Mercury square Neptune highlights the conflict between where we are now and where we imagine ourselves ending up, and the conjunction with Mars is a reminder that the gulf between them can only be breached with action. It�s not...

Sorcery

Years ago, on the eve of my first book launch, a very successful colleague advised me to lose weight, positing that my physical attractiveness would help promote the book. From a strictly practical point of view, this advice wasn�t wrong. Beauty is a powerful tool, and in this highly visual age not even a writer can avoid the public eye.

Venus is the astrological symbol of this kind of magnetic beauty, the siren call that brings others close enough to appreciate what else we have to offer. Venus expresses herself through the bright plumage, beautiful colors, and captivating forms that attract the eye. She is present in all the ways we fascinate others and pull them into our orbit, from the attractive book cover to the beautiful author.

Venus�s sextile to Pluto later this week (Dec. 28, 2023, 10:00 pm PST) asserts, like my colleague, that beauty is power. But as�Venus trines Neptune (Dec. 25, 2023, 9:15 am PST), she reminds us that beauty transcends the physical; that the enchantment of soulfulness, gentleness, and empathy make for powerful sorcery; that the most irresistible force of all is pure love, unconditionally offered. And that even when the cover is not conventionally beautiful, what�s inside has the power to draw us in.

Refuge

Looking ahead to this Full Moon (Dec. 26, 2023, 4:33 pm PST), a reader expressed concern about its Sabian symbol: 5 Cancer, An automobile wrecked by a train. It�s an alarming symbol, if read literally. And from time to time, the symbols can play out that way. But how likely is it that we�ll spend this Full Moon in a car with the headlights of a train bearing down on us?

No, the Sabian symbols more often seem to tap into a collective dream � and as when we interpret dreams, we have to tilt our heads and squint at these symbols to find their message.

Maybe this dream simply represents the individual (the automobile) vs the collective (the train). That�s a pretty apt image for the Full Moon in warm, clannish Cancer opposite the Sun in Capricorn, where Pluto�s long march has hardened us to one another, leaving societal ties brittle. With a harsh world bearing down, seemingly caring little about us, the only sensible reaction is to take refuge in our little Cancerian family pods.

The Cancer Full Moon projects a luminous vision of home, our cozy refuge, and our nurturing relationships with the creatures who share that place with us. It doesn�t matter whether it�s a farmhouse in the country, an apartment in the city, a camper van, or a yurt. If your home shelters and protects you from threatening forces, if you feel safe and nourished there, that�s what matters.

At Play

To watch a child � or for that matter, an adult � at play is to know what they imagine for themselves. Play is a dress rehearsal for the future we visualize. Practice it long enough and it becomes a reality.

Mercury, still retrograde in Sagittarius, makes a square to Neptune (Dec. 26, 2023, 11:42 pm PST) and a conjunction with Mars (Dec. 27, 2023, 4:31 pm PST) this week, all on Sabian symbol 25 Sagittarius, A chubby boy on a hobby horse. Playing on his imaginary Sagittarian horse, the little boy might imagine himself a soldier, a knight, a jockey, or Don Quixote.

Mercury square Neptune highlights the conflict between where we are now and where we imagine ourselves ending up. And the conjunction with Mars is a reminder that the gulf between them can only be breached with action. It�s not enough just to visualize our future � we have to take steps to make it a reality.

Luck

Why do some people seem to be so lucky? Astrologers associate Jupiter with luck, and certainly there seems to be an element of good fortune in the lives of those with Jupiter or its signs, Sagittarius and Pisces, prominent in their birth charts.

I don�t particularly believe in fate, but I do believe in luck. There are some people who seem to have a miraculous ability to deflect bad fortune and attract wealth and support. Then again, I suspect that may come down to an accepting, cheerful attitude.

We get a couple of days this week to put that to the test. As the Sun in Capricorn trines Jupiter in Taurus (Dec. 27, 2023, 7:28 am PST), luck asserts itself; see if you can grab a piece as it goes by. Those with the strongest will and the greatest confidence will likely do best, but this cosmic windfall is accessible to everyone. The week should bring good fortune to our Leo planets and houses, ruled by the Sun; and if your birthday falls during this week, you can probably expect a little something extra in your stack of cosmic birthday presents.

Pounding the Pulpit

I grew up in a tiny farm community, maybe 100 yards of asphalt road from a small church. My parents weren�t religious, but my grandmother was, and we were sent to services each Sunday because it was important to her.

I loathed the services; so much yelling and pounding of the pulpit. Why, I wondered, did God hire such angry representatives? It didn�t make me feel closer to heaven � it made me feel like God himself disapproved of me, personally.

I imagine the red-faced minister was sincere in his beliefs. He certainly was adamant in them. But the contrast was sharp between his fire and brimstone sermons and the pious hymns that punctuated them � not to mention the sweet grandmother who wanted me in that pew.

Mars squares Neptune this week (Dec. 28, 2023, 2:15 pm PST) on the Sabian symbol 26 Sagittarius, A flag bearer. The angry minister (Mars in Sagittarius!) of my youth certainly �bore the flag� of his beliefs. But his Mars is in in conflict with sensitive, spiritually aware Neptune, a reminder that when we�re championing a cause, yelling won�t win others to our point of view. We all have our own beliefs, our own faith, that are dear to us. In the end, touching hearts wins out over pounding the pulpit.

Exciting Stranger

You can love someone for a very long time, think you know everything there is to know about them� and then one day, they surprise you. They use a word you�ve never heard them use, or share an anecdote you�ve never heard. And just like that, it�s like being in love with an entirely different person.

When�Venus is in Sagittarius�(Dec. 29, 2023, 12:23 pm PST through Jan. 23, 2024), enchantment lies in the novel, different, or foreign. When we�ve memorized every square inch of our homes and every quirk of the people who share it with us, we may be craving new food, new company, or just a change of scenery. Sagittarius is a vagabond sign, too, and Venus in this sign loves to travel. Combing through other people�s travelogues on social media, you might swoon with longing.

While Venus is in Sagittarius, though, we can gain enjoyment from the unfamiliar without venturing far from home. Try cooking a new, exotic dish. Learn a few phrases in a foreign language. Pore over maps and plan future adventures. And keep your eyes and ears open for those happy little moments when a loved one of many years suddenly becomes an exciting stranger.

Open Up

Retrograde since Sep. 4, Jupiter stations direct this week (Dec. 30, 2023, 6:40 pm PST). As someone born with Jupiter retrograde, I�ve had a front-row seat for its strengths and weaknesses. On the plus side, there is strong confidence in one�s own beliefs; on the downside, a resistance to the teachings and advice of others.

When Jupiter turns direct by transit, the confidence we gained through its retrograde season makes us more open to outside opinions and input. Take a trip, enroll in a course, host a book club. Share your own thoughts, but welcome what the rest of the world thinks, too.

Writing and images � 2017-23 by April Elliott Kent

For more on this week�s planetary news, read my weekly column!

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