Another common theme at a time when Mars is moving so slowly is that whatever has been building up and has not come out into the light of day, will do so now. A friend reported to me today that she was at a meeting where things that have been discussed privately between many of the staff for many months, has suddenly come out into the open and in front of the supervisors. Here again, this group was dealing with old business that had been avoided. How many things in our life can be characterized by the term – ‘Hiding in plain sight!’

I would urge my readers to use this often frustrating time to make sure that anything you know that is ‘Hiding in plain sight’, be allowed to break free from its deadly silence and let out into the open plains of our conscious mind. I know that Mars is often associated with war, conflict, anger, and even violence. But ironically, such things occur in life when aspects that really need attention are resisted or worse, completely avoided.

Mars will go direct at 9:09am on Wednesday, March 10th. This should quickly bring a sense that things can begin to move again. Many of us will feel the shift pretty soon after the change occurs. But just as Mars is going very slowly now, it will continue to do so for many weeks. So, it’s best to not expect a sudden turnaround of momentum during most of March. By April, Mars will begin to get back to its normal speed and with many planets in Aries by that time, we will be able to really feel like we can get started into new territory. By then, the winter slowness will be quickly fading and feel like a distant memory.

Pluto in Capricorn

With Pluto now having moved fully into Capricorn (5°) we are beginning to see its meaning. Also, the square it is making to Saturn,( which is extra important since Saturn rules Capricorn), the meaning of this transit is also becoming clear. If I had to give you one word to describe the essence of this transit, that word would be DEBT. Of course there is much more to it than that, but let’s take a look at how deeply the use of debt has become in our society. Our entire economy has been based on it. We go into recession or worse, when people stop living with large debt. This means that the nature of our present model that operates our economic system is that it has encouraged us to live beyond our means. That is what is changing right now as we are having to look at the results of this. By the way, this problem has reached a peak in the European economy with the debt crisis in Greece and its spillover into all of Europe. We automatically assume that somehow it will all work out. Well, now we are discovering that this assumption is false.

One of the telltale signs of the beginning of a sea change has been the increased status in the Obama administration of the economist Paul Volcker. This change has been a part of the Mars retrograde cycle. Volcker was the head of the Fed in the early 80’s when he raised the interest rates to record levels (18%) in order to stop inflation. He was demonized at the time, but the effect of his action was profound. Not only did inflation stop, but the economy has avoided high interest rates for the last 30 years. So, Volcker represents an official who did what was necessary even if it was unpopular. He saw what was needed for the long-term and ignored short term pain. That kind of approach seems nearly impossible today. What Volcker is proposing now is a major set of reforms of our economic system. Right now, it is Volcker who is representing the major thrust of the Saturn square to Pluto in Capricorn. Not surprisingly, his proposals are being attacked and resisted. So far, economic reform seems to be in a stalemated position as the mammoth banks are fighting back with all their might. Here are a few of his proposals: He wants to prohibit risky investments by commercial banks. Also, he proposes that banks be limited to trading within their own accounts. Simply put, he wants to ensure that the economic crisis that we’re still in, is prevented from happening again, though I think it’s fair to say that our human species has a strong tendency to forget once the crisis is over. He also added that although this country may never return to having the manufacturing base we once had, it is necessary to begin ‘making things’ here again. He proposes more manufacturing and less importing. Why? Because we are so deeply in debt and continuing to move rapidly into even worse shape, that he is afraid a real crisis is inevitable if this doesn’t change.  We need to begin making things again that can be exported to other countries. His fear is that if we don’t do this, we are on the way to becoming more like a third world country than any of us could have ever dreamed. For years, our middle class has been dying out.

In a recent interview, he very calmly described our beloved Congress as the most “dysfunctional” he has ever seen, describing it as unable to enact any meaningful legislation of any kind. The Republican party won’t even allow for the confirmation of key positions in the Dept. of the Treasury, making it unable to do its job. He also said something else that is worthy of serious consideration and asks important questions about the present values of our nation. He reminded the interviewer that in the past, our best minds went into engineering, physics, medicine, etc., but that now those same minds have become ‘financial engineers.’ They produce nothing. They create no real wealth. They just create schemes for making money. And they create such complex systems, that not only does no one really understand how it works, but even more scary is that no one knows at all what the effects will be on the economy of our nation, as they pile up. How can an economy survive when the obvious is no longer understood or even seen?

The problems this country is facing are hiding in plain sight. But with Pluto now fully in Capricorn, we will be forced to experience the reality of our short-sightedness and greed. The party is over, but it does not appear that we realize it. You can watch and see for yourself how things develop in Congress with regard to financial reform. There is a really funny skit at the following link  from Funny or Die that you might enjoy if you haven’t seen it already. I’ll be commenting more in the near future about Pluto in Capricorn, especially as we approach the summer transits.

Of course you’re asking what this means and I must tell you a brief story. Last night in class, a student expressed the fact that she has a very hard time understanding and talking about Pisces. Then, another student who has the Moon in Pisces in her birth chart, said, “I know, even I do too!” The reason for this is that this sign is such a dissolving archetypal form, that it defies and must defy simple verbal definition. It literally rules the principle of imagination and idealism, so no wonder that when we approach trying to describe it, we find that we must do so by using images, story, metaphor, and so on. The symbol of Pisces is literally two fish looking at or opposing one another, and yet tied together somehow. This immediately evokes the image of contradiction and to those familiar with archetypal transformational symbols, the notion of reconciliation of opposites. Another story that might help is the woman who called me a few days ago and asked me what was ‘up with the stars’ last Sunday. She said she was watching all of the Dr. Drew Celebrity Rehab shows that were on that day. Well, sure enough that was the very day that Venus aligned with Neptune. So why did this show pique her interest? Because Pisces/Neptune rules both drug addiction and the possible rehab/recovery process. But let’s go deeper. Sure, it tests us in intense ways, but it also takes us into a place where we must learn to have compassion for both ourselves and others. I know several people who participate in 12-step programs and do not have specific addictions. For them it is a way of participating in a spiritual process with others who must move towards being able to reach into one’s very bottom of despair, hopelessness and fear and come out the other side as a transformed person. It also represents ‘every-persons’ connection with one’s own human vulnerability, imperfection and even sorrow…. It is sometimes a specific sorrow that pertains to something that has happened to us, but often it is more of an existential sorrow that does not connect to anything we can clearly identify. And it can connect us with whatever we consider to be God, the Divine, or Life itself.

Archetypally, Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac and this itself is quite helpful to us as we attempt to understand this mysterious sign. We can think of life as a building up process that moves us from Aries to the next to last sign, Aquarius. As we grow in concern from oneself, to one’s family, to our relationships with others, and then to society in general, we must finally arrive at Pisces, the symbolic end of the cycle. Because it represents the ending, its aspects must include surrender, letting go and a sense that only we, as individuals can regard the entire cycle as meaningful or not. Sometimes, we see that Pisces can be morose, negative, hopeless and even depressed. It can do all it can to escape the harshness of life and even the sense that it is all meaningless since we all die anyway. But this is exactly where Pisces can ennoble us and take us to new territory. What we are really needing to surrender is our ego attachments to a dying cycle. In doing this we may discover that it is not ‘we’ who are dying, but our identifications that are coming to their inevitable end. Thus, it is Pisces wherein we may encounter our own immortality, but not without a crisis first. That crisis is the result of our having to meet our own mortality and surrender to its inevitability. As we surrender our identifications and even identities, we find that what we are really doing is letting go of all the things we are NOT. It is only then, that we are able to witness what is left when all that we are NOT has dissolved.

One of the ways this can happen to us is through an encounter with the harsh aspects of life. What do people face when they are either in some sort of recovery or in close connection with someone who is? They face BOTH sides of the life cycle. First there is the fear, disgust, desire to flee that always comes with an encounter with people who are at ‘bottom.’ But then, at least for some, there may come the other side, where unconditional love is felt and experienced. It is where we let go of our judgments of self and others and arrive at a deep and profound acceptance of all that is Life. It’s amazing highs and gut-wrenching lows. It is in Pisces where every part of human life is validated, confirmed, and then appreciated and seen as necessary. Not only do we realize that there cannot be highs with lows, but more significantly we see that life without ‘everything-in-it, could not exist. This is the mystical experience of total immersion into all of Life and how we are transformed by this degree of Divine Love and Total Acceptance.

Now that Jupiter has entered Pisces and will soon be followed by Venus, we are going to each of us have a chance to experience this level of love and compassion. But it is also likely that we will also experience the other side as well. In Pisces, ALL of life emerges from the unconscious and while we face the harsh side of life, we can simultaneously also see, sense and experience the deep compassionate side as well. Venus and Jupiter are identified as the higher and lesser benefics, so when they come together, it is generally considered to be a very fortunate time. And they indeed are likely to be. But perhaps it is best if we do not forget that this period could easily take us into an aspect of life that asks us to surrender our judgments and ego-attachments and just BE. Just BE with oneself, with others and with Life. Relationships may indeed form now, but they may take on a tone that is less personal than Venus alone. Venus can be motivated by physical attraction and personal desire. It can express itself as love and beauty in a positive sense, but it is also the Evil Queen who spoke those memorable words – “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest one of all.” The coming Venus-Jupiter transit is going to have a concern for others that can go way beyond ego- gratification and exemplify the best of what Love can be.

Mundane World - It is likely that although most Republicans are wanting the health care bill to die, under the transits that are going in the next weeks, what is more likely is that the bill will be ‘resurrected’ in a new form. The Mars retrograde has brought about large changes but will probably not end the process completely. The next step will be to find some sort of compromise that at least can be embraced by a larger majority than before. It may be much smaller in scope than it was originally, but some sort of compassionate response will be more wanted now than ever. Also, I suspect there will be an increased willingness to take some actions that will relieve the sorrows of those of us who are the least able to take care of themselves.

As always, I hope many of you will tell us how you are experiencing the upcoming transits. We will all appreciate it.

Thanks,

Jim Sher

However, there are also very positive effects that often occur at this time. This is due to the fact that this is a great time to review our strategies and change the direction we have been taking. Sometimes matters get worse so that we are forced to deal with something. One friend has had harsh dealings with her boss and it turns out that this boss has a lot of anger issues and is being overwhelmed with the number of people lining up against him. It’s subtle but the boss is sick more often than usual and is having to miss work. Hopefully as the cycle continues he will feel the necessity of really examining his behavior and the degree to which he is negatively affecting others around him and ultimately himself as well.

Jack and Jill

The way our two friends are experiencing the Mars retrograde is quite positive and is worth going into in some detail.

“Jack” –  is experiencing the Mars retrograde in his 7th house of relationships. Although he has been going through a tremendous amount of shifting in his consciousness about his parents and family, his relationship is also shifting but in a very positive way. He writes, “While the most dramatic aspects of my life revolve around the drama of dealing with my family and friends, my personal life is the happiest it’s ever been. I have been in a loving 3 year relationship with my boyfriend (my first long-term relationship) and I couldn’t be more personally satisfied. The healing that has occurred as a result of this loving relationship has allowed me to deal with my family problems in an adult and mature way.” Also, his relationship has enabled him to learn that there are times when it is necessary to assert himself (Mars) and express what he needs in order to create a good relationship.

Mars also rules the way we deal with anger and that issue has come up in connection with his mother. In this regard’ Jack’ writes, “While dealing with my mother is hard and emotional for me, I am not angry with her. I love her but I can’t allow her to continue to treat me (or my brother or her grandchildren) in a way that’s hurtful. It’s a grown-up feeling that’s new for me.”

I know that Mars often is associated with physical movement, but there is also a very important psychological component to it as well. “Jack” has been examining classic 7th house issues of co-dependency, especially with his mother and observed the following:  “I’ve have noticed many situations where my need to control (which I always think of as  “helping”) flares up and I take a step back and let people take care of their own needs. I’m very sensitive right now to people around me who I feel are trying to manipulate me versus ask me to do something for them in a direct way. I usually take the bait and they don’t even need to ask because I am so good at anticipating needs. So now I’m working on standing back and not taking the bait forcing them to ask me directly for help or allowing someone else to take up the slack.

And finally, “Jack” has also been looking at his assumptions in life. Mars rules ’surgery’ which includes cutting out unnecessary or outworn belief systems. That’s what “Jack” has been doing as well as he writes- “I have been revaluating everything in my life especially my assumptions, like working too many hours in order to buy a house or working myself to death so that I can become rich (What I thought was the American dream). It feels like a veil has been lifted and I’m starting to see things as they are. It seems like I’m surgically separating the assumptions of what I have always thought my life should look like (A Martha Stewart life with an immaculate house and nice things) from my deepest desires and goals (Living as an artist, creating, living outside-of-the-box). I’ve even been contemplating moving to another country, one that allows gay marriage, national health care, child care, etc. A country that aligns with my values already. In my day to day life I have been focusing on enjoying myself while I do tasks, and not try to rush through them”. All these facets that ‘Jack’ has written about are part of what the Mars retrograde cycle is all about. Now, let’s take a look and see how “Jill” has been affected by the Mars transit.

“Jill” - with Mercury turning direct, Jill’s business has been picking up and her income is improving. Also, she has started teaching classes that are helping her form and coalesce a very new and unusual approach. Jill has a Jupiter/Uranus conjunction and is coming up with a radically new system which combines astrology, yoga, soul retrieval with goal setting. She is combining all of this with her expertise in beauty products and makeup and developing a method for women to invoke new energies and paradigms through the use of color and makeup. This new strategy is coming together now, in the middle of the Mars retrograde. Ironically, as she is re-inventing herself, she is simultaneously developing and refining a system where she can assist others to re-define themselves.

Part of the changes she is making has to do with developing new ways of ‘languaging’ what she is offering, developing new symbolism for her system, which is especially difficulty as what she is doing is so out of the box and eclectic. Yet, this is exactly the fullest expression of her chart which is really coming forward right now.

She expressed her challenge to me as basically one of figuring out how to bring all these different facets together. She knows how to do it herself, but what is not so easy is how to speak about it publicly.

Also, the problems in her life that she is tackling is what she called ‘tying up loose ends.’ This includes paying off debts, getting her financial house in order and discovering how all she has learned in the many aspects of her life are coming together and how they apply to her personally. The internal/external process she is going through right now is incredibly interconnected and quite dynamic.

With Saturn and Pluto also involved, it is not surprising that the primary theme of her life right now is that of re-inventing. The part that the Mars retrograde is playing in this is that she is having to, in a sense, let go of everything that she knows and has learned up to now and give herself enough time so that it can reconstitute itself in a totally new way. This is how Mars retrograde can assist her.

And how it can also assist us as well.

I hope this article helps you understand some of the potential ways that the cycle we’re in now can be used to our advantage. And I really hope many of you will comment on our blog and tell us how you are being affected as well.

Good luck as we move into the Full Moon!

We have just completed our recent series of eclipses and the Mercury retrograde. And no doubt these have created situations that we are now having to pay close attention to and work with in a focused way. But in my view, the last month has in actuality been leading us to what will be emerging this coming week. Here’s what’s happening:

1. There will be a Full Moon on January 29 which is closely connected to the Solar Eclipse we had on the Jan 15.
2. On the very same day, Mars retrograde will oppose the Sun of the Full Moon. This marks the mid-point of the10-week retrograde period. This is the time when we can begin to see what the underlying meaning of the entire Mars retrograde cycle. Also, because of the nature of Mars and the Sun, it is likely to feel very intense and to therefore cause us to react strongly to whatever is being felt.
3. Finally and most important, this is the second occurrence of the Saturn square to Pluto which began on November 15, 2009. It is this difficult and sometimes even depressing transit that is setting the tone for what is happening now. It can be depressing because it is forcing those of us who are affected most, to face certain realities that challenge us and demand both fortitude and courage. Our structures, either physical or psychological, are going through a transformation and while they are necessary (Saturn), they often evoke a great deal of resistance to those very changes that must be made. Yet, at this time, reality must be faced. There is no choice. In fact, any denial that has occurred since the first time these planets were in square, will come back much more strongly this time, so that it can no longer be avoided.

Politics - The surprise election of Scott Brown, a Republican, over Martha Coakley for the Massachusetts Senate has revealed a far higher level of dissatisfaction with Pres. Obama and the Democratic Congress than was believed. I’m not sure why so many people were surprised, as I sure wasn’t, but that’s another story. So, within a few days, Obama announced a major shift in his approach to the economic problems and is asking for a variety of new reforms that he has avoided until now. He has proposed new, stricter regulations, especially on the super-huge banks and is listening to a different set of economic advisors as well. (By the way, did you know that the four biggest banks now control approximately 40% of our nation’s wealth?) The confirmation of Ben Bernanke to a second term as the head of the Fed is now in question, although the Obama administration is fighting to keep him in his position. An astrological look at how the present transits affect the chart of the Federal Reserve reveals a very high likelihood that big changes are coming to that organization, so it is very possible that Bernanke will have to be replaced by someone who appears to be far more sympathetic to ‘Main Street’ than in the past. Perhaps he may actually be sympathetic, though there have been no signs of it so far. Also, the entire health care bill is up in the air which had been the cornerstone of Obama’s first year in office. This is a huge political defeat for Pres. Obama. He invested an enormous amount of political capital on this bill, so that its defeat could be devastating to his ability to influence what is happening in the next year. By the way, Obama is extremely affected by the Mars retrograde in Leo, going over his Sun and affecting his Ascendant and Jupiter. He is really being hit hard by all that is coming forward this week. What people seem to be the most upset about is the gap between what he said during the campaign which elicited great hope for many people and what has actually happened during his first year in office. Whenever there is gap in expectations, the people (ruled by the Moon) can become very unhappy and vote in even more erratic ways.

Economics- The stock market has been dropping all week. Many reasons are being given, but perhaps one of the most important is that China has announced that it is going to slow down the growth of its economy, which has been booming. The effects of its tremendous growth is that it has been buoying up the rest of the world’s major economies, which has mitigated some of the worst effects of the U.S. and international economic slowdown. Other factors include the questioning of the reasons why the market has risen so much since last March and the lack of any reforms or regulations that would deal with the causes of the original problems themselves. Here is an article for those interested that goes into some of these issues:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/23/7-things-about-the-econom_n_433688.html

The Intent of the Mars Retrograde

The basic effect of this cycle is that it demands that we change our strategy of how we assert ourselves. Its effects while we are in the midst of the period is that we can have health problems, injuries, accidents and other Mars-related problems. That depends on how the retrograde affects our personal chart. It’s very much like a forced pull-back. No wonder many members of Congress are pulling back on the health care bill so as to re-evaluate how to move forward. One even suggested that Congress wait until mid-march before revisiting it. He probably didn’t know that Mars will go direct on March 10, right in line with his timing. Another possible effect is that we must move to a new location or at least set into motion actions that will lead to that later in the spring or early summer. It has to do with looking at our goals and adjusting them to the actual realities we are facing. This is a great time for the realists of the zodiac, because they’re looking pretty good right now.

Our Strategy

So what is the best strategy in dealing with possible changes and obstacles? I know this article is not as hopeful as many of my readers would like. It’s certainly not as fun writing as most of my newsletters. But I hope it is helpful in that if we can understand and accept the underlying tone of the times and know that whatever is occurring is temporary, it can assist us to handle things in a more functional and positive way. It won’t last forever. And if there are things we must do, the sooner we do them the better it will be for us. Specifically, Mars goes direct on March 10, 2010 and this summer things change quite radically as Jupiter and Uranus enter Aries and mark a very significant shift in our ability to move forward.

And finally, whenever we’re dealing with Saturn, the one thing I’ve noticed above all is that we always feel better when we handle the necessary issues with which we are confronted. When we do not, we feel worse, more pressure and more pessimistic. The pressure lifts when we accept what we must do. There is the famous quote of Dr. Carl Jung that applies here so I will end the article on that note. “The only freedom I have is to gladly do what I must do.”

As always, as the week moves forward, I would love it if you would write on our blog. The good and the bad.

Wishing you the best.

Jim Sher

Jack's Transits

Purpose of the Jack and Jill Series

Although there are many readers with some degree of astrological knowledge, the vast majority do not have this education. So quite appropriately, I have been asked why I’m presenting articles that go into the transits of what a person is experiencing. It might be helpful therefore to state the reasons for this.     

The first reason is that I desire for my readers to understand what astrology can reveal and to a lesser but still important degree, learn what astrological counseling is and how it can be of assistance. While I don’t believe astrologers are capable of making concrete predictions reliably, I have seen that astrology can reveal the nature of the themes and cycles we are under at a given time. We can describe the “weather patterns”, so to speak and this insight can help us understand the meaning of what is occurring. This, I find, is far more helpful than knowing just what will happen.     

The second reason is that I believe even novices can discover how one can enjoy and benefit by understanding basic astrological principles and see how these can be applied to a specific person. This is the art of the astrologer. Our job is to bridge the gap (along with the participation of the client) between the archetypal universal principles and how they manifest for a particular person in any given time period.     

Today’s article regarding Jack is an example of the second reason because we are going to look at the meaning of Jupiter and how Jack is being affected by its transit to his Sun, Moon, Neptune and Mid-Heaven. Yes, this one planet is affecting these four very important points at the same time.     

The principle of Jupiter is that it expands what it touches. This expansion can be physical, but more often it expands our minds and consciousness, opening us to higher understandings and truths. It can literally bring things out into the open, occasionally in quitea  dramatic way. Often, Jupiter carries with it the need to risk, for any increase in awareness brings with it the possibility that what we discover could destroy old viewpoints and understandings that have confronted us. The fact is that when we formulate a belief system (or better said, it formulates in us), giving it up for a new set of viewpoints, however truthful and helpful to us in the long run, is often very disturbing and uncomfortable.     

Jack is living this right now. He has grown up with certain thoughts, feelings and viewpoints about his father and mother and all of these are having to be thrown out and replaced by an unknown, but much more truthful set of understandings. Transiting Jupiter is opposing his Moon and squaring his Sun. But it also is affecting what is called the parental axis – the Mid-Heaven/Lower-Heaven angles. What is happening specifically is that radically new information is coming to Jack ove turning his belief system about his parents. He is seeing his mother in a new way. Before he was her defender and protector. He described himself as in a co-dependent relationship with her therefore unable to really see her as she is. That is no longer true, as the Jupiter transit, lasting for the past six to nine months has been helping him wake up to the truth of his mother. A veil is being lifted from his eyes. He said to me that “I could not imagine seeing her the way I do now only one month ago.” He is seeing her as unable to take responsibility for herself. During the Mercury Retrograde he spoke to her about her refusal to reach out to him, she denied it.     

He described her as a person who “grabs on to whatever appears.” She has recently married an evangelical Christian who has total control over her, though she has never in the past been interested in religion. He described her past relationships as also being with narcissistic men who controlled her. In his last communication with her he has asked her to enter therapy and told her that if she chooses not to do so, he will cease having a relationship with her as she is too toxic for him.     

Of course, Jack is still in the midst of processing all that is happening and there is a likelihood that his present feelings will continue to shift, but the process has begun and there is no turning back now.     

This is Jupiter in action – expanding Jack’s vision and understanding and pushing him to a new level of honesty with himself and others. By the way, on the other side, his relationship with his father has been improving at the same time as his respect for him has grown. Sometimes Jupiter puts us into a topsy – turvy spin and all we can do is hang on for the ride.     

The Solar Eclipse

Last night at 11:11pm PST, January 14, 2010 we had a Solar Eclipse that occurred at 25 degrees of Capricorn. An eclipse often brings about a shift in the inertia of a situation, breaking a particular pattern in such a way that it allows or even forces something new to develop. There are two ways to analyze the possible effects of an eclipse. One is by looking at the chart itself and the other is by working with the nature of the specific Saros cycle the Eclipse is activating. This is a technical astronomical matter that I won’t explain here, but I will describe its nature. In the system used by Bernadette Brady, this eclipse is called 12 North. She writes about it as an eclipse that can bring  far more responsibility that arises from another person being unable to carry on fulfilling those responsibilities. Although these opportunities may be difficult, they often bring about positive outcomes in terms of self-esteem and harmony.   

This particular eclipse is also conjunct Venus, which further increases the likelihood that the newly emerging forces are favorable for relationships, money and happiness. One student has already begun to experience this eclipse in a way that exactly coincides with this description. She has been involved with an organization with many failings and that organization has fallen apart. She is now considering creating her own organization as she has discovered that she has both the abilities and motivation to succeed where others have failed. Not surprisingly, her birth chart has been lit up by both the Lunar and Solar Eclipses of the past two weeks. How affected we may be by an eclipse will depend on where it connects with our own chart.   

As always, I urge you to write about your own experiences with this eclipse. I will make an effort to answer as many of your questions as possible.   

Good luck!   

There are a lot of writings out there about eclipses and some are quite negative. I do not regard them so simplistically and certainly not uniformly negative. As many of you know, I refer to them as “inertia changers,” meaning that the series of lunar and solar eclipses that occurs every 6 months create conditions where we are asked or sometimes forced to look and deal with life conditions in a totally new way. Depending on how one’s natal chart is affected by a particular eclipse, we can have life-changing events occur to us. These can, on occasions, be difficult or disconcerting, but often they are not. They are simply changing the game, and sometimes even the rules. The truth is that we need these eclipses because we can be lazy and often get into a rut, resisting change even when it may be good for us. It is our nature to resist the new.

A Lunar eclipse which occurs at the Full Moon is when the earth is between the Sun and the Moon. Here is an incredible website that will show you what this looks like as well as the coming solar eclipse: http://shadowandsubstance.com/. (Thanks to Jim Schultz for this amazing website). My view of any lunar eclipse is that it allows us to open to our own unconscious and actually feel freer from its pull. Now, how this can occur differs for each of us. Sometimes it can simply be experienced as an opening of our hearts to new possibilities. At other times, though, the inner changes are accompanied by a cathartic event, sometimes, explosive, that results from an upsurge of unexamined aspects of our psyche that need to see the light of day. Just as a fever often rises before we can get well, the lunar eclipse amplify feelings so that we can actually ‘feel’ them, perhaps more deeply than ever. The heart opening result is often the same whether or not the change occurs peacefully or more severely. We are free to feel something that we have not felt and make conscious decisions from a very new place. Will these decisions work out? Not automatically, of course. But our hearts are open now and we will do well to allow them to be so, no matter what the outcome may be.

This is especially true for a second astrological reason. Along with Mars, Mercury is now retrograde as well. It went retrograde on Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 21 Capricorn and will go all the way back to 5 degs. of Capricorn on Jan. 15, 2010. We are accustomed to the retrograde Mercury cycle as it occurs every 4 months or so. We are capable of intuiting it because, frankly, it’s part of our DNA. Whenever Mercury is retrograde we have to review, re-think and re-evaluate some aspect of our lives. We need to do it as we have overlooked something and can now discover what is missing. Again, astrology writings are rife with negative takes on Mercury retrograde, but the fact is that we need them. Our minds have been racing forward, tying to accomplish more and more, but now is when we have to slow down or even stop, catch our breath and take a second look. We need to see something new before we can successfully move forward. Also, in the middle of the cycle there is the Inferior conjunction which will occur on Jan. 4 at 14 Capricorn which makes some new ‘Seed’ idea emerge within us and which may start us in a new direction. Sure, this new direction may be unwelcome. Whether we ‘think’ of it as welcome or unwelcome is indicated by how it affects our personal birth chart, but it is always revealing something that we must take into account and with which we must work.

When we look at the meaning of these two astronomical events happening at the same time, these coinciding phenomena strongly suggest that we be as open as we can to something new that is just now beginning to emerge. It hasn’t fully revealed itself yet. In fact, there may be many more things that will unfold before all of what’s developing will be fully seen. The fact is that January of 2010 is very busy with astrological signatures. We are all under very shifting sands right now, much of which we will not be able to act on as of yet. In other words, dealing with the shifting sands will also have to include actively ‘sifting’ through all that is emerging, looking for gold, for new opportunities while simultaneously letting go of what is falling away. We may find ourselves in a mysterious mixture of new and old. This could frustrate us, if we become impatient, but this is just not the time for clear action. Perhaps, the only actions we can be clear about are the ones that are happening TO us and which we know we must respond to and act upon. Allowing things to grow as organically as possible is always a pretty good axiom to live be, but right now this seems especially true. We are now dealing fully with both Mercury and Mars being in retrograde motion, deepening the review process.

I find times like this to be exhilarating in many ways. Not because I’m clear, but because I’m not. When I’m clear, it’s due to the fact that I know ‘what is what’ and what needs to be done or what I want to do. That’s great, but I also know that it is at times like the one we in now in which change is happening. Doorways are just now appearing, though perhaps seen only dimly. Our hearts are opening to new possibilities, but we are just beginning to feel this. We can only decide now to let them grow, for they will do just that. All we have to do is allow whatever is emerging to be acknowledged and let the big decisions wait until much more is known.

The “Jack and Jill” series will return in the next newsletter with a specific article on “Jack.”As always, your replies are appreciated. Those of you who have never replied, I encourage you to let me and our readers know what your thoughts are. You can remain anonymous if you like or use a different name if you prefer. My hope is for the newsletter articles to stimulate your thinking and to help you look at your life in a slightly different way. That is what is fun for me.

I know sometimes I am asked questions by my interested and insightful readers. I will try to answer some of them, but please forgive me if I am not able to attend to all of them.

Have a very Happy New Year and a successful one.

All the best,

Jim

Jill's transits bi-wheel

It’s time to begin taking a deeper look at the transits that Jill is experiencing and the effects these are having in her life. Above, you see the chart of the most recent New Moon (December 16) overlaying Jill’s natal chart. Before describing what is happening with Jill, let me outline the major astrological significators that are in play.

(An aside – I know that many of my readers will not understand what I’m talking about. If you can read what is written as casually as possible, taking in whatever you can and not being too concerned with what you don’t understand, you may find that you will absorb more than you think. I will explain the key features in both this article as well as the ones that are coming and there will be repetition, so we can learn by absorbing. In other words, do the best you can and see if you can begin to understand more with each article. Try it!! It’s fun.)

Here are the 5 significant transits affecting her the most:

1. This New Moon is very significant as it is the first one of the year that is located in her 1^st house.
2. Venus in the New Moon chart is exactly conjunct her Ascendant or 1^st house cusp.
3. Saturn is exactly conjunct her Mid-Heaven or M.C. and her Jupiter and Uranus, while Pluto is squaring these same points.
4. The Mars retrograde which begins on December 21^st is going to trine her Ascendant and her Sun and Mercury during its 6 month stay in her 8^th house of change and transformation.
5. The coming Mercury retrograde which begins on December 26^th is exactly conjunct her Venus at 21 degrees of Capricorn.

To those of you who do not know anything about what was just written, it will be helpful to know that to have 5 very significant transits all happening at the same time, is very rare and therefore very significant. This indicates that this phase of Jill’s life will be the kind that she will look back on 10-20 years from now and be amazed at how life changing this year was, perhaps one of the most important of her life.

All of the transits I’ve listed above are now affecting her and will develop in the coming months, so we will be watching these closely in the upcoming articles. I will not be able to cover all that is happening in any single article for to do so would create excessively long articles, so I’m going to isolate on specific areas of Jill’s life and over time we can get a good sense of how these different transits are coming together and creating a new life for her.

It is interesting to note that Jill was sick during our recent interview. She believed that her illness represented a kind of “breakdown” that was caused by the intensity of all that’s happening and a fear of the unknown as she has no idea of what, if anything, will actually manifest in the coming months. So many balls are in the air that she knows they will not all pan out, but it’s also very likely that some of them will. Only time will tell. This feeling can cause great anxiety, especially since she is still not getting the income she needs to pay her bills as of now. Here, however, help seems to be on the way.

The first thing to know about Jill is that her boyfriend is moving in with her. She has known him for many years and they are now moving toward a more committed relationship. This is an example of the New Moon in her first house with Venus exactly conjunct her Ascendant. Also, the north node is going over her natal Venus which rules relationships and partnerships so not surprisingly, this transit is bringing about a change in that area. Actually it is affecting more than just her romantic relationships.

She has written a TV show with several other people and someone with enough power to get it produced is interested in looking at it. This is an example of both Venus and transiting Saturn at her Mid-Heaven being engaged. In addition, she has re-united with a partner from her past to jointly create a consulting business that would present programs to assist businesses to flourish. She feels she also may have a chance to meet potential investors for a spa she and other partners are interested in creating. As you can see, there are many balls in the air right now. With transiting Pluto (representing powerful people) squaring her Mid-Heaven there is indeed a chance that she could meet people who could help her manifest many of her dreams. The fact that the north node is going over her Venus also supports this possibility.

Jill has a Jupiter/Uranus conjunction at her Mid-Heaven. This combo is a sign of brilliance and out of the box thinking that is presented to the public. Let me give an example of how she manifests this archetypal principle. One of the things she is engaged in is the use of astrology, color and chakra balancing to help people change the energy of their bodies and the situations in which they find themselves. Jill, an expert in the art of makeup, is able to use eye liner to both help a person to let go of old, outworn patterns as well as invoke new energies. For example, the color green (which rules Venus and the sign of Libra) can be used to promote improvement in relationship and assist in starting any new projects or patterns. The knowledge she has gained over the years are coming into play now in new ways, which bodes well for her as Saturn remakes her public image. The transit of Saturn over the Mid-Heaven is a culmination of efforts made over 14 years as one can now reap the rewards of one’s efforts or on the other hand learn about the areas in which one still must make more effort.

For many years, Jill has been engaged in the study and practice of using archetypal energies to create what one wants or even dreams. This is the definition of practical magic, though Jill hasn’t thought of it in this way. She has conducted Full Moon ceremonies for a long time and uses astrology and guided meditations in these rituals. For example, when there is a New or Full Moon in Sagittarius, she will invoke the principles of Jupiter, the ruler of expansion, wealth, happiness, spirituality and wisdom. This part of her practice is also growing right now as she is gaining comfort from all of the experience she has gained over the years. And finally, she has learned that one of the best ways to succeed is to assist others to succeed as well. The wisdom she has gained has taught her that the more she can help others grow, the more she will grow too. In many ways, she is on the way to discovering that she is a manifesting the energy of the High Priestess of the Tarot.

The Future – with Mars in her 8^th house, we can expect her to become very involved looking at her business relationships and how to structure them. With Venus in play due to the Mercury retrograde, she will be adjusting her life to a new living situation as her boyfriend moves in with her. He is scheduled to move in on December 31, only 3 days after Mercury goes retrograde conjunct her Venus. Other partnerships also may emerge and grow. And, of course, her public persona will continue to change as she continues to develop new projects that change her career. Just as Jill helps others to reinvent themselves, she is engaged in the same effort. I’m sure that over the next 6 months, she will be doing a lot do that. When she looks back at 2010, I doubt she will recognize her new life. It will be that different. And although she will do all she can to plan and work hard, because Uranus and Pluto are involved, there will be many surprises, unexpected shifts and turns to which she will have to adapt. Jill is on a roller coaster ride that she cannot control, but which is likely to take her to new and exciting places. Yet, she must live day to day, as well all must do while knowing that the unexpected could turn up at any moment.

I will be mixing the “Jack and Jill” series with other articles discussing the complex set of transits that are affecting us over the next 6 weeks. It is an exciting and potentially challenging time right now, so I hope the articles will assist all of you.

Jack

Introduction:

Let’s begin by introducing Jack. Right now, Jack is in the process of getting his MFT license so that he can become a practicing therapist. Not surprisingly Jack is very interested in learning more about himself and others. In his interviews with me, Jack was very open and immediately began to talk about the biggest issues in his life. One of the first things he emphasized is his love for writing and singing. But although the creative arts are his passion, he is also frustrated in his ability to be able to express his talents more fully. As he has gotten older, this has begun to improve as he is now singing more publicly. He said to me, ‘I am not willing to do the work” and when I asked why, he said that he hasn’t been able to stick with anything long enough. He then added that “I have many interests but have a hard time choosing one thing, to master it.” 

Early Childhood: Jack was adopted and felt accepted by his family. He developed a strong connection with his mother, but as he got older, that relationship began to become much more complicated. His father was a more ‘blue-collar’ type of person, worked hard to provide for his family, but Jack did not feel close to him. He felt his father didn’t understand him and his sensitivity. For example, when Jack was young he loved to play with dolls and his father, while letting him do so, didn’t like it and seemed to hope he would grow out of it. The most significant thing to Jack was that he had problems learning in school. He felt he needed guidance and assistance, but it was not provided by his parents so he was left to his own devices to try to figure out how to bet by in school. He was diagnosed as ADHD at some point, but was not given the help he needed to work with that. (This is where I have to point out to my readers that as a therapist/social worker/astrologer I have been frustrated for years watching the school system’s attempt to handle problems such as Jack’s. His chart explains a great deal about what is really going on and to simply give him a label and then expect him to conform to the system’s structures is a recipe for disaster.)

Jack’s Birth Chart: I need to describe a few key things about Jack’s chart to begin to put certain things into perspective. He has what is called a T-square between his Sun in Taurus, Moon in Leo and Neptune in Scorpio and they are very close to his Mid-heaven and nadir (often also called the parental axis). On one hand this gives him a tremendous imagination and sensitivity, while also making it difficult to function in our society’s linear, rational and logical way. Were he to be educated in a way that took his nature into account, his early childhood frustrations would not have existed and he might have had a much easier time of it. He also might have never been diagnosed in the way he was, which itself planted seeds of doubt, fear and weakness which, in turn, created a whole host of new problems that affected his self-esteem. Jack is the type of person who can benefit from a very different educational approach. Jack also has a second T-square between Venus, Mars and Saturn. In our discussions, Jack used the word ‘social phobia’ to describe some of his deepest frustrations and it seems to be coming from this complex set of aspects.

An Aside: It is important to stop for a moment to add something about the classic discussion about fate and free will. While astrology does postulate that we are fated in many ways, something our culture strongly invalidates, it remains important to remember that the moment we become conscious of a particular attribute in our chart, that we become freer to explore and deal with it consciously. This can change things for us significatly. Also, it is true that every so-called disability is also something that can be turned to a positive through a variety of means. This is in fact, what Jack is doing. He is working to fulfill his dreams each and every day of his life and has not let his frustrations stop him from making the effort. This is why astrologers often look at a chart such as his and comment that often success comes later in life for this person and is the result of efforts made over a long period of time. There is something positive to be said about this. The Soul can learn a lot from this kind of effort.

Family Life: Whenever a person has stressful planetary configurations connected to what’s referred to as the ‘parental; axis’, difficulties with parents/family become highly likely. This is true in Jack’s case as well. Not only was he adopted, but his connections with each of his adoptive parents have also been a struggle and a mystery. This is a classic Neptune phenomenon. His parents were divorced, but what he was told as to the reason, has recently turned out not to be true. He believed for many years that the divorce was caused by his father’s alcoholism, but that was not true. As Jack has matured, he began to see that his mother was not who he thought she was. While he was her defender, she was suffering from what he called ‘the grass is greener’ syndrome. She lived in a perpetual state of dissatisfaction. It is only now that Jack is discovering that the reason for the divorce is that his mother cheated on his father. This was hidden from him. It is with the transit of Mars slowing down and approaching its change to retrograde motion that the truth is emerging. This disappointment is often ascribed to Neptune and is active now for all of us as it moves toward its last conjunction with Jupiter. For Jack, this transiting conjunction has activated the first T-square I mentioned earlier between his Sun, Moon and Neptune.

More Changes Coming

 There is a lot more to happening to Jack as a result of the coming Mars retrograde and the effects of the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction, so look for the next installment of our series.

I want to thank Jack for his openness and willingness to speak about such sensitive topics for him. The next newsletter will be Jill – Part II.

Mars rules the principle of self-assertion, how we act in the world and go after what we want. It rules strategy, such as the process of deciding how to take on the enemy and win a war. Obama has been going through a painful, slow process of deciding how to handle the Afghanistan problem and his Sun is 13 Leo, so this Mars retrograde affects him enormously. His Afghan strategy is likely to go through a further re-evaluation in the next several months that is likely to result in very significant changes in his war strategy. As in all retrograde cycles, this is an opportunity to examine things that could never be looked at while Mars is going forward. This is why it is so important. Mars only goes retrograde every two years, so when it does, the significance of this cycle is much greater, due to the infrequency of its occurrence. Also, it remains retrograde for what often seems like forever, so it can feel very frustrating.

TIME – one of the most interesting things about Mars retrograde is how slow things feel at this time. You may already be feeling it as Mars is barely moving now, even though it is 16 days before it will go retrograde. If you think about it, one of the primary ways we experience time is through our activity. When we are busy solving problems, talking to people, doing errands, etc., we hardly pay attention to time. It goes by very quickly. But if we are quiet, nothing is going on, or worse we feel frustrated by something in our lives that we aren’t able to affect, we feel that time is lasting forever. Perhaps the worst case is if you are depressed about something that has happened, you know you cannot do anything about it and simply feel totally stuck. In that state, we feel that time has literally stopped. Every breath can be counted, almost. Well, that is what Mars retrograde can feel like unless we understand what its intention actually is. Although we may be busy handling life problems, the Mars retrograde is about reviewing a fundamental strategy or approach we have in our life. This is what this cycle is for. And the timing of this review is not under our control. That alone can be more than a little frustrating. So, often we are forced to wait for more information or revelation. We want to move forward, but feel blocked and that is what is creating the frustration. Were we to expect nothing, and simply take what comes and do what we must in every situation that arises, we would not feel frustrated at all. The ‘review’ process will take care of itself, for we will be forced to examine something whether we like or not.

REVIEW – so what will be reviewing? The key date to pay attention to is back in October when Mars went into the ‘shadow’ of its retrograde cycle. The date, as I said, was October 17th. Whatever has been going on since then is exactly what areas on one’s life that will be re-examined. You won’t be able to cheat on this. We often believe that we have looked at everything we need to look at, that there is nothing more to see, and then Mars goes retrograde and everything changes and we see that something important isn’t working the way it should or needs to, so we are forced to look again at our strategy. Well, in a sense, we weren’t wrong to believe that that we were done. From the events back in October, November and December, everything we could know, is what we knew. We can’t prepare for something that has not yet been revealed. I know this is obvious, but astrologers often debate about how we can ‘prepare’ for a coming transit, and the good ones, at least in my opinion, know full well that one cannot cheat a transit. We try to figure out what will happen, but we know from experience that we can’t, yet we continue to try anyway. So, it is good to remember what our limits are. That’s our way of warning oneself and others about ‘hubris’, which from an astrologer’s view means believing one knows more than the gods. We are not set up to know more than what is given to us to know. So, what does this all mean for us? That we can relax and live in a calm state knowing that we cannot know more at this moment that what we do. We can’t do better than what we are doing. That can be a hard one, eh?

EXAMPLE – I used to be an athlete when I was younger and although my interest in sports has decreased enormously, there is one sport I follow and in particular one team. I follow basketball and specifically the Portland Trail Blazers. They are always teaching me something about astrology and frankly they really do need my help, but that’s another story. Hope Paul Allen is listening, though somehow I doubt it. Unfortunately for my little team, the leader and coach of the team have their Sun in Leo and have been suffering from this Mars retrograde cycle even though this little devil of a planet hasn’t even gone retrograde yet. Right from the start of season, the leader of the team, Brandon Roy, has been off his game. He’s been confused, saying things he would never say in the past about being frustrated, and so not only has he been playing poorly, but as a result the team has been losing. No one seems to know what to do, least of all Brandon. But that’s not enough. The coach, Nate McMillan, also a Sun in Leo, has never been as criticized and blamed as he is now. He doesn’t seem to know what’s wrong, everything he tries ends up failing, and the chemistry of the team has completely been off. Also injuries (ruled by Mars) on the team have piled up which upsets team chemistry and creates a lot of confusion. Even the owner and one of the coaches have been diagnosed with cancer. This is a team that appears to be snake bit. But that isn’t the end of it at all. To make matters worse, yesterday in practice, because there weren’t enough players on the floor, the coach steps in to help for a few plays and tears his Achilles heel and will need surgery. He will have to miss at least a few games, something he never does, and the team will have to go along without him. Sometimes I do think the gods must be laughing at us humans down here trying to make a go of it.

Now, Mars hasn’t even gone retrograde yet, but the set up occurs now. That’s my message to you. What occurs during the retrograde has been created ever since last October, so if there are surprises, it will be because we’ve not yet been able to see something that needs to be seen in order to know what to do OR we have seen it and do not know what to do about it OR we’ve seen it and know what to do about it, but haven’t figured out how to make it happen. All this will become clearer in the next few months and when March rolls around, we’ll know what to do and why. We will probably have already begun to institute the changes needed. So, although patience can be difficult when it comes to Martian energy, it is the best approach if you want to avoid frustration.

As you can guess it is the Sun in Leo’s who are apt to feel this the most. In fact, all the fixed signs (Aquarius, Scorpio and Taurus) will feel it too.

I’ll be writing much more on this topic as the retrograde cycle begins. Also, the next newsletter will introduce “Jack” in my “Jack & Jill” series and should be out soon.

If you want to learn more about how you are specifically affected by the Mars retrograde, I’d like to encourage you to contact me for an appointment.

Jill's Chart

Welcome to the first article in the “Jack” and “Jill series. Unlike the children’s story, our Jack and Jill do not know each other, although if they did, my optimistic Sagittarius rising nature would certainly believe that they would be getting along famously. The process of making these selections was not easy. Since there were many applicants, I received help from several graduates of the School and especially from LeeAnn Lambright, who reviewed half of the original submissions. Many thanks to her for her help.

In the beginning, we had to decide the qualities that we wanted for the person in this series. The first attribute that was necessary was, of course, an interest in participating in a project that will last at least three months. We didn’t want the person to leave prematurely. This, as it turned out, was not a problem. Many of the applicants were willing to engage in this lengthy process. The second priority was that the chart be very active in terms of transits and progressions. That turned out to be the main rationale for how the decision was made. There are two very important transits occurring in the next several months that will be affecting all of us. The first is the coming Mars retrograde, which lasts from December 21, 2009 – March 7, 2010. The second is the transit of Saturn squaring Pluto which is in effect right now and lasts for nine more months. Our Jack and Jill are affected strongly by these transits and is why they were selected. I hope this series will be interesting and informative as my intention is for you to discover that the application of astrology to one’s natal chart actually makes our life more alive and authentic. I will not focus on prediction, although I will be extrapolating on where events seem to be taking the person. What’s more interesting and important is the process the person is going through as they navigate the turbulent waters in which each person is immersed and how astrology can assist them at this challenging time. With this introduction to the series, let’s begin.

Introducing Jill

As you can see by her chart, Jill just turned 41 years of age and has been going through quite a few career changes in the past few years. For many years she was a professional make-up artist in Hollywood and had a successful career in this, until she began to discover more about what was driving her interest in this field. For Jill, it wasn’t just a lucrative and glamorous career, although at times it was that. What she saw was that the challenge of the make-up artist was in bringing forth the inner essence of either the actor himself/herself or the character they were playing. She noticed that the makeup was enhancing the ability of the actor to portray a character that was genuine. It was an assist to both the actor and audience that allowed for the character to emerge in a way that was convincing and real. But for this to occur, a transformation had to happen. The actor had to reinvent themselves. They had to find a way to ‘be’ someone that was either not who they were, or an aspect of themselves lying dormant in one’s own psyche. It is this aspect that caused Jill to become interested in something much broader than being only a makeup artist. She began to want to help clients find ways to reinvent themselves so that they could take their lives to the next level, whatever that meant for the client.

It was between 1993-94, during a very important transiting conjunction between Uranus and Neptune that she began to feel a great need to expand her work and subsequently her career goals. Jill began to study and practice a variety of metaphysical techniques such as chakra balancing, guided imagery and meditation and, in addition, the study of astrology. She sought to combine these into a unified set of practices and services. This is very typical of the sign of Sagittarius, which often seeks to combine seemingly unlike things. Jill’s Sun is in Sagittarius in the 12th house along with her Ascendant or Rising sign. This combination is one of the most positive and optimistic in the zodiac for it constantly seeks to achieve and assist others to aim as high as one can imagine. It also includes learning to set goals that push oneself to one’s limits and to achieve one’s dreams of success. This is what Jill pushed herself to do and now she sought to help others do the same. Astrology became for her a way to understand the central goals a person could achieve and a better understanding of the cycles of their development. She then began to relate all of this to the chakras in a person and to their level of functioning.

One of the most significant aspects in her chart is the conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus at the Mid-Heaven. This is the planetary pair of finding brilliant solutions to life problems and situations and it showed itself powerfully when she said that “Helping people succeed requires out of the box thinking.” Jupiter also is extra strong in her chart as it is the ruler of her Ascendant and expands everything it touches. These types want to make a difference in the world, often in a big way and are willing to make sacrifices to accomplish this. During her 1993 transit she began to shed everything in her life that didn’t enable her to be the kind of person she knew she was inside. She didn’t know where it would lead her, but she knew somehow it was necessary. This time of intense self-examination is an essential aspect for people with 12th house planets and Jill has three, including her Sun. Another fact of life for these people is the need to surrender or let go of anything that is holding them back from the fullest expression possible and anything that blocked her natural proclivity of having a can-do philosophy of life. This led her to the need to deal with her emotions from her past, especially her childhood. She knew she would have to clear away any psychic debris that prevented her from growing.

In her interview with me, Jill made a point several times of telling me that there was a reason why she had to go deeper than she had ever gone. With Saturn in her 4th house, which often indicates some type of family restriction or disadvantage, Jill did not know who her father was. This theme will be developed further in future articles. But for now, it is helpful to understand that hardship and pain often drive us to examine our life in ways that we simply wouldn’t do if everything was fine or normal.

Right now, transiting Saturn is conjunct her mid-heaven and natal Jupiter and Uranus. Transiting Pluto also squares these. We will be examining these transits closely in the next several months, but right now she expressed what’s happening in the following way: “I feel that I am in the right place and that things will be working out well, but as of now, nothing seems to be happening.” Money is tight for her right now, which has not been true for many years. This is very typical of what transiting Saturn can do when it is as active as it is. Saturn requires patience, hard work and if it delays progress, one must hang in there while not giving up on the guiding dreams and goals. Also, although Mars is not retrograde yet, it is moving very slowly and is making a semi-square aspect to her mid-heaven. This further slows things down for her.

In future articles we will go deeper into what’s happening for Jill as well as what she’s going through internally. We also will be looking at other aspects of her life, such as relationships and her life history.

The next newsletter article will introduce “Jack” where we will get to know him a little bit. Stay tuned for this wonderful chance to observe astrology and life in action. Let’s see if we can discover where the line is between ‘fate’ and ‘free will.’