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Astrology 102: How to Read Aspects

Note: I am using my client S's chart with permission to illustrate this example. You can view my natal birth write-up for them here and purchase your own natal birth chart write-up from me over on my KoFi commissions page.

Reading natal birth chart aspects is simple but it does involve learning a new language and set of symbols. For the purposes of this, I will stick to the most used aspects (conjunction, opposition, square, trine, and sextile) - there are many more aspects involved in astrology but these are the big 5.

Let's start with terminology:

An aspect is an exact angle made between two or more planets or points in the natal birth chart. Most aspects are tracked in groups of 30 degrees: you will see aspects of 0, 60, 90, 120, and 180 degrees talked about here today. This is because each sign in the astrological wheel has 30 degrees: starting at 0° and ending at 29°.

Aspects have an allowance - an amount of degrees difference between two planets for it to be considered in aspect to one another. These are known as orbs.

For this purpose, let's look at the conjunction which is the easiest aspect to understand. A conjunction occurs when two planets are sitting close to each other in the horoscope.

Let's look at S's chart breakdown quickly

S has one conjunction in their chart: their Mars at 8° Scorpio is conjunct to their Jupiter which is at 3° Scorpio. The orb between these two planets is 5° because that is the difference between 8 and 3.

The allowed orb (how many degrees difference between planets are still considered in aspect with one another) changes depending on a lot of circumstances and is up for some level of interpretation. In general, certain aspects and certain planets are allowed wider (high number) orbs than others. For our purposes, I am going to allow an orb of 5° between planets - this will work for all of the aspects that I am going to explain to your today.

It's worth noting that conjunctions and oppositions are allowed wider orbs, squares and trines are allowed medium-sized orbs, and sextiles are allowed smaller orbs.

Additionally, aspects to the Lights (Sun, Moon, and Ascendant) are allowed wider orbs, aspects to the personal planets (Mercury, Venus, and Mars) are allowed medium-sized orbs, and aspects to the rest of the planets are allowed smaller orbs. You can see why there is a mix-and-match element to this that requires practice and discernment.

To reiterate: we will be talking about Aspects in this article as two planets that are within 5° orb of each other. What aspect that is will depend on the angle of the planets.

If you're not an expert in geometry, angles can seem daunting at first. That's okay - there's a hack for that: you just need to know the interplay between the Elements and Modalities in astrology.

Each sign has an element and a modality associated with it. The Elements are: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water (as they are represented in the natal chart wheel) and the Modalities are Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable. For our purposes, you don't need to know what these things mean but if you know the element and modality for any particular sign you can figure out what signs naturally form angles to that sign.

For simplification, signs that share an element for a trine with one another and those that are in compatible elements (earth is compatible with water and air is compatible with fire) are either sextile or opposed to one another. Signs that share a modality are either opposed or square to one another. You notice that there is some overlap here - two planets that are in natural opposition with one another will share compatible elements and have the same modality as one another.

Additionally, you need to understand the basic symbols that represent each aspect.

Now, on to how to read a natal birth chart for aspects

There are two ways to read a natal birth chart for aspects, you can read the chart manually (figure out the aspects for yourself) or you can use the aspect calculator chart offered by most astrological free-chart services. I am going to teach you to do it yourself first because this allows you to set the orb which you are calculating rather than having to rely on an orb set by a machine that you may or may not agree with.

If we look at S's chart above, we can see that they have Mars at 8° Scorpio. With an orb of +/- 5°, we would consider any planet to be in aspect to her chart if it is at 3°-13° of any sign. So to get really dirty about it, we can look at her planetary breakdown above and see that the only planets within a 5° orb of her Mars are: Ascendant in Pisces, Venus in Leo, Jupiter in Scorpio, and the North Node of the Moon in Cancer.

For our purposes, we are only looking at the most important aspects so those that are conjunct, opposed, square, trine, or sextile to S's Mars in Scorpio. We know that Scorpio is a fixed water sign - that is the element and the modality. Comparing that to our planets listed above - we know that water elements are trine to one another so Mars is trine to their Ascendant in Pisces and the Nodes in Cancer, and signs that share modality but not elements (Scorpio and Leo here) are square to one another so their Mars is square to Venus. (We already covered that their Mars is conjunct Jupiter above)

Now let's look at how the computer broke down S's Mars aspects.

I still sometimes find charts like this funky to read and I've been studying astrology for over 20 years so if it looks incomprehensible, that's totally okay. That's why I want to teach you how to read aspects on your own rather than relying on charts like this which give you all of the information but none of the details.

This has charted every aspect between S's planets at orbs pre-determined by the computer. It gives you no sense of what are the more important aspects. It does give you the orb degree down to the seconds in each box but as you can see there are orbs as great as 9° listed in this chart which is far wider than we are looking at.

To read this chart, you need to line up the two planets that you are looking to determine the aspect between. As the Sun is the most important "planet", it is the first collum and you get to see all of the aspects that S's Sun makes by following that collum down. You can see by the empty square that S's Sun and Mars are not in aspect with one another.

Since here we're looking at S's Mars, we can skip down to the Mars symbol and read it left-right and top-down. The computer agrees that S's Mars makes a square to Venus with a 4° orb, a conjunction with Jupiter with a 4*° orb, trines to the Ascendant and lunar nodes with a 4° orb, and an aspect that we're ignoring for the purposes of this discussion. Good, we did that right.

I suggest if you are starting out trying to read aspects in a natal birth chart that you start in this way. You decide on an orb (here 5°), you look to see if you see aspects on the general list, and then you check your work with the aspect chart.

Further Details

Let's talk for a minute about the aspects. I'm not going to go into details about the meaning behind each aspect here - that's its own post. But let's talk about the angle and how we can cheat to find them.

Conjunctions occur when 2 planets or points occupy the same space in the natal horoscope wheel. They will most often, but not always, be in the same sign as one another. A stellium is the word used when a conjunction includes more than 2 planets.

Sextiles occur when 2 planets are within 60 degrees of one another. They will most often, but not always, occur between signs that share compatible elements (earth and water or air and fire). Most times they are found between signs that have one sign in between the two of them.

Squares occur when two planets form a 90-degree angle with one another. These most often, but not always, occur between planets that share a modality (cardinal, fixed, or mutable) but are not compatible elements. A t-square occurs when a planet makes squares to both signs that it would naturally be square to - a t-square is actually made up of an opposition and two squares but that is somewhat beyond the scope of this discussion.

Trines occur when two planets for a 120-degree angle with one another. These most often, but not always, occur between two planets that share an element with one another. A grand trine occurs when a planet forms a trine with two other planets or points in the chart in both of the other two signs of its element - in S's chart above, you will find a water grand cross between the north node in Cancer, Mars and Jupiter in Scorpio, and their Ascendant in Pisces.

Oppositions occur when two planets form a 180-degree angle from one another (aka are opposite to each other on the horoscope wheel). This most often, but not always, occurs between two signs that share a modality but are in compatible elements. A grand cross occurs when there is an opposition in the natal chart that forms natural squares with a second opposition in the natal chart.

After a while of studying astrology, you will naturally have memorized what signs naturally make these angles with each other which will help you to do aspects on the fly.

The Main Complication

The above works most of the time. The problem, of course, is that signs do not exist in a vacuum and one sign always leads to the next sign of an incompatible element. Our horoscope wheel starts with Aries and goes fire->earth->air->water->fire all the back around to the last sign of Pisces which then starts the cycle over.

That means that any planets that are close (let's stick with our example of 5 degrees) to the edges of a sign may form aspects that differ from our cheat examples above.

The hardest thing for astrology beginners to remember is that 29° of one sign is directly next to 00° of the sign after.

I will use my own chart as an example here since S's does not contain this. In my chart, my Venus at 29° Gemini and my Mars at 1° Virgo are sextile (~60° of one another) even though they are not in compatible elements (Gemini being air and Virgo being earth). The orb between them is 3°.

*the computer got more technical and called it 4° rather than my rounding of 5° due to seconds, but I digress

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I hope that was helpful. I tried to break this down to its simplest parts but may have missed something so feel free to comment or send me asks for any clarifications that you feel you still need.

Do you like my work? You can support me over on KoFi with a tip, or you can purchase a chart reading or buy some art.

[sol-poppy]

Please yall say more about this. I am fascinated

I would keep all the major powers on one shelf and when one was naughty I'd move it down to a lower shelf. So it knows what it did.

[sol-poppy]

Spell Energetics: How to Apply the concept of Herbal Energetics to your spell work

Note: I'm drawing here from my knowledge of herbal energetics as they are recognized in multiple herbalism systems, my knowledge of astrology, and the concepts of sympathetic magic - if this isn't your thing, please just move along.

The four elements and the concepts of Energetics run consistently through the framework of much of the Western magic systems but it's something that is often overlooked. Suppose rather than relegating the elements to something that we call upon ritualistically to join us in our magic works (or, that must be represented on an altar), we instead stop and consider what they are, and what they do. In that case, we can gain a deeper understanding of how magic works on a human being.

The idea of the four elements and their associated qualities (dry, warm, cool, and moist - now known as herbal energetics) comes from the Athenian philosopher Aristotle. The fire element is warm, the earth element is cool, the air element is dry, and the water element is wet. This shows a remarkable difference from the modern astrological association of earth being opposed to water, and air to fire as it is shown on the astrological wheel; here, hot is opposed to cold (fire to earth) and dry to wet (air to water). It is worth noting that this can be somewhat proven through action - earth puts out fire, for instance. Today, we understand that there is more to healthfulness than balancing energetics (thank you antibiotics, vaccines, and insert your favorite modern medical miracle here) but there are still a number of views on wellness that encourage considering them. Maybe someday I will write more of this and how it relates to synastry, but let's focus on how this can be used in magic.

From here, we need to take a dive into modern herbalism. Why are we doing this? Because most people use all sorts of herbal components as ingredients in our spells and many of our correspondences have their roots in how that plant matter interacts with the human body. One of the major considerations when choosing an herb is what its Action is on the human body. These actions include Heating (Warm/Fire), Cooling (Cool/Water), Drying (Dry/Air), and Wetting (Moist/Water).

We use these actions all of the time without even knowing that we are doing them. Most cocktail people know that you want to drink a Mint Julip in the summer to cool you down (mint is a Cooling herb). On the other hand, if you need a pick me up, Chai tea which is full of warming herbs - even noncaffeinated versions like Bengal Spice - does the trick. The marshmallow (a Moist herb) does the coating of the throat in "Throat Coat" tea. The conditions of warm/cool/dry/moist are so normal to use as human beings that we tend to overlook them and adjust for them automatically.

With this in mind, I want to bring up a few ways in which this can be applied in witchcraft.

Warm is nice and pleasant. A lot of the warming herbs are used in money and sex magic - they make us feel good. But, like any good thing, they might need to be consumed in moderation. Candles carry the innate action of warmth and just think about how important fire safety is. Some herbs that warm cannot always be handled with bare hands (spicy peppers cause capsaicin burns) and these have long-documented uses in baneful magics of all kinds.

Cool magic can be used to calm and control. It can be used to put a particular situation on ice so that you don't have to deal with it. It can bring down fevers. It can soothe bad tempers and hot-headedness. It can preserve. It can also protect and insulate.

Dry magic can also be used to preserve. It can dry up emotions and stifle passion. It can draw out something or draw something away from a situation. It can create space.

Moist magic can be overflowing and generous. It can also be stagnant and suffocating. Moisture can revive life. It can also drown it.

It is worth noting that all aspects of these factors are always present in our lives. And they don't exist in a vacuum - everything is a combination of the two Aristotlean categories: you have Warm Moist or Warm Dry, and Cool Moist or Cool Dry.

We use these principles in magic all of the time. Anytime that you are using a liquid in a jar spell, you are applying the concept of Moist. If you are applying salt or rice to drain an object, you are using the concept of Dry. A freezer spell is an obvious example of Cool and any time that you are burning something you are using the concept of Warm.

But let's go a step further. If you are trying to do a warming spell, wouldn't it make sense to use specifically only warming herbs - or, at least - herbs that don't counteract Warmth (aka abstain from using cooling herbs?). Remember, these herbs have a natural and calculable effect on the human body so one would assume that, when used as part of a spell directed at a human body, they will have a similar effect. Even if you're a total candle head (I get it - I LOVE candle magic), consider not adding a candle to a spell meant to freeze somebody out.

When casting a hex, it is worth considering whether you want to burn them out with fire or take the slower more calculated path of ice. (Stop me from quoting Robert Frost here...) If you need to separate a couple who thrives on relationship conflict, drying them out could be a good option - more specifically, I'd probably use cool/dry.

Really we are getting into the basics of all sympathetic magic: using a thing that has an obvious effect to transfer that effect, through our spell, to the spell's intended target. This is why I have been very specific in saying that this applies to magic cast on a human being - here we are using the principles of Energetics and how they affect humans. For a spell on an animal or your house, entirely different sympathetic principles would apply.

The next time that you are choosing between two herbs that are said to have the same associations, consider whether one might be better than the other based on the Energetic nature of that plant. You might find a whole new level of casting open up to you.

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[sol-poppy]

Energy Update: June 2025

June is a "6" Universal Month [6 (June) + 9 (2025) = 15 = 1+5=6] in a "9" Universal Year. Six is a calm and balanced number, a slowdown after the chaos wrought by "5". It also carries a hint of manifestation as it is "3" doubled. When you add another three, you end up at the "9" of completion - the number representative of this year. It may unfold slowly and with more grace than the months prior, but things are still changing and moving at an alarming rate. This shows up both in our astrology and in our numerology for the month.

The Set Up

We begin June with the Sun Mercury and Jupiter in Gemini, Venus Saturn and Neptune in Aries, Mars in Leo, Uranus in Taurus, and retrograde Pluto in Aquarius. There is a lot of planetary movement this month: the Sun will enter Cancer, Mercury enters Cancer and moves on into Leo, Venus enters Taurus, Mars enters Virgo, and Jupiter enters Cancer. That means every single one of our personal planets and one of our intermediary planets are on the move.

As above, so below; we can all expect to be on the move as well.

The Nitty Gritty

As June unfolds, we will begin to recognize one of the major themes for the rest of this year. Our outermost planets (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) have all recently changed signs or are about to change signs, which puts them all clustered together in the first degrees of the air and fire signs. Saturn and Neptune are sitting at the beginning of Aries, Uranus will soon move into the beginning of Gemini, and Pluto is in the first degrees of Aquarius. As our more movable planets (the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and - to some degree - Jupiter) also change signs, they will activate every one of these outer planets simultaneously.

Over and over again. Basically, for the rest of this year.

I bring this up now because this is a repeating sequence of transits that will really need a lot of awareness to navigate successfully. A lot of what unfolds may feel like it is beyond your control; these are the outer planets in play, after all.

Now, all but Uranus have fallen into line to begin this activation. The pieces are in place, and we may feel like we are stepping into and out of a repeated lesson as this unfolds. With so many planets in play, its hard to predict how any individual person will be impacted by this; but it might be wise to look at where the beginning of Aries, Gemini, and Aquarius falls in your charts. If you have a luminary (especially) or personal planet in the first degrees of any sign, you should be paying attention - these planets will be holding long-term aspects with that planet for the next year, or longer.

It is fitting, then, that we begin this activation as our Sun, Mercury, and Jupiter enter Cancer and square off with Saturn and Neptune.

00° Aries, sorta, and our Saturn-Neptune conjunction

I've been talking about this for a while now, and we're moving away from the most concentrated point of this activation for the year, but it's worth noting that both Saturn and Neptune are sitting close to this degree (they will conjunct at 2° Aries on 6/18). Additionally, the Sun, Mercury, and Jupiter will enter Cancer this month and directly square off with Saturn and Neptune.

Oh my dear cardinal signs - y'all have been in the hot seat since 2020. Thankfully, if anyone can stand in the fire for that long, it is Aries.

Saturn and Neptune at the same time is a hard pill to swallow because it isn't there. At least not when you look for it. Saturn is the most grounded planet (since we don't count Mother Earth), and Neptune is nebulous on a good day. These two energies do not get along; in fact, they can barely stomach one another. If you know what you need to do but instead find yourself off chasing butterflies, know that you are right on time.

Saturn is the planet of restriction and restructuring. Neptune is associated with faith and the higher realms, sometimes with spiritual awakening. As you can see, those two things don't seem to go together. I have lived through one other Saturn-Neptune conjunction, but just barely. This is indicative of some significant shift - one that is far beyond the personal. (If you have a planet at 03°, it may become personal, though, especially if it's 03° Aries or Libra)

If you're astrocurious (like to live through transits with your eyes wide open) like I am, circle 6/18 on your calendar and pay attention. Keep in mind that this conjunction will be in effect all month long, the 18th is simply when it reaches exactitude. Are you identifying more with Saturn or with Neptune? Are you feeling the pull of both of these planets? This is intense Saturn in the 1st House AND Neptune in the 1st House energy right now - even if Aries is not the ruler of your first house.

Next, circle these dates:

6/9 - Mercury in Cancer squares Saturn and Neptune in Aries 6/15-6/19 - Jupiter in Cancer squares Saturn and Neptune in Aries 6/22 - Sun in Cancer squares Saturn and Neptune in Aries

These days hold all of the potential inherent in a cardinal square. Use them, or they will use you. Schedule yourself higher-energy activities on these dates if you are prone to mania or anxiety due to an excess of energy. You may need to run yourself ragged around these dates just so that you can sleep at night. Apply self-care liberally during this time. You might need extra support here; may I suggest Tulsi, vinyasa, and deep grounding stones like obsidian or black tourmaline as great allies all month long. Likewise, maybe avoid caffeine and other stimulants, and steer clear of things like quartz unless you are very knowledgeable on how to release excess energy. (A great time to make a battery, though.)

For most people, everything else that comes up this month will pale in comparison to these aspects. I'll discuss them individually in their own sections.

The Lights: The Sun and the Moon

As the Sun moves through Gemini, it is mostly unaspected other than a t-square to the lunar nodes - as it enters Cancer, it squares off with Saturn in Aries and conjuncts Jupiter. This shows us that our personal lives will be taking the backseat this month to what is happening in the world around us - everything is, for the most part, transpersonal. This isn't to say that it doesn't affect us personally, because we still need to LIVE in this world, but it's only in our homes as an afterthought.

That might be little to no comfort for those in it right now, and I understand that.

Our full moon peaks on 6/11 at 20° Sagittarius, closely square to our lunar nodes, which are sitting at 23° Pisces and Virgo. This will create a mutable grand cross in the sky between the Sun in Gemini, the South Node in Virgo, the Moon in Sagittarius, and the North Node in Pisces. This is the middle point in the year between our eclipse cycles, and it will carry much of the energy of eclipse season because it aligns so closely to our full moon for the night. From a wide enough lens, the mutable signs are all about adaptation; where do you need to bend in your own life so that you don't break?

There is an opportunity here from the full moon's peak on Wednesday, 6/11, to the Sun's exact square with the lunar nodes on Friday, 6/13. The lunar nodes bring chance to the table, but it's not just any chance; it's the chance to align with the path of your own life. Pay attention to these three days, and note what is showing up for you and what is mysteriously absent. There is art in reading the events associated with the lunar nodes that must be self-taught, so far as I can tell. Write down every detail of what happens to you and then refer back to these notes when we reach our second eclipse season in the late summer.

Our Sagittarius Full Moon is a 3/9 Full Moon.

9 (Sagittarius moon) + 3 (Gemini Sun) = 12 = 1+2 = 3. 3 (Sagittarius full moon) + 6 (June 2025) = 9.

It's worth noting the numerological synchronicity here. Gemini is our third astrological sign, and 2025 is a "9" Universal Year, so both the sign and the year are represented here. Additionally, three multiplied by itself is also nine. Three is the number of lesser manifestation, and nine is the number of greater manifestation. This is the divine right time to use this to your advantage - check out my 3x3 post for more details on how you can do this!

The Sun enters Cancer on 6/20, the Solstice, and the beginning of the Summer season. This is the height of solar energy for all those who live in the Northern Hemisphere, and the divine right time to work solar magic or honor the Sun. Now, in Cancer, the Sun immediately interacts with the planets mentioned above by squaring Neptune and Saturn in Aries.

This is actually the third pass of this we will have experienced this month, Mercury squares Saturn (let's put Neptune aside here) on 6/9, and Jupiter squares Saturn on 6/15. Now the Sun does so on Sunday, 6/22.

This will likely be a challenging day and one of the first big checkpoints on our new Saturn in Aries journey. We've had a couple of weeks to grapple with Saturn's long-awaited return to the 1st sign in the zodiac, and now it's time to get real with how we feel about things. Immature Cancer energy will throw an absolute fit and make it everyone else's problem. Mature Cancer energy feels it to work through it. Nobody can escape the pressures of Saturn, no matter how far we run; time catches up to us in the end, so it's best to try to manage mature Cancerian reactions in this regard.

Not everyone will succeed, and that's okay, too. We're not about shaming here; this is about creating a better understanding. When we see the bigger picture, we find opportunities to step out of reaction and into awareness.

Then, on 6/24, the Sun conjuncts Jupiter at 03° Cancer. This is our best day of the entire month (even though both the Sun and Jupiter remain in a descending square with Saturn). The world was shit out of luck while Jupiter transited Gemini, the sign of its exile, from 2024 to mid June of this year. Now, our Greater Benefic is in the sign of its exaltation and conjunct to the Sun. This is a good day to have a good day. Treat yourself and watch it ripple through your life.

This will continue the next day when the Sun and Moon meet at 04° Cancer for our new moon of the month, which is still exactly conjunct to Jupiter. This is one of the best days of the year to start something new, especially if you do so from a place of reciprocity and generosity. I will try to write more about this date as we grow closer (yell at me if I haven't gotten to it yet).

Our Cancer New Moon is an 8/5 new moon.

4 (Cancer Moon) + 4 (Cancer Sun) = 8. 8 (Cancer new moon) + 6 (June 2025) = 14 = 1+4=5.

This echoes what I was just saying - 8 is the infinity sign or the ouroboros. It is the cosmic reminder that what comes around, goes around. Every action has an equal (and opposite) reaction. The world always turns. Day becomes night to become day again. Give freely, knowing that you will receive as much back in return.

On 6/26, the Cancer Sun sextiles Mars in Virgo, a day to put in the work to get what you want out of life. Do the work now; Mars in Virgo is on your side.

Mercury

Mercury is moving ahead of the Sun, so we can expect to see the same aspects, albeit earlier in the month.

On 6/5, Mercury in Gemini squares off with the lunar nodes, creating a mutable t-square in the sky. This is a great day if you are looking for inspiration or some answers, but just know that you need to be prepared for the Truth (something that many people don't like - I'm looking at you Piscean types).

Then, on 6/8, Mercury conjuncts Jupiter at 29° Gemini and then moves into Cancer. (The next day, Jupiter also moves into Cancer, we can see this as the two planets doing it "holding hands", it's quite auspicious for our Traveller to guide Jupiter into the sign of their exaltation) That said, they both immediately square off with Saturn and Neptune in Aries, which is a Full. Stop.

Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.

This is a cosmic stop sign, for sure. But if any planet can get under Saturn's radar enough to not have to stop, it is Mercury. IYKYK

Mercury is moving fast and covering more than one sign in a single month, a sure sign that they are reaching towards another retrograde cycle. By 6/21, Mercury in Cancer will trine the North Node in Pisces; this is a sweet watery glimpse into the future. You will almost certainly have to let it flow to get anywhere with this transit, but the possibility IS there.

Then, they square Chiron on 6/24 - watch what you say and how you say it, as words hurt a lot more than the nursery rhymes say they do.

On 6/26, Mercury enters Leo. They quickly trine Saturn and Neptune and oppose retrograde Pluto on 6/28 and 6/29 before entering their pre-retrograde shadow on 6/30 at 04° Leo. We should all be very relieved to see that build up of planets outside of the Mercury's next retrograde cycle. Mercury will retrograde on 7/18 at 15° Leo - stay tuned!

Venus

Venus is still paying catch-up after her retrograde cycle in March. As she moves through the last degrees of Aries, she conjunctions Chiron at 25° on 6/1 and sextiles Jupiter in Gemini on 6/5. In the sign of her exile, she is doing us no favors. Thankfully, she enters Taurus (her domain) on Friday, 6/6. I want to emphasize this again: VENUS ENTERS TAURUS ON FRIDAY 6/6. If only six was also the domain of Venus, but alas, we should be grateful for the astrological opportunities we DO have.

This is the best day of the year to work Venus magic. This day will lead itself to the earthy, Taurus side of Venus - more sensual and experience-oriented than relationshipy and social. That said, any Venus energy can shine through when Venus enters a new sign on a Friday.

In Taurus, Venus makes a weak semi-sextile to Saturn and Neptune, which is barely worth noting, and a fixed square to retrograde Aquarius on 6/9. That's the same day that Jupiter enters Cancer and that Mercury in Cancer exactly squares Saturn, so stay aware. Watch out for excess, one of Venus in Taurus's less-than-desirable traits.

Once she passes this threshold, Venus is free of any other major aspects for the rest of the month—she is pure Taurus beneficence. This is a nice reprieve from these other planets that are interacting more closely with Saturn, who's being even more of a Debbie Downer than normal.

Venus is a place to hide all month long, not in a pathological way but rather in the way that finding more joy in the world is always an antidote to sorrow. Find a new favorite song or dance with some fireflies. Romanticize your own life. Eat some fresh strawberries (pick them if you can!) and don't skimp on the whip. Taurus has never cared one bit about practicality in regards to truly enjoying life.

Mars

Mars is out ahead of the pack, chugging away in Leo. He trines Chiron on 6/10, an echo of Venus' own conjunction to Chiron a few days earlier on 6/1 - this shows that the first days of the month may be somewhat painful, relationally. Venus and Mars should always be read at least somewhat as a pair because together they make up the energy that the collective we that is humanity brings to the table. With both of our interpersonal planets aspecting Chiron, something is going to hurt. It's not likely to be that personal (Chiron is the incurable wound), but people will take it personally between 6/1 and 6/10. If you are someone who can get really triggered, watch yourself, and all of us might want to avoid those people in our lives who make their lives our problem.

Then, Mars in Leo squares off with Uranus in Taurus on 6/15. We should all be thankful that this is the last time we'll experience this square as Uranus will make its way out of Taurus (finally!) later this year. Watch out for explosions of all kinds - literal and more metaphorical. Uranus in Taurus is instability in a fixed earth sign, which is an augury for natural disasters at baseline and square to Mars, the planet of action. Just don't take any unnecessary chances on and around 6/15. There are bound to be more slipups and oopses around this date, and you don't want to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

On 6/17, Mars enters Virgo, which puts a laser focus on effort and follow-through. Virgo isn't Mars's fastest-moving placement (by a long shot), but it brings the energy of effort to the table. Set your intentions to show up for yourself every day, to the best of your current ability. We will all need to watch out for being nitpicky or overly critical, as well.

Mars in Virgo sextiles Jupiter in Cancer on 6/22, a lucky day. This screams hard work paying off more than a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. This is undoubtedly a day to expect nothing less than what you deserve.

If you follow through, there might be great rewards down the road.

Jupiter

As mentioned above, Jupiter finally exits Gemini for the mutable water sign of Cancer on 6/9, and we can all breathe an intense sigh of relief. Everything was slightly unlucky as Jupiter transited Gemini, the sign of its exile, but Cancer is the sign of its exaltation. Just like we could all lose while Jupiter was in Gemini, we can all win while Jupiter is in Cancer.

Jupiter will square off with Saturn as they enter Cancer, so the winning might not be apparent in those early days following 6/9, but the opportunities will soon appear. Look towards the days when the Sun conjuncts Jupiter on 6/24 and Venus conjuncts Jupiter on 8/11 as perfect days to do positive/increasing magic of all kinds.

Looking Forward

This pattern I mentioned has set pretty far in by now, and we'll continue to experience this in July as Uranus moves into Gemini and Saturn retrogrades, beginning its backward journey towards 00° Aries all over again. As our planets move through Cancer, they square off with Saturn and Neptune; as they move through Leo, they trine Saturn and Neptune and oppose Pluto. Each of our personal planets is going to move through this progression.

The Details

6/1 - Venus conjunct Chiron 25° Aries 6/5 - Mercury in Gemini sextile Mars in Aries, Mercury in Gemini square the lunar nodes in Pisces/Virgo, Venus in Aries sextiles Jupiter in Gemini 6/6 - Venus enters Taurus, Mercury in Gemini sextile Chiron in Aries 6/8 - Mercury enters Cancer, Mercury conjunct Jupiter 29° Gemini 6/9 - Jupiter enters Cancer, Mercury in Cancer square Saturn in Aries, Mercury in Cancer square Neptune in Aries, Venus in Taurus square retrograde Pluto in Aquarius 6/10 - Mars in Leo trine Chiron in Aries 6/11 - Full moon 20° Sagittarius, Mercury in Cancer sextile Venus in Taurus 6/13 - Sun in Gemini square lunar nodes in Pisces/Virgo 6/15 - Mars in Leo square Uranus in Taurus, Jupiter in Cancer square Saturn in Aries 6/17 - Mars enters Virgo, Sun in Gemini sextile Chiron in Aries 6/18 - Saturn conjunct Neptune 02° Aries 6/19 - Jupiter in Cancer square Neptune in Aries 6/20 - Sun enters Cancer 6/21 - Mercury in Cancer trine North Node in Pisces 6/22 - Sun in Cancer square Saturn in Aries, Sun in Cancer square Neptune in Aries, Mars in Virgo sextile Jupiter in Cancer 6/24 - Sun conjunct Jupiter 03° Cancer, Mercury in Cancer square Chiron in Aries 6/25 - New moon 04° Cancer 6/26 - Mercury enters Leo, Sun in Cancer sextile Mars in Virgo, Mercury in Cancer sextile Uranus in Taurus 6/28 - Mercury in Leo trine Saturn in Aries, Mercury in Leo trine Neptune in Aries 6/29 - Mercury in Leo opposed retrograde

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A Very Simple Mercury Road Opener For Mercury Day

Mercury entered its home sign of Gemini at 3:00 this morning (EDT) so a quick little spell today would be a sweet little road opener:

1 yellow or orange candle (if you use color magic, do what you want obvs)

olive oil

powdered lemongrass, vervain, or chickory

coffee or chickory coffee as an offering

Make a cup of coffee and offer it to Mercury in a way that is consistent with your practice

carve the astrological symbol for Mercury or the symbol for the intelligence of Mercury onto your candle

Anoint with a small amount of olive oil and roll the candle in the powdered herbs (alternatively, place your herbs around the candle) - remember fire safety here! small amounts and very finely powdered is best if they are going on your candle

Invite Mercury into your space and speak aloud (yes, this is important here - Mercury rules speech) your desire to have a clear path in front of you

Light your candle and perform your magic as you would for your practice.

This practice can be done any time that Mercury stations (either forward or retrograde) or when Mercury enters a new sign, but is especially effective when Mercury enters its home signs of Gemini and Virgo, when Mercury enters YOUR Mercury sign, or when Mercury enters a new sign on a Wednesday.

The hour of Mercury will enhance this spell. So will the Orphic Hymn of Mercury. You could also further enhance this spell by burning the candle over the magic square for Mercury if you so wish.

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The wheel of the year continues on.

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The sun lingers like a lover tonight, casting golden spells on skin and sky ☀️💛

A midsummer breath, warm with wishes, where time melts into twilight and everything glows a little more like magic 🌼🧡

May this midsummer night stir the magic in your soul ❤️🔥✨

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🗝️🔮✨Road Opener working from earlier today✨🔮🗝️

((Yes, those are spunchbob stickers in the background 💀 they're bfbb exclusives ! Childhood game's very precious to my heart Imfao))

I've been feeling called to do this for ages, so I figured today would be the day. Cleansed all my tools / ingredients, then assembled everything and let my candles burn. So far, I feel lighter and hopeful. I'm looking forward to the results when the time's right for them!

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Talking About: Simple Daily Practices

I was reading through some blog posts this morning and decided to make my own list of simple daily practices, primarily as a reminder to myself.

Orations

The first practice we can really get into is the Oration. From a Greco-Egyptian Perspective, the orations can be done to the patron deity, the deity ruling the Planetary ruler of the day, the Agathos Daimon and so on. Ceremonial and grimoiric magick is not without the similar format of orations. Enochian Magick features one prayer that is supposedly said for 41 days. The Devil's Quran gives a very simple form of Salat to Iblis that can be adapted for any of his children. Alternatively, just a simple prayer to begin the day can be done, and a final prayer at night.

There's also Liber Resh, which features solar salutations that can be done throughout the day.

A Simple Prayer from the PGM can be done as follows:

IO, TABAŌ, SOKHOM-MOA, OKH-OKH-KHAN-BOUZANAU, AN- IESI, EGOMPHTHŌ, GETHO, SETHOURI, THMILA, ALOUAPOKHRI, let everything that I shall apply my hand to today, be accomplished.

Being the adoration to Phre

Another simplified anointing ritual can be drawn from the Bornless Rite as follows:

Draw the good sign on the head with oil (:>) and declare: AOTH ABRAOTH BASYM ISAAK TZAVAOT IAO, let all that I apply my hand to today be accomplished.

Additionally, a prayer can be derived from the 6th Pentacle of Jupiter, a pentacle for protection against worldly dangers and disasters:

"O' Aral, Seraph, Tharsis and Kerub, be thou my protectors this day and all days."

There is also the affair of confession which appears in most grimoiric practices, and can be done in stages such as the examination of conscience, followed by a brief prayer of confession and finally an oration praising the deity.

Libations

For me, Libations are sacred and represent the purification of the soul. Depending on your tradition, you might have specific mantras or prayers to say over the water. The Devil's Quran mentions the names of the Lord alongside taking communion of the offering. This is a notable feature, though it doesn't always apply. I note some people are iffy about taking water from chthonic deities but this issue is generally solved when the offering is poured into a ditch.

A Simple libation is done through the purifying and transforming of the water, the invocation of the spirit and their naming while the water is poured out into the earth, plant or separate bowl. A small amount of this water can be taken in the hand and drank as a form of communion, bringing the person closer to the Divine while also sharing in providence. Generally, a prayer asking for permission is done, such as in this Liturgy to the Agathos Daimon

These Thine offerings revert to Thy servant for life, stability, health, joy. Let the Lord of All, everliving, immortal Aion who appeared with the universe according to His eternal essence, shine His imperishable light upon Thee.

Note here that the offering is an extension of the Divine providence, taking some of the energy from the deity and assuming it into the self.

From a Leviticus Standpoint, you might consider adding salt to the water which is mentioned as Sophia in the Gnostic Scriptures.

Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga is often used as a remedy, such as with Shani Dev where one can please the Lord by offering food to small animals. The world is filled with things that we can help with, even if it's as simple as watering a dry plant or raising awareness for a friend. The digital age only makes this easier, and the Karma Yoga can be offered to the deity at the end of the day:

Whatever I do with my Body, Speech, Mind, or Senses, Whatever I do using my Intellect, Feelings or unconsciously through my natural tendencies |

Whatever I do, I do selflessly for others and surrender them all at the Lotus Feet of the Divine ||

This is a mantra used at the end of Shodashpochara Puja to offer all actions to the Divine.

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Completing My Current Mission Tarot Spread

Spiritual & Occult PDF guides available for download.

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~Protection charm~

Made with clay and threaded with white string, hung from a pine tree that receives my prayers often. A modern take on tying rags to trees for healing and wishes.

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How to Read Your Birth Chart - The Planets

Your natal chart is a map of your strengths and weaknesses. Learn to read it — and you will begin to master yourself.

Just like in chess, not every piece holds the same weight. Some command the board. Others shape the game from the shadows.

Here’s how to begin reading it:

The Sun — The King

Your core. Your essence. This is the sign that rules your will, your spirit, your life force. It moves slowly, with purpose. Everything revolves around it — but it cannot move far on its own.

The Ascendant — The Queen

The way you move in the world. Your mask, your instinctive reaction, the lens through which you see and are seen. It’s your most versatile piece — fast, powerful, and often underestimated.

The Moon — Your Inner Self

Your instincts, emotions, subconscious patterns. How you nurture, react, dream, and protect yourself. The moon is your psychic weather — always shifting.

Mercury — The Messenger

How you think, learn, and speak. It rules your communication style, your curiosity, your inner voice. Quick, clever, and always plotting its next move.

Venus — The Lover

How you love, desire, and relate. Your tastes, your style, your relationships — the soft power that draws others in.

Mars — The Warrior

How you act, assert, and fight. Your anger, your drive, your courage. Mars doesn’t ask — it charges forward.

Jupiter — The Guide

Your luck, growth, and philosophy. Where you expand, where you flourish, where life gives more than it takes.

Saturn — The Gatekeeper

Your boundaries, discipline, karma. Where you are tested, where you must work harder, where mastery is earned — not given.

Uranus — The Rebel

Your originality, your lightning-bolt brilliance. Where you break rules, where you invent, where you are utterly you. Uranus does not follow — it awakens.

Neptune — The Mystic

Your dreams, illusions, intuition, and spirituality. Where you merge with the divine, where you feel more than understand. Neptune dissolves — it’s the fog and the vision.

Pluto — The Power

Your transformation, shadow, power, and rebirth. Pluto shows where you burn down to rebuild. It is your magic at its most dangerous and divine.

Everything Else — The Pawns

The asteroids, nodes… They’re less important — they’re the details that shape the strategy.

The Sun shows who you are. The Ascendant shows how you move. Together, they define the shape of your story.

So if you’re just starting to read your chart — begin with the King and the Queen. Then learn your pieces.

Then move to the houses and aspects.

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Moon Water 101

The when, where, and why of using moon water

What is moon water?

Moon water is water charged under the moon, often during the new or full moon, to have the energy from that moon phase. 

How do you make it?

Fill your vessel with water (and stones or herbs to be more specific). Put that vessel in a spot that gets some moonlight. This could be a window, on your porch, in your car, etc., after the sun has fully set. It doesn’t matter whether it’s for an hour or overnight, just make sure you retrieve it before the sun comes up. Store in a dark place, out of sunlight. 

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Tips:

-Only make as much as you think you need: Okay, a few things. The water loses its charge the longer it sits. I recommend recharging it once a month (During the next moon cycle). The other side of this is physical. Sitting water isn’t great for you, microbes and stuff can grow it in. It’s just better off to make sure you only make as much as you need at the time. There will always be another full moon, you don’t need a Costco sized bottle of moon water. 

-On the same topic, store under a cloth, or in a dark place. Make sure it’s out of the sunlight when not being used. This is more of a physical worry, like stated above. The sunlight may help things like bacteria, microbes or algae to grow, and that’s just not something you want on your altar. 

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Uses:

Moon water is a great thing to use to cleanse or anoint your tools if that’s something you would like to do. 

Add to potions, drinks or meals to give them a more powerful effect. (You should only be using moon water that was prepared within 24 hours of the meal. I do not condone using moon water that has set for any long period of time before being consumed)

Can be used in place of oils in spells or rituals 

Water your plants with it

Use it as offerings to deities, fairfolk, and/or spirit guides ______________________

Some simple recipes to get you started

Cleansing spray: Take a few sprigs of rosemary and sea salt and put it into a spray bottle of your liking. Add just enough moon water to cover the rosemary. Let it sit for about 72 hours, and then use it to spray down tools, sacred spaces, candles, etc. to bring a cleansing, purifying energy. 

Cleaning spray: Take that same rosemary sprigs and salt, put that in a bottle, and use half moon water and half vinegar. Let this sit for a week or so, and then use it as a multipurpose cleaning spray around the house.

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It's been storming for days here so here's some of my favorite ways to tie storms into witchcraft:

Storm water can be a very strong additive to spells and should be used sparingly as too much can make things volatile

Plants LOVE rain water so give your indoor plants a little treat

Storms are a great time to do emotional works. Meditations and spells meant to help release emotions work better during storms I have found

Some people use storms as a sacred time to pray, cleanse, clean, and worship

Storms are also a great chance to practice some skills or study

Candle magic!

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autismed so hard i created my own belief system