#astroportrait

Perhaps it was subconscious, maybe synchronicity, but it wasn’t until after I completed this Astroportrait painting (1st slide) that I recognized its similarity with the intersex pride flag (2nd slide) 💛💜💛 This Astroportrait features my intersex self but I’m not the only person in it. It’s an almagomation of my husband and I, and not my first duo Astroportrait by far. I’d combined other couples and several mother-daughter pairs before. The round shape of the Tiger’s face in purple and blue against a yellow background evokes the purple circle on yellow designed to represent the intersex experience in all its variations, celebrating us as whole and complete outside the blue/pink binary.

Intersex people report the highest amount of exclusion from family, resulting in higher levels of homelessness, chronic illness, and disability (all of which I’ve experienced) among the Queer community. (Relevant stats in 4th slide above) We have even reported the highest amount of incidents of exclusion from the Queer community based on our type of Queerness, higher than bisexuals report. These reports are even higher for intersex PoC. Indeed every step in inclusion of these identities in progressively intersectional Pride flag designs have initially been controversial among the queer community. This was no different with the debut of the yellow triangle with the purple circle inclusive of intersex people. (5th slide below) I remember the short lived backlash well. But the ensuing conversations brought more understanding that I have personally felt make a positive difference in my own experiences since! (6th slide below with intersex pride float in background 📸 @sweepingpetals )

Symbols hold meaning that matter, that spark conversations that actually make a difference and bring personal and collective progress. This is seen in the Queer community, in our Pride flags, in our fashion. This essence of symbolism is present in esoteric practices and something I share through my work, especially in my Astroportraits ✨

In my Astroportraits, through my mind's eye and ther my hands, I combine the symbols of the Chinese astrology that marks the birth year, the Greek astrology for month, and Mayan for day. This is how often each often these zodiacs shift. Snakes might be the zodiac animal l've depicted the most in my custom Astroportraits since snakes are part of both Chinese and Mayan zodiacs. Sometimes people have both snakes! Here are some examples of slithery Astroportraits I've been blessed to bring forth.

In a week from today this coming new moon marks Chinese new year, year of the Wood Snake. The Chinese Five Elements theory assigns one of the five elements-Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth-to each year in addition to the animal zodiacs. That means it will be another 60 years before another wood snake year comes around. I stay fascinated with the differences and similarities in the mathematics based on the motions of the same stars around our planet through different astrological traditions.

In Chinese culture, your Ben Ming Nian, or zodiac birth year, is often considered bad luck, so this year is forecast to be challenging to Snake folks who may find themselves shedding layers, risking vulnerability in the process, in order to grow and become stronger, according to traditional lore.

Commission Astroportraits (and more) from Miss PJ:

Sharing Astroportraits featuring Capricorn along with what are now officially (at 20 years old) vintage film photos of strawberries with some notes from others to vibe on tonight's full strawberry moon in Capricorn.

I just so happened to have my first dentist date in 20 years now too today. While getting a filling on the single cavity I've managed to only recently develop in all that time I also started my own lunar cycle in strawberry red theme and it seems like a fitting analogy upon the physical body of how the moon above is working upon the spirit housed within.

Before we get on the Fire Horse in February we still have some time in these early weeks of 2026 with the Year of the Wood Snake:

Snake years symbolize times of collective and individually reflected growth with the comparison to how snakes cyclically shed their skins in order to grow. Many people experience some sort of loss in Snake years as well as expansion. This past Snake year's element of Wood deepens the Yin energy of Snake. So in contrast to the highly active Fire Horse's Yang energy coming we would do well to rest as much as we can this winter's remainder in preparation to embrace the opportunity paths and obstacle hurdles ahead as we ride that thang collectively. If we are very busy right out, we ought to treat rest as another thing to fit in our schedule, and embrace the tail of the Snake while we can. This will help us recognize when the Horse takes us to the proverbial water, so we may pause and drink.

There are also some other corresponding transits with the long lasting outer planets happening at this time that make this new year extra interesting astrologically. Both Neptune and Saturn are entering their years-long journeys together through Aries just ahead of Lunar New Year. I elaborate further on this with sources for my Star Gazers.

Each of these custom Astroportrait commissions feature a snake but not all are Chinese Year of Snake. There is also a Mayan Day of Snake. The first slide happens to be both. Every Astroportrait combines at least three different zodiac signs based on a single birth date of who the portrait is of. Made by request +* the drawings are size A3 (about 11x17" small poster size)

Astroportraits featuring Scorpio ♏️

In addition to the Greek solar month zodiac sign, each unique hand drawn portrait also includes and combines the Chinese year and Mayan day zodiacs too. Sometimes Celtic tree month too. I’ve been blessed to be able to create these as very special gifts. All the info I need is a birthdate, no time or place or even name is necessary to get me hallucinating the vision that I capture on paper. Although there are larger painted versions too in crazy colors. Regardless of the final medium each one starts as a tiny ballpoint pen sketch in a gestural style to guide the final process. If you’ve ever done life drawing while the model is moving it’s very much like that. The visions definitely move around a lot!

Recently I had the privilege of creating this Astroportrait of the legendary David Lynch as a memorial portrait to share with his children, commissioned by his assistant. If you’ve known me for a while you may be familiar with my practice of memorial portraiture, but this is only my second Astroportrait made as memorial art for the recently departed. Since Mr. Lynch is famous for his use of symbolism in his own work, often highly debated in its meaning, the symbolic nature of my Astroportraits feels appropriate to memorialize this influential artist. The zodiac symbolism in my Astroportraits is rather straightforward since everything is based on different long established astrology traditions from around the world but there is still plenty personal energies to be divined and decoded in the resulting imagery by those who receive them. David Lynch is Chinese year of Rooster, Greek month of Aquarius, Celtic month of Birch, Mayan Day of Wind. I hope this vision might tickle the hearts of those who knew him and possibly fascinate those who celebrate him through his enduring work.

Astro art commissions: https://www.pjsuperior.com/astroart

The partial solar eclipse on Saturday with this new moon in fiery Aries closes out this spring’s eclipse season. Solar eclipses always occur on new moons and can be thought of as having super extra new moon energy. Knowing that new moons are associated with hope, intention, and renewal, and sometimes loss for the sake of renewal, it makes sense that solar eclipses have been feared for their intensity in regards to similar themes which can be translated as destruction. This destruction can seem to be even more the case with a fire sign like Aries.

To me, fire among the all the elements is a big blessing to such a theme of destruction, because, unlike the other elements in which creation is a bit more of a happenstantial byproduct of destruction, fire destroys specifically TO create. Fire’s very existence in its totality of being is simultaneous creation and destruction. For to create and thus be light and heat, a fuel source for fire must be destroyed, must be burnt.

What is a little unusual in the astrological sense about this solar eclipse in Aries is that it falls outside the Pisces-Virgo (Water-Earth) axis upon which this current eclipse cycle regularly occurs. It makes the fire that much more frightening for some (strong Water and Earth inner placements) and all the more comforting to others (Air and Fire placements)

Next year we are initiated into the Aquarius-Leo eclipse axis. But before then we will finish the current eclipse axis this year with a solar eclipse on September’s new moon in earthy Virgo on the 21st just before the equinox. We may be able to able to then appreciate some growth and opportunities made possible from what losses we may have to experience now.

I feel this illustration fits the vibe of the connection of this year’s solar eclipse signs from the perspective of this Aries new moon although I originally made it a couple years back when musing on the beginning of Aries season coinciding with the first equinox of the year.