The Cardinal T-Square Continues

The last several articles have been covering the potentially eventful period between July 15 and August 15, 2010 which I am calling the cardinal T-square. Other astrologers have referred to it as the cardinal climax. It can be thought of that way because this series of transits actually lasts for several years but is right now reaching a climax since so many of the aspects being made are exact. It can be helpful to think of this period of time as not just likely to create events, though it can. Instead, it signals that many things are up in the air and/or changing directions. This is a time when people leave jobs for new ones, decide to do something that they feel is not just better for them but also more appropriate, and in so doing many people are deciding to downsize so that they will have more freedom to do what they want or need to do. Today’s article is going to look at some of the specific transits that are the most intense right now and how they may be affecting us.

Saturn enters Libra

This transit actually began in late 2009, but since Saturn went retrograde and went back into Virgo, it is only now entering Libra completely. When Saturn is in Virgo, we find that we can be very picky, critical and fault-finding. The ‘feel’ of Saturn in Libra, however, is very different. This important planet is exalted in Libra and is concerned with justice, fairness, and balance. Also, Libra is much more people-oriented than Virgo and this suggests that this is an especially good time to pay close attention to how we operate in relationships. Wherever Saturn is in our charts, this is where we will need to watch, observe and take care for this is the territory where we will be held to account and also where we will benefit if we take care of what needs our attention. While Saturn can be restrictive, in Libra it doesn’t ‘hurt’ so much, so to speak, because we may want to cooperate and collaborate at this time. By the way, a student with special sensitivity about Libra observed that Libra does the best not when it compromises. To her, compromise meant that each side or each person was losing in some way. Instead, she suggested that people make the effort to reach a level of understanding that resulted in a successful collaboration which would mean that both sides can find a way to win. Her observations about this are worth considering.

Jupiter and Uranus are now Retrograde

As I have written, the entrance of both Jupiter and Uranus into Aries give a great spark to the initiating of new behaviors, projects, enterprises, etc. It is the archetype of excitement and risk-taking. Suddenly almost before we had time to get started both of these planets have gone into retrograde. Not only that, but both will return into Pisces. Uranus enters Pisces on August 14, 2010 and Jupiter does the same on September 9. This is likely to dampen our enthusiasm about what was just about to emerge, but if we understand the astrological meaning of this it might not feel so bad. After all, by late winter and early spring of 2011, they will both reenter Aries and this time for good.

What this all suggests is that there is something to review, or even something or someone to go back and pickup. I know that retrograde periods can be frustrating, especially this one. But if we go back and look at what actually happened during any retrograde cycle, we will discover that something happened that was helpful to us. We will find that something important was missing without which we could not have succeeded. So, there is still something to do. One need not give up on whatever has emerged in the last 3-60 days. Aries is a time for vision, expansion and exciting new challenges. It’s time will come. So, instead of giving up on the vision, take a good look to see what is still needed before the new cycle can be born. You will likely find that there is indeed something important to consider or accomplish in order for the new to be as successful as it can be.

Mars Joining the Fray

Mars transits are triggers for events and are therefore often found in event charts. Mars can really stir things up and create events. Transiting Mars is already very close to conjuncting Saturn, but on July 30th, this Friday, it will enter Libra and conjunct Saturn, oppose Jupiter and Uranus and square Pluto. Watch the news during this period and you may see a lot of pressures meeting each other. Some astrologers will predict an earthquake or volcanic event, but whether that happens or not, for many people, it could feel like one is happening inside us. Is this a time for action? No, not necessarily. There may be great pressure to act, but it should be considered carefully, if possible. The implications of whatever this transit triggers is going to be substantial, so great care may be needed even if one feels a lot of pressure to just do something. If you have considered it, then fine. And if you simply have to act, then fine also. One must do what is necessary. But if there is no reason to rush, one should wait before acting and just note what you are feeling and what is coming your way. This is the beginning of a very significant period that will become even more intense in the first 10 days of August when Venus and the Moon enter the critical degrees where these transits are playing out.

By the way, if you have planets or your Ascendant or Mid-heaven in early cardinal (0°-3° of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn) or the middle (14° – 17°) of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius), it means that you are especially affected by these transits. All in all, this is a period of change and most people will be feeling it. This also means that people can be especially irritable, worried, and even unstable. So, be extra alert when driving or whenever you are in an especially tense situation. Avoid as much negativity as possible. If things escalate, you don’t want to be in the middle of the action. And if you are the Mayor of Bell, CA or an unusually wealthy City Councilman of that fair city, you might want to resign as soon as possible. We’re not in Dodge City and Wyatt Earp isn’t the sheriff, but I think your days are done and the expression “I think it’s time to get outa Dodge” really does come to mind.

For the readers of this blog, as always, I hope you will write comments on how you are experiencing this time period. I will answer as many questions as possible. Thanks for listening.

The Coming Cardinal T-Square of 2010

We are now in the beginning of the most interesting period of transits we’ve had in a very long time. It will combine many of the specific transits I’ve been writing about for the past year, but now, all of them are in play at the same time. I intend to write shorter, but more frequent articles in the next few weeks to paint a picture of how things are emerging.

There are four sub-periods worth noting and we are in the first period right now. The second period occurs between July 29-31 and the third period happens about a week later on August 6-7, 2010.

What is happening right now is that Saturn is at the end of its transit in Virgo and will enter Libra on Wednesday, July 21 at 8:09am PDST. As it does so, it immediately moves into an opposition with Jupiter and Uranus in Aries. This is what is being felt right now and will be for the next week or so, when more will develop as well.

I want to quickly summarize what I’ve presented concerning Jupiter and Uranus in Aries. It is the perfect expression of an exuberant embracing of change and, further, the desire and need for a new birth. It is a bright shining star of hope, optimism, technological advancements and unexpected appearances of things we can hardly imagine. However, as strong as this is, and it will actually weaken before it gets going again in 2011, Saturn is opposing it and has been for a year. Saturn is holding us back more now than ever right now. Saturn has us being cautious, tentative, and reluctant to risk too much. We feel the need to hold onto reserves. For example, many corporations have lots of cash to invest with, but are not doing so because of a general pessimism that investment will lead to a sufficient return. Will consumers open up their pocketbook and spend money, especially while unemployment and the uncertainty it brings is still growing? When they don’t do so, the corporations hold back on investing even more and things get even tighter. All of us see the downward spiral this set of considerations is creating.

So, let me ask you. Are you holding back? Not just about money, but about everything? Are you in some way feeling like you are on hold, waiting for something to happen or to receive some signal that you can move forward? I do know some people who are moving forward, but those who are, have been moving slowly toward something in particular for many months now. They are the ones who are now finally getting moving, albeit slowly. In other words, even the ones who are moving forward are doing so pretty slowly and only after a great deal of effort, hard work and patience. This is how we succeed when it comes to Saturn.

An example in the news today is that finally after a great deal of argument and delay, the Senate broke the filibuster and approved aid for 2.5 million unemployed Americans. This is a classic example of the Saturn opposition to Uranus. Change finally arrives after much thought, delay and arguing.

This can be a period of great frustration since we might want to move forward so badly that we can become angry that we are not able to do so. But, more often, we are apt to just feel tired and some people are telling me that they are feeling a bit hopeless. Actually, this is one of the reasons why I write this Blog. If we understand the cycle we are under and that it will end, we are more able to go with the flow, or lack thereof, and wait it out patiently. Or we adjust to the times and work patiently and do what we can do. This is what this period of time does allow us to do. Do what you can, be patient, and take what comes and work with it. The rest will have to wait until the times allow more movement. AND the good news is that…..

Very big changes are in store for us in the coming year. Its tone will be very different from what we are feeling now, such that we will hardly remember this time. But, for now, we have to deal with what we feel right now, and that can be difficult.

I’ll be writing more soon, but would love to hear from you. If you would like for me to post something anonymously, please send it to my email address and I will do so.

Hope you write in.

My Experience of our Recent Eclipse

It’s fun, and hopefully helpful, to sometimes write about how I am experiencing the transits about which I write. It gives the reader some idea of who I am as well as a chance to hear first-hand what a particular transit is doing. But this article goes beyond that, because the way I have experienced the most recent Solar eclipse gives me a chance to explain a principle in astrology that can illuminate you to something that links us with our past and future in a significant and profound way.

Astrology is best understood in terms of cycles, rather than regarding events as individual and isolated moments that are not connected to anything. Sometimes it is difficult to see these cycles operating, but one of the ways we can do so is when we are able to connect the transits occurring at present with previous cycles. Perhaps, I can describe this better by giving a specific example.

My natal Venus is 20° Cancer, which means that the recent Solar eclipse, was in close conjunction with that planet in my birth chart. I know that most of us think of Venus as an indicator of love and relationships, which is certainly true. But Venus is more than that. It rules our sense of the aesthetic and the way in which art, music, design, etc., connect us with the divine principles operating in the universe. Gurdjieff referred to this principle as “objective art.” This form of art is designed consciously by the artist to create a specific effect in the observer that speaks to not only the mind, but to the heart as well. It can even help us integrate the two, allowing us to experience something that takes us into new territories as we can apprehend something that speaks to our Soul, rather than to mere parts of our being.

In astrology, I often look for what I call ’sensitive points.’ Today’s article is about this. A sensitive point is created in more than one way, but the one that applies to the recent eclipse is a very significant transit that occurred in 1993. I am referring to the conjunction of Uranus and Neptune, which last occurred in 1993. Its location was in the area of 20° of Capricorn. This means that the recent eclipse was in exact opposition to the newly born cycle of Uranus and Neptune that happened 17 years ago. This conjunction only occurs every 160-170 years, so it is very rare. Many generations can pass by without anyone experiencing this new birth or ‘renaissance’. The one word that best describes the meaning and effects of this conjunction is the word ‘Renaissance.’ By the way, the previous conjunction before the one in 1993 occurred in 1821 at 3° of Capricorn, which is also being activated by the present transits in the early degrees of the cardinal signs (Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn and Pluto).

Back in 1993, I was very aware of this conjunction and since it was opposing my Venus, I suspected I might be in store for some big changes in my relationships. This did not happen and I often asked myself what had happened. Why didn’t anything more obvious or noticeable happen? Well, one thing did happen, but it didn’t seem to be significant. I began taking harp lessons which I continued for about 6 years until I could play in front of people and have some fun. I was learning to play on a beautiful Dusty Strings harp that was perfectly made for Celtic and ‘troubadour’ music. I really enjoyed this, but still I wondered why something bigger didn’t occur. I knew that conjunctions mark beginnings so it can often be that the full importance of the new cycle isn’t revealed until later, which turned out to be the case for me.

Well, a Solar eclipse is exactly one of those periods where the ’seed’ that was planted at the earlier conjunction 17 years ago can begin to come to some sort of fruition. I know that this is exactly what is happening to me now. The realizations I’m writing about in this article have only come to me in the last few weeks or so, although it feels like I’ve understood it for a long time. More specifically, what I’ve been focused on the last few months has been the reading of three books by Kathleen McGowan. Her books have covered many things, including the hidden role of women in history over the past 2,000 years, the nature of the Divine Feminine and the possibility of  ’sacred marriage’ (hierosgamos) and finally she presents a revision of the life of Jesus and his relationship with Mary Magdalene. To me, she goes way beyond the silly book by Dan Brown called “The Da Vinci Code.” She did a far better job of imagining a new scenario for what early Christianity might have looked like and connected it with aspects of early Christianity that Brown simply didn’t understand. In her third book, called “The Poet Prince,” she examines the historical period of the 1400’s in Florence, Italy, when there was a tremendous outpouring of art and philosophy that later became known as the Renaissance.

What captured my attention the most was the story she told about Marsilio Ficino. I had read many of his works before, but had not fully grasped the nature of the contributions he made to Western thought. He was an astrologer and revolutionary philosopher who was responsible for the translation of the ancient text called the “Corpus Hermeticum” which brought forth ancient Greek philosophy that was developed even before Socrates and Plato. What he was really doing was re-interpreting Christianity itself and revealing its connection to both ancient Egyptian and Greek thought. His works, in fact, were direct attacks on the Roman Catholic Church of his time and the form of Christianity that existed then. Ficino was not alone, however. Along with his patron, Lorenzo de Medici, his friend Sandro Botticelli, he and many others such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were instrumental in transforming the lives of the people of Florence, which was then extended to all of northern Italy and in time, to all of Europe. This group of true artists changed the world and still are affecting us today.

Let me describe briefly what Hermeticism is. It is a philosophy that combines science and spirituality as well as other divisions in human thought into one discipline. Its purpose is to lay a foundation that can lead a person towards a spiritual path that is non-dual in nature, a unity state of consciousness that assists a person to truly align with the Divine spark within. This can be thought of as the definition of Wisdom. The Hermeticists combined astrology, numerology (the study of sacred number) and other systems of symbology and mythology into a system that can change the way a person thinks, lives and perceives the world. The system is integrative and holistic in nature and ends the separation between body, mind and heart. Astrology, then, can be seen as an aspect of the hermetic traditions and as such, reveals itself to be a tool for transformation of one’s consciousness and the expansion of a person so that the highest potentialities of a person’s birth chart can be realized. In fact, this view regards astrology to be a map of potentials, rather than an indication of a singular Fate.

So, what does this have to do with Venus and the Solar eclipse on my natal Venus? What this eclipse did is activate the transit of Uranus/Neptune opposing my natal Venus that occurred in 1993. As I look back on it, this transit changed my whole sense of relationships, art and most of all, my aesthetics. I just didn’t realize it at the time. It broadened my life in ways I couldn’t see back then. I have now remembered that this is when I began an intense study and practice of the ancient Greek hermetic tradition. I just didn’t think of it as being related to Venus. I began a study of the connections between astrology, numerology and the Tarot. Everything I was doing was somehow related to every other thing. It felt like a whole new world opening up for me.

Uranus brought about an openness to radically new ideas, and an attraction to new ways of knowing that are integrated and holistic in nature and which lead to a new way of understanding people and the world we live in. Uranus can take us to new modes of thinking that are non-linear and even outside the usual time constraints that we hold so dear.

Neptune brought a sense of divine love, a divine way of relating and even a new way of living that is full of joy and happiness. Neptune pushes us to a greater participation in our world and unconditional acceptance and love for each person as well as for the world itself. It touches our hearts and teaches us that the loss of ego does not diminish us in any way. It can never take us away from what in us is real or authentic in us. What it does do is dissolve the thoughts and considerations that divide us, that prevent us from being and feeling all that we can be and enables us to identify ourselves as citizens of the world, solar system and even the galaxy.

The fact that I am writing about this so openly is the result of the recent eclipse and its effects. I am aware that the symbology of Venus can take us far from the limits of our small and restrictive definitions of love and expand our hearts to where we are able to live in a state that takes us beyond our limited sense of self. This is when life can really be lived, in a way where our hearts are full and where being fully alive is an everyday occurrence.

This new state is when we are able to live in a state of Love and know that it is the highest expression of the Sacred. This was the spirit of the Renaissance in the 1400’s, which our world today so badly needs. It is seen in the great paintings of Botticelli and in the profound hermetic philosophy that Ficino translated and found in the Corpus Hermeticum. And perhaps more importantly, it can shine a light for us now and create conditions where we can experience the spirit of that very renaissance. Let’s hope for the emergence of a Renaissance in us and a new expanded vision of what is possible and even necessary, for us and for the world. May our experience of Venus go beyond the focus on ‘getting what we want’ from a relationship to an understanding that real Love is a condition that has nothing to do with a person, but is actually a state of consciousness that is an aspect of Divine Love.

As always, I hope our readers will continue to write about their experiences of this eclipse and perhaps also their thoughts about this article. Perhaps I am being taken away by idealism and imagination. OR, perhaps I am beginning to sense the existence of the divine spark that is in the center of my being and in each of us. I’d love to hear more from you.

The Solar Eclipse – Endings and Beginnings

Eclipses always come in pairs, thus the period in between the two eclipses are always important. We are in that period right now. The Lunar Eclipse that occurred on June 26, 2010 will now be followed by a Solar Eclipse that occurs this Sunday, July 11, 2010 at 12:40pm PDT. The exact position for the eclipse is 19° Cancer and will affect most significantly those who have planets activated by this point. Specifically, 17°-21° of all cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) and 2°-6°of mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces) are points of special significance for us.

A Solar Eclipse always occurs at the New Moon, which means that it is concerned with the emergence of a new cycle of some sort for us. However, it is considered to be as much as 100 times stronger in its effect, than a regular New Moon. We can already begin to feel its effects as eclipses are said to begin before they actually occur in the heavens. There is a ’set up time’ that brings forward the actions that will be precipitated on or near the date of the eclipse. This is why it’s so helpful to know when the previous eclipse occurred, for they are connected. Both eclipses change the inertia of a situation, meaning that they demand our attention. Something must be taken care of or examined and sometimes action must be taken.

So, let’s take a look at the nature of this particular eclipse. It is part of the Saros cycle called 12 South. Its meaning according to Bernadette Brady is that it “will bring successful outcomes to long-term worries or illness. An issue which has worried or drained the individual for some time will at first seem to be worse and then clear, with generally successful outcomes.” The reason for this is that Jupiter is strong in this particular eclipse cycle and that usually brings about success. I would add, however, that Jupiter is concerned with freedom so that the nature of the success may have a lot to do with the gaining of freedom for someone, which means that a person could decide to leave another person to pursue their own path or purpose. It can often be helpful to have a consultation with an astrologer at this time to help clarify matters and see where things may be leading us, especially given what is developing in the latter part of this month and early August.

On a personal note, I have seen several breakups developing over the last several weeks as well, but what is more important, is the reason for the breakup. In each case, what is bringing the breakup about is a discovery or a set of discoveries about what the person really wants in their life. A major clarification has taken place resulting in the realization that one has little choice to remain in a present situation if the person wants to be truly themselves and pursue the goals and types of relationships that they really want.

This is in part, the nature of Uranus squaring Pluto, where the ‘essence’ of a matter is not only revealed but also the need for authentic behavior is being demanded. Illumination (Uranus) meets the deepest Soul needs (Pluto) and one MUST act to save one’s Soul. That’s how strong the need can be. It is my belief that when the need for action is ignored or refused, profound frustration develops leading to even more dissatisfaction. The present transits are very strong and will not allow us to act in a way that is inauthentic, if we are to be happy.

The Cardinal T-Square

The most critical part of the well known T-square is nearing and will be felt in the next month. Saturn will be in opposition to the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction. In fact, the chart of August 6, 2010 has 7 planets squaring or opposing each other. This chart indicates very high tension and almost always results in either a significant disclosure or event. The market is dropping again but this time, were there to be a real downturn as there was in 2008, there are no reserves to be able to prop the economy back up. Interest rates are so low that they really can’t be lowered any further. Economists are very split on what, if anything, to do, which is a classic condition of so many squares. Obama and some of his advisers would prefer a stimulus package, but the nation, for the most part, wants to cut spending with no added taxes. Feelings are running very strong, but no one knows for sure what needs to occur. There is seemingly no consensus on anything.

There is a lot going on in the U.S. chart right now and will be intensifying in the next year. I will be speaking more about this in future articles, but it is clear that the divisions in this country that we are already seeing are likely to be increasing. This country will be experiencing its Sun squaring Uranus in a year or so and this combination usually brings about some kind of rebellion or revolution. It is usually anti-government in nature. This may not be much of a surprise to many of the readers of this Blog as we have been talking about these things for over a year. The news reveals a growing sense of dissatisfaction with government and it seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. Meanwhile, the more government is attacked, the less the leaders want to do, so we are not seeing any significant actions from the President or Congress. Whether this is a good or bad thing, of course, depends on one’s political viewpoints, but whatever your view, it seems safe to say that the people have less confidence in their leadership no matter which party one is affiliated with. This is quite typical given the conditions that the T-square this country and the world is facing.

As always, I welcome the responses we are getting form our readers. I hope your responses will give some indication of how the eclipses are affecting people in a specific manner. I also hope you check back to the Blog from time to time to see what people are saying.

Thanks for reading and for writing in.

The Excitement is Growing

We have entered a most interesting time, where very significant changes, many of which will be unexpected and surprising, are becoming much more likely. What has changed? On June 6, 2010, Jupiter and Uranus both entered Aries and were nearing a conjunction at 0° of that degree. They will remain there until August 14, 2010 when Uranus will return for its last, brief stay in Pisces. Jupiter will follow Uranus back into Pisces on September 9, 2010. This means we are beginning to receive a glimpse, a sense of what is coming fully into being in the late winter and early spring of 2011. But the fireworks are beginning now.

The Nature of Aries

It is hard to understate the significance of a planet moving from the sign of Pisces into Aries. Pisces, being the last sign of the zodiacal system, is the archetype of the endings of cycles where one is asked to let go and even surrender to the inevitable fact that something must die in order for something completely new to be born. There is a sadness to Pisces that does express this internal sense that the old cycle is about to end, while the new one has yet to be seen, much less engaged. We are ‘turned toward a future we feel coming but cannot yet see’ is how Dane Rudhyar has described it. This is what makes this shift one of the most important for us. The nature of Aries, on the other hand, is in complete contrast to Pisces. It represents the purest sense of the new. It is the new shoot that rises from the ground in early spring, tender and vulnerable, but full of hope and believing that anything is possible. There is a naiveté to Aries, which is a necessary part of what it must be if it is to be fully open to the emergence of new possibilities, challenges and worlds to conquer. The somberness of Pisces gives way to the exciting and enthusiastic embracing of the new represented by Aries. It is impetuous and seeks to plant itself in a new way into the world, not caring what anyone else thinks, for that would only serve to inhibit and even threaten the new vision that Aries inherently carries within its own being.

Yet, it is because any new vision will have to be integrated into already existing structures that Aries also must be willing to develop adaptability. Its very survival depends on this. But this adaptability is not meant to suggest compromise in any way. That would be the death knell of Aries. I refer to the awareness that the outpouring of energy given to the Aries cycle will necessarily be forced to face and confront the old ways of being and therefore must find a way to survive what could be a potential threat. On one hand, one must not give in to any threat to this new vision being carried out or care hardly anything about what the results of his action will be. Aries does not care about results. It must not care. For to do so will restrict Aries too much and this is what cannot be allowed. Concern with results is premature now. There is a lot more to be revealed before one can become concerned too much about where the new impulse will lead.

What Aries must do now is to recognize that what it carries is important, its seed is needed, for as it fecundates the world, the world itself awaits the much-needed inspiration that will fortify and strengthen it and even make the world itself come alive again. Aries must learn when to adapt, not compromise, so as to not spend itself so unwisely that the seed itself is destroyed. Aries must not take for granted that ‘life’ or ’spirit’ will be able to satisfy every Aries desire for action or release. Thus it must learn to manage its own life energy, to not waste its seemingly unlimited stores of power, for not to do so, is to squander its God-given gift. Aries does best when it realizes that it has lying within it something so special that it must be regarded as sacred. That it is NOT its own, but is something that the World needs, even though one has no idea of how that could possibly be true or how it will come about. It is for other signs to develop the newly arising cycle and to let this original impulse emerge into something real. Aries does focus on itself most of all, and this is what it must do. Reliance on others is the lesson for other signs. But this does not mean that Aries is unable to know that the new impulse exists for self alone. Aries can know this and in so doing, know itself to be a carrier of the possible and perhaps even the impossible. For Aries is willing to aim so high that all ‘common-sense’ tells us that it just cannot be done. Aries says, “Do not tell me that it cannot be done! Do not speak to me that way! No one knows what is possible! Not until one makes the effort, and not just a small effort, but the kind of effort that demands everything one has, can we know what is possible.” Only with this attitude will Aries begin to discover its limits. Aries adapts when it knows that all of its creative power is given to him/her by spirit and is given for some sort of purpose known only to the source of that energy. With this knowledge, it adapts with grace and gratitude. Aries sees the new cycle as containing the entire cycle within it, and this it must protect and regard it as sacred, as something that must not be destroyed.

Uranus in Aries

Once Uranus returns to Aries, it will begin an 84 year cycle through the zodiacal signs, but right now, for a few months we have a bursting forth of an even higher degree of openness to the new than what I’ve written above in Aries. Uranus is open to out-of-the-box thinking and approaches. Whatever was regarded as true is now suspect. It’s the old way of doing things, of approaching something, and is must be questioned. Uranus is radical, concerned with revolutionary ways, not just minor modifications or reforms. This is a time for new paradigms to emerge. Some of these new forms will inevitably fall away just as nature always creates prodigiously. How many seeds are created by the plant that will actually sprout and come alive? But we also know that no one can know which ones will grow up at first. They all have a chance. We must assume that. We are entering a time for craziness, for a no holds barred openness to new opportunities, and where everything must be considered to see if something valuable is hiding within it. It’s time for hippies to rise up and question authority. Did I go too far, there? You know, hippies have been criticized and made fun of for a long time. They’ve been the easiest of targets and labeled druggies, unmotivated bums. Well, some of them were, and some of them are. But that was not the spirit of the 60’s. What they were about in the best sense is the very openness that I’ve been writing about in this article. They were encouraging us to open our minds and hearts, to ask the big questions, and to find the answers within. This spirit may return and vitalize our stagnant minds, that have become so small and contained and which accept whatever some ‘authority figure’ says or demands.

Here’s a crazy idea. What happens if the far right and the far left suddenly realize that they have more in common than they thought? I’m seeing a lot of people lately thinking in ways that question everything so much that we should not assume anything, while being open to everything.

Things are getting interesting and exciting and we’ve only just begun!!

I’d love to hear more from you. Tell us the wacky and crazy things you’ve been thinking about lately. It will be fun to hear from you.

Rising Tensions and Great Transformations

Today’s newsletter is going to run a bit longer than usual. There is a great deal happening right now and therefore a lot of ground to cover. I thought about publishing this in two parts, but have decided to just go for it all at once. There are some very significant world events occurring that are important markers for our future and simultaneously there are also profound culture-changing forces at work as well. So, I’d like to start with the more mundane events, if you can refer to the tragedy of what is happening in the Gulf of Mexico as a mere mundane event. Then we’ll travel into much deeper waters as we look at how Uranus and Pluto are bringing forth new paradigms from the universal and archetypal depths.

Many of my family, friends, students and readers have been emailing me this week asking pretty much the same question- “What’s going on in the heavens?” Well, a lot is going on and I suspect many of you are feeling it in some way. For the past two years we have been going through a lot of tension-producing transits, but it is now that they are all finally coming together as we move into this summer’s cardinal squares between Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto. The activation of this has been what has been emerging this week with special force.

In the Mundane World

Jupiter is moving closer to its conjunction with Uranus, which occurs on June 6, 2010. But on Sunday, May 23, the day this newsletter is being written, Jupiter is in exact opposition to Saturn. Let me begin by looking at the long-term effect of Jupiter opposing Saturn, because, by itself, it is a very important transit. The Jupiter/Saturn cycle is a 20-year cycle that rules the economic and social life of a person, family, business, or nation and the principles that guide these areas of life. The mid-point of this cycle (the 10-year mark) is occurring now, which is what is signaled by the opposition. Any opposition is similar to a Full Moon in that it brings things to a head, a fulfillment, so that the seed of what was planted at the conjunction can now be fully seen. The conjunction in 2000 was at 22° of Taurus, which is an earth sign. Yes, an earth sign. Maybe we ought to look at what the earth is telling us.

The Great Oil Spill(?)

There are a variety of astrological factors that can explain this increasingly horrible event. But I believe that the chief thing that has triggered this is the very transit I’m writing about now. As of now, we do not have a clue as to how big this spill is going to be nor what the effects on our environment and economy will be. This is not a spill. The images we are finally beginning to see show that huge amounts of oil are pouring into the Gulf of Mexico. We are discovering that we are not being told anywhere near the full story about the amounts flowing out of this gash in the Gulf or when it will be stopped. We do not know what things will look like when the crisis has ended. Will there be oil on the beaches from Mexico to the north Atlantic? How many animals will perish and how severely will the economy be affected? A friend described the gushing forth of oil in a particularly accurate way when he said, “Mother Earth is bleeding out as if a surgical knife had accidentally hit a major artery.” It seems that sometimes images and poetry are the only real way to comprehend the truth.

Let’s return to the Jupiter/Saturn part of this event. To this author, there is a connection between this event and what happened in 2000 when George Bush and Dick Cheney were elected. In the following years Cheney held private meetings with the energy companies only the purpose of which was to ‘create’ an energy policy (?). This resulted in relaxed oversight of the oil companies in many areas. We are only now finding out about what this meant specifically. We were not allowed to know what was decided and what role the government would play in the new policies. But as we look at what is happening in the Gulf, the first question is “Why was there no contingency plans in place for an event like the one we are seeing?” It seems that no one thought this could happen. But can we be that naïve? There doesn’t seem to be a solution in place for this eventuality. How can this be?

This is but one example of what an opposition between Jupiter and Saturn can reveal. The nature of oppositions is that they reveal the truth or effects of something decided upon much earlier at the conjunction. The world is now seeing this in all of its disgusting and alarming images. I suspect that what will be revealed from this has only just begun.

Why Humans Often Learn the Hard Way and How Change Takes Place

One of the basic principles I offer is that individuals and collective entities are not the same. Individuals can choose to become aware of something before a huge crisis forces them to pay attention. We can extrapolate and prevent the worst effects of something before they strike. Large or collective organizations rarely do this. So, now, as a people, we are reaping (Saturn) what we have sown. I’m not really blaming the Bush administration. It is the entire nation that will bear the results of this. I say this because this nation loves its cars and the cheap gas that enables us to do what we want when we want. We have absolutely refused to change our lifestyle and have continued to regard views that we should pay attention to the potential damage to our environment with great disdain. Politicians always end up doing what the voters want. For the most part, they are followers. It’s the way of things.

I would like to add that before writing this blog article, I have spoken with many conservative friends about this event. Most of them agree with what I’ve said here. They do not see this article as a political one, but as a simple description of where we are as a people. It is my belief that both political parties represent ‘old ways’ of operating. Real rebellion will be seen when the entire system itself begins to be questioned. This is likely to come from more than one direction. The Tea Party movement is one arm of this process. It is not the only one. The change of which I am speaking goes much deeper and is more inclusive than what any one organization can bring forth.

What We Can Learn – Building for the Future

The implications of this massive spill are likely to be felt for many years. They will likely result in a new look at our energy policies and could become a springboard for the funding of research for alternative energy sources and many other things. As a people, we will learn from this and begin to regard the warnings of those who have been concerned about this as real and we will begin to do something about it. This is what oppositions are really for. They make us aware of something that has not yet been seen and felt, so they we can then act in a better way. It may even lead to the emergence of a new paradigm. This takes us to the deeper aspects of the present transits.

Rising Anxiety Accompanied by Rising Potentialities

I am giving an example of a real life crisis that is illuminating an area of life that is important. But underlying all of this is something much deeper. Because the outer planets of Uranus and Pluto are involved, something much bigger lies just below the surface of the world’s consciousness and for each of us as well. To understand the significance of the transits that are just beginning we must take a new look at Uranus and Pluto.

Uranus Challenging Saturn’s Power

The nature of Uranus is to bring about a revolution, a new way of thinking about the nature of reality. As such it must challenge Saturn’s power, its exclusivity, dominance and rigidity. When active like it is now, Uranus projects a fundamentally new image or paradigm into the world view of the people. It creates a new ‘ego’ in the sense that we don’t recognize ourselves after the change takes place. It asks for a transformation that brings to us a new way of perceiving reality. Uranus is called the “Illuminator” in that it brings forth the light of the Universal Principles so they may be seen in new forms and capable of fulfilling new needs at a particular time and place. It is a higher vibration which means some of us will be able to have new understandings that are more inclusive, holistic and integrated. When Uranus transits with Saturn as it is doing right now, it can bring about a confusing mixture of the old resisting the new, which simultaneously frustrates while also giving us hope of a new approach at the same time.

Pluto as the Sower of the Celestial Seed

The marvelous astrologer, Dane Rudhyar refers to Pluto in a poetic way as the ’sower of the celestial seed.’ A seed is created as part of the plant’s way of surviving, but that seed isn’t the plant itself. It is in the plant, but not of it. Thus, the seed is an archetypal image of transformation or the death-rebirth process. Before rebirth can occur, however, there must be a descent into the depths, for one’s very identity must die before anything truly new can be born. This is what makes the Plutonic process evolutionary in nature. It calls forth a leap into totally new territory. In this sense it follows the new insights of Uranus with the call for the creation of a truly new plant or way of being. One might ask the question – “Where does this new creation come from?” Certainly an aspect comes from the old plant in part, but that alone couldn’t create anything truly new. Something more essential is at play here.

Pluto is attempting to concretize or bring substance to the Divine itself. It is universal in nature, but becomes specific for an individual. This occurs through the realization that by confronting both sides of the life experience we can be transformed in a fundamental way. Can we know abundance if we never experience poverty? Can we know health if we have never experienced disease? I do not refer to a mere intellectual understanding. That is not enough to bring about the kind of rebirth that may literally change one’s DNA. This process is visceral, in one’s body, and changes us forever. In its highest sense, it can take us so far from one’s old understandings that an entirely new paradigm or way of looking at reality is created. This can be resisted and often is, at least at first. When that happens, things turn ugly as we attempt to force things in a ruthless and manipulative way. But for some of us, Pluto calls us to go through a life-changing process that opens us up to a totally new way of Being

Summary

We are going through a very unusual period now and there will be many different ways in which it will manifest. It can be helpful to acknowledge the fact that a fundamental, cultural shift is emerging for us, both as individuals as well as the collective society. For some of us, it can lead to a deep transformation that enables to see ourselves as Divine beings, with a purpose that transcends mere personal matters. Every realization we make can be thought of as a doorway to a profoundly new understanding of ourselves and the World in which we live.  But the fundamental changes to which I refer are not here yet. There are the feelings of tension, frustration and anxiety that always precedes major changes, but they are a part of the coming future. The bigger changes are not quite here yet. We have more to see and discover. For some people that I know, relationships are ending. These endings are best seen as indicators of a bigger shift in terms of the way one regards relationship in general. Every change one goes through now may end up being bigger and more significant that what we are able to see in the moment. It is a very exciting time to be alive, especially because of all the challenges we may be facing. Why? Because there is a very good chance that some real change will become possible as a result of what is coming to the surface. Pun intended.

Please feel free to make comments and express personal experiences to the readers of this Blog.

Thanks so much.

Mercury Going Direct & This Summer’s Cardinal T-Square

The month of May is likely to be the ‘quiet before the storm’, if not the beginning of that storm. It may have already begun. From June through September we will finally begin the set of transits that are similar to those that occurred last in 1931, which marked the actual beginning of the Great Depression. The times are not the same as they were then in so many ways, so we cannot know how things will play out, but the world is going to be going through great changes and instability. This becomes even truer since one of the planets involved with this 4 planet T-square is Uranus, which is, by definition an indicator of surprises, the unexpected and sudden change. An example of Uranus is the ever-growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which remains uncontained after many weeks. It seems this this shocking event has come out of the blue and we still don’t know when it will the leak will be stopped. No one knows the scope of this disaster or how we will be affected by it over the next several months or more.

Mercury Goes Direct

On Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 3:27pm PDST, Mercury will return to its direct motion completing the review phase we’ve been in for the last 3 weeks. This means that right now the ‘Winged Messenger’ is moving very slowly and is considered to be stationary. This increases the intensity of any planet doing this, so one’s mental processes and way of communicating can be more intense than usual and the mind can actually fixate on one viewpoint at this time. This is a good time to avoid taking one’s thoughts too seriously. It is best to take note of them, but wait for a few days before acting on them. We need to see what we are thinking after Mercury turns direct or even a couple days after that. Some of those thoughts we may be able to trust. By the same token, the review process is mostly done.

Whatever has changed is not likely to change again, though what one decides to do with what has been revealed, may indeed change. This is something to take a good look at. There is a difference between changing one’s mind or view of something and what one then does as the result of what one has discovered. Mind (Mercury) is not necessarily an indicator of how one ought to act or what one should do (Mars). Often when we wait until we have processed Mercury’s information, we find that the decision about what to do comes naturally, but only if the process in not rushed too quickly. Another way of expressing this is to suggest that the process of receiving new information is about to end, but since Mercury is still in the area within which it retrograded, the ‘what-we-must-do’ part of the process is still yet to be determined. Sometimes, the new information can be a shock and we can be numbed by its effects. Unless you are certain that you must act, if you have been significantly affected by the last few weeks of transits, feel free to wait until you’re really ready before making any decisions on what to do. This is especially true right now because of what Jupiter and Uranus are doing.

A Deeper Look at Uranus

On May 27, 2010, Uranus enters Aries, the sign that can best be described poetically as the archetypal ‘first day of spring.’ Right now, Jupiter is approaching Uranus and enters Aries itself on June 6, 2010. They come together two days later on June 8. With this in mind, I’d like to focus on the nature of Uranus and how its energy is already in play, but is likely to become much more so in the next month.

Let me just express some basic key concepts for this archetype. Uranus is the principle of the unexpected and represents ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking and acting. It is the fringe element that seeks to leave the status-quo behind so as to free itself from the constraints of the ordinary, of sameness and of inertia. It is the principle of rebellion, revolution and seeks to upend the ordinary and wherever we must conform. It is the ‘maverick’ in the truest sense of the word. Uranus exposes us to sudden realizations, the truly new idea, that seems to come out of nowhere. And these ideas are often so far out, that they cannot be accepted since they cannot be proved, at least not yet. Often, great thinkers have Uranus strongly marked in their charts and are often only appreciated years after their lives. Sometimes a person is just so far ahead of the times, that they cannot be seen, certainly not by the mainstream. Of course, the other side of the coin can also be true. This planet can bring about erratic behavior and even extreme volatility; the need to change things for the sake of change, and not really wait to see if the change or the revolution is worth all that will be set into motion if it is carried out.

The most relevant part of Uranus right now is the concept of independence and freedom from restriction. I am often asked if Uranus is conservative or liberal and the answer seems to be ‘both and neither.’ Like the true outsider, Uranus cannot be understood if we attempt to put it in a box, define it strictly and categorize things in an ordinary way. In fact, it works to take us out of any box, label or model. Many conservatives act in a Uranian way when they express their desire to restrict or reduce government so that we don’t lose our freedom. They focus on independence on oneself rather than dependence on institutions to take care of us and they advocate reduced taxes. Libertarians act in a Uranian way when they advocate the legalization of ‘moral’ laws such as restrictions on certain drugs such as marijuana, wanting government to get out of the bedroom by ending all laws on who can get married to whom and the end of nearly all taxation. And liberals act in a Uranian way when they advocate for a humanitarian approach to people who are unable to take care of themselves and the creation of institutions that no individual can do by itself alone.

Uranus cannot be put into a box and this is exactly its biggest contribution. It is rebelling against any box, any model, any approach because it knows that any structure (Saturn) is not perfect and will inevitably outlive its usefulness. It asks the questions that we ’shouldn’t’ ask, the ones that go against the grain and it is open to the unproven realm of the truly new.

With Jupiter about to conjunct these wild Uranian forces, it will expand all the impulses I’ve just mentioned and much more. Chances are that the polarization we are seeing will increase even more and that many people will feel disenchanted, unheard and alienated. The excitement level is going to be very high and many people may be easily triggered by an event and/or certain passions that could get out of control. But also, new solutions may be considered, the needed paradigm changers, and out-of-the-box thinking may lead to revolutionary changes, technological ones that could change the nature of the game we are in. There are so many ways the coming transit could manifest and all of the possibilities are likely to appear somewhere. The feel of the times will likely be ones of uncertainty, and even confusion as the structures will feel very unstable and unreliable. In other words, the illusion of stability itself will be seen.

I will be describing more as we move into the summer and as always I encourage my readers to take the time to respond if they feel moved to do so. And I also want to encourage everyone to take up the sword of the truly unconventional by being willing to stray beyond the dualistic model that so dominates modern thinking and to ask questions that consider possibilities that are outside the obsolete models we have relied on for so long. Perhaps the conservative/liberal ways of defining things can itself be seen as outmoded and limiting. One of the best images I know of to describe the most positive possibility of the coming transits comes from the movie “Cocoon.” It is the scene where the extra-terrestrials take off their bodies like a suit and are suddenly seen as bodies of light. Now that’s Uranus.

Each of us will respond to this period in ways that do arise from the potentials of our own chart, but there is a good chance that each of us will experience some sort of upheaval that could end up taking us far from where we are now. May we all feel expanded and able to enjoy the ride.

When is Deadlock Really Deadlock?

There are quite a few very interesting transits occurring right now, the strongest of which indicates delay and even deadlock, but some of which also indicates progress and movement as well. I find that this is when astrology can really help us understand not only what is happening in the present, but also be able to extrapolate on where things might be going. Let’s get specific.

1. On Monday, April 26th, 2010, Saturn opposed Uranus. This transit has been in effect since it happened for the first time on the day when Obama was elected President, Nov. 4, 2008. His entire Administration up to now has been ruled by this significant planetary transit.
2. There is a Full Moon on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 5:18am PDST. The Sun will be at 8° Taurus and the Moon will oppose the Sun at 8° Scorpio.
3. Finally, there is the Inferior conjunction between the Sun and Mercury (the conjunction when Mercury is retrograde) also on April 28 only three hours after the Full Moon.

These three transits then are happening so close together that they are, in effect, acting as one very significant transit.

The headline in the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday morning, April 27th was “GOP unites to block Finance bill.” In the article we discover that the vote was regarded by most observers as political theater. On one hand, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that “a party (meaning the Republican Party) that stands with Wall Street is a party that stands against families and fairness.” In rebuttal, Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell states that the GOP believes that the Democrats plan does not do enough to ensure that the government would not again foot the bill for bailing out institutions deemed to be ‘too big to fail.’ Isn’t there a way for these two viewpoints to come together? It does seem a bit crazy to think that there’s no way for something that both sides could embrace.

The average citizen can only read this and wonder what is going on. It is next to impossible to be able to tell exactly what each party stands for and against. There is certainly the sense that Congress is almost completely deadlocked. It has been during the entire period when Saturn is opposed to Uranus. The general and simplistic meaning of this transit is that the forces of change (Uranus) are going to be met with resistance (Saturn). Most of the time, after a long and drawn out fight, the forces of change will probably win.

But deadlock is not the only way a transit like this can manifest. It is also true that any important changes should be examined carefully before being enacted, which means that the Saturn force is needed. It does have the potential to bring about a more studied approach rather than a knee-jerk reaction to the impetuousness of Uranian need for sudden change. I would offer the idea that frustration builds up over time when people feel that needed changes are, for some reason, not being made. This is when a transit like this one can become so difficult.

Increased Polarization

The fact is that transit oppositions often bring about increased polarization. This allows for a revealing of the different viewpoints around any issue. In other words, people do differ in their respective approaches to social and political issues, but most of the time, there is not great emphasis on this. When oppositions or squares occur, the situation changes and great emphasis on the differences become much more pronounced. This is especially true when there is great frustration around the issues.

Look at what is happening in Arizona, where the most severe immigration bill in U.S. history has been passed. This bill is quite complicated, but it directs the police to stop anyone who they deem as a possible illegal alien and to demand proof that they are in the U.S. legally. It even goes so far to allow citizens to sue the police if an officer does not enforce this new law. There are many legal reasons why this bill is unlikely to ever become law, but that isn’t stopping the state of Arizona from attempting to enforce it. Obama has already ordered the Justice Dept. to investigate the law to determine if it is unconstitutional. The oddity of this law is what is so striking. How can a police officer determine who they can stop or question without using race or ethnicity as the primary factor? It is illegal to do so. Yet, the Arizona lawmakers contend that there is a way. Now, the State of Arizona has actually asked the U.S. Justice Dept. to help them determine legal ways to implement and enforce this law.

Is this law not an expression of huge frustration and polarization? It has already increased the polarization, not only in the U.S., but also Mexico. Some in Mexico are already concerned about legal tourists from Mexico being harassed or detained. Many are calling for boycotts, a reminder of the boycotts of many organizations who refused to have any conferences or conventions in state due to Arizona’s refusal to enact the Martin Luther King holiday.

Yet, the point of this is that when people are extremely frustrated, they will often call for extreme actions or draconian measures, if only to bring greater attention to a problem that has been ignored. The polarization this brings about then demands that whatever issues are being brought forth now be addressed and confronted. Thus, a re-balancing or equilibrium can result from that.

How Can Individuals Can Handle This?

While it is quite interesting to look at how astrology is affecting events in our nation or the general collective, it is perhaps more relevant to my readers to look at how we can use this information to help us learn and grow as we handle these same transits on a personal level. The real purpose behind my mentioning the way that events manifest in the outer world is to help us extrapolate on them and apply the principles we can learn from them to our own lives and situations.

This is a great time to pay close attention to whatever polarities are operating for us now, whether they are in our relationships, career or life goals. We can begin to inquire into questions such as where do I feel conflicted, what do I need to bring to some form of resolution, what must I make an effort to clarify, etc.

The Next Full Moon and the Mid-point of the Mercury Retrograde

Since a Full Moon can bring things to a head or fulfillment, this is a great time to become clear about some area with which we find ourselves struggling. The fact that we are also experiencing the Inferior Conjunction between the Sun and Mercury, suggests that the idea(s) that will help us most are likely to be new and/or inspiring ones. At this stage of the Mercury Retrograde, more will still have to be reviewed, but at the mid-point of this cycle, something old is ending and that simultaneously means that something new is emerging. So, if you are connecting with a new idea, concept or approach to an area of your life, it is good to be open to it, while continuing to investigate and learn more so that one is able to make the right decision as we move forward.

Please feel free to express your thoughts to this article and to also let the readers know how you are being affected by these transits.

Thanks.

About Writing (and a little on Mercury Retrograde)

I know the title of this newsletter article is strange. But partially because I really love the strange and also because the entire writing process for me and many others is so doggone hard, I thought that I’d express some of my thoughts about the writing process itself. Then I’ll get into the subject of the Mercury retrograde cycle we are about to enter. After all, Mercury is concerned with communication, so why not talk about that very thing.

When I’m staring at the intimidating blank page, everything I thought I was going to write about suddenly comes into question. Is it really the thing I want to write about? Will people like it or find it relevant? How should I go about saying it? And why am I picking this topic and not something else that is equally important or interesting? Then I usually go blank until my thoughts seem to always come back to one basic question. Why am I writing this at all? What is my motive? Then I just go – Hmmm! Part of this question includes looking at not just why I find the subject interesting, but more importantly, why might the reader find this interesting. But the irony is that since I’m not a mind reader, I don’t know, and cannot know, what the reader will find interesting. At this point the mind goes quiet and I just sit. I gradually become quite simple with myself and ‘feel’ my own desire to have an adventure. That’s how it starts for me along with the hope that some of my readers will also have an adventure with me.

One of my favorite writers, Malcolm Gladwell, who wrote a book called “What the Dog Saw”, summarized his thoughts on this very subject as follows: “Good writing does not succeed or fail on the strength of its ability to persuade. It succeeds or fails on the strength of its ability to engage you, to make you think, to give you a glimpse into someone else’s head – even if in the end you conclude that someone else’s head is not a place you’d really like to be.” Having said all this, I can only add my hope that you may enjoy a short adventure into the mind of an astrologer who enjoys giving you a glimpse of what is in his head.

Mercury Retrograde

Many people nowadays are aware of the Mercury retrograde period. It occurs every 4 months or so and lasts for approximately 21 days, more or less. Sometimes, I think of it as the ’scapegoat’ of astrology since so many blame events in their life on this astrological transit. Caught up in the blaming aspect, we can lose sight of the fact that this period is actually quite important, valuable and necessary.

Here are the details: Mercury went retrograde on Saturday night, April 17th, 2010 at 9:06pm, PDST at 12° of Taurus. It continues its retrograde movement until Tuesday, May 11th where it returns to its regular direct motion at 3:27pm at 2°40′ of Taurus. Anyone whose natal chart is activated by the area that is affected by this cycle, will be noticing its effects with more emphasis.

The value of all Mercury retrograde cycles is that it is necessary for us to review and look more deeply at some area of our life involving our thinking and communication with others. The regular motion of Mercury is quite rapid, often moving at a faster speed than the Sun. As such, our minds race forward and if it weren’t for this cycle, we could not only get way ahead of ourselves, but not have the chance to be aware of the need for reflection and reevaluation. This is exactly what is needed for the next three weeks. However, it is also true that this can be an especially active time, even though one would prefer to have time to kick back and ponder. This is due to the fact that another aspect of this period is that one is often going to feel a need or demand to finish a cycle. Often it is accompanied with a feeling that it absolutely MUST be finished. So, we have two contrary forces operating at the same time, rest and reflection - opposed by the need to make an effort to complete some cycle or project. Meanwhile, there is a greater likelihood of things breaking down or needing to be fixed, while simultaneously feeling the need to move forward rapidly, which, of course, is usually not possible. Lovely, isn’t it? So, what are we to do? Patience is what we need here, accepting, if we can, what we are able to move forward on and what are not. Not so easy, though, if you have a very demanding boss who knows nothing of Mercury retrograde and can’t stand hearing ‘excuses.’ That’s one of the problems of living in a culture that does not have a clue about timing.

Since this cycle occurs in Taurus, patience becomes even more necessary than ever. The strength of Taurus is thoroughness, steadiness and not missing the little details that are, in fact, so important. So, this particular retrograde cycle may feel even slower than most of them. If we can accept this, any developing frustration will be mitigated or even non-existent. It can also ask us to closely examine our underlying values so as to help guide us to a deeper understanding of what we really do care about and where we want to spend our time the most.

One astrological aspect this Mercury retrograde cycle will be making is a square to Mars. This will amp up the desire nature and increase our tendency to push-push, no matter what the obstacles. It could even heighten the tendency to become angry and hostile if frustration builds to the breaking point. So, it is going to be especially wise to remain calm no matter what is going on at work, on the road, or in any communication. I’ll be saying more when we get further into the retrograde cycle, especially when we reach what’s called the Inferior Conjunction between the Sun and Mercury, which will occur on April 28th at 8° Taurus.

Soon the Game Will Change

For the past 12-18 months, the underlying transits have all  had a very Saturnian nature. For one thing, Saturn has been in aspect to both Uranus and Pluto for this entire period. In its negative aspect, Saturn can increase one’s pessimism, emphasize what is not possible and all the reasons for why something will not work and provide the sense that life is hard and full of challenge and limitation. An example of this, in my opinion, is the Tea Party movement, which has primarily an anti-tax message. The interesting thing is that taxes for those earning less than $250,000 a year, is less than it was. Also, although there is more we need to know about the details of the bail-out program, it does seem possible that the actual cost will be less than expected. I’m not sure yet what is driving this movement, though in the coming year, I suspect we will learn a lot more about this.

The truth is that Saturn does approach every matter with realism and caution, but this can be helpful. It can temper us, prevent excessive enthusiam and focus our attention on taking care of our obligations (debts). Because Jupiter has been absent from this underlying transit, Saturn has had the dominant influence over us. It is this that will be changing very soon. In late May, Uranus will change signs and enter Aries, which will quickly be followed by Jupiter in early June. On June 6th, Jupiter and Uranus will conjunct in Aries and the energies of life will begin to feel quite different than it does now and do so almost immediately.

Jupiter is about expansion and freedom, while Uranus is concerned with independence, individualism and in Aries, great spontaneity. Together, they are likely to drive the Saturn restraint and caution out of the building. This is one of those transits that everyone will be able to experience personally. It will brighten things up a bit, but also create a great sense of volatility and unpredictability. I’ll have a lot more to say about this transit in the coming months and into the next year as well.

As always, I invite you to respond with your own experiences of Mercury retrograde and urge you to return to the blog from time to time to see what others are saying. I will try to respond to reader questions as much as possible. And if you also would like to share your own thoughts about your process of writing, please feel free to share. I’m sure many of the readers will appreciate it.

Enjoy!

Pluto and Venus and More About this Summer’s Intense Transits

One of the things that astrologers look for to discover short-term themes is whenever a planet changes direction. The reason is that for several days or weeks that planet is either completely stationary or barely moving at all. The effect of this is amplify the nature of that planet’s effect on human behavior. This week Pluto becomes stationary on Tuesday, April 6th and will be affecting us more than usual all this week. Also, Venus is in trine (a harmonious and flowing aspect) to Pluto so let’s see what this might look like. Pluto intensifies whatever it touches while Venus rules love, relationships and values, finances and money. Venus is in Taurus, which it rules and Pluto is in Capricorn, so these two planets are in earth signs, focusing our attention on tangible and practical things. A small example for me is that I’m intending to buy a high quality blender as I’m in the process of changing (Pluto) my diet and want to add juicing to my new way of eating. Another way it could be manifesting is that it can make it easier for a person to get a loan or financing for something one wants. Things are ripe for opportunities to appear that can mark relatively harmonious changes for us. Pluto rules the many forms of transformation, both physical and psychological, so if you’ve been waiting for something to happen so you could buy something you want or get a good loan, this may be a good time for that.

About the Matter of Love

Pluto and Venus, as a planetary pair, are often written about as ‘intense attraction.’ It can certainly be that, but then it can also sometimes be viewed as ‘fatal intense attraction.’ That’s Pluto’s way of turning things into black/white or all or nothing situations, which can lead to very negative emotional states. This does not have to always be the case. The moment we decide to enter our own ‘underworld’, and become conscious of the nature of our ‘obsession’, Pluto changes from being just plain crazy to something potentially very deep and transformative. The present transit is most likely to be too short for this to occur, but it’s worth mentioning as a red flag of warning and simultaneously, a potential great opportunity for growth. It’s always best to take a deeper look when attraction becomes so intense that we can’t think of anything else. It means that a projection is occurring. If we can discover the nature of this projection, it can lead to a release of charges that brings the Life force into us.

Another way to say this is to look at Pluto as a great force of release of the false and inauthentic in favor of the real and authentic. That’s what happens when we let go of the projection. It also means that one becomes able to truly see and relate with another person. So often in life, we think we are in relationship when we are not. It is as if the relationship with our own projections have taken over and blocked us from seeing the one we love. Pluto can assist us to create real relationships when we are willing to see the projection and let go of them. Finally, the ‘Plutonic process’ is about destroying the armor that most of us have encased around us.

The Cardinal T-square of this Summer

Although I’ll be writing more about this as we get closer, it may be helpful to begin to take note of what is coming beginning this summer. This very difficult transit runs from June to September of 2010 as well as in early 2011. It is composed of Pluto squaring an opposition between Jupiter/Uranus and Saturn. This type of transit last occurred in 1931. It is likely to affect our financial system, especially the huge banks and the problems created by our huge debt. But it also will force us to look at the fundamental tension between the Aries and Libra polarity. This polarity is two sides of a set that can be described as self/other, me first/ we first, my needs/our needs, etc.

Aries is the archetypal sign of the individual with an adventurous spirit looking for every opportunity to express itself dynamically and spontaneously. It hates it if it feels blocked or opposed in its attempt to do what it wants, when it wants and where it wants. This is the explorer seeking out unchartered territory and finding itself through its having to face real challenge.

Libra, its polar opposite, is concerned with ones desire to and be in relationship, the aesthetics and subtleties of that wondrous art of connecting and partnering with another person. Libra is the archetypal principle of justice, fairness, balance and the seeking of solutions to relationship or societal issues.

This opposition is going to create great challenges for this nation in particular, especially given the state of things already. Oppositions have the potential of bringing people or a nation together, but only after the tension is used to resolve whatever conflicts are emerging. Individuals can take on the task quite readily, but nations usually go through a much more difficult process as the initial stages of the transit brings about more polarity, not less. The purpose for this is to enable everyone to concerned to become more aware of what the dividing issues are. When there is true discourse, discussion and debate, creative solutions that neither side could find on its own, are discovered. When there is no attempt to see the viewpoints of the other side, obviously the opposition will result in stalemate, frustration and anger. Is this not the state of things right now in our political system?

I’ll be observing and commenting on this much more in the coming months and hope you will choose to join in with me. It should be very interesting times that are approaching.

I want to encourage readers to respond to the article you’ve just read. I will be making more of an effort to write responses to your questions and comments whenever I can, so I also want to invite my readers to check back and see more reader comments as well as my own. This forum is not meant for people who agree with me only. It is important nowadays for people to air their different viewpoints, especially if it furthers discussion and debate. The purpose of discourse is to reveal something new, whether it be new information or a new way of looking at some idea or concept. This is the great value of any opposition.

However, please do not post ‘ad hominem’ attacks (attacks against a person rather than an idea) against me or any person making comments. There is too much of this in the national discourse and it blocks real discussion. I will not post any comments of this type. Stick to the issues and this blog can become interesting and fun. Thanks in advance for your comments.