Mercury Appearing to Aeneas, by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1757. In Virgil’s Aeneid, Jupiter sends Mercury to Trojan warrior Aeneas, who must choose between his destiny to found the city of Rome and his love for Queen Dido. The story recounts the mythological events of a changing era and the dawn of a new empire.

Whew, I definitely felt that eclipse. What about you? It was overcast and foggy here, so I didn’t get to see anything, but around 3:30, I essentially passed out and was in a deep sleep for two hours.

It was a good thing I got some extra rest, because this week promises to be insanely busy. We’ll be in the wake of the eclipse through Tuesday, while Mercury straps on his winged sandals and gets ready to fly into his home sign of Gemini on Thursday. Fortunately, our brains will be quick enough to keep up when life shifts into high gear.

Indeed, this week is all about Mercury. As of Friday, all the planets will deposit to him until June 7, except Neptune and, for a few days, the Moon. This means that all areas of life ruled by Mercury will command our attention and take on additional urgency – the most important among them being all forms of communication. With Venus retrograde in Gemini, we may notice an upswing in contact from people we haven’t heard from in some time. I’ve already had one of those experiences and am waiting for the second, as they typically come in pairs. Gemini is, after all, the Twins.

Mercury himself is not just the speedy messenger, associated with rational thinking and a quick wit. Remember, in mythology, he was the only one of the gods who could move freely between the world of the living and the world of the dead. That’s why, when Ceres demanded that Pluto return her kidnapped daughter or else, she had to send Mercury as the intermediary.

The phenomenon symbolized by Mercury is at work when thoughts bubble up from our subconscious, or when images flash into our mind in the space between sleeping and waking. If you’re a creative-minded person, you may get many of your ideas in that space. If so, then you’ve experienced the essence of Mercury. If effect, you’ve received a “message from the gods” via the Messenger.

The reason I bring this up is that we normally think of Mercury as the planet of communications and quick thinking, and while this is true, there’s more to the Little Guy. And we’re going to experience his dual role this week as he aspects Jupiter (the Big Guy) on Tuesday, Neptune on Friday, and the Sun and Uranus on Sunday. Keep a notebook handy and write down your ideas. They may come and go so fast that if you don’t record them, you’ll forget … which would be a shame, because truly, we’re receiving major “downloads” right now, some of them as fleeting ideas and others as major revelations. The synchronicities continue, as well.

One of the things that always has fascinated me as I contemplate Gemini is the concept of communications between the two hemispheres of the brain. Where do these intuitive thoughts come from, how do they enter our conscious awareness, and how do we process them? As a writer, I depend on this process for inspiration. Once I come up with an idea – and who knows, really, where it comes from – I make a note of it and then wait for my subconscious to do the “research.” Invariably, ideas pop to the surface as I’m waking up or while I’m commuting on the ferry, staring at the water and thinking about nothing in particular. Sometimes, something will happen during the day that literally brings the information I need to my fingertips.

Some people are disturbed by these strange ideas out of “nowhere” and quickly suppress them. This is all the more likely to happen to those who are entrenched in belief systems that would collapse with the insurgence of one radical truth. I suspect there’s going to be a lot of that going on in the next few weeks, individually and collectively.

Communicating within relationships is going to be very important this week, too. Venus is now retrograde but moving very slowly, while Saturn also is retrograde. While they never form an exact trine, they’ve been tracking within a degree of each other and will remain within a couple of degrees of a trine all week. Saturn is in Venus-ruled Libra, the sign of relationships, reminding us that commitment comes with responsibilities. The first responsibility is to communicate. In romantic relationships, honesty is paramount. We often tell little lies, thinking that we’re sparing the other person’s feelings, when the real motivation may be elsewhere. If you’re not being truthful with your partner, you might want to have a little discussion with yourself and try to figure out why not. What’s at stake? What is served by hiding the truth? You may have legitimate reasons, but more often than not, information is withheld as a means of control.

On Saturday, Mercury also conjoins the lunar South Node. I’ve been hearing a lot from friends and clients about past-life memories, often triggered by meeting someone from another lifetime. I expect we’re going to get a lot more of this in the next few weeks, too. The Sun crosses the South Node the day before, which also may trigger some synchronicities or events that feel “destined.”

However, it’s Mercury I’m watching this week. Whether the communications come from within or without, they’re likely to come fast and to be worth our attention. Keep those antennae up! And for those of you who are getting slammed, this is just another admonition to keep your eye on the goal and don’t lose your nerve. When you’re surfing a giant wave and driving on a high-speed freeway, you can’t afford to allow your attention to lapse for even a second.

Much love and courage to all,
Pat

P.S. For photos of the eclipse as well as good information about solar activity, check out Space Weather.

Wesak is a major “download” time, when a portal opens to higher consciousness. I don’t know how many more open portals I can stand. As it is, we’re marching toward an extraordinary alignment of the Sun, Moon, Earth, and Venus on June 4 and 5, which I believe will trigger a giant leap forward in the evolution of human consciousness. Then there are the solar flares and corresponding disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field.

I have no idea whether this phenomenon is affecting our consciousness, but I’m fairly sure it’s having some effect. Several people I know are experiencing extreme fatigue, elevated heart rate, and hot flashes. Is it related to solar activity? In astrology, the Sun is associated with the heart, so it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that there’s a real correlation here. I just don’t know how we’d prove it to the satisfaction of medical science.

Dancing on the boundaries of parallel universes is disorienting and possibly dangerous. No one would entertain the idea of surfing the big waves before learning the basics of the sport, and yet we may be doing the spiritual equivalent. What I don’t know is whether everyone is experiencing this shift at some level, or whether those who are sensitive to these energies feel it, while those who aren’t remain blissfully ignorant. I pass no judgment on which is better. Someone has to hold down the fort while a percentage of the population stumbles around in a daze.

I strongly encourage you to keep a journal and record any strange dreams, visions, synchronicities, or other unusual events in your life. At the same time, try to stay grounded. Fortunately, the Sun and Jupiter in Taurus are helping in that regard. If you find yourself mysteriously craving meat and fattening foods, don’t fight it for now. You can take off the excess weight as soon as the cosmic dust settles. I’m definitely of a mind that we have to trust our bodies and higher minds at this point to know what’s right for us and not try to overpower them by force of intellectual beliefs. It’s a leap of faith, really.

To understand the connection between Taurus, Buddha, and Wesak, I suggest going back to an article Ruth wrote last year. The third eye, located between your eyebrows, is our portal to higher consciousness, the ability to “see” into the energetic realms. When this center is activated, we’re said to be enlightened. Ruth also notes the connection between Aldebaran, the brightest star in Taurus, and the third eye. One of the four Royal Stars of Persia, Aldebaran is known as the “eye of the bull.”

Click on image to enlarge

In this year’s Wesak Full Moon chart, the Sun is widely conjunct Jupiter, planet of luck and abundance. Otherwise, the chart contains several oppositions and squares (the red lines), which normally represent challenges. If you look more closely, though, you’ll see that these challenges each have a readily accessible escape route.

The most exact opposition (other than the Sun and Moon) is between Mercury and Saturn. Although a Mercury-Saturn opposition might normally be seen as somewhat negative in that it implies limited thinking, I like this aspect for two reasons. First, Mercury in Aries needs to have the brakes applied, or it flies off in a certain direction without any thought or purpose. Spontaneity doesn’t necessarily equate with creativity, but with retrograde Saturn imposing some discipline and thoughtful reflection, this pair could produce astounding creative work, especially if you’re a writer or work in some line of communications. Better still if you started your project at the New Moon on April 21, as you’ve now got something solid to show for your effort.

Likewise, if you made contact with someone in an attempt to communicate an important message, you should see some results around Saturday’s Full Moon. Attempts to repair broken relationships especially should benefit, as both Mercury and Saturn are at positive angles to Venus. Moreover, Venus is Mercury’s sign of Gemini, while Saturn is in Venus-ruled Libra. There is going to be plenty of opportunity over the next couple of months to go back over trouble spots in relationships to heal, whether it brings you closer or helps you close a chapter so that you can move on with a sense of closure. We’ll probably find that “going back” refers not just to this lifetime, but to other incarnations as well. It’s all part of the opening of the inter-dimensional window.

The second set of challenges is indicated by the opposition from Mars to Neptune and the quincunx (sometimes called inconjunct) from Mars to Uranus. Neptune is in his own sign of Pisces, so in a way this is an unfair contest. The petty ego that finds fault with everyone and everything will finally become tired of itself and either find escape through substance abuse or give in to merging into oneness with all being – a scary prospect for the ego, which fights to hold its ground. There may be a rude awakening of sorts involved, too. But, once again, there is an “out” via a positive aspect – this time a flowing trine from Mars to Pluto. There is tremendous will to do whatever it takes to accomplish your goals. Yes, you can suffer the idiots around you, if you know that putting up with them in the short term will pay off in the end. And it will.

Pluto rules this Full Moon by virtue of being the modern ruler of Scorpio, sign of death, rebirth and transformation. In the Full Moon chart, Pluto is within 3 degrees of a square with Uranus. The aspect will be exact on June 2. Uranus is sometimes called “the Awakener.” As more and more people awaken, society is in an increasing state of disarray. Systems are breaking down, and those in power are attempting to keep their positions at all costs. This is a long-term trend that will play out over the next three years.

Overall, the chart for this Full Moon indicates a tremendous force for transformation. With Mars gathering speed, we’re making up for lost time since January. I don’t know about you, but the activity is making my head spin. “Leap of faith” doesn’t even begin to describe life these days.

Much love and courage to all,
Pat

Studying with Mercury in Aquarius. © Pat Paquette, 2012.

There was a lot of weirdness going on last week, and then the energy suddenly shifted on Friday. Did you notice? I attribute the shift to Neptune’s entry into Pisces and hope that life will return to some semblance of sanity, despite the craziness of Mars retrograde.

Neptune’s shift occurred at 2:03 p.m. EST on Friday. The final two days of Neptune in Aquarius were totally out of control – at least for me. My computer crashed again, and then my backup machine failed. I was without a computer for two critical days in my class work and am now nearly three weeks behind in my assignments. I had to post a notice on my order page that I’m not accepting new report orders or consultations until I’m caught up at school. From an astrologer’s point of view, all of these events are a perfect manifestation of Mars retrograde in Virgo in the tenth house: computer failure, work overload, behind in deadlines, etc.

It also seemed that people were bumping into each other more than usual, and there certainly was a spike on the anger/frustration scale. That said, I got a good reminder on Friday about the beneficial side of Mars anger. When you vent your anger properly, it’s like having a good cry. The explosion clears a lot of blockages and gets your energy flowing again – yet another great manifestation of Mars retrograde in Virgo.

By Saturday, the energy had totally changed. My take on this is that outer planets in the last degree of a sign, poised to enter a new one, send out an intense vibe that contains all the lessons of that planet/sign pair. And since Neptune was in Aquarius, which is ruled by Uranus, and Uranus is in Aries, which is ruled by Mars, the intensity of Neptune in the last degree of Aquarius was channeled through Mars, the planet of anger, action, and conflict.

What was even more interesting, though, is that once Neptune moved into Pisces, the release of anger and frustration cleared the way for a tremendous creative flow. Real magic can happen in rare moments like these. On Saturday, I had an 18-hour film shoot. First of all, I was surprised that I was able to work from 6 a.m. to midnight with few breaks. Secondly, I was amazed by how smoothly the project went. Disagreements were easily managed, and the discussions that arose over artistic differences improved the project. That is Mars energy at its best! Of course, Neptune rules film, so we might also have gotten the first sip of “pure” Neptune in Pisces.

So now let’s turn to this week, which has the potential to be quite dramatic. Tuesday is weighty, with the Full Moon in Leo just as Saturn turns retrograde in the last degree of Libra and Venus moves through the final degree of Pisces. Relationships definitely are a key theme this week, and what transpires may shock and surprise.

Saturn has been in the final degree of Libra since the middle of January, and he’ll remain there until the first week of March. With Saturn in Libra, we’ve been learning lessons about love and commitment, about how to relate to each other fairly and to make compromises that everyone can live with. As Saturn approached the end of Libra, we began closing the books and preparing for finals. What more do we have to learn?

Apparently, a lot …

It’s one thing to learn lessons, but quite another to apply them. And you may find that you end up testing out what you’ve learned with someone other than who you’ve been with up to this point. That’s especially true if you learned your lessons the hard way, through a relationship that was painful but that helped you grow and evolve. Still, I don’t discount the possibility that you will go back for another lesson with the same person.

I can’t help but wonder if one of the big lessons will have to do with anger. I say this, because Venus is about to enter Aries, with Mars retrograde. It is not uncommon for couples to grow apart due to unresolved conflict. There are lots of reasons people prefer to “go along to get along” instead of hashing out the real issues. This strategy may work in a professional environment, but in an intimate relationship, stifled anger not only can destroy the relationship, but it can make the partners physically sick.

On Thursday, Venus conjoins Uranus in Aries, a pair favoring surprises in love and finances. I expect there will be a lot of impulsiveness, which could backfire – either that, or you may have to wait several weeks to see the results of an “instant” attraction. One thing is for sure, though: whatever occurs will be unusual and possibly groundbreaking.

I have more I’d like to write, but I’m depleted from too much work and not enough sleep, and I’m coming down with a cold, so I’ll stop here and hope it’s enough food for thought for you until next week.

Until then, wishing you much love and courage,
Pat

Poster for Le voyage dan la lune (Trip to the Moon), the first ever sci-fi fantasy film, shot in 1902 by director Georges Méliès.

This week is potentially difficult, with the Full Moon closely opposite Saturn. The good news is that you should be able to correct imbalances in your life, especially in your closest relationships.

The first challenge in correcting imbalances is to recognize them. Perhaps you’ve been in a compromising situation or relationship for so long that you don’t even realize that something is out of whack. Then there’s the challenge of taking appropriate steps to fix whatever’s not working. If you’ve been avoiding action for fear up upsetting the applecart, events around this Full Moon could be distressing, as changes seem to happen outside your control.

Conversely, if you’ve been working consciously toward aligning yourself with your purpose and destiny, events this week, while somewhat troubling, should provide you with more clarity about actions you can take to bring you closer to your goals. Even when you’re on the right path, it’s not one long, easy joy ride. There are times when you have to make a conscious choice to endure some discomfort or confront your fears.

Any adjustments you make this week may require some conflict, whether with others or within yourself. Astrologers often joke about Libra’s inability to make a decision, but we know it’s because she’s weighing the alternatives, and the scales typically aren’t tipped entirely in one direction. Life is filled with gray areas, and still you must choose. If you’re not confident about that choice, or deep inside think you should have made a different choice, you send out a thought vibration that pings back to you as people or circumstances reflecting that conflict.

The thing to remember is that you can use these uncomfortable situations to refine your goals and desires or even to change them entirely, if you’re that seriously out of balance with your true self. Saturn can be a stern teacher, but usually we are grateful for the people or events that help us get to the next level. The Sun forms an exact conjunction with Saturn on Thursday, so we can expect the tough lesson to continue for most of the week.

Click on image to enlarge

Tuesday’s Full Moon is ruled by Mars, the action planet, in the dynamic fire sign Leo. As with the New Moon on September 27, Mars is at a favorable angle to the Sun and Moon, suggesting that action is the way out of a predicament. Hopefully, you’ve already taken the necessary action, and anything required of you this week will be more in the nature of a follow-up.

That said, the trine from Mercury to retrograde Neptune suggests that ideas you’ve previously come up with may be useful again in helping you advance to the next step. The Mercury-Neptune trine is exact on Wednesday, and then Mercury enters Scorpio on Thursday. This combination favors deep insights and even glimpses into the “otherworld,” including visions of lives in other dimensions of space/time (usually referred to as “past lives”). Our notion of reality changes radically with an expanded perception of time.

Venus in Scorpio makes several connections in the Full Moon chart, including an opposition with Jupiter, a trine with Pluto, and an inconjunct with Uranus. These aspects peak throughout the week and likely will be felt within the context of relationships of all kinds and on all levels. In your personal relationships, be attentive to how you may expect others to fulfill your needs and desires. Do you interact with those people in a subtly manipulative way to get what you want from them? If you’re doing something like this and aren’t aware of it, an event early in the week could draw your attention to your behavior.

Still from Le voyage dan la lune.

In broader relationships – for example, between nations or groups of people within a nation – the issues are much the same, just on a larger scale. It goes without saying that society is seriously out of balance. Indeed, much of the upheaval we’re seeing is an attempt to correct the imbalances among humans and between humanity and the natural world.

Whatever transpires this week, do your best to learn from it and move on. Next week will be much better, and there will be rewards at the New Moon later in the month.

Wishing you all limitless love and courage,

Pat

P.S. The StarGuide Fall 2011 forecast tells you where this Full Moon falls in your chart and what kinds of issues might crop up. In addition, you get information about the next New Moon, the two upcoming eclipses, and the volatile Mercury retrograde period that starts at the solar eclipse on November 25. And it’s now 20 percent off!

Waiting in line. © Pat Paquette, 2011.

As if the dog days of August aren’t hot enough, astrological aspects in the first three weeks of the month add to the frustration and irritation.

Mercury turns retrograde on Tuesday and will stay in “reverse” until August 26. If you’ve got a teaching position or some other job that allows you take this month off, I strongly encourage you to get out of town and go on a nice, long vacation. That is one of the things Mercury retrograde is good for, especially in fun-loving Leo, where he’ll spend most of his retrograde phase.

If you have to stay at your desk or shop and slog away, be prepared for tasks to take longer and possibly require revision. The exception is editing, which is another activity that can be more efficient during Mercury retrograde. Transiting Mercury’s position in your chart indicates what areas of your life will be most affected this time around. If you’d like more information, I recommend my StarGuide Monthly Forecast for August. Not only will it tell you where Mercury is retrograde in your chart, but you’ll get an idea of how the Full Moon and New Moon will affect you.

You’ll also know where Mars is transiting your chart, which may turn out to be even more significant, as he’ll trigger cardinal T-square and grand cross points. You may know what those are already, since they’ve been active for more than a year.

Mars is cranky enough in Cancer without the conflicting aspects to Uranus, Pluto, and Saturn. I suspect we’re going to see a lot of events in the headlines based on anger, paranoia, and an excessive need to protect loved ones and personal property, although that’s more likely to occur next week and the week after.

Other aspects this week reinforce conflict, but there are a couple of mitigating influences that hopefully will help keep the peace, at least for now. Taking the week chronologically:

Venus forms a trine with Uranus on Monday (late Sunday night on the West Coast of the United States). Unexpected opportunities come up for love, money, and a good time – again, depending on where these two are transiting your chart. Just keep in mind that sudden developments may be temporary. The Sun’s square with Jupiter could lead to inflated expectations about how big the opportunities are or what they mean in the long run – in other words, don’t start planning your wedding just because the cute guy down the hall asked you out. The Moon is in Virgo on Monday and conjoins stationed Mercury, so I think we can avoid getting carried away, and we might even come up with some good ideas for how to take advantage of new opportunities toward the end of the month.

Mercury turns retrograde on Tuesday, but we’ve been experiencing the effects since late last week. I woke up on Thursday to news reports that I-5 South out of Seattle was completely blocked due to an overturned semi-truck that spilled its load of fuel all over the roadway. The driver apparently fell asleep at the wheel. Mercury was in an applying opposition to Neptune, which rules petroleum. Both Mercury and Neptune play a role in sleep.

On Wednesday, Mars enters Cancer, with the Moon entering Libra less than an hour later and immediately forming a square with Mars and crossing the cardinal T-square points. Minor irritations throughout the day provide hints about what’s to come, so keep your antennae up. Mars also trines Neptune, who retrogrades back into Aquarius on Thursday. More extreme weather may occur, although it would be hard to pin it to astrological phenomenon.

Speaking of weather and stars, did you know that the term “dog days” has its roots in the night sky? In ancient times, the hottest days of the summer coincided with the rising and setting of Sirius with the Sun. Sirius, also called the Dog Star, is the brightest star in the night sky and one of the stars forming the constellation Canis Major (Big Dog). The Romans believed that the earth received heat from Sirius, which appeared even brighter in those times due to lack of city lights and air pollution. (Thanks to James Weythman for the link on Wilstar.com.)

Continuing with our week, Venus squares Jupiter on Friday, fueling a tendency toward pie-in-the-sky dreams and overindulgence. Then, I’m not against going overboard with food, drink, sex, or the substance of your choice once in a while, especially if it relieves unbearable tension. Invite your co-workers to happy hour after work on Friday and have some fun. Just be sure to agree in advance who’s going to pay, and make sure you have a calculator.

Friday through Sunday, the Sun and Venus form a happy sextile to Saturn in Libra. Love and commitment can progress, despite Mercury’s retrograde motion. Again, just be clear in your communications. If you have to, repeat your words back to each other three or four times so that you’re sure you understand. Otherwise, intentions could be badly misinterpreted, leading to embarrassment or worse.

Next week is tough, so have fun while you can and take time to make some backup plans, to the extent possible.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

© Pat Paquette, 2011.

The New Moon on Wednesday, June 1, is the first of three eclipses that occur one right after another in June and July. Changes happen very fast now.

At 11 degrees Gemini, this New Moon is ruled by normally speedy Mercury, who’s not so speedy in slow and deliberate Taurus. Nevertheless, eclipses tend to bring abrupt change, usually too fast for comfort. It looks to me like many of these changes will be positive, but there will be hurdles to jump, too.

Although there’s going to be a shift in the next few days, as of this New Moon, Venus still dominates the sky. All of the planets deposit to her except Neptune, who is way out there in a world of his own as he stations retrograde. Perhaps that’s why so many of us have been feeling spacey and “not all here” for the past week or so. I’ll have more on these shifting energies in my weekly forecast.

The most compelling thing I see about this New Moon is that new patterns are visibly manifesting on the planet and in our lives, and this process will accelerate in the next six weeks.

In my Full Moon post, I discussed the symbolism of Medusa, the scary monster who turned men to stone but who in reality was an ancient, wise goddess. With Venus “in charge” of this New Moon eclipse, feminine energy not only is rising, but we’re beginning to see it integrating with its polar opposite. Isn’t it interesting that we’re seeing so many powerful men being called to account for sexist and abusive behavior toward women? If that’s not an encounter with Medusa, I don’t know what is.

Gemini is, of course, the sign of polar opposites. At the Gemini New Moon, we assimilate new information we downloaded on Wesak – all the more so this year, with not one but three eclipses directly following the opening of a portal. The New Moon typically represents new beginnings, and an eclipse is like a supercharged New Moon. In Gemini, polarized opposites can be integrated into a greater whole.

What makes me particularly optimistic about this New Moon is its favorable angle to Saturn, who’s slowing down in preparation for returning direct on June 12. Although Saturn has a well-deserved reputation as the planet of tough lessons, he also rules the physical plane. Nothing could manifest without the structural foundations that Saturn represents. And while Saturn forms a difficult cardinal T-square with Pluto and Uranus, the trine from the New Moon represents an easy path for frustrated energies to flow.

At 10 degrees Libra, Saturn is stationed right on the fixed star of Porrima. It gets a little complicated here, because Porrima is in the constellation of Virgo. This discrepancy is due to precession, which I’ve explained in previous posts.

Porrima, at the Virgin’s waist, was named for a Roman goddess of prophecy who actually may have been two sisters, one who looked forward and one who looked back. In a case of “as above, so below,” it so happens that Porrima is a binary star – a fact that couldn’t have been known when the star was named. To Persian astronomers, this star was known as Zawiat al Awwa, which meant the “turn,” signifying the point where the line of stars in Virgo bends.

So, here we have Saturn at a particularly powerful stage of turning direct, in Libra, the sign of balanced relationships, conjunct a star that represents a turn in the road, where we can look both behind us and ahead.

I’d say something very interesting is about to manifest for many of us in the next six weeks. For those recently out of a relationship, you’ll be able to look back and see the situation for what it was and, at the same time, to look forward to what’s next.

In my previous post, I also mentioned Aldebaran, the “eye of the bull” and symbol of the third eye, which is associated with psychic powers and the ability to see into other dimensions. At the eclipse, the Sun and Moon are within two degrees of Aldebaran.

Ophiuchus also gets a foot in the door at this eclipse. The lunar North Node, which determines when and in what sign eclipses occur, is closely conjunct Imad, the star at the Serpent Bearer’s foot, which dips down across the ecliptic. Imad means “pillar” or “support.” Snakes represent wisdom and healing through higher consciousness, which requires that you’re grounded and on solid footing. The North Node also will be close to the Galactic Center, the source of radio waves that I believe convey intuitive knowledge to those with the sensitivity to hear.

I should mention that Mercury will be square Neptune at this New Moon, not a combination for clear and concise thinking. As you’re downloading all that new information, keep in mind that you won’t have very effective filters. Those of you who are exceptionally psychic may be so overwhelmed that you find it hard to function normally. Solitude and rest will help. It’s also likely that some false information and delusionary thinking will creep in. You won’t know which is which until a few days have passed, so don’t jump right into anything new without allowing time for processing.

I leave you with this image of Saturn conjunct Porrima, photographed by Astro Bob:
Spring’s newest ‘double-double’ star

Pat

P.S. Be sure to write your abundance check!

© EJWhite for Dreamstime.com

On Monday, Venus conjoins Mars, symbolic marriage of the divine feminine and masculine. True love is returning to the world, but we’ve still got some work cut out for us.

I’ve written a lot in these pages about the split between men and women, which goes back thousands of years. I see this split as our deepest wound, and the resulting imbalance between masculine and feminine energies on the planet as the underlying source of the cruelty and violence that humans perpetrate on each other, the animal kingdom, and the Earth herself.

And yet, I see signs everywhere that the balance is being restored. The world is changing as the collective and each of us as individuals heal our core wounds. Our healing process intensified under the recent conjunction of Chiron and Neptune, which is separating but active for another year or so. For many of us, healing has required reopening or at least revisiting deep wounds, many of which we carried with us into this lifetime. It has been an exhausting and painful (obviously) process that appears to be nearing completion.

For true love to stand a chance, both partners need to come into a relationship in wholeness. If you’re looking to fill in a missing piece of yourself, you’ll eventually run into serious problems when the other person fails to deliver. No one but you can find those lost pieces and bring them home.

It is possible to work on this within a relationship, and if your partner is on a similar track (it does happen), then you can grow together, and love grows, too. Indeed, being in a relationship can speed up your personal and spiritual growth considerably, because your “stuff” is usually right in your face. The irony is that resolving personal issues can be fatal to the relationship. That’s no doubt why so many couples have an unspoken pact that they will play their self-assigned roles and not rock the boat by growing and changing.

Monday’s Venus-Mars conjunction occurs in a favorable trine to Pluto and a jarring inconjunct (quincunx) to Saturn. This tells me a few things.

First, Pluto has been at the apex of a cardinal T-square with Saturn and Uranus since last year. This puts the planet of death, rebirth and transformation in the hot seat. Translated, that means we’ve been under tremendous pressure to change.

Trines provide an easy path for energy to flow, and so, this week, transformation comes via a romantic relationship (regardless of your sexual orientation). If you’ve recently extricated yourself from a difficult union, you may realize that, rather than feeling like you left a piece of yourself behind, you feel more whole and stronger than ever. You are now equipped to find a healthier and more fulfilling partnership.

That’s the good news. The not-so-good news is that Venus and Mars form a very close inconjunct with Saturn, which happens to be retrograde in Libra, the sign of relationships. Now, this is interesting, because Venus rules both Taurus and Libra. I read this as a sign that feminine energy, long suppressed and overpowered by the masculine, is making its weight felt. Mars is in his detriment in Taurus, and naturally, a lot of men aren’t happy that they’re losing the upper hand. I hope they will come to understand why balance makes them stronger, not weaker.

Anyway, the discordant angle to retrograde Saturn is a reminder that there is still a lot of work to do, and transforming may require that you grit your teeth and try to move through the obstacles to love. And for all that, you may find yourself in a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation. Pluto says we must transform, but choosing that path may lead to a breakup. It’s a tough choice, but most people I know who chose to detach from a lopsided relationship have had few regrets.

Mars and Venus are conjunct on Monday, with Venus inconjunct Saturn on Tuesday and Mars inconjunct on Wednesday. The Mars aspect is even more complicated in that Mars and the Moon in Pisces will create a Yod, with Saturn at the apex. Often it’s not what’s said that sabotages a relationship, but what isn’t said. It takes a lot of trust and courage to be completely honest with your partner about how you feel.

On a completely different note, the Sun in Gemini sextiles Uranus on Wednesday. Watch the news headlines for surprising developments, probably of a positive nature. Now that would be news!

The following day, the Sun squares Chiron and then on Saturday forms an inconjunct with Pluto, bringing the theme of the week full circle. As hard as we try to serve the cause of True Love, as willing as we are to confront our own demons, we are fighting stubborn, deeply ingrained patterns that have existed for millennia. But just remember, it’s that last grain of sand that brings the scales in balance.

Much love and courage to all,
Pat

Magnolia. No time for sitting when there’s so much going on in the background. © Pat Paquette 2011

Cardinal energies dominate this week as Saturn turns retrograde in Libra, setting the stage for the 2011 cardinal T-square.

The cardinal signs – Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn – are active and initiate change. Even when Saturn slows down and turns around (what it looks like from down here, anyway), we have opportunities to state intentions and make changes.

Wherever Saturn is transiting your chart, you’ll have opportunities to balance your inner world and your outer reality through actively making changes to support your goals. In terms of the collective, we’ll have to take another look at the fairness of certain laws and policies. If they need correction and revision, doing so while Saturn is retrograde will be very effective.

In the United States, the newly elected Congress will work to revise laws passed in the previous session. How successful they’ll be remains to be seen. With Saturn retrograde in Libra, I’m hoping that any revisions will be fair and equitable, and that they won’t pander to a small number of corporate interests and neglect to take the real needs of the broader public into consideration.

Saturn turns retrograde on Wednesday at 17°13′ Libra (late Tuesday night in Western time zones). That’s just a few hours before Mercury in Saturn-ruled Capricorn forms an exact square to Saturn. My take on this is that the initial recognition that something needs to change will be irritating and uncomfortable, and we may not want to face it. Mercury in Capricorn is very good at thinking in practical terms, however, and so a little discomfort is a small price to pay for correcting major deficiencies, especially if they’ve been holding us back.

If you’ve got business negotiations scheduled for Wednesday, they will be tough, but ultimately they should be very productive. Normally I wouldn’t interpret a Mercury-Saturn square this way, but with Mercury in Saturn’s sign and Saturn in the sign of his exaltation, I do believe that challenges will be a good thing. I’ve often written on this site that all confrontation isn’t bad. How else would people debate polarized issues and find middle ground?

Saturn will be retrograde until June 12 and will turn direct at the peak of this year’s cardinal activity. By then, he’ll be back at 10 degrees Libra and in closer aspect to other planets in the T-square. For clues of how this might shake out, keep an eye on events in your life this Monday, when the Moon in Libra squares Pluto and conjoins Saturn, and also on Friday, when the Moon in Capricorn squares Jupiter in Aries and conjoins Pluto. Since we’re only talking about lunar aspects, the clues will be small, so you may miss them if you blink.

Otherwise, there are no major planetary aspects this week. Jupiter is moving swiftly along in Aries, though, so it doesn’t look like there will be any rest for the weary.

I did get a chance to watch a movie Saturday night and thought it was pretty funny that the two female stars were cardinal signs, and both of them even had cardinal references in their names. The movie was the original Pink Panther, now out on Blu-ray, with Peter Sellers as clumsy Inspector Clouseau. One of his female co-stars was a 60s model and actress known as Capucine, which is French for nasturtium. Her nickname was “Cap” or “Cappy,” and in fact she was a Capricorn. She looked every bit like one, too – coldly beautiful and dressed very expensively. The other female co-star was Claudia Cardinale, an Aries.

How’s that for synchronicity?

Much love and courage to all,
Pat

P.S. The movie is dated but still very funny and entertaining. If nothing else, watch it for the 60s fashions.

“Balance,” of course, is the keyword for Libra, and the new line was launched on October 7, the day of a very fine New Moon in Libra. Makes you wonder whether Klum has a personal astrologer. Or maybe they do at Amazon, because somebody hit that launch right on the money. Then, it could be just something in the collective, channeling through Amazon and superwoman Klum, who has made millions as a supermodel, businesswoman, television personality, working mom, and goddess knows what else.

These clothes fill a need for women who don’t want to spend a lot of time fussing about their appearance but want to look pulled together and chic while they run back and forth doing daily errands. Is that not what Libra is all about? Balance, balance. I’m not one to fall for advertising gimmicks, but I just love this look. I think it’s great that Heidi Klum has put her stamp on clothing that is modern and functional. It’s like living in your jammies, only more sophisticated … the best thing since Gloria Vanderbilt created designer sweats for air travel in the 1980s.

Now, you’re asking whether Klum has Libra in her chart. We don’t have a birth time for her, so we don’t know her Rising Sign. Libra might be a good guess, but I won’t speculate. Otherwise, she has a stellium in Gemini – Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn, which are being favorably aspected by transiting planets in fellow air sign Libra.

Like everyone born in 1973, she has Pluto in early Libra, which means Saturn recently crossed her natal Pluto, and transiting Pluto is square her natal Pluto. In other words, her chart was hit strongly by the cardinal T-square. The ad campaign on Amazon for her new clothing line features Klum bouncing on a trampoline. Her life no doubt felt like that for most of the summer! As she put it, the trampoline was meant to symbolize “energy and activity.” Again, we could have lifted those two words right out of an astrology text, as they’re significant keywords for the cardinal signs.

I also found it very interesting that Klum’s new line, called HKNB, is being sold exclusively on Amazon.com. The company was incorporated on May 28, 1996. At noon on that day (the time we use as a default when we don’t have an exact time), the Moon was at 13 degrees Libra – a degree shy of last Thursday’s New Moon.

Coincidence? You be the judge…

Meanwhile, check out some of HKNB’s styles, even if you’re only “Windows shopping.” I normally don’t feature anything but books in on my site, but I went ahead and created a slideshow with a few of my favorite looks. Just ignore the silly high-heeled boots. They must have confused Libra with Venus retrograde in Scorpio.

Pat

UPDATE October 31: Well, apparently launching at the New Moon in Libra couldn’t overcome launching during Venus retrograde. Reviews are coming in, and for the most part the feedback is negative. Judging from the comments, the fabric is nice, but the workmanship is shoddy, the fit is poor, and the clothes are way overpriced. I should have predicted this…

Retro look created by Indian designer Shantanu Goenka. Photo by Manan Vatsyayana for Agence France-Presse.

Venus went retrograde yesterday, and everyone is waiting to see what it will mean.

When Venus is retrograde, relationships can suffer, and that includes international relations, since Venus is, among other things, the planet of diplomacy. In terms of our personal relationships, though, I think this Venus retrograde period is going to give us a big chance to work through some serious issues and come out better in the end.

Scorpio is often seen as the sign of obsession, and Venus retrograde in Scorpio certainly could bring about a lot of that, especially if she’s hitting a sensitive part of your chart. Obsessions can be extremely uncomfortable and cause us to doubt our sanity.

As I noted in my weekly forecast, Venus is in an interesting three-way reception with Pluto, ruler of Scorpio, and Saturn, ruler of Capricorn. Pluto in Capricorn is about destroying underlying structures that are rotten and outdated, while Saturn in Libra brings balance, fairness, and equity. That obsession that’s driving you crazy could well be a sign that something is out of balance in your life and needs to be addressed.

Rather than try to ignore those obsessions or control them (how Plutonian is it to try to control our Plutonian urges?), I usually advise throwing yourself into those thoughts in order to understand what’s beneath them. They’re there for a reason, and if you try to ignore them, the obsessions will just get worse. This retrograde Venus period could be a great time to go into counseling to get to the bottom of what’s eating at you.

Another possibility to consider is that more of us may connect with relationships from past lives, or what I prefer to call “other lives,” since time isn’t linear. Several of my recent clients have asked me about past lives and karmic relationships. I’m definitely seeing a trend, and it makes sense that we might start to remember loves from previous incarnations with Venus retrograde in Scorpio, in a three-way reception with Pluto and Saturn.

Today (Saturday), the Moon in Scorpio conjoins Venus and Mars, and this connection could provide us with some early hints of what the next six weeks will bring. Keep your antennae up for those messages from beyond, and if you’re obsessing about someone or something, you may be able to detach – perhaps the true message of Venus retrograde in Scorpio – through a willingness to confront yourself and stay open to whatever that message is trying to tell you.

I can almost guarantee you that it won’t be as bad as you fear.

Pat

Related article: Pluto and Obsession in Relationships