Taurus Ingress, New Moon in Taurus

Today, shortly after noon time here in the EDT time zone Sun moves into “feet on the ground” Taurus.  Taurus is a very sensuous, luxury loving, practical earth sign.  When a planet or “light” (Sun and Moon) enters a new sign astrologers cast a chart for that moment. This is called an Ingress chart.  The theory is that this chart will provide clues to what events and concerns will be prevalent while the planet or light moves through that sign.  The Sun’s transit through a sign and the corresponding Lunation cycle offer useful tools to use if you want to get in sync with the rhythms of the universe.  The Sun’s importance in the life cycle cannot be underestimated. We could not live without the Sun.  In astrology the Sun is the creative spark, the core self and everything else in the horoscope is filtered through the Sun’s position.  When the Sun travels through a particular house in the horoscope it literally lights up and activates the symbolism, ideas, people and events associated with that house.  A first house transit is very different from a twelfth house transit.  We shine and feel energetic and assertive while Sun travels through our first house, while a twelfth house transit often has us feeling fatigued and content to work behind the scenes.

This Ingress chart set for Washington, DC has some interesting planetary configurations that are in play for the New Moon in Taurus on Saturday, April 21^st.  The asteroid Juno conjoins the North Node in Sagittarius. These two form a favorable trine aspect to a Mercury/Uranus conjunction in Aries.  The asteroid Juno represents marriage, relationship, and the harmony and discord within relationships.  The Nodes of the Moon symbolize the past and the future.  Nodal contacts between people, IMHO, often means the two have to do “stuff” together. It may or may not be the be all and end all of relationships, but it often takes you out of your comfort zone forcing you to grow. At other times those relationships send you diving for cover back into your comfort zone triggering an awareness of repeating patterns.  Mercury and Uranus together jumps out and says be ready for some startling news.  Mix it all together and what do you get?  In Mythology, Juno is the Roman counterpart to Greek Hera, wife of philandering Zeus.  Juno/Hera was not of the “turn the other cheek” variety she was more the “hell hath no fury” type. Relationships are highlighted for good or ill.

Another important configuration involves a “grand square” with Mars in Virgo, opposing Neptune in Pisces, both squaring the nodal axis, North Node in Sagittarius conjunct the aforementioned Juno, with South Node in Gemini with Venus just out of the picture in Gemini as well. Mars is all about action, energy and how we assert ourselves. In Virgo the Martian energy is focused on analyzing, organizing, work, health, and diet. In Virgo it is important to express anger and not let it build up for it is sure to affect the health. While Mars in Virgo is all for the concrete and real across the Zodiac sits Neptune in Pisces wallowing in the mystical and magical at work dissolving walls and boundaries.  Whatever Neptune in Pisces is, it is not clear. If it is clear, it is clear to those who are highly evolved.  The Mother Theresa’s and Buddhist monk among us tune into Neptune in Pisces’ highest vibration in direct communication with the Goddess/God and walking the path of righteousness. Those less evolved don the rose colored glasses and often seek the divine in a bottle of booze.  

Last, but certainly not least, is the Grand Trine between the New Moon,  Sun/Moon in Taurus trine Mars in Virgo (Mars is busy in Virgo), and Pluto in Capricorn.  Now trines are considered aspects of ease and a Grand Trine can be a blessing in the natal chart as it indicates talents that come easily.  But just because it is easy does not mean that it is good. One must not forget that Mars’, in shy, retiring Virgo or not, first order of business is war and aggression.  Pluto brings transformation and issues of power and control to the fore.  Pluto rules debt, interest rates and the like. New Moon in Venus ruled Taurus is about love and money.  This is a Grand Trine in earth, nothing mystical here.  This Grand Trine will manifest in the real world.

Love, money and assorted relationships will top the list of concerns facing people this month.  Some relationships will end with a sparkling explosion while some of the more casual will deepen into a serious commitment. The issues of honesty, faithfulness and gaining trust will test many. By the Full Moon on May 5^th it’s all going to hit the fan. Money and the misuse of funds, love and betrayal, deception and truth create a mine field of intense emotion.  Many will shoot off their mouth without thinking.  While a lot may need to be said, think.  Are you done with this situation? Can anything be salvaged from this relationship? Or is it time to move on?  Last Quarter Moon, with Moon in Aquarius trining practical Saturn tones down the emotional roller coaster and brings some rationality into the picture.  Last Quarter Moon is a good time to end things. Ending or not different attitudes and feelings develop after the Sun moves into Gemini May 20^th and the next Lunation cycle begins.  This New Moon will be a Solar Eclipse in Gemini. A new cycle, new attitude and new ideas bring a fresh perspective.

Amy Winehouse and the Critical 27th Year

Amy Winehouse, the talented and troubled Diva is the latest to join the unfortunate Club 27, the group of the young and talented who have died at the age of 27. What is it about this year in the life that makes it so critical? Astrologer’s look at planetary cycles and transits to the natal horoscope for clues. One of the techniques in the Astrologer’s tool box is the “day for a year” method. The theory is that the first day of life relates to the first year of life, the second day of life to the second year and so on.  Using the person’s current age the astrologer moves the planets and house cusps of the horoscope along to where they were the same number of days after birth and casts a horoscope for that day. This is called Secondary Progressions. In the 27^th year of life the Secondary Progressed Moon is at the same degree as the Natal Moon. The Progressed Moon on the degree of the Natal Moon brings up many childhood and emotional issues.   The Club 27 members all had the Secondary Progressed Moon near to the degree of their Natal Moon.  Now many of Rock and Roll's bad boys and girls have rolled through the 27^th year and  lived to tell the tale. What is the difference? First we always look at the natal chart, if it is not promised in the Natal, no amount of transits or progressions will change the basic nature of the person.  This progression happens to everyone. What is different about Club 27’s is the promise of the natal as well as other transits occurring during the year 27. In this instance, Ms. Winehouse was undergoing a series of significant transits that contributed to this regrettable outcome. As you would expect given her flamboyant lifestyle her Natal Horoscope is most interesting. A Virgo, with Retrograde Mercury in conjunction with the Sun, these two are in square aspect to her Moon in early Capricorn conjunct Neptune in late Sagittarius. Her horoscope is filled with planetary pairings; Mars and Venus conjunct in Leo, Uranus and Jupiter conjunct in Sagittarius, Pluto and Saturn in out of sign conjunction in Libra/Scorpio.  These pairs are all connected to one another, either by easy trines and sextiles or the more difficult squares.  So when a transiting planet hits one pair the energy reverberates around her chart. At the time of her death Mars was transiting her first house, the physical body conjunct her natal North Node. The Nodes are the point where the Moon’s orbit takes her to the ecliptic going north or south. The North and South Nodes are exactly opposite. The transiting Nodal Axis put the North Node on her Natal South Node and the transiting South on her North. The Nodal cycle is 18.6 years and the Nodes themselves have much to do with relationships, Karma and past lives.  So transiting Mars, the action, energy planet, who can be a real bad guy when he wants to, fired up her Nodal Axis, which in turn activated her Moon/Neptune conjunction.  Moon/Neptune turned around and spit in the eye of the Sun/Mercury conjunction. Her Mars/Venus, connected to her Moon/Neptune as well as Bad Boy Mars brought more energy to the party. Her horoscope clearly reflects her incredible talent and artistic ability and the transits to it reveal difficulty, stress and a certain amount of anxiety.  Most of the planets in her horoscope are below the horizon, indicating someone who prefers privacy and shuns the public eye.  Her life took her in the opposite direction and while a blessing it could not have been easy for her. It is a sad day when a creative light is dimmed.