How cool is this ?
The photo is from here, a terrific photo-filled post about the sculptural artist Jason deCaires Taylor . (click for artist website)
My biggie Neptune (sea) square Venus (art) in Leo (creativity) reallydigs this !
My Neptune is also opposite Moon, (Neptune= ocean, Moon= tides) so oceanic art is right up my alley ~> Sculptural art placed in the sea and left to age ?! Very cool !
(Saturn rules age and time, and is my chart ruler)
I was a sculpture major in college, so this really speaks to me.
Working and weaving art in tune with Mother Nature.
(Saturn rules work and spiders/weaving webs/ knots.)
Naturalists are Saturn and Neptune ruled. Neptune rules inspired art.
Does Jason’s art inspire you..?
Look to the Neptune in your natal chart to see how you are inspired, and how you inspire others.
Look for conjuntions to indicate where matters are dreamy, foggy, underwater, basically you are operating on pure inspiration and spiritual guidance. (This is also also where you need to be cautious of illusions, and delusions.)
Look for any squares to Neptune to see how you will reach deep within for inspiration.
Look to any oppositions to Neptune to see where others will directly inspire you.
January 23 2012 – February 9, 2013 Year of the Water Dragon of the rain
Yang Dragons are protectors of the East. They are associated with spring, green/blue, the elements wood/water. They control the rivers, rains and storms. Naga (sanskrit for serpent-like creatures) protected Siddharta, Guatama (the Buddha) from wind and rain for seven days.
Visionary, outspoken Dragons (Chen) are blessed with vitality, health and enthusiasm. Self-sufficient with a strong power of will, Dragon is a particularly lucky sign promising health, wealth and happiness. Dragons are witty, restless, freedom-loving and secretly enjoy shocking others with their eccentric behavior. Dragons are incredibly perceptive, imaginative, intuitive and drawn to the inexplicable. Dragons are original, admired and loved but they often prefer to remain at a distance. They are rational yet their actions are most often driven by instinct. Dragons are flamboyant, unpredictable, assertive and crave the limelight.
Dragons are especially compatible with Monkeys, Rats and Snakes.
Famous Dragons: Salvador Dali, Charles Darwin, Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, Oscar Wilde
Water as an element is receptive, passive and reflective and flows around obstacles.
Water (in frozen and liquid form) covers 75 % of the Earth’s surface. The human body is 70 % water, blood 80%‚ brain 75%‚ liver 96% water.
Water conducts electricity which makes it the medium of bio-electricity in all living things. The Water Dragon known as the electric eel can produce up to 1,000 volts with a current up to one ampere.
Electrolytes become ions (click here for more on ions) in water and conduct electricity. Drink plenty of water – especially in Water Dragon years in order to maintain electrolyte balance within the body.
Water Dragons are shape-shifters, revered and worshipped in the east- they are protective, humane and benevolent benefactors. Water turns Dragons protection towards matters of the heart and emotions of fellow human beings. Water Dragons are naturally drawn to metaphysics and intuitive arts. Water Dragons advocate justice, are humanitarians and are more willing to share than other Dragons. Water Dragons are optimistic and see things objectively. They know the ring of truth and are fluent communicators, open to new ideas and experiences.
Year of the Water Dragon and Neptune is going home to Pisces in February ? !
WoOo HoOo !
Sounds great to me ! (click here for Neptuneinfo)
Pictured above is American artist GeorgiaO’Keefee in the New Mexico lands she loved.
I was thinking last night of how my brother was always dragging things in from the woods (I do the same) morels, feathers, skulls, interesting wood things, you name it. My skulls and turtle shells (found, not killed !) would probably turn Feng Shui aficionados on their heads, but I love skulls and natural things. I have strong Scorpio placements (rules death), and all the horned signs are active in my chart, so it makes sense to me. (Cap rising, Moon in Toro, Saturn in Aries) We are born to die, may as well accept it.
It reminded me of Georgia, who loved skulls and bones and painted them over and over in her red rock, blue sky landscapes.
I have been to Abiquiu, Taos, and much later, to her museum in Santa Fe. I traveled the whole area because I wanted to see what she saw. I wanted to see what she painted. I stood on the sandy dry road in tiny Abiquiu and marveled at a wooden door set in an adobe wall.
It was her door, she painted it so many times, I knew it instantly.
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Georgia, a Scorpio Sun, Moon, Mercury and Jupiter blazed a trail in the art world. I love the depth with which she viewed the natural world around her.
Her eyes gave life to the universe within a flower.
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Georgia also had Venus (art) conjunct Uranus (innovation) in Venus ruled Libra. Venus in her chart is not only conjunct Uranus, but also trine a Neptune Pluto conjunction, that’s revolutionary artist without a doubt.
Neptune is in earthy Taurus (rendering the beauty found in earth), Pluto in Gemini. She was not only mentally sharp and curious, but also incredibly versatile and a powerful communicator through her craft. Pluto in Gemini (rules hands) indicates her beautiful, graceful hands – her photographer husband, AlfredStieglitz photographed them many, many times.
It also indicates the enormous volume of correspondence (Mercury) via post between them. They were often separated and negotiated (Pluto- power) terms of their relationship through the post.
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Alfred took the photo above. He was older than Georgia by 23 years, and they greatly influenced each other. Saturn not only indicates work, and where you are forced to achieve, but also an older person, a male figure (along with the Sun) in the natal chart. Georgia has Saturn conjunct North Node of Destiny in Leo the sign of creativity.
Her Saturn is also trine Moon and Mercury in Scorpio. She loved working in her garden (Moon and Saturn rule) and communicated (Mercury) her depth of feeling (Moon) through her artwork. Georgia had Mars in Virgo sextile Scorpio Sun and Jupiter, again another aspect of depth. Mars is powering Virgo analysis of what and how to express (Mercury) the power (Scorpio) within.
Virgos notice everything – keep their eyes on everything – as they sort it out.
Scorpios notice everything – hone in on one thing they desire – laser beam focus on that one thing.
~~~~~~~~~~ Here is some quick synastry between Georgia and Alfred:
conjunct = power operating
Georgia’s Moon, Mercury, Sun and Jupiter in Scorpio were conjunct his Venus, Jupiter and North Node of Destiny, also in Scorpio.
Georgia’s Uranus was conjunct Alfred’s Saturn in Libra. (Uranus is the unexpected break, and Libra is relationships – when Alfred met Georgia, he took up with her, and divorced his wife.)
Georgia’s Venus is conjunct Alfred’s Moon.
trine=harmony
His Moon is trine her Neptune Pluto conjunction.
Georgia’s Saturn is trine Alfred’s Mars, and also trine his Neptune.
Alfred’s Neptune is trine Georgia’s Scorpio stellium.
Alfred’s Mercury is trine Georgia’s Neptune Pluto conjunction.
* Neptune rules film and Alfred took hundreds of photographic portraits of Georgia.
* Also worthy of note: Georgia has no squares (internal conflict), only oppositions (something someone else does).
Georgia’s Scorpio stellium is opposite her Neptune Pluto conjunction indicating not only the impact New Mexico (land of her inspiration- Saturn rules NM and the land) had on her life, but also the impact of her photographer husband, Alfred.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Clickhere (& scroll down) for a lovely video that matches some of her paintings up with the landscapes near her home.
I will leave you with another of my favorites from the Jack-in-the-Pulpit series.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Comet Lovejoy From Space Station
Credit: NASA International Space Station Commander Dan Burbank captured spectacular imagery of Comet Lovejoy from about 240 miles above the Earth’s horizon on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011.
Spectacular !
Saturn rules ice, dust ; Neptune gas (comet contents) and escapes !
One of the things I love about astrology is how it explains so much about people.
Astrology explains who and what, even how you like.
For instance Neptune is my most highly aspected planet and it rules the sea.
I should be an ocean gal, then right..?! No.
Mountain girl all the way !
Why is that..?
My Neptune has squares (conflict), while my chart ruler, Saturn (Saturn is Earth, rules Capricorn my Ascendant, is the mountain goat) has a trine (ease) to Mars. That feels better.
Look to your chart, you will find yourself naturally going for the trines and sextiles every time. They are the back door, the trapdoor, and the secret passage out of trouble with squares and oppositions in your chart.
Here is a pic of stuff I had gathered pre-astro knowledge.
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I have Saturn trine Mars (steel, fire & the forge).
Sun conjunct the morphed metal is my Virgo Sun conjunct Uranus Pluto (heat, change, morph, forge) in the 9th (lucky horseshoe).I have Libra at Midheaven (ruled by Venus, art), hence balance sculpture/art. My Venus (art, friends) is conjunct Jupiter in Leo (creativity, luck).
I am an artist, and have creative friends, I like cats.
I have a ‘thing’ about naming things. Mercury (names) at MC, with Neptune (fictitious names) most highly aspected.
I have changed my name to something mystical – representing polarities, time and union.
My cats have names that mean ‘friend’.
Neptune is my most highly aspected planet and it rules film & photography.
Look to your chart to see what you like written in the symbols of the skies … namaste~ gneissmoonastrology.net
One of the first things I did was go to the grocery store to buy food. It was a novel idea at the time, for I hadn’t really shopped for food in about 10 years. Now here I was, 30 years old, and probably doing the first good grocery shopping in my life. I was an adult with a credit card, a checkbook, and an ATM card. I could buy whatever I wanted in the store, but I had no idea where to start. I thought that everyone was staring at me. It had been so long that I had been anywhere sober that I didn’t know how to act or how to deal.
It was like being on LSD. The lights in the store were blaringly bright to me and the music seemed to be playing hidden messages. I bought some milk and barbecue sauce and cigarettes, and that is all. My shirt was drenched in sweat and I was having a full-blown panic attack. As I drove my car home, I stiffly steered my machine out of the way of three accidents as I rode the brakes the whole way. I could smell my brake pads when I got home.
~Duff McKagan, on his sobriety from “It’s so Easy and other lies” (click here) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Duff McKagan rose to fame as bassist for Guns ‘N’ Roses in 1987, when the band released Appetite for Destruction.
It is is the highest selling debut album of all time in the US, with more than 28 million copies sold worldwide.
Next year’s class of inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will be headlined by Guns N’ Roses, the only group on the ballot to be inducted in their first year of eligibility. Click here for Cleveland R&RHoF
I’ve been reading Duff McKagan’s autobiography and obviously GN’R partied, but I had no idea how far it had gone for Duff personally. He is brutally honest, candid and wryly funny in his accounts of his life as bassist of GN’R.
On May 10, 1994, Duff’s pancreas burst and he was told by his doctor if he had one more drink he would die. He spent two weeks in the hospital recovering and taking small steps in the early stages of detox. He credits his sobriety in large part to guilt over seeing his mother suffering from worry while he was in critical care.
He describes his recovery from addiction through a love of mountain biking, and his voracious appetite for reading. He began to write columns for Seattle Weekly, and later many other publications. For Seattle Weekly McKagan archives, click here.
While in recovery Duff read GN’R financial documents and found he couldn’t understand them. He decided to enroll in financial accounting courses (got an A in his first class) and discovered his love of academics. He earned a 4.0 and was on the President’s list, quite an achievement from the earlier addictions he describes in his book. When he saw a need for musicians to be educated about their financial holdings and business deals, it lead him to start his own wealth management firm, MeridianRock, to educate musicians and give them the power to make good business decisions on their own behalf.
Duff is a 9 life path, meaning he is in a lifetime of completion. Nine is the culminated knowledge of all the numbers before it, and is a number of utopian ideals. Nines are spiritual and often have a lifetime of overcoming difficulties. They learn how to succeed themselves, in order to teach the world how to do the same. (I’m a nine too.)
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This is a solar chart, I don’t have the correct birth time, so keep in mind the planets in signs remain the same, houses may change.
First off, I was struck by how Duff has several difficult fixed (ingrained over several lifetimes) squares (inner conflict, obstacles) involving the Sun (ego, spirit) and Moon (feelings, fluctuation) – they are the luminaries, the conscious (Sun), and unconscious (Moon).
Hopes (Sun) and Dreams (Moon) forming an obstacle to one another.
Moon and Neptune in Scorpio are quiet, secretive and perceptive, if they do not find stimulation, (speaking from my personal experience here; and Duff speaks of facing it in the ring) they can turn the Scorpio stinger on themselves to feel something, anything.
Moon (habits, instincts) conjunct Neptune can mean addiction in its low vibration, or spiritual healing at its highest vibration. This conjunction is intuitive, and feels the cosmos coming in. It is a conjunction that can bring mystical emotions, heightened perceptions, illusions, daydreams and imagination into the waking life 24/7.
Note also the asteroid Dionysus 3671 is opposite Sun and Mars and square Neptune. Dionysus is symbolic not only of wine and merriment, but also of the sharp pruning of the vine in order for it to bear the best fruit. Sun (life, spirit), Mars (the blade) and Saturn (pruning) conjunction in Aquarius has indeed led to the bearing of Duff’s best life / fruit.
Coupled with a hedonistic Sun / Mars conjunction in square ( inner tension ) to the often delusional energies of Neptune, that’s one heck of an obstacle. Sun conjunct Mars is raw power, tempered by Saturn (the tester, restriction, karma) the need to restrict and rein in the wild tendencies inherent to the nature of Aquarius. That trio of planets in Aquarius, is in itself a hurdle.
Here’s his ace in the hole : Mercury trine Uranus. Mercury is thinking; Uranus intuition and innovation. Mercury in good aspect to Uranus is the sign of genius, a quick study. The mental faculties are very sharp and capable of radical trail-blazing ideas. Through his love of learning (Mercury is study and is sextile {opportunity} Venus, love) he transformed his life (Sun) his habits, (Moon conjunct Neptune) and his creativity, his love and spiritual health (Venus exalted in Pisces) all by taking the opportunity (sextiles) to learn and stimulate his intellect.
He also took the opportunity (sextile) to keep actively busy through sports (Mars), higher education (Jupiter), and he continually pushes his endurance (Aries) physically in order to improve his self-esteem (Sun).
Duff’s North Node of Destiny is in Cancer, the sign of nurturing. Once he got himself on his feet, he will push ahead helping others too. Now Duff is strong in heart, mind, body, and spirit and has a loving family. He is, by building (Saturn rules building, the earth and rocks) MeridianRock (perfect name- I love it !) reaching out to help his fellow musicians learn how to handle their finances so they can take care of themselves too.
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Very quickly I want to say a few words about the day Duff was admitted into the hospital with a burst pancreas. Moon rules the pancreas, and conjunct Neptune in the natal, it can indicate a weakness. If circumstances in the life and transits activate it, trouble may arise. Duff speaks in his book of alcoholism and drug use spiraling out of control, and that will further weaken the body.
Transiting Sun 19 Taurus (life-force) was opposite (call for compromise) Moon 19 / Neptune 17 conjunction (addiction) in Scorpio (the house of death and rebirth). Transiting Moon was also nearing opposition at 11 Taurus. Transiting Neptune was conjunct natal Mercury (which is trine Uranus in the natal – that’s a wake up call !) Transiting Pluto and North Node of Destiny were conjunct in Scorpio as well – a call for transformation, rebirth, and rising to meet your destiny. Ohm mani padme hum
Duff’s band, Loaded released their 3rd studio album, The Taking, earlier this year, see the video below for an acoustic version of Flatline.
I spoke of the solar Hobbit eclipse, but I did not speak of the men of Middle Earth, one of which is Aragorn, a fine King, a man of quality.
Sun Quintile Uranus
Viggo is a free spirit, a traveler, a multi-talented renaissance man, but most of all, Viggo is a kind man.
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Viggo has Sun, North Node of Destiny and Venus conjunct in Libra – let’s face it, he’s handsome, but that’s not all. He is kind and fair and went to bat for his fellow actors in LoTR – seeking fair pay for work on the trilogy. A man of quiet power and strength, he has Mercury, Jupiter and Neptune all conjunct in Scorpio.
Gneiss Moon Astrology 