Yearly Archives: 2011

Weekly Forecast May 9: Mars, Venus and Mercury Enter Taurus

Bull vaulting. A fresco from the Palace of Knossos, Crete, c. 1500 B.C.

We’ve got only a few more days of Mars-dominated skies, and then we can exhale. If sound waves carried in space, our collective sigh of relief would be heard all the way to Pluto.

After weeks of Mars-dominated skies, Mars and Venus will rule together from Wednesday on, when he enters Taurus. They’ll be in mutual reception – he’s in her sign and she’s in his – until she enters Taurus on Sunday. There’s still a buildup of planets in Aries – in fact, if you’re willing to get up early, you’ll be able to see them – so it would appear that Mars retains the upper hand. However, he’s willing to share the throne with Venus until Sunday, when she takes over the whole show, and he settles down for a heavy meal and a long nap. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of this rough-and-tumble Mars stuff. There have been times when I’ve felt like a car moving along in the middle lane, with traffic flying by me on both sides and a tailgater in the rear-view mirror.

We start the week with a conjunction of Mercury and Venus in Aries on Monday. It would be nice if kind words came tumbling out of everyone’s mouth without their having to think twice, but that’s probably wishful thinking. Venus in Aries can be demanding and competitive, and instead of words of love and kindness, you might get explicit instructions for meeting someone’s expectations, complete with checklist. On a completely different level, this aspect favors opportunities to earn a fast buck. If you get an offer today, jump on it. Likewise, if a bargain lands in your lap, don’t just stand there, or someone will grab it right out of your hands.

Wednesday is the big day, when Mars enters Taurus and both Mercury and Venus conjoin Jupiter. Financial markets no doubt will get a boost (I’m off to read Ray Merriman as soon as I finish writing this post), and turnarounds could come quite fast. To find out where you might get luck and opportunities, check to see where you have early Taurus in your chart.

On Thursday, Mars sextiles Neptune in Pisces. This is great for meditating, and it might actually lead to some enlightenment.

On Sunday, Venus and Mercury enter Taurus within an hour of each other. The pace will slow way down – I half expect to hear the gears of the universe grind as the cosmos puts on the brakes. We should see some resolution to some of the world’s hot spots, too. Taurus is the sign of money, so I expect we’ll also hear some important financial news. There’s no better time to take charge of your personal finances.

The Moon enters Scorpio on Sunday and will oppose Mars. Mars in Taurus may not get riled up very fast, but if you push him too far, you’ll regret it. If you find yourself butting heads with someone and neither of you wants to give an inch, go to your room and sulk, then get over it.

Next week is Wesak, the festival honoring Buddha’s birth and enlightenment. Hopefully, things will slow down enough so I can write a post about it. In the meantime, you can watch the planets line up in the dawn sky. StarDate has a neat video showing you where to look from May 9-12.

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

Chiron in Pisces: The Healing Power of Self-Pity, Part I

In today’s post, Ruth writes about Chiron in Pisces from the viewpoint of soul astrology. I’m trying to work up a good dose of self-pity but I’m tired and have a headache. ~ Pat

Chiron instructs young Achilles, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples.

Chiron, affectionately known as “the wounded healer,” went into Pisces on February 8 and will be here until April 2018, so we’d better get used to it!

One of the attributes that we might notice with this transit is a tendency towards self-pity. This is often seen in a negative light, but I believe there is a spiritual reason why we experience this. It is our inner self trying to get our attention, calling us within to pay more attention to our Self and our inner journey.

If we have the courage to look our self-pity in the eye, there is an amazing potential for healing and growth to be gained from this pity-party. When we keep dipping our toe in and out again, not allowing the full tsunami of sorrow to affect us, we are only playing a game of psychological “Hokey-Cokey,” which can keep us stuck wallowing in and out of negativity and depressive thinking for years.

The first lesson the Buddha taught after his enlightenment was “The Four Noble Truths.” These are the founding tenets of Buddhism, and the first noble truth is the truth of suffering.

When Chiron is in Pisces, we become acutely attuned to the first noble truth, the truth of suffering. Suffering is real. We deepen our humanity, humility, and increase our capacity for compassion when we finally surrender to the call of Chiron in Pisces and acknowledge the truth of our own suffering first. Life is hard. When we finally acknowledge the truth of our own suffering and struggle, something changes. We can finally let go. We cannot be with others’ pain and suffering until we have met our own.

This is an opportunity for spiritual transformation, to transform “painful” states of mind. Normally we don’t think of ourselves as “suffering,” unless we are in acute physical or deep emotional pain. But according to Buddhist teaching, our everyday lives are low-level forms of suffering. On a daily basis, we experience painful states of mind such as anger, jealousy, anxiety, stress, fear and sadness. We accept these as normal, but they are actually suffering states. Acknowledging this is to face the truth of our own suffering.

When Chiron is in Pisces, we might suddenly find ourselves wallowing in self-pity. This is an attempt by our psyche to get our attention. You are requesting an audience with yourself. However, in this busy, chaotic world we live in, unless we have some regular practice such as meditation, few of us have the ability to really sit and be with ourselves. To be fully present, with a depth of care and attention, that can be healing. This is why many of us go to therapy – to simply learn to be with our own wounds.

In Part II, we’ll look at the need for boundaries while Chiron is in Pisces.


Ruth

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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.”

Weekly Forecast May 2: New Moon in Taurus

Rhododendrons, the essence of spring in full bloom. © Pat Paquette 2011.

The biggest news this week – the only news, really – is Tuesday’s New Moon in Taurus (late Monday on the West Coast of the United States).

The Taurus New Moon represents the fertility of nature and the full bloom of spring. This year, it falls close to the Celtic cross-quarter day of Beltane, celebrated with bonfires and an anything-goes spirit similar to our Mardi Gras. Taurus, the Bull of Heaven, was the divine consort of the Mother Goddess, who in very ancient times was associated with Venus.

As ruling planet of Taurus, Venus rules this New Moon, but unfortunately she’s not at her best, so I don’t foresee a week of dancing, drinking, fine-dining, and lying around on the couch. To start with, she’s in Aries, sign of her detriment. She also is fresh out of a cardinal T-square with Saturn and Pluto. If even goddesses can get stressed out and exhausted, what’s that say for the rest of us?

Still, I’m expecting this week to be better than most of last month, as we’ll certainly get a little bit of relief from all that fast and aggressive Aries energy – not much, mind you, as most of the planets are still depositing to Mars. There will be an edginess to life until the end of next week, when Venus moves into Taurus and takes over the show. In the meantime, take any opportunity for a small break, as it will help you hang in there for another couple of weeks.

Also, pressure on relationships will drop a notch as Venus moves beyond the cardinal T-square and gets well out of the way of an opposition with Saturn. What’s done can’t be reversed, but it’s easier to accept the fact and move on.

For those whose relationships reached a new level of duty and commitment, you can begin to settle into a new routine – although, again, it may be the end of next week before you feel substantial relief from the pressure.

The New Moon in Taurus highlights what we have and urges us to be mindful of how and what we manifest into reality, and why. I was reminded of this message many times over as I watched the royal wedding last Friday. The clothes, the jewels, the cars and carriages – do they support personal growth or hinder it? What’s important is how each of us uses the gifts we were born with. Learning the appropriate role of money and material resources in our personal and spiritual development is an important lesson now.

This concept is reflected nicely in the Sabian Symbol** for this New Moon: a man handling baggage, with the keyword INDUSTRY. Ultimately, we have to depend on our own strengths and resources to fulfill our purpose in life, and there may be many ways to do so, all of which are equally important. Some people need a lot of money and material wealth to fulfill their role, and some don’t. How much is enough and at what point material desires start getting in the way of spiritual growth is a big lesson for Taurus.

Sunday is Mother’s day, with the Moon appropriately in Cancer. There may be some tension at family gatherings, as the Moon forms a temporary cardinal grand cross with Saturn, Pluto, Uranus, and other planets in Aries. The worst is over on Saturday, though, so hopefully everyone will be able to rise above dysfunctional family dynamics and appreciate one another’s uniqueness.

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

P.S. I don’t need a diamond tiara to be a decent astrologer, but I’ll nevertheless be writing my 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.

Taurus-Scorpio, Part II: The Desire to Know and the Path of Illumination

Nice try, Taurus, but eating a chocolate Buddha won't substitute for meditation. Photo from Chocolate Deities of Redhook, NY.

Whereas Taurus’ opposite sign Scorpio is the first to dive headlong into confrontation, Taurus can dig in their heels and actively avoid confrontation to “keep the peace” (or just present a wall of stubborn silence).

Contentment and preserving the status-quo are the ego-traps of Taurus. The tendency to avoid making waves and to be content with material gain and/or sensual pleasures prevents you from asking the bigger questions, exploring your inner nature, and seeking higher knowledge. This keeps you stuck in “spiritul ignorance,” focused purely on mundane matters and not recognizing your own inner awareness.

The higher Divine vibration and illuminated nature of your Taurus Soul cannot be accessed from such a limited perspective. The deeper mystery of Taurus’s esoteric ruler, Vulcan, is hinting that we have the key to our own destiny: we really are forging our own path. The inner mysteries of Taurus are strongly connected to the development of the three kayas (three bodies of a Buddha) or, in other words, the light body.

As a Taurean Soul, you have an inner understanding of the process of involution – a necessary precursor to evolution – whereby Spirit incarnates into matter to have a physical experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience because of the energies of Taurus. They are the most mystical of energies. At its highest level of illumination, it is the sign of omniscience (all-knowing) and clairvoyance (clear seeing), so it is ironic that at the personality level, many Taureans keep yourselves spiritually limited by not aspiring to spiritual truth.

This is the Soul-path of Taurus in a nutshell: the transformation of desire into aspiration. To transform the desire for mundane sense-pleasures into the aspiration for spiritual truth. Yes, folks, it’s time to put down the chocolate and go meditate!

When you allow yourselves to simply be in meditation – for example, with the radiance of a flower – a deep inner knowing begins to dawn upon you. More than anyone, your Taurean Soul knows that your own physical body is both a Temple and a Universe. You know the beauty and radiance of the flower, felt at a very deep level, which connects with your own inner beauty and radiance until eventually there comes a recognition of the Divine within. As a Taurean Soul, you are learning to use your exquisite sensing capability to sense Divinity in all physical forms. This is how you sense and know beauty.

By being more inquisitive about the nature of your own inner world, you start moving towards Taurus’ opposite pole of Scorpio. This lifts you out of your comfort zone, beyond the doldrums of contentment, and cultivates your desire to know. The knowledge gained in Scorpio awakens and enlivens the higher vibration of Taurus. The full implications of your Taurean Soul Journey are hinted at in the Soul Keynote for Taurus:

“I see and when the Eye is opened, all is light.” 1

This refers to the opening of the inner eye, following which you see and understand the workings of the Universe. The Soul path of Taurus is to know and understand all the mysteries of the workings of the Universe by recognizing and directing your own inner light. The power of Taurus to illuminate was well-known in ancient times. The brightest star in the constellation of Taurus, Aldebaran, is commonly called the “eye of the Bull,” but it was also known in Ancient Mystery schools to be the “Eye Of Illumination.”2

Vulcan, Soul ruler of Taurus, shapes and forges primordial awareness into physical matter. This accounts for the dualistic inclinations of Taurean energy: will you direct your power and stamina outward toward the mundane, or inward toward the spiritual?

When the pristine, primordial, immature awareness of Aries (the “point of light in the mind of God” 1) first moves towards form3 in Taurus, as a result of desire, it is not yet known whether it will incline toward the mundane, become embroiled in the materialistic world and contribute to the “great illusion,” or whether it will incline towards a spiritual path and move to illumination. It could go either way. Will your journey be of benefit to all, or just benefit for yourself?

If you have Taurus strongly placed, it is very important for you to stay alert, aware, recognize your inner senses and make conscious choices to move toward the light moment by moment. This time of year, this not only applies to those with Taurus in their natal chart, but to the rest of us as well. During our annual “Taurus shower,” we all get to bask in the energies of potential illumination. Each one of us has the potential to become a Buddha (enlightened one). What we make of it is up to us. The spiritual path of Taurus is one from ignorance to illumination through a deep recognition of spiritual truth and the power to cultivate and direct spiritual energy into form.


Ruth

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Footnotes:

1. Esoteric Astrology, the wisdom of Djwhal Khul (Master DK) channelled through Alice Bailey.
2. Here is a great article exploring the mystery of Aldebaran: http://www.souledout.org/cosmology/highlights/aldebaran.html
3. Not necessarily physical form. The Soul can be considered to have a “form,” “character,” or “shape.”

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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.”

Follow Ruth:

Taurus-Scorpio, Part I: The Desire to Know and the Path of Illumination

It’s time for another installment of Ruth’s inspirational series on the signs of the Zodiac from the perspective of esoteric astrology. Here, we have a look at the meaning of Taurus and its opposite sign, Scorpio. ~ Pat

Taurean content. © Pat Paquette, 2011.

In Part I, we look at the importance of Taurus’s opposite sign Scorpio in awakening Taurus to the treasures of the spiritual journey.

It is said that the Buddha had six planets (plus Chiron) in Taurus.1 It is believed that he was born under Taurus, passed in Taurus, and became enlightened in Taurus. Many important Buddhist festivals are celebrated during the time of Taurus. The highest vibration of Taurus is about revelation, illumination and enlightenment. It is a very mysterious sign, associated with the opening of the third eye.

Esoterically, the ruling planet of Taurus is Vulcan, which itself is hidden (a hypothetical planet once believed to be orbiting between the Sun and Mercury, Vulcan is used only in esoteric astrology.) Vulcan is the blacksmith of the Zodiac, and Master DK says that Vulcan either forges “the chains that bind us” or “the key that sets us free.”2 The choice between imprisonment in the material realm of “Samsara” (the cycle of death and rebirth) or liberation lies in the mysteries of Taurus.

At the personality level, Taurus has a tendency toward stubbornness. This is natural; as the fixed-earth sign, its purpose is to create stability. Anyone with a Taurean friend or relative will know the reassuring sense of stability we feel around our Taurean friends. The purpose of all “fixed” energy is to stabilise; however, the Soul purpose of Taurus relates to the deeper mysteries of “stabilising” spirit in matter.

As the vibration of Venus comes through Taurus at the personality level, most Taurean individuals are seen to be placid, peaceful and only stubborn if you try to push them in a direction they don’t want to go. As an earth sign, they are very much focused on the practicalities of life, so most Taureans are happy as long as the family is OK, everybody has enough food to eat and a roof over their heads, and the bills are paid. “Lazy” is not a word we would usually associate with Taurus – they can be very hard workers. Like the Bull, they plod and plod and plod, because they understand how to work steadily, make money, and cover the basics: to make sure their family’s basic needs are met. Then they are happy.

If you have Taurus Sun, Moon or Rising Sign (Ascendant), this Venusian effect means you need to have beauty in your surroundings. A beautiful home, beautiful garden and/or somewhere peaceful is more than just personal preference. For you, it is vital for your well-being. To be able to sit in a peaceful environment is very important, because you are affected by your physical surroundings. Anything disharmonious disturbs you, while beauty and harmony are therapeutic for you. This is because, like Libra, you also have an innate knowing of harmony and a strong affinity for beauty. Beautiful surroundings are very healing for you.

Beauty is simply harmony expressed in form (whereas Libra is concerned with harmony in all systems, Taurus’s knowledge of and concern with harmony is in its application to physical forms). You may also have an artistic streak, a beautiful voice, or at least a love and appreciation of music, because you understand harmonics. Some of my Taurean friends laugh at this (yes, you also have a great sense of humour) yet you decorate your homes and gardens with as much skill, care, attention, harmony and balance as any interior designer.

Where you can become lazy is intellectually and/or spiritually. The halls of academia are hardly filled with Taureans. You have a tendency to become content too easily, once your physical and comfort needs are met. Once you have material security and beautiful surroundings, you tend to relax and not go any further. While the Scorpios are busy packing their backpacks for the great spiritual adventure, you would rather stay home with the family in the garden with your feet up and a cocktail by the pool.

Taurus, like its polar opposite Scorpio, is on the path of Mastering Desire. But whereas Scorpio’s challenge is to tame their multiple desires, you have to cultivate the “Desire to Know.” Whereas Scorpio desires to dive deeply and intensely into the depths of the human psyche, your energy is the energy of primordial desire, desire for sense pleasures: beauty, harmony, comfort. This has to be cultivated into the desire to know, so that you can aspire to the highest vibration of enlightenment and illumination. The inquisitiveness and deep inner probing of Scorpio is needed for Taurus to realize that there is something inside worth aspiring to. This then turns your attention away from the material world and toward a deeper exploration of your inner world and, eventually, your own true nature. There are inner mysteries awaiting your discovery!

In Part II, we will explore the deeper mysteries of Taurus and find out why it is the sign of illumination.


Ruth

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1. Buddhist Astrology, by Jhampa Shaneman & Jan V. Angel.
2. Esoteric Astrology, the wisdom of Djwhal Khul (Master DK), channelled through Alice Bailey.

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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.”

Follow Ruth:

Weekly Forecast April 25: Venus Opposite Saturn, Mars Conjunct Jupiter

Stargazer lily. © Pat Paquette 2011

What a week it has been! Everyone I know was going through some kind of crisis, many of them relationship-oriented. Here’s an excerpt of an e-mail I received from a client on Friday:

“My plan for Easter brunch has turned into HELL!! SOS! My sister and her partner have been fighting like rabid dogs. She’s been saying for months that she’s leaving him but is STILL living there! She hurt his feelings by not inviting him to service on Friday or Sunday brunch … he’s never even been interested in church or God, he’s simply grasping at straws, at this point. I told them, that given the situation, I was uncomfortable with him coming down for Easter … that I wouldn’t sacrifice my family for his ‘hurt’ feelings. Harsh, but necessary. It looks like my husband and I will just take his mother out to brunch.”

The expensive ham she bought for the occasion is sitting in the refrigerator. I reassured her that things are going to calm down this week, and she can throw a party next weekend.

Amazon and Sony had a rough week, too. Both corporate giants had computer network crashes that affected millions of customers worldwide. Sony said its PlayStation Network was attacked by hackers. Mercury’s station certainly didn’t help. As I’ve noted many times in these pages, some of the worst problems happen when Mercury is at a standstill. I was at an information session on Wednesday that got a late start because the instructor’s assistant hadn’t shown up and there was no one to staff his office. Turns out she had a flat tire on her way to work. And on and on …

Violence in the Middle East is on the rise. What initially seemed like a sweeping revolution has turned into a bloody suppression. In an excellent article on CounterPunch, award-winning journalist Patrick Cockburn writes, “From Libya to Bahrain and Syria to Yemen, leaders are clinging on to power despite intense pressure from pro-democracy protesters.”

The increase in violence is hardly surprising, with Mars dominating the sky. The bigger trend is the approaching square of Uranus to Pluto. Many astrologers, myself included, have predicted rebellion and authoritarian crackdowns. The situation in the Mideast is just the beginning.

Before I get into this week’s forecast, I’d like to note that two greats left us last week, both as a result of multiple organ failure. Internationally renowned guru Sai Baba, whose followers include many celebrities, was 85. The man who invented CDs, former Sony president Norio Ohga, died at 81.

Overall, this week will be less frustrating, and relationships should fare a little better, too. The Sun in placid Taurus will help decrease the noise level, and Mercury’s return direct will go a long way toward repairing misunderstandings. That said, some relationships that ended in the past two weeks are over for good. If this is your situation, you likely are better off, even if it’s too soon to recognize it.

There’s not much going on in the sky on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, Venus squares Pluto. The usual warning with these two in hard aspect is that power struggles can erupt in relationships, especially regarding sex. Using sex as a means of control over another person is a no-no, and it likely will backfire. What goes around comes around. Depending on where Venus and Pluto are transiting your chart, you also may have to be mindful not to get dragged into jealousy and possessiveness.

Working with this aspect should be a little easier, thanks to an easy trine later in the day between the Sun and Pluto. You can express yourself directly and tell the other person what you want and need, rather than resorting to underhanded tactics. The challenge, of course, is that first you have to be honest with yourself. If you’re willing to do that, you’ll have cosmic support.

The only aspect on Friday is a conjunction between the Moon and Uranus in Aries, which might generate some emotional fireworks, but in general lunar transits are mild and fleeting. Good thing, because this is the day that Prince William and Kate Middleton will be married. Even if you’re not into all the hoopla, do check out Helene’s series on the royal couple. I found it surprisingly refreshing.

Another relationship will be in the spotlight on Friday. Gabrielle Giffords, the congresswoman who was shot in the head in Arizona in January, plans to attend the launch of the space shuttle in Florida. Her husband, Mark Kelly, is one of six astronauts who will be on the flight. The presence of Giffords surely will eclipse the event itself, although it’s doubtful she’ll appear in public.

On Saturday, Venus opposes Saturn. Usually this isn’t a happy aspect for love relationships, but it is stabilizing, especially with Saturn in Venus-ruled Libra. Of course, both also are square Pluto, and while the angle is fairly wide, it nevertheless counts as a potent cardinal T-square. You may need to insist on your boundaries, as my client had to do with her sister’s partner. Although it will be difficult, try to do it with love and kindness.

Sunday is exuberant, with a three-way conjunction between the Moon, Mars, and Jupiter. Get out and play! Throw a party. Take a long walk or bike ride in a beautiful natural setting. Taurus is the sign of beauty, including the beauty of nature.

Speaking of the beauty of nature, I leave you with this amazing video by Norwegian photographer Terje Sorgjerd. To me, there is nothing more breathtaking than the night sky. (For a larger version, click on the link below the image.)

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

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

Cinderella and the Solstice King, Part III

William and Kate will be married at Westminster Abbey, which has a history of royal weddings dating back to 1100.

The wedding ceremony for the royal couple at Westminster Cathedral is set to start at 11 a.m. on April 29. (Click here to view the chart.)

I have heard colleagues wax lyrical over this chart. They were delighted at how the tenth-house Sun in stable Taurus and stabilising Saturn in sextile to the Ascendant in royal Leo indicate a lasting marriage and the couple’s eventual ascension to the throne. They were delirious about Jupiter and Mars on the Midheaven, almost a guarantee of fame and fortune for Will and Kate, including numerous offspring. Well, with all due respect, I beg to differ.

To start with, the Sun is at a challenging angle to the Ascendant, indicating tensions and difficulties. It is telling that the Ascendant should be conjunct the Arabic Part of Discord! The background of fixed stars provides hints as to what the difficulties might be. There is Hamal (following one’s own path), Schedir (the Queen, female power) and Denebola (to go against society).

Additionally, the Sun forms a flowing aspect with Pluto, the underminer, in the fifth house of children … and of royalty. If you have read the first two parts of this series, you may be able to imagine several scenarios at this point, ranging from divorce out of boredom or claustrophobia to abdication of the throne. Since Pluto describes collective influences beyond personal control, a democratically induced end to the monarchy is not unthinkable either. The English have done it before…

But back to the wedding: Certainly, the array of planets in the ninth house and around the Midheaven suggests great public interest from around the globe and a great party at that. It aptly describes the moment as well, since the ninth house is the area of religious ceremonies. Also, Jupiter on the Midheaven is ruler of the fifth house of children, suggesting a whole bunch of kids. After all, this is the whole point of the exercise, as the North Node in the fifth house of children shows.

However, there is a down-side: Aries planets tend to be rash and to act without really thinking things through. They often lack the stamina necessary to see a quickly started project through to the end. Jupiter in Aries often turns out to be a bag full of hot air, while an over-enthusiast Mars/Jupiter conjunction tends to bite off more than it can chew. Mars and Jupiter on the Midheaven may just as well describe a couple famous for its enormous rows.

The clearest indications that Cinderella and her Solstice King might not live happily ever after are given by Saturn and the Moon. In the wedding horoscope, Saturn represents the “contract” the couple is entering into, as well as their shared resources and motivations. With Saturn being retrograde, the contract won’t last in its original form, and shared resources may start dwindling, while the current, shared motivation to enter into this marriage may turn out to be hollow.

Meanwhile the Moon, giver of form and symbol of caring and motherhood, is void of course. After only the shortest glance at this horoscope, any horary astrologer would advise to forget about the matter at hand, as nothing will come of it. Translated into this wedding chart, it is just another indication that we’ll likely be looking at no more than a grand opera being performed.

After Will and Kate had seen the Archbishop of Canterbury to discuss their wedding arrangements, he was asked about his impression of the couple. Apparently, he described them as shallow and superficial, and didn’t give the marriage a chance to last beyond its seventh year. If you ask me, he might actually be right, but for the sake of the currently happy couple and of the British monarchy, I hope that I am wrong.

In case you missed it:
Part I
Part II


Helene

Helene Schnitzer is an astrologer living in Glastonbury, England. Her specialities include Traditional, Horary and Hellenistic Astrology, and Astro*Carto*Graphy. Click HERE to read her full bio.

You can also find more information on her website, Trans-It! AstroLogistics.

Cinderella and the Solstice King, Part II


Let us refresh our memory and look at the “relating tools” William and Kate have at their disposal. How will they cooperate in building their married life?

The resemblance between these two charts is striking (Click here to view the synastry chart.) Their respective Sun and Moon in aspect by sign is a combination that is often found with married couples. Conscious will and instinctive emotional reaction are cooperating; there is a basic understanding of each other’s needs and a readiness to act accordingly. Also, the male (Sun) and the female (Moon) principles are acting in unison, which is paramount for the production of healthy progeniture – and producing royal heirs is the main point of this exercise, at least as far as the royal family are concerned.

However, William’s Sun and Moon are in the early degrees of Cancer, while the Lights in Kate’s chart occupy the middle degrees of Cancer/Capricorn. Although there is therefore no direct aspect connection, this may support the stability of the marriage, because the couple will never experience difficult transits affecting their individual inner cores at the same time.

A special sheet of stamps has been issued in the U.K. to commemorate the royal wedding.

Interestingly, Kate’s Moon is exactly conjunct William’s lunar South Node, another hint in the direction of offspring and a possible “practice round” in a previous life – in other words, a karmic connection.

The couple’s communication appears to run smoothly and without any obstacles. Both Mercuries are in logical and intellectual air-signs and connected by an easy-flowing trine aspect, meaning Will and Kate do understand each other very well. Both Mercuries are in easy communication with Mars and Saturn in Libra, and both relate to electric Uranus. All this could create an atmosphere of lively banter and friendly competition, as well as unusual interests, adventurous pursuits and travel companionship. In the best case scenario, we see two very like-minded people joining forces in an “us against the rest of the world” kind of pact, and acting in unison, if under restrictive conditions. But oy vey, if one of them goes through a change of mind without the other and coldly calculated hurts start flying in both directions! Meanwhile, however, Kate and Will do enjoy having a good laugh about their private jokes, which may be none too flattering for the subjects of their jests.

The things we like are described by Venus. Will’s and Kate’s Venus positions are connected through a square by sign, indicating action on the romance front. While Kate admires mental acrobatics, inventive logic and classic design with a twist, Will likes the hands-on feel of beauty and sensuality, material comfort and what is commonly called “the good things in life.”
Both Venus positions are related to unpredictable Uranus, indicating an electrically charged attraction between the two lovebirds, but also a certain fickleness in their mutual affections. Kate’s chart features a Venus/Uranus sextile, indicating that she knows to pick her moments and get away with it, whereas Will may encounter real opposition whenever he sticks to his individual tastes or follows his impulses regarding people, places and activities. Someone somewhere may feel shocked or affronted by his choices, and sometimes, this someone could be Kate.

We have already seen one example of the on-off quality this relationship can carry. In 2007, Kate couldn’t cope with the intense media attention and the couple split up, only to reunite a few months later. Let’s hope that they have in the meantime learned to make use of the determination and endurance their Mars/Saturn combinations can provide. If they keep following their Uranian impulsiveness, they may end up repeatedly throwing the babe out with the bathwater.

With so much fluctuation indicated, good old Saturn becomes especially important as the provider of stability. With Will’s Venus in aspect to the Lord of Time, there doesn’t seem to be much danger of him wanting to break out of a relationship once he has opened his heart. Unfortunately, Kate doesn’t have this tool in her box and we can only hope that her common sense will override her impulsiveness, if this union is to last. I believe the first test will come a few months after the wedding:

Although Kate was born a few months before Will, her Saturn occupies a later degree than Will’s. Since the wedding announcement, he has gone through the second phase of his prolonged Saturn return, which will go into the third and last phase in August/September 2011. It is the right time for him to formalise his love relationship and give it legal status. Kate, however, will go through the honeymoon phase and then experience a rather quick, one-hit Saturn return in October 2011. I reckon this will be the time when she first realises just how formal her life has become and she may not like it very much. By the same token, however, a sense of “having arrived” may prevail. I wonder whether we’ll ever know…

The Composite Chart

Since we don’t have a time of birth for Kate, we have to ignore the house positions in the composite, but even so, the planet positions are quite revealing, with regards to the potential of this relationship. (Click here to view the composite chart.)

The Sun in spontaneous and hot-headed Aries is accompanied by Mercury and Venus in the same sign. There certainly are true loving feelings between Will and Kate, but the companionship factor appears to be just that little bit stronger. This could even be a stabilising factor in the long term. If Will and Kate develop a mutual sense of comradeship through thick and thin they may be able to weather the storms that seem inevitable with this chart.

A weak Mars and the sensitive Cancerian Moon both afflict the Sun. The Aries planets suggest childish ego struggles between the couple, while combative Mars and habit-forming Moon indicate a possibly endless cycle of arguments, during which caring feelings first get hurt and then shut off. On the other hand, it looks like Will and Kate are certainly going to do their best to produce new heirs to the throne, as the T-square is calling for action. Besides, the Moon is conjunct the fixed star Alhena, which Bernadette Brady interprets as “to be on a mission.”

However, Venus in Aries is thrilled by the hunt, which will be over by the time they’re married. Additionally, the connection from Venus to Uranus could make the couple feel bored with each other quite quickly and lead them to seek new thrills, either in their own bedroom or – heaven forbid – in someone else’s.

Again, stabilising Saturn would be needed to provide the stability the rest of the planets don’t seem to provide. Unfortunately, composite Saturn is unaspected, i.e. it can’t exert its influence on any of the other planets. An unaspected planet tends to manifest itself in extremes, either not at all or completely over the top. In Saturn terms, this means the relationship may have no staying power or stability at all, or it may become super-restrictive for the two people involved. In either case, I somehow doubt we’re going to see a fairy tale with a happy ending unfold.

In the third and final part, we’ll look at the chart for the wedding.


Helene

Helene Schnitzer is an astrologer living in Glastonbury, England. Her specialities include Traditional, Horary and Hellenistic Astrology, and Astro*Carto*Graphy. Click HERE to read her full bio.

You can also find more information on her website, Trans-It! AstroLogistics.

Weekly Forecast April 18: Sun Enters Taurus, Mercury Direct

© Pat Paquette 2011

The cardinal T-square continues to make itself felt this week as Mercury and Mars oppose Saturn.

I don’t expect many of us will face new issues at this point. More than likely, it will be more of the same old stuff. However, we may have to make a few difficult decisions in order to get out of circumstances that have been weighing us down. That includes difficult relationships.

I alerted you last week to this Monday’s Mars-Saturn opposition. Although it isn’t as vicious as the Mars-Pluto square we just went through, it’s the day after the Full Moon in Libra, sign of partnership and balance. If you’ve been in an unbalanced relationship, and especially if either of you have been sitting on a lot of anger, this may be the day you finally decide that enough is enough.

If you’re concerned that you may change your mind after Mercury returns direct on Saturday, then by all means hold off making a decision until after the weekend. I’d also advise taking a big step back on Tuesday, when Mercury conjoins Mars in Aries. The risk of saying something you can’t take back is too high. You might want to plan on being unavailable for the day.

In some cases, yelling and screaming might not be inappropriate. Sometimes it’s the only way to release pent-up anger and restore the peace. Fights – even the unfair ones – don’t necessarily break up relationships and can even move them forward, whereas not expressing anger or expressing it passive-aggressively can damage a relationship beyond repair.

Throughout the week, Mercury will be at a near standstill and in close opposition with Saturn in Libra. Normally, this isn’t an overly challenging aspect, as it favors critical thinking. As I always say, you can’t solve a problem if you don’t know what it is. Under this influence, you can pinpoint the problem and source, which will go a long way toward helping you resolve matters. The danger here is that you may think things are much worse than they are, and with Mars in close aspect, the frustration factor is high and tempers are short.

We’ll have Venus to help smooth things over until Thursday. After that, she’ll be in Aries, sign of her detriment, until May 15. In Mars-ruled Aries, Venus is less patient, kind and compassionate. It also means that we have a few more weeks of Mars dominating the sky. All of the planets will deposit to Mars except Neptune in his own sign of Pisces and the Moon when in Pisces or her own sign of Cancer.

The good news this week – yes, there is some – is the Sun’s entry into placid Taurus on Wednesday. Although we’ll still be under the aggressive Aries influence, we’ll get to catch our breath, and the frenetic pace will slow down a bit. The Sun’s first contact is an easy sextile to Neptune in Pisces. The pathway is open for inter-dimensional communications. Fleeting thoughts and visions may contain important messages. Pay attention to your dreams on Wednesday night.

On Friday, Venus conjoins Uranus. This one could go either way. It may bring you a pleasant surprise in love, money, or some other area of life, depending on where they’re transiting your chart. Conversely, there could be disruptive developments in relationships or finances. Whichever it is for you, I suspect that it will be related to events during last summer’s T-square in the early degrees of the cardinal signs. The Moon enters Capricorn earlier on Friday and moves through those degrees as well. I’m tired of all this heavy stuff and am going to remain positive that a happy surprise is on the way.

Mercury goes direct on Saturday, making for easy Easter egg hunting on Sunday. Just take it easy on the chocolate. We’ve got enough of a buzz from all this cosmic caffeine.

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

Cinderella and the Solstice King


The invitations are out, gold-embossed and signed by Her Majesty Elizabeth II, Queen of England.

On April 29th, 2011, her grandson William, Prince of Wales, and Miss Kate Middleton will embark on their journey on the sea of matrimony. Glossy magazines, national and international news, are full of the Royal Couple. Paper cut-outs, flags, memorial plates and mugs are being mass-produced in China. And in a national soap opera, a local beauty compares her engagement ring, tongue-in-cheek, to that of “Kate Minkerton.” It’s been several hundred years since a commoner became part of the royal family, time to have a good look at the astrological implications.

Part I: The Birth Charts


Kate Middleton was born on January 9, 1982, in Reading, UK, time apparently unknown. I always wonder how a mother can forget giving birth, but okay, after the third time things may get a bit hazy. What a pity we don’t have Kate’s correct chart angles. No worries, though, we can find out a lot just by looking at the planets, can’t we? (Click here to view chart, set for noon.)

With Sun in Capricorn and Moon in Cancer, we see someone who understands the principle of hierarchies, who knows about duty and discipline, about stability and security. Through the opposition, Kate is likely to experience frequent conflicts between her instinctual reactions and the demands of material or organisational necessity. See here Cinderella who can’t go to the ball and a future queen who will put duty before fun. Or will she? It looks like the self-made millionaire’s daughter is going to the big dance after all.

Both lights (Sun and Moon) are in a tense relation with Mars and Saturn in Libra, which is not exactly a remedy, but rather exacerbates Kate’s inner tension. This could trigger fears, guilt and inertia, or, vice versa, decisive and goal-orientated action cutting to the chase. I think we have a very ambitious, motivated and energetic young lady on our hands.

Anecdotally, Kate already “knew” at a very young age that she would one day marry a prince. Talk about a go-getter!

Malicious rumours even have it that she hunted for Prince William in pursuit of her life’s ambition. Well, admittedly, with this combination and in a worst-case scenario, this kind of determined action would not be entirely unthinkable. In the best case scenario, however, this is exactly the kind of woman needed for the job of representing and presiding over a whole nation and more when the day comes.

Venus in cool Aquarius is combined with a very logically minded Mercury. Kate has a musical or artistic talent here, which she has, so far, poured into a study of art history. No wonder, her Venus (beauty, art) is in mutual reception with natal Saturn, the ruler of time and all things old! She must truly feel blessed to become part of a family so richly steeped in history and tradition!

But Venus and Mercury are also aspected by quirky and unpredictable Uranus. Kate likes to be different and original and is likely to have a very special sense of humour and style. Her designer-friendly appearance has already found ample admiration, at some point much to her own annoyance. The temporary separation between her and the man she now intends to spend the rest of her life with fits this pattern as perfectly as the subsequent reunion. Let’s hope that she will have ample opportunity to express her independence within her married life!

Prince William was born on June 21, 1982, at 21:03 BST in London, UK. (Click here to view chart.) As the eldest son of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, he is second in line to the English throne.

Astrologically, he is very much his famous mother’s son. They shared the Sun sign Cancer, the late Sagittarius Ascendant and, almost to the degree, the same position of Venus in Taurus, in the house of creation, re-creation and procreation.

But whereas Lady Diana was never to be queen, Prince William so far walks steadily towards the throne. He was born with the Sun at 0 degress Cancer, at sunset on Solstice Day, a powerful degree. According to the ancient legends, this is the time when the Holly King takes over the rule of the land for the coming half year. This is the moment of the Sun being at its highest, its most direct and powerful. With his birth linked to this potent place, ancient legends would make William into a king with special powers regarding the land and its people, shining like the sun at midday, a good and well-loved leader. With Jupiter on the Midheaven supporting the Sun by Trine, he seems to be born for both his positions, as Prince Charming and as future king of England.

In addition, collective lover Neptune on the ascendant gives William the power to appear all things to all people, who will likely shower him with sympathy and goodwill in return. Once again, that’s a best case scenario. Since Jupiter is also the ruler of William’s twelfth house of self-undoing, it is not unthinkable that he might refuse the crown or abdicate eventually.

How his shy Cancerian soul deals with the divide between private and public persona is a completely different matter. With so much emphasis on the seventh house of partnerships and the “other-orientated” sign of Libra, William will likely turn to his partner and try to make the best of it. He will need overall sharing, intellectual feedback and emotional nurturing. In the next part, we shall see how this might work between him and his future bride.


Helene

Helene Schnitzer is an astrologer living in Glastonbury, England. Her specialities include Traditional, Horary and Hellenistic Astrology, and Astro*Carto*Graphy. Click HERE to read her full bio.

You can also find more information on her website, Trans-It! AstroLogistics.