On Monday July 15, while on a family trip to the Ardennes in Belgium, we decided to stop by the Remouchamps cave. This large formation is like an underground maze consisting of chambers placed on different levels/ floors, and human presence in that location dates to the Paleolithic period, about 8000 years ago. ​

Some of the majestic, melting-like rock formations reminded me of Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia:

Looking at the date’s astrological configuration, I chuckled when I saw that the Moon was in Scorpio - the sign of deep mysteries, which also happens to be the sign of my Ascendant, Moon and Saturn. In other words, I was having a Moon return, and Moon over my Saturn and Ascendant, in Scorpio.

​Scorpio is a feminine Water sign, ruled traditionally by a Masculine Fire planet, Mars - this is where its intense, sensitive, occult, investigative nature originates. The Moon being connected to our subjective consciousness and daily moods can be highly sensitive and with extreme highs and lows, when in this sign. The Moon also rules the past and memories, and in Scorpio it focuses very much inwardly, investigating those aspects of our psyche.

It is hard to put into words the exact sensation you have when you descend into the entrails of giant, otherworldly-looking rocks and touch the history of millions of years in forming. I can try to describe it by saying: exciting, intimidating, introspective… all attributes that can be related to Scorpio!

The cave was traversed by water which amazingly you could cross by boat. I found out afterwards that it is the longest navigable underground waterway in the world! The experience of waiting for the guide to pick us up by boat reminded me of Greek mythology and how souls were being crossed over to the Underworld via the river Styx. Again, the God of the Underworld in Greek mythology is Hades, which corresponds to the Roman Pluto, ruler of Scorpio in modern Western Astrology. The boat guide was embodying his role perfectly, as he was very quiet and respectful of the embedded silence of the cave.

If I were to choose a playing card to illustrate this visit, it would be the 8 of Hearts, delving into deep stillness, deep water, taking time to sort through deep emotions and memories.

This visit inspired me to create a card workshop exploring very old memories that randomly pop up and evoke a negative feeling. When we are reminded of those particular events and feel guilt, shame, betrayal, etc, our brain and body reacts as though we are in present physical danger. With the help of cards, we can identify the pattern, bring it to light and regulate our emotional response and move on with our lives.

You can find out more details about this workshop on my Courses page, it will take place for the first time ever on August 24 and very possibly it will be repeated in a few months.

And even if you can’t make it to the workshop, feel free to grab your playing card deck, think of an old memory that popped up recently, pull a card out of the deck and contemplate on what that could mean for you.

Here is a video about this topic:​

Today was a sad day for Paris, France, and the world historical patrimony in general. Around 18:50, a fire broke out at the Notre Dame cathedral, and mercilessly consumed the 800 year-old edifice.

I pulled up a chart for that exact moment in Paris, France.

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The Rising is Libra, and the Ascendant Lord, Venus is in the 6th house of enemies and wounds, but also the house of intelligently and diligently overcoming problems, especially with the friendly help from Mercury.

As you can see, the ‘cruel’ trio of Saturn, South Node and Pluto are gathered ever closer in Capricorn. Each of these three protagonists has a strong ending connotation.

Saturn is the last of the personal planets. It has a cold, austere, severe energy. Numerologically, it’s connected to 7, which in divination arts connects to ending and eliminating. Interestingly enough, the Cards of Truth system connects black 7s to the Falling Tower Major Arcana card. Saturn is the gatekeeper, the last of the planets in the sequence before the two nodes and the outer planets.

The South Node aka Ketu is connected to past luggage, be it previous existences or ancestral DNA. Ketu is the bottom half of the Nodal Dragon, the headless part that is focused inward. In Vedic Astrology, Ketu is linked to liberation, also because of lacking its top part where the worldly senses are placed. Numerologically, Ketu is connected to 9, the last of the single-digit numbers, and the last point before the mysterious outer planets. As part of the Nodal axis, Ketu always brings about fated events.

Pluto is the last of the outer planets, and it connects to the universal archetype of the Destroyer. This planet has the reputation of being the ultimate ego-basher. It actually bashed its own ego when it was demoted from being called a ‘planet’ to ‘dwarf planet’. In cardology, Pluto is connected to the mature and self-sacrificing King energy, and its purpose is to burn out what is not authentic, so that the True Self can rise from the ashes.

Now, that we rounded up the trio of planets that are currently within less than three degrees from eachother, let us reflect on the sign of Capricorn.

In Vedic astrology, Capricorn is depicted as a large aquatic creature, such as a crocodile. This shows the rigidity and resilience typical for this sign, as these reptiles are known to have kept their structure pretty much unchanged for tens of thousands of years. In ancient Egypt, crocodile staffs were adorned with crocodile heads, which denoted power and authority. Anatomically, Capricorn is linked to the hips, which contain the largest and strongest bone in the body, the femur. All these clues lead to the essence of this sign: rigidity, control, power. Jupiter, the joyously abundant Sattvic Brahmin planet, is Debilitated in Capricorn, perhaps because Natural Law cannot be institutionalized and subdued into formal structures. Saturn feels at home in Capricorn, as it is a hard-working and severe planet, in a very burden-bearing, serious sign.

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So now we get a clearer picture of the worldly event reflected on the astral plane. A very old structure, also a symbol of institutionalised faith, is consumed by flames while three ending-connotation planets are closely joining. If we look at the chart elected for the time fire started, we see the trio in the hidden 4th house of home, emotional tranquility, and also art. This 4th house is undergoing major purification catalysed by this catastrophic event, met with painful tears by the collective.

We can also see the three planets in fire signs - the Sun exalted in the 7th, a death-inflicting house, trines Jupiter in its own sign in the 3rd house of courage and efforts. These two Sattvic, inspired planets are creating a harmonious aspect via their signs- Aries, first of the fire signs, the adventurous pioneer, and Sagittarius, the last of the fire signs, seasoned and belief-oriented warrior. Venus is exalted in Pisces, squaring Jupiter - so there is spark-causing tension between these two devoted teacher planets.

However, Jupiter is the lord of Venus and is also Rasi aspecting it, thus double-manifesting it. And since Venus is joined by the other manifesting planet, Mercury, Venus is triple-manifested, and exalted. So it seems like a good time to surrender to the divine love. The healing is completed by the Moon in Virgo in the 12th house of spiritual places. Jaimini Astrology teaches us that all dual signs aspect each other, and here we see all dual signs populated by planets - besides Jupiter in Sagittarius, Venus and Mercury in Pisces and the Moon in Virgo, we have Mars, the fire starter, in Gemini and the 9th house pertaining to spirituality, and religion. Mars is not the most comfortable in Gemini, where it often creates conflict for conflict’s sake, like a game (the lord of Gemini is playful Mercury), but at this moment Mars is powered by receiving a lot of manifesting influence from Jupiter and Mercury.

So we can see how this situation shapes itself. The fiery planet Mars is in the mood to experiment with the 9th house of one's culture, tradition, beliefs, religion. Mars is the lord of the 2nd and 7th, both Maraka (death-inflicting) houses. And Mars is being supported by the manifesting influences of Jupiter and Mercury. And let's not forget the heavy ending-trio purifying Capricorn in the 4th! Notre-Dame refers to the Divine Mother, and this though situation has the soothing promise of the two gentle, feminine, watery planets: exalted Venus in Pisces and healing Moon in Virgo, the latter of which is applying to Mars, the fire-starter.

The collective was in for a shock, but the open wound is also very receptive to healing.

Now, some extra insights from the Cards of Truth:

Today is a 6 of Diamonds day. 6 has the energy of Venus, the psychic, diplomatic and healing planet, and the 6 of Diamonds is considered to be one of the most intuitive cards. Venus is one of the feminine planets, invoking the Notre-Dame, Divine Mother energy. 

The Ecliptic of that day was also a fiery 3 of Spades, the fire expanding, reaching, wanting to prove itself. 

We can see that when the fire started, at 18:50, the 8 of Spades was running. Spades are connected to the Fire element, we have there the Moon and Mars joined by a same-lordship conjunction, as well as the 9th cusp of traditions and religions, and the 12th cusp of places of worship, but also losing oneself. The 8 of Spades reflects the energy of the fire being confined inwards, an energy of stillness, which can negatively create frustration, and positively create opportunity for meditation and introspection, self-validation. We notice that this card is connected, via Moon and Mars, to the two 10s, of material and spiritual rewards. The 10 of Hearts Moon has Rahu in Cancer, linking to the 5 of Hearts, emotional crisis, emotional change, improvement of feeling, which the collective is experiencing.

It's also important to point out the Ascendant, which is joined by Uranus and the 8th cusp of hidden, inner battles and transformation, in the Ace of Diamonds- a new, concrete beginning, and connected to the Uranus Card, the surrender to divine love of the 9 of Hearts.

They say the part where a bone breaks becomes its strongest part when it heals, and this fire ignited a willingness to surrender and reflect on the deeper and transformative meaning of this painful historical event. 


You can check out this information in video form on my YouTube channel: