What is prayer?
Growing up in the Catholic church, attending Catholic school, I memorized a litany of prayers used for different purposes at different times. Then there were prayers before meals, bedtime prayers and petition prayers in church for sick people or others going through difficult times. When we went shopping, our mother would admonish her four charges in the back that it was time to start praying for a parking place as we approached the skyscrapers and department stores of downtown Seattle. That was after praying to St. Anthony to find her keys. Later, none of that made sense to me, and I tried to pretend that I didn’t pray, but I always found myself talking to “someone” out there, particularly when things were going awry or I was sad, lonely or scared. Then I got curious about what people meant when they referred to praying, so I asked around, especially posing the question to priests, teachers and friends who I perceived to have “figured it out” spiritually. Only recently have I come to a certain peace around prayer, and what I’ve arrived at is that it’s a way to lift one’s heart and mind in offering, trusting that it will be registered and, in some way, answered by the divine source of all that is. It’s a way to say “I care about this thing and I’d like for you to put some attention on it too.”
As I contemplated writing about the Venus Cazimi and New Moon in the fixed fire sign of Leo with an extreme heat warning in the forecast for the coming week, a prayer for relief from the ravages of fire felt like a prerequisite.
For another couple weeks, we’ll be in Leo season with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers ripening daily in the heat. Tomorrow, retrograde Venus meets up with the Sun to begin a new synodic cycle. This represents one of those points on the Venus star from the graphic I shared in my last piece—the beginning of the Leo Venus star cycle. This is her cazimi. Then we have a Leo New Moon involving a dynamic square to Uranus—the planet of surprise, breakthrough and rebellion.
But let’s start with today. Between August 11 and 14, Chiron will be at 19° of Aries and the Sun and Venus will be between 19° and 21° of Leo. They’re 120° apart—a trine—with a harmonious flow of energy between them.
Chiron is commonly referred to as “the wounded healer”. He was rejected by his parents at birth and later received a painful injury at the hands of one of his students that would never heal. Because he was immortal, he lived with constant pain, yet he became a famous prophet, musician, healer, teacher and mentor to many. Chironic stories are those that reveal how, when we can embrace the parts of ourselves that we would prefer to reject or hide, we become a healing force for others. I think of those who suffer with an illness or disability who struggle, but go on to support others dealing with the same illness or disability either professionally or in a volunteer capacity. I think about therapists who come from similar backgrounds or who’ve dealt with similar traumas as the patients they serve.
Venus is cazimi (in the heart of the Sun) on August 13 and the trine is strong. Perhaps under this influence we can release our attachments to painful stories in the Sun’s fire and embrace our wholeness, warts and all. From a place of self-acceptance, we can overcome our fears of rejection, put ourselves out there, and discover that in courageously expressing ourselves from our hearts, we find more self-love, more self-worth and more self-respect than we had before we took the risk.
The cazimi at 20° of Leo begins a new 19½ month cycle with a Leo flavor. Until late August she will be invisible—her light concealed by the brilliance of the Sun. I imagine an initiation ceremony in a private audience in the throne room of the Sun. The expression “baptism by fire” comes to mind. As the Sun blesses her with his glory, new light and new vitality infuse her essence and she stands taller and more regally, more self-possessed, and more capable of loving herself and others. This part of the transit is often referred to as a New Venus—like a New Moon. It’s a fresh start for her, a rebirthing moment when she goes from being an evening star to a morning star. We can look forward to her heliacal rise (emergence from the sun’s rays) in the latter part of August depending on where one lives and one’s willingness to get up before the Sun. Then she will once again grace the pre-dawn sky with her inimitable sparkle.
We can use this moment to listen deeply to our own internal Sun—to the whispers of our hearts. It’s an opportunity to burn off whatever lies in the way of our desires and say yes to the invitation to fall in love with ourselves again, to be open to receiving all the love, pleasure, delight, and sweetness that true connection offers when we don’t get in the way.
The Leo New Moon occurs early in the morning of August 16 close to Venus and square to Uranus in Taurus. You’ve heard me say it before and you’ll it again… Whenever Uranus is involved, the only thing we can expect is the unexpected. In other words, it’ll be a surprise. Uranus also speaks to excitement and rebellion, as well as breakthroughs, awakenings, and liberation. The New Moon is a time to set intentions for the next lunar cycle, and if we follow the clues provided by curiosity and excitement, we can set intentions that liberate our hearts and allow the truest expression of ourselves.
Venus squared Uranus for the first time on July 1 in direct motion, then while retrograde earlier this week and she will do so again on September 29, once direct. With Venus in Leo and Uranus in Taurus, we’re talking about a heart-fire that animates our substance. Taurus is an earth sign. It’s about the simple sensual pleasures that come from being incarnate. Leo not only speaks to the heart but to creativity and play. On top of all this, Chiron is still in a trine with the Sun and Venus which brings to mind the way love, whether from ourselves or another can heal our hearts, allowing for our naturally playful and creative child-like self to emerge.
Before signing off, I should mention that Mercury is once again gearing up, or down (as the case may be) to go retrograde in Virgo. Currently, he seems to be chasing down Mars, but he’s slowing down and won’t catch him before stationing retrograde on August 23. Mercury is not only at home in Virgo, it’s also the sign of his exaltation. In other words, he couldn’t be in more of a happy place. Mercury in Virgo speaks to mental precision—a time when we tend to be detail oriented, discriminating, and analytical. The downside can be perfectionism, pessimism and being overly critical, but it’s a great time to get things done that require that kind of focus. When Mercury is retrograde in Virgo, the same rule of re’s as with all retrogrades applies. It’s a time to slow down, review, revise, reconsider etc. but with Mercury so strong here, perhaps the shenanigans will be fewer. Still and all, as I mentioned last time, we’re dealing with a lot of retrograde energy in the sky, with more to come as Uranus and Jupiter will soon take their turns in retrograde territory. It seems to me that we should expect things to feel a little one step forward, two steps back for a while.
Regarding self-acceptance, it was Astrology that took me by the hand and led me there. Through understanding my own birth chart, I came to know that the way that I am isn’t wrong and my life hasn’t been a series of “mistakes”. I’d simply been bumbling my way along a path strewn with obstacles that I hadn’t expected or foreseen. I can’t say that I’ve achieved an inviolate inner peace, but my life started to make sense in the larger context that astrology offered. If you’d like to understand how what I write about applies to you personally, I do private consultations and I’d be honored to read your chart. Please email me at: camelliablossoms@gmail.com if you’re interested.
As always, I appreciate you for reading,
Cami