Author Archives: Pat

About Pat

Co-Founder and Chief Visionary of RealAstrologers

Weekly Forecast May 20: Uranus Square Pluto, Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius

This week is one of the most astrologically active of 2013, with an exact square of Uranus and Pluto and a lunar eclipse at the Full Moon, which also is the Buddhist festival of Wesak.

I can’t say that the rubber is going to meet the road, because we’re well past that point. For many of us, it feels like we’re spinning our wheels and getting nowhere. Others have been driving and driving, only to arrive at a dead end in the wilderness, wondering whether we’ll have enough fuel to get us back to the main road and moving in the right direction.

Not that dead ends are bad. We often need to go all the way down the “wrong” road in order to learn something, recover a lot piece of ourselves, or just explore and experiment. In the great cosmic lab, as in real-life labs, not all experiments are successful. Indeed, most of them fail. But in failing, we learn what doesn’t work, thereby putting us a step closer to what will.

As I wrote in last week’s forecast, the Uranus-Pluto square is exact on Monday. This will be the third of seven exact alignments between 2012 and 2015. The last one occurred on September 19, 2012, and the next will fall on November 1, 2013. The November square also will be near an eclipse and likely more intense than this week’s. Still, we’re in turbulent waters, and even those who love a wild ride may be getting more than they bargained for. We’re being forced to accept fast and continual change, and it seems that once we embrace it, circumstances come along that force us to accept still more changes. It’s hard for me to give advice these days about how to cope, except recommend doing whatever works best for you in the moment. If balance isn’t possible, do your best to remain standing. If that doesn’t work, crawl on all fours. Or just stay down.

I’m surprised by how people I know (myself included) have gone into a shutdown phase. As bad as that sounds, it may be a good thing. At least in my own experience, I’ve realized that shutting down may be necessary for internal changes to take place. Really, it’s not much different than metamorphosis. The caterpillar has to be entirely shut down for the magical changes to take place. Some don’t make it through, but die in the process. In the alchemy of the soul, this process is called solve et coagula – dissolve and congeal. The idea is to identify the parts of ourselves that need changing and then to “dissolve” them – a process that often involves entirely breaking down. During the breakdown phase, we’re in an extremely vulnerable and even dangerous place. It’s the classic “dark night of the soul,” where fear, hopelessness, and despair can get the best of us. But once the breakdown is complete, we can start to rebuild, with greater strength, clarity, and wisdom. Those of you who have been through this process know what I’m talking about. If you’re going through it now for the first time, try to have some faith that there is a purpose to your struggle.

Breaking down is a big part of the Uranus-Pluto square. Uranus in Aries is a disruptive force that blasts structures apart, often literally. Pluto also is a destructive force, but the point is to release bound-up energies in order to create something new. This concept also was part of alchemy. It takes energy to stay stuck in old patterns. When we break out of those patterns, we release the energy to create something new and stronger. This is true for individuals as well as for organizations and societies.

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The chart for this Saturday’s lunar eclipse (late Friday in Western time zones) powerfully reflects this process. The Sun and Moon are in a close square with Neptune, the planet of dissolution. This also happens to be the last eclipse in the Sagittarius-Gemini series, which began at the solstice in December 2010. The last eclipse in a series represents a close to a chapter, a final outcome. Since this is a lunar eclipse, it does suggest dissolution and endings. However, dissolution is not really the end. It’s just the end of one event, situation, relationship, or phase of life, and in all likelihood, the ending is necessary in order to free up energy for to create something new.

The “something new” is represented by Saturn, the planet of form and structure. As you can see in the chart, Neptune and Saturn are in a very close trine, a positive aspect representing a non-resistant path along with energy can flow. This tells me that whatever breaks down will quickly be able to reform. Moreover, Saturn is in mutual reception with Pluto, so even though there is no apparent “outlet” for the Uranus-Pluto square in this chart, there is an invisible and very powerful one. The difficulty, though, is as I stated earlier: new forms come into being and may quickly disintegrate, keeping us in a constant state of anxiety.

The ruler of this Full Moon is Jupiter, who is close to finishing his year-long tour through Gemini. Jupiter is in detriment in Gemini but next month will enter Cancer, the sign of his exaltation. Moreover, he’ll form a grand trine with Saturn and Neptune, so we’ll have even more opportunities to create what we most want and need, especially in terms of what connects us with each other and sustains us emotionally.

Mercury, the ruler of Gemini, is in his own sign, and he’s conjunct Venus and approaching conjunction with Jupiter at the eclipse. This is a vibrant configuration that favors intellectual creativity of all kinds, but especially writing. It’s also a good opportunity to examine the stories we tell ourselves about our lives. With an eclipse squaring Neptune, this is a great time to release illusions and delusions. Whether you’re underestimating yourself or misjudging your limitations, now would be a good time for a reality check.

Wesak occurs at the Full Moon in sidereal Scorpio. Sometimes this is the same as in the tropical system, which is the form of astrology most of us in the Western world use. This year, however, the dates are different. You can read more about sidereal and tropical astrology in a recent Q&A post. Wesak is a major “download” time, when a portal opens to higher consciousness and enlightenment. It’s my belief that a big part of the turbulence happening in the world now is related to awakening consciousness in large groups of people. Just as giving birth is painful, waking up can be painful, too. When we understand how connected we are, depending on how we’ve structured our lives, we might suddenly realize that we need a complete overhaul. Humans are hard-wired to maintain the status quo, so being in a constant state of flux can rock us to our very foundations.

Personally, I’m going through a difficult process that in hindsight began well before I got sick last week. As many of you know from reading my blog, I experienced adrenal fatigue last summer as a result of a grueling academic schedule. I never fully recovered, and it appears I’ve had a relapse. I saw my doctor last week, and we’ve formulated a plan, but healing is going to take many months, especially since I’m not able to eliminate the worst causes of stress in my life. All I can do is give in to the process and have faith that, as in past situations, I’ll come out of it stronger and wiser. After all, it was through similar circumstances in 2001 that I became an astrologer. We’ll just have to wait and see what’s next. In the meantime, I offer my sincerest apologies to those of you who have written e-mails and ordered reports and who haven’t received a response from me. For the past two weeks, I’ve spent most of my time sleeping or lying down. I don’t know how long this will last. In the meantime, my mind is working very slow, and it takes me all day to write what I used to be able to do in an hour or two. It’s humbling, to say the least.

Next week is going to look a lot better on many levels, so hang in there with me, all of you.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast May 13: Mercury Enters Gemini

Apalachicola Bridge. © Gretchen Friedrich, 2013.

It has been a tough week here. I started coming down with something about a week ago, and it flattened me. Surely it was no coincidence that last week’s eclipse was in my sixth house, with Mars in conjunction. It’s not uncommon for sixth-house Mars transits to correspond to colds, flu, and viral infections.

It appears that I’ll live this time, but I’ve been drowsy and mentally very slow. Or was that just Mercury in Taurus? We’ll find out this Wednesday, when the Messenger enters his own speedy sign of Gemini. Isn’t it just grand being a guinea pig in the great cosmic lab?

I’ll get to Mercury in a bit, but the bigger news this week is the approach of the Uranus-Pluto square on Monday, May 20. As I write, the square is half a degree from exact – as they say, “close enough for government work.” Actually, we’ve been feeling this influence for months already, as events associated with outer planetary transits happen over time, and they often are part of unfolding trends. If we look back to the Uranus-Pluto conjunction in the mid-60s, we find that events continued to unfold for two or three years following the last exact alignment in July 1966. Indeed, the year from that era we most remember for changing civilization as we knew it was 1968.

So, this is both good news and bad news. The good news is that we don’t have to fear that the world is going to blow up in the next couple of weeks due to the exact square of Uranus and Pluto. The bad news is that some idiot could blow it up independent of Uranus and Pluto. OK, just kidding. The bad news is that we’ve still got two more years of exact alignments of the square, followed by another couple of years of aftershocks. In other words, the turbulence we’re going through now is going to remain a major trend for a long time. Of course, that doesn’t mean that life is going to suck for each and every one of us. Many will find new opportunities and prosper. And many will face challenges that are reflected in their individual charts and that have nothing to do with the Uranus-Pluto square.

There are two messages from this square that I try to keep in mind at all times. First, recent events are reminding us that we are all connected, not just with each other in this incarnation, but with the collective unconscious throughout all time. When a garment factory goes up in flames in Bangladesh, we’re connected to those workers, whether or not we just bought a bargain T-shirt at H&M that was made in Bangladesh. When I lived in France, I was constantly impressed by how well the family I lived with knew where everything on their table came from. I used to joke with them that they knew the name of the goat that gave the milk for the cheese they were eating.

And that brings me to the second message. We’re not going to be able to fight “big bad government” the way it was done in the 60s – not that they had much success, either, but we’re definitely at a point where protesting is deadly. Some causes are worth fighting and dying for, but many are not, and getting together for an afternoon to smoke a joint, carry a sign, march topless, or dress as a vagina isn’t going to do much except get your photo in the news, which should not be mistaken for “doing something” about the problem. Saturn in Scorpio in mutual reception with Pluto in Capricorn favors big government, corporate domination, and wannabe tyrants, but it also favors coming up with practical solutions to build a more sustainable future. The thing is, each of us needs to decide whether we’re going to continue buying into the current paradigm, or whether we’re going to opt out. If we choose the latter, what does that look like?

We can’t wait for our leaders (sic) to do the work for us. They’ve screwed up the economy beyond recognition, so what makes us think they have the ability or the will to fix it – or, at least, to fix it in a way that benefits anyone but themselves? We’re going to have to make up our own economy, based primarily on used goods and local services. To do that, we need to shift our value system. What’s more important, having the latest fashion (dictated by someone else) for your friend’s birthday party, or looking fabulous in a dress you’ve worn several times and received many compliments on already? I know, that’s kind of a trivial example, and perhaps not anything I need to preach to readers of RealAstrologers, highly aware bunch that you are. But you get my point. I minored in economics in college and have been thinking about this a lot lately.

Of course, where we get our news is a big consideration, too. Joe and I have had an ongoing e-mail exchange about news sources. The corporate media in the United States have devolved into little but mouthpieces for government and can’t be relied upon to do any serious independent investigation. The alternative media typically have an agenda and are biased. And you have to be very careful about some of the so-called “news” sites on the Internet. Anyone can call himself a journalist. Believe it or not, being a good reporter really does require training and experience. I recently read a terrific article on the nature of journalism in America by Ron Unz. Ironically, he’s the publisher of a conservative journal co-founded by Pat Buchanan. Go figure. But he hit the nail right on the head. It just goes to show that neither political party has a monopoly on the truth.

And what better segue to get us back to astrology than news, which falls within the domain of Mercury, ruler of Gemini. Gemini likes a little information on a lot of subjects, and it wants it fast! When I think Mercury in Gemini, I think of The Huffington Post, which crams everything from breaking news to the latest congressional hypocrisy and celebrity cleavage onto one page. It puts me in overwhelm mode to the point of nausea. But my Mercury is in Capricorn, so there you go. Gemini people no doubt eat it up like popcorn.

Venus also is in Gemini this week, tracking slightly ahead of Mercury. They both square Neptune – she on Monday and he on Saturday. Normally, we think of Venus-Neptune squares as ripe for delusions about love and attraction, and that may well be true. However, there may not be much discernible difference between Venus in Gemini squaring Neptune and Mercury in Gemini squaring Neptune this week. In both cases, illusions or delusions – be they about love, picking winning lottery numbers, or selling your screenplay to Spielberg – will come and go so fast you may not remember them long enough to do yourself any real damage. News headlines may be confusing, and “facts” could change from one minute to the next. As Lou Reed sings in “Last Great American Whale,” Don’t believe half of what you see, and none of what you hear.

Also on Saturday, Venus sextiles Uranus. This is also a fairly fast and fleeting aspect, but it’s definitely more cheerful. Have a latte or a drink with a friend. This is a good shopping aspect, too, so do something different (Uranus) and visit a local consignment or thrift shop. One of my former classmates in film school got her entire wardrobe at Value Village. I’m not sure what I’d call her style, but it definitely was all her own.

Since I’ve made so much of the Uranus-Pluto square and all the seriousness it entails, I’d also like to remind you that we’ve have a rare and special grand trine coming up in July that will provide some temporary relief from all this depressing stuff. I mentioned it in my 2013 video, but I’ll have more about it in future columns. In the meantime, Ray Merriman had some interesting comments in his weekly forecast about how it might correlate to developments in U.S. politics and finance.

In case anyone missed the Thursday Q&A, I was too out of it to write this past week (I also am behind on reports and e-mails, so if you haven’t heard back from me, please be patient). I’ll have a new Q&A post this week … well, unless some idiot channeling Uranus and Pluto blows up the world.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast May 6: New Moon Solar Eclipse in Taurus

This week, we have the second of three eclipses in a row and the only solar eclipse among them, which is about new beginnings and, in some cases, dramatic and final endings.

The eclipse occurs on Thursday, with the Sun and Moon at 19°33′ Taurus. Mercury and Mars also are in Taurus, along with asteroid Pallas, which is conjunct the Sun and Moon by exact degree. Venus, the Bull’s ruling planet, leaves Taurus for Gemini earlier in the day, which means that Venus and Mercury will be in mutual reception. OK, that’s a head full of astro-babble, so let’s break it down.

Taurus is the most materialistic of all the signs. Of the three earth signs (the other two are Virgo and Capricorn), it is the most rock-solid, the most in the here-and-now, the most present on the plane of existence we call “reality.” People with strong Taurus in their charts often are materially successful, precisely because they place so much value on material possessions. While they have a well-deserved reputation for being slow and stubborn, they’re also patient and reliable – the kind of person you want around you in a crisis.

As I explained in the Thursday Q&A, eclipses occur when a New Moon or Full Moon falls near the lunar nodes. This eclipse falls very close to the transiting South Node at about 17 degrees Taurus, with the North Node at 17 degrees Scorpio. The South Node reminds of where we’ve been. Civilization as we know it arose during the Age of Taurus in ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq). It’s no coincidence that winged bulls were potent symbols during that time and often associated with the king.

I don’t think it’s any coincidence, either, that we’ve managed to bomb Iraq back into the Stone Age. When the United States invaded Iraq, I immediately had the sense that civilization “as we know it” was coming to an end. Not that it was an original thought. Many of us have realized that our societal structures aren’t sustainable, and there’s no amount of fixing, adjusting, or voting out the scoundrels that will save it. No, it’s broken beyond repair, and we’re in uncharted waters, trying to figure out what to do next.

That’s where Scorpio comes in, with its modern ruler, Pluto. Among other attributes, Scorpio breaks down what is rotten and useless. But before that can happen, there needs to be some recognition of the problem. That’s also Scorpio’s territory. With laser vision, Scorpio can see beneath the layers of “reality” to the source of the problem.

I’ve written a lot about the social upheaval manifesting from the Uranus-Pluto square, which is approaching another exact alignment on May 20. I’ve also written about how the mutual reception between Saturn in Scorpio and Pluto in Capricorn is working in synergy with the Uranus-Pluto square to hasten the breakdown phase to clear the way for new, sustainable structures. I haven’t written much, though, about what that new way of living and being is going to look like or how we’re going to get there. Spiritual awakening is all fine and good, and “living spiritually” is a worthy goal, but what does that mean? The fact is, on this plane of existence, we have material bodies that have material needs. Indeed, it’s precisely in meeting these needs over many millennia that we’ve managed to screw up the planet and become, in the words of cultural critic Daniel Quinn “enraged, rebellious, desperate, stressed-out borderline psychotics being torn apart by crime, hatred, and violence.”

I like Quinn’s allegories and metaphors. For example, he writes that if the plane you’re on is in trouble, you won’t save yourself by shooting the pilot. You need to strap on your parachute and jump. “Parachute” isn’t the first image that comes to my mind when I think of Taurus, but there needs to be some place to jump to, and it is the job of Taurus to create new realities. Rather than continuing to complain about how bad the current reality sucks, we need to start doing some serious hands-on building. (I know that many of you already are, and I’d like to hear from you.)

Speaking for myself, I have to say that I long ago got tired of alternative news sites that day after day sound the alarm about corrupt leaders, bailouts for bankers, injustice for whistleblowers, the rise of the police state, etcetera ad nauseam. First off, I was a reporter in Washington, D.C., in the late 80s and early 90s and saw it for myself, so this isn’t news to me. Beyond that, I wonder how much of this stuff we have to read to be “convinced.” When I read these articles, I want to scream, “OK, OK! I get it!” Are we going to just keep sharing links in the social media and clucking our tongues about those horrible awful people leading us down a path of certain destruction, or are we going to start doing something differently?

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Of course, it’s legitimate to talk about it first, and that’s where I see the Mercury-Venus mutual reception coming in. Just keep in mind that Mercury and Mars conjoin on Tuesday, which is a recipe for arguments. Taurus is conflict averse, but unfortunately tends to stonewall to avoid it. Sometimes remaining silent is wise, but eventually real disagreements must be addressed. Venus in Gemini can help with that. Mercury is the planet of communication, and Taurus is, among other things, the builder of new worlds. As ruler of Taurus, Venus is about artful living. Having more, more-expensive toys doesn’t make us happier. How we communicate, how we share with each other, and how we co-create new worlds together is the message this pair brings.

I want to explore this theme more in future posts and very much would like to hear what readers think. I have clients who have left untenable jobs in the past couple of years for situations that paid less but were more gratifying in other ways. Although this has been a nationwide trend for the better part of the past decade, I sense that many of you are moving beyond that into new ways of thinking about the world and your place in it. It seems like we’re all trying to find our tribe.

On that note, I’d like to express my deepest thank you to those of you who responded to my call last week for some show of support. Although in terms of numbers, only a small percentage of readers sent donations, those who did were incredibly generous, not just with donations and report orders but with notes of encouragement. It was gratifying and yet humbling at the same time to read how many of you rely on my weekly forecast to help you make sense of the turbulent times we’re in. It’s not overly dramatic to say that the human species faces life-or-death decisions. Because we are all connected, every decision we make in our individual lives ripples out into the collective and either hastens our demise or builds the equivalent of new “neural pathways.”

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

P.S. For a cool graphic showing the path of Thursday’s eclipse, check out Wikipedia.

Ask Real Astrologers: How Do the Eclipses Affect Us?

This week’s question comes from Gretchen in Arkansas:

Are we affected personally by every eclipse in a series?

Gretchen, this is a terrific question and, of course, a timely one, since we’re in the middle of a string of three eclipses in a row.

For those not familiar with the eclipse cycle, there usually are four eclipses in a year. They arrive in pairs, with a full moon and new moon (in either order), followed about six months later by another new moon/full moon pair. In rare cases, there are five or six eclipses in a year. In 2013, we have five of them, with three in a row this spring. A lunar eclipse always occurs at the full moon, while a solar eclipse always occurs at the new moon.

When eclipses occur is determined by the lunar nodes – yes, the same lunar nodes that astrologers use as indicators of “past lives,” destiny, life purpose, and karmic connections between people. The nodes are points in space where the Moon’s orbit crosses the ecliptic, which is the path the Sun appears to take around the Earth. Ecliptic, eclipse. Get it? The lunar nodes fall in a sign pair and move backwards through the zodiac at the rate of about one sign pair every year and a half, although there is overlap in the signs of the eclipses. So, for example, the nodes currently are at about 16 degrees Scorpio (North Node) and Taurus (South Node). The lunar eclipse on April 25 was in Scorpio, according to Western tropical astrology. The solar eclipse on May 9 falls in Taurus, followed by a lunar eclipse in Sagittarius on May 25, the last in the Sagittarius/Gemini sign pair. In October, the eclipses begin to migrate into the Libra/Aries sign pair.

Graphic created by Tom Ruen.

Just as transits of the outer planets can be tracked through your natal chart, with corresponding life events that tend to manifest with these transits, we can track the eclipses through the houses in your chart. Usually, the eclipses spend a year or two in opposite houses, depending on the width of the individual houses (in the system I use, they are unequal). I have found consistently over time that where the eclipses fall in a client’s chart correlates strongly with the areas of life that are most urgent for them. Eclipse pairs in the first and seventh houses and the fourth and tenth houses tend to bring the most change. These are the ones that often are accompanied by traumatic breakups in relationships, life-changing injuries, career breakthroughs, family issues, and other challenges that can completely upend our lives. Eclipses in the others houses tend to be less dramatic, or at least, they aren’t as broad in scope. Eclipses in the twelfth house might go completely unnoticed, or you may experience them internally, through a significant dream, past-life memory, or personal revelation.

For you, Gretchen, the eclipses have been in the second and eighth houses, the two key financial areas of the chart. While the eclipses are in these areas, your finances may go through an overhaul, or the finances of a domestic or business partner may change, which affects you as well. Changes can come in quick bursts over a year or 18 months and may be distressing, but often the changes we experience near eclipses push us toward a goal faster than we’d get there on our own volition. And all eclipse-related events aren’t upsetting. Stunning breakthroughs can happen around eclipses, especially if the Sun and Moon make positive aspects to natal planets. The eighth house also is associated with sex, personal power, and transformation, so there are other possible outcomes that don’t have to do with finances.

Will you see developments at each eclipse in the series? Not necessarily, and there’s no straightforward answer or even a rule of thumb, as eclipses-related events don’t always happen with a few days of the eclipse itself. When an eclipse is powerfully aspected in your chart, you might even feel the changes six months in advance. Of course, this makes it hard to attribute these events to the eclipse, but we do have clues. This certainly is true in world affairs. In February 2010, there was an earthquake in Chile that I linked to an eclipse several months later.

My StarGuide seasonal and annual forecasts tell you where the eclipses currently fall in your chart (sometimes they cover four houses, which gets complicated). Both reports are on sale for 25 percent off. Unfortunately, I can’t drop the price further, because I have to spend the same amount of time creating the report for you. However, if you order the Spring 2013 forecast now, I’ll give you transits through the end of July.

So, Gretchen, I guess the easy answer to your question is “no.” :-)

Pat

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. You must use this form to contact me, or I won’t get your question. I do read all of your questions, although I am sorry that I can’t answer them all. If you need immediate guidance or in-depth advice, please check out my affordable written reports, or contact me for a private consultation. THANKS!

Taurus Rising: The Taurus Soul

Taurus, a Tribute to Japan. by Karen MacKenzie. See link below for more of Karen’s zodiac prints.

Each one of us is on our own unique individual journey from fear to love. How we experience that journey in this lifetime is largely indicated by our Rising sign (Ascendant). As we continue exploring the 12 zodiac signs from the perspective of the Rising sign, we will begin to understand that how we react when we are in fear is not the highest and best expression of our soul, and that to reach the highest potential of our soul sign we need to learn to respond from love in all of life’s challenges.

This series exploring the fear-based reactions and love-based expressions of each sign continues this month with Taurus. As we saw last month, our Rising sign is the indicator of our soul’s journey and purpose, because it indicates the prevailing energy at the time of our birth. It is how we entered the world and it is how we move forward into all new situations throughout our lives. According to Errol Weiner in his book Transpersonal Astrology, we can have the same soul sign for up to eight incarnations.*

It seems, then, that since we are already a Taurus soul, our soul carries the energetic signature of Taurus. When the time of our birth is approaching, and Taurus rises on the horizon (the rising sign is the sign that is rising on the horizon at the exact time of our birth), a “window of opportunity” opens, and because it already matches our soul vibration, we are able to “beam in” on that frequency to begin a new incarnation. I like to think that our Rising sign indicates the “beam of light” that we rode in on!

As such, our Rising sign is also indicating the pure vibrant spiritual energy that we brought with us to be expressed in this lifetime, and which serves the dual purpose of fulfilling our own personal spiritual development while at the same time making our own unique contribution to the spiritual upliftment of humanity and our beautiful Earth home. We are born at the precise place and time when a particular sign is rising on the horizon, because we already resonate with that frequency. It is our wavelength.

This is why birth is a very exciting time! It is literally the dawn of your life, and the birthing of new life on Earth is always filled with potential and possibility. All newborns carry their own unique and divine energy signature, so there will never be another you throughout all of eternity. With Taurus rising, you are part of a group of souls who share the same soul purpose, and you will express that purpose uniquely depending upon other factors in your chart, including your Sun and Moon signs.

According to Esoteric Astrology, if you have Taurus rising, you are here to realize the freedom that comes with releasing personal desire and attachment. This sacred sign is associated with the opening of the third eye and the highest spiritual illumination and realization, right up to full enlightenment. The Buddha was born, became enlightened, and passed into parinirvana during the time of Taurus. The association with Taurus and enlightenment cannot be ignored, and the power of this sign to bring spiritual illumination cannot be underestimated. But what do we mean by releasing desire and attachment? It sounds a bit impoverished and miserable, especially when you think that most Taureans love to indulge their sense-pleasures. More cake anyone?

To understand the spiritual path of Taurus, true freedom, and the liberation that the release of attachment brings, we can look to the teachings of Buddha himself. Why not? He was a Taurus after all! Dynamic Buddhist Nun Ven. Robina Courtin uses the analogy of chocolate cake to provide a clear, humorous, and eloquent explanation of what Buddha meant by attachment. It is not the pleasure of chocolate cake that causes us suffering, but our attachment to it.

When we are attached, we experience an exaggerated idea about the object of attachment – for example, chocolate cake – yet we believe this to be true. Then if we don’t get it we feel upset, and if we get too much we feel sick! Without this false exaggerated idea called attachment, we would enjoy the pleasure without the pain. Without attachment, we wouldn’t be upset if there was no chocolate cake, and we wouldn’t overindulge. The cake would have no power over us, and we would simply take it or leave it. In this example, we’re using cake to keep it simple, but you can substitute any of the things we humans get attached to: our homes, our friends, lovers, spouses, jobs, money, pets, etc.

The spiritual path of Taurus uses sensuality without attachment to explore spiritual heights and understand our true nature. Using our sense-perception for deep self-exploration, we become capable of examining the true nature of reality through direct perception. With this capacity we can see that the whole of humanity is one body, and the nature of that body is light. This is why the sign of Taurus is associated with illumination.

I see and when the Eye is opened, all is light. ~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

Fear arises when we become caught in the illusion of ourselves as a separate entity, rather than anchored in the truth of our being as a unique individual within this body of humanity. We all experience this, and it is part of our human journey from being an innocent newborn, to pass through the experience of fear and separation, to once again return to a deeper spiritual connection. With fear comes attachment, as we try to hold onto the things we fear to lose. So for example, Taurus rising brings the capacity and predisposition to experience the physical world mainly though the senses. Sense perception is an innate ability. Sensuality is a way of experiencing life. When that sensuality is tainted by attachment, fear and possessiveness arises.

In our spiritual development we pass through stages (described by Patanjali as “bodies”). As we collectively pass through the mental/intellectual stage,** fear arises as a side effect of our capacity to create mental concepts. One such mental concept is the idea that “I” am separate. This concept then branches off into ideas of ownership: that this separate “I” possesses things. I, me, mine. When Taurus experiences fear, she becomes more avaricious and possessive, as though having more things would make the fear go away. When she releases fear and lives from love, she is able to enjoy all her senses without the pain of attachment.

If you have Taurus rising, you are here to release attachment and develop your senses for their highest purpose: to lead you to freedom, liberation, illumination and eventually enlightenment. Then your full spiritual potential will blossom and you will truly live from love.

Ruth

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Footnotes:

* Transpersonal Astrology, by Errol Weiner, is available on Amazon and can be ordered through all major bookstores. Errol can be contacted for Soul Astrology readings at rainbowzodiac@gmail.com.

** Patanjali associated manomay kosh (mental body) with the element of water, and we can see that throughout the Piscean Age (astrologically Pisces is the mutable water sign), which spanned from around the time of Christ to our modern era, the body of humanity has largely been cultivating, developing, and refining the intellect. Interestingly, Patanjali’s next stage is vigyanamay kosh (intuitive body), which he associates with the element of air. We are currently in a transitional period between the Age of Pisces and the Age of Aquarius. Since astrologically Aquarius is the fixed air sign, we can expect the next 2000 years to be a time in which the body of humanity will cultivate, develop, and refine the intuitive faculty.

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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.”

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About the artist: 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 (her prints are very affordable).

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

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?

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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