Well, I’m sure glad last week is over. I know a lot of you are, too!

It was a wild ride, and now we’re evaluating the damage and cleaning up. For some, the turbulence was physical and unimaginably devastating. The entire nation of Haiti is stumbling out from under the rubble and tallying up the fatalities.

For others, the storm was primarily emotional, and we are cleaning up, too. Fortunately, the astrological outlook is sunny, and we’ll be able to get lots accomplished this week.

Diane and I have been working for the past two weeks on installing a new theme. Even though we stuck to research and testing while Mercury was retrograde, we nonetheless bumped into obstacles that seemed insurmountable. Then on Friday, after Mercury went direct, everything suddenly started falling into place.

In many ways, our new structure is a metaphor for the energy shift that has taken place and that will continue to ripple through our existence. Our old structure wasn’t working any longer, so we had to break it down and get a new one that is more evolved. The result: Not only do we look different on the outside, but we’re much more dynamic and powerful.

For example, we’re now able to support the Astrodienst widget that tells you the real-time position of the planets by sign and degree. Is that cool, or what?

Our new site also supports video, a more compelling and intimate way to communicate with our readers. Diane has posted an excellent video on Saturn in Libra. If you haven’t watched it yet, I highly recommend it. I still have some fixes to make on my computer before I can record a video without that obnoxious whirring sound, so it will be a week or so before I can upload new video content.

We’ll be making a lot of other changes and also cleaning up the debris left behind by migrating to a new theme, so bear with us.

Speaking of changes, the cardinal energy subsides a bit this week, giving us a chance to breathe and catch up. Retrograde Saturn in Libra is moving back toward an exact square with Pluto in Capricorn, but Mercury is separating from close contact with these two heavyweights.

Meanwhile, both the Sun and Venus leave Capricorn this week and enter Aquarius, where they will make a lovely air trine with Saturn later in the week. Even if we still have a lot of work to do, we’ll get it done quickly and efficiently, and it might even be fun!

Of all the fixed signs, Aquarius is the least averse to change — in principle, anyway. Technology and innovation are keywords for Aquarius, along with rebellion and surprise. That seems somewhat contradictory with the fixed nature of the Water Bearer, who at times can be as stubborn as any Taurus (OK, OK, I admit it!).

As an Aquarius with Aquarius Rising, I have noted personally that, as much as
I want change, know I need it, and welcome it, actually incorporating the changes into my life can be a slow and frustrating process. There’s something about the underlying mental structure of Aquarius that is indeed quite fixed.

Aquarius also rules the collective, so this is a good time to contemplate our desire for change but seeming inability to make that giant leap getting us out of the rut of our beliefs and into a new paradigm.

The cardinal energy of the past few weeks is a great reminder that change often is imposed on us, and indeed, that’s often the only way we’ll make it. It can happen abruptly and entirely disrupt our lives. That’s one of the key differences between Pluto and Uranus. The former breaks things down over time, while the latter can do it suddenly and without warning.

Wishing you all much love. We’re all in this boat together.

Pat