Astrological Winds for Week of 2/27/12

On Monday, a Grand Trine in Earth among Moon/Pluto/Mars and Sun sextile Pluto makes it a great day to do some deep inner core work by taking a steady look at what needs purging/cleansing/tidying/combing over/fixing in our lives. Things that are hidden from us or embedded deeply within us from deep past emotional experiences may arise to the surface and be looked at today with a balanced view and thus an honest assessment and an opportunity to break free/release and replace/repair some of this old baggage. We can also get help from others today in doing so. Creative change can be released today in a grounded way.

Tuesday is pretty quiet – Chiron conjuncts Pallas Athene, which may bring us some intellectual lesson or gift of knowledge that could lead to a new path. The Moon’s sextile to Mercury should lend a hand in learning and understanding.

Wednesday’s first quarter square of the Moon in Gemini to Sun in Pisces can be tricky – it’s as if the will and emotions have traded places. It may be challenging to get life to cooperate with you today. Nervous systems may be stressed and escapism may prevail.

Thursday Mercury quincunx Saturn can block/impede thinking/learning/communications,  especially with those with some type of authority over you. Negotiations/understandings bog down and are just plain difficult, as the ability to see eye to eye intellectually seems to have disappeared and suspicion and narrow thinking obscure things.

Friday, Mercury heads off to Aries, where it will slow down and turn retrograde soon. Thoughts come quickly now and remarks can be off the cuff and start hard feelings if too tactless. Battles of wits with a prankster like attitude may ensue. Impulsive decisions and reasoning can lead to some problems later. It’s also easy to fall into the trap of taking others’ comments as challenges to you too personally. These manifestations can occur all through the time of Mercury in the sign of the Ram.

On Friday also, Mars is semi-square Saturn, frustrating/slowing down our actions. Be careful of overstraining self physically and getting injured or in an accident. We may just have to accept we may not be able to get it all done today. Also, once again, authorities can come down on us, and the worlds’ governments/military can get heavy handed/thuggish under this aspect with crackdowns and operations. We may also be forced to do things we would not choose to under this aspect, much like a soldier ordered to battle under questionable circumstances. This is also the day this week when the Moon hard aspects the Uranus/Pluto square, so a challenging day emotionally.

All of this leads into a rather intense weekend with the Sun opposite Mars retrograde on Saturday with Venus sesiquadrate Mars and Sun sesiquadrate Saturn. This could end up being a very frustrating day as restrictions can reach an overload point and have you or others explode in anger. There may be some very difficult decisions to be made.  Misplaced physical energy can get things chaotic, painful, overblown rapidly. Competitive energy wins out over cooperative energy. It’s best to use this energy to do some physical work/project with detail, full immersion/attention, clean up as a theme. Ego energy is turned up to highest setting, so battles with others are likely.

Sunday has a Venus/Saturn opposition locked into a Cardinal T-square by the Moon in Cancer , which is likely a hangover response to confrontations on Saturday. We may be feeling conservative in our dealings with others and with decisions we make with finances/resources. Most dialogue occurs within ourselves and it may be just best to stay around home and have alone/quiet time today. It’s very easy to see the negative traits in others or feel restricted by responsibilities within relationships. It’s also easy to fall into the “poor me”/victim trap today attitude-wise.

Next week, Venus moves into Taurus, where she loves to be, while Mercury in Aries conjuncts Uranus for the 1^st of 3 times over the next several weeks, and there’s a Full Moon in Virgo. Stay tuned!

Astrological Winds for Week of 2/20/12

A pretty quiet week this week.

Tuesday is the New Moon at 2* Pisces conjunct Neptune/Chiron/Pallas Athene. If there ever was a calling card astrologically built for spirituality and dissolving the illusion of perceived differences into the recognition of the connectedness of all then this is it. Over the past two years, many of the clients I've had are having similiar mundane issues in their personal lives surrounding the loss of money, resources, jobs, careers, etc. This, of course, is a sign of the times. Many of them are looking for something else to try/do. What has been remarkably interesting to me is that almost every one of them that has gotten to this point has a desire to find something that will help heal the world somehow and themselves at the same time and they have had the transiting Neptune/Chiron conjunction right on some personal planet or significant point in their charts! Well, consider this New Moon a calling to every person on Earth to do the same now. The reality is our own ignorance/blindness is what keeps ourselves and our world in pain and suffering and misery. Until we come to the realization that all life is connected and actually live that, we will remain at the mercy of our ignorance personally and collectively. Pisces, the final sign of the zodiac, knows this truth deep inside, yet the two fish swim away from each other by seeing differences in the world of maya that build up stubborn belief systems that ultimately enslaves self and others. The higher octave of Pisces/Neptune is to dissolve all perceived differences into the ocean of oneness. In order to do this we must dive deep within spiritually, rather than trying to push stuck belief systems upon others externally in order to fulfill a sub-conscious need to be right. The past 2000 years has been the Age of Pisces and because of humanity's ignorance, the Shadow side of this archetype has dominated via clashing belief systems leading to non-stop war. In order for this to end, people must go within and realize oneness first and then bring that out in every action towards others, not by preaching, but by our own actions and words of kindness/compassion/empathy. This is what will help complete the cycle of Chiron and turn our wounds and pain into healing and teaching. This is what we are all being called on to do now - to go to a place of non-judgement, to trust in our intuition/heart feelings, to connect with our version of the godhead, to break the cycles of illusion and addiction. The New Moon also sextiles Jupiter, the ruler of Pisces, allowing the greater beneficiary planet to lend a hand in making this transition, and Venus semi-sqaures Neptune also, allowing us to focus love into higher octaves/expressions today. During this New Moon take some time to meditate/contemplate upon these matters and resolve to bring what you sense inside, more into your daily actions outside. Look to what house this New Moon falls into in your chart to see what area of life it will affect the most for you. Also, any planets from 1-3* in your chart will be making aspects to this New Moon and add to its flavor to you on a personal level. Mercury is also sesiquadrate Saturn today, which can be difficult for ordinary communications, however with Mercury in Pisces also, perhaps it will help facilitate inner communications.

Wednesday has Venus quincunx Mars retrograde. This can be a bumpy day for lovers, or how you express your sexuality, or own creativity. Actions in these areas are off/awkward. Also, it may be hard to control emotions, or you may be attracted to someone who's not the best choice for you.

Thursday's Mercury opposite Mars Retrograde is normally ornery, but with the two of them in yin signs and debilitated, their normal energies are not likely up for a big knock-down/drawn-out tangle. Still, we may find ourselves at odds with others over decisions needing to be made or opinions on how to move forward. Be careful with you words or arguments will ensue - ego will be heavily involved. Also, rash actions can lead to accidents. With the Sun square Juno, the battle may end up being with a partner/SO.

Friday is Moon/Pluto/Uranus day this week with the Sun Conjunct Chiron on top. We may be licking our wounds this day possibly from any rows under Mercury/Mars yesterday. The Sun/Chiron conjunction should help us learn some lesson and possibly open up some new frontier for you possibly only in attitude, but one that can gets us thinking out of the box and re-assessing goals.

Saturday's Sun sextile Jupiter and Mercury semi-square Jupiter can get us in a very optimistic/Big Picture frame of mind. A day that you can allow yourself to dream "what if?" You may get some lucky break, opportunity, be at right place at right time, windfall that will have you feeling satisfied/good. A great day to spend with friends, with groups, or dealing with authorities. Not a good day for dealing with details however, as they can seem pesky to you. Venus semi-square Chiron could have you realizing that some relationships may be best with more distance between them. Asteroid goddess Vesta ingresses into Aries also today, asking like minded groups to take actions together as peaceful warriors to help ensure the survival of our species (and many others!) and planet. She may also may be asking us to recognize that even the most roguish/prodigal of our brothers and sisters, are still our brothers and sisters, and should be recognized for their individual contributions to the tribe/family.

Sunday is quiet and has 3 positive Moon aspects to Neptune/Jupiter/Sun and should be a harmonious, relaxing day for most part.

Next week, Mercury dashes off to Aries where it will come to a standstill and start retrograding a week or so afterwards. The Sun also gets to its oppostion with Mars retro.

Astrological Winds for Week of 2/13/12

First, a couple observations on the tightening Uranus/Pluto square and the current Mars Retrograde period.  Remember last summer when we had the Cardinal T-Square being stressed every week whenever the Moon locked into a 4^th harmonic aspect weekly with it, seemingly setting off the most stressful day of each week? I followed the budget talks in the US between President Obama and the Republican House, and each week the Moon locked into the T-Square it seemed that was the day that week that tempers reached a pitch, so to speak. I bring this up now because I’m noticing as we draw ever closer to the first exact Uranus/Pluto square on June 25^th, each week on the day the Moon is forming a T-square with them or conjunction to one of the two of them and squaring the other, it is the day that seems where all the week’s pressure reaches some climax and all kinds of unexpected events, both positive and negative and many times simultaneously, just start exploding around us. So it’s good to be aware of this each week now. This week Friday is that day, when the Moon in Capricorn will be squaring Uranus and conjuncting Pluto – check in with your own emotional intensity that day and compare it and see how events prior led up to it. We should be able to observe this in world events too, especially ones being rocked by the

Cardinal Square

. An example is Syria, which I blogged on several weeks back, and how tightly its current crisis is being driven by the

Cardinal Square

. This past week when Moon opposed Uranus and squared Pluto on Friday and Saturday the rebellion reached new heights with an assassination of a general in the capital of Damascus and larger terrorist suicidal bombings in public areas.

            The second observation on Mars retrograde in Virgo: so far I’m noticing a more muted effect than the last few ones – perhaps with Mars already in Virgo, its normal effects are tempered down already, so it’s not making any big moves. One thing it is coinciding with is increased diseases seemingly at least locally here in Tucson, perhaps reminding us to take care of our bodies with diligence.

On Monday, Mercury first trines Saturn giving a brief reality check and sharp mind before it ingresses into Pisces, the sign its normal energy is most dysfunctional in. Mercury prefers intellectual acuity, an active mind, a restless spirit, an individual’s viewpoint, but in Pisces everything is opposite that. We may find our thoughts wandering/daydreaming/fantasizing much in the next few weeks, and our normal precise mental abilities may be in a bit of disarray. Details we’ve forgotten may come back to haunt us; emotional responses may overload logic circuitry; things may be lost; communications may be unclear; you may be easily swayed by others. The best way to use this energy is via enriched imagination – if you are a writer or artist, you should be able to access some new ideas now. Mercury’s conjunction to Neptune immediately after its ingress just doubly enhances this Piscean effect for the early part of this week.

Tuesday may not be the best day for financial news and resources, as Pluto squares Ceres and there’s a 3^rd quarter square of the debilitated Moon in Scorpio to the Sun in Aquarius. Revelations found out this day may set us back in some way and could get us quite angry, in power struggles with others, and just feeling (in)tense. The aspects for this Valentine’s Day in general are ones of stress, so many of us may end up disappointed ultimately that our fantasy did not come to the exact fruition we desired. Jupiter’s sextile to Chiron may allow us to use the opportunity of disappointment to learn new things about ourselves and what we truly value.

Relationships get even more intense on Wednesday as Venus squares Pluto. We may be ready to strike back hard at those who hurt us, let us down, victimized us in some way. Relationships that are unsteady could easily breakdown today in a Valentine’s hangover. Those that are on solid footing may reach deepening levels of intensity that could illicit some very strong emotions/responses. This is also a “stalker” type energy that can bring up intense feelings of envy/jealousy/obsession/possession, so be aware of these feelings in self and others. Mars is also sesiquadrate Jupiter today – we may be feeling super-energized and it may be driven by the Venus/Pluto energy, however our actions for the most part may be seem to be bound for frustration and stoking our anger even more. We can easily get some uncontrollable urges under these influences combining! Careful!

Judgment is off and behavior can easily get reckless and domineering. This is also an aspect you can overstrain yourself physically under and end up with an injury.

Mercury is active on Thursday with a conjunction to Chiron and sextile to Jupiter. The conjunction to Chiron in Pisces could actually be quite beneficial, in the sense that with Mercury perhaps able to access normally hidden information through feelings or on imaginative levels that contributes to the mind the ability to go beyond its normal realm of thoughts and reactions to pain, fear, faith, wounds, ways of learning, etc and actually can bring some deeply moving healing experiences. Mercury’s sextile to Jupiter just re-enforces this opportunity to expand the mind through new ideas, plans, goals, plans, etc.

Friday is the day I mentioned above when Moon starts hard-aspecting the Uranus/Pluto square carrying over into Saturday. Saturday can truly be a “Saturn’s Day” with the Sun trine Saturn in the morning and the Moon in Capricorn all day. This is a great day to get projects done – if you are off from work, it’s a great day to take on some big project at home as you’ll have the patience and attitude to get the job done and get it done well. This is also an excellent day to deal with issues from those in authority/superiority as you will find them agreeable, or just working in your career in general. Getting advice, especially from older and wiser people, is favorable also. Mercury sextile Pluto will actually lend a hand by giving the mind the ability to focus on details/ get to the bottom of things well. This is a good aspect for deepening connections with others through deep forms of communications also. This is also an excellent day to work the mind via studying/learning/taking classes/reading/collecting and analyzing info, etc. Saturday night, the Sun joins Mercury, Neptune and Chiron in Pisces heralding the last third of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. A time of endings of cycles, yet with the seeds of new ideas in our hands/minds and the plan for our next planting ready to go. A time of deepened connections with others especially on emotional planes; a deepening sense of faith and idealism; a desire to merge with something larger than our self.

The Sun’s conjunction to Neptune on Sunday is perfect for a day of relaxing, revival, spiritual practices, contemplation, deep thoughts, artistic inspiration, etc – really this is the theme of this whole week – a Neptunian/Piscean energy brought down to our personal worlds via Mercury and the Sun. Next week, this continues with a New Moon in Pisces and the Sun joining Chiron and sextiling Jupiter, as Mercury will this week.

Astrological Winds for Week of 2/6/12

The Sun and Mercury are doing the tango together to start off this week and in effect are conjunct all week in Aquarius perfecting on Tuesday. The biggest problem when these two are conjunct is to seriously over-identify with our egos this week and get our tongues wagging in extremely subjective/self-centered ways. In Aquarius, we can really cop a self-righteous attitude of “my way or else”, or just stubbornly refuse to let any other’s perspective in. However, this does make the mind very sharp/acute and will give us the chance to merge our ideas/ideals with others who have similar ones. This will be a week full of networking and is good for starting new ventures, travel, and making plans. This energy will get jump started on Monday when they both semi-square Uranus. This could be a day of odd thoughts and encounters. It could end up easily wiring our nervous systems to overload and getting us irritated and agitated mentally. This could end up being a day where everything comes at us too fast to really get a handle on anything solid, so we may waste a lot of time chasing our tails. The Moon in Leo’s trine to Uranus and square to Jupiter will add to this expansive/overloaded energy. By the end of the day, what seemed like much promise, may leave you just scattered or feeling half-empty, like you missed something important but could never quite get a grip on what it was. There may be points during this day when we may just rebel against it all and strike off in some independent way. This could also be a day of technological issues/problems also.

Tuesday is when the Sun/Mercury conjunction perfects and the Moon opposes them (a Full Moon in Leo). Here, we must examine the emotional need to display ourselves in some way – to get some individual recognition so that we feel good about who we are,  to be inspired from our heart, versus the need to be part of a group working together towards one common goal with the power of the mind. Thus, the challenge is to align these two disparate needs – the heart versus the head, you versus us, and to be sure that everyone’s unique talents/light can shine and be added to the Collective for the benefit of all in equal ways. With Mercury involved too (and Mars opposite Vesta), there can be many long heated conversations/discussions/arguments on how to proceed, and many decisions may have to be made now despite them putting you possibly into uncomfortable territory. Look to which 2 houses this Full Moon falls into in your chart to see what areas of life will be most challenged for you personally by it. Saturn in Libra also makes its annual retrograde turn on Tuesday and it will remain so until June 25^th giving us time to once more re-assess imbalanced relationships and how they cause inequality/disharmony/injustice, and what we need to get down to seriously to correct these imbalances both in our personal lives and in society. Venus also gets into the act on Tuesday as the Goddess of Love zips off into Aries where she can be much more assertive/aggressive in her pursuits of love, relationships, and self-expression through creative endeavors. People can get sassy when Venus is in Aries and desire their own freedom in relationships, yet at the same time attempt to “pursue and capture” others. There is a certain roguish charm that we can exude now too that is attractive to others. But before, she can get really going, she will have to first deal with a quincunx to stationary Saturn, who will be wagging a finger at her, reminding her to be responsible within relationships and think of others too. Relationships may just be difficult today between others’ disapproval of your approach, or perhaps your own inner feelings of unworthiness or an awkward mixture of both. This could also be a day where duty must just trump pleasure and that’s the way it is, period.

The residuals of this bumpy ride are likely to continue on Wednesday as Mercury quincunx Mars.  This is usually an indicator that our nerves are stretched thin and could easily snap into some off-kilter verbal barrage against unsuspecting (or perhaps not so much so) victims. Try to slow yourself down and think before talking or you could do some damage today. It’s almost as if you are looking/daring someone to disagree with you today, so you can just go off on someone – if you need to, find someone who understands and won’t take it personally or will listen willingly. I’d say the best use for this energy is to tackle some mental work/paperwork/etc.

Venus can really light a fire under our butts on Thursday when she conjuncts Uranus. This is the ultimate freedom seeking urge within relationships.  It will test any existing relationship that you are feeling constrained under. You could easily be attracted to someone new and different than your normal crowd. Relationships started under this aspect are short lived and action packed and quite possibly eccentric. You may also have the urge to buy some odd new piece of art or item that is out of the ordinary for your normal likes/habits. New forms of pleasure are exciting/inspiring. This is also a day you could gain or lose a lot of money based on some risky venture.

Sun quincunx Mars on Friday shows our actions may be off target today. Our energy may come in impulsive fits and bursts and may go askew when it does.  We can be very out of control with our will under this energy and easily get others angered at us or others can act like this towards us. This is a “think before you act” aspect. Be careful of overstressing body or repressing anger and getting ill or in an accident as a result. Mercury semi-square Pluto today also can give the mind a sharp edge that nothing/no one  can get over on – you can see the real meaning/hidden meaning behind the words. Unfortunately, today, that may just irritate you with others and their ways, and it will be easy to intellectually rip them apart and leave everyone walking away with a bad taste in their mouths. It’s best to use this energy on doing some real focused mental work or plumb the depths of your own mind/psyche, or to study the occult/psychology/other depth subjects.  This is the compulsive/obsessive disorder mind kind of day!

Saturday, the Asteroid Goddess, Pallas Athene, ingresses into Pisces, where she will immediately conjunct Neptune. These two have a history together and it’s not a good one! In the Greek mythology of Medusa and Poseidon (Neptune), these two lovers were caught by Pallas Athene, a goddess of chastity, having defiled her sacred temple on Crete through a night of ecstatic love making. Poseidon basically ran away and allowed Medusa to face the wrath of the enraged goddess alone, who cursed her by turning her long beautiful hair into a nest of serpents. Last week’s blog explained how Neptune is very similar in energy to Pisces – that is why it co-rules the sign. Pallas, being a very intellectual/mental/logical/the good daughter type archetype feels quite uncomfortable in the water and emotions of Pisces. However, relationships between humans have a way of allowing emotions to creep in despite our best efforts to sometimes keep things purely mental/intellectual. This may be a time when those boundaries are tested. One area perhaps where Pallas would feel comfortable in Pisces is spiritual/religious ritual, so perhaps that will be another area of life that will be deepened/enriched now by the confluence of intellectual genius/idea and emotional depth it may illicit. Another danger here would be the warrior archetype that Pallas sometimes displays also stoking the religious/idealistic fervor of Neptune/Pisces I blogged about last week here.

Sunday, the Sun, now slightly behind the speedy Mercury, semi-squares Pluto. In a way, this is a continuation of the Mercury/Pluto energy I wrote about above. We may add to that possible frustrating power struggles/stand offs today that may be temporarily without resolution. Some minor conflicts with others this weekend may just be inevitable. This is a good weekend to actually assess what your own part is in holding yourself back, as it’s there to access near the surface. Old behaviors need re-hashing – think it over – what can be purged? Issues with those in power can be quite irritating too. Mechanical issues may arise also this weekend.

Next week Mercury enters Pisces and catches up to Neptune and Pallas adding to that storyline and then the Sun follows suit by end of week. Meanwhile, Venus continues her ventures with the Uranus/Pluto square.

Astrological Winds for Week of 1/30/12

Well I sure had my fill of Mars Retrograde events last week - sheesh! Remember, what I said about the military turning its guns on the citizenry during Mars retro periods? Well, I saw this yesterday in the news:
LA Police Department Conducts Joint Exercises with the MilitaryDan Bacher, AlterNet: "The LA Police Department ... and the U.S. military conducted joint 'tactical exercises' in downtown LA this week. One Black Hawk ... and four OH-6 choppers ... flew over the city during the exercise.... Joint military exercises have also been conducted over Boston, Massachusetts and Little Rock, Arkansas over the past six months.... The exercises become even more ominous when you consider that ... Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) ... allowing indefinite detention to be codified into law."
Brave New World/1984,,,,'nuff said...

This week heralds a huge shift in the Collective's energy that will be in effect for many years: Neptune ingressing into Pisces. More below.

Monday may present a bit of frustration in personal relationships as Mercury semi-squares Venus combined with a first quarter square of Moon in Taurus to Sun in Aquarius. Mercury/Venus plus the square will make it an active/engaging day with others, but one that is based on frustration, irrtation, disagreement, discouragement at times. We may be challenged by external situations through others to lift ourselves above just thinking about our own security and comforts. This is a time where we must tune in to our higher calling/dharma and collaborate, but the difficulty is we may have to sacrifice some of the personal things/interests that bring us emotional stability and a sense of security.

Wedenesday can be quite a sassy day with Venus opposite Mars and Mercury sesiquadrate Mars. You may find yourself in some serious disagreements today especially with someone(s) of the opposite sex. Feelings are easily upset by those who we feel are imposing upon us by their roughshod, boorish behavior. There is also alot of sexual tension in the air today. Lovers may find themselves in quarrels or in the heights of erotic ecstasy, or if your sexuality is repressed it may blast out in inappropriate ways, or you may find yourself easily attracted to others today. This is also a day where this energy can be channelled into creative/artistic work. All of this tension will stoke Mercury/Mars and likely provoke some very frustrating standstills with others to just downright bitter arguments and fights. Watch what you say when you are feeling this passionate! There may be no resolution available today to this energy and you may have to just sleep on it.

Friday is the big day when Neptune enters Pisces, a sign that it co-rules or has most affinity with energetically, where it will remain for 13 years until 2025. This is a big background shift, as the outer planets have much to do with the Collective destiny/fate of humanity/life on earth, and much less to do with our personal, subjective lives. Over this period of time expect people to merge together in groups based upon similiar ideals surrounding religion, spirituality, mysticism, art, inspiration, nature. The danger with this is that it can make us the perfect followers - ones who do not question, but rely on faith, and we can easily be led down the wrong path by a charasmatic visionary/savior who says the right things, wins us over unquestioningly, and effectively brain washes us into following blindly. This could easily turn into the energy of the Crusades, Jihad, Dionysus, fascism, hypnotized masses - a ruthless rapture so to speak! Technology will allow everyone to be the star of their own video on Youtube to points unimaginable right now but becoming more prevalent by the day, and the world of virtual reality may reach new heights with many people living much of their lives hooked up to some virtual world via machines/technology. Creativity in these areas will reach new bounds. I'd also expect many issues with water and oil, two things that Neptune rules. We had a little taste of that with the Gulf oil disaster - now that most of the oil left unclaimed is under the sea, expect that to be the focus of drilling for the next 13 years, and of course expect more spills and accidents. Neptune/Poseidon was not considered an exactly friendly god, as he could whip the seas up in rage and start many a faith-based war. Neptune in Pisces will bring increased amounts of precipitation and more intense storms, rising sea levels, warming waters and climate, large water-related disasters like tsunamis and floods. I would also expect that there will be many new amazing discoveries coming out of the depths of the sea, and many other issues surrounding the sea including international disputes on claims and an ever shrinking fish population due to overfishing and continued degradation of the oceans in general. Wars over oil and water will increase during this time - the last time Neptune was in Pisces was during the American Civil War, so the internal strife in America between the Reds and the Blues will likely continue through this time and may reach manical points of talks of secession, etc. Also, socialism as a form of government, through the writings of Karl Marx were born the last time Neptune was in Pisces, so expect mass  movements by common people/ the working class to re-introduce socialism into government/politics. Neptune is also associated with drugs, as is Pisces, so drug use as a form of escapism may reach new highs (pun intended) and new designer/experimental/psychedelic drugs are likely to become popular. On the medical front, I would expect the same: new amazing drugs to help cure many illnesses/maladies. The world's population will also continue their growing appetite for entertainment, which will keep the mind from serious/Saturnian issues and immersed in fantasy/glamour/self-image/fashion. Pisces is the sign symbolized by two fish swimming away from one another yet connected by a strand. It shows this sign has a strong dichotomy built within it that can force you to choose a side. You can choose to see everything connected despite its differences, or to pull everything apart into two distinct camps that are opposites and unable to see eye to eye and rely on blind faith. Those who are sensitives will see their ability to sense the connectedness jump quantumly during this time, while those who are blinded by faith will become more narrow and more enraptured with their cause. Both are forms of receptivity that one can easily lose one's self/individuality in. Learn to trust your instincts/gut feelings and you will not be easily misled, but rather led to new, wondrous worlds.

The weekend is quiet astrologically with Moon in Cancer - a good weekend to get nurturing from family, close friends, shared meals, warm baths, creature comforts, etc.

Next week is a Full Moon in Leo, Saturn turning retrograde, and Venus darting off into Aries to hook up with Uranus - stay tuned!

Astrological Winds for Week of 1/23/12

Last Thursday's Sun square Saturn and Ceres' ingress into Aries was very poignant in world events that day via the voice of authorities led by President Obama for the 2nd time denying the Keystone Pipeline - the President (the Sun) created a crisis (square) by making an authoritive choice (Saturn). He also acted as the warrior for the earth/nature/protector of a food producing via crops/agriculture region (Ceres into Aries). Meanwhile, here in Arizona and partcularly in Tucson, the State Education Department and the Tucson Unified School District not only banned Mexican American history courses, but have gone as far as to make the study material (ie - books) very difficult to access and outright banning them from classes (that next fire engine you hear coming may be coming to start a fire not put one out!). Here we see Sun/Saturn act as the heavy hand of authority and Ceres in Aries like an enraged mother. The obvious racial fear that exists in many people's minds in AZ have me thinking we should rename our state: Alazona or Aribama - anyone want to take a vote? I've had people tell me when you travel to other parts of the world, tell people you're a Canadian. Here's my advice: if you travel to other parts of the USA, say you're a New Mexican!

This week could be the beginning of a more actively rough few months in general. Mars goes retrograde in Virgo until April 13th, stays in retrograde shadow until June 19th, and in Virgo until July 3rd. Most of you know all about Mercury retro's effects, since they are so frequent (3x per year). Well, to me Mars retro (once every 2 years or so) are much stronger/poignant in its noticeable effects. Our's is a world of action/doing, which is what Mars is all about. When our actions start to give us backwards results or just stand still/are blocked, it can be extremely irritating to the point of enragement. This is what Mars Retro can do for you! Look at the house it is in to see the area of life most affected. For instance, if it is transiting 2nd house in your chart, then expect a slowdown in gaining of resources to possibly the point of stoppage or even loss. When we think about Mars in Virgo, the effects may not be as extreme as some of the other signs it could be in, as Mars normal rambunctious energy is actually tempered quite down on the Virgo/Pisces axis, but not in necessarily a negative way, but in a grounded/receptive way. The intensity is still there, but it's pointed like a scalpel ready to cut out what's diseased. It's a great time to assess your health and become more disciplined in your regime - to take responsibility for your own well-being and be preventative in your approach to illness and healing. It is also ready to participate with others in joint service. So we may already be in the mindset of having to cut back, to examine our resources and what we spend our time doing, and this could ease this retro period a bit on personal levels. This is also a good time to work with others on detailed projects, especially if involves Mars type activities like building, gardening, metalwork, mechanical repairs, fine crafts, etc. One danger is to get critical of others actions. This time would be best to use by assessing what's in need of repair in our lives, and to see if we are taking our service to others too far and allowing ourselves to become a victim, which can be the source of much anger and subsequent battles. In the mundane world, Mars Retrograde can be a very dangerous time, as its normal energy is much more potent. In Virgo, the police, military, and civil servants may feel its effects the most. Historically, one can trace an increased aggression by the police/military in conjunction with civil services against their own citizenry during these periods (if I was Syrian I'd be very concerned about this during the next few months). This can be particularly seen when progressed Mars goes retrograde in a country's birth chart. The decades of progressed Mars retrograde usually equate to a time period when the military turns its guns on the very citizens it's supposed to be protecting, rather than being involved as much in foreign type wars/police actions. One of the worrisome things about that is that the US's progressed Mars went retro a few years back and ever since then we see increasing intrusion/use of the military to monitor US citizens, and the use of police to quell mostly peaceful demonstrations, and meanwhile civil services decay across all society - the US may be in this type of cycle until the mid-2080's! With Mars in Virgo, an Earth sign (Pluto in Capricorn also), earth-related natural disasters are quite possible (like large earthquakes) during this time. The first exact Uranus/Pluto square is getting very tight during this time period, so combined with this testy Mars, we could have some global catastrophes on the horizon to deal with. It's possible fire and earth may blend together too (volcanos, sunspot blasts on earth). I have heard that many Vedic astrologers are expecting some big natural event in March/April based on their methods of prediction. I think that Mars retro in an earth sign will keep real estate prices depressed for next quarter or two also.
To top all of this off on Monday, Mercury trines Mars stationary retrograde -  Monday should be the perfect day to make plans, collaborate with others, make repairs, prepare for progressive changes, work with machinery, etc.

Monday is also Chinese New Year - the Year of the Dragon - a water year. I'm no expert in Chinese astrology, but I know they expect water issues/catastrophes/increased precipitation. However, the Dragon is considered a lucky/auspicious year especially for making plans that bring fortune later (sounds like Mars retro a bit there!). It's also considered a good year for making babies, collaborating with others on plans, making big changes in your life, new opportunities, abundance, and doing the hard work needed for success.

Wednesday can be a frustrating and challenging day in the sphere of relationships, as Venus is sesiquadrate Saturn. It may be impossible to get what you want from others on this day and it may be best to just accept that. People (yourself included) may be cool and distant and conservative in their interactions with others, and it will be easy to see the faults in others. This would be a day to best spend alone if possible or to minimize your interactions and expectations of others or you could easily get too harsh/controlling with them or vice versa. Issues with others at work who are superior to you are possible too.

Mercury gets activated on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, it squares Saturn and then ingresses into Aquarius. The square to Saturn can make this a day of heavy thoughts and tedious/difficult conversations/communications. It's easy to perceive the Shadow today - it's best to remember it's just a passing phase, as life can seem difficult/burdensome under this energy. It's easy to fall into a stubborn pattern mentally and get argumentative with others. Mercury's ingress into Aquarius (and also conjunction to Vesta) should start to break this up, as the Winged Messeneger is ready to collaborate with others intellectually for the next few weeks. Lines will be drawn in a "us vs. them" mentality during this time and the dichotomy between different value systems will be open for all to see and comment on and act upon even. We may be filled with original, yet unconventional thoughts about how to improve the systems around us. In our social lives, we may spend more time with eclectic, different people. The mind works well with science/technology/math/logic during this time.

On Saturday, Mercury sextiles Uranus and squares Jupiter. Mercury/Uranus will heighten our perceptions and intuitions and fill our mind with electric thoughts/energy. you can be highly creative on a mental level today - great for writing, speaking, getting your point across succinctly and unoffensively, getting support/opportunity for your ideas, happy surprises, new solutions/approaches to old problems, or just doing something exciting and different than the norm. Combined with Mercury/Jupiter however, we may end up going overboard and putting too much on our plate this day. Our mind is on what's grandiose, not the minor details. We can get into some long philosophical self-righteous rants and become an obnoxious bore to others. You're thinking BIG on this day and that's OK, but it's easy to get carried away. Venus sesiquadrate Jupiter only adds to this excessive energy, and Sun sesiquadrate retrograde Mars shows the potential to irritate others or vice versa is very strong today because of all this energy having us or others lose control at times.

Sunday's biggest event is the asteroid goddess Juno ingressing into Sagittarius. This is a time where we will seek to form partnerships that inspire us, or seek partnerships with inspiring people in order to perhaps ground them and their ideas into some concrete system/reality.

Big event next week: Neptune ingresses into the waters of Pisces, the sign it has most affinity to,for the next 13 years!

Astrological Winds for Week of 1/16/12

Monday has many Moon aspects shifting the weather and our emotions rapidly as the day starts in a serious/conservative tone (3rd Qtr square of Moon in Libra to Sun in Capricorn followed by Moon conjunct Saturn), moves to a light-hearted, social, indulgent, receptive tone by late morning throughout afternoon with Moon opposite Jupier and trine Venus, and then into a deeply satisfying focus tonight with Moon in Scorpio sextile Pluto. Venus' conjunction to Chiron is the biggest aspect of this day and it may lead us on a quest to decide what has true beauty and value in our lives - the Scorpio Moon sextile Pluto should help us peel back the layers to find the core of what that is. Connecting/merging in some way with others should bring welcome relief to some of our pains/needs and we will get a chance to learn/receive more or teach/give more.

Mercury semi-square Neptune on Tuesday could bring a little fuzziness to this day that may leave you a bit disenchanted/discouraged mentally. People may not be telling the whole story, the straight story, have ulterior or deceptive motives, may want to drag you down to their lowered state of mind/mood, etc. Your energy may be lower than normal and it may be easy to give up rather than struggle on. A good day to study metaphysical/spiritual/mystical subjects, or just take the day off through some minor escape tactics.

The Sun is square Saturn on Thursday. This is a day where your duties/responsibilities/work/service to others has to be dealt with in serious/disciplined manners and you may have to put off personal enjoyment for a later time. Of course, this can be depressing on your general outlook. Also, we may be very strained resource wise now. It's a day when we will see the Shadow side of life clearly, and may be a day of the news showing us as a society where we have many challenges/crisis that need addressing and responsible leadership to get through. Energy may be lowered just by the burdens of life in general, and Mercury's semi-square to Chiron can add to it by bringing some painfully frustrating news. Ceres also ingresses into Aries on this day showing all may be called on to take on greater personal responsibility over our own resource needs, which includes what is best for the earth too. Environmental warriors, farming and land issues, food and water issues, etc may get quite heated up over the next few months.

Friday the Sun ingresses into Aquarius as we reach the middle of winter in the northern hemisphere. This is a time of mental collaboration with others who share ideals about how to change systems in order to bring balance and equality to them. The danger is to become too stubborn, even haughty, about what we believe in to the point where we shut out all other input, and to also disconnect far too much from our emotional selves/needs. Venus sextile Pluto should give opportunities to deepen relationships/connections with others. Those in newer relationships may be able to bring them to new depths/intensity today that can be quite exhilirating/exciting. Those in older ones may be able to help each other plumb the depths of the psyche and hold up mirrors for each other to remind us we are not alone. This is a "friends are important" day! Financial opportunties may emerge today too.

Saturday should be an exciting day with the Sun sextile Uranus and square Jupiter, as people may make audacious displays at exhibiting their unique individuality and have the air snapping with electricity around them. Sun/Uranus should afford us opportunities (remember you have to act on an opportunity for it to become more than just potential!) to put some of our ideas into action. You will feel free, but want to collaborate with others so that you can shine somehow. People will be witty, lively, stimulated today. Sun/Jupiter can have them take it out to extreme/excessive portions. Trying to squeeze it all in may prove difficult, yet we should be in a generous/gregarious mood that borders on arrogance and has us taking risks out of our comfort zone. This should be a very exciting day if you choose to seek some stimulation. Just remember which pedal is the accelarator and which is the brakes if you're in a whirl of excitement and distracted from reality.

Sunday is a New Moon at 2* Aquarius. Like the Sun's ingress into Aquarius on Friday, this New Moon is asking those with similiar values to collaborate and make changes/improvements to the systems around them; to open up to world diversity that all the new technology brings us; to connect with others in new forms of group conciousness; to revolutionize our world on all levels so that all may be truly free; to develop new breakthroughs in all the sciences/arts/culture, etc. The New Moon sextiles Uranus/Ceres showing that a revolution must take place in order for the world's resources to be distributed well and to meet everyone's needs: a revolution in the way we think and act in order to use the latest technologies to help humanity meet these needs, not do more damage in trying to attain them. This New Moon is telling us the current situation on Earth has become unbearable - that each individual must use their own talents in collaboration with others and their diverse talents to pull together a new plan on where we want society to go from here - that we must become peaceful warriors for the earth and all her children. And that we all may have to give up some of our Collective amusements in order for this to occur - that the time for compromising is over and it must begin with not compromising ourself -  we must stick to what we truly believe is right - and that is what's best for all and leaves no one behind. It is time to put our quirky ideas into action and see what results they bring.

Next week, Mars goes retrograde - the biggest event of the month astrologically.