Sky Log

Astrological Report for

John Lennon

Jul 01, 2008 - Sep 30, 2008

by Steven Forrest

This sample report compliments of:

Christine Bennett

www.ItTakes2.com.au

christine@ittakes2.com.au

0418 226 961

Your Chart Data

    Name: John Lennon
    Date:    Oct 09, 1940
    Time:    07:00:00 AM GMT +00:00
    Place:   Liverpool,England
               002W55'00" 53N25'00"

Planet	Sign	Position	House	House Cusps
Sun	Libra	15°Li50'	12th	01 20°Li29'
Moon	Capricorn	28°Cp02'	04th	02 17°Sc52'
Mercury	Scorpio	07°Sc59'	01st	03 16°Sg48'
Venus	Virgo	02°Vi43'	11th	04 27°Cp45'
Mars	Libra	02°Li23'	12th	05 25°Aq27'
Jupiter	Taurus	13°Ta44' R	07th	06 22°Pi54'
Saturn	Taurus	13°Ta15' R	07th	07 20°Ar29'
Uranus	Taurus	25°Ta34' R	08th	08 17°Ta52'
Neptune	Virgo	26°Vi01'	12th	09 16°Ge48'
Pluto	Leo	04°Le11'	10th	10 27°Ca45'
Midheaven	Cancer	27°Ca45'		11 25°Le27'
Ascendant	Libra	20°Li29'		12 22°Vi54'

Sky Log
Steven Forest

Traditional astrologers "make predictions." Often they are correct. But right or wrong, "predictions" turn you into a marionette, with the planets holding your strings. And in my opinion, that is not a very inspiring description of the way the cosmos works, nor a very accurate one. You are vastly more powerful than that. You can, to a great extent, shape your own life. That at least is my belief. The future isn't crystallized. It's a wavering, quivering web of possibilities. How will they manifest? Much depends upon how you wield the magical wild card we call your freedom.

So, what's the use of astrology? In a nutshell, it can help you make better choices. The planets never give a definitive answer to the question "What will happen to me?" Instead, they ask the question. But they ask the question in a very specific way: "Given everything you are, all the bridges you've crossed, all the contracts you've signed, there are several possibilities for what you might do next..." In other words, "Here's the menu. What are you having?"

Question mark.

And the question mark is the most important part of the whole inquiry, because that's where the uncertainty -- and your freedom -- lies. But the planets do even more. They offer advice. In a sense, they recommend certain choices over others. They seem biased toward your evolution. They often suggest that you take the less familiar path, the one that moves you into richer fields of your own potentiality. The planets express this rather philosophical bias in a very concrete way. Typically, when you make a less energetic response to a planetary question, the results, while initially comfortable, rapidly turn painful. Sometimes the pain is immediate and dramatic, as in the collapse of an important relationship. Other times, it's more subtle, as in the degeneration of life into deadening boredom and ritual. Either way, sooner or later we know you made a wrong turn somewhere.

In the pages that follow, we will be exploring the coming months of your life from this planetary perspective. There are three parts to the report, and any or all of them may be included here, depending on which have been requested. First, the big questions. In the part of the report called THE INVITATION, we try to get that "mountain-top" perspective that enables us to make sense of the details. In THE MEANS, we turn our attention to some secondary factors that offer suggestions, help, and support in responding to those big questions. And finally, we'll look at the report period month-by-month, day-by-day, to get some ground-level insight into THE DETAILS. Your report may be for three, six, nine, or twelve months and may include any or all three sections just described. For this reason, and because some years in your life are astrologically more active than others, report length can vary quite a bit.

Throughout the following text, I'll be endeavoring to write in plain English, but if you're unfamiliar with the jargon of astrology, you'll encounter a few words that may require definition. A "transiting" planet, for example, refers to the actual, current position of that planet in the sky. Sometimes the transiting planets form critical geometric angles with the "natal" planets in the birthchart, triggering developmental questions in your life. These critical angles are called "aspects."

The "progressed" planets function in much the same way as the transiting planets, but we approach them a little differently. They're like a script that's been built into your birthchart. Just as we know that an oak tree will emerge from an acorn and bring forth its leaves in season, similarly each person's birthchart contains within it the seeds of certain predictable developmental stages. Progressions spell out those stages.

So sit back, open your mind, and engage your heart. It's time to consider...

The Means

If you happen to have a cold on the day you win the lottery, will that taint your memory of the big event? Probably not. Ten years later, you will have forgotten your runny nose. Ten minutes later, more likely.

Life and memory work that way. We prioritize certain kinds of events, experiencing them more vividly and remembering them far longer than the trivial and the predictable. The details of a typical Monday morning aren't going to last as long in the memory banks as images of your moment of glory or your darkest hour.

In exactly the same way, not all astrological events have the same impact. What we have considered so far are all first-string milestones in your life. The rest of what we'll be considering is less central -- but that's not to say unimportant. What follows is a set of supplementary transits and progressions, presented chronologically. They're not quite as profound in their implications as what we've seen, but they're not without emotional and existential consequences. If what we have explored in the previous pages can be viewed as an evolutionary invitation, then, to that lofty end, what follows is....

"The Means"

As you'll see, each of these events stands as significant in its own right. But their deepest meanings lie in the way they interact with what we've considered in the pages above, enhancing and sometimes complicating the broader developmental patterns.

Cards on the table: you can skim the next several pages and, I think, learn some things about the coming months that will prove prophetic...and more importantly, helpful. But the real magic lies in putting all the pieces together, synthesizing them in your heart into an emotional whole -- just like you've done with, say, memories of a special summer long ago. No computer can do that for you.

Your own creativity, your own reflections on the material we're covering, your own translations, additions, corrections, amendments, and meditations -- these are what make the difference.

Let's continue.

Tr. Jupiter is Square Sun
In effect: Jul 14, 2008 - Jul 31, 2008
Peak Date(s): Jul 22, 2008

The planet Jupiter is currently coloring your circumstances. Before we say exactly how, let's attempt to understand the more general significance of any Jupiter event. Essentially, this is a call to recognize an opportunity. Traditional astrologers view it more starkly -- to them, it is simply the planet of luck. And that is often the case: the toast does tend to land butter-side up when Jupiter is crossing sensitive territories. But the real, evolutionary meaning lies deeper. One key is that Jupiter is future-oriented...it is concerned with bright, unexplored possibilities. Stripped to its bones, Jupiter always asks one primary question: how have you been underestimating yourself? Its transits signal a time when new opportunities come into existence, but to seize them you must recognize that you deserve them, that you are capable of rising to them, and that old deals and compromises are finished. Trust yourself, have faith in life, and go for it: that's the spirit of Jupiter. How is it affecting you? Jupiter is square your natal Sun: Jul 22, 2008.

Let's first consider that the action and the developmental pressures are rooted in the Third House, for that's where Jupiter is currently located in your chart. And what does that mean? That new information is coming your way, and that it may be somewhat shocking, unexpected, or at least fresh. It will modify your plans and make you aware of new possibilities. The news may come to you through any of the media or through a messenger, either of which may possess the tone of Jupiter, as we just described it. But what's the issue? What part of your own life is scheduled to be impacted most strongly by this new data? To answer that, we turn our attention to the Sun, which is being invited into development by this flood of input.

The Sun, as astronomers tell us, is the center of the solar system. Everything spins around it. With its enormous gravity, the Sun holds the entire system together. In a parallel way, the astrological Sun represents the gravitational center of your personality. Your ego. Your identity. The part of you that gets up in the morning and, without even a single sip of coffee, knows its name, rank, and serial number. Those same astronomers inform us that without the Sun's radiant energy, life as we understand it would cease to exist. Again, astrological meaning follows astronomical fact: the Sun symbolizes that spark of life inside you, your elemental vitality. Enthusiasm, energy, recuperative powers -- all these are solar themes. Thus, when the natal Sun is triggered in an important way, two critical questions come up for review: who are you, and what really makes you want to get out of bed in the morning?

The Twelfth House is where the Sun lies in your natal chart, and it is currently undergoing a lot of evolutionary emphasis. It is critical that you make an effort to get in touch with the energies of the Sun in yourself at this point. You need them, and you actually do have them available to you, but they've got a pattern of slipping away from your conscious control. Don't let it happen! Meditate on the Sun! Draw pictures of it and tape them to the refrigerator! Do what it takes to avoid shooting yourself in the foot, which is what will happen if you let circumstances bamboozle you out of these healing, balancing energies.

When the Sun interacts with Jupiter, claim some applause for yourself. Healthy pride and dignity are at stake here, and they're hard to sustain without receiving some appreciation. It may just come to you; but if not, then don't be shy about asking for it...and one of the best ways to do that is to insist upon a victory, the more colorful the better. The good news is that under this kind of astrological configuration, such a victory is in fact quite available to you now.

The aspect connected with the astrological process we're investigating here is the square, as we have seen. The square, traditionally characterized as an unfortunate aspect, describes a geometric angle of 90 degrees between the natal planet and the moving trigger. To call squares "bad" is misleading. More accurately, they are compelling. In the area of your life we're considering, a terrific friction has arisen. It's not comfortable, but it is an extremely effective motivator. The trick in using the energy creatively lies in moving decisively -- determining precisely what you want, claiming it, and letting the rest go. A season of tough choices is upon you. Regarding the process we described in the previous paragraphs, there are costs involved in all the courses available to you...the most costly, for all concerned, being the course of indecision.

Pr. Moon is Trine Mercury
In effect: in progress - Jul 24, 2008
Peak Date(s): sometime before the report period.

You don't need to be an astrologer to know what the Moon means. Just engage your imagination. Immediately, the mind free-associates. Moon: night...feelings...falling in love...seeing a ghost... And that's pretty much what astrologers throughout history have said: the Moon represents your interior life, your "heart." Like all astrological factors, the Moon progresses, taking a little over a quarter of a century to make one circuit around the chart. It typically spends a couple of years in each sign or house, and eventually forms aspects with all the planets. How do we read it? Simple: at any given moment the progressed Moon tells us where your heart is. Or, to be a little less schmaltzy about it, the Moon says where your attention is. What is concerning you. Where your growth experiences are unfolding -- which is often to say where you're experiencing challenges, upsets, or opportunities to regroup and express yourself in new ways. Being an emotional factor, the progressed Moon always refers to areas of heightened sensitivity. Intuition comes to the forefront. Instincts must be followed. Somehow the unconscious mind has gotten ahead of conscious awareness, and now conscious awareness is catching up, following the trail of intuitive clues and impulses laid down by the wise, dark interior of your spirit.

Let's begin deciphering this configuration with the understanding that the action driving these existential developments is showing up in the part of your life we call the Ninth House. That's where the Moon is currently making its influence felt, thus bringing events to bear upon you. Typically, when the "House of Long Journeys" is stimulated, life is eventful and expansive in tone. You are challenged to stretch out toward new experiential horizons through travel and educational efforts -- to toss hand grenades into the well-oiled machinery of your life. Why? Because deep down inside, you are starting to get bored with yourself! The key question with which you must wrestle is this: which adventure is the right one? Astrology cannot answer precisely, but here's one helpful hint -- to travel the right new road and thus refresh your spirit, you will need every ounce of the energy of the Moon that you can muster. It's that kind of adventure, that kind of stretching, that is appropriate for you now. But what's the core issue? What part of your own life is at stake? To answer that, we turn our attention to Mercury, which is being invited into development by the invigorating, exhilarating impact of these new perceptions.

How is the progressed Moon currently impacting on you? It is trine your natal Mercury: sometime before the report period.. In thinking about this, remember that progressions are slow-motion events, and that this event simply peaks then; it will be affecting your mood for a period of two or three months on either side of that date.

Your quickness, your alertness, your curiosity -- those are the dimensions of your life dominated by the planet Mercury. To say that Mercury represents your intelligence is quite accurate, but it's more connected to the natural style of your intelligence: not so much how smart you are as what interests you, and how your intelligence can be employed most pleasurably and efficiently. Intimately linked to such cerebral concerns is the question of your ability to communicate, since ideally there is some relationship between speech and forethought. Thus Mercury, the traditional Messenger of the Gods, is associated with both thought and conversation. When stimulated by a passing transit or progression, Mercury tends to speed up the flow of data in your life. You learn. You listen. You speak. Often events move at a hasty pace, and there's a feeling of excitement mixed with over-extension.

Always, it's advantageous for you to incorporate the force of Mercury positively in all parts of your life. But one area has always stood out in that regard -- the First House, which is where Mercury lies in your natal chart. There, in the area of assertiveness and personal power, the right use of that energy is most critical. In many situations you must react, respond, and play the cards you're dealt. But not in the First House. Here, you're in the driver's seat...and there are certain experiences you must claim for yourself, experiences of the nature of Mercury, even if the people about whom you care call you selfish for doing so.

When the Moon is alloyed with Mercury, a mood (Moon) of curiosity and restlessness (Mercury) fills the psyche. Boredom, never a pleasant prospect, becomes intolerable. You are, quite appropriately, hungry now for mental stimulation, for learning, and for fascinating conversations with intelligent, open-minded people. Trust your own inquisitiveness; it will lead you in unexpected, but delightful directions.

As we said, the aspect involved in the event we just described is the trine, which refers to a 120 degree angle between the natal planet and the moving one. Trines are traditionally viewed as positive aspects, and in fact they generally do correlate with opportunities. Additionally, their existence implies that support is available to you, if you are willing to move to claim it. And therein lies the rub with the so-called "good" aspects. They're not very dynamic. Just as pain is a more powerful motivator than contentment, the trick with trines lies in taking advantage of them before the wheel turns and their potential vanishes. With regard to the developments we described in the previous few paragraphs: a door is now open, a red carpet rolled out...but don't count on everything remaining that way forever.

Tr. Saturn is Sextile Mercury
In effect: Jul 25, 2008 - Aug 11, 2008
Peak Date(s): Aug 3, 2008

The planet Saturn is currently casting a gray light on your circumstances -- but is it the bleak gray of sorrow or the clear, comforting gray of wisdom and digested experience? That's the choice. Saturn is classically viewed as the "bad" planet, the "Greater Malefic." Don't believe it! Used correctly, its transits can bring dignity and self-respect. Essentially, Saturn is about maturity. The part of your life that's being touched by the Saturnian energies needs to grow up...which, despite the lies we're all told, is not a process one mysteriously completes on one's twenty-first birthday. There is an area of your life where you have simply outgrown yourself, at least inwardly. The task now is to adjust your outward circumstances to reflect the maturity you've already attained psychically and invisibly. It is a material problem, not fundamentally a psychological one. To succeed, there is first a need to face reality squarely, even if it's unsavory. Then to make a hard choice...that is, to reach an emotional bottom line and not be crippled by your awareness of the ambiguities in your situation. And finally, in a spirit of commitment, persistence, and self-discipline, to claim those circumstances in your life which reflect the hard inner work you've been doing over the last few years. That's Saturn in general. Specifically, Saturn is sextile your natal Mercury: Aug 3, 2008.

Currently Saturn is navigating your Eleventh House, suggesting that your own circumstances and possibilities are currently tied into larger developments involving organizations, committees, or your "crowd." This inevitably involves the use of a certain political adroitness on your part and the capacity to forge and nurture coalitions and alliances, even if they're just among three or four people. But behind the group dynamics, there's a deeper layer. What are your priorities? What do you really want? Certainly, those desires are currently evolving and their motion is in the direction of Saturn, as we just described it. In a nutshell: know what you want and choose your allies accordingly. But what's the core issue? What part of your own life is at stake? To answer that, we turn our attention to Mercury, which is being invited into development by these strategic alliances.

The natal Mercury -- that, as we have seen, symbolizes your intelligence, your capacity to communicate, and your fundamental curiosity.

Your First House came up earlier; now we see it stimulated again, once more suggesting that the deepest, most central factors in the situation we're considering all hinge upon the choices you make and the stands you take. "Who are you?" -- that's the essential question. And, at least for now, a big chunk of the answer lies with Mercury, a planet whose needs, interests, and predilections always figure prominently in your smartest, most self-aware moves.

When Mercury mingles with Saturn, a thoughtful, reflective perspective enters the mind. This is a season of earnest study, of necessary but often rather plodding kinds of work. A precise, careful, conservative approach generally produces the best results. And, present cultural mythology aside, the cultivation of a degree of calculated pessimism often helps one evade costly blunders as these two planets interact.

The aspect pervading the event we've just considered is, as we observed, a sextile. Technically, that refers to a geometric angle of 60 degrees between the natal planet and the moving one. Sextiles are traditionally viewed as "good" aspects. Certainly, they're exciting. There is a mood of eagerness regarding the process we're exploring here -- and that's glorious, provided you're wary of the excessive impulsiveness that sextiles sometimes breed. In any case, the spinning wheel of circumstances can be counted on to provide some fortuitous, unexpected opportunities for you during this period. You'll have to be quick to seize them, though. They're real, but they're short-lived.

Tr. Jupiter is Trine Jupiter
In effect: Aug 1, 2008 - Aug 28, 2008
Peak Date(s): Aug 11, 2008

Jupiter figured earlier in this analysis. Now we meet it again. As you may recall, this is the planet of possibilities and the seizing of opportunities. Jupiter currently is trine your natal Jupiter. The action peaks Aug 11, 2008.

Let's first consider that the action is in the Third House, for that's where Jupiter is currently located in your chart. This is familiar territory. New information is coming your way. It may be somewhat startling or unanticipated, and it will most likely come to you through a messenger whose nature or mood is in accord with the tone of Jupiter, as we just described it. But what are the core questions? What part of you is most profoundly impacted by this new knowledge? The answer lies with Jupiter, which is being invited into development during this information-intensive period in your life.

Hope and faith are essential to sanity. Without at least a few bright dreams and expansive goals, a person grows flat and dull...becomes a time-server. The same can be said for self-confidence: we need it. And even if such assurance sometimes crosses the line into a sprinkle of arrogance, that's less troubling and limiting than sitting around afraid to take any risks at all. There is a gambler's circuit in your psyche that understands these notions perfectly well. Astrologers call it Jupiter. When stimulated by a passing transit or progression, it encourages you to extend yourself further into your world, to bet on yourself, and to recognize emerging opportunities. Be wary at the same time that you don't settle for glitter when gold may be just around the corner.

Maintaining a healthy flow of the energies of Jupiter, always good for you, is especially crucial to your closest human relationships: marriage, profound friendship, long-term sexual bonds. Why? Because in Liverpool,England at the moment of your birth Jupiter occupied your Seventh House, the traditional "House of Marriage." Two lines of reasoning emerge here. The first is that by bringing the flavor of Jupiter into your intimate bonds, you shape love in a lasting, more meaningful way for yourself. The second is that your natural partners are themselves people with the spirit of Jupiter. Relating deeply to those whose natures are too far removed from that tone and style is simply not your path. However we look at your situation, intimate connections are clearly a front-burner issue right now.

When Jupiter interacts with its own natal position, as we see here, speculation and possibility arise. There is something available to you now which was not available before. It comes at least partly as a gift, or as what the world would call "blind luck." In fact, a more subtle law is in operation here: you've crafted a position of opportunity for yourself over the years. Now is the time to harvest it.

The two factors, as we mentioned, are linked by a trine -- traditionally seen as a "good" aspect, but more accurately seen as simply enhancing or supportive. Generally speaking, with trines there is an opportunity...but to seize it, you must supply the initiative.

Tr. Jupiter is Trine Saturn
In effect: Aug 6, 2008 - continuing
Peak Date(s): Aug 18, 2008; Sep 29, 2008

Let's first consider that the action is in the Third House, for that's where Jupiter is currently located in your chart. This is familiar territory. New information is coming your way. It may be somewhat startling or unanticipated, and it will most likely come to you through a messenger whose nature or mood is in accord with the tone of Jupiter, as we just described it. But what are the core questions? What part of you is most profoundly impacted by this new knowledge? The answer lies with Saturn, which is being invited into development during this information-intensive period in your life.

Getting kicked out of the nest, one way or another, is an elemental part of life. Faced with the stark, unyielding actualities of the "real world," you either die then and there or get on with the cunning, calculating business of staying alive. To accomplish either of those ends, you activate the energies of your natal Saturn: your self-discipline, your patience, and your practicality...if you choose survival. And if you choose to give up, you withdraw into fear and probably get into a mood of despair and defeat. When Saturn is triggered by passing transits or progressions, it signals a time in which hard work is appropriate, necessary, and the best insurance for happiness. Often it suggests that the circumstances or even people who have been a significant part of your past must now be left behind, making way for a more mature expression of your identity.

Your Seventh House occupied our thoughts earlier in these pages; now we see it triggered again, suggesting that at the center of the circumstances we're considering there exists a fundamental inter-dependency: what you must do, you cannot do alone. A pair of ideas figure here: The first is that by emphasizing the spirit of Saturn in your closest relationships, you improve them. The second is that your natural partners are themselves people of the nature of Saturn, and that should help you recognize them.

When Jupiter interacts with Saturn, you experience an odd confluence of providential fortune (Jupiter) and daunting impediments (Saturn). Essentially, something very good is available to you now, but to attain it you must undertake a herculean effort. More profoundly, that effort itself will crystallize a very specific transformation in you: it will grant you the dignity of your advancing maturity.

Tr. Saturn is Trine Saturn
In effect: Sep 7, 2008 - Sep 23, 2008
Peak Date(s): Sep 15, 2008

Saturn played a role earlier in this account. Now it emerges again, in a new way. To refresh your memory, Saturn is ultimately the planet of maturity. It always places a strong emphasis upon hard work, decisive choices, and persistence. Saturn currently is trine your natal Saturn. The energies crest Sep 15, 2008.

Currently Saturn is navigating familiar territory -- your Eleventh House, which we discussed earlier. This, to refresh your memory, is the house of group dynamics, tying your personal affairs to larger developments involving organizations or coalitions -- your "friends" in the widest sense. To make the right moves, you'll need to know exactly what you want. Those desires, just to help you separate the wheat from all the chaff, are now in the spirit and direction of Saturn, as we described it above. Getting what you want is the difficulty, as is generally the case in life. In the present environment, to succeed you'll need to form strategic alliances, often with people of the nature of Saturn. However, the core issue -- the part of your life that's at stake here -- is represented by Saturn, which is being invited into development during this time of the joining of destinies.

The natal Saturn -- that, as we have seen, symbolizes your capacity for self-discipline and patience. Generally, it marks an area where you will be challenged to achieve excellence...or tempted to give up and sink into sorrow and self-pity.

When Saturn interacts with its own natal position, as we observe here, commitment is the highest path, and the one which brings the most joy in the long run. At some level, a vow is called for now...at least a vow to yourself. It will take effort, and the effort will be costly and exhausting. But it will be worth it. We hear so much about "being in touch with the inner child." Good advice, but not now. Saturn is about being in touch with the inner adult, which is to say, being in touch with determination, patience, and your own core moral values.

Tr. Saturn is Trine Jupiter
In effect: Sep 11, 2008 - Sep 27, 2008
Peak Date(s): Sep 19, 2008

Currently Saturn is navigating familiar territory -- your Eleventh House, which we discussed earlier. This, to refresh your memory, is the house of group dynamics, tying your personal affairs to larger developments involving organizations or coalitions -- your "friends" in the widest sense. To make the right moves, you'll need to know exactly what you want. Those desires, just to help you separate the wheat from all the chaff, are now in the spirit and direction of Saturn, as we described it above. Getting what you want is the difficulty, as is generally the case in life. In the present environment, to succeed you'll need to form strategic alliances, often with people of the nature of Saturn. However, the core issue -- the part of your life that's at stake here -- is represented by Jupiter, which is being invited into development during this time of the joining of destinies.

The natal Jupiter -- that, as we have seen, symbolizes your capacity for positive thinking and abundance. More deeply, Jupiter is about your faith in life and in yourself.

Your Seventh House occupied our thoughts earlier in these pages; now we see it triggered again, suggesting that at the center of the circumstances we're considering there exists a fundamental inter-dependency: what you must do, you cannot do alone. A pair of ideas figure here: The first is that by emphasizing the spirit of Jupiter in your closest relationships, you improve them. The second is that your natural partners are themselves people of the nature of Jupiter, and that should help you recognize them.

The Details

In the mood for Mardi Gras? If you live in Chicago, it helps to know that New Orleans lies to the south. Head west or east and you'll never arrive . . .

What we've done in the previous pages is to show you the direction to New Orleans. We've looked at the big astrological themes that are affecting you this year . . .

As a reminder, at the beginning of our analysis of each month's events we'll make reference to any major configurations covered previously which happen to be reaching peaks of intensity then -- and please recall that some of them will have more than a single peak during the report period. There won't be any more analysis; just an allusion to the events so you can go back and review the earlier material, and see the patterns of the month in the light of the year's heavier transits and progressions.

Please remember that the fleeting, often forgettable influences we discuss in the following pages must always draw their real meaning from the far more monumental events we've already described. A "discussion with the boss," for example, is going to take on particular significance during a month when your whole career is up for grabs!

These minor transits unfold quickly. It's a rare week that doesn't contain at least a few. A report that discussed them all in the kind of microscopic detail we've applied to the major events would be several inches thick. In order to cover the daily astrological kaleidoscope within the practical limitations of the space available, we've resorted to producing capsulized one-sentence nuggets that compress a lot of information into a few words. So, slow down, shift gears, and let them wash over you. Think of these images more as daily meditations than as the kind of full-blown explanations to which you've gotten accustomed in the previous sections of SKYLOG.

One brief reminder: remember that many astrological events have not one but several peaks of intensity, so you may find a given "Invitation" or "Means" coming up several times in the pages that follow.

Even minor astrological events commonly have an impact over several days. In the following month-by-month analysis, configurations are listed chronologically according to the days they "peak" -- but don't take that date narrowly. The most colorful events and profoundest realizations might easily occur a day or two later or earlier.

July Invitation Peaks

(None this month.)

July Mean Peaks

Jul 22, 2008 - Tr. Jupiter squares Sun

July The Details

Jul 01, 2008 - Tr. Venus squares Sun
Keywords: questing relating conflicts with your instinctive quiet nature.

Jul 05, 2008 - Tr. Sun sextiles Saturn
Keywords: questing personality stimulates your normal empathetic composure.

Jul 05, 2008 - Tr. Sun sextiles Jupiter
Keywords: routine-shattering identity stimulates your normal caring opportunity.

Jul 06, 2008 - Tr. Mars conjuncts Venus
Keywords: visionary swordsmanship combines with your characteristic goal-oriented relating.

Jul 08, 2008 - Tr. Sun squares Sun
Keywords: questing identity conflicts with your instinctive private nature.

Jul 08, 2008 - Tr. Mercury squares Neptune
Keywords: exploratory dialog conflicts with your instinctive meditative inspiration.

Jul 08, 2008 at 02:17 PM - Tr. Moon enters Twelfth House

The Moon in a month passes through all twelve houses of your chart. In so doing, it correlates with the passing whimsies of mood. One afternoon you're bright and cheery, the following morning you're blue...but energetic again after lunch. It doesn't amount to much, and it's not really very important in practical terms -- with one exception: the passage of the Moon through the Twelfth House. During that time you are going through a kind of emotional moulting, ending one cycle and preparing to begin another. Your attentions and energies are turned inward. Accept that, handle it well, and the period -- usually a couple of days -- is quiet and contemplative. It may even be rather pleasant. But if you try to keep up your normal level of activity, you'll find yourself confused, flat, and prone to dumb accidents. So when the Moon enters your Twelfth House, make sure that you have some unstructured time. Minimize distractions. Put off any significant new beginnings for a couple of days. And take a few unhurried breaths. This month, the transiting Moon crosses into your natal Twelfth House Jul 08, 2008 at 02:17 PM, and emerges Jul 10, 2008 at 06:50 PM, when a new emotional cycle begins.

Jul 09, 2008 - Tr. Venus sextiles Uranus
Keywords: expansive human connection excites your native spooky individuality.

Jul 09, 2008 - Tr. Venus sextiles Neptune
Keywords: questing relating excites your native quiet imagination.

Jul 11, 2008 - Tr. Venus conjuncts Midheaven

Venus: Goddess of Love, Goddess of Peace...in her fast transits around your chart, she offers you counsel and support, sometimes through friendship, sometimes through more romantic kinds of intimacy. Her arrival at a sensitive zone also suggests that a time has come to relax and to receive solace or comfort, or to recharge your inner batteries through the perception of beauty. People come warmly into your space; a chance to "let your hair down" arises; paintings, music, and Technicolor sunsets abound.

Venus arrives at a conjunction with your Midheaven Jul 11, 2008, and that always suggests a time of public visibility or career-related activity. The Midheaven is the top of the chart and corresponds to the most outward, visible parts of your life. It's an active point, generally not very subtle. To make the most of it, pretend that "all the world's a stage" and that the part you're playing is that of Venus, as we just described it. Don't be shy. Ham it up a little, and make sure the people dozing in the back row don't miss any nuances.

Jul 11, 2008 - Tr. Venus opposes Moon
Keywords: work-oriented relating is in tension with your inherent cautious attitude.

Jul 12, 2008 - Tr. Mercury squares Mars
Keywords: intellectually hungry conversation conflicts with your instinctive spiritually open assertiveness.

Jul 12, 2008 - Tr. Mercury sextiles Venus
Keywords: exploratory communication stimulates your normal goal-oriented human connection.

Jul 15, 2008 - Tr. Venus sextiles Mars
Keywords: on-the-job affection excites your native quiet assertiveness.

Jul 15, 2008 - Tr. Mars sextiles Mercury
Keywords: goal-oriented swordsmanship excites your native assertive conversation.

Jul 15, 2008 - Tr. Mercury trines Mercury
Keywords: routine-shattering dialog supports your typical forceful conversation.

Jul 16, 2008 - Tr. Venus conjuncts Pluto
Keywords: professional affection fuses with your natural career investigation.

Jul 18, 2008 - Tr. Sun sextiles Uranus
Keywords: intellectually hungry personality stimulates your normal spooky autonomy.

Jul 18, 2008 - Tr. Sun sextiles Neptune
Keywords: routine-shattering nature excites your native withdrawn inspiration.

Jul 18, 2008 - Tr. Mercury sextiles Saturn
Keywords: expansive dialog stimulates your normal loving integrity.

Jul 19, 2008 - Tr. Mercury sextiles Jupiter
Keywords: expansive communication excites your native loving gambling.

Jul 19, 2008 - Tr. Venus squares Mercury
Keywords: career relating clashes with your instinctive resolute dialog.