Astrology – Page 2

Elemental Truths – Part One – Fire!

February 26, 2025August 21, 2025 by marlowpurvesnet, posted in Astrology, Astrology Classes, Astrology Readings, Spiritual Astrology

Astrology… there are SO many facets to it. No longer do we identify ourselves solely by our Sun Sign (corresponding to the time of year we are born). In the past few years there has been a dramatic upswing in the interest in astrology, fuelled by social media and online astrologers. This is all ‘perfectly on point’, as we have been moving, incrementally into the Age of Aquarius (no longer just a song from the swinging 60’s!) and Aquarius IS the sign of Astrology!! This is the year when we have, at last, tipped into Aquarius fully, without a backward glance.

So… you know your Sun sign, all well and good to recognise the characteristics that are typically associated… Taurus is stubborn/loyal, Cancer is sensitive/emotional, Virgo is particular/fussy. Incomplete generalisations that lead to a skewed sense of simplicity.

If you dive into the subject, seeking a nuanced understanding one of the ‘organising principles’ that emerge, we discover the Elements. When we think of the Elements we are talking about the basic building blocks of life, these are abstract principles that inform our expression as human beings. There are four elements represented in Astrology… FIRE, EARTH, AIR and WATER. These primary forces inform our experience on many complex levels and reveal a subtle face to what we understand as The Signs. Each of the twelve signs are divided between the four elements and provide us with an expanded and developed understanding of the unique characters associated with the element.

FIRE – what do we know? FIRE is inherently Yang, it’s going to capture your attention! Radiant, warming, inspiring, comforting, action-oriented, passionate, creative, innocent, child-like, generative, scorching, raging, burnishing. These are common qualities of Fire signs. HOWEVER… there are distinctive characters in this box of matches!

STYLES OF FIRE – Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius

ARIES, is first out of the blocks… always. Headstrong, lusty, BURSTING with Life, Spring anyone? As the first of the Signs of the zodiac and it is the PERFECT demonstration of I’M FIRST! and READY or NOT! No surprises that the dates for Aries coincide with Spring Equinox (in the Northern hemisphere). We have been carefully schooled to think of December 31 as the beginning of the new cycle, when in truth, the beginning of the new year is March 21. I certainly feel as though the first couple of months of the year are like an ending of sorts, the shorter days, colder temperatures, time to withdraw and rest.

Aries is the epitome of leap first, look later… rushing headlong into the new, to discover what is and what isn’t – in a very direct way. Sometimes thought of as brash, The Ram is forthright but NOT calculating- PASSION and excitement, an adrenalin rush all in one packet. If you see one coming, either get out of the way or put on your running shoes to follow in their wake.

LEO, the second of the fire signs is a TOTALLY different kind of cat. Much of the warmth of Leo is radiant, bright, enthusiastic and cheerful. Just as the Sun is the star in the centre of our galaxy, so is Leo the centre of the story, the world gravitates and surrounds the life-giving Lion. And so we have a fixed expression of fire, it resides in its place, welcoming those who draw near. Sharing, benevolent, generous and encouraging. Majestic and regal, you may find yourself wanting to take your place at their feet.

Just as the ego is the lens though which our personality is projected, if it is neglected or humiliated or ignored Leo can display an inflated sense of self and be demanding, churlish and dramatic or, just as worryingly, a diminished sense of self-worth…anxious, unconfident, flat and unengaged.

When the Beatles wrote, ‘All You Need is Love’… they were singing Leo’s song.

SAGITTARIUS, if Aries is first out of the blocks rushing headlong into the next adventure and Leo is steady, is occupying the centre of the universe, the third of the fire signs is on the run, aiming his arrow to the next frontier. But with Sagittarius, make no mistake, THERE IS NO FINAL FRONTIER… The Quest is the whole story. Searching, seeking, exploring, questioning ALWAYS expanding into the next step, pushing the boundaries. This is so beautifully summed up by the child’s eternal and exhausting question WHY?

Restlessness is Sagittarius’ M-O. Always on to the next… freedom loving, philosophising, expect BIG, dreams, visions, ideas… Sagittarius also includes a healthy dollop of intuition and ENTHUSIASM writ large. Because the quest is so compelling, there can be a woeful lack of awareness for mundane matters, commitments or the feelings of others. IMPULSIVE and occasionally outspoken to the point of crudeness, the half man/half horse sometimes succumbs to his animal nature and speaks before he thinks. The bluntness of delivery is seldom intended to offend but can ruffle feathers and feelings nonetheless in his relentless pursuit of the TRUTH.

So… FIRE?! It can burn, sizzle, warm and inspire… Draw near and be advised that it will never be boring! Fire is ALWAYS aspiring, moving up and reaching… raising our gaze and inviting us to ‘Up our game’.

Offerings for Autumn

July 30, 2018 by marlowpurvesnet, posted in Astrology, Astrology Classes, Spiritual Astrology, Uncategorized

Stardust_artwork_Jul_2018The new season is upon us, and I will be offering We Are Stardust: An Introduction to Astrology series again. The last cycles of classes have yielded a growing interest in how to apply and further our understanding of astrology and to this end, there is a second series brewing that will take us beyond the basics. Come and explore the outer reaches of the solar system and see how it speaks to the inner reaches of your psyche and experience!

The classes are interactive and you are invited to share your experience and reflections.

They’re Here! They’re Here!

November 30, 2017 by marlowpurvesnet, posted in Astrology, Astrology Gift Certificates, Astrology Readings, Cambridge, Spiritual Astrology, Uncategorized

I’m delighted to announce that my Astrology Reading Gift Certificates have arrived! It never rains but it pours and dates and classes are rolling into view for the new year.

Uncertain times can leave us feeling a little wobbly… unsure about what comes next and how we can best rise to the challenges on the horizon. Often a chart reading can help us re-member our essential nature, where our talents lie and how to make the best of them. A new year often prompts us to reflect on what has been and speculate about what lies before us. While a reading does not predict or control the future, it can give us a unique glimpse into the energies at play and how best to navigate them. Tricky times are part of life, being reminded of the significance and value of them in a larger context can make it easier to move through them without collapsing into despair or fear. Cycles within cycles, endlessly re-inventing ourselves, opportunities to resolve old patterns and wounds, our unique birth chart offers a remarkable vantage point, enabling us to feel as though we can orient ourselves with the flow of life and to make the most of the life’s opportunities.

Gift certificates can be given and redeemed whenever the time feels right. An hour-long reading includes a copy of your birth chart and are available in person or by skype. Contact me at: info@marlowpurves.net for more details.

Spring Equinox and The Solar Eclipse

March 20, 2015 by marlowpurvesnet, posted in Astrology, Creating Ceremony, Spiritual Astrology, Spiritual Awakening, Uncategorized

In the words of Bob Dylan… “I feel like I’ve been through a kind of thing, man”

As ever, the poet is succinct and on task. These past few weeks have been FULL of an un-precedented amount of clearing; letting go of old and out-worn identities, habits, relationships – you name it! Lots of colds and flu’s cropping up, landing us in the no-man’s land of lurghie as our bodies re-tune to the change in season and energies which have been heralded by the conclusion of the seven-part out-playing of Pluto square Uranus over the past three years. So much has been revealed!

Here we are poised on the very brink of a whole new ‘thing’.

Tomorrow is Spring Equinox and is a particularly unusual one as it coincides with a Solar eclipse.

The astrology is important as it points us in a direction that will piggy-back on the energies of this time.

I’m going to speak to these two phenomena separately, with the understanding that nothing happens in isolation and so are inextricably linked with one another.

The Spring Equinox occurs at 0 degrees Aries, every year, without fail. This year it falls on March 20 at 10:45pm GMT. The equinox is when we enjoy the experience of perfect balance, equal day and equal night. It is an invitation to find balance, peace and to mark the crossing of a threshold into new life, growth and development. We are emerging from the primordial soup and collective unconscious of Pisces into a self-actualizing, focused, goal-orientated Aries expression.

Typically in our celebration of the wheel of the year we pause and acknowledge the shift in energy.
So, we’ll pause now and prepare to take ACTION. Actions that typify this festival are cleansing and clearing, not ‘just’ through reflection and metaphorically, but also physically. This is the time for a Spring Clean, time to open the cupboards and take everything out; review it. Has our food, our sustenance literally passed it’s ‘USE BY’ date?! Are these clothes still an accurate expression of who we are now? Is that project, long forgotten at the back of the shed, still relevant?

Emerging from Pisces and the watery, mystical world of creativity and illusion is always a bit of a shock. Nature is burgeoning and we are feeling the pull of longer days, warmer winds. Our noses are drawn inexorably above the parapet! It’s been a brutal winter, in some ways, such a lot of turbulence and the heaviness of the winter months has weighed us down. Time for a good clear out! Rousing us from a dream-time, our bodies may be feeling a little achy, unused to movement and the on-rush of sap. When ‘cleanses’ are embarked upon, fasting aids in the re-tuning of our digestive systems and enables us to process the new life force, on all levels. It’s a perfect opportunity to re-assess ourselves, our lives and our vision for the coming year.

The actions that take place at this time of year are not limited to clearing and cleansing though, this is also a time to avail ourselves of the yielding earth and to plant seeds in anticipation of a harvest at the Autumn Equinox.

What seeds will we plant? What have the past months of dark, quiet, dream-time brought forth to be transformed into matter? What have you dreamt of?

Inevitably, when I prepare to celebrate the Turn of the Wheel, I discover something that I have never considered before. My revelation for this Equinox is about the God, Mars. Associated with March (natch!) and war; strife, blood shed, anger and force. I’ve never chosen to invest too much energy with this deity. Lately, I’ve been challenged to really get to grips with the value of this ‘killing machine’. I have discovered however, that though I always thought of Ares (Greek) and Mars (Roman) were interchangeable, it emerges that they were slightly different, in motivation, if not expression. Ares is, in fact, a God of War and fulfills the profile of war-monger and brute. Mars, on the other hand, was originally an agricultural God who rose to prominence ‘in defence’ of his dominion, land, crops and community. I am splitting hairs, but it occurs to me that there is a very different quality to this expression.

So, how do we harness the energy of Mars; sheer, passionate force dedicated to protection and preservation of that which sustains us? When I ask this question I can see how we could immediately be drawn into a border skirmish resulting in the kinds of wars that are waged over resources and territory. For the purposes of this Equinox, I invite you to re-imagine an expanded version of what ‘sustains us’ and by that I mean our environment, nature, the planet or (an aspect of) The Goddess. Delicate, vibrant, nourishing, beautiful and powerful, our planet, as an embodied expression of the Goddess, is calling forth her consort, Mars, to battle those forces that would decimate her, to restore balance. It is only through the dynamic inter-action of the feminine and masculine that new life can be created and sustained.

A super-charged opportunity to manifest presents itself and looms large in our energetic and cosmological field at the moment. It is the Solar Eclipse combined with a New Moon in Pisces. This ‘event’ will take place at 9:36am GMT. It will be visible in parts of northern Europe.

A New Moon is associated with new beginnings and the seeding of intentions for growth and development, when it is found in Pisces it usually has an artistic or spiritual flavour. Meditations on what it is that we are wanting to ‘grow’ and harvest at the full moon (in two weeks time) are a powerful way to set our internal compasses in the direction of manifestation. When the sun is in Pisces and is eclipsed by the moon there is also a very strong emphasis on service (an attribute of Virgo), as in service to ‘the other’. Eclipses involve the occultation of the sun and as such have a longer journey to make to reach it’s optimal state. The essence of this occurrence is that we have the usual effect of seeding new projects/intentions but, energized and extended in significance AND in time of ripening. |The Piscean influence will be felt as spiritual and faith-based ventures will emerge.

Take time to ‘tune in’ to your quiet self, be mindful of what you wish for and be prepared to ACT on it in order to yield an abundant harvest!

Blessed Equinox and Eclipse Everyone!

Fair Harvest – Just Desserts

September 19, 2014September 19, 2014 by marlowpurvesnet, posted in Astrology, Creating Ceremony, Creating Ritual, Intuitive Healing, Practical healing meditation, Spiritual Astrology, Uncategorized

And so the Wheel turns and we approach Mabon, Autumn Equinox and the second of the harvest festivals in the year. It is the sacrifice of the animal, just as Lammas marks the harvest of the vegetative God, here we are confronted with the hard decisions that need to be made in terms of the herd…the old, the sick, the weak must be separated out and killed so that the community can eat, so that precious resources are not used to feed and maintain that which is not strong. It can be a ruthless sort of selection, one that is familiar for the Goddess. There is grief here too, for all that was sown and did not thrive. Seeds must be selected and saved, guarded carefully to ensure another year’s fruit. It is time now for reflection upon the harvest of our dreams and plans, winnowing of experience and savouring the blessings; mourning the losses.

Mabon is celebrated when the Sun moves to 0° Libra, like Spring Equinox, it is a balance point of the year. For the past month, Virgo has been transited and now we approach the changing time between very different energies: Virgo with it’s discerning, discriminating, critical and preparatory nature moving into Libra’s balance, accentuating harmony, appreciation of beauty, an emphasis on relating and the ‘other’.

‘Fair’ and ‘Just’ are words that are inherently Libran. Ruled by Venus, the Goddess of Beauty and of Love we can understand ‘fair’ in it’s context of balance, symmetry and harmony. Libra’s symbols are the Scales…the Scales of Justice, where every thing, act, and thought is weighed in relation to the ‘other’ and balance is demanded.

This moment between Virgo’s harvest and Libra’s balancing act is ruled by the element of water, a reflective element. It is also an element that is essentially always seeking its own balance. Water’s reflective quality offers us a mirror, to see our beauty and also to see ourselves as we are. This ‘still point’ offers us a bit of a reality-check, an opportunity to see what actions need to be taken to bring about balance and rectification, the active principles of Libra that will prepare us more fully for the descent into the dark part of the year.

The caution is that we don’t over-indulge in the newly realized wealth of the harvest, that we guard against collapsing ourselves into the warmth and moistness of the golden days of the season. These ‘Indian Summers’ can lull us into a kind of sleepy forgetfulness. Beauty, harmony and appreciation of the receptivity of the feminine can invite a certain indolence. Now we are bidden to move from the somewhat austere measures of Virgo to create a new-found sense of balance in our lives. There is so much beauty, such bounty, fair dues.

The Equinoxes and Solstices are magical moments that are out of time, a bridge between two seasons.

Peer into the water and take time to celebrate. Blessed Mabon!