Look Up! The Moon is Full

Look up this Wednesday night and see that big old Moon beaming down at you. This is a fixed Full Moon falling along the Leo/Aquarius axis. Full Moons bring to fruition what was planted at the New Moon, the beginning of the cycle.  The horrendous events in Aurora, CO. kicked off this New Moon. Now as the Full Moon perfects the alleged perpetrator is being charged with 24 counts of murder.

The Full Moon chart has Jupiter in Gemini sextile the Sun in Leo and trine the Moon in Aquarius.  Jupiter in Gemini for the next year brings big news, reporting that is over the top. In personal lives Jupiter in Gemini can bring to much information about siblings, neighbors and folks in general.  A sextile between Jupiter and the Sun is a beneficial connection. People with lots of sextiles in their horoscope often have a network of helpful friends and colleagues. Jupiter in trine to the Moon is a sure guarantee that something big is going to grab the attention of the public. There’s a lot going on in the world today, the Olympics, Syria, the US Presidential election, the global financial crisis, any one of these could grab the headlines.

Venus in Gemini makes a pleasing trine to Saturn in Libra.  Venus is about love and money. Saturn is about the structures we build in our lives. Often a Venus/Saturn connection between the charts of two people signals a long term relationship that leads to that old institution, marriage.  Institutions belong to Saturn while relationships belong to Venus. If marriage is not in the picture, a transit like this often moves a relationship from casual to more committed one such as a contract employee becoming a permanent hire.

At this Full Moon the influence of the Uranus/Pluto square continues to weigh in as it will through March 2015 and beyond.  This 126 year cycle brings about huge societal changes. The waning square occurred in the early 1930’s the deepest part of the Great Depression.  The conjunction of the two occurred during the turbulent 1960’s. Both eras brought big change and those changes did not come easy. Now we are experiencing global financial stress, political divisions that seem impossible to bridge and a society that is divided and on one hand confused and on the other hand well informed.  One thing for sure is that change is coming.

Mercury continues in retrograde motion in the Full Moon chart so be wary of false information, don’t make snap judgments, reconfirm all reservations and read the fine print before signing anything. Mercury goes direct on August 8^th.  After the change in direction new information surfaces, clarity emerges and we are better able to make decisions. During the retrograde period it is best to revise and review.  Clean out your closets and reevaluate what is important to you and what is not.

It is important during this period to be ready to roll with the punches.  Work on what you can control and deal with what you can’t control. The trick is to recognize and accept the things that are out of your control.  That’s the tough one!

New Moon in Cancer - A Bit Chaotic

The July 19^th New Moon in Cancer kicked off a cycle that is bound to be quirky and full of surprises. Moon rules this cycle for sure, in Cancer, in the fourth house, the sign and position where the lunar energies are most strong and function at the optimal level. Folks will be leading with their emotions. Saturn in Libra, square the lunation point offers a bit of temperance but he may very well be out gunned by the strength of the Moon.   Mars in Libra opposing Uranus in Aries receives a boost from friendly Jupiter in Gemini. This combination speaks to impulsive actions, gut reactions and the ignoring of that old adage, “look before you leap”.  In the big wide world, high stakes games are being played.  Be prepared for some crazy rhetoric and irrational thinking.  A lot of drama and conflict with some “good stuff” in between. 

This lunation cycle with Moon in Cancer brings up stuff from the past. If these issues have not been resolved previously, this resurfacing brings the opportunity to settle the matter once and for all.  The energies prevalent now call for change; the important thing to remember is not to change simply for the sake of change.  Think it through, examine all the possible outcomes, and dig deep within yourself to insure that the changes being made are what you truly want.

Of course, with the current planetary configuration in play of Mars opposite Uranus and both squaring Pluto, change may be unavoidable and will come from outside events over which the individual has no control.  As the First Quarter Moon approaches news and shocking events trigger strong emotional response. Be aware that information may be distorted, exaggerated and possibly not true at all. This cycle of misinformation carries through the Full Moon period.  At the Last Quarter we are able to sort the truth from the lies and begin the process of assimilation and dissemination of what we have gained during this cycle.

During these changing and chaotic times it is essential to plant feet firmly on the ground and to keep head, heart and emotions clear and free of clutter. Some things cannot be changed and have to be dealt with. Other things can be changed.  The real trick is in recognizing what can be changed and what can’t. In relationships we often beat our heads against a stone wall for a long time before we realize that this particular significant other is not going to change. Either we accept that or we don’t. If we don’t it is the “I” not the “thou” that has to make the change. Change can be difficult as well as liberating.

The Cardinal signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn receive the energies most strongly and obviously. The Mutable signs of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces catch these configurations on a more subtle level. They get a sense of something but are not sure or clear on what it is.  The Fixed signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius make connections and receive information that requires review.

Regular meditation and times of quiet contemplation provide a respite from chaos and can bring clarity to the jumble of thoughts and emotions that the current planetary configurations bring.  Remember to breathe.

The Grist Mill Fire – Uranus Square Pluto

The Grist Mill is a local landmark that has been around since 1745. As the name suggests in the early days it was a grist mill where the local farmers brought grain for grinding. In my memory it has always been a restaurant.  Early Sunday morning, June 24, 2012 around 5:30 AM a trailer truck loaded with bananas smashed into the Grist Mill Restaurant in Seekonk, Mass.  The time comes from a Providence Journal report that states the owner said he received a call from a neighbor about the crash at 5:30 AM.

At 4:14 AM EDT the first of seven squares between Uranus and Pluto reached exactness.  A little over an hour later the accident occurred kicking off this series of squares with a bang.  This event embodies the symbolism of the Uranus/Pluto square. Uranus is all about shaking up the status quo, rattling the cages of the establishment. Uranus despises rigid ruts and hidebound attitudes. Uranus also rules the sudden, unexpected and the shocking. In Aries, fire is always a possibility and a connection to Pluto signals explosion.

Pluto is the great transformer, destroys in order to build something new and better. In Capricorn Pluto is digging deep into established institutions, like government, banks, and corporate entities.

The Grist Mill is an institution here in Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts, folks wept as they watched it being torn down. A friend having talked with the owner relayed the information that he planned to rebuild. If this is the case, true to Pluto’s connection to Scorpio, the New Grist Mill shall rise triumphantly from the ashes.

Like the cycle of the Sun and Moon, from New Moon to First Quarter to Full Moon then waning down to the Last Quarter, the planets have similar cycles. While the Sun/Moon cycle is a monthly one the Uranus/Pluto cycle is a long 126 years. The previous closing square or Last Quarter happened in the early 1930’s.  They moved into conjunction, together in the sky in the mid 1960’s.  And beginning now, through March 2015, they will be moving back and forth in the opening First Quarter square aspect. The slower moving planets and the aspects they make to one another signal broad social movements. The Depression of the 1930’s brought some reform, the creation of Social Security and the Security Exchange Commission. The explosive 1960’s triggered broad social change and the establishment of Medicare. The issues and movements associated with Uranus and Pluto reverberate today as they make their waxing square. The thread continues with the Occupy movement, health care issues and the economy.

If this Sunday morning accident is symbolic of the energy and events generated by the Uranus/Pluto square we can expect trailer trucks smashing into our beloved institutions. Uranus and Pluto can be very selective often targeting those institutions that have become hidebound and outlived their usefulness. They need to go, they need to be reorganized and rebuilt in a new and better way. The destruction and rebuilding of the Grist Mill illustrates this principle.  In the process of rebuilding the owner will incorporate the latest and the greatest equipment and design while retaining the historical charm and flavor that has been the mainstay of the Grist Mill Restaurant.

So don’t despair when over the coming years events shake the foundation, rattle the doors and crack the walls; if the edifice collapses something new and better will replace it.

A June to Remember – Complex Configurations and Some Tips on What to Look For In An Astrologer

This week brings the New Moon and the Summer Solstice. New Moons and Solstice/Equinox points are always important and these two are no exception. They are even more important due to other planetary configurations that are unfolding from now until the end of June. Events that take place now will have far reaching effects that we might not be aware of now. Obviously the elections in Greece and Egypt will certainly play an important role in the financial and political arenas effecting the lives of many around the world.

In addition to the New Moon and Summer Solstice on Sunday, June 24, 2012 the first of seven squares between Uranus and Pluto takes place. These planets were conjunct in the 1960’s. Prior to that, their last (closing) square occurred in the early 1930’s. Political and social unrest and upheaval accompany these two planets when they are in hard aspect. Broad social movements result. The financial calamity the world is in today is not quite as disastrous as the 1930’s because of the social programs put into effect at that time. Here in the United States particularly Social Security and unemployment insurance provide a safety net protecting many from total deprivation. During the 1960’s there was the Vietnam War, the beginning of Medicare, the youth movement, civil rights movement and the women’s movement; all serving to shake up the status quo. Echoes of those times when Uranus and Pluto were in aspect reverberate today as they again meet.

On Monday, June 25, 2012 Saturn in Libra changes direction shifting into direct motion, Mercury moves into Leo and Jupiter forms a square aspect to Neptune. On Wednesday, June 27, 2012 Venus changes direction as well, turning direct in busy Gemini. So this is the set up we’re moving into and these planets represent the energies we have to live with and live through in the months and years to come. The outer planets, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto move slow and the change they bring on a societal as well as a personal level is slow and inexorable.

The Square between Uranus and Pluto that repeats seven times from now until March 16, 2015 involves the Sun, Jupiter and Venus in the July 4, 1776 horoscope of the United States. The Sun represents the head of state while Jupiter and Venus are the money planets. The economy is a big issue in this election and will continue to be until this aspect plays out and even beyond.  The Venus direction change hits the Uranus in the US horoscope. A money surprise is in order. Venus rules money, women and diplomacy. Uranus rules things you cannot conceive of. When Uranian events occur they are seemingly out of the blue and shake us out of our complacency.  The Mars in the Summer Solstice sits on the Neptune of the US horoscope and squares the US Mars. Mars rules aggressiveness and war. Neptune in a natal chart is where we see things through rose colored glasses. My guess is the people of the United States are going to be sold another bill of goods about making war somewhere in the world, Iran comes to mind.

This warmongering Mars sits on President Barack Obama’s natal Mars. Mars goes retrograde about every 2 years and this year in January it went retrograde at 23 Virgo, right on Obama’s natal Mars and at this Solstice it reaches that point again. Warrior Mars in a natal chart is the action planet and governs how you use your energy.  Obama with Mars in Virgo is a detail man. He’s very meticulous in appearance, and probably in his thought process and how he tackles issues and problems. With Mars reaching his Mars my guess is that he will come out swinging on the campaign trail and in his dealings with Congress. The gloves are coming off folks. This week he’ll be taking a combative stance.

The celestial set up over the next few weeks is a complex one and defies generalization. On a personal level where in the chart, the houses the planets are transiting and the natal planets they aspect tell the tale. Mars traveling through the houses of the horoscope reveals where your energy focus will be. Mars traveling through the fourth house of home is a great time to do spring cleaning regardless of the season as a person with this placement puts the energy focus on the home. Jupiter is another good yearly planner as it stays in a sign for one year.  Jupiter is considered a bringer of good things but can also bring too much of a good thing. Saturn remains in sign for two and a half years and makes a complete circuit of the chart in about 29 years so you know when he comes along often life changing events occur. Uranus with an 84 year cycle entered Aries in April of 2011 and will remain there until March of 2019. When Uranus hits a natal planet he wants to shake things up. One thing Uranus hates is when he finds an individual in a rigid rut. My advice to clients when receiving this transit is usually to make a change in the area affected, be proactive. If not an outside event of a disruptive, surprising nature occurs that forces a change and while upsetting these changes often turn out to be beneficial in the long run. Neptune has a cycle of 165 years while Pluto takes a whopping 248 years. Analyzing a natal horoscope along with the current transits to that horoscope in a comprehensive manner is a complex and multifaceted project that takes time and effort. The actual time spent with the client is the culmination of hours of examination and study.

The next couple of years will be a rocky road for a lot of people. Many will feel the need to consult with a professional and some of those professionals will no doubt be professional astrologers. If you are one of those people do not be afraid to ask the astrologer some questions before you engage their services. Ask them how long they have been studying the subject, who they studied with and what, if any, professional organizations they belong to. A person is not an astrologer who read a book about astrology.  Nor are they an astrologer if they had their chart done and learned about themselves. A competent astrologer has probably read a thousand books and analyzed tens of thousands of horoscopes. A good astrologer belongs to one or more professional astrology organizations, has taken classes, gone to conferences and is continually learning and studying.

I have been studying astrology since the late 1960’s. I learned by reading books, examining horoscopes, taking classes and going to conferences.  In the 1990’s I was certified after taking an examination with the National Council on Geocosmic Research (NCGR) and began seeing clients professionally. I still go to conferences and monthly NCGR meetings to hear lectures by other astrologers. The learning process is continuous. I see clients and write an astrology column “Lunar Notes” for Motif Magazine. If you call me, don’t be afraid to ask me questions before you engage my services. I am not clairvoyant and will not wave a magic wand to make things right. I will ask you questions, get your birth data, analyze your horoscope and do the best for you that I possibly can to guide and prepare you for your personal planetary cycle.

Lunar Eclipse, Transit of Venus and all that Jazz

It’s a busy sky this week what with the Lunar Eclipse on Monday and Venus’ occultation of the Sun on Tuesday. This Venus transit of the Sun is second in a series of two that occur every 100 years or so. The first occurred in 2004. This is a momentous event often signaling social, political and cultural changes of a broad range. The Protestant Reformation began around the time of the 1519 transit. The 1631-1639 pair brought the European to the Americas while the 1761-1769 coincided with the rise of revolutionary fervor here in, what was then, Colonial America. The Eclipse falls along the Gemini/Sagittarius axis and the Venus transit occurs in Gemini, both fall in the mid degrees of their respective signs. After Monday’s Eclipse in the morning, Neptune turned retrograde and Venus squared off with Mars.  The transit of Venus across the face of the Sun occurs on Tuesday, June 05, 2012 at 9:10 PM EDT. Here in Rhode Island the Sun and Venus are in the Sixth house of workers, (unions and civil servants in particular) health, and the armed forces, emphasizing issues of public health, labor and wage conditions, and the food supply possibly involving restaurants and other venues that serve food and drink. Mercury in Gemini, on the cusp of the 7^th house of relationships still trines Saturn in Libra, in the 10^th. The 7^th house is all about relationships and the 10^th represents authority figures, heads of state, the boss and one’s standing in the community.

With all this going on remember that we are in the Lunation cycle that began on May 20^th with the Solar Eclipse in early Gemini. As previously written this cycle is all about communication within relationships. Those with planets in the mid degrees of the Mutable signs of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces will feel the kick more than others but the Cardinal and Fixed gang are not off the hook. The house position of the Eclipse and transit of Venus will really tell the tale.

Early Thursday morning, June 7, 2012 chatty Mercury moves into Cancer where people tend to articulate what they are truly feeling. Up to that time folks tend to intellectualize their thoughts considering it more of an exchange of information, Mercury in Gemini loves the informational give and take. Mercury in Cancer is a different kettle of fish as emotions come into play. Friday evening when Mercury gets friendly with Neptune in Pisces emotions may overflow and what is being said may not be particularly clear. Things can get foggy but there is also the opportunity for some intuitive information to surface. Any brilliant ideas that surface, it is best to write down as it will be gone as quickly as it comes.

What occurs this week and throughout the month of June offers us a glimpse of what will manifest over the next couple of years as this month is a kick off point for many planetary aspects and configurations. Hang on to your hat.

Donna Summer – The Gift of Saturn

In astrology Saturn is considered a malefic and he usually does not bring good news. He brings hard lessons, hard work, contractions and constriction. Saturn represents conformity to the social norms. Capricorn, the sign Saturn rules, has that Saturnian flavor as well. Capricorns are known for their work ethic and attention to duty.

Donna Summer, a Capricorn has Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter in Capricorn in the 5^th house of creativity.  A Virgo rising with Saturn sitting on her Ascendant it is no wonder that the title of one of her signature songs is “She Works Hard for the Money”. A song she wrote after an encounter with an “exhausted washroom attendant”.

Despite the bad reputation that Saturn/Capricorn has for concentration on the material world and social status they often exhibit a strong presence in the charts of artists, musicians and comedians.  This presence affords the individual the ability to create and manifest in physical reality the dreams and visions that spring from that deep well within from which all creativity springs.

Donna Summer’s combination of Virgo Rising, Capricorn and Saturn on the ascendant provides an example of how these energies work within the individual. Often musicians, song writers and vocalists have strong earth and utilize the precision that Saturn/Capricorn/Virgo provides.  Saturn is the Lord of Time and Virgo lives and breathes meticulous exactitude. Songs are “constructed” and as any good musician will tell you, it’s all about the timing.

So for the woman who inspired all this poking around into the workings of Saturn, disco diva, Donna Summer, I say, give it up for the girl, she worked hard for the money.

Solar Eclipse – Relationships, Like It or Not, You’re Going to Have to Deal With It.

The New Moon of May 20, 2012, as always, marks the beginning of the monthly cycle.  This cycle is a bit different because it begins with a solar eclipse. A solar eclipse that occurs just minutes into the tropical sign of Gemini. Eclipses in Gemini often bring windy days but the gusty winds often spring from mouths that are all talk and no action. 

There are a couple of real interesting configurations going on at this eclipse.

Venus in chatty Gemini is in an aspect of ease to Saturn in Libra. The eclipse chart set for Washington, DC puts Saturn, already strong in Libra, in the 11^th house which he naturally rules.  Saturn is the big dog here and he usually does not bring tidings of great joy. Saturn in Libra connected to Venus in Gemini speaks relationships, partnerships and negotiations. Saturn in Libra often tests relationships or brings them to a more serious level.  Venus in Gemini wants to flirt, is changeable and above all wants to talk about it.

Another powerful pattern has Pluto in Capricorn, Mars in Virgo and the asteroid Vesta in Taurus creating a Grand Trine.  Vesta rules the hearth and home; Mars makes war and Pluto, into power and control, plumbs the depths in order to bring about transformation.

The asteroid Juno in Scorpio opposing her lover, consort and cheating husband, Jupiter in Taurus further emphasizing relationship issues.  

The final little tidbit has Neptune in Pisces, mystical, magical and illusionary, in aspect to the eclipse and the moon’s nodes. This is like a blanket of fog spreading over all activities obscuring the truth while offering tantalizing glimpses of prophetic clarity.

We can expect legal issues involving money, marriage and partnerships.   Ongoing discussion and activism involving marriage equality and the so called war on women bring out the powerhouses on both sides of the issues. Powerful women step up and take part.  Mars in Virgo at the top of the Washington, DC chart digs into details. Involved with Pluto and Vesta those details expose financial, agricultural, military and labor issues.

Relationships on a grand scale, those that catch the public eye containing issues that trigger the collective psyche, stand out. Curiously the John Edwards trial goes to jury deliberation at this eclipse that has Juno, the long suffering wife opposing Jupiter, the philandering husband.  Perhaps not so curious, perhaps more in the nature of cycles, what goes around, comes around.