the sun day post #3
post-eclipse venusian musings
(pssst: if you’re looking for the link to this week’s good fortune!, you can find it here.)
Last week I was in Florence. It was my first time in Italy, and not to be all “goes to Europe once” about it, but I felt like I was on another planet, and that planet was Venus. I jokingly texted friends all week, “The Renaissance…who knew?! Why is no one talking about this?!” But all jokes aside, as a Libra rising ruled by Venus in Pisces, I’ve never felt more seen by a city.
Part of that, of course, was the beauty, and the weird beauty at that. The fountain of Neptune (pictured above) just casually in the piazza. Those Medicis liked their stuff freaky! But it was also: the symbolism. The small details. The way everything was maximal but also close to the surface. Botticelli’s “Primavera” containing 100+ species of flora in a single image. I kept thinking about Venus as the “lesser benefic.” The planet that says “yes” so close to the earth. Jupiter’s agenda is lofty while Venus’ is close to home.
Wandering through the streets, I was struck by how the link between time, astrology/astronomy and architecture was not only hidden in plain sight, but proudly on display. A sundial in front of the Galileo Museum tells solar time. The San Miniato Church’s marble zodiac gets illuminated on the Summer Solstice. That church was built as a talisman of the auspicious astrology of May 28, 1207: a new moon in Gemini with Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn all nearby in the Gemini zodiac/Taurus constellation. The Church was meant to harness the power of Taurus in a city that is Venus incarnate. Those who built the San Miniato knew about the astrology and astronomy of it all. It wasn’t a big deal.
Wandering through the Uffizi gallery, listening to St. Vincent (Libra) and meditating by the Botticellis, I couldn’t stop thinking about how New York is a Saturnian city and Florence is a Venusian one. I couldn’t stop thinking about how keeping time is important, but honoring it is even more important. Surrounded by architecture that was meant to hold time has that effect on you I guess.
Northern Italy is also a birthplace of Tarot (il tarocchi was played as a parlor game in the mid-late 15th century). I wanted an Italian tarot deck as a parting gift to myself and after searching through every available one in the stationary store, the shopkeeper told me that I should take home the Minchiate Florentine, a deck which dates back to 1850. The Minchiate is not a classic 78 card Tarot, but a 97 card deck. It has cards representing each element, each astrological sign, and also each virtue. Looking through it feels overwhelming with so many new images and correspondences to learn. But it’s also refreshing to see all kinds of spiritual and religious and metaphysical symbolism wrapped up together rather than apart. The Rider-Waite deck is beautifully illustrated but the focus on Christian symbolism erases so much of both Tarot’s history and the world’s.
Idk I guess what I’m getting at with all of this is: why does the spiritual have to be esoteric? Why do we laugh at symbols rather than honor them? Why do we insist something is coincidence rather than magic? I say this all the time, but my job as an astrologer is basically a data analyst. Literally a stockbroker of the stars. We’re all assessing patterns, drawing conclusions and advising on what we see. The data analyst is a “suit” and I’m a “witch” but not so long ago, these things weren’t such polar opposites. Convening with the Venusian in Florence reminded me that part of that Venus principle is the ability to hold many things at once, and to do so with style and grace. It’s why your Libra rising friend always looks cute in a crisis. It’s why even a bruised apple tastes juicy and sweet. Botticelli was 40 when he finished “Birth of Venus,” and he died at 55. I’m here on this Sunday to say: let the good things take time.
good fortune!
On this week’s good fortune!, we get into the time warp between eclipses and the power of spinning a few less plates at once. Plus Mercury in Scorpio as the forever emo kid; and a few cute days amidst a lot of chaos.
solar eclipse in libra
Paid subscribers received the balsamic moon bulletin - a wrap up of the previous lunar cycle and a preview for what’s to come including solar eclipse horoscopes for each sign.
Solar Eclipse in Libra
this is the balsamic moon bulletin: a wrap up of the previous lunar cycle and a preview of the lunar cycle to come. I’m biased (was born during this phase) but the balsamic moon is my favorite part of the month. Just before the new moon, it’s a time for reflection, distillation and integration. It’s a few days—3.5 days before the new moon to be exact—where the best thing to do is creatively float and imagine while you also wash the floors, tidy the desk, do some laundry, and close out projects. But also: when all else fails, take a nap.
eyes/ears on
This story about police visiting a tarot reader in Pennsylvania on the grounds of archaic fortune telling laws. Astrologers have been wondering if Saturn in Pisces would bring more regulation to diviners and now that we’re past peak-saturation of spiritual influencers, it seems like a reckoning might be on the way.
Call me a hipster sap but I’m loving Sufjan Stevens’ new album Javelin.
hope you’re finding some space to rest and hydrate this eclipse weekend.
xo, Jaime
"The Rider-Waite deck is beautifully illustrated but the focus on Christian symbolism erases so much of both Tarot’s history and the world’s." Sooooo true. I learned on the deck and used it for almost 20 years. Finally, it was just too much. I went to Motherpeace deck in 1999. Still, I like that you use it in your essays and appreciate the perspective of heavy and Christan when I need it. Hope we get to see some of your new deck and benefit from your new learning. You are my fav!