The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. Confucius
Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us. Thomas L. Holdcroft
He was always smoothing and polishing himself, and in the end he became blunt before he was sharp. G. C. Lichtenberg
Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without one. Chinese Proverb
The absence of flaw in beauty is itself a flaw. Havelock Ellis
I began to have an idea of my life, not as the slow shaping of achievement to fit my preconceived purposes, but as the gradual discovery and growth of a purpose which I did not know. Joanna Field
There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one’s self. Benjamin Franklin
The new Moon on July 1st is a partial solar eclipse, observable only from parts of Antarctica. Although it is only a partial eclipse, it is still a powerful one as it is square Saturn and opposite Pluto, which gives it quite a bit of punch.
The Sabian Symbol is Cancer 10: A Large Diamond In The First Stages Of The Cutting Process. This degree shows enormous potential for perfection, talent, beauty and considerable wealth. The process of cutting, grinding and shaping a ‘Diamond’ takes skill, care and time. As one continues to polish and grind away, a more refined and beautiful object emerges. The facets of the gem become more and more beautiful as the “old bits of rock” are chipped off. However, care and accuracy are needed in order to shape and mold it, or all the work that’s been done could easily be spoilt.
In your life or a situation facing you, something has been building up and becoming increasingly solid and real. However, it still needs to be somehow refined and have the rough edges cut away. Hacking away at things in one fell swoop could lead to disaster and shatter any hopes. Striving for perfection, however, can result in enormous rewards. This can be some kind of “gift” or beauty that keeps getting better and better. If someone or something is a bit unformed or “unevolved”, try to remember that just a little more polishing may reveal a beautiful gem. Too much importance placed on outer looks or appearances alone can lead to continual searches for perfection. Look to the inside where true beauty may reside. However, even beautiful exteriors can have many flaws, and eventually the whole process may prove to be rather disappointing. Perhaps there’s a need to relax – you’ve probably only seen the first stages of the final product. With more work comes more perfection. Hard work and pressure will pay off in the end. A useful thing to do is to imagine the enormous beauty that’s emerging, regardless of any flaws—on the inside or the outside.
The following are my Keywords and Cautions from my book The Sabian Oracle: 360 Degrees Of Wisdom:
Keywords: Coming to terms with inner worth. Emerging perfection. Beauty that is still a bit “rough around the edges”. Naivety. Beauty that is within, even if it has flaws. Potential. Chopping and grinding away to get to the essential. Being almost, but not completely, perfect. Reserving judgment. Self-development courses. Knowing where to start or finish. Craftsmanship. Finding the best in everything.
The Caution: Leaving an important job unfinished. Seeing the flaws not the inherent beauty. Being afraid to take the first stab at something. Being overwhelmed by importance and value. Being overprotective or insecure. Not seeing the whole picture. Things unformed and incomplete. A “diamond in the rough”, someone lacking social polish.
Squaring this new Moon is Saturn at Libra 11: A Professor Peering Over His Glasses At His Students. The 'Professor's' eyes have been strained over the years from doing close-up work with books and papers and now he needs ‘Glasses’ for reading and studying. However, the rational mind requires a different kind of “lens” to that of the emotion or intuition. When the 'Professor' moves his gaze or attention to ‘His Students’, he needs to use a different focus. He ‘Peers Over His Glasses’ to look at them and to see them as they truly are. If he observes them through the same intellectual “lenses” he uses for his study, he may neglect to see them as individuals with their own abilities and needs, and their human attributes will get lost in the process.
With Saturn here (for several weeks), you may need to interrupt your rational, linear, skeptical concentration to realize that people, together with your intuitive ideas, are all around you, and they are valuable assets of your life and development. Are you, or is someone else, really looking at things with the right ‘Glasses’? Do you have “old eyes” or “new eyes” to see? Is there a projection of something, a thought or an attitude, onto others in this situation that isn’t really appropriate or doesn’t really belong to them? Someone is, or needs to, notice what’s going on, or take a minute to observe people in their true light. There may be a need to remember that being “clever” or “intellectual” does not mean that someone is better or above everyone else. Although, of course, being in a position of some kind of authority can lend weight when there’s a need for giving kindly advice. There may be an issue of telling people what to do and how they should act. Are you the ‘Professor’ or are you a ‘Student’? (most likely you are both at once). Regardless of your situation, keeping in mind that people are to be viewed kindly, seriously, and with respect, will help.
Every closed eye is not sleeping, and every open eye is not seeing. Anon
I had some eyeglasses. I was walking down the street when suddenly the prescription ran out. Stephen Wright
Keywords: Lenses of perception. Seeing that others get the message. Intellectual snobbery. Photography. Lenses as shields or barriers between people or things. Observing others. Examining one’s self. Understanding where you’re looking. Giving advice. Teachers. Professors. The ability to “read others”. Motivations or talents of others seen and appreciated.
The Caution: Assuming a superior position. Thinking others have a lesser position or intelligence. Reading endless self-help books and not noticing real life. Bossing others. Not seeing, or caring to notice, one’s own faults and limitations. Feeling separate from what’s being said or taught. Distortions of perception or observation. Condescending behavior. Seeing people as interruptions.
Pluto is opposing this new Moon on Capricorn 7 (also for several weeks), the Sabian Symbol is A Veiled Prophet Speaks Seized By The Power Of A God. This is showing us that we need to discriminate between what is worth taking on board and what is best to avoid. The 'Veiled Prophet' can have a powerfully useful and meaningful message, or can just lead us astray with useless information or downright propaganda and manipulation, especially as it's Pluto that is magnifying this degree.
Talking and eloquence are not the same: to speak and to speak well are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks. Heinrich Heine
The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shockproof, shit detector. This is the writer’s radar and all great writers have had it. Ernest Hemingway
In medieval times, people thought that evil spirits could enter a person through an open mouth. These days they more often leave that way. David Deckert
Mercury is on Cancer 19: A Greek Muse Weighing New Born Twins In Golden Scales, showing how we may be, or needing to be, weighing things up.
Keywords: Comparisons and similarities. Weighing things up. The law and lawyers. The Scales of Justice. First communion. The value of new beginnings. Grand gestures. Ceremonies. Looking for subtle aspects. Balances. Using the intuition. Weighing up pros and cons. Hesitating before making decisions. Subtle discriminations of differences. Measured responses. Inspiration. The gift of prophecy.
The Caution: Expressing judgmental opinions about things that are essentially equal. Being picky. The scales tipped. Everything getting off balance. Constantly weighing things up instead of just accepting them. Not being able to move forward with plans or ideas because of a feeling of being stuck. Excessive arguments for or against.
Spend time every day listening to what your muse is trying to tell you. Saint Bartholomew
Venus is exactly opposite the Galactic Center, giving us the opportunity to tune into the law of attraction - some call the GC the 'mind of God'. Tuning into the message of Venus can have us figuring out where we belong; where we want to be. The Symbol is Gemini 27: A Young Gypsy Emerging From The Woods Gazes At Far Cities.
Keywords: Dreaming of becoming part of something far-off. Streetwise lessons. New perspectives arising from larger realities. The steps from bohemian to corporate and vice-versa. Learning about credentials, using them to advantage. Things that are far off and distant. Ambition. Prophesy, astrology and tarot. Clairvoyance. Gypsies. Leaving family. Moving out on one’s own.
The Caution: Dissatisfaction and always looking elsewhere. A feeling of being “cast out”. Feeling alienated even amongst friends. Finding your self a long way from home. Difficulty turning back. Being in limbo with a lack of ambition. Not having a family to turn to.
Mars is likely to see many people wanting to give up, say 'no', to go on strike. The Symbol is Gemini 8: Aroused Strikers Surround A Factory.
Keywords: Bargaining to find more equitable solutions. Demanding better rights and conditions. Comradeship. Disruption of the normal flow. Not wanting to contribute or work. Taking time out to consider one’s position. Taking action or refusing to act. Labor strikes and strikers. Demonstrations. Peace rallies. Standing up for others. Scab labor. Sweat shops. Slave labor. Strikes. Bosses. Workers. Placard waving.The Caution: Being obsessed with what is desired. Refusing any compromises. Going without one’s due in order to protest. Being locked out because of one’s actions or attitude. Being left out in the street. Greedy behavior. Asking for more than one’s share. Overworked and underpaid. Shutting down.
Perhaps there's something that's left your life (or needs to be let go of), and there's a need to process what's happened. Jupiter is on Taurus 5: A Youthful Widow, Fresh and Soul-Cleansed From Grief, Kneels At An Open Grave To Receive The Secret To Eternal Life.
If you're still hanging onto a dead dream of yesterday, laying flowers on its grave by the hour, you cannot be planting the seeds for a dream to grow today. Joyce Chapman
As always, the true goal should be one of happiness. The Moon's north node is on Sagittarius 24: A Bluebird, A Sign Of Good Luck And Happiness, Is Standing At The Door Of The House. The node has been on this degree for weeks now and the 'bluebird' is likely to be knocking - will you answer the call?
Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. Langston Hughes
Recent Comments