First Week of November 2015: Latest Astrological News

Here are the highlights for the whole month

Signs’ Changes: Mercury will be transiting Scorpio, from November 2, and Sagittarius, from November 21 – Venus and Mars will move from Virgo to Libra, Venus on November 9 and Mars on November 13 – The Sun from Scorpio to Sagittarius, on November 23

Most important transits: The Opposition Jupiter-Chiron, on November 4 – The shift of the Lunar Nodes into the Mutable Signs of Virgo and Pisces, on November 12 – The square from Saturn in Sagittarius to Neptune in Pisces, on November 26.

Note that both the Jupiter and Saturn’s transits are just the beginning of a planetary pattern that will shape events and trends up to, at least, October 2016.

Astronomical Events: Visible alignments of Venus, Mars and Jupiter in the pre-dawn sky, see my Stars over Wollumbin page for details

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In this post I’m discussing the significance of the major and not so major transits active during the first week of November 2015.  

November  2 = Mercury enters Scorpio. This transit will last until November 21.

A busy, perhaps mentally restless time for anyone with Scorpio, Taurus, Leo or Aquarius highlighted in their Birth Chart. It could be ideal for business transactions, travel, learning, teaching and  communication, especially about profound, difficult or even taboo subjects.

For all of us this could be an opportunity to unravel hidden secrets and investigate mysteries, becoming more conscious of the deeper side of the mind. There could be a risk of becoming mentally hyper sensitive and in consequence suspicious of other people’s motives, sometimes imagining hidden agendas where there are none.

November  3 = Venus conjunct Mars in Virgo. This could be a short lived but important aspect for people with the last ten degrees of Virgo, Pisces, Gemini or Sagittarius highlighted in their Birth Charts. Feeling and passion are united here, a pleasant combination for some, manifesting as instant attractions and exciting encounters of the love at first sight variety, with a person, a project, an idea, depending on your time of life and what you need to attract and experience at this moment. Relationship-wise this could be the best thing for passionate encounters but it may not be very promising  for steady committed relationship, because the feelings aroused at this time may be of the fleeting, unreliable kind.

Apart from its effect on relationships this transit could be the ideal combination to tap into the Yin-Yang dynamics of our skills and creativity, Mars helping to curb procrastination and giving us the courage and instinct to act, and Venus inspiring our imagination through receptivity and a keener aesthetic sense. The conjunction happening in dutiful Virgo work and crafts could be enjoyable activities at this time. Making ourselves useful will bring its own reward.

November  4 = Jupiter in Virgo reaches the opposition to Chiron in Pisces. This is the first ‘ direct pass’ of three, the others becoming exact on February 24 and August 13 2016, in retro and direct motion respectively. This aspect would be significant even if it wasn’t to return in 2016. The fact that it does highlights even more the importance of its potential impact on the collective psyche.

At the personal level it could bring up health issues and/or the pain of negative past experience for people with the 16, 17 and 18 degrees of Virgo, Pisces, Gemini or Sagittarius highlighted in their Birth Charts. Exploring the primal causes of these effects could bring however the wisdom you need to change the negativity and pain into a permanent asset, making you a more compassionate and all rounded individual, ready to inspire others to thread a similar path to inner knowledge.

At the collective level (Mundane Astrology) this transit cannot begin to be understood however unless we put it within the context of the complex planetary pattern of which it is a part. This pattern involves not only Jupiter and Chiron but also Saturn, Neptune and the Moon’s Nodes. In fact, as Jupiter opposes, on and off, Chiron and, previously, Neptune and aligns with the North Node, Saturn squares all of them, while in opposition to Jupiter. With the exception of Jupiter opposition Neptune, all the above transits will remain active until well into 2016 and some until September/October 2016.

If interested here are some thoughts on the long term effects of the Jupiter-Saturn-Neptune-Chiron”s configuration, from a previous post: ‘…. 2015 and ‘16 are important years for the Jupiter-Saturn mutual relationship: they have reached a distance of 90 degrees from each other. This coming and going aspect will punctuate the next nine months, with the risk of a general economic downturn very present; recession continuing in some countries and food shortages worsening in less developed ones. This should be a lesson in humility and ‘make do’, getting used to live within our means in the developed countries, to restore some balance to our lop-sided world. …. We could embrace our reduced circumstances as real opportunities (Saturn) to find more lasting values in our daily life and work (Jupiter)….

…. The August 90° between Jupiter in Leo and Saturn in Scorpio coincided (no coincidence here!) with the huge and yet unresolved China’s crisis, being a classic aspect of economic and social downturn. The world has not done with it though. It will in fact return in March and May 2016, between Virgo and Sagittarius.

Jupiter and Saturn are also in turn aligned to Neptune and Chiron in Pisces, making their interaction more complex by introducing a spiritual element, the theme of the global environment, the dream of a united, at peace humanity, the gift of compassion and inclusion, and the poignant need for healing of rifts between cultures and ongoing damage to the global environment. (Germany opened its door to thousands of refugees in September, around the time Jupiter opposed Neptune, September 17). Pisces is the Sign of the great Ocean Mother to which everything and everyone return in the end. The issue of rising sea levels and more frequent destructive weather events, in Australia and around the world, will be big in the news during the active period of these planetary configurations.

The Jupiter opposition Neptune effect is now passing, but the square Saturn-Neptune has still to become active, in November 2015 and again in June and September 2016. This transit describes a powerful tension between our best humanitarian aspirations and the realistic limits of implementing them…. ‘

November  7 = Mercury in Scorpio trine (120 degrees distance from) Neptune in Pisces.This ephemeral transit could heighten sensitivity, universal sympathy and compassion, helping the collective mind to become more flexible and tolerant, but also less focused and grounded. It is a transit suitable for day dreaming, creativity and metaphysical experiences but we cannot expect many solid results from it.

At the individual level people with the 6, 7 and 8 degrees of Scorpio, Cancer, Pisces, Taurus, Leo and Aquarius highlighted in their Birth Charts are more likely to feel the otherworldly, highly creative and inspired effect of this transit, mainly in a positive, uplifting way.

I will discuss in my next post the significance of the following Transits, active from the second week of November. Here they are:

November  9 = Venus enters Libra, transiting this Cardinal Air Sign, over which she traditionally ‘rules’, until December 5.

November 12 = The Nodes of the Moon are shifting Signs, in retro motion as usual, the North Node entering the end of Virgo, from Libra, and the South Node the end of Pisces, from Aries. These transits will last until early May 2017.

November 13 = today Mars enters Libra, Sign of his detriment (opposite to his own Sign of Aries) and is also conjunct the North Lunar Node.

November 18 = Mercury reaches Superior Conjunction to the Sun. After this phase Mercury will return to the morning sky, rising before the Sun, still hidden from view by the Sun’s glare until late December.

November 21 = Mercury enters Sagittarius. This transit will last until December 10.

November 21 = Venus in Libra reaches 90 degrees distance from Pluto in Capricorn, a difficult square aspect.

November 23 = the Sun enters Sagittarius today.

November 24 = Venus opposes Uranus in Aries.

November 25 = Mercury conjunct Saturn in Sagittarius and also square Neptune today.

November 26 = Saturn forms the first square to Neptune. This aspect will repeat on June 18, in retrogradation, and September 11 2016.

November 30 = today the Sagittarius Sun is conjunct Saturn and in also square Neptune in Pisces.

 Stay tuned.

Pisces New Moon: Astrology, the big picture and the personal experience: Neptune in Pisces and the Pisces New Moon

The Pisces New Moon

Today, February 22, the New Moon brings her lunar blessing to Neptune in Pisces (who entered this Sign on February 4, first time since 1848), thus bringing our personal emotions in touch with the collective awareness Neptune imparted on the Sun’s ingress into Pisces on February 19. This is a great deal of Neptunian energy to absorb and integrate in our lives in a short time, considering that Mercury is also transiting Pisces and will do so until March 4 (then again, due to Retrogradation, from March 24 to April 17). Plus Chiron and the Asteroids Pallas (Athena or Minerva) and Vesta (Hestia) are also in Pisces. Like with all planetary energies there are positive and negative sides to Neptune. Of course the more Pisces and Neptune’s energy are highlighted in your Natal or Progressed Chart the more these transits will be significant for you personally. Other Signs in direct line of contact with this New Moon are Cancer, Scorpio, Virgo, Gemini and Sagittarius.

The vibrations of this planet are subtle, especially now that is transiting watery Pisces, so that it is difficult even to describe them. They have the power to inspire a vague longing for something other than what we got, without showing clearly what that is. From these feelings often arise a sense of unidentified discontent that can drain our energies and cause us to become ineffectual in our job or daily tasks, and also dissatisfied with our relationships, without particularly knowing why it should be so. All of this could inspire us to look into the discontent and realize that it is telling us that we need to become more open to the spiritual aspect of life, that we need to stop or slow the daily race in order to be able to listen to the music of our inner world. The nostalgia we feel is for the soulful world of dream, imagination and love that we may have lost sight of in our pursuit of material security in this world or because we needed to fit in somehow. My advice to clients who come to see me during  a Neptune’ transit is to try to find time to get out of it all, to be spontaneous, try their hands at art, music, travel, fall in love and forget everything else, practice transcendental meditation or just enter that lull of awareness through which much that we have forgotten may come back to us, including the joy of just being or giving or loving without expectations or strings attached.

If you are already the type of person who values dreams and the symbolical life, if you are an artist or would-be artist, or are already conscious of psychic or mystical tendencies, these transits will suit you well, helping you to pursue these interests in a deeper way; but they could also make you even more dreamy and unpractical (no good if you are trying to get a job or to put your house in order!). On the other hand, if you are mainly a practical person, busy with your family and career, goal oriented and used to get your own way,  you could find Neptune and Pisces’ transits a somewhat bewildering experience, bringing you out of your comfort zone, in strange and foggy back alleys, where you feel you could become irreparably lost. Your efficiency level may drop and things which are usually simple for you will seem rather complicated and muddled; or things you always considered in a certain, set way will come under the uncanny scrutiny of a different type of questioning. If this is the case, the best thing to do will be to slow down, learning to relax and to purposely lose control of your situation, now and then, so to realize that things can run their own curse even without your constant intervention. A more spiritual, less straight and controlled life is beckoning, it would be sad if you miss that call. The dissatisfaction about your present circumstances,  the lack of direction and low energy are all telling you that there is more to life than chores, business or paying the bills.

Below is the Chart of the Pisces New Moon, calculated for the coordinates of Wollumbin, my place, 11 hours east of Greenwich. The relative positions of Sun, Moon and Planets remain the same all over the world, what changes from place to place is the orientation of the same to the local horizon, above, below, east or west. If you want to convert my standard of time to yours, please visit  the World Clock site HERE.

click to view larger image

The Sun and Moon are separating from a trine (120 degrees) to Saturn in Libra and applying to a sextile (60 degrees) to Jupiter in Taurus, both positive aspects, helping us to keep our feet on the ground (Saturn) but not so firmly as to lose sight of the lofty aspirations that the Pisces New Moon can bring (Jupiter). The Sun and Moon are also just separating from Neptune while applying to a conjunction to Chiron, aspect that shows the potential for healing emotional and physical ills, and also for perceiving the spiritual message of  those circumstances that can’t be healed or changed in our lives, to relinquish our control to powers greater than ourselves. The closest aspect of the Sun and Moon, nearly exact at the time of the phase, is their conjunction to Pallas, one of the four major bodies in the Asteroids belt, orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.  This aspect stresses the need for women to become more independent and to fight for what they feel is right, Pallas symbolizing strong and combative women (see the traditional representation of this Goddess dressed in full armor, ready for combat), without losing however that feminine wisdom that has guided women from the beginning of time, a psychic function that Pallas also represents (see the ancient owl resting on her shoulder and the head of powerful Medusa on her shield). The Sun and Moon are also forming a difficult contact with another Asteroid, Juno (Hera) in Sagittarius, showing that trouble in close partnerships and marriage will be brought up to the light during this phase, when deep emotions, love and compassion (Pisces) may antagonize our desire for freedom and independence (Sagittarius). Juno, the mythological wife of Jupiter, the king of all Gods,  is in fact the Goddess of marriage and, in particular, of the commitment, duties and responsibilities that such relationship entails. The aspects with the Asteroids just described are reinforced by the transits of Venus (archetype of everything feminine) in fiery and often feisty Aries, active until March 5. To read my recent post on Venus in Aries please click HERE.

Random thoughts on the astrological big picture and also on the personal experience of transits

The other day, writing the post on the Sun entering Pisces and his conjunction to Neptune, I waxed lyrical about all the wonderful possibilities of this otherworldly event. Having had time to reflect on it and further doses of dreadful news from all corners of the planet, I feel the need to put that particular reading in the context of the major planetary configurations also active at this time.

When in Astrology we concentrate on something specific we naturally run the risk of taking a one sided approach to a reality that is in fact multifaceted. This obvious fact doesn’t take away the potential I highlighted for experiencing life in a more holistic way in the next 13 years or so, during the slow transit of Neptune in Pisces. Said that, there is however so much more that can and will stress instead the more divisive and antagonistic approach to collective problem-solving on the planet. I am talking here in particular of the transits of Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn, aspects that are manifesting on a daily basis in more acts of war and mayhem all around the globe. The specter of nuclear proliferation and conflict is rearing its ugly head again in one of the worse ideological and political confrontations in recent years, between arch-enemies Israel, who already possesses a nuclear arsenal, and Iran who is working hard at getting one, despite international condemnation and sanctions. Knowing that the right angle (90 degrees or square) between Uranus and Pluto is still forming and will be with us for a few years puts those dangers in an even more glaring light. What I see here is a further ideological and spiritual division between idealistic people who will accept less and less the old sectarianism and prejudices, embracing a more inclusive view of life, but who also run the risk of aspiring too high and therefore achieving little in the end (Neptune in Pisces), and those instead who either want to uphold the past at any cost (Pluto in Capricorn) and those who are intent at rebelling against it using violence (Uranus in Aries), both, more or less consciously, working  against the possibility of peace and reconciliation. All of us though, in one way or another, are upholding some type of change even when we seem to be desperately intent at maintaining the status quo. The world itself is going through a phase of rapid changes (see global warming for instance) so that even the more passive or indifferent amongst us will have to adapt to new circumstances in order to survive, physically and/or psychologically.

Coming back to my own personal experience, and despite all the difficulties indicated by other transits, the soul enhancing effect of the Neptune’s transits has become palpable and very real during my sessions with clients in the last few weeks (one reason why I waxed so lyrical talking about them, I suppose). Magic connections have happened, with clients proving particularly sensitive and open to the inner life described by their Charts, while I have been perhaps more able than usual to convey the message of Astrology in terms that have captured their imagination, filling their and mine sense of longing for a more meaningful life. At first I felt this to be mainly a feminine connection, with women younger, older and the same age as me, but then the same happened with men too, showing that the Spirit is not sexist, bestowing the same gift of insight to anyone who is eager to receive it.

To view my recent post on the ingress of the Sun in Pisces and his conjunction to Neptune please click HERE.

Libra Last Quarter Moon, January 16 to 20, 2012

After sharing or broadcasting our Cancer Full Moon experiences during the Virgo Disseminating phase (January 13 to 16), we should be now engaging earnestly in some serious inner dialogue during this yearly Libra Last Quarter. The way this dialogue will develop will depend on how much at peace or at war we are with ourselves at present. It could turn out to be an inner, painful struggle with some very personal demons, and/or an opportunity to gain precious insights on what has made this Moon cycle thick (since the Capricorn New Moon on December 25).

What we have ultimately learnt from it? And how can we integrate this ‘lesson’ with our overall life?

A Libra self-reflective phase got to be about relationships, focusing on the ideals we may cherish about them versus their flesh and blood reality.

The Quarter Moon (First or Last) is always a symbol of contrast, the light and the dark faces of the Moon showing us some dual aspects of reality. When this phase occurs in Libra two sides of our relationships becomes more apparent. The aim of Libra is to bring harmony between our life and the lives of other people, to find a common ground that will allow for a peaceful and well balanced existence, when both our individual needs and those of the ‘others’ in our life are met. Too often the ideals and dreams we cultivate about relationships are a far cry from their reality. How to bring harmony in this disharmony? How to reconcile ideal and real?

During the Last Quarter we tend to look within for causes and remedies. So it is within your heart that you will find the answer to this quandary. How much do we abide ourselves to the standards of relating we have set up for other people? Are we always aware of how much of our own psychic baggage we put on others?

Let’s give a look at the transits active a the start of this Libra Last Quarter, to observe what other planetary energies are contributing to this particular phase. The Moon is active in transit,  but so are the Sun, Venus, Saturn and Chiron.

Here is the Horoscope for the exact phase, calculated for the coordinates of Wollumbin, Northern Rivers, New South Wales, Australia. The relative positions of the Sun, Moon and Planets to each other and in the Signs will be the same all over the world; while their orientation to the local horizon changes for each locality (Ascendant, Mid-Heaven etc.).

click to view larger image

The Moon is involved in a complex configuration of transits, approaching first a conjunction to Saturn in Libra, then a trine to Neptune in Aquarius, an opposition to Jupiter in Taurus, and finally a trine to Venus and Chiron in Pisces.

The Moon-Saturn conjunction, the first aspect to become exact, gives a serious tone to the whole phase, making us feel more personally responsible for the discordance we may be experiencing in our close relationships, also more able to look realistically at what is going on. Both Saturn and Neptune are on the last degree of the Air Sign of Libra and Aquarius forming a mutual trine that will very close for a while but fail to become exact because of Neptune’s ingress into Pisces on February 4, and Saturn’s retrogradation through Libra, beginning on February 7. The Moon here is forming a link between these two planets, bringing their energies together in occasion of her Last Quarter. Neptune here can help us to get in touch with the more subtle, spiritual aspect of our experiences. So, while we can be practical and focused under the auspices of Saturn, we can also be aware of the mystery and the sense of fate underlying this period, with particular regard to relationships. Neptune highlights the need for compassion and forgiveness, as also do the Moon-Venus trine and the Venus-Chiron conjunction in the Neptunian Sign of Pisces.

As the Moon enters Scorpio, early on January 17, she opposes Jupiter in Taurus. Jupiter resumed his Direct motion in this Earth Sign on December 27. The contact with the Giant Planet gives a boost to the lunar emotions and moods, magnifying them but also giving them meaning, weaving them in the big tapestry of our life, connecting them like new threads to the whole design. Venus is, at the same time, also in sextile (harmonious aspect) to Jupiter, making the whole configuration more auspicious, promising wisdom in matter of love surging from the inner struggle of the Last Quarter Moon. Again compassion, surrendering to what is, rather than struggling toward the unattainable, healing of those wounds of inadequacy that stop us from giving and receiving the human affection and warmth we really need; all these are suggested by the connection of Moon,Venus, Chiron in the Water Signs of Scorpio and Pisces.

The recent ingress of Venus in Pisces (January 14 to February 8) is more than just a monthly Sign change for Venus. Neptune is very close to entering this Sign too (February 4), to remain there until 2025/26. Venus and Neptune are sympathetic planetary energies, embodying the powers of personal and universal love respectively. I can see then how our Evening Star in Pisces is heralding the soon to take place ingress of Neptune in the same Sign, reminding us of the spiritual unity of all human beings and the need to be more inclusive and open to address the ills of the world. Venus has began to show us the way in the context of our own personal relationships before Neptune direct our attention to more collective issues.

For more on Neptune in Pisces please navigate to this post on the major transits between January and March 2012 or Here and Here for two earlier articles.

Apart from those transits that directly involve the Moon others are also happening at the time of the Last Quarter, the most significant being the trine between the Sun in Capricorn and Mars in Virgo and the separating conjunction of Mercury and Pluto in Capricorn.

Sun-Mars’ contact is an energetic, constructive aspect that could help us to achieve much in action, especially by reforming negative habits and creating healthier and more efficient routines in our daily living. The Mercury-Pluto’s contact provides depth of understanding and the courage to look at the truth within and without. We can now cut through the crap of  idle conversation and and get into ‘real’ talking.

The Quarter phase traditionally covers the whole week to the next New Moon (in Aquarius, on January 23), but there is another minor phase, known as the Balsamic Moon phase, beginning on January 20 when the Moon will be in Sagittarius, half way between Last Quarter and New Moon. For more information about the astrological significance of all the Moon phases please navigate to my Moon Page.

Full Moon in Cancer, January 9, 2012

'there be dragons', courtesy of christinerobinsonart.com

The Cancer Full Moon every year is the first of the Capricorn Solstice season (from late December to late March). In the Northern Hemisphere this is the period of ‘incubation’. This time, the lowest point in the whole Sun’s cycle, less sunlight and more hours of darkness, is when the seed of the New Year begins sprouting its roots in the dark secret womb of the earth, to emerge as a green shoot in the Aries spring. The symbolical meaning of this yearly cycle is the same in the Southern Hemisphere where the season are exactly reversed.

(I refer those of you who may wonder if, due to the seasons’ reversal, there should be a different meaning for the Signs of the Zodiac in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, to one of my Tutorial article HERE. An interesting article by AstroBarry on the astrological hemisphere seasonal quandary can be found HERE instead).

The Cancer Full Moon represents a time of emotional climax, when we are given plenty of opportunities to experience the power of feelings in our lives, and to become more aware of the underlying emotional currents that drive our external moods and actions. The Full Moon, every month, is the culmination of a psychological cycle that began at the previous New Moon. That New Moon in this case was the New Moon in Capricorn on Christmas day, only two days past the actual ingress of the Sun in Capricorn and the beginning of the new Solstice season. That New Moon provided the signature for the whole period ahead. Looking back at it for a moment we may be better equipped to understand its culmination at this Full phase time.

The Capricorn Sun and Moon were transiting then at right angle to Uranus in Aries, promising many unexpected, drastic, event violent events, with profound changes affecting a great number of people on the planet. If you have at all followed the news during the last fortnight you would know how accurate this description has been, as far as the collective goes. In our own private lives too this has been a period when we have been cosmically stimulated to be more true to ourselves, to call a spade a spade and accept changes, even difficult or scary ones, in order to embrace a more authentic life (Uranus effect). We have been faced by many challenges (square aspect), but those have strengthened rather than weakened the focus on our objectives. With this in mind let’s give a look now at the present Full Moon phase.

Here is a Chart of the Cancer Full Moon, calculated for the coordinates of Wollumbin, a sacred mountain and one million years old extinct volcano in northern New South Wales, Australia. In other places in the world the positions of Sun, Moon and Planets will be the same, while their orientation to the local horizon will differ.

click to view larger image

First of all the people directly aligned to this phase, and so more likely to feel its effect, are Cancer, born between the 9 and 11 of July; Capricorn, born between January 8 and 1o; Aries, born between April 7 and 9; and Libra, born between October 10 to 12.or anyone with the Moon, a Lunar Node, one of the four Angles (Ascendant, Descendant, Mid-Heaven, Lower-Heaven) or any planets or midpoint between the 17th and 19th degree of the same Signs.

The most prominent transits at the time of this phase are the harmonious aspects of the Sun and Moon to Mars in Virgo (a sextile from the Moon and trine from the Sun). These earthy transits, together with the ingress of Mercury in Capricorn that occurred only a day earlier, on January 8, should help us to bring to fruition those aspirations toward meaningful changes contained in germ form in the the previous New Moon’s transits. Humbly (Virgo), methodically (Capricorn) and in a caring way (Cancer) we should be able to manifest our ideals, making them into useful and viable propositions. Through Mars things get done, because this planet provides the energy for action and also the courage and confidence necessary to go ahead with it.

The Sign-change of Mercury is always important because it indicates the inception of a different mental outlook for everyone on the planet. Mercury will transit Capricorn until January 28. We are then moving from a mentally speculative and optimistic attitude to a more grounded, practical one. Time then to work at manifesting some of the ideas and plans that came so easy to us during the Mercury in Sagittarius period; time to be methodical and realistic, to test our ideas against our everyday reality where they can flourish and bring real results. We can stop procrastinating and get things done.

Mercury is now in square to Uranus in Aries (as the Sun and Moon were at the previous New Moon) reinforcing the need to accept changes, even at the cost of losing some of our cherished sense of security, the same false security that has kept us in a psychological or physical rut for a long time.

A promising configuration at this time is the Air trine becoming active between Venus-Neptune in Aquarius and Saturn in Libra (becoming exact on January 14). Harmonious aspects involving Saturn are always an indication that method and practicality have a good chance to bring better results. In harmonious aspect to Neptune and Venus, archetypes of love in its metaphysical and sensual forms respectively, Saturn also suggests  that a realistic rather than idealistic look at our love life, at what we value and cherish and at our spiritual longings (or the lack of them) could help us mature in positive ways. Because the contact is a positive one it should not spoil the magic that the conjunction Venus-Neptune is promising, but rather make it more a tangible part of our daily living, promoting real, not imagined soul mate ship with another,  genuine artistic inspiration, and true compassion. Air Trines (120 degree angles) bring the gift of clarity, clarifying things within ourselves,  as well as helping to communicate our ideas and feelings and share them with other people.

No much time left to post this before the Full Moon, now nearly upon us. I really welcome comments and contributions here. So, if you have something you would like to say about this Cancer Full Moon, contributing to my sketchy outline, or about other topics you wish to discuss, please go ahead and share your insights with me and my readers.

Love and Light.

Weekly Astrological Highlights, May 9 to 15, 2011

Looking for guidance?

Phone me on 0407 359 682 or

Email: moonlivingmoon@gmail.com

 

THIS WEEK MOON

The Moon s in waxing mode, providing extra energy for all enterprise and activities.

Emotionally we may meet the cycle’s first serious obstacles. It is the Leo First Quarter Moon Phase, on Wednesday, May 11, when we will need to toughen up and find creative solutions to our problems, to eventually fulfill the Full Moon’s goal.

On Saturday, May 14, the Moon will enter her Libra Gibbous Phase, a step closer to the Scorpio Full Moon due on May 17, and hopefully a flurry of great activities.

THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

The major transits this week are the ingress of Mars in Taurus, on May 11, and the multiple conjunctions in the Sign of Aries, Mercury and Venus on May 10, and both Mercury and Venus with Jupiter on May 12.

Click HERE to navigate to my Mars in Taurus post and HERE for Readings of Mars in Taurus for all Rising Signs.

And HERE for a sky-scape of the Aries multiple conjunction.

MAY 10 to 12, and spilling into the next week: anyone prepared to get up a bit earlier this week will be able to observe these multiple conjunctions first hand. With Mars close by, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter will all be together above the Eastern horizon, just before sunrise.

Hopefully these aspects will communicate optimism and enthusiasm to many people. The  individuals more likely to feel their beneficial effect will be however Aries, born April 11 to 17, Cancer, born July 14 to 20, Leo, born August 14 to 20, Libra, born October 15 to 21, Sagittarius, born December 14 to 20, and Capricorn, born January 12 to 18.

This is Aries stuff at its best, vision, initiative, courage, because the conjunction Mercury-Venus unites the head with the heart, firing the mind with artistic feelings and the heart with understanding, promoting great conversations and intelligent as well as exciting relationships. Mercury and Venus’ conjunctions to Jupiter are also expanding the scope of both planets, encouraging confidence and optimism in the communication and relationships’ areas. Ideal time to feel inspired about writing or art making, because aesthetic feelings are strong, the mind is alert and you may feel more than usual confident in your abilities.

With the ingress of Mars in Taurus and the imminent conjunction of Venus to Mars in Taurus (May 23), these exciting transits could provide the right inspiration for practical activities and business in the near future, and also for more stable and content relationships.

Click here for my most recent post on the June to September 2011 Major Transits

Click HERE for my recent post about  the Aries Equinox conjunct Uranus

If interested, please click HERE to navigate to my recent Venus in Aries’ post .

Click HERE to navigate to my most recent post on the transit of Uranus in Aries, and other major transits.

For more information about the ingress of Neptune in Pisces, please check two of my posts on the subject HERE and HERE.

A post on  Jupiter transiting Aries can be found HERE.

Weekly Astrological Highlights, May 2 to 8

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Looking for guidance?

Phone me on 0407 359 682 or

Email: moonlivingmoon@gmail.com

 

THIS WEEK MOON

The Moon takes front stage this week because no big planetary transit becomes exact at this time. The last significant transits have been the Mars conjunct Jupiter and Venus opposition Saturn, both exact last Sunday, May 1.

The next important transits will happen next week: the semi-square (45 degrees angle) of the Sun in Taurus to Uranus in Aries, on May 9, the conjunction of Mercury to Venus (third pass in direct motion) on May 10, the ingress of Mars in Taurus on May 11, and the conjunction Venus-Mercury-Jupiter in Aries, on May 12.

The Moon is now waxing, after the Taurus New Moon on Tuesday, May 3, reaching her fertile Crescent phase in the Sign of Cancer on Saturday, May 7. For everyone a time of new beginning, with fresh available energy to deploy into professional and/or creative projects. This yearly New Moon in this Fixed Earth Sign marks an ideal time to manifest in practical ways what has been just an idea in our head or a dream in our hearts, because we may all feel a little bit more grounded and determined now.

MAY 3, TUESDAY (and for the duration of this new Moon’s cycle):  this New Moon Day will be particularly important for Taurus individuals celebrating their birthday around this phase, May 1 to 5. This is your yearly New Moon. Take advantage of the Moon’s wonderful waxing energy to start new ventures, leaving the cobwebs of the past behind. There is a promise of renewal here for you. Your direction and goals may not be all that clear yet, while the Moon is still absorbed in the light of the Sun, but they will take form in the near future, as the Moon begins to reflect the light of the Sun back to us, during this waxing fortnight. A harmonious aspect to Pluto in Capricorn could also help you to get rid of outworn patterns in your life, instilling in you the courage and resourcefulness needed for making some vitally important changes.

The energy is right for anything, with the New Moon and Crescent phase happening this week in fertile and productive Signs.

Here is the Horoscope of the Taurus New Moon, calculated with the coordinates of Mount Warning (Wollumbin), Northern Rivers, New South Wales.

Click to enlarge

Click here for my most recent post on the June to September 2011 Major Transits

Click HERE for my recent post about  the Aries Equinox conjunct Uranus

If interested, please click HERE to navigate to my recent Venus in Aries’ post .

Click HERE to navigate to my most recent post on the transit of Uranus in Aries, and other major transits.

For more information about the ingress of Neptune in Pisces, please check two of my posts on the subject HERE and HERE.

A post on  Jupiter transiting Aries can be found HERE.

HERE to navigate to the Astro-Calendar Page.

Weekly Astrological Highlights, April 25 to May 1

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Phone me on 0407 359 682 or

Email: moonlivingmoon@gmail.com

 

THIS WEEK HIGHLIGHTS

The transits of Venus in Aries come to the fore this week, with the square to Pluto in Capricorn, on Wednesday, April 27, and the opposition to Saturn in Libra on Sunday, May 1.

On May 1 Mars in Aries will also form a conjunction to Jupiter.

The most significant solar aspect will be the 120 degrees angle (trine) to Pluto in Capricorn, exact on Thursday, April 28.

THIS WEEK MOON

The Moon’s Last Quarter falls in Aquarius on Monday, April 25, beginning the last week of the lunar cycle that was born with the Aries New Moon on April 4. This particular cycle, important because it marked the beginning of the astrological year after the Aries Equinox, started with very intense transits, delivering a month of serious international events, with the deepening nuclear crisis in Japan, the escalating democratic uprising in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere, followed by bloody repression.

We have entered collectively a period during which we may find difficult to cooperate, and when the line of least resistance will be to seek conflict rather than peace. After the Sun entered Taurus few days ago there are still five celestial bodies transiting Aries at the moment, namely Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus.

The Aquarius Last Quarter phase provides a time for reflection, focusing on global humanitarian issues.  This trend will continue with the Balsamic Moon Phase in the Sign of Pisces on Friday, April 29.

The next New Moon will be in the Fixed Earth Sign of Taurus on May 3.

APRIL 27 and 28, WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY: Pluto is brought to life by the combined transits from Venus in Aries, today, and the Sun in Taurus, tomorrow, April 28.

On April 27 Venus in Aries is exactly at right angle to Pluto in Capricorn. This transit, as well as the Sun-Pluto’s angle exact tomorrow, will remain active for three/four days, from April 26 to 28.  Individuals directly aligned to this transit are Aries, born March 27 to 30,  Capricorn, born December 28 to 31, Libra, born September 30 to October 3, and Cancer, born June 28 to July 1. Or anyone with Moon, planets or Chart’s Angles around the 7th and 8th degrees of the same Signs.

The Venus-Pluto’s transit cannot be separated from the conjunction Venus-Uranus that was exact on April 23, or the upcoming opposition Venus-Saturn, due on May 1. They are all part of the present Venus’ story, affecting the way we relate to each other on the planet.

Like Mars did in recent weeks Venus is now playing the role of trigger to bring to manifestation the energies of the slower moving planets. Venus brought Uranus to life inciting rebellion against the status quo in our relationships at the end of last week, while today, contacting Pluto, she helps to reveal the shadowy side of relationships, and later, expressing the power of Saturn, she will make us more aware of relationships’ limitations and responsibilities.

Venus-Pluto is not a fuzzy, lovey-dovy kind of transit, it is far too intense and truthful for that. Great passion combines here with great difficulties, forcing us to look into those irksome issues we often prefer to ignore or gloss over. We may get the chance to explore power struggles, control issues, sexual difficulties, loss in love, changes we find difficult to accept but that are unavoidable. It should help to better understand what makes our relationships thick, and what needs to change in us so that we can begin to relate in a more authentic way. If we are unable or unwilling to look within for answers this configuration could instead contribute to destructive feelings, such as jealousy, resentment, excessive pride, and, in some cases, even to violent behavior.

Art being also the realm of Venus this aspect could help us to express our feelings into more passionate and truthful forms of art, not just beauty for beauty sake.

On April 28 the Sun is also in aspect to Pluto, and a positive aspect at that (trine), hopefully helping us to experience the square Venus-Pluto in a more constructive way.

Whenever the Sun contacts a planet an opportunity arises to integrate the planet’s function in our conscious life. Despite the obvious difficulties of the Venus-Pluto’s square, the Sun in trine to Pluto could direct the spot-light of awareness onto the hidden layers and dark recesses of our relationships and life patterns. This should stimulate the desire to make meaningful changes in these areas, taking full emotional responsibility for what happen to us or finding the inner strength to end relationships that have become toxic.

MAY 1, SUNDAY: a mixed bag of transits today, all originating in Aries, but of a rather different character. Aries Venus is opposing Saturn in Libra, a limiting, sobering influence, while Aries Mars becomes conjunct Jupiter, an exhilarating, expansive aspect.

Despite the fact that these transits are exact on the same day, different lots of individuals will be aligned to them.

The Venus-Saturn’s opposition will be active for about three days, from April 30 to May 2, touching in particular Aries born April 1 to 4, Libra born October 5 to 8, Cancer born July 3 to 6, Capricorn born January 2 to 5, Leo born August 4 to 7, and Sagittarius born December 4 to 7. Or anyone with Moon, planets or Chart’s Angles around the 12th degree of the same Signs (11th to 13th).

If you feel lonely and unloved today, or just a bit cold and gloomy, blame it on Saturn.

The reality is that today we have been offered an opportunity to test our ability to be alone, without feeling lost or emotionally bereaved. The function of Saturn in fact (a saturnine adverb) is to help us build enough ego-confidence, self-authority and self-respect to stand in our own light, even in matter of love.

When connecting to Venus Saturn  demands that we find emotional fulfillment in ourselves first, before we start looking for it in other people.

Negatively this could be a reality check transit spoiling any romantic notions we may have about love, showing our relationships in a stark light, not embellished by wishful thinking and desire, but rather the way they really are. Or, and that’s the trap, through a darkling glass of pessimism and cynicism. In this way secure and dependable relationships may seem devoid of spark and boring, while new ones may fail to excite, because we are in the mood to expect the worst from them, feeling basically not just unloved but unlovable.

This planetary combination is better expressed through love in action, landing a hand to others in need, especially the elderly, or getting into down to earth activities, like gardening, pottery, wood working, crafts of all sort, where Saturn’s practical knack becomes attuned to Venus’ eye for beauty.

Few hours after the Venus-Saturn’s opposition Mars reaches his once every two years conjunction to giant Jupiter.
This transit will be active for about six days, from April 29 to May 4, touching in particular Aries born April 10 to 15, Libra born October 13 to 18, Cancer born July 12 to 17, Capricorn born January 11 to 16, Leo born August 12 to 17, and Sagittarius born December 12 to 17. Or anyone with Moon, planets or Chart’s Angles around the 22nd degree of the same Signs (20th to 24th).

The Mars-Jupiter’s conjunction has a quite opposite nature to the Venus-Saturn’s contact.

Venus and Mars attract each other because of their dissimilarities, like male is attracted to female and viceversa. They form one of the best known couples in the planetary pantheon.

Saturn and Jupiter also form a couple of sorts, with Jupiter embodying the function of expansion and Saturn that of contraction. So, as much as Saturn will limit and define our experience of love and relationships (Venus) today, Jupiter will stimulate our desires, prompting us to reach out for what we want in a confident way (Mars).

The Mars-Jupiter’s conjunction is a risk taking transit, through which we may even become too bold and cocky for our own good, impressed by such high expectations that the reality of things may prove rather disappointing, once the enthusiasm begins to wane, later on.

Positively this transit could provide a great injection of confidence, faith in oneself and life, desire to start something new, and aspiration toward bigger and better things. Especially because it happens in this very idealistic and passionate Sign it could provide a vision of the future we may want to live by and believe in during darker moments. Save this ray of sunshine for the rainy days that will unavoidably come.

Click here for my most recent post on the June to September 2011 Major Transits

Click HERE for my recent post about  the Aries Equinox conjunct Uranus

If interested, please click HERE to navigate to my recent Venus in Aries’ post .

Click here to navigate to my most recent post on the transit of Uranus in Aries, and other major transits.

For more information about the ingress of Neptune in Pisces, please check two of my posts on the subject HERE and HERE.

A post on  Jupiter transiting Aries can be found HERE.

For a list of all Transits this week and for the rest of the month please CLICK HERE to the Monthly Transits Page

or HERE to navigate to the Astro-Calendar Page.

Weekly Astrological Highlights, April 18 to 24

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Looking for guidance?

Phone me on 0407 359 682 or

Email: moonlivingmoon@gmail.com

 

THIS WEEK HIGHLIGHTS

Many highlights this week, with Mars in Aries opposing Saturn in Libra, on Tuesday April 19, the Sun entering Taurus and Retro Mercury conjunct Mars on Wednesday April 20, and Venus entering Aries on Thursday April 21. All this after a fully charged Full Moon in Libra, on Monday, April 18, heavily involved with the active planetary transits in Cardinal Signs, since last Saturday.

THIS WEEK MOON

The Moon is Full in Libra, on Monday, April 18, entering then her 14 days waning period.

This is the yearly Paschal Full Moon. The word Paschal is the Greek translation of the original Hebrew word Pesach, meaning Passover. This religious festivity commemorates the liberation of the Jewish people from their Egyptian slavery, after God sent ten deadly plagues to the land. When Egypt’s Pharaoh decreed that all the first born in the land be killed,  the Israelite people, warned by God, marked their doors with the blood of sacrificial lambs, a sign for the Angel of the Lord to pass over those doors, so that their children will be spared. This parable is connected in deep ways to the parable of Jesus, saved from  the massacre of the innocents, to later become himself the lamb of sacrifice through his crucifixion, remembered on Good Friday. and his resurrection celebrated on Easter Sunday.

The day of Easter is decided, every year, by the placement of this Full Moon, the first after the Aries Equinox; Easter being the first Sunday after this particular phase.

Since Saturday, April 16, the Moon in Libra has been opposing Uranus in Aries on Saturday 16; squaring Pluto in Capricorn, opposing Mars and Mercury in Aries and becoming conjunct Saturn in Libra on Sunday 17; and finally opposing Jupiter in Aries, few hours before the Full phase (Moon-Sun’s opposition) on Monday April 18. A busy time for the Moon and for all of us, dealing with many different emotional demands, not easy to reconcile. I am personally recovering from a rather intense time that has left me functioning not quite 100%, physically and psychically. I have to put on hold projects I have been working on for a while, having run out of steam, so to speak.

The second major phase of the Waning Moon will occur on Thursday, April 21, with the Sagittarius Disseminating Phase, when we may begin to make sense of all these intense vibes, perceiving the big picture beyond the emotional roller coaster. The Sagittarius Disseminating Moon suggests in fact the opportunity to widen our understanding and to gain a more philosophical outlook on life.

APRIL 19, TUESDAY: Mars in Aries opposes Saturn in Libra today, while Retro Mercury becomes part of this configuration too, because it will be exactly conjunct Mars on April 20. These could be potentially frustrating two to three days for many, in particular those Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn people who happen to be directly aligned with this difficult transits. They are Aries born around April 1 to 4, Libra born October 5 to 8, Cancer born July 3 to 6, Capricorn born January 2 to 5, or anyone with Moon, Chart’s Angles and /or planet between the 11thh and 14th degree of the same Signs.

It easy easy to understand why such a transit could cause frustration if we remember that Mars is eminently a planet of action, while Saturn tends to delay action in order to be better prepared; Mars is spontaneous and instinctual, while Saturn is all about planning and playing it safe! During their contact, in particular the opposition that in itself represents a duality and tension of sort, our desire for prompt action becomes often frustrated and a lot of patience will be needed to avoid anger and disappointment to build up, eventually causing us explode.

Like the conjunction to Mercury-Jupiter last week the conjunction tomorrow of Mercury to Mars will be the second of three passes of the same transit. The first occurred on February 21, when Mercury was still Direct, and the third, after Mercury will turn Direct again, will be exact on May 21, thus covering a much longer period than an average Mercury’s transit. Mercury will also get very close to another opposition to Saturn, avoiding it only by turning Direct on Saturday, April 23.

Both the Mars-Saturn opposition and the Mercury-Mars-conjunction don’t seem helpful transits if we want to resolve conflicts because they rather tends to stress tensions and divisions. They are configurations useful when we want to make a stand and we are ready to defend our position in an assertive and confident way though.

Used wisely this combination of opposing energies could help us to achieve more, the action driven Mars finding practical and viable channels of expression via the Saturn’s contact. The job may be slowed down, but it will be a better accomplished one in the end.

APRIL 20, WEDNESDAY: we are turning another leaf in our book of seasons, with the Sun entering the Earth Fixed Sign of Taurus today, 8.17 pm, Eastern Australia Standard Time.

Here is the Chart for this ingress.

Click to enlarge

The conjunction Mercury-Mars in Aries and their combined oppositions to Saturn in Libra, plus the coming conjunction of Venus to Uranus, and the 120 degrees harmonious angle between the Moon in Sagittarius and Uranus are all happening around the time of the Taurus ingress. This is preparing to be a time for rapid, even abrupt changes in relationships, pervaded by a rebellious and freedom seeking collective feeling (Venus, Uranus, Moon configuration), but also a period for serious reality checks and potential frustration for a lot of people (Mars, Saturn, Mercury).

The Sun, on the naught degree of Taurus, will be in harmonious aspect to Neptune on the naught degree of Pisces, showing the way to better integrating all the various transits through an attitude of acceptance and the willingness to adapt, not usually great Taurean traits. People born with the Sun, Moon, Chart’s Angles and/or planets in Taurus are beginning a 14 years journey during which they will have to give up the more willful side of this Earth Sign and embrace an all together more tolerant and inclusive philosophy of  life.

APRIL 21, THURSDAY: Venus enters Aries today.  A post about the transit of Venus in this Fire Sign is at present cooking in my oven, and hopefully will be ready soon.

Briefly here Venus is now entering the realm of Mars, her rival-lover. Aries is in fact a highly masculine, energetic and assertive Sign, not the most natural place for Venus, embodiment of the feminine principle of attraction and harmony. Aries is a combative Sign, ready for a fight if anything seems to impede its progress, so Venus in this Sign loses some of her natural ability to mediate differences and to seek friendly resolution of conflict. During this period we may actually enjoy having to sort out our differences with people, less inhibited to express ourselves with honesty in relationships, and also eager for a more active and exciting social life.

This Venus in Aries period will end on May16. On the same day Mercury will also move from Aries into Taurus, an important short term cosmic shift, from Fire impulse to Earth stability.

The people more likely to respond to Venus in Aries’ influence will be Aries, of course, but also Libra (by opposition), Cancer and Capricorn (by square aspect) and the other two Fire Signs, Leo and Sagittarius (by trine aspects).

APRIL 23, SATURDAY: Mercury is finally turning Stationary Direct today, after a three weeks retro period (since the end of March). Business or activities that had to be put on hold for a while can be tackled again, with renewed energy and some guarantee of success.  Mercury will be still transiting Aries, until May 16, a morning star, rising before the Sun until late May. For the moment it is too close to the Sun’s glare to be spotted. The first glimpse of Mercury will be possible toward the middle of May, time of maximum distance from the Sun.

Click here for my most recent post on the June to September Major Transits

Click HERE for my recent post about  the Aries Equinox conjunct Uranus

If interested, please click HERE to navigate to my recent Venus in Pisces post .

Click here to navigate to my most recent post on the transit of Uranus in Aries, and other major transits.

For more information about the ingress of Neptune in Pisces, please check two of my posts on the subject HERE and HERE.

A post on  Jupiter transiting Aries can be found HERE.

For a list of all Transits this week and for the rest of the month please CLICK HERE to the Monthly Transits Page

or HERE to navigate to the Astro-Calendar Page.

Weekly Astrological Highlights, April 11 to 17

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Looking for guidance?

Phone me on 0407 359 682 or

Email: moonlivingmoon@gmail.com

 

THIS WEEK HIGHLIGHTS

Mars remains prominent in transit this week, still moving through his own Sign of Aries and, on Tuesday, reaching the 90 degrees angle with mighty Pluto in Capricorn.

After the conjunction with the Sun, on Sunday April 10, Retro Mercury meets Jupiter in Aries, also on Tuesday.

These are also the last few days of the transit of Venus in Pisces, our sister planet entering Aries next week, on April 21, the same day the Sun will move into Taurus.

THIS WEEK MOON

This is the second week of the Moon’s Waxing Cycle, from the Cancer First Quarter Phase, on Monday April 11, to the Virgo Gibbous Phase, on Friday April 15.

We are gearing up for the Libra Full Moon, this year Paschal Full Moon (the one which is used to determine the date of Easter), on Monday April 18.

The active tempo continues, while this cycle’  first serious obstacles may confront us now, demanding that we take a stand. The First Quarter is always a time when we can embrace the challenge, with the risk of seeing our difficulties stemming only from outside of ourselves however, without a clear vision of our contribution to them. The Gibbous phase will show us more clearly the direction we are heading to, the goal of the present cycle that will be more fully revealed at next week’s Full Moon.

APRIL 12, TUESDAY: the most important transits of the  week are exact today, a challenging 90 degrees angle between Mars in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn, and a conjunction between Retro Mercury and Jupiter in Aries.

Mars square Pluto: picture this: Mars, the hot and uncompromising God of War, transiting a  fiery Sign like Aries, therefore not at all in the mood of seeking conciliation, finds himself at logger heads today with the God of the Underworld himself. Pluto is a difficult bed fellow for anyone, but particularly for Mars. The latter is all light, all open. With him, like with Aries people, we know where we stand, we are confronted openly and occasionally even punched in the nose, but there is no ambush here or hidden agendas. There are plenty of those instead with Pluto. In fact Pluto can be said to be all about hidden agendas and barely conscious motives.

Positively Mars in relationships to Pluto could work as a powerful agent to bring to light what is unspoken and un-thought, openly activating power struggles amongst people and within ourselves, clearing the air from hidden pollutants that have become toxic.

Negatively the famous s…. could hit the fun at this time, not a pleasant experience! Our own and other people’s deep feelings of hostility, jealousy, resentment may come out and cause havoc. We may feel dominated by others’ forceful and/or manipulative attitudes, while, at the very same time, making the same mistake they are making, trying to impose our point of view onto them, forcibly, in direct or not so direct ways.

An overall significant transit for everybody, this transit will be especially felt by the Cardinal Signs; Aries born March 25 to 29; Capricorn born December 27 to 31; Libra born from September 28 to October 2; and Cancer born from June 27 to July 1. Also anyone with Moon, Chart’s Angles and/or planet between 05 and 09 degrees of the same Signs.

Make sure you stand in your own power this week, realizing your strengths, so that any attempts on the part of others to undermine or manipulate you will not prove successful. Also you will be less likely to be tempted yourself to control others in a less than honest and open way.

The next major transit of Mars in Aries will be the opposition to Saturn in Libra, exact on Tuesday April 19. After risking to blow up with Pluto today, we will have to learn a lesson in restraint next week.

Retrograde Mercury conjunct Jupiter in Aries. Mercury became conjunct the Sun (Inferior Conjunction) on Sunday, April 10, and today is having a close encounter to Jupiter.

This aspect could be very positive, giving the collective mind more room to move, opening our mental horizons to far reaching ideas, encouraging a more philosophical outlook all round.

Normally lasting only a day or two this time the Mercury-Jupiter combination will have more sway, due to the retrogradation of Mercury slowing down the planet’s pace. This conjunction has been exact already on March 16 and, after today, will be exact again on May 12, colouring the whole two months period with its possibilities.

Because Mercury is Retrograde the effect of the conjunction may be more subtle but also more penetrating today, bringing back knowledge we have already gained from past experiences and that we need now to revive.

This is an important transit for everyone, but the individuals directly aligned with it are, again, the Cardinal Signs: Aries born April 7 to 9; Capricorn born January 7 to 9 ; Libra born October 10 to 12; and Cancer born July 9 to 11. Also anyone with Moon, Chart’s Angles and/or planet between 17 and 19 degrees of the same Signs.

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I warmly recommend giving a look at Australian astrologer Ed Tamplin’s site, for very interesting analysis of world events and serious astrological predictions.

Click HERE for my recent post about  the Aries Equinox conjunct Uranus

If interested, please click HERE to navigate to my recent Venus in Pisces post .

Click here to navigate to my most recent post on the transit of Uranus in Aries, and other major transits.   

For more information about the imminent ingress of Neptune in Pisces, please check two of my posts on the subject HERE and HERE.

A post on  Jupiter transiting Aries can be found HERE.

For a list of all Transits this week and for the rest of the month please CLICK HERE to the Monthly Transits Page

or HERE to navigate to the Astro-Calendar Page.

Weekly Astrological Highlights, April 4 to 10

Looking for guidance?

Phone me on 0407 359 682 or

Email: moonlivingmoon@gmail.com

 

THIS WEEK HIGHLIGHTS

So much is happening this week that I have already covered some of the topics in separate posts. The most recent is the article on the Aries Full Moon of April 4, a call to war? HERE.

The week continues to bring significant alignments worth discussing. Their importance seems to pale however when compared with the week’s rather dramatic start: the Aries New Moon on Monday, approaching a conjunction to Jupiter and opposition to Saturn, the same day Mars meeting Uranus, and the entrance of Neptune in Pisces, on Tuesday, April 5, after a 165 years wait!

THIS WEEK MOON

This is the first week of the Moon’s Waxing Cycle, from the Aries New Moon to the Gemini Crescent Phase, starting on Friday, April 8.

Life is energized by the growing Moon, fostering activities, enterprise, hope. From the start of the Crescent Phase we become more conscious of our direction, beginning to envision our goals, the same that will fully manifest or fail at the next Libra Full Moon, on April 18.

APRIL 7 to 10, THURSDAY to SUNDAY: the Sun in its yearly cycle reaches the closest possible point to Jupiter on April 7. This is also the weekday traditionally dedicated to Jupiter (from his Anglo-Saxon equivalent Thunor and the Norse Thor, both Gods of thunder, like the Greek Zeus and Latin Jupiter).

The Giant Planet appears now to orbit exactly between the Earth and the Sun (Inferior Conjunction), invisible from view until the end of April. Jupiter will re-emerge in the pre-dawn sky in the month of May, as a welcoming Morning Star.

This yearly Sun conjunction to Jupiter (and later Mercury) could bring opportunities to Aries individuals whose birthday falls between April 6 and 10, or those who have the Moon, Chart’s Angles or planets between the 15 and 18 degrees of Aries.  Taking some risks could now be a smart move, because things are personally improving for you. If this is not the case, due to other circumstances, you could become restless and dissatisfied with your present lot. Even very difficult circumstances can be tackled with the help of this transit though,  transforming them into stepping stones to advance on your journey, a positive attitude bringing its own reward.

Many will have to face Martial difficulties in the next few weeks, at times bringing a very intense level of tension amongst people. The transits of the Sun this week, on the other hand, becoming conjunct first to Jupiter (April 7) and then to Retrograde Mercury (April 10, another Inferior Conjunction) seem propitious to infuse many with a renewed sense of hope and possibilities.

The Sun’s passage from a restrictive opposition to Saturn, exact on April 4, and these promising conjunctions could be a good Sign not just for Aries but everyone, because it seems to officially ratify the beginning of the end of the Jupiter-Saturn opposition that became exact, for the last time, on March 29.

These solar conjunctions will also be stretched in time by the fact that after April 10, Retro Mercury will be still advancing toward Jupiter, the two, small Brother and Big Brother, destined to meet on April 12 (the same day, Tuesday next week, when Mars will square Pluto). And then again on May 12 when Mercury return to Direct Motion, thus covering a much longer period.

The conjunction Mercury-Jupiter should encourage the collective mind to search further afield for solutions to our problems, for intuitive ideas that could shape and improve our future.

‘ The big picture’ are often terms we associate with Jupiter, while the Eagle is the magical animal who symbolizes the God’s power of expansive vision and generosity of spirit, fostering confidence and prosperity. A general boost of confidence may become apparent during this period, hopefully not making us blind to the limitations and dangers still all around us (read Mars, Uranus, plus Pluto turning Retrograde on April 9).

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I warmly recommend giving a look at Australian astrologer Ed Tamplin’s site, for very interesting analysis of world events and serious astrological predictions.

Click HERE for my recent post about  the Aries Equinox conjunct Uranus

If interested, please click HERE to navigate to my recent Venus in Pisces post .

Click here to navigate to my most recent post on the transit of Uranus in Aries, and other major transits.   

For more information about the imminent ingress of Neptune in Pisces, please check two of my posts on the subject HERE and HERE.

A post on  Jupiter transiting Aries can be found HERE.

For a list of all Transits this week and for the rest of the month please CLICK HERE to the Monthly Transits Page

or HERE to navigate to the Astro-Calendar Page.

Aries New Moon, and Aries Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Jupiter. A call to arms?

I was preparing for an intense day on this New Moon, and for good astrological reasons. The conjunction Mars-Uranus has become exact today, so giving a certain character and tone to the whole new cycle the New Moon is opening. Bloody conflicts are all over the news, with not imminent solutions in view.

The whole month will keep this momentum going, the drive for change and progress at all cost (Uranus) married to the need for action without delay and an aggressive general attitude (Mars). This trend will be obvious on the evening news as well as in our own private lives, where conflicts could flare up at the least provocation, causing often a sense of alienation and separateness amongst people. No great strides toward peaceful solutions seem to be on the cards for now.

Furthermore the Sun and Moon were also in conjunction to Jupiter in Aries today and therefore in opposition to Saturn in Libra, thus becoming active participants in the cosmic patterns that are shaping the  present historical events. In fact Jupiter is only now just separating from the opposition to Saturn that became exact, for the third and last time, last Tuesday, March 29.

If interested in the Jupiter-Saturn’s opposition, please look up the astrological highlights of the week March 28 to April 3 HERE, and, for a more in depth analysis, to my older post on the historical significance of the Jupiter-Saturn’s opposition HERE.

The Sun and Moon with Jupiter will attract big events, and perhaps also an inflated expectation of big events. We may risk collectively to escalate differences, rather than contain them.

A good example of this is the fierce conflict raging at present in Australia about the so called Carbon Tax, between opposite factions, one absolutely against it and the other absolutely in favor.

The opposition of Sun and Moon to Saturn, at New Moon, will have also a powerful effect, on this particular issue and others, now and in the next few weeks. Finding a middle ground between Jupiter and Saturn’s tendencies would be indeed very difficult. Perhaps this necessary reform will have to be imposed forcibly on a lot of people who don’t want any of it.

Or another possibility is that Saturn could create the type of stalemate we have seen gripping other crisis, all over the world, from Japan’s atomic crisis, to the bloody civil conflicts in the Middle East and Africa.

Mercury now moving slowly in retro motion in Aries could also have the effect of making us revisit the past, going through similar experiences and tests we have had recently. It is difficult to find permanent solutions to personal or collective problems while Little Brother is making his cosmic loop, because we need now to re-think everything, to go over again what we thought we had outgrown and overcome. Mercury turning direct again, on April 23, will offer more opportunities for a meaningful change of direction. For more information on April’s retrogradation of Mercury visit last week highlights post HERE.

Astrological predictions cannot be rosy under these circumstances, also considering the imminent retrograde station of Pluto (beginning on April 9) that could also mark a more intense and transformative time of the year for all of us.

One of the positive roles of Astrology is to make us more aware of the dangers inherent in a period of social and personal revolutions like the present, hopefully helping to find ways of toning down our passions, thus achieving a measure of cooperation with those who held opposing views.

A different facet of this New Moon story is represented by Neptune entering Pisces tomorrow, April 5. This historical transit seems to indicate that whatever is happening now in the world and within us will have far reaching consequences in shaping our beliefs, because we are in the grip of something much bigger than our own individual ambitions, dreams or wants, something we can hardly fight against because it seems and is unavoidable.

Amongst all other transits active at present the passage of Neptune in Pisces could redeem us by fostering compassion and tolerance, in a period of increased turbulence and unrest. Via Neptune’s unifying lenses we may be made to perceive that the aspirations of all human beings on the planet are indeed the same, because our source of being is the same.

For more about the transition of Neptune into Pisces visit my Escape to Neptune post HERE and More about the effect of Neptune in Pisces HERE.

My own Aries’ transits

I have been living through an experience lately, confirming to me the power of planetary configurations on our daily life. This story can also be read as an apology for posting this New Moon article late and also for non having published yet the Mars in Aries’ article I was preparing last week.

A sudden and very acute attack of sciatica prevented me from working. Only tonight I am finally able to sit for any length of time to type.

Well, my sciatica is part of the Aries story really. Mars, entering Aries on Friday, April 2, has formed a perfect right angle (square) with my very early Cancer Sun and my Birth Chiron, on the cusp of Sagittarius and Capricorn. And, of course, Uranus was already forming exactly the same aspects since it too entered Aries on March 12. Uranus was obviously just waiting for Mars passing over the same degree to unleash its sudden fury over my poor sciatic nerve.

Today, New Moon day, Mars is conjunct Uranus; this particular transit has therefore reached its climax. My condition has improved slightly; I feel I am on the road to recovery.

The New Moon always brings some difference, offering an opportunity to look at our predicament in a new light, with hope rather than gloom. I feel that the waxing energy of the New Moon helps the body to fight back or give enough incentive to tackle ongoing problems with a fresh and positive attitude.

I didn’t expect my sciatica to get as bad as it did, so Uranus provided the aspect of unexpectedness, as it is supposed to do.  Mars, on the other hand, brought on the acute stage of the condition, flaring it up. And Chiron the soreness, one to which I am already accustomed, having had it times before. With Chiron is always something from the past that hit us, something ingrained and chronic that causes the physical or psychological unease, fostering at the same time a desire to understand the root cause of a condition, thus also promoting healing.

Of course the very same transits wouldn’t have had the same results if my Natal Gemini Mars did not promise trouble in the first place, opposing Natal Chiron in the Sign of Sagittarius (ruling over the sciatic nerve), conjunct Natal Mercury (planet of mobility), and at right angle to Natal Saturn in Virgo Third House, often stressing life’s limitations in a very physical way. The Saturn in Virgo connection shows me also the obvious consequences of the unhealthy choice of sitting for hours at the computer, forgetting to keep my body in a good posture, foregoing in fact all good advice in this respect.

In good Saturnine fashion I conclude that the sciatica is not just a case of bad luck, but very much of bad choices too.

Mea culpa.

Weekly Astrological Highlights, March 28 to April 3

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THIS WEEK HIGHLIGHTS

Much is coming our way this week and the next, including events we have been waiting for a long time. Like  Neptune making his first foray into his own Sign of Pisces, on April 5, after 165 years absence. He will be swimming there until August 5. And Pluto turning retrograde on April 9, becoming direct again only on September 17.

The week started with a 90 degrees angle between the Sun in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn, on Monday March 28, adding more fuel to the melting pot of world affairs, as you must have noticed if you watch the news.

THIS WEEK MOON

The Aquarius Balsamic Moon Phase begins on March 30. The Moon will be still decreasing in light ’til the end of this week, the Aries New Moon happening at 1.32 am (Eastern Australia Summer Time), on Monday April 4.

If falling close to your birthday (for Aries born between March 29 and April 3) the Balsamic Moon indicates that this year would be ideal to finish unfinished business, put your house in order, so to speak, to prepare for a new imminent cycle.  Also to tap into your spiritual understanding of your life’s  rhythm, to get the essence-wisdom out of the cycle that is now ending.  Time for a bit of soul searching, weighting the losses and gains of the past year, sorting out your priorities, that may be now different from the ones you had on your previous birthday.

In the short term, for the end of the present lunar month, the same Balsamic Moon’s effect can work for everyone, as a preparation and reflection time for the new cycle beginning on April 4.

How depressing or fascinatingly introspective this Moon phase can be it is ultimately up to our attitudes, and the understanding we have of the cyclical nature of life.

MARCH 29, TUESDAY: the third and last opposition Jupiter-Saturn is exact today, but will remain very active for at least a week, and, as a general influence, until Jupiter will leave Aries to enter Taurus in early June.

The present is the third incarnation of this transit, that was also exact in May and August 2010. Since then the limiting influence of the opposition on world affairs has been discussed at length by many astrologers, including myself (one of my posts on the historical significance of the Jupiter-Saturn’s opposition can be found HERE).

In unison with other cosmic events, the contracting effect of this 20 years transit has been considered partly responsible for the 2010 global economic downturn. Now that it is nearly over perhaps we could see some improvement.

The opposition however has also the positive role of making people aware of issues of imbalance and unfairness, in every walk of life, from government politics to family politics. Somehow opposites are made to work together, finding the balance that can help to avoid extremes. All oppositions do that, in some way, but this one is an oppositions between planets which are considered opposite not just in distance but in essence and meaning as well. So more is in opposition here. Jupiter symbolizes the function of expansion while Saturn represents the function of contraction. Jupiter fosters growth without limits, while Saturn limits growth in order to consolidate.

Perhaps this is something that is needed at the moment, a limiting factor, an inhibitor for otherwise rather intense transits. Let’s see:

• the Sun and Mercury in Aries, with Mercury remaining in this Sign longer than usual, until May 16, due to retrogradation between march 30 and April 23.
• Mars not far from entering Aries, this Saturday, April 2
• The upcoming New Moon in Aries, next Monday, April 4, with Sun and Moon conjunct Jupiter and opposed to Saturn in Libra, while, on the same day, Mars becomes conjuncts Uranus
• Uranus in Aries since March 12
• Jupiter in the middle of Aries right now

Perhaps the often malingered Saturn may very well be our savior here, in the Sign of balance and equanimity, restoring some balance and cool to very heated up situations. It is enough to look at what’s going on in the Middle East and Africa, and the ongoing crisis in Japan, Saturn may be what is limiting the scope and severity of these events, that could be even worse without his sobering effect.

At the time of this last opposition Jupiter in Aries will be aligned with the star Alpheratz, the most brilliant in the constellation of Andromeda. In the past this star was actually part of  the square of Pegasus, the Flying Horse, constellation very close to Andromeda, both belonging to the same Perseus’ myth. He was the hero who saved Andromeda, the princess chained to a rock, with the help of magical Pegasus. Here is a link to the Perseus’ myth, retold by Robert Graves, scroll to page 142. This star is connected then with ideas of freedom and deliverance from bondage, in the way the winged horse helped to liberate the maiden from her deadly plight. A symbol promising positive future developments.

The birthday people directly aligned to this transits are Aries (April 3 to 6), Libra (October 6 to 9), Cancer (July 5 to 8 ) and Capricorn (January 4 to 7), also anyone with Moon, Ascendant and/or planets around the 13th/14th degree of the same Signs.

MARCH 30, WEDNESDAY: Today begins the Station of Mercury on the 24th degree of Aries, start of a retrograde period that will last until April 23.

Little Brother will move slowly backward until his Inferior Conjunction with the Sun on April 10. One of my articles on the phenomenon of retrogradation, in particular Mercury’s, can be found HERE.

People born with Mercury in Aries are more likely to feel the effects of this backward motion, in particular if Mercury was placed around the 24th or 12th degree of this Fire Sign, where the Retrograde and Direct Stations will occur this time round. To a degree also all Aries individuals born between April 2 and 16; as well as those with Moon, Ascendant and/or planets placed at birth between the 12th and 25th degree of Aries.

Your go go go attitude when it comes to communicating your ideas and expressing yourself freely and even forcibly, your impatience when others do not quite follow your lead will be put to the test during the next few weeks. This is an opportunity to learn patience and tolerance; also to slow the pace of life and thought, to gather your mental strength for the coming period of Mercury Morning Star, a more outgoing time ahead for you, after Mercury will turn direct, on April 23.

APRIL 2, SATURDAY: Mars enters today his own Sign of Aries, transiting there until May 11.

A Mars in Aries’ post is coming your way soon on Living Moon, for now it is enough to say that Mars today is joining a whole choir of planetary voices coming form Aries, the Sun, Mercury, Uranus, and soon the New Moon. A call to action, initiative, courage, fraught with the dangers of excessive impulsiveness and aggression, especially around the Aries New Moon next week that will see many intense transits happening around the same time.

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I warmly recommend giving a look at Australian astrologer Ed Tamplin’s site, for very interesting analysis of world events and serious astrological predictions.

Click HERE for my recent post about  the Aries Equinox conjunct Uranus

If interested, please click HERE to navigate to my recent Venus in Pisces post .

Click here to navigate to my most recent post on the transit of Uranus in Aries, and other major transits.

For more information about the imminent ingress of Neptune in Pisces, please check two of my posts on the subject HERE and HERE.

A post on  Jupiter transiting Aries can be found HERE.

For a list of all Transits this week and for the rest of the month please CLICK HERE to the Monthly Transits Page

or HERE to navigate to the Astro-Calendar Page.

Weekly Astrological Highlights, March 21 to 27

Looking for guidance?

Phone me on 0407 359 682 or

Email: moonlivingmoon@gmail.com

Highlights of the week

Apology for again posting this weekly update late. There is so much going on at the moment and so little time (and electrical power) in my personal life I’m finding it hard to stick to my deadlines.

Big cosmic events have happened at the start of the week, with the Aries Equinox and the conjunction Sun-Uranus on Monday, March 21.  I have already discussed these events in a previous post, Full Moon in Virgo and the Aries Equinox conjunct Uranus so I’ll only make a note about them here.

The most important mutual aspect this week will be the sesqui-square (135 degrees) between Saturn retrograded in Libra and Neptune on the last degree of Aquarius, on March 25.

Also coming on, but not exact until March 29 is the last opposition Jupiter-Saturn, from Aries to Libra. The most recent difficulties experienced by the global economy, due to many natural and man-made disasters, bear the signature of this historical opposition, the third and last to occur since May 2010. It will be a topic for next week’s highlights.

The Moon is Waning this week, from the late Virgo Full Moon on Sunday, March 20, to the Capricorn Last Quarter Phase, on Saturday, March 26, always a time for self-reflection, when we can begin preparing for the next New Moon in a week time.

To end the week on a positive note, Venus will enter the Water Sign of Pisces, a suitable ambiance for our Love Goddess, on Sunday March 27.

March 21: Astrologers all over the globe are seeking answers in the transits active at the time of the Aries Equinox, the Birth Chart of the new astrological year, to glean a sense of what this new year might bring.

This time, we all agree, the wind of change is blowing, altering the lives of millions in a clean sweep. We all expected dramatic events of some sort, due to the number of significant shifts at hand, but reality has surpassed all expectations.

Putting aside the recent cataclysmic events and gloom and doom predictions, this Sun-Uranus’ conjunction, at this pivotal time of the year and so close to a Full Moon, will present opportunities for a lot of  people to take their lives into their own hands, to become more independent and self-reliant, to accept their differences and find the courage to live by their principles, rather than those the ‘system’ has prepared for them. Psychological freedom from excessive conditioning is what a powerful Uranus’s transit is supposed to foster, even when your external situation may take a longer time than your inner self to shift.

As we have seen in collective uprisings in many parts of the world, people are now impatient for change, ready to fight and even risk their lives in order to make a difference, and to outgrow the past.

If Uranus can make revolutionary heroes out of average citizens of an average world, so too he could revolutionize your life. You need to answer his call however. Change will not happen of its own accord, in most cases, and it would be preferable anyway to be at the helm rather than passively suffer upheavals imposed upon by outside circumstances.

The Sun Sign people in direct contact with Uranus, at the moment, are Aries (March 20 to 22), Cancer (June 21 to 23), Libra (September 23 to 25), Capricorn (December 21 to 23), and also Leo (July 22 to 24) and Sagittarius (November 21 to 23), or anyone with the Moon, one of the four angles (Ascendant, Descendant, Mid-Heaven and Lower Heaven) or a planet in the first degree of the same Signs. Due to the slowness of Uranus (it will remain in Aries for nearly seven more years) this transit will extend its influence for many months.

MARCH 25, FRIDAY: the sesqui-square (a tongue twister of an aspect) between Saturn retrograde in Libra and Neptune, on the last degree of Aquarius, may be considered a minor aspect by some, but in this case it is not. The two planets are in fact slow moving  enough to savor this relationships, not perhaps for as long a time as with a square, opposition or trine, but long enough to leave a definite mark. In this case, for instance, the transit started becoming active in mid March and will remain active until early April (using a one degree orb). Furthermore this is already the second pass (occurrence) of this transit, because the two planets formed the same angle at the end of October 2010, when Saturn was still traveling in direct motion (first pass), and will be forming it again in late August 2011 (third and last pass).Covering such a long period of time it has certainly an impact on the collective psyche and events.

While this angle is said to cause some discordance and delays that require patience, the two planets involved are known to have some natural difficulties in working together anyway, due to their very different natures: Saturn all down to earth and Neptune all spaced- out.

This week in particular it could prove difficult to reconcile the need to be practical and grounded with the need to transcend limitations and allow creative and spiritual experiences to take place. When planets are in aspects the idea is to make them work together, rather than give one or the other the upper hand. In this case, the ideal would be to keep the vision alive (Neptune) without losing our sense of reality or forgetting our duties (Saturn).

Individuals more likely to feel the difficulties of this transit are Libra (October 6 to 8 ), and Aquarius (February 3 to 5).

MARCH 26 and 27, SATURDAY and SUNDAY: these two days are dominated by the Sign’s change of Venus, from logical Aquarius to romantic (and not so logical) Pisces. A post on this shift is in the pipeline. A few words here: in traditional Astrology Neptune is said to represent the higher octave of Venus (a musical term meaning the reproduction of a sound at a higher, or lower pitch), because if we identify Venus with love, we then have to identify Neptune with compassion, the highest expression of love, when we love not for what we can get out of the other person (attention, pleasure, support etc.), but unconditionally. Venus transiting Pisces, the realm of Neptune, is said to take on the spiritual garb of the Oceanic God, to allow us to experience the unconditional love toward our fellow human beings and the sense of unity that that love brings. This is also a very imaginative and artistic Venus, helping us to appreciate beauty in all its forms, from natural to cultural beauty, sensuality and poetry. Negatively we run the risk, while Venus is in Pisces, of glamorizing the idea of love and idealizing the people we love to excess, looking for the ever elusive soul-mate of our dreams. Keeping the heart anchored on something solid (a sense of self), and keeping some emotional boundaries up will help to avoid these pitfalls.

Individuals more likely to feel the enchantment of Venus in Pisces, over the next month, will be Pisces, of course, as well as Cancer, Scorpio, and, mixed with difficulties, also Virgo, Gemini and Sagittarius.

Venus will be transiting Pisces until April 21.

If interested, please click HERE to navigate to my Venus in Aquarius post .****

Click here to navigate to my most recent post on the transit of Uranus in Aries, and other major transits.

For more information about the imminent ingress of Neptune in Pisces, please check two of my posts on the subject HERE and HERE.

A post on  Jupiter transiting Aries can be found HERE.

For a list of all Transits this week and for the rest of the month please CLICK HERE to the Monthly Transits Page

or HERE to navigate to the Astro-Calendar Page.

Weekly Astrological Highlights, March 14 to 20

Looking for guidance?

Phone me on 0407 359 682 or

Email: moonlivingmoon@gmail.com

Highlights of the week

Apology for posting this weekly update late. The unfolding crisis in Japan has pretty much upset my priorities in the last few days.

No major transits are exact this week, while we are all still reeling from the dramatic entrance of Uranus in Aries, last Saturday, March 12.

Prominent in transit are the two inner planets, Mercury and Venus, respectively in Aries and Aquarius.

The Moon is waxing, the Leo Gibbous phase begins on Thursday, March 17, and the Full phase, in the Sign of Virgo, on Sunday, March 20, 5.10 am (Eastern Australia Summer Time = 11 hours East of GMT).

MARCH 14, MONDAY : Mercury in Aries reached a distance of 90 degrees from Pluto in Capricorn on Monday, March 14. The transit will then be active for another day or so.

This was a somewhat depressing transit for lively Mercury: our conversations, writing, reading, learning, teaching leaning toward more profound and serious subjects. Glaring examples of this have been the media and public attention given to the ongoing tragedy in Japan, with very confronting footage of the destruction and death brought by the earthquake and tsunami filling television screens and radio reporting all over the globe. The Fire and Earth Signs will be more directly aligned to this transit, particularly Aries and Capricorn.

In the context of these appalling events the contact Mercury-Pluto reminds one of the Greek myth of Hermes (Mercury) Psychopomp, guiding the souls in the afterlife realm of Hades, name that indicated the place where the souls went after death as well as the God of the underworld himself (what the Romans and astrologers call Pluto). Just a thought, and an intriguing picture by German master Albrecht Durer (1471-1528), born with Pluto on the Ascendant.

The square to Pluto is just the first of Mercury’s transits this week. On Wednesday, March 16, our little brother will become conjunct Jupiter in Aries, on Friday, March 18, he will semi-square Neptune on the cusp Aquarius/Pisces, on Saturday, March 19,will reach the opposition to Saturn in Libra, and finally, on Sunday, March 20 (Full Moon day) Mercury will form a semi-square to Chiron in Pisces.

MARCH 15, TUESDAY : today Venus comes to the fore in transit, first in difficult aspect (semi-square) to Uranus in Aries and then in harmonious aspect (trine) to Saturn in Libra.

When Venus is prominent in transit the feminine is strong, also desires and the pursuit of pleasure and joy are important. Today we may oscillate from the desire to be different and relate in unconventional ways (Uranus’ contact) and the desire to comply with what is expected of us, what is considered proper and straight (Saturn’s contact). Difficult but interesting balance. The Air Signs of Aquarius, Libra and Gemini will feel this transits more keenly.

If interested, please click HERE to navigate to my Venus in Aquarius post .

MARCH 16, WEDNESDAY: today Mercury is conjunct expansive Jupiter, in the fiery Sign of Aries, an optimistic transit that could help to lift our collective spirit for a while.

Astrologically Mercury is said to rule the intellect and our human capacity to mentally analyze our experiences, translating them into words and concepts. Jupiter, on the other hand, is also a planetary energy that deal with mind stuff, but rather than categorizing and discriminating Jupiter has the function of searching for meaning, widening our mental horizons through philosophical thoughts and flights of intuition. We need Jupiter to see the big picture, to observe things from a more global and inclusive perspective, while we need Mercury to function as intelligent beings on the planet. If we define Mercury as Intellect we should then define Jupiter as Intuition. The combination of these planetary energies today will help our intellect to align with intuition, giving us a more refined tool for understanding life. This aspect will be more significant for Aries and the Fire Signs in general.

MARCH 19, SATURDAY: Mercury in Aries opposes Saturn in Libra today. Another difficult but potentially productive contact for Mercury.

After the flights of intuition brought about by the conjunction to Jupiter on Wednesday we are brought back to reality and forced to look at things as they are, minus the embellishments and wishful thinking. Used properly this is a wonderful energy to be particularly efficient in our work, especially paper work and studies, to meet deadlines and plan our future moves. Serious conversations and/or meeting with people from the past could be on the agenda too. The Fire and Air Signs are the ones directly aligned to this transits, in particular Aries and Libra.

MARCH 20, SUNDAY: Full Moon in Virgo today (28° 47′). As I explained in a previous post this Full Moon and the one after, in April, will be the closest to Earth in a period of 18 years (perigee), hence the term SuperMoon used to describe this phenomenon (apparently first coined by astrologer Richard Nolle).

Some have linked the perigee SuperMoon with the Japanese disaster. Reading more about the subject I discovered however that, at the time the quake struck, the Moon was actually at apogee (greatest distance from Earth), because she regularly oscillates between perigee and apogee, in cycles of two weeks (click HERE to calculate the Moon’s apogee and perigee periods for any year).

The perigee that will occur during today Full Moon will cause higher than usual tides, while its effects could have been anticipated by other astrological factors, active at the time of the disaster, as it often happens in astrological experience.

These things remain a mystery, to astrologers and astronomers alike, no matter how much the skeptics try to deny the lunar influence on Earth’s affairs. We should then remain open to the possibility that this special time in the Moon’s cycle could indeed bring special effects to planet Earth.

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Click here to navigate to my most recent post on the transit of Uranus in Aries, and other major transits.   

For more information about the imminent ingress of Neptune in Pisces, please check two of my posts on the subject HERE and HERE.

A post on  Jupiter transiting Aries can be found HERE.

For a list of all Transits this week and for the rest of the month please CLICK HERE to the Monthly Transits Page

or HERE to navigate to the Astro-Calendar Page.

Weekly astrological highlights: March 7 to 13

Looking for guidance?

Phone me on 0407 359 682 or

Email: moonlivingmoon@gmail.com

 

Highlights of the week

Aries is definitely coming to the fore this week. Mercury will enter this Fire Sign on Thursday the 10th. And, on Saturday the 12th, the long awaited entrance of Uranus in Aries will become a reality.

MARCH 7 and 8: the Moon is waxing this week, from Crescent, on Wednesday, March 9, to First Quarter phase on Sunday, March 13.

The week begins with the Crescent Moon transiting Aries, moving from a difficult aspect to Pluto in Capricorn (confronting some powerful inner and outer demons), to a fiery conjunction to Jupiter in Aries (boost of confidence, irrepressible desire for action and freedom), and finally an opposition to Saturn in Libra (facing facts, reality checks on relationships, action thwarted by obstacles, faith diminished by fear), early on March 8 (Eastern Australia Summer Time = 11 hours East of GMT).

MARCH 10: big transit day this one! Mercury meets Uranus on the very last degree of Pisces, entering Aries less than two hours later.

Mercury here will act as a catalyst for the expression of Uranian energy on the planet, considering that Uranus is only two days away from entering Aries himself.

The transit of Mercury in Aries is a particularly protracted one this time, because, due to retrogradation, our little brother will remain in this Fire Sign until April 24. Mercury’s retrograde period is a couple of weeks away though, beginning on March 30.

Mercury can be considered the broadcaster amongst the Gods, the mouth piece for the other planetary energies as he encounters them. In this case we can expect our verbal communication, our reading and writing to be original, even outlandish today. It could feel OK now to think and talk out of the box, embracing new subjects and novel ideas with ease. Abstract concepts may seem more easy to understand and talk about, including those thoughts we often keep to ourselves for fear of being considered a bit mad!

Negatively the conjunction Mercury-Uranus could make us more nervous, highly strung and impatient, overly excitable and inconsistent too. When this is the case other people may not hear us right or viceversa, each lost in his/her own mental tangents and idiosyncrasies.

Because this conjunction happens between such important degrees of the Zodiac (the last and first) we can also expect it to have some far reaching consequences on the affairs of the world. Perhaps important global news may surprise or shock us today, promoting a different way of looking at life, pushing toward radical changes in the way we think and interact at the collective level.

The birthday in direct line with this conjunction, and therefore more likely to feel its full exciting impact, will be Pisces (March 19/20), Aries (March21/23), Virgo (September 21/22), Libra (September23/25), Gemini (June 19/20), Cancer (June21/23), Sagittarius (December 20/21), and Capricorn (December22/24).

Also Venus, in Aquarius since March 2, will form a harmonious contact with Jupiter today (sextile), transit remaining active also tomorrow. This is a beneficial aspect that could help in the next couple of days to embrace more gracefully the new impulse promised by the ingress of both Mercury and Uranus in Aries. Venus is in fact transiting the Uranian Sign par excellence, Aquarius, thus also ready to accept original and progressive ideas; while Jupiter is already in Aries, encouraging all to be more courageous and innovative, embracing new philosophies with an open mind.

If interested, please click HERE to navigate to my Venus in Aquarius post .

MARCH 12: Uranus enters Aries today. There is reason for excitement here, and also for some apprehension, as this is a very unpredictable and full on transit that could sweep many of us off our feet, only to land us on never explored before terrains where, for a while, we may find difficult to find our way.

Astrologers all over the world feel that what’s happening in the Middle East is one amazing expression of Aries Uranus’ revolutionary energy, extreme but also guided by higher reason and the need to improve human condition.

Uranus is the planetary energy stimulating us to become truly independent, to achieve individual freedom while also acquiring a greater sense of social responsibility. Such things would have been unthinkable before the time of Uranus’ discovery (in 1781),  just utopian dreams sprang from the heads of philosophers and mystics. But they can find expression in the real world now, especially under some of the planetary connections we are witnessing in this second decade of the 21st century. The passage of Uranus into Aries, beginning a brand new cycle for the Awakener, is one of these connections.

Click here to navigate to my most recent post on the transit of Uranus in Aries, and other major transits.   

For more information about the imminent ingress of Neptune in Pisces, please check two of my posts on the subject HERE and HERE.

A post on  Jupiter transiting Aries can be found HERE.

For a list of all Transits this week and for the rest of the month please CLICK HERE to the Monthly Transits Page

or HERE to navigate to the Astro-Calendar Page.