Weekly Weather July 9, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly Weather July 9, 2012

Your emotional moment of truth arrives this week. It is a fine moment of clarity. Trust it. Listen to it. Go with it. On some level, the events of the past few weeks have been working hard to clarify things in your own mind. You are ready to make decisions. And this week, the universe will start pressing on you to make those decisions. It is time to go cosmic shopping…. Time to tell the universe what you want for the next 29, 22, 19, 14, 12, 8, 7 or 6 years of your life… I know, I know. It IS BIG!!! Can’t you can FEEL the pressure!? It keeps building and building…. PRESSURE!!! PRESSURE!!!

 

 

Cycles of the above amounts are coming to an end over the next few weeks…. Lots and lots of endings and releases. In every ending and release is a new cycle being born and starting … so as the 29 year cycle ends, a new 29 year cycle starts. If you are ending a 19 year cycle, a new 19 year cycle starts… you get the idea. Think of the situation before you that needs you to make a decision about what to do. Think back to when it started…. It ends now. A new cycle starts. Trust your instincts to make the right decision. The universe wants you to let go and take a leap of faith toward the next life calling you.

 

When buying a diamond, there are four things to consider when evaluating the gems. Jewelers call them the 4 C’s: Carat, Cut, Color and Clarity. Each diamond is graded and priced based on the 4 Cs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When my parents got married, they were poor. My mom had just graduated from nursing school. Dad was in medical school. His mother didn’t approve of him getting married before he graduated. In typical Aries fashion, he went off and got married to my mom any way. I was in the medical school graduation photos prominently standing proud in my mother’s belly. My parents didn’t have two extra nickels to rub together for the first 6 years of my life. Certainly there was NO extra money for an engagement ring. Three kids arrived before he finished his public health service and neurology residency. Three kids arrived before he went into private practice. And then there were loans to pay back and a mortgage to cover and children to clothe and feed plus a practice to build. I was in High School when the “issue” of the absent diamond engagement ring arose. As a successful physician, his wife and my mother had no jewelry to speak of, not even an engagement ring. At certain points you become aware of dynamics in your parents’ relationship, such it was with the missing diamond ring.

 

 

My Aries father can be generous but is highly impulsive ~ buying a house without talking about it with my mother. He can also be cheap as all get out ~ searching for a bargain a bit obsessively ~ or not wanting to pay for things he doesn’t agree with or understand. I always leave extra money for the tip when I go out to dinner with him ~ particularly if it is one of MY restaurants as he thinks tips are stupid. The Aries search for my mother’s diamond ring was one of those obsessive, bargain hunt events. And he dragged my Leo mother from jeweler to jeweler to jeweler, looking and looking and looking at diamonds, hunting in true Aries fashion for whatever he was looking for. He figured out the difference between the 4 C’s of each diamond they looked at, as well as the various price points. He argued about the details with the different jewelers. Dad talked about it at the dinner table, educating the offspring of his union with my mother about the 4 C’s. Eventually, my Leo mother had completely had enough and snapped, “Stop talking about diamonds!” Leos love the grand gestures, flowers, candlelight and romance… looking at diamonds, shopping and negotiating with every jeweler in town and discussing it nightly around the dinner table with the children was none of those things! My father continued to hunt and ultimately got mom a small diamond ring with “perfect clarity”. She did have Venus in Virgo. Yet, clearly, the “romance” part of her diamond ring was gone. They returned the rest of the budgeted ring money to the savings account.

 

 

Fast forward a number of years. After 32 years of marriage, my mother died of cancer. My widowed father met his second wife, the widow Peggy, at the end of August. He came to New York City mid-November, went to the Diamond District on 47th Street, carrying his notes from buying my mother her diamond ring, bought what can only be called a BIG F****** ROCK in about two hours, had it set in platinum, and proposed the next night over a romantic dinner at Tavern on the Green that was wrapped around a romantic weekend complete with separate hotel rooms. They are Catholic. They got married the following March ~ seven months to the day of their first date. Twenty-six years later, they are still happily married. When asked about the speed of the engagement, Dad said “When you know, you know.” And, he clearly had learned from his diamond hunt for my mother.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You’ve been learning something too these past nine months. When you know, you know. Let’s apply the criteria used to judge diamonds to your own process. The four C’s of diamond evaluation are Carat Weight, Cut, Color, and perhaps most important right now Clarity. This week is all about getting clarity ~ being clear, seeing things as they are. That is most important for you right now.

 

Clarity is where we are. Because diamonds are formed deep within the earth, under extreme heat and pressure; virtually all diamonds contain “birthmarks”. Small imperfections inside the diamond are called inclusions. Imperfections on its surface are called blemishes. Clarity refers to the degree to which these imperfections are present. Diamonds which contain numerous or significant inclusions or blemishes have less brilliance because the flaws interfere with the path of light through the diamond. The position of an inclusion affects how easily it can be seen. Diamond cutters make every effort to cut a stone so that inclusions are not visible through the table of the finished diamond. The preferred position for inclusions is under the bezel facets or near the girdle because they are harder to see there.

 

Ah so Clarity involves accepting our imperfections, inclusions and blemishes. Clarity involves seeing the situation before us as it is with imperfect flaws and blemishes. That “birthmark” is an identifying factor that we use to guide us in getting clear on what we want to do next about the situation. Clarity affects how the jeweler cuts the diamond to work with the imperfections, inclusions, blemishes and birthmarks. Imperfections, blemishes, inclusions and birthmarks are PART OF THE STONE. They have to be incorporated into the design and cutting process. Clarity affects how we see a situation ~ clearly or not. We then get to work with the imperfections, inclusions, blemishes and birthmarks of the story or situation before us. Or not. We don’t have to buy that diamond if we don’t want to. We don’t have to agree to the situation before us if we don’t want to. But we do need to be clear about it. Only then do we know how we want to proceed.

 

In the weeks ahead, we’ll incorporate the other 3 C’s. And maybe you are ready to answer those three C questions now… if so, here they are:

 

Carat: Carat or Carat Weight is straight forward: How big is the Rock? Most women can tell you their desired Cut and Carat Weight, while men can tell the price. Diamonds are sold by the carat, which is actually a unit of weight. The word “carat” comes from the “carob” seed, the original unit of measure for diamond traders. Today, a carat is equal to exactly 0.2 grams or about the weight of a paper clip. Two diamonds of equal carat weight can have very different costs based on cut, color and clarity. Applying these criteria to your situation: What is it that you want? What size? What shape? How does it weigh compared to other things in your life? What are you willing to pay for it?

 

Color: Diamonds come in a variety of colors, some of them highly prized (pinks, blues, even yellow). However in a white diamond, the presence of a yellow tint will lower the price of a diamond. The less body color in a white diamond, the more true color it will reflect, and thus the greater its value. Apply these criteria to your situation: What is true FOR YOU? What, when you look inside your heart, reflects back as the greatest value to you? What stands clear and true under harsh bright white light? What lowers the price or value for you?

 

Cut: Based on the clarity, color and carat, Cut is the shape that the diamond takes based on the jeweler’s assessment of the raw diamond’s proportions, symmetry and polish. The beauty of a finished diamond depends more on cut than any other factor. Though extremely difficult to analyze and quantify, diamond cut has three primary effects on appearance: brilliance (the brightness created by the combination of all the white light reflections from the surface and the inside of a polished diamond), fire (the dispersion of light into the colors of the visible spectrum, seen as flashes of color), and scintillation (the flashes of light and dark, or sparkle, when a diamond or light source is moved). Because many customers are willing to pay more for a larger, fair-cut cut diamond than for a slightly smaller, well-cut diamond, there is pressure on the cutter to sacrifice appearance for weight. This is why the Cut grade is so important. Apply these criteria to your situation: What calls out the brilliance of your being and soul and allows you to shine? What inspires the fires of your passion? What do you want to send out into the world as your unique colors? What flashes light and dark in your being? What is scintillating, sparkling and asking you to move toward it?

 

Truth be told, once we get clear on what we want, the cut, carat and color roll out from that clarity. So focus this week on getting clear on the passionate desire(s) of what you want in your life for the next 29, 22, 19, 14, 12, 8, 7 or 6 years of your life. It might be easier to say what you don’t want. That works too… Just write the positive version of the negative stuff that you don’t want. That is what you DO want. When you know, you know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our week ahead features plenty of opportunity for clarity: Mercury stations to go retrograde in Heart’s on Fire Leo for the next 24 days. And Mercury stays in Leo until the end of August ~ yes it will be a long, hot summer full of fire and sfires! Mercury stations trine to Uranus’ station to go retrograde in Aries until mid-December. We are going to go back to reevaluate, redo or reassess the situation that shifted, changed or perhaps disappeared from your life on or around March 26, when Uranus was at 4:37 Aries. Uranus’ station always stirs up anxiety, earthquakes, eruptions, breaks, sudden ruptures, break ups, break through, or break downs. It is a bit of a manic energy. The seven days before and after the Uranus station are exceptionally emotionally stirring ~ so July 7th to July 19th as the station takes place on Friday July 13th. The ruler of Chaos and change HATES to have to stop and be still… but that is his job this week. When he is still it helps you get clear. Some folks call Uranus, Prometheus. He is a light bringer…. Uranus enlightens us. He acts like a cosmic lightning bolt across the sky in the near horizon. Sometimes it feels like a lightning bolt in your life. As I sit writing this, Uranus is sending lightning bolts across the heavens outside of my rain streaked window, cracking, snapping and thundering his agreement. Get ready for clarity.

 

Void Moon’s This Week
5:23 am EDT July 11, Wednesday to 7:30 pm EDT
All Day Long Void Moon

3:46 pm EDT July 13, Friday to 8:26 am EDT July 14, Saturday

 

 

Moon’s day July 9 Moon in Aries is directed and directing. Her closing aspect is an opposition to Saturn at 22 Libra…. We are leaving or separating from something and getting very clear over the next few days. That hot degree of 22 is active yet again… 22 is a master number. We are now being asked to move to a level of mastery. We know what is important and clear FOR US…. Not for the other guy but FOR US. Sun has a sesquiquadrate aspect to Neptune offering us the opportunity to take steps towards our new dream. Our old dream of the last 14 years fell apart, dissolved; shifted or changed ~ or perhaps our dream came true ~ and now we are ready for a new dream. Sun asks you to step forward and articulate what your new dream is. Vesta enters Gemini so there can be two homes or a desire to expand your home energy out of where you are now. Step forward. Moon sextiles Jupiter offering an opportunity this evening that you want to take advantage of. Moon’s square to Pluto at the end of the day offers a bit of disturbing news that you probably don’t want to deal with.

 

 

Tuesday Mars’ day July 10 has Moon in Aries continuing to be fiery, fast and clearing out the old and worn. There is a sharpness and clarity to her energy as Moon forms a grand trine with Uranus and Mercury in Fire today. Grand trines, with their ease of flow, slide us along into a new perspective or way of doing things. Moon’s closing square to Cancer Sun in the evening, points out that choosing things for security or because that is the way they have always been is not the best option for you any more. Psychologically process why you are making these choices. What is your understanding of the blemishes, inclusions, birthmarks and imperfections in the situations asking you to choose? Do you see how they match your birthmarks, imperfections, inclusions and blemishes? The world is a lovely mirror for our issues. Jupiter links up with Ceres starting a new 4 year growth cycle around creativity and expansion. It is a great day to get pregnant or find out that you are. Venus works productively with Pallas offering a new way of looking at old beliefs. When you know, you know. Sun has stressful aspects to the nodes… so if something important or a relationship breaks or leaves your life today, let it go.

 

 

Mercury’s day Wednesday July 11 finds Moon void ALL DAY IN ARIES. Her last aspect is a separating opposition to Saturn meaning relationships that break apart or up under this energy CAN STAY broken up or apart. And you can be a bit obsessive…. That Void Moon can play with your head. Don’t go jumping to conclusions that it HAS to stay busted. Ask yourself if you want your relationship to STAY BUSTED. If not, act to fix it. Mars works with the nodes of fate inviting you to work on clarity. When you know, you know. Sun is adjusting to a new definition of family or tribe. Allow that definition in your heart to expand to be more encompassing. Sun connects with the Nodes by declination so watch who you meet underneath your outward appearance. There is a power vacuum that the departing energy will want to fill. Proceed with an open heart and a closed, sharp focus on what you’ve gotten clear about. The hunt is over…. When you know, you know. What are you clear about? Trust it. Clarity drives cut, carat and color… the rest of the decisions are based on the imperfections, flaws and blemishes in EVERY stone. Every situation has imperfections, flaws, blemishes and inclusions.

 

 

Jupiter’s day Thursday July 12 finds Moon in Taurus with a lovely closing aspect of a sextile to the Sun offering us emotional and security based clarity. Moon’s mid-day trine to Pluto encourages us to ask for what we need to help us transform our inner security needs and being. Apollo stations and turns direct, inspiring our inner being to shine with a brilliant, scintillating, flashing energy. Harness your inner diamond, created by times of pressure and transformation in your life to be ready to claim the moments before you. Mercury argues with Saturn about the decisions and the clarity you reached over the past few days when Moon in Aries was opposite Saturn. Mercury wants you to speak your OWN truth. No more covering for others or explaining other people’s behavior away. They are who they are. You are who you. When you know, you know. Allow the declination opposition to inform your clarity about what you are seeing. Uranus and Mercury are stopped in the sky, trined in a fire passion and talking to each other and forming a working sextile to pull the Gemini planets Venus, Jupiter, Ceres and the South Node into a minor grand trine. Gemini knows what it know as they answer to Mercury’s station in Leo. All the Gemini planets are answering to Mercury’s fire guidance ~ as he stops in the sky, they flare up and shine brightly in your being. What do you love? What is clear for you now? What is your heart’s brilliant and sparkling guidance? Where do you suggest you go next? What is the new dream?

 

 

Venus’ day Friday July 13 find Moon in Taurus in the Goddess of Love’s sign. The station of Uranus takes place today right as the Sun rises on the east coast at 5:48 am EDT. Sun has a trine to Juno offering an emotional partnership of creation and nurturing. Moon’s closing sextile to the Sun is fertile, productive and causes all sorts of growth. Sun’s semi square to Jupiter asks us to shift and change ~ turn to look at your blind spot. What did you NOT see during this week of clarity? What was the blemish? Where is the imperfection? Any inclusions of note? What did the birth marks in your being contribute to helping you become who you are? Own those flaws as perhaps the most important part of your being… you did what you did. They are what they are. Now that your cosmic jeweler has taken note of the clarity of the diamond in the rough before you ~ how can you cut, weigh, and be the color that best reflects the light of your soul. Expect explosions, eruptions, change and chaos with the Uranus station ~ and maybe an earthquake, volcano or surprise shift!

 

 

Saturn’s day Saturday July 14 find Moon moving into chatty, personable and communicative Gemini as Mercury stations to go retrograde. The Gemini and Virgo houses and planets stand at attention in your chart and in the sky. Know the next few weeks, Mercury’s backwards journey encourages us to go on an inner vision quest to clarify our next vision. Creative activity argues with general disagreeableness ~ discord is clarifying. Sun’s square to Eris shines light on the fight from last week. You see it with different eyes. The space created by it offers you time to grow, heal and be clear. Transformation comes with change ~ Ceres on the World axis seeks to evolve and shift as she has a fight with her brother Pluto. The two of them had a falling out over Persephone/Kore. Now they need to figure out how to work with each other. Well Ceres wants to work with Pluto ~ but he is not so sure. It is all in service of creation. Mercury’s working aspect with Venus unites the two friendly personal planets so they can offer each other solace and support. Listen to the wise advice of friends. Sun’s semi-square to Ceres stresses both of them out. Sun, or the male principle, doesn’t want to whine anymore and Ceres, or the female principle, is tired of nagging. Can’t we all just get along? Maybe it is time to create something different now that we are clear?

 

 

Sun’s day Sunday July 15, continues Moon in chatty Gemini with a lovely productive closing aspect of a trine to Saturn. Sun has a square to Saturn offering a set of hard choices today. Take the clarity of the past week and just quietly whisper into the ethers the dream of your soul. Saturn has a sesquiquadrate to Ceres fueling her desire to create despite what Pluto wants. Mars joins up with Astraea starting a new two year health cycle ~ today is a great day to figure out the plan with the New Moon next week a great day to launch your new habits. Uranus has a semi-square to Lillith ~ best to let sleeping demons rest…. Why are you going to disturb them. Take the clarity and go live your life. You know what you know. Nothing more is needed. Is it? Hmmmm.

Copyright © 2012. A. C. Ortelee