This past week has been weird, almost like a Mercury retrograde period, but with more irritation.

Since Friday, Mercury has been in the “shadow” period before his next retrograde begins on June 7. Sometimes we experience the manifestations of the retrograde during the run-up. Many of you have noted that in the past. I think that will be all the more true this time, with Mars just coming out of retrograde and moving back toward a T-square with Uranus and Pluto. Both Mercury and Mars are moving very slowly (what it looks like from here on Earth), with corresponding events such as delays in transportation, missed and confused communications, errors in telephone and online orders, and so forth.

Ironically, I’m late posting this forecast because I spent the better part of yesterday trying to get my money back after ordering some bookcases from a home furnishings website, only to find out after my payment went through that they were out of stock. I figured customer service could take care of it. After two calls and nearly a half hour on hold, I was told that my order was already being processed for shipping, so they couldn’t cancel it. It seemed pretty obvious that a non-existing item couldn’t be in the shipping process, but after going ’round and ’round, it was clear that I wasn’t going to get my money back without filing a claim. When I went to the Better Business Bureau to check on the company’s history, I found more than 500 complaints, many of them for the similar reasons. It clearly would have been a good idea if I had checked first, but who thinks to do that? And who would even imagine that a U.S. company would treat its customers this way?

I need the bookcases for my new apartment. I’m moving this week – and, incidentally, that means there might not be a forecast next week, because I may not have Internet service while I’m in transition. With Mercury slowing down to retrograde, what do you think the chances are?

Mercury in shadow and Mars moving toward a third and final T-square with Uranus and Pluto are strong undercurrents that will run for the rest of this week into next week. Wednesday’s New Moon in Gemini is ruled by Mercury, increasing the possibility that projects initiated mid-week may run into some obstacles. Keep in mind, too, that the Full Moon on June 13 (Friday) falls during the retrograde period, so outcomes we might normally expect at the Full Moon may be delayed until the following Full Moon on July 12. Wrap up as much business as you can in the next week – that is, unless your work involves editing, revising, or anything requiring you to go back over old ground. In that case, you might want to wait until after Mercury turns retrograde. I have an ambitious creative project that has been on hold for more than a year, and I’m looking forward to revisiting it in the next few weeks. I’ll get to my own guinea pig in the astrological lab.

The New Moon is square Neptune by exact degree and closely trine Mars. This is a strange combination in which we can feel agitated and yet can’t seem to get our butts in gear. Rather than sitting around with the jitters, go for an easy walk or float in the pool. Don’t beat yourself up because you’re not going fast enough, for long enough. There’s a higher risk than usual for pushing yourself to exhaustion. If you’ve ever worked out so hard that you’re exhausted to tears, you know what I mean. If you need an escape, try to do it in a way that doesn’t involve large quantities of mind-altering substances. A fantasy film would be ideal, even two or three back-to-back. Or watch your favorite television series on DVD.

Last week, a reader asked me to comment on the recent floods that have devastated areas of Eastern Europe. It’s always tricky to pin natural disasters on a certain astrological signature, and I’m not a specialist in predicting weather through astrology. That said, the Full Moon in Scorpio on May 14 was conjunct Saturn, which was in a grand water trine with Jupiter in Cancer and Chiron in Pisces. In addition, Neptune is in his own sign of Pisces. That’s a lot of water, and Jupiter doesn’t do anything halfway. As I’ve pointed out in the past, a trine is a favorable aspect that allows an easy path for energy to flow, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be favorable for humans. The example I like to cite is the chart for Hurricane Katrina, in which Jupiter and Venus in Libra were in a close trine with Neptune in Aquarius, with the Moon in Cancer trine Uranus in Pisces. Libra and Aquarius are air signs. At peak intensity, Katrina was packing 175 mph winds (280 km/h). There’s more I could say about the flooding, but the one thing that struck me in the news was the extent to which neighbors helped each other. People even took risks to rescue their neighbors’ pets. That is the compassionate side of Neptune and Chiron in Pisces.

For more mundane analysis, I recommend Ray Merriman’s forecast for this week. Ray’s analysis is always excellent, but this week’s is especially enlightening.

Hands down the busiest day this week is Wednesday (Mercury’s Day). Not only do we have the New Moon in Gemini, but Mercury and Venus both change signs, not long after they form a friendly sextile. Mercury enters Cancer as he is slowing to retrograde, so he won’t get far into Crab territory before turning retrograde and moving back into his own sign on June 17. I’ll write more about that next week.

Later in the day, Venus enters her own sign of Taurus, where she is more comfortable than she’s been in Aries. In relationships, verbal communications aren’t as important as actions, including just being together and enjoying each other’s company. Sharing a good meal with “dessert” might be just the thing to get you back on track. Even if you’re not the wine-and-candlelight type, a little effort to create a warm, relaxing environment will go a long way.

If you’re single and not seeing anyone, make that nice candlelight dinner for yourself. No matter how busy you are, take time to smell the roses and to enjoy the things that make it worthwhile to suit up and come into this physical incarnation. Chocolate is high on my list. What’s on yours?

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

© Pat Paquette, RealAstrologers.com, 2014.