Prompted by the recent new moon in Virgo occurring last Sunday (which was conjunct my list-making & technique obsessed Mars), I have set a new project in motion: to track planetary antiscia. As I simultaneously write up the list of monthly antiscia for the Washington State Astrological Association blog, I thought it could be useful and possibly entertaining to provide a little more info here.

If you would like to read a very thorough description of antiscia, I recommend Deborah Houlding's article. But simply put: antiscia are reflections like shadow points arranged symmetrically around the Cardinal axis. The Cardinal axis is made up of the zero degree point of each of the four Cardinal signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. These points mark the summer and winter solstice and the spring and fall equinox. Because these are reflections around the Cardinal axis - the points of the turning of the seasons - and all living things are dependent on and interacting with the seasonal shifts - it's an axis or point we all share. And so, planets in antiscia are thought to be felt by all.

In addition to the list, I will periodically delineate planetary pairs, speculating what particular planets in combination might bring about. But even without my delineations you can use this list by considering what the two planets in connection mean. For instance, what does Venus with Saturn represent? Love, beauty and affection - meets a need for structure, discipline and practicality. Saturn cools Venus down. How might this play out in world events or for us personally? Is it time to consider getting more serious about something we love, make a stronger commitment? Or is it indicative of a cooling off period, a time to separate and say goodbye to something we had previously been attached to? How much do we need? What's really important? If Venus wants to create something of beauty Saturn typically prefers it can be used in a practical way or has real world merit.

You can work proactively with these daily combinations - not only can it be a good way to harness the energy, but it can be a great way to learn (both about astrology and life in general).

Below is the list of antiscia for September:

1st, 2nd - Venus|Saturn

2nd – Sun|Mars *

5th, 6th, 7th – Sun|Saturn

10th – Venus|Pluto *

11th, 12th - Venus|Uranus

11th – Mercury|Mars *

14th – Venus

15th – Mars|Chiron *

16th – Mercury|Saturn

17th, 18th - Sun|Pluto *

18th – Sun|Venus

19th, 20th, 21st – Sun|Uranus

20th, 21st – Mars|Neptune *

20th, 21st - Mercury|Venus

22nd – Mercury|Pluto *

22nd, 23rd – Sun

23rd, 24th - Mercury|Uranus

24th – Venus|Node *

24th – Sun|Mercury

25th – Mercury

Bold dates indicate when planetary combinations are strongest. The dates with an asterisk* are combinations that fall symmetrically around the 15 degree Fixed point (more easily visible on the 90 degree dial). Planets listed alone are those coming to 0 degrees Cardinal, or 15 Fixed, so their planetary meaning takes on heightened importance for the day.

Here is the chart for the first antiscia of the month, Venus|Saturn: