Message for Friday 1 October 2021

 Friday 1 October 2021

^Watching Over Humanity^

Moon in Leo

Challenge:  This Mercury Retrograde cycle (until October 19) has been a hard one for many.  One thing we need to watch is making things worse by worrying about them overmuch.  "A woman sitting on a tombstone in the act of weeping" has a right to grief, which is properly a healing process.  But Charubel says she might be "a lover of the shady side of life more than the sunshine."  This is all right if it's contemplation of the mysteries of life combined with positive prayer for healing and recovery.  Then one might be like "an ancient shepherd with crook in hand, standing in the midst of his or her flock."  Perhaps there could be a rural theme to the day, or one might imagine oneself amid mountain scenery with sheep and cattle, to awaken some intuition.  Who are the "sheep" you care about and watch over?

Process:  As I write the spending bill before the House and Senate has still not been voted on, though Nancy Pelosi wants a vote Thursday night.  Those on both sides are taking on the role of "a man standing on a high mountain near the precipice with a red flag which he waves to prevent a promiscuous crowd from galloping toward the rock."  We shall see what happens, but most likely those on one side or the other will say "We have galloped over the precipice."  A more sane and prudent individual is "habited in rough clothes hewing timber close to a log hut" or being laborious while contented, employed in useful arts or crafts which adapt him to circumstances.  Such industry and stability are virtues. 

Blessing:  "Crowds coming down the mountain to listen to one man" are giving spiritual supremacy to one they trust.  I don't know who that would be at this point in our history but you may have your own choice.  It might be someone from the remote past, a prophet, guru, Messiah or Avatar.  If someone living, let me know who.  This person makes an appeal to everyone's higher potentials so that practical needs may be met.  Someone of lesser yet splendid stature could be represented by "three old masters hanging in an art gallery."  Self-expression in the arts or music, at its highest, brings partnership to the past and present. There is accord among all masters of an art and those who appreciate them.

{Friday}  ^Watching Over Humanity^

Cosmic Piper

Message for Thursday 30 September 2021

 Thursday 30 September 2021

~Fumbling Toward Trustful Sympathies~

Moon in Cancer-->Leo

|Karmically serious, sobering, challenging third| of this week is with us until Saturday afternoon

/moon goes void-of-course at 7:50a PT | 10:50a ET | 2:50p UT

until it enters Leo at 5:55p PT | 8:55p ET | 12:55a(F) UT

Challenge:  "A young maiden weeping over a grave" is sensitive, retiring,  and keenly sympathetic.  This could be Venus in Scorpio trine Neptune in Pisces.  She might be bereaved, or melancholy over some other sort of separation, experiencing "the sweet sorrow of parting."  If one has faith in personal immortality, such sadness is ameliorated.  The moon is void-of-course for ten hours during this Mercury Retrograde phase (until October 18) and so one might feel like "a man sowing in the wind,' wasting substance and energy counter to good advice.  It is wise to use one's faculties to advantage even during the v-of-c time.  (It is interesting that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has changed the date of possible U. S. default from October 15 to October 18.  Does she have an astrologer, or read Cosmic Piper?)

Process:  When things are inconclusive, one might be like "a professor peering over his glasses," pondering how one can maintain one's position through developed insight and understanding.  The few things which are crystal clear are a bulwark against the many which are murky.  One's area of specialization is more secure than speculation.  Some things are too early to be judged, for "the moon is in her first quarter" (in the symbol, not in reality) and one could expect too much, yet in general coming changes should be fortunate.

Blessing:  "A figure representing 'the true lover's knot'" could be heralding the trine of Venus to Neptune plus her sextile to Pluto.  This could be highly sensuous.  Charubel says that "the finest feelings of the soul could be unreciprocated" even though they are true and confiding.  This suggests selfless, unequivocal love.  If it gets poetic and imaginative it could be like "a bunny metamorphosed into a fairy."  Naive animal impulses make a transition toward high aspirations which remold everyday reality.   

{Thursday}  ~Fumbling Toward Trustful Sympathies~

Cosmic Piper

Message for Wednesday 29 September 2021

 Wednesday 29 September 2021

~Cages, Chickens, Ducks, Angels~

Moon in Cancer 

|Karmically serious, sobering, challenging third| of this week begins at 10:24p PT | 1:24a(Th) ET | 5:24a(Th) UT 

To those who think the daily symbols (of the degrees of the zodiac) are arbitrary, consider this:  On Tuesday, as I write, there is a day-long Congressional interrogation in Washington of high-level military brass and generals concerning the flawed Afghanistan withdrawal.  In the first paragraph of the Tuesday report we have:  "A soldier derelict in duty."  I need say no more; but the next symbol in the same paragraph is "a prison door fitted with iron spikes," and a Lieutenant Colonel Scheller is now in the brig for speaking out against some of the military leaders responsible for the Afghan debacle.  .https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/09/lt-col-scheller-incarcerated-sent-brig-speaking-loser-us-generals-surrendering-afghanistan-stranding-americans-arming-taliban-terrorists/

Wednesday:

Challenge:  We have that same degree, "a prison door fitted with iron spikes and framed with iron girders," today, and it probably means some personal seclusion, most likely self-imposed, in order to gather oneself during this Mercury Retrograde period which makes us more self-intent and focused on internal processes.  We can sing while in our "cage," and ultimately escape.  What else could go wrong?  "A naked man is falling from a rock into a lake."  This is said to show someone with a weakness for sexual adventure, led thereby to an untimely fall.  (As mentioned a few days ago, Bill Clinton is one of those who have this symbol in their birth charts. He eventually recovered, not without embarrassment.)  I leave the interpretation to you.

Process:  "A woman feeding chickens and protecting them from the hawks" makes sense with Luna in Cancer, the maternal, protective sign.  The keyword is Shrewdness, and I ask, who is more shrewd, the Democrats "protecting" us from various matters with their proposed mega-budget, or the Republicans trying to protect us from being indebted for decades down the road?  Chickens fed by semi-socialism, plus hawks of debt and taxation?  Astrology does not give the answer but it is doubtless "blowing in the wind" while we have five planets forming trines in air signs. Those aspects help with practical matters (Mercury trine Jupiter, sun and Mars trine Saturn) and so we are in "a canoe approaching safety through dangerous waters."   Even during the Mercury retrogradation one can face risks and adventures with conscious competency.

Blessing:  "Hunters starting out for ducks" are straightforward and enterprising.  In some areas one is free to have one's own way, hopefully not through callous exploitation of others or other life-forms.  A Grand Trine among Luna, Venus and Neptune can be spiritual consciousness, and we have "an angel standing in mid-air with a scroll, covered with writing, unfolded."  Someone more than ordinary may not be a Messiah yet fulfill some sort of Messianic role in humanity's long climb upward. When holy inspiration comes, one can bask in it.  

{Wednesday}  ~Cages, Chickens, Ducks, Angels~

Cosmic Piper

Message for Tuesday 28 September 2021

 Tuesday 28 September 2021

~Secluded Dereliction or Approach to Childlike Safety~

Moon in Gemini-->Cancer

/moon goes void-of-course at  [9:19p(Monday) PT] | 12:19a ET | 4:19aUT

until it enters Cancer at 6:35a PT | 9:35a ET | 1:35p UT

Challenge:  I needn't remind you that Mercury is retrograde (September 27 through October 17) and what is happening in Washington is solid evidence of its usual symptoms:  Backtracking, disagreement, confusion over facts and details, a possible government shutdown, and blame on all sides.  "A soldier derelict in duty" just about sums it up, but is the soldier a Republican or a Democrat?  There are "necessary adjustmnts on the side of decisions and consequences, and penalties for lack of discrimination in any given set of circumstances."  The "soldier" proponents of both parties point to the penalties that shall be incurred by the indiscriminate deviations of the other side.  At this point it is all going nowhere, typical of MR (Mercury Retrograde).  A government shutdown by Friday? "A prison door fitted with iron spikes and framed with iron girders" could be government offices shut down.  "Yet even the caged bird will sing, and to every prison house there is a way out" says Sepharial.  You might think of this when praying for or aiding anyone imprisoned or hospitalized.  There might be self-imposed seclusion in your personal life.  

Process:  "A buffalo on an eminence pawing the ground and snorting" wants total independence and with Luna square ths sun and Mars people are likely to stand their ground.  Restraints are evil and law is questionable, from that viewpoint.  Can the independent one maintain her or his freedom?  Maybe, because "A canoe is approaching safety through dangerous waters."  Risks must be accepted, and personal skills refined, through the exigencies which teach and guide steering.  

Blessing:  Venus in Scorpio trine Neptune in Pisces points to a smoother, lighter side of the day, such as "a lovely garden of flowers."  One has good taste and admires Nature's beauty.  There is something innocent and youthful in the ambience (the moon in her own sign) so that one might feel like "a person in the midst of a lot of children at play."  Childlike amusements and simplicity of manner are harmless and refreshing.  

{Tuesday}  ~Secluded Dereliction or Approach to Childlike Safety~

Cosmic Piper

Message for Monday 27 September 2021

 Monday 27 September 2021

}Away from Precipice to Personification{

Moon in Gemini

/moon goes void-of-course at 9:19p PT | 12:19a(Tu) ET | 4:19a(Tu) UT

Mercury turned retrograde last night (time given yesterday) until October 18

Note:  There was one error in the earlier versions of this which has been corrected here, the "square" in the first paragraph was really a trine.  

Challenge:  The sun moves closer to Mars by the day, both of them approaching a trine with Saturn, which is good but still challenging.  And so we have "Two men fencing with swords."  The opponent is formidable.  "A gladiator armed, ready for the fray" is not taken unaware but has been planning for possible combat.  This could be happening in various realms.  (1) Politics:  obviously there are weighty matters before Congress to be determined this week, maybe even today, involving spending bills and a possible government shutdown (Mercury turned retrograde last night! time given in previous report).  (2) Job:  Differences between bosses and workers could be accentuated, or among workers.  (3) In personal relations there are differences of opinion (Venus square Jupiter) either religious or political.  (4) Most happily, this could just be Martial play, games of any nature.

Process:  As for raising the debt limit or a government shutdown, we have "a man standing on one side of a perpendicular rock near the precipice with a red flag in his hand, waving to signalize a promiscuous crowd rushing in a gallop toward this rock."  Is this a sage on the Right warning of ridiculous overspending, putting future generations in debt?  Or is it someone on the Left warning that all is lost unless we create more money to spend?  Both think we are nearing a "precipice."   "A woman drawing two dark curtains aside" is ready to "penetrate to more worthy dimensions of experience" through her essential "courage of the soul" rejecting all limitations.  This daring is a psychological indomitability.  

Blessing:  Libra (with three planets) can be a sign of classical beauty, whether in visual or musical arts, and Venus trine Neptune revels in the glorious, so we have "three old Masters hanging in an art gallery."  A heritage of beauty brings us in accord with humanity.  Mars trine Saturn is an "I can do this no matter how hard it is" aspect and so "The ideals of a man are abundantly crystallized."  A dynamic of insight gained through idealistic reality can personify potentialities tangibly.

{Monday}  {Away from Precipice to Personification}

Cosmic Piper

Message for Sunday 26 September 2021

 Sunday 26 September 2021

}Loving the Unloved or Unloving{

Moon in Gemini

Mercury turns Retrograde (from our geocentric perspective) at 10:11p PT | 1:11a(M) ET | 5:11a(M) UT (until October 18)

Challenge:  Though aspects are relatively mild, symbols are challenging, such as "a man feeling his way over a bog where he appears to be sinking at every step."  This would be the long-term Dark or Slow Epoch (until November 3), getting worse today because Mercury is motionless just before turning retrograde (time above).  Unexpected things can go haywire, but we can trust that they are all designed to teach us something no matter how perverse they seem.  And so we need, passively, much patience, and actively we may need to face difficult people. "A serpent with many heads in a circle, with fangs protruding" is said by Charubel to be "the cursed degree of the so-called cursed sign; yet even this may have its purposes."  At best this could just be someone who irritates you for a while.  At worst you could encounter "a pest and a terror to society."  Yet we are told to bless and pray for our enemies.

Process:  At its mildest, the "pest" could just be "a parrot listening and then talking" or someone whose conventional notions are boring.  At a higher level this could be a process of shaping oneself into the image one desires (as the parrot tries to be human).  A Grand Trine in air signs, including today the moon with Mars, the sun and Saturn, could be a serious attempt to guard what is most dear to oneself.  "A blazing fireplace in a deserted home" is a warning to "keep the home fires burning" but without danger to anyone.  

Blessing:  Natural affinities draw people to one another in a way to bring out the best in each, by some sort of cosmic gravitation.  "A man teaching the true inner knowledge" has his own set of learners or disciples to whom he communicates deeper insights, perhaps through a training process.  In a more informal way all learn through love of one variety or another.  "The true lover's knot" indicates the strong sympathies of a very affectionate, confiding person.  You are fortunate if you have a link with such an one.  There is the possibility that she or he may find her or his love unreciprocated, yet it does not diminish.  This is the "true" love which baffles the insincere or hypocritical and which their insensitivity does not negate.

{Sunday}  {Loving the Unloved or Unloving}

Cosmic Piper

Message for Saturday 25 September 2021

 Saturday 25 September 2021

\Out of Passion, Toward Fulfillment/

Moon in Taurus-->Gemini

/moon goes void-of-course at 6:10a PT | 9:10a ET | 1:10p UT

until it enters Gemini at 5:38p PT | 8:38p ET | 12:38a(Su) UT

Challenge:  Deep feelings arise.  We might feel like "a man with a broken plow" because of both the void-of-course and the Dark or Slow Hermetic Epoch.  Then our concerns turn to the deprivation of love or affection:  "A young maiden weeping over a grave" is melancholy, perhaps bereaved or just feeling devoid of family ties or friends.  Her deep emotions are passive, while others are actively involved in intrigues of passion:  "A woman charming snakes, one of which is twined about her neck."  She is brave but suspicious or jealous.  There is danger of poisoned love or, worse, a desire for revenge.  

Process:  "A man holding a pair of scales in one hand and a sword in the other" is basically just but could become too severe in judging people.  Autumn has begun and we have the evocative symbol "a blazing fireplace in a deserted home."  The fire could be the passion of the previous paragraph, or the "home fires" which establish loyalty.  It is necessary to be a guardian of what one holds most dear.  There has been a purification of love during the difficult Venus-square-Saturn period, which began September 8 and ends tonight (approximately when the moon enters Gemini, time above).  

Blessing:  "A woods rich in autumn coloring" represents "universal consummations of order and beauty."  Whether out in Nature or in homelike comfort, there is rich fulfillment.  "A group around a campfire" is uninhibited and lets people be who they are without the harsh judgment of previous paragraphs.  All are amiable, sustaining one another's cherished objectives or just being together without thought of the future.

{Saturday}  /Out of Passion, Toward Fulfillment\

Cosmic Piper

Message for Friday 24 September 2021

 Friday 24 September 2021

\Through Travail to New Dawn/

Moon in Taurus

|Karmically serious, challenging, sobering third| of this week continues until Saturday at 1:36a PT | 4:36a ET | 8:36a UT

Challenge:  It has to be said again:  We are in the Dark or Slow Hermetic Epoch until November 3.  This does not mean that everything is terrible but shows backtracking, confusion, dithering, mistakes, retreats after ill-considered advances, and so on.  And so we have 'a battered hulk lying upon the seashore.'  You may feel this way, as if you had  been rudderless for months or years and now are suffering shipwreck, abandoned by fortune and other human beings.  What caused your decline?  'A naked man is falling from a rock into a lake.'  This degree was prominent in the horoscope of Bill Clinton.  He attained a high position but fell from it through the allurements of the opposite sex.  Of course he recovered, but not without travail, so we might take a clue from the symbol, and guard ourselves and our impulses.  (Venus exactly opposite Uranus can be intense attractions mingled with intense reactive separations.)  

Process:   Luna with Uranus, both opposed to Venus, could be 'the perils of Pauline' and we have 'a female in a state of nudity' whose voluptuousness could cause her to be carried away.  This seems a counterpart of the previous symbol.  If reduced to mere flirtatiousness it might be harmless.  We have also an unusual occult-magical symbol:  'A long pole suspended horizontally in mid-air with a rope attached to each end connected with the earth.'  Charubel says this is knowledge of a law in nature generally unknown, its operations marvelous and astounding.  And so one could have good luck with an unusual endeavor or escapade.

Blessing:  We remain in the |difficult third| of this week so we should mute expectations.  Nevertheless we have 'the dawn of a new day, everything changed.'  (MAGA or Trunp people hope this will be 'a new day' because of some results of the Arizona election-integrity investigation to be announced before noon.)  One relies ultimately on oneself (plus the Supreme) and so one can have 'the dawn of a new day' whenever one chooses.  Internal self-discovery joins with external innovation.  Even this might soar to, at some deep reach, 'an angel standing in mid-air, with a long scroll, covered with writing, unfolded.'  'This is the Messianic degree' says Charubel, though with the qualification that that is its optimum expression.  At least today we might hope for wonderful things, whether objectively manifest or inwardly perceived or imagined.  The angels of the Messiah may be extending scrolls we fail to read.  Faith is 'the substance of things hoped for.'  

{Friday}  /Through Travail to New Dawn\

Cosmic Piper

Message for Thursday 23 September 2021

 Thursday 23 September 2021

\Beyond Weariness into History's Music/

Moon in Aries-->Taurus

|Karmically serious, sobering, challenging third| of this week continues (until Saturday morning)

/moon is void-of-course (beginning time given in yesterdays' report) until it enters Taurus at 5:39a PT | 8:39a ET | 12:39p UT

Challenge:  The weariness and dreariness of the |difficult third| plus this Dark or Slow Epoch (until November 3) could make one feel like lying down and forgetting about work.  This would not be wise.  'A heifer drawing a plow, urged by the goad' is not being treated cruelly but just performing the labor for which it was bred and raised.  We are not beasts of burden yet to be patient and enduring is to be assured of ultimate reward.  Also one can attend to the spiritual side of things when feeling melancholic, as if one were 'in the garb of a doctor of the monastic order misericordia.'  This is not misery but recondite searching for spiritual laws and their practical application.

Process:  A similar trend is suggested by 'a round temple with pointed roof' denoting outward observances of religious rites or other rituals, whether superstitiously or with full awareness of the powers they invoke.  In a more theosophical or universal way this could be 'the light of the sixth race transmuted to the seventh' as 'a mirror which history provides for mankind' to challenge it to its real future.  Things may look dark on many levels (possible government shutdown, mandates against freedom, etc.) during this Dark Epoch yet the root manifestations of human culture may be drawing us toward a threshold of something better.  

Blessing:  If, during that Dark or Slow Epoch, straightforward plans seem stymied, we can turn to what feels  more spontaneous, as if 'children playing around five mounds of sand.'  An 'illimitable capacity for experience' exalts naive discovery of both outer eventualities (the sand) and inner powers (shaping it into five mounds, as the digit of fingers or toes).  This is fun, inept only in appearance or temporarily, granting self-renewal.  Another way of doing this is to be 'a person playing on a violin' bringing forth refined perceptions and intuitions, fine tastes and exquisite accomplishments.  I have been listening to Haydn symphonies during this Dark Epoch and finding that they are not boring but wonderfully sustaining and healing, smooth benefactors of sanity.  Their classical predictability, plus their ever-liberating unpredictability, blend into comfort.  The best music is a gift from the gods.

{Thursday}  /Beyond Weariness into History's Music\

Cosmic Piper

Message for Wednesday 22 September 2021

 Wednesday 22 September 2021

^Dream-Potentials are Alive^

Moon in Aries

Sun enters Libra at 12:22p PT | 3:22p PT | 7:22p UT (Autumnal Equinox)

|Karmically serious, sobering, challenging third| of this week begins at 2:22p PT | 5:22p ET | 9:22p UT (until Saturday morning)

/moon goes void-of-course at 7:06p PT | 10:06p ET | 2:06a(Th) UT

Challenge:  The sun enters Libra today, a sign of Venus and yet it has a military reputation (Napoleon, Libra rising; Eisenhower, sun in Libra) because it can embody swordsmanship (a cardinal air sign) and trying to 'settle' things (the balance) through battle if negotiation fails.  'A man with a drawn sword in an aggressive attitude' could be too quarrelsome, fighting his way through life, though on the positive side he has executive readiness.  So you may sense when to be bold and when to wait. (Moon in Aries opposite Mercury and square Pluto.)   'Telephone linemen at work' may be trying to repair difficult communications during this Dark or Slow Epoch (until November 3) and it is good to try to keep up with people at least to some degree even if your interest and theirs flags (Mercury still trine Jupiter while slowing down).  Each of us represents distinctive aspects of experience and it is good to maintain attachments with one another.  

Process:  During a Dark or Slow Epoch we gravitate toward the past, in dreams and daydreams, symbolized today by 'an old-fashioned signboard suspended from the branch of a tree before an ancient-looking wayside inn.'  You might visit a place like this literally or on TV, in a movie or fantasy.  The antiquarian and conservative has an attraction.  Though Venus still square Saturn makes love fragile or sensitive, yet it can get deeper through the need to maintain it past obstacles (sun in Libra).  'A dove' is innocent and harmless, thinking and acting from the heart more than the head; 'a true friend and constant lover.'  

Blessing: I would not think of the aspects for the day as adding up to a party, yet we have 'Two men seated at a table with beakers of wine before them.'  This is said to show 'liberality and frankness of mind, a kindly but weak nature, and a very intimate knowledge of human character.'  Some self-indulgence goes along with comradeship.  'The ideals of a man abundantly crystallized' are perhaps partly imaginary or imagined, yet potent as idealized opportunity.  Someone, or more than one, personifies or personify your dreams.  Human potentiality is alive. 

{Wednesday}  ^Dream-Potentials are Alive^

Cosmic Piper

Message for Tuesday 21 September 2021

 Tuesday 21 September 2021

^Finding Truth through Affinity^

Moon in Aries (as of late Monday in the Western Hemisphere; time of entrance was given yesterday)

Challenge:  Luna in Aries coincides with 'a red triangle' indicating intelligence and high aspiration but a tendency to use force when persuasion would be better. Impulses could run away with reason. Getting too far ahead of things could result in losing one's temper.  It could be better to be like 'a fox sitting on its haunches' thinking out strategy.  If this is partially selfish, it could still be unselfishly good at the edges.  The point where the selfish and unselfish blend is a point of power.  

Process:  It would be understandable if one felt morose and cranky, with Venus still square Saturn and Mercury square Pluto.  We may say to ourselves that we create our own circumstances, yet doubt it when things get difficult.  'A false call unheard in attention to immediate service' is something we can dispense with when more important matters are at hand.  We improve the circumstances we have created by facing them honestly.  In handling them we can be clever and accomplish much in surprising ways, like 'an inventor experimenting' (Uranus in two nonagen-category, favorable, aspects).  

Blessing:  One is not really alone, even if taciturn and reserved, but is searching for the truth with a discriminative mind (Mercury trine Jupiter).  'On one hand there is a large tract of land enveloped in gloom and fog; on the other the scenery is all sunshine.'  Error and truth stand out against each other sharply.  This is especially true if one follows 'a man teaching the true inner knowledge.'  If aligned to the integrity within yourself, you could be that person, or someone else might be that teacher for you.  There is a natural affinity between those who can learn most from each other.

{Tuesday}  ^Finding Truth through Affinity^

Cosmic Piper

Message for Monday 20 September 2021

 Monday 20 September 2021

~Self-Defense Turning Toward Social Consummation~

Moon in Pisces-->Aries

/moon goes void-of-course at 4:56p PT | 7:56p ET | 11:56p UT, which is the time of the Full Moon of Virgo-Pisces

until it enters Aries at 8:14p PT | 11:14p ET | 3:14a(Tu) UT

Challenge:  'A bull pawing up the earth' has lasting anger at what has gotten in his way, and you may discern this in others or yourself (Venus square Saturn, Mercury square Pluto).   'A man with a broken plough standing in an open field' is suffering the hindrances or deprivations of the Dark or Slow Hermetic Epoch (until November 3) but can recover his poise and job if patient (Mars trine Saturn).  'A man attired as a cardinal of the church' is yourself on your more imaginative and creative side, perhaps religious ceremonially and sensuous but self-commanding.  

Process:  One might be concerned with self-defense when feeling one is surrounded by enemies or those who oppose something  dear to oneself (Venus square Saturn and Mercury square Pluto again). This could be wise, but one needs also to retain one's faith that the good side of human nature shall prevail so that one does not get totally cynical.  One might carve something with a sharp tool as a handicraft, or this could be mental sculpting of hopes.  Mercury trine Jupiter tends to some optimism and perhaps a poetic and prophetic streak, like 'a bird on the top of a tree welcoming the dawn with its song.'  This would be an antidote to worries about self-defense.

Blessing:  'A man gaining secret knowledge from a paper he is reading' points to discovery of a wonderful sort (Mercury trine Jupiter and quadri-nonagen Uranus).  Or one might share one's knowledge with others provided they are able to see into the secrets.  One might feel one is in 'a group around a campfire' while the Full Moon in Pisces illumines all with broadened consciousness shareable amiably to some degree despite problems already mentioned.  Perhaps at a peak this could even feel like 'an embassy ball' or civilization exhibiting one's individuality through consummative self-display.  

{Monday}  ~Self-Defense Turning Toward Social Consummation~

Cosmic Piper

Message for Week of September 18-24, 2021

 Weekend of September 18-19, and Following Week

It seems that the 'weekend' is really the 'week beginning,' that is, a change in trends is noticeable on Saturdays, but more particularly beginning Saturday evening at sunset (which is the beginning of the week according to the Biblical formula).  

For those interested in the formula behind this report, in accord with long observation I will look at the aspects for the whole week, but use the zodiacal degree-symbols for the longer two-month Epoch of September 6 through November 2 (centered in a chart for October 9 when Mercury conjoins the sun).  This time let's follow the three-paragraph method used in the daily reports, for the whole coming week.  As for Saturdays from sunrise to sunset, it seems to be the transition time when both weekly charts are in effect.  

Challenge (for the week):  The T square among Venus, Uranus and Saturn, focused on Saturn, is painful.  It could seem like 'a target pierced by a rapier' whether one is momentarily the target or the rapier.  People might respond as if you have pierced them, or you might respond as if they had hit a vulnerable spot in you.  Sepharial recommends discretion, advising 'beware of the direct thrust and practice the use of the two-edged sword.'  A similar symbol is 'an old door in which a dagger is stuck.'  The door could be a person or more likely a whole set of opinions manifested by an organization, party, or mind-set to which one is opposed.  It is 'old' because one feels it is outmoded and wrong.  Yet a mocking, taunting attitude toward it could cause more trouble rather than resolve anything. More fruitful, it seems, is 'two men playing chess.'  They are facing each other as equals in competition, rather than with animosity.   Each gains confidence and perspective by participating in a common reality through concentration and gradual mastery.  

Process (for the week):  'A man bringing down the new law from Sinai' could be, at least in their own minds, Joe Biden or Anthony Fauci, and the keyword for the symbol in fact is 'mandate.'  (I am opposed to vaccination mandates and believe them to be unconstitutional.) Dr. Jones says a negative expression of this symbol could be 'self-exploitation and impenetrable egotism.'  As for the positive side, who is your Moses, or who for you has embodied a mountain-top aspiration and wisdom you can follow?  'A horse saddled and bridled, and galloping away without a rider' is anyone rejecting restrictive authority (the 'rider') and striking out for personal freedom (such as many avoiding vaccination, to take just one example).  The chart for the week has Venus closely opposite Uranus, which can be breaking with someone who seems to threaten one's freedom of motion or thought.  It can be 'cutting and running' sometimes, with later sadness that one has ruptured a relationship or friendship.  However, differences of opinion and temperament seem unavoidable, however they are handled, so 'three men are in a boat, two on one side, one on the other.'  One may be in the majority or a minority when it comes to politics, vaccination, or religion, but rivalry does not have to fracture all human harmony. Somehow the boat gets rowed.  

Blessing:  We are in a Dark or Slow Hermetic Epoch (until November 3) when things can be unnecessarily complicated or delayed.  It seems that much is 'sticky' or that issues from the past are gumming up the works.  In a more positive aspect this can be as if one were 'a retired sea captain' resting on his laurels, enjoying the completeness of past experiences bringing self-consummation in the focus of the present moment. Such relaxation while recalling the past summons up fidelity to lessons learned, and unshakeable poise.  We do not have to be in a hurry about everything. Good aspects such as Mercury trine Jupiter, Mars and the sun trine Saturn, and Venus trine Neptune could sum up to 'a crown and scepter' or powers of which we are unconscious.  We may be entitled to more than we have.  'The Goddess of Mercy enthroned' is one of the most humane and fruitful degrees of the zodiac.  One may voluntarily undertake hard things for the sake of others, extending sympathy in many directions.   Good works are not a burden when the right spirit prevails.

{Week of September 18-24}  

Saturday 18 September

Moon in Aquarius-->Pisces

|Kamically serious, sobering, challenging third| of this week ends at 3:11a PT | 6:11a ET | 10:11a UT

/moon goes void-of-course at 2:16a PT | 5:16a ET | 9:16a UT

until it enters Pisces at 1:24p PT | 4:24p ET | 8:24p UT

Sunday 19 September 2021

Moon in Pisces

Cosmic Piper

P. S.  The Mercury Retrograde period begins September 27 and lasts until October 18.  The longer-term Dark or Slow Hermetic Epoch, of which it is the center, is from September 6 through November 2.  

Message for Friday 17 September 2021

 Friday 17 September 2021

}From Orphanage toward Transcendent Unity{

Moon in Aquarius

|Karmically serious, sobering, challenging third| of this week continues until Saturday morning

Challenge:  Personal and political battles are being fought over vaccination, and there are legal battles and they shall continue, but seem to be reaching a "felt" peak on Thursday and Friday during the |difficult third| segment of this week.  It is painful for many. It is connected with Venus in Scorpio the sign of the scorpion with its sting (needle) squared to Saturn in Aquarius the sign of the circulatory system.  There is the war between individual freedom (Aquarius, but with Saturn therein it seems limited)  versus submission to authority (Scorpio, sometimes, and Biden is Scorpio).  I express my opinions on Facebook and Twitter but shall abstain from doing so here.  Today we have 'a man climbing a steep hill in the dark, allured by a light illuminating the summit' but the light is not sunlight, just a meteor and he finds out that his inspirations were misleading.  Anti-vaccine people will say that the 'false light' is the notion that the vaccine can save us, while the pro-vaccine will say that it is the remedies such as ivermectin (which has been very successful in one state of India where it has been allowed and promoted).  Personally, you may question what it is that you believe in and trust.  'A nest of unfledged birds lying on the ground' is a symbol of neglect or orphanage, desolation or despair, yet one can ultimately triumph over such hindrances.  

Process:  One side of the day (in this difficult third) is like 'dental work,' that is, things one does not enjoy but seem needed (though some 'dental work' is artificial and unneeded).  Another side of it is impractical, in appearance, but fortifying to the soul, as 'a boy with a censer' making a conscious appeal to God.  The rapture he experiences and transmits to the parish fosters worthy living.  'A man playing on a violin' is bringing out intuition through splendid ability centered in the higher nature of humanity.

Blessing:  'A sheaf of corn' signifies ordinary gain through being a good member of society.  All are benefactors of one another in what they accomplish.  Then 'two women walk together with linked arms talking confidentially,' being sympathetic and cordial, bringing concord to both of their families.  At a more profound level, 'the light of the sixth race' is being 'transmuted to the seventh,' that is, we are on a threshold of an idealized manifestation of human culture.  

{Friday}  {From Orphanage Toward Transcendent Unity}

Cosmic Piper

Message for Thursday 16 September 2021

 Thursday 16 September 2021

}Serious Trend Mingled with Innocence, Good Fortune and Charm{

Moon in Capricorn-->Aquarius

|Karmically serious, sobering, challenging third| of this week remains with us (until Saturday)

/moon goes void-of-course at [10:41p Wednesday PT] | 1:41a ET | 5:41a UT

until it enters Aquarius at 8:24a PT | 11:24a ET | 3:24p UT

Challenge:  'A flag at half-mast' is not ominous but suggests respect for those who have 'made some measure of immortal contribution to history.'  Reputation is an enduring coin.  'Deep-sea divers' are involved vitally in things, 'plumbing all experience to the depths.'  'A man in the garb of a doctor of the monastic order' is searching for recondite laws of recondite sciences, inclined to spiritual pursuits and maybe a solitary life.  

Process:  'Crossed swords, over which is seen a crown' show the overcoming of enemies through a military, aggressive character and ability.  One might lose peace and happiness in the process, unless one can also be like 'a man playing on a violin' who has refined taste, fine perception, intuition and a generous disposition.  Or, moving even further toward innocence one could be like 'a naked boy, a crown on his head, a scepter in his hand.'  Native dignity and childlikeness achieve greatness apart from harsh warfare (as in the story of David and Goliath).

Blessing:  'The light of the sixth race transmuted to the seventh' suggests we are on the threshold of a climactic human manifestation.  A key word is 'threshold' so we may have only hints of this, but they could be encouraging.  More practically, 'a man stands with his left foot upon the shoulder of a spade.  In his hand he holds a jewel reflecting the Sun's rays.'  This can be great good fortune.  (A planet was in this degree on the most financially fortunate day of my life.)  If that doesn't seem to happen, perhaps you will understand better the calling which will raise you to a high position.  At any rate, despite the |difficult third| at its peak today, you may enter 'a circular hall with a golden ball suspended from the ceiling.'  This is 'a charm endowing you with power to fascinate those who may be favored with your company,' says Charubel.  You never speak of this, but it is mystically effective.

{Thursday}   {Serious Trend Mingled with Innocence, Good Fortune and Charm}

Cosmic Piper

Message for Wednesday 15 September 2021

 Wednesday 15 September 2021

\Ambition Focalized/

Moon in Capricorn

|Karmically serious, sobering, challenging third| of this week begins at 3:42p PT |  6:42p ET | 10:42p UT (until Saturday morning)

/moon goes void-of-course at 10:41p PT | 1:41a(Th) ET | 5:41a(Th) UT

Challenge:  'A monster with two faces, like the ancient Janus' indicates duplicity, deception and slander.  There is plenty of that in the political sphere, and perhaps in the personal one.  There could be two responses:  (a) The passive response, 'a man sitting naked upon a sea-girt rock, covering his eyes with his hands.'  He is estranged, maybe exiled, and lonely.  The 'slanderer" has undermined his popularity.  Or the active response (b):  'A man with a drawn sword in an aggressive attitude.'  Such a quarrelsome stance means one has to fight one's way through life protecting one's reputation.  Maybe neither of these responses seems correct, so one could combine them alchemically, or develop one's own transcendent approach to negating persecution.  

Process:  We may need to articulate 'a more whole-souled focus of character.'  This could be done in a firm, earthy way:  'A great mound of earth and stones, on its summit a flowering shrub' (moon with Pluto in an earth sign).  A continuity of solid effort brings reward.  Or there could be a more effortless approach, 'Mary and her white lamb.'  One cherishes young ideas, approaching heaven through 'a child's wide-eyed expectation.'  Such artlessness is humbly creative in personal contacts.

Blessing:  'A four-square figure denotes scrupulous honesty, with sensitiveness to whatever is incompatible.  But there could be good fortune (Pluto semi-sextile Jupiter) symbolized by 'a gold rush.'  One's ambitions are glorious and one takes the initiative.  In that 'mining town' there is 'a large assembly room, with a large audience and a man at the piano.'  The piano man brings festivity to the (hopefully) lucky miners.

{Wednesday}  /Ambition Focalized\

Cosmic Piper

Message for Tuesday 14 September 2021

 Tuesday 14 September 2021

\Differentiation/

Moon in Capricorn

Challenge:  One thing that looks out at me from the daily chart is possible seclusion.  Being home is a good thing.  'A storm-swept prairie' could be difficult weather conditions.  Or it could be 'wantonness' according to Sepharial, that is, rashness or even violence, in someone else or yourself.   There could be some confusion (two planets opposite Neptune), 'a man with his head shrouded in black cloth,' obscuration of one's thinking plus a reclusive tendency.  Some rest at home could be helpful.  One might be 'an animal trainer' or training one's own body through wise diet and exercise. 

Process:  After the 'storm' of the previous paragraph, and during it, there is 'a massive, rocky shore' which stabilizes things.  A poised spirit and firm personality are dependable, in oneself and in others.  All contingencies can be met.  One can ignore 'a false call unheard in attention to immediate service' because one is safeguarding oneself from side paths through personal competence.  Yet one might be sensitive to things others can't see, as if one were seeing 'rings of light in the heavens, zone within zone,' even if one's head is shrouded in black cloth, a world of one's own others will not discover until later.  

Blessing:  One's discriminative mind distinguishes between light and darkness, truth and error, very sharply.  One has no patience for half-truths.  'A trefoil' embodies Faith, Hope, and Love, and so one could project 'new schemes for the benefit of the human race.'  With Venus remaining in square with Saturn, one is serious but not necessarily morose if one is on 'a ship in full sail' roving toward new sensation, romance, and adventure (Luna sextile Venus).  Life is bitter but also sweet.

{Tuesday}   /Differentiation\

Cosmic Piper

Message for Monday 13 September 2021

 Monday 13 September 2021

^Soul-Tribulation or Salvation^

Moon in Sagittarius

The period August 18 through September 16 is marked by Mars's opposition with Neptune.  This is intense in a 'militarily spiritual' way, or a 'militantly spiritual way.'  It came out in the Afghanistan miasma-imbroglio, with contrary loyalties even within the U. Sl. military and of course within Afghanistan.  "Who is my true spiritual and military leader?" is one of the questions.  This has different answers for those of different religions, and for those of no religion.  Even if one is not engaged in anything military or religious, one asks "Who gets my absolute loyalty--what person, leader, group, organization, nation, institution?  For whom am I willing to sacrifice my interests, even my life?"  It can be a time for patriots, but then the question is, Who are the real patriots? and the answer to that is not always clear.  Sometimes a whole nation will rally around a strong leader who embodies ideals, but even then there are dissidents (as to method if not substance).  

Combining this with the Dark, Backward or Reflective Hermetic Epoch (September 6 through November 2) we had, in the past few days, all the recollections and commemorations of what happened on 9/11/2001. 

And now, from September 8 through 25, we have the fateful and uncomfortable Venus-square-Saturn.   I am feeling it heavily as I write, as (in the title for this meditation) Soul Tribulation or Salvation.  

At a minimal level this can be (a) financial worries or losses, and (b) love-woes, that is, a feeling that one is unloved or is not able to love as one ought.  In both cases this is a sense of deprivation.  Why does everything have to be so hard? is the complaint.  Or, if one accepts complete or partial responsibility for the problems, Why am I so unable to keep my finances and my love life in good shape?  Am I really unlovable, or incapable of love?

It's not a matter of just blaming Saturn, the planet.  Both Venus and Saturn are trying to teach us something, for example, how to stay loyal to someone one loves despite her or his weaknesses, foibles, sins or betrayals.  How could that be easy?  Yet all spiritual teachers say we need to do it, in one way or another.  

At a deeper level it is a need for patience, for 'waiting for God.'  Why is the Supreme, if He or She loves me, so slow to come to my aid?  Or am I so offensive to Her or Him that I am being neglected or punished?  At the worst, Venus-square-Saturn can be sadistic, a desire to punish someone, or masochistic, a desire to feel punished.  As we work out from such feelings, since they are unsatisfying and don't lead anywhere, we develop more understanding and patience, and we try to comprehend what we have done in the past to bring unhappiness upon ourselves.  

During these times I often think of people I have hurt, maybe even betrayed, in the past.  Usually I did not realize at the time that I was being hurtful or unkind.  I felt justified in breaking from someone or neglecting him or her or even 'cutting and running.'  But in afterview I feel deeply ashamed of what I did in that callow, selfish consciousness which didn't realize what my words or actions were doing to someone.  Some of these incidents go back decades into the past, yet I feel that they are a part of my 'soul baggage' and so I feel a need for forgiveness from the Supreme, and from the soul I have neglected or pained.  

This time, since the challenging square is going on within a Dark or Reviewing Epoch, we are especially likely to be aware of such issues from way back, from years or decades ago, or from childhood.  It's not a matter of just wallowing in one's unkindness or feeling guilty about it, but of getting a fresh grip on what it all meant and how one's attitudes can be rearranged so that one never hurts anyone like that again.  It involves both forgiving and asking forgiveness.  One can do that in regard to those one no longer has any connection with, and with those who are 'dead' from the ordinary viewpoint.  One can have imaginary conversations with them in which one recalls the events surrounding the friendship or relationship, both good and bad, and gently asks the pained one to forgive one for doing what one did not understand one was doing.  When done sincerely, this can rise above mere imagination to actual soul-contact with the individual one is remembering.  One might communicate to her or him, 'If we meet again or in another life, we can do better.'  

Other things are going on Monday, including a sextile from Luna to Jupiter granting us some underlying optimism especially in afternoon-evening.   

{Monday}  ^Soul-Tribulation or Salvation^

Cosmic Piper

Message for September 11-12 Weekend, and Coming Week

 Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 September, 2021, and the Coming Week

Saturday 11

Moon in Scorpio

< moon leaves the Via Combusta at 0:18a PT | 3:18a ET | 7:18a UT

|Karmically serious, sobering, challenging third| of this week ends at 1:02p PT | 4:02p ET | 7:02p UT

/moon goes void-of-course at 10:34p PT | 1:34a(Su) ET | 5:34a(Su) UT

Sunday 12

Moon in Sagittarius beginning at 1:36a PT | 4:36a ET | 8:36a UT  (void-of-course before that, see above)

The tendencies discussed last weekend in the forecast for the entire Epoch of September 7 through November 2 are still with us.

This week (Saturday 11 about sunset until Saturday 18 about sunset) has special challenges connected with a T square among Venus, Uranus, and Saturn in fixed signs.  One meaning of it is related to the vaccine mandates being attempted by Biden.  They are not only controversial but probably illegal and court battles over them are already beginning.  Both the governors of some states and private organizations are filing lawsuits to protect people from being forced to a medical procedure they do not want.  This is dramatically shown by Venus in Scorpio (a needle in the arm is like the scorpion's sting) squared to Saturn in Aquarius, the sign ruling the circulatory system.    

On a personal level this aspect is the 'nobody loves me' aspect (hard aspects of Venus with Saturn).  It will probably be a less social week than the previous one but that does not mean one has to be a loner.  Rather one can gear up for being patient with people and their worries and troubles, and take some comfort when others appreciate one's own struggles or attempt to ameliorate them.  At best it's a 'we'll suffer and triumph in this together' situation rather than a 'just pulling apart with revulsion' situation.  

There are plenty of helpful trines also:  Mars trine Saturn (things are what they are, make the best of them), sun trine Pluto (work with big business for one's own profit when possible), and Mercury trine Jupiter (good and helpful, possibly profitable insights when one's mind is sailing along smoothly).  

The sun and Mars opposite Neptune can be slowness, combined with the Dark or Slow Epoch, a need for extra rest, naps, meditation and musing.  One is interested in people, their personalities and problems, and in bringing diverse types together in some way.  This is not easy (Venus-Saturn) but could work out (emphasis on 'work').  

Recommendations:  Let's be patient with one another.  As for our own progress on projects or hopes, it may be very slow yet the snags which come up will teach us what we need to learn.  Mars entering Libra on Wednesday tends toward multiple connections with the opposite (or same) sex, though perhaps with a butterfly or 'playing' tendency, a love of art and beauty or connections with social organizations.  The Venus-Saturn square mutes this and requires deeper (even if seemingly undeserved) respect for all with whom one is associated.

{Week of Saturday 11 September (sunset) to Saturday 18 September (sunset)}  

Cosmic Piper

Message for Friday 10 September 2021

 Friday 10 September 2021

~Strength Plus Affection~

Moon in Libra-->Scorpio

|Karmically serious, sobering, challenging third| of this week continues (until Saturday afternoon)

< moon remains in the Via Combusta (until Saturday morning)

/moon is void-of-course until it enters Scorpio at [11:06p(Th) PT] | 2:06a ET | 6:06a UT

We are definitely in 'the funny time,' a Dark or Slow Hermetic Epoch (September 6 through November 2) as pointed out in last weekend's special report.  Here are signs of it:  Wednesday evening I attended a spiritual meeting I have not attended for almost two years, seeing people I had not seen in that long, plus a few newcomers.  This sort of thing happens frequently in a Dark or Remembering Epoch--the past lives in the present, the present in the past.  It's as if strings of karma are holding one to some people, and the strings are shortened, pulled more taut, during the Dark or Thoughtful Epoch.  Also, new acquaintances may feel like long-lost friends.  Less happily, today (Thursday as I write) once again someone in my apartment building set off a smoke alarm.  This definitely happens more often during a Dark or Stumbling Epoch.  And, yes, there were red fire engines out in front while the moon was in the Via Combusta, the Burning Way!  (As reported here once a month.)  Ordinarily, of course, the 'burn' is more internal than external.  

Friday: 

Challenge:  Venus having entered Scorpio, where she is uneasy and defensive, we have 'a nomadic warrior equipped with javelin and firearms.'  Let us hope this does not signify anything of a terrorist nature. 'A farmer's horse and cart loaded with manure' signifies, if not agriculture, frugality and industriousness.  'A bald-headed man' could be a little sadistic, achieving dominance through the driving power of his personality.

Process:  'A swimming race' eliminates some contenders while others prove their excellency.  This is going on in expected and unexpected ways.  When one contracts for and stays with one's mission, one is like 'a man in his shirt sleeves turning a big wheel,' laboring to produce a good influence on the world.  When there is time one could be on 'a sight-seeing bus,' enjoying a catholic interest in life as a whole, freed from artificial boundaries into self-expressive friendliness.  

Blessing:  'A cattle dealer holding a stock whip in his hand' is robust and sincere---not suave, but appreciating the freedom of country life.  On his ranch is 'a wide-branching tree laden with fruit,' the fruitage of a rich and generous disposition which gains friends and begets a large family.   Our human race has 'a heart' easily influenced by others--affectionate, confiding, unselfish.

{Friday}   ~Strength Plus Affection~

Cosmic Piper

Message for Thursday 9 September 2021

 Thursday 9 September 2021

}Sagacity Passed On{

Moon in Libra-->Scorpio

< moon in the Via Combusta (until Saturday)

|Karmically serious, sobering, challenging third| of this week begins at  10:45a PT | 1:45p ET | 5:45p UT  (until Saturday afternoon)

Challenge:  There could be awkwardness and bluntness going along with the Via Combusta, a loss of morale, but this can be transcended through a philosophic attitude.  People may ignore or fail to confide in their best friends.  There could be lack of ambition plus gloomy fatalism, yielding rather than acting from purpose.  

Process:  'An ouija board' plus 'grande dames at tea' suggest a passive approach, resting on the past or one's heritage.  Yet there is acumen and aplomb within background competence.  Venus plus Luna in Libra bring out 'a woman standing on the head of a serpent' denoting 'great sagacity under the guise of feminine weakness; great fascinating power.'  Life's mysteries are tantalizing, and used to advantage.  

Blessing:  'Humanity seeking to bridge the span of knowledge' is rational capacities striving to emerge and make a better world.  One does not have to be egotistical to have faith in one's own reasoning powers.  One uses these for others as well as oneself, so that 'a white-haired man is surrounded by happy children.'  As a guardian of coming generations one is kind, benevolent, and parental in a comforting way. 'I see nothing but sunshine--all is bright' says Charubel.  That can be our lot if we respond well to the trines of the moon and Venus with Jupiter.  

{Thursday}  {Sagacity Passed On}

Cosmic Piper

Message for Wednesday 8 September 2021

 Wednesday 8 September 2021

}Favorable Conditions{

Moon in Libra

Challenge:  We need to be prepared for servitude, like 'an ass tied to the shaft of a grinding mill.'  But it is possible to experience the satisfaction, even joy, of necessary willing service.  One is not victimized just because one is learning something and awkward about it at the beginning.  One does not have to resort to petulance and tantrums, like 'a volcano in eruption.'  Rather one could transform such a potential explosion into a mobilization of deeper potentials, not violently but irresistibly.

Process:  'Grande dames at tea' are experiencing the sun and Mars opposite Neptune, a kind of lackadaisical drifting (which could go wrong with alcohol and drugs rather than tea).  They demonstrate aplomb while showing off inherited privileges.  Likewise 'a person being carried by four men in a sedan chair' is a favorite of fortune, though he could become slothful and self-indulgent to the point of uselessness.  Hopefully all will be more like 'a man in the midst of brightening influences' who is responsive to the underlying friendliness of the world at large, pressing forward from darkness to light.

Blessing:  'An old man cutting grapes in a vineyard' is prudent and reaps his due reward in this harvest season.  'A man with a crown on his head and a spear in his hand,' says Charubel, 'combines dignity, valor, and humanity.'  And so for the peak possibilities of the day we have 'nothing but sunshine--all is bright, a cloudless sky.' This is 'prosperity, true happiness and favorable conditions.'  With the Part of Fortune in the 1st sector, those wanting to avail themselves of some special opportunity might well make an attempt today.

{Wednesday}  {Favorable Conditions}

Cosmic Piper