The Flow! Week of April 1 – 7, 2012

 

Please note: all times are in the Pacific Timezone.

Synopsis for the week: How to Cope, No Joke

March may be gone like a lamb, but it’s not a rather happy one. We’ll see if we can improve its mood later in the blog.

This week Mercury goes Direct on Wednesday the 4^th, signaling a return of normalcy with regard to communications, contracts, commerce and computers. As with all Mercury Retrogrades turning Direct, it takes a little while for Mercury to regain his footing, so don’t expect miracles. Mercury may be fleet of foot, but even he can’t quite turn on a dime.

However, as Mercury begins to shift gears this weekend, we leave behind the maddening frustrations of the past few weeks in which many of us may have felt like fools, thinking things were done, only to find out later that they weren’t. Starting this weekend we should finally be able to not only put the icing on our cakes but get to eat them, too. Hoorah!

But just as we get out of Mercury Retrogradeland, Pluto goes Retrograde on the 10^th, and Mars turns Direct on the 13^th turning our little lamb into a raging bull. But more on that next week!

On the whole, things feel somewhat somber. Perhaps it’s all that serious Saturn energy from last week. While we may have thought that the tide had turned, we find ourselves standing knee deep in challenges to our newly won ground. It is as if against all sense and reasonable expectations we stand on the other side of a looking glass at a world turned upside down. Yes, we can hold back this tide, or at least keep it at bay, but the water level is rising dangerously high and it deserves a watchful eye.

Yes, we’re still under the last week’s influence of Creative Living. Yes, we still have the opportunity to shape things according to the new lives we would like to construct for ourselves. But it is almost as if we’ve been pushed to the edge to see how, when, where, or if our psychological dams will crack and go screaming into the sunset like a half-crazed cartoon character.

That’s not to say we’d be blamed for doing so. It’s almost as if we’re being endurance tested for a course we didn’t know we had signed up for. It’s as if our temperaments are being tempered like steel.

I daresay we’ll need them for the struggles to come when Uranus and Pluto start stressing each other this summer and we can use all the temperance we can find.

However far off this summer may be, this week we get a respite, if we’re willing to accept it. Jupiter, planet of expansion, opportunity, and good fortune, is forming a quintile, an aspect of creative consciousness, with Neptune, planet of spirit, perception, and networks.

Putting all of that together means that the power to cope can be found within our own outlook; which is another way of saying that the way to find opportunity lies in the creative manipulation of the fundamental framework of how we perceive our reality.

The idea of creating one’s own reality has become a New Age truism of sorts. It’s an extremely empowering thought, and at the very least begins to open up possibilities that may have been only dimly imagined.

Except when you try and it fails.

Yes, we can go all Yoda and say there is no try, only do, and like Luke become frustrated and despondent when the ship falls back into the lake.

As any artist will tell you, the act of creation is no easy task. But the very first step in the art of creating is perception. Before you can create, you must perceive – and in psychological terms, that’s our outlook.

In a society such as ours, it is easy to become paranoid. So it’s tough to break free of our social culture and shift it to an outlook that allows you to thrive without needing to resort to casting aspersions on others. But it is much healthier spiritually, and it may let you perceive others as they really are instead of how you need them to be. It isn’t easy, but it can be liberating.

First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is.

It’s all in how you perceive, and that’s the best way to cope.

No joke.

Astrologically, there’s no better antidote to the heaviness of Saturn than the levity of Jupiter. Last week, I introduced you to Saturn from Gustav Holst’s popular masterpiece, “The Planets.” This week is Jupiter’s turn.

Jupiter is by far the most popular piece of the suite, perhaps because it is so breathtakingly joyous. There’s no need for me to describe the music, just enjoy it. And maybe, “Jupiter, bringer of jollity” will bring some joy into your life, and help alter your outlook in that direction. I also encourage you to check out the rest of the suite, Mars Bringer of War, Venus Bringer of Peace, Mercury the Winged Messenger, Uranus the Magician, and Neptune the Mystic. They’re all available on Youtube.

To the Daily Details after our musical intermission!

Sunday, April 1^st

No major aspects

The week gets off to a roaring start with the Moon entering Leo at 1:35am. That should immensely lift any brooding moods lingering from the past couple of days, though it may take a little while before it dispels the last of a drowsy fog. By mid-morning we’re feeling charged and ready to take on the day, so if you have plans or a to-do list, you should be able to accomplish what you set out to do with dispatch. In the afternoon a dark cloud or two may cloud the sunny skies, but by dinner time the mood again improves. As the day wears on, if you find yourself apprehensive of an event scheduled for this week, you simply must have faith in your self to see it through properly. You can do it, just stick to your guns, even if you have to shoot a blank or two to get another’s attention. In the evening, we’re actually feeling a bit rambunctious with greater confidence and a certain swagger to our step. Just remember those Fred Astaire moves mid-week.

Monday, April 2^nd

Sun trine Moon at 1:11am 13º Leo

Sun semisextile Jupiter at 8:34pm

A semisextile is no great shakes, but it may offer an economic opportunity or two if you let your gut be your guide. Asian and Australian readers may want to wait until early afternoon before going on any shopping sprees. In the afternoon, don’t be surprised if a glitch in the guise of a ghost from last week rears its gremlin head, something is bound to go wrong just after lunch. If you’ve made it to tea time in late afternoon without slapping your forehead, you’re in the clear. Nagging is a no-go this evening. Domestic arguments in particular are easily started, so put the kibosh on any personal agendas. Similarly, if you have meetings or social events scheduled it’s best to just enjoy each others’ company instead of pushing them where you want them to go. They’ll come around eventually! Tonight is also good for sitting down and thinking about how you are going to handle the rest of the week, and may find it particularly productive to formulate your thoughts and ideas in a written document, even if you are the only one to use it.

Tuesday, April 3^rd

Sun octile Moon at 5:26am at 30º Leo

Venus enters Gemini at 8:18am

The Moon enters Virgo at 6:53am, and it’s time to get down to business. There have been lots of ideas running around naked the past couple of days, and it’s time to clothe them and put them to work.

Soon after the Moon enters Virgo, Venus traipses into Gemini. She’s put on quite a celestial show the past couple of months, and now ever so gently glides closer to the horizon each night. By mid-May, she’ll be just a fond memory as she travels too close to the Sun to be seen. With Venus in Gemini we grow fonder of our gadgets, if that’s at all possible, and enjoy intelligent conversation and use of language. Our emotions are less earthy and more ephemeral, and may find ourselves falling in love (or at least like) 17 times a day.

Tuesday starts off with some good solid productive energies. Asian and Australian readers would do well to try to close the deal by early afternoon. Europeans and Middle Easterners can do the same by mid-morning, while Americans will have to settle for using it as they sleep.

Otherwise, the morning hours are likely to feel unsettled, particularly west of the Atlantic, as we wonder what yesterday’s events were all about. We may gain a better perspective on things in the afternoon, and as the sun sets we may have a more profound perception of recent events. The evening hours are very productive for working through deep-seated feelings. If you’ve been out of sorts, or feelings as if you haven’t been appreciated, this evening may provide a good opportunity for venting your feelings. Just be careful of too much spleen venting, as that can get rather messy.

Wednesday, April 4^th

Mercury stationary Direct at 3:11am

Jupiter quintile Neptune at 4:00pm

The very early morning hours are likely to be emotionally frustrating. We just don’t understand where others are coming from, and their motivations are opaque. In this case, those readers West of the pond have it better than those in the East. Americans can argue with themselves in their dreams, while Europeans and Asians are likely to do so with real people.

As the day gets going, however, it’s gangbusters all around. Opportunity is likely to rain from the skies like manna from heaven, and just about anything you want to accomplish is favored. Again, attitude and outlook is all important, so try to keep your chin up and look on the brighter side. If you need a little cheering up, wear out the Youtube Jupiter clip!

The evening is ripe for the unexpected. Perhaps a bit of news, note, or email may include an invitation. If so, by all means accept, a good time is likely to be had by all.

Thursday, April 5^th

Venus square Neptune at 6:49pm

We end the productive heart of the week when the Moon enters Libra at 8:32am.  Just before that, we’re likely feel a bit ambiguous toward our accomplishments as others try to push us into satisfying their needs instead of our own. Even so, we’re able to make good progress toward our goals, even if the short term results are less obvious or ostentatious. Sometimes, a day of modest but permanent progress is worth more than one with fireworks that turns out to be more temporary. The key to today’s success is sincerity. If you mean it, and it comes from the heart, you should do just fine.

Friday, April 6^th

Sun octile Neptune at 8:45am

Venus quintile Saturn at 11:59am

Full Moon at 12:19pm at 18º Libra

Today is the Full Moon of Libra, known as the Egg, Pink, Fish, Seed, or Waking Moon. Regardless of what it is called, the Full Moon of Libra is always significant because just as Libra is the sign of balance between two equal halves, a Full Moon is the midpoint of the monthly lunar cycle. This Full Moon offers a way to recover, recuperate and heal any recent wounds and to help put into practice any recent changes in life we have recently decided to make. Particularly if you have recently been through an ordeal, the next couple of weeks are an excellent time to enter a new phase of your life and to put into practice what have previously been long-term thoughts on important subjects. Don’t wait for external signs or signals, the only sign you need is the desire in your heart.

The Full Moon of Libra is also likely to produce some loopy behavior in the psyhically or psychologically less well balanced. Be on the lookout for any erratic behavior you encounter, it may be the forerunner of something that’s best to avoid. Otherwise, a little dinging or winging off the beaten track can be good fun, sparking memories of wonton deeds fondly remembered for years to come.

Saturday, April 7^th

Venus quintile Pluto at 6:48am

Venus square Mars at 4:36pm

Today Venus is in heat, and humans are randy. If you are in a relationship, looking for a relationship, or just looking for a good time, today should be another day for fond fecund memories to tickle your fancy in later years. The key to getting the most out of the day is not to be obsessed with control. Any danger is more likely to be found between your ears than out there, as long as you play safely. If you want a good time, go with the flow and let things happen naturally. There is a lot of high emotional energy in the air, so a disagreement is also somewhat likely. Just try to understand the other person’s point of view, let the snide remark slide, and keep things on an even keel. If you have an event to go to in the evening and your tongue has a pointy tip you may want to file it down before stepping outside. You don’t want a misspoken word to break the spell of what could otherwise be a magickal time.

Next week things get quite interesting as Mars goes direct and Pluto turns retrograde. Come back next week for all the salacious details!

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

The Flow! Week of March 18 – 24, 2012

The Flow is a weekly blog published to better understand the flow of astrological, celestial, and magickal energies for the week, and how best to use them.   It is intended for those with little knowledge of astrology. 

For newcomers, the idea is to consider celestial influences as part of a larger whole, or the Flow.  All too often, astrologers tend to write about astrological events as if each were an isolated specimen as if pulled out of the sky and analyzed by itself – and there is no dearth of astrological sites on the net that write that way.  Here, it is the movement and interactions that are important and form the basis of discussion.

If any of the material is unclear or unfamiliar to you, it is probably unfamiliar to others as well, please leave a comment and I will be glad to answer your questions. 

If you like what you see, please share it with friends!  If you would like to get email notifications for when The Flow! is updated, or have a private question please email me at skywatcher888@yahoo.com.  Thank you!

The Flow! is updated every Sunday.

Please note: all times are in the Pacific Timezone.

Synopsis for the week: Happy New Year!

Bet you didn’t see that one coming!

But yes, it’s true. This Monday, the 19^th at 10:14pm the Sun enters Aries marking the start of the astrological new year.

New years can begin at any time, and lord knows over time we’ve had a few.

Before the adoption of the current calendar England used to use Lady Day or March 25^th as the beginning of the year. Judaism often begins the year with the New Moon nearest the AUTUMNAL equinox, though technically it is set from the date of Passover, which is the first full moon after the Vernal equinox. Many Asian cultures celebrate the new year with the new moon closest to the beginning of February. And the Islamic calendar sticks to 12 simple lunar months and the new year retrogrades about 11 days each year.

It’s all about time, and that’s the culprit — time. How it functions, how we measure it, and how we use it are all so totally incompatible it’s no wonder it has changed so much over the years.

Even talking about time sets in motion all sorts of complicated theoretical discussions that would bore even the wonkiest of nerds, except to watch their eyes light up like LEDs on Christmas when you mention things like Einstein’s theory of special relativity and the Space-Time Continuum. You wouldn’t need to set your phasers on stun, your brain would be frozen solid in a babbling stupor. Even Mr. Spock would scratch his cute pointy ears trying to explain it.

For us here on Earth, we measure time by the motion of celestial bodies, primarily the Sun’s, the Moon’s, and our own.

Since time immemorial, humanity has measured time by the phases of the Moon. In some cultures to this day, the new month (the very word comes from the Moon) begins with the New Moon. That is how many ancient civilizations used to measure them.

Yet while knowing the months is important, especially if you are going to be paying rent and other bills, the most important cycle to be aware of for survival is the SOLAR cycle, which we use to measure years. This makes it easy to remember when the seasons change, which is useful information to know when to plant, when to harvest, and when to buy snowshoes.

And then finally, we use the Earth’s motion to set the length of day so that we know when to eat, sleep, go to work and watch Dancing with the Stars.

None of the these measurements are as precise as we’d like, which is why every once in a while we see a headline such as, “Scientists add another second to day.” Well, fine by me, I could use all the extra seconds I can get my hands on, just so long as they don’t fall between 9-5, but just exactly how do they get to add them? What are they adding them to? Do they pull out the stem of a stopwatch in some godforsaken bunker somewhere

Just last month we had a leap day on February 29^th, but what exactly are we leaping? I still had to go work. If we had a day we could all spend in bed, that’d be a much better use of that extra day.

But seconds and days are small potatoes compared to whole months that need to get added to better align lunar calendars to the solar year. Doing payroll in those places must be a trip.

For many of us, the finger of blame points to the Babylonians, although to be honest considering the iPad hadn’t been invented, they did pretty well with what they got.

The Babylonians, who were wearing funny hats and blowing into noisemakers at the Vernal equinox, liked to count different things in different ways. Much like we count cups, pounds, and inches or liters, grams and meters if you’re sensible and metric.

Using sun-dried bricks, sticks and bits of string, they reasoned that a circle was most usefully divided in 360 pieces that we now call degrees. 360 is a pretty sweet number. It is easily divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 24, 30, 36, 40, 45, 60, 72, 90, 120, 180 and itself. Which is very helpful if all you have to count with are clay tablets and your fingers.

The Babylonians used a lunar calendar. In fact, the names of the Hebrew months of the year to this day are very similar, adopted as they were during the Babylonian Captivity. Like a baker’s dozen worth of time, the Babylonians used to count time by 60’s. That’s why to this day even Rolex’s count seconds and minutes by groups of 60, and hours by another set of divisors of 360 – 12 and 24. And, it didn’t take a Babylonian Einstein long to figure out that the length of the year in days was pretty close to that 360 with 5 or 6 extra days thrown in to whoop it up. Astrologers, of course, and scientists of all stripes still use the Babylonian 360 degrees to a circle.

It was a very, very neat system and the best we had until Julius Caesar got his paws on it and made it a true solar calendar. Making a lunar calendar fit into a solar calendar takes quite a bit of fiddling, and the Romans were too busy fiddling with other things to be bothered fiddling with a calendar.

Some of the “months” came from the names of gods like January and March, but apparently the Romans weren’t all that creative when it came to naming the months because the ones after August are all just their number in Latin, Sept- 7, Oct – 8, Nov – 9, and Dec -10. July used to be Quintilis or 5^th until Julius thought it was only proper that if he were actually creating the calendar he should name a month after himself, and Augustus Octavian who came right after was not to be slighted so he glommed on to Sextilis – 6^th, and named it after himself.

As smart as he was, the Julian calendar had its flaws, too. The Catholic church, which used the calendar to set important feasts and holidays began to get annoyed when Easter began falling in the middle of winter, so in 1582 Pope Gregory sat down and scritched out modifications of his own, more accurately conforming the calendar to the actual length of a year.

This calendar was first accepted by Catholic countries, and then slowly made its way through the Protestant ones. England didn’t adopt it until 1752, and the most recent country to adopt it — Turkey, did so only in 1926, though bits and pieces of China hung on a bit longer, to 1929.

Contrary to popular belief, Gregory did not set the new year to January 1. What he did do was include tables of saint days and holy days, and this table ended December 31^st.

Circles can begin anywhere. True, Aries is considered the first sign of the zodiac, which makes it the sensible place to begin. But what is perhaps more important is the understanding that what was most important to the ancients about the annual solar cycle was the return of the sun in its path to the more northern stretches of the sky where it supplied them with more light and warmth. The time when this occurred was at the Vernal equinox, the day of equal night. Certainly a day worth celebrating!

And that’s the story for why Monday is the beginning of the astrological new year. May it be a happy, successful, and healthy one for you and yours!

To the Daily Details!

Venus, Jupiter, and the Moon redux

 

Venus, in all her glory 3/11/12

Sunday, March 18^th

Sun octile Moon at 10:06am at 15º Aquarius

Mercury conjunct Uranus at 10:21am

The Moon is in Aquarius all day, so what can I say? Saturday was strange, and Sunday is likely to be too.  While nothing major is really wrong, things FEEL wrong, or perhaps a better way of saying this is that our emotions are so very much out of whack that we feel as if we’re skating on the edge of a razor. And falling down frequently. Our attempts to connect with others fall short, and it just generally feels weird. Well, what do you expect of an Aquarian Moon, tea and sympathy? Not this Moon! Just smile a lot, look as pretty as possible, and take comfort that tomorrow the Moon enters Pisces. If your plans for the day didn’t quite work out the way you expected, it wasn’t your fault. What do you expect with Mercury Retrograde? You’ll get another chance next month when Mercury goes direct. Keep the faith!

Monday, March 19^th

Sun enters Aries at 10:14pm

The early morning hours on Monday are likely to be concerned with our resources, getting them together, putting them to work, or wondering when and where more of them are going to come. If you get a flash of inspiration, it’s the universe trying to lead you in a particular follow. If I were you, I’d listen – who’s to argue with the universe?

As the afternoon gets underway, we knuckle down and get busy with the day’s tasks at hand. We feel motivated, there aren’t many interruptions, and we seem to have the materials we need to make good progress. If you make the most of this time you may be able to coast a bit through the rest of the week.

The Moon enters Pisces at 5:05pm and while we FEEL better, for the first few hours, it’s a bit touch and go. Refrain from making any decisions during this time or of making any statements in absolute terms. Things are not as stable as they seem. Don’t build any foundations in a swamp!

Tuesday, March 20^th

No major aspects

The Moon is in Pisces all day, and the middle part of the day may turn out to be rather nice. In the early morning hours, we’re a bit unsure about where we stand with things. There’s lots of stuff floating up there in the air, and while we have hopes, there’s little certainty about where they’re going to land. Remember that others are in the same boat, so have a bit of sympathy and understanding if you get cut off driving to work, or a friend or co-worker cuts you off mid-sentence. Everyone’s feeling as freaky as you, so cut them some slack. In the mid-day period, though, things come together nicely. You can see opportunities for advancement, and there isn’t much in your way that prevents you from moving in that direction. Don’t be bombastic, don’t be boastful, and don’t push your luck, but if you just accept and acknowledge that things are going to go your way, they probably will. Also, try to formulate your plans in terms of win-win, if you try to get ahead at another’s expense, I have grim news for you. This evening, they’re plotting revenge.

Wednesday, March 21^st

Mercury octile Venus at 1:16am

Sun conjunct Mercury at 12:20pm

Again, the Moon is in Pisces all day. Mercury and Venus don’t often form an aspect, so this one is fairly rare. Mercury is communication and our thinking processes, Venus is our emotional processes. The octile is a bit of a challenging aspect requiring that we be who we say we are, and do what we say we are going to do. Therefore, with regard to your relationships and emotional well-being, today is a day for standing up for yourself and taking ownership of your thoughts and feelings. This is no time to discount your accomplishments or neglect your responsibilities to yourself. Aspects like these set the tone for times to come, so it’s a good idea to pay attention and pay yourself the respect you deserve!

The conjunction of Sun and Mercury means we’re half way through the Mercury Retrograde period. Hallelujah, brothers and sisters!

Thursday, March 22^nd

New Moon at 3º Aries at 7:37am

The Moon enters Aries 2:47am at and soon after meets up with the Sun forming this month’s New Moon. Because of its placement, it is very much a New Moon of beginnings. For the next couple of weeks until the Full Moon on April 6^th, is a perfect time to set in motion any plans or projects you have in mind. That’s because during this time, the power of our will is enhanced. Not only is it more powerful, but it is also clearer, purer, and more effective. In esoteric astrology, it’s the force, power, and intelligence of our will that creates. The dividing line between discorporate thought and material manifestation is crossed by one’s will. Whatever you desire, now is the time to WILL it. Your thoughts will become flesh on the bones of your destiny, but they will forever remain disembodied without flexing the mental muscles of your will. Today is apt to be another one of those days in which very little goes as planned. Don’t worry, and don’t try to fight it. You’re not the only one in this position today, everyone else will be looking for a fresh start tomorrow. The only problem is is that it ain’t gonna happen tomorrow, but early next week.

Friday, March 23^rd

Mercury Re-enters Pisces at 6:22am

Venus octiles Uranus at 11:24am

Eh, why bother? It’s unlikely much good is going to come from today. Our feelings and means of expressing them are out of sync. Furthermore, everyone seems hell bent on driving you insane, so why give them fodder? Take it in stride, count to 10 a lot, and remember to take deep breaths. The weekend is coming, although tomorrow is likely to be a carbon copy of today…if not worse. Don’t let people get the better of you, but not by fighting them aggressively, but killing them with kindness. Grit your teeth, if necessary, but grit them behind a smile. Especially in the evening hours, people are likely to be the most out of control. If you are on the road, by all means take precaution to stay out of the way of rampaging lunatics. They’re out there tonight, don’t make it easy for them to find you!

Saturday, March 24^th

Sun conjunct Uranus at 11:20am

I warned you. For the most part, today is likely to be a continuation of yesterday. The loonies have woken up the zombies and they’re both out looking for blood and trouble. At least until the Moon enters Taurus at 2:43pm. Before that, things are hectic, erratic, and nothing seems to go according to plan. It may even feel like you have an unwelcome monkey on your back. Usually I’m all for being out, out, out there, but today it might just be better to stay indoors with the curtains drawn. Once the Moon enters Taurus, things relent; there’s less commotion, and we don’t feel the need to climb all over each other’s back. By early evening, the general mood is even calm, mellow, and smooth. Tomorrow is looking to be a genuinely fine day, an immense improvement over the past couple of day, and an excellent day for outdoor activities, especially visiting, exploring new places, hiking, or gardening.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

The Flow! Week of March 4 – 11, 2012

The Flow is a weekly blog published to better understand the flow of astrological, celestial, and magickal energies for the week, and how best to use them.   It is intended for those with little knowledge of astrology. 

For newcomers, the idea is to consider celestial influences as part of a larger whole, or the Flow.  All too often, astrologers tend to write about astrological events as if each were an isolated specimen as if pulled out of the sky and analyzed by itself – and there is no dearth of astrological sites on the net that write that way.  Here, it is the movement and interactions that are important and form the basis of discussion.

If any of the material is unclear or unfamiliar to you, it is probably unfamiliar to others as well, please leave a comment and I will be glad to answer your questions. 

If you like what you see, please share it with friends!  If you would like to get email notifications for when The Flow! is updated, or have a private question please email me at skywatcher888@yahoo.com.  Thank you!

The Flow! is updated every Sunday.

Please note: all times are in the Pacific Timezone.

Synopsis for the week: Wham Bam, Grand Slam, Thank You Ma’am!

Oh, what a week we have in store!

This week power, transformation, and change (Pluto), energy, drive, and ambition (Mars), and growth, opportunity, and expansion (Jupiter) all line up in a harmonious aspect in the shape of a perfect triangle (Grand Trine) that helps create a virtual dynamo of possibilities.

As if that’s not quite enough, mid-week Venus nudges up to Jupiter to add some sweetness to the punch.

Furthermore, all of this action takes place in the Earth signs, Capricorn (Pluto), Virgo (Mars), and Taurus (Venus and Jupiter). So not only is this a powerful aspect, but the energies are practical, pragmatic, and grounded.

It’s almost like reality has turned into silly putty. But it comes with an instruction manual, and you need to follow the directions closely and carefully.

A Grand Trine is formed when three planets are equidistant around the zodiac, forming the points of an equilateral triangle. All this three-ness relates to the harmony, fertility, idealism, and balance related to the number three.

Triangles are essentially stable structures. They do not move. That’s why bees make honeycombs shaped the way they are, and we have learned to follow suit. When we want to build a structure that is rock solid and withstand all sorts of pressure, we build it out of interlocking triangles.

But while all that sweet harmony and stability sounds nice, it can also be a problem.

A big problem.

It’s not very dynamic.

Squares make you move. Octiles make you itch. Trines make you sit and enjoy a cup of tea.

When there are things to do, appointments to keep, and worlds to conquer, sitting down with a cup of Constant Comment is not exactly the most effective use of your time.

This is no time for tea.

If you have a project, proposal, or pipe dream you’ve been working on, now is the time to bring it forth. Put it out there before the public, get it moving, or do something so that you can use this powerful energy to help make it real. If you are willing to put in the effort, this week can produce fantastic results.

But you have to take the initiative. You have to get things rolling. The planets are not suckers. They may be more than happy to help, but they’re not going to do the dirty work for you. The planets may help you turn your hard work into something successful, but you have to write the letter with your own ten nimble fingers.

Sometimes, all it takes is getting started. When astrologers cast a chart, it is usually for the beginning of something, not the middle or end. In astrology, there’s something called the “theory of seeds” which like Confucius saying a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step — the beginning of anything contains within the seed of that moment the roadmap of its eventual fulfillment.

If you have a collection of poems or manuscript dozing away on a hard drive, if you have a secret collection of paintings in the garage, or if you have a pet project you’ve been working on, now is the time to do something official to create a new beginning for moving it along and manifesting the results from it you desire.

Similarly, if you are looking to begin a new chapter in life, now is the time to take that step to cross a threshold and open a new phase in your life. Give up smoking, book that special vacation, go on a diet, join a gym, club, or professional society. If you are in a serious relationship, now might be the time to take it to another level, or if you are searching for that special someone, take some action that you feel will help you find him or her.

All this harmony in the heavens may precipitate some effects here on Earth. While it by no means is powerful enough to end all wars, there may be greater ease in achieving objectives with less strife. In fact, if I were to expect anything to manifest on the world stage this week it is that those interests who seek to use strife as a means of obtaining their ambitions may find it more difficult to do so. Strident rhetoric that might otherwise send armies marching may go unheeded if not ignored.

It would be welcome change. Very welcome!

That doesn’t mean that some won’t try. Pluto represents power and all those who seek to wield it. The trine from Jupiter and Mars to Pluto may give them the feeling that it is their green light to strike while their passions are hot. Lord knows there are enough hot passions out there! But if they think so, they should consult with an astrologer first. Mars is retrograde, meaning that any aggressive action taken now is likely to rebound back on the aggressor. This may not be tea time, but it also is no time for lobbing bombs either, rhetorical or otherwise.

Furthermore, Mercury turns Retrograde shortly after midnight on Monday. You all know that drill. Sign no contracts, make no large purchases, and make no big commitments. Yes, miscommunications, device malfunctions, and computer problems all are likely to cause chaos and confusion for mortal humanity and immeasurable amusement for the gods. Act the fool at the risk of catching their eye.

This is not a contradiction of my earlier advice, and do not let it adversely affect your plans. This IS a time to begin a new chapter in your life, put your work out there, and seek the success you desire. The Mars-Pluto-Jupiter/Venus trine is much more powerful than Mercury Retrograde. If I had my druthers there’d be no Mercury Retrograde this week, but the gods didn’t ask so I couldn’t put in the request. So, we may have to re-dot an i or re-cross a t, but with a little bit of luck, there’ll be an i or t to re-mark!

Grand Trines with Jupiter and Pluto are rare opportunities that should not be missed, and it lasts through next week. Venus is on first, Jupiter on second, and Pluto on third. Mars is at bat. May your Mars hit a grand slam, and this be for you a time of new beginnings and sweet remembrances.

Courtesy of Sky & Telescope magazine

To the Daily Details!

Sunday, March 11^th

Sun octile Moon at 8:57am at 8º Scorpio

The Moon is in Scorpio all day. There ought to be a law. Instead of moving the clocks forward on the second Sunday in March, they should be moved on the Sunday closest to the Moon in Scorpio. There isn’t MUCH a Scorpio Moon is good for, readjustment to time changes though is likely to be one of them. Chances are, people will find adjusting to this time change easier than usual. No one will acknowledge the reason why, but we all can enjoy chuckle. The Moon is our moods and daily rhythms, and Scorpio is the sign of change and transformation. They work together today to help us adapt. We may still be a bit grumpy, but a Scorpio Moon isn’t happy without having SOMETHING to gripe about. An extra hour of sunlight is worth a grumble or two.

We’re especially likely to be in a grumbling mood in the morning. Nothing is right and everything is wrong, but before you slit your wrists, stick around for the afternoon and you should understand things in a better, more hopeful, light. The afternoon is particularly favorable for running errands and taking care of matters that require work, energy, and effort. It’s also great for spring cleaning, washing the car, doing laundry, or moving things around to give yourself more room.

Monday, March 12^th

Mercury turns Retrograde at   12:48am

Sun trine Moon at 11:29am at 23º Scorpio

Jupiter trines Pluto at 9:43pm

There’s a strong likelihood we’re internalizing some of the changes going on around us today making us cranky, irritable, and disagreeable. If you find yourself getting into an argument today, you may want to ask yourself what’s you’re arguing FOR. Just because someone pushes your emotional buttons doesn’t mean you need to start acting like a programmed puppet. Change your reaction, change the dynamic, and you may find yourself on the winning side of the dispute.

The Moon enters Sagittarius at 11:53pm and lifts the mood significantly. It may be a bit late in the day for many, but if you are up past the time the weight on your shoulders should feel a bit lighter.

This evening’s Jupiter-Pluto trine is the first ringing of the bell of the Grand Slam Grand Trine, and will probably go unnoticed by most. Except you, you know what to do!

Tuesday, March 13^th

Venus trine Pluto at 6:27pm

Venus conjoins Jupiter at 10:54pm

Not to be missed in all this talk about the astrological energies is the display of their dance in the sky. Tonight Venus and Jupiter are at their closest astrologically, and gently each day Venus will move higher in the sky than Jupiter. You can tell the difference between them as Venus is the brighter of the two objects. If you want to follow more of this celestial minuet, across the sky to the west is a reddish-orange non-twinkling dot, that’s Mars.

The Moon is in Sagittarius all day. This morning’s energies are particularly favorable for any kind of intellectual or creative activity. Also favored are financial transactions and seeking insight into difficult issues. You may feel a flash of inspiration or two from other dimensions or your subconscious helping you find your way. If you have been concerned about your path, thinking about it this morning should provide you with a better understanding of how your current situation relates to your destiny.

The afternoon and evening hours are absolutely fantastic for any kind of interpersonal relationship. Not only is it a great time for enjoying good relationships, but it is also a good time for helping heal some of the difficulties from the bad. There’s a certain generosity of spirit that pervades the air this evening that makes it more easy to communicate and understand one another. If you have been faced with an unhealthy relationship issue, this evening may be the right time to try to resolve it, understand it, or find peace. Lighting a candle, taking a hot bath, or reforming it in your mind are all likely to help you leave it behind and move on.

Wednesday, March 14^th

Venus trines Mars at 12:27am

Mars trines Jupiter at 2:50am

Sun octiles Jupiter at 2:12pm

Mars trines Pluto at 5:23pm

Sun squares Moon at 6:25pm at 25º Sagittarius

Today is an extremely busy day astrologically, and the peak of the Grand Trine energy, though it will slowly dissipate all the way through to the 26^th when the Moon catches up with Venus in Taurus.

While virtually the entire heavens are aligned with helpful energies, we may be in a bit of a funk. Our self-confidence may be in the gutter, and we’re likely to focus more on our faults and frailty than and fortes and fortitude. Fright and fears only serve to further failure and foul fortune. Don’t be fooled. If you take the bull of Taurus by the horns, he may let you ride his back to the stars.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, today is pretty much perfect for whatever you desire. You may or may not succeed depending on your destiny, but you’ll never know if you never try.

Thursday, March 15^th

No major aspects

The Ides of March!

After yesterday, we could use a breather and today is it. The Moon enters Capricorn at 3:23am and we come back to reality. Second-guessing your actions over the last few days is only natural, and may serve to prepare you for any second chances you might require.

When the Moon lines up with Pluto this evening (7:59pm) we may be feeling high and mighty, and full of ourselves. Usually, that’s an indication we’re actually full of shit. Watch what you say tonight so that you don’t find yourself in a celestial stew. If you find your head swelling and growing too big for your skull, I have one word for you: Icarus.

A much better use of today’s astrological energies is to try to repair something broken, whether that be a device, program, or relationship. There may be a long-standing problem that you’ve put up with because you either never thought of getting around to it, or didn’t think you had the means to address. Today’s the day. Get crackin’!

Friday, March 16^th

No major aspects

The Moon is in Capricorn all day. With the Moon in perseverant Capricorn, this is a perfect time to push forward with any plans, projects, or proposals you have in the works. Even if things didn’t quite start out the way you hoped they would, the ending may be an improvement. The key is to keep at it. Note what happened with this situation three days ago, and what happens three days from today, the 19^th. That will give you a good indication of how the project is progressing. Even if the result is not what you hoped for, you may be provided with an opportunity to make amends and try again.

It may be a Friday, but it’s all about work; getting things done, attending to practical matters, and responsibilities. There may be an emotional spark or two this evening that leads to some heated thoughts or words, but they’re likely to be unimportant unless you make more out of them than necessary, especially if you imbibe too many spirits with green food coloring.

Saturday, March 17^th

Sun sextile Moon at 4:11am at 28º Capricorn

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

The St. Patrick’s Day festivities kick up a quantum leap when the Moon enters Aquarius at 9:11am. There isn’t anything quite like a St. Patrick’s day on a weekend with the Moon in Aquarius. Leprechauns will be leaping out of the woodwork. Trust me, you’ve been warned!  Just wear your green, and say a silent prayer that green food coloring has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

We’ve been through a lot. In some ways things have been improving. Astrologically, the energies are liberating. Today is picture perfect for celebrating any improvements you may have experienced lately. Just play well with others, and safely!

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

 

The Flow! Week of February 5 – 11, 2012

The Flow is a weekly blog published to better understand the flow of astrological, celestial, and magickal energies for the week, and how best to use them.   It is intended for those with little knowledge of astrology. 

For newcomers, the idea is to consider celestial influences as part of a larger whole, or the Flow.  All too often, astrologers tend to write about astrological events as if each were an isolated specimen as if pulled out of the sky and analyzed by itself – and there is no dearth of astrological sites on the net that write that way.  Here, it is the movement and interactions that are important and form the basis of discussion.

If any of the material is unclear or unfamiliar to you, it is probably unfamiliar to others as well, please leave a comment and I will be glad to answer your questions. 

If you like what you see, please share it with friends!  If you would like to get email notifications for when The Flow! is updated, or have a private question please email me at skywatcher888@yahoo.com.  Thank you!

The Flow! is updated every Sunday.

Please note: all times are in the Pacific Timezone.

Synopsis for the week: Good Guys Rising

Sometimes spring arrives not with cannons, but with the aspiring leaves of a crocus breaking through crusty cold earth. Sometimes an icy heart is melted by a thoughtful word. Sometimes opportunity does not knock but eases in on balanced astrological breezes.

This is such a time.

Some of the news is good. With Uranus in Aries, people are learning how to fight oppression, and fight back against deceitful political ploys by organizations and institutions. Now that the Saturn – Jupiter opposition is over, our economy is beginning to move in the right direction.  Now that Neptune is out of Aquarius people are less inclined to believe unadulterated intellectual excrement.

But that doesn’t mean all of it is.

People are dying for freedom in Syria. North Korea juggles nuclear weapons while dancing on the sword of Damocles of world security. China and Russia are still united in their opposition of the West, and Iran would like nothing more than to lob a missile into the world’s oil supply. And no matter how many times we turn a deaf ear, the anguish of Africa is real.

Saturn is about to join Mars Retrograde, and the most effective weapon for dealing with and overthrowing tyranny is organized civil disobedience. Freedom fighters the world over should study the work of Gandhi for some useful insights and methods.

Thankfully, many of us are not personally involved in these struggles, but to quote Eleanor Roosevelt, “Hate and force cannot be in just a part of the world without having an effect on the rest of it.”

Speaking of Eleanor, another favorite quote of hers is, “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people.”

She was one of the greats.

Closer to home, there are now two major astrological influences shaping events, Saturn joining Mars Retrograde this Tuesday, and the strengthening Jupiter-Pluto trine that will climax on March 12^th.

First Saturn.

Saturn, in all its glory

Saturn may be the most beautiful planet in the solar system, but can be one of the most difficult to deal with. When everything is going smoothly and you get stopped dead in your tracks, who’s often to blame? Saturn. When you have put all your hope in the ability of your nest eggs to grow, who stunts their growth? Saturn. When you get stopped by the cops for a speeding ticket, who’s to blame? Well, you, but somewhere Saturn was smiling.

Saturn is the planet of responsibilities, duties, and obligations. Saturn obstructs shortcuts and rewards discipline, hard work, and due diligence. Saturn is law, and Saturn is karma. Above all, Saturn is stricture and structure. But it is often by Saturn’s hand that we learn mastery. Saturn makes us sit and do scales on the piano, but master the scales and you master the music.

Saturn is going backwards, forcing us to face our own duties, responsibilities, structures, and karma. It is a time of coming to terms with the consequences of our actions. When Saturn is retrograde, we must sleep in the bed we have made for ourselves. And if you do so with dirty dogs, you’re likely to wake up with fleas.

Saturn retrograde times also usually present excellent opportunities for us to make amends for mistakes we have made. If handled correctly, Saturn retrograde can give us a second chance in areas that we have fumbled in the past. Watch carefully for any overtures from others indicating such opportunities. They may be a gift of epic proportions.

Saturn retrograde times are also often periods in which we reexamine the commitments we have made and the responsibilities we bear. In some cases, it may feel as if our load has become lighter, but don’t be too fooled by that. It is advantageous to look at this as an chance to look at the load from below, and decide what is worth continuing to carry and what is better to jettison. When Saturn turns direct in mid-June, you’ll be grateful for that lighter load.

While Saturn retrograde is apt to prod us to heave a sigh of relief, Jupiter trine Pluto has the force of a strong wind at our back moving us forward.

Pluto is power, transformation, and renewal. As god of the underworld, he ruled over wealth and the resources of the deeps and depths. We don’t call people today plutocrats for nothing. More plainly, not only is Pluto a general influence on our economy as a whole, but Pluto also rules over nuclear energy, oil and other petro-chemicals, and power plants.

Jupiter is the planet of growth and opportunity. He the Santa Claus of the zodiac. He’s the guy who when you’re down and out and have no hope, comes around and pays the bills. He helps you network to meet the right people at the right time, and turns tiny acorns into mighty oaks. In Roman times, Jupiter, largest planet of the solar system was called Optimus Maximus – Greatest and Best. You don’t get any better than that.

Jupiter is coming up trine Pluto in mid-March. The trine is a third of the zodiac, or 120 degrees, and represents balance and an easy flow of energy between the two planets involved. Jupiter trine Pluto times are generally good times, and times in which opportunity can be found without needing to turn over too many stones.

So far, the positive and beneficent sides of the Jupiter trine Pluto energy have been building productively. I am hopeful that it will continue to do so at least through the mid-March time period, and that Saturn retrograde will not impede this buildup. That being the case, make the most of this time. Jupiter-Pluto trines only occur every 3-4 years, and often represent periods in which great progress can be made. Definitely a time to take full advantage so that you can look back on it and smile with appreciative satisfaction!

Before we get to the Daily Details, take a peek at these truly breathtaking high-definition images of the Earth taken by NASA. I have selected the largest images of them I could find because if you open them up, you can truly see amazing detail. Enjoy!

To the Daily Details!

 

Courtesy of Sky & Telescope magazine

Sunday, February 5^th

No major aspects

The Moon is in Cancer all day. Dawn breaks with us a bit befuddled and unsure of the manner we have handled things. Could we have done more? Should we have done less? Did we say what we really meant, and did we say the right things? Doubt flits about our heads like gnats, but there’s nothing really to fret about. Stop making trouble for yourself. These thoughts have less to do with our insecurities than reality. That is, unless you decide to make them real. As the day progresses, our mood shifts. By about 3pm we are feeling our oats, energized, powerful, lively and alive. We’re ready for anything but most ready for a good time. Any parties or social activities done this afternoon should go well, and generate some fond memories for years to come.

 

Monday, February 6^th

Sun octile Uranus at 2:04am

Mercury octile Uranus at 12:01pm

The Moon enters Leo at 5:24am and sets the tone for what could be a pleasant week. We’re in a playful mood and are more interested in fluff than weighty topics. Be careful of getting too distracted by gossip or the antics of the clown in the next cube or you could find yourself caught in an embarrassing situation—and not just with the boss. The Sun and Mercury are very close together in preparation for tomorrow’s conjunction, and both of them make challenging aspects to Uranus throughout the day. That means that computers, communication devices, and meetings are all likely to be disruptive, not act according to plan, and may present situations that make you choose conflicting personal or emotional priorities. You have a reputation to uphold. Making decisions consistent with that reputation will serve you best in the long-run, no matter how enticing the short-term benefits may be.

 

Tuesday, February 7^th

Sun conjunct Mercury at 1:02am

Saturn stationary Retrograde at 6:02am

Full Moon at 19° Leo at 1:53pm

Venus enters Aries at 10:00pm

Today is a very busy day astrologically. The Sun conjunct Mercury gives an extra edge to our minds, thoughts, and tongues. Not only are we able to speak more clearly, but we are also better able to communicate the full extent of our feelings as well. People know exactly where we stand and how we feel. This aspect can tend to also give our words an extra edge, so be careful how you wield your verbal sword today. The Sun conjunct Mercury also means that we’re at the midway point between retrograde Mercuries. We finished the last one December 14^th, and will enter a new one on March 12^th, the same fateful day as the Jupiter Pluto trine climax.

The Full Moon at 19° Leo continues the relatively good mood we have been in since last weekend. Many of us may feel as if we’ve braved a severe storm, and that the worst of it has passed. There are strong indications that this is indeed the case, and let’s hope that that is true. Last Thursday we crossed a “nexus” of planetary spiritual evolutionary energy, and I believe we came through on the good side of things. Stay tuned to future editions of The Flow! for more details!

I can’t pass the day without saying at least a few words about Venus entering Aries. While generally speaking Venus doesn’t quite feel completely at ease in the home sign of Mars, but it does make us more direct in our relationships, less tolerant of coverups, exaggerated mannerisms, or artificial airs. It’s a time when subtlety flies over our heads like an airplane, and when our needs turn toward open, honest, and forthright relationships. Venus in Aries also tends to bring out imbalances and inequalities in our relationships, so be extra careful that you give as much as you get, and get as much as you give, or the playground of Aries can turn into a battlefield.

 

Wednesday, February 8^th

No major aspects

The Moon enters Virgo at 9:32am and it’s time to get back to work. We may have been neglecting our true duties while we’ve been out having fun, and the Moon in Virgo is making us face up to our responsibilities. Actually, with the Moon in Virgo, we start a day in which growth in economic matters is heavily favored. However, there is a caveat, and it is a big one: beware of overextending yourself. If there are situations in which you can advance your interests by using resources in your pocket and at your command, you will do well to use them. If, however, it means utilizing a line of credit, or buying on time, or using others’ resources, this is not the time to make your move. I know, I know, you are confident that you have what it takes and everything will work out fine. But that is unlikely to be the case unless you are one of the fire signs, Leo, Aries, or Sagittarius and one of these planets fall in your second house of finance and resources. You’re here, so take my advice, and don’t extend yourself too thin today!

 

Thursday, February 9^th

Venus conjunct Uranus at 6:28pm

The Moon remains in Virgo all day, and meets up with Mars later in the evening at 9:11pm. Take that as a warning. Most of the day is extremely favorable for any and all kinds of creative activities. If you have writing to do, a website to design, artwork to develop, or music to compose, you just might have a major breakthrough today. Otherwise, the earlier part of the day isn’t particularly bad, but business dealings and economic news is apt to be mixed-up and mixed. Good news may turn out to be not quite as good as people think, and bad news may actually make things turn out better than they think. Take your financial news with a grain of salt today.

The heavy hitting astrologically, though, occurs this evening. Our relationships can range from sparklingly effervescent to downright difficult to control or understand. Beware of hyper-emotionalism in any case. Everyone has their heart on their sleeve, and that special someone may just decide to wipe their nose on yours. Be equally wary of manipulations and power-plays, everyone’s inner Machiavelli comes out to play tonight, too. If at all possible, try not to care too much or make too much of tonight’s antics. The fault, this time, may truly be in the stars, not your dear one’s heart.

 

Friday, February 10^th

Mercury octile Pluto at 5:45am

Sun octile Moon at 11:30pm

The Moon enters Libra at 11:54am, and sets the stage for a very interesting day. The astrological energies today permeate the barriers and divisions of time, space, and consciousness on a variety of levels. Pay particularly close attention to synchronicities, oddities, or experiences of déjà vu. They just might be from spirits trying to knock some clues into your skull. Personal news may feel particularly weighted, as if each word or phrase has particularly important meaning. In fact, that’s a good keyword for the entirety of the day: meaning. The day is likely to have some truly meaningful events, and how you treat that meaning will have an effect on the course of that event. If for example, someone who you have been having difficulty with says something kind, it may be a golden opportunity for rapprochement. If someone makes personal overtures, it may be an indication that they are interested in a more intimate relationship. If you get good financial news, it may be a sign that you should use some of that money to invest in your own future. It is almost like going through the day like a pinball, and each time you make a meaningful connection to an occurrence in your life, your spirit lights up and you rack up good karma points.

 

Saturday, February 11^th

No major aspects

With the Moon in Libra all day we want to connect with others emotionally. If you have somewhere to go and/or someone to do it with, you’ll find that the bonds you have with others particularly rewarding today. However, relating to others isn’t going to be particularly easy today. We’re unsure of what we really or want or need from others, and we seem to trip over our own words communicating these needs. Non-verbal communication is likely to be the most effective, so it’s a day when it is truly best to reach out and touch someone — just so long as they don’t have a restraining order out on you. In the afternoon hours we are strongly tempted by the demons on the darker side of our minds. We have a strong desire to scratch a deep psychological itch that has caused us pain in the past. Be careful! Usually these itches cover deep psychological wounds that have healed enough to not be intrusive any longer, so scratch that itch at your own risk!

Many of us are likely to use this weekend to celebrate Valentine’s Day. However, the astrological aspects are not particularly kind either Friday night or Saturday. Sunday is definitely the best of the time periods for romantic rendezvous, so if you can, plan accordingly!

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Flow! Week of December 11 – 18, 2011

The Flow is a weekly blog published to better understand the flow of astrological, celestial, and magickal energies for the week, and how best to use them.   It is intended for those with little to no knowledge of astrology. 

For newcomers, the idea is to consider celestial influences as part of a larger whole, or Flow, must as our weather is influenced by the winds aloft.  All too often, astrologers tend to write about astrological events as if each were an isolated specimen as if pulled out of the sky and analyzed by itself – and there is no dearth of astrological sites on the net that write that way.  Here, it is the movement and interactions that are important and form the basis of discussion.

If any of the material is unclear or unfamiliar to you, it is probably unfamiliar to others as well, please leave a comment and I will be glad to answer your questions. 

If you like what you see, please share it with friends!  If you would like to get email notifications for when The Flow! is updated, or have a private question please email me at skywatcher888@yahoo.com.  Thank you!

The Flow! is updated every Sunday.

Please note: all times are in the Pacific Timezone.

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Flow!

This Week’s Synopsis: Backfield in Motion

This week Mercury goes Direct on Tuesday, the 13^th. If you feel like you’ve been running a race in reverse, Mercury’s Retrograde is to blame. On Tuesday, Mercury’s celestial transmission shifts into Drive, and we begin to move forward again. It takes Mercury a couple of days to get back in the swing of things, kind of like recovering after a binge on the booze, and he needs a few days to figure out how to coordinate those winged feet again. The overall effect of this on us is a lot of activity swirling around us, but we’re more of a spectator than actor.

Otherwise, however we’re in a bit of the astrological doldrums. It’s a bit of a snooze until next Sunday when we have an annoying little tiff between Venus and Saturn, at which time we’re about as likely to get on other’s nerves as look at them.

The doldrums don’t mean that nothing of importance is likely to happen, the last time we were in a spot like this, back in May, Obama caught Osama bin Laden. It’s just that without major aspects occurring this week, the energies are running more or less on auto-pilot, so that whatever has been set in motion remains in motion until another aspect comes along to influence it. Kind of like Newton’s first law of motion.

Then, too, remember that it is certainly possible that while the planets above aren’t aspecting each other, they are aspecting you, in which case your week’s pass of snooze is revocable. It’s always wise to know how the planets above are affecting the planets within!

There is the Geminid meteor shower Tuesday night (see below if you’re interested), but the Moon is likely to wash out all but the brightest meteors. So it, too, is a bit of a non-event.

Next week things pick up. The 20^th is a gangbuster of an astrological day, and we have the Winter Solstice, Yule, Hanukkah, the Ursids meteor shower, and the New Moon of Capricorn on tap.

I hope you are all enjoying this holiday season, and on to the Daily Details!

Sunday, December 11^th

No major aspects

We start off the week with the Moon entering Cancer, and our frazzled nerves get a chance to sort themselves out and settle down. With yesterday’s Lunar Eclipse, our circuits are overloaded with the various jangled energies of our daily affairs, so if you’re feeling a bit like a fried egg, sunny-side down, you’re not alone.

As Sunday morning dawns, we’re sensitive, irritable, and cranky. We’re just tired of the same-old, same-old, and it feels like the holidays are only adding extra burdens and responsibilities instead of joy. So much for the holiday spirit! As morning turns into afternoon our moods improve, and we find ourselves smiling, even if a few of those smiles are through gritted teeth. Yes, there are things we’d rather be doing, but it’s all part of fulfilling our responsibilities to each other, and that in and of itself is quite an accomplishment.

The afternoon’s bump of good cheer isn’t very long lasting. By evening, we’re back down in the mouth, and not a little resentful of our lot in life.  Though it doesn’t help much now, by mid-week all this gruff and grump will be all but forgotten in the fogs of the past.

Monday, December 12^th

No major aspects

Monday should be an improvement over Sunday. We’re at least more back where we expect to be, and are able to act on the important items in our life and accomplish what needs to be done with relative ease.

If you feel as if you have been fighting a battle of wits, or a battle with nitwits, or involved in a swirl of miscommunication, there may be good news around noontime. Things straighten themselves out, people understand the situation better, and there’s a bit of relief all around.

The evening we’re not at our social best. If you were thinking of putting on a tiara or top hat and traipsing about town, you may want to reschedule your plans. We’re back to being moody, sensitive, and sore, so if you do have a social function to attend be sure to bring your best smiley face mask to avoid causing a scene.

Tuesday, December 13^th

Mercury turns Direct in motion at 5:43pm

The morning hours are for the birds. If you can find a birdcage, bring along some bird seed and climb in. Warpaths, psychopaths, and jack-boot footpaths seem to be all the rage, and in the way of everyone else’s path. If a birdcage is not an option, just keep your head down, look busy and try to stay out of trouble. If you have any work or communications to submit to others, please read them carefully before clicking the send button. Twice!

Once the Moon enters Leo at 1:48pm, the militarism marches into the sunset, not to trouble us for at least a little while. As we peek our noses up off the battle-scared plain you’re entitled if you feel like doing a little happy dance of good-riddance to bad rubbish. Our moods improve, and we actually feel as if we want to do good things with good people, so any evening get-togethers, meetings, or social events should go well.

Wednesday, December 14^th

No major aspects

Yesterday afternoon’s good moods and feelings continue. With the Moon in Leo and Sun in Sagittarius, we’re all a bit in the mood for some thrills, spills, and exciting entertainment. There’s also the possibility of using this fiery energy to pump ourselves up and let go of some of the nagging niggling fears we’ve been carrying around in our psychic baggage. Let the fires of transformation burn them away!

It is also likely that our political leaders may feel their fiery oats and leap to center stage of our political theatre and provide us with more entertainment than we would care to bargain for. In which case there may be a hook pulling them of that stage after the Moon enters Virgo on Friday.\

By the way, if there is a financial matter you have had in the wings but have been waiting to act upon, initiating action today could put to use some favorable energy for manifesting your hopes, dreams, and/or designs. If there is something like that on your agenda, buon fortuna!

Thursday, December 15^th

No major aspects

Good food, good spirits, and good moods are all around us today. Of all the days of this week, today is likely to be the best. The morning hours are excellent for taking care of business items and/or finishing up the work of the week so you can goof tomorrow.

The Moon enters Virgo at 7:58pm and as the sparkling effervescence of the Moon in Leo wears off, we may feel the urge to take stock of where we stand and what we hope to accomplish this holiday season. There is still much to do and put into action those plans we’ve been hatching all month and this weekend coming up should be the perfect opportunity for making it all real. With the Moon in Virgo, we’re more willing (and able) to follow through with the detail necessary to create what we want the way we want it.  As the day ends, we feel as if there isn’t anything we can’t do – and for once, we’re right!

Friday, December 16^th

No major aspects

I don’t know about you, but for me, Fridays lately have been a bear, with fangs and talons honed razor sharp. While the overnight hours are likely to be unsettled, as day breaks, the energies vastly improve. The key to today is similar to yesterday’s – attention to detail. Make sure all the details are settled before assuming an item is complete. Make sure that you have done everything you can and that all of your requirements have been met, and you should be able to enjoy your weekend.

Friday evening is a wonderful time for relationships, particularly sexual ones. If you are in a “friendship” and would to flip it to a “relationship,” tonight should be tailor made for your intentions. Just sprinkle a dash of charm in your bumpety-bump and the fireworks you get won’t be in the sky. Just play safe, and know what you’re getting into before signing on any lines, dotted or otherwise!

Saturday, December 17^th

No major aspects

The Moon remains in Virgo all day. The Moon in Virgo isn’t exactly known for fun and games, but it does provide just the right balance to today’s energies to help you make the most of the day.

Social events in the evening should be delightful, entertaining, and fun. People will be seeking to make a good impression and feel free to expose their more tender, and better, side. Sympathy, understanding, and champagne all around, what more could anyone ask for?

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

The Flow! Week of December 4 – 10, 2011

The Flow is a weekly blog published to better understand the flow of astrological, celestial, and magickal energies for the week, and how best to use them.   It is intended for those with little to no knowledge of astrology. 

For newcomers, the idea is to consider celestial influences as part of a larger whole, or Flow, must as our weather is influenced by the winds aloft.  All too often, astrologers tend to write about astrological events as if each were an isolated specimen as if pulled out of the sky and analyzed by itself – and there is no dearth of astrological sites on the net that write that way.  Here, it is the movement and interactions that are important and form the basis of discussion.

If any of the material is unclear or unfamiliar to you, it is probably unfamiliar to others as well, please leave a comment and I will be glad to answer your questions. 

If you like what you see, please share it with friends!  If you would like to get email notifications for when The Flow! is updated, or have a private question please email me at skywatcher888@yahoo.com.  Thank you!

The Flow! is updated every Sunday.

Please note: all times are in the Pacific Timezone.

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Flow!

Before we get to this week’s main topic, I would like to invite you all to a talk I am giving next Sunday at the Green Man Store, 5712 Lankershim Blvd in North Hollywood.

Some of the topics to be discussed are:

• Astrology in the Age of NASA — The Earth is not the only center, by placing charts on other planets opens up whole    new dimensions to understanding how a chart works!
• Modern Exalted planets – We live in the iPhone age, not the Roman Forum, find out which planets now fit best in the signs!
• The Biggest Secret of them All – The zodiac is a process that tells a story, learn how to use that story to unlock the secrets of the Emerald Tablet. The popular “Secret” is just the first of many others!
• Plus more as time allows!

As always, both those who are just beginning to understand astrology and those who have studied it will find the topics covered informative, enlightening and entertaining! I don’t often give talks, so this will be a rare opportunity to better understand the ideas and techniques that are not only used in this blog, but can help you understand and guide your life more effectively.

Click here for more information!

Since it is a rather quiet week astrologically and I am suffering from a lingering annoying bout of stomach flu, I thought I would talk about the astrology of time and the names of the days of the week while I sip on some peppermint tea.

In modern astrology, we tend to look to the planets as they travel through the signs of the zodiac to provide the meaning of any given moment of time. However, in ancient times they looked at it a bit differently. To them, time itself was colored by the nature of the planet that “ruled” any particular segment of time, and devised a system that is the most widely used method of measuring time on Earth.

Our story really begins in the Tigris Euphrates valley, home to the peoples of Babylon, Ur, Kish, and Nippur that would come to be known as “Chaldea.” The Chaldeans, a historical amalgam of Babylonians, Sumerians, Akkadians, and various and sundry nomadic Semites, invented the earliest known writing, built beautiful hanging gardens, and meticulously watched the skies and developed ways of measuring the various phenomena they observed.

The Chaldeans, though, had a very different idea of mathematics than we do. To them, quantity was not an independent abstraction, but a function of the items being quantified. They had one system to count slaves, animals, wooden objects and pottery, another for cereal, bread and milk products, another dead animals and beer, and on and on.

Did someone say six-pack?

Well, not exactly, but the Babylonians did extensively make use of counting things by 60. And before we laugh too hard, keep in mind that there are still things we measure by dozens, bushels, gills, carats, and a host of other quantitative arcana bequeathed to us by our mathematically erratic, if not entirely ditzy, ancestors who you might say were at sixes and sevens when it came to figuring out how to count things.

The biggest circle of them all is the zodiac, and it didn’t take much of a genius to realize that the 365.2524 days in a year is awfully close to 6 times 60, or 360 which to make a rather long story short, is why a circle has 360 degrees and the earliest calendars 360 days with five or six stuffed in when no one was looking.

We are always talking about the zodiac. But not today, today we are going to talk about time, not space.

It comes as no surprise then, that this same system is the origin of the number of minutes in a hour and seconds in a minute. The strange thing is, though, is that again, their concept of an hour was very different from ours.

To us, there is no difference between the time it takes to go from 8am to 9am and 11am to Noon. An hour is an hour is an hour. We can prove it on our watches.

But they didn’t have watches then. They had sun-dials at best, and sticks in the ground at worst. And it’s fairly obvious that the length of daylight and nighttime around now, as we approach the Winter Solstice, is very different than the length of daylight and nighttime at the Summer Solstice – and if you measure closely enough, every date in between.

Now our story shifts to Egypt.

Around 2100 B.C., the 24-hour day grew from the Egyptian division of the sky into 36 segments, or “decans,” as defined by the appearance of a given star or constellation above the eastern horizon just after nightfall. For approximately 10 days, that constellation marked the first hour of night. After 10 days, another constellation defined the next decan.

Because the 36 decan constellations formed a full day-night cycle, you would expect a day to have 36 hours. But for the Egyptians, only 12 decan constellations served to divide night — the rest were invisible during the day and the two twilights.

And so things stood until the Greeks came marching in…

In the 4^th century BCE, Alexander was whomping it up in the Middle-East and brought Babylon and Egypt together under the same empire, taught them all how to make spanakopita, and tried to bring some sense and logic to the proceedings.

The Greeks thought the Egyptian system was too messy, so they took the Egyptian 12-fold division of the night and applied the period between sunset and sunrise, by symmetry, to daylight, giving our day 24 hours. They also developed a real affection for the Babylonian system of counting astronomical units.

Though we don’t think about it much now, because we have computers to do all our counting and nobody can make change in their head anymore, but before these nifty devices it mattered what number system you used. Our system based on 10 is easily divisible by 1, 2, and 5. But the sexagesimal system of counting by 60 is easily divisible by 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, and 30! While you may need your neighbor’s fingers and toes, it makes many more complex computations easy.

Our trusty Babylonians called minutes “firsts,” so one-sixtieth of a minute became a “second.” And that is why we have 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes to an hour and 60 seconds in a minute.

And there’s more to our story!

Look at the chart below. Ancient astrologers took each of these hours and assigned a planetary ruler to them, based on the order our friends, the Chaldeans created:

Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon

Notice anything? They are listed in decreasing speed from the slowest, Saturn, to the swiftest, Moon. They took this order and assigned it multiple times until it filled out an ancient spreadsheet (well, tablet) and filed in all 24 hours for all 7 days.

And if you notice, the first hour of each day gives rise to the name of the day of the week.

Saturday is the only day of the week to retain its Latin planetary association, the Sun and Moon each directly became the name in English, and the Teutonic gods gave us the rest, Tiwes (Mars), Woden/Odin (Mercury), Thor (Jupiter), and Frigg/Frige (Venus) round out the list.

Why seven days? Because almost all ancient cultures also counted their month by the motion of the Moon (notice the similarity of name?) The Moon has most noticeably four phases: new, first quarter, full, and last quarter and in a hypothetically regular month, each phase of the Moon would fall on the same day of the week for that month.

So many people, who might otherwise eschew astrology, use it every second of every minute of every hour of every day of their lives!

Planetary Hours of the Day
Hour	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
1	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus
2	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury
3	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon
4	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn
5	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter
6	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars
7	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun
8	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus
9	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury
10	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon
11	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn
12	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter
Planetary Hours of the Night
Hours	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
1	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars
2	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun
3	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus
4	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury
5	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon
6	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn
7	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter
8	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars
9	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun
10	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus
11	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury
12	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon

To the daily details!

Sunday, December 4^th

Sun conjunct Mercury at 12:52am

Mercury square Mars at 3:19pm

The more significant astrological events of the week are bookends. We have a couple of events today, another tomorrow, and then go all the way until Friday and Saturday for the next ones. But by far, the two most important are the Sun conjunct Mercury today and the Lunar Eclipse on Saturday.

Today’s conjunction of the Sun and Mercury marks the mid-point of this Mercury Retrograde period. We’re half-way through, folks! This conjunction heightens communication, clarity of thought, research, planning, and managing tasks. It is particularly good for researching financial matters that can be enacted and/or decided upon later. Even though Mercury is still retrograde, anything you try to work on mentally today should receive a boost of clarity. One particular effect of this aspect is that oftentimes we are able to think about a matter that might otherwise throw us in an emotional tizzy fairly objectively and forthrightly with the emotional affect.

It would, then normally be a cool and calm day if it weren’t for the subsequent square between Mercury and Mars in the afternoon. While the aspect should help speed up any tasks we have in mind, it also is likely to make us rather impatient, and add a barb or two to our tongues. This aspect makes us feel much wittier than we actually are, the bite of sarcasm isn’t quite as toothsome as the bite of wit.

The Moon is in Aries all day adding to the clarity, impatience, and the sense that everything must be done in a rush. Remember my grandfather’s advice: “Do it right, or do it twice!”

Monday, December 5^th

Venus trines Mars at 7:08am

It’s really too bad this aspect has to occur on a Monday, because it is one of the most romantic aspects in the astrological toolbox. Any romantic overtures could either spark or enhance the depth of feeling between you and a loved one, or indeed, enhance niceties toward any person that means something to you. In and of itself, it won’t bring the Hatfields and the McCoys to the same dinner table, but it should smooth over any rough edges you may experience from others, and help establish a better relationship between you – particularly those relationships that have been sore about power, management, and trust issues.

Later in the evening our self-confidence plummets, and we feel not only that there may be something wrong, but that we are inadequate to bring things to rights. Don’t worry too much about it, in most cases all you need is a good night’s rest and for the Moon to enter Taurus.

Tuesday, December 6^th

No major aspects

The Moon enters Taurus at 6:34am bringing about a sense of calm, comfort, and security. While the day is very likely to be a mixed bag, it’s a mixed bag of goodies. Will there be a snickers bar or a nugget of gold in your bag?

The overnight hours are spent in a bit of another dimension, so make note of any significant signs and signals you encounter. The fog burns off with the sunrise, and the morning hours are excellent for those financial or business matters that need attending. Because this is a Taurus Moon and the holidays are approaching, many of us are concerned about our finances. Today is an excellent day for taking stock of them, and doing what we can to arrange things for the better. Again, keep in mind that we are still in a Mercury Retrograde period, but the Moon is favorable for financial matters, so if there is something you have the opportunity to do, today and tomorrow are likely the best times of the week to make the most of it.

Wednesday, December 7^th

No major aspects

Today is likely to be the best day of the week. We feel good, we are optimistic about the future, our prospects look good, and we feel as if we  can handle anything that comes our way. People are in a good mood, and it shows. We are feeling practical, pragmatic, and well-grounded. We’re not so easily tempted by fake bargains, false promises, or insincerity. For sure, there are still problems, and there are things that need changing and managing, but days like today almost feel like an unscheduled holiday. If there’s some decision or action you need to take during the day, the period from 7 – 11am is the time of day most likely to produce a successful outcome. Good luck and enjoy!

Thursday, December 8^th

No major aspects

This mini “Era of Good Feeling” comes to a close later today, so make the most of it while you can during the early morning hours. As the day progresses, it is as if the very air is drugged and we all start saying, thinking, and doing strange things. Be wary of making decisions today. Chances are not only what you think might not be correct, but you might very likely make a different decision tomorrow. Wait until more facts are apparent before taking any significant plunges. Definitely try to give yourself a buffer or cooling-off period so that you don’t get stuck with any albatrosses you don’t need and have to feed.

Another possibility today is that people are going to try to exercise their power over others to the fullest extent possible. Usually, in these times it is best to give way and get out of their way. Such is most likely the case this time as well. It is also highly likely that some important political decisions may be made today, and if so, they may wind up causing more problems than they solve.

The Moon enters Gemini at 6:52pm and our fancy turns to the sparkly, flashy, and evanescent. The holiday season is upon us!

Friday, December 9^th

Uranus goes direct at 11:05pm

It’s hard to concentrate today and get much done. There are too many distractions, and we’re too easily distracted. We’re busy making last minute plans, and don’t be too surprised if those plans need to change at the very last minute. You’re not the only one who wants to keep their weekend options open. It’s likely to be a busy weekend, too, so make sure you take care of yourself while you’re flitting about.

Uranus direct is a big deal. It means that ever so slowly we are going to begin to see the wheels of progress move. Things are different, more and more of us are letting ourselves be fooled less and less. It isn’t quite as easy to pull the wool over our eyes as it was before, and we can see more clearly behind the motives of those who try. It is going to be an interesting time between now and when it is that Uranus goes Retrograde once more in mid-July. Stay tuned for future details!

Saturday, December 10^th

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse at 6:36am at 19º Gemini/Sagittarius

The most significant effect of the Lunar Eclipse is that people want to be heard. They want to feel as if they matter, that their voices count, and that their feelings are taken into account. From large groups that have felt slighted, to our own family relations, people want to feel that others acknowledge who they are, and respect them for it. It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next 11 months until Mars hits this point a couple of days before the US election. Be ready and wary of all the talk, speeches, ads, mind games, intellectual skullduggery and other electoral paraphernalia that epitomizes the Geminian nature of our electoral process!

For today, though, it is likely to be a high-stress day. With the holidays coming, there is just too much to do, and nowhere near enough time to get everything done. Just pace yourself as best you can, limit your commitments to those things that are meaningful, and take a pass on the second cup of caffeine!

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Flow! Week of November 27 – December 3, 2011

The Flow is a weekly blog published to better understand the flow of astrological, celestial, and magickal energies for the week, and how best to use them.   It is intended for those with little to no knowledge of astrology. 

For newcomers, the idea is to consider celestial influences as part of a larger whole, or Flow, must as our weather is influenced by the winds aloft.  All too often, astrologers tend to write about astrological events as if each were an isolated specimen as if pulled out of the sky and analyzed by itself – and there is no dearth of astrological sites on the net that write that way.  Here, it is the movement and interactions that are important and form the basis of discussion.

If any of the material is unclear or unfamiliar to you, it is probably unfamiliar to others as well, please leave a comment and I will be glad to answer your questions. 

If you like what you see, please share it with friends!  If you would like to get email notifications for when The Flow! is updated, or have a private question please email me at skywatcher888@yahoo.com.  Thank you!

The Flow! is updated every Sunday.

Please note: all times are in the Pacific Timezone.

You’ve been patient, and fortunately, this is another rather slow astrology week, so without further ado, Bill’s Amazing Astrology Cures Part Two!

Bill’s Amazing Astrology Cures II (Libra to Pisces)

To recap…

Bill’s Amazing Astrology Cures developed from a long email correspondence with a dear friend, the late Angie Biggerstaff of Norwich, UK in April 2004.  What started as some playful comments about how to handle planetary energies that get out of whack, developed into a series of surprising and very useful observations.

As some of you may know, one of the primary features of astrology is that each sign has a “ruling” or governing planet.  They are, in order, along with a potential symptom of difficulty are:

Part 1

Aries – Mars – Conflict

Taurus – Venus 1 — Discontentment

Gemini – Mercury 1 – Dissipation

Cancer – Moon – Depression

Leo – Sun — Unappreciated

Virgo – Mercury 2 – Disapproval

Part 2

Libra – Venus 2 — Lovelorn

Scorpio – Pluto — Metamorphosis

Sagittarius – Jupiter – Dissolution

Capricorn – Saturn — Obstruction

Aquarius – Uranus — Insecurity

Pisces – Neptune — Obscurity

Like many other disciplines, there is controversy among astrologers over which planet rules which sign.  Different astrological systems have slightly different arrangements.  But what we are concerned with here is the affinity of the effects of the planets on us, not astrological theory, and this arrangement works best for our purposes.  It is also the most commonly used arrangement among modern Western astrologers.

Mercury and Venus share two signs apiece because they both have different kinds of energy that have a close affinity to two different signs.  They are, after all, the two inferior planets or planets between us and the Sun, and have very different effects whether they appear in the morning or evening sky. As you will see, there are two completely different ways these planets affect us, and two different ways that energy needs to be handled when it gets out of balance.

And balance is what the Cures are all about.

Every once in a while, the planets will move into a position that causes the manner in which a planet’s energy is expressed to go out of balance without warning, causing enormous difficulties in our lives.  When that happens, what is one to do???  Well, Western astrology does not have any simple answers.  When Neptune or Saturn bears down on a poor defenseless Moon, what’s a person to do?

It was here, under a series of challenging Neptune and Saturn aspects that Angie and I realized that promoting and encouraging behavior based on the ruling planet of the next sign helps ease the stress, balance, and reorient the energies of the planet under attack.

These cures really work and can come in very handy!  And the best part of all is that you don’t need drugs or expensive consultations to fix things!

Here is the first half of them, for the first half of the zodiac.  The second half is forthcoming.

To use, simply locate the situation that fits your current challenge. Don’t be alarmed if you feel that more than one, or two, or three apply. That’s common. When one planet gets over-emphasized, other planets often follow suit.

This is not a sun-sign list, although because our sun signs are so powerfully expressed in our lives that we may frequently find ourselves with challenging situations from them.  Leos may often find themselves feeling unappreciated, but when their Mars gets besieged, and they are constantly fighting battles, it’s Mars that needs curing, not their Sun.

Blah, blah, blah. Many of you have seen the above before. Let’s get on with it!

Venus II (Libra) – You approach a room and people start to leave. Your dog picks up a whiff of your scent and runs in the other room. Your children make effigies of you and leave them all over the house. With pins. You count the times you had sex not by days, weeks, or even months, but by presidential administrations. Nobody calls. Your email inbox is empty – except for Nigerian bankers and “Miss Bean” who wants to meet you and is most likely from some 15 year old kid in Missouri.

Cure Pluto – I have written about Venus on the half-shell before. You know, the painting by Botticelli of Venus emerging pristine from the ocean. But you have her beat, you live in a total shell of your own creation. You need to break out of that oyster shell and reveal to the world the pearl that lies within, and Pluto is just the guy to do it. It isn’t your weight, or your looks, or your bank account, it’s that damn shell and no one and nothing can get through – even wireless. Your schedule and routine are your real enemies as they form the skeleton of that shell. Break free! Get up early or stay up late. Change your hairstyle. Buy a new style of clothes. Do something DARING. Go ahead, J. Michael Prufrock, eat that peach!

 

Pluto (Scorpio) – 007 and Machiavelli have nothing on you. Some of you are involved in the most intricate and intense power games on planet Earth. You folks are masters at 10-dimensional chess, and have yours and everyone else’s moves mapped out clearly in your mind five moves ahead. You have a databank of everyone’s motives, their weaknesses and their psychological profiles. Even if it isn’t physical, you have a whole filing cabinet in your brain for each family member, and it is well kept and up to date. You see everything in terms of its politics and are a power to be reckoned with at the office. If anyone dares to mess with you, there is eventually a bloody mess of them that needs to be cleaned up, without getting your own dainty fingernails soiled by the blood.

Cure Jupiter – You know, life is too short! And as we all know, what goes around comes around. Maybe James Bond would have so many lethal weapons pointed at him if he wasn’t so quick to use them himself. Well, maybe not in his case, but you get the idea. Instead of treating life like it was a game of Risk, you need to just have more fun! Do something crazy, do something silly. Take a drive and not know what the destination is. Start up conversations with strangers. Donate your time to a charity. Like the good book says, Jupiter helps those who help themselves, and instead of scheming your way through life, enjoy it!

 

Jupiter (Sagittarius) – We all know the Hollywood scenario. The cowboy is strumming his guitar, riding his horse out of town leaving a weeping Senorita dabbing at her nose, crooning a refrain of “Don’t Fence Me In.” What a cad! Others of you have 17 projects going on all at once. In fact, life for you is just one great project after another. You are saving the Earth, saving the whales, saving plastic bags, and saving us from ourselves. Except for one eensie-teensie detail – you never finish a darn one of them! The pathway of your life is strewn with the litter of half-finished projects. It’s no wonder the cowboy doesn’t want any fences, there’d be too many broken hearts in that litter!

Cure Saturn – Face it, pardner, it’s time to grow up and give up the Cowboys and Indians routine. It’s time to accept some responsibility for your life, and for turning it into the kind of life you want it to be. The grass isn’t always greener in the next pasture, sometimes those beautiful green fields are laced with DDT, and all the dirt underfoot needs is a little fertilizer. There are certainly joys in being a wanderer – doing what you like, when you, however the hell you like. But there’s more to life than self-indulgence, and there’s a great deal in life that can be purchased with the respect and honors that come from accepting obligations and managing their outcome successfully. You have the chops, just hang up the chaps.

 

Saturn (Capricorn) – When Atlas needs to take a coffee break, he comes looking for you, because you already have a world of weight on your shoulders. Jobs and responsibilities hone in on you like a heat guided missile. There’s no trouble too big or too small that you don’t think you can handle, and to give you folks credit, most of you handle most of your jobs exceedingly well – which just compounds the problem. You don’t have a life, you have a to-do list. And chances are, most of the items are cleaning up other people’s messes. You know, if you get to be known as the one to clean things up, you begin to measure your self-worth by how good you are with a mop. And the kicker is, that all of these responsibilities are draining your energy and preventing you from achieving your genuine ambitions. You’re not a champ, you’re a chump.

Cure Uranus – A little bit of chaos can be a good thing. It’s that chaos thinking that will help you think outside the box when things get really tough. Independence, too, can be a life-saver. Not just your own sense of freedom but by letting others take care of themselves. Yeah, dependence can be a huge source of warm fuzzies, but they can also suffocate. Break free, even if it is in just one area of your life, and do something wild. And if you see any cowboys strumming a guitar on your trail, stop him – you have a lot to learn from each other. A teacher of mine, Isabel Hickey, used to have a favorite expression, “let go and let god.” It can be very useful advice.

 

Aquarius (Uranus) – Your life is a roller-coaster. One day is up, the other is down, and some days you’re dizzy from spinning around. You’re not bipolar, the universe is. Buffeted by the winds of fate, nothing is reliable, nothing dependable, and nothing is stable. You feel as if you are navigating through a minefield — during an earthquake.  You want things to be so very different, so much better, so much more ideal, but things just keep blowing up in your face. And you have the scars to prove it. You try to enroll others in your vision of things, but they just don’t understand. You’re at your wits end, and what wits you have left are frazzled and fried.

Cure Neptune – You need a break! And unless you have a cruise to some tropical island booked in the next couple of months, you’re going to have to make do on your own. Lots of people when they get this stressed out find some chemical to help them relax, but it isn’t chemicals you need, it’s mental freedom. You need to let your mind wander, to liberate it and let it do its work without your fussing about how things need to be. The subconscious is a magickal part of ourselves, but it can’t perform when it’s constantly being pulled and tugged by the conscious self. Watch some old movies or comedies on TV. Read a good novel. Meditate, or do some form of yoga if you can. A mind is a terrible thing to waste, and the biggest threat to any mind is stress!

 

Neptune (Pisces) – Is your life like an episode of Lost? Do you feel like you need a GPS to find the bathroom? Have you worn your last worry stone through to the other side? Possibilities and probabilities hang over your head like an electron cloud and every once in a while, one of them zaps you with a worry that amps you up and freaks you out. You have an immensely powerful imagination, and can imagine how six ways from Tuesday anything and everything can go wrong. You have developed fretting into a fine art, and you can’t play a note on a guitar. You are definitely not indecisive, but paralyzed by possibilities. Your life is stuck in limbo and your GPS is no help.

Cure Mars – With Pisces we come full circle, and back to the beginning with Mars. Your cure is actually quite a simple one – just DO something. Anything. It doesn’t matter what it is you do. With your Neptunian intuition, it will all work out for the best anyway, but you need to take action and need to take it now. Don’t analyze its achievability or ponder the possibilities. Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity, and there’s no need to get any ducks in a row. Just prove to the world you are not in a coma and still capable of kinetic activity.

I hope you enjoyed the second half of Bill’s Amazing Astrology Cures! Now that they are all done, you can trace them in a circle and see how they relate to each other. As a problem, or curse, they are over-emphasized, because we are stuck in the way we are using it, and need to progress to the next planetary energy.

Don’t be concerned if you feel that more than one applies. I certainly found several pertinent as I wrote them! Just pick the one (or two) that you feel is causing you the most trouble, and use the cure for that issue. And if you feel so inclined, I’d love to get a comment letting me know how it worked for you!

To the Daily Details!

Sunday, November 27^th

Venus trine Jupiter at 1:23pm

Advent begins – Christmas is coming in 4 weeks!

The Moon is in Capricorn all day, and it should be pretty nice all day. Certainly one of the nicest aspects possible, the Venus-Jupiter trine should smooth out any rough edges or ruffled feathers. We want to be appreciated, and we want the people around us to be happy. There is a feeling that there’s a potential for greater prosperity in the air, as if were we to come together and cooperate, we’d be able to make things better for each other. Cooperation and opportunity are two big keywords for the day. The morning hours are likely to be busy, so if you happen to be up early enough, you should be able to tick off lots of items on your to-do list. In the early afternoon, don’t be surprised if you are a bit indecisive, there are just too possibilities to choose from. If you’re out shopping, you’re likely to find bargains everywhere, but choosing the perfect one can be hazardous to your mental health. Don’t drive yourself crazy, saving a couple of bucks may not be worth the time, money, gas, and hassle of an endless wild goose chase in search of perfection.

Monday, November 28^th

No major aspects

The astrological energies are a bit turbulent today, so if you find yourself in a rough spot, just try to ride it out. Tomorrow and most of the rest of the week is much more uplifting, optimistic, and helpful, at least until Friday. Remember, too, that Mercury is still Retrograde until the 13^th, so just expect things to be sluggish and for the unexpected to be the most troublesome when you least expect it. Our feelings take a back seat to everyday concerns and the tasks that need attending.  There may be a bit of news in the late morning hours, it could be anything from the resolution to some long standing concern, or the solution to a long-standing problem. Keep your eyes and ears open for any potential answers that may arrive through the airwaves of the aether. Relief comes later tonight at 11:02pm when the Moon enters Aquarius and we feel less boxed in, less constrained, and more optimistic and hopeful.

Tuesday, November 29^th

No major aspects

Today and tomorrow are likely to be the best feel-good days of this week. Our intuitions and ambitions are strong in the morning hours, and we’re feeling our oats as we head into work. Our heads are filled with ideas, some of them very useful, and it may be a good idea to run them by a coworker if you have the opportunity. Not only may they be able to fill in a gap or two, but they will be able to help manifest it along with you. People are still feeling cooperative (until Friday), so you don’t need to worry about your coworker’s motives. Not that they’re the purest, but they shouldn’t be able to harm you, either. Regardless, if there’s a cooperative effort of which you’re a part, people should be in the mood to help move along a useful agenda, and getting the outliers to fall into the flow should be easier than usual. In the evening, there’s a strong need to bond with others emotionally. There’s a need to feel connected to other people and to validate ourselves through them. Just be careful that you’re not pegging your self-worth to too much of a moving target, and transferring your personal power to others in the process.

Wednesday, November 30^th

No major aspects

The Moon remains in Aquarius all day. For a Mercury Retrograde period, the early morning hours should be free of snafus, bugs, or delays. Our thinking is uncluttered, our intentions are clear, and the arrows of our thoughts have well defined targets. If you can take advantage of this time, you should be able to make good progress achieving your goals.

The morning hours are also excellent for working on projects, shopping, or doing research. Whatever it is that you need to handle this morning should get an added boost of clarity, lucidity, and coherence.

The afternoon and evening hours are conducive to working on things that require diligence, conscientiousness, and some of the morning’s clear thinking. We’re in the mood to get things done, and the astrological flow is there to help us do them.

Our thoughts are in alignment with our responsibilities as the day comes to a close, and we are able to see how we can work things out to our advantage, if we are willing to try to think about them in a new way. It would be a shame to waste this evening’s energies by sitting back and doing nothing, when if we put our minds to it, we can get some useful help to move our plans forward.

Thursday, December 1^st

Venus conjunct Pluto at 5:50am

Can you believe it’s December already? Yikes!

Our passions are likely to run deep today. We are in no mood to take things with a grain of salt, we need to whole salt shaker. Our thoughts are likely to easily trigger old wounds, so be careful wading in emotional waters.

Otherwise, it is a rather pleasant day, although it may take us a bit longer to find ourselves and get in gear after the Moon enters Pisces at 6:45am. The rest of the morning is advantageous for all sorts of business and financial concerns, so if there’s something that you need to get done in those areas, this morning is at least a good time to move matters forward, though you may want to wait until after the 13^th to make any definite decisions or sign any documents.

The evening hours are by far the most romantic time of the week. If there is a special someone, or a special event that needs to be celebrated, tonight is the best night of the week to bring people together.

Friday, December 2^nd

Sun square Mars at 5:08am

Sun square Mars times can be quite frustrating. People are generally in no mood to be cooperative, and neither are inanimate objects. It’s somewhat of a Goldilocks kind of day, too. Everything is either too hot and too fast, or too cold and too slow. Nothing seems to be just right.

If there is someone in your life you have been having a disagreeable time with, give them a wide berth today. Disagreements are apt to get hot and heavy, and there’s no point in making the day any bloodier than necessary.

And don’t be alarmed if you find yourself caught up in a frenzy or two. It’s mob psychology at its most powerful, so if you find yourself in a shopping aisle reaching for the latest fad you don’t need, it isn’t you, it’s The Flow!

Saturday, December 3^rd

No major aspects

Today looks like it could be a very interesting day. Energies are high, potent, and magickal. Don’t say thing you don’t mean today. Seriously, there is no point in creating any mischief for yourself you do not need.

We all in an adventurous mood, looking for novel experiences and new ways of tasting life. If there’s something you’ve been kind of thinking in the back of your mind that you’d like to do but just haven’t had the guts, courage, or opportunity to do, today just might be the day to give it a go.

The Moon enters Aries at 5:51pm and dispels a lot of the mental fogs we’ve been carrying around with us. It often isn’t easy to perceive them until after they’ve gone and we can tell the difference. There’s a strong urge to be unique tonight and stand out from the crowd. Keep that in mind as you get dressed to go out tonight, and whether if you want all eyes to be on you that they do so for all the right reasons!

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

The Flow! Week of September 11 – 18, 2011

The Flow is a weekly blog published to better understand the flow of astrological, celestial, and magickal energies for the week, and how best to use them.   It is intended for those with little knowledge of astrology. 

For newcomers, the idea is to consider celestial influences as part of a larger whole, or the Flow.  All too often, astrologers tend to write about astrological events as if each were an isolated specimen as if pulled out of the sky and analyzed by itself – and there is no dearth of astrological sites on the net that write that way.  Here, it is the movement and interactions that are important and form the basis of discussion.

If any of the material is unclear or unfamiliar to you, it is probably unfamiliar to others as well, please leave a comment and I will be glad to answer your questions. 

If you like what you see, please share it with friends!  If you would like to get email notifications for when The Flow! is updated, or have a private question please email me at skywatcher888@yahoo.com.  Thank you!

The Flow! is updated every Sunday.

Please note: all times are in the Pacific Timezone.

This week’s synopsis: By the Light of the Harvest Moon

The holiday season is upon us, and time to dust off the holiday decorations. Soon it will be the Autumnal Equinox and pagans will celebrate Mabon. The Jewish high holidays arrive at the end of the month and beginning of October, then there’s Samhain/Halloween, Thanksgiving, Advent, Yule, Christmas, Channukah, Kwanzaa, and the New Year all before you know it.

On Monday we celebrate the Harvest Moon at 2:27am at 20° of Pisces. The Harvest Moon is always the Full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox (Mabon). Since this Full Moon is only 11 days before the equinox and the next Full Moon is 18 days after, it wins.

Astronomically, what makes this Moon special is the angle its orbit makes to the horizon at sunset. Around the equinox, the Full Moon rises a good 20-30 minutes earlier than other Full Moons, so the extra light was said to help farmers bring in the harvest.

But also we know that celestial objects near the horizon always look bigger, and because this Full Moon is more visible at the horizon earlier, it simply appears bigger and more prominent than other moons.

It is one mother of a moon.

This Harvest Moon also falls in the part of Pisces symbolized by the “Flow of Inspiration.”

Inspiration can take many forms. One can be inspired by another’s presence, remark, or deeds; by wealth itself, or the wealth of meaning we find in music, poetry, or literature; by nature in vistas both astonishing and mundane; or by a flash of understanding that makes reason out of riddles. The story of humanity may be told in blood, sweat, and tears, but it advances in quantum leaps of inspiration.

Inspiration can move us with a force like no other.  It can come in the form of an idea, purpose, or person which can shape our actions and behaviors for years to come.  It can provide the ingenious answer to a problem, or a vision of what is possible that becomes the wellspring of one’s life’s work.  And it can totally alter the course of not only one’s life, but of humanity as well.  Thomas Edison said that genius was one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.  That may be so, but without inspiration, all you get is wet.

Sometimes the flow of inspiration blows in like a hurricane changing everything it touches, and other times it arrives like a will o’ the wisp taunting us to follow over uncharted lands.  But the flow also often sparks fires that burn bright with enlightenment and gives birth to ideas that live long after their midwife has gone.

And speaking of evolution…

As we all remember from astronomy in science class, when the Moon is full, the Sun and Earth are lined up in a straight line, so that wherever the Moon is in the zodiac, the Sun is exactly opposite. In this case, the Sun is in 20° Virgo, in the part of the zodiac symbolized by “An Orangutan.”

An orangutan is a primate that naturally lives in the jungles of the islands off Southeast Asia who is more distantly related to humans than either the chimpanzee or gorilla.  In fact, the name means ‘man of the jungle’ and is one of the few members of the ancient hominid family tree found exclusively outside Africa.  And in a symbolic sense, the orangutan can be said to represent the principles of evolution in action.

To evolve means to change, and in a biological sense evolution is change that transcends the individual and affects future generations by propagating itself through the gene pool.  A human confronting an orangutan stands across a chasm of countless changes and adaptations that have occurred from some long forgotten ancestor as dissimilar to both as the orangutan is to us. These changes and adaptations each provide for new opportunities for education and are the means the body has successfully developed to thrive and survive.  They symbolize the first level of education, instinctive physical education.

These are not easy times. We are beset with personal, political, economic, educational, cultural and climatological challenges. Some of our own making, some are the result of circumstances, and some are the result of having so many challenges to face all at once.

But they are not unrelated.

How many of our personal challenges are the result of the more global economic conditions? How many of our climatological challenges are the result of economic mismanagement and denial? How many of our educational challenges are based in our politics? And how many economic crises are the direct result of the policies derived from our politics?

“Oh what a tangled web we weave…!”

But our intent is not to deceive. There is no time for deceptions, and certainly not ones directed at our own selves. The urgent, pressing, critical imperative is to survive, and survive as best we can.

And when you do, you learn how to overcome such challenges – and this education serves as the DNA of your personal evolution.

Our own lives are so very different from an Orangutan’s in so many ways. And what did we do – learn to walk upright, grasp things with our hands and use them as tools, learn how to make fire, smelt metals from the earth? And did we do so because some chemicals changed within our cells, or did the chemicals change within our cells because our consciousness was ready?

Ahhh, the flow of inspiration! The say water is the most powerful force on earth, and that still waters run deep. Perhaps the flow of the waters of inspiration are the most powerful forces affecting our personal, cultural, and genetic destinies.

So as we sit and swing until the silvery light of this Harvest Moon, may we all be open to the flow of inspiration that can serve to succor our fears, soothe our ills, heal our woes, and move us forward in our personal evolution.

Excelsior!

This Full Moon is in effect until the next New Moon on September 27^th, and what a New Moon it is! Occurring at 5° of Libra, it is the New Moon of Transfiguration. Read all about it in the September 25^th edition of The Flow!

Be sure to check out the photos at the bottom of this post, there’s a fabulous pix of Saturn and his rings taken by the Casimi explorer from the dark side of the planet directly facing the Sun.

To the Daily Details!

Sunday, September 11^th

Mercury trines Pluto at 10:27pm

Happy Grandparents Day!

The Moon is in Pisces all day, and combined with the Mercury trine Pluto is well suited for stirring memories of the events of September 11, 2001. Whatever that day has come to mean to you, in whatever way you remember it is likely to be emotional, poignant, deep, and profound.

Otherwise, it has been a rather nice weekend. The ongoing sextile (harmonious) aspect between Mars (male, yang) and Venus (female, yin) has given us more energy and drive to be out and able, and experience more heartfelt encounters with those we meet. Communication is easier, and what we say (both of the verbal and non-verbal varieties) is more easily understood and taken in the spirit with which it is meant. Even encounters of hostility are more benign than otherwise. Certainly, lions are not laying down with lambs, but they are not roaring either.

Friendships and associations begun at this time may be enduring. And if you have a special someone(s) to spend some time with this weekend, you can further enhance the quality of your relationship.

Enjoy!

Monday, September 12^th

Full Harvest Moon at 2:27am

The Moon remains in Pisces for most of the day, not making it into Aries until 11:49pm. Our feelings run high in the early morning hours, so don’t be surprised if you find your emotions skidding out of control at the least provocation. Keep the Kleenex handy if you plan on watching TV!

As we awaken any unsettled feelings ought to pass and we feel more buoyant and uplifted, as if the emotions of the evening purged our emotional bodies like a night sweat breaks a fever. If you have negotiations to make or meetings to conduct, the early afternoon hours should be conducive. As the afternoon wears on we have added oomph, vigor, and energy. Find some creative way to expend all this energy so that you aren’t inclined to race around on the freeway, even if it means sitting at your desk tapping a pencil on your notepad. This may be a good time to go running those errands you’ve put on the back burner, just be light on the gas pedal!

The evening hours may be a bit tense as lingering fears, doubts, and indecisions seem to creep into our thoughts from the woodwork. Probably the best way to handle them is tell yourself you’ll come up with a solution for them in your dreams – and then forget about ‘em. They’re probably more trouble than they’re worth, anyway!

Tuesday, September 13^th

No major aspects

The Moon is in Aries all day, and try to stay out of trouble as best you can. Most people got out of bed on the wrong side today, and that’s not your fault. Your fault is getting in their face. Confrontations will escalate at the drop of a pin, so put on your best smiley face when you leave the house and just bat those fabulous eye-lashes as sweetly as you can.

On the whole, there is likely to be a high level of tension, hectic pacing, chaotic communications, and a more frenzied level of activity that builds a sweat but doesn’t actually accomplish much. Keeping a low profile is a high prority!

The tension in the air slowly dissipates over the late afternoon, but it may leave us with a false sense of security. We may be more easily suckered into bad deals and bad faith negotiations at this time, so you may want to skip the infomercials or home shopping networks until this energy completely passes tomorrow. People may also be more inclined to more what they think you want to hear than what they mean to say. In any event, take what you hear with a grain of salt, and promise to think about it. If it’s a promise you break, I promise not to tell.

Wednesday, September 14^th

Mercury trines Jupiter at 6:43pm

Venus enters Libra at 7:40pm

The Moon, sigh, seems stuck in Aries all day and therefore all the hectic, stressful, and frenzy of yesterday lingers like the smell of stale beer on a barroom floor the morning after. But today the janitor comes around mid-morning to mop the floor and clear the air. The difference in the afternoon should be palpable.

When the Mercury (mind) trines (harmonious) Jupiter (good-fortune), we have our thinking caps and heads firmly on our shoulders. We seem to have found our stride at work and the answers seem to flow like the notes in a symphony as everything falls properly into place and some of our worries (thankfully!) fade into the sunset. This aspect is very much in effect all day, so if you have an important meeting to schedule, schedule it for today!

Ah, Venus in Libra! Venus is very, very much at home in Libra. In Virgo she can be a bit of a vixen, but in Libra she is in on her own turf, potent, and in good spirits. People become a little kinder, fairer, gentler, and more eager to please than otherwise. There may be an iron fist in that velvet glove, but velvet is a less abrasive material. Similarly, abrasiveness is less likely to be acceptable while Venus resides here. Libra is a staunch believer in the Golden Rule, and most assuredly will do unto you as you do unto them. The more so with Venus and other planets. The biggest difficulty with Venus in Libra is that when it comes to relationships she tends to be a bit indecisive. She will sit there weighing pros and cons of any decision on her scales watching them balance until the cows come home. Impatience will get you nowhere. For now it’s best to take ol’ Ben Franklin’s advice, “He that can have Patience, can have what he will.” Venus is in Libra until October 8^th.

Thursday, September 15^th

No major aspects

The Moon finally moseys into Taurus at 12:25pm. As we’ve seen with quite a bit of this Moon in Aries, the morning hours are likely to be hectic and frenzied. Leave yourself extra time to find the keys and anticipate, but do not participate in any traffic accidents along the way.

In the late morning we can begin to feel the transition to a calmer more stable flow of energy, and it may trigger a touch of extra emotional sensitivity and perk up our psychic and inspirational juices. Pay close attention to any stray thoughts you have at this time as they may be far more important and worthy than they seem.

In the evening we may feel the need for some extra emotional validation, nurturing, and comfort, that might even include an indulgence or two. Just however you go about satisfying your inner needs don’t leave you needing to call in sick tomorrow morning!

Friday, September 16^th

Pluto stationary direct at 11:23am

If it feels like we’ve been stuck since early April, there’s a good reason, that’s when Pluto turned retrograde. Now that it’s direct, we should be able to make better progress attaining our goals. We’ve let go of a lot of emotional baggage and gained better control of our inner lives. Now it’s time to turn our attention outward toward those tantalizing external goals.

The Moon is in Taurus all day. The energies of the early part of the day should be fairly smooth. We are able to accomplish what we set out to do easily and without much ado. However, later in the day as the evening approaches, things get very strange and dicey. It seems as if no one is on the same page as anyone else. Everyone’s approach to things is different and everyone seems to have a divergent opinion about how things should go and what they should be doing. Perhaps the best way to handle all this energy is either plant yourself in front of the TV or go to out to the movies and watch a comedy. That way the comedy will be on the screen instead of in your life.

Saturday, September 17^th

Venus opposes Uranus at 4:06am

The Moon is in Taurus all day. For those of you in a committed relationship on the east coast may want to relax and stay in bed until the Venus Uranus opposition passes as it will hit there around daybreak. The aspect is likely to make the related among us moody, sensitive, unsettled, doubtful, and feel as if our relationships are all wrong. And there may even be a strong urge to want to find a knight or princess in shining armor to save you. Fortunately, you can stay in bed and let this energy pass you by.

For those of you on the single side of the equation (on any coast), the early hours of the day (including Friday night) may percolate your hormones and seek to sow some wild oats. There are lots of romantic whiffs to the air, so you may be able to do some serious wooing and cooing if you play your cards right.

On the whole, the day is likely to feel a bit strange as if there’s something pending in the air just out of reach. It’s Neptune’s otherworldly influence, and he is trying to offer us peeks into other worlds and realities. Heed his call if you can!

The evening is likely to be pleasant, so plan on spending some time enjoying life. You just might find something special if you do!

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

 

 

The Flow! Week of August 21 – 28, 2011

The Flow is a weekly blog published to better understand the flow of astrological, celestial, and magickal energies for the week, and how best to use them.   It is intended for those with little knowledge of astrology. 

For newcomers, the idea is to consider celestial influences as part of a larger whole, or the Flow.  All too often, astrologers tend to write about astrological events as if each were an isolated specimen as if pulled out of the sky and analyzed by itself – and there is no dearth of astrological sites on the net that write that way.  Here, it is the movement and interactions that are important and form the basis of discussion.

If any of the material is unclear or unfamiliar to you, it is probably unfamiliar to others as well, please leave a comment and I will be glad to answer your questions. 

If you like what you see, please share it with friends!  If you would like to get email notifications for when The Flow! is updated, or have a private question please email me at skywatcher888@yahoo.com.  Thank you!

The Flow! is updated every Sunday.

Please note: all times are in the Pacific Timezone.

This week’s synopsis: No Picnic

Thursday, August 25^th, Mars (our energy, drive, and ambition) squares off against Saturn (brick wall), leaving lots of mangled moving objects in its wake. This is definitely not the week to go rushing about wildly, flitting about aimlessly, or running off half-cocked. If the cock o’ the block doesn’t get you, the cops will. I expect the buildup for this aspect to begin as the week begins, and to last through most of this week.

Mars is still in Cancer, so much of our energy is focused in how we feel and satisfying our inner needs. Mars in other signs may climb mountains, forge steel, and face combat fiercely; Mars in Cancer cuts out doilies and builds nests. With the dynamism of Mars turned inward, he becomes a great defender, but isn’t much for going out and conquering brave new worlds.

Saturn is in Libra, the sign of balance, harmony, justice and the law. With Saturn here, the songs of Libra are the stark rhythms of techno and icy cool syncopations of New Age music. And especially when Saturn inhabits the sign, what we mean is the letter not the spirit of the law. If you don’t say, “May I?” it’s back two spaces, do not pass go, and do not collect $200.

With Mars in Cancer and Saturn in Libra, we are intuitively aware of this dynamic, and few souls have the stomach for facing the music should they misstep. This tends to generate an attitude of biding one’s time, waiting for a more auspicious moment, and turning one’s quest to slay inner dragons.

One can make progress during this time if one is careful, prudent, and thoughtful. Make sure your work is thorough. Make sure you follow protocol and instructions to a tee. Secure your nest and the foundation it is built upon, and watch your back – Mars square Saturn tends to bring out the snakes in the grass.

And the ants.

For some reason, Mars square Saturn also tends to bring out those who annoy the crap out of you, as if see how many straws it takes break your back and cause you to do something you might regret.

That’s the main hazard of this time – doing something you’d regret in a saner time.

Certainly, no picnic.

The best use of this energy is to use it to overcome obstacles, face challenges head on, and to push push push like a bulldozer through the log-jams in your life. It may not be easy, it most likely won’t be fun, but it can be singularly productive if you have been feeling frustrated, thwarted, and obstructed by forces beyond your control. You have most of the week to devise a plan, think about it, and put it into action as this energy reaches a climax in the very early hours of Thursday. If you time it right, the Mars-Saturn square, Mercury Direct, and the New Moon on Sunday the 28th can be a one-two-three punch KO that leaves an old Self behind, and leaves the field fresh for the start of a new.

Help arrives on Friday when Mercury goes Direct, and like a white knight it helps to discharge a lot of the frazzled tension between Mars and Saturn. Mercury Direct will bring a greater understanding to the activities of the week, and help you put them in a better perspective. But, you really don’t want to have anything to put in a better perspective, do you?

Mind your peas and queues. (kathunk)

Venus enters Virgo until September 14^th, and not to add salt to any wounds (or more bad news to an already gloomy forecast) but Venus is not a very happy lady in Virgo. No, not at all.

You know how kids run around and spread their arms wide saying, “I love you this much?” And how adults, older, wiser, and smugger, walk around thinking that you can’t quantify love? Venus in Virgo can, down to the micrometer.

Venus here tends to be bring out our pickier, prissier, and pissier sides and rarely turns down an invitation to match wits in a debate. She is fastidious, obsessed with diet and nutrition, and loves to count the calories of her yogurt and rattle off every antioxidant in a blueberry.

On the other hand, she’s good to have around for chores. She’s not afraid of getting her hands dirty and will coax you to spruce up, clean up, and fix whatever is broken around the house. She may even lend you a helping hand if you ask nicely.

Venus is great here for handling money, and can help you get your finances in order if not improve them outright. She also adds a tad of psychological insight to our thinking, so if there’s a nagging problem that has been puzzling you, by the time she enters Libra in mid-September you may find it behind you. And speaking of problems, Venus in Virgo symbolically adds just a pinch of sugar to our medicine.

Venus in Virgo obviously, does have its benefits. She is more restrained and less uninhibited than she may be in Aries, Leo or Sagittarius. But she is handy to have around and more than willing to lend a hand. Just while she’s handing you the Lysol don’t ask how much she likes you unless you’re willing to hear an honest answer.

Lastly, on Tuesday the Sun enters Virgo. Happy Birthday Virgos!

To the Daily Details!

Sunday, August 21^st

Venus opposed Neptune at 6:41am

Venus enters Virgo at 3:11pm

Just before saying sayonara to Leo, Venus opposes Neptune and casts a misty, cloudy web over the weekend’s activities. We feel a bit sluggish, lazy, and unmotivated. We’re less inclined to be out and about, and even when we are it almost feels like we’re sleep-walking on a deserted island. Our energies are a bit withdrawn, brooding, and not much in the mood for high-energy interactions. This will change when the Moon enters Gemini at 5:53pm, but by that time, it’s a little late in the weekend for rambunctious activities. As the Moon settles into the sign of the Twins we become slightly more communicative, open-minded, and engaged in the world around us. But by that time, it will be time to get ready for the work week ahead!

Monday, August 22^nd

Sun opposed Neptune at 4:28pm

All of the Mondays in August are fairly well-aspected, giving a welcome boost to whatever activities we have planned for the week. Today is no exception, except that the same lingering moody, brooding, listlessness continues until this afternoon. Save the more energetic work for later in the week. When planets adversely (squares and oppositions) affect Neptune like this, we often feel as if we are walking around in a fog. This feeling is caused by a heightened level of inner, more spiritually oriented communication occurring between our inner selves and non-waking levels of consciousness. These times are beneficial for soul-searching, inner journeys, meditation, and problem solving. Even if there isn’t anything particularly gnawing on your mind, this energy can help with healing, put things in better perspective, gain a better understanding of life, and help you feel more whole. From Sunday until Wednesday morning, pay close attention to your dreams, idle thoughts, and synchronistic events as they can all be important messages from your intuitive side.

Tuesday, August 23rd

Sun enters Virgo at 4:21am

The Moon is in Gemini all day.

Tuesday and Friday are definitely the better business days of the week. Today is favored for messages, news, communications, and for working with others to get things done. We understand our roles and functions very clearly, making it easy to go about completing whatever tasks are at hand. The day’s energies are also excellent for discussing and making plans, working on schedules, paying leftover bills, and minding any lingering financial matters. If possible, take a friend to lunch, you may find it improves your mood so much you feel better all week. Whatever it is you do today, expressing yourself more completely should come more naturally. After the weekend’s focus on Neptune, we are likely better aligned physically, emotionally, and spiritually, which can often make it easier to accomplish our goals.

Wednesday, August 24^th

No major aspects

The Moon enters Cancer overnight at 3:31am. Mid-morning and early afternoon we are apt to find ourselves scrambling to make sense of things and accommodating ourselves to changes of plans and other unexpected challenges. If you find yourself in this kind of a situation, it is best to try and handle matters on your own as others may be prove to be difficult, obstreperous and imperious. If you do need to get other people involved, try to be compliant and willing to accept responsibility for any errors on your or your people’s behalf. However, the rest of the day is fairly well aspected for relationship matters. Spending time with good friends, going out to meet new people, or spending time online searching for a new special someone may all be fruitful, enjoyable, and full of delectable surprises.

Thursday, August 25^th

Mars squares Saturn at 3:48am

Venus trines Pluto at 4:12pm

This is D-day of the week. Today is likely to be the climax of the week’s activities, and may require patience, prudence, and perseverance. Give yourself plenty of time to get wherever it is you need to be and be on the lookout for crazy-ass drivers. Newton’s laws of motion are said to apply to objects as large as cars, but today they seem to block, obstruct, speed up and come out of nowhere without any rhyme or reason. Be careful out there! People are also apt to be extremely sensitive, so be sure that what you say is what you mean and vice versa. They are also likely to take offense at otherwise innocuous turns of phrase, so if you feel any tension from others also make sure your choice of words is wise. The best use of today’s energies is if there is something in your path hampering your success today may just be the day that the dam breaks and you are able to move forward again. The late afternoon Venus Pluto trine adds a dash of fate or destiny to the day’s proceedings and more than a smidgeon of sexual heat and intensity. All in all a day in which many a karmic scale will be reset – may your load grow lighter!

Friday, August 26^th

Mercury turns Direct (forward) at 3:03pm

Happy Women’s Equality Day! (and may every day be Women’s Equality Day!)

The Moon enters Leo at 9:09am, and it may feel like you’ve been given a Get Out of Jail Free card. It is likely to have been a long slog of a week, and today’s energies feel considerably liberating. The Moon in Leo is always ready with party hats and confetti, so the energies are favorable for a bit of letting loose. Mercury going Direct will help sort things out and help them move forward again, which is a relief for one and all. Some of the actions taken earlier in the month may need to be revisited, but all in due course. Bottled up information and mixed-up news may finally get straightened out, and we begin to understand where we stand more clearly. Business dealings of all kinds are favored today, as are meetings and negotiations. However, if you need to sign papers or commit to any legal matter, it may be best to wait until the beginning of the week after the New Moon and Mercury has more time to build steam heading Direct in motion.

Saturday, August 27^th

No major aspects

The Moon is in Leo all day. In the early hours of the waning Moon in Leo we are likely to feel a bit overly confident and self-indulgent and may find ourselves doing and saying things that are more bragging than bravery. Respect your Self, respect others, and don’t overdo it! Temptation weaves a wicked web and sings a siren’s tune. Heeding that call is likely to be more trouble than it’s worth, no matter how big a hangover you’re willing to endure in the morning. As the wee hours of the morning fade to memory, the rest of the day is very well favored for finishing up chores and tending to things you’ve been meaning to do but never felt you had the time to manage. A little planning in the morning will go far speeding you through the day. And if you’re lucky enough to be on vacation or just going about enjoying things, today should fit in nicely with whatever plans you have in mind.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

 

 

The Flow! Week of August 14 – 21, 2011

The Flow is a weekly blog published to better understand the flow of astrological, celestial, and magickal energies for the week, and how best to use them.   It is intended for those with little knowledge of astrology. 

For newcomers, the idea is to consider celestial influences as part of a larger whole, or the Flow.  All too often, astrologers tend to write about astrological events as if each were an isolated specimen as if pulled out of the sky and analyzed by itself – and there is no dearth of astrological sites on the net that write that way.  Here, it is the movement and interactions that are important and form the basis of discussion.

If any of the material is unclear or unfamiliar to you, it is probably unfamiliar to others as well, please leave a comment and I will be glad to answer your questions. 

If you like what you see, please share it with friends!  If you would like to get email notifications for when The Flow! is updated, or have a private question please email me at skywatcher888@yahoo.com.  Thank you!

The Flow! is updated every Sunday.

Please note: all times are in the Pacific Timezone.

This week’s synopsis: Make Hay

This week the Flow is between bouts of heavy astrological turbulence.  Last week we had the double whammy of Mars opposing Pluto (power grabs and games) and Mars squaring Uranus (when the cuckoos take over the asylum). This potent one-two punch is the reason why last week had so many wild gyrations on so many different levels. Not only did we have the crazies crawl out of the woodwork, but they also got their gritty grimy little hands on the pulleys of power. Not pretty. It was like riding a rollercoaster inside the funhouse.

And next week we will have to contend with Mars squaring Saturn (frustration redux). Mars (energy and drive) and Saturn (resistance and responsibility) will be working at cross-purposes, much like driving your car with one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake. Similarly not pretty, especially if you have things to do, people to see, and places to go.

This week is in between, and in the meantime, Mars makes a fairly decent aspect to Jupiter in the process. For now, we have a reprieve during which Mars can be fairly helpful, hence make hay while we can.

Mars is angry and very much on the warpath lately. He is in Cancer, a water sign, and has been using every bit of his energy to stir up our seven seas. But this week the waves calm to gentle rolling breakers as he teams up to sextile Jupiter on Thursday, the 18^th, giving us a chance to make progress with our plans, goals, and objectives providing we can harness his energy properly. Not a small if. Get your surfboard ready!

In fact, the Mars Jupiter sextile and a delightful triple-header conjunction of the Sun, Venus, and Mercury this coming Tuesday, the 16^th, highlight the astrological energies for the week.

First up, Mars. Even though the Mars Jupiter sextile occurs later in the week than the inner planetary ménage à trois, its effects are likely to be more widely felt and felt over a larger span of time. For most of this week and into the weekend this sextile is active, and if you are willing and able to tap into its energy, you may go far toward achieving some significant goals. The effects of this aspect may not be profoundly self-evident, but one need not understand one’s means of locomotion to move swiftly forward.

If you have ever watched surfers, they spend a lot of time wading in the ocean waiting for the right wave to come along. That is much how the Mars-Jupiter energy works. A lot of waiting, but when you feel the swell of the ocean around you, you know it is time to act; when things start falling into place and you can feel yourself move – that is the time to get yourself positioned on that board to get the most out of the wave. And once you’re there, if you’re just a bit lucky, and can keep your balance, the wave can take you to the shores of your destination.

But there is a trick to this aspect, and there is something we can learn from surfing too to better understand and use it. It isn’t about you. It’s about the wave. The wave may let you ride it, and if it deigns to carry you to the shore, it carries you where it will. But the shape of the wave will determine where your ride ends, and your ability to control where it goes is curtailed by the nature of the wave.

In practical terms, very often we have very specific ideas about what we want to have happen, how we want it to happen, and where we want to be once we get there. Fergedaboudit —  that ain’t how this is thing works. You must be flexible, and let the currents take you where they will. You will very likely find the ride exhilarating and the destination worth the trip.

But remember: you ride the wave, the wave does not ride you!

On Tuesday, the Sun, Mercury, and Venus join up in a parade of conjunctions providing us with a fairly rare opportunity to perceive ourselves from different perspectives, get a better understanding of how to satisfy our inner needs, and offering up ways to more effectively communicate our feelings. This energy also presents us with the opportunity to better communicate with the significant people in our lives and thereby improve our relationships with them.

On to the daily details!

Sunday, August 14^th

No major aspects

We start the week with the Moon in Pisces. Usually, the Moon in Pisces is a refreshing time in which we recharge our emotional batteries, and drink in the essence of life all around us. Sometimes this placement of the Moon can make us feel scattered, confused, and unable to focus, but with all the helpful  aspects it gets this time around, my thinking is that this month, the Moon in Pisces should offer us a good opportunity to feel more emotionally secure, comfortable, and self-sufficient. Later this afternoon and into the evening the Moon mediates the mish-mash between Mars and Pluto we experienced earlier this week, so look for some tempering of any tension you might have experienced last week. This may come as either a better understanding of last week’s events, a bit of good news, an inspiration, or some other act of mental prestidigitation to help put the pieces back together again.

Today is also an excellent day for attending to any chores, cleaning, or other matters that have been cluttering up your life lately. If there’s someone or something that’s been sitting around unproductively cluttering up the living room floor, today’s a great day for getting its ass in gear or putting it where it belongs. Tidying up, fixing up, getting your life in ship shape for the week ahead are all favored today.

Monday, August 15^th

No major aspects

The Moon is in Pisces all day, and makes a lonely aspect to Jupiter very early in the morning. Still, that lone aspect is enough to get the week off to a good productive start. Regardless of otherwise pressing mundane matters, we head into the week blithely cheerful and ready for whatever the week may throw at us. Which may not prove to be an unwise decision, as this week’s events may have a pleasant surprise in store for many of us. Today is great for making contacts, reaching out to people, and setting up appointments for later in the week.  If at all possible, try to arrange a dinner at home that calms, soothes and comforts you rather than a slapdash of leftovers eaten on the run. You may be surprised what a difference a meal can make!

Tuesday, August 16^th

Sun conjunct Venus at 5:08am

Mercury conjunct Venus at 4:21pm

Sun conjunct Mercury at 6:04pm

Today our relationships and our emotional needs take front and center stage. Even the most self-sufficient of us may come to understand the interdependence and interconnectedness we all have with one another. This is no day to be an island. While there is no need to be Suzie Sunshine, being particularly pleasant to the people you meet today may be a very rewarding experience.            Just exchanging pleasantries with the people you work with may open up new avenues of relating, not to mention the possibilities with those who really mean something to you! While today’s energies will not prompt you to toss the divorce papers in the trash, they can go a great way toward soothing ruffled feathers – even if those ruffled feathers are your own. Today is the perfect day for using one of my teachers, Isabel Hickey’s, favorite saying, “Let go, and let god.” The emotional baggage you let go of today can greatly help you be lighter on your feet.

But perhaps the best use of this energy is if you are in a relationship or the beginnings of a new one. Make today an honorary Valentine’s day, and you may never have to write up divorce papers at all.

PS. With all this lovey-dovey energy buzzing about, it is highly likely that many of us out there will experience something to make us smile or be the recipient of some tidbit of good news.

Wednesday, August 17^th

No major aspects

Today is the only cloudy day in an otherwise sunny astrological week. The Moon entered Aries last night at 5:01pm and it is kicking butt left, right, and center. This is one mean Moon, and it means business! Very little today is likely to go as planned or as scheduled. Furthermore, we’re unlikely to be in the mood for much compromising, or for being nice, however many hearts and flowers we received yesterday. We feel impatient, are easily aroused, and are likely to perceive harm where none was intended. Things may just feel out of control and as if we’re being pushed from several different directions at once. Fortunately, most of this maelstrom will pass rather quickly and for many of us today’s troubles will be resolved tomorrow. But that’s little comfort for today, so just hang in there, do the best you can, try to keep yourself out of trouble, and keep a low profile!

Thursday, August 18^th

Mars sextiles Jupiter at 9:51am

What a difference a day makes! Whereas yesterday’s energies were all stressful, todays are mellifluous and benign. This morning’s Mars Jupiter sextile is the maximum height of the wave, so have your surfboards ready for any swells that come your way. Today is well positioned for going the extra distance and putting in an extra bit of effort in whatever it is you do – it won’t go unnoticed. If you are in the market for a new job or for earning more income, sending out résumés or searching through the want ads could be a profitable endeavor.

Later in the afternoon, the aspects are very favorable for meetings, agreements and important communications – just remember that Mercury is still retrograde and it is important to refrain from making any commitments until after it goes direct next Friday, if you can wait that long. The evening is hearts and flowers time again, so if there’s a romantic twinkle in your eye, tonight should be excellent for creating some nice memories.

Friday, August 19^th

No major aspects

The Moon enters Taurus at 5:36am and truly settles in for the weekend. Nothing helps bring out the more benevolent nature of a Taurus Moon than good food, so if you can treat yourself to something special sometime today or tomorrow.  The day also favors shopping, particularly for clothing, accessories, and shoes. As the afternoon comes around, we’re ready to wrap up the week and find we are able to make good progress in making sure that everything is done and tidied up so that we can enjoy ourselves without needing to worry about unfinished work.

Saturday, August 20^th

No major aspects

Today is definitely the better of the two weekend days. Today is likely to be more fun, productive, and rewarding than tomorrow, which is likely to have us feeling more grumpy and depressed. For now, though, our spirits are optimistic and hopeful, and we are able to attend to the things we need to do in a fairly expedient manner. Above all, today is a perfect day for being out and about enjoying life and enjoying whatever it is our corner of the world has to offer. If you can do so in the company of those you love, so much the better!

Summer is almost over. September is right around the corner, and for some of us that means back to school. Soon, the Sun will enter Virgo and our thoughts turn to the more solemn, serious and practical considerations of life. But for the next few days the Sun is still in brilliant, exuberant, vibrant Leo – let’s enjoy it while we can!

Wishing you all a wonderful week!