JUNE 5-7: EXCELLENT PISCES MOON

Redon's Chalice of Mystery

MOON ENTERS PISCES at 6:53am EDT on Tuesday, June 5 and remains here until Thursday, June 7 at 2:35am. LAST ASPECT OF MOON: Moon Trine Venus in Cancer. Pisces is ruled by Neptune which is considered the higher resonance of Venus - Divine Love and Oceanic Consciousness - so this aspect is particularly well-placed and auspicious. Acts of kindness and compassion should find their way into these days. Art and spiritual engagement, a seeking for ideal perfection, are highlighted. Neptune/Pisces also reflects that rather nebulous in-between place where the distinction between reality and fantasy is very thin. While reliable facts and solid ground may be hard to find, this may be where the source of our creative imagination resides; so making music, writing poetry, engaging with films and photography are perfect ways to participate with this Moon period. Neptune may require a sacrifice for its rewards but it is most often worth the price. It always helps to find inspiration at Neptune's playground, the sea - or at least near some body of water. While Pisces can be a little slippery (do get a reality check, confirm information and make sure you're not wearing rose-colored glasses) actions along these themes are very likely to have EXCELLENT RESOLUTIONS.

PISCES FILM SCENE: The Rider, 2017; Writer/Director: Chloé Zhao. Piscean themes are abundant and surprising in this gem of a film. Surprising in that we find ourselves not by the fluidity of the sea but in the hard packed western landscape of South Dakota - the Pine Ridge Native American Reservation, to be more specific. That fine line between reality and illusion is potent here as our main character Brady (Brady Jandreau), part of the enduring culture of the Lakota Sioux 'cowboy Indian', is an actor in a dramatic film and he is the real deal - bronco riding champion and horse trainer/whisperer. The film itself features his real-life authoritarian father (Tim Jandreau) and preciously innocent sister (Lilly Jandreau). Brady's inner life is conveyed so masterfully by Chinese-American Zhao and her cinematographer, Joshua James Richards, that we feel privileged to accept their invitation to step into and through the

screen to enter Brady's world. The film treads the line between documentary and narrative feature and honors both genres, as is the optimum expression of even imaginary oppositions. Its structure is reminiscent of what screenwriter/director Paul Schrader refers to as the Transcendental Style in Film, in his book of the same title, where plot points are subtle and emotions are close to invisible. Yet the drama feels cellular, like it belongs to us. In this vein, The Rider tells a simple story in the most emotionally heightened-yet-controlled ways. From the opening close-up shots of Brady removing metal staples from the wound left by his recent head surgery to the magnificent wide western landscapes and from terrifying rodeo action to the delicate communication he has while training a wild horse, we fall in love with this young man and his dilemma of what will become of him if he can no longer ride. We are mesmerized by his gentle nature amidst his inner conflict and his acts of kindness for wounded friends and family. I could go on about how special this film is, but it's in theaters now and I urge you to step into Brady's life yourself. The Rider is truly an example of a transcendent Venus. Your heart is likely to be opened and, for whatever ineffable reasons, be the better for it.