Astrological Winds for Week of 12-24-12

If there was ever any doubt about the effects of Uranus/Pluto causing revolution, revolt, violence against the current power structure, just take a look at the news these days as individuals, groups, countries are all taking aggressive acts against others: the mass shootings by individuals, wars between countries and within countries (Syria, Egypt, etc, etc). The bad news is that this week the Sun and Full Moon will join the Uranus/Pluto square and likely enflame it even more just like Mars has done for the past few weeks. The good news is a Saturn/Pluto sextile will give us an opportunity to begin structered foundational changes to all types of organizations.

Monday, Christmas Eve, is a quiet day with Moon in Taurus trining Mars at night ensuring we'll have energy bubbling tonight for out Christmas Eve activities.

Mars ingresses into Aquarius and will feed active revolution over the next 2 months or so. Those who share similiar ideas, especially alternative ones, will act together, and this can spur us to act on/out eccentic ideas individually. This can help us leave traditional habits and create new, advanced models. This can also put us/groups at war over ideals with others/other groups. A Moon/Jupiter conjunction in Gemini during the day should keep optimisim and joy highly festive for this holiday. However, the Sun locks into the exact square with Uranus tonight: individuals act out in surprising and often aggressive ways - think the Newtown massacre as an example of how extreme this can get. It's best to use this energy to challenge yourself somehow to change/revolutioize. Behavior can be erratic and we may have some odd experiences with others, or odd attractions, upsetting behavior by others, hot disagreements, restless undertones, accidents and natural disasters

Wednesday has one of the biggest aspects of the month and one that will be in potent effect through September of next year, as Saturn sextiles Pluto. These are the two most  controlling/disciplined/focused planets in a positive aspect that gives us the opportunity to reform the foundations of societal structures and institutions, power bases, and our own approach to our lives. We will be able to tap into great resorvoirs of inner strength that allows us`to walk the long road of transformation in a step-by-step manner by knowing our limits and building for the long term. This is a great period to work on your career advancement plans too. The Sun sextile Chiron today will give us the opportunity to launch this reformation energy in their lives by using your own creativity and wisdom from experience. Venus opposite Vesta can make relationships to groups can be tricky/conflicting today. This can also bring up sexual issues.
 

Thursday Mercury semi-squares Saturn and opposes Ceres, which can make communications and decisions difficult today. It's easy to get frustrated with controlling others, pinched resources, a pessimistic viewpoint, etc.

The Full Moon in Cancer joins the Sun/Pluto/Ceres square Uranus forming a Cardinal T-square. The intensity of this energy can get off the scale today as people can feel their security is threatened and may act quite munipulatively or out of base survival mode. Power struggles may reach extremes. This T-square wants us to take on the initiation of difficult change that is bound to cause some crisis in our lives by paying attention to insights on what we need to change in ourselves. This has much to do with dealing with our shadow/darker side and our own mortality and fear of loss. It is time to accept our responsibility to future generations by taking care of our world now. Give up the need to control others and circumstances. Trust life and Mother Nature to take care of us.

Saturday's only notable event is Sun quincunx Jupiter, which can enforce the need to adjust values and philosophies that are out of synch with current times. This can also show us where we are exaggerating ourselves and force us to pull back.

Sunday the Sun has its exact conjunction to Pluto and sextile to Saturn just continuing the energy of the above. Sun/Pluto can heighten aggressive energy to violent acts and give some powerfully intense experiences. We can experience the archetype of birth/death/rebirth somehow today. Power struggles, mechanical breakdowns, victimization could occur. Use the Sun/Saturn sextile to approach these problems with patience and discipline and the will to do so. You may be able to pick up some good advice to help today.

Mercury gets very active next week and is the next planet to join the Uranus/Pluto square - strap on in!

Astrological Winds for Week of 12-17-12

Last week’s horrible shooting tragedy in Connecticut (and multiple other places also on smaller scales) occurred within hours of Uranus stationing direct.  Uranus is such a big trigger in tragic events in the world. We saw it help trigger the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster in Japan on the day it went into Aries. I noted in my blog last week we could expect acts of rebellion to heighten now.

 

The big event that everyone has been waiting for, the Winter Solstice of 2012 is Friday this week. The world will not be ending on that day, no worries there. However, the Solstice Chart set for Washington, DC is quite intense and I will be doing a separate blog soon on the mundane meaning of this chart for the USA for the next year.

 

The week starts off with Mercury in Sagittarius opposite Jupiter retrograde in Gemini on Monday – both in detriment, but also in mutual reception, thus having the ability to give each other the gifts of the other today. Perhaps this will lessen the effect of overlooking the forest for the trees that this aspect can bring most of the time. Still, it is a good day to try and be a bit cautious/meticulous with our decision making process. It is also a day we can see the results of our choices, realize how deep we are into something and the immensity of the work involved, or having to be forced to making a big decision quickly without much planning. Still, this is a good day to make deals and decisions if we keep our mind disciplined and bring balance to this energy. Be careful of over-embellishing the truth when communicating too, or getting too self-righteous in tone.

 

The above energy continues and is even amplified on Tuesday as Mars joins in by sesiquadrating Jupiter: we will have a lot of energy at the beginning of this week, but many of our actions may be frustrated/blocked. This can get you pretty irritated at the world and needing a break, reckless in your actions/reactions, get on mini power trips, or be into self-glorification, but most of your efforts will be thwarted in some way. The Sun opposite Ceres can bring some big decisions relating to the caretaking of another/others or resources,  having to sacrifice much in services to loved ones, playing the martyr in service to others, possible loss of resources/loved ones, lowered self-image/resources, or feeling misunderstood or manipulated by others/circumstances. Meanwhile, Juno ingresses into Capricorn, where relationships can take on a more serious/responsible tone – a time to sign on the dotted line, so to speak. There is a danger of trying to control another too much and actually chasing them away or getting into a power struggle.

 

Wednesday is led by Venus trine Uranus – you may meet some new, stimulating person that can excite your world – likely they won’t be from your normal crowd and their effect on your life will be short. You may also be attracted to things, art, places you haven’t been before. This can be an exciting day in our interactions with others, as connections can be electric.  There is a 1^st Quarter Square of the Moon in Pisces to the Sun in Sagittarius today too – the emotions may be challenged today by all that’s going on around us and want to escape in some way, yet there’s so much to do says the self as it takes off again!

 

Thursday, Venus’ square to Chiron may bring up some pain/crisis in a relationship or with loved ones. It’s also the day of the exact Jupiter/Pluto quincunx, which is a key part of the Solstice Chart. This quincunx can bring a lot of conflict within society about facing the truth of our value systems and the emotional damage they can incur on individuals that can erupt into acts of power and violence. We need to adjust the ways we use our power is the lesson here by adapting to current circumstances. There can be much anger directed at leaders under this aspect also, especially those whose power has been dominant for a long time – they are being called to adjust to society’s current reality and give up their old power base. It is important to have clear intentions in order to use this energy successfully or you will meet great resistance from others. Mars quincunx to Ceres this day will only add to the disparate energy of this day.

 

Friday, the day of the Solstice, has the Sun also sextile Neptune, while Neptune is sextiling Juno. These times are calling for great healing – for finding a new spirituality that honors all and the world so we can pass it on to our heritage/progeny as a healing world, not one that is dying. We must face our own mortality in the circle of life and stop trying to use materialism to avoid/control it somehow. Yes we will die and others will take our place – we are all connected – let us leave them something worthy. We must learn not to fear others, for they are part of the circle too. All have their part. This is a good day to contemplate/meditate/become inspired in some way on what your part is and take the opportunity to commit to it/partner your life with it.

 

Saturday, the 2^nd major quincunx forms from Jupiter to Saturn: there can be a deep sense of restlessness within society now, as things just are not working the way they used to. People are being forced to adapt in new ways to circumvent situations. Balance is not obtainable now and our own values may have us tethered to something that weighs us down/holds us back. It’s as if we must make a bold move but are afraid to do so because of leaving the familiar despite the pain it causes. Old structures need replacement, but the security/reliability they’ve offered in past is difficult to leave behind. Once again, authorities can take much of the blame, but our going along with them makes us the enabler. Disciplined/measured moves are required now and self-responsibility must be taken for any success. Venus opposite Jupiter on Saturday night reminds us to keep having fun too – some indulgences/r & r/socializing/partying are a joyful part of life – just watch the bank balance and bodily limits.

 

Sunday is a quiet day astrologically with Moon in Taurus having us laze out for the most part.

 

Next week the Sun gets involved with the Uranus/Pluto square as does the Full Moon in Cancer. The intensity levels will peak again.

Astrological Winds for Week of 12-10-12

Monday starts with Mercury returning to the sign it stationed retrograde in back on Election Day, November 7^th at 4* Sagittarius – by Saturday it will be completely out of its retrograde shadow and things should be moving at full speed ahead in normal fashion. However, in Sagittarius, the Winged Messenger is in detriment, and can easily overlook/be impatient with many details in the pursuit of the big and optimistic picture/new knowledge, that will later come back and trip us up. Still, thinking is very inspired now and the mind turns to spiritual/religious matters and higher/secondary learning. This can also have the communications get preachy/self-righteous about what you believe in, and thus create argumentative friction with others. Venus is semi-square Pluto today also, which can bring some intensity in relationships that can be frustrating right now, as there may be no easy way to get a handle on them. We can become a bit flippant with loved ones, as we may wish they were different/could change/weren’t so habitual.

 

Tuesday Mercury squares Neptune, which can really diffuse thinking and communicating – there is much confusion, perhaps even deception in the air, and this can be mentally discouraging. The mind would rather lose itself in fantasy/escapism today, and it is a good day to write creatively, or study mystical/spiritual subject matter. It is not a good day for any type of biz deal or solid decisions. The Moon’s conjunction to Mercury today too, shows that emotions are likely what’s clouding up balanced mental judgment.

 

Wednesday is a quiet day astrologically, although Venus’ conjunction to the North Node could merge goals within relationships and have groups working together well.

 

Thursday is a New Moon at 21/22* Sagittarius. This is a time of inspired new beginnings – of putting Spirit before materialism – of pushing our inner self to some new edge of experience and gaining new wisdom in the process. It is a time to question old beliefs and values and allow them to change/expand – to take on a new adventure away from our security. Look to the house this New Moon falls into in your chart to see what area of life it will be most affecting for you. Any planets in your chart it makes tight aspects to will also flavor your experience of it.  Uranus also stations direct today. It is a time to put the revolutionary ideas you’ve been thinking about internally in the past few months to action – a time to evolutionize personally. Expect the fever pitch of rebellion in the mundane/political world to pick up significantly now and for the next several months – with Uranus in Aries, this can be violent, yet heroic at times. Mars is also semi-square Chiron today – this shows we can be stuck by our own wounds, and the need to figure them out before we can heal ourselves and act on healing the world.

 

Mercury trines Uranus and squares Chiron on Friday, merging the higher and lower minds harmoniously and we can be hit with strokes of ingeniousness that we are eager to share with others. Life can be pretty stimulating/exciting today, as our contacts with others can be electrical. This is excellent for studying technology, science, or math. The square to Chiron will give us the impetus to use this flow of energy wisely and it can help us learn much about ourselves and help us help others to learn about new knowledge/themselves also. There is a Sun semi-square Saturn today too, which can just be an indicator that many of us are frustrated with old outdated concepts and the authorities who dictate them and continue to block progressive change, and are ready to move on without them – in fact, that may be the best way for the individual to help change a society where the odds are stacked against him and most others: to just ignore that paradigm and to work with the others around them to builds up new systems locally that have a whole new value set.

 

Venus joins the Sun and Mercury in Sagittarius on Saturday – we are ready to go out and meet some new social stimulation – new people, places, things. This makes people more outgoing, open to new stimulation, flirtatious even. We are also attracted to cutting edge art or just the beauty of nature. The Sun square Pallas Athene today can challenge some of the beliefs we fight for, or have us have issues with father figures.

 

Venus square Neptune on Sunday is a nice passive Sunday aspect that has us wanting to sit around/hang out with others who share the same values. We may be a bit overly sensitive to others’ remarks or be enabling in our behavior within groups, as idealism is what counts to us, and we may have a tendency to over-romanticize what we sense. Sexual attractions or the way we perceive loved ones may also be self-deceptive /self-denying. Weaker relationships can actually breakdown/peter out now. Mercury’s semi-square Mars may be the source of any remarks that could hurt sensitive others today. Our frustrations with others or situations can result in tongue-lashings that do not help the situation, but only make it worse and have others retreat to a corner.

 

Next week is the Winter Solstice – the day many have been waiting for: 12/21/12. Is the world going to end? Ain’t gonna happen! But we are all being called to help birth a new world – stay tuned.

Astrological Winds for Week of 12-3-12

Wow, what a past week for the expression of the Uranus/Pluto square triggered to overdrive by Mars conjuncting Pluto: worker strikes all over including at Walmarts, the Port of Los Angeles, dairy farmers in Switzerland (which included them spraying down police with milk! Check the pictures out on the web.); the lid being blown off the danger and lies of GMO crops led by the countries of Kenya and India, and scientists around the world confirming these findings; BP being accused of operating outside the law with its federal oil contracts and being banned from bidding on any new ones; a New York City police officer buying a pair of socks and boots for a homeless man on his beat while being secretly videoed and having it go viral on web; a famous sports star murders his girlfriend and then commits suicide at his team’s facilities in front of his coach; Palestine is given non-vote status at UN and Israel decides to pick up building in the occupied territories even against its own allies wishes; the people of Egypt arising again against their newly elected President as he tries to make a power grab; how quickly global climate change is really occurring; the misinformation about the US embassy bombing in Kenya and the subsequent exposure of Rice’s holdings in companies associated with Keystone pipeline which she would help make the final decision on as Secretary of State; etc. Violence, secrets revealed, rebellion, protests, compelling actions by individuals in power, acts of retaliation, power grabs – all Mars/Pluto/Uranus energy working together.

We live in tumultuous times and the heat has been turned up beneath us.

 

We enter the month of December with a very quiet week astrologically. The main 4 events for the whole month is the Sun locking into the Uranus/Pluto square during holiday week, ensuring that once again, some shocking events will occur at year’s end. It seems like this has been the case since we’ve entered the 21^st century: the earthquake/tsunami in Indonesia of 2004 and the beginning of the Mid-East Spring last year are 2 examples. We also have Uranus stationing and going direct mid-month, which will intensify outer acts of rebellion – we are already seeing the effect of this, in my opinion, as Uranus slows down. We also have the first of 3 Saturn/Pluto sextiles, which will give the opportunity to get serious about what we want to change – to get the groundwork going.  Lastly, Mars will ingress into Aquarius feeding the fighting revolutionary spirit of these times.

 

This week really has no major events however.

 

Monday has a Venus/Ceres sesiquadrate, which can bring some frustrations/dissatisfaction with loved ones/family – combined with an early morning Moon/Saturn square, we could be feeling a bit depressed/pessimistic, but evening lunar aspects to Jupiter, the Sun, and Venus should have everyone relaxed and happy later.

 

Tuesday has Ceres retrograde back into Gemini, where people will seek nurturing through being heard or by gaining new information.

 

Wednesday Mercury locks back into a semi-square with Pluto, which can narrow your focus/mind and give the ability to see deeply into things, however what you see will be frustrating, but expressing your pointed analysis will not make you any new friends. Use this energy on yourself instead and seek out to understand your own mind’s workings, past influences, etc. so that you can prepare it for change, or to sort through some heavy mental, detailed work.

 

Thursday is led by a 3^rd Quarter Square of the Moon in Virgo to the Sun in Sagittarius – the emotions want to play it safe and conservative, while the self/will is ready for some new adventure/expanded horizon, so we are at cross purposes with ourselves, and this could manifest as challenges in the events of this day.

 

Friday has Mars semi-square Neptune, which can really dissipate physical energy, leaving us unable to achieve all we wish to today. Moving fast may just not be an option, and slower, more well-measured actions are the better route.  This can be rather discouraging overall and you may just want to “hide out.” It’s also easy to be deceived by self or others. A Venus/Uranus sesiquadrate on Friday night may shake up our social world a bit – perhaps exposure to  something/someone knew excites you to possibilities, but you may realize they just can’t be met under current circumstances. We may be also attracted to people/places/things we normally aren’t towards.

 

Saturday is quiet although a Moon/Mars square in mid-afternoon can keep us pushing on personal projects to late in the day, or we may get in some battle with someone over selfish behavior, or an overly egotistical viewpoint(s).

 

Sunday has the annual Sun/Vesta opposition, which can put you at odds with groups you belong to, or you may be faced with some stressful choice surrounding a sibling. Issues with sexuality or idealism in the workplace could come up too.

 

Next week is much more active led by the aforementioned Uranus stationing direct, a New Moon in Sagittarius, and both Mercury and Venus ingressing into the sign of the Archer and aspecting Neptune and Uranus.

Astrological Winds for Week of 11-26-12

We are in the midst of Mars locking in exactly with the Uranus/Pluto square these days – events can be quite intense right now. While Israel and Hammas fired missiles at each other as we built toward the exact Mars/Uranus square, on the day of the exact Venus/Neptune trine, they negotiated a cease fire, while the people of Egypt are again in the streets, this time against their newly elected President, and protests spread all over Europe and other parts of the world in earnest. Here in the US, on the day before the exact Mars/Uranus square, we had a 100+ car pile up on I-10 in Texas from people driving too fast and recklessly (sounds like Mars/Uranus behavior to me). The exact Mars/Pluto conjunction is on Tuesday can make life very difficult this week – the problems that arise can be quite hard to handle without losing your !@#^ somehow! Anger will arise to the surface and violent physical manifestations both large and small may occur in our/the world. This is the energy of personal power – wanting it and going for it. This can be good if it spurs us to acts of courage and confidence we would normally fear taking. It can be quite bad if you abuse any power you have however, as people can become dictators under this energy and heavy-handed in approach. This will also give extra-ordinary physical energy to most this week, so it’s a great time to get some project done/work hard. And Pluto will help you sort out what’s useless and discard it easily. The potential for power struggles is highly likely this week – things can easily spin out of control, if so. Be aware, be careful.

 

Monday is a very active day: it starts with a burst of innovative/excited energy from Sun trine Uranus. This can make progressing/changing quite easy. You also want to do or be with something/someone different. Awareness is strong and you can make an individualistic mark on the environment/scene around you. This is also good for studying/working with new technology, numbers, science. The Sun is also square Chiron, which is likely a response to Sun/Uranus leaving us feeling a bit imbalanced, especially in our habits or behaviors rooted to the past, when we can see we can be so much more than that. So the challenge this square is asking is “how do you get there?”. It can end up upsetting others when you make a move toward that also.

 

Mercury Retrograde also stations direct on Monday and will slowly start to pick up forward motion. Many of those traveling this weekend may get one last dose of inconveniences as Mercury stations. Its retrograde effects will still be strong for a few days before it slowly releases them as it moves through its retrograde shadow over the next 3 weeks. Monday ends with a Venus/Saturn conjunction. This will turn relationships to serious and sober levels. Many people will prefer to be alone during this evening. We may also get reality checks on any new people we connected with during Sun/Uranus or Venus/Neptune trines. This is also a sign many people won’t have the money/resources they need to fill out the holiday gift lists.

 

Tuesday is the exact Mars/Pluto conjunction I opened this blog with commenting on above.

 

Wednesday is a Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse at 6/7* Gemini. This Full Moon is usually about overstimulation, trying to do too much, information overload, superficial interests, focus on the Big Picture while overlooking details, many stimulating connections/communications, new knowledge, travel, etc. However, the eclipse makes this Full Moon even deeper, as it shines a light into our psyche to reveal things previously unseen perhaps, or not seen as clearly.  Here we may see some of the surface ways the mind reacts and creates duality as a reality, yet realize that underneath that is unity and that’s where our path must lie – that we need to filter out the trivial, unimportant information for the true nuggets of wisdom that come our way to help us find a higher path, live towards higher values, and welcome in what breaks us free from the habitual mind. What Gemini seeks is inside and so close, not so much out there in the world. The Moon is conjunct the planet that rules Sagittarius, Jupiter, thus the Jovian one gives an extra push to the Sun and pushes us to take some new big step in our path, some risk that can change our lives in big ways. The Moon sextile Uranus will offer the opportunity to do something different, the choice is yours. Look to the houses in your chart this eclipse falls in to see the areas of life it will be affecting most for you. Any planets in your chart that makes tight aspects to it will also add to the energy for you. Venus is also sextile Pluto Wednesday: this can deepen relationships significantly if you wish to. Emotions are felt on transformative levels also under this transit.

 

Thursday has a sweet Venus sextile Mars. Creative energy is high, love may be in the air, friendships are important, and there’s a balance between male/female energies that can be tapped into. People express themselves easily under this transit. There may also be financial opportunities available you can act upon.

 

Mercury moving slowly forward bumps back into its sesiquadrate with Uranus Friday. The tempo of this day may get nerves jittery, or your ideas may be blocked somehow. Communications can also be difficult/frustrating today.

 

A yod forms on Saturday as both Venus and Mars, still sextile quincunx Jupiter. Couples or others in relationships with each other may come to some serious philosophical disagreement here, and it may be a matter of principles giving both parties the inability to adjust, but that is what’s required. This can also make some relationship get really big/out of proportion, but also fateful, and thus in need of playing out/going along despite the overkill in it. Neptune trines Ceres, a long term transit that will help perhaps shifts humanity’s values into a more giving/compassionate/understanding tone. It may be much easier to relate to others/put ourselves in other’s shoes, and thus shift our attitudes toward giving now.

 

The Sun makes its annual opposition to Jupiter on Sunday continues this week of expansion – if there was a week this year we are being called upon to take some risk and reach for some new horizon, this is it. Optimism may be able to fuel success now. If there has been something building up in your life over the past few weeks and its decision time now, it is time to take the chance. As long as you are not over-extending yourself too far or are blinded by your own sense of righteousness, it is a good day/week to take a big step/chance in your life.

 

Next week is a very quiet week astrologically - after the intensity of the past few weeks, a welcome respite.

Astrological Winds for Week of 11-19-12

Last week the Solar Eclipse/New Moon in Scorpio combined with Mercury retrograde backing up into Scorpio indeed revealed brought some deep secrets and fears to light. Witness the scandals within the military and CIA coming to light, as some of our military leaders have been involved in all kinds of sexual and secret cover ups (now is that Scorpio or what?!), and the win of President Obama and the Democrats in the Senate, as the revelations of who backed the Republicans and their real policies from behind closed doors were revealed and turned many a voter away from Mitt Romney, and the extreme Tea Party candidates, as just two examples. I'm sure most of us had revelations within our personal lives too that were covered up/unseen before (I sure did). Prepare now for some very intense energy these next 2 weeks, as Mars locks into the Uranus/Pluto square - the drums of war and violence are already being heard in Israel, and the crisis there is bound to become more and more enflamed as the week goes on. This is quite worrisome for all of the world.

Monday starts off the week with Mercury retrograde backing into a semi-square with Pluto - here's what I said about this aspect last month on its first pass: "... gives the ability to see deeply into things, but be disturbed by the state of what you see, and an inability to transform it presently."  This sums up much of what we see going on these days, as power trips of others we have no control of can be quite frustrating and dispiriting. On this middle pass, we really can feel stuck in our ability to do much about it (witness the Israeli/Palestinian situation as one good example). Mars opposition to Ceres indicates the hounds of war will cause much collatoral damage on women, children, and the elderly, and the basic living necessities that the populace needs. In general, harsh male energy can hurt innocent others under this aspect.

Tuesday's 1st quarter square of the Moon in Aquarius to the Sun in Scorpio can bring some tension between emotional ideals to include all versus the narrow need for self-preservation. Fortunately, 5 positive lunar aspects to other planets should soften this, as should Venus sesiquadrate Jupiter, which is an aspect of over-indulgence and excess that can be enjoyable in the moment, but can extract frustrating consequences/bills due later. Pallas Athene's going direct may help to fuel external battles, as those with causes are ready to march and take action.

Wednesday has both the Sun and Venus changing signs with the Sun entering Sagittarius, where we can find new inspiration from breaking through old barriers and going out on the edge somehow. People are willing to take more risks now, which can lead to both great gains and losses. With Sagittarius' ruler, Jupiter, in weakened status now (retrograde and in detriment), going too far and hurting ourselves is a very real possibility in the next month, so we must be very concious of our actions during this time in order to not go overboard. Meanwhile, Venus leaves a sign it rules (Libra) and enters a sign it is very weak in, Scorpio (fall). Relationships can get quite intense during this time and dissolve into the "War of the Roses" and we may find that we may not have us much money/resource than we thought. Power trips among people are common for this energy, and envy and jealousy may rear their ugly heads quite acutely. Yet, we can use this energy to bring relationships to new depths that can connect us forever with another and cut out what is unnecessary in our lives or what is draining us. Odd desires may perk up to the surface also, and the means to satisfying them can be quite dark/underhanded. The Sun also squares Neptune today, bringing considerable confusion and a draining of our energies. This is not a good day to make big decisions, as we may be deluding ourselves or we may be being deceived by others, which can be quite discouraging. This aspect is best used to try and put our idealism into work somehow, although there will be challenges in doing so. Study of metaphysics, spirituality, and art are favored.

There's a bit of a respite on Thanksgiving Day, as Venus trines Neptune, an ideal aspect for a holiday where we are giving thanks and sharing our love and compassion with others. This aspect combines lower (mundane) and higher (spiritual) forms of love in a harmonious blend. It does not give us extra energy to get ahead, as we'd rather sit back and relax and let go instead. It is also excellent for artistic/creative inspiration/ideas. This is also a "soulmate" aspect, so you may meet someone today that has that potential for you. Unfortunately, Mercury retrograde also gets in on the act today with 2 frustrating aspects: the Winged Messnger sesiquadrates Uranus and semi-squares Mars, which can lead to heated words between people over differences of opinion, so the post Thanksgiving conversation has a danger of becoming jagged and edgy.

Friday is when the heat gets really turned up as Mars perfects a square to Uranus and is locked into the Uranus/Pluto square strongly. This is explosive, and potentially destructive energy. Rebellious actions are taken without much thought of consequences. People are high strung and impulsive, and actions are jagged. There is great restlessness/impatience with the way things are and people are looking for quick change. It is re-enforced by the Moon in Aries also conjuncting Uranus and squaring Pluto. This is the infamous Black Friday, where Christmas buying season officially begins. In the past, this has led to some pretty rowdy/unruly behavior by shoppers, and these aspects will feed selfishness and brashness. On the world stage, any groups of people who feel repressed by others will be ready to go to war against perceived enemies. The situation in the Middle East can potentially explode this week into full scale war. The best way you can use this energy is to bring change into areas of your life that are in a rut. Novel ideas may spur us to take action to re-arrange our existence somehow. There is some help available with Mars sextile to Chiron offering us opportunies to change from what we've learned recently. This whole week and next week will be acutely under the energy of Mars/Uranus/Pluto, so expect major disruptions in the world and in your personal life.

Saturday has a helpful Mars/Saturn sextile, where our actions can be more well-measured and concise. We can achieve much with our work or any projects we are involved in, as plans will likely work out.

Sunday is led by a Venus/Uranus quincunx - any relationships that are unstable or restrictive will have us itching to break from. There is a sense of restlessness within relationships and we may need to adjust in some big way to maintain them. Otherwise, we may may seek out some new, exciting ones. Venus is also trine Chiron, so this may help soften the blows of Venus/Uranus, or help us capture a beautiful moment or two.

This is a good week to put energy into praying/meditating on peace, because the world is going to need every ounce of it from anyone who can to help through volatile times. Next week, volatility will continue with Mars conjuncting Pluto, but Mercury will finally turn direct, and the Sun will make its annual opposition to Jupiter. 

Astrological Winds for Week of 11-12-12

Monday is quiet to start the week with a Moon/Saturn conjunction in Scorpio steering the energy toward responsibilities/duties having to be met, hard work, dependability, practicality, and conservative views.

 

Tuesday is the most active day of the week led by a Solar Eclipse/New Moon at22* Scorpio. This eclipse has been traditionally about making deeper commitments and can have you involved with your family more deeply/intricately in the weeks ahead. There is usually a sense of satisfaction afterwards in some sense. Solar eclipses are like a new start and shine a light into previously unexplored areas. In Scorpio, things that have been hidden from us can be brought into the light: our deepest fear, desires, issues, fate. This New Moon asks each of us to use the power we do have to transform the world around us without getting too hell-bent in doing so – to tap into new areas of power used wisely by finding strength from our shadow side. Look to the house this eclipse falls into in your chart to see the area of life this energy will be focused in for you. Any of your natal planets or points receiving tight aspects from the New Moon/Eclipse will also color the energy for you. Mercury retrograde re-perfects its square to Neptune this day – the reality is we’ve been under the influence of this aspect for 2 weeks already as its first pass was on October 30^th: “… there may be a lot of mental confusion/indecision/misunderstandings/bad moves in the air. This will stimulate imagination and is good for creative writing/storytelling. It also good for studying spirituality, mysticism, religion, art. However, this aspect can also make us lazy/passive/worn out mentally and in need of a break, so we may waste much of this day away.”  is what I wrote about it 2 weeks ago – expect more of the same…and then things can get real deep into the psyche as Mercury backtracks into Scorpio: this will give us a double dose of deep contemplation on how our minds function and the fears and desires that dictate how we react for most of the rest of the month. Venus sesiquadrate Chiron shows certain relationships can be holding us back/have us stuck/are hurting us, and all this Scorpio energy may help pinpoint which ones and how, but it may not be easy to untangle them at this time.

 

Chiron follows Neptune (these 2 have been doing a waltz together now for several years!) by going direct on Wednesday in Pisces: once again, a subtle shift that may see us put more idealistic healing modalities into work in the world around us over the next few months. The Sun trine Pallas Athene should give us the confidence to act on our intellectual ideals and perhaps come up with some novel new approaches to acting on them. This could also put the battle of the sexes into a peaceful mode. The Sun semi-square Pluto is the most trying aspect this day as we may get frustrated with those who have power/authority over us in some way. Minor power struggles may ensue and people could end up irritated/angry with each other.

 

Thursday’s Saturn/Uranus quincunx is a long term transit that is a sign of these times in general: a desire for many groups of people to break free of whom they perceive as their oppressors, acts of rebellion against traditional society, unpredictable reactions to restrictions, struggling turmoil, and disruptions to normal life.

 

Friday can be a complex day for sue with the Moon conjuncting Pluto and squaring Uranus during the day. People may be quite moody and want to break free somehow. The biggest event of the day is Mars ingressing into Capricorn, where the warrior is exalted. Here, he is able to command/take charge and get the actions done that he wishes to. Ambition is quite high and you are willing to do what it takes to climb to the top over the next couple of months. Actions are well-measured and in control and can lead to great success. Career becomes quite important to many of us now. Saturn trine Chiron is also a long term, more subtle transit that will help us find our path with well measured and rewarding steps. Venus trine Vesta brings harmonious interactions within groups you belong to that have similar goals/views.

 

Saturday has 2 bigger events: first, Mars sextile Neptune can bring some idealism into our actions that can create some unique opportunities. This is a great day to get into group activities that benefit all. It’s also good for going off alone to contemplate like on a hike. We are also motivated by hidden worlds/psyche today. There is also Mercury’s inferior conjunction to the Sun, which also benefits the inner life/contemplation on this day too. The biggest issue is our thinking is extremely subjective, but we could find new nuggets of wisdom deep inside ourselves.

 

Sunday is pretty quiet, but a Moon/Saturn square mid-day may hit us with some duties that take away our fun and relaxing we’d normally choose to do on a Sunday.

 

Next week, Venus is trine Neptune on Thanksgiving Day – a perfect aspect for this holiday!

Astrological Winds for Week of 11-5-12

For those in the grip of Hurricane Sandy, the Cardinal Grand Cross among Uranus/Pluto/Venus/Ceres manifested in quite intense ways last week: sudden challenges/crisis bringing destruction/death/permanent transformation/the forging of unexpected deep relationships/scarcity of the necessities of life. A perfect storm that I blogged about a few days ago. This week Mercury goes retrograde in Sagittarius (and back to Scorpio eventually) on Tuesday, Election Day in the USA. The effects of Sandy will slow things down in the Northeast throughout this whole month during Mercury retro: communications, travel, and relationships will be affected, and it will be a backwards process at first seemingly in order to go forward again. People will have much time to use this energy to look deep within their own psyches and face their fears and sub-conscious drives and how they affect their own thinking and communications with others. This can likely be a heavy time where parts of our mental ideas die/fail us. We must remember the old must move out before the new can move in during this month. Some of the deeper questions about life may weigh us down, yet we can use this energy to get to the bottom of things and find new self-empowerment. We must be careful not to let our emotions sweep us away and throw off our logic too far.

 

Getting to the significance of Mercury retrograde happening on Election Day: the last time this occurred was in 2000 when the Supreme Court decided who would be President, not the People. More and more we see how the deck is stacked against the middle/working/poor classes – that the government is run by the wealthy and their servants. It seems this election with a very wealthy white man as one of the candidates with virtually no political experience but a multi-national corporate background represents this growing awareness and schism. Something odd is likely to occur this election for sure – for awhile last week, I wondered if they’d delay it because of hardships caused by Sandy, but that’s seeming less likely now. There have been widespread reports of attempted disenfranchising of large segments of voters especially in key states like Florida, Ohio, and Indiana, and with Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius/Scorpio that is likely. I still believe President Obama will win this election, but will he sit in office or be ousted by the Courts or fraud or the Electoral College despite? The possibility definitely exists. The Sun is quincunx Jupiter Tuesday also, showing leaders having to make value/philosophical adjustments/separations. The Moon in Leo makes a Third Quarter Square to the Sun in Scorpio late in the afternoon: the emotions want to make a show for the self, while the self is on a much deeper journey to be bothered by such frivolity. This is also a bit confusing in light of the election: the people (Moon) seem to be behind the king (Leo), yet a crisis may be occurring due to those with secret powers (Scorpio) attacks on the leader/king (Sun). Indeed, this will be an interesting election day.

 

Venus trine Jupiter on Thursday is one of the sweetest aspects there is and if nothing else people should feel good/optimistic/lucky for some reason. Relationships should be very smooth and creativity should be high. Smart investments can be made. It’s easy to get passive under this transit but that may be OK because we could all use a break at this point! Good for all social occasions and entertainment/fun.

 

Friday has a Mars/Vesta opposition that could manifest as some angry male energy erupting against female energy – many times this is rooted in inadequate sexuality. Choices may have to be made or actions can be blocked because of others. Venus sesiquadrate Neptune later can have us in a dreamy fog about relationships, or overly sensitive toward others. This can definitely be a bit of a touchy day.

 

Saturday’s main event is Neptune going direct, although this is quite a subtle shift. Over the next few months we should be able to move forward with our spiritual and creative ideals. We may be able to put compassion and sensitivity to work in the world around us. This is also the day of stressful Moon/Uranus/Pluto aspects with another T-square forming – relationships will be tested again.

 

Sunday may be a bit choppy for relationships too especially on intellectual levels with Mercury semi-square Venus and Sun sesiquadrate Uranus. There’s some restlessness here that could have people a bit uptight/snippy and seeking something different or at least an argument/verbal joust. Three positive lunar aspects to Jupiter, Venus and Mars should keep the lid on it/not let it get out of hand for the most part however.

 

Next week there’s a Solar Eclipse/New Moon in Scorpio, and Mars heads off to Capricorn, where it is exalted.

Astrology of Hurricane Sandy

As I stated in my weekly blog, the great storm that hit the Northeast of the US was driven not only by a Full Moon on an earth/water axis when the tides are highest and the behavior of everything in natural world can become exaggerated, but it was greatly enhanced by the energy of the Mars in Sagittarius opposite a debilitated and retrograde Jupiter in Gemini that gave the gift of expansion to Mars’ normal level of action which is already enhanced in a fire sign like Sagittarius. Mars opposite Jupiter creates super power/activity and old limits/restrictions/barriers are broken. A third factor in this storm was Mercury in Scorpio square Neptune in Pisces (winds from the sea and seawater flooding) almost exact at same time as Full Moon on Monday.

 

Since then the storyline of the storm has followed the daily transits energy. On Tuesday, the storm was enhanced by Sun sextile Pluto weaving a destructive wake behind that will require much clean-up and un-cluttering and purging. Then today, as the storm begins to clear, issues of fresh water, food, supplies, sanitation must be dealt with on the day Ceres turns retrograde and squares Venus: the need for care from others in a crisis situation. Also, the Moon in Gemini keeps the Mercury/Neptune square active as it forms a T-square with them and keeps the winds and waves churning even as it begins to dry out a bit.  And if being stuck and having to obey authorities and be conservative and responsible in your own movement/actions doesn’t describe a Mars/Saturn semi-square, then what does?

 

Now we’ll be entering the rest of the week with Venus forming an exact T-square with Uranus/Pluto: you can be sure tattered and bruised nerves will have people lashing out at each other, while others form quick yet deep respectful bonds to overcome a challenge together. With Pluto at the top of the point of the T-square, transformation and reformation will be permanent, deep, scarring. Issues of shared life and death and rebirth experiences will be a part of many people’s lives. With Mercury Retrograde approaching next week, you can be sure residual issues in normal communications, travel, commerce, education, information, and routine will continue to be felt acutely for the next month.

 

On a personal note, my Mom & Dad live in Toms River, NJ so the center of the storm hit them dead on. Pt Pleasant Beach is the town on the ocean side of the bay that got buried in sand 3 feet deep. Since I was standing on that street 2 months ago, it’s hard to imagine the change that has occurred. Mom and Dad made it safely through storm with a short power outage (lines are underground in their neighborhood = smart!) and some broken tree branches. Right out on the highway, boats from the harbor two miles away were now parked! Last year NYC got a freak blizzard Halloween week, this year a hurricane. This is the time of the year when the spirit world is said to be closest and most influential upon people and affairs of the earth. Is the spirit of the Earth/Gaia/Mother Nature striking blows to the epitome of human civilization as represented by New York City/Manhattan? A thought we should all be pondering perhaps, especially as we approach an election that no one wants to seem to talk about climate change consequences in, or how economy can continue to pay for the costs of these storms/disasters without producing more debt. And remember, Mitt Romney wants to eliminate FEMA. You’d be on your own to work it out privately with for profit companies. Ouch.

Astrological Winds for Week of 10-29-12

We come to the beginning of this week sailing high off the energy of the Mars/Jupiter opposition on Sunday leading right into a Full Moon at 6* Taurus on Monday. People on the east coast of the USA are getting to experience this peak of high energy x2 in the form of a monster hurricane/perfect storm. People in the northwest got a large earthquake with some tsunami action. This Full Moon across the resource axis will drag into the light our fears about resources and which type is more important: material or emotional? Can we find balance between these competing needs where we don’t stuff our emotional side by acquiring more and more stuff and sweeping deeper issues under the rug? This is a stubborn, fixed battle within us: the need for both deep emotional satisfaction and a desire to be comfortable in our material surroundings. This Full Moon asks us to assess these two needs and try to find a balance between the emotional need to connect with others and our inner selves on intense levels, and the body and self’s need to be comfortable with our environment and lives. Our Western society is seriously out of balance on this scale with material needs strongly outweighing emotional ones, so many may find out how little we can actually get by on and yet still enrich our lives in other ways through relationships and dealing with emotions honestly. We may experience as the death of some things in our lives and thus the clearing of some blockages that can lead to a rebirth/revival. Since these two signs also rule money, banks, financial institutions, multi-corporations, etc., more may be brought into the light about them, so that they are forced to change their ways also. Look to the houses in your chart this Full Moon falls into to see where it will most affect you. Any tight aspects it makes to planets or points in your chart will also influence its flavor in your life.

 

Mercury is also square Neptune on Monday, so there may be a lot of mental confusion/indecision/misunderstandings/bad moves in the air. This will stimulate imagination and is good for creative writing/storytelling. It also good for studying spirituality, mysticism, religion, art. However, this aspect can also make us lazy/passive/worn out mentally and in need of a break, so we may waste much of this day away.

 

Tuesday has a Halloween season type aspect with Sun sextile Pluto.  We have some personal power now and can make some changes in our surroundings/environment that is beneficial personally and can clear the air/bring in the new. This is an excellent aspect to work creatively within groups and communities to bring changes you want to make together. On personal levels, we can see deeply into our own make up and find some answers to what makes us tick that are not overwhelming but rather stimulating and self-empowering instead. You can use this energy to do research type work to get to the bottom of anything you’re interested in.

 

Wednesday, Halloween day, has Venus square stationing retrograde Ceres. Now we will enter a period where we can reflect on nurturing – how we give and receive it. It also may be a time where issues with food supplies may come up. Venus/Ceres could make your loved ones extra sensitive today and damaged by remarks unintentionally. Mars is also semi-square Saturn today – this can be some heavy frustrating energy: perhaps injuries or illness slow us down, or heavy handed authorities stand in our way, or our bodies are just worn out. Whatever it may be, we may feel stuck and unable to get out of the rut and quite irritated or inadequate.

 

The rest of the week is dominated by a Cardinal T-Square, as Venus in Libra opposes Uranus Thursday and squares Pluto on Saturday. This will be a major test of relationships and those under stress may suffer to points of breakage. The desire to break free of the same crowd will peak on Thursday and people may act out impulsively or unusually in some way, or you may be forced into collaborating with someone completely different than you. You can be tempted to act in out-of-ordinary ways in trying to connect with others. You want to have some fun by doing something different with someone different.

 

On Saturday, crisis may reach a pitch as intense feelings peak within relationships with the Venus/Pluto square exact. We may be forced to deal with some situations we’d rather not in regard to others. This can also get us into power struggles with others, or victim type relationships/scenarios. Relationships can get destructive this weekend – be careful.

 

Sunday, Saturn trine retrograde Ceres can stabilize nurturing relationships over the next few months. People support one and other in familial type ways more easily now.

 

Yes, it’s time for Mercury retrograde next week again – stationing right on Election Day. This can definitely have an effect on the results. Stay tuned.

Astrological Winds for Week of 10-22-12

This week starts with the Sun’s ingress into Scorpio on Monday.  We enter the middle of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, where the lines between the worlds are said to be thinner than any other time of the year and thus things normally unseen arise to the surface. This can also be sensed within ourselves, as we may have to deal with some intense emotions built into the human condition we share together like birth/death/rebirth, issues over power and money, fears of mortality/sexuality, betrayal and revenge, etc. Yet what we allow to come to the surface and deal squarely with can be transformative and self-empowering ultimately – it can allow our own unique brand of creativity be born and take flight. This is an excellent time to confront yourself deeply and/or deepen certain relationships, and to make connections to the spirit/under worlds.

 

The Sun is trine Neptune and sesiquadrate Jupiter on Tuesday making this an inspiring/spiritual/religious/mystical/compassionate day. Idealism about values and philosophies will be important and you will want to connect and share with others of a similar vein as yourself. Others may want to use this energy to be alone in quiet, meditative states.

 

Wednesday is relatively quiet with 4 harmonious lunar aspects to planets making it a mainly pleasant day.

 

Thursday some heavy clouds move in in the form of the annual conjunction of the Sun to Saturn. Duties and responsibilities may build up to stifling levels or those with authority over you may come down very hard on you. This can get you into a very serious state of mind that is a somber reality check. It is beneficial for performing administrative type tasks or doing detailed work, but moods in general will be pessimistic/depressed/narrow. You could be recognized for your degree of expertise but with it can come added responsibility. A good day to organize/make plans/do physical work meticulously.

 

Slowing down Mercury allows Venus to catch up and form a sextile between them for the second time in the past 10 days. This can perk up the desire to connect with others to share/digest/rehash emotional experiences and get feedback. This will also help counter/soften some of the effects of Sun/Saturn as we can find sympathetic ears for our plights. This can also have us find some moment of beauty through art or environment.

 

The Sun trines Ceres on Friday, which opens up our unconditional/caring love of others that nurtures and strengthens them and vice versa. This is a time where we are spurred on to help who may be weaker, older, or younger and need some special care.

 

The stressful lunar aspects to the Uranus/Pluto square perfect overnight late Friday/early Saturday, so keep yourself out of dangerous environments/situations at that time. The Sun trines Chiron on Saturday which allows us to use talents and/or experience to tap into new potential energy or help teach others.

 

Sunday has the most activity of the week starting with the Sun quincunx Uranus having us rebel against those as we perceive to be too authoritarian/self-centered. There’s a very restless energy here but it is awkward in direction and can be quite stubborn/angry. Accidents can easily occur, and this will all be exponentially amplified by a Mars/Jupiter opposition: it will be very easy to go overboard today and get too egotistical/aggressive/headstrong. You will want to take more in today and expand your world, but you can easily get over-zealous/over-bearing in doing so. You could take risks on things you normally would not dare too and actually achieve results, or you could set yourself up for a big fall. Overtaxing your body despite feeling much physical vigor is possible. If your actions and decisions are well-measured however, you could move mountains with this energy. One last softer aspect to mention is Venus quincunx Neptune – this can take some of the edge off Mars/Jupiter and get you into the “creative inspiration zone.”  This can also bring up the desire to connect with others in softer/romantic/imaginative ways, but it’s a bit like fairy dust and not based in reality for most part, and thus can create some awkward moments.

 

Also on Sunday two planets change signs. First, Venus ingresses into Libra, a sign she rules and is thus quite comfortable in, as the desire to connect with others/form partnerships/beautify surroundings/find balance over the next few weeks is pushed up. This is extroverted energy that wants to bring others into our world. It’s also a time we may make our own personal spaces more beautiful somehow. Focus can be more on pleasurable relationships over work ones. Mercury meanwhile trudges into Sagittarius where the Winged Messenger will station soon and turn retrograde and make its way back to the waters of Scorpio in the next few weeks. This is a weakened placement (detriment) for Mercury where ideas can get too far-fetched to come to fruition. The mind is fascinated with new, inspiring knowledge/experiences over the practical ones. It prefers to ignore details with its grandiose schemes now. People can get preachy with their words/communications during this time and believe in their own version of the stretched truth so much that they fervently block out all other opinions. However, there’s great opportunity to be exposed to something new that can expand the mind’s horizon during this time.

 

Next week kicks off with a Full Moon in Taurus, and then Venus gets tangled up with the Uranus/Pluto square and relationships will be tested/stressed.

Astrological Winds for the Week of 10-15-12

This is a relatively quiet week with most of the action early featuring a New Moon at 22* Libra on Monday. This is a call to look at the way we handle relationships and finding balance with the requirements of our duties in them and the need to serve/be ourselves. This is a time we may form new partnerships, get into some beautification project in our environment/surroundings, seek out others to make agreements with, be a peacemaker/diplomat, and come together with others over ideas you share.  This is a time we are being called upon to bring harmony to the world around us.  Look to the house this New Moon falls into in your chart to see where the action will be in your life. Any planets it makes aspects to will also color the energy for you personally.

 

Mars is trine Uranus on Monday also and this can give us a super boost of energy this day that works smoothly for us and allows us to get much done both physically and mentally. This can also get libidos going, confident brashness that can actually attract others, breaks from your normal routine, a willingness to try things you normally wouldn’t, and breaking through restrictions easily.

 

Jupiter retrograde is also sesiquadrate Saturn Monday: normally these two work well together even in hard aspects, but right now our efforts/projects/works that were looking promising not too long ago may be getting stuck/bogged down/delayed by reality right now, and there may not be much we can do to force circumstances to flow our way right now - we’ll likely have to just wait it out and go through some contraction. Efforts we do make now are likely to miss their mark/go askew.

 

Both Mercury and Venus are active together on Tuesday keeping social energy perking: they sextile each other while Venus squares and Mercury quincunxes Jupiter, and Venus also semi-squares Saturn. For the most part this is agreeable energy, as people wish to connect/share with one and other, but there’s a tendency to go over the limits with boisterous behavior, stretching of the truth, imbalanced judgments, overspending of money and resources, lazy passivity, and indulgent extravagance. Later on, Saturn will remind us of the price we’ll have pay to reality.

 

Wednesday through Friday there is a lull in planetary activity and most of the Moon aspects are mellow except for a Moon/Mars conjunction Thursday morning which can bring up egotistical/angry/aggressive behavior and is best used by doing something physical solo.

 

Saturday, Mars conjuncts Juno, which can bring up issues of anger or aggression within relationships, but can fire up sexuality between partners.  Mercury’s sesiquadrate to Uranus is jagged mental energy blockage that can overload nerves or frustrate solutions. Vesta also goes retrograde bringing in a period of change that causes reflection within groups you belong to and perhaps reassessment of your role.

 

Sunday, Mercury semi-squares Pluto, which gives the ability to see deeply into things, but be disturbed by the state of what you see, and an inability to transform it presently. The Moon in Capricorn’s first quarter square to Sun in Libra can restrict emotions when dealing with others despite the need to connect with them. Social contacts may be stressful today.

Astrological Winds for Week of 10-8-12

The Sun sesiquadrate Neptune on Monday morning may find us struggling to get going energy wise on physical/spiritual/inspirational levels – everything can seem like a drag and we may look for an excuse to get out of doing what we’re supposed to, procrastinate our way out of it, make poor judgments, live in a fantasy world, etc. It is actually a good day to take some downtime if you can. A Venus/Uranus quincunx has relating to others bumpy/off/awkward/bored/restless. Weakened ones can be tested to the point of separation.  The Sun trine Jupiter retrograde on Monday night will surely give an optimistic boost to the mind and communications with others. This transit brings in a desire for peace/getting along, even if superficial and short-lived, thus is quite good for all types of social interacting, good impressions/recognition of some type, and the seeking of common goals. Mercury trine Chiron will lend a soothing/understanding voice to those we can teach or learn from or help heal/get healing from.

 

Venus trine Pluto on Tuesday can deepen certain relationships to some powerfully enriching moments. This favors romantic relationships reaching intense experiences. We can learn much about our own need for relating to others also. This energy can also be filtered into intense creative projects/output. Uranus is also trine Juno and this can help facilitate healthy change in relationships that allow more expression of each person involved. This can help liven up stale ones, or bring you in touch with eccentric, yet lovable characters. Mercury quincunx Uranus and Sun semi-square Mars can get things a bit edgy – the mind is in overdrive and it may be tapping into some irritable frustration now that can have words blurted out in angry tones. It may be difficult to focus mentally and actions may be off.

 

Wednesday has one of the biggest aspects of the whole month: Saturn trine Neptune (first of three exact hits and thus in effect for quite some time). Perhaps we can find some way to bridge the gap between our ideals and reality during this time, or come up with resources not considered before to help us out. On personal levels, we may be able to find our place in the world easier now: to see how things fit together to create our reality, and thus be able to work with that energy in bringing together reality and ideals. This is a time we are willing to sacrifice part of ourselves for the greater good or deeper understanding of ourselves. We have gained wisdom, now is the time to put it to use.  Mercury is also sextile Pluto on Wednesday giving a focused mind that has the opportunity to get to the bottom of things, get research done, make psychological changes, study, and work with language/words in detail.

 

Thursday is relatively quiet – lowered energy during afternoon from a Moon/Neptune opposition will awaken in the evening from a Moon/Mars square.

 

Friday is also quiet and has four positive Moon aspects – should be a sweeter/harmonious day overall.

 

The only notable aspect on Saturday is the Sun sesiquadrate Chiron: it may be hard to find our balance today, or our preferred image may be under duress and unable to let go. We may see the kinks in our ego’s armor for the most part and feel a bit stuck/down about it.

 

Mars square Chiron is the big aspect of Sunday: we may be challenged today by some frustrating blockage that we need to find a new course of action in order to resolve – this will not be easy. It can easily enrage/enflame those who have been injured by others or those who can not control their anger at times. It may take some shrewd moves to make it through some minefields today.

 

Next week kicks off with a New Moon in Libra.

Astrological Winds of Week of 10-1-12

As I mentioned last week, four planets are ingressing into different signs this week and one of the major asteroids also, plus one planet is changing direction, so there will be some shifts in background energy.

 

Monday is a pretty quiet day with Moon opposite Saturn in mid-afternoon being most challenging aspect: responsibilities have us in a serious/practical/conservative/pressed mode. The Moon goes void of course afterwards and then into Taurus about an hour later.

 

Venus sextiles Saturn on Tuesday which brings the opportunity to stabilize relationships and finances, get or give advice/wisdom/guidance, good working relationships that can strike fair deals, and the ability to get creative details worked on. Later, Venus becomes the first planet to change signs this week, as she ingresses into Virgo, the sign of her fall, where her ability to express herself is most repressed/denied. Here, love and relationships are satisfied through service to others. The danger is you may play the martyr to get love and attention from others.  Indeed, perceptive people can take advantage of others who are too quick to please now. This is a good time period to work on artistic/creative projects in detail, as you are willing to sacrifice parts of the self for your creation/work. Your higher standards could rub people the wrong way however, as they perceive you as nitpicking/hypercritical. This is also a good time to start a diet or some new health plan, as you’re in the right frame of willing to sacrifice some of your indulgences.

 

Venus’ sacrificial energy peaks even more on Wednesday as she opposes Neptune: here she wants to blend mundane love with higher spiritual expressions of love. However, we can be extremely unrealistic in all our dealings surrounding love in any form today. Our ideals about love can crash hard on the shores of reality and leave us quite disappointed in others or disillusioned with the world. The trap of giving in order to receive is set on this day and you may be disappointed if you don’t catch your prey or something goes awry. In effect, it’s easy to get deceived by others because you are being too receptive/open/pie-eyed. There is a chance you may have some amazingly moving encounter or experience today that seems to bridge worlds together, but the experience is mainly one of perception, not necessarily physical reality. This is a good day to be of service to others as long as you remain clear-headed (hearted!) and maintain some boundaries. Pallas Athene ingresses into Pisces also today beckoning the Warrior Daughter Princess to use non-violent protest, art, spirituality, healing, and compassion as her weapons of choice now in fighting injustice and imbalance.

 

The Venus/Neptune opposition stays very active on Thursday as the Moon in Gemini gets between them and forms a mutable T-square: watch what you say today, as insensitive remarks can hurt sensitive others. Jupiter in Gemini stations retrograde also and will travel backwards from our viewpoint for the rest of the calendar year and until January 31^st next year. Plans of expansion may be put on hold,  words from the past may come back to us for re-assessment somehow, big decisions may need constant adjusting/mulling over, and/or information overload may have us indecisive. This is a good time to look within at both sides of the values/opinions/viewpoints we have developed and list the positives and negatives in weighing what may require some tweaks/adjustments.

 

Mercury is very active Friday, first conjuncting Saturn: this can get us into a heavy, pessimistic frame of mind, where the shadow side is accentuated, narrow-mindedness is prevalent, judgmental attitudes rule, and conversations take on a heavy tone. It is excellent for precise work, especially types that require mental energy. Mercury then ingresses into Scorpio, where balanced thoughts are lost in the depths of emotions. Here, the mind is fascinated by mystery – what lies behind/below, and any subject matter that relates to that. It wants to know why things work the way they do. The danger is allowing ourselves to become obsessed by the emotional force behind what we are interested in and becoming a manipulative  power pusher about it through the use of the mind. This can also get into the frame of not standing for any fools around us without giving them a dressing down, as the mind’s penetrating perceptions has a hard time understanding why others don’t see what you see or how foolish their own ways are. We can also get into dark humor now or involved in secretive behavior. Mercury finishes its day by trining Neptune, which can lift our thoughts into the idealistic atmospheres. This is aided by a sesiquadrate to Jupiter early Saturday morning. Imagination/inspiration is stimulated and you’ll want to share it with others. This also raises the mind’s psychic powers, so that non-verbal forms of communication become more easily accessible. This is also a time when the mind will take “the higher road” and will have soothing words and ideas for others. An excellent time to also learn new information involving magick, metaphysics, spirituality, art with words, etc.

 

Saturn ingresses into Scorpio also on Friday - this is a big event – the biggest of the month for sure. Saturn will spend the next 2 ½ years in the depths of Scorpio. Those in authority will be working hard to cover their tracks, work secretively, consolidate power, repress information, and restrict others. This will likely be a period of intentional international manipulation of finances by authorities that represent investors and multi-national corporations. We may see the death of more investment banks/houses during this time and corporate earnings will continue to contract.  We may also have to Collectively face some large death events. This really plays into the first half of the Pluto in Capricorn transit, as those in power and in fear of losing it through tumultuous times circle the wagons and the ruts get ever deeper, the desire to control ever stronger. On personal levels, many of us may experience deep psychological changes through this time, as certain energies/behaviors come to the surface and must be addressed responsibly. What motivates us may confront us! Attempts to remain clam and cool can result in extreme acts when rage can not be controlled.

 

Mars has a late Friday night trine to Pallas Athene on Friday/Saturday early AM, which can aid us in making plans of action and ready to take on the “good fight.” Mars then ingresses into Sagittarius Saturday night, which can fire the warrior up to some risky behaviors, courageous acts, grand adventures, etc. Your ideals fuel your actions during this time and you mat need some time for more personal freedom/independence.  Mars can get ornery here over conflicts about values, judgments, philosophies, religion, law – so it can flare up as mass rebellious acts at times.

 

Mars square to Neptune on Sunday will enflame idealistic behavior for some and drain the energy out of others. This is a good day to relax physically or just do gentler exercise/movement like yoga. Sudden movements can even injure now. Energy dissipates and is hard to sustain. It will be hard to take on anything too big or your personal battle to the world today and anything you try will likely have discouraging results. It’s easy to get into self-pity after demoralizing interactions/situations. Temptations at deception should be avoided. With Venus opposite Chiron forming a mutable T-square with Juno, close partnerships could be stressed today, and there may be major lessons to learn about relationships and the inherent conflict that love brings in how much we must give up to others in close relationships. There can be romantic/sexual/emotional/fidelity/competition issues within relationships.

 

Next week features an exact Saturn/Neptune trine in water signs.

 

Astrological Winds for Week of 9-24-12

Last week Mercury triggered the Uranus/Pluto square and we got things like Mitch Romney’s words (Freudian slip) about how he (and the 1%) truly feels about many people, and the effects of internet movies and newspaper cartoons when insulting large segments of the worlds religious beliefs. The shadow side was exposed via words/communications. This week the Sun forms the T-square with them and it could get even more intense as will and ego and the physical world will become more seriously involved in this energy.

 

Monday is relatively quiet: a Moon (in Capricorn) square to Saturn and Sun opposite Pallas Athene may have us feeling a bit down about groups and responsibilities we owe them, decisions we have to make because of them, fears in taking responsibility for our own power within them, and issues with father/authority type people in our lives.

 

Venus and Mars are quite active in stressful ways through most of mid week.  They form an exact square on Thursday, but on Tuesday and Wednesday they get into a number of stressful aspects with outer planets. Mars will sesiquadrate Uranus and semi-square Pluto first, and then Venus will sesiquadrate Uranus also, forming a Black Kite, and sesiquadrate Pluto also. This can make relationships very complex and ultimately frustrating/stuck-feeling, leading to dark thoughts, a desire to break free, lots of jagged energy, a desire to change circumstances but an inability to do so, accident-prone behavior, harsh judgments of others fueling anger, chaotic excitement, and a desire to enjoy life more without regard for repercussions in the moment. This is dangerous energy to play with, so one should exercise some caution in proceeding before doing so. There is creative energy available here for use, and you may find yourself with some odd attractions to the shadow side of your life that has you stuck/hung up in some way and creates friction in your being. However, real answers will likely remain inaccessible now.

 

Ceres ingresses into Cancer also on Tuesday, a sign it has much affinity with through the archetype of the Mother. Here she gives the gifts of nurturing, unconditional love, being cared for, and acceptance of others.

 

Mercury is active on Wednesday also with a sesiquadrate to Neptune and trine to Jupiter. This will spur on our innate idealism, interest in spirituality/religion/mysticism/philosophy/higher forms of knowledge/broadened thinking. Mercury/Jupiter is useful for making plans, business deals, and intellectual work, but Neptune can cloud/soften that up a bit, so you may not get the acute results you’d normally expect.

 

Thursday is the exact square between Venus and Mars, so things could get a bit more spicy between people/lovers and/or our creativity can have an alluring edge hitting a peak.

 

The Sun then starts to perfect its T-square with Uranus/Pluto, first quincunxing Chiron (with Mercury sesiquadrating Chiron also) on Friday, knocking things/people/communications off balance, tarnishing images, and requiring great adaptation/adjustment to our lives in order to deal with the challenges ahead. The T-square perfects early Saturday with an opposition to Uranus drawing lines in the sand between opposing forces, bringing much chaos, and intellectual/ideological clashes fueling sudden acts of rebellion. In our personal lives, we can get surprises from partners/allies/known enemies. The Sun/Pluto square heats up the energy of conflict and a stubborn “not backing down” attitude. Powerful energy is building up and can be triggered violently/explosively very easily right now. We may feel much pressure from within to do something to make something shift/change in our lives. Power struggles may ensue, especially against real or perceived authorities. This can also be the energy of disasters/accidents both large and personal. Once again, the best way to use this energy is to fuel your own desire to change by confronting yourself somehow, and try different solutions to problems you have with others or self.

 

Sunday we will no doubt still be feeling Sun/Uranus/Pluto, but a Neptune/Ceres trine may have many with the desire to give empathy/compassion/understanding towards others as their response to the above tension – an almost angelic aspect, in the sense of caring. People will have a great sense of what others need and be willing to help them get it. This can also be tuned toward a higher spiritual love for all earth and its beings.

 

Next week 4 planets change signs (Venus, Saturn – a big shift here, Mercury, and Mars, plus another goes retrograde [Jupiter]), so there will be significant shifts in the winds directions. Stay tuned for that forecast.

Astrological Winds for Week of 9-17-12

This past week and this week and next week will bring a spike to the Uranus/Pluto square, as on Tuesday the exact second hit of seven occurs, while Pluto is standing still/turning direct on Monday. This will make this one extra intense and indeed it is already, as a movie made in the USA by an Egyptian Coptic Christian with a very shady past depicting the Prophet Muhammad in all types of immoral acts, set off a firestorm across the Arab world against US consulates resulting in death and destruction; large protests in France/Greece/Spain/Portugal against the rich and current banking systems controlling nations have even the ultra wealthy arguing among themselves about what they owe society in order to keep it from descending into chaos; large protests in Russia against Putin and the government and in support of the punk all female band Pussy Riot; a boiling dispute between Japan and China over some very small islands resulting in protests in China and naval war games; large antinuclear protests in Japan forcing the government to completely phase out nuclear power over next 40 years; intense weather disrupting both major parties conventions; Samsung losing a landmark case about copyright violations of electronic devices to Apple, etc – these are just some of the big stories this past week. I’ve blogged about the Uranus/Pluto square many times before here and have re-iterated the point that it’s all about revolution: and not just your revolution, but everyone’s, no matter what that may be and, whether you personally agree with it or not. There is no subjective judgment in astrology: it’s revolution affecting everyone simultaneously on both personal and Collective levels. I’ve also written before that I fully expected the first half of Pluto’s sojourn through Capricorn (while it is squaring Uranus) to be a time period of those in power circling their wagons as they watched the world slip into revolution/chaos, and that their reactions would become more egotistical/subjective/war-like/revolutionary in their own right. The problem here is all these overreactions by those in power can easily lead us to war in these times: there are so many sensitive places in the world today waiting to explode like a powder keg over the slightest provocation that it is down right terrifying. Any of these places could easily suck the rest of the world down a road of ruin during these next few years. What can we do here? Frankly, big change is occurring no matter what any of us do.  Large structures, organizations, systems will be forced to change or die. Things that no longer serving us well must be discarded. It is very encouraging to see how many individuals are willing to revolutionize/transform their lives, but have we given our power away for too long to get it back? Thinking outside the box may be the only way to find a new solution and it will have to be BIG! The problem with squares is the line crisscrosses at 90* - you have to turn some corner to take it on or it will whack you in the side and off your straight course. It has to do with dealing with those who have different objectives and don’t see eye-to-eye at all. It requires hard work and evokes much anger in all parties involved. The tension gets thick, palpable surrounding the issue and it will grind out over a number of years, not happen overnight. Yet there is a sense within us of some excitement over the possibility of great change and what that could mean and lead to. None of us will be able to control this no matter how much material power we have. Our lives are all changing – we might as well embrace it and be prepared. This will be a week where we can take a big leap forward in doing so. We must reclaim our power and save ourselves by breaking chains to certain values/structures/power bases. We must meet the challenge of changing our world head on – there’s nothing else left to do.

Monday also has a Mercury/Neptune quincunx, which can bring much idealistic inspiration but difficulty communicating it through normal channels. It can work for non-normal channels however like psychic downloads, sensing feelings, musical notes, etc. Sensitive people can be easily overwhelmed/deluged with input today. Mercury also semi-squares Mars, which can bring mental frustration over ideas, or with others, and perhaps some testy/touchy communication exchanges. Egos are on the defensive and bursts of anger may result.

Mercury continues to instigate peak reactions to the Uranus/Pluto square by getting into a T-square with it on Thursday with an opposition to Uranus and square to Pluto and a quincunx to Chiron too. In effect, this will keep the above energy of the Uranus/Pluto square at a rolling boil. We need to use our minds to come up with the ideas to resolve these issues: to combine our lower and higher minds to make some powerful moves toward meeting the challenges of change. Expect the insights we get now to be met with much resistance and be aware of your own motives. We can see deeply now into the problems we face, but it can illicit outbursts of incisive/cutting words that can devolve into arguments and battles. It’s easy to get irritated and distracted and thus make mistakes, or just overwhelmed/stimulated mentally and scattered all over the place. Impatience with others will be at a peak. The mind is crowded and conversations can be dense. It would be best to use this energy to get insights on your own mind and challenge yourself to change. Mercury’s quincunx to Chiron says we must refine/adjust our attitudes and beliefs to do so. There is also an exact square of Neptune and Juno today: we may be deluding ourselves in relation to a partner and it may be causing some challenges at this point that are hard to get a handle on. We may be disappointed with them or realize we are being victimized by them somehow. Venus sextile Jupiter is usually considered one of the “lucky” transits, but with all this intense energy about this week it may not register much, or it may just help us maintain civility through intense times. You could get some relief through friends, socializing, or a financial break.

Friday, the Sun squares Ceres, and once again issues with resources may be challenging/hard to manage for some of us, and environmental concerns, food issues, crop issues may all be in the news. We may also have issues within our families over care, sacrifice, intimacy, or you may feel smothered by a family member, or may not be taking care of your own needs somehow.

Saturday is the Autumnal Equinox and fall is upon us in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a time of making connections with others, much interaction with our partners, seeking balance and harmony in our lives, and peace and justice for all, and taking in input from others. A First Quarter Square of the Moon in Capricorn to the Sun in Libra immediately follows and those who are stuck in rigid systems that give them some power may be unwilling to negotiate today. The emotions may be too rigid today to let others in yet to influence us.

The Sun quincunx Neptune on Sunday may give us some individual spiritual/magical moment but it is likely a figment of our imagination or an idealistic overreach. Once again, this can bring great sensitivity to others and/or environment and leave us feeling lost/deceived/misunderstood/disenchanted/self-blaming. This is a good day to be in service to others if you can maintain some boundaries.

We are living in intense times these days, but we’ve all contributed to getting here, so we are all are going to have to contribute to getting out of here. The time of revolutionary change is upon us: do what you think is best to bring it on.

Next week, the Uranus/Pluto square energy will continue to boil, perhaps to one of its highest peaks, as the Full Moon in Aries/Sun in Libra form another T-square with it.