Masks aren’t just for Halloween… 01/03/2010
Posted by Erika Alana in Think Tank.Tags: ascendant, rising signs, ASC, masks
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I’m painting a few boxes to hold handmade soaps I’ve created and I’ve been using tape to keep the paint from blending. Naturally, using masking tape led to me to thinking about astrology (haha!) and I thought “Hmm, isn’t masking tape a lot like the Ascendant?”
Often, the Ascendant is referred to as one’s mask, the image one projects to others, the personality as expressed by the SELF. Don’t ask me how I made the correlation between masking tape and the 1st house, as it’s remnants are long gone now, however, the theory remains.
The sign on the Ascendant generally hints at what kind of mask one puts on to face the world at large. If you were to think of the entire chart (minus the angles of course) as items in a purse, backpack, bucket, or box; the Ascendant would be the box, purse, backpack, and bucket itself. Is it a large box with few items? Perhaps a small box overflowing with trinkets? The Ascendant is ourselves as we are, as we express ourselves to those around us and thus represents our approach to situations and our environment as they are a reflection of how we see our WORLD.
Everything else in the chart… Sun, Moon, Aspects to Pluto, Aspects to Saturn, Signs, Houses (minus the angles), Asteroids, and more are the true essence of what lies beneath, but often the Ascendant can give us clues to what a person finds to be essentially important as a means to understanding their life.
An Aries Ascendant wears the mask of assertion
A Taurus Ascendant wears the mask of practicality
A Gemini Ascendant wears the mask of versatility
A Cancer Ascendant wears the mask of emotion
A Leo Ascendant wears the mask of confidence
A Virgo Ascendant wears the mask of helpfulness
A Libra Ascendant wears the mask of fairness
A Scorpio Ascendant wears the mask of intensity
A Sagittarius Ascendant wears the mask of optimism
A Capricorn Ascendant wears the mask of responsibility
An Aquarius Ascendant wears the mask of objectivity
A Pisces Ascendant wears the mask of compassion
Now, granted, there’s far more to each sign than I’ve listed here and aspects will emphasize, challenge, or negative some qualities I’ve mentioned, but think about it- what mask do you wear when you step outside your front door?
Retrogrades Smetrogrades 01/02/2010
Posted by Erika Alana in Floating Rocks.Tags: mercury retrograde, retrogrades
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I would say I hate retrogrades but to be honest I cannot think of a time in the past when they’ve really had an overt affect on my life. At least not through transit. Maybe that’s why Mercury retrograde at 17′ Capricorn hasn’t really been too bothersome.
It’s actually the one that seems to be most feared. Oh no, Mercury is retrograde! My car won’t start, my boss will think I started a nasty rumor, and the world is going to come crashing to an end! Not quite.
I guess I can understand those with Gemini or Virgo Ascendant, Suns, and Moons. Maybe this is an crazy period, especially because Mercury is said to dominate their chart by rulership. Maybe people who are being affected by Mercury’s transiting position. However, at 17′ Capricorn, the cusp of my 2nd house, I haven’t heard anything.
In fact, things have been quite quiet. Or so I thought. I couldn’t get my blog to work with facebook this morning. It’s been MONTHS and I couldn’t figure out why Jupiter Jaws (formerly known as Quincunx’d) wouldn’t post new entries but my other blog does. After about 6 months of fruitless tampering with widgets and skidgets and other strangely named web phenomena, I realized today where the fault lies.
The automatic posting option doesn’t apply to those with wordpress.com, only .org. WELL DUH! Not like it wasn’t under my nose or anything *cough*. So now, I feel stupid. Mercury has retrograded 3 times in the past 6 months, and finally upon this one, I’ve solved the issue.
See, Mercury is virtually inactive in my chart. Ruling the 7th house gives it prominence, however, Virgo is intercepted in the 9th, so Mercury loses rulership there, and I have no Virgo or Gemini planets. To top it off, Mercury sits in my 12th house…tucked away behind the shadows, hidden, suppressed, and undeveloped. And as if it couldn’t get better, Mercury makes NO aspects. Unless you want to count an almost 9′ degree conjunction to Venus. But still, almost no aspects.
My Mercury (brain) is sleeping apparently. It may have taken three retrogrades to wake it up. I find that funny, somehow, and yet enlightening. I actually visibly experienced something during Merucry retrograde. Of course, it could be coincidence…
But I don’t believe in those.
<3 Erika Alana
Hello 2010! 01/02/2010
Posted by Erika Alana in Uncategorized.Tags: 2010, creativity, new year
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With the new year, I’ve decided to become proactive when it comes to my hobbies. I’m going to allow myself to be completely submerged in creativity without securing a life line.
I’ve been thinking a lot about aspects, whether through transit, progressed, or natal, and how they can help and hurt us. I feel like I’ve been stifling what reads as a highly creative chart with great potential with an overactive Saturn, spoiled Pluto , and cranky Uranus.
In my chart, Saturn sits close to my Ascendant, although conjunct from the 12th house. Because of this, my Saturn has been suppressed greatly, but not enough to where I am no longer aware of it. It’s like a willful ignorance to the lessons of Saturn. That is until recently…
Now, my Ascendant has progressed to Capricorn, and with it, Saturn has kicked Jupiter out of the running and has assumed an important role himself. Yippee *note the sarcasm* The result has been me overcompensating big time by being Ms. Wet Blanket, or the overactive Saturn problem. The affinity to say “NO” to things for the sake of doing so is driving me insane. Pair this with a spoiled Pluto (aspecting my Sun, Moon, Mars, Jupiter, and Neptune while ruling my Sun, Mercury, and Venus, AND acting as a final dispositor) who I called so not just because he touches almost every planet in my chart, but is WAY over-expressed in my life and a cranky Uranus (because he’s under heavy transit and is being battered by this new and powerful Saturn in my life)…
My creativity is shot. Well it was… in 2009. But this year is different, I’ll elaborate soon, but this year is different.
Creativity bound,
Erika Alana <3
Quincunx’d gets a new name.. 12/29/2009
Posted by Erika Alana in Uncategorized.Tags: chattiness, jupiter, new names, talking
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And it’s Jupiter Jaws.
Why? Well, I thought it needed something a bit more charming and a little easier to pronounce. So I thought, hmm, what title can I give to this blog filled with incessant astro-babble and tangents? Then, I remembered.. I have Jupiter in the 3rd house.
Jupiter expands whatever it touches. The 3rd house is the home of communication. As a Sag Rising with Jupiter in the 3rd house, you can bet everyone around me has sore ears. But Sore Ears didn’t make a good name for this blog. And so, Jupiter Jaws was born.
Or reborn. Perfect time for it too, with the Sun, Venus, and Pluto in Capricorn sitting on my natal Neptune in the 1st house. Talk about rebirth.
Always transforming,
Erika Alana <3
A lack of staying power 12/16/2009
Posted by Erika Alana in Uncategorized.add a comment
Apparently, I can’t keep my word for anything.
I said I’d post here more often, and I will! Especially now since I’ve graduated college, woohoo! I just haven’t had any time but I do have a ton of significant events I want to add on here for research purposes. Mars in Leo has being doing a number on my lazy size, opposing my natal Mars and kicking me into high gear. I’m going to compile all the data I have and I’ll post a couple events, starting back from 10/30 on here for your enjoyment!
Until then,
Erika Alana <3
Erika and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day 10/30/2009
Posted by Erika Alana in Floating Rocks.Tags: aspects, moon, timing, transits
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I got bad news yesterday that ruined my entire week. I wasn’t given information that I should have been, and the lack of that communication resulted in a tremendous amount of wasted effort, energy, and hope.
I checked my transits that morning the first time in a couple weeks. At first glance, I knew something important was going to happen. I’ve been studying astrology for far too long to not know the signs. I’m going to break them down into a list to simplify it.
Transiting Sun conjunct Pluto
I was born with a natal Sun/ Pluto conjunction about 4 degrees apart. So, it’s only natural that around October 30/31st of every year, the transiting Sun conjuncts my natal Pluto. However, generally, this means that the day will reflect extremes and the need for major changes
Transiting Mars conjunct Moon (activating a million aspect patterns)
Mars in Leo is just a few degrees away from my natal Moon in the 8th house. My natal Moon in Leo is exactly opposite natal Mars in Aquarius. The opposition is formed int
o a tight T-Square by Pluto squaring both planets from 2 degrees away. I have an extremely short, violent, explosive temper that I usually keep under tight control (Thank you, Saturn!) When Mars is transiting, it activates whatever planet or angle it’s touching. Needless to say, the bad news blew the lid off my control panel and my temper poured out like a pyroclastic surge.
Transiting Saturn conjunct MC
Saturn is still technically in my 9th house of higher education, however, being in the 10th sector (less than 3 degrees from the next house) makes this placement very important. Saturn is the traditional ruler of death and endings; it also represents completion, hard work, and maturity, timing, problems, and blockages. I’m graduating college in about 2 months. Saturn is about 2 degrees from my MC (career, life direction, reputation). The news I received was a huge BLOCK, SETBACK, and ENDING to a significant career move I had made. I love when astrology reflects real life.
Transiting Venus opposite Node
Venus is currently conjunct my South Node. I have been reaching out to people I haven’t talked to in a long time and vice versa. Venus rules relationships, money, and love. In my natal chart, it rules my 10th house (career), 6th house (workplaces), and 5th house (hobbies/love). When I m
ean relationships, I mean all relationships. I’ve recently gone through rigorous effort to cut off some female friends (natal Venus in 11th house) for good (South Node = separations). I’ve also been separated from my workplace ambitions. As Venus is transiting the 10th house, at the moment, this is a very public issue. The nodes represent connections, separations, and all the important things we’re supposed to learn in this life to make up for the mistakes we made in another life. When Venus transits the 11th house, I’ll probably make up with those female friends.
Transiting Mercury conjunct Sun
I expected to receive some kind of message that would affect my self-confidence and focus. It would also affect my hopes and aspirations since my natal Sun sits in the 11th house. Natal Mercury is in the 12th house so I knew it would be the kind of news that would reveal something previously unknown, good or bad. Generally, I was busier than usual that day, and the need to settle that restless energy was to take care of everything I had on my list (Mercury). If I hadn’t done that, I would have never found out the BAD news!!
Transiting Pluto conjunct Neptune and square MC
Normally, I wouldn’t include this; however, it’s important to note that my Progressed Ascendant is at 2’ Capricorn. My natal Neptune is at 3’30 Capricorn. Transiting Pluto is at 1’ Capricorn. This is all occurring in my natal and Progressed 1st house. Therefore, these aspects, although long term, will increase the power of any aspects that occur until they separate. Pluto represents major upheavals. Neptune rules illusions. The MC represents life goals, public reputation, and your career (on top of other things, of course). Unforeseen (Neptune) upheavals (Pluto) that will affect my career goals (MC).
Transiting Jupiter square Venus and Transiting Neptune square Mercury
Jupiter/Venus aspects are normally good. I have natal Venus trine Jupiter, yet both planets are retrograde. That basically means yea, you’ll get what you want, but it won’t be exactly what you asked for. The aspect isn’t terrible, but it basically means backwards luck or fortune. Neptune squaring Mercury is pretty much the bad news itself. Unmentioned details. Hidden facts. Miscommunication. Dissolution of plans.
Transiting Moon conjunct Jupiter (chart ruler) and Transiting Uranus trine Mercury
Alas, the two deal breakers! Transiting Moon and Uranus are both in my 3rd house (messages). Uranus also rules my 3rd house natally and conjuncts my Ascendant, so it’s a very important planet in my chart which makes it important to watch in transit. Jupiter is my chart ruler and is one of the strongest planets in my chart, so often, aspects to natal Jupiter reflect times when something happens: big or small.
Transiting Moon in Pisces (secrets, unknown) was conjunct natal Jupiter (backwards luck) in the 3rd house (messages). Transiting Uranus (unexpected changes) in Pisces (secrets, unknown) trine natal Mercury (messages, communication) in 12th (secret, hidden).
Yes, the trine is a positive aspect; I never said my life was over. This is another reason why you can’t take aspects by face value. The conjunction formed by the Moon to Jupiter may have, in fact, set in motion all of the events that transpired that day. (I didn’t go into ALL of the unlucky luck I had).
This was an extremely long delineation of my bad day. My point: Watch the Moon. If you see a bunch of aspects lined up, very strong aspects, you should note that this is a significant point in time. When the Moon forms an important aspect, it’s likely that whatever has been cooking in that pot of yours, is ready to serve.
Epiphanies in Job Hunting 09/26/2009
Posted by Erika Alana in Uncategorized.add a comment
As my life has entered the realm of the six house, it’s not surprising I spend most days counting calories, stressing about work, making checklists, and skipping out on the gym. Perhaps, it is even less surprising that I have suddenly had a miraculous epiphany about this house itself.
The 6th house, according to modern astrology, represents our daily activities. It is the house that is associated with things like work and the workplace, employees, co-workers, the work-environment, services to others (and to ourselves), health and health-related issues, small animals, etc. In knowing this, the house often gets limited to the label of “health/service/work” and nothing beyond that. It’s so easy to simplify things to the point of forgetting their true value. Trust me, I did it too! And I would have kept doing it, if I didn’t just get kicked in the butt.
As some of you may know, I’m graduating from college in December. Naturally, I’ve begun looking to the career houses (2nd, 6th, and the 10th)for any clues about what path I should take and the path I’ve been taking. For the past two years, my Progressed Moon (timing) had been transiting my 6th house, so I spent a lot of my time focusing on “jobs” that would look good on my resume. My natal 6th house ruler, Venus, not only rules “health/work/service” but it also rules my 5th house (Fun! Fun! Fun!) and my 10th house (careers). I figured the jobs I applied for and accepted, as well as the hobbies I embraced in my free time would help me launch that “dream career” I’ve always wanted.
Or so I thought. The Progressed Moon has just left my 6th house, and I’m no longer interested in that “dream” career. Why? Because it was never my dream. This horrible, yet awakening epiphany forced me to look up the word “vocation” (another 6th house term) on Wikipedia (clearly, the best source for information…). Lo and behold, what I found knocked me backwards.
Definition per Wiki: A vocation, Latin for “calling”, is a term for an occupation to which a person is specially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified.
Whaaat? How could I not see it before? I shouldn’t be looking for “jobs”, I should be looking for my “calling”. My skills, my gifts, my talents. That’s what I should be using to fuel my job search, not the need to work (6th), earn money (2nd) and make a powerful career (10th).
Needless to say, my job search has just flipped on its face. I feel like I’m back at zero, and I think I need to remind myself that I’m okay with that. Some people have solid 6th houses which allow them to clearly define what they could ‘excel’ at in life. My 6th house, like everything else about me, is as complicated as it can get. At the very least, this can make for an interesting post grad adventure. In my next post, I’m going to analyze the possibilities and see where it leads me.
Until then,
Erika Alana <3
When Astrology DOESN’T Work 08/22/2009
Posted by Erika Alana in Uncategorized.1 comment so far
As far back as I can …research… every major event in my life has been synonymous with a transiting aspect to my natal Uranus. For the past 2 years, transiting Uranus has been square my natal Uranus…making this fact even more plausible as the trigger is extremely sensitive. Don’t believe me?
When I graduated high school, 19’ degrees Sagittarius was rising. The Ascendant of the Graduation event was conjunct my natal Uranus at 19’ Sagittarius. At the same time, the transiting Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Venus were all forming oppositions within tight orbs. Transiting Pluto was exactly conjunct my Uranus and the event Ascendant at 19’ Sagittarius as well.
When I ended a 3 year relationship with a guy who had 3 of his personal planets within 14-19 degrees Sagittarius, the transiting Sun and Uranus were both square my natal Uranus. Transiting Mars was exactly opposite at 19’ Gemini, and transiting Jupiter and Pluto were sandwiching my Uranus between them. I planned to marry the guy, and the break up completely overhauled every life plan I’d had. This was definitely for the better (Jupiter (benefits), Pluto (extremes)).
So long story short, Uranus activations have always been around when something major goes down in my life. Everyone has these; they’re called “triggers”. Some of us have may even have more than one (I have 3!); it really all depends on one’s chart.
This time around, however, I find myself looking not for the aspect, but for the results. Granted, astrology doesn’t cause events, but with my track record, I expected to see something.
So what happened, you ask? *Shrug* Transiting Mars opposite my Uranus happened. It came and went– no catastrophes, no accidents, no break ups or make ups, nothing. I was really busy and a lot more honest—unusually so. That’s about it.
Sometimes people think that just because an aspect is happening, they should expect results a, b, and possibly c, to unfold before their eyes…but sometimes it just doesn’t happen. Life can’t be predicted, if it could, no one would ever get sick, no one would ever have problems, it would probably be pure communism, because what’s the point? There’s no need to strive for anything because you already know how it’s going to turn out. Life just doesn’t work that way!
And astrology doesn’t either. So this is just another one of those blog entries everyone posts to kick all the astro-fanatics in the butt and bring them back down to reality (just a LITTLE bit). If you see a transit coming, don’t freak about about it. There’s only so much you can do. Free will makes up like 89% of this stuff anyway. Don’t stay in this weekend because Mars is transiting over your Pluto. Don’t go buy a shirt two sizes too small just because Venus is transiting your Ascendant.
Let life happen as it may, you win some & you lose some. Nothing is perfect…and neither is astrology. The sooner we all learn that, the better.
Until the message gets through,
Erika Alana <3
Clusters in the Sky 08/22/2009
Posted by Erika Alana in Floating Rocks.add a comment
The sky is ablaze with clusters today. Depending on when you were born, this is either a big deal or it doesn’t matter at all. I didn’t even notice until I saw that the Moon had just partnered with the planets transiting through my 9th house of the higher mind. Maybe that explains why I laid in bed for 2 hours staring at the ceiling, pondering the meaning of life and where my existence makes an impact. I know- heavy thoughts for a Saturday morning. But that’s exactly what happens when the transiting Saturn and Mercury conjunction are joined by the Moon– Heavy. Thoughts.
I once dated a guy who had a natal Mercury-Saturn conjunction. It sat in his 3rd house of communication and the “lower” mind (basic everyday thought), and it made no other aspects but the conjunction to one another. The guy was a lively Sagittarius with eccentric Uranus and social Venus amplifying his optimistic, jovial nature. However, when you got beneath the Sun-Uranus-Venus conjunction, you got slapped in the face by Mercury-Saturn. Mercury rules all thought processes, how we make decisions, how we reason, and how we communicate with others. It’s how our logical side works.
Saturn is like an anchor, it represents restrictions, limitations, and control. Wherever you find him, there’s usually some kind of fear, setback, shortage, or problem that’s just ridiculously difficult to deal with. I’m not making Saturn out to be the bad guy here, but let’s be honest: That’s why Saturn represents reality checks.
When the two meet, their energies blend, and usually the “heavier” energy dominates. Mercurial energy in general is light and airy in nature, unless other factors amplify it’s strength in the chart, it can be easily dominated by a stronger planet. That being said, the guy I dated was a great person to have around at a party, but in normal everyday conversation (3rd house), he was the most dry, negative, listless person I’d ever met. It was as if the spark had been drained from his personality, and been replaced with brittle old chalk.
(As a disclaimer, not all people with Mercury-Saturn will be like this. Astrology, in my opinion, makes up between 15-30% of a person’s personality and the rest is at the mercy of environment, genetics, and free will. It’s important to look a person’s entire chart before making an interpretation)
As Mercury and Saturn have idled themselves near my MC (public image) for the past couple days, people have continually asked me “Am I okay?” or “Am I feeling alright? I seem kind of down”. I’m not down at all but I don’t have much energy to prove it. The conjunction forms a sextile with my natal Mercury (communication) in the 12th house (hidden). The 12th house can show where we suppress specific parts of ourselves. It can also show where we overcompensate. Usually a chatterbox, I’ve been as silent as a corpse.
And I don’t think anything is wrong with that.
Dropping in… 08/22/2009
Posted by Erika Alana in Uncategorized.add a comment
CHRIST! I’ve been so busy. However, I guess that’s the price you pay for hard work.
Anywho, yea, a lot has happened in the past month and I’ve not had much time to stop by here and fill you all in. I promise I’ll come back with a bang later today.
I have about 2 or 3 posts I wanna make on here, maybe a post or two on the Chubby ‘n Fabulous blog, and then another post on my newest blog, Sitting Up Straight. Forgive me, I’m working on a crazy novel that is consuming all my time, as well as an internship paper, and an article for the school newsletter. My brain is spinning but I promise I’ll be back in full swing in no time!
Until then,
Erika Alana <3
