Monthly Archives: July 2012

Weekly Forecast July 30: Full Moon in Aquarius

© Dreaming in rose. Pat Paquette 2012

This certainly is turning out to be a classic Mercury retrograde. I’ve lost more than half of the past week addressing corrupted files, lost data, and long waits getting through to tech support – just when I’m under a huge deadline for a film project. Of course.

It’s particularly ironic that my astrology software got corrupted. The good news is that I had my client data backed up, so for anyone who has ordered a report, I still have you in my database. The bad news is that, in reinstalling the program, I lost all of my custom settings, including weeks’ worth of programming charts and the cool graphs that are included in my StarGuide forecasts. In backing up my system, I never thought to back up all of the program files. It’s a painful lesson. It also means that it will be a week or so before I can fulfill new report orders. As I said … classic Mercury retrograde.

Then, I’ve been extremely unhappy with this program, so perhaps this is a “hint” that it’s time to upgrade to Solar Fire, the gold standard in astrology software. I chose another brand on the advice of a consultant and have put hundreds of dollars into add-ons, but I’ve been tearing my hair out over the unfriendly user interface and even unfriendlier customer support. I’ve been putting off switching to a different program, not only because of the expense, but because once I buy new software, I’ll likely have to revise my report offerings – typical excuses for avoiding making changes that ultimately will improve our lives. Mercury retrograde is so good at planting these pies in our faces, with extra whipped cream.

In the meantime, I’m madly pushing to edit a pitch piece to get funding for a documentary about professional astrologers. It’s actually a reconstruction, since I lost the final cut in a hard drive accident in mid-June (Mercury wasn’t even retrograde, go figure). Recreating the work has been the one thing that has gone relatively well during this retrograde cycle, as I expected it would. The challenge is dealing with all of the other problems, which has eaten up precious time that I could have spent in the editing room.

Everywhere I go, I’ve been hearing similar stories, and I’m sure you all have plenty of your own. It seems like no matter how much you try to be prepared, something unexpected goes wrong. It’s living proof that there are “bad” transits. I’m not one of the New Age-y astrologers who believe there’s no such thing as a bad transit, that it’s what you make of it, blahblah. Shit happens, and it tends to happen more during certain planetary configurations. Sure, we can use Mercury retrograde to our advantage (as with my film reconstruction), but we also need to be aware that delays, obstacles, and extremely inconvenient situations are likely to happen more frequently and without warning. The one thing we do have control over is how we communicate. Although we can’t help it if someone misunderstands us, we can give them some leeway and not blame them for the miscommunication.

We’ve got another week and half to go before Mercury returns direct, so just hang in there and do the best you can. In the meantime, Wednesday’s Full Moon in Aquarius promises to throw some good energy into the mix, further building on the positive vibe of the recent sextile from Jupiter to Uranus. At its peak, the Full Moon makes positive connections to both Uranus and Jupiter. Together, these giants make big sparks. This could be literal – as in more giant thunderstorms – or it could be symbolic, bringing sparks of excitement into your life. As surprising as events have been lately, it looks like there’s more in store for us.

I don’t know about you, but my life has been fast and furious with opportunities over the past couple of weeks – so many that I’m overstretched, exhausted, and stressed out by the possibility that passing on an invitation could cost me connections and work down the road. Normally, I’d gauge which opportunities to take based on the potential material returns, but this time I also considered which ones were the most fun and most in line with what I want to do, whether or not it’s financially sound. It seems like more and more people are making decisions based on what’s in their heart and not on what they think they should do or what others think they should do.

The Sun forms an exact trine with Uranus on Tuesday and an exact sextile with Jupiter on Thursday, so the excitement should last for much of the week.

Chart for Full Moon in Aquarius

Click on image to enlarge

Of course, the Uranus-Pluto square is also active in this Full Moon chart. It almost feels like old news by now, but with Uranus, surprises happen. As the ruler of Aquarius, Uranus rules this Full Moon, so it’s quite possible that we’ll get a Uranus-Pluto “jolt” out of the blue.

Venus remains in a trine with Saturn. Although it’s waning, it’s still close enough to use its energy for improving communications and commitment in relationships, be they personal or professional. And with Saturn heading into the final degrees of Libra, we’re finally wrapping up the lesson we thought we learned earlier this year. For me, personally, it has been painful, but there have been very noticeable improvements, mostly in my understanding and acceptance.

On Friday, Mercury and Neptune are inconjunct (technically, quincunx, but I hate that word because it’s too hard to say). Dreams could be jarring or totally incomprehensible. If you can’t figure out a particularly bizarre or disturbing dream, don’t worry about it. It’s possible that it has nothing to do with you.

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

Weekly Forecast July 23: Mercury Sextile Jupiter, Trine Uranus

© Pat Paquette 2012

As humanity experiences a shift in consciousness, more people are experiencing an increase in synchronicities in their daily lives. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of thinking about something or someone, and having them appear right before your eyes a short time later – an hour, a day, a week, sometimes a little longer.

This isn’t news for most of you. However, last week did seem to be especially active in this regard. Once experience in particular really caught my attention.

In last week’s column, I posted a link to a mind-bending animated video that contained numerous symbols that are embedded in the collective consciousness. I must have watched that thing two dozen times, hitting the pause and replay buttons frequently to examine symbols that were fleeting or not easy to see – for example, towers with clocks always set at 12 (presumably midnight, as it was dark). If you watched it – and many of you did – you’ll also remember the boat with the head of Anubis on the prow. In Egyptian mythology, Anubis protected and guided the souls of the dead. This is a very ancient idea, one that later became associated with the Greek Hermes and Roman Mercury.

Last Tuesday, I had to go into the city to use an editing room to begin reconstructing a documentary pitch that I lost last month when my hard drive crashed. I figured that recreating a video would be more efficient during Mercury retrograde, and it was. The only problem was actually getting to the editing room. My bus pass failed to read and apparently was damaged, so before I could get to work, I had to take a detour to the Metro customer service office, which is located near the Amtrak station in the old King Street Station building.

As a promotion for the King Tut exhibit in Seattle, the neon sign for King Street Station has been modified, and there’s a 26-foot statue of Anubis in front of clock tower. And don’t you know, when I got there, it was three minutes to noon – just enough time to get out my camera and snap a few photos.

© Pat Paquette 2012

Synchronicities like this are a vehicle for messages from beyond our dimension of reality. Even that is nothing new; Greek mythology is filled with instances of mortals being visited by winged creatures or receiving messages from the gods via another person. We just need to pay attention when it happens and acknowledge these events for what they really are, especially in this time when we need input from higher planes of consciousness.

Do keep your antennae up this week, because the astrological pattern in the sky suggests that more of these messages will come through. Not only is Mercury retrograde, but this week he forms a sextile to Jupiter (Tuesday) and a trine to Uranus (Wednesday). Then on Saturday, he forms an exact conjunction with the Sun in Leo.

The sextile from Mercury to Jupiter also forms the base of a Yod with Pluto at the apex. This is quite interesting and tells me that we’re going to feel some major pressure to transform, as individuals and as a collective. Many of us feel stressed to the breaking point. Something’s got to give. That “something” may or may not be a choice you can make intentionally, but it likely will require expanding your mind so that new solutions can present themselves.

Changing beliefs and behavior may be part of the mix as well – none of which is easy. Indeed, changing beliefs is one of the most difficult things a person can do. Changing beliefs can entail breaking down the entire structure that I call the “mental matrix.” But, breaking down is what Uranus is especially good at, and Pluto in Capricorn is all about transforming structures.

It’s all inordinately stressful, but opportunities are there, too. Do your best to keep your nerve.

Wishing you all much love and courage,

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Weekly Forecast July 16: Mars Square Pluto, New Moon in Cancer

Violent awakening of Christ Consciousness, from the cutting-edge animated film short I, Pet Goat II. See end of article for the link to watch the video.

Thanks to Mercury retrograde, all of my weekend plans fell through. And I do mean thanks! It’s been nearly a year since I had two days in a row to take my time reading e-mail, work at a speed that doesn’t make my hair fly in the air, and spend an afternoon cooking up good things in the kitchen.

I’m also counting on this retrograde to work fast and efficiently to recreate the documentary project that I lost when my hard drive crashed the day before the final cut was due in class. I still haven’t fully recovered from the shock, so maybe we can add “recover” as another fun activity for those oh-so-annoying retrogrades.

Unfortunately, the break isn’t likely to last, as this week could contain a fast and furious game-changer. Maybe more than one. Not only do we have a New Moon in cardinal Cancer, but Mars makes an exact T-square with Uranus and Pluto, all in cardinal signs. That suggests a major shift, and Uranus and Pluto generally are about breakdowns. The good news is that there are clear signs that the breakdowns contain breakthroughs, and those could come swiftly.

Mars squares Pluto on Tuesday and opposes Uranus on Wednesday, but the planet of action was within “striking distance” of Uranus and Pluto last week, so we’re already feeling the shift. I talked to several people who were having total breakdowns, thinking it was Mercury retrograde. I won’t say that wasn’t a factor, but crises and nasty circumstances that had nothing to do with computers or electronics were likely an expression of the Mars-Uranus-Pluto aspect, especially since Uranus was stationed retrograde on Friday. Difficult aspects between Mars and Uranus are explosive, and Mars-Pluto contacts can express themselves as violence. But, birth is a violent process, so it’s not a foregone conclusion that the only result of this powerful astrological configuration will be destruction. Although there’s a strong likelihood that something in your life will fall apart this week (if it hasn’t already), there’s an equally strong possibility that something new will sprout up before the ashes are cold.

The wild card this week is Jupiter. The planet of big currently is in the sign of small, so I wouldn’t count on Steven Spielberg snapping up your screenplay, but who knows? Stranger things have happened. You shouldn’t have to wait long for a hint of how the week is going to play out, as Mars forms an easy trine to Jupiter on Tuesday – before his exact contact with Pluto. That’s why I think it’s entirely possible that something new will form before the old structure is totally blown apart, whatever it may be. “Structure” can apply to your career, finances, relationships, or your life in general. If you know how to read a chart, you can look at where these planets fall in your natal houses for a better idea of how you’re responding to these volatile energies.

Chart for New Moon in Cancer

Click on image to enlarge

Thursday’s New Moon in Cancer is perfectly timed to bring new forms into existence. The only downside is that the Sun and Moon form a fairly close square with Saturn in Libra, suggesting a challenge of some kind. My take is that you’ve probably butted up against this obstacle already and know what it is. The challenge may be in finding a workable solution. For that, you (and any others involved) have to be committed, willing to do the heavy lifting, and ready to take on the responsibility.

The biggest day for opportunities is Saturday, when Jupiter sextiles Uranus. With Jupiter in Gemini, it’s possible that more than one door will open to you. How do you know which one is the right one? On Sunday, the Sun enters Leo, his home sign, symbol of the heart center and courage. Part of the shift we’re going through is finding ways to be more authentic and live what’s in our hearts. It definitely takes courage.

The T-square begins winding down at the end of the week, but retrograde Mercury makes aspects to Mars on Sunday and then Jupiter and Uranus next week. Don’t worry if you missed anything. There will be opportunities to go back, take a second look, make corrections, and patch up misunderstandings. My only caution is that if you have new opportunities that involve making deals and signing contracts, be sure you read all the fine print and know what’s involved. If you can wait to ink the deal until the second week in August, better still. But that’s not always practical, so if you’re compelled to move forward, at least take precautions like getting a second opinion or doing additional research.

Before I go, I want to tell you about an exciting new animated short film that has created a buzz on the Internet. It’s called I, Pet Goat II and is largely the work of Montreal animation artist Louis LaFebvre. As a work of art, it’s cutting edge and mesmerizing. But it also has a message, one that’s very similar to what I’ve written about since starting my first blog in late 2005. You’ll have fun trying to identify all the hidden symbolism, which has many conspiracy theorists foaming at the mouth about the Illuminati and the NWO. Just the sort of thing I love, and I think you will, too.

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

Weekly Forecast July 9: Uranus and Mercury Retrograde

Illustration of a decaying Higgs-Boson. Can you spot the muons? Photo courtesy CERN.

After all the astrological tumult of the past two months, a “simple” Mercury retrograde seems like rather ho-hum news.

Mercury goes retrograde this Saturday at 12°33′ Leo, and he’ll return to 1°26′ before returning direct on August 8. Among other things, Leo is the sign of entertainment and fun. Mercury in Leo loves a practical joke, but when he’s retrograde, the intended effect could backfire. Standup comedians take note.

For the rest of us, all the usual caveats apply. You know the drill by now. Back up your computer, get big purchases out of the way, sign the contract to sell your house now (actually, it’s a bit late for that already), and wrap up as much as you can on projects under way. On the positive side – and this definitely applies to me – this Mercury retrograde period will be beneficial for editing, rewriting, revising, repair, and revisiting old issues in general. If you’d like to know more about how Mercury retrograde could play out in your life, check out the StarGuide Summer 2012 forecast. Although we’re already well into the season, there’s a ton of useful information in this report, and for anyone who orders now, I’ll extend the transit section until the end of September.

Nonetheless, there are a couple of unique and interesting things happening with this retrograde period. First, at the moment Mercury stations – when he appears to stop moving in the sky from one day to the next – he is in a near-exact sextile with Venus in Gemini. Venus herself recently went retrograde, and on her reverse path crossed the face of the Sun. The astrological implications of the Venus transit aren’t entirely known yet, but intuitively, I think it has something to do with reconnecting opposites on all levels. For many people, communications and connections with a person or situation had to be severed in order to reboot relationships, including our relationship with the various aspects of ourselves. Outwardly, you may have re-established contact with someone, perhaps a romantic partner, but not necessarily. At the highest level, we have been able reconnect with our energetic bodies, what some call the “higher self.” Although you can’t see or measure this connection, it is a very big deal.

With Mercury stationing at a close, positive angle with Venus in the sign he rules, there is another wide open door for meaningful communications to take place within relationships, especially those renewed after a period of distance. Communications are fundamental to strong relationships. I once read a book written for men about how to have better sex, and the first half was all about communicating. Amen to that.

The second interesting factor about this Mercury retrograde, and by far the more volatile one, lies in the simultaneous retrograde of Uranus on Friday. On a collective scale, this reverse is more significant than Mercury’s phase shift, especially since Uranus and Pluto are still within a degree of an exact square. Unless transiting Uranus is sitting on a personal planet or sensitive point in your chart, you’re not likely to feel this one personally. But combined with Mercury’s retrograde on the following day, the reversal of Uranus could manifest as major mischief … as though there hasn’t been plenty already.

We know about the fires, power outages (Uranus rules electricity), and other Uranus-related trends, including financial surprises. In his column this week, Ray Merriman writes about Uranus-Pluto and the Barclay’s Bank scandal. But there was another big event in the news last week that I believe could be the sleeper hit of the Uranus-Pluto cycle.

Last Wednesday, while fireworks were going off in most of the United States, scientists from around the world gathered at CERN in Geneva for a big announcement that they’d found the Higgs-Boson – the so-called “God particle.” Well, at least, they found something like it. It’s unclear at this point exactly what they discovered, but scientists were all jubilant and teary eyed over the possibility that after decades of searching and billions of public money spent, they’d finally found a critical piece of the Standard Model of Physics – the current theory about how the material universe forms.

Astrologers are plenty interested in this development, because part of our job is predicting possible ways that energy patterns in a horoscope might manifest into material reality. Long before I was aware of the Higgs-Boson or any scientific evidence of energy manifesting as physical matter, I knew intuitively that it does, and that astrology is a tool for predicting how and when material results might show up, either in an individual’s life or as global trends.

There were so many ironies in last week’s announcement, starting with the fact that researchers aren’t claiming to have found the Higgs-Boson, but may have accidentally stumbled on something else. That “something else” may be key to understanding the 96 percent of the universe that currently is invisible. That alone boggles the mind. Take a good look around you, and then try to wrap your head around the idea that you’re seeing only 4 percent of what’s actually there (if you’re exceptionally psychic, you may see more).

Another irony is that the announcement and the media attention it generated, including trending on the social media, was very similar to the “news” in January 2011 about the alleged 13th sign of the zodiac. The media got a lot of details wrong, and the public got all excited about something that didn’t happen. Still, scientists were surprised to have something as geeky as the Higgs-Boson trending on the Internet – just as astrologers were shocked that a bizarrely named and little-known constellation got so much attention amid the latest rock videos, celebrity breakups, and political scandals.

The biggest irony, though, lies in the public perception of what this announcement could mean. Faster computers? Smarter cell phones? Zero-gravity trains? In other words, all most people can see in a discovery of this magnitude is that it will somehow translate into new inventions – something material, like, say, space-based weapons or Cheez-It. Because so few people grasp the concept of energy manifesting into matter, the implications are beyond the imagination of most people – scientists included.

Just as scientific discoveries of the past took years to translate to applications in the mainstream, and just as the Uranus-Pluto conjunction of the sixties continued to manifest for many years afterward, this new discovery of how matter is formed likely will take years to produce any noticeable effects. One thing is sure, though: how we see ourselves in the universe and how we interact with the world and each other is going to go through a massive overhaul. Meanwhile, if you need any further convincing that the Higgs-Boson is related to the Uranus-Pluto square, check out the CERN article titled, “The Higgs-Boson: Evolution or Revolution? ” Anyone familiar with astrology knows that “evolution” and “revolution” are keywords for Pluto and Uranus.

There is one other aspect this week worth mentioning, and that’s the Sun’s square to Saturn on Sunday (late Saturday in Western time zones). Difficult Sun-Saturn aspects typically manifest as power struggles, especially those involving ego and social structures. The structures could be within your family, ethnic group, company, or government. Fortunately, it’s a short influence that doesn’t last more than a few days, but it could have longer-range implications for you if the Sun and Saturn are transiting a sensitive point in your natal chart.

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

The Moon, Neptune, and theInner Journey of Cancer, Part II

Cancer/Xochiquetzal, original artwork by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie. See end of article for more info.

Cancer/Xochiquetzal, original artwork by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie. See end of article for more info.

We are currently still being conditioned by the Moon to awaken to our emotions and the power of our emotions – which is why emotional intelligence is such a hot topic right now and will be for many years to come.

We are all at different stages in the development of emotional intelligence and awareness. For those who may be thinking that emotional intelligence is an old topic because the term was first used back in the 1920’s, be assured that the subject will be with us for many years yet to come. At the moment, humanity is able to talk about emotional intelligence but very few can walk the talk by translating that intellectual understanding into emotional skill and competency. This is why we still have war, aggression, violence and bullying rippling through the masses, and their associated behaviors tend to leak out and peak around the time of the Full Moon. Continue reading →

Weekly Forecast July 2: Full Moon in Capricorn, Mars Enters Libra

Here in the Pacific Northwest, it’s gloomy and cold, but we’re not complaining much, given that the rest of the world is either burning or under water, with high winds thrown in for good measure.

It’s always tricky pinning weather phenomenon to astrological configurations, but there seem to be strong correlations here. Jupiter, symbol of “big,” is in Gemini, an air sign … and we get high winds. Neptune is in his (some say “her”) own sign of Pisces, and we get floods. The Sun is in Cancer, another water sign. Last week, they were all dancing together in a close dance, and it manifested as weather that perfectly expressed the character of the cosmic dancers.

The fires are something else. Whenever you see the word “wild,” Uranus is an immediate suspect. Uranus is in Aries, the first and most impulsive of the three fire signs. It’s hard not to correlate the wild fires in the Western United States with the Uranus-Pluto square. There are other possible correlations to this signature, too. Ray Merriman discusses the other potential manifestations in his weekly column, and he’s much better than I at explaining financial developments.

The Uranus-Pluto square is with us for the next three years – and, if the 1960s are any indication, the manifestations of it will continue to unfold for a few years after that. As I’ve mentioned before, the most explosive year in that decade was 1968, even though the Uranus-Pluto conjunction officially ended more than a year before. It’s safe to say that the biggest events are yet to come.

This past week has been wild and crazy for a lot of us. We’re exhausted, freaking out over lack of jobs and money, working too hard for what we do have, and finding less and less time to relax and have fun. I’ve been asked several times whether I think it has anything to do with the Uranus-Pluto square. Yes and no. Outer planetary cycles such as these tend to manifest socially, culturally, and globally. But that doesn’t mean that each of us isn’t affected. When everyone is stressed out, it stresses us out even more – especially those who are the least bit psychic or pick up on the emotions of those around them. The water signs and those with Moon in water signs are particularly susceptible to picking up on this collective stress.

To be clear, the planets aren’t “causing” the stress. However, I do believe that the Uranus-Pluto square represents a push for totally overhauling how we live. We can’t keep going to our jobs every day, working harder and getting paid less, paying more and more taxes for fewer services (and paying more for those services in addition), feeling more exhausted and less personally rewarded, and not reach a breaking point. It’s not a question of “if” but “when.”

Chart for Full Moon in Capricorn

Click on image to enlarge

“When” may get a little closer this week with Tuesday’s Full Moon in Capricorn conjunct Pluto and square Uranus. The conjunction is a bit wide – more than four degrees – but it’s close enough for government work, as they say. Pluto, meanwhile, is at the apex of a Yod with Venus and Mercury. No matter how you dissect it, it looks like Pluto is the breaking point in this configuration. Pluto in Capricorn is about big government, authoritarian rule, and the impenetrable power of multinational corporations. On a personal level, there’s a higher-than-normal risk of explosive emotions and quiet implosions. You know yourself better than anyone, so I won’t tell you what you should do if you feel an outburst coming on.

A few hours before the Full Moon, Mars enters Libra, which is also big news. Mars, the planet of action and aggression, has been in diligent but nitpicky Virgo for nearly eight months. Normally, Mars stays in a sign for about six weeks, but due to his retrograde cycle, he has had an extended stay in Virgo. Mars and Venus both went retrograde this year, and in signs ruled by Mercury, who also was retrograde in April. Getting anything done in the first half of this year has been fraught with setbacks, delays, and less-than-stellar feedback. Mars leaving Virgo should help ease up on the obstacles, although Mercury is about to go retrograde toward the end of next week. Still, I don’t think it will be as frustrating as the past six months.

If you’d like to know where Mercury is going to be retrograde in your chart – as well as a lot of other essential information for surviving the summer – I highly recommend my StarGuide Summer forecast. If you order now, I’ll add a few extra weeks of transits to the end of the report, since the season is already well under way. I do have to tell you, though, that my schedule is still very tight, even with classes over the summer, and so my normal turnaround time of two days for reports has stretched to 3-5 days. My consulting hours are reduced, too, so if you’d like a reading, I suggest setting it up as soon as possible. I currently have a wait period of about two weeks.

Getting back to Mars in Libra, my take on this particular passage is that it’s going to somehow activate the entire cycle of Saturn in Libra. Saturn, you may recall, entered Libra in 2010, right as a powerful T-square in the early degrees of the cardinal signs was forming. It peaked in July and August of that year, which many of us remember as a time that was volatile, frustrating, and enervating, even while new doors were opening to us and new directions beckoning. Over the next week or so, as Mars passes through the early degrees of Libra, watch for events or circumstances that somehow link back to the summer of 2010, especially in terms of your closest relationships or important partnerships. Mars will conjoin Saturn in mid-August, an important passage, about which I’ll write more as the date gets closer.

On Wednesday, Mercury, Venus, and Uranus form a lovely sextile-trine arrangement. This is an overall positive configuration that will express itself as surprises in love, money, and communications. Sudden meetings, unexpected phone calls, a text message that makes you sit up and take notice – these are the kinds of events we might expect on a personal level.

There are some other minor aspects this week, but I’m going to stop there so that I can get this forecast posted and hopefully get a few hours of sleep for another grueling week.

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