Penelope Featherington & Venus Cazimi
Some thoughts on why true growth is so frickin hard.
Welcome & Welcome Back, Witches!
Summer is tantalizingly close, and June’s astrology came in hot with a pile up of planets in Gemini chatting up a storm in the collective atmosphere. The bulk of the month’s major transits have happened over the last week and a half, first with a series of trines to Pluto followed by squares to Saturn.
June’s pop culture has also been popping off with the split premiere of Bridgerton’s third season taking over at least my corner of the internet for the last few weeks. Now with the second half of the season set to come out this weekend on the same night as HBO’s much anticipated House of the Dragon season 2, it’s giving big summer blockbuster energy going into the solstice.
Maybe it’s the NYC media kid in me, but I’m seeing so much of the current astrology in the stories that are hitting the zeitgeist — every scene feels like the illustration of a transit writ large in dazzling production values.
So with that in mind, today I’m going to tap into my favorite hot topic character —Penelope Featherington of Bridgerton (as portrayed by the utterly divine Nicola Coughlin) — to dive deep into an ongoing astro story: Venus and Mercury’s cazimis in Gemini and their subsequent squares to Saturn.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. I will be discussing Bridgerton Seasons 1-3 and the most recent trailer openly, so if you are not caught up yet and want to remain spoiler free, put a pin in this until you get there.
What am I waiting for? Let’s get to it!
But first!: Do you ever think about filling your life with more…magic? I have! And I have all kinds of ways to support you in doing so, and I’ve cataloged them all here:
Cazimi: Who’s She?
Before we get into it, let’s quickly refresh on concept of cazimi in general, and the two current cazimi in particular.
As we discussed a few weeks ago, cazimi is the fancy word for when a planet conjoins the sun. In the process of passing through the rays of the sun, the planet goes through a renewal of some kind and the themes ruled that planet go through a renewal in our lives.
June has two cazimi moments. Last Tuesday was the first when Venus passed over the sun, which only happens about once, occasionally twice, a year. This Friday, it’s Mercury’s turn, and even though Mercury cazimi are far more common, it’s worth noting that this is an especially empowered Mercury moment since the planet is at home in Gemini.
But wait, there’s more! Waiting for both planets on the other side of their cazimi moments is a square with Saturn, camped out Pisces, waiting to bring everyone back to reality.
Gee Meaghan, that sounds interesting, but, uh, what the hell does it actually mean?
Great question! That’s where Bridgerton comes in handy.
The Reveal: Venus Meet Sun
Venus’ cazimi moment is undoubtedly the leading lady of this transit; Mercury is playing more of a supporting role. Venusian themes in our lives — such as love, connection, and physical self-expression — burn off, releasing an outdated version of ourselves, finding a new, often raw, version ready to be revealed.
Penelope Featherington, long derided by her sisters and society at large, and frequently saddled with ill-suited fashions by her mother’s rather unfortunate tastes, embodies the hell out of this transformation this season.
Penelope spent the first two seasons of the show defined by those around her — including her bombastic and crafty mother, her comedic relief sisters, and her capricious and often short-sighted best friend Eloise Bridgerton — while keeping her crush on Colin Bridgerton and her own ambitious identity as the infamous Lady Whistledown secret.
This season those forces change drastically, and the status quo she had been hiding in is deeply disrupted. She has a falling out with Eloise, losing a crucial support system of the whole Bridgerton household in the process. And her sisters are in a heated (and hilarious) race to produce an heir and lay claim to the Feathering title and fortune. Neither sister will let her continue the life she has grown used to.
Facing down a lifetime of caring for her rather exhausting mama, Penelope decides to take her fate into her own hands and actually try to secure a marriage, something she’s avoided until this point. To accomplish this, she sheds the confines of her outward expression — one that represented childhood in many ways — and steps (gorgeously) into her own style.
Mercury energy is right in this fray as well. This season, following her fallout with Eloise over Pen’s secret identity, Lady Whistledown’s notorious gossip sheet has been notably less derisive. The whole opening scene of season three is devoted to glowing reviews of many of the nervous debutantes, extolling virtues, where once she would have relished in cutting them down.
Pen doesn’t just get a makeover — her perspective has shifted this season, and it’s coming out in all the ways she expresses herself.
And it pays off. She garners the attention of Lord Debling, a wealthy if eccentric noble whose obsession with researching nature could provide the perfect opportunity for Penelope to live the free life of her dreams. And what’s more, her authenticity also awakens her long time friend and crush, Colin Bridgerton, to his own feelings for her.
Not So Fast: Enter Saturn (aka Part II Trailer)
So here’s Venus, and now Mercury, riding high on reinvention — reborn in the glory of the sun and ready to take on the world with nothing but great vibes. And we are all rooting for it. Penelope has everything she wants: a love match with her best (remaining) friend, Colin, as well as a fabulous new look and a thriving business that’s supporting her fellow women of society.
And that is Zaddy' Saturn’s cue for a reality check. Saturn isn’t just a wet blanket though, ruining our fun just for the sake of drama. He’s here to remind us that we have responsibilities, realities that cannot be denied to make a story pretty. The truth must be faced, as must the corresponding consequences.
In Bridgerton season three, that reality check shows up across the trailer for the second half of the season. Namely that Colin doesn’t know she is the infamous Lady Whistledown, and he vehemently detests the gossip columnist, in part for ruining his first (rather impetuous) engagement in season one.
Colin’s sister Eloise knows the secret though, all but ensuring the second half of the season is about Penelope facing those Saturnian truths. And likewise, facing up to those consequences.
And honestly, I can’t wait.
And That’s All She Wrote!
She, of course, being me. I hope you enjoyed the read — I had a lot of fun writing it for you!
Reply to this email or leave a comment to let me know what you thought and how these energies are showing up in your life (or your thoughts on all things Bridgerton). I love to hear your stories, plus every interaction really helps the newsletter’s visibility. 💜💜💜
See you all next Tuesday for more planetary fun and who knows what else!
"her perspective has shifted this season, and it’s coming out in all the ways she expresses herself." In the ways she expresses herself. That means she embodies two (or more) personalities, but her choice of self-expression places her under a different lens for those around her. She has a choice.
On point as usual - she is my favorite character in the book and in the series! Can’t wait for the new season ❤️❤️