As the stars came out for the Oscars last night, another “star” was making a rare debut.

Reports are trickling in of naked-eye sightings of Comet Lulin, which until last week was visible only with binoculars or a telescope. Now that we can see it, more people are paying attention, and I’ve been asked several times whether Lulin has any astrological significance.

The answer is, “I don’t know.” Throughout history, astrologers have interpreted comets as omens — and not usually good ones. That’s about all we know, but predicting disaster has fallen out of favor these days. We’re in the New Age, where being spiritual means thinking positive and collectively envisioning the new paradigm.

I say that tongue-in-cheek, of course. Those of you who regularly read my columns know that I have a unique take on being “spiritual,” which I define as being able to see the energy patterns underlying material manifestation. And by “seeing,” I don’t mean with the eye but with a different kind of vision. This concept may be one of the messages that this strange visitor is relaying to us.

What else is it saying? We might find some clues in the uncanny coincidences surrounding Lulin’s appearance this week as it makes its closest approach to Earth.

For starters, Lulin is coming out of hiding at the New Moon, and not in just any sign, but in Pisces, the sign most associated with seeing beyond material existence into other realms. (For more on this subtle but extremely powerful New Moon, read Neith’s report on RealAstrologers.com.) As if that’s not enough, on Tuesday Lulin conjoins Saturn, lord of time and the material universe, which currently is locked in opposition with Uranus, planet of electrical energy, technological innovation, and radical change.

Although Lulin was just discovered in July 2007, it has been inside our inner solar system since the mid-1990s. Throughout that time, it remained in the sign of Pisces, and from an astrological perspective, we might say that Lulin came from Pisces. On September 11, 2001, it was very close to the degree of Pisces that Uranus is now occupying in its opposition to Saturn. Lulin moved into Aquarius in August 2007 and remained there for about a year before gathering speed in its trajectory around the Sun.

The most curious thing about Lulin is that it is moving backwards, unlike any comet observed in human history. It also is displaying two tails. Past and future, meeting in the present?

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, nominated for 13 Oscars, is about a man who lives his life in reverse. A defining moment in the story is the “conjunction” of the hero and his love interest as their ages converge, he moving backwards and she moving forward. The trailer includes the tagline, “Life can only be understood backward; it must be lived forward.” Coincidence?

It is not too far-fetched to believe that Comet Lulin will force conventional science to reexamine its limited view of material reality. Indeed, there is a new theory that comets aren’t balls of rock and ice, but bodies of pure energy with powerful electromagnetic fields. Lulin’s appearance also may herald a change in how we view time. We’re told that time isn’t linear, and while we understand that concept intellectually, most of us haven’t assimilated the greater truth of time.

And so, dear ones, that is what I see as the biggest news in the sky this week, although its meaning is beyond the scope of astrology and takes us into new territory that may take years to fully explore and comprehend.

Looking at this week’s planetary movements, Mercury is out of his post-retrograde shadow period and also is entering unfamiliar territory, a land of innovative ideas and new possibilities. On Monday, the Messenger conjoins Jupiter, perhaps aiding in the dissemination of Lulin’s gift of knowledge. He sextiles Venus on Wednesday, facilitating the communication of love and friendship. Get it while you can, because the conjunction of Mercury and Mars on Sunday threatens to unleash quite different sentiments. Make a commitment beforehand to speak from the heart. If the truth hurts, so be it, but don’t say anything deliberately hurtful.

The only other aspects worth noting this week are Tuesday’s New Moon, followed by the Moon’s opposition to Saturn and conjunction with Uranus on Wednesday. Do pay attention to what comes up on this day, as it will provide you with hints of what to expect at the Full Moon on March 10. Neith and I will have more about that soon.

Wishing you all much love and courage …
Pat

Image: Comet Lulin on Feb. 21, 2009. Photo by Conrad Pope of Kelly, NC.