Embody the Heavens: Establish Equanimity
Astrology Asana for Sunday, January 29 to Saturday, February 4, 2023
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Astrology Summary
It’s a mostly quiet week transit-wise — only the Moon changes signs — and all planets are now moving forward, picking up momentum. The Moon, the translator of light, makes most of the connections this week, save for the Sun’s separating trine to Mars, Sunday evening through Thursday, and Venus’s applying square to Mars, Wednesday through Saturday night.
The week begins with the Moon in her exaltation, Taurus. She waxes through the Bull and glides into the Twins, just past midnight on Monday. Here, for two-and-a-half days, she receives no support from her host, Mercury, aspects both benefics, which enclose her briefly, Monday, and then she exchanges rays with both malefics, but avoids enclosure — thanks to interference from an aspect with the Sun. Next, Luna slips into the void before finally reaching home territory, the Crab, just past noon on Wednesday, where she is now free from malefic rays. Luna dips into the Lion under midnight skies early Saturday, still growing in glorious light — but does not become full until the following day, Sunday.
A detailed breakdown of the week’s astrology is below.
Asana Summary
The Queen of the Night begins and ends the week well-resourced in her exaltation and domicile. Even after her Leo ingress on Saturday, there’s cooperative support from her luminary partner, the Sun King. The tension of the Full Moon is swelling, but Luna’s pass through the Twins, Gemini, is most tumultuous this week.
Gemini is the diurnal (masculine, yang), double-bodied air temple of Mercury, and it represents the shift of seasons from spring to summer. This is when daylight is increasing, the weather can be restless and unpredictable, and activity and obligations build. All planets, except the lord of this sign (Mercury) cast rays here, activating Mars and the Moon, without a helping hand from their host. Mercury is in aversion and is the only planet in an earth sign (Capricorn), so we may feel ungrounded, which is further amplified by the Sun and Saturn in an air sign (Aquarius) and Jupiter in a fire sign (Aries). The pace of life is picking up and we try to keep up, both with obligations promised earlier and new undertakings. Exalted Venus in a water sign (Pisces) square to Gemini threatens with rogue waves rather than gentle ripples, infusing a rush of pressure.
So, for this week’s practice, we will focus on finding equanimity by grounding in, settling the mind, and establishing balance.
A breakdown of the posture sequence follows the astrology detailed below; and, remember, if you prefer video, the YouTube link is there too.
(The transits for the week generally highlight just the seven traditional planets, factor in a 3° orb [15° for the Moon], and are outlined from Sunday midnight to Saturday, 11:59 p.m. PST. )
Transit Details for January 29 to February 4, 2023
Helios
Helios begins the week at 9°08' in the fixed, airy, yang temple of Kronos, the Water Bearer, and ends the week at 16°14'. This is the sign of the Sun’s exile, where he is in an environment opposite his nature and his expression becomes distorted and performance insecure and indirect. The natural authority of the Sun becomes arrogance when overcompensating for its natural radiance in this hot and moist environment. However, with host Kronos copresent, Helios is supported and well-resourced, despite debility by sign. And when Helios trines Ares (at 09°53' on Sunday at 5:43 p.m., separating from orb by Friday), vitality, honors, and inspiration flow.
Selene
Selene is enclosed by the benefics twice this week, first midmorning to noon on Monday in the Twins, and second under midnight skies for a few hours before dawn, on Thursday, in the Crab. She runs in the void three times, first for nearly nine hours through the Bull from late Sunday until just past midnight, Monday, second for about eight hours through the Twins, on Wednesday, from pre-dawn to just past noon, and third through the Crab, before the Sun rises and all day long Friday, until just past midnight Saturday.
The Moon is protected when enclosed by the benefics — matters she signifies, such as our body, environment, or events transpire more fortuitously or are shielded from harm. When Selene is void of course, it’s best not to begin something new; matters are said to go undistinguished and make no progress.
Selene begins the week waxing at 17°15' in her exaltation, the Bull, and ends the week at 11°28' in the Lion. On Sunday, she separates from a trine with Hermes and a square to Helios before catching up with Kronos in a tense square that afternoon, then parts ways, falling into the void until her ingress into the Twins at 12:34 a.m., Monday.
At 9:23 a.m. she squares Aphrodite and sextiles Zeus at 12 p.m., where she finds herself in a supportive benefic enclosure. After this, she applies to conjoin Ares by 8:25 p.m., and first trines Helios at 10:22 p.m., then Kronos at 3:46 a.m., Wednesday. She is void of course until her ingress home at 12:11 p.m., Wednesday.
On Thursday, she again finds herself between the benefics, first, a square to Zeus at 12:53 a.m., followed by a trine to Aphrodite at 4:13 a.m. Hermes and Selene face off at 4:08 a.m., Friday, before she slips back into the void until her ingress into the Lion at 12:48 a.m., Saturday.
In the Lion, she trines Zeus at 2:23 p.m. and sextiles Ares at 11:33 p.m., anticipating her opposition with Helios at 10:27 a.m. the next day.
Hermes
Hermes begins the week at 14°12' in the cardinal, earthy, yin temple of Kronos, the Sea Goat, recovering territory from his recent retrograde period, ending the week at 21°59'.
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He will retrace this path until meeting the station retrograde point on Monday, February 6, which was 24°21' of the Sea Goat, last reached on December 29, 2022. Finally, a fresh perspective and renewed plans for taking practical, objective actions will be accessible. Hermes is well-resourced while host Kronos remains in his air temple.
Aphrodite
Aphrodite begins the week on Sunday at 2°46' in the mutable, watery, yin temple of Zeus, the Fishes, her exaltation. She applies to Ares in a square, beginning Wednesday, partile at 11°13' on Saturday, at 7:07 p.m. She ends the week at 11°28' in the Fishes. A planet in exaltation is considered “raised up;” it is an “honored guest” with no responsibilities and special benefits. However, planets “up high” have nowhere to go but down, so we must be mindful of extravagance, indulgence, and overstaying our welcome when receiving exalted rays, remembering to find gratitude and humility.
Ares
Ares begins the week at 9°44' in the bicorporal, airy, yang temple of Hermes, the Twins, retracing the degrees he retrograded through since October 30, 2022. He ends the week at 11°16' and will leave the shadow degrees after reaching 25°36' on Wednesday, March 15.
During the 20 weeks of dredging back and then forth, it’s finally time to begin to assess the carnage, leave behind what no longer serves you, and move forward with confidence in action and speech in the areas of life where the Twins resides in your chart. When Hermes reaches the Water Bearer on February 11, we will be better resourced to make progress.
Zeus
Zeus begins the week at 5°33' in the tropical, fiery, yang temple of Ares, the Ram, and ends the week at 6°53'. He travels the remaining degrees of this sign over the next four months, ending his visit Tuesday, May 16.
With host Ares now direct, enthusiasm and passion increase for moving forward with ideas and plans that may have been put on hold since as far back as late July, when Zeus stationed retrograde in the Ram and retreated to Pisces. Expect matters related to communication and action to sync better after Hermes enters the Water Bearer on February 11.
Kronos
Kronos begins the week at 25°32' in his solid, airy, yang temple of the Water Bearer, and ends the week at 25°22'. He travels the remaining stretch of this sign, departing on Tuesday, March 7, into the Fishes until 2025. Kronos has been in domicile since entering the Sea Goat in December 2017 and will lose his dignified status for 16 years until finding the Scales in September 2039. Make the most of these final weeks to take advantage of Kronos’s status. Those who have worked through his lessons will receive departing gifts.
Embodied Practice for Week
The embodied practice for the week first finds us rooting down our energy to gain a sense of grounding, then settling the mind and taming our focus in balance postures to discover equanimity, and finally maintaining composure in a final effort of strength. The sequence takes about 10 minutes, but you can extend the postures or repeat the series for a longer flow.
- Begin in Mountain pose (Tadasana), find your breath
- Move into Chair pose (Utkatasana), hold for five breaths
- Shift into Tree pose (Vrikshasana), R, L, hold each side five breaths
- Come into forward fold, then step back into downward-facing dog (Adho Mukha Shvanasana), hold three to five breaths
- Find Table pose (Bharmanasana), then move to “bird/dog”, lifting right arm and left leg and hold, then tuck in elbow to knee and extend a couple times, then switch sides, end in Table top, and maybe cat/cow
- Shift up and back to downward-facing dog, hold for five breaths
- While in down-dog, try to test your balance: reach right hand toward left ankle and hold, then switch; or lift left leg and right hand and try to grab your left foot with your right hand and hold, then switch sides
- Shift back to down-dog, then come forward into Plank pose, hold for five breaths (can come to knees or elbows too) — build fire in your core!
- Come down to Table top, then shift back to Child’s pose (Balansana), hold for a few breaths
- Sit up, find hips to heels in Hero’s pose (Virasana), pause, return to find normal breath
- End
How is your week going? Do you follow the transits of the Moon? Did you try the yoga practice? Please let me know in the comments!
Astrology is a rhapsody. And this article tells just a very small part of the epic poems written by the stars in our heavens. Stay tuned for additional compositions that weave the wisdom of the stars.
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Published when Helios was ruling the Ascendant and placed in the Water Bearer in the 7th house, copresent with his ruler, Kronos, by day. Selene is in her sign of exaltation in the 10th house, applying by sextile to Aphrodite, also exalted, in the Fishes in the 8th house, with reception. January 27, 2023, 4:40 p.m. PST.
