Yearly Archives: 2011

Weekly Forecast April 11: Mars Square Pluto, Full Moon in Libra

Reading the news headlines this morning, I was struck by the number of words such as “angry,” “attack,” “hostile,” and “bomb.”

Maybe it’s just an average day on CNN and I haven’t been paying attention. But I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that we’re seeing manifestations of the Mars-Pluto square that began building up last week.

It’s not an overstatement to call this aspect violent. Mars in his own sign of Aries has his finger on the trigger and doesn’t need much of a reason to pull it, while Pluto just went retrograde and is at a standstill, making him more powerful than usual when the square peaks on Monday.

To an astrologer, it’s no surprise that police are shooting at protestors, while authoritarian rulers hole up in fear and international forces fire away at the wrong targets. When you’ve got this much angry energy surging through the collective, it has to have an outlet.

On a smaller scale, we’re at a higher risk of getting involved in power struggles this week, especially over money and control. It’s possible to channel Mars energy into physical work and vigorous exercise. However, with Pluto in the mix, it’s almost impossible to avoid getting caught up in anger and resentment.

Put another way, Mars in Aries might not be such a bad boy if he weren’t up against all these heavyweight outer planets. In a period of less than three weeks, Mars will have conjoined Uranus in Aries, squared Pluto in Capricorn, and opposed Saturn in Libra. Each of these aspects alone would be difficult enough to negotiate, but with all three together, it’s a wonder we’re not all killing each other. On second thought …

Mercury retrograde in Aries complicates matters still further. On Monday, right as he’s halfway through the retrograde phase, he crosses back over Jupiter. The previous Mercury-Jupiter conjunction was on March 15, while Mercury was direct. I recall having a lot of communications difficulties back then, too. Everything got worked out, but there were several issues going on all at once, each of which required several phone calls to straighten out.

When Mercury and the Sun conjoined this past Friday, I experienced a mix-up in connecting with someone that would have been comical if it was in a movie script. While I was e-mailing my contact afterward to find out what happened, my Internet modem suddenly went haywire, and I was without service for a couple of hours until my provider isolated the problem. I expect similar disruptions this week. By next week, when Mercury and Mars meet, matters won’t get resolved quite so easily or politely.

For the rest of this week, Mars moves away from Pluto and toward an opposition to Saturn, which is exact next Monday, right after the Full Moon in Libra. Relationships may be tumultuous. As intimidating as this sounds, there could be a silver lining. When anger builds up between two people and has no outlet for expression, the relationship is harmed, sometimes irreparably. As difficult as it is to deal with anger – yours or your partner’s – airing it could be just what you need to get back on track and become closer. The key is in being heard.

The Moon will be in Libra for most of the weekend. In the hours following her entry into the sign of balance and harmony, she’ll make contact with all of the planets involved in last summer’s cardinal T-square. She conjoins Saturn late Saturday evening, and then on Sunday opposes retrograde Mercury and, finally, the Sun – her last contact before moving on to Scorpio.

The Full Moon normally brings endings, resolution, and culmination. I’m hopeful that the troubled relationships so many of you have written to me about will indeed find some resolution, even if it’s an understanding that it’s time to let go and move on. Hopefully, you can arrive at a mutual decision that leaves both people feeling whole and OK about yourselves. If that’s not possible, do what you have to do to restore the balance in your own life, and let your ex worry about his or her own.

These are difficult times, but we will get through. By the end of next week, some of the pressure will be released, and we’ll get even more of a break when Mars, Mercury, and Venus enter Taurus in mid-May.

In the meantime, let’s do our best to remain open-hearted, kind, and compassionate.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast April 4: Neptune Enters Pisces, Pluto Retrograde

Spring explodes into bloom. © Osk Ingad Alden, 2011.

The Mars effect gets ratcheted down a notch this week when Neptune enters Pisces.

For the past few days, since Mars entered his own sign of Aries, he has dominated the sky. Right on cue, conflicts around the world intensified. Even Neptune deposited to Mars, which I have to admit I found hard to wrap my head around.

Hopefully, Neptune’s move into Pisces on Monday will be the chill pill we need to return from the brink of insanity. I can’t think of a better antidote to the overdose of aggressive Mars energy we received at the New Moon on April 3.

With his ego-denying qualities, Neptune could be considered the “anti-Mars.” Whereas Mars stands for war and lust, Neptune is about peace and love . . . well, maybe. It’s hard to know much of the time exactly what Neptune is about, but peace and love are in there somewhere.

Neptune is said to be a higher vibration of Venus, the planet of love, beauty, and harmony, so it’s better still that Venus in Pisces will feed into Neptune for the next three weeks.

The last time Neptune was in Pisces, from 1847 to 1862, the Transcendental Movement flourished in the United States, led by Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman, and others. Spiritualism became a trend, with séances to contact spirits of the dead. Edgar Allen Poe wrote his most famous poem, “The Raven.” The first oil well was drilled. The first surgical operation using general anesthesia was performed. The Opium Wars occurred during this time, and while the conflict wasn’t entirely over the drug, it’s still interesting to note that there was a major war named for a narcotic while Neptune was in Pisces.

This time around, I expect there will be a widespread spiritual awakening. I know I sound like a broken record – I’ve been writing this for more than five years – but I do believe we’re getting closer and closer to understanding what “spirit” is. There likely will be major developments in the oil industry, too. Given current trends, it’s likely that we’ll have to find alternatives due to a declining supply. Maybe the new Opium Wars will be the Oil Wars.

Back to the here and now, we not only have been under the red sky of Mars, but the warrior planet is now moving through the early degrees of Aries, activating the cardinal T-square of last summer. The alignment isn’t as close as it was back then, but it’s still intense, with the Sun and Jupiter conjunct at 16 degrees Aries on Wednesday, in wide opposition to Saturn. We’re being pushed relentlessly forward, no breaks allowed.

On Saturday, Pluto begins his annual retrograde, which lasts close to six months. I haven’t observed any particular trends in events during Pluto retrograde. However, if Pluto is transiting a personal planet in your chart – especially the Sun or Moon – you’re about to get the second pass, during which a situation could reach a crisis stage. The third pass, which will happen later this year or early next year, will mark resolution. The pattern is similar if Pluto is transiting a chart angle (cusp of the first, fourth, seventh or tenth houses).

Lastly, Mercury is in his second week of retrograde and conjoins the Sun on Saturday. This aspect favors revising plans for the future, revisiting an unresolved issue to exchange facts (remember to listen) and to try to clarify statements that may have been misinterpreted. If you have an opportunity to clear up a misunderstanding, do it early this week. Waiting until the weekend will put you in a no-win situation as a contentious square builds between Mars and Pluto.

We’re going to need a lot of love and courage to get through the next couple of weeks. Wishing you all a bottomless well of both,

Pat

New Moon in Aries, April 3

The New Moon on April 3 belongs entirely to Mars. How will we experience this blast of pure energy, the violence of birth, the burst of a star being born?

I can’t think of another time when only one planet ruled an entire chart like this. Usually, two or three planets dominate a chart, sometimes more. At this New Moon, six of the nine planets will be in Mars-ruled Aries, and the three that aren’t – Venus, Saturn and Pluto – deposit to Mars. (It goes like this: Pluto is in Capricorn, which is ruled by Saturn, so Pluto goes to Saturn; Saturn in Libra goes to Venus, Libra’s ruler; Venus is in Pisces, ruled by Neptune; Neptune is in Aquarius, ruled by Uranus; Uranus is in Aries, ruled by Mars.)

Every beginning astrologer knows about Mars and Aries. Mars is the planet of war and anger, but he also confers high energy, raw sex appeal, and courage in the face of danger. Aries is the me-first, impulsive, “shoot first, ask questions later” sign. As the first sign of the zodiac, Aries is cardinal fire, the spark that initiates life. How we’ll experience that spark is the big question as Sunday approaches.

At 13°30′ Aries, the New Moon is square the solar eclipse at 13 degrees Capricorn on January 4 and the solar eclipse at 9°12′ Cancer on July 1 – the last eclipse in the Capricorn-Cancer series. If you didn’t notice any changes at the beginning of the year, you may get them now. The New Moon typically brings new beginnings and open doors, but any change that occurs now could happen so fast it makes your head spin (Aries rules the head). That’s the difference between a New Moon ruled by Saturn and a New Moon ruled by Aries.

Speaking of Saturn, he was square the eclipse in January and also will be square the eclipse in July. This time, he’s in a near-perfect opposition with the New Moon. Pluto at 7 degrees Capricorn forms a cardinal T-square, although it will be wider than the one we had last summer.

Friends and clients tell me that although they’re still encountering difficulties in circumstances that came to a head over the summer, they’re not struggling as hard as they were last year. I’ve attributed that to Saturn’s advance beyond the early degrees of Libra. At its peak, the 2010 T-square occurred at 0-4 degrees of the cardinal signs. Once Saturn moved on, the brick walls that had us so frustrated began to crumble.

They never did entirely go away, though, and we may experience some flashbacks at this New Moon. I’m hoping that it will be in the good sense; in other words, we’ll be able to make the breakthroughs we felt so close to last year and just couldn’t reach. So many of you wrote to me in frustration and distress, and I certainly had my share of it, too.

In an attempt to be optimistic, I’m also hopeful that Mercury retrograde will be helpful in revisiting unresolved issues. The ideal outcome would be to go back to the point at which we got hung up last year in order to make the breakthroughs that eluded us no matter what we did.

Indeed, the explosive energy of this New Moon may just blast through the last of the obstacles and take us to the new place that was so close yet always just out of reach. If you start getting the jitters or a situation begins spinning out of control, try to keep your eye on the prize. You know what it is!

For those who did manage to make a major breakthrough, this New Moon represents the next step. It may be too fast for comfort, but that’s the nature of this high-energy New Moon.

Now, I also have to mention the possibility that all this Mars energy is so intense that global hotspots around the world burst into flames, and people’s anger gets totally out of control. If you feel that happening to you, the best way to handle it is with vigorous exercise. You won’t want to sit still, that’s for sure.

Right after the New Moon, Mars conjoins Uranus. I don’t need to tell you what an explosive combination this is – especially with Uranus in Aries. The last time Mars and Uranus conjoined in Aries was in April 1934, with the Sun also in conjunction. Jupiter was in opposition and, as now, Pluto was at the apex of a cardinal T-square. On April 12 of that year, a few days before the conjunction was exact, researchers at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire clocked winds at 231 mph – the standing record for surface winds on earth. That’s not exactly an explosion, but we could safely classify it as an extraordinary high-energy event.

I guess you could say the winds of change are upon us, and man, are they blowing hard.

The Sabian Symbol** for the Sun and Moon at 13°30′ Aries is a serpent coiling near a man and a woman,” with the keyword REVELATION. This is the symbol of the union of the divine masculine, represented by Mars, with the divine feminine, represented by Venus. In occult studies, it pertains to the union of logic and intuition, the “sacred marriage.” I’ve written plenty here and on my old blog, The Pisces Chronicles, about the core wound of humanity being the split between the divine masculine and the divine feminine, and about the healing of this wound in our time.

As for the keyword REVELATION, that’s the meaning of “apocalypse.” Ruth recently wrote an excellent post about this, and I wrote a post on the Apocalypse seemingly ages ago on PiChron. You can find that article in my archives.

So, will this be an apocalyptic New Moon? I’m on the edge of my seat. Then, there’s no way I’ll be able to sit still through this, and you probably won’t, either.

Pat

P.S. 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.

Weekly Forecast March 28: Mercury Retrograde, Mars Enters Aries

Monster solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this view of a powerful M3.6 Class solar flare during a 90-minute sun storm in February.

This week is potentially volatile. New doors open, with seemingly unlimited potential to move in new directions, but something or someone could get in the way, resulting in anger and conflict.

The overused cliché “one foot on the gas and one foot on the brakes” applies, but with the added complication of the person in the car behind us flipping us off and laying on the horn.

Some of us may feel a surge of electrifying energy so powerful we’re overwhelmed and totally disoriented – like overdosing on caffeine and sugar. This will be especially true the closer we get to the New Moon on Sunday, April 3. Do your best to stay centered and keep your bearings.

Globally, there are several ticking time bombs in the headlines. When you think about the circumstances that led to the past two world wars and the events that lit the fuse, it’s hard not to be concerned that we may be headed in that direction again. Regimes are failing in the Middle East, “allied forces” are bombing Libya, thousands of people are still missing in Japan, and the damaged nuclear reactor isn’t entirely under control. These events are so severe that other serious situations around the world are barely a blip in the news.

That’s the state of the world as we head into this week’s high-intensity astrological configuration.

On Monday, the Sun in Aries squares Pluto in Capricorn, just as Jupiter in Aries opposes Saturn in Libra. Although the degree between these two patterns is wide, they’re still close enough to constitute a cardinal T-square. That, I believe, is the signature behind the global turmoil. Outer planetary aspects like these are major considerations in world events, with Saturn representing government and military, Pluto representing wealth and the power it conveys, and Jupiter representing religious beliefs and banks. The Sun is associated with national leaders. With all of these quarters pitted against each other, it’s no surprise the world is such a mess right now.

In our personal lives, transits to planets in the natal chart carry more weight than aspects between transiting planets, but we nevertheless need to look at where these patterns fall in our charts, because if one planet in the T-square is transiting a natal planet, it means the others also are in hard aspect, and that changes the interpretation considerably. It also makes it extremely difficult to predict how things will turn out for you, because the range of possibilities is increased exponentially.

The one thing of which we can be relatively sure is that nothing is being handed to us on a silver platter. We’re all facing challenges of varying degrees, and even when these tests and trials are for the best – they build character, make us stronger, open doors, etcetera, etcetera – getting through them requires all of our strength and awareness.

On Tuesday, Mars at 27 Pisces squares the lunar nodes, which are very close to the Galactic Core. I wrote about this rare phenomenon in last week’s forecast. For the most part, I think it represented a shift in consciousness, a subtle but ultimately positive development. But no growth occurs without change, and change is disruptive by definition. When Mars reaches this degree, it could set off events that will bring you closer to your goals and desires – as well as the inevitable tests you have to go through first.

Mercury turns retrograde on Wednesday, at 23 degrees Aries. I’ve experienced events related to this retrograde already, which isn’t surprising, given the buildup of planets in Aries. As he moves backwards in the sky, he’ll make second passes with Jupiter, the Sun, and Mars over the next four weeks. Usually, the positive way to channel Mercury retrograde energy is to slow down, think things through, research and revision. However, I doubt those activities will be possible this time around, as we’ll be in a constant state of flux.

It’s hard to imagine how life could be moving any faster, but we’ll find out when Mars enters Aries on Saturday. I always like to point out the good side of Mars, which is a lot of energy to accomplish even the most difficult of tasks before us. I hope that will be the case, but I don’t think it’s realistic to think that there won’t be an increase in war and conflict, both globally and in our personal lives. Not only will Mars be in his own sign, but he’ll be “fed” by four other planets, including giant Jupiter. That’s a lot of anger and aggression.

Sunday is the highly charged New Moon at 13 Aries – very close to the Saturn-Jupiter opposition – and a conjunction between Mars and Uranus. I’ll try to write a post on the New Moon this week, but I’m still backlogged and am getting several new requests a day. (For those of you on the wait-list, please know that I’m working as diligently as I can to get to you as soon as I can.) For now, I’ll just stay that I see in this New Moon more potential for a giant leap in consciousness, especially among men.

Later in the day, Mars conjoins Uranus, a tense combination that in the past has coincided with literal explosions. Then, there’s so much of that going on already that it would be hard to attribute any increase in activity to a Mars-Uranus transit, not unless it’s something major and unrelated to current news.

Whenever there’s a lot of movement afoot, as there is now, it can be scary. Evolving as a species and birthing a new world is a turbulent business, requiring much love and courage.

Wishing you all plenty of both,
Pat

Aries-Libra: From Creation to Humanity, with Love, Part II

In The Labours of Hercules: An Astrological Perspective, by Alice Bailey, the first labor in Aries requires Hercules to capture and corral a herd of flesh-eating horses that have been ravaging the land and terrorising the people. Full of joy and enthusiasm, Hercules quickly manages to round up the horses thinking “well that was easy.” He hands over the horses to his friend, telling him to stick them in the corral, while he goes back to his teacher to find out what the second labor will be.

The horses escape, ravage the local villages, and kill his friend. Filled with sadness for the loss of his friend, Hercules re-captures the horses and completes the task himself.

This illustrates some important lessons for the Aries Soul:

• To recognise that Divine gifts come from the Divine, not the personality. They are not “ours” but come through us, to benefit all.
• That if we have a Divine gift, it is our responsibility to use it, since it may not be available to others.
• That impulse alone is rarely beneficial, unless we skillfully follow our impulses through to completion.

This story also illustrates the naiveté of Aries. As the first sign of the Zodiac, Aries is sometimes called the “child” of the Zodiac, for he has yet to develop wisdom and skill. Having never left God, Aries has no worldly experience, has never experienced challenges, and therefore cannot anticipate the obstacles that can arise. This is where the ethical thinking of Aries’ polar opposite, Libra, are needed.

At its highest Soul vibration, Libra is about ethics, justice and Divine harmony. This is where the personality-centered Libra has a tendency to develop rose-tinted spectacles. The desire for harmony can lead a Libra personality to be a bit of a PollyAnna, avoiding conflict and real challenges by trying to “keep the peace,” come what may.

Nevertheless, the Libra individual does have an innate understanding of harmonics. This leads Libra into ethical questioning. Often it is said that Libra individuals are indecisive – in contrast to the apparent decisiveness of their polar opposite, Aries. But this is an over-simplification of what is really happening. For Libra, it is important to understand the process of decision-making. How can we know when a decision is the correct one?

This is the purpose of ethics – the process whereby we can make “right” decisions. The Soul purpose of Libra is “right human relations,” and the essence of Libra carries the very wisdom that Aries needs. Aries will develop wisdom by being more Libra-like and thinking about why a decision is the “right” one. What makes it “right?”

Before charging into an impulse, Aries is always wise to ask, “What makes this right?” This allows Aries to explore whether his impulse is of Divine origin or merely a personality driven impulse. In this way, Aries will be able to see when his or her decisions will be most beneficial and when, like Hercules, they may be impulsive and incomplete.

Libra invites Aries, through ethical questioning, to become aware of harmonics. Libra answers a very important question for Aries. The highest vibration of Libra innately knows that what makes a decision right is harmonics. The right decision is the one that is harmonious, because it is in alignment with the whole of Creation. Eventually, the influence of Libra brings truth, beauty and harmony to Aries. This is when the higher vibration of Aries will awaken and Aries will finally understand how it is that he knows what he knows. However, before Aries can access the wisdom of Libra, he has to exercise discipline to control his impulsiveness.

Mercury is the Soul-ruler of Aries,* whereas Mars is the personality ruler. Mars can be seen to rule the unconditioned responses and reactions of our lower animal-urges, whereas a Mercurial influence on Aries encourages development of the Higher Mind. The Soul path of Aries speaks of the journey from lower mind to Higher Mind, through discipline and the development of wisdom. It really is a Divine, magical mystery tour that takes us from the Divine to Earth, through Right Human Relations and then back to Heaven again, with greater wisdom.

Once Aries accesses Higher Mind, he or she becomes a clear channel for Divine light and wisdom and the higher Soul purpose of Aries (which is to inspire others with ideas) unfolds. Aries, the sign of the Ram, then fulfils his own highest potential by leading his flock, through Divine Light, Wisdom, and Inspiration.

Ruth

[hr_small]

* Aries is associated with the development of the mind. The “wild horses” can be seen as a metaphor for taming our unruly mind. Mercury, Soul ruler of Aries, is also associated with the development of the “Antahkarana” or “Rainbow Bridge” which, once fully formed, allows access to Higher Consciousness and Higher Mind.

[hr]

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:

Aries-Libra: From Creation to Humanity, with Love, Part I

In Ruth’s continuing series on the signs in Soul Astrology, we explore the qualities of Aries and Libra. ~Pat

The spiritual path of Aries-Libra speaks of a magical journey from Heaven to Earth and back. So is it a beautiful magical mystery tour filled with heavenly voices and Divine Love? No. Well, at least, not yet.

In Soul Astrology we are often speaking on two levels. First, it is important to know the difference between the personality interpretation of the Zodiac energies, and their higher, Soul vibration. The 12 Zodiac signs represent 12 Divine Intelligences. In their purest form, these energies carry a high vibration and Divine Purpose. By the time this energy has filtered its way through a foggy, confused and egoic human mind, its original “tune” is distorted somewhat. This is the distinction between an Aries Soul (Ascendant) and an Aries personality (Sun/Moon).

The Aries Soul is carrying the higher vibration of Aries (albeit unconsciously for the most part*) or the original “song,” whereas the Aries personality is working on the egoic level of that sign. It’s a bit like waking from a dream in which you understand everything and all is clear. However, upon waking the details become blurred and you lack the language to express what you experienced. (I guess you had to be there!) Just as we go through our day without really knowing how we are breathing or digesting our food, in this way most of us are still largely unaware of the energies that are an inherent part of us at Soul level, and we are therefore personality-centered and personality-driven.

There are two points of balance in the year, when the day and night, the polarities of dark and light, are of equal length. This happens when the Sun enters Aries, at the Spring Equinox, and again when the Sun enters Libra, at Fall (Autumn) Equinox. The Aries-Libra polarity is therefore concerned at the highest level with the energies of Divine Will, Balance, Equanimity and Divine Harmony.

Aries is the energy of Creation in its purest form. It is the spark of Divine Will that initiates all Life. In Esoteric Astrology,** it is said that the Soul begins its journey in Aries as a “point of light in the mind of God.” As the first Zodiac sign, Aries is often said to be the sign that is “closest to God,” because the “point of light” (which is the newly-concieved Soul) has not left God’s mind yet. Which also explains why Aries is one of the most intuitive signs. It’s as though Aries has an “access-all-areas” pass into the mind of God! This is most often felt by the Aries subject as an urge, an impulse, or a spontaneous movement into action.

The Aries individual just “knows” things, without knowing how they know, which can really spook their friends! Aries-type intuition can be described as “spontaneous knowing.” You don’t know how you know, you just do. We might describe Aries as pure intuition-in-action.

These spontaneous urges are what probably gets the Aries personality into the most trouble and brings on accusations of “arrogance” from others around them. In fact, it is often not arrogance but this inner knowing that moves Aries into action. Arians often make extremely good leaders for this very reason, if they allow themselves to move with their inner knowing and lead people. There is, however, one type of Aries who doesn’t ever take the lead but prefers to take a back seat and just complain that “nobody around here knows what they are doing. Can’t they see that if they just do so and so, that is the solution?” This is because what seems so obvious to Aries cannot be seen by everyone, leading some Arians to erroneously conclude that everybody else must be stupid. They cannot believe that others cannot see the solutions as obviously as they do.

It is important for the Aries personality to realize that other people aren’t stupid, just because they cannot see what you can see. If you are the only one who can see, then you have a responsibility to take the lead. This is the first key to the Soul path of Aries. Aries energy is somewhat pre-egoic in the sense that it is a Divine spark. Ego arises when the human mind steps in and takes the credit. This is not making ego “wrong.” Our ego is necessary, but it is important that we fully understand what it is. Ego is when our mind is thinking about itself.

So our Aries friend receives a God-given impulse and acts on it. This solves a problem or brings some kind of benefit. Nothing wrong in that. Then our friend has the thought, “I did that.” That is ego. So this brings us to the second important understanding about the Soul path of Aries: “Who is doing the doing?” We’ll explore this question in Part II.

Ruth

[hr_small]

* According to Esoteric Astrology, our Soul Development is described in terms of being on the Mutable, Fixed or 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. Our capacity to consciously perceive our Soul’s development and purpose is dependent upon which “cross” we are currently on.

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

[hr]

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 March 21: Sun Conjunct Uranus, Venus Enters Pisces

Grand Coulee Dam. The first concrete was poured on Dec. 6, 1935, with Saturn (structure) in Pisces (water), and Uranus square Mars and Pluto. © Pat Paquette 2011.

This promises to be an exciting week, starting right out with an electrifying conjunction of the Sun and Uranus in Aries. I just hope my circuits can stand it.

If I had to describe this transit in one word, it would be “revolution.” Not that you need astrology to tell you that movements around the world for freedom from oppression will continue to build. I am somewhat concerned about what will happen next week, when Mars enters Aries and Mercury turns retrograde. Mars is the planet of war and conflict, and he’ll be on the side of the revolutionaries. Eventually – by the second week in April – they’ll provoke authoritarian governments and their corporate backers to take extreme action against them. It will be very interesting to see which side the United States supports in individual countries in the Middle East.

In our individual lives, the Sun-Uranus conjunction brings surprises and a break from our normal routine. At its best, it can help us blast through blocks that are holding us back. That’s the good side of this transit. The danger is that you may feel an urge to do extreme things like telling your boss to go to hell, without considering the consequences. For an idea of how this might manifest in your life, look at where Uranus currently is transiting your chart. Most of you have enough of an understanding of astrology that you probably know this already. If you’re in your early 20s or early 40s, be extra mindful not to act on selfish impulse.

There are no other major planetary aspects until Saturday, when Venus conjoins Neptune at 29 degrees Aquarius. The following day, she enters Pisces, sign of her exaltation. Venus is a lower vibration of Neptune, so her entrance into Pisces right after their conjunction should provide us with some early insight into what will happen when Neptune himself enters Pisces on April 4. Neptune’s counterpart in ancient Greece was Poseidon, who ruled over the sea, fresh water and earthquakes.

Venus is happy in Pisces, the sign of mystical union and merging into the underlying source of all things. She doesn’t seek love for physical gratification, adoration or financial rewards, but to merge into oneness with her partner.

Speaking of which, Mars remains in Pisces until April 1, and he’s being “fed” by planets in Aries, the sign he rules. Although Mars in Pisces can be a warrior for the poor and underprivileged, he also will fight on the behalf of religious beliefs. Let’s hope his energy is channeled into helping the thousands left homeless by the earthquake in Japan and not fanning the flames of religious conflict in the Middle East.

Overall, we’re a step farther into Aries territory and a Brave New World. However, with Mars still in Pisces, one foot remains in the past. This week, we continue to evaluate our past and decide what to keep and what to leave behind. It’s never too late to throw unneeded baggage overboard, especially if it has been weighing you down and preventing you from moving forward.

There is one other interesting astrological event this week that I’d like to discuss, and that’s the conjunction of the lunar North Node and the Galactic Center. Indeed, this may be the most important transit of the week, if not the entire month, as it portends the opening of a portal into higher consciousness. The conjunction isn’t exact until March 31, but the North Node is now at the same degree as the Galactic Center at 27 degrees Sagittarius and will remain there until the end of the month.

What’s really intriguing is that the North Node turns direct for a few hours on Friday, March 25. The lunar nodes normally are retrograde in motion, but every now and then, they turn direct. It’s like the opening of a doorway, and when this occurs in conjunction with the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy – the source of powerful radio waves – it’s hugely significant.

As if that’s not enough, the Moon conjoins the North Node a few minutes after it turns direct! Keep a notebook with you on Friday, and write down any dreams you have Friday night. The nodes are direct from 1:57 p.m. PDT on Friday to 5:30 a.m. PDT on Saturday.

Finally, I’d like to remind everyone that there’s just one more week to go before Mercury turns retrograde. Even though Mercury is in pre-retrograde shadow, he’s not officially retrograde yet, so there’s still time to sign papers, close accounts, and take care of anything else of that nature. Wrap up as much business as you can this week.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

How Saturday’s Virgo Full Moon Will Look

I found this great visual to help understand Saturday’s “supermoon” Full Moon in Virgo and wanted to share it with all of you. Let me also take this opportunity to encourage everyone to hang in there, despite any endings you may experience in the next few days. Anything you’re forced to let go of now is in preparation for the new doors that will open for you at the powerful Aries New Moon on April 3.

Pat

Source SPACE.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration

Right on Cue, Mercury Starts Acting Out

Right on cue, Mercury entered his pre-retrograde shadow period and immediately started wreaking havoc.

Between 6 and 7 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, just as Mercury hit the degree where his retrograde will end, a message appeared in my WordPress dashboard that there was an update for a plugin. These are fairly routine. Whenever they pop up, I select the automatic update option, which never takes more than a few seconds. This particular one was for Amazon widgets short code. I haven’t a clue what that means or what it does, but I went ahead with the update.

If you tried to access the RealAstrologers website from that moment right up until midnight, all you got was some funny looking code with error messages on a white screen. I’d swear Mercury himself wrote it; either that, or he was channeling through the programmer who authored it. I’d also swear I heard the mischievous laughter.

Fortunately, my web host does a complete backup once a day, so they were able to restore everything up to the point of the last save. It took a few hours, but at least I didn’t lose any content. Until the process was complete, I was totally shut out of the control panel and couldn’t even post a message saying we were temporarily down.

I was telling a friend about it this evening, and he said his Internet browser froze up right around 6 p.m. He had to reboot his computer. Did anyone else experience glitches yesterday with their computers, e-mail, or electronics?

If incidents like this are happening when Mercury is barely into his shadow period, what’s going to happen when he officially turns retrograde on March 30? Let’s consider ourselves forewarned and start now to take all of the necessary steps to ensure a safe and happy Mercury retrograde. Above all, get your backup plan in place!

Pat

Venus 2012: The Apocalypse and the Power of Love

A stellar nursery in the Carina Nebula. Image from the Hubble Space Telescope, courtesy NASA, ESA, and M. Livio and the Hubble 20th Anniversary Team.

“The end is nigh…” as the soothsayer would say! But the end of what?

It could well be the end of all suffering, for this is also the dawning of the Age of Aquarius where “Peace shall guide the planets, and Love will steer the stars,” as the song said.

Apocalypse is the word often used to describe the “end of days,” but, leaving Hollywood-style disaster movies aside, what does this actually mean? The word apocalypse means “lifting the veil,” or revelation of truth.

So what “truth” will be revealed? The ultimate truth: the truth of our being, our true power and our own true nature.

At a fundamental level, as human beings, we are all the same; each one of us aspires to happiness and each one of us does not wish to suffer. This is why, whenever I have the opportunity, I try to draw people’s attention to what as members of the human family we have in common and the deeply interconnected nature of our existence and welfare. ~ HH Dalai Lama

Is there anything in Esoteric Astrology that could hint at 2012 as heralding an apocalyptic Age of Truth and Revelation? There could be … especially if we look at the esoteric rulers of the signs and planets.

On June 5 or 6, 2012 (depending where you are in the world), Venus will cross the face of the Sun in Gemini. This phenomenon, known as an “occultation,” completes a Venus transit that began in 2004. This happens once every 120 years or so, but isn’t it interesting that it is also happening in 2012? What I find interesting is that Venus is also the Esoteric or Soul Ruler of Gemini, lifting Gemini to its highest Soul purpose of “teaching Right Human Relations, between self and others, personality and soul, anima and animus, higher mind and lower mind.” [1]

The Soul purpose of Gemini is directly linked to resolving the duality between the head and the heart, bridging the gap, and accessing the heart-mind.[2]

This is a powerful opportunity for a global heart-opening, and astrologically could be the biggest event of the year in terms of human experience and spiritual awakening. Whatever happens during this period, it is important not to get caught up in fear, but to stay focused on the highest love for one another and for all Beings. This is the message of the Gemini Soul: the power of transpersonal love.

During this time, there will be waves of high energy flooding our planet that will be detectable by those who are perceptive enough. It is important to remember that even if you can’t feel it, you’ll still be in the energy. Stay focused on your Heart Center, and be open. There is certainly enormous potential to experience deep heart-centered connection.

Mercury, Gemini’s personality ruler, is also associated with the development of the “Antahkarana”’ or “Rainbow Bridge,” which, once fully formed, allows access to higher consciousness and higher mind. With these major influences and energies around, there is indeed the potential for another big shift in awareness on the planet on the scale of a quantum leap as the human population shifts from lower mind and ego-centeredness to Higher Mind and Heart-Centeredness.

[callout]With the Venus in Gemini occultation on June 5-6, 2012, there will be, at one and the same time, enormous potential for both a global shift to Higher Consciousness and a mass heart-opening.[/callout]

Will we all experience Divine Bliss and a “Summer of Love” in 2012? Not necessarily, although that could definitely be an experience for many. During past Venus transits, there has also been a history of turbulence and strife. This makes sense from an energetic perspective; in such high-vibrational environments, that which is not Love will come up for healing. For many, it will be a purification in the sense that all our undealt-with personal demons may surface. If we are unable to face our own shadow with love, we can expect it will not be a smooth ride, but if we are able to accept all our imperfections and bring them into our hearts, there is huge potential for healing.

Typical of Gemini, this could very well be a dualistic experience, with many being swept along by mass consciousness, mob-rule, increasing rebellion, rioting, and violence, while those who have been pursuing their own individual spiritual path may find it to be a time of greater heart-opening and deepening of compassion. It is more important than ever, during the coming years, to follow your own heart and not be swept along by mass consciousness.

The power of the heart has been underestimated throughout human history. The power of Love has been thought of as a woo-woo idea, not to be taken seriously. Yet as we approach these turbulent times, it is precisely the power of Love that could be our saving grace.

Researchers discovered that when a major event affects human emotions on a worldwide scale, such as 9/11 or the death of Princess Diana, this actually changed the magnetic field of our planet.2 They discovered the power of the human heart to change the world. From this information, the Global Coherence Initiative [3] was founded, to teach us how to “harmonize”’ our heart-waves and bring positive change to the world.

Are you hearing echoes of that song again: … and Love will steer the stars?

What if we are only just discovering the tip of the iceberg in terms of the power of love? What if pure, focused, directed heart-energy really does have the power to “steer the stars?” As we move into an era of conscious choice and evolution, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that we actually do steer our own destiny, so indeed why not the stars? What we think and feel matters. Where we choose to focus our attention and how we choose to flow our energy at this critical juncture is highly significant.

Then maybe any potential apocalyptic disasters could be averted by our coming together in heart coherence, stabilizing the weather and climate on this planet. The very fact that we are discovering our own heart power now, at this point in our evolution, could be an early indicator of what we may expect during the coming Aquarian Age of Revelation.

Ruth

[hr_small]

Footnotes:

1. Esoteric Astrology, by Alice Bailey.

2. Researchers at the HeartMath Institute discovered what they call the “heart-brain,” cells in the human heart that are very similar to brain cells. They also found that in terms of generating power, the heart is much more powerful than the brain.

3. The Global Coherence Initiative

[hr]

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: