Author Archives: Pat

About Pat

Co-Founder and Chief Visionary of RealAstrologers

Weekly Forecast February 18: Sun Enters Pisces, Mercury Retrograde

The Sun enters Pisces this week, bringing to four the number of planets in the sign of the Fishes – five, if you count Chiron.

Although I’m an Aquarius, Pisces and Neptune are so strong in my chart that often I get confused and think I’m a Pisces. I certainly know what it feels like to be one.

Being a Pisces can be really difficult. If you recall your symbolism, Pisces isn’t just a sweet pair of gold fish who’ve found their soul mate and live happily ever after. No, these fishes are tied to each other with a permanent knot – which would be fine, if they were both swimming in the same direction. But they aren’t, and they can’t. For Pisces, nothing is ever certain. Seeing the big picture and the totality of everything means that every argument has a counter-argument, and every choice has an alternative. The choice then is to be paralyzed with indecision or to leap into whichever option seems best at the moment, with nothing concrete to go on except faith that all will turn out well.

It’s no accident that people with strong Pisces energy in their charts often turn to escapism, whether through drugs, alcohol, religion, or some other means of avoiding reality. The flip side – we’re talking Pisces here, so there has to be one – is that Pisces is one of the most imaginative and visionary of all the signs. The list of famous Fishes includes Michelangelo, George Washington, Frederic Chopin, Albert Einstein, Ansel Adams, and Steve Jobs. Then, it also includes Mitt Romney, L. Ron Hubbard, Sirhan Sirhan, and Osama Bin Laden … we think. We’re not really sure.

In a way, the dilemma of Pisces is the most urgent problem confronting humanity. And why not? The Age of Pisces isn’t over yet, as much as we might wish it. We’re still grappling with all of the dualities represented in the symbolism of Pisces, and it’s not overly dramatic to say that failure to solve the puzzle of Pisces could result in the extinction of our species. Conversely, moving beyond the seemingly implacable divisions into a new sense of interconnectedness could be our salvation. If you haven’t read it already, check out this old article by Ray Grasse about the transition we’re making from Pisces to Aquarius.

In any case, we’re all going to feel the energy of Pisces in the next few weeks, and some of you may have an increase in inter-dimensional experiences. As I’ve noted in the past, these intrusions, for lack of a better word, can be moderately to severely disorienting. It doesn’t help that they aren’t clear. They don’t come with instruction manuals in seven languages to help you decipher the message. My usual advice to clients is to observe carefully what’s going on in your life when these visions, dreams, and memories appear, and look for patterns in how they mirror events and relationships in this lifetime. For me, at least, there’s some kind of repetition. Also stay alert for synchronicities.

The Sun enters Pisces on Monday and begins his approach to conjunction with Neptune on Thursday. This is the imaginative, creative side of Pisces, so use the beginning of the week for work that requires inspiration and intuition. Keep a journal with you and write down any unusual events, sudden thoughts that seem to come from “somewhere else,” psychic flashes, or images in dreams that either are particularly vivid or that elicit a strong emotional response. Sometimes I forget my dreams, but then an image I see in the course of my day reminds me, and it all comes back. Those are times when you want a notebook handy.

Also on Monday, Saturn turns retrograde, and he remains at a standstill until Wednesday and then will slowly begin to creep backwards (what it looks like from down here, anyway). For many of you, old structures have been breaking down for some time now, and new ones are forming already, especially since Jupiter’s return direct. Some of you indeed had very happy news to report last week. For others, the breakdown phase will last longer. Saturn and Pluto in mutual reception, along with the Uranus-Pluto square, represent an uncontrollable tide. Depending on where these three planets are transiting your chart, it may be better to go along with the current than to expend all your energy fighting it. As an astrologer, I’m not immune to this process, and I totally understand how scary it can be.

Dreams and visions pick up toward the end of the week, as Mercury stations to turn retrograde on Saturday. Unfortunately, there’s an “ick” factor, too, as Mercury and Mars approach conjunction at the Full Moon on February 25. I’ve advised some of my clients to take vacations, if possible, and get out of the line of fire. Tempers are going to flare, with a strong risk of arguments that either blow entirely out of proportion or end up with people not speaking to each other, possibly for days or weeks. It goes without saying that you need to think carefully before opening your mouth. There are some words that cause irreparable damage to relationships and, once spoken, can never be taken back.

I’ve also started noticing early manifestations of retrograde Mercury, as I’m sure many of you have, too. My cell phone died on Friday, and getting through to customer service at T-Mobile was a nightmare. Meanwhile, my laptop was infected with not one, not two, but five viruses. Fortunately, I got an alert from my security software yesterday and was able to clean them all up before they got out of control. If you haven’t run a complete scan on your computer, don’t waste another second. Do it now!

My way of staying out of trouble and avoiding reality will be to lie on the couch watching back-to-back episodes of the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice. If nothing else, it’s a delightful lesson in what happens when people completely misunderstand each other’s motives.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

P.S. I’m about to put StarGuide 2013 on sale, so this will be a good time to get your yearly transits at a discount.

Weekly Forecast February 11: Mercury and Mars Trine Saturn

We’re in a surreal, watery world this week, but don’t be deceived. Planetary aspects are excellent for major accomplishments and getting tangible results.

More importantly, this is the last week we have so much positive energy going for us, so make it count! If you can get all your ducks in a row now, it will be easier to navigate the stormy seas in the following weeks. Now is the time to finalize your trip plan, make upgrades to your boat, get all your supplies onboard, set sail, and get as far as you can. Since we’re mixing metaphors, make sure all your ducks are onboard, too.

We start out the week in something of a fog, with the Moon moving through Pisces and conjoining Mars, Chiron, and Mercury. She also makes aspects to Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn. But the ducks are lining up nonetheless, and you may find that events on Monday form a clear outline for the rest of your week. Quack, quack. Monday’s Venus-Saturn square isn’t cheerful, but it favors commitment to staying the course, no matter what.

Tuesday is busy, with Mercury in a sextile with Pluto and trine with Saturn. As I’ve mentioned before, Saturn and Pluto are in mutual reception, which correlates to accelerated breakdown in whatever is useless and outdated – in our lives, in society, and in global systems. I just started reading Al Gore’s new book, The Future, in which he discusses the massive global changes about to take place. Unfortunately, I don’t think he goes far enough, perhaps due to an ossified imagination and failure to see that his worldview reflects his privileged class more than he thinks it does. But, in fairness, he gets credit for understanding that we’re on the edge of a shift that promises to be unlike anything humanity has ever experienced. As an astrologer, I translate that to the Uranus-Pluto square, with Pluto and Saturn in mutual reception for the next two years.

Aspects with Saturn this week are especially powerful, as Saturn is stationed to go retrograde on February 18 (there’s got to be a “sitting duck” line somewhere in there, but I just can’t think of it). Saturn is the planet of structure, but in Scorpio it’s about breaking down structures that are decaying and weak and using the materials to rebuild forms that are stronger and more sustainable. What can you tear apart and rebuild to be stronger and more durable?

Also on Tuesday, Mars conjoins Chiron. Some of our deepest wounds aren’t physical but in our energy field, where they’re often much harder to identify and treat than injuries to the body. Not only are they invisible, but some people deny they exist at all. Mars is the surgeon, and he can cut straight to the source. Just be forewarned that it may feel like the dentist sticking a pick in your teeth to find the cavity. When you jump out of your chair and howl in pain, you know you found the problem. Resist the temptation to slug the dentist.

Thursday is Valentine’s Day, and while the Moon makes lovely aspects to the Sun and Venus, the Moon is in Aries, the “me-first” sign. Be prepared to lavish attention on anyone who gives you chocolate or flowers. If you don’t, they will feel unappreciated and resentful. But with Mars in Pisces, you probably won’t hear about it until Christmas, at least not directly.

Friday and Saturday are the power days, with Mars sextile Pluto and trine Saturn. Action is the order of the day, and it’s a highly transformative energy. Here is where you can make the most progress in changing what isn’t working in your life. The key is that there has to be common good in your plan. Whenever Pluto is involved in an aspect, selfish goals backfire, as do any plans that include manipulating others to do your bidding.

As I mentioned in last week’s forecast, one way that all this Pisces energy could manifest is a lifting of the “veil” between worlds that forms boundaries between dimensions of time and space. As a result, some of you may feel light-headed and disoriented, or you may have bizarre or disturbing dreams. Take extra care with alcohol and recreational drugs. You may find that you can’t tolerate as much as usual or that it affects you in unpredictable ways.

Time to get back to my ducks.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Uranus, Jupiter and the Inner Journey of Aquarius, Part II

Young Woman with a Pitcher, by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, 1660-1662. The painting represented a shift in how the artist used light.

The symbology of Aquarius as the water carrier belies the higher purpose of Aquarius to flow the dual waters of love and life for thirsty humanity, like a divine fountain or wellspring. Aquarius’s role within this one body of humanity is to provide this constant source of divine energy, through the fusion of heart and mind.

This is why conventionally in astrology, even though Leo rules the heart, it is Aquarius that rules the circulation and flow of blood. Esoterically, Aquarius governs the distribution of the vital waters of love and life throughout both the individual human body and the larger body of humanity!

In the first article in this series, we looked at Patanjali’s description of consciousness in terms of five “bodies” or dimensions of experience: physical, energy, mental, intuitive, bliss and, ultimately, universal mind. It seems that Uranus and Jupiter in Aquarius combine to create those conditions necessary for us to experience and transcend the intuitive and bliss dimensions on our journey to universal mind.

The heightened intuition of Uranus combined with the expansiveness of Jupiter serve to expand the fullness of experience towards universal mind by supporting the fusion of mind energy (intuition) and heart energy (bliss). Jupiter plays a major role in the fusion of head and heart, so that the dual “waters” in Aquarius may become one steady stream that we may call “heart-mind.”

Jupiter gives an inherent tendency to fusion which nothing can arrest. The achievement of ultimate synthesis is inevitable, and this Jupiter promotes. ~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

The soul experience in Aquarius can be likened to a collective awakening, which we will have more experiential knowledge of as we reach the culmination of the Aquarian Age. As a result of the conditioning effects of Uranus and Jupiter, there is a flowering of human consciousness. We may think of it as a collective awakening, yet it is more akin to an awareness of our individual roles within the universal mind. Here there is a hint at the role of the Moon at hierarchical level in this mass awakening of humanity. The experience of universal mind is the higher group consciousness of Aquarius and is nothing like our current mental-intellectual experience. Rather, it is a level of higher mind that is born within from the fusion of higher mind (intuition) and heart-wisdom.

If an egg is broken by an outside force life ends.
If an egg is broken by an inside force, life begins.
~ Unknown

Your vital life-force energy comes from within. While it is natural for Aquarius to circulate (Aquarians are amazing networkers) it is more important that you pay attention to how you are flowing your energy. A fully integrated Aquarius will have accessed the heart-energy of their opposite sign Leo and be flowing vital heart-mind energy through an open heart. The Aquarian who is not yet fully attuned to their heart may just be circulating mental information at best and misinformation at worst. If you have Sun, Moon and especially Rising Sign in Aquarius, a major theme in your life is the circulation of life-force energy in the form of heart-wisdom. Be sure to access the inner dimensions of your own heart first to discover the inner fountain of life force energy and heart-wisdom, so you can then flow this energy with conscious intent for the benefit of humanity.

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.”

Uranus, Jupiter and the Inner Journey of Aquarius, Part I

Young Woman with a Pitcher, by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, 1660-1662. The painting represented a shift in how the artist used light.

Aquarius Season is upon us once again, bringing with it an opportunity to check in where we are up to in dedicating our personal energy to the body of humanity.

The sign of Aquarius is associated with individuality, uniqueness, science, technology, the future, humanitarianism, the New Age and group consciousness.

According to Esoteric Astrology, the last four signs of the zodiac – Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces – are signs of service. Following the soul’s journey through the 12 signs of the zodiac, after the soul in Capricorn has followed and completed the path of light, leading to Christ consciousness, it is time for the soul in Aquarius to become the world server, flowing love and life for the benefit of thirsty humanity.

Four planets are important in creating the conditions necessary for the soul’s development and experience in Aquarius: Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, and the Moon. Saturn was traditionally considered to be the planetary ruler of Aquarius, and to many people still will be. The conditions that we mentioned in last month’s article pertaining to Saturn and Capricorn also relate to Aquarius when humanity is largely personality centered and driven by fear and attachment. Once the soul has completed the stage of development in Capricorn and has accessed Christ consciousness, it no longer is limited by the constraints of Saturn and comes under the custodianship (planetary rulership) of Uranus.

On the reversed wheel. The Saturnian influence exhausts itself in Capricorn and the man is then set free from karma and needs no presentation of opportunity for he stands a free initiate, a true Master Mason* and can proceed with world service undeterred and held back by no thought of self or selfish desire. ~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

As humanity increasingly moves onto the fixed cross (see last month’s article for an overview of the evolution of consciousness in terms of the three crosses), where there is awareness of soul and personality, Uranus increasingly becomes the custodian of Aquarius at personality level. Jupiter is the custodian of Aquarius at soul level, while interestingly the Moon is the custodian at hierarchical level. Since we already explored Saturn in last month’s article on Capricorn – and the effect would be the same here in Aquarius until the individual consciousness has become receptive to the energies of Uranus – for our purposes in this article we will focus on the two major influences for this early phase of the Aquarian Age, Uranus and Jupiter.

Uranus causes the great transference in the human consciousness from intellectual perception to intuitive knowledge. ~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

The subtle influence of Uranus begins in Aries at hierarchical level, continues working through Libra at soul level, and here in Aquarius, human consciousness has evolved to the degree that the subtle energies of Uranus can be received at personality level so the individual can perceive and fully utilize the intuitive faculty. Although even talking about “perceiving” and “utilizing” is misleading, because it sounds like there is something distinct and separate outside of ourselves to be perceived and utilized, which is not the case. By the time we have a conscious soul in Aquarius, we have gone beyond duality, and the experience of the intuitive faculty is that of embodiment. We realize it is who we are. We are aware of ourselves. This is also why Jupiter is the custodian at soul level in Aquarius, because we are experiencing our most expanded and expansive nature (without self).

The soul in Aquarius becomes the world server, and the highest soul purpose of Aquarius is the dedication of personal energy to the collective. Once again, even the term “collective” could be misleading, because our common understanding of collective is separate individuals forming a group. Yet, the highest soul experience in Aquarius is not one of separation, but of each individual being part of the whole body of humanity. Humanity is experienced as one, with each individual being an integral part, just like the cells within a human body that are individual yet indivisible from the whole. Since there is no experience of a separate self, there is no question of harming “others,” as to do so would be tantamount to chopping off one’s own fingers or toes! Others do not exist as such and all that is experienced is we, as one.

In Part II, we’ll look at the connection between Aquarius and the collective awakening of humanity.

Ruth

Footnote:
*I don’t believe this refers to modern Freemasonry, which the Tibetan describes as a “distortion,” but rather is a simple metaphor for one who is a Master in their respective field.

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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.”

Weekly Forecast February 4: Mercury Enters Pisces, New Moon in Aquarius

May your happiness be without limit. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

The most significant astrological event this week is the New Moon in Aquarius, which also happens to be the Chinese New Year. But the flavor of the week is definitely fish.

Starting this week, we’re approaching a stellium of planets in Pisces that will culminate in an emotionally volatile New Moon in March. In the meantime, Mercury will turn retrograde in Pisces and conjoin Mars twice. My read on this is that we’re about to go through a collective release of accumulated anger, frustration, grief, and past-life trauma. Not that this hasn’t been happening in a big way already, but I think it’s about to get even bigger.

Over the past week, I’ve been following comments on a few news stories, and I’ve been struck by how stupid, mean, and argumentative people can be. And I don’t know if it’s just my imagination or if reading comprehension is at an all-time low. Don’t they teach that in school anymore? Or could it be that Jupiter stationed in Gemini is translating to a fixation on details without understanding the overall point of the article? Regardless, I see this as the collective venting of a high level of frustration and anger. The real source of public frustration – the corporate thieves who plundered the economy, drove up the unemployment rate, and got off scot-free, along with their political accomplices – are protected behind gated communities and armed guards. And they are no doubt pleased that, instead of plotting to storm the Bastille, the “little people” are either fighting among themselves or dousing their pain through addictive and escapist behaviors.

Ah, but the plotting thickens, in however small a way. It’s heartening to see people rallying in support of a waitress in St. Louis who was fired from Applebee’s last week for posting a customer’s rude note online. Many of the comments on news stories display an appalling lack of comprehension of the facts, but the response was visceral, and in this case, channeled in the right direction. Although there were some unbelievably rude and bigoted comments about the customer, the majority response was to call for a boycott of Applebee’s and its parent company, IHOP. For its part, Applebee’s showed its true colors by totally failing to grasp the extent of the public outrage. In its official “explanation,” you can almost hear the collapse of a decaying corporate structure.

This is all just a long way of saying that a revolution is indeed in the works – not that we haven’t known for years that it was coming, given the Uranus-Pluto square with reinforcement from Saturn in Scorpio. I always maintained that the rebellion would be a class war. With Mars in Pisces, the collective anger is going to make itself felt – all the more so when retrograde Mercury conjoins Mars later this month. It’s critical in the next six to eight weeks that you look for ways to channel any anger and frustration into appropriate action.

Now, there’s another way that all this Pisces energy could manifest, and that’s the thinning of the “veil” between worlds, sometimes called the “Veil of Isis.” More and more people are beginning to have memories, dreams, and visions of incarnations in other dimensions of time and space. This is very definitely the realm of Neptune, and confusion and disorientation are key attributes of the ninth planet. These memories can be distressing. Depending on what happened and how vividly you recall the event, the force of the emotional release could be explosive. This is especially true of karmic relationships. It’s my observation that merely knowing what happened in another lifetime usually isn’t enough to overcome a negative pattern or obsession with someone. The emotional charge has to be released, and then something changes internally that allows you to move on. Anyone who has gone through this process knows that it can be upsetting.

Mars conjoins Neptune on Monday, but we’re already feeling it. On Tuesday, Mercury enters Pisces, where he’ll turn retrograde on February 23. In all, Mercury will remain in Pisces for more than two months, when he normally breezes through a sign in three weeks. I mention this now, because Mercury enters pre-retrograde shadow on Friday, making it all the more important that you take action in the next two weeks to establish your course for the rest of the year. Even though we’ll be sailing through patchy fog, all of the planets are now direct and giving us a huge green light until February 18, when Saturn turns retrograde. This is the only period in 2013 with all ten planets direct – actually, all the asteroids, too – and we won’t have one in 2014 at all.

Of course, the biggest news this week is the New Moon in Aquarius on February 10, which is also the Chinese New Year and the beginning of the Year of the Water Snake (more water!). Since the rest of this week’s aspects are contained in the New Moon chart, I’ll discuss them in that context.

Click on image to enlarge

This is a bowl chart with an odd sort of symmetry. The Sun and Moon are at the bottom at 21 degrees Aquarius, not in aspect with any other planets but in a square with the lunar nodes by exact degree. And, of course, all of the planets are direct, making this a remarkable New Moon chart filled with the promise of a head-spinning fast-forward.

Mercury and Mars are conjunct (the alignment is exact on Friday), providing a glimpse of what will come later this month, after Mercury turns retrograde and the two planets are conjunct for a second time. Communication is key here, because otherwise the combined energy of this pair is passive aggressive. That’s what the Applebee’s customer did, and it came back to bite her in the behind. Her beef was with management, and the whole incident could have been avoided had she communicated directly.

Mercury and Mars are both square Jupiter in Gemini at the New Moon, and Mars is still in conjunction with Neptune, so it will take some effort to communicate clearly and effectively, and failure to do so could have exaggerated consequences. Chiron is in on this alignment, too, so there is an increased risk that someone is going to end up with hurt feelings. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Jupiter and Uranus are sextile by exact degree and Mars and Mercury are approaching a trine with Saturn – all indicating positive ways to redirect anger and irritation. If you can summon up the courage to be candid and direct, you can shift the level of the discussion to higher ground and build new ties in your personal and professional relationships.

Venus sextiles Uranus on Wednesday and trines Jupiter on Thursday. These combined energies suggest unexpected opportunities and a stroke of brilliant luck, most likely in the areas of career and financial deals. Thursday is a great day for signing contracts. However, at the New Moon, Venus is in a close square with Saturn, suggesting cold water thrown on plans that looked so good only a few days earlier. At the very least, you may have some version of buyer’s remorse, that “What could I possibly have been thinking?” feeling. Well that’s what Mercury retrograde is for. You’ll have a couple of weeks to do some additional research, and if you want to change your mind, you’ll probably get an opportunity to do so.

The square from the Sun and Moon to the lunar nodes suggests that whatever takes place at this New Moon could have a feeling of fate or destiny about it, at least collectively. It may apply in individual cases, too, depending on where the Sun, Moon, and nodes currently are transiting your chart. It’s also intriguing to note that the Uranus-Pluto midpoint and the Venus-Mars midpoint are both 23 degrees Aquarius, with the Sun and Moon just two degrees away. This further suggests events that are fated and part of the overall evolution/revolution of Uranus and Pluto. Gender relations are part of this scenario as the struggle continues for women’s rights and an end to violence against women and girls.

Frankly, I’d like to see an end to violence against women, girls, boys, men, cats, and dogs. The collective release of accumulated anger, pain, and trauma – whether from this lifetime or other incarnations – will go a long way toward that end. Just be prepared for a really big mess.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast January 28: Jupiter Turns Direct, Mars Enters Pisces

Seeing Through the Mists. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

Jupiter is waking up, and he’s pretty grumpy. I know how he feels.

As ruler of Sagittarius, Jupiter is said to be in “detriment” in his opposite sign, Gemini. Sagittarius is the seeker who asks the Big Questions in order to find truth with a capital “T.” Gemini is about a lot of information – the more and the more-detailed, the better. For the grand champion of Trivial Pursuit, there’s joy simply in knowing stuff. Better still if it’s trending on Twitter.

Being retrograde in Gemini has been the Big Guy’s worst nightmare. The neurons are firing left and right on information overload, but the left and right sides of the brain aren’t talking to each other. How the hell can you get the big picture if one half can’t or won’t talk to the other?

Apparently, though, Jupiter has been talking to us, and you can listen to him here. This remarkable recording was made by Thomas Ashcraft, an amateur astronomer in New Mexico. In a post on Space Weather (scroll down about halfway on the page), Aschraft is quoted as saying it felt nice to be bathed in Jupiter’s beams. At the time of his recording, Jupiter was in close conjunction with the Moon – one of the astrological aspects most often associated with good feelings. So, let’s see if I have this right: Planet Jupiter sends radio laser beams to earth that penetrate the bodies of human beings and make them feel good, but there can’t possibly be anything to such a ridiculously superstitious pseudoscience as astrology.

Whatever. Where’s my coffee?

In other science news this week (science and technology being a very Aquarius thing), there’s evidence that human DNA is growing. According to some researchers, we’ll eventually have twelve strands of DNA instead of just two. Hmmmm, twelve. Does that ring any bells? We’re mutating! I’ve long believed it likely was happening, probably due to the enormous stress we’re under as a species. Mutations in human genes aren’t anything new. I’ve got mutant blood and toes, and there are plenty of other examples. But to actually change our DNA might suggest a new species of superhumans. I can just hear the theme to 2001.

Kidding aside, we’re experiencing growing pains and have been for quite some time as our consciousness expands. I’ve heard plenty of stories from clients and readers, but last week was off the charts with reports of past-life experiences, meetings with karmic connections, people and animals passing over, and waking dreams. Maybe it was the Full Moon in Leo, which rules the heart. Some astrologers and alternative healers believe we’re going through a collective opening of the heart chakra. The heart is the true seat of the mind; the brain is just a tool. Aquarius, the sign opposite Leo, synthesizes both. Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, is the Awakener, and he is in favorable aspect with Jupiter. What’s more, both planets were favorably aspected to the Full Moon. So, it makes sense that we’d be having these mind-blowing experiences. I know that for some of you they are disorienting and uncomfortable. All I can say is, do your best to stay grounded.

Jupiter returns direct on Thursday after a long nap that began on October 4. Planetary energies are particularly powerful at stations, so this week could be quite extraordinary. Have a look at where Jupiter is transiting your natal chart (or, alternatively, order one of my StarGuide forecasts), and ask yourself whether the activities associated with that house have been stalled since early fall. They sure have for me, and I’m counting on being able to get back on track within the next couple of weeks. It may take that long, too, as it takes the outer planets a bit of time to get moving again following a shift in motion.

There’s other big news this week, too. Also on Thursday, the Sun forms an exact square with Saturn. I mentioned this aspect in last week’s forecast, as it featured prominently in the Full Moon chart. My take remains the same – i.e., that big plans may indeed be able to get off the ground, but that blast-off is going to require an awful lot of fuel. That means more effort on your part and a strong commitment to see your projects through.

Saturn himself is beginning to slow down to turn retrograde on February 18, so if you’re willing to make a commitment now, you can accomplish a lot. And here’s an extra bit of good news: once Jupiter returns direct, all ten planets will be direct until Saturn’s station. Ceres returns direct on February 4, and then all of the asteroids will be direct, too. This is a short window, and it’s the only one we’ll have in 2013, so now is the time to act!

On Friday, both Mars and Venus enter news signs. The erratic energy of Mars in Aquarius gives way to the hypersensitive and sometimes escapist tendency of Mars in Pisces, while the reserved demeanor of Venus in Capricorn turns to a more social but emotionally detached Venus in Aquarius. Sounds like a lot of drinking ending in one-night stands. Or drinking to drown the sorrows of being stood up. Or maybe just a lot of drinking.

Saturn: Whatever you do, do it responsibly.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast January 21: Full Moon in Leo

Obama’s first inauguration, 2009. Image credit: Senior Master Sgt. Thomas Meneguin, USAF

As we begin this week, all eyes are on Washington, with three quarters of a million people expected to attend the inauguration of President Barack Obama. It’s a fitting start to a week that will end in the Full Moon in Leo, the sign of rulers.

Now, I’m sensitive to the fact that many of you aren’t in the United States – at last count, RealAstrologers had readers in 180 countries – and while I don’t believe the world turns on everything we do here, it’s hard not to be influenced by one’s culture. Still, I think it’s fair to say that this is one time when activities in Washington really are of global importance.

Over the past week, I’ve been looking at charts for another potential leader, one not even born yet. That would be the first child of Prince William and the former Kate Middleton, whose due date has been revised to July. Palace officials were forced to announce her pregnancy prematurely in early December, because she had to be hospitalized for a rare form of “morning sickness” (technically, it’s not, but that’s how it has been reported). At the time, they said she was 12 weeks pregnant. Of course, I did a quick look at the charts to see if that would put her due date around the time of the grand water trine in July. It didn’t, and so I forgot about it. But then it was announced last week that her due date in fact is in July. I just had to do a video, and fortunately, I was able to knock it out in a few days – I’m getting faster with experience.

Beyond that, I’m a big fan of Kate’s, not because I care about what she wears or how she cuts her hair, but because of the way she has stepped up to the plate to accept her destiny, with more grace and class than most of us would be able to muster. Sure, she gets the best of anything money can buy. But can you imagine being on a international diplomatic tour, with every twitch of your little finger under a microscope, while tabloids were splashing photos of your naked breasts all over the front page? Well, OK, I suppose there are people who get off on that sort of thing. I’d be mortified. On top of that, she’s been on baby watch since the wedding (if not before), as though she were a brood mare.

Anyway, those of you who like to analyze birth charts will have a lot of fun with this video, which shows some fascinating family patterns. Incidentally, these patterns often show up in families. My own is no exception. I’m an Aquarius with Moon in Pisces. My father was an Aquarius, and my mother was a Pisces with Moon and Venus in Aquarius. Both older siblings were Aquarius and Pisces.

Back to this week …

Mercury makes positive aspects to Uranus and Jupiter on Tuesday, stimulating creative thought and big, bold ideas. If you get a legitimate opportunity to turn them into reality, jump on it. The key word here is “legitimate,” and it may be hard for you to determine whether or not you’re onto something big. There’s a lot of impulsiveness in this combination. If you can buy time to sleep on any offers, do it. If you can’t, talk to a friend or someone you trust to give you a reality check.

These same two aspects are repeated by the Sun on Thursday and Friday, so it’s quite possible that if you decide to sleep on the deal of the century and lose out, you’ll get another chance. In fact, any opportunities should stay open right up to the Full Moon on Saturday.

Click on image to enlarge

The chart for this Full Moon looks a little scary, with the Sun and Moon forming a fixed T-square with Saturn (Mercury squares Saturn on Friday). Obstacles can seem insurmountable, and that can be depressing. However, I’m going to go with a more optimistic read on this Full Moon, thanks to the aforementioned positive aspects. Indeed, the square with Saturn could be just the sobering influence we need to bring pie-in-the-sky plans down to earth, where they actually could be turned into a profitable venture with some careful thought and hard work. Jupiter is stationed, about to turn direct on January 30, making it even more likely that we can get our big projects off the ground.

As you know, I take a cautious approach to asteroids in the chart, since I believe we’re still in an experimental stage regarding how these energies work. But I can’t help think that the close conjunction between Uranus and Pallas is significant. The most intriguing interpretation I’ve seen of Pallas to date comes from Christina of the Oxford Astrologer, who assigns to her an ability to recognize patterns. As she notes, this is particularly important in astrology. Astrology is all about recognizing patterns in order to use planetary energies to further our goals and fulfill our highest potential.

Be receptive to new ideas this week, but also start preparing for Jupiter’s return direct. Look at where he’s transiting your natal chart for an idea of where you’ll get the most help in advancing a cause. I started putting out feelers about a week ago, with some interesting results starting to come in.

Wishing you much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast January 14: Venus Conjunct Pluto, Sun Enters Aquarius

Frosty Fingers of Saturn. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

There was a noticeable shift at the New Moon on Friday. A lot of ickiness dissipated, leaving emptiness in its wake. But nature abhors a vacuum.

I’ve been working purposefully to draw what I want into that space, and I hope you are, too. If you’re following RealAstrologers on Facebook, you saw that I posted a reminder to write your New Moon abundance checks – which I unfortunately neglected to mention in last week’s post. Things are piling up here, too, and sometimes I feel like I need two of me to keep track of everything. On second thought, make that three – two to get it all done while “one of me” takes a vacation on a sunny beach sipping drinks with little umbrellas in them.

I did mention last week that I was about to put the StarGuide Winter 2013 forecast on sale, which I did mid-week. One of the features of this report is my interpretation of each New Moon and Full Moon of the season – where it falls in your chart and what types of activities are favored for you. So, for example, if this recent New Moon fell in your second, tenth, or sixth house, you’ve got the wind at your back to ask for a raise, find a new job, or improve your working conditions. Because we’re in an astrological period suggesting overall belt-tightening, improvements could come through cutting out things you really don’t need or finding cheaper alternatives. Working with the cycles of the Moon is an age-old technique, once considered “magic.” Now, we view it as simply a way to work with available energies, much as you’d work with weather conditions to plant, nurture, and harvest crops.

Of course, we also work with larger planetary cycles, both individually and collectively. If you watched my 2013 video, you know about two very big cycles coming up this year: the grand water trine with Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, and the Uranus-Pluto square. I just love what Ray Merriman had to say about them in his forecast for this week:

…[I]t won’t hurt for our leaders to choose a path that believes in miracles as opposed to grievances. It will hurt if leaders give up the role of being kind and compassionate. It’s a choice astrologically between the Jupiter-Neptune-Saturn grand trine, and the Uranus-Jupiter-Pluto T-square, with Mars making it a grand square [in 2014]. One is compassion and working together, while the other is war and divisiveness. The leaders have a choice to make.

Everything he writes about our leaders is true for us individually as well. You’ll have a choice between working to release blocks, however painful and disorienting that process might be, or blaming everyone else for the world’s problems, thus allowing yourself to stay stuck. One common situation where we see this dynamic is within relationships. It’s always the other person who needs to grow, get enlightened, or whatever. Taking responsibility for ourselves is an important underlying theme in the mutual reception between Pluto in Capricorn and Saturn in Scorpio. Those who tend to take more responsibility than they own – and there are more than a few of you – will need to work in the reverse, releasing whatever it is in your energy field that keeps you bogged down with problems that aren’t yours.

We’ll get several opportunities in the coming week to visit these issues, with Venus aspecting Chiron, Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn from Monday through Thursday (Jupiter squares Chiron on Tuesday). Are you clear about what you want? When what you want involves an exchange with another person, are you clear up front, or do you find clever ways to manipulate the other person to give it to you? Sometimes you need to say “no” to requests from others, and sometimes they need to say “no” to you. Underhanded manipulation robs others of their choice. This may be appropriate in certain professional circumstances, but it can kill trust in an intimate relationship, and when trust is gone, the foundation crumbles. Even in casual friendships or in a work environment, withholding information that would allow others the right to choose how they want to interact with you is a subtle but serious form of disrespect. I understand that it takes a lot of courage to open up and speak your heart, and it does leave you open to the pain of rejection. The reward is that you when you make a connection based on truth and honesty, it’s stronger and far more gratifying.

I’m sure you can think of a gazillion variations on this theme, and it’s likely you’ll find yourself in one or more of them this week that will require you to make a choice. If you act with courage and conviction, then a payoff late in the week could be very sweet.

On Friday, the Sun conjoins Mercury at 28 degrees Capricorn, and then they both enter Aquarius on Saturday, marking a radical shift. Mars has been Aquarius since Christmas Day, in mutual reception with Uranus in Aries. If you don’t feel the buzz over the weekend, I’ll eat my bootleg yoga pants (too cold for shorts). Whereas Capricorn represents hyper-responsibility, Aquarius is the ultimate commitment-phobe who hates anything that even remotely smells like obligation. That’s why it’s known as the sign of the future, of thinking out of the box, walking to the beat of a different drummer. It can all be a bit much for those who need stability and familiarity, but with that kind of thinking, we’d have never put a man on the Moon – space travel being one of the activities associated with Uranus, the modern ruler of Aquarius.

Spend this week tending to practical concerns, especially anything to do with your financial bottom line or your closest relationships, because the following week is going to be wide open, with “anything goes” and “goddess only knows what.”

Sunday, incidentally, also is officially Inauguration Day in the United States, although the formal celebration will take place on Monday, January 21. The stage is set for change, and we can help it along by making sure our actions – and interactions – are consistent with the type of world we want to create.

Wishing you much love and courage,
Pat

Saturn and the Inner Journey of Capricorn, Part II

Detail from Capricornus, from Johannes Hevelius’s Uranographia, 1690.

Interestingly the Romans thought of Saturn not only as a God of agriculture and time, but as a God of liberation, and there is also a key here to the higher purpose of Saturn and Capricorn.

The Soul in Capricorn has to journey up the mountain from the very depths of humanity to the very heights of Christ consciousness, and this is no small task. The higher purpose of Capricorn involves choosing a spiritual path and understanding the laws of creation so that we may create heaven on Earth.

Capricorn rules the knees, and this symbology is important in understanding the soul’s journey through Capricorn. It is Saturn’s job, at personality level, to bring Capricorn to his knees so he develops insight and humility and turns his attention away from the trappings and excesses of materialism that would keep him trapped in ego.

Saturn is a wise teacher bringing important lessons and guidance to support us in making choices that align with our highest good. The word creation comes from the Latin creõ, which means to create, make, produce, beget, give birth to, prepare, cause or choose. So in creating heaven on earth, there is an element of choice: it is through our choices and actions that we create heaven on Earth, or not.

[quote cite=”The Tibetan Master DK, Esoteric Astrology”]Only when the Capricornian subject learns to kneel in all humility and with his knees upon the rocky mountain top to offer his heart and life to the soul and to human service, can he be permitted to pass through the door of initiation and be entrusted with the secrets of life. Only on his knees can he go through that door.[/quote]

Karma can be thought of simply as the law of cause and effect, and there seems to be a common belief that it refers to the results of our actions. Yet according to some Buddhist traditions, karma specifically refers to the volition, motivation, intention and action that creates the result. It is more about the action and intention than the result. So our personal karma is our past actions and intentions that planted the seeds for the results we are currently experiencing.

Saturn is bringing us the important lesson that these seeds ripen over time, and that if we truly want to create heaven on earth, we need to change our actions and plant different seeds! Once our intentions, motivation, thoughts and actions are fully aligned with divine will, we are liberated from the cyclic existence that keeps us trapped in ego and the physical realm (Samsara), and Saturn has fulfilled his role as a god of liberation.

Saturn is not only about restriction and limitation, because karma is not only about restriction and limitation. Conventionally many people feel that natal or transiting Saturn is “blocking” them in some way. This might seem to be the case from the perspective of the ego-personality that isn’t getting what it wants, but in reality Saturn brings important lessons about natural law, nature’s cycles, rhythms, potential, and possibility.

From the ego’s point of view spiritual progress is ‘one insult after another’
~ Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

At personality level, Saturn teaches important and necessary natural laws. The nature of the physical realm is one of limitation, because everything works according to change and cycles of time. This lesson lies behind the old story of King Canute, who tried to hold back the tide. The limitation is not imposed by Saturn, but actually by our own mind. It is King Canute’s mind that is limiting him, in narrowing his view of reality to only that which he can control with his small ego. The lessons of Saturn are guiding us beyond our small mind, beyond the limitations of ego and the intellect, so we can see the greater reality, the truth of our own being.

Mind gives place to intuition and reason to pure perception.
~ The Tibetan Master, Esoteric Astrology

It is our egoic ideas that limit us, and once Saturn has “brought us to our knees” at the personality level, we are forced to accept that there is a greater reality happening outside of our small world, of which we are also a part. It is then that we align with our soul path and become receptive to the higher teachings of Saturn. Saturn then becomes the Lord of Liberation by showing us the true path to freedom.

If you have Sun, Moon, and especially Rising Sign in Capricorn, you have an important role to play in creating heaven on earth, by paying attention to your motives and choices and ensuring they are fully aligned with divine will for the highest and best good of all.

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.”

Saturn and the Inner Journey of Capricorn, Part I

Detail from Capricornus, from Johannes Hevelius’s Uranographia, 1690.

Capricorn Season is upon us once again, bringing with it an opportunity to return to the light. While having their feet planted firmly upon the ground, our Capricorn friends have clear sight of the mountaintop and a sure steady method that will take them there.

The sign of Capricorn is associated with practical methodology, steadfastness, business, finances, resource management, ambition and spiritual aspiration. This sign of extremes is associated with both the worst excesses of materialistic egotism at personality level, and yet esoterically is associated with the heights of spiritual aspiration leading to Christ consciousness. We will understand why as we explore the planetary conditions that exist for the soul’s highest development in the mysterious sign of Capricorn.

Esoterically, all world Saviours and Sun Gods are born in Capricorn but also the very worst type of man – hard, materialistic, cruel, proud, selfishly ambitious and egoistic. The head rules the heart in such cases, whereas in the perfect example of the influences of Capricorn, head and heart are perfectly balanced.
~ The Tibetan Master DK, Esoteric Astrology

As we follow the soul’s journey through the 12 signs of the zodiac, after the Archer clearly identified the path in Sagittarius, in Capricorn it is time to follow the path of light all the way to Christ consciousness.

Two planets are important in creating the conditions for the soul’s experience and development in Capricorn. Saturn is the planetary space-holder (ruler) at both personality and soul level, while interestingly, it is Venus that holds space at hierarchical level. In Esoteric Astrology the Tibetan Master describes the evolution of consciousness in three stages which he refers to as the three crosses.

The mutable cross is where most of humanity currently is. This is where we are largely personality-centered and personality-driven. The fixed cross is where we begin to have some soul awareness and follow a more spiritual path, yet we are still identified with personality, so duality is still present. The cardinal cross is where we are fully integrated, living and expressing our lives as fully soul-centered beings. According to Esoteric Astrology, Saturn cannot follow mankind onto the cardinal cross and so only has influence at personality and soul level:

Saturn’s power is completely ended and his work accomplished when man (the spiritual man) has freed himself from Karma and from the power of the two Crosses – the Common [Mutable] and the Fixed. Esoterically, Saturn cannot follow man on to the Cardinal Cross.
~ The Tibetan Master DK, Esoteric Astrology

Saturn has a reputation for being a serious, strict, limiting, authoritarian, law-giving father figure. He is known as the Lord of Karma and the Lord of Time and is known for being a very harsh taskmaster. Believe it or not, this is ultimately all for the highest good, for it keeps Capricorn on the truest path towards Christ consciousness and prevents any wayward diversions that would tempt Capricorn to stray from his path and become lost in the trappings of material existence.

To understand Saturn’s role we must understand karma and natural law. If you put your hand in the fire, it will be burnt. You are not being punished for putting your hand in the fire; it is simply the result of natural law. The nature of fire is heat, and so anything coming into proximity with it will simply be burnt. Although we are spiritual by nature, Saturn brings us important lessons that we must heed while we are living a material existence: namely the law of cause and effect (karma) and the realities of time and limitation. If we are to plant seeds, grow crops, and harvest them effectively to provide food for our survival, we must heed the cycles of time, and plant and harvest according to the seasons. These are the simple lessons of Saturn.

In Part II, we will take a more in-depth look at the concept of Karma and how it relates to Saturn and Capricorn.

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.”