[HOROSCOPE HIGHLIGHTS] The Strength of Silence w/ Christopher Renstrom
Mercury Cazimi Opposite Saturn
This is your Horoscope Highlight for the week of July 18 – July 24, 2022 with world-class astrologer, historian, and author of The Cosmic Calendar, Christopher Renstrom. This week, Christopher narrates “The Stronger”, a one-scene play in which one woman speaks, and another listens. As we approach two different oppositions to Pluto, we reflect on the tense, yet magnetic relationship that exists between opposites, and messages we send when we choose to speak, or stay silent.
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Chapters 📽️
0:00 Intro
0:32 Oppositions in Astrology
2:31 Sun & Mercury Opposite Pluto
3:22 The Stronger by August Strindberg
20:20 Who is “The Stronger”?
24:28 Closing
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Transcript
This transcript is automatically generated. Some miswording might be present.
Amanda Pua Walsh 0:07
Hi there and welcome. This is Amanda, the founder of astrology hub. And you're listening to our week ahead snapshot with world class astrologer, historian and author of the cosmic calendar Christopher Renstrom. This show is designed to give you a quick overview of the week ahead and enabling you the gift of choice and how you navigate and weave these energies into your daily life. Enjoy. Hello
Christopher Renstrom 0:35
my name is Christopher Renstrom. And I'm your weekly horoscope con list here on astrology hub. And this week, I wanted to talk to you about the mercury Pluto opposition taking place on July 18, followed by the sun and Pluto opposition taking place on July 19. Now opposition's to me are one of the most fascinating aspects that we have in astrology, because an opposition is literally when two or more actually we're talking about three planets in this case, are opposite each other in the sky. In other words, what that means is that they are as far away from each other as they can possibly be in the sky. And by transit, they are as far away from each other as they can possibly be in the horoscope that we read. So in an opposition, you don't really have a confrontation, like you do with the square squares can be combative and confrontational and, and struggle and fight and things like that. That's not what's taking place in an opposition. In an opposition. The planets are sitting opposite each other in the sky and they are basically what are they doing, they are staring each other down. They are polarized, just like the south and north poles are polarized. They are on opposite ends of the earth. They are polar polarized just like our American Congress is polarized Democrats and Republicans, they see each other but there is no middle ground there is no bipartisanship. They are polarized and they are absolutely opposite one another. And this is what planets do when they are opposite. Okay, there is no need to talk to each other, there is no need to harmonize, there is no need to find common ground, they just sort of stay there in the sky staring at each other. And, and they're absorbed in each other. So there's this kind of like magnetic energy. I mean, we all know the phrase opposites attract. So it can be very sort of mesmerizing, especially when you have Pluto involved. Although we know that opposites attract, we don't necessarily know that opposites are going to stay together. Why? Because there needs to be some sort of common ground. So here we have mercury and the sun, both in the zodiac sign of cancer, which is associated to the summer here in the northern hemisphere. And then they are opposite Pluto Pluto, which is in the cold and wintry side sign of Capricorn. And Capricorn, of course, is associated to the Winter Solstice here in the northern hemisphere. So we have this sort of like, warm and folksy and familial and familiar Cancerian energy. And then we have this kind of like, cold remote a steer unblinking energy of Pluto in Capricorn, and they're just staring at each other, kind of think of two cats staring at each other through a window, neither one's going to blink first. So I was trying to think of what would be a really good example of, of this, how how to interpret it, how to think of this approaching aspect for this week. And a play came to mind a favorite play of mine, actually from drama school. I never acted in it, because it's for two actresses. And it's a one act play. I think it's basically maybe runs about maybe 10 to 15 minutes long. But actors being actors, you know, they can make it run longer if they want to with dramatic pauses and, and cryptic innuendos. But anyway, this play is called the stronger it's called the stronger and it was written in the 18, late 1880s or early 1890s By August Strindberg who was a very famous Swedish playwright. And so he wrote this play called The stronger and it's acted by two women. And what's fascinating about this play is and why actresses love it. Okay, what's fascinating about this play is that one actress will do all the talking, while the other actress the other actress, doesn't say a word. Now, that doesn't mean that she's stoically sort of like staring they're like, you know, like a robot robot or Something like that she responds to the actress and and this is why it was such a favorite for acting workshops because it was such a challenge. You know, because you think that the harder role is actually the one who's talking and it is a hard role. But what's equally hard is the one who's not talking. Because although she doesn't say a word, she's still acting, okay, so the two of them have to give each other energy that goes back and forth in this conversation in this scene, this one act play which is called the stronger by August Strindberg. And so in the cast, they're labeled as Madame X and Madame was owl why? So Madame x we know because she's Madame she's married. Okay. And Madame was oh, why Madame was oh, why we know is not married. She's, she's a miss. And so it begins with Madame Gazelle y, who's sitting in a cafe in Sweden on Christmas Eve, and she's sipping a little, a little cup of chocolate. And so Madame X is walking by she's, she's, you know, there's snow on the ground and she's got parcels because it's Christmas Eve, she's been out shopping for the kiddies. And she sees madam was fly through the cafe window. She knocks on the window, and she's like smiles and waves, you know, to Madame was oh, ye who is reading her paper while she's drinking her chocolate, who puts down the paper and looks expectantly as Madame X enters into the cafe. And so she sits down and she says, Amelia,
it worries me. Amelia, it worries me. You sitting alone in a cafe like this on Christmas Eve, you know, and she puts her parcels on down, makes herself comfortable, and she ordered something from the waiter. And she's, you know, it reminds me of the time I saw this bridal party in a Paris restaurant. The bride was sitting alone reading a comic paper while the groom, the groom was playing billiards with his friends. Which leaves us like, okay, where exactly are we going with this? And then she suddenly turns to Amelia, Madame X, and she says, I believe you would have done better if you had kept him, Amelia. You know if you had kept him, your fiancee. Do you remember Amelia that I was the first one to say forgive him. I said, Do you forgive him? Amelia? Do you remember that? Then you would have been married. You would have been married Amelia, not alone, like you are today on Christmas Eve. Home is the best of all, Amelia, outside of the theater that is home is best of all. And that's when we learned that the two women are actresses. One of them. Madame X, who's doing all the talking, is actually a retired actress. She goes on and describes this while Amelia the one who is unmarried and had a fiancee that evidently she didn't forgive is a very famous actress. She's known all around Stockholm, and she's known all around Sweden with the touring company. So she's a very, very famous actress. And maybe she's even reading a review or the latest gossip in in this Swedish newspaper. So Madame X continues, she's like, You know what? I've been shopping. I've been shocked shopping for my little pigs. And she takes out of her one of the parcels she's like, here's a doll. This is a doll for Liza. And here here is a toy gun for a skull, and she takes out a gun which is Frisco and at that moment, you know, Madam was why or Amelia like, was little bit startled. And Madame X looks at and she's like, did you think that it was going to shoot you? This little toy gun? No, my soul I would never shoot you. Because we both know Amelia that if anyone shot someone I would I would think that it would be you who wanted to shoot me. So we get like an another little nugget that's going on here. You know from the conversation but it's not a conversation. Only one person is talking. And the other one, the other one is saying nothing. And here are slippers. She takes out a pair of slippers. slippers that I've embroidered for my husband with tulips. Do you see the tulips on the slippers on isn't it wonderful embroidery wonderful handiwork that I've done? I embroidered them myself these these tulips on these slippers for my husband, she says really quite proudly. And then she says you ought to have a husband Amelia. You know he's true to me. My husband. He's true to me. I know that because he told me about the affair himself without Hussey for Rebekah, she wanted to elope with him. Can you imagine that she wanted to elope with him. What an embarrassment. But anyway, he came forward. And he told me that husband of mine about his affair with Federica. And so we get another little nugget here about something that went on with her husband and Federica. It was good. Madame X continues, it was good that he spoke of it himself. You know, actresses are always falling in love with him, because they think for some reason that he can promote their careers because of his position in the government. And so that sort of like, hangs there in the air. I remember when the actress presented it, she just sort of like let that idea sort of hang there in in the air.
In acting, we call it taking a beat. So then Madame X looks at Amelia and she says, You know, when I saw you for the first time, I was afraid of you. so afraid of you, Amelia, that I couldn't even look you in the face. And yet, I always found myself for some reason near you playing your understudy playing another role on the scene, helping out with props or costumes, for some reason, I found myself near you. And I decided in those moments, as we were close, as we were working together in the theater, I decided I couldn't risk being your enemy. So I decided that I would become your friend. Now this I find to be one of the most fascinating lines in the in the play, I couldn't risk being your enemy. So I decided instead to become your friend. I find that very mercurial. Okay, in this kind of like dialogue that reminds me so much of the mercury, Pluto opposition, Pluto, you know, sort of being the silent one. I mean, right. Pluto was, you know, was was a was a Greek god that never really said much of anything was known as the silent God because it's connected to the underworld and is connected to, to death and the underworld. So there's this kind of like presence. And Amelia in the same way is without a voice. You know, she's, she's a presence here. And so Madame X is saying, I was afraid of you found myself around you, mercury, I found myself around you in different activities and things like this. And I decided that I wouldn't risk being your enemy, because obviously, there's something very frightening about Amelia. So he decided to become your friend. And so So I find that very, very fascinating and want you to hear that I want you to remember that as we go forth. But then she says, but then there was always a discordant note when you came to the house. You and my husband, Amelia, you and my husband, were always so tense around each other. I thought I was jealous. Perhaps making the whole thing up. I thought I would. I was jealous. But I wasn't. I thought I was jealous. But I wasn't. Which is why I made him kiss you that day. Do you remember? Just to show you? I made him kiss you that day just to show you. But I knew after that kiss, that there was something more. Okay, so it's kind of like again, we get this other reveal that comes out. But But Amelia the silent other isn't confirming she isn't denying. She isn't saying anything. But again, the challenge to the actress was how does she play that? How does she How does she respond to that? But she doesn't utter a word. Then suddenly, Madame x comes out with Do you know I hate embroidery to lips on his slippers? I hate it. I absolutely hate it. And do you know why Amelia? The reason I hate embroidering tulips on it on his slippers is because of you. Because I know that you are fond of tulips. I hate Amelia. I hate that my son's name is ESCO Why do I hate it? I hate it because ESCO is your father's name. And that's why Amelia. That's why I wear your colors. That's why I read your authors. That's why I eat your favorite dishes. And that's why that's why I'm sitting here drinking chocolate just like you at this cafe.
It's fascinating. All of a sudden, it gets blurted out but you think she's going to be the accusing, but listen to what she's saying in this accusatory way. She's saying, it's, it's you. That's why I wear your colors. That's why I named my son, your father's name. That's why, you know, there are tulips on his slippers because I know that that's your favorite flower. So there's this kind of like, what do we call it? Is it projection? Is it fixation? Is it obsession, you know that that's going on? So she just blurts this out. And then she says Madame X Next she says, Everything. Everything came from you to meet Amelia, everything. And that includes passion. All right. So she says, Everything came to you came, everything came from you. Everything came from you. The person sitting opposite me this table. Everything came from you, the planet sitting opposite me in the sky. Everything came from you, to me. And that includes passion. So she's not mimicking it or trying it on. It's, it's all came from, you know, there's this stare there's just staring down and everything has been transmitted from one planet to another from one person to another in this in this staring contest, you know? And then she says, and I find this so like, now we're getting like the sun. July 19, the sun being opposite Pluto, okay. I love this. I underlined this line several times. Then she says, your soul crept into mine. Okay. Madame X says to Amelia, who has not said a word. She says to her, your soul crept into mind like a worm in an apple and eight, and it ate. Your soul crept into mind like a worm and an apple and an eight. And it ate. Alright, I sank. I sank to the bottom where you lay like a giant crab. Ready to catch hold of me with your claws. I sank to the bottom where you lay, where you lay, like a giant crab. Ready to catch me in your claws. Okay, so, so where's this all going? I mean, you can hear the cancer, the cancer. Opposite Pluto and Capricorn energy. You know, this, this this worm. Okay, worms are our Pluto. It's the underworld, you know, it's worms, you know, infesting they lay under the under the earth, you know, and then she sinks to the bottom she sinks to this underworld, where Amelia the silent one has laid, it's like a crab ready to catch her in her claw. And then she says, How I hate you. I hate you. But you only sit there and keep silent, peacefully, indifferent, indifferent as to whether the moon waxes or wanes, indifferent as to whether it is Christmas or New Years, in different, composed as a stork by a mouse hole. Biting words and 19th century Stockholm, composed as a stork by a Mousehole, there's like an expectant she then sort of collects herself, Madame X. You can't make conquests yourself. You can't keep a man's love. But you can steal that love away from others. Poor Amelia, do you know that I really do feel sorry for you. And that affair you had with my husband? That's out of the bag now. And that affair you had with my husband? There it is. She said it and that affair you had with my husband? I don't care about that. What is it to me?
Possibly all in all at this moment. I really am the stronger. You get nothing for me. But you gave me much. You can hold no man's love with your tulips and your passion. You have no little ESCO to cherish. Even if your father was named ESCO and yet you keep silent she finally says it silent. And there's silence between the two of them and Amelia still does not respond. It's a pity you can't learn from them. You know Amelia, learn from them the tulips. It's a pity you can't learn from them to bend over. And therefore you will be broken like a dry stuck. But I won't be Thank you, Amelia. She picks up her parcels and leave some money for the check. She is She says, Thank you, Amelia, for all of your good lessons. Thank you, because you taught me to love my husband. Now I will go home and love him. And she's exits. And that's the end. It's extraordinary. And and an acting workshop what what actress would play one role one actor play the other. And of course, they would switch so they would, you know, feel what it's like to be in the other one shoes. But what this says to me about an opposition, particularly in opposition with Pluto, which is a silent opposition, okay, there's always this feeling of a presence, a lurking presence. But what this says in the opposition, and you can hear it, you know, because at first you you sort of want to say oh, it's projection she's projecting on to the other person. But so much more is going on in this script than that.
She She's, she's obviously come in with a secret, or something that she knows. It begins friendly, but you know that it's going to head towards a confrontation we learn in their history, that actually, they might have been involved in a love triangle, or that mme X was was mimicking that it was Oh y in her acting career trying to be like her, that maybe the goal was the husband. She says other actresses want him but yet she was an actress who retired. Probably after Frederica, that Hussey tried to elope with him. Now, she's a full time housewife, you know, she's left the stage to keep her husband. And she's going to have this conversation with with the silent with the silent opponent, who is also the silent partner, okay. And all of this stuff comes out. But it's more than just all this stuff comes out. She then begins to rebuild herself. She you know, she takes resolve, she comes out with the fact that she studied Amelia wanted to be like Amelia, perhaps she wasn't even in love with her husband. And she even took that passion from Amelia. Okay. And so she rebuilds and she puts her life back together, and she's going to return home, and she's going to love her husband. And she says this in a moment of triumph. But yet, but yet the title of the play is the stronger and of course, and of course, you can't help wondering which of the two is the stronger? Was that the one who's gone through this kind of like, catharsis, this, this, this this confession, you know, and is now said, I'm married, and I've got a family on Christmas Eve, and you don't? You know, and I'm going home to them? Is she the stronger? Or is the stronger? The one that we don't know. We don't know Amelia at all. She hasn't said a word. Throughout this entire scene. We know what Madame X thinks of her. But we don't know, Amelia at all. We know what Madame X thinks of her. And we know of Madame X's life. You know. And what's fascinating about the Strindberg and Sternberg so brilliant with this, what's fascinating about it is that we know Madame X's life and the way she thinks it is. But we also, we also have gotten a glimpse of the subtext, we're hearing things come out of Madame X's mouth, which really pertain perhaps more to Madame X than they do to the silent, Amelia. And this is what I want you to think about this week, you know, when you feel this opposition take place? Which side of the two are you on? Are you the Pluto in Capricorn? You know, the silent one? Or are you the sun and the mercury in cancer forming the opposition? Who is the stronger of the two, you know, not in combat, but in this exchange? Who's the one who carries the authority? Or the moral authority? Or who is in the right? And who and who maybe perhaps isn't? Or, or is struggling to find the reasons, you know, who who is who is speaking out? Who is saying these things. So who is the stronger in this position in your life? And also, and also what I would say is, listen to what you say to others this week. Okay, the opposition just don't limit it to those two days, the 18th and 19th. Listen, listen to what you say to others this week, because perhaps the person the person who really knew needs to hear it? Is you?
Amanda Pua Walsh 25:05
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Amy Escobar 26:22
Hi there. I'm Amy Escobar, producer of the horoscope highlight show with Christopher Renstrom. Thanks for tuning in to the astrology hub Podcast Network. If you love the show, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, review and share it. And if you don't know how to do that. Here's how you can leave a review in Apple podcasts on iPhone. Make sure you're on the landing page for the astrology hub podcast and not an individual episode. Scroll down to the bottom until you reach ratings and reviews. Click one of the five stars under tap to rate to leave a rating. And under the most recent review, tap the writer Review button. And if you're on another device, just find out how to leave a review on whatever podcast player you use. Then, share what you love about the show or how it helps you navigate your life. We'd love to hear your stories and by doing this you make it possible to make shows like horoscope highlights happen every week. Thank you again for tuning in. For being a part of our community and for making astrology is a part of your life.