of this month and start moving away. It'll be about 1° away on the 23rd of October, 2°away by November 30, 3° December 11, 4°Dec 19, and 5° Dec 28th. It'll be 9° away from partile by January 31, 2020.
So this Fall will be a slow sad time, but as we move to Winter, things will pick up. I expect you'll feel much better by Christmas. Put the decorations up when its time, even though you won't feel much like it, and you'll be glad you did before New Years.

Thank you Jsad for your feedback. I will certainly keep this in mind how to look at it longer term. Right now it's difficult to envisage that it will get better. Thanks for samples of how you calculate and divide. The irony is, last week I bought a pot of molasses pure blackstrap.

It's not January though.

This will be a good time to observe how the orbs Jim recommends drop off so quickly.

Jupiter Sets at Dawn wrote: Tue Sep 10, 2019 12:53 am It's not January though.

Starting to stock up already.

Jupiter Sets at Dawn wrote: Tue Sep 10, 2019 12:53 am This will be a good time to observe how the orbs Jim recommends drop off so quickly

Absolutely. Will do.

FlorencedeZ. wrote: Mon Sep 09, 2019 10:58 pm Thank you Jsad for your feedback. I will certainly keep this in mind how to look at it longer term. Right now it's difficult to envisage that it will get better. Thanks for samples of how you calculate and divide. The irony is, last week I bought a pot of molasses pure blackstrap.

Im sorry you are in a blah time Flo.

What are you going to do with your molasses?

I used to make gingerbread with it.

Hi Veronica,
Same like you, ginger cookies and bread. And also for ketjap sauce for Indonesian dishes. It's healthy I read and the taste is nice.
Regards,
Flo

I am taken by surprise

Yesterday at 10:30am in The Hague I was nominated with five others by my company. It is a sort of acknowledgement towards employees where my company shows appreciation for people and their projects well done or having walked the extra mile for certain things, let's call it employee of the month
I won the nomination. The positive attention was huge. It was too much honor imo.

I still can't believe it. It must be a serious mistake of the stars. My transits are severe, dull, against winning and blah and so is my Lunar Return. Progressions are fine, not great. Some progressions have been up quite a long time already and I am sure they help take the edges off but still. This event doens't cover it I think.

Transits to natal:
Sun sq. Saturn
Nep oct. Sun
Sat conj. Sat
Sat opp. Mar

Progressions:
p.Mars opp. p.Jup
p.Jup conj. p.MC
p.Mar conj. p.IC
p.Moo oct. p.Jup
p.Moo oct. p.Mars
p.Moo opp. p.Ura
p.Sun conj. r. Jup
p.Ven oct. r.Jup

Lunar Return 4 oct:
t.Mer conj ASC 1'30
t. Ura and t.Ven widely angular
Natal planets foreground in Mundo: Jup and Saturn forming an exact midpoint as well as Mars and Nept.

SSR 2018 (alsmost expiring)
t.Mer and t.Jupiter closely angular.

What I have consciously chosen over the last months with the Saturn return and t.Sat.opp Mar is to embrace these fully and not feel bad about it, scared or in survival mode. By accepting what is happening there comes less weight with it for me. I wouldn't say boring or dull attitude though, only just accepting it more instead of resisting Saturns influence.

Perhaps my Saturn return is a manifestation of what happened yesterday, harvesting what you have grown? Thinking out loud here, what else can it be?
Regards,
Flo

Well, let's see what we can find.

First, at the moment of the event you were likely surprised, even dazed and confused: Your natal Uranus wss exactly on MC, your Neptune rising. Also, for the particular hour, transiting Moon exactly squared your Sun - suitable for receiving special attention, but also something that happens four or five times a month (every month of your life).

But for the event itself, I would have (on first impression) expected a much more severe, unhappy event with Saturn so close to your natal Saturn and opposite your natal Mars AND transiting Sun exactly setting it off!! Maybe you've been working really hard and deserved the recognition, but it's not the kind of aspects just for the recognition itself.

You have a nice signal of "surprise" this month - the month overall - with progressed Moon opposite progressed Uranus, but it wasn't in an important place to set it off. You also have progressed Sun conjunct natal Jupiter within 1° but, again, it wasn't in a singularly important place (nothing to make it the highlight of a specific day). You also have a very positive solar return with Jupiter the degree of Asc, but nothing was singling it out for the day.

From a pure contest point of view, your SNQ is interesting: Quotidian Asc was 02' from opposite your natal Pluto, also opposite progressed Pluto, with progressed Mercury on Q MC. This has a meaning of your name being singled out in some fashion, but it's still not a satisfactory explanation of what you experienced.

The best quotidian hit I see for the day is the Q of your solar return: SQ MC squared natal Venus to give pleasure and the tone of a party. This is at least in the right direction and narrowed to the day but (especially in the face of that Sun-Saturn to your Mars-Saturn) I'd expect something much stronger.

So now I turn to your October 4 Lunar Return, which I hadn't looked at until this moment - because you said it was boring and "against winning." But, whoa, I don't read this chart as "against winning" at all. The first thing I see is that your personality is likely to be the hub around which things spin with you getting serious attention, because your natal Sun is closely rising in the SLR, conjoined by Mercury. Since Sun isn't afflicted, we expected the "greater attention than usual" to be positive. The SLR itself has Mercury, Venus, and Uranus foreground - your name, a surprise, something pleasant and social - and especially a Mercury-Uranus opposition (closer mundanely, 2°30', than ecliptically). This Mercury-Uranus is across your rising Sun.

This one is quite satisfying. It would take something as strong as a new, recent SLR to pull a big event out that was opposite your very strong daily transits. But Mercury-Uranus atop your Sun, only about 1° from SLR horizon with a touch of Venus seems to have done the trick.

As a more specifically "winning" chart, your most recent return chart was your October 5 Decilium (10° multiple from your Sun, a demi-Ennead so to speak) which, among other things, had your Venus rising and your Jupiter on EP. (It wasn't perfect, also had transiting Mars on MC square your Jupiter; but it's pretty good.)

Jim Eshelman wrote: Tue Oct 08, 2019 7:36 am But for the event itself, I would have (on first impression) expected a much more severe, unhappy event with Saturn so close to your natal Saturn and opposite your natal Mars AND transiting Sun exactly setting it off!! Maybe you've been working really hard and deserved the recognition, but it's not the kind of aspects just for the recognition itself.

Exactly Jim.
I thought it would be impossible to win with transits such as these and got lost

Jim Eshelman wrote: Tue Oct 08, 2019 7:36 am So now I turn to your October 4 Lunar Return, which I hadn't looked at until this moment - because you said it was boring and "against winning." But, whoa, I don't read this chart as "against winning" at all. The first thing I see is that your personality is likely to be the hub around which things spin with you getting serious attention, because your natal Sun is closely rising in the SLR, conjoined by Mercury. Since Sun isn't afflicted, we expected the "greater attention than usual" to be positive. The SLR itself has Mercury, Venus, and Uranus foreground - your name, a surprise, something pleasant and social - and especially a Mercury-Uranus opposition (closer mundanely, 2°30', than ecliptically). This Mercury-Uranus is across your rising Sun.

This one is quite satisfying. It would take something as strong as a new, recent SLR to pull a big event out that was opposite your very strong daily transits. But Mercury-Uranus atop your Sun, only about 1° from SLR horizon with a touch of Venus seems to have done the trick

Your answer taught me a few things that I need to adjust in my thinking. I really should take wider orbs into consideration instead of looking for partile aspects and look at the natals ecliptically too. As for natal planets having an impact I used your spreadsheet to look at them mundanely and then I got r. Jupiter, r. Saturn midpoint and r Mars, r. Neptune midpoint.
Thank you very much for your reply, I really like it and am happy the SLR is still relatively new.

Flo wrote:

I won the nomination. The positive attention was huge. It was too much honor imo.

Flo, I agree with Jim---it was your current SLR which timed this honor for your hard work for the company. Also, that partile angular SLR Mercury partile 60 your Natal Jupiter coloring this 'outstanding incident' for you relative to your immediate environment. But I also note your Solar Arc Sun 06,26 Sag partile cnj your Natal Jupiter 05,32 Sag. The par-excellent planetary combo for any kind of honor is Sun-Jupiter. Ebertin says for the 'Principle' of Sun-Jupiter:

joy, recognition.

I am so happy for you that hard working Mars 180 Saturn in your Natal is bringing you some 'recognition.' And remember, this type recognition is a nice honor to have on a resume if needed in the future.

Congratulations!!
Very happy for your well deserved recognition!

Flo, it was an 'outstanding incident' SLR by Jim's Return guidelines, which timed this honor/recognition in your life. "Timing is everything."

FlorencedeZ. wrote: Tue Oct 08, 2019 8:57 am Your answer taught me a few things that I need to adjust in my thinking. I really should take wider orbs into consideration instead of looking for partile aspects and look at the natals ecliptically too. As for natal planets having an impact I used your spreadsheet to look at them mundanely and then I got r. Jupiter, r. Saturn midpoint and r Mars, r. Neptune midpoint.

The orbs weren't wide. Let;'s use this as an example to break down the chart to show you my thinking, and also perhaps as an exercise for the students of my current solar and lunar return class to see.

Your current Sidereal Lunar Return occurred October 4, 2019, 8:47:34 AM CET in The Hague, for which I am using 52N06, 4E18.

Here are the angularities of natal and transiting planets (all calculated mundanely) and the aspect between and among them; then, finally, any other partile aspects:

r Neptune on Asc -6°33'
t Uranus on Dsc -4°00'
t Mercury on Asc -1°30'
r Sun on Asc -1°08'
t Venus on Asc +5°57'

(One might count t Ve/Ur midpoint on Asc 0°59'.)
(It may also be of interest that transiting Saturn and natal Mars-Saturn are in the immediate background, very close to the cadent cusp. Natal Saturn is 0°48' from the 3rd cusp, natal Mars 2°26' from the 9th, transiting Saturn 1°05' from the 3rd.)

t Mercury conj. r Sun 0°22' in mundo
t Mercury-Uranus op. 2°30' in mundo
t Uranus op. r Neptune 2°33' in mundo
t Uranus op. r Sun 2°52' in mundo

Other Partile
t Saturn conj. r Saturn 0°17'
t Moon-Neptune sq. 0°24' in mundo
t Mars sq. r Jupiter 0°27'
t Saturn op. r Mars 0°50'


There's a lot of detail here. We can (at least temporarily) throw a lot of it out to "cut to the chase." Also, although most of the orbs below are closer and stronger mundanely, all the aspects and angularities nonetheless exist ecliptically, so you can at least see the same aspects either way.

Step 1: Is it going to be a good or bad month? You have transiting Venus and Uranus foreground and no malefics. You have both Marses and both Saturns in the immediate background. The message is clear: On balance, this is going to be a good month! (Just count the malefics vs. benefics foreground do decide if it's going to be good, mostly good, mixed, mostly bad, or bad.) - As a subtlety, the Venus/Uranus midpoint being within a degree of the horizon makes a Venus-Uranus feel a big part of the month. Call it "surprise pleasure coming at you," just to keep it simple (but there is a range of possible Venus-Uranus expressions possible.)

Step 2: The closest angularity is natal Sun, barely a degree from Ascendant. The focus is on your Sun, your identity, your individuality, your ego-expression. Sun tends to lean positive unless afflicted and, since there are no afflictions to it, your ego and "shining" are likely to be positive. Since (jumping ahead) Mercury and Uranus aspect Sun near the angles, some Mercury-Uranus circumstances directly impacting your ego, self-expression, and "shining" is likely, whether it be surprise information, discovery, revelation, technical advantage, the opportunity to learn something terribly interesting, etc. - Overall, though, notice that this continues to be positive.

Step 3: The more closely angular planets are natal Sun, transiting Mercury, and (a bit wider, but next closest) transiting Uranus. These are all tied together by aspect. I've more or less interpreted them above, but it may be worth reiterating that the Mercury-Uranus opposition is a big deal, with its usual themes of mental renewal, independent mind, discovery, and surprise. The standard Mercury-Uranus interpretation I have posted for SLRs in the interpretation section begins, "Discovery, revelation, disclosure, intellectual thrills, new inventive ideas, surprise communication, and generally being startled and taken by surprise."

Mercury to your Sun and the Mercury-Uranus opposition are the two closest aspects. Comparably, Uranus opposes your natal Sun and Neptune across the horizon (mundanely these are within 3°, which is quite close; even ecliptically they are within 5°). Transiting Uranus to natal Sun usually means self-expression, progress, creativity, ingenuity, though also it can be rebelliousness, pushing the boundaries on freedom, and intolerance of authority. Regardless, life seems more interesting and creative.

I think you will find that the above describes the event.

There are several non-foreground partile aspects. They're all pretty uncomfortable. The important thing to remember is that you can't use these to determine the basic nature of the Lunar Return. They just show background processes or sub-themes. The basic nature of the SLR is quite positive and exciting. However, there are harder realities persisting in the background, as you can see.

Does this, perhaps, help see how the SLR showed the event?

Jim wrote:

The message is clear: On balance, this is going to be a good month! (Just count the malefics vs. benefics foreground do decide if it's going to be good, mostly good, mixed, mostly bad, or bad.) - As a subtlety, the Venus/Uranus midpoint being within a degree of the horizon makes a Venus-Uranus feel a big part of the month. Call it "surprise pleasure coming at you," just to keep it simple (but there is a range of possible Venus-Uranus expressions possible.)

Excellent observation here Jim with the transiting Venus/Uranus midpoint partile the SLR Asc, it nails the benefic “surprise” symbolism for the event.

Jim Eshelman wrote: Sat Oct 12, 2019 1:23 pm Does this, perhaps, help see how the SLR showed the event?

Yes, absolutely.
All of the steps actually. The attention is still on me a lot. Also outside of the office. I am not used to this at all and it startles me and takes me by surprise. It goes very fast too.

Yesterday I received an email from my management that HR urgently wants to arrange a meeting to review my current position and offer me an improved proposition and I get more responsiblity. I asked my management why they are in a hurry all of a sudden and they said because it has our full attention now and we want to have it finalized if you agree.

It crossed my mind that I have a great SLR going on for it. That is goes fast is great too in this case. It looks like I am about to get an increase in salary all of a sudden according to the responsibility that comes with the job. I have worked many years with them being slightly underpaid but I love my job so much.

I have compared all your calculations with my Solar Fire calculations and spreadsheets for the natals and gladly it was all the same. (btw I had the natal mundane positions wrong, they were of the previous DLR)

One thing I can't seem to figure out is how you get a Midpoint of t Ve/Ur midpoint on Asc 0°59'? Isn't Uranus above the Descendant? I must do something wrong here.

It is really great to be able to look at your explanations step by step for studying. I have certainly learned a lot again. Thank you Jim. It is defenitely a super feel good month despite more difficult transits, the Lunar Return seems to override them so far.

Thank you Veronica and Steve for your observations. It means a lot to me when you write, fellow Scorpio Moons unite, love it

FlorencedeZ. wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2019 10:55 am I asked my management why they are in a hurry all of a sudden and they said because it has our full attention now and we want to have it finalized if you agree.

"Full attention." Wow, what a perfect fit.

One thing I can't seem to figure out is how you get a Midpoint of t Ve/Ur midpoint on Asc 0°59'? Isn't Uranus above the Descendant? I must do something wrong here.

Going only from the numbers above (and not stopping to recalculate the chart - please tell me if I'm wrong) transiting Uranus is 4°00' before (i.e., above) Descendant and transiting Venus is 5°57' past (i.e., above) Ascendant. Is this what you get?

It might make more visual sense if you think of their midpoint as on the MC. I make no difference between midpoints 0°, 180°, or 90° so it's all the same to me and makes more sense to think of these two planets near the horizon as being aligned along the horizon. The Uranus -4°00' and Venus +5°57' orb is found by adding them and dividing by 2: Adding them gives 1°57' (117'), half of which is 58.5'.

Congratulations on the success!

Flo wrote:

Yesterday I received an email from my management that HR urgently wants to arrange a meeting to review my current position and offer me an improved proposition and I get more responsibility. I asked my management why they are in a hurry all of a sudden and they said because it has our full attention now and we want to have it finalized if you agree. It looks like I am about to get an increase in salary all of a sudden according to the responsibility that comes with the job. I have worked many years with them being slightly underpaid but I love my job so much.

Beautiful Flo, I am so happy for you.

Jim Eshelman wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2019 11:04 am Going only from the numbers above (and not stopping to recalculate the chart - please tell me if I'm wrong) transiting Uranus is 4°00' before (i.e., above) Descendant and transiting Venus is 5°57' past (i.e., above) Ascendant. Is this what you get?

It might make more visual sense if you think of their midpoint as on the MC. I make no difference between midpoints 0°, 180°, or 90° so it's all the same to me and makes more sense to think of these two planets near the horizon as being aligned along the horizon. The Uranus -4°00' and Venus +5°57' orb is found by adding them and dividing by 2: Adding them gives 1°57' (117'), half of which is 58.5'.

Yes, this is correct. I get it. Thank you.

Florence, I'm so pleased for you!