Monthly Archives: January 2011

Weekly Forecast January 31:New Moon in Aquarius, Sun Conjunct Mars

Signs of spring. Cherry blossoms at the Ballard Locks in Seattle. © James A. Weythman.

This week promises to be fast-moving, highly productive, and not without a surprise or two. I know, I know – some surprises we could do without.

The main event this week is the New Moon in Aquarius on February 2 (February 3 in the Eastern Hemisphere), in close conjunction with Mars and Ceres. Aquarius is future-oriented, rebellious, and innovative, with a spark of genius. Mars is about action, and Ceres is associated with the environment and the cyclical nature of life. That’s quite a combination!

The New Moon represents new beginnings, and with Ceres in conjunction, we can expect the start of a new cycle, whether it’s a new way of interacting with the world around us or a personal rebirth – perhaps both. Mars, meanwhile, gives us the energy and motivation to carry out our novel ideas. If you’re starting a new project, this would be a great week for it. Do wait until after the New Moon, though.

Rebellion does seem to be the order of the day – or, more precisely, disorder – with Egypt in total chaos. This is exactly the type of social unrest we would correlate to the Uranus-Pluto square, which actually is quite wide at the moment but approaching a closer angle. Further, the rebellious nature of Uranus is being “fed” by all the planets in Aquarius, the sign Uranus rules in modern astrology.

The involvement of Ceres in this New Moon tells me that rebellions that occur now – whether globally or inside ourselves – are part of a greater cycle. There is a deep need for change in order to free ourselves from the constraints that limit our creativity and authentic self-expression. One of the key components of a repressed society is the suppression of free speech.

Even more telling, the Sun, Moon, Mars, and Ceres all are at a close positive angle with Saturn in Libra. The exact trines will take place throughout the week and are all indicative of productive changes that result in greater equality and more balance. Again, we can apply this globally and individually.

Venus, the planet of love and money, forms an exact square to Uranus just before the New Moon. Squares and oppositions involving Venus can be disruptive, but they’re usually not bad overall. This square definitely will make for an interesting day! Watch for events totally out of the ordinary. Right before squaring Uranus, Venus sextiles Neptune, injecting some beauty and romance into all this chaos. If you’ve got half a second, stop and smell the roses.

On Thursday, Venus sextiles Chiron just as both bodies are about to change signs. The collective can’t heal unless individuals within it heal, but the reverse is also true: it’s impossible to make that last leap toward becoming whole when we live in a sick society. Healing has to take place simultaneously, and I believe it is. However, in both cases, the dis-ease often has to become worse before it gets better, and whole systems may need to break down in order to be rebuilt in a more balanced, sustainable model.

After her sextile to Chiron, Venus enters Capricorn, where she is more excited by cold cash than a hot kiss. Look for signs of money and power coming together for control, be it to force a rebellious population into submission or to control another person in an individual relationship. On Sunday, Venus squares Jupiter in Aries, and thus a new cycle of the cardinal T-square begins unfolding.

It’s interesting to note that the three asteroid goddesses – Vesta, Juno, and Pallas – all are involved in this New Moon. Juno, named for the mythological wife of Jupiter and thus associated with marriage, is particularly strong in the New Moon chart, as she forms an opposition with Uranus by exact degree, and she’s also opposed to Jupiter. What we have, then, is a close mutable T-square with Juno, Venus, and Uranus.

Meanwhile, Vesta is conjunct Pluto, and Pallas is tightly square Saturn. What this tells me is that women and feminine energy are a crucial factor in the shifts taking place. Not that you need to be an astrologer to see it; the charts just confirm what we’re already observing in real life.

On Friday, the Sun and Mars formally conjoin. This is the day that I expect we’ll see the release of the New Moon energy. It’s a great day to start a new endeavor, whatever that may be.

The Sabian Symbol** for the Sun and Moon at 13°54′ Aquarius is a train entering a tunnel, with the keyword PENETRATION. It’s a lot quicker to go through the mountain than to climb over the top – which, in many cases, is impossible anyway. So, we have to put on our thinking caps and figure out how to penetrate what seems impenetrable. That’s going to require creativity and innovation – keywords for Aquarius.

The New Moon in Aquarius is the Chinese New Year, heralding the Year of the Metal Rabbit. February 2 also is the Celtic cross-quarter day of Imbolc, halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and it’s Ground Hog Day. Catholics celebrate this day as Candlemas, but its pagan roots are undeniable. In France, they celebrate the festival by eating crèpes. Miam-miam.

This New Moon is extra special for me, as it falls on my Sun – which, of course, means that it’s my birthday. In astrology, we call it the Solar Return.

My “new project” is going to be devoting my full attention to reports and readings for my clients. As some of you know, I’m still recuperating from a serious back injury I suffered two years ago. My energy is limited, and I’ve been struggling to write for the RealAstrologers blog three or four times a week and stay on top of work for my clients – whom, by the way, have been so patient and understanding that it almost makes me want to cry. If you are among those on the wait list, take heart in knowing that I’m making these changes in order to get to your requests sooner.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to write the weekly forecast and to publish guest posts from my associates. If you don’t want to have to keep checking back to see if there’s a new post, subscribe to my feed, and you’ll get the new posts directly into your inbox.

Much love and courage to all,
Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

P.S. As part of your new endeavors, don’t forget to write your abundance check!

** From The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, by Dr. Marc Edmund Jones. The author, an astrologer, channeled this work in 1925 with the help of Elsie Wheeler, a gifted psychic. There’s one symbol one for each degree of the zodiac, and we can use them to gain insight into charts.

Ask Real Astrologers: Did He Ever Love Me?

Looking for AnswersFor this week’s column, I am taking a follow-up question from Carolina in Bilbao, Spain:

I’m just wondering about one comment in your answer, that you think that the strong psychic connection I felt was only one-way. Does it mean that, according to the charts, the love was only from me to him? He didn’t feel love?

From time to time, a reader whose question I’ve answered in this column will e-mail me and ask a follow-up question. Usually, I write back and suggest they schedule a consultation for more information. I’ve never used a follow-up question in this column, and yet I feel compelled to take Carolina’s question, because, once again, I believe she represents many readers (mostly women) who are or have been in similar circumstances.

Carolina, first of all, I realize that my answer to you in last week’s column was not easy for you to hear and wasn’t the answer you wanted. My intent was not to cause you pain but to help you find peace in your heart by resolving your feelings with this man and moving on.

Many women get hung up on this notion of whether the man they were in love with loved them back. I understand the need to have an answer, but astrology can’t provide it. Compatibility charts can tell us whether two people have physical chemistry, whether they can easily share their emotions with each other, how they demonstrate affection, whether the relationship will last, and whether it will be relatively smooth or laden with conflict. We can even tell whether a relationship has endured over many lifetimes.

But you can’t add up all of those components and say “Yes, it’s love,” or “No, it’s not love.” Whether someone is even capable of love depends on their level of personal development. The charts can show us tendencies, that’s all.

We might be tempted to conclude that a man or woman who plays the field isn’t capable of love, but that would be a wrong conclusion. They could feel intense love in that moment and just not wish to commit to a long-term relationship. Put another way, love alone doesn’t determine whether a relationship will last. I’m sure every one of you knows people who loved each other and yet couldn’t make a relationship work.

So, in my mind, the question of whether he ever loved you really isn’t that important. Even if he did, he decided, for whatever reason, that he didn’t want to be in a long-term relationship with you.

And there is where the trouble lies. When someone we love leaves, we want a reason and will make up all kinds of scenarios in our head to avoid the conclusion that we did something wrong or weren’t good enough.

This is why I believe “love gone wrong” is the first step for many people of both genders to start down a path of spiritual awakening. It requires that we look within ourselves, take inventory, and clear out all the baggage and outdated beliefs that hold us back from who we really are and what we want. There is a huge resistance internally to this process, and a broken heart can break down that resistance. There is no doubt that it’s a painful and difficult process, and no one with a heart would wish it on anyone. It just seems to be how we humans are wired.

So, Carolina, please try not to dwell on this question of whether he loved you or not. There’s no answer, and even if there was, it wouldn’t matter. What matters is how you’re going to heal from this experience and awaken to the true nature of who you really are and to the love in your own heart.

Wishing you much love and courage,

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

P.S. To all of you who have written to me recently requesting a Soul Mates Karma Report, please accept my apologies for not responding right away. I’m currently not taking new clients but will get back with you individually and ask whether you’d like to be put on my wait list. Thank you so much for your patience.

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. You must use this form to contact me, or I won’t get your question. I do read all of your questions, although I am sorry that I can’t answer them all. If you need immediate guidance or in-depth advice, please contact me for a private consultation. THANKS!

Weekly Forecast January 24: Saturn Retrograde

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,
Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

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

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The Lunar North Node and Your Spiritual Journey

Following Ruth’s previous article on Living Soul Astrology, I asked her what would happen if the North Node was conjunct the Ascendant. Her reply was the gift of this wonderful article. I learned a lot from it and hope you do, too. ~Pat

Stars on the Move, NASA

Stars on the Move. Image courtesy NASA/ESA.

In a recent post, I explained how your Lunar North Node is like a prescription for changing your past-life conditioning. Your Ascendant is your Soul Vibration, while your North Node indicates a possible pathway that supports your Soul’s development by breaking the patterns of past-life conditioning (your South Node). Your North Node is not your Soul’s essence, but rather a spiritual path of choice.

Remember the Moon doesn’t actually possess any “nodes!” Meaning they aren’t actually physical things. They are points in space, on the ecliptic, where the Moon intersects the path of the Sun. This tells me two things: first, they can be regarded as “trailmarkers” pointing to a well-worn path, and second, they intersect the path of the Sun, meaning they want our attention. They are a “heads up” for our spiritual journey, because they are showing us where we have recurring patterns that limit us at the personality level.

So what happens when the North Node and Ascendant are in the same sign?

In this case, there is increased potential for the individual concerned to transcend the personality vibration of the sign and shift into alignment, spiritual awakening and fusion of the Soul and personality. For this to happen, the individual still has to choose the path that is presented to them, shift their attention inwards, and be open to developing their senses and perceptual capacity. Again, just like a prescription, in this case it might have a faster effect, but only if you take all the medicine!

Once you choose a spiritual path or practice, as indicated by your North Node, this maximizes the potential for you to not only hear your Soul’s calling, but to transcend the personality attachments of the sign and give full expression to the Soul vibration of the sign. The North node in this position indicates that of all the possible spiritual paths and teachers available, one that invites the individual to develop these qualities would be most effective. However, our focus must always be one of going within, if we are to make spiritual progress.

For example, let’s say the North Node and Ascendant are both in Gemini. The personality ruler of Gemini is Mercury, but the Soul ruler is Venus*. Both planets are said to have a lower and higher vibration. Well, to be more accurate, it’s the same energy but is perceived differently, depending upon the individual’s level of consciousness and perception. Depending upon your own degree of spiritual progress, you would be more influenced by the personality ruler or the Soul ruler of that sign.

So through undertaking typical Gemini activities of writing, speaking, and communicating, the spiritually (inwardly) inclined individual could gradually experience a spiritual opening. There is the potential to experience a shift in their perception from the purely rational mind, with its lower Mercurial qualities of merely “passing along information,” to a place where they integrate their higher, intuitive mind and the higher purpose of Mercury: opening themselves more fully to intuition and creating a bridge to higher mind**. As a result they will develop an ability to perceive, receive and convey the higher Venusian vibrations of transpersonal, unconditional, Love and right relations.

Our spiritual journey is one of exploring our inner world, opening our heart and mind to higher possibilities and recognizing Divinity, within ourselves. The very word “esoteric” derives from the Greek root “eso,” which means “within” (as compared with exoteric Astrology, derived from the Greek root “exo,” which means “inclined outwards”).

Soul Astrology and Esoteric Astrology are the Astrology of our inner world, our spiritual journey. Given that our personality is a mask we wear to interact with the outside world, when we begin to move deeply inwards on our Soul Journey, it stands to reason that our Natal Chart takes on a deeper significance.

[quote cite=”Lama Thubten Yeshe”]I hope that you understand what the word “spiritual” really means. It means to search for, to investigate, the true nature of the mind. There’s nothing spiritual outside. My rosary isn’t spiritual; my robes aren’t spiritual. Spiritual means the mind, and spiritual people are those who seek its nature.[/quote]

In Esoteric Astrology,* it is said that, in terms of our spiritual development, each of us is either on the “Mutable Cross,” the “Fixed Cross” or the “Cardinal Cross.” The Mutable Cross means we are wholly personality-driven, with no experience of our Soul. The Fixed Cross means we are awakening, and although we are still largely personality-driven, we’re beginning to awaken and have some Soul Awareness. Those on the Cardinal Cross are fully awakened, in the fact that they have completed the process of Soul Integration; the fusion of Soul and personality is complete, and they are Soul-Centred Beings.

Few people on the planet are on the Cardinal Cross, and those that are, are highly enlightened spiritual teachers. However, many of us are beginning the journey from the Mutable Cross to the Fixed Cross as we go deeper into our spiritual journey and seek to experience for ourselves the truth of our Soul.

There is no way for an Astrologer to tell just by looking at a chart whether a Soul is on the Mutable, Fixed or Cardinal Cross. This can only be deduced by learning about the character of the person and through the use of intuition. For example we might deduce that someone like the Dalai Lama would be on the Cardinal Cross, because of his highly developed spiritual realizations, but in reality only he would know.

The purpose of our spiritual journey is to progress from the externally-focused Mutable Cross, with its emphasis solely on personality, to the internally-focused Cardinal Cross, in which we have full fusion of personality and Soul. It is a very gradual, inner journey, and the lunar North Node is acting as a pointer to steer us away from repeating habits that could keep us attached to personality and stuck on the Mutable Cross for longer than we need to be.

It is time to wake up and evolve. It is a challenge, and there are no guarantees. We can still get it wrong if we undertake North Node activity in a very externally-focused and personality driven way, with our attention “inclined outwards!” Your North Node is pointing the way to avoid repeating past habits, and this will be most effective if you also shift your focus and “incline inwards.” To benefit fully, you need to keep turning your attention inwards and familiarise yourself with your inner world.


Ruth

* Esoteric Astrology (1951) by Alice Bailey. Lucis Press, London. The work of The Tibetan (Master DK) as channeled through Alice Bailey.

**  In Esoteric Astrology, Mercury is said to play an important part in the development of the inner “antahkarana” or Rainbow Bridge, which (once fully developed) will connect us to our own higher consciousness or Higher Self.

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Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

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Ask Real Astrologers: Why Did He Run Away?

Looking for AnswersThis week’s question comes from Carolina in Bilbao, Spain:

I met a man in Bilbao in November 2008. In a few days we both felt attracted. A short time after that he ran away and never came back in what I think has been an attempt to avoid the depth of his feelings (I guess this, as his Pluto is making a quintile to my Venus). The psychic connection has always been very strong, although he denied it. And yes, we have more lives together than this one in which we share a deep love and companionship. I can’t deny my feelings and the fact is that I’m still longing for him and hoping he’s coming back, although this isn’t doing me any good.

Now my question, how do you understand this quintile Venus-Pluto, and is there any hope for my wish to live this love, according to the astrological point of view? Will he come back ready to live this experience with me? Could it be that this Pluto aspect means that I represent all that he is afraid of and so the possibility for this love to be real is zero?

Carolina, your story is so familiar that I doubt there are few women (or men) out there who haven’t experienced a situation like this at least once in their lives. In fact, I’ve received so many versions of this question that I wrote an article some time ago entitled, “Will He Come Back to Me?” And, while I tend not to take a question more than once in my Q&A column, I feel that I need to revisit this one periodically.

It’s obvious that you have a good knowledge of astrology. Most people don’t even know what a quintile or Vertex are, so I commend you for that. This can be a problem, though, because when you learn about these chart features, you tend to overlook the more obvious aspects in favor of these relatively minor things. They can add to our understanding, but rarely are they the determining factors behind events or relationships.

You are correct that Pluto was on your Vertex at the time you met your love interest. However, there were other, more powerful forces at work that I would consider far weighter. Take a good look at your chart again, and you will see a very dramatic T-square, with transiting Saturn and Uranus opposite one another and square your natal Venus. Moreover, Uranus is exactly conjunct your natal Moon. At the same time, the transiting lunar nodes were on your Ascendant and Descendant – very big.

This tells me that a sudden and upsetting relationship came into your life, and yes, it appears to have been some sort of destiny, and the gentleman in question was someone you “knew” from somewhere else. But frankly, Caroline, I don’t think this was meant to last. Given the dramatic aspects in your transit chart and the strong presence of Uranus – which, by the way, is the ruler of your Descendant – I think this relationship was about awakening your consciousness. Indeed, Uranus often is referred to as the Awakener.

Judging from the stories I hear from clients, it also appears that more and more people are experiencing “other-life” encounters, and I’ve written quite a bit over the past few years about how these encounters are catalysts to propel us to a higher level of consciousness. Usually, these relationships are painful, because that’s the only way to get our attention! Also, it’s well-known in occult studies that pain is a transformer. Not coincidentally, this is concept is strongly associated with Pluto.

Looking at your compatibility chart, I attribute the fast attraction to your Mars in Aries opposite his Pluto, combined with your Moon trine his Mars. These aspects are indicators of powerful passion, and your Aries Mars is going to go for what it wants!

Now, there are lots of other things I could say about your compatibility chart, and in fact you do share some positive connections, along with others that are problematic. That’s beyond the scope of this column, though, and anyway, you asked me specifically about why I think he might have dashed away. I am sorry to tell you this, Carolina, but it appears that your love interest is a bit of a playboy. Women often miss the vital information, especially when they are physically attracted to a man, but I’ll bet if you look back and think about it, you’ll realize that he gave you some vital clues about his intentions.

As for his emotional distance, I’d attribute that to his Moon in Capricorn. These folks feel very deeply but do not easily share their feelings. Add that to his secretive Scorpio Sun, and you’ve got someone who needs to be drawn out carefully, over time. It’s quite possible that he felt exposed with you, because your Moon in Pisces is indeed very psychic.

And that brings me to my last point, which is that your strong psychic connection may have been one-way. In other words, you felt it strongly with him, but he didn’t share it. I know lots about this, because, like you, I have Moon in Pisces. We pick up on the thoughts and feelings of those around us – sometimes without even knowing it – and we also have a strong ability to recognize connections from other lives. We tend to assume that just because we feel it, the other person must, too. But that’s often not the case.

I feel your pain, Carolina, and I’m sure many other readers do, too, as so many of us have been through this experience. My advice to you is to try to understand the experience in a broader context and to learn from it, and do put yourself out there to date other men. I have a feeling you will find someone much more appropriate, with whom you can have a stable and equal partnership.

Much love and many blessings to you, and thanks so much for telling your story.

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. You must use this form to contact me, or I won’t get your question. I do read all of your questions, although I am sorry that I can’t answer them all. If you need immediate guidance or in-depth advice, please contact me for a private consultation. THANKS!

Ophiuchus: Authoritative Facts About the ‘New Sign’

Maybe Ophiuchus should be a woman? The ‘Snake Witch’ stone from Götland, Sweden, dated 400-600 C.E. Photo by Berig, licensed under Creative Commons.

It just boggles my mind that if you do a Google search for Ophiuchus, you get pages and pages of false information. It may as well be written in stone.

Two weeks ago, if you entered keywords “Ophiuchus astrology,” RealAstrologers came up on the first page of hits. Thanks to last week’s “sign change” fiasco, my articles are buried so deep I can’t find them. In the flood of misinformation are sites devoted entirely to the “new sign,” listing supposed traits, Ophiuchus celebs, and their own astrological fantasies, further confusing those with little or no understanding of astrology.

Fortunately, that doesn’t include you. I’m proud and extremely gratified that most readers of RealAstrologers are sophisticated enough to know that last week’s “big news” was a hoax. I’m also happy to be gaining new readers who are looking for some real facts and authoritative information about the Snake Handler. Continue reading →

Weekly Forecast January 17:Full Moon in Cancer, Jupiter Enters Aries

Detail from The Deluge, by John Martin, 1834.

My head hurts. I think it’s going to implode. And somehow I have a feeling it’s only going to get worse this week.

I’m picking up on something chaotic, disruptive, and all very messy. E-mail I’ve received over the past week from friends and clients confirms what I’ve been feeling. My initial thought is that it’s the force of Jupiter and Uranus blasting through the collective unconscious. But it also could be the energy of the solar eclipse on January 4 gathering steam as we approach the Full Moon in Cancer on Wednesday.

Whatever it is, I was torn between which image to use for this post: The Tower struck by lightning, or the biblical flood. Since I’ve already used The Tower recently, I decided on The Deluge, by John Martin. I chose this painting over other more grim versions, because I am sensitive to those in regions of the world that are experiencing horrific flooding. Perhaps some of what we’re picking up is their fear and distress.

This is what happens when we become more psychically connected.

I’m convinced more than ever that the Great Awakening is under way, and I suppose I should have foreseen that it wouldn’t be all angels and rainbows. It’s as though something is f$%*ing with our heads, and we’re all discombobulated. Scattered. All over the place. Unable to get ourselves together.

Last week’s astrology fiasco is yet another symptom. I’m still shaking my head at the irony of astrologers trying to convince an unwitting public that they’ve been had by a scientist. And no matter how much we try to correct the misconception, no matter how reasonable or logical our explanations, it’s as though everyone is holding their hands over their ears, saying, “La, la, la, la.” I read one follow-up news report asserting that astrologers are “defying science” and “poo-pooing the new discovery.” Truly, the whole world has gone stark-raving mad.

OK, I’m taking a deep breath …

The two main astrological events this week are the Full Moon in Cancer on Wednesday and Jupiter’s entry into Aries on Saturday. I’ve covered both topics in detail already, but I’ll note again here that these two events together are indicative of a lot of action happening all at once. Since Jupiter is in the last degree of Pisces this week, and the Full Moon occurs in the last degrees of Capricorn and Cancer, we ought to be able to wrap up some matters that have been hanging around for awhile. Or, perhaps some issues will finally resolve, outside of our control.

Although the energy has felt chaotic and perhaps a bit menacing, I do believe that we’ll be pleasantly surprised by some of what transpires this week, thanks to the positive angle from the Sun and Moon to Uranus and Jupiter. The flip side is that the natural world is unrestrained. It has stuck in my head ever since Katrina that trines can indicate a clear path for violent earth energies to take their course. Let’s hope that’s not the case this week.

On Tuesday, Mercury conjoins Pluto for the third and final time in his most-recent retrograde phase. More revelations from WikiLeaks? Other state secrets revealed? We’ll find out soon. In our personal lives, this aspect correlates to deep introspection and close encounters with our inner demons.

Wednesday is the Full Moon, with both Sun and Moon closely aspecting Jupiter. One thing I failed to mention in my Full Moon post is that the inclusion of Juno in the chart creates a mystic rectangle. Jupiter and Juno, symbols of husband and wife, are in opposition. One way this might play out is through the resolution of challenges in marriages. You’ll need to see where they are in your chart to know whether this could apply to you.

By the way, in light of the current spotlight on the validity of astrology, I need to insert my usual caveat that the movement of the planets does not cause anything to happen on earth. The connection is more subtle than that, “As above, so below.” We look to the planets to inform us about energy patterns and trends, and we can make some educated guesses about how they might manifest into physical reality. Energy taking form is not a “cause.” It’s so tedious to explain this every time that I sometimes use the shorthand language. But we mustn’t be confused.

Saturday is the biggest day this week, when Jupiter enters Aries. Many of you will embark upon new and exciting adventures, depending on where Jupiter is transiting your chart. This is a rugged pioneering spirit, one who finds opportunities in every challenge. We’re heading into new territory, and this time we’ll stay there and reap some of the rewards.

On Sunday, Venus sextiles Saturn, a somber but usually positive aspect. Relationships may not be hot and sexy, but you can still derive a lot of satisfaction out of running errands together, learning something new, working as a couple to help your neighbors, or taking a road trip. While you’re at it, pick up some take-out from your favorite ethnic restaurant (Thai gets my vote).

It’s going to be a crazy week, so do whatever it takes to stay centered, focused, confident … and sane!

Wishing you all much love, courage, and sanity,
Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Full Moon in Cancer, January 19

© Dan Collier for Dreamstime.com

Not only is next Wednesday’s Full Moon the peak of a cycle that started with an eclipse, but it falls at the exact degree of a big solar eclipse in July 2009.

The 2009 event, on July 22 (July 21 in the Western Hemisphere), was a total eclipse and the longest of the century. It was the second in a new series of eclipses in Capricorn and Cancer. There is one more eclipse left in this series, on July 1.

Astrologers debate how long the influence of eclipses lasts and what factors determine this timing. My gut feeling is that a total eclipse that’s the longest of the century has got to have long-term meaning, and since eclipses appear to be windows on time, we should look for clues about what “time” is being revealed. A Full Moon at the exact degree and minute – 29°27′ – is a mighty big hint.

I ran a comparison to look at the two charts together, and a couple of things jumped out at me. First, Uranus is still in late Pisces, just one degree from his position in the chart for the July 2009 eclipse. Uranus is the rebel, the inventor, and the bolt of lightning that blasts erroneous beliefs from our minds. That is often what it takes to wake us up. Remember, the seventh planet was discovered in 1781, between the American and French revolutions. If that wasn’t a political awakening, I don’t know what was.

I’m going to digress for a minute to mention something I read recently in the subscription-only newsletter from CounterPunch (which I highly recommend; it’s only $35 a year). The entire December 16 issue was devoted to an article by Mason Gaffney, a professor of economics at the University of California, about how radical political reform in the United States has grown out of cyclical religious awakenings.

According to Prof. Gaffney, the First Great Awakening led to the American and Jeffersonian Revolutions, the Second Great Awakening led to the Civil War and Abolition, the Third Great Awakening led to the Populist and then Progressive Movements, the Fourth Great Awakening led to the New Deal, and the Fifth Great Awakening led to the “Great Society,” feminism, and social upheavals.

Prof. Gaffney’s prediction that another awakening was about to happen gave me chills.

“Expect to be surprised, and expect it fairly soon,” he writes. [T]he calamities of President G.W. Bush and the fumbling of President Obama have opened the doors for a new alignment.”

Back to the chart for Wednesday’s Full Moon, Uranus is in close conjunction with Jupiter at 29 Pisces, the last degree of the zodiac, representing a “wrap-up” of spiritual searching and discovery. Among his attributes, Jupiter expands minds and fosters spiritual growth.

It’s interesting to note that at the July 2009 solar eclipse, Jupiter was tightly conjunct Neptune in Aquarius. Neptune and Uranus remain in mutual reception, and they also have been in a close semi-sextile since mid-2008. A transit to one is a transit to both. Moreover, Neptune in Aquarius and Uranus in Pisces both reflect a sea change in the collective unconscious. It’s only a matter of time before new ideas bubble to the surface.

Spiritual is the new religious. Could that be the missing link that Prof. Gaffney has overlooked? Elsewhere in his article, he notes that the new movement will come out of left field and will be resisted by academics and intellectuals. What is more resisted by academics and intellectuals than astrology? We need only review the past week’s media shenanigans to reaffirm that truth.

In a strange way, last week’s media fiasco represents a shift in itself. Is it not ironic that the tables are turned, and now astrologers are trying to prove that an ignorant scientist had his facts wrong? I was dismayed by the media response to the brave astrologers such as Susan Miller and Jeff Jawer who tried to set the record straight. For their efforts, they were misquoted and further ridiculed. But that’s part of shifting consciousness. As the status quo is challenged by new ideas, the initial response often is anger.

The Moon’s trine with Jupiter is the last aspect she makes before entering the next sign. The following day, the Sun enters Aquarius, which in modern astrology is ruled by Uranus. Mars is already there, stirring the pot.

The rest of the chart reflects this week’s planetary aspects, which I’ll cover in my forecast later today.

The Sabian Symbol** for the Moon at 29°27′ Cancer is, a daughter of the American Revolution, with the keyword INHERITANCE. This is an interesting symbol in a time when the ground beneath our feet seems to be shifting. It speaks to the old, established way of doing things and of forming ties with others based on tradition and social status. There is a natural tendency to protect the status quo, especially in the face of outside pressures. However, this symbol cautions against resisting necessary change. There’s also a message here that if you have inborn talents and gifts or are otherwise in a privileged position, you’re a natural leader, but you will get into trouble if you think this makes you superior to anyone else.

For the Sun at 29°27′ Capricorn, the Sabian Symbol is a secret business conference, with the keyword OPPORTUNITY. Unlike the symbol for the opposite degree above, which is about tradition and identifying with a certain group, this symbol is about taking advantage of situations that crop up from one day to the next by forming relationships with the people involved. I’ve always maintained that good things come to us through others, and the best things come through those with whom we share positive feelings. The downside of this symbol is exploiting others for our own selfish gain.

Again, it comes down to maintaining your integrity. This is more important than ever when we’re being tossed about on the astrological tides and sometimes lose track of who we are and what we’re here for. It’s also essential that we find our circle of friends, the people who will be our allies in the times ahead. Knowing what you believe is important, and being able to examine those beliefs objectively is even more so.

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

** From The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, by Dr. Marc Edmund Jones. The author, an astrologer, channeled this work in 1925 with the help of Elsie Wheeler, a gifted psychic. There’s one symbol one for each degree of the zodiac, and we can use them to gain insight into charts.

Ask Real Astrologers: Has My Sun Sign Changed?What About Ophiuchus?

Looking for AnswersThis week’s question comes from Blake in the United States:

Browsing the Internet today, I saw the excitement over Ophiuchus, the proposed 13th astrological symbol. Since the unofficial addition, the dates for sun signs seem to change … While all this seems so boisterous and asinine I decided to investigate what my proposed “new sign” would be (Sagittarius). Well, it turns out, I relate more to the Sagittarius sign than Capricorn. It’s like I found my “true” sign amidst all this “new information” on star signs.

How do I interpret this? Can your “sign” actually shift or am I projecting my craziness to Jupiter?

Blake, Blake, Blake … How on earth can we even begin to set the record straight when Time magazine is reporting this idiocy as some kind of scientific (read God-given) truth? Continue reading →

The Astrology of the Giffords Shooting

The Tower, from the Haindl Tarot.

When an event is as shocking and tragic as last Saturday’s shooting spree in Arizona, we call it “senseless,” and yet, we try to make some sense of it, to find some meaning.

Astrology is uniquely suited as a code to decipher hidden messages. If there is any meaning to be found at all in a senseless act of violence, the key is to find the “right” charts.

Typically, we start by looking at the charts for the individuals involved. The temptation is to start with Jared Lee Loughner, the perpetrator, and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, his alleged assassination target. Although I agree that these charts are significant and did look at them, my initial reaction was to wonder why we should assign more importance to a member of Congress than to the six people who died in the attack or the other 13 who were seriously wounded. On that premise, I began my investigation with a simple chart for the event itself.

According to press reports, the shooting occurred at 10:10 a.m. This puts the Moon exactly on the Ascendant, by degree and minute, at 7°06′ Pisces. In mundane charts, the Moon represents the people. It also signifies crowds, women, and what the people focus their attention on. The first house, meanwhile, represents the country. We might call it the “state of the union.”

I really didn’t need this uncanny alignment to tell me what I already suspected intuitively, which was that the message here is about the country in general and not about Giffords or the mental state of the assailant, who by all reports is deranged.

Still, I was curious about what synchronicity brought these two together and was hardly surprised to find the cardinal T-square strongly implicated. Giffords has natal Mars at 4 degrees Cancer, in a square with Uranus at 4 Libra. Loughner, meanwhile, has natal Mars at 10 Aries (retrograde), square Neptune at 7 Capricorn.

As you may recall, the cardinal T-square played out over summer 2010 in the first degrees of Aries, Libra, and Capricorn. In 2011, the T-square will take place a few degrees later, but still in the first decanate of the cardinal signs. That the charts for Loughner and Giffords include all four cardinal signs in a close square, each with an outer planet (broad, social trends) aspecting a personal planet, tells us that they are part of a much bigger story.

Looking further into the chart for the shooting, we find the Sun and Mars in Capricorn in the 11th house, which is associated with elected bodies such as Parliament and Congress, square Saturn on the 8th house cusp. The Sun corresponds to persons of note, while Mars represents events such as terrorist attacks. Saturn signifies high-profile funerals and “public sorrow.” The eighth house, of course, is associated with death.

Perhaps the biggest clue, however, lies in the tight conjunction of Uranus and Jupiter in the first house. Uranus is the rebel and rabble-rouser, and is associated with political protest and riots. Jupiter represents bankers, the national wealth, and the justice system. Among those killed was a federal judge.

Taking the analysis a step further, I compared the chart for the shooting with the natal chart for the United States (Sibly). Essentially, this creates a transit chart for the United States at the exact moment of the event. Those of you who follow the U.S. chart already know what most of those transits are. For example, we’ve known that Neptune currently is transiting the U.S. Moon at 27 degrees Aquarius. We’ve also known that Jupiter and Uranus, which feature large in the shooting chart, are approaching the cusp of the fourth house at 1 degree Aries in the Sibly chart, which also was a key T-square degree last summer.

If we look at it in reverse, the Sibly Uranus at 8 degrees Gemini is on the fourth-house cusp (IC) of the shooting chart, and thus we have a two-way incidence of Uranus on the IC. Not that you need to be an astrologer to know that the public is in a rebellious mood, but what this tells us is that action is about to follow thought. I don’t expect a rash of copycat murders and the sudden targeting of members of Congress, but I’ve written all along that as Uranus reaches a closer square to Pluto, there will be violent rioting, and it likely will be against the government.

As for Loughner, much has been revealed over the past few days about his state of mind. One theory about his motive for targeting Giffords is that she blew off a question he asked at a political event in 2007. The question was nonsensical; Giffords probably had no idea what he was talking about and dismissed it as a crazy rant. But Loughner felt ignored and held a serious grudge.

A growing number of people are angry with their elected representatives for ignoring them. Politicians make all kinds of promises to get elected and then promptly ally themselves with their corporate donors and leave the voters to fend for themselves. When the political uprising begins, how many more people will fire into a crowd? And how many cops will fire back?

My conclusion, looking at these charts, is that the Giffords shooting may be a shot over the bow.

What I find infinitely more disturbing are the reports that Loughner was dabbling in astral travel. In an interview with Mother Jones, a friend speaks of Loughner’s obsession with “lucid dreaming” and his belief that he could fly. It’s hard to pass this off as more evidence of mental illness when it’s exactly the kind of thing we talk about here on RealAstrologers.

As human consciousness evolves, lucid dreaming likely will be a common experience, along with past-life visions and other shifts in our perception of time. Was Loughner truly tapped into this? Or was he just deluded? Maybe both?

Mental illness falls within the twelfth house, which in modern astrology is ruled by Neptune and Pisces – the Ascendant in the chart for the shooting. When we travel on the astral plane, we’re in the realm of Neptune, and it’s not all angels and rainbows – especially not in a time of so much collective fear and anger. How many people are in mental hospitals because they played around with this stuff without being adequately grounded?

In addition to being a bellwether for public unrest, the Giffords shooting may be a warning that the awakening of human consciousness will not be without attendant dangers and that it’s not for the weak-minded.

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat