I found this to be one of the most informative posts that I have seen in a long time. Thanks for the effort and scholarship that you manifest here. Keep up the great work.
So interesting. I can really feel it. Looked at my solar return yesterday for 2026 and Venus is conjunct my ascendant at 5 degrees. 2026 is going to be a great year.
Wow! For a long time I’ve been feeling depressed, alone etc. my natal return chart July 2025 put my sun in H1 with Leo rising, so I figured it was that. However natally I have Gemini rising with Mercury in Gemini on ASC and Gemini 12H moon, and I believe too Mercury won’t be seen much in the sky either for a while?. This describes what I feel like I’ve been going through to a tee.
in response to this i will not be initiating anything until march. goodbye lover ( leaves in two day after two years) and hello hermit mode once more. see yall after we are are reborn
I love your spirit, but youve also reminded me that I forgot the usual disclaimer that its always good to remember its a process, and its not necessarily linear...
that said, I noticed today that the last 3 and next 4 new moons are all in 28 or 29 degrees
so yeah, theres another shift coming in springtime
I so appreciate your insight, the alchemical references, and the tracking of the dates/phases so we can work with this cosmic transition.
To enter into the underworld/darkness willingly is great advice, though most of us end up being dragged in there kicking + screaming overwhelmed with fear or “learned helplessness”. Yet with Mars exalted in Capricorn, perhaps more of us will be imbued with the courage of Mars to never back down.
1994 was a big year for me with the bigger cycles at play, including a NDE bestowed upon me via the Saturn opposition, but looking at your chart, i realised it likely also coincided with the emergence after the conjoining of Mars+Venus in the Underworld. Lots to think about.
Finally a succinct manual for how to truly navigate and work WITH this rare opportunity/cycle. Thank you from The Heart, Gary. Boundless Blessings 🌟🙏🏼🌟
Curious - if we're in the midst of the Mercury Rubedo, entering the Mars-Venus Negredo, are these different phases overlapping, but with different qualities and themes? Any insights from experience on fully participating with multiple phases simultaneously?
Yes, for instance the making of beer. We must first perform the 4 season alchemy of growing the barley, the seed of which represents the rubedo of that cycle
THEN we must surrender the fruits of the work, back to the process of the work. We must roast the barley and sprout it. Then grind it up and cook it -before finally adding yeast to induce a ferment -via which the sugars in the barley malt get converted to alcohol and CO2
So, in your example -the most hopeful sitchay is that in the Rubedo phase of Mercury we may be harvesting something AND it may be that we need to sacrifice that growth in order to keep growing
OR, there could be another alchemical process kicking off in another area of life and its simply time to shut down one operation in our laboratory and turn our attention to the new one
Thanks for such an awesome answer. I can see the potential for this in my own process.
Will be contemplating this with anticipation and gratitude over the rare, yet very synchronistic, Friday night beer I had open when receiving your response :)
Thank you so much, Gary, this explains how I’m feeling! I have Venus conjoined Mars in Scorpio rising Nataly. I’m triggered but I forgot this can be a good thing, thank you for the reminder!
I found this to be one of the most informative posts that I have seen in a long time. Thanks for the effort and scholarship that you manifest here. Keep up the great work.
Thank you! and you're welcome! and you bet!
it's sponsors like you that make this a space worth tending to <3
So interesting. I can really feel it. Looked at my solar return yesterday for 2026 and Venus is conjunct my ascendant at 5 degrees. 2026 is going to be a great year.
Woohoo! Let's alchemize some Devils into Stars!!!
I have natal venus opposite pluto...it's almost my job!
yes!! (done that with so many boyfriends already 😂)
LOLOLOL
Wow! For a long time I’ve been feeling depressed, alone etc. my natal return chart July 2025 put my sun in H1 with Leo rising, so I figured it was that. However natally I have Gemini rising with Mercury in Gemini on ASC and Gemini 12H moon, and I believe too Mercury won’t be seen much in the sky either for a while?. This describes what I feel like I’ve been going through to a tee.
in response to this i will not be initiating anything until march. goodbye lover ( leaves in two day after two years) and hello hermit mode once more. see yall after we are are reborn
I love your spirit, but youve also reminded me that I forgot the usual disclaimer that its always good to remember its a process, and its not necessarily linear...
that said, I noticed today that the last 3 and next 4 new moons are all in 28 or 29 degrees
so yeah, theres another shift coming in springtime
Brilliant piece of writing. The Cobain 1994 transit was singular to me as I am about two weeks younger than him. Some key natal chart shifts.
thank you sir! I'm born only a year later, so yeah, it was a formative era -to say the least.
Thank you, Gary, for sharing your wisdom.
It is good here. 🧘🏽♀️
you're welcome :-) -thanks for stopping by
I so appreciate your insight, the alchemical references, and the tracking of the dates/phases so we can work with this cosmic transition.
To enter into the underworld/darkness willingly is great advice, though most of us end up being dragged in there kicking + screaming overwhelmed with fear or “learned helplessness”. Yet with Mars exalted in Capricorn, perhaps more of us will be imbued with the courage of Mars to never back down.
1994 was a big year for me with the bigger cycles at play, including a NDE bestowed upon me via the Saturn opposition, but looking at your chart, i realised it likely also coincided with the emergence after the conjoining of Mars+Venus in the Underworld. Lots to think about.
Thank you for your wisdom.
you're welcome :-) thank you for greeting it with same <3
Finally a succinct manual for how to truly navigate and work WITH this rare opportunity/cycle. Thank you from The Heart, Gary. Boundless Blessings 🌟🙏🏼🌟
You're welcome! :-D and thank you! <3
Amazing as always! Thank you!
And the Double Devil's Cazimi exactly opposite Jupiter, just for good(?) measure!
Another great post, thanks Gary!
Curious - if we're in the midst of the Mercury Rubedo, entering the Mars-Venus Negredo, are these different phases overlapping, but with different qualities and themes? Any insights from experience on fully participating with multiple phases simultaneously?
Great question Aaron!
Yes, for instance the making of beer. We must first perform the 4 season alchemy of growing the barley, the seed of which represents the rubedo of that cycle
THEN we must surrender the fruits of the work, back to the process of the work. We must roast the barley and sprout it. Then grind it up and cook it -before finally adding yeast to induce a ferment -via which the sugars in the barley malt get converted to alcohol and CO2
So, in your example -the most hopeful sitchay is that in the Rubedo phase of Mercury we may be harvesting something AND it may be that we need to sacrifice that growth in order to keep growing
OR, there could be another alchemical process kicking off in another area of life and its simply time to shut down one operation in our laboratory and turn our attention to the new one
it could go either way
Thanks for such an awesome answer. I can see the potential for this in my own process.
Will be contemplating this with anticipation and gratitude over the rare, yet very synchronistic, Friday night beer I had open when receiving your response :)
Sweet! I'm happy one of us is imbibing. Enjoy! :-D
I'm on Zero soda until I get a lil weight off (Nigredo time!)
ps I'm pretty sure learning to brew my own beer in college is at least part of why/how I became a Hermeticist ;-)
Thank you so much, Gary, this explains how I’m feeling! I have Venus conjoined Mars in Scorpio rising Nataly. I’m triggered but I forgot this can be a good thing, thank you for the reminder!
Oh jeez, I remembered to put a trigger warning on my Mercury note but not on this one!
But seriously, YES -it can totally become a good thing. I LOVE that quote from Rosarium:
"When your matter becomes black, REJOICE! for this is the beginning of the work!"