Author Archives: Pat

About Pat

Co-Founder and Chief Visionary of RealAstrologers

Weekly Forecast July 15: Grand Water Trine, Mercury Direct

“Not a morning person” doesn’t even begin to describe me. On a good day, it takes three to four hours to jumpstart my lacertian metabolism.

In other words, waking up is a bitch. Until the sun rises in your brain, memories of past lives, childhood trauma, unforgotten insults, and the awful things you’ve done to others dance in your head like ghosts on a grave at midnight.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that as humanity wakes up, the trauma in the collective unconscious is unleashed in the world and manifests as unspeakable acts of violence. The good news is that increasing numbers of people finally are hearing the alarm clock. The bad news is that the collective metabolism is worse than mine. And there’s no guarantee, actually, that people will get up and get moving. We might just decide to stay in our jammies and lie around watching re-runs of Arrested Development.

It’s hard to remain optimistic with all the grave headlines in the news and the dawning realization that we’re not heading toward a global police state, we’re already there. We know we need to act, but we don’t know what we should do or even can do, without risking everything, including our lives. Several years ago, I read a study showing that workers in oppressive job environments end up depressed. (Needless to say, it wasn’t conducted in this country. If anyone can find it, feel free to leave a link.) Is it any coincidence, then, that we have a serious mental health crisis in the United States? An estimated 11 percent of Americans take antidepressants, the third most commonly prescribed medication. More people die of suicide than gun violence or terrorist attacks.

I truly want to believe that we’re on the threshold of a leap in human consciousness, possibly so significant that we might mutate in to a higher species. But I also know from history that we’ve been in that place before, and the transformation either was aborted or sabotaged. The example that comes immediately to mind is the revolution that was taking place in Occitania in the 12th century. The region was the first to emerge from the Dark Ages, with flourishing music, literature, and a culture that respected women. The Church wasn’t having any of it, and conspired with the king of France to overrun the region, slaughter much of the population, and burn dissenters as heretics. So much for the revolution.

We can’t take it for granted that an evolution in human consciousness will happen all by itself. It faces enormous pressure by those who stand to lose the most. We need to support each other in waking up and staying awake. By “support,” I don’t mean attempting to convince others that they need to “wake up” and think like you. Spiritual awakening is a deep, mysterious internal process. It’s not going to happen by shouting down people who don’t agree with your politics.

Over the past few weeks, as the summer’s grand trine approached, we’ve seen some incredible acts of heroism and inspiration. Edward Snowden blew the whistle on NSA’s data collection, Wendy Davis literally stood up to the good ol’ boys in the Texas legislature, and Malala Yousafzai faced world leaders with a powerful call for equal education.

Click on image to enlarge

The chart to the left shows the grand trine (blue triangle) between Saturn, Neptune, and Jupiter. You also can see the looming cardinal T-square (red triangle). On one hand, we have a favorable configuration, filled with opportunity and hope. On the other, we have a difficult configuration, filled with conflict and dread. One might be tempted to conclude that the opportunities won’t be as great or that they will be extremely short-lived and overshadowed by disaster. The way I see it, it’s precisely through the conflict that the opportunities and breakthroughs will come. Isn’t that usually the case? Only when we face impossible obstacles do we come up with miraculous solutions. Or, as a friend once said to me, people tend not to change until their back is pushed so far against the wall that their asshole is sucking plaster. Sounds like an effective wakeup call to me.

As I write, we’re already feeling the influence of this extraordinary trine. We did have something like it in 1967, complete with Uranus and Pluto in a revolutionary aspect. But that trine wasn’t as close is this one, which is aligned to the exact degree from Monday to Wednesday. There have been other trines between these three planets, too, but not in water. I don’t know how many centuries we’d have to go back to find another like this. In short, it’s exceptional.

After forming an exact trine with Saturn and Neptune on Wednesday, Jupiter advances a degree, but we’ll still be able to ride this incredible wave through the weekend and on into next week. On Saturday, Saturn and Neptune form an exact trine. Mars, meanwhile, has just entered Cancer and traces the path of Jupiter until he finally overtakes him next Monday (July 22). The energy begins to drop after that, but we’ll feel this positive vibe until the end of the month.

Right in the middle of all of this, Uranus turns retrograde on Wednesday, which means he’ll start moving back toward an exact square with Pluto in early November. As Jupiter advances, he’ll turn the square into a T-square. We had a taste of it already a couple of weeks ago, when Mercury passed that degree. It’s not too much of a stretch to imagine that greater numbers of people will suddenly “get it” and that protests against repression, corruption, and injustice will get bigger and louder as the glow of the grand trine wears off and the reality of the T-square sets in.

Speaking of which, for those disappointed by the ruling in the murder trial of George Zimmerman, stayed tuned. The jury has spoken, so it’s not likely the verdict will be overturned. However, at the moment the jury announced its decision, Mercury was retrograde and the Moon was void of course. Typically, this indicates that something is going to change. I just read that the Justice Department is looking into a criminal civil rights violation, and Zimmerman also faces civil penalties. This isn’t the end.

Mercury finally returns direct on Saturday, and not a moment too soon. Maybe it will end the spate of stupidity and ignorance requiring public apologies. It seems like many of them had to do with racist remarks. The trickster has been retrograde in Cancer, which is associated with family and ethnic roots. Then there was the story about the student who absentmindedly dropped an envelope with $400 into a mailbox. The envelope was unsealed, and the only thing written on it was “deposit.” Classic Mercury retrograde. I’m guessing she had a lucky transit or two to compensate, because the Postal Service tracked her down and returned her cash.

Wishing you all a wondrous week filled with love and courage,
Pat

Cancer Rising: The Cancer Soul

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

The sign of Cancer is associated with home, food, nourishment, family, nurturing, childbirth, motherhood, empathy, compassion, and emotional intelligence. Symbolised by the Crab it is also associated with the ocean, and like a crab it is associated with being near the ocean, yet living on the land.

Esoterically there are deep mysteries associated with the “quiet” sign of Cancer. Cancer is the smallest of the constellations, but that shouldn’t lead us to underestimate her power. Cancer is the cardinal water sign, and all cardinal signs are here to take the lead in some way: to pioneer, introduce enlightened ideas and new ways of being into a specific area. In the case of Cancer, that area is emotions. All water signs are about mastery of emotions, so as the cardinal water sign, Cancer is here to take the lead in terms of our personal emotional development and to lead us into a new era in the evolution of human consciousness through emotional intelligence.

Cancer: The Light Within The Form
~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

As we have seen in the previous articles in this series, our Rising sign (Ascendant) indicates awakening: how we awaken into our spiritual reality, how we awaken or are born into the world, and indeed how we awaken each day into the world. With Cancer Rising, you are really here to learn how to nourish yourself and others with your soul-light. The whole journey of the soul through the twelve zodiac signs is a story of light, building up the volume of light in our light-body, or soul, while simultaneously increasing the amount of light that can be held and processed in our physical bodies. When the soul is in Cancer there is the potential for you to become aware of your soul-light.

I build a lighted house and therein dwell.
~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

Our Rising sign indicates how we awaken into our world, into new situations, and stages of consciousness. According to the Tibetan in The Labours of Hercules: An Astrological Interpretation,” Cancer is the last of the four signs of preparation (read more about the stages of the soul’s journey in a previous post) and, as a cardinal sign, leads us into the next phase of our soul’s development. If you have Cancer Rising, you are about to leave the womb in a spiritual sense, and be born into the next phase of your soul’s development. It marks a rite of passage, where we are maturing into our Soul’s awakening.

Not only does our Rising Sign indicate awakening, but also the sign of Cancer is about birth and awakening. In Cancer, we experience the first glimmer of our soul’s presence. We begin to realize that we have a soul and are so much more than just a physical body. We awaken to a greater aspect of our being. If you have Cancer Rising, you are here to find your soul-light and, like a lighthouse keeper, keep your light lit, no matter what is going on in the world around you, even if it sometimes feels like trying to keep a candle alight in a howling gale!

The zodiac uses animal symbols to convey an impression of energetic qualities. The energy of Cancer is crab-like in many ways – for example, walking sideways! Cancerians tend to approach new situations side-on, as they feel their way forward. Rising Cancer tends to approach new people, places, and situations with caution, possibly a little trepidation, and maybe come at it sideways until they can establish a feeling of safety.

Have you ever watched crabs near the ocean? They have the ability to quickly bury themselves in the sand and hunker down to wait until the most dangerous tides have passed. We can use this symbology to understand the soul’s journey in Cancer. It is about where you place your attention. Because Cancer has the ability to attune to mass consciousness, it is too easy for Cancer to be swept away on the current tide of mass consciousness, fear, and emotional overreacting. This is where the Cancer soul needs to learn how to hunker down and ride out the tide. You do this by keeping your attention on your own light, not the tsunami of mass human emotion that is (apparently) heading your way. When you do this, you learn how to keep your soul-flame alight, and by so doing. you realize that the real key to changing the world lies in changing yourself.

Every jewel is intimately connected with all other jewels in the universe, and a change in one jewel means a change, however slight, in every other jewel.
~ Stephen Mitchell

As the sign of mass consciousness, Cancer has built-in radar, which you can send out to sense the mood and feelings of the collective. Your innate sense of connectedness with all of humanity is the source from which your deep empathy and ultimately compassion arises. This ability to feel what others are feeling is the key to understanding both the highest spiritual purpose of Cancer and the ego-based challenges at personality level.

Part of the journey for a Cancerian soul is to cultivate intuition. It isn’t easy, when you can tap into mass consciousness, to hear your own voice over and above the many. It also explains why the sign of Cancer is associated with fear and caution. If you have Cancer Rising, it is likely that you experience fear on waking each morning! This is because when you first awaken and your mind is quiet, this is the time that you are most tuned-in to the consciousness of the masses, and it is a simple fact that there is a lot of fear rippling through humanity at the moment. You are aware of it. You feel it. All cardinal signs are courageous signs of leadership. This may not be how you initially think of the sign of Cancer, but imagine the courage that is needed to stay focused on compassion in the face of a tide of human suffering and fear. On a very practical level, for someone with Cancer Rising, your first act of courage is to get out of bed in the morning in the face of all fear and to stay focused on your light throughout your day.

As the sign of emotional intelligence, part of your work in this lifetime is learning how to navigate through emotional frequencies so you don’t keep your attention on the wavelength of fear, but are able to transcend it and hold a higher emotional tone within your own being. You understand the truth of our connectedness by experiencing for yourself that the changes you make within your own being have a definite ripple-effect in the consciousness of humanity, and that you have the power to reduce fear in the world by first and foremost working on it within yourself. This process of emotional evolution through the water signs begins in Cancer (cardinal water), is consolidated in Scorpio (fixed water) and culminates in Pisces (mutable water).

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.
~ HH XIV Dalai Lama

Through your own experience you begin to learn that compassion is not just an idea or a philosophy, but a real tangible energy that you can consciously flow through your own heart-center and, by doing so, you change the “flavour” in the ocean of human consciousness. The Dalai Lama has Cancer Rising and has spent a lifetime teaching, demonstrating, and transmitting compassion and unconditional love across all cultures and boundaries. This is the true nourishment that Cancer brings to the world: spiritual nourishment. When you transcend fear, you will come to know that the divine nectar of compassion, which flows through your heart, is what will truly nurture and nourish humanity on our journey of evolving consciousness.

If you have Cancer Rising, you are here to bring compassion and unconditional love into the world in ways that you possibly cannot imagine. You do this by overcoming fear and attachment, cultivating emotional intelligence, and fine-tuning your own intuition. Your spiritual home is the light that you always carry within, the whole world is your family, and you selflessly nourish others primarily through the emanation of your inner light.

Ruth

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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.”

Karen MacKenzie is working on a series of astrology inspired paintings using goddesses from different cultures. 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.

Weekly Forecast July 8: Saturn Direct, New Moon in Cancer

A Water Baby, by Herbert James Draper, 1900.

To anyone familiar with astrology, recent events, however shocking, make perfect sense.

A couple of days ago, I read an essay on Counterpunch by Israeli writer and peace activist Uri Avnery on the situation in Egypt. Avnery starts out by declaring the 1968 cultural revolution in Paris as the forerunner of events all over the world today. He goes on to ask, “Why now? Why in so many totally different countries? Why in Brazil, Turkey and Egypt at the same time?” He considers the possibility that it’s something in the Zeitgeist – the spirit of the age – but concludes that it’s more likely a result of instant communications via television and the social media.

It’s really too bad that academics dismiss astrology. Otherwise they’d understand the outer planetary cycles underneath the dramatic events taking place in our time, which we indeed can trace back to the Uranus-Pluto conjunction in the mid-1960s.

I’ve been thinking a lot about these outer cycles, especially as they pertain to repeating patterns in history. I’ve been working under a theory that the “apocalypse” is a lifting of the veil, and that the “veil” is the mechanism in our brains that limits our perception to this particular place in space and time (which we call “reality”). As our perception broadens to include other dimensions of reality, it’s as though the actions of our past are a legion of demons escaping from hell. I can’t think of anything happening today that doesn’t have a parallel in human history – our collective past.

At the end of his article, Avnery broadens the idea of Arab Spring and asks if there’s not a “Human Spring.” I believe there is and that we’ll see it happen over the next five to ten years. By the time Pluto enters Aquarius in 2024, the world is going to be a very different place. (Actually, he dips into Aquarius in 2023 but then turns retrograde and returns to Capricorn until January 2024.)

With so much violence and unrest in the world, it’s hard to believe that the positive aspects on the way over the next few weeks will have much of an effect, especially since they are relatively short compared with the astrological signature behind the upheavals. Not to sound like a Pollyanna, but I do believe that the approaching grand water trine heralds some strongly positive developments to counterbalance all the chaos. And while it’s true that the trine will start dissipating by late July, giving way to an even stronger conflicting configuration, I nevertheless believe that it can have some far-reaching effects, both globally and individually. That’s why it’s so important to take advantage of this short window, which also includes Monday’s New Moon in Cancer.

Before I discuss this week’s aspects, I want to mention one important factor in the chaotic events of the past week. In last week’s forecast, I mentioned that the T-square formed by the Sun, Uranus, and Pluto would provide a glimpse of events during the more energetic T-square with Jupiter in mid-August. It’s a pretty safe bet that the violence is going to escalate. However, Saturn’s station retrograde gave the past week a powerful punch that will be waning by August. Unfortunately, Saturn’s station will be felt for another week or so, as he returns direct on Monday.

Saturn’s return direct can coincide with dramatic events, especially the destruction of infrastructure. But it can apply to societal structures as well. As I wrote last week, Saturn in Scorpio can represent structures that are rotten and ready to break down. Given the mutual reception between Saturn and Pluto, Saturn’s station feeds a blast of energy into the Uranus-Pluto square, which last week was temporarily a T-square. Nowhere was that more evident than in the ousting of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. Mercury retrograde can account for some of the false news reports and communications difficulties among competing factions, but I attribute the overall failure to install the kind of democratic government demanded by the Egyptian people to this strange combination of Saturn in Scorpio and Pluto in Capricorn. It’s as if a new structure is torn down almost as soon as it is built.

The good news there is that there is plenty of room for experimentation. Using Egypt as an example, a popular uprising resulted in the resignation of Mubarak in February 2011 and the creation of a new government that in theory was supposed to replace a dictatorship with a democracy. It didn’t quite work out that way, and rather than waiting for elections, millions of people took to the streets declaring that the experiment had failed and that they needed to start over. Although attempts to form a new government are faltering, I see the grand trine as a ray of hope that they might succeed.

Likewise, we have a short window to find creative solutions to longstanding conflicts in our personal lives. You do need to put some effort into it, and you need to be clear about your overall goals.

Click on image to enlarge

Saturn returns direct just two hours before Monday’s New Moon in Cancer. You can easily see the grand water trine becoming more exact (the blue triangle), even as Jupiter approaches an exact square with Uranus and Pluto (the red triangle). I read this as a clear and straightforward message: Through conflict and breaking down what is no longer working, opportunities arise for new ways to live and interact with each other in a spirit of community and cooperation. Connecting to the natural world is part of the equation.

At the New Moon, Mercury is conjunct the Sun by two degrees (exact on Tuesday), and he’s exactly halfway through his retrograde cycle. This is often when we start feeling the retrograde the most, so do take extra care this week, especially at home. Back up your computer data, and if you’re running extra air conditioning, be sure you don’t overload the circuits. Unfortunately, I don’t have any good advice for how not to blow an emotional fuse. Be clear in your communications. To do that, you need to be clear with yourself about how you feel. If you’re confused or unsure, postpone discussions until after Mercury returns direct on July 20. That’s a long wait, so do let others know you need more time rather than just staying silent. It’s a sure bet that someone will misunderstand your silence for lack of concern or worse.

On Saturday, Mars enters Cancer and approaches conjunction with Jupiter. Although Mars isn’t at his best in the sign of the Crab, he’ll give some extra energy to the Jupiter leg of the grand trine. This is mostly good news, but I do hold out a bit of concern that the grand water trine could coincide with severe storms and flooding.

With so much upsetting news in the headlines, it may seem frivolous to pay any attention to celebrity news, but I do want to mention that we’re getting close to the birth of the first child of the William and Kate. The official due date for Baby Cambridge is July 13, but reporters already are staking out their ground and taking absurd measures to make sure they don’t miss any detail of the story. I wouldn’t assign much significance to this event if it weren’t for the extraordinary chart this child will have – a chart that all children born around this time will share. These water babies will reach maturity in the 2030s and will leave a very distinct mark on the world. Baby Cambridge likely will have a major impact on the UK government.

Lastly, I’d just like to give a quick update to those who are still waiting for reports. I have started writing again, but the going is very slow. At my best, I was able to do two reports a day. It’s now taking me two days each. I’ll try to e-mail everyone this week with an ETA. I can’t apologize enough, but there was little I could do. Even astrologers go through long transformational periods, and having some idea they’re coming doesn’t soften the impact. In the meantime, if you’d like a transit report, I’m offering a three-month forecast for $19. (Click here to go to the order page or here to see a sample for President Obama.)

Wishing you all infinite love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast July 1: Sun Opposes Pluto, Squares Uranus

Sun and Fog. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

The United States is taking a lot of heat this week, literally and figuratively.

Record-breaking temperatures are baking much of the Western U.S. (To my readers in California and Arizona, I hope you are staying cool indoors.) The political heat is on, as well, just in time for the U.S. solar return – depending, of course, on which natal chart you use for the United States.

There are plenty of valid arguments for dates other than July 4, but this is the date on the Declaration of Independence, which we more or less consider our country’s birth certificate. It’s also the date in the collective consciousness, and so I’ll follow the people on this one. We were, after all, supposed to be a democracy. The exact time is debated as well, but according to Thomas Jefferson’s account, the debate was concluded in the evening. One of the best articles I’ve found discussing the U.S. birth chart was written by Dane Rudhyar in 1971. Rudhyar made a case for the popular “Sibly” chart, rectified by about four minutes.

I won’t do a complete analysis of the U.S. solar return chart, but I have a couple of comments to share. First, it is laid out similarly to the Cancer ingress chart I discussed in my June 17 forecast. In both charts, the Sun is in the fourth house, with the Uranus-Pluto square in the first and tenth. People are in a rebellious mood, and what transpires over the summer will continue to reverberate for an entire year. In both charts, Jupiter is sitting right on the fourth-house cusp, reinforcing the potential for devastating storms. There are a few major differences between the two charts, and of the two, I judge the solar return chart to be the most troublesome, which leads me to the conclusion that the summer’s political and weather-related activities will be a warm-up act for the rest of this year into mid-2014.

The two big astrological events of the summer are the grand water trine with Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, and the cardinal T-square with Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto. Last week, the Sun formed a grand trine with Saturn and Neptune, giving us a taste of what’s to come under the more-powerful configuration, which peaks in mid-July. This week, the Sun forms the T-square, and so we’ll get a glimpse of what’s coming with the difficult Jupiter-Uranus-Pluto configuration in mid-August. I know, it’s all so confusing. And Mercury is retrograde, which doesn’t help with clarity or confidence.

Last week I watched The Prestige, with Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as stage magicians in a death match to outdo one another’s illusions. David Bowie makes an appearance as real-life scientist Nikola Tesla, who is best known for his work with electricity. The plot jumps back and forth through time in a way I found confusing, but the nonlinear narrative was quite effective as a dramatic device, and it all made sense in the end. It seems as though current events are unfolding in a strange sort of discontinuous time, like in the film.

As this week begins, the cardinal T-square is already in effect, and it will remain in play through the weekend. The Sun forms an exact opposition to Pluto on Monday, and then squares Uranus on Thursday (late Wednesday in western time zones). Egypt is the latest hotbed of protest, and it looks like clashes are about to get violent as opponents of the current president call for his resignation.

Also on Monday, Venus squares Saturn, an astrological wet blanket if ever there was one. In Texas, Governor Rick Perry has called for a special legislative session to begin on Monday to readdress an abortion bill blocked last week after a filibuster by state Sen. Wendy Davis. Ceres is closely conjunct Venus and squares Saturn on Wednesday. It doesn’t look good for Davis and her supporters in the near term. If the legislative session drags on into the following week, the outlook is better for women’s rights advocates, as Venus will form a lovely trine to Uranus, planet of rebellion and change (the aspect is exact on July 7).

Saturn, meanwhile, is stationed to return direct next Monday. A planet is said to station when it appears to stop in the sky before changing direction. Stopped in Scorpio, Saturn will be stubborn as a mule. In general, I’d say that Saturn represents the “establishment,” but Saturn in Scorpio is a strange animal. Structures are ready to rot and break down, and with Uranus at the apex of a T-square, there’s no telling how events could defy even the surest of expectations.

Speaking of Uranus, T-squares, and rebellion, what better time could there be for reading the Declaration of Independence? If you haven’t done so in a while, I strongly suggest revisiting it. Our Founding Fathers – who surely would have been branded “terrorists” according to the current government definition – laid out quite a brilliant argument for abolishing a government that no longer serves the people. I have a feeling we could come up with a list of grievances as long as the colonists sent to King George.

The other aspect worth remarking on this week is the Moon’s entry into Cancer on Saturday. Normally, lunar movements are too fast to signify much more than fleeting events and moods. However, this will be the first conjunction of the Moon with Jupiter in Cancer. The Moon moves forward to conjoin Saturn and Neptune on Sunday. Again, we may get a quick glimpse of things to come as Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune approach an exact trine on July 17. That’s only a couple of weeks away, and it’s the most exciting, positive aspect we’ll experience all year.

Next week starts out with the New Moon in Cancer, so over the weekend start thinking about what projects you’d like to initiate. I just wish I could help you out in that regard with a StarGuide report, but that project is still on hold. Do keep in mind, though, that if you’d like a three-month transit report, you can order one for $19 (click here to see a sample).

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast June 24: Jupiter Enters Cancer, Mercury Retrograde

Solstice Sunset. Looking northwest on Puget Sound, 9:20 p.m. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

When I was in kindergarten, I refused to drink my milk.

My teacher, Mrs. King, made me sit alone at a table in a dark corner until I finished it. For everyone else, it was playtime. When this strategy failed to work, she sent me home with a note telling my mother I had a problem with authority.

I lived out in the country, an hour’s bus ride from school. Every day on the way home, while all the other kids played and shouted, I leaned my head against the cold glass. I never mentioned it to anyone – probably because I had no idea that I had a headache or that this was abnormal. One day, it was so bad that I about passed out when I got home. I remember my mother carrying me up the stairs. Still, no one thought it unusual. Back then, milk was considered the perfect food, and I lived in the second-largest dairy state in the nation (behind Wisconsin). My father was a dairy farmer. No one suspected that I was allergic to milk.

I finally figured it out at 21, still well before dairy allergies were studied and publicized. As a child, all I could say was that it was “yucky” and I didn’t like it. Adults, however, had all the power, and I was forced against my will to do something that was bad for me. It likely was one of the defining moments in my childhood development.

It’s no coincidence, then, that I sympathize with protestors around the world who are rightly upset with tyrannical governments who insist they know what’s good for the population better than the people themselves. Instead of being forced to sit in a corner, those who don’t go along with the program get water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets. They get thrown in jail. And right now, it seems that they are overpowered.

As a child, I didn’t have the knowledge or the vocabulary to fight the appropriately named Mrs. King. Even if I had, I doubt she would have listened, as the notion that milk could be bad for a child was simply too outrageous to believe. I knew instinctively that something was wrong, but that didn’t count. Collectively, we know instinctively that something is very wrong, despite what we’re being told and what many of us have believed for so long. Whistleblowers like Bradley Manning, Julian Assange, and Edward Snowden are supplying knowledge, and yet the truth is too outrageous for many people to believe. For many, it’s easier to believe outrageous lies.

By now, even people who don’t believe in astrology must be wondering whether there is something going on “up there” to account for the increasing number of protests and riots around the world. That something, as you know, is the Uranus-Pluto square, with Uranus in volatile Aries and Pluto in domineering Capricorn. Police in riot gear are a perfect image for Pluto in Capricorn.

And yet, Pluto is also about revealing hidden secrets – all the more so with Pluto in mutual reception with Saturn in penetrating Scorpio (mutual reception occurs when each of two planets is in the sign ruled by the other). Snowden’s revelation of NSA spying on U.S. citizens is a manifestation of the same energy as the massive anti-government protests in Brazil and Turkey. In Brazil, the spark that lit the fuse was a 9-cent increase in public transportation fare. In Turkey, it was a plan to turn a city park into a shopping mall. I often wonder what it would take to light a fuse under this country. Apparently, being spied on isn’t enough.

Last week, I was listening to an interview with Ralph Nader, a longtime consumer advocate and former presidential candidate, talking about a federal minimum wage.

“Thirty million workers in this country are making less today than that workers made in 1968, inflation-adjusted,” Nader said in an interview with Aaron Maté of Democracy Now. “… [T]he question is: Is our society so inert, is our society so surrendering of any kind of civic sovereignty, that we cannot get a minimum wage equal to 1968?”

Nader goes on to denounce President Obama, asking whether there has been “a bigger con man in the White House.” Whatever you may think of Nader, you have to give him credit for a sense of humor in the title of his latest book, I Told You So. He has made many predictions over the years that were ignored or dismissed. As an astrologer, I know how he feels.

[headline h=”4″]This week’s forecast[/headline]This week, we have two major shifts, both in Cancer, a sign very much concerned with security and patriotism. On Tuesday, Jupiter enters Cancer, the sign of his exaltation. The following day, Mercury turns retrograde in Cancer.

When I think of Jupiter entering Cancer, Gustav Holst’s Planets suite inevitably takes over my brain. (You can listen online or download a very fine version for free here. Be sure to read the copyright notice.) Jupiter has been in detriment in Gemini and so not as jolly as his big, expansive character would like. He’ll more than make up for it in Cancer, although I wouldn’t put it past him to stir up some massive storms. He may get overly patriotic, too, and he’ll definitely be big on national security, especially when it comes to foreigners. These less desirable qualities may come to the fore in August, when he forms a T-square with Uranus and Pluto. But for the next month, he forms a rare and highly favorable grand trine with Saturn and Neptune, and there will be unprecedented opportunities to make some much-needed changes. We’ll have to act fast, because the window is short.

Mercury turns retrograde on Wednesday at 23 degrees Cancer. This is a good time to look at your past, particularly in terms of how your childhood and early home life shaped you as an adult (thus, the personal anecdote above). Ethnicity sometimes comes into play. I also like to consider past lives. Conventional psychoanalysts like to pin all of our complexes on bad potty training or inadequate bonding with mommy and daddy. We come into this incarnation with a chart, which can express itself in unlimited ways. For some of us, being born at that exact moment can be traced to our karmic past.

Mercury turns retrograde just a degree shy of natal Mercury in the chart of the United States (Sibly) and will be in close conjunction with the U.S. Sun when he turns direct on July 20. It’s likely that any discussions of Snowden’s revelations will occur in the context of damaging national security. Most of our political leaders, including the president, say Snowden is a criminal and should be extradited for prosecution. There likely will be discussions about how to prevent future leaks.

Also on Wednesday, we have a lovely grand water trine with the Sun in Cancer, Saturn in Scorpio, and Neptune in Pisces. Keep your antennae up, and you’ll get some hints about the good things to come when Jupiter steps into the Sun’s place in mid-July. In the meantime, deep feelings may surface by day or night this week. Pay attention to your dreams. Write down your goals and aspirations. If you’re a writer or artist, this is an incredibly fertile time for you. Have a notepad handy wherever you go to write down flashes of inspiration.

On Thursday, Venus leaves Cancer and enters Leo. This is a showy, flashy Venus who loves bling and being the center of attention. She’s glamorous, but unfortunately more into style than substance. But sometimes style is what we want. I have to say that I’ve always had great haircuts while Venus was in Leo. If Venus is in Leo in your birth chart, you’ll soon have your “Venus return.” The Venus return chart can be a great tool for looking at where love or money (or both) will show up in your life over the next year or so.

On a final note, in case you missed my announcement last week, I’m offering a Summer 2013 transit report in place of StarGuide, which I’m not going to be able to prepare for at least two weeks, possibly longer. If you don’t want to wait, you can order your transits now, I’ll apply the cost toward the full report once it becomes available. (Click here to view a sample.)

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast June 17: Sun Enters Cancer, Full Moon in Capricorn

Mommy Deerest. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

We have an eventful week ahead, with the summer solstice and the biggest Full Moon of the year.

By “biggest,” I don’t mean astrologically, but literally. Next Sunday’s Full Moon in Capricorn occurs just 22 minutes after the Moon reaches its closest point to Earth in 2013. It actually will appear larger in the sky than usual. This is the closest the Moon will get to the Earth until August 2014.

You can find a terrific article about it on EarthSky.org. I love that the author discusses the history and meaning of the term “supermoon” without dissing astrology.

Rather than breaking down the week by individual transits, I’ll discuss the week’s astrology through the Cancer ingress and Full Moon charts. That will be plenty, I’m sure. Starting with the Cancer ingress, I’ve set the chart for Washington and will base my interpretation on the United States, with apologies to my many readers around the world. I have to set the chart for somewhere, and this happens to be where I am. So, with that caveat, let’s have a look.

The Ascendant is 27 Pisces, with ruler Neptune in the twelfth house. The Ascendant in mundane astrology represents the general condition of the nation. This combination smacks of secrecy and deception. Neptune and Pisces also are related to epidemics and mental health. Before declaring that the whole country is going stark-raving mad – or, legitimately, that we have a serious mental health crisis on our hands that could well be called an epidemic – I decided to look up the Sabian symbol.* As it turns out, it’s quite a lovely image: A fertile garden under the full moon. (Gee, could that be Michelle Obama’s vegetable garden?)

There’s no doubt that we’re starting out the season with a debate on the surveillance state, which is described perfectly by Pluto in Capricorn in the tenth house. See last week’s forecast for more on that topic. We also find Uranus, planet of rioting and rebellion, in the first house and still in a fairly close square with Pluto. It’s hard for me to imagine people rioting in this country over privacy issues or even low employment, which also is a tenth house issue. Be that as it may, there does appear to be some serious discontent on the way in the next few months.

Click on image to enlarge

It’s interesting to note that the Sun in this chart is in the fourth house, closely conjunct Jupiter on the fourth-house cusp. In mundane astrology, the tenth house represents the party in power, while the fourth house represents the opposition. The Sun represents the country’s leaders, especially the president. According to the rules of mundane astrology, the leaders of this country, including its president, are more in the camp of the Republicans than the Democrats. Then, as John pointed out in an excellent comment on last week’s post, there’s not a whole lot of difference anymore. And, as it also so happens, Jupiter in mundane astrology represents banks and bankers. I don’t know how they could be any more in cahoots than they’ve been in the past, but this chart suggests an even closer relationship – or, at the very least, a significant event on the way rooted in these shady connections.

We also see a very tight inconjunct (technically, a quincunx) from the Moon to Jupiter and the Sun. The inconjunct says “nothing in common.” You don’t need an astrologer to tell you that our political and financial leaders are totally out of the touch with the people. It’s not so much that they don’t have their interests at heart, but that they don’t even know the meaning of the word “public interest.” However, the Moon and the Ascendant are in perfect harmony, so even if those at the top don’t “get it,” comprehension may be dawning within the public at large. Yes, hope springs eternal.

Despite the “fertile garden” image, there are several indications in this chart of death and sorrow, whether from epidemics, severe weather, or some other cause. Planets on the fourth-house cusp can indicate weather patterns. Jupiter suggests very big ones, and in the air sign of Gemini, we’re probably talking violent winds. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration already has said that we can expect a extremely active hurricane season in 2013. This chart would seem to reinforce that assessment, and I think it’s also possible that the summer’s spectacular grand water trine also could make for some massive storms involving flooding. I concede that weather astrology isn’t my forte, so we’ll have to wait and see.

Venus and Mercury are conjunct by exact degree. Venus represents peace and diplomacy, while Mercury represents commerce and the media. This would seem to be indication of positive developments, but Mercury is stationed, about to turn retrograde on June 26, and neither planet makes aspects to other planets in the chart. Moreover, they are in the fifth house, a sort of “light-weight” placement. Whatever these two have to say likely won’t be taken seriously this summer. However much we value programs to educate and protect our children, it may be that other issues are going to take precedence.

There is more I could write about the ingress, but let’s turn now to the Full Moon, which occurs on June 23. The Moon is in her detriment in Capricorn, but the Full Moon in Capricorn always falls with the Sun in Cancer, the sign the Moon rules. This gives us a week or so of inner angst and collective tension. The word “lunatic” derives from an old belief that people acted crazier at the Full Moon. With the Moon at her closet to the Earth and the motion of the Sun “stopped” as perceived from Earth, I’d say it’s a good bet there will be a lot of craziness. Add to that the connection to the 2010 cardinal T-square by degree, and we’ve got the makings of a perfect storm, be it symbolic or literal.

Click on image to enlarge

As you can see in the chart, the Sun makes a lovely grand trine with Saturn and Neptune, an early reflection of the rare configuration about to take place with Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune. The trine with the Sun will be more exact toward the middle of next week, and then the trine with Jupiter will be exact on July 17. I’ve written before that this astrological phenomenon indicates a window of opportunity to make headway in some of your most cherished goals. You should know by now what they are, and hopefully you’ve been doing the work. In world affairs, this is also a time to make some progress on issues that have been at a standoff. However, the political will to do so must exist, and I’m not sure I’m that optimistic.

At the most fundamental level, Cancer and Capricorn represent mother and father. It’s no accident that throughout history, people have referred to their countries as the “fatherland” or the “motherland.” Governments and their leaders often represented parents, with an expectation that those parents would take care of their children. Many of us still have those expectations, although they vary wildly. At the most basic, we expect our government to protect us from foreign enemies. But it would seem – in this country at least – that what we’ve got is more like Saturn devouring his children. Lest you find this metaphor somewhat morbid, remember that in the Greek version of the myth, the children were saved by mother goddesses Rhea and Gaia, who hatched a plan with Zeus (Roman Jupiter) to give Cronus one hell of a bellyache so he would vomit the children back out. They then overthrew him and became the twelve gods of Olympus.

I’ll end on another personal update, since I know that many of you are still waiting for reports. Also, a couple of readers have written to ask whether there will be a summer StarGuide. I have started writing reports again, but it’s very slow going. I’m hoping I’ll continue to improve, but I’ve learned that I need to stop making promises, because I never know what to expect from one day to the next. I feel better today than I’ve felt in a long time, but I could wake up tomorrow with a splitting headache. In order to get through the backlog, I’ve posted a notice on my report order page that I’m currently not accepting new orders. Of course, I’ll post a new note when that changes.

That means I won’t have the summer forecast up before June 21. It could be two or even three weeks before I have the time to do the prep work. In the meantime, I’ve decided to offer the transit section of the report at a reduced cost of $19 for those who want to know what’s ahead. I can produce these fairly quickly. I’ll post a sample shortly so that you can see what you’ll get. Just so you know, there will be no Full Moon or New Moon interpretations, no “best days” graphs, and no fancy formatting – all the things I do that distinguishes StarGuide from other transit reports you can find online. But for now, it’s the best I can do, and it seems like a workable compromise. [UPDATE: Click here to see the sample report.]

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

* 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 June 10: Saturn Trines Neptune, Venus Opposes Pluto

The Boston Massacre. Detail of an engraving by Paul Revere, March 1770.

In my down state, I’ve been watching a lot of movies, borrowed from our terrific local library. Last week, I found the seven-part miniseries John Adams, which first aired on HBO in March 2008.

Despite historical inaccuracies typical in Hollywood productions, the miniseries is a decidedly unromanticized version of history and rightly won several awards. Based on the biography by David McCullough, it’s an excellent portrayal of the conflicts among colonial leaders, not all of whom were ready to take up arms and fight for their rights. There were those who strongly preferred negotiations to war and who feared that uprisings in Massachusetts would subject all of the colonies to a deadly crackdown by the British.

The first episode begins with the Boston Massacre, in which a crowd agitated by the growing tyranny of England provokes British soldiers into opening fire. The soldiers are charged with murder, and the only lawyer who will defend them is John Adams, who goes against his countrymen on the principle that everyone deserves the right to a fair trial.

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know where I’m going with this, yes?

The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770, with Pluto in Capricorn. The Uranus-Pluto square had occurred more than a decade earlier, in late Pisces and Sagittarius. Incidentally, the square in March 1758 occurred with Pluto conjunct the Galactic Center – just a bit of interesting astro-trivia there. I mentioned the Boston incident in a post in August 2011 that actually was about a Michael Lutin presentation at the National Press Club in 2008. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

The HBO miniseries was broadcast less than two months after Pluto’s entry into Capricorn in January 2008. Talk about synchronicities. Michael Lutin’s Press Club speech (which you can watch in my August 2011 post) followed an article he wrote for Vanity Fair magazine about the implications for the United States of Pluto in Capricorn. What I remember most from his speech – which has reverberated in my mind many times over – were his words, “You’re all under surveillance.”

Well, well, well.

Mikey predicted it would all go down in 2011. He was off by a couple of years, but so what? His predictions ring uncannily true, including his opinion that it didn’t matter who won the White House in 2008. Of course, we already were under heavy surveillance when he gave that presentation, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist or even an astrologer to know it. The bomb dropped by The Guardian on Wednesday, followed by even bigger ones, wasn’t really news to anyone who’s been paying attention.

As I type, the whistleblower has come forward. Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old employee of a contractor for the National Security Agency, is inevitably being compared to Private Bradley Manning, who is on trial for leaking classified information on the war in Iraq. Rather than being hanged for treason – the punishment of choice in colonial America – Manning has been imprisoned for three years awaiting trial and, by all accounts, tortured by cruel and inhuman means. We have, after all, progressed toward a more civilized society, especially here in the United States, land of the free and home of the brave.

Back to John Adams, he eventually became the new nation’s first vice president and second president, although history sort of seems to have forgotten him in favor of more classic heroes such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and even his own cousin, Samuel Adams. John Adams was by all measures conservative. Yet, he called a spade a spade, and he was one of the most vociferous supporters of fighting for independence, once it became apparent that negotiating with the British would solve nothing – and he figured that out early on. That, I believe, is the critical lesson for us now.

In an interview with The Guardian, Snowden said he would have gone to the media sooner, but he was waiting to see whether President Obama would curb some of the abuses of the NSA. When he not only failed to do so but expanded the program, Snowden made his move. To an astrologer, it’s no coincidence that the revelation came with Uranus in a close square to Pluto. The big question now is how the American public will react. Very clearly, this isn’t an abuse that can be remedied by voting out one political party in favor of another – a point, by the way, that I made several years ago and for which I was soundly flamed by Obama supporters.

I don’t know precisely where this is all going to lead, but I do know that we have more explosive times ahead. As I’ve remarked before, the influence of the Uranus-Pluto square will last for another five years at least. After that, we’ll march steadily toward the Pluto return of the United States in 2022. In the meantime, we’ll also experience a conjunction of Saturn and Pluto in 2020, and in 2026, Saturn and Neptune conjoin in Aries. I have extensive thoughts on what these transits will entail, but I’ll save them for another time.

Surveillance of the citizenry is very definitely a signature for Pluto in Capricorn, and it’s interesting to note that publication of the extent of the abuse occurred with Mercury in opposition to Pluto and square Uranus. Also, warrior Mars in Gemini made a square to Neptune, planet of fog and deception. Note, too, that Mercury was approaching conjunction with the United States Sun, and the Uranus-Pluto square isn’t far from making contact with the U.S. Sun (exact in April 2014). From an astrological perspective, it makes perfect sense that the news broke last week. I confess that I couldn’t have predicted it exactly (especially in my current condition), but I did note in last week’s forecast that we’d likely have some shocking headlines:

Collectively, I think we’ll see more jarring headlines – not that anything could shock us anymore, but the extent to which we’ve been deceived and lied to could be a revelation to many.

Looking at the week ahead, Venus follows on the heels of Mercury by opposing Pluto (Tuesday) and squaring Uranus (Wednesday). Venus in Cancer is a soft influence, and yet in a T-square with Pluto, she can’t be expected to do much to soften the recent blow. If anything, the powers responsible for this gross invasion of privacy may try to further defend the program on the grounds of national security: “We’re keeping you safe from terrorists,” etc. Internet companies such as Google and Facebook also may try to reassure their users. We’ll see how many people buy it, and how well the government will be able to persuade its citizenry to fight among themselves instead of aiming their anger where it rightly belongs.

The other big aspect of this week is the trine of Saturn and Neptune, second of a three-part transit. The first occurred in October 2012, and the third and final pass will fall on July 19 as part of the grand trine with Jupiter. Trines in general are highly favorable, and grand trines even more so. My only worry is that storms involving precipitation and flooding could be exaggerated; after all, nature doesn’t share our subjective notions of “good” and “bad.” An unimpeded path for us also can be an unimpeded path for a hurricane. But do make what you can of it, starting now. Don’t wait until July to decide how you want to use this rare gift of cosmic energy.

Speaking of energy, mine is still low, but the good news is that I feel like I finally bottomed out this past week. It’s been a very hard place to be, and I don’t feel like I’m out of the woods yet. The demons are following me out of hell and nipping at my heels. Short walks, doing little tasks in my apartment, and lying on the couch watching movies have been my best strategies. Chocolate is nice, too, but unfortunately, all this lying around has exacerbated my weight and blood pressure – issues I’ll need to address once I have the strength to get out more. If you recently ordered a report and have not heard from me, expect an e-mail in the next day or two. My deepest apologies, and my heartfelt appreciation for those of you who have been so patient, understanding, and concerned for my well-being.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Gemini Rising: The Gemini Soul

Gemini (Iris & Arke Goddesses of the Rainbow), original artwork by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie. See end of article for more info.

Gemini (Iris & Arke Goddesses of the Rainbow), by Karen MacKenzie. See end of article for more info.

The sign of Gemini is associated with all aspects of communication: speaking, talking, writing, also thinking, and all at lightening-speed. Fast-talking, fast-moving, fast-thinking, ever-moving, restless fidgety Gemini!

Conventionally, Gemini is associated with gossip and fickleness, yet there is so much more depth to this highly significant sign than first meets the eye. According to Esoteric Astrology by Alice Bailey, Gemini is the only sign that is connected to the remaining eleven signs of the zodiac. Well wouldn’t that make sense from the sign of connection?

If we think connection, communion and weaving, we are starting to touch upon the deeper spiritual significance of Gemini. Gemini takes the threads of life, the threads of the Universe, and weaves them all together into one cohesive whole. No small task.

I cannot too strongly reiterate the constant necessity for you to think in terms of energies and forces, of lines of force, and energy relationships … The whole story of astrology is, in reality, one of magnetic and magical interplay for the production or externalization of the inner reality…”
~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

Yet we can go even deeper. In his book The Self-Aware Universe, quantum physicist Dr. Amit Goswami explains how consciousness is the basic building block of the Universe (and all universes). Everything is made of consciousness. The very threads of life that Gemini weaves are threads of consciousness. Now we’re talking! (Or not, as the case may be!) Gemini knows that words are powerful, but that thoughts are even more powerful, and consciousness beyond thought is even more powerful again.

The deeper purpose underlying Gemini’s sometimes incessant chatter is an innate need, not only for connection but for deeper communion. Gemini is the sign of holy communion in the most sacred sense of communing with all that is healthy, healed and whole (holy). Gemini can be thought of as the connective tissue of the Universe, permeating, weaving through, and touching, everything and every no-thing! It is in Gemini that consciousness becomes aware of itself by reflecting itself back to itself through the illusion of another. This is one of the deepest esoteric mysteries of Gemini. As the mutable air sign, Gemini is a sign of mind and changeable mind at that!

If we observe closely (and intelligent Gemini is excellent at noticing things!) we can see how it is the everyday working of the mind that divides and separates. From the all-inclusive experience of this eternal present moment, the mind steps in and begins categorising: That is a tree. There goes a plane. Here is my computer. There is a cat. This is my house. If you really watch your own mind, you will see it does this constantly. From the eternal universal dance of interconnected energy, the mental mind isolates and labels things, and this becomes a habit until all we see are things, and we lose sight of the continuity of the Universe.

The Gemini mind divides and separates, creating polarity and duality. Me and you. Male and female. This and that. Yet we are only ever a moment away from stepping outside of this mental dialogue and becoming aware once more of the universal consciousness that is all that is. This awareness would also be a function of Gemini, through which he has an innate understanding of relationship. Because Gemini is connected to everything, he can see how everything fits together. Gemini can see the big picture and the finer details at one and the same time.

Here then is the key to understanding both the highest spiritual purpose of Gemini, and his lower fear-based expressions. One of the (many) dualities that Gemini needs to resolve is the separation of the head-mind and the heart-mind. Remember, in reality there is no separation. As we mentioned earlier, the separation is an illusion created by the mental aspect of mind. If we really understand Dr. Goswami’s hypothesis of everything being consciousness, then we could in fact say that, in a sense, everything is “mind.” Patanjali, the founder of modern yoga, referred to this higher mind as “Universal Mind.” Perhaps it is also analagous to what Carl Jung called the collective consciousness. This all-inclusive Universal Mind encapsulates the wholeness of our being. In Universal Mind there is no separation.

If you have Gemini Rising, you can consider yourself to be a Gemini soul, and you are here to learn right human relations yourself so you can teach it. To do this, you have to “marry” your head-mind and your heart-mind and deeply understand relationship as the interplay of light. Because Gemini is so curious, you are interested in everything, so your biggest challenge is to stay focused on your soul path and not become distracted by mundane affairs.

The highest octave of Gemini accesses the intelligence of the heart through higher love. You learn this from experience when you spend more time in your heart and realize that when you are heart-centered, there really is no separation. It is the illusion of separation itself that creates fear. The danger for Gemini is that you may weave your own web of thoughts and then get caught in it yourself. The Gemini mind separates, labels, and categorizes. This is a brilliant device that you have created that allows you to process vast amounts of information.

You are an ace at mental processing, but mental processing is only a tool. It is a device that we use, not the essence of our being. If you become identified with your mental processes, you begin to feel lifeless. When you spend too much time thinking, not only do you become identified with your thoughts, but also you begin to notice something is “missing” in your life. You become disconnected from your heart, spirit and soul, and the playful light of Gemini begins to dim.

When Gemini gets “lost” inside his own head, the illusion of separation becomes magnified. You can become fearful and may spend too much time talking about and processing mental information in a scattered and unfocused way. This can lead to mental overwhelm, burnout, anxiety, and even fatigue. The solution is to go deeper in meditation, learning to focus your attention in the heart, resting peacefully in your heart center. From this place of peace within, you realize that there is no separation, that we are all one and, indeed, all mental concepts arise from the one source.

Energy follows attention, and through the practice of meditation (in other words learning to focus your attention), you begin to access Universal Mind and set yourself free from the “prison” of lower mind and mental processing. Universal Mind includes your heart and soul. Mental processing excludes everything else. Once you perfect the art of keeping your attention in Universal Mind, you resolve the final duality of Gemini: that of personality and soul.

[callout]I recognise my other self and in the waning of that self, I grow and glow. ~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology[/callout]

If you have Gemini Rising, you are here to recognize and teach the interelatedness of all things through loving awareness. To do this, you must first release the fear-based expression of Gemini that comes as a result of being over-identified with your thoughts. You are not what you think. It is vital that you meditate or take up some similar practice for focusing your attention, so you can go beyond mental processing and realize for yourself the reality of Universal Mind. From this higher perspective, you will experience your soul as the truth of your being and experience the highest wisdom that comes through deep connection and communion with higher love and all that is.

Next month, we’ll explore Cancer Rising and the Cancer Soul. If you can’t wait to hear about the purpose of your Soul Sign, you can read a summary of all 12 signs on Ruth’s website, RuthHadikin.com.

Ruth

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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, Soul Astrology with Ruth.

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Weekly Forecast June 3: Neptune Retrograde, New Moon in Gemini

Collapsed bridge on the Skagit River, Washington. Photo courtesy Washington Department of Transportation.

It seems it’s human nature to believe the latest disaster is the worst ever and that more catastrophes than ever before are befalling the planet. I’m not sure this is true, but it’s safe to say that we’re living in unprecedented times.

Skeptics would say we simply have more reporting than ever before, that being connected to the Internet 24/7 results in a barrage of disaster stories from around the world. Still, given the headlines, one might reasonably conclude we’re in the middle of the Apocalypse, even though that was supposed to have come and gone in 2012.

I’ve written a lot about breakdowns, both collective and individual, and in an attempt to present the positive with the negative, I’ve also broached the subject of rebuilding. Otherwise, all this talk of breaking down gets depressing, especially when plans for rebuilding keep falling through or changing without warning.

However, the truth is that we can’t start rebuilding until the breakdown is complete. That, I believe, is the message of Pluto in Capricorn in mutual reception with Saturn in Scorpio. Saturn, remember, is the planet of structure and careful, step-by-step progress. But Pluto is about breaking down and transforming. You might think of it as trying to rebuild a house on a worm-eaten foundation. The only way to ensure the integrity of the structure is to pull out everything and rebuild from the bottom up. In societal terms, we’ve got a patch job on top of a patch job on top of another patch job. It’s no wonder that the whole thing is crumbling.

Saturn and Pluto remain in mutual reception until December 2014. During that time, Uranus continues to form a square with Pluto. The last exact alignment will occur in March 2015, but we’ll continue to feel this far-reaching aspect for another two or three years after that. Uranian energy is volatile, explosive, and unpredictable. When you combine these energies, you get … well, exactly what we’ve got.

In addition to the deadly tornadoes, fires, and floods, recent protests around the world have turned violent, with the police backlash that is the hallmark of the square between Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn. Uranus rules Aquarius, the sign of equality, and many of the protests have their roots in inequality and injustice. In fact, this isn’t the first time we’ve had a society based on such vast disparity. I’m constantly reminded of medieval Europe, when the nobility taxed the peasants and took food off their plates to support wars in the Holy Land – the Middle East. It really does make you wonder if the energies of the universe are in an endless spin cycle, manifesting the same patterns over and over again.

There are some significant differences this time around, though, which is why I say we’re in unprecedented times. At the end of the Crusades, world population was about 6 percent of what it is today. News traveled by messengers on foot and horseback, if it traveled at all. With our instant connections, news now reaches large portions of the world’s 7 billion people instantaneously. Our polluted environment also is unprecedented. Although cities in the Middle Ages were crowded, filthy, and disease-ridden, there was always somewhere else to go where the air and water were clean. We’re running out of somewhere elses and are now talking about terraforming Mars.

How could anyone not be anxious, tense, and depressed? As far as I’m concerned, stress is an appropriate, healthy response to what’s happening in our societies. You have my permission to be anxious and stressed out.

I know that I’m not the only one experiencing a physical or mental breakdown, and I have to believe that this is all part of the cosmic pattern. The collective is made up of individuals, and so unfortunately, we have to break down along with the social structures. As I’ve mentioned in the past, this process is not unknown. Alchemists, shamans, and healers have known for millennia about this mysterious subconscious phenomenon. In some cases, it can be induced through ritual and artificial means, but that’s the exception rather than the rule. Normally, this process takes place over time, and there’s no way to force it, speed it up, or otherwise control it. It’s Plutonic, and that means you have to give in and let it have its way. Trying to hold on just prolongs unnecessary suffering. There are times when we need to hang in there, but other times when it would be better to just give up.

We have an excellent opportunity to look back at the lessons of human history when Neptune turns retrograde this week. As I write, he’s stationed at 5 degrees Pisces, preparing to shift motion on Friday. Among other things, Neptune rules dreams and the deep psyche. This is also where past-life memories live. Destructive patterns often keep repeating themselves until we become aware of them and take active measures to change. Yet, sometimes the underlying source is so deeply ingrained that only a Plutonic transformation can crack it. Either way, I’m optimistic that we can make deep changes in the coming two months, given the positions of the outer planets. Neptune turns retrograde in a trine with Saturn by exact degree, which I think will help us identify and work with the old, outdated patterns that keep us stuck.

On Monday, Mercury trines both Neptune and Saturn. Mercury is in Cancer, which is a water sign and more intuitive. We like to think that our thoughts are rational and objective, but they more often than not are driven by feelings and fundamental needs. The mind can rationalize anything, but truth lies in the heart and soul. One of the ways we can be more authentic and true to ourselves is by allowing our true feelings to surface. Mastering your emotions emphatically does not mean stuffing them down, but allowing them to surface in a safe place so you can be aware of your motivations and adjust your actions accordingly.

Click on image to enlarge

The rest of the week’s major aspects are reflected in the chart for Saturday’s New Moon in Gemini, so let’s have a look. The first thing you see is the big blue triangle. That’s a grand trine, with Venus, Neptune, and Saturn. The bigger grand trine will happen in mid-July, when Jupiter will occupy the position of Venus. But this week’s grand trine with Venus will be quite lovely, too. Even though there’s a lot more breaking down to come, and even though it may not be time yet to rebuild, we can start laying the groundwork. What do you really want? Are your thoughts, actions, and behavior consistent with what you most want? If not, what can you do to align them more closely? I make it sound easy, but it’s not. This is the work of a lifetime and probably more than one. The problem is that many of us think we know what we want, but when we get it, we discover it doesn’t make us as happy as we thought we’d be or that we really wanted something else.

The Uranus-Pluto square is still very active, and it becomes a cardinal T-square with Mercury in a close square with Uranus and opposition to Pluto. Venus is a few degrees shy of Mercury, but will form the same T-square next week. Throughout the week, try to be mindful of what you want out of your closest relationships. If you don’t feel supported, why not? If you could have an ideal family, team, or tribe, what would it look like and why? Would getting it require a few adjustments, or do you need an overhaul?

Collectively, I think we’ll see more jarring headlines – not that anything could shock us anymore, but the extent to which we’ve been deceived and lied to could be a revelation to many. I think we’ll see more protests, too, especially over women’s issues.

Mars squares Neptune in this chart as well, with the exact aspect occurring on Friday. In mundane astrology, Mars rules war, terrorism, and fires. However, with a trine from peacemaker Venus to Neptune, I think it’s possible that we’ll be able to avoid some of the most negative manifestations of this worrisome square. In any case, there’s so much going on in this chart that it will be difficult to associate events with a particular aspect. I’m not one to argue this point, because there’s simply no way to prove it.

The Sun and Moon in Gemini are otherwise unaspected, and even though Mars and Jupiter are in Gemini, the overall feel of this New Moon could be more like Cancer than Gemini. What we read, what we hear, and what we think is less important now than what we feel and our sense of belonging. Ethnicity, patriotism, and family values trump facts and figures. We’re all out of our comfort zone in a big way these days, and as much as I recommend accepting that reality, I can’t argue against taking comfort where you can find it.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast May 27: Mercury and Venus Conjunct Jupiter

The astrological waters are still a little choppy, but we’ve pulled through the eclipse season, and this week we have some important shifts, along with a fortunate conjunction of Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter.

Venus and Jupiter are the “luckiest” planets in astrology, and while they conjoin every year, a triple conjunction with Mercury is rare. The conjunction occurs in Gemini, which is ruled by Mercury, so the areas that receive the most benefit are likely to be in the realms of finance, business, ideas, knowledge, and communications. Indeed, you might get too much of a good thing.

Mercury conjoins Jupiter on Monday, which is Memorial Day in the United States. Most business will be closed, and if you have to work, you’ll likely have a quiet day. Tuesday could more than make up for it, though, when Venus takes her turn with the Big Guy. The aftereffects will last into Wednesday and perhaps even Thursday.

With Venus in the picture, I think most of the news will be favorable. However, the eclipses could take a month or more to play out, and we’re still well within the hit zone of the Uranus-Pluto square. I truly hope that the Venus-Jupiter conjunction will bring a ray of hope to places in the world that have been ravaged with disasters, both natural and manmade.

Speaking of which, the bridge that collapsed was north of Seattle, so of course I’ve been following that story. Our Department of Transportation is notorious for passing the buck on just about everything, and it appears they’re trying to worm their way out of responsibility by declaring the accident a fluke and blaming it on the driver. The department is on the record as saying the bridge was safe, despite its rating as structurally deficient and functionally obsolete – a rating shared by more than 11 percent of bridges in the United States. Incidentally, the bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis in 2007 also was rated structurally deficient. No cause for concern whatsoever. According to the Federal Highway Administration, it would take until 2028 to repair aging U.S. bridges, at a cost of more than $20 billion annually. We’re not spending anything close to that, and while there’s been some talk that the Skagit River bridge collapse might generate a necessary discussion, I’m not holding my breath. Catastrophes are happening at such a frightening rate these days that we quickly forget the last one and move on to the next.

In January 2008, when Pluto moved into Capricorn, I wrote about the implications for the nation’s infrastructure (you can read in my archive). Saturn, ruler of Capricorn, is about structure, and one of Pluto’s functions is to destroy the rotten and outdated. With Pluto in Capricorn and Saturn in Scorpio, we’ve got a double dose of destruction – all with the purpose of transforming, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Uranus, meanwhile, is a volatile, explosive energy, and he also rules wind storms.

With Uranus in Mars-ruled Aries, it’s important to keep track of Mars. As it so happens, the planet of action and aggression enters Gemini this Friday. Gemini is an air sign, so I think high winds will continue to make headlines. On Saturday, the Sun in Gemini forms a lively sextile with Uranus, which should be mostly positive. This is a signature for still more bright ideas, flashes of inspiration, spontaneous self-expression, and random acts of creativity.

After Mercury and Venus conjoin Jupiter, they both enter Cancer – Mercury on Friday and Venus on Sunday. Cancer is far more touchy-feely than Gemini, which often confuses talking about feelings with the feelings themselves. Mercury in Cancer has the advantage of talking very effectively about feelings, and with Venus in Cancer, too, authentic feelings will surface. This is a nice combination for caring and kind words. You can never have too much of that. As they progress through the early degrees of Cancer, Mercury and Venus will form a grand trine with Saturn and Neptune (exact next week). The big trine comes in mid-July, when Jupiter forms a grand trine with Saturn and Neptune by exact degree, but in the meantime, we’ll get a mini version, and perhaps we’ll even get a taste of things to come. My take is that we’re about to have a wide window of opportunity to turn our big ideas into reality and maybe even make some dreams come true. All this breaking down has to clear the way for something new, right? It wouldn’t be a bad idea to start thinking about what you want in place of what you don’t want. I have been. It’s a discussion that should be taking place now.

In general, this week’s transition might feel something like my day. This morning, I awoke to the sound of rain hitting the leaves outside my window. It remained dreary until a little after noon, when the sun emerged from behind the clouds. Suddenly, it was if it had rained diamonds. And I’ve never heard such hysterically happy birds. I wish I could record them for you. I’m still in a dark place, moving slowly, with a mind that feels like it’s got a few loose wires. But it’s impossible not to respond to raindrops sparkling in the sunlight, birdsong, and the depth of the green after a storm. It’s not for nothing that Seattle is nicknamed the Emerald City. The sunshine didn’t last long (we call these quick appearances “sun breaks”), but it was just long enough for me to snap a photo. Raindrops in sunshine, such an incongruous image. But that may be the way it is for a while.

I leave you with this NASA video of the triple conjunction. If the sky is clear where you are, step outside at sunset and enjoy the show.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat