paul valéry for the signs

Aries: “Power without abuse loses its charm.”
Taurus: “The definition of beauty is what despairs.“
Gemini: “That which has always been accepted by everyone, everywhere, is almost certain to be false.”
Cancer: “The universe is a flaw in the purity of non-being.”
Leo: “What soul would hesitate to turn the universe upside down in order to be a little more itself?
Virgo: “Politeness is organized indifference.”
Libra: “My soul is nothing now but the dream dreamt by matter struggling with itself!”
Scorpio: “To enter into your own mind you need to be armed to the teeth.”
Sagittarius:
“As for the world, all reality has no other excuse for existence except
to offer the poet the chance to play a sublime match against it – a
match that is list in advance.”
Capricorn: “Consciousness reigns, but does not rule.”
Aquarius: “Our most important thoughts are those that contradict our emotions.”
Pisces:
“Follow the path of your aroused thought, and you will soon meet this
infernal inscription: There is nothing so beautiful as that which does
not exist.”

Unhealthy Moons

Aries: The Aries moon has a
lot of conditioning to do. Aries is like a child that needs to be
constantly reassured and nurtured. Unhealthy Aries moon lacks
emotionally maturity. They tend to be agitated, confrontational and also
very vulnerable. They have an “angry” cry. Unhealthy Aries moon doesn’t
see the importance of active listening, they completely disregard the
other person’s feelings. They can also make themselves seem like a
victim—again going back to that “child” complex. Struggles with identity
are also highlighted

Taurus: Unhealthy Taurus moons have very BAD coping
mechanisms. Keyword is indulgence but over indulgence. You tend to have
an abundance of what’s not good for you. This can be alcohol, food, sex,
compulsive buying, drugs, etc. They also are pessimistic. They can’t
see a good and does absolutely nothing to change it. They just sit and
let the fire just burn them. Unmotivated to do anything but also can get
heavily attached to their “values” whether it’s people or again, their
mechanisms etc. The biggest indication of an unhealthy Taurus moon is
their lack of wanting to create or curate art. This sign is very in
touch with expressing and spreading creativity. When that is hindered,
they feel less of value. They tend to demonstrate poor budgeting skills
and will become unresponsive to their environment

Gemini: Unhealthy Gemini moon is a bit tricky. Again
mutable moons are usually very adjustable. But an unhealthy Gemini moon
is one that is too sporadic that it’s hard to comprehend their needs.
They can be very isolated which causes even further agitation. Also,
they are constantly stressed. Unhealthy Gemini moons are very insecure
when it comes to their worth and the validity of their ideas. On the
other extreme, a Gemini moon may be too “happy” (happy isn’t the best
word but close enough) that they just do things without thinking.
Spending way too much money or just being out of touch with reality.
This can hinder their rationality skills.

Cancer: Unhealthy cancer moon lacks balance. They can
almost be “stuck” in the past and refuse to push forward. They
constantly victimize themselves and has a poor ability to communicate
with their partner or those around them. Hindrance in creativity is also
noted.  They find too much refuge in the home so they can be a “failure
to launch.” Overabundance in comfort can be manifested into lethargic
behavior. Unbalanced emotions also can lead to outbursts and saying
things they don’t mean.

Leo: Unhealthy leo moon lacks the intuition and drive
to create. They are unsure of their talents, can be very needy and latch
onto people. Constantly needs reassurance that it can drive them into a
state of inactivity and lack of worth.They can make things about
themselves than those around them. There is a sense of disregarding
other people’s needs and all around being unrealistic and having
unrealistic expectations. There is also an “obsession” with how you
look. You want to please people TOO MUCH that you lose who you are in
the long scheme of things.

Virgo: Mercury dignities in the moon placement is
always a call for self destruction. Unhealthy Virgo moon lacks the
ability to comprehend their emotions which manifests into anxiety and
frustration. Also, poor structure and low self esteem. You will rely too
much on organization that it only stresses you out further. Unhealthy
Virgo moons don’t know how to phrase how they feel to others and will
feel that it is a lost cause. Poor self care methods = bad health. Can
have constant stomach aches.

Libra:  An unhealthy libra moon really struggles
forming authentic and proper partnerships. They can be really self
deprecating, they may even do this to get sympathy from others. They
thrive on pleasing their mothers specifically despite a strained
relationship. They can get very stress induced when the ppl they try to
please dont reciprocate. by return, they can act shallow and disregard
others. on another flip, they can be very stagnant and use ppl for their
own gain, their own pleasure, their own need for having ppl around them
(libra moons NEED partnerships). They can lament about relationships
when tbh half the time they are ones at fault–almost like a self
sabotage.

Scorpio: Unhealthy Scorpio moons can be a bit selfish.
They need others to comfort them but will simultaneously push them away.
They might be too paranoid to open up to others bc of the fear of being
incriminated or manipulated. They, too, lack emotional maturity. Their
wounds may be too deep for others to understand so they just sit, mope
around and wait for death. Sounds over dramatic but that’s exactly what
an unhealthy Scorpio tends to operate or act. Again, they disregard
people’s needs and may victimize themselves too much. Worst thing of
all, they may not even realize it. They can be repulsive, pessimistic
and lonely.

Sagittarius: Unhealthy Sagittarius moon can be very
resistant and almost stubborn to understanding other people’s
perspectives. they feel they are the most correct and like other people
said, unhealthy sag moons can be TOO dogmatic. They like to be “free”
and this idealization of freedom can get in the way of reality and being
practical. they always fight for their own cause without being
realistic about it. unhealthy sag moon can evolve into extremist
behavior. Since they are fire, they may use “force” to voice their
beliefs and make them become widely accepted. too much independence and
self centrism can make it difficult for connections to flourish.

Capricorn: Unhealthy Capricorn moons are scared. they
can be really isolated but on the lowest of keys, thrive for some
emotional comfort and security. believe or not they can have outbursts
and show anger/frustration. i mean how can they not when they feel
“lost” in the world. They may not be in control and that can terrify a
cap moon. Not being in control means no framework holding them together.
“just going with it” scares a cap moon and this can turn into bad
behavior, reliance on substances etc. Like we will see in an aqua moon,
unhealthy cap moons may despise and get frustrated by feeling “small” in
the world. They can be heavily pessimistic and do nothing to change it.
Capricorn is the architect–when they no longer want to build or create,
they have hit rock bottom. They may feel like they have nothing left to
“fight” or strive towards. They can ruin their connections with others
bc of frustration. Again, very self deprecating and rather be left alone
despite NEEDING guidance

Aquarius: Unhealthy Aquarius moons are said to be “very
detached” but that is not entirely true. They actually become too
chaotic. They can become too extreme, completely disregard ppl’s
feelings, and may even act out to get ppl to care about them and what
they stand for–to see how integral they are in the world. When air moons
get going they REALLY get going. Again, aqua is air so there is nothing
keeping them stable. their emotions can be so consuming that eventually
it makes them NUMB. They can get lost easily, lose sense of purpose and
destroy all their connections. Unhealthy aqua moon will drop everything
and just immerse themselves in the fucking woods tbh. They will lack
worth, lose common sense and completely shut down. there is no longer
clarity.

Pisces: Unhealthy Pisces moon lose their agency. They
can get too raveled by how other people feel. they will feel like a lost
cause; extreme loneliness and they will lose all sense of wanting to
create and heal others. Unhealthy pisces moon might get attached to
substances or anything that can take them to a different realm. they
will lack clarity which can get them or others hurt. also, they can get
very tensed, easily strung up and may not even be able to make sense of
it. As a last resort, unhealthy pisces moon will look for some type of
salvation; look for some type of spirituality that can be offered by
people who have bad intentions. The unhealthy pisces moon can eat their
souls away.

Writers with your Venus Sign.

 
• Aries Venus: “There is no greater glory than to die for love.” – Gabriel García Márquez , Love in the Time of Cholera.

• Taurus Venus: “To be together again, after so long,
who love the sunny wind, the windy sun, in the sun, in the wind, that is
perhaps something, perhaps something.”- Samuel Beckett, Watt.

• Gemini Venus: “In black ink my love may still shine bright.”- William Shakespeare, Shakespeare’s Sonnets.

• Cancer Venus: “The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.”- Ernest Hemingway, Men Without Women.

• Leo Venus: “Seize the moments of happiness, love and be loved! That is the only reality in the world, all else is folly.”- Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace.

• Virgo Venus: “My heart is wax molded as she pleases, but enduring as marble to retain.”- Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, La Gitanilla El Amante Liberal (Novelas Ejemplares, Obra Completa 6).

• Libra Venus: “The very essence of romance is uncertainty.”- Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays.

• Scorpio Venus: “The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!”- Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility.

• Sagittarius Venus: “I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.”- Rudyard Kipling, The Cat That Walked by Himself: And Other Stories.

• Capricorn Venus: “What is hell? I maintain that it is the suffering of being unable to love.”- Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov.

• Aquarius Venus: “To be left alone is the most precious thing one can ask of the modern world.”- Anthony Burgess, Homage To Qwert Yuiop: Essays.

• Pisces Venus: “Years of love have been forgot, In the hatred of a minute.”-Edgar Allan Poe, The Complete Stories and Poems.

the signs as real witches

Aries: Agnes Waterhouse/ Had a deal with the Devil and wasn’t afraid to say so. The Brave witch.
Taurus: Joan Wytte/ Clairvoyant and healer who eventually became possessed by the Devil, getting involved in many fights.
Gemini: Marie Laveau/ Voodoo Queen. Performed necromancy, mind control, telekinesis and pinning.
Cancer: Chedipe/ Witch-vampire who rode on tigers in the moonlight, choosing houses to visit to cast spells on men.
Leo: Agnes Sampson/ Tried to sink the ship of Queen Anne, wife of King James VI of England.
Virgo: Isobel Gowdie/ Could control the weather and would often write poetry about witch practices. Allegedly marked by the Devil.
Libra: Circe/ Transformed random sailors into wolves and lions and all kinds of animals.
Scorpio: Mother Shipton/ Clairvoyant, sorceress. An outcast with a great talent.
Sagittarius: Maret Jonsdotter/ Frequently tricked men. Attended witch sabbaths.
Capricorn: Alice Kyteler/ Poisoned her rich husbands, disappeared the night before her execution.
Aquarius: Angele de la Barthe/ Allegedly had sex with the Devil.
Pisces: Catherine La Voisin/ Fortune Teller & Love Potions expert. Plotted to murder Louis XIV.

The signs as Anne Sexton quotes

Aries: “I was the fury of your bones.”
Taurus: “I feel very close to you although our meetings and communications have not been many. There is a vulnerability we share – the warmth, the hunger.”
Gemini: “Perhaps, all I mean to say is that I adore you. Because, in a way, I think I can be senseless with you and still make sense.”
Cancer: “I want to thank you very much for sticking by me. I couldn’t say these words to you in any way aloud because you would have been embarrassed, and I would have cried.”
Leo: “All is rush or pain or shit and glory. I think my life is exaggerating itself.”
Virgo: “I felt that you were the one person I need not explain to.”
Libra: “I have special knowledge about daisies. They last and last as you and I will. They are my favorite flower. There is something innocent and vulnerable about them as if they thanked you for admiring them.”
Scorpio: “I’m going to read a poem that tells you what kind of poet I am, what kind of woman I am, so if you don’t like it you can leave.”
Sagittarius: “Once flying, I tend to fly too high.”
Capricorn: “One thing I know about death is that it touches my psyche and mumbles in her magnificently unknown words; it floats within me and wanders through my bones every day.”
Aquarius: “As I may have said, I am not at home in myself. I am my own stranger.”
Pisces: “I cling to my own ache, I cling to the past and it gets to a point when I can’t even remember without hurting.”

poets born under each sign, part II: MOONS

Aries: Virginia Woolf

I belong to quick, futile moments of intense feeling. Yes, I belong to moments. Not to people.

Taurus: Hans Christian Andersen

She laughed and danced with the thought of death in her heart.

Gemini: T.S. Eliot

Ah, but we die to each other daily.
What we know of other people
Is only our memory of the moments
During which we knew them. And they have changed since then.
To pretend that they and we are the same
Is a useful and convenient social convention
Which must sometimes be broken. We must also remember
That at every meeting we are meeting a stranger.

Cancer: Henry David Thoreau

And if she faintly glimmers here,
And paled is her light,
Yet always in her proper sphere
She’s mistress of the night.

Leo: James Joyce

As I am. As I am. All or not at all.

Virgo: William Wordsworth

“What occupation do you there pursue?
This is a lonesome place for one like you.”
Ere he replied, a flash of mild surprise
Broke from the sable orbs of his yet-vivid eyes.

Libra: Anne Sexton

I was
the girl full of talk of coffins and keyholes.

Scorpio: Shel Silverstein

This town grows old around me.
I cannot say I did not hear
That sound so haunting hollow—
I heard, I heard, I heard it clear…
I was afraid to follow.

Sagittarius: Lewis Carroll

I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.

Capricorn: Anaïs Nin

I adore the struggle you carry in yourself. I adore your terrifying sincerity.

Aquarius: Margaret Atwood

You think I’m not a goddess?
Try me.
This is a torch song.
Touch me and you’ll burn.

Pisces: Percy Shelley

The fountains mingle with the river,
And the rivers with the ocean;
The winds of heaven mix forever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In another’s being mingle—
Why not I with thine?

Floral Constellations
THIS. IS. FINALLY. DONE. Small experiment with flowers and sun signs.
A few hours each, sharpie on paper.
Available here on my RedBubble.

Aries – Sweet Pea, Taurus – Hawthorn, Gemini – Honeysuckle, Cancer – Water Lily,
Leo – Poppy, Virgo – Morning Glory, Libra – Calendula, Scorpio – Peony,
Sagittarius – Holly, Capricorn – Carnation, Aquarius – Primrose,
Pisces – Daffodils.

how sign traits manifest, when energies are focused outward vs. inward

ARIES
outward: snarky, charismatic, exuding an aura of confidence mixed with superiority, ambitious and willing to do whatever
they can to achieve their goals, assertive, impatient, strong physical
energies
inward: wildly intelligent, existential,
well-intentioned and seeking to self-improve, thoughtful, loyal,
frustrated and overly critical of themselves, desiring control 

TAURUS
outward:
stubborn, hardworking, super cute, patient, very committed and focused
to whatever they’re doing at the moment, great listeners
inward:
always excited about relaxation and downtime, those people who wake up
in the morning and are already looking forward to climbing back into
bed, hopeless romantics, fearful of change, emotional, analytical

GEMINI
outward:
talkative, blurs of motion, excitable, lovers of debate and low-key
always looking for a friendly fight, adventurous, internalizes stress to
the point where it becomes physical illness, curious, expressive,
fun-loving, adaptable and able to get along with many different types of
people
inward: talks to themselves in the shower and goes
over possible argument positions just in case someone tries to start
shit. excellent writers, philosophical, thoughtful, always seeking
stimulation and fulfillment, conflicted in their own thoughts, can often
feel isolated within themselves and misunderstood 

CANCER:
outward:
heart-on-sleeve type of people, extremely supportive, excellent
maternal instincts- the “mom” at all the parties who takes care of
too-drunk friends, always looking to help others, easily teary,
communicative, kind, thoughtful and excellent gift givers
inward:
creative, sensitive, spiritually and karmically mature, understanding
of their need to feel things fully, meditative, lovers of quiet and
alone time, always seeking understanding from other people and genuinely
deep connections

LEO
outward: loud, bright
and sunshiney, natural leaders, energetic, affectionate, extremely
generous, proud, protective over and loyal to others, dramatic, flirty,
demanding and resilient with a visibly strong spirit, able to naturally
attract people, queen bees
inward: interested in making life
better for themselves and for others, always trying to look at things
positively, idealistic, highly emotional, perfectionists, constantly
nursing their tender egos, constantly trying to fully understand
themselves, relying on gut instinct

VIRGO
outward:
skeptical and critical of the world around them, organized, clean,
cautious, practical, hard-workers, naturally intelligent, visible
perfectionists, fascinating people to talk to, dedicated,
detail-oriented, looking for simple pleasures in life
inward:
realistic, highly critical of themselves, able to remember a great deal
of information easily, passionate about particular things that they
love, can often feel a heavy self-imposed pressure to succeed, focused
on the moment, prideful in the quality of their work 

LIBRA
outward:

flirty, people-pleasers, outgoing, charming and eloquent communicators,
love to be shown affection, argument mediators, reasonable, graceful,
those people who look like they never have an off day, dedicated to
their appearances
inward: indecisive, understanding of others
and very capable of understanding many different perspectives, calm,
naturally inclined towards contentedness- and determined to find
contentedness even when their situations seem shitty, hopeless
romantics, creative 

SCORPIO
outward:
intimidating, magnetic, overtly sexual, hard to approach for many people
but everyone wants to approach them anyway, impossible to ignore, often
effortlessly the center of attention, masterful in their chosen
disciplines, influential
inward: controlled by their emotions,
constantly questioning themselves, seeking approval from others, can
often be self-destructive, obsessive, determined, self-interested,
sensitive, fighting spirit

SAGITTARIUS
outward:
popular, jovial, spontaneous, effortlessly good with people and
attractive to others, competitive, relentless with whatever they set
their minds to, always on the go, notorious show-offs,  feeling as
though the world is their oyster and ready to work hard to find what it
has to offer
inward: strong sense of self, unafraid of new
things and taking risks, optimistic, independent, always thinking about
the big picture, always craving understanding of themselves and the
world, strong gut feelings

CAPRICORN
outward:
hardworking and ambitious, down-to-earth, aloof exterior, mysterious,
mature, always appearing in control, consistent, guarded, very
responsible with a clear idea of what they’re meant to be doing at any
moment, practical and methodical, self-sufficient, extremely capable
inward:
traditional, level-headed, patient, realistic, excellent judges of
character who rely on gut instinct to tell them who to trust, resilient,
strong, courageous, with good humor and a genuine interest in others
lying at their core beings

AQUARIUS
outward:
very friendly and open, unique, independent, often seen as true
individuals, original, creative, spirited and energetic, inspirational,
with a universally accepting attitude towards all people, and a
detached/thoughtful way of looking at the world
inward:
sensitive, caring, opinionated to the point of stubbornness,
open-minded, unwilling to let go once they commit to something, curious,
always thinking and considering all possibilities, clever, capable of
personal transformation 

PISCES
outward:
very mature, compassionate, loving, sensitive to the energies around them, instinctive with other people’s
emotions, thoughtful with conversation and advice, receptive, gentle,
always appearing as an older wiser soul despite actual age
inward:
daydreamers, extremely reliant on gut instinct and uncanny abilities
for prediction, idealistic, emotional, very intelligent, interested in
culture, hypersensitive and will often absorb negative energy, observant
to the point of feeling isolated or disconnected.

how sign traits manifest, when energies are focused outward vs. inward