Monthly Archives: April 2013

Weekly Forecast April 29: Mars Opposite Saturn, Trine Pluto

Then the Awful Fight Began, illustration of Ragnarök by George Wright, 1908.

As we begin this week, we’re well into the destabilized zone between eclipses, with Uranus moving toward an exact square with Pluto in May. Many of us are feeling unsettled, shaken, irritated, and anxious, with that “other shoe about to drop” feeling.

We can’t help but feel unsettled in a rapidly changing world – or, perhaps to be more precise, a rapidly disintegrating world. This is an important part of the rebirth process, and unfortunately, it doesn’t happen fast enough to suit the expectation of instant gratification that’s ingrained in industrialized societies. It takes place over time – many years, in fact – and if we hold our breath waiting for the other shoe, we’ll turn blue and faint. Which, come to think of it, might not be such a bad idea. A little consciousness can be dangerous, as one is tempted to think he knows what’s best for the world.

From where I sit, it looks as though events are unfolding in perfect harmony with planetary movements, which themselves are in perfect harmony with the rhythm of the Universe. We just happen to be in a turbulent, breakdown phase that feels anything but harmonious. Could we just get this over with and get on with rebirth? In a word … no. Just as individuals go through periodic breakdown and rebirth (some more than others), society as a whole goes through these cycles as well. It takes as long as it takes, and that can feel very threatening, especially when our survival is at stake.

In astrology, upheaval is most closely associated with Uranus, while Pluto is the planet of death, transformation, and rebirth. (For more on the approaching Uranus-Pluto square, I highly recommend the latest article by Barbara Hand Clow.) The Full Moon eclipse in Scorpio brought these difficult themes to the fore. Personally, I’ve had to confront serious issues in the past week that could change my course. I’ll share them with you in a moment, but first let’s look at this week’s aspects.

Throughout the week, the Sun and Mars remain in conjunction in Taurus by less than 5 degrees, and both oppose Saturn and trine Pluto. Saturn and Pluto are in sextile and also in a special relationship called mutual reception. Before Saturn entered Scorpio last October, these two hadn’t been in mutual reception since the American Revolution. With Uranus and Pluto also in aspect, the energy for radical change and upheaval is multiplied by orders of magnitude. By the time this is over two years from now, political boundaries likely will have changed, and the world will look different. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The Sun and Mars both represent the individual – our personal identities, desires, ego boundaries, and self-expression. The most materialist of all the signs, Taurus tends to be placid and non-confrontational but also has a well-deserved reputation for stubborn resistance. Taurus doesn’t win by outright aggression but by outlasting everyone else in the fight. Long after others throw their hands up in frustration, Taurus is still plodding along, holding out, holed up, and prepared to hang in there until the very end. However, Saturn in Scorpio takes no prisoners and smokes out the resistance, and Saturn and Pluto are working in tandem, so there’s no refuge. If you’re still living for material goals and judge success – your own and others’ – by how much stuff you’ve got, you may be forced to rethink your position. As an example, there seems to be a feeling of entitlement (in this country, at least) to more stuff for less money. For some people, it’s their main goal, which is how we got Wal-Mart – a bargain with the devil, if ever there was one.

But there is a way out, and that’s through Neptune and the collective unconscious. Neptune dissolves ego boundaries. We spend so much time trying to figure out who we are and what makes us special that we tend to forget we’re supposed to be working together. The point of finding your true purpose in life isn’t to make you more competitive and marketable, but to give your special gift to the world and thus make the world a better place for everyone, yourself included. There’s a difference between selfishness and enlightened self-interest. At 12 degrees Pisces, Chiron also is in the mix, reinforcing the idea that healing will come through compassion, empathy, and seeing beyond material reality. Even those who are waking up to the energetic underpinnings of physical reality (my definition of “spiritual”) tend to think of the material world as more important and “real,” and the spiritual world as an afterthought. In fact, the reverse is true.

Mars opposes Saturn and the Sun trines Pluto on Wednesday. On the same day, Mercury enters Taurus, which may slow us down and help us focus on practical matters. Mercury sextiles Neptune on Saturday and opposes Saturn on Sunday, and he’ll trine Pluto next week. So the foregoing themes are going to remain in play right up until the New Moon solar eclipse on May 9.

As for my own eclipse experience, I’m being forced to confront two harsh realities. The first is my own mortality. Shortly after my birthday in February, my older sister died. We were estranged, so I’d already done the bulk of my grieving years before, and I bore her no ill will, not even for her fundamentalist viewpoint that I was practicing witchcraft. A few days before she died, I sent her a heart-felt note wishing her love, deep peace, and serenity. What hit me hardest was that all of my older siblings were gone, and of seven children, I’m now the oldest living. In other words, “I’m next.” Given the ages of mortality of my immediate family, I have another six or seven years – maybe ten, if I clean up my diet and start a sound fitness routine. Then, maybe not. My father’s doctor recommended that he walk more. He had a heart attack on an evening walk to the corner store and was dead before he hit the ground. I’m not afraid to die – provided, of course, that it’s quick and efficient. Dropping dead on my daily walk would be OK, second to going peacefully in my sleep. A protracted illness is quite another matter, especially since I have no health coverage.

The second harsh reality is more immediate (unless, of course, I drop dead on my daily walk this afternoon). As much as I value spiritual concerns, one does need to pay for food, shelter, Internet, eye care, and an occasional visit to the dentist. When I first began RealAstrologers, I had a five-year plan to create something resembling what Christopher Witecki has done with SoulGarden. Going to film school was part of my strategy. In the meantime, I’d hoped to grow the business with my unique “hybrid” reports, plus telephone consultations. I live very simply, and yet I’ve not been able to make it work. A few years back, I tried getting a day job to help support the site, but as many of you know, I suffered a serious back injury that makes it impossible for me to go that route again. And because of my age and the economy, it’s not likely I’d even find some menial office work.

This reality was hit home in a post on Willow’s Web (thanks to the reader who sent me the link) in which she responded to a reader’s comment that her blog wasn’t worth a donation equivalent to $2.50 a month. I’m sorry to have to say this, but most people come to my site for the free content and leave, perhaps to go to other free sites. As Willow wrote, if you continually come here and take what I offer without giving anything back, you are acting as an energy drain. Until now, that has been my choice, but I have a hard decision to make, and it will depend on your response. If you’ve recently ordered a report or sent a donation, please ignore what I’m about to say. For those who have not, I ask you to please use the donation button in the sidebar or click here. If you are blessed with relative plenty right now, please leave a little extra, because there are readers who truly cannot afford to pay (and not because they just remodeled the kitchen).

I know from the e-mails I receive that many of you love what I do and rely on my forecasts to help you make sense of these turbulent, unsettling times. But if there aren’t enough of you – or not enough who are willing and able to help me sustain the site – then I’m going to be forced to stop blogging. Sharing what I know is important to me, not because I have some deep-seated desire for followers or groupies but because it feels like a calling. However, if I see that not that many people value my work enough to pay for it, then I’ll have to face the harsh truth. Better to know now, while I’ve still got a few years left to do something else.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Ask Real Astrologers: Tropical Versus Sidereal Astrology

This week’s question comes from Amber in Indianapolis:

I was reading your blog and saw that there are two (I knew this) methods of tracking and measuring the planets. As a person who watches trends and impacts, I would like to know if we should have information from both systems. Does that affect our birth chart data and, if so, by how much?

Thank you for your insight and sharing your real-time issues. It makes the information much more user-friendly and comfortable!

Well, Amber, I’m not often accused of being user-friendly. But thanks all the same, and thank you for an excellent and timely question.

The issue of the two systems of astrology came up in my previous two forecasts, in which I discussed the proper date for the festival of Wesak, celebrated by Buddhists as the birth, death, and enlightenment of the Buddha. Wesak traditionally is celebrated at the Full Moon in Scorpio. However, depending on the system used, this can end up being two different dates. Many Eastern countries use the sidereal system, while here in the West, most of us use tropical astrology. According to the tropical system, today’s Full Moon is in Scorpio, but in sidereal astrology, it’s in Libra. The Full Moon on May 25 will be in sidereal Scorpio and tropical Sagittarius.

Simply put, the tropical system is a sign “ahead,” although not a full sign, but roughly 24 degrees (a sign is 30 degrees). This is not arbitrary but is based on the degree of the zodiac that appears on the Eastern horizon at sunrise on the spring equinox. This is confusing, I know, so let’s look at how it happened.

Although astrology has been around since the time of the Babylonians, it wasn’t until the 2nd century B.C.E. that Greek astrologers (they were also astronomers; back then, there was no difference) noticed that the constellations didn’t stay in the same place over time relative to the equinox. We now know that this is due to a phenomenon called precession, which is caused by a wobble in the earth’s rotation on its axis. You can envision it like a spinning top, except one full spin takes about 26,000 years. Around the time of the birth of Christ, the Sun rose in early Aries on the spring equinox. Now, it rises at around 6 degrees Pisces.

The ancient Greeks decided to address precession by carving up the sky into 12 equal parts, each representing a “sign,” and anchoring them to the solstices and equinoxes – what we call the four cardinal points – rather than the slow but constantly shifting positions of the constellations. This system became the basis for Western tropical astrology. For whatever reason, astrologers in India and the Eastern countries decided not to correct for precession. So rather than putting 0 degrees Aries on the equinox, they use the degree where the Sun actually rises, and that degree changes over time.

The key point to remember is that the signs in Western tropical astrology aren’t the same as the constellations, even though they’re named after them. One of the criticisms leveled at astrologers by scientists is that we don’t have the signs right. We certainly do, and it was an intentional decision. They are welcome to argue with the logic of that system – and many astrologers do, among themselves – but to say that astrologers don’t know the signs are “out of step” with the constellations is silly and flat-out wrong.

As for how it affects the natal chart, you may be a different sign in one system and the other, but not necessarily. If the degree of your Sun is above 23, then you’re likely the same sign in both. The same applies to your Moon, Ascendant, and other planets. If you’re curious, by all means check out the interpretations and see which system resonates more strongly with you. But once you make a choice, stay with it. Going back and forth isn’t likely to give you additional insight, but will only confuse you.

Adherents of sidereal astrology believe that their system is more accurate because it reflects the true position of the planets against the stars. I think that depends on how astrology works. We still don’t know, and so I can’t insist that they are wrong. Which system you choose to use is up to you, but I recommend picking one and sticking with it – especially if you are new to astrology.

I hope that answers your question, Amber … and that you still think I’m user-friendly. Incidentally, you might also like an article I wrote in January 2011 when this question was a hot topic in the news.

Pat

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Weekly Forecast April 22: Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio

At this week’s Full Moon, we have the first of three eclipses in a row and potentially the most difficult. As I write this post, we’re already within the pull of its dark energy.

Eclipses can provide windows on the past and future, and that’s especially true of a lunar eclipse in Scorpio. Pluto, ruler of Scorpio in modern tropical astrology, was named for the Roman god of the underworld, which morphed into the Christian concept of hell. But for some cultures – notably, the ancient Celts – there wasn’t so much an “underworld” as an “otherworld,” not underground but behind a veil. Julius Caesar remarked in his famous commentaries that the bravery of Celtic warriors stemmed from their belief that death on the battlefield meant only a brief detour to the otherworld.

Death and destruction are on our minds a lot lately, with deadly events three days in a row last week. Monday was the horrific explosion at the Boston Marathon. On Wednesday, a fertilizer plant exploded in Waco, Texas, killing 14 people and leveling the surrounding area. There was also a major earthquake on Tuesday near the border of Iran and Pakistan. Although the Boston explosion had the fewest casualties of the three, it’s the one that has dominated the news and unleashed the largest torrent of hate, fear, and ignorance. After all, one can’t hate the earth for moving or chemicals for reacting. Never mind that the factory owners previously had been fined for safety violations … or, for that matter, that the FBI had previous contact with Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older of the two brothers suspected in the Boston bombing.

I predicted that facts would surface as Mercury approached a square to Pluto, but it seems that the Neptunian fog in the bombing chart is just getting thicker. The FBI claims it dropped its investigation of Tamerlan in 2011 because it didn’t have the right to keep an open file on a legal immigrant. Since when did that ever stop the feds? It’s also interesting that they mentioned the connection only after the suspect’s mother spilled the beans. Were they really going to try to get away with that? My sensitive Pisces nose smells rotten fish.

As I sifted through the news articles, one of the things that struck me most was the degree to which we are all under surveillance in a growing police state. This is Pluto in Capricorn, aided and abetted by Saturn in Scorpio. Some say it’s a good thing, that surveillance cameras helped quickly identify the suspects and provided irrefutable evidence of their guilt. Predictably, a lynch mob was ready to kill them on the spot, with no investigation or trial, and the citizens of Boston readily agreed to stay inside, turn off their cell phones, and close their businesses. As a drill for future uprisings and rebellions, the Boston lockdown was a resounding success. Homeland Security (sic) must have been pleased indeed.

While I was contemplating this trend and the possible scenarios under the Uranus-Pluto square, I came across a curious comment by veteran Washington journalist Howard Fineman in an editorial for The Huffington Post. “As if we needed any further proof, this week in Boston proves that there is no ‘over there.’ Ours is not a planet in which distance matters; nor does the passage of time. It may be that centuries-old grievances are erupting worldwide like volcanic lava,” he writes.

In other words, we’re all connected, not only in this time and place, but across all dimensions of time and space. And the veil between these dimensions is thinning, about to get thinner still with the eclipses. It’s a safe bet that Fineman isn’t a fan of astrology, but he sure was onto more than he thought when he wrote that apocalyptic sentence. I mentioned in last week’s post that I suspected the eclipses would open up a window on time, and I’ve also written a lot about the true meaning of the word “apocalypse,” which literally means “unveiling” – the lifting of the veil. What veil are we talking about if not the boundary that keeps us separated from other dimensions of time and space?

Click on image to enlarge

Fineman begins his article with the eerie connection between 26-year-old Tamerlan and the historical Tamerlane, a 14th century warlord born in what is now Uzbekistan. Often called a successor to Genghis Khan, Tamerlane was born on April 9, 1336. (My source for this information is Tamerlane: Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World, by Justin Marozzi.) Tamerlane is the English corruption of his given name, “Timur,” which means “iron.” Yes, as in Mars. Tamerlan Tsarnaev most certainly knew about his namesake. Hang onto your seat, because it gets creepier.

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Converted to the modern calendar, Tamerlane’s date of birth is April 17. That puts his Sun at 27 Aries, less than two degrees from the Sun-Mars conjunction in the Boston bombing chart. Tamerlane’s Saturn was retrograde at 6 degrees Scorpio, just 3 degrees from retrograde Saturn in the Boston chart. His North Node was at 2 degrees Aries – precisely the degree of Mercury in the Boston chart – and he had Pluto at 3 degree Aries. Pluto on the North Node strongly suggests someone with a powerful mission to transform. Of course, he also left unfathomable death and destruction in his path, another signature of Pluto. Asteroid Pallas in the Boston chart is conjunct Tamerlane’s Mars by exact degree. Pallas is named for the Greek goddess Athena, whose attributes included military strategy. In his own time, astrologers would have noted Tamerlane’s Mars-Jupiter conjunction as the sign of a great military leader.

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Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s Sun is at 27 degrees Libra, the sign opposite Aries. As it so happens, that’s the exact degree of the Ascendant in the chart for the Waco explosion, as well as for a similar explosion that took place in Toulouse, France, in September 2001. I don’t know yet what to make to make of this synchronicity. In ancient times, Libra was considered the sign of generals, but there’s no obvious connection to an explosion at a fertilizer plant, and as far as we know, Tamerlan wasn’t commanding an army in any sense of the word.

In one last bit of trivia, you might remember Tamerlane as the title of a poem by Edgar Allan Poe. The collection in which it appeared was published in Boston in 1827, not under Poe’s name but by “A Bostonian.”

I’d like to hear your thoughts.

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Returning to our era, let’s have a look at Thursday’s lunar eclipse, which promises to be intense. The Full Moon is at 5°46′ Scorpio, opposite the Sun at 5°46′ Taurus. Mars is still in conjunction with the Sun by less than 2 degrees, while the Moon is conjunct Saturn by three degrees. Put another way, we have a Mars-Saturn opposition superimposed on a lunar eclipse. Although modern astrologers don’t look at Mars and Saturn with the same fearful eye as our medieval predecessors, we nonetheless can’t ignore the challenges implied in an opposition between these two bad boys. Mars in Taurus is less aggressive than Mars in Aries, and perhaps the worst tension will be due to stubborn resistance and stonewalling. In general, there’s a feeling of sorrow – not that we don’t already have enough losses to grieve, and that brings up the point that much of what has happened in the past week could correlate to the eclipse. Nothing says eclipse-related events can’t happen before the eclipse date. In some cases, they can occur months in advance. So, although it’s not a bad idea to stay alert, I don’t think we need to hide under the bed.

There are two strong energy outlets in this chart, which is some cause for hope that we can spin challenges into opportunities. First, the Sun and Moon make a harmonious sextile/trine to Neptune. On the positive side, this is a reminder of how connected we really are, and not just to those we sympathize with or agree with. Neptune and Pisces, the sign it rules, are associated with deep compassion and empathy. It is through Neptune’s idealism that we can strive for a better world, while Saturn injects practical considerations and Mars represents action. The downside of Neptune is the tendency toward escapism, whether through drugs and alcohol, compulsive shopping, too much television, or any number of other addictions. Sure, we need to give our minds a rest from all the dismal news, and I certainly understand the urge to drown our sorrows. Just don’t stay there for too long.

The second outlet is a trine from Venus in Taurus to Pluto in Capricorn. This is a lusty, passionate combination that typically is interpreted as good for your sex life. And it might be. But Venus and Pluto also are about wealth and finances, and Pluto is, above all, about personal power and transformation, while Venus is the planet of love. There is strong energy here for transformation through love. For clues about how you can best use this energy, look at where Venus and Pluto fall in your chart. If you don’t know where that is, you can find out by ordering your StarGuide Spring forecast, which is now on sale for 25 percent off. It includes interpretations of all three eclipses, plus the New Moon in Gemini on June 8. The monthly report for May also is ready.

As I mentioned last week, the festival of Wesak falls at the Full Moon in Scorpio. In Eastern countries that go by the sidereal zodiac, Wesak will be celebrated at the next Full Moon, which is on May 25 and also happens to coincide with an eclipse. Since Wesak is essentially an Eastern festival, I feel that it’s more appropriate to celebrate it according to the sidereal zodiac. I’ll explain more about the differences in the zodiacs in Thursday’s Q&A. In the meantime, I’ll be making preparations to make full use of the energies of this powerful Full Moon in Scorpio. I don’t say that lightly, as my experience last year shook me to the core.

But isn’t that the point?

Wishing you all unconditional love and infinite courage,
Pat

Ask Real Astrologers: Will the Eclipses Bring Career News?

This week’s question comes from Brandy in Phoenix:

I’ve been watching the sky, specifically the November 28th Full Moon lunar eclipse and recent New Moon with a vague sense that my career path will reveal itself. Stuff is hitting my tenth house big time! Still confused though – perhaps because of my Pisces Midheaven? All I want to do is help peeps, don’t care about money. Always a HUGE fan of the weekly forecasts, thank you for all the help over the years. :)

Brandy, it’s true that the New Moon in Pisces on March 11 fell in your tenth house of career, with Mercury, Venus, and Mars all in the same sector. Normally, we’d expect to see major developments in your professional life with this much planetary power. However, as you may recall, Mercury was retrograde at the time, which had the effect of a big wet blanket. Sometimes when a New Moon falls during a Mercury retrograde period, we get “results” at the following New Moon (remembering, of course, that the planets don’t “cause” events on earth) or when Mercury returns direct. The New Moon in Aries was on April 10, and we’re still in the period of influence, right up to the Full Moon on April 25, which is the first of three eclipses in a row. I’ll discuss more about that in a minute, but first let’s have a look at Jupiter and Neptune.

In ancient times, astrologers assigned Jupiter as the ruler of Pisces. After Neptune was discovered in 1846, some astrologers gave him rulership of the Fishes or at least considered him as co-ruler. That makes sense, because Neptune was the Roman god of the sea. Still, it’s a good idea to look at both planets. Pisces is the sign of compassion, and people with strong Pisces in their charts do want to help others, often with no immediate reward for themselves.

Although this is a noble goal, living in the material world requires things like food, shelter, transportation, and vet care for your cat. So it might be a good idea to seek a job in which you can make a living wage helping others. Fortunately, there’s a strong need right now in fields such as mental healthcare, drug and alcohol counseling, work with the homeless, and many other service fields. These jobs tend not to pay a lot – especially if you’re working for a nonprofit – but you can at least keep body and soul together. With Pisces on your Midheaven, it’s natural that you’d want a career helping the less fortunate – a desire strongly reinforced by your twelfth-house Moon, which acts a bit like Moon in Pisces. Your natal Saturn, the “career planet,” also is in the twelfth house, which traditionally is associated with Pisces, and your natal Neptune is in the sixth house of workplace and service to humanity.

Transiting Neptune currently is hovering near your Midheaven and was within three degrees at the New Moon on March 11. However, he won’t quite get there before turning retrograde in June. This alone might account for your feeling of being “close but not quite there” in terms of your career, as well as the confusion. Jupiter, meanwhile, is transiting your twelfth house and has been crossing back and forth over your Moon. Jupiter’s transit through the twelfth house typically correlates to spiritual growth, an inner sense of optimism, and the ability to visualize what you want, but not so much with external manifestations. Given the positions of transiting Neptune and Jupiter, it’s not surprising that your natural inclination to help people is being activated, but that you’re not seeing concrete developments. Hang onto those positive thoughts, because I think you can manifest them into reality before long.

It’s interesting that you mention the lunar eclipse of November 28. That one was in your twelfth house, very close to your Moon, and it was the culmination of the New Moon on November 13, which was a solar eclipse in your sixth house. The sixth house is also related to your work – not necessarily your career, but it could be. They go hand in hand. The sixth house can represent a day job for someone whose real passion is an activity that doesn’t pay, or at least not until after years of honing skills. Or, it can represent the workplace, as opposed to career advancement. If you did experience some job developments in November or December, you could get additional news around late May, when we have another eclipse in your sixth house. Better still, Jupiter is about to cross your Ascendant. It’s very important that you visualize what you want now, because once Jupiter enters your first house, you’ve got “luck” on your side to start making things happen.

The reason I chose your question to answer this week is that it’s a good reminder to everyone to think back to what was going on for you in late November and early December. These issues are likely to come around again in May, especially with the eclipses of May 9 and May 25. If you don’t know where the eclipses fall in your chart, you can find out in the seasonal edition of StarGuide, which I just put on sale for 25 percent off, or you can order a StarGuide monthly forecast for May.

Best of luck to you, Brandy. I hope you get what you’re looking for, as it sounds like you’re ready to provide real service to the people who need it most.

Pat

Weekly Forecast April 15: Sun, Venus and Mars Enter Taurus

Early signs of spring. © James A. Weythman.

We’re now officially heading into “eclipse season,” with Uranus and Pluto moving closer to an exact square. Breakdowns are occurring more frequently, clearing the way for breakthroughs.

The breakdown energy is manifesting for me personally, so I am totally with you on this and know firsthand how confusing, upsetting, and scary the process can be. Trying to stay grounded is almost impossible and in fact may defeat the purpose. Losing one’s mind is not necessarily a bad thing. Ancient rituals were designed precisely for that purpose. The thing is, they had certain procedures and safeguards – that’s the whole idea of a ritual – whereas we’re flying by the seat of our pants, often alone, without a strong support network of people who have been through it themselves and know how to provide a safety net.

Fortunately, we’ll get some good grounding energy this week when Venus, the Sun, and Mars move into solid-as-a-rock Taurus. Venus rules Taurus, so she’ll be “at home” in her own sign starting on Monday. She has been in her detriment in Aries and closely conjunct Mars – in other words, she has been in his territory, under his control. The tables turn on Saturday, when Mars enters Taurus. Now it’s her turn to set the tone and make the rules. The Sun enters Taurus on Friday. If nothing else the hectic pace should slow down so that we get a little space to breathe and reflect as we undergo a collective metamorphosis. Venus in Taurus likes to take her time, smell the flowers, appreciate art and beauty, and enjoy a gourmet meal with a glass of good wine.

Before all that happens, though, we have a conjunction of the Sun and Mars in late Aries on Wednesday, so for most of this week, we’ll continue to feel the immediate, impulsive, spontaneous energy of Aries. Remember, too, that Uranus in Aries takes his cue from Mars. I have a feeling that all the saber-rattling in North Korea will subside while Mars is in peace-loving Taurus. After that, who knows?

The two bigger trends, as I mentioned, are the upcoming eclipses and the first of two exact squares of Uranus and Pluto in 2013. In a normal year, there are four eclipses, but occasionally there are five or six. In 2013, we have five eclipses, three of which will occur in April and May. The first is the Full Moon lunar eclipse in Scorpio on April 25, followed by the New Moon solar eclipse in Taurus on May 9 and then the Full Moon lunar eclipse in Sagittarius on May 25. Typically, eclipses occur in pairs, and we have a two-week period between them that feels unsettled and chaotic, with the ground shifting beneath our feet. Since we have three eclipses in a row, we’ll get a whole month of that, although I’d say we’re already in it and will feel it until the end of May.

It’s also interesting to note that Wesak 2013 will fall on an eclipse – either on April 25 or May 25/26, depending on whether you use tropical or sidereal astrology. The Eastern countries, where Wesak is celebrated as the Buddha’s birthday (as well as his enlightenment and death), tend to use sidereal astrology. It’s a bit complicated to explain, but essentially Western tropical astrology is a sign ahead, so on April 25, the Full Moon is in Scorpio according to tropical calculations but still in Libra according to sidereal calculations. I say there’s no reason we can’t celebrate Wesak twice.

Last year, Wesak was on May 5 according to both branches of astrology. I did my usual ritual of putting a bowl of water outside and letting it “absorb” the rays of the Full Moon, then drank it later and went into a deep meditation. I was jolted out of it by a shocking past-life memory that burst into my vision so forcefully that I started crying and cried for three days. The information changed my whole outlook on a difficult relationship I’d been in. I’d suspected, given our charts, that there were strong karmic connections, but I didn’t know exactly what they were until that memory surfaced.

Scorpio and its modern ruler, Pluto, are associated with the ability to see into other dimensions of reality, what some call “past lives” but which I prefer to call “other lives” in recognition that the human concept of time is an illusion. Pluto went retrograde last week, and suddenly we’re tapping into those other lifetimes again, especially in terms of karmic relationships. I think we’re going to experience more of this in the next six weeks, and there’s a good chance that difficult karmic connections finally will get “resolved,” to the extent possible. Major breakthroughs could occur as we get closer to the Uranus-Pluto square, which is exact on May 20, right before the eclipse on May 25. Incidentally, that eclipse is the last in a series in Gemini and Sagittarius (according to tropical astrology), which began on the solstice on December 21, 2010. As such, it represents the closing of a chapter and final resolution.

Uranus adds an element of unpredictability into the picture, and while it’s nearly impossible to foresee events when Uranus is involved in an aspect, we might get some hints this Saturday and Sunday when Mercury squares Uranus and Pluto. Mercury is the Messenger and often “brings” advance news. Moreover, with Mercury square Pluto, we can get deep insight into situations that normally wouldn’t be available to us.

The only other aspect this week is an easy sextile between Venus and Neptune. Venus in Taurus and Neptune in Pisces are a beautiful combination of physical, sensual pleasure and higher love. This is soul mate material. Normally I wouldn’t give it much significance on its own, but given other aspects, it could provide an additional piece of information if you think you’ve found The One.

Before I go, I’d like to announce that I’m bringing back the Q&A. I’m aiming to launch it on Thursday, depending on my schedule. If you have a quick question, please send it using this form. I won’t be able to answer all questions and will select which ones to answer based on whether other readers would be interested. I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to answer questions like, “My whole sucks, what do I do?”

Second, the StarGuide Spring forecast is now on sale for 25 percent off, and there’s still plenty of spring left – including three eclipses!

Wishing you all infinite love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast April 8: New Moon in Aries, Pluto Retrograde

Budding. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

Back in the mid-90s, a friend of mine was becoming an aunt for the second time at the birth of her brother’s baby. An image is ingrained in my memory of the baby lying on the countertop in my friend’s kitchen.

It’s a strange image. On one hand, I cringe when I think about the baby lying so open and vulnerable, not wrapped in a blanket, not being held, more or less “on display” for the entertainment of others. On the other hand, it was eerily fascinating to watch the baby’s slow movements, to be in an empathic link with a being suddenly transported from one environment to a completely different one, like an alien suddenly forced to breathe air instead of water and to feel physical sensations so confusing that its little heart might race in fear and panic and give out before it had scarcely drawn its first breath.

There is a certain violence in being born, and once it’s over, it takes a while to recuperate and adjust to the new reality. Many of us have been going through a slow and painful transformation, not unlike physical birth. It’s painful, violent, scary and, at times, confusing. I sometimes wonder whether lack of immediate conscious awareness is a built-in survival mechanism in human babies.

Being able to sleep temporarily while we transform certainly is a merciful gift. Otherwise, the pain can be unbearable. The “sleep” part happened in February and March with the build-up of planets in Pisces. That’s over now, and it’s time to wake up. Even with the current planetary lineup in action-oriented Aries, you may need additional time to stretch and adjust – not easy, because events do seem to be happening at an accelerated pace, and not all of them are positive. At the same time, you may still be feeling raw, open, vulnerable, and not very fast on your feet. Of course, it depends on the quality of your experience, and how events are manifesting for you depends on where the planets are transiting your natal chart.*

This week’s New Moon in Aries is almost like the “real” equinox. The first day of spring (apologies to my readers south of the equator) is a powerful symbol of rebirth, but then right away, we had a Full Moon in Libra, which is more about endings. At this week’s New Moon, we have the Sun, Moon, and three planets in Aries. Mercury is still finishing up his tour through sleepy Pisces, but he enters Aries this Saturday. If you’ve experienced difficulty focusing, you should get some relief soon.

Click on image to enlarge

The New Moon is on Wednesday, in close conjunction with Mars and fairly close to Venus. The so-called “love planets” conjoined early this morning (Sunday) and remain in alignment throughout this week. The Sun and Moon, Mars and Venus all so close to each other is a signature for soul mates. If you’ve just met someone or are in a budding relationship, pay very close attention to what happens this week. Likewise, if you’re in a relationship that you know isn’t right for you, do your best to suspend judgment and just observe. Watch for synchronicities, and listen to your intuition.

The big undercurrent to this New Moon is the approaching square between Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn. The aspect isn’t exact until May 25, but it is making itself felt, especially in world events, which may take an even darker turn with Pluto’s station retrograde on Friday. Planets are especially powerful when they are stationed. Pluto is named for the Roman god of the underworld, a shadowy figure that reminds us all of our shadow side.

Pluto and Saturn remain in a fairly close sextile and in mutual reception, a marker for fast destruction of what isn’t working. At the New Moon, Uranus is in a near-exact inconjunct (technically called a quincunx) with Saturn, so this puts Uranus, Pluto, and Saturn all in an edgy relationship that suggests rebellion and counter-rebellion, ineffectual efforts to bring necessary change by conventional means, and general chaos. There is no way to preserve the system we have, and that probably applies to your personal life as well. Hanging onto the familiar and comfortable is getting more and more impossible.

After this New Moon, we’ll be heading into a long eclipse period, starting with a Full Moon lunar eclipse on April 25 and ending with another lunar eclipse on May 25. Between the two, on May 9, is a solar eclipse in Taurus. You may not feel “ready” to head into more turbulence – I know I don’t – but we’re going to have to do the best we can. Aries has a reputation for being independent and somewhat selfish, but the Ram is also fearless. We’re not going to have the luxury of long, careful thought in order to avoid mistakes, but will have to jump into the unknown and “just do it.”

Wishing you all infinite love and courage,
Pat

* It’s not to late to order your StarGuide Spring forecast. If you order right away, I should be able to get it to you before Wednesday. In each report, I give you some ideas about how the New and Full Moon might manifest for you personally.

Aries Rising: The Aries Soul

Aries. From the Empowered Feminine Zodiac series by Karen MacKenzie. © 2012.

If you’ve been enjoying Ruth’s articles on Esoteric Astrology, you may have been sad that her series on soul rulers ended with Pisces last month. Well, you’ll be delighted to know that she’s back with a new series, on the Rising signs – starting with (what else?) Rising Aries. I always learn so much from her articles and know that you will, too. ~pq

On March 20, the Sun entered Aries, marking the beginning of a new zodiac year. In many traditions this also marks the first day of spring (or autumn in the southern hemisphere). It is a time of new beginnings, new growth: a time of creation. What better time to begin a new series exploring the contrasts between the personality and soul expressions of each sign, beginning with the inspirational, innovative and impulsive sign of Aries?

Your soul is indicated by your Rising sign (Ascendant). This is the sign that was rising on the horizon at the time of your birth and, as such, is considered by soul-centered astrologers* to be the most important sign in astrology, precisely because it indicates your soul’s path, purpose and expression. If you have Aries Rising, you could say that you are an “Aries Soul.” Simply put, if you have Aries Rising, you are here to express the highest spiritual purpose of Aries, to the degree that you can, in this lifetime.

[callout]The soul is the reality lying behind the persona, the mask of the soul. It is the soul or higher self that comes first, as does the Rising sign. The Rising sign, the soul and the soul’s purpose are therefore one and the same. ~ Errol Weiner, Transpersonal Astrology[/callout]

Whether you will experience and actualize the full spiritual potential of your Ascendant or not depends upon your level of consciousness. If you are spiritually asleep, you will naturally experience the qualities of your Ascendant as an inherent part of your personality. As you awaken to your spiritual purpose, you will feel a quickening, experiencing the subtle stirrings of your soul’s calling, through your Ascendant. The Ascendant bridges the worlds between sleep and awakening.

[callout]This physical awakening experience is directly related to the fact that the Rising sign is the central factor connected to spiritual awakening. We incarnate into a new life, we awake each morning into a new life; and we are born again into a new life when we awake to spiritual purpose in our lives. ~ Errol Weiner, Transpersonal Astrology[/callout]

If we think of the octaves of the musical scale, we can get an idea about the lower and higher vibrations of each sign. The lower octaves are fear-based and come from externaly imposed ideas about how we ought to be, while the higher octaves are love-based and arise purely from within our own heart. This is an important key, not only to understanding the lower and higher expressions of each sign, but for knowing how to shift from lower to higher expressions. The shift is from fear to love, but this is meaningless until we experience the shift in perspective that comes from navigating the octaves on the spiritual spectrum. When you come from a place of love within, you will naturally express the highest octaves of your soul sign.

Each soul sign is here to learn and develop in specific ways, in this lifetime. We are here to grow into what we may become: our full potential as a spiritual being. Just as an infant who is learning to speak isn’t learning a lesson as such, but is rather unfolding his natural potential, so it is the same with our soul work. Likewise our soul work shows up naturally, as major themes throughout our lives, calling us to awaken, live, and rise to the highest octaves of our soul sign.

The Rising sign is the powerhouse – the central electromagnetic centre of one’s life (chart) and this energy begins to be released when one awakens. ~ Errol Weiner, Transpersonal Astrology

At soul level, Aries is a sign of higher mind and plays a vital role in the development of the antakharana, or “Rainbow Bridge” between higher and lower mind. This is why Aries is associated with the brow, forehead, and eyes, and is symbolized by the horns of the Ram. It is commonly believed that the eyes are the windows of the soul, and it is through the eyes that we can glimpse higher mind, or soul. This is why Aries is also highly intuitive, and the type of intuition associated with Aries is that of direct knowing. Once one can attune to the subtle spiritual energy at soul level, wisdom reveals itself fully and completely without having to go through the lower mental process of thought, which is relatively slow. So this Arian type of intuition is an immediate direct knowing that is beyond thought.

To be aware of knowledge at this level, one must cultivate awareness, through direct perception of the full spectrum of energy, from the grossest energetic movement to the finest spiritual subtle ripples. Yet at personality level Aries can be anything but subtle and may even develop a reputation for being direct to the point of bluntness, self-absorption, and oblivion to the needs of those around them. In fact, this is all normal and is part and parcel of what Aries is learning at this stage of soul development.

As the first sign of the zodiac Aries is, in many ways, the “baby” of the zodiac. There can be an innocence and naïveté around Aries, with an expectation that life events should just be easy and somehow simpler than they often turn out to be in practice. It’s as if they have no experience of life which, in a sense, is true at soul level. In Esoteric Astrology, the Tibetan describes the soul in Aries as a “point of light in the mind of God,” and this simple phrase can tell us much about the soul experience in Aries. Remember Aries is a sign of the mind, so Aries comes filled with excitement, ideas, inspiration, and enthusiasm for the journey. The whole blueprint for the journey ahead is mapped out in his (or her) mind, and Aries brings the drive and the impetus to get started. It’s like that stage of a vacation or trip where you know where you are going and why, and the day has finally arrived. The time is now! You are full of enthusiasm, brimming over with excitement, and you take your first eager steps down the road.

That is the energy of Aries. Nothing has happened yet to dampen your enthusiasm. You haven’t hit any obstacles or glitches, and because you can’t even foresee that there could possibly be any, you haven’t planned or prepared for them. Because you have never walked this path before, you can’t possibly imagine what could happen, which also means you have very few coping skills. Arians are great people to have around at the beginning of a project, because their innate inspiration and childlike enthusiasm can really put a light under the fire, ignite the project and get it started. But if you leave Aries managing the dull, day-to-day problems that will inevitably arise, you will soon see his feathers droop and his light go out, like an eagle caught in a rainstorm pathetically sitting dripping in a tree waiting to dry out before he can majestically soar again.

Often Aries has the initial idea or impulse and lacks the next step. He can also be childlike in his expectation that his ideas should just instantly manifest into reality, with no further effort on his part. It’s as though the idea of cake should be enough in itself. “I just thought of it, so where’s my cake?” Like a small child he seems oblivious to the reality of what resources, skill and effort may be required to create cake. Associated with this is Aries’ tendency to just put out ideas and expect others to pick up the ball. There is an important balance needed whereby Aries tends to his own creative projects (the “seeds” of his inspiration) long enough for them to manifest and become established, before he hands them over too quickly to others. This way Aries learns to add skill to his amazing vision.

Aries is a sign of vision, courage, boldness, leadership and drive. Imagine the military commander who can see a way forward through the forest. He isn’t personally going to cut down the trees! He’ll order someone else to do that because he is keeping his eye on the horizon, on the vision, and his concern is on driving through, pushing ahead, reaching that goal. Also, in his narrow focus, he may have given little thought with regard to the wider implications of cutting down trees and what that could mean in the long term. So we can see that Aries can also sometimes have a tendency towards blinkered vision: being preoccupied with only his own immediate issues and not considering the wider implications of his actions on others and his environment.

Aries is not a loner, he is a leader, and a leader needs someone to lead. That is why Aries is the sign of the Ram. A Ram needs a flock, and wherever Aries goes, people follow. Because of his innate intuition and inspired and inspiring vision, people are naturally drawn to Aries. His confidence and vision are magnetic, and people naturally want to follow. So this brings Aries a vital lesson in responsibility. As much as he would like to be a free individual, Aries is part of the flock, and wherever he goes others follow. So he needs to carefully review his motives, raise his sights, and ensure that he is leading his flock onto the highest path and not the lowest.

When Aries awakens spiritually and listens to his highest calling, he is an inspiring spiritual leader, guiding others with his altruistic vision towards the highest goals of all: self-realization, spiritual awakening and enlightenment. If he is sleeping (in a spiritual sense) he may be mis-leading people, taking actions and decisions that are either selfish impulses from his own ego, or simply leading others from ignorance, through being too caught up in a materially-driven, selfish and destructive society.

The soul work of Aries, which show up as major themes throughout life, may relate to these areas:

• Cultivating self-awareness: awareness of both your own energy field and the effects and impact of your energy and actions on those around you. This will also awaken awareness of your spiritual energy.
• Taming your mind: evaluating the billions of ideas that pass through your mind and learning to exercise judgment about which ones to pursue.
• Focus, effort and tenacity: sticking with your creative projects and ideas long enough to birth them into reality, and applying the necessary personal effort to make it happen.
• Expand your mind. Look deep within to see where your own worldview may be limited, and limiting you. You are on a fantastic journey from lower to higher mind!
• Through meditation, become familiar with the Rainbow Bridge from lower to higher mind, so you can distinguish between an “impulse to act” that arises from lower mind, and one arising from higher, Divine Mind.
[callout]The Ascendant is directly concerned with the purpose and the plan, and the more one is prepared to attune to and co-operate with the higher self the more one can unfold and manifest the energies of the Rising sign and thus fulfil one’s purpose. ~ Errol Weiner, Transpersonal Astrology[/callout]
If you have Aries Rising, you are here to ignite and inspire others with an infusion of Divine ideas, sacred fire, and spiritual energy so they may realize their own spiritual potential. Before you can do this, you must cultivate self-awareness and realize your spiritual potential, so you can skillfully navigate the full spectrum of the Rainbow Bridge at will: accessing the highest realms of consciousness that are currently humanly possible, and living your life as the true spiritual “Rainbow Warrior” that you are.

Ruth

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Footnote
* For a deeper exploration of the importance of the Ascendant in spiritual awakening, see Shapter 6, “The Rising Sign and Its Deeper Significance,” in Transpersonal Astrology, by Errol Weiner.

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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.”

About the artist: This oil painting, the first in the Empowered Feminine Zodiac series by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie, features Aries as a warrior of peace as new life bursts forth in Spring. For more information about the symbolism in this print and to view other works in her ongoing series, check out her website, Karen MacKenzie Art (her prints are very affordable).