It’s SUPERMoon!

The Flow! June 23, 2013 – July 7, 2013.

Next scheduled update July 6, 2013!

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s Supermoon!

Ugh, I guess you half-expected that, but I suppose it’s equally expected that you’ve already heard that this month’s Full Moon on June 23^rd at 4:32am is a supermoon.

And, probably many of you have also heard that it is because this month’s Full Moon occurs soon after the Moon is closest to the Earth, it’s perigee (peri – close, gee – earth from the same word we get Gaia.)

The idea of a “supermoon” was originated/discovered by astrologer colleague Richard Nolle, who I used to know from several astrological e-mail lists in spirited days of yore. He wasn’t particularly fond of me and I thought he was a bit of a prick, being only interested in his own theories, but his name gets mentioned by NBCNews every once in a supermoon, and when people first hear of my name, they start imitating an owl.

Ah, such are the vicissitudes of fate — at least for now. And just to show there are no hard feelings, you can read all about the Supermoon at his website: here.

Generally speaking, in an average month the Moon’s distance from the Earth is 384,400 km; Between 1750 and 2125 the furthest it gets is 406,720 km and the closest is 356,375 km. At Sunday’s Full Moon, it will be at 356,997. Pretty close, but the closest it EVER gets during that time frame was January 4^th, 1912. Conjure up your ancestors to hear how memorable that was.

Supermoons also happen fairly often, and fairly regularly. For example, the last big Supermoon was in the antiquity of March 2011, and supermoons also follow the 18 year Saros/Moon’s Node cycle, so mark your calendars — in June 2021, there will also be a similar Supermoon.

They are fun to watch though, and because this Full Moon will be so low in the sky, it will appear bigger and more deeply colored because of atmospheric refraction, especially at moonrise and moonset. Definitely not a sight to miss, so take a look up and bring your best camera!

What, exactly does a Supermoon mean, or more to the point, what does it do?

Astrologers, as a whole, don’t make much of distance. In fact, one of the main premises of astrology is that tiny tiny tiny Pluto, way way way out there, can have every bit – if not more influence than a closer planet like Mercury. Truth be told, as a rule when considering the transits, slower and more distant planets are given more (considerably more) weight than faster moving closer planets.

You might call it the “wagon wheel” theory of astrological influence. The slower moving planets dig deeper furrows in the road because they spend more time influencing the geography in which they travel than faster moving planets whizzing by.

However, I don’t think it’s wise to discount distance as a metric of influence. We all do know that the Moon has considerable influence on the Earth, and that influence intuitively should be stronger the closer the body is to us.

Therefore, we can expect this to be a stronger Full Moon than usual. This is particularly true since the Sun will be in the Moon’s own sign of Cancer further adding to the strength of the Moon, although since this is a Full Moon and the Moon will be in the opposite sign of Capricorn, it isn’t a particularly jolly place for the Moon to be.

Because of the areas (the axis of the Solstices) that both Sun and Moon are in at the time of the Full Moon, this is a Full Moon that focuses considerable energy on the following dichotomy:

IN WHAT AREAS OF YOUR LIFE ARE YOU FREE, AND WHICH ARE YOU SUBJECT TO THE AUTHORITY OF ANOTHER?

That’s a biggie.

We (the US, and perhaps others) are currently deeply embroiled in the question of where does privacy begin and the government’s awareness of our behavior end? And another prong in that same fork is the degree to which our behavior on line is our own, and the degree to which it can be used by corporations without our explicit permission? Or still yet, how far are we willing to sacrifice freedom (Cancer) for the sake of our security (Capricorn)?

On a more personal level, the question becomes are you the boss at home, at work, or at play? Or is your behavior subject to the authority of another? Even bosses have “bosses” to whom they must answer, so “who’s the boss?” can be a very subjective matter. And since the Moon revels in subjectivity, you can give yourself a migraine trying to suss out all the inter-relationships of authority in your life.

Ultimately, it comes down to our decisions – and the ability to make decisions about the manner in which we are able to lead our lives. So, in this Full Moon period (till the next New Moon July 8^th) we are likely to be confronted with situations that serve as markers on the boundaries within which we live, and agree to live within them.

Changing the boundary is easy, if you are willing to accept the consequences of doing so. So yes, we are free to refuse to pay that bill, move to a nicer place, walk off the job, or just take off and not look back.

But what would the repercussions be?

To what degree, then are the boxes in which we live constructs of our own creation bounded by the denizens of our nightmares? Or are we truly hemmed in by real restrictions that breaking out from under would only create substantially greater restrictions (like prison). Or are we simply content to live within the constraints in which we find ourselves? This Full Moon can give us an opportunity to peek outside and get a better sense of what our answers might be. The view may be chilling, but it will certainly be liberating. What price freedom? And is it a price we are willing to pay?

Astrology offers some guidance. The place of the zodiac of maximum freedom is the Summer Solstice, 0º Cancer, which we passed this Thursday, June 20^th at 11:44pm. And the place of maximum authority at the opposite, Winter Solstice at 0º Capricorn.

Leading up to the Summer Solstice is the principle of EXTERIORIZATION, or the bringing out that which is inside. It is a time of letting loose, letting off steam, and acknowledging some of our own inner wants and needs. It is also a time, as we have seen, in which things that were secret come to the light of day.

During the sign of Cancer, we address those inner feelings, intuitions, and sensations and come to understand them and ourselves, better. We make choices in those areas in which we are FREE to do so, in order to establish ourselves and forge an identity that comes into being in Leo.

In other words, astrologically speaking, freedom acknowledges our inner wants, needs, and talents and uses them to establish our own sense of Self. In that sense, so long as the decisions we make are supported by being an expression of our true nature, and an awareness of our personal landscape, they help establish ourselves in the world. It’s the same thing Shakespeare has been saying since 1603, “To thine own self be true…” As we travel through the next couple of weeks, that may a good catchphrase to keep in mind.

Or, you can simply submit to authority. That is Path B. Often submitting to authority is the easier and more comfortable route. Equally often, it can come at the expense at one’s pride, authenticity, and feelings of self-worth. You may feel like a peanut in the mixed nuts nuthouse of our world, but you’ll be a good safe little peanut – until you are plucked out of the can.

C’est la vie. The next two weeks should tell much of the tale.

But even more important than the Supermoon, and far more likely to affect all of us, is the Ingress (entry) of Jupiter into the sign of Cancer on Tuesday, June 25^th at 6:40pm:

Jupiter in Cancer:

ARIES: All that running around will soon come to an end as you begin to focus more on your personal life. You’ve been the center of attraction for quite some time, and it isn’t so much that your star is fading, but that it’s now time for you to focus attention on your Self. You’ve been spending much of your time tending to others lately, now is the time for your to take care of you.

TAURUS: Jupiter in your 3^rd House expands your network and provides new opportunities for you to reach out and make connections with others. Important connections; connections that will help you professionally and personally. Don’t be surprised if old friends pop out of nowhere and try to re-establish contact. So long as you feel they’ll be a positive addition, go right ahead.

GEMINI: Jupiter is apt to put the spotlight on your finances. There may be times, particularly in August and next January when you might be able to improve your financial situation. Legitimacy is your keyword; just make sure that you are devoting your time to legitimate pursuits. Shady characters may try to enter your life now, so use your inner instincts and whatever other resources at your disposal to ferret them out and keep them at a good distance.

CANCER: With Jupiter in your sign, expansive opportunities lie in almost ANY direction you want to travel. The usual problem with Jupiter is that there is often an OVERABUNDANCE of opportunities, and the problem is deciding which of them is best. You, more than anyone have a good sense of your inner values – let that awareness be your lodestone guiding you through the myriad lines of opportunity Jupiter casts in your direction.

LEO: This is your prep year! You’ve been accumulating all sorts of stuff over the past 11 years, some of it good – and some of it stinky. Now’s your time to sift through all that stuff and decide what’s worth keeping and what should be tossed by the wayside. There may be some people you leave out on the curb with those old knickknacks, so try to be as genteel as possible with detritus of the human sort. Also, Jupiter is just thrilled to be in this part of your chart, so you may meet a fairy godmother or two over the next 11 months.

VIRGO: You are about to become a people magnet. No matter how much charisma you may have, you’re about to attract people to you like fleas. Except hygienic Virgos wouldn’t know from fleas. Let’s just say this is usually also a very fortunate position for Jupiter, and he may be looking down at you in a favorable light – offering you the chance to turn some desires into reality, and bring in just the right people to make that happen.

LIBRA: This is usually a good year for you professionally. If you have been struggling in this area, Jupiter may help ease your path. The real situation at hand may have more to do with your reputation and getting the kudos you deserve for the hard work than you’ve been doing. If so, others are bound to take notice of you, and recognize the contributions you have been making.

SCORPIO: If you’ve been reading the other signs feeling jealous, there’s no need. Jupiter in your 9^th House is the most favorable of all. But it won’t all just fall in your lap. For Jupiter’s beneficence to shine its spotlight on you, you need to be on the stage and not sitting idly in the audience.  Go. Do. Make. Create. Get busy. The busier you are, the brighter Jupiter’s light will shine on you.

SAGITTARIUS: Jupiter is your planet, so thanks for sharing him with the rest of us! When he’s in Cancer, it’s like he’s sitting in a Jacuzzi, martini in hand, surrounded by acolytes, and puffing on his favorite weed. In other words, he’s HAPPY. And you can be too, if you are willing to examine your life and see what you need to do to take it to the next level. Chances are there’s little wrong, but things have been slow – if not stuck on idle lately. This isn’t really the time for making wild changes, but for setting the table for the feast you would like to eat. Get your chef hat out, and start rummaging through those recipes!

CAPRICORN: Jupiter is in your 7^th House, so the focus for you is on your relationships. Some of them may be great, others rocky, but now they are all likely to come to the forefront. In the next year, you are going to better understand what these people mean to you, what roles they play in your life, and what kind of relationship you want with them in the future. That actually gives you considerable power – the important thing is to remember that the decisions are yours to make.

AQUARIUS : Jupiter is a bit fidgety in your 6^th House. It generally feels itself confined to small matters, while you’d like to focus on the larger picture. But, that doesn’t mean that Jupiter can’t be of good use. For one thing, this is a great location for Jupiter to help improve your working conditions. Some of you may even get promotions during this time. More importantly, though, you get to rework those relationships that operate from a sense of obligation and responsibility, so that you are less driven by them psychologically, and more capable of relating to them from a position of if not equality, at least equanimity.

PISCES: You folks have been through a lot. You and Jupiter have spent a lot of time working on your SELF, and getting you into shape. Appreciate that work, and let yourself have some FUN! You’ve earned some time to rest, relax, and recuperate. Many of you worry way too much, and that stress is not good for your body. Lighten up a bit. Especially for those of you who work in more creative endeavors, you should find better and greater avenues in which to manifest your art. Loosen up. Jupiter’s light can’t shine in if you’ve got yourself closed up like a sack. Open up and let it’s light shine down on you!

Otherwise, there isn’t a whole lot going on, though that’s enough.

Mercury goes retrograde on Wednesday, June 26th at 6:08am. Y’all know what that means — stay focused, stay alert, and watch out for the clowns. Electronic devices of all kinds are apt to act up, and avoid submitting or implementing anything that might need to be redone at a later time. Mercury will remain retrograde until July 20th. If you can wait until then to make any major moves, you’ll be glad you did.

On Thursday, June 27^th at 10:03am,  Venus enters Leo. If you have been feeling moody, sensitive, emotional, nervous, anxious and otherwise on edge, Venus in Leo should lighten your load. Venus (our relationships) delights in the sign of Cancer (our feelings), but after a while often becomes a drama queen in which every little event becomes a staging opportunity for serial melodrama.

Venus in Cancer is perhaps best exemplified by Sarah Bernhardt, and here is one of her quotes: “All the pictures that hung in my memory before I knew you have faded and given place to our radient moments together. Now I cannot live apart from you… Your words are my food, your breath is my wine. You are everything to me.”

Yes, Sarah, we know.

Venus in Leo is more Madonna, “Power without guilt, love without doubt….” or ““Sometimes you have to be a bitch to get things done.”

Things are quiet until July 1^st when Madonna (Venus) runs afoul (squares) Snidely Whiplash (Saturn) and realizes that universe can be a bitch back. If you must deal with others that day, try to be as pleasant as you can. Everyone is likely to be in a foul mood, and nobody wants to play nicely. If you bring donuts to the office, you’ll be a hero.

July 4^th (Happy 4^th of July to our American friends and fans!) The Sun (our Selves) cozies up to Chiron (healing), so it’s a great day for getting things off your chest, doing something nice for yourself, or even better doing something nice for someone who’s letting you get something off your chest.

On Sunday, July 7^th at 8:14pm Venus (Madonna gets around) teams up with Mick Jagger (uh, Uranus) for a gig at the Hollywood Bowl, surprising everyone that love, admiration, and adoration can be found in the strangest places. Just when you LEAST expect it, someone may do something really nice for you. You might even break out into a happy tune.

And considering all the stuff going on, that’s a very good way to end the period!

Wishing you all a wonderful two weeks, check back on July 6^th for the next edition of The Flow!

The Flow! May 5 – 19, 2013

Second and Third Shoes Fall

Greetings fellow friends and fans of the Flow! Please note that The Flow is now published every two weeks. The next edition will be posted May 26^th.

These next couple of weeks are rather eventful, so we have some significant events to cover. Stay with me, it’s important.

At the beginning of the period, on May 9-10^th, we have an Annular Eclipse of the Sun. This eclipse is the Second Shoe Falling as it is the second in the series of three eclipses that began with the Lunar Eclipse of April 25^th, and will end with the Lunar Eclipse on May 24-25^th.  As Solar Eclipses go, this one’s rather weak. In fact, this whole trio of eclipses is rather weak, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t cause localized chaos and mayhem when the energies align and one finds oneself standing in the cross-hairs of a Sun or Moon intent on creating trouble.

The Third Shoe Falls with the Third Uranus-Pluto square occurring on May 20^th. The combination of this aspect and its position sandwiched between the two eclipses is liable to give many world leaders a migraine. How much we suffer because their heads hurt depends on how well they handle their own. And so far, their track record ain’t so hot.

We also have Mars in Taurus until 3:39am on May 31^st when it moves into the more breezy Gemini.

Of the three events, most of us are more likely to experience the effects of Mars in Taurus than either the eclipse or the square, so I thought I’d discuss its effects a bit more deeply by sign. We’ll get to the eclipses at the end of the post.

As long-term Followers of the Flow know, I don’t do regular Sun-Sign type descriptions. Not because I have anything against them, but because there are more effective ways of determining how an astrological energy is going to affect you individually. To that end, I have developed The Flowcator, to help you locate the sign you most closely align with astrologically at this time. Click on this link, find your sign, and then return to this page.

Aries: Now is the time for you to make your plans real. If you have designs out there, this is the time to move them off the drawing board and into the real world. Talk to people, get out there, and make it happen. This is also a good time for you to review your financial situation and make any adjustments you think might be beneficial. You have a lot of room to maneuver, and should have a lot of astrological winds at your back. Now’s the time, make it happen.

Taurus: Mars is in your sign, so you may be feeling like you have enough energy to power your home by sheer will power. You may also be feeling a bit restless, impatient, anxious and itchy. If you have been feeling any of these things (except maybe itchy, calamine lotion is best for that) Mars was invading your awareness the whole time it was in Aries trying to create plans to help you conform your world to better allow you to express the real you. They are gifts. Don’t waste them.

Gemini: Read Taurus above, because you’re next on Mars’ hit list. Except this is YOUR time to be receiving ideas, notions, and inclinations about changes that can be made to help you attain some of your cherished goals. Some of these invasive thoughts may cause you to re-evaluate some long-held beliefs about your past. Letting yourself travel down these paths and accepting some alternate views may help you solve some long-standing problems. Don’t be a wimp, let Mars be your guide to a better life.

Cancer: Mars in Taurus gives you an easier time than most. Instead of making you do 50 psychological pushups and run around your brain a hundred times, Mars is giving you the opportunity to hang out with friends, loved ones, and enjoy yourself. Mars here puts the accent on your associations and relationships with others, and how you can all fit in together harmoniously. Plan a party, go to a movie, have some fun and try to have a good time. Sometimes it can be hard for you folks to let yourself go, but with Mars at the helm, you should be in good hands.

Leo: “Ten-hut! Yeah, YOU! Chin up, shoulders back, and stomach in!” Mars in Taurus is all about your career. This is make-or-break time, bubbie, and it’s no time for slacking off. It isn’t so much that your career is on the line, though for some of you that may be true, but that now is your time to shine if you are willing to put in the work. Opportunity abounds for you to break out of some fairly restrictive situations, if you’re willing do what is necessary to get ahead. Some of that may not be much fun. Making amends, compromising, sacrificing and being forgiving can be tough work. But if you ARE willing to go that far, Mars can help you slay some dragons. If you’re up for the St. George bit, time to suit up that armor and get busy.

Virgo: There’s a little of what is said about Aries and Leo that’s true for you folks as well. It is both a time to put your plans into action, and for you to get ahead if you are willing to do the psychological drudgework to help you climb to the top of the hill. The twist here is that for you, it is a question of making sense of the events in your life, and understanding what they mean. If you can make that connection, you can see both how the past created the present, and how the present will create the future. Once that’s evident, all you need to do is just tweak the present to create the future you desire. It may mean digging into the weeds of your psychic makeup and fine tune existing trends in your life, but you’re a Virgo, and Virgos are experts at that!

Libra: It’s time for you caterpillars to head into your cocoons. You’ve been putting up with some pretty bland shit lately, and it’s time for the winds of change to blow your way. What do I mean by bland shit? It’s the putting up with situations that are far less than ideal, but not really bad, either. You convince yourself that other people should be envious of what you feel you “put up with” but all that does is put a band-aid on your pride. It doesn’t really solve the situation. You deserve better. Transformation is coming. Let it happen.

Scorpio: Is your relationship life a bit bonkers lately? Are you fed up being nice to people who treat you like dog poop? Are you tired picking up the broken pieces of other people’s lives? Tired of playing the same roles in other people’s dramas? Mars in Taurus can help you find the answers, or maybe (being Scorpios and all) you ALREADY know the answers. But Mars can help you put them into practice. Yes, it may mean donning battle gear and getting a little bloody. But it may also just be time to take that protector off your stinger and draw a bit of blood yourself. When is enough, enough? Only you can decide, but how much you want to live YOUR life and not the life others have scripted for you is at stake.

Sagittarius: To use this time to your best advantage, now is the time for you to be fixing things. Bring the car in to be serviced. See the doctor. Go to the dentist. Get those checkups, refill your prescriptions. Clean the house, walk the dog, sing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy to your plants. Essentially, you have the opportunity to put your self, your house, your relationships, or your career in order and prepare them for the next chapter in your life. Drudgery, perhaps. But a bit of drudgery now will pay off later when it’s your turn (see Cancer above or Capricorn below) to play.

Capricorn: You folks DESERVE a vacation. If you can’t take one now, plan for one. You need to give yourself some time for rest and relaxation. You (as you usually do) have held up your part of the bargain well, and have made some changes, done the work, and handled your responsibilities well. You can’t keep this level of diligence and fortitude up without some R & R for your body, mind, and spirit. I know it’s hard for you to let go, but it’s either take a break or get broken. If you absolutely must be busy at something, now is a good time to attend to creative projects. If there’s something that you’ve been working on on the side, this is an excellent time to devote some time to it.

Aquarius: Repeat after me: “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home…” Aquarians need to focus on their home over the next few weeks. Whether it’s fixing up the physical domicile or attending to your psychic foundation, you need to make them your first priority. June could well be too late to take care of some things that need attending to now. What you are really doing is laying the groundwork for future progress and enjoyment, now is not the time to traipse after stars, but mend your floor boards.

Pisces: During this time you folks are likely to be very mentally active. There are plans to be made, issues to be decided, and discussions to be had with others. You need to activate your social network and get as much information as you can about some important areas of your life. Sometimes it has worked out very beneficially for you to rely on your own inner instincts. This is not one of those times. This is a time of reaching out, branching out, and sharing thoughts and ideas with others. You don’t know what you don’t know, until you do; and then the world changes. Let it.

 

Back to the eclipses…

I mentioned above that I thought this series of eclipses was “weak.” I made that assessment because the first eclipse is a partial eclipse of the Moon, the last eclipse is another partial eclipse of the Moon, and this Solar eclipse is not only Annular (the kind in which the Sun still appears like a ring, see below for a diagram and image) but the Saros Series of which it is a part, is a series of primarily Annular eclipses. The series doesn’t become total until almost the very end and then it poops out. What a wimp.

What’s a “Saros Series”? A series of eclipses that are all formed by the same alignment of Sun, Earth, and Moon. It’s a lot more complicated than that, but any more complication would ruin the narrative. If you’re interested, visit the NASA site using the link on the right.

Interestingly, however, the series (Saros 138) began about the same time as our April 25^th series (Saros 112) reached its peak, around the year 1490. A time in which the world was going through profound changes, including the colonization of the Western Hemisphere and height of Christian conformity in the guise of the Inquisition.

Our own discovery of new worlds? A Saros 138 eclipse occurred on April 7, 1959. On April 2, 1959 the first 7 American astronauts were chosen from a field of 110. I wish I had the time to research these things!

And is religious conformity mirrored in our own polarized politics? Are not today’s heretics those politicians who dare to break with the conformity of a party’s ideology?

Like the events of the 1490’s, few of the events of these eclipses reach individual mortal lives. The scale of time during which these events unfold is literally astronomical. The entire Saros 138 cycle stretches out from 1490 to 2716, a total of 1,226 years. A mere blink in the lifespan of the Sun or Moon, but a hundred eternities to us. Yet, for those who are in the know, and are aware of the flow of the winds of the universe, we can place ourselves in harmony with them and make the most of the opportunities they present.

But the point I want you to keep foremost in your mind is something you won’t find on any other astrology site. Profound changes happen, ultimately, from subtle events. Follow the subtle, and you’ll find the sublime. Watch the trends that start during this time, and you’ll gain invaluable clues about what it is to come.

That leads me to think that for those who are unaware of these energies, it is likely during this period that loyalties might be tested, that some people might try to put ideology ahead of the good of all, and that those who “speak their mind” might wish to think twice before engaging their vocal chords or typing fingers. None of which is likely to come to much good.

However, for those of us who are aware, we are on the lookout for novel opportunities. That discoveries that we hear about may have prospects that could evolve into rewarding endeavors. We would be more willing to embrace those who we might have considered the opposition. And might be a bit more cautious in our choice of words before speaking.

One last interesting tidbit about this coming eclipse; the place on Earth in which the eclipse will be at its greatest strength is very close not only to the equator, but the international dateline, at 2ºN 175º E, close to the island of Bonriki in Kiribati (formerly known as the Gilbert Islands).

That alone could be an indication that we could very well also be in for a time in which some cherished orthodoxies (such as the economic policy of “austerity”) may come tumbling down around the heads of some politicians. We could be in for a substantially altered political world after these eclipses play out at the end of this month, and thus prove to be not “weak” at all!

And finally, for this edition, we have the third of seven squares between Uranus and Pluto that occur between June 24, 2012 and March 16/17, 2015. A much more human time-scale!

I have written a great deal about this previously, and will write much more about it in the future. For those just joining us, this series of squares is calling into question the social, cultural, and economic transformations of the ‘60s. This square is why there is talk about cutting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. It is also the reason why economic topics such as union representation and collective bargaining, and sexual behavior topics such as abortion and equality for both women and the LGBT community are such a hot-button issues.

From what I can tell, those issues that have organizations behind them pushing their agenda seem to be succeeding, whereas those that do not are floundering. Is there time to create organizations to pump new life into unions and the pro-choice abortion position? Only time will tell, but at the moment, the prospects are not promising.

One final note: Venus, the planet of love and relationships goes into Gemini the sign of communication on May 9^th at 8:03am. I’m hopeful that after Venus enters Gemini, people might once again know how to speak with one another. An extremely annoying habit I’ve noticed lately is that some people are either so eager to speak they can’t wait to get out their words, or they’re afraid they’ll forget what they have to say by the time the other person is finished. Here’s hoping the goddess can wave her magic wand and restore if not oratory, at least common courtesy to the land!

Speaking of the goddess, she finally begins to appear after briefly after sunset for the perceptive among us. She will gradually rise each day to obtain her full regal glory this October.

Wishing you all a wonderful fortnight!

The Flow! April 21 – May 5, 2013

Shell Shocked

Shell shocked; an appropriate title for the period following The Wild and Wooly World. From Boston to Texas to our highways and living rooms, explosions, collisions, and aggressive actions have roared rampant and unwelcome into our daily lives.

Whether near or far, we go about our daily lives in a partial stupor, as if a part of our brains continually try to process these events like waves of emotional adjustment wearing down stony rocks of utterly horrific events. And just when you think you have eroded them to pebbles, some unexpected bit of news rises them up from the froth and foam; only to be pounded again by waves of heartache and yearning for understanding.

That’s where astrology can help, and I suppose why most of you are here. Astrology is a language that is specifically designed to describe reality, so is rather uniquely suited to help explain it. Regardless of the mechanisms by which astrology may or may not work, the symbolic language of astrology is humanity’s compendium of historical observations.

The Sun and Mars have been joined at the hip in Aries. Although I tried to get a discussion of that topic in our last installment, it was perhaps too soon as if often the case before energies ripen. The actual conjunction didn’t culminate until the 17^th, perhaps a bit too distantly felt when originally published on the 7^th.

In any case, the Sun is our Selves, it is our core, and it is the well-spring source from which all energies and power flow. Without the Sun, the Earth is but a dank dark and dirty bit of rock tumbling aimlessly along the currents of the universe. Without our astrological Sun, we’re not so pretty either. Mars organizes those energies and puts them together for a purpose. Mars is our muscles, our deeds, athletic competitions, and the mechanations and arms of war.

When combined together, as they have been all month, they egg each other on like childhood twins, who individually might otherwise preoccupy themselves sitting harmlessly entertaining themselves with Lego blocks, conspire to create chaos and mayhem.

And they are both in Aries. Aries is ruled by Mars and exalted by the Sun. What that means is that there is a natural affinity between both planets and the sign. Both are more powerful in conjunction here than any other sign except, perhaps Leo which is ruled by the Sun, because their energies can flow more freely and are less tempered by the designs inherent in the nature of the sign.

For example, in Cancer, the Sun is tempered by Cancer’s emotional perspective. And Mars turns more inward and introspective. So when the Sun and Mars are conjunct there, the results are more passive, psychological, and emotional. There may still be mayhem but it’s more personal, and one tends to feel guilty about it afterwards.

Not so in Aries. Aries, in some ways, is like a race horse with blinders on. Not that they’re oblivious to their surroundings (which they sometimes are) but that they are driven toward specific goals, spend a lifetime training themselves to get there, and usually have well-defined finish lines. An Aries generally knows exactly where they’re going, and when where and how they are going to get there – even if they won’t say so.

That makes them very direct, very straightforward, and very driven people. They may be aggressive, but it isn’t personal. They’re not racing you on the freeway because they don’t like you or think you’re too fat, but because they need to see if they can go faster than you.

All of which can be a bit much to contain within flesh, blood and bones. Show me an Aries who has made it to middle-age, and I’ll show you someone with a photo scrap book of splints, casts, and bruises. But unlike other signs that may respond to such events by adopting more staid and placid ways, Aries will often use them as milestones on their way to more significant accomplishments. They don’t need Rockstar to power them, they are rockstar incarnate.

Enough on Aries. Uranus is still plodding through the sign and will for another 5 years, and Mercury, like a bird blown backwards by a strong wind, has recovered himself and is now charging forward to Taurus.

The Sun, Mars and Venus are already there. The Sun and Mars entered on Friday, April 19^th, and slowly but surely and steadily, the healing will begin.

If Aries is pure energy, Taurus is the result of that energy. Think of lone atoms quietly floating along the universe. But then with the big bang (a magnificently symbolic Arian event) they begin tremendously speeding up with purpose and newfound power, and they begin to interact with each other creating the matter that creates the universe and everything in it.

That process is Taurus. Matter from energy. So Taurus isn’t just earth, but Earth, Mother Earth, Gaia, and in a sense all the planets and stars around us. Taurus is the rolling hills and green growing things, and the jewels and ores inside. Hold a rock or a sheaf of wheat and you hold the magic and power of Taurus made manifest.

The first part of Taurus is exactly that – the magical manifestation of the nature of whatever exists there. Its symbol is the clear mountain stream. What you see is what you get, purity with no cover ups; no games, no snark, no sarcasm. Well, maybe SOME snark. Some of my best friends are snarks.

So with the Sun and Mars blazing through the first part of Taurus for the next few days, we are still going to be dealing with their effects in Aries as they turn their attention toward manifesting the results of their activities. What that means is that we’ll be finding out more about the nature of what happened, what it means, and how we need to deal with it. As the Sun and Mars move deeper into Taurus we’ll see how that process functions.

But if there is one idea to keep in mind that will help us make the most of the moment, it is to approach the events in our lives with authenticity. Be who you are without artifice, schemes, or masks. In the clear mountain stream, the clear authentic waters make their way down hill; the detritus is pushed off to the side, and what is like will coalesce into what is like. What is true to you will come to you, but only if you stay pure to the truth of your nature.

But that is not all that we must deal with over the next few weeks.

We have a partial lunar eclipse coming on April 25^that the Full Moon of 6º Taurus/Scorpio at 11:57:06am, which should slow things down some.

As astronomical events go, partial lunar events don’t rank very high on the excitement scale. Those of you in the Eastern Hemisphere may see a bit of darkening on the Moon during the height of the eclipse. Those of us in the Western Hemisphere won’t see anything at all.

But just because it’s a yawn astronomically, doesn’t mean it’s a yawn astrologically. In fact, much to my surprise, a yawn is definitely what it is NOT. Bear with me, I’ve got to transport you through an astronomy lesson, but it’s worth it in the end, I promise!

Eclipses are not singular events. They are produced by a highly complex relationship between the orbits of the Earth and Moon with relation to the Sun. That’s partly shown in the diagrams below. There’s a lot of stuff down there, so I’m going to try and organize them for better reference.

The controlling factor of an eclipse is what is known astrologically as the North and South Nodes (of the Moon). That squiggly that looks a bit like the symbol for Leo or a capital Greek Omega is the North Node, and when upside down it’s the South Node. What is actually is, is where the equatorial plane of the orbit of the Moon crosses the Ecliptic, which is the plane of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. There’s a diagram below for reference.

The nodes move because the orbit of the Moon isn’t static, it wobbles like a top. A similar “wobble” to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun gives us the Ages, a la Aquarian Age.

Anyway, because the movement of the Nodes of the Moon is fairly regular (regular enough for the Greeks to have discovered it over 2,000 years ago) eclipses that occur in similar places with the same relationship have similar characteristics, known as the Saros Cycle.

This lunar eclipse belongs to Saros Cycle 112. It began on May 20, 859, and will end on July 12, 2139, and reached its peak in 1490. There are 144 eclipses in all, each about 18 years apart, and we’re on the fading edge of the cycle. In fact, this current eclipse that can even claim to be partial at all, as the rest fade off into the sunset. Litarally.

In researching the meaning of each Saros Cycle, I look to its origins, when it reaches peak, and what historical events were occurring during the most recent similar eclipses to our own. And that’s when things got interesting.

Not much is known about the second half of the 9^th century, but we do know from history that it was a pretty bleak time in Europe, though the Chinese and Arabian cultures were then flourishing. If anything at all was going on in Europe except evading rats and picking off lice was that the families that would eventually spawn the ruling class of Normans, Capetians, and Hanoverians were defining themselves. And around this time Arabia began commercial dealings with India across the Indian Ocean.

Fast forward to the 1490’s and you have Leonardo da Vinci busy in his workshop, the Renaissance about to kick into overdrive, the voyages of Vasco da Gama, Columbus looking for backing, and the ratcheting up of the Spanish Inquisition.

At the next period of significance, when the eclipses ended totality, is during the reign on James I of England when the English began to colonize America, the Pilgrims were fretting in Holland, and Pocahontas was living as Rebecca Rolfe in England.

But most surprising is more recently when the most recent eclipse in the series occurred on April 15, 1995. On April 5, 95 the US House voted a huge tax cut, on the 7^th, the GOP celebrated passage of the Contract with America, on the 13^th, Egypt and South Korea established relations, on the 19^th we had the Oklahoma City bombing, and on the 24th the Unabomber struck, and on the 28^th a gas explosion killing 101 people occurred in Daegu South Korea.

How much of this is coincidence?

What could be the reason for so many similarly relevant events?

I looked at the charts of each of the last five occurrences of eclipses on this cycle, (April 15, 1995; April 4, 1977; March 24, 1959; March 13, 1941; and March 3, 1923) and tried to find commonalities that might explain the situation. One link that was common to the 2013 and 1995 eclipses is that Mars and Saturn are in opposition as seen from the Sun, whereas they are not in all the other eclipses.

Certainly much more research needs to be done, but if this is true, then the eclipse that occurs on May 17, 2049 could contribute to similar events.

What does this mean for us, here and now? Some themes are clear — exploration, discovery, and violence, but mostly the imposition of the wills of some over the many. That is what I believe we most directly face today, and what I hope as we move toward the next eclipse on May 10th, and the third and final lunar eclipse on the 25th of May will help us toward a salvation, a way of finding both peace and a path toward justice that will truly help us heal some very old and very deep wounds.

In other news, we have the Lyrid Meteor shower through April 22^nd. This shower is often temperamental, so it can either be a bang or a bust, and this year an almost Full Moon may overpower all but the brightest meteors, but for those of you who are intrepidly determined to watch them, the best viewing will be in the Northeast sky between 10-11pm Sunday night the 21^st, and between 3am and sunrise on Monday the 22^nd.

Wishing you all a wonderful fortnight!

Blessings,

BillG

The Flow! April 7 – 21, 2013

Wild and Wooly World

Welcome, one to the new www, the Wild and Wooly World!

Gun violence (at least in the US) is up, way up, so that there isn’t a day that goes by when there isn’t a report of someone being gunned down keeping the world safe for people wearing tin-foil hats to have Smith & Wesson wet dreams.

As if that weren’t enough, heads are exploding on the right as visions of a world ruled according to 16^th Century strictures, scriptures, and governance of behavior evaporate before their very eyes. And on the other side of the aisle, heads are exploding on the left as hard-fought gains for social justice and economic fairness get hacked at by the very people in whom they placed their trust to protect them. And not to be left out, (write out?) anyone who dares stands in the middle is the target of slings and arrows from both directions.

And it’s not all limited to political and cultural battles.

Individually, you may have noticed people increasingly restless, frustrated, and angry. Fuses are shorter. Explanations are not tolerated, alibis hollow, and apologies not accepted. It’s “shoot first and ask questions later.” Our collective patience is at an end, our minds are made up, we’re tired of waiting, and know what we want, but just don’t know how to get there.

If you see someone smiling and happy, they’re either not paying attention, or check the back of the head to see how that mask is attached.

The most likely expression of all this pent up energy is with passive-aggressive behavior: covert accusations, sarcasm, and honey-laced words surrounding decorated tablets of arsenic.

With Mercury, Chiron, and Neptune all still in Pisces, few are willing to come out and actually say what they mean. Everything is veiled, hidden, and meant to misdirect — lest their vulnerabilities you suspect. If you feel misunderstood, outcast, or alone, you’re not at least, alone in feeling so.

And with Uranus, the Sun, Venus, and Mars still marching through Aries, we feel more willing to take chances, step out on that limb, and push for what we want. Aries is forceful, direct, pioneering; an initiator, instigator, and inventor. They are a resourceful, energetic, spirited, and forceful. When fully charged, they are a dynamo incarnate, relentless until the task is done — or they lose interest. And ruled by Mars, god of war, they shirk from battle on pain of death.

With all that feisty energy, sometimes Aries needs a chill pill, nor are they are known for sitting still. Brusque, abrupt, and in your face, sometimes they don’t realize how strongly their actions affect others. But they’re not mean, in fact there isn’t a mean bone in their body. But they are upfront, frank, and honest. In their eyes, they tell it like it is — and to blazes if the rest of us see things differently.

Which a point of caution, There is one thing that Aries abhors more than any other — psychological games. Mind games give most Aries people the eebeejeebees, so be careful. The best approach during this time (until April 20th, when the Sun enters Taurus) is to play it honest. No ulterior motives, no hidden agendas. If you must hold your cards close to your chest, do so with a minimum of fuss and drama. You don’t want to be butt in the butt by the horns of an irate Ram!

For more about Mars in Aries, you might want to check out the March 2011 edition, “From Pillar to Post” when Mars last entered the sign.

So, if there are so many forward directed energies , why aren’t we making better progress?

Usually it’s Saturn that acts the villain, and he is sitting in Scorpio twirling his handle-bar mustache chortling at our struggles below. But in this position, especially retrograde, the biggest danger he poses is that we make the same mistakes as have made in the past, fall for the same pitfalls, stumble over the same rocks.

If you find yourself faced with a problem that did not turn out favorably for you, and you manage it in the same way, you are heading toward Saturn’s trap. Especially in the emotionally charged sign of Scorpio, he will tie you up like a spider and roast you over the flames of your own remorse.

Leos, Scorpios, Tauruses, and Aquarians are the most in danger here; Cancers and Pisces least likely to feel the flickering of the fires.

Why? Because the Leos, etc are being prodded to be different because of the lessons they should have learned from the past, and take actions that stem from a different attitude about the situation as a result of personal growth, insight, and development over the past several years. Cancers and Pisces are less apt to feel this effect because rather than grow, Saturn is nudging them to express themselves more clearly. And usually, expressing one’s self is an easier task than growing up.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that a new approach will lead to rainbows, candy canes, and lollipops, but it will form a new foundation from which you operate that, even if it doesn’t provide immediate rewards, will be substantially beneficial in the long run.

But no, Saturn is not the villain here, Pluto is.

Pluto is sitting and playing in in the “Toys in the Ward of a Hospital” portion of Capricorn, and it doesn’t want any pesky Aries planets around grabbing and trying to play with his toys. He needs them for healing. A healing that will end dysfunction, on political, social, and personal levels, and help us all prepare for the next phase, coming in early 2015 in which we need to be able to work together to jointly solve our problems and move ahead.

It isn’t going to be easy, and there are likely to be bruises on all sides of the battle field, but in the end, it’s highly likely that we’ll all be better off for it.

So right now, Pluto is acting like the old school game of Space Invaders, taking aim at the Aries planets and shooting down those aims and objectives that keep us apart and make us more dysfunctional.

If you’ll notice in the image (which is only mostly tongue-in-cheek), you’ll notice Uranus at the back of the pack. The planets are arranged in order of increasing speed up front, and Uranus, plodding on in the rear is by far the slowest of the lot.

But there’s an added symbolism to the image in that Pluto and Uranus’ conflict is at the heart of many of the meta issues we face. As mentioned before in this blog, the Pluto-Uranus square is the result of the conjunction in the mid-60’s that kicked off the civil rights movement, youth rebellion, sexual revolution, and same-sex acceptance and integration.

As the first square after the birth of this social progress, the first square represents a moment of crisis for each. Asking the question: “what is at the core of what you are trying to accomplish?” puts each under the scrutiny of our culture as a whole, and a reformulation of its purpose, meaning, and scope. Some, like the civil rights movement, which may have been coasting along on substantial success without reformulating its purpose and may begin to feel like future progress may be stalled. Similarly, young people may no longer feel the need to collectively rebel against their parents. And some, like the gay rights movement, may feel more energized as they have been forced to reformulate their goals and objectives due to their own success and changing circumstances.

There’s much more coming about this astrological configuration as we get closer to the next incidence of it on May 20^th.

Meanwhile, closer to home, is the New Moon on April 10^th at 2:36am PDT. It is in the part of Aries in which there is substantial energy for manifesting your desires. Just be careful what you wish for, and are willing to carry the responsibilities of getting what you want.

The Moon’s potency grow from a few days after New, until it reaches its peak during the Full Moon period starting on the 24^th.

In other astrological news, the Sun and Mars are locked in a tight embrace that will last until the end of this month, so on the whole, our vitality should improve and we should have plenty of energy for the items on our to-do lists. Whether we want to get to them, though may be a different story.

And speaking of wants, Venus is now an Evening Star, setting ever so briefly after the Sun. However, she will rise in the night-time sky throughout spring and summer, reaching her peak in late October. With Venus setting after the Sun, there is a predisposition for us all to take our relationships more seriously, and be more deliberate in our interactions with others. We also tend to want our relationships to better fit our expectations, and can therefore be a little more critical than we were with Venus ahead of the Sun.

Some of you may notice the blog has a new look, I hope y0u enjoy it. This is my interim solution until I migrate the blog to another host. Be sure to check out the Blogroll, there are some interesting sites in there! If you have a site you would like me to add, let me know, I’d be glad to oblige, if it’s germane to the site.

That’s it for this post, be sure to check out the Mercury Mall, and test drive some of the new features of the blog!

March Madness, Reality Style

On Your Mark, Get Set…Wait a Minute!

Fellow fans and friends of the Flow, the Flow! Is back! Hopefully, with everything going on right now, I will be able to keep up the posts on a regular basis. How regular is hard to say, but the goal is every other week for now. Let’s see how that goes.

But first, a few words from our sponsors…

First a huge thank you to…you! Even though I stopped posting in mid-September, we were still able to log over 19,000 hits from 123 countries. We still have a ways to go before we’re on par with the HuffingtonPost, but I’m still very pleased with our progress.

For a couple years now, I was able to keep the Flow going just on my own steam. Usually, I have a lot of it, and don’t mind using it to help others power their own ship across the waters of life. But it’s a heck of a lonely job, especially out in space. I don’t require a paid subscription, can’t image I ever will. But I would like to see the site become more of an arena for discussion.

The observations I make are based on my studies and experience, but they are essentially theory. What you are out there living it in a myriad of different ways, paths, and perspectives. I therefore invite you all to partake in the MERCURY MALL, your place to comment on the affairs of moment, astrological or not at the bottom of this post.

Lastly, there’s a new Flow coming. If you notice at the top of the blog, the url address is wordpress.com. What that means is that the site is essentially free, but the features are severely limited. As I was surfing around looking for ways to spruce up the blog, I stumbled upon the wild, wacky, and wonderful world of widgets and gadgets. Gadgets that could tell you where the planets are at the time you are on the blog, gadgets that can tell you when the planets rise and set for your location, gadgets that will let you enter the birth details and generate an astrology chart on the fly. Gadgets to rule them all, and gadgets to bind them.

As I understand it, the only way to get gadgets on the site is to pay for web-hosting on wordpress.org. I need to look into how it all would work, but I’m too excited about the possibilities not to take the plunge, if I can.

So watch for it. The Flow! V2.0!

Now, without further ado…

House of Mirrors, House of Smoke, House of Cards

It is March, 2013. We are all in the process of emerging from a huge whizz-bang conjunction of planets in Pisces on the 10^th and 11^th of this month. Just how whizz-bang? There are 12 significant bodies astrologers track all across the wide zodiac, and 7 of them were all in the single sign of Pisces at the same time.

In February of 1962 we had 7 planets in Aquarius that ushered in a tsunami of cultural transformations throughout the 60’s, and in January of 1994 with 7 planets in Capricorn, we experienced a global conservative revival the consequences of which we are still feeling today.

And the next mass conjunction of 7 or more planets won’t occur until 2032 in Gemini. I’d like to be around then, there should be an immense cornucopia of inventions, discoveries, and fun toys to play with. Who knows, we may even discover the fountain of youth!

But that is then, not now. So what is likely to be the effect of our grand conjunction?

Of all the signs, Pisces is the most elusive. Just when you think you have a Pisces pinned down and cornered, they evaporate as if transported by Scotty someplace else, and you’re left with a bewildered expression on your face. Pisces excel at that – bewildered expressions.

That’s because they’re not really of this world. Yes, their physical body is here, but little else. Mental wool gathering for them is a fine art, and they use that wool to knit tapestries that illustrate the strange and wondrous worlds they visit. All that travel can make them quite visionary.

But so often, those worlds bear so little relation to our own. So much is not as it seems.

Why?

Two reasons, because the two primary processes of the sign are Federation and Perpetuation, and both have more to do with what is to come than what is in the here and now.

Pisces are great for seeing the forests for the trees. They are masters of being able to bring people together for common cause. Whether they are building networks of families, friends, or political allies, they have an inner ability to find common denominators and other resources, and use them to divide their enumerated opponents. Similarly, if you ever need to network, find a Pisces. They have a knack for being able to connect you with the right people just when you need them. They may play down their connections, because they’re also not particularly fond of the limelight, but they always know people who know people. Federation.

They also rarely get bogged down in details. In fact, rules and regulations often give them the hives. An affliction many of them suffer from since all of this inter-dimensional travel often leaves ones nerves frayed.

And then, after everyone has been brought together in unity and sung a rousing chorus of kumbaya, Pisces will take the individual elements, like strands of DNA and weave them into a seed to form the genetic structure of the next generation. Perpetuation.

But a federation is mostly an abstract concept which is so often so hard to define, and a seed is just a simple seed, bearing no relation to what it might eventually become.

Pisces is governed by Neptune, god of the seas, and its symbol is two fish tied together at the tail, swimming in opposite directions. Opposite, because only mortals are limited to traveling in one direction at a time. Pisces is like a school of fish, or a cloud that expands in all directions at once. It’s here, it’s there, it’s out there, it’s everywhere.

And along a similar oceanic meme, the emotional life of a Pisces often roils like the tempests of the seas. All of these expansive excursions of experience take them to shores that are bright and shining with hope and promise, and others are that are worrisome pits of frightful despair and desperation. Yes, Pisces get tired, but it’s their emotional bodies that often get the greatest workout.

All of which has its effects. On the ocean, when opposing currents meet, they form whirlpools.

Which pretty much describe where we’re at now — whirlpools of cross-currents and opposing agendas on uncharted seas. It’s less feeling like you’re swimming against the tide than needing to navigate around various dangerous eddies, shoals, and undertows.

So for much of the past month or two, people have been acting (and driving) like zombies. Mysterious figures making their way through the smokes and fogs of Pisces knowing there’s a direction to be heading and path to follow, but none of it clear, none of it well-defined, and little of it well-known.

But take heart, oh ye faithful! The mists of Pisces are not eternal nor are they infinite. At the edge of Pisces lay Aries, and like the Sun burning off an early morning Neptune’s mist, Aries can bring clarity, lucidity, and alacrity.

If Pisces is the seed, Aries is the young sprout springing from the ground to soak up all the sun and nutrients it can get. Aries doesn’t gather wool, it makes it. It is, after all, the Ram.

And if Pisces is the end of winter, Aries is the beginning of spring. Nature invigorated, energized, and potent, is bursting forth with renewal, rebirth, and regeneration.

Uranus, the touchstone for social progress is in Aries, and has been since March, 2011. Mars moved into it on the 11^th of this month, the Sun on the 20^th (ushering in spring), and Venus joined them the following day on the 21^st. Mercury, just having turned Direct on the 17^th, won’t complete the transition until April 13^th.

Don’t look for much resolution on difficult questions until then, though we should be able to have a better understanding of which way the winds are blowing as Mercury gains steam moving forward in the last few days of March/first week of April and the trendlines become clearer.

Mars and the Sun right now are trailblazing through the first half of Aries, so if you have a Desire that you want to make real, now is the time to make your wishes known and to do everything you can to pave their way to your doorstep.

During the first week of April, their energies shift and you have the opportunity to add flesh to the bones to any greenlighted projects. It may take real work (both physical and psychological) to make progress, but whatever you put in will be more than worth what you get out of the deal.

The Full Moon on the 27^th of March puts the focus on our ambitions. Are we willing to let the winds of destiny guide us to fulfilling our fate, or will we hunker down and hide within our protective shells, preferring serenity, harmony, and peace?

The 28^th of March is likely to be the STRANGEST day of the period as the Sun and Venus scoot by Uranus. Anything can happen when Uranus is involved, but the area most likely to be impacted is our relationships. Unusual demands, quirky behavior, or news out of the blue are likely to catch the unwary off-guard.

Pluto is in the sector of Capricorn symbolized by a Hospital Ward Filled with Toys, so look for continued economic revival until April 11^th when Pluto will be turning retrograde. At that point the economic situation muddies, and we enter a period on auto-pilot that doesn’t pick back up until Pluto turns Direct in mid-September and attention turns once more to budgets. At that time, Pluto will be turning direct in a rather harmonious sector of Capricorn, so I would expect the economy to be in better shape than austerity proponents and deficit hawks find comfortable.

And what of Jupiter and Saturn? These two planets are called the “chronocrators” because to the Ancient Greeks these two planets governed by passage of time. Similarly, their position and aspects to each other govern macro-trends.

Jupiter has just turned direct in the part of Gemini symbolized by an Industrial Strike. This influence brings to the forefront conflicts of all kinds. On a personal level, we are confronted with the question of whether our personal actions, ambitions and goals are also of benefit to the collectives to which we belong, or if we are simply out to make our lives better for our Selves. Neither is wrong or better than the other, though you may find more help realizing them if they are of benefit to more people.

Politically, however, Jupiter here simply makes for conflicts played out on a more global scale. At the moment, political party polarization, the banking crisis on Cyprus, the Syrian insurrection, Obama’s trip to Israel, and the upcoming arguments on gay marriage by the US Supreme Court all have potentially far-reaching impacts beyond the core conflicts involved.

At the moment, Jupiter is in the part of Gemini symbolized by Two Dutch Children talking, so between now and mid-April look for a softening of rigid lines separating political parties and positions. People are just a bit more willing to entertain previously opposing points of view, and are apt to be not so dogmatic. If you have been fighting with others to get them to see your point of view, now is a propitious time to make overtures to re-engage the discussion. Similarly, if you have been cut off or isolated from others, now is an excellent time to re-establish communications.

Saturn is in the part of Scorpio symbolized by the Moon Shining on a Calm Lake, indicating considerable activity behind the scenes and beneath the surface that goes unnoticed. Our beliefs guide our actions, and the best we can do is make sure that these beliefs accurately reflect the world in which we find ourselves.

To be honest, neither Jupiter nor Saturn is in a very compatible sign. Gemini is a bit too frenetic for Jupiter, who prefers a calmer and broader landscape, and Saturn does not deal kindly with Scorpionic manipulations. Saturn may not have a philosophical disagreement with Scorpio’s intentions, but gets exasperated when they are not performed out in the open, something that often makes Scorpio feel naked and exposed.

Previews of Coming Attractions

In very early May, Neptune enters the sector of Pisces symbolized by a Girl Blowing a Bugle, a call to arms and action against fear, fire, and foes.  It is bound to be a lively spring.

Blessed Be,

BillG Skywatcher

The Flow! Weeks of September 16 – 20, 2012

The Flow is a bi-weekly blog published to better understand the flow of astrological, celestial, and magickal energies for the week, how best to use them, and is offered for entertainment purposes.   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.uu

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.  Please refer to the Terms of Service for acceptable use of this site.

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 other Sunday.

Please note: all times are in the Pacific Timezone.

Synopsis for the week: Second Square Struck

Dear fellow Flowites, I have just returned from an almost week’s long road-trip vacation yesterday. I started out in Los Angeles, drove over to Landers to experience the Integration (more on that below), then up to Sequoia/King’s Canyon and the Crystal Cave, up to Yosemite, over to the Napa Valley and Sonoma, then across to the bay and Muir Woods/Mill Valley, a day in San Francisco and then drove down the coast on Highway 1, stopping every 5 feet to take a picture.

Most of the above has been praised to high heaven, and some of the views there make you think you’ve already arrived. But the ONE place that kick started my vacation and gave me a much needed boost spiritually, mentally, and emotionally, was the Integration in Landers, California.

 

 

The building is based on the design of Moses’ Tabernacle, the writings of Nikola Tesla, and telepathic directions from extraterrestrials. And if that’s not enough, it’s constructed on the site of a vortex.

From their website, “According to Van Tassel, the Integratron is located on an intersection of powerful geomagnetic forces that, when focused by the unique geometry of the building, will concentrate and amplify the energy required for rejuvenation and healing.  In 2005, a geophysicist measured the earth’s magnetic field for up to 15 miles in every direction from the Integratron and then inside the dome.  She proclaimed that there is a significant, unexplainable spike in the earth’s magnetic field in the center of the Integratron.”

There are no nails used in the construction of the building so that they don’t interfere with the magnetic resonance. The owners offer healing sound baths with an array of crystal bowls, and the combination of resonances with the crystal harmonics and the shape of the internal dome make it an outstandingly amazing experience. If you ever have the opportunity to be in the vicinity, you will not regret the trek out to Landers, plus there’s some amazing scenery around there!

The Integration was featured in an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” (which is how I heard about it), and is available for hourly or daily rentals. The second Saturday and Sundays of each month (weather permitting) they offer public sound baths for a fee of $15. You will never spend so little for so much. For more information:  http://www.integratron.com/

It was an experience I truly needed because I found out the day before I left that my dad is very seriously ill with pancreatic cancer that has progressed to stage IV and affected several other organs. The doctors give him on a few more months, and he is deteriorating quickly.

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers!

All of this considered, this posting will be a bit brief side so that I can better process and integrate all of these recent events.

Onward to our story…

The saga continues and kicks up a notch this week with the second of the Uranus-Pluto squares. We have seen the effects of this square all over the Middle East, not only with the anger directed at the anti-Muslim video, but also with Israel and it’s relations both with its neighbors and the United States. Not to mention the state of politics in Europe, America, and the Far East.

The Eurozone is collapsing. The US Republican party is devolving into paranoia and  delusion. China seems to be spoiling for a war with Japan over some miniscule islands, and everywhere people are going bonkers.

Are you going bonkers? I hope not, but if you are, you’re not alone.

And this is only the second of seven squares, though to be honest, after the fourth, things should get much better.

I am writing this right after the birth of the Virgo New Moon. It is a perfect time for analysis, discipline, and understanding how to manage things better. Especially so since Virgo’s ruler, Mercury is hovering nearby before entering Libra on Sunday, helping us to see more than just our own personal perspective on the events and situations around us.

This will be helpful since it provides an exceptional opportunity to examine our selves and our lives, find ways to make any desired improvements, and begin putting them into practice. But what is truly unique about this particular opportunity is that there’s a secret to doing so successfully, and the positions of all the personal planets the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars are all very well suited to this project.

As just mentioned, the Sun is in Virgo, providing the analytical boost. Mercury is entering Libra, giving us the chance to better understand the context of any issue in question. Whether that context is the relationship between you and the subject of your concern, or the events you are swept up in, the important thing to note is that you are not the only player in this ballgame, and the other players matter. Although Venus in Leo can sometimes be a stage ham demanding the spotlight, more importantly she actually serves to help since her comfort on stage allows us to focus on our selves in a more loving light, so that we’re actually less compelled to be as needy, demanding, or self-centered as we might otherwise be. And Mars in Scorpio provides the energy and fortitude to delve as deeply as we feel we need to get to the root of any concern and meet it squarely on its own battlefield.

Certainly if you have fences to mend, this week is a good time to get out your fix-it kit. Take it slow, take it easy, and be sure your understand and feel comfortable with your own stand before going out into the field.

It’s really quite a dandy opportunity, if you’re brave enough to take the planets up on their offer this week!

And it’s an offer that is going to come in handy, because the Uranus Pluto square is going to sweep much of the known world away, so that when you see that cosmic broom heading your way, you’ll be prepared. The maxim, as always is to go with the flow!

To the Daily Details!

Sunday, September 16^th

Moon enters Libra at 5:55am

Sun bi-septiles Pluto at 6:51am

Mars quincunxes Jupiter at 10:24am

Venus noviles Neptune at 10:51am

Mercury enters Libra at 4:22pm

We start the week with a hefty dose of Libra as the Moon and Mercury queue up to weigh in on the scales. The Moon in Libra should help us find emotional sense of balance, so long as we are willing to allow for needs other than our own. A Libra Moon reaches out to others for validation, and often the best to get it is to give it. The morning hours are decent for cleaning and putting away any clutter left over from earlier in the weekend. If you’ve had in mind to rearrange some furniture, redecorate, or move a potted loved one, now’s your chance. When Mercury enters Libra we may turn thoughtful and contemplative, but watch out around the 4:30 – 7:00pm period as gets tangled up in the Uranus-Pluto square and emotional land mines are everywhere. Step lightly around any emotional issues so that you don’t have to have shrapnel surgically removed from your face.

 

Monday, September 17th

Sun septiles Mars at 1:43am

Mercury quincunxes Neptune at 7:24am

Mercury sesquiquadrates Mars at 3:05pm

Pluto turns Stationary Direct at 10:07pm

Today continues the trend toward cleaning, fixing, and getting rid of the broken shards of life. As you start your day, you may find yourself sputtering and fuming at others who didn’t get your memo with the day’s agenda. It isn’t easy being patient when you have things you need to do, but if you keep your values foremost in your mind, you’ll better be able to manage what’s important and let the other stuff take care of itself.

Pluto turns direct today. Often times the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune or Pluto) going retrograde or direct doesn’t affect us much, but Pluto in Capricorn is a bit of a different critter. This position has been responsibility for the calcification of our society and some of the rigid, if not authoritarian and dictatorial procedures, rules, and laws that have tried to fortify the interests of certain powers that be. I’m not just talking Chevron and Merrill Lynch here, but your boss, your school board, or even other family members. During the summer months while Pluto was Retrograde, some of these rules were given some slack. Expect the noose to tighten as Pluto gains speed as it moves Direct. Pluto will go Retrograde again April 11, 2013.

 

Tuesday, September 18^th

Sun sextile Moon at 12:50am

Venus bi-quintiles Pluto at 2:00am

Moon enters Scorpio at 7:46am

Uranus squares Pluto at 10:57pm

Mercury deciles Jupiter at 11:02pm

The Moon puts on a bit of a show with Mars and Saturn after sunset from today through Thursday. There is always something spiritual, magickal and particularly poignant about the newly born crescent Moon hanging in the sky at dusk, even more so when she dances with some of the other planets.

Yesterday’s events may have left us unsettled, but we begin to put the pieces back together this morning. Best to find that screwdriver early, because once the Moon enters Scorpio, we’re likely to feel the impact of the Uranus-Pluto square rather intensely. This may erupt in emotional displays of anger, intense frustration, and possible self-pity. It just wasn’t supposed to be like this. Except that it is. Scorpio is all about cauterization, so once the wounds are treated, they can begin to heal. It will be for the best, some of the greatest triumphs come after trials of fire. If you can find that asbestos suit of faith, wear it.

 

Wednesday, September 19^th

Moon enters Crescent phase at 3:26am at 12º Scorpio

Mars bi-septiles Neptune at 8:34pm

Once the Moon enters her Crescent phase, things begin to settle down and we can resume the healing process. There’s a lot we have endured, and a lot of various issues that lay before us, but we also have the opportunity to make of them what we will, so long as we’re willing to get our hands dirty, dig in, and get to work. Sometimes we expect things to just work out on their own. This is not one of those times. Get busy. Get dirty. Take that plunge, dare to eat that peach. Will you meet obstacles on the way? Of course. But remaining where you are is like sinking in a swamp. Hurdles or quicksand?  Decide!

 

Thursday, September 20^th

Sun sextiles Moon at 6:11am

Moon enters Sagittarius at 9:34am

Sun semi-sextiles Saturn at 1:50pm

Mercury opposes Uranus at 3:23pm

Mercury squares Pluto at 4:21pm

Mercury quintiles Neptune at 5:20pm

Venus sextiles Jupiter at 8:45pm

Gratefully, the Moon enters Sagittarius at 9:34am and we see things in a slightly better light. But responsibilities and obligations hang over our heads and they’re not going to be dispatched so easily. You may not wanna, but you gotta; so put on your best smiley mask and make the best of the situation.

Sometimes we get so intent on achieving an ambition that we begin to adopt measures that actually run counter to what the goal of the ambition originally meant to us. When this happens, the universe usually rebels and we find ourselves with a meaningless achievement. That sucks. Be sure today that what you do is in alignment with the meaning of your goals, that way you won’t be left with a grand house with opulent furnishings that is empty, silent, and lonely.

 

Friday, September 21^st

Venus quintiles Saturn at 2:17am

Venus bi-septiles Jupiter at 6:18am

Mercury septiles Venus at 7:07am

Several issues may all vie for your attention today, especially after the trio of morning minor aspects with Venus. Each like a telephone call from a separate universe, each clamors for your attention thinking it is the only universe, and feels its needs take priority over the others. Deciding which to satisfy can be a burden, and may leave you feeling used and abused.  However, don’t be afraid, it’s just a test of the Emergency Value System, testing which values you value most. It’s up to you. But remember that each decision you make creates a new universe. What kind of universe do you really want to live in? Sometimes we have no choice. But when we do, sometimes the word “no” can be the most liberating. Just ask any two-year old!

 

Saturday, September 22^nd

Sun enters Libra at 7:49am

Mercury noviles Mars at 11:17am

Moon enters Capricorn at 12:20pm

Moon enters First-Quarter phase at 12:41pm at 1º Capricorn

Happy Birthday, Libra!

Merry Mabon!

Mabon is the pagan celebration for the first day of Autumn, also known as Harvest Home, Feast of the Ingathering, or Alban Elfed. It is a thanksgiving for the harvest and fruits of the earth and recognition of the need to share them to secure blessings during the winter months, and to ensure future bounty for future years. It is the second of three harvest festivals, the first being Lammas in early August, and Samhain or Halloween at the end of October.

The Sun enters Libra early this morning and we begin a time of seeking a certain balance; a balance between our inward selves and our outward lives, between we the individual and the collectives to which we belong, and between our emotional needs and the resources we have to satisfy them. All of which climaxes during the holiday season. But for now, we simply seek to balance these various parts of our lives and to find our way through the brambles that lie in our path.

It is not often that a critical Moon phase (New, Full or First/Last Quarter) at 1º of Aries, Cancer, Libra, or Capricorn. In astrological lore these are known as the “public” degrees and usually indicate a public manifestation of the energies apparent in any given time. Considering all of the stressful, tense, and demanding energies we have been faced with, I would not be surprised if during the next several days there is not an event that materializes in the climax of a display of these energies. While I hope it is not anything major, each of us may experience an event in our own private lives that helps us discharge and dispel some of the negativity we have endured lately. May it be a great relief for you and yours!

To be continued…

The Flow! Weeks of September 2 – 16, 2012

The Flow is a bi-weekly blog published to better understand the flow of astrological, celestial, and magickal energies for the week, how best to use them, and is offered for entertainment purposes.   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.  Please refer to the Terms of Service for acceptable use of this site.

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 other Sunday.

Please note: all times are in the Pacific Timezone.

Synopsis for the week: The Game’s Afoot

 

“I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game’s afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry ‘God for Harry, England, and Saint George!’

–Shakespeare, Henry V, Act III, Scene I

The game’s afoot, but the movement is so subtle. With whispers and rustles in the dark, the pieces take their posts and spoil to smite their mark. All the while the sleeping people, disgruntled and displeased are distracted by trifling diversions.

A hammer is about to strike, but will it deal its intended blow, or will it miss and squish against the muds of deluded thinking and personal ambition?

That about sums up our landscape, and it is no surprise that much of the personal matches much of the political.

Uranus and Pluto are intensely entwined in a celestial tango. Their current cycle sent sparks flying that set off forest fires of liberation and personal freedom during the mid-60s. Interestingly, the conjunction occurred in the Sabian Sign of “The Orangutan,” symbol of personal evolution on a mass scale.

A conjunction between any two planets, such as Uranus and Pluto during the mid-60’s kicks off the cycle of meaning between them. Both planets are transformational, but their methods are very different. Uranus is responsive to external unseen forces and establishes a new world order each time it acts. Pluto is responsive to internal unseen forces and establishes a new world order as its actions reach the surface.

That’s why the Uranus-Pluto conjunction is so transformational. Both planets are working to transform the world, one from the outside, the other from the inside. The result is total transformation.

The zodiac is a cycle at which certain angular-distance relationships have particular meaning. As you’ll note in The Key that accompanies every full posting of The Flow, Sextiles and Trines assist and nurture what is created at the conjunction, while Semi-Squares and Squares challenge it and force it to adapt to more obstructive circumstances. Sometimes squares make us stronger, sometimes they end the chapter. As they say, what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.

Wheel of major aspects

In the development of a cycle, after the conjunction first major aspect the planets face is a semi-square. Uranus and Pluto were semi-square during the mid-80s during the middle of Reagan’s second term, and much of the progress and gains of the 60’s came under vicious attack. Much survived, much advanced, but it was a vigorous battle, and not much escaped unscathed.

The next aspect the planets faced was a soothing sextile during the mid-90s during the transition between Bill Clinton’s first and second terms. During this time some of what was lost was regained, and much progress was made in many areas. While it may not have lived up to its expectations, and although President Clinton himself faced fierce opposition during this time, it is now looked back on as a rather golden age of prosperity, progress, and success.

Certainly compared with what was to follow.

We now face the granddaddy of challenging aspects, the square. Sometimes, with faster moving planets, squares hit quickly and are over and done with before we know it.

Not this time.

Uranus and Pluto are two of the slowest moving planets, and not only does it take nearly three YEARS to run its course, but hits exactly SEVEN times doing so:

1. June 24, 2012 – first square at 9-degrees Aries/Capricorn
2. September 19, 2012 – second square at 7-degrees Aries/Capricorn
3. May 20, 2013 – third square at 12-degrees Aries/Capricorn
4. November 1, 2013 – fourth square at 10-degrees Aries/Capricorn
5. April 21, 2014 – fifth square at 14-degrees Aries/Capricorn
6. December 15, 2014 – sixth square at 13-degrees Aries/Capricorn
7. March 16/17, 2015 – seventh square at 16-degrees Aries/Capricorn

As you can see, we’ve already had the first hit, and are just a couple weeks away from the second. It is no coincidence that the current US election (and those of many other countries) is being fought on this same scorched and pitted battleground.

Both the June and September 2012 aspects are still preliminary before the main event in November 2013. But preliminary is also preparatory. And those who are best prepared will fare the best.

How best to be prepared? Get connected with those of like thinking. A network is far stronger than any individual node within it, and when necessary a community of individuals can come to each other’s defense. Also, try not to be buffeted by the waves of each trendy crisis de jour, but keep your keel firmly in hand. And most of all, be aware, listening carefully, and paying attention to the subtle changes in the winds. Their whispers herald what is to follow.

Over the next couple of weeks before the second square hits, there is considerable movement of the planets making more minor aspects to each other. Their chatter should prove instructive. Watch what happens when one of these planets makes an aspect to Uranus or Pluto, particularly the sextile Mars makes to Pluto (and quincunxes Uranus) on the 3^rd and the quintile to Uranus on the 12^th. Both aspects should provide clues to the state of Pluto (internal mood and opinion changes) and Uranus (adjustments to unforeseen events). By the time Uranus and Neptune line up on the 10^th, we may actually see a shift in thinking on some issues. Considering public attitudes on many issues, that could be a very welcome development.

Finally, before we get to the Daily Details, this time of year is excellent for viewing the venerable teapot and spoon in the sky, Sagittarius, as night sets in right after sunset. Once you’ve seen it, it’s hard to think of as a centaur again. But let’s not be too quick to judge the ancients and their iconography, if you follow the spout of the teapot, it’s just a short skip and jump to the Galactic Center. Now THAT’S a true aim, if ever there was!

If you have a pair of binoculars, taking a look at the region around Sagittarius is filled with celestial jewels, as the image below from Sky & Telescope magazine shows.

Facing South after dark, courtesy of Sky & Telescope magazine

And, on September 8^th, Jupiter and the Moon align to dazzle the dawn sky an hour or so before sunrise. Jupiter takes again to the night sky, but is visible only in the early morning hours. Each day Jupiter will edge deeper and deeper into the night sky, until early December when it will be visible the entire night.

Courtesy of Sky & Telescope magazine

Enjoy!

To the Daily Details!

Sunday, September 2^nd

Venus quintiles Neptune at 2:56am

Venus deciles Uranus at 4:42am

We start off this week with the Moon having entered Aries a scant hour and a half before on Saturday night, and it leaves us with unsettled feelings. If you wake up on Sunday with important life-issue questions dangling over your head taunting you for a resolution, you’re not alone, and it isn’t the pickles and ice cream you ate the night before. We seem caught in a quandary, stuck between the rock of aspiration and the hard place of our current responsibilities. Bright visions of the future flit like will-o-the-wisps and weave a tapestry of hopes and dreams mingled with dark threads of present obligations and uncertainties. But, don’t panic, and don’t run around needlessly. Conserve your energy for when it is truly needed, not when ghosts dance behind your mind’s eye. It’ll all work out in the end, and you’ll very likely breathe a sigh of relief when it is all over. A woman friend, family member, or associate might be able to be of significant help, particularly if she is involved in a creative field or is an independent spirit.

Monday, September 3^rd

Venus squares Saturn at 12:43am

Mars sextiles Pluto at 4:05am

Mercury noviles Jupiter at 7:15am

Sun semi-squares Saturn at 7:43am

Mercury septiles Saturn at 10:05am

Venus noviles Pluto at 12:52pm

Sun septiles Uranus at 3:38pm

Mars quincunxes Uranus at 10:41pm

Happy US Labor Day!

Wow, I can’t remember a day with so many aspects! Figuring out how all this adds up is like trying to analyze a box of crayons left out in the sun too long, but I’ll do my best…leaving the more minor aspects (novile and septile) to color the more important ones.

The Moon is in Aries, so we’re high spirited, active, and willing to put substantial energy into achieving our goals. We’re also a bit sensitive in our relations with others, have little to no patience, need to be first in line – but get in the last word, and generally can’t get where we want to go fast enough. So if you’re driving home for the holiday, be careful on the roads!

The Venus (relationships) square to Saturn (obligations) is likely to indicate that we have things we have to do to satisfy others we’d rather not do. Don’t let it get to you, just carry out what you need to and it will all wash out in the end. It may even lead to an opportunity for you in about a month. Mars (energy) sextiling Pluto (transformation) and Mars quincunxing Uranus (change) means that we’ve got a lot of oomph in our Wheaties, so whatever you put your mind to accomplish, you should be able to accomplish relatively easily. It is also a good aspect for overcoming obstructions, so if there are speed bumps in your path, today is a good day to try to plow through them. In the evening, however, you may want to give yourself some extra time so that you don’t get frustrated by unexpected delays.

Finally, the Sun (self) semi-square to Saturn (more responsibilities) is going to force many of us to answer whether we are properly fulfilling our roles and whether there might not be a better way of doing things that would help us be more successful. This isn’t usually an easy thing to do. Often, we resist implications that we could do things better if we did them differently. Still, this aspect offers the opportunity to analyze whether you could use a course correction, and if it’s an offer you accept, there may be a bonus for you in about two months’ time.

Tuesday, September 4^th

Moon enters Disseminating phase at 3:19am

Moon enters Taurus at 8:41am

Mercury trines Pluto at 9:46am

Mercury quincunxes Uranus at 3:51pm

The Moon enters its Disseminating phase early this morning while in the last few degrees of Aries before it moves into Taurus a bit later. The Disseminating phase is when the Moon “disseminates” or distributes the energies generated during the prior Full Moon. Dane Rudhyar selected the term “disseminate” deliberately, because it also implies the scattering of seeds, both the seeds matured during the Full phase and those that will sprout during the coming New Moon. This phase lasts until September 8^th when the Moon will enter its Last Quarter phase.

The Moon enters Taurus and everything quiets down substantially Tuesday morning. The Mercury-Pluto trine helps in this regard as our minds are attuned to our inner needs and we are better able to satisfy what we need most. This aspect also sharpens our intellect, and offers insight into issues that have previously been a source of concern. Later in the afternoon when Mercury quincunxes Uranus, look for some unexpected difficulty to arise, but if you haven’t lost the morning’s sharpness to a lunch coma, you should be able to manage things fairly easily.

Wednesday, September 5^th

Mercury sextiles Mars at 1:06am

Mercury noviles Venus at 11:34am

Sun trines Moon at 11:54am

One of the nicer features of the Disseminating phase of the Moon is that it includes the waning trine of the Sun and Moon. This is usually a time of harmony and balance between our outer and inner selves, and so is a time when we feel better about our current circumstances and prospects. Since too the Moon is in earthy Taurus and the Sun is in earthy Virgo, there’s a pleasant practical harmony that we may be able to use to put our finances in better order. If you have either the Sun or Moon in either Virgo or Taurus, or either sign is on the 2^nd house cusp, you should either be able to enjoy financial gains or the fruits of your financial labors at this time. Since the Moon is waning, it is probably not the best time to start a new financial venture, but it may prove to be fertile soil for making plans for when the energies are more supportive.

The sextile between Mercury (mind) and Mars (energy) and novile Mercury makes to Venus (relationships) means that during most of the morning hours, not only are we apt to be able to think more clearly, but be better able to say the right thing at the right time. If there’s an important meeting or discussion you are contemplating, scheduling it for Wednesday morning may be the most beneficial time of the week for getting what you want.

Thursday, September 6^th

Venus enters Leo at 7:48am

Mars quintiles Jupiter at 9:12am

Venus semi-squares Jupiter at 10:46am

Mercury septiles Uranus at 7:55pm

Moon enters Gemini at 9:10pm

Mercury semi-squares Saturn at 9:44pm

Venus enters Leo, and if that ain’t an excuse to party, I don’t know what is. Venus in Cancer is the proverbial sweet old grandma, keeping house, baking cookies, and always ready with tea and/or sympathy when needed. She’s nurturing and kind, but a bit overly sensitive, and needs her garden to retreat to in order to regain her sense of balance. Venus in Leo rips off her apron, puts on a red dress, stiletto heels, jangling earrings and enough makeup to make Cleopatra jealous, and beams as she turns heads of both sexes as she struts by.

Relationships of all kinds have the opportunity to add just a bit of spice and enchantment while Venus is in Leo, and a relationship started at this time can have just the right touch of fun that helps it over some of the rough spots later on. Venus is in Leo until October 2^nd.

There’s a reason why Mercury was called the “Messenger of the Gods,” he’s always darting in and out of their sphere of influence, and this week he’s been particularly active. When he’s in a good mood, like he was yesterday, matters he controls (communications, thinking, computers, technological devices) function well, and when he’s in a sour mood, like tonight, they go on the fritz. Any problem at this time are likely to be caused by the omission of something important, so be sure that you’ve attended to all the necessary details before moving forward with any plans or intentions.

Friday, September 7^th

Sun squares Jupiter at 3:15am

Venus quincunxes Neptune at 1:52pm

The week ends on a flat note. While the Sun (Self) square to Jupiter (opportunity) offers a bit of chance to make amends for anything you feel might be currently out of order. In a very real sense, many of these issues are out of our hands and essentially in the control of others, but that doesn’t mean we’re powerless to do anything about the course of their development. There are plenty of decisions that we could make to alter at least our own personal landscape and begin treading down a different path. Look around, take stock of what your possibilities may be and choose wisely.

Our relationships may feel as if they’re escaping our control this afternoon, continuing the “control” trend of the day. However, in this case, our concern is that we may be giving up too much control to our loved one. Remember, you can still accede to another’s needs without becoming servile, so long as you do so from a stance of respect and not by being cornered to make a concession.

 

Saturday, September 8^th

Moon enters Last Quarter phase at 6:15am

Mercury squares Jupiter at 5:13pm

Venus septiles Pluto at 7:19pm

The Last Quarter phase illustrates the tension between our inner wants and external circumstances. With the Moon in Gemini and the Sun in Virgo, it’s all in our head, but that doesn’t make it any less real. The important thing is to analyze the situation, make a decision and move forward. The Moon is in Last Quarter phase until the 12^th, when it will enter the final Balsamic phase, indicating that it is the perfect time to make salad dressing.

When Mercury starts squaring Jupiter around mid-day, annoyances are likely. So long as we don’t magnify them out of proportion, we should be able to manage them with grace. Keeping your cool and controlling your temper will help keep a minor setback from becoming a mountainous obstacle.

Later in the evening when Venus septiles Pluto, the skies are alight with romance and understanding. We have the opportunity to adopt a new perspective on a situation or event that when better understood helps increase the harmony within our relationships. This can set the stage for a delightful evening of soaring feelings and fulfilling deep passions if we allow ourselves to trust to our inner guidance.

Dear Fellows, Fans, and Friends of The Flow!

Please accept my apologies for not keeping The Flow up to date! I can tell many of you are eager to learn what is happening up above. However, on Friday, when I intended to continue last week’s blog with this week’s interpretations, I got grave news that my dad is very ill. I would greatly appreciate any healing thoughts, wishes, prayers or healing circles, you might be able to send his way.

Thank you and blessings!

Please also forgive my grammar, too…it’s a bit hard to concentrate on heavenly affairs when earthly ones beckon so intensely!

I’ll dispense with the last couple of days, and move right to Tuesday.

 

Tuesday, September 11^th

Sun deciles Pluto at 12:27am

Mercury semi-squares Venus at 2:09pm

Mercury noviles Neptune  at 10:11pm

Mercury septiles Mars at 10:48pm

Today is not the best for communication. When Venus and Mercury have a spat, the rest of us suffer and bear the brunt of their slings and arrows. What we say isn’t enough or not quite what we mean, and what does wind up coming out of our mouths is misunderstood. Mind your manners, mind your peas, mind your queues, and you should be able to make the best of it. The evening is productive for getting in touch with deep seated feelings that we might otherwise skip over like a stone on a pond. Drink deep of these nocturnal waters, and you may find yourself healed of broken dreams and cloistered memories. If you do find yourself in a better space as we approach the 11^th hour, as the Mercury-Mars septile approaches, take some action that demonstrates your new understanding and/or sense of self. It will go a long way in the recuperative process.

 

Wednesday, September 12^th

Moon enters Balsamic phase at 5:38am at 7º Leo

Mars bi-quintiles Uranus at 11:58am

Mars deciles Neptune at 12:46pm

Venus quincunxes Pluto at 4:47pm

Venus septiles Jupiter at 6:53pm

Venus trines Uranus at 9:45pm

The Balsamic Moon in Leo begins a rather introspective period, in which we try to look inside to rectify our shortcomings before the onset of the winter months. The Virgo need to cleanse is met with the Leonine focus on Self, to improve our fortitude, sense of self, and security to better withstand the approach of the colder months and the rigors it entails. Sometimes thoughts arise from nowhere that question previous actions and relive delicate memories. These are often areas that invoke strong emotional responses within us, and may have unresolved karmic threads. Follow those threads as best you can, and they will lead to a catharsis that will leave you cleaner, stronger, and healthier. Mars starts off the day, then hands the baton to Venus in the afternoon. We are brave in the morning hours, and go about our affairs with more than a dash of charm and charisma. Our inner Errol Flynns are looking for some swashbuckling action, and if you want to be in, give him a sword to play with. In the evening hours, find a friend to play or chat with, and if no one is around, your favorite beverage may do. The evening is all about sharing, enjoying, and satiation. Satiate to your heart’s content!

 

Thursday, September 13^th

Venus noviles Saturn at 4:19am

Sun noviles Neptune at 7:43am

Mercury septiles Pluto at 9:52am

Sun deciles Saturn at 3:59pm

The morning has enough noviles to satisfy the Catholic Church, and in a sense, the meaning’s the same. Noviles are times of spiritual connection, and when Neptune’s involved, that sense is heightened. Taken together, both noviles indicate that whatever obligations you have to others, dispatching them, however unpleasant they may be, will be deeply rewarded and appreciated – in another life. It seems no matter what we do, or how much we try, nothing we do gets the proper respect or appreciation. That doesn’t mean we can give up and let them slide. Oh, no! Doing that will get you slapped upside the head. No, this is a case of damned if you do, and double damned if you don’t. The good news here is that if you seek to fulfill your responsibilities, you will sleep well tonight. Morpheus will be watching. May he reward your dreams well!

 

Friday, September 14^th

Moon enters Virgo at 2:30am

Mercury septiles Neptune at 10:32pm

We are preparing for tomorrow’s New Moon of Virgo, and turn inward for guidance. Today is a day for our families and those with whom we share a close bond. There’s a need to find understanding with others of like mindedness who speak the same language we do. Every family, group, clan, or tribe has their own way of speaking about things, and that manner of speaking matters. Words have a nuance that when translated outside of our group or language often has less meaning and import. Today, we need to be with those who speak with similar tongues.  The problem sometimes, is that instead of enhancing communication, group-speak or jargon, tend to camouflage what needs to be said. So that all that is uttered are syllables that while understood, are just hollow shells of what we really need to say. Be mindful  today of the way you communicate with others, and be sure that your words and emotions don’t get lost in translation.

 

Saturday, September 15^th

Mercury semi-sextiles Saturn at 9:50am

New Moon of Virgo at 7:11pm at 24º Virgo

Mars septiles Pluto at 10:35pm

Mercury septiles Jupiter at 10:42pm

It is common in many circles to think of the Self in three parts. An emotional , intuitive, and instinctive Self; a rational, intellectual, and deciding Self, and a spiritual, guiding, and karmic Self. Sometimes, our emotional Self gets a bit out of balance, wants to sit down on the floor and start throwing things – like say a tantrum. But we don’t. Partly at this stage of the game, because others don’t react very well to such uncontrolled expressions of emotion but also mostly because we have trained ourselves to channel our emotions in ways that experience has taught us are more productive. During this New Moon phase, many of us will learn why. Some of it has to do with keeping those three selves in balance, but also the stakes of keeping the sum of those three selves, our Being, in balance and harmony with the society in which we live. This is a New Moon that will wipe many slates clean, so long as we are willing to get down on our hands and knees a do a bit of psychological scrubbing.

Another way in which this New Moon may operate is that many of us face obstacles that stubbornly refuse to yield. We find ourselves stuck facing the same obstructions on the same issues, in the same manner time and time again. This New Moon may help us devise other ways and perspectives to deal with his problem and if not skirt the obstruction completely, find ways to get it to yield.

The evening’s septiles add a festive sparkle to the proceedings, so if you don’t feel effervescent enough, do pop and cork and open a bottle of bubbly, just be sure to do so safely and with good company!

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

 

 

The Flow! Weeks of May 13 – 27, 2012

The Flow is a weekly blog published to better understand the flow of astrological, celestial, and magickal energies for the week, how best to use them, and is offered for entertainment purposes.   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.  Please refer to the Terms of Service for acceptable use of this site.

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: Annular Eclipse of the Heart

This is a special two-week edition of The Flow because of family, events, and other assorted obligations. All of which may turn out to be a fortunate circumstance, because smack dab in the middle of our reporting period, on May20th, we have an annular eclipse of the Sun and this give us time to study, anticipate, and prepare for it. The week of May 20 – 27th will be added shortly.

Eclipses occur because of a special relationship between the Sun (the yang force, our selves, our egos, or any person, place, or thing); the Moon (the yin force, our inner selves, our emotions, and sub-conscious); and the Earth (the material manifestation of any person, place, or thing).

When the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon in perfect alignment, we have a Lunar Eclipse, and when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun, we have a Solar Eclipse. Because the Earth is so much larger than the Moon and casts a much larger shadow, when a Lunar Eclipse occurs, it is visible in the entire hemisphere of night. However, because the Moon is so much smaller, its shadow across the Earth is correspondingly smaller, and so the total effect of the eclipse is seen in a much narrower band of the Earth’s surface.

But because the orbit of the Moon isn’t really circular, sometimes during an eclipse, it is so far away that it can’t entirely cover the surface of the Sun, and we have what’s known as an Annular Eclipse, and a small ring of the Sun can still be seen around the dark of the Moon. That’s the kind of eclipse we’ll be having on the 20^th. A Partial Eclipse occurs when the Sun, Moon, and Earth do not line up exactly, and each is only partially obscured as the other passes in front of it.

After recording hundreds and hundreds of these eclipses, the ancients knew that they occurred in cycles. They calculated them all and realized that they occur in roughly an 18 year cycle, which we use astrologically as the North and South node. In Vedic (Indian) astrology, they are known as Rahu and Ketu, the head and tail of the dragon because it was thought that the head of the dragon ate the Sun or Moon, and discharged it out the other end.

From an “astronomical” perspective, the cycle is called a “Saros” cycle, named after a Sumerian unit of measuring area, such as gardens and fields, SAR and appears to have had a value of 3600 (60 seconds X 60 minutes or 10 X 360, the number of degrees in the zodiac).

Although the cycle was known throughout history, the name may be a bit of a mistake. The word “Saros” was first used by Sir Edmund Halley (of comet fame and he who purportedly PWNed by Sir Isaac Newton for questioning the veracity of astrology) who mistook he term from a Byzantine manuscript. The name, however, stuck.

Regardless of what they are called, Saros cycles have a birth, peak, and death, and each are numbered. The eclipse on May 20^th is known as the 128^th Saros cycle, and it was born on August 29^th, in the year 984, and will die a slow and hopefully peaceful death on November 1^st, 2282. It peaked during the middle half of the 15^th century (1417-1471), not a century particularly known for peace.

Astrologically, the cycle began at 11º Virgo, in the part of the zodiac symbolized by An “Ornamental Handkerchief” in the Sabian degree of “A Boy Molded in his Mother’s Aspiration for Him.” Ornamental handkerchiefs are often associated with nobility, or those with great wealth, and are used as both a fashion statement, and as a means of making a statement to one’s community. With the Sabian degree, we see the longing of the birth of something new taking shape according to the wishes and needs of the parent who gave birth.

Interestingly, during many of the occurrences of eclipses of this Saros cycle, have been around times in which people placed great faith in the ability of something new. 1777 was the second year of the American Revolution, and in 1796 Napoleon won his first significant victory. In 1850, the American government hoped the Compromise of 1850 would stave off civil war, and in 1868, the 14^th Amendment to the US Constitution was passed guaranteeing African Americans full citizenship and equal protection to all persons due process of law. 1904 began a period of prosperity, as did 1922. In 1940 Winston Churchill became Prime Minister, and gave both his “I have nothing to offer by blood, toil, tears, and sweat” and “We shall never surrender” speeches. 1958 saw the beginnings of the space race, as 1976 saw the hope that the election of Jimmy Carter would put the legacy of Watergate behind us. The election of 1994 gave us the Contract with America, and 2012 is destined to be another highly critical election year. It already has been with elections in both Greece and France that have upset the current economic order.

The end of the cycle occurs in 11º Scorpio, in the part of the zodiac symbolized by “Five Children Playing in Mounds of Sand” in the Sabian degree of “A Dentist at Work.”

And when the cycle reached it’s peak, on June 7, 1453, the Sun and Moon where in the same place as the Sun on the day Magna Carta took effect, June 10, 1215, 25º Gemini.

We can see in the above list how both symbols have a role, as some of these events were caused by people meddling in affairs that were best left alone, and that sometimes the medicine to correct the situation was not without some pain.

Let’s hope that the events of 2012 do not require much pain to correct, and the next eclipse in November offers some hope that that may be the case. Keep in mind that this Saros cycle is only one of many, and the combination of them all in concert produces the events we experience.

This eclipse will start to be visible at sunrise in south east China and Taiwan, move to the southern coast of Japan, travel just under the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, reach the Continental US on the California side of the Oregon border, and arc through Northern California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and peter out in Texas at sunset. At its peak, it will last for 5 minutes and 46.3 seconds, for those of you with a stopwatch.

Please note: times for this diagram are UT, PDT is -7h, EDT -4h, etc.

To the Daily Details!

Sunday, May 13^th

Sun conjunct Jupiter at 6:23am

Mercury trine Mars at 1:54pm

Mercury octile Venus at 8:56pm

Happy Mother’s Day!

The week gets off to a bit of a dreamy start with the Moon entering psychic Pisces at 4:42am. There are lots of things up in the air, and where they fall, we really don’t care. We just sort of assume everything will work out for the best, and with that kind of attitude, they probably will. At daybreak, we are feeling as if we should be moving forward in some direction, toward progress achieving one goal or two, and if you’ve been doing your homework, you most likely have good cause to pat yourself on the back for work well done. Congrats! As the afternoon gets underway we’re zipping to and fro and more or less we’re able to fulfill our plans for the day with little fuss. Expect people to be loquacious and garrulous, and use big words when less fancy ones would do. Try to wrap up important affairs and communications by sunset, as the Mercury (our intellect) and Venus (our emotions) spar with each other, leading to hurt feelings and misconstrued statements, though all feathers are smoothed by the end of the day. As we wrap up the day, we’re well aware of our obligations and plans for the rest of the week – it’s apt to be a very busy one!

Monday, May 14^th

Mercury trine Pluto at 1:09am

Sun semi-sextile Venus at 1:54am

Sun quincunx Saturn at 5:55am

Sun tri-octile Pluto at 9:46am

Most of the activity today is in the morning. Asians and Europeans are well-advised to attend to business and wrap up any loose ends to projects that have been hanging over your head. Any kind of research, in depth investigations and skullduggery are favored in the morning hours. Americans, both North and South, may be chafing at their responsibilities as the week begins and find it difficult not to feel that something is out of order. The best course of action is to just plow through your schedule or agenda, and pick up the pieces later. No matter where you live, if you have questions about the nature of a plan or project, use whatever resources available to check things out. You’ll be happy  you did, even if it means putting yourself on the spot, or asking a relative stranger for help.

Tuesday, May 15^th

Venus turns Stationary Retrograde at 4:59am

Mars octiles Saturn at 2:45pm

Venus turns retrograde today, and each day will slowly sink further toward the western horizon at sunset. It always saddens me a bit at this point in Venus’ cycle, as I very much enjoy her presence in the evening sky. I will miss her, as she races headlong into the heart of the Sun on June 5^th. Literally, because this year Venus will actually transit the face of the Sun as she conjoins the big guy at their conjunction. That makes this a particularly useful time for reconciling our relationships, letting go of broken dreams, charting a new emotional course for ourselves, and reharmonizing our emotional bodies. She will re-emerge on the dawn side of the Sun about mid-June, and will remain a morning star until early Spring 2013, when she will re-emerge and delight our evening skies once more.

Otherwise, the day is apt to be a big raspberry or Bronx cheer, depending on your age and geographical location. The Moon enters Aries at 8:23am and Mars and Saturn tussle it up mid-afternoon. Their conflict usually is a recipe for fits and starts, stops and goes, and driving with one foot on the gas and the other on the brake. It’s wrap-up time for the Mars-Saturn cycle as Mars, Energizer Bunny of the zodiac, is making its last major aspect to Saturn, our karma and responsibilities, as they head toward their conjunction in mid-August. This again, makes it an excellent time for wrapping up any work you have been doing to heal old wounds, move plans forward, and taking care of important priorities. The key here is to remain true to your convictions that match your notions of the kind of person you want to be. It’s all about managing your life, and making the important decisions that reflect your ideal sense of self. Who do you imagine yourself to be? That should be your guiding light this week as you attend to business.

Wednesday, May 16^th

Mars trine Pluto at 9:10am

Sun octile Moon at 11:32am at 11º Aries

Venus sextiles Jupiter at 1:24pm

Jupiter quincunx Saturn at 3:42pm

Today is one busy astrological day, and for the most part the aspects are helpful and supportive. Mars trine Pluto is an excellent aspect for taking care of important business, and helps invigorate and energize the most lethargic of sloths. Snooze today, and you not only may lose but find a noose tightening around your neck. Today belongs to those willing to take the initiative, be nimble, be quick, and leap out of bed when that alarm goes off. Yeah, I know. Somebody tied kryptonite around your self-confidence, but be that as it may, the more you are willing to be out there and do what needs to be done, but much much better off you will be.

Jupiter (good fortune) quincunxes (razzes) Saturn (bad fortune) at 3:42pm. It is the last speed-bump toward revitalized economies. Good news is apt to be mixed with bad, and silver linings stroll across the sky with every cloud. Profitable readers will get out your metal detectors, and go hunting.

Thursday, May 17^th

Mercury quintiles Neptune at 12:27am

Jupiter tri-octiles Pluto at 4:22pm

Mercury and Neptune together spell imagination, add the quintile aspect (consciousness), and you get sentences that stream with creativity. Particularly Eastern and South Asians will be well advised to let their intuitions guide them through the early part of the day as insights could lead to important opportunities.

Jupiter and Pluto often combine to create good fortune, even when they’re in unfavorable aspects like today’s tri-octile (otherwise known as sesquiquadrate, Latin for square [90º] plus half a square [45º] = 135º). In this configuration, they are attuned to helping those with greatest faith. Having faith in your convictions and following through with them could help you overcome some challenging obstacles. Put your sights on what you want, and you may find those mountains in front of you are really gently rolling hills.

Friday, May 18^th

No major aspects

The Moon enters Taurus at 3:03am. Generally, when the Moon enters Taurus we calm down, take it easy and let things progress organically and today should be no exception. We find that our plans are able to go according to schedule, we are able to communicate what we think and feel well, and are able to co-ordinate our busy lives with little hassle. The evening is made for romance, so if you have a significant other or want one, you may want to take advantage of that fact. The energy for hearts and flowers peaks at 11pm, and slowly dissipates into the morning hours.

Changes may occur that offer a fresh start today, you can best take advantage of them by looking for those opportunities that look to give you the greatest peace of mind.  For the most part, they’ll come looking for you, so there’s no need to go chasing after will-o-the-wisps. Being watchful of new connections that come from recent changes could lead to developments that help you progress toward achieving some important goals.

Saturday, May 19^th

No major aspects

People are apt to be a bit emotional today, so be careful where you walk so that you don’t set off any psychological land-mines. There’s a sense of changes in the air and for the most part, they waft sweetly. Accept any overtures gracefully, even if it means burying an old hatchet or two.  Early morning plans are likely to go awry, so give yourself lots of wiggle room if there’s some place you need to be. With our emotions heightened, the day may also feel like a bit of a roller-coaster. Try to anchor yourself by grounding your thoughts with useful affirmations so that you don’t get swept away by them. Be careful of any new commitments you make this weekend, as your heart may be willing to take leaps the rest of you are not sure about following. It stinks when your feet are hanging over a cliff and you are holding on for dear life.

Sunday, May 20^th

Sun biquintile Saturn at 2:55am

Sun enters Gemini at 8:15am

Mercury octile Uranus at 3:05pm

Solar Eclipse – New Moon at 4:47pm

Happy Birthday Gemini!

Today is likely to be a bit difficult. We may be feeling a bit out of sorts, and they is likely due to the eclipse.  As much as possible, try to be patient, considerate of others, and careful in what you say and do. Count to 10 a lot. Many of us are likely to be on edge, and that always makes relationships difficult. If you do find yourself in an awkward position, gracefully acknowledge any blunders or faux pas and you may find others more forgiving than you’d expect. Mid-afternoon, after the Moon also enters Gemini, is when things get diciest, as miscommunication and schedule rewrites are quite likely. Being as flexible as possible may be your most rewarding course of action. Tomorrow is likely to be more of the same, as the turbulence in the Flow doesn’t ease up until Tuesday. Meditation, eating well, and getting plenty of sleep may help you handle any difficulties with greater ease. Above all, try to approach the day’s events with good humor, and other’s should respond in kind, and kindly!

 

Monday, May 21^s

Mercury semi-sextile Venus at 1:24am

Mercury quincunx Saturn at 5:51am

Mercury tri-octile Pluto at 10:46am

Mercury conjunct Jupiter at 10:58pm

As you can see, Mercury is a busy bugger today, stirring up mischief, mayhem, and trouble for most of the day until Jupiter greases his skivvies in late evening. Like most of the weekend, the best plans are no plans, because everything is likely to change on a moment’s notice. It may feel like a giant jigsaw puzzle in which none of the pieces seem to fit, so you try rearranging things until they do. Good luck trying to hold a meeting or get anything accomplished today!

Amongst all this Mercury mishegas, the important thing to keep in mind is endurance. They who persevere will get the goodies. The day’s momentary bad feelings will pass like a bad dream, and tomorrow things should appear brighter.

 

Tuesday, May 22^nd

No major aspects

Everything seems to calm down today after the hustle and bustle of the past few days. It is almost as if a magic wand is waved, and things return back to normal after a period of seeming craziness. Today should be a good day for realigning your bearings, catching your breath, and getting back up to speed. People are more relaxed, it seems easier to get things done, and there’s a more cooperative air around everyone.

Be careful today of being overly ambitious. Yes, we all have our mountains to climb, and plans to help us get ahead, but today it is all too easy to fall victim to all that. Today, it is best to be the tortoise, and not the hare, because there are speed traps out there for pushy speedy critters. There’s also a part of this celestial configuration that makes it likely that those in charge may say or do some questionable things. In whatever affairs you may be at the helm today, be sure you steer by the rules, and don’t swerve too far right or left. There could be dangerous shoals that don’t show on any map or chart.

 

Wednesday, May 23^rd

Sun square Neptune at 1:55pm

Sun biquintile Pluto at 2:02pm

Mercury biquintile Saturn at 11:36pm

You don’t need me to tell you these are perilous times. In many ways, we have been divided and conquered in a myriad of ways by those whose purposes are to distract us from their own ambitions. Each of us, in our own way, is a stalwart defender of truth and justice. Today may find some of us able to celebrate a significant victory, but one that may need to be frequently defended. Remember that others feel as justified as you in their own beliefs and opinions, and that the best way to conquer any remaining enemies is to avoid excessive chest thumping, embrace them, and show them how your victory is theirs also.

The Moon enters Cancer at 4:31am and that accentuates emotional sensitivity and reclusiveness, and our feelings take precedence over our rational thoughts. So when relating to others, understand that they are most likely as emotionally fragile as you, and need every bit of tender treatment you can muster. In the evening, there is likely to be an epidemic of Decision-Making Disorder (DMD), so do everyone a favor, be brave, and show the world there are still some people who can make up their mind.

 

Thursday, May 24^th

Mercury enters Gemini at 4:12am

Sun octiles the Moon at 6:27pm at 20º Cancer

Today is Mercury Liberation Day once he enters Gemini at 4:12am. If you’ve been wondering why some people’s minds seem to have been stuck in sideways mode, let’s just say that Mercury finds Taurus a bit stifling. And all that heady earth mucks up those pretty winged feet. In Gemini, Mercury is free to flit wherever his fluttering fleet feet will fly. Of course, being the sign of the twins, he always seems to have multiple destinations in mind. Both Mercury and Gemini accentuate mental stimulation, communication and the media, so celebrate Mercury Liberation Day by excessively multi-tasking. Turn on a radio, crank up the iPod, play a video game, watch TV, talk on your iPhone while surfing the web with your iPad. You can do it, make Mercury proud!

In the afternoon, there may be an opportunity to resolve some long-standing conflict in your life. Gentle, persistent persuasion may be your best course for resolving any disputes. The evening is made for partying, as people are in an expansive, garrulous, optimistic mood. Party hearty, but be mindful of any responsibilities you may need to face tomorrow. You may want a clear head to face all the jumbled messages tomorrow is likely to offer.

 

Friday, May 25^th

Mercury biquintile Pluto at 2:06pm

Mercury square Neptune at 2:37pm

Today is likely to be a mixed bag of tricks, like a bag of Every Flavor Beans. Some roses and peanut brittle, some boogers and bugs. Rather than getting worked up over it all, try to take it all in stride. It’s less about you than what the universe feels like throwing in your direction. You just happen to be in the way. Compliments, of course, are always graciously accepted!

The Moon enters Leo at 3:11pm, and our moods soar. A Leo Moon Weekend is likely to be a fun time, especially in the US where Memorial Day is a major holiday on Monday. Whatever your plans for the weekend are, are sure to take precedence over any work that needs to be finished.

Like I mentioned earlier in the week, today is not the best day to push ahead with plans, schemes, or other ambitions. Keep your cards close to your chest, and try not to signal your intentions too broadly. I may take until early June to get the green light and feel forward momentum again.

 

Saturday, May 26^th

Sun sextile the Moon at 1:41am

The day should be mostly filled with finding ways of having fun, letting yourself go, and enjoying life. The energies are good for almost any activity, but particularly those that include others and having a good time. People are feeling quite full of themselves, so be wary of bumping in to any oversized egos. You can either have fun bringing along with you a Dominating Deflating Device, or avoid any egos that resemble the Goodyear blimp.

The very late hours of the day are very suitable for intimate bonding, so if you find yourself in close quarters with others you may find out some things you didn’t know before. People are quite willing to share, and more than one secret may pop out into the open. If you’d rather be on the receiving instead of the giving side of any revelations, it is advisable to be a good listener and let others do the talking. It is also advisable to be sure you use your best deodorant before stepping out tonight.

Wishing you all a wonderful two weeks!

The Flow! Week of April 29 – May 5, 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: Look Up, Love is in the Sky!

 If you look up, and your sky happens to be clear, at almost any time of night, you should be able to see a planet in the sky lined up with a famous star. No, not Brittany, a real star.

We don’t talk much about stars here at the Flow!, mostly because much of their meaning needs a massive update.  Why, you ask? Well, you’ll see. But they’re there, and especially when they line up with a planet they have something important to say.

We’ll be talking more about the origins of astrology, though, in some upcoming reports. I’ve been digging my nose in in some dusty cuneiform tablets from the dawn of recorded history, and after considerable sneezing, found some amazing stuff there.

One of the most striking, is the level and degree to which are lives have changed. No, I’m not particularly referring to iTunes, but in a sense it does reflect some of the more startling differences between us and our ancestors who lived around the time of the transition between Sumerian and Assyrian culture. While taxes, law, and the division of labor were just coming into vogue, we have no kings, no public humiliations, and precious little bartering.  More importantly, we have a degree of personal freedom and level of control over our lives that would be mind-bogglingly incomprehensible to our long-dead cousins, and if you turned on any electronic device, radio or other form of communication, they would probably hit it with the nearest tablet to exorcise it from the demons within.

Speaking of tablets…

We are an amazing species.

Anyway, back to our story.

Because the Assyrians were forced to wait 6,000 to get an iPad, much of their astrology was observational. Instead of sitting and counting their various phalanges, or nicking pieces of stone, they sat and watched the sky. And recorded what they saw, judged what they knew of the configuration and compared that judgment with current affairs. So in the spirit of the Assyrians and Sumerians, let’s take a look up and see what the sky has to offer. Besides, there are a variety of celestial pairs in the night sky these days, and it would a shame not to better appreciate them.

Certainly the most notable star in the night sky is Venus, goddess of light and love, as she slowly drifts in the West toward the horizon as night deepens. Particularly since she reaches her maximum brightness on Monday, April 30^th, at 2:56pm. Look closely, and you’ll see that she is just a smidge away from a much dimmer star, β Tauri, otherwise known as El Nath.

I once had an interstellar empire centered on El Nath.  That is, at least I did until Regulus IV rebelled, but that was another life, and video game ago.

Located about 21º of Gemini, just a few degrees west of Venus, El Nath, from the Arabic Al Natih (back when all astronomical knowledge was conducted in Arabic) is known as the “Butting One,” suitable for a star in the horns of Taurus, the Bull. When aligned with Venus, the star makes one eminently popular. So popular, in fact, one can gain enemies because of it. However, try as they may, no harm can befall one so blessed with this combination as no harm can come to them by false writings, gossips, or slanders.

Admire Venus while you can, too, as she has but another couple of weeks to go before she stops dead in her tracks and turn Retrograde. She will then slowly sink in the western sky at sunset, until she is absorbed by the Sun and spirited out the other side as a morning star to herald and bless the dawn. Her current position is marked with the arrow in the map below.

The next heavenly pair is bound together eternally, Castor and Pollux, the famous eponymous twins of Gemini. At the moment, the pair can be found in the sky a bit more toward the center of the sky from Venus. Castor, the mortal twin, was known as the Horse-master. Pollux, the immortal twin, was known as the Fighter. Pollux is the brighter of the two, though that may not always have been the case. They are circled on the map above to help you find them.

Castor, α Geminorum found at 19º Cancer, is said to be a portent of violence and mischief, giving a sudden rise of honors and riches followed by a fall. It also bestowed a keen intellect, disappointments (obviously), turbulence, and imprisonment.

Pollux, β Geminorum at 22º Cancer, doesn’t escape the turbulence, but at least manages a somewhat more enjoyable existence while making everyone else’s life miserable. The star gives a love of sports, bravery, a subtle spirit, and psychic ability. Natives were said to be audacious, crafty, cruel, and rash.

No planets happen to be nearby now, but there’s generally a parade of them as the Sun, Mercury, and Venus promenade across them in the second week of July.

Heading eastward and above in the sky, especially around 9pm are Mars and Regulus, α Leonis.

Mars, planet of action, activity, exertion, energy, aggression, defense, and war, is still coming out his Retrograde delirium, meandering through the early degrees of Virgo. However, he is very close to noblest star of them all, Regulus. The star was Sharru, king, in Babylonia; Magha, mighty, in Sogdiana; Magh, great, in India; Miyan, center, in Persia; and Amil-gal-ur, king of the celestial sphere, in Assyria.

Known as the star of kings, Regulus sits at the heart of Leo, and has a rather important place historically. Almost all of the ancient zodiacs that survive show Taurus as the first constellation. The sky was said to be divided into four quadrants, each with a star that ruled over them. Aldebaran of Taurus ruled the spring quadrant, Regulus of Leo the summer, Antares of Scorpio the autumn, and Fomalhaut of Pisces the winter.

Combined with Mars, Regulus gives fame, high honors, and public gain. It also makes one strong of character, high spirited, and independent. Natives may be subject to sudden death (presumably, this is not in reference to overtime), or accidental death if one throws caution and other assorted traffic signs to the wind.

And finally, we have Saturn and Spica.

Spica, α Virginis, is the primary star of Virgo, and is known as the “Sheaf of Wheat” (not to be confused with Cream of Wheat) in the Virgin’s left hand. The star has one of the better sets of meaning, giving great honors, good judgment, unexpected honors, riches, and sociability.

There is no information about Spica combined with Saturn, because EVERYTHING combined with Saturn has the same meaning – you are going to die.

And of course, we know that to be perfectly, ultimately, true.

So, as you can see from some of the examples above, much of the astrology with regard to the “fixed” stars is rather gloomy and dire. Even when it is otherwise good. Out of the myriads and myriads of stars and combinations there are a mere handful that are pleasant.

Which leads us to the most important take-away from a comparison of our lives today and those of the ancients — Life then was, like they said, really really nasty, brutish, and short. No matter how much we may complain, they had it worse. much worse.

Rejoice.

To the Daily Details!

Sunday, April 29^th

Sun trine Pluto at 2:34am

Sun square Moon at 2:57am at 10º Leo

Many people are celebrating the pagan sabat Beltane this week, so Merry Beltane to one and all! (Did you know that sabat is a Semitic/Assyrian word with meanings associated with the words “seven” and “holy?”)

We start the week with a tremendous opportunity to heal ourselves and feel better about our lives. There are complexes buried deep within our souls that have dwelt unbidden because of miscommunication and misunderstanding and we have a good chance of liberating ourselves from its influence. As you wake today, set aside some time to ponder things and if you give yourself just a smidgen of psychological wiggle room, you just might be able to root out a psychic McNasty. It is certainly worth giving it a go over morning tea or coffee.

Later in the day, our attention may turn to our relationships. This is likely to be a week with a great deal of focus on our relationships, and today is no exception. If you find yourself on the defensive today or tomorrow, you may want to reconsider your position and give in just an inch. While you are most likely in the right, this is a battle you could possibly lose by winning. Don’t push, and no shoving. Just gently state the situation from your perspective and give the other person a chance to readjust their position to this news before pressing your case further. I bet you won’t have to press much.

Another effect of all these configurations this week is that energies are apt to be running high all week. Sometimes that results in added pressure both at work and at home. Added pressure often leads to an added need to let off steam. Just think of a pressure cooker. But like a pressure cooker, if it has been sitting on a burner building up pressure and you suddenly open the handle, you’re going to be scraping up the meal from your walls and floor. So let your own steam out slowly and gently. You don’t want to be picking up your brain from the floor, or it’ll be bloody messy.

Monday, April 30^th

Venus semi-sextile Jupiter at 1:54pm

Venus reaches maximum brightness at 2:56pm

The day starts off rather jolly for a Monday, although in the early morning hours expect some speed-bumps in the Flow of things. There are tasks ahead, and we’re more invested in getting involved with them and seeing them through to completion than we are concerned with how much of our time or our selves we will need to devote to them to do so. This is NOT the road to success. Your personal resources are not infinite, so be careful in committing to projects and things that may take up more of your time than you can safely handle.

The Moon enters Virgo at 4:02pm. Generally, the Moon entering Virgo is an indication of better mental skills, but not until later today. There are some influences afoot that bedevil our thinking, so put off making any important decisions until you wake tomorrow. This Virgo Moon is apt to bring out some of the lower-end attributes of both the Moon and Virgo meaning that we’re likely to be more sensitive, more cranky, more moody and more critical than usual. Until the Moon enters Libra Wednesday evening, be prepared – it ISN’T about you, and it ISN’T personal. Just stick to objectivity, reason, and logic, and you’ll be fine.

Tuesday, May 1^st

Mercury octile Neptune at 8:37am

Sun trine Moon at 12:34pm

Happy May Day!

Don’t be surprised if the refrain of the day is “I don’t wanna.” It may almost feel like somebody spiked the water with stupid juice for much of the day too, so not only are people less willing to play nicely, but they’re not particularly brilliant about it either. That’s not a good combination, so navigate your day accordingly. Olive branches may be in short supply, so if you are offered any today, consider yourself fortunate.

Many things are just beginning, or just beginning to take form today and beginnings can be perilous times. Like a primordial creature creeping out of the ooze, or a baby’s head crowning at birth, the appearance of things now is less important than the fact that they be embraced by all involved, and that people are willing to work together to get things started. This is a good time to look to others for support, as better you are able to build a network of support, the more likely successful your situation will be.

In the evening, we may be particularly susceptible to emotional outbursts, so you may want to keep the box of Kleenex close at hand. It’s more about letting off steam than any hard feelings, but sometimes that can be hard to keep in mind during the heat of the moment. Give yourself lots of emotional breathing room tonight, and avoid touchy subjects with loved ones.

Wednesday, May 2^nd

Jupiter septile Saturn at 11:15am

Sun tri-octile Moon at 3:37pm at 28º Virgo

As the Moon heads toward Libra, which it will enter at 7:03pm, our ability to shape our circumstances to better suit our desires grows stronger.  Some obstacles may give way, some new opportunities may come our way, some new connection may help grease our wheels, and/or some new ideas may help smooth the path toward achieving our goals more readily and with less effort. There is potent magick at work here, be sure to take advantage of it!

The time of action has come. There is no longer any valid reason to hold back, there’s no reason to go over plans one more time, and there is not going to be a better time than now. The moment is now. It is time to act.

Once the Moon enters Libra, our emotional bodies become calmer, our feathers smooth out, and our moods turn more harmonic. This more even emotional keel will also help us move forward. If there are little nagging issues at the back of your mind, have them nag somewhere else.\

Thursday, May 3^rd

Mercury tri-octile Mars at 7:54am

Mercury semi-sextile Jupiter at 7:54am

Mercury sextile Venus at 8:01pm

The week’s progress continues today. You know your steps, climb them. While there’s bound to be static in the air, it is just that, static. If you turn up the volume, it will drown out the music. Ignore it, and you make the best of a good situation.

In the morning hours look to your fellows, your fellow friends, you fellow workers, and your fellow family members for assistance and clues to where you should be devoting your energies. If there isn’t anyone in whom you feel you can confide, listen to some music, or surf the web. Your inner self will cling to what is important, and that should give you guidance.

The afternoon is really potentially productive for all kinds of work. Putting your best foot forward after 1pm should give you lots of good footsteps to follow.

Take extra care on the drive home, so that you’re not the victim of an unexpected move. There’s no need to rush, what awaits you can wait. There should be plenty of soothing energies and smiling faces in the evening hours. Any meetings or events scheduled for this evening should go well. People are very much in a mood to get along, so don’t spoil the fun by rushing around like a maniac.

Friday, May 4^th

Sun quintile Neptune at 4:43pm

We now seem to have the ability to better attract what we want, and filter out the chaff than usual. If you’re looking to buy something, make a commitment, or find someone special, today is a good day to go hunting. Your arrows should be able to hit the mark without much fuss. Your heart should not be much of a lonely hunter today.

If you have been good, and if you have been following things along this week, today could mark the achievement of something significant. Of particular likelihood is the ability to be in better control of a situation that has been dogging you for a while. You have been on a short leash lately, and this should give you some slack. Just be sure that if this is the case, and you feel a sense of relief, to give yourself a doggie biscuit or two. You deserve it!

The Moon enters Scorpio at 4:43pm. For the rest of the day, this may help you better understand the tectonic shifts that have been going on in your life.

Saturday, May 5^th

Mercury opposes Saturn at 6:07pm

Full Moon at 8:35pm at 17º Taurus/Scorpio

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

My goodness, there are a bevy of holidays this week, I hope they are all enjoyable ones for you.

There are apt to be significant changes that have occurred this week. It may feel as if the psychic energies have been put in a blender, and today is the result. Don’t be surprised if people seem to be at cross-purposes from what you might expect. Above all, don’t take it personally, unless you want to preserve and enshrine the negativity. Just take care of your self and see to your own happiness without needing to rely on others.

Ultimately, things will settle down as next week begins. Next week should see the changes that occurred this week develop roots and begin to sink in and set in. Tend and nurture those that are good, and there is still time to uproot those that aren’t. In either case, get ready to sharpen your tools and strengthen the bonds with your allies. You’ll be glad you did!

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

The Flow! Week of April 22 – 28, 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: The Nature of Things

 

If you feel like your life has been transported into the middle of one of those snow globes, you’re not alone. A snow globe, in fact, shook by a vicious and mischievous hand. Repeatedly.

It isn’t just a question of things going (or not) according to plan, but of the very ground on which the foundation of those plans is built shifting on a moment’s notice, and very little of it making much sense. Like stepping on cement and feeling it move, while on quicksand feeling stable and secure.

Isn’t it delightful when Mars and Pluto decide they want to come out and play?

Fortunately for us, the Sun has moved into more firmly fixed Taurus, so things should be settling down. Much like the snow in a snow globe when it is left in peace.

While I can’t guarantee peace over the next couple of weeks, I do think things are going to get more stable and secure. After all, isn’t stability and security what Taurus is all about?

The threshold between Aries and Taurus is often a precarious place to be. Aries is a sign of great Will and Power. It gathers up all the vim and vinegar of consciousness and focuses that energy into channels for achieving its ambitions, satisfying its needs, and expanding its power. Almost like a forest fire. And then when this heat and wind gathers steam and blows full force across the surface of the earth, it causes gusts to blow and clouds to form and garner strength . Like a militant army they march across the skies of the last slice of Aries and when they meet the cool, calm, gentle green hills of the beginning of Taurus they let loose the saturated load of their heavy burden in the form of the tempests and rains of Spring.

And when the rains roll down the faces of the Taurean hills they collect and form brooks, rivulets and streams of cool, pure, fresh, and clean water that nourish the land and reveal the nature of the soil beneath.

That is precisely the place in the yearly cycle in which we are now; learning the nature of things.

Some of this news may not be new, but it is unquestionably valuable. Like peering through the crystal clear waters, you can better see and sense some of the undercurrents you have been feeling. And like wading in any body of water, it is the nimble and fleet of foot that get where they want to go most safely. Sense, act. Sense, act.

Unfortunately, neither nimbleness nor fleetness is easily found in the lexicon of descriptions for Taurus. But still, Taurus has its ways and defenses. Tip a cow and it may fall down, but taunt it and you might find yourself running for your life. They are creatures of great strength, and there is nothing flimsy in the sign of the bull.

For obvious reasons, Taurus is also associated with Spring, and certainly one of the great manifestations of Spring is the bursting forth of nature in all its explosions of blooming glory. So Taurus replies to the agility found in astrological signs with greater mobility with an answer of its own – roots.

Taureans are often rooted. Water them frequently, feed them occasionally (ok, feed them a lot), and they will prosper. Their roots will dig deep into the earth, sending tendrils down as far as necessary, draw up the nutrients to be found there, and transform them in a manner unique to themselves into useful products.

That is what plants do. They take the soil from the ground and with the energy of the sun feed a hungry planet. That is no small feat, particularly in light of their ability to do so without feet. (sorry, but I couldn’t resist.)

So where does that leave us? (no more puns, I promise…)

Hopefully, the storms of late Aries are over. Chances are, we are beginning to better understand the lay of the land. That information is vital to future success. While there may be things you have learned that you wished were different, how you decide to move forward is more critical than the shape of the terrain.

The heated times of Aries are over. It is time to adapt to the cooler, gentler, and calmer nature of Taurus.

Also, part of the reason for the success of the plant kingdom is their ability to procreate in great numbers. Seek out the assistance of others. Chances are, there are others of like mind who you can call upon to help. Together, you can knit a tighter, tougher, and stronger force to more forward than you can alone. That is, after all what grass-roots are all about.

And finally, so don’t be surprised if later this week you feel stuck. That’s all part of the plan. Uprooted roots are traumatized things. Roots need to be stable and in place for them to work. And that’s the main task for this period. To secure your position, draw up from the depths of your being that which nourishes you, and transform these raw products into treasures that nurture your existence by the nature of your own being. These are the crops of your soul, crops that feed your spirit and will come to harvest later in the year.

Take it easy. Take it slow. And take long deep breaths!

For those of you reading the blog early enough in the week, Saturday night into early Sunday is the Lyrid meteor shower. While it is typically one of the less notable meteor shower events of the year, this year’s shower occurs without the light of the Moon, making what meteors are available more easily seen.

 

And finally, there’s another celestial show featuring Venus, Jupiter,  and the Moon this week. This will be the last week Jupiter will be visible in the evening sky. The next few weeks he’s a bit too close to the Sun, then soon after he will reappear in the sky at dawn.

 

 

To the Daily Details!

 

Sunday, April 22^nd

Sun sextile Neptune at 2:18am

Venus septile Neptune at 12:49pm

Mercury conjunct Uranus at 1:39pm

Mars septile Saturn at 11:45pm

Happy Earth Day!

We celebrate the 42^nd annual Earth Day with a set of aspects that are likely to have us pondering the future well-being of the planet and the health of the green movement. While in some areas there is considerably more lip-service paid to the ecological state of the planet, there seems to be very little effort to do anything serious about improving it.

If we consider today’s aspects as the Earth’s ecological “birthday,” it looks likely that even though those trends outlines above are likely to continue, there may be important news halfway through the year, something in the order of a scientific breakthrough. Watch for it in November! Also, some time around this time next year, it may happen that there IS a concerted international effort to work on fixing some of the ecological problems our planet faces. That effort would be none too soon!

In some very ancient traditions, the entrance of the Sun into Taurus marked the initiation and acceptance of novices into adult disciplines. With so many Neptunian aspects in the air today, especially overnight and into the morning hours, the walls between dimensions is going to be rather permeable. Rites, ceremonies, and prayers conducted at this time may have special importance, force, and meaning.

Otherwise, today is on the whole likely to be a rather languorous day. As it comes to a close, the wise will be looking ahead to schedule their plans for the coming week. If a flash of insight, thought, or inspiration comes to you around mid-day, pay special attention, as it may be particularly helpful in the weeks ahead.

 

Monday, April 23^rd

Sun trine Mars at 5:59pm

Overnight, we’re likely to have some qualms about the day ahead. It may feel a bit like facing a blustering headwind. Not feelings are apt to be unfounded, however as the week should be more productive than you might expect.

The Moon enters Gemini at 10:05am, and you know what that means…everyone becomes a media junkie, everyone has to know the scoop on everything and everyone else, and s/he who has the juiciest gossip rules the day. Fortunately, with the Sun in Taurus, that tends to ground much of the verbal feeding frenzy, and temper tempers. That said, be careful who you share your information with. Over the next couple of days anything you say can, and WILL be used against you. The word to the wise is to wisely watch one’s words.

On the whole though, Monday is likely to be a highly productive day. Use it wisely. Meetings, plans, and efforts of all kinds should go more smoothly than you might fear. It isn’t necessarily that people are more cooperative, though some may be, but that those with the strongest will will be able to prevail. So eat your Wheaties, and don’t skip breakfast! Just know what you want and how you think others can help you procure it.

 

Tuesday, April 24^th

No major aspects

In the very early morning hours, our thinking is at its rational best. Asians and Europeans will be able to use this to more of an advantage than sleeping Americans. But still, even as Americans awake there ought to be a better understanding of how you can use current situations to your advantage – perhaps even in ways that might not have occurred to you before. It may mean taking on new or different responsibilities, but that may be a small price to pay to get out from under heavy psychological burdens.

The afternoon is likely to be quite busy. People may be demanding, wanting information and details about things that may be difficult to readily answer. The solution here is to get as much as you can about their needs up front so that you can help them out – even if they don’t fully understand what it is they want themselves.

The evening hours are excellent for relationships and romance. If you have a meeting or event scheduled for the after-work hours people should be cordial, considerate, lively, and entertaining. If you’re looking for a special someone, using a social media device could help you hook some interesting fish.

 

Wednesday, April 25^th

Sun octile Moon at 3:56am at 21º Gemini

Mercury square Pluto at 7:51am

Sun semi-sextile Uranus at 8:12pm

The morning hours are likely to be filled with frazzled nerves, anxious moments, and heated words. Watch your fuse! Everything seems at odds with what you think you know or want, and everything seems to take extra effort to do. Yeah, while patience may be a virtue, little of it is in the food chain today, so make the best of it and leave yourself extra time to get things done. Except that time is also apt to be in short supply.

In the afternoon, the scene shifts, and the possibility of greater peace and harmony seems to gain the upper hand. But there’s a catch. In order to enter the blessed realm of greater peace, you need to let go of the past. There are olive branches to be found by the wayside, the difference between being bitter or happy may simply depend on whether you need one placed in hand or can pick one up yourself. Remember, she stoops to conquer!

The Moon leaves lively Gemini and enters the emotional waters of Cancer at 10:42pm. When the Moon is in Cancer, we all become more sensitive, irritable, moody and are more easily influenced by our fluid intake. Be careful not to overdo it.

 

Thursday, April 26^th

Mercury quintiles Mars at 3:35am

Sun sextiles Moon at 12:31pm

Thursday is a day for thinking. Quick mental reflexes and having your day’s schedule well in mind will serve you well should you encounter any turbulence today, and there’s likely to be more than a bit of turbulence in store for many of us. While the Sun and Moon are in relatively favorable position, especially for enjoying emotional stability and security, it seems that people want more from you than is reasonable, and that all they want is for you to give, give, and give some more. Today is very likely to be the day many of us feel the most stuck, as mentioned above.

More than one of us may be tempted to throw our hands up in the air and just surrender to the fates, but surrender is not an option. We must endure. We must stick to our innermost principles, and keep faith that they will carry us through. We must hold back the roiling waters of our emotions and try to be as objective and reasonable as possible, because others, who are similarly exhausted, have no room in their life for our emotions. This is the peak of some of the McNasty energies we’ve been dealing with lately, and if you can hold your own for a day or so more, it will all get ever so much better.

Hang in there!

 

Friday, April 27^th

Venus quintiles Uranus at 3:33am

The tension begins to break today, and we begin to feel a bit more relaxed. In spite of some of the ups and downs, we end the week in better shape than we expected. Change is in the air, and the possibility of new opportunities is enticing. If you have held to your inner principles and done what you thought best, you may be in for some pleasant surprises. Obstructive circumstances may soon be giving way to profound advancement. Rumors may be flying fast and furious, don’t join in with gossip unnecessarily. Loose tongues don’t just sink ships, but find you flailing in hot water. The best council is council best kept to yourself.

The evening sparkles with spirited, lively, and effervescent entertaining energies. After the tensions of the past couple of weeks we’re all looking for (and in need of) an emotional outlet – be sure your plug is the right voltage for the socket or you may be in for a shock. Any group activities undertaken tonight should be filled with lots of smiling and merry faces. Everyone has an interesting story to tell, providing good entertainment for even the most discriminating tastes.

 

Saturday, April 28^th

No major aspects

We wind up the week ready to party. The Moon enters Leo at 9:10am, and we want to go out, paint the town red, and throw ourselves into life with abandon. While our thinking may not be at its best, with a little caution and foresight, we should be able to satisfy ourselves without getting into too much trouble.

There are some strong energies for transformation available this weekend. Allowing yourself some time for thoughtful meditation could help you understand your Self and your situation better, and help you resolve a nagging deep psychological complex. There is good karmic juju available for all sorts of helpful mojo if you’re willing to let yourself trust your inner guidance and don’t let societally induced fears get in your way. Your instincts are as real and trustworthy as you will allow them to be. If you decide to go this route, you may want to clear your schedule for Sunday to recuperate and put yourself back together. But the New You will be stronger, healthier, and more capable of leading you into a better future. Good luck!

Wishing you all a wonderful week!