Darkest Dispatch

January 21

In the 3rd decan of Scorpio Jupiter is no longer the ruler of a face but has dignity by bound to hold onto in the first four degrees. Mainly Jupiter is the presenter of opportunity and promoter of coherence. He helps us understands all the components that make up something and how they all come together to make a whole (holistic systems, judicial systems, theology, spiritual philosophies: the big pictures), so that we can expand things once we understand where we may add onto. He assists this by bringing in opportunities we might take advantage of. Rather than giving money or gold directly he might say “here’s an idea” or sending someone who says “how’d you like a job?” etc. Jupiter is optimistic no matter where he is focused; so focused on the libidinous and depraved territory of the 3rd decan of Scorpio, he tries to make the experience of satiation loops mind expanding and somehow part of our greater development as knowledgable people. This is reminds us of Mars’ binge and purge mode in the third face, but much less violent; instead it is like visiting a drug addicted wasteland to learn more about the world and grasp its problems firsthand, probably to then attempt to raise further awareness and establish aid channels; or learn what not to do, how to avoid such depravity by remaining virtuous, being “scared straight”, or at least learning techniques of temperance. Jupiter might offer in this position the “street” “education” that separates sheltered chumps from old salts.

January 24

As Mercury conjoins Pluto he stares into a void within the architecture; the darkened emptiness where there is no structure, into the unnerving mystery of dark matter, our fears of a lack of stabilization and foundation, a barrier where there is only an abyss beyond. Surely, there is more out there, of articulate complexity beyond our comprehension, although currently to us it is unknown and presently unknowable . It is like the final sequences of 2001: A Space Odyssey connecting back to the black object in the opening scenes. As Pluto is the final body or sphere in our Solar system before heliopause (the electromagnetic outer shell of our solar system), Pluto represents the known from the unknown, what is native to what is alien, what is part of our outermost holistic completeness and what is utterly alien. This is very typically experienced in transits as an “Underworld journey” and often manifests in a lack of knowledge how things will ultimately turn out coupled with completely unprecedented circumstances. With nothing familiar or stable to grasp on to you still have to proceed with life though no strategy or foresight is possible. Often Pluto is associated with vast swathes of time, or eternity itself, as well as power and manipulation; as the holding of people’s ultimate fears is a position of power; even an obsession, as evidenced in Space Odyssey as well, at least in the continuing subtext. This is especially true in Capricorn which is entirely about hierarchy, material, structure, stratagem, foundation, empire and management. Today, this might be a detailed look or observance of cryptocurrencies, of the deep state and how much we truly don’t know, ideas or data relating to how society is manipulated enmass by shadow corporations and anarchist-capitalist elites. As Mercury is also the planet of the Trickster and the Magician, this remains a situation that can be used to autonomous advantage in some way and brings to mind such contemporary Peter Grey’s call for an Apocalyptic Witchcraft; or, that in a world of irreversible ecological damage and nebulous, faceless and massive manipulative control, we are to a certain degree able to manifest as we please within the hull of the sunken ship of the geopolitical world; i.e. no one is forcing us into 50’s style conformity and there are plenty of loopholes and vectors not monitored; in our age of self-initiated exploitation through social media we forget that the monitored world is something we can simply put down and enter into an autonomy disconnected from the greater digital network. Alternately, rather than return to primal wilderness the ultra-sly and tech savvy might turn to the media monster itself and attempt outlets of subterfuge and manipulation on their own.

Mythologically, Pluto is Hades and Mercury Hermes, so a meeting between the two figures can be imagined in these classical forms. In Capricorn, this could be Hades taking Hermes on a detailed tour of the Underworld caverns while he composes well labeled maps. This is a very useful thing to acquire for a mortal who will inevitably die and then suddenly have no idea where they are or what to do. A bit of previewing this world ahead of time and making some connections on the other side will surely facilitate the afterlife orientation while still physically manifest. Very Capricornian thinking, similar in a way to a “retirement plan”, but much more ambitious. Although, Mercury visits the Underworld with each retrograde, and so this may be something a bit different. This is a brief event rather than an extensive tour, as Mercury will move right past Pluto within the day. Although, the moments when Mercury and Pluto are sharing significations might be significant. Pluto does have a transformational and I use this term with a grain of salt, “evolutionary”, effect on people; after Pluto (consciousness’ end) you cannot go back; once you’ve come to know what you know, once you’ve seen through the veil the door next becomes shut behind you and there is not going back, reality is utterly changed. Venus and the Sun reached cazimi on the same degree as Pluto on the 9th, but that was both in our identification with the Plutonian and within our attractions and sensory perceptions; we could glimpse and feel the unknown and powerful vast beyond but not ultimately seize it. Mercury is our Messenger and Translator, so this time rather than just a glimpse or a feel you might be able to receive some operative information of lasting significance, especially if you’re listening.

Hades and Pluto’s meeting coincides with the Moon reaching her 2nd quarter phase in Taurus, The Moon ramps up the energy as she waxes to the 2nd quarter, mostly felt in the inertia of emotions, moods, needs, wants, dreams and stream of conscious thoughts. This is in Taurus, her exaltation and most stable position, as well as an earth sign so she will be in relative harmony with the pair in Capricorn. In Taurus the emphasis is on organic rhythm, like natural cycling at a sustainable pace, going with the flow, moving steadily ahead. The ramp up might seem to coincide and even be in reaction to the Plutonian dispatches Mercury delivers; Taurus’ organic pace then is lucky as the message might be otherwise be too frightening if we weren’t in such a grounded mood.

January 25

Mercury moves into a dignity of face transitioning into the 3rd decan of Capricorn, where he holds court by the Triplicity system of assignment, being a planet that rules an earth sign. Since the 3rd decan is about managing what you have already created and amassed, Mercury gets to strut his stuff by using his command of details and organization, communication and quick thinking. This may be a good time to get your affairs in order, utilizing a clever mind to strategize problems away. It may be good simply for understanding what you’re up against in life and what all your assets and resources are. You may also find you are temporarily better at (or at least more interested in) all things chess-like, as well as the chess of life. This can be a lonely decan, as these kinds of strategy engagements and managerial attentions tend to keep us in our personal office for much longer hours. But Capricorn is a sign attached to the land and Mercury is prone to travel, so strolls around your kingdom are highly recommended, and even sojourns elsewhere, if you can convince yourself a “business venture” is the cause of the trip and not a pleasure cruise or vacation. Mercury, as we know from Virgo, can be a stickler for details, obsessive compulsive in nature, and in Capricorn this is about “the rules” or sticking to “the plan”. Both can be handy for continual upward motion of achievement, but try to watch for setting up strategies that are too rigid, as high tension flexibility is the future where as brick and mortar tends to be what composes the structures of the past. Capricorn is both history gazing and structure concerned, so there is an opportunity to play both if you keep your wits about you and don’t get caught up in the stacks of minutia.

January 26

As Mars moves from his domicile in Scorpio into Sagittarius he becomes restricted to dignity of one decan and one bound. Really not too bad, and perhaps a relief for many after his tear through Scorpio, which, probably thanks to Jupiter, has seemed largely about self-improvement. In Sagittarius he becomes less concerned with “cutting habits” and burning away tendencies and more into the philosophy of action and agenda. This aspect reminds me of Crowley, as Will plays a large role, and Crowley’s phalli/semen/seed oriented cultus which fits its worldview on everything it looks at (perhaps the very functionality of its magick) sees the world as “do what thou wilt is the whole of the law” sounds very Mars-Sagittarius; a world of opportunities, if you dare to grasp them, that may lead at lightening speeds to consciousness expanding and being transcending goals without even having to practicing permanent penances; instead of dedicating to the perpetual abstinences of eastern philosophies or more mystical occidental theology one just directs true will at divine alignments, as a Centaur aiming its arrow. The world of debacle, debate and argument, as well as a wake of scandal and unarguable influence of Crowley are also hallmarks of Mars in Sagittarius’ first face. So perhaps, let the whole of Crowleanity be the fable you reference in this time to weigh how you can use martial prowess to win fabulous fame and notoriety, with or without making an impossible mess out many lives.

Seemingly complimentarily, Venus progresses into middle Aquarius at this time. In Aquarius’ second face she is like the lover you only ever see occasionally by odd chance, at other times they remain a total mystery, a figment phantom, and perhaps don’t really exist. Even though you’ve been to her apartment you don’t know where it is and your memory of arriving there took you through strange and abstract steps whose convoluted sequence complimented the meta-decor and proto-functionality of her living spaces which were much more conceptual than comfortable, and exotic in a way you could barely put your finger on: like a massive library on a zip drive with monitors built into stations on the walls of the hallways and beside doors so you could read any title you could possibly think of on the fly in transition between rooms, but no books or bookshelves can be found anywhere.

Venus in Aquarius is aesthetic and chic on the outside; its conceptual and challenging; its not supposed to be comfortable its supposed to be provocative; its intellectual nature is what is elegant, its cultural fractalization that is sublime in its dispersing spell of logical stretching. More time may be spent trying to integrate the fringe-innovative-experimental with the regular and practical: like experimental wallets, innovative pockets, psychologically designed hold-tone music, mathematically perfect spice drawer organization— but these curated realities can drive us into separation, where only in defined hubs do we plug in. Aquarius is weird in its way, but its still Saturn’s turf. You have to think of a box to think outside of a box. Venus is certainly abstract and conceptual art to the max in every way you can think of, and especially the art that you only really think of and barely has a physical basis, or music which is purely a single tone with twenty pages of linear notes. Not to say it is strictly minimalist, only that it is challenging and unorthadox, but bridging the gap from the outer realms to the center, like La Monte Young’s Dream House in the heart of NYC. This is “science-y art”; in this age something trans-humanism or soft robotic, in a previous it might have been the futurists, fluxus, dada or discordians; T.A.Z. or T.O.P.Y.— but in their gallery and exhibition aspects rather than their obscure personal explorations. The second decan connects the fringe frontiers and exterior experiments back to the central space; with Mercury this looks like the science results listed in Harper’s findings, where with Venus this is what of the outsider zeitgeist is presented to the

bourgeoisie; what elements of the avant-garde funnel into the monoculture even if they are entirely unaware.

This is of course again Venus as art and aesthetic, as she rules what we are attracted to, what we are drawn to, find beautiful and where we derive pleasure. So she is also the planet of love and desire, conjugal, carnal and venereal affairs. Aquarian periods are marked by invention and experimentation. The advice that should follow into your bedrooms both obvious and by nature continually undefined.