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.

Astrological Winds for Week of 9-10-12

Mercury, moving quickly now, makes its superior conjunction to the Sun in Virgo on Monday: all vestiges of the last Mercury Retrograde period should have cleared away by now and we can get back to business as usual. In Virgo, this aspect will give much ingenious detail to the mind/intellect: a great time to get deeply into any work/project that requires meticulous steps, great mental effort, precise planning. With this aspect, our egos are strongly conveyed through our speech today, and our minds are extremely subjective to the point of crowding out other points of view. We can easily fall into the trap of being overly critical/judgmental/nit-picky with others. This is a favorable day for new business ventures, taking the initiative, and short trips.

Mercury semi-square Venus is the biggest aspect of Tuesday: this is usually a relatively mild transit. We may have to watch that our words don’t hurt sensitive others, but for the most part social interactions based on intellectual/mental energy are favorable today. Sometimes it can be difficult to come to agreements with others under this transit but it’s usually not serious. The other issue is giving in too easily to others, but for the most part social interactions can be fun/mildly stimulating today.

Venus gets pretty active on Wednesday forming a yod with the Pluto/Chiron sextile and trining Uranus. This can be a complex day for relationships, especially ones that are long term and weak/stressed right now. The yod, is a “hand of fate” type aspect, and will be reflected in the relationships that feel most “fated” in our lives. Pluto/Venus in quincunx aspect many times indicates that a long-term relationship has faded to a point of death/no return/release. Here’s what I said about the ongoing Pluto/Chiron sextile in last week’s blog: “There is also a more subtle Pluto/Chiron sextile, a very Collective aspect that will feed this deep inner desire to learn about our own innermost workings which will help us understand others around us and perhaps transform how we relate to one and other to healthier versions.” Venus/Chiron desires to bring healing to wounded relationships also through what we’ve learned through them and letting them go. Add to that mix, the Venus/Uranus trine saying it’s time to break free of old relationships that drag us down into the same old thing and find some new exciting people and places to hang out with instead, and we have some very potent energy to make some type of break from the “same old thing” today. However, those we meet under Venus/Uranus have a tendency to be a bit “flash-in-the-pan” or short term in their effect on us ultimately. This is a good transit to indulge yourself somehow: do something fun and out of the ordinary today.

Thursday and Friday are pretty mellow days with the biggest aspect being Sun square Vesta on Thursday: this can bring some/challenge to a group you belong to. It can also be frustrating in trying to align your ideals/values with your career or life path or sexual desires.

Saturday is a New Moon at 23* Virgo: this is a good time to start some new health regimen, roll up your sleeves and get on any meticulous project you’ve been waiting on, and make logical choices. The danger is getting hypercritical of others or too stuck on “what’s the right way and what’s the wrong way” that you can alienate others: there is a fear that if things are not done correctly that great loss can occur. Look to the house in your chart this New Moon falls into to see the area of life it will affect most for you. This is a good time to turn the critical eye to your own self, and fine tune your life, and take care of what is necessary, well. Mercury’s square and Saturn’s trine to Ceres show resources may be the place many of us need to focus this energy.

Sunday features two ingresses: Mercury into Libra and Juno into Sagittarius, who sextile each other. We can use intellectual efforts to bring peace and justice to others now: anyone you are bound to in some type of partnership should benefit from this energy. Mercury in Libra is excellent at compromising and seeing both sides of a story. This also brings out our desire to enjoy the finer things in life, however we define them. It is good for any art that uses words in any forms. However, it can get us indecisive, or not bring up issues we may have out of politeness. Juno in Sagittarius also favors mental/idea type stimulation between people – it brings together those who are inspired by similar ideas/values/philosophies, but they may create enemies with those who don’t share their beliefs. This is the day of the Moon (in Libra) hard aspecting the Uranus/Pluto square, so be aware of wanting to rebel against others/enemies.

Next week, Pluto stations direct at the same time it has its second exact square to Uranus: be prepared for some shocking events in the world. It will also be the Autumn Equinox with the Sun ingressing into Libra.

Astrological Winds for Week of 9-3-12

Monday can be a challenging day for relationships: normally a day best mainly spent alone if possible due to a Venus/Saturn square and a Sun/Saturn semi-square, it is a holiday where many of us will be interacting with others. This can have a cooling effect on relationships where we feel conservative/reserved when with others or have to deal with heavy handed authorities intent on spoiling the fun for everyone. Relationships that are weak can also hit their breaking point under this energy, or we may have challenging situations come up with our elders. Internally, there will be disappointment with others that we’ll have to process alone. Mars sextile Pluto and trine Chiron today will give us the opportunity and desire to use these disappointments to take action on changing ourselves in creative/innovative ways. This combination gives us a strong drive to work on something hard that is self-beneficial and transformative. Mars also quincunxs Uranus/Pallas Athene today (and the Moon is in Aries, which Mars rules), so no matter what, these mixes of energies are going to make this an odd day: actions may be off, tempers may flare, accidents could happen, disruptions may arise, etc. Really, despite it being a holiday, the more alone time, the better today – expect interactions to be annoying at times at least.

Tuesday, Mercury aspects the same three bodies Mars aspected Monday: the Winged Messenger trines Pluto, opposes Chiron, and quincunxs Uranus/Pallas Athene, which are exactly conjunct this day. Normally, a Mercury/Pluto trine can use the mind like a scalpel/laser to get to the heart of matters, depth of thoughts, cut out what’s superficial, etc, and is also great for study of detailed subject matter especially about the mind. However, the opposition to Chiron and quincunx to Uranus will mix the energy up a bit as an inability to be more broad in our viewpoint can trip us up, get us in serious disagreements with others, scatter our mind, overload our nervous systems. I still believe this day would be best used similar to Monday: if you can really focus this energy upon yourself somehow, yet realize the path will be slippery at times, it would be best, as these energies can really agitate our interactions with others especially if this energy acts through us – we could really end up upsetting others and vice versa. This is a week where the theme seems to be the ability to look within to change ourselves because outer events may be preparing to become more extreme, and we need to clear up our own issues and intentions before we can handle what may come next externally. The ability to make some of these changes is more reachable this week if we can mix the resources of the material and spiritual worlds together well. Uranus conjunction to Pallas Athene (and square Pluto on Friday) is a calling: to all warriors for the defense of the female archetype, for the use of technology for the betterment of all people and the earth itself, for social reform and individual rights, for the acceptance of equality between the sexes and over different sexual orientations, and for the unique creative vision that each one of us has – a calling to stand up now for our individual rights together – to use our knowledge to create solutions and win these battles. Each of us is capable to contributing to this energy in our own way, but it is a Collective mission.

Wednesday continues this very same theme as Mercury perfects a sextile to Mars, while the Moon in Taurus opposes Mars and trines Mercury. By today, it will start to be a bit easier to interact with others, and it is an excellent day for getting work done of either mental or physical (or a combination of both ideally) type. This also favors all communications, short trips, and making plans of action.

Thursday Venus ingresses into Leo and immediately semi-squares Jupiter: Venus in Leo really wants attention lavished upon her and will do things to draw attention to herself that can get to voyeuristic levels – and she can get snotty when not getting that attention. Still, the bright side of us shines as we desire to interact with others, especially friends/lovers/children now. We can easily be attracted to other beautiful people, however we define that term. We may get too selfish in our dealings with others however. The semi-square to Jupiter will really push this energy off quickly and we may indulge today in some excess/creature comfort with others. There is also a more subtle Pluto/Chiron sextile, a very Collective aspect that will feed this deep inner desire to learn about our own innermost workings which will help us understand others around us and perhaps transform how we relate to one and other to healthier versions. There is also a Mercury/Saturn semi-square late this day that can get us into a serious mind zone a bit, and perhaps feeling a bit isolated/on our own island with difficulty communicating to others. Heavy thoughts may come in a bit.

Friday’s Sun square Jupiter may have us feeling good and ready for the weekend in some big, celebratory way.  We can use this energy to push ahead today, but just remember costs/bills are sure to follow. We may easily over-schedule our time/overtax our resources too, and fall into arrogant/righteous behavior in loud ways. Venus quincunx Neptune can give us a bit of delusion in our relationships, especially romantic or spiritual ones, but can be used for some unique creative/artistic inspiration. You can get a bit too martyr-like in relationships or need some empathic support from others also.

Mercury square Jupiter on Saturday continues the Sun/Jupiter energy of yesterday as our minds may be filled with grandiose schemes that have not been checked for details yet that can trip us up later on.  It’s easy to jump to conclusions too and get too subjective in our thoughts and words. Still, this will keep us in an optimistic frame of mind that may naturally draw in some lucky breaks.

Mars sesiquadrate Ceres is the most significant aspect of Sunday: this could bring some frustration and crisis surrounding resources, or if you are a parent, a child/your children, that is irresolvable today, and must be delayed to act upon.

A New Moon in Virgo highlights next week, while Mercury will dash off to Libra.

Astrological Winds for Week of 8-27-12

Mercury forms a Black Kite with the Uranus/Pluto square this Monday and Tuesday: we may be looking for solutions that are just not available now: how frustrating, as our best mental efforts are blocked by static situations we will be required to wait out. This can be enraging and easily lead to flying off the handle in some way, likely verbally with sarcasm, a flippant attitude, obsessed thoughts, forced points-of-view, unpleasant manipulative statements, etc. This energy may be best used to look within yourself for the sources of frustration, or for the study of new, intriguing, yet deep subject matter, because anything we try to force on external world is likely to get mired in the quagmire of the circumstances of this day. The Moon’s squares to Saturn and Mars on Tuesday will just re-enforce the above and have us quite stuck emotionally and perhaps even isolated.

Wednesday the Sun trines Pluto while Mercury sextiles Saturn: a good day to get serious and detailed about making progressive changes to your life. The intense experiences of earlier in the week/month may have you taking a serious look at your life today and assessing what you’d like to reform/change. This is a good day to clean the “garbage” from your life, as it will be easier to do so, as you can see how it holds you back. With these two transits working together, you can get to some very deep and detailed thought patterns that thoroughly weighs every problem/decision/thought. One thing to note however, is that Mercury is square Juno too, so partners may disagree or see things differently than you.

Thursday is the Sun’s annual opposition to Chiron, while Venus sesiquadrates Chiron also: this may be a day where ourselves or others are called upon to stand up for those/someone in a weaker position than us and help them out in some way. It’s also possible another’s decision could be a painful lesson or force us to react in some less than ideal way. We also may get a strong life lesson today in some way, or have the chance to give another one. Some relationships may prove to be quite difficult/frustrating and best left just to be for now as is, with some distance between the parties involved. However, the Sun’s quincunx to Uranus may push us over the edge in some way via someone going too far with their degree of selfishness and catching an earful from you/others in retribution. This can also give us a sense of restlessness about the rules we have to live under and get us quite ornery, unpredictable, reactionary and thus set up our own trip ups/falls.

Friday is a Full Moon at 8* Pisces: the willful side of us desires following the rules and etiquette of society – it wants things done in the procedurally correct way, and can be quite judgmental/critical of those who do not, while the emotional side wants no boundaries at all but wants to merge into something larger than itself. This is another aspect that challenges the real world with ideas on a more ideal world: a recurring theme these days. Virgo is fearful of losing the self somehow in all of this: the individuality of the self, that is. Will I survive as “I” if I merge into something bigger than myself? Yet, there seems to be an inherent emotional desire within humans to do so – to be part of something greater than the self or the sum-of-the parts. Venus’ semi-square to the Sun will help tip the scales toward the Pisces side of the axis, as she is the exalted ruler of Pisces, and can charm the Virgo Sun into relaxing just a little. Later, Mercury ingresses into Virgo also, a sign the Winged Messenger rules and is also exalted in. There is great potential to tap into the ingenious part of our minds during this time, work out the fine details on any of our plans, plow through any paperwork/computer work we have to do,  get the most efficient use out of things, study thoroughly, use our inherent skills precisely, etc.

Saturday, Mercury opposes Neptune which can really confuse the mind. Your own or others’ decisions can be misleading, secretive, deceptive, etc., however we are highly attuned to more subtle forms of communication/psychic messages, but this can open us up to misinterpreting the message. This is not a good day to make final decisions on anything really.

There is another shift on Saturday that I feel is the biggest astrological event of the week: the Nodes slide back onto the Taurus (South Node)/Scorpio (North Node) axis for the next year and a half. This is the axis of material and emotional security and resources. The Nodes are more fateful than other parts of astrology in general because they are associated with our karma and dharma. In a Collective shift like this, it seems we will have many lessons to learn about resources and security in the upcoming 18 months – this fits in snugly with the ongoing Uranus/Pluto square. The South Node is what we are good at: using material resources to further physical comfort and security, but it is also where we sow the seeds of our karma – the damage we have done to the source of these resources: the earth, will now rise to the surface under the North Node in Scorpio and our dharma will be to decide where we go from here with it, and one thing is for certain: transformation will occur. We will all have to look deeply at the way we use resources and realize that material ones will not be able to fill the void of not having emotional security. On a more mundane level for most people, this portends to having to make do with less, or continue to do so, if they are already doing so. We need to look for other sources of satisfaction besides things, is what this seems to be saying. Deeper relationships and inner growth are two possible replacements. It does not seem that this is good news for the economy for most for this period. Lessons about our relationship to materials sums it up.

The weekly Moon hard aspect hook up to the Uranus/Pluto square has slid back to Sundays at this point and this week Moon in Aries squares Pluto and conjuncts Uranus. There will be lots of emotional tension/uneasiness in the air today ready to spring loose at the slightest provocation. Moods/words/acts shift rapidly and a desire to express our individuality is high.

Next week there are some helpful planetary aspects for those looking for change/transformation, and Venus heads off for Leo.

Astrological Winds for Week of 8-20-12

Monday will be an intense day emotionally as the tightening Uranus/Pluto square has its weekly hard aspects to the Moon (in Libra) with a square to Pluto and opposition to Uranus forming another Cardinal T-square.  Moon/Pluto says that there will be many demands on us this day coming from both external and internal forces that fire up some intense emotions that will warn others to “back off” or face our wrath/fury, while Moon/Uranus may force` us to make some distracting decisions and may have us act out against others/circumstances in some bizarre ways. It’s easy to get stubbornly obsessive today and it may be quite difficult to get along with others. Fortunately, we can get some help from a Sun/Mars sextile: this is a good day to do your own thing, work on your own projects, focus on what’s important  to you personally, as you can channel the intense emotions of the T-square to move some mountains if you seize the opportunity. However, there is even a danger here as Mars also sesiquadrates Jupiter, and` we can easily bight off more than we can chew and trip our own selves up/overwhelm ourselves. There may be an undeniable urge to just get away from it all today. It will be very easy to fall into extremely egotistical behavior today, so be aware/concious of yourself and motivations in order to avoid sticky situations. Things should ease off tonight with sweet lunar aspects to Mercury, Venus and Jupiter.

Tuesday is quieter except for the Moon conjuncting the now seperating Mars/Saturn conjunction later in the day. This may restrict/put a damper on some of our preferred activities, as duty may trump fun. This could get us a bit moody/depressed and angry at those we perceive as holding us back.

Wednesday ushers in the last third of summer (in the Northern Hemisphere) as the Sun ingresses into Virgo and gets our focus on the finer details of things, service to others,  and health regimes. This is a good month to work out the finer points of projects, use a critical eye in assessing things, plow through paperwork, hammer out detailed plans with others, and be careful with our choice of words. The`danger here is to get too critical of others and their ways, or cause our own nervous distress that could affect our health/general well-being. Mercury sextile Jupiter  is great for making big plans and the Virgo energy should help us not to overlook details. This is a favorable day for business deals, travel, and study.

Thursday,  Mars leaves its debilitated position in Libra and moves to a sign it rules, Scorpio. Here the strong passion of the Warrior can reach intense depth and commitment. This is a place where Mars will not give up and will fight to the death (and even beyond!) for what he believes in. He is in it for the long haul and sees every challenge as just a gate to a greater  beyond/adventure. Of course, this can get us extremely obsessive. This can deepen the passion of lovers to places they’ve never traversed before. The greatest concern here is that those who are already doing battle will (individuals and countries) intensify their fighting to levels unseen before. Enemies may be ready to go to full on war now: battle lines are drawn and stepped over. Try to use this energy to deepen the most important relationships in your life, or to take actions on your own projects that will propel them significantly forward.

Despite the above energy of Mars in Scorpio, Friday is a very diffusive day for energy as the Sun makes its annual opposition to Neptune. The big danger here is that our own or another’s idealism can mislead us into very impractical decisions. The Moon in Sagittarius squares both Sun and Neptune forming a mutable T-square among the three that will require flexibility in order to overcome. Venus also joins the party by sesiquadrating Neptune also. If it feels like your fooling yourself or another is deceiving you, then that is likely the case. We may put others on pedastals they do not deserve. All of this can leave us in a fog of confusion.  Backing down or sweeping problems under the rug will lead to bigger problems further on down the road. We can easily fall into the role of victim or martyr now. Relationships that are based on spiritual bonds are most favored for working with today, like getting advice from a guru, but no matter what our interactions are with others today, take it with a grain of salt, or question it within, in a grounded way.

Mars hooks up with Neptune too on Saturday with a sweet trine. This can make our psychic abilities right on target, so trust what you’re sensing. This is a great day for well-measured, relaxed actions with the energy unfolding in a harmonious roll. Charitable/spiritual activities that benefit others or all of us are strongly favored. Your’s and others’ concerns for each other are much more honest today.

Sunday is quieter and with harmonious aspects between the Moon in Capricorn  and Neptune, Mars, and the Sun. However, by the evening, the Moon joins the Uranus/Pluto square again with a conjunction to Pluto and square to Uranus: the possible deceptions of earlier in the week may rise to the surface and enrage you at another/others, and have you wanting to cut them loose.

Next week, there is a major shift in energy as the Nodal Axis slips back to Scorpio/Taurus: many lessons await us all over the next 18 months with our relation to materialism/creature comforts. I feel this will be a major turning point for the Collective and will have much more to say about it in next week’s blog. Mercury will also ingress into Virgo, where the Winged` Messenger is strongly dignified.

Astrological Winds of Week of 8-13-12

Venus takes center stage this week locking into the Uranus/Pluto square and bringing relationships and finances and artistic creativity under the stress of revolution leading to transformation. Monday starts to prepare us as Moon in Cancer conjuncts Venus at mid-day and then opposes Pluto and squares Uranus. Normally, Moon/Venus in Cancer can be a very caring/empathic love for family and friends, but the opposition to Pluto shows some harsh emotions may be pulling apart under the surface surrounding the decisions of another or because of another – the dreams you had in regard to them may be snagged or crushed in some way. This will have us desiring to break for some freedom/independence. This can be a day of heavy emotional manipulation within relationships, but this energy can also be used to deepen them in caring and understanding ways.

Tuesday has Sun sesiquadrate Pluto, and Uranus on Wednesday, forming a Black Kite among the three of them: perhaps the most frustrating Grand Aspect there is – more likely than not news of being misled by those in power will have us feeling extremely frustrated and angered at them, yet there’s a sense not much can be done about it now. We will be aware of a large chasm between the approaches of different parties/groups to similar problems that seem to be relentlessly stuck in neutral. Forces from both external sources and inner voices may be hard to handle and have you stuck/indecisive. This may also be a day that problems with things that you’ve been sweeping under the rug will break down completely.

Wednesday is the pinnacle of intensity for this week’s astrological weather, as Venus perfects its opposition to Pluto and square to Uranus, while Mars conjuncts Saturn in Libra. On a personal level, a Venus/Pluto opposition can deepen existing relationships or even start significant new ones. However, mixing in Uranus (and a Sun/Juno square) brings in the urge for something new and different, some kind of indiscretion, quick affairs with someone from out of your normal circle, flirtatious behavior, etc, which can all lead back to some intense experience/battle in existing relationships. Venus/Pluto/Uranus can also stimulate our creative/artistic energy into odd places, and stress out finances and investments. In the mundane world, this week may bring some ugly exposure of financial institutions and their secret power plays and how they operate under a completely different set of rules that the public is led to believe – think of the growing LIPCOR scandal and the current fury over the admitting of the purposeful trashing of the Glass-Steagall Act by our financial leaders. I have read some very disturbing pieces on these two scandals recently, and it seems more may be exposed about how deep they ran that could literally shake the very foundation of the economic world we all have a vested interest in. Debilitated Mars in Libra conjuncts Saturn and gets exalted reception from the Lord of Time in this sign. This may buy the Establishment some time to come up with a new plan. Normally, this is the energy of hard work/fulfilling one’s duties actively and any big projects you have on your plate are good to take on today. Still, it will be easy to get irritated/tripped up by lots of little reality feedback annoyances today. This will also help us to sharpen the focus on the gap between ourselves and others who approach life differently based upon the generation and environment they grew up in. Some will rebel against heavy handed authority while others will take on the role of that authority. This energy is best used by exhausting one’s self in a long term endeavor. Venus is trine Chiron also, but the heavy energy of all of the above aspects may wipe this little wave out that normally heightens our awareness of aesthetic value in certain things/environments for healing and teaching – if you can catch this wave today, then by all means ride it to ease some of the heavier energy of the day.

Thursday is pretty quiet, but a Venus sesiquadrate to Juno shows some close relationships may have gotten damaged yesterday and are in the “silent treatment” zone today.

Friday is a New Moon at 25* Leo sextile the Mars/Saturn conjunction. This New Moon is asking each of us what unique talent do we have that is our sacred duty to share with the world to help and protect it in the interest of all? And also to recognize that every person has a unique contribution to bring to our world’s foundation to make it stronger and more cohesive, and that no one’s gift has a greater value than another’s – that they are all necessary in order for society to function well. On a personal level it asking you to plant the seeds of using your gift now – that the ground is ready, and to stop holding back out of doubt or conditioning. Leo asks us to come from our heart and intuition – to take a leap when it seems the time is right, because it likely is. It is also asking us to bring back the virtues of honesty and integrity in our dealings with others for we can only start healing our world through all our every day relationships and that is not possible by acting deceivingly. Our intuition will point us to our own truth and show us the way – we are being asked to trust it and act on it now. The New Moon joins the above mentioned Black Kite pattern, so the Hero’s Journey may seem long and daunting at this juncture, and indeed that’s likely the case, but the only other option is to retreat into passivity and ultimately powerlessness. The sextile to Mars/Saturn should help us have a sober assessment of what’s possible now. Look to which house this New Moon falls into your chart to see the area of life it’s activating for you – any aspects to other points/planets in your chart will also color its energy personally for you. This New Moon promises success if we and others fulfill our duties and play our truthful parts. Trust your gift and take a leap with it! Forward moving Mercury re-visits a quincunx Pluto again Friday – here’s what I blogged on this aspect 3 weeks ago and is relevant again: “… This is an excellent day to delve deep into your own psyche and make some tweaks and adjustments. Your mind may be able to solve some very complex problems, and can also appreciate the humor in the audacity of things….”

Saturday Mercury trines Uranus again, and again I quote myself from 3 weeks ago: “we may be filled to the brim with great ideas… It will be difficult to keep pace with the mind today, as far as actually getting anything real solid down. Still, jot down/record the best ones because they could be strokes of genius! You may also get drawn into some great conversations with different people from your normal crowd. Great perceptions come today and a move to break the routine somehow…” Combined with Mercury quincunx Chiron, we can use these ideas to refine and heal some of our damaged attitude and ideals. Venus square Pallas Athene shows we may get in some intellectual disagreements with groups we belong to.

Sunday, the Universe gives us a day off with not even any lunar aspects – should be calm waters at least for one day of respite.

Next week, the Sun ingresses into Virgo and opposes Neptune, while Mars ingresses into Scorpio and trines Neptune.