Category Archives: Forecasts

Weekly Forecast January 11: Solar Eclipse in Capricorn, Mercury Direct

Janus, the Roman god of gates, doors, beginnings, and endings for whom our first month of January is named. We're not only in a new year, but a new decade and a new energy pattern. Expect lots of endings and beginnings now.

This is a landmark week, with enough activity in the sky for a Hollywood thriller.

Not only do we have a solar eclipse, but Saturn turns retrograde, Mercury returns direct, and Jupiter enters Pisces. Whew! Each of these events is significant in itself, but together, they make for some powerful new beginnings with a willingness to experiment.

Taking events in order, Monday the Sun conjoins Venus. Normally this happy combination would translate to fun-filled social gatherings and easy expressions of love and affection. However, both Sun and Venus are still at an irritating inconjunct with Mars, so don’t be surprised if your date or lunch with a friend is marred by a misunderstanding or some other kind of disruption. If that happens, my advice is to try to let it go for now, or you’ll only get yourself deeper in the hole.

Saturn turns retrograde on Wednesday. Many of us noticed a decided change in atmosphere when Saturn entered Libra in late October. Relationships came more in focus, with an emphasis on fairness and equity rather than the perfection demanded by Saturn in Virgo. Alas, we return to that fastidiousness briefly when Saturn returns to Virgo from April 7 to July 21.

In the meantime, we can use Saturn’s retrograde energy to identify relationship issues that may need work over time. And some problems do require constant work and vigilance.

Friday is the eclipse (Thursday on the West Coast of the United States), the second in a pair of New Year eclipses in Capricorn and Cancer. This series began six months ago and feeds heavily into the shift to cardinal energy. Diane wrote a very fine post on New Year’s Day on this trend and will have a full report on Tuesday on the upcoming eclipse, so check back.

In short, the shift to cardinal energy means more action, and that means change. Whereas the fixed signs take their time in deliberating — often to the point of inertia — cardinal signs are quick to react, but this also can mean change just for the sake of change that isn’t well thought-out and doesn’t take the needs of the collective into account. Although we all think we want change, I do caution you to take care what you wish for. There is no doubt that we are in for some big changes, but I don’t see them as entirely positive.

In the short-term, though, Friday’s eclipse should produce some positive changes, some of which might be surprisingly so, as this eclipse not only is conjunct Venus but positively angled to Uranus. Even though it rules a fixed sign, Uranus is associated with innovation and change.

The big wild card in this eclipse is Saturn retrograde. Because Saturn rules this eclipse and turned retrograde just a day before, it could act as a giant braking system. In my fixed-sign mind, that would be a good thing!

Shortly after the eclipse, Mercury returns direct. Keep in mind that when Mercury stations, communications, traffic, and other Mercury ruled activities tend to come to a complete standstill. It would be best to wait a couple more days to sign contracts or make major purchases. That includes exchanging big-ticket holiday gifts. Make Sunday your day to go shopping. By then, the January sales will be in full swing, so you’ll probably get a better deal, too!

Sunday also is the day when Jupiter enters Pisces. With the Moon also entering the sign of the Fishes, we’ll have a lovely Moon-Jupiter conjunction to start off the week —or, if you’re on the West Coast of the United States, to end it. Let’s hope that the seed of this highly spiritual combination will be planted in the collective mind so that all may experience the oneness of all being, even if it’s only in our dreams.

Wishing you all much love and courage in these changing times,

Pat

Saturday Extra! 2010: The Year of Living Spiritually

For years, astrologers have been writing about what a big year 2010 is going to be. Well, now it’s here. So what are we going to do about it?

“Do about it?” you might ask. “What’s to do? It’s not as though we can do anything about planetary transits.”

True enough. But there is plenty we can do, and time’s a-wasting.

If you’ve kept up here and on other astrology blogs, you know that the defining quality of 2010 is the cardinal T-square, which briefly becomes a cardinal grand cross mid-year. The cardinal signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. These are the initiators of change. In short, it needs action. No sitting around talking about it or researching it to death. As the Nike ad says, “Just Do It!”

Diane had a great post on New Year’s Day on the meaning for each of us personally. As a cardinal sign living with a heavily cardinal partner, she is well-versed in this type of energy!

As 2010 begins, we have two outer planets in cardinal signs, Saturn in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn. The Sun, Venus, and Mercury also are in Capricorn, along with the lunar North Node, which determines the signs and timing of eclipses. As it so happened, we had a lunar eclipse in Cancer on New Year’s Eve. That means we experienced a very brief cardinal T-square, a taste of things to come.

Saturn will go back into Virgo in April, but he returns to Libra on July 21. In the meantime, both Jupiter and Uranus enter Aries, and the Sun enters Cancer at the solstice, with a lunar eclipse in early Capricorn on June 26 and a solar eclipse in Cancer on July 11. It’s a veritable windmill of change.

Exactly what those changes will be, who knows? Who could have predicted 9/11 and the far-reaching consequences? In the next few years, we are likely to witness mass upheaval that could be political, social, ecological, geological, or inter-planetary — maybe all of the above. It’s just as likely that we could experience major breakthroughs in consciousness and spirituality, perhaps as a result of global crises.

Now, back to the question of what you can do …

I believe that the biggest change any of us can make as individuals is to start living more spiritually. By that, I don’t mean sitting in a lotus position for 20 minutes a day or joining a drumming circle. My definition of “spiritual” is learning to recognize and work with the invisible energies that are constantly flowing through the material realm.

Astrology is one of the best tools we have to identify these energies. In my forecast every week, I tell you what the planets are doing and interpret how these celestial indicators can manifest in our daily lives. I also give you information on how to work with them, especially the more difficult transits such as we’re experiencing right now with Mercury and Mars both retrograde.

For example, when Mercury is retrograde, we know that there’s a higher risk of miscommunications. Yet, knowing this isn’t enough. It’s up to you to adjust your behavior and expectations accordingly.

Once you begin to work with these unseen energies, your manner of interacting with the world and everyone in it will begin to change. We can repeat over and over that we’re all connected, but it’s another matter to feel it deeply in your soul. If you don’t, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person or a failure. You just need to learn, and that takes practice. I often liken it to learning to ride a bike.

I also would encourage you to simplify your life to the extent possible. Much of what comes will be outside our control, but we’ll be better able to respond if we’re more flexible. It’s a personal belief of mine that we are better able to tap into the realm of the unmanifest if we lighten our material load. But that’s another topic for another day.

In the meantime, I wish you a New Year filled with wonder and love.
Pat

P.S. I’ve been working on this video for two days, no thanks to Mercury Rx. That whirring noise is the dysfunctional fan in my laptop. There’s nothing I can do about it for now, but I’m investigating some potential fixes.

Weekly Forecast January 4: Sun, Mercury, and Venus Conjunct in Capricorn

This week we’re in the tumultuous zone between eclipses. It’s a fitting way to start a new year of radical shifts leading into a decade of upheaval.

If you feel like you’re beating your head against a brick wall to communicate with someone, you’ve got lots of company. Difficult communications are among the major themes this week, and at times it could be heartbreaking. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to get through. What the heck is up with that?

In terms of specific planetary aspects, there’s not a whole lot going on this week, other than a close conjunction of the Sun, Mercury, and Venus in Capricorn. But that isn’t unusual, as these three are never far apart from each other.

More importantly, Mars is tightly inconjunct all three. The inconjunct (more accurately called a quincunx) between Mercury and Mars was exact on New Year’s Eve, but it remains active throughout this week. The Sun forms this irritating aspect with Mars on Thursday, with Venus following on Friday. The friction is especially bad in romantic relationships.

Saturn’s impending station adds to the frustration. We’re really going to feel next week’s retrograde, as Saturn is a powerful influence in the sky right now. Not only is he in the sign of his exaltation, but he’s receiving energy from four planets in Capricorn, the sign Saturn rules. The lunar North Node also is in Capricorn.

Since Saturn entered Libra, I’ve seen a greater awareness of equal partnerships and compromising within relationships. However, wherever Saturn exerts an influence, we often find fear and insecurity. Issues that we may have ignored before as trivial and not worth making a fuss over are now a source of major disagreement. Dissecting every conversation and action gets tiring, and yet we find ourselves doing it over and over.

Of course, this effect is aggravated by Mercury retrograde, to the point that it’s crazy making.

The Moon enters Libra on Tuesday and conjoins Saturn on Wednesday, which may help reduce the noise level long enough for us to hear what the other is saying. Then, what you hear might be depressing. Try to keep the faith. As serious as this all feels, it really is going to pass.

On Thursday, the Moon reaches the halfway point between the lunar eclipse on New Year’s Eve and the upcoming solar eclipse on January 14. We’re sailing through rough seas emotionally.

My advice is to take extra time to try to understand why you feel as you do. If you’re upset with someone, did he or she really do anything to merit your anger, and was it intentional? Difficult as it is to talk things through this week, it’s all we can do.

Once we’ve come through these turbulent aspects, you may find that your relationships not only survived but became stronger. If you’re not in a relationship but struggling with issues of fairness and balance in your own life, you may discover that serious imbalances get your attention to the point that you make a commitment to positive change.

Much love and courage to all,
Pat

Image: Sunset on the lagoon. A friend took this photo recently on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It’s a perfect reflection of the dictum, “As above, so below,” which is good to remember in these tumultuous times. Photo by James A. Weythman, all rights reserved.

Weekly Forecast December 28: Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Cancer

Have we turned a corner? I think so. It’s hard for me to know for sure, with my sensory apparatus globbed up by so much sweet and rich food, not to mention the wine and chocolate.

Despite the unnerving astrological influences currently in play, I’ve been sleeping very well the past week, after months of tossing and turning. And I know I wasn’t the only one. Everywhere I went, people talked about not being able to sleep. If your sleep patterns have changed in the past week, please leave a comment and let me know.

In the meantime, we’re gearing up for Thursday’s Full Moon lunar eclipse — and on New Year’s Eve, at that! I suspect that familiar pre-eclipse buzz will return by Monday or Tuesday, and we may have a few sleepless nights. Then, maybe not. We’re heading into uncharted territory, and little is going as expected.

Speaking of expectations, if I were to try to predict events for this eclipse, I would say to look back at what was happening in mid-September and mid-October. As you may recall, we had a powerful New Moon solar eclipse at the last degree of Cancer on July 21, but few people I know experienced any immediate developments at the time. Instead, shifts occurred 60 to 90 days later, toward the New Moon on September 18 and especially at the New Moon in Libra on October 18.

This eclipse will be the culmination of those events, the coming full circle, with possible new beginnings. Diane will have more in her New Moon report early this week, so be sure to check back.

In the meantime, Venus conjoins Pluto and squares Saturn on Monday (Tuesday in the Eastern Hemisphere). Issues of love, sex, and commitment come to the fore. With Mercury and Mars both retrograde, talking through issues to your satisfaction may be tough. You may need to agree to disagree for now, or you may need to accept that there aren’t any immediate answers. Sometimes there is no solution but time, and picking at scabs only irritates wounds and prevents healing.

The Moon enters Cancer on Wednesday in preparation for Thursday’s eclipse. Emotions are closer to the surface, so prepare for a bit of drama. Again, with Mercury and Mars retrograde, you may witness more than a few temper tantrums and meltdowns.

As it so happens, Mercury and Mars form an exact quincunx (inconjunct) on Thursday. You might not even know why you’re angry or upset, let alone what’s motivating anyone else. Try to be patient and kind, with yourself as well as with others, and keep your expectations in check. This is always a good idea, but even more so now, in this period of surprising changes.

There are no major planetary aspects for the rest of the week. The only thing I’d watch out for is the Moon’s conjunction with Mars on Sunday, for all of the reasons I’ve already mentioned.

Do continue to keep journals of unusual dreams, flashes of insight, or events during your day. New patterns are forming, and writing down seemingly random occurrences will help you identify them.

Love and light to all as we head into another new year,
Pat

Image: Return of the light. It’s normally overcast and gray at this time of year here in the Puget Sound region, but on Christmas Day, we were blessed with blinding sunshine, calling us out for a late afternoon walk on the beach.

Saturday Extra! Oh, What a Time for Mercury Retrograde

My HP Pavilion prefers hanging out with lemons, since it is one.

The day after Christmas is the biggest gift return day of the year. With Mercury stationed retrograde, I don’t even want to think about the lines at customer service.

Not even the promise of after-Christmas sales could lure me anywhere near a shopping mall today — especially not with Mercury stationed retrograde. The lines will be long and traffic gnarled beyond the usual stop-and-go. And with Mars now retrograde, you can bet that tempers are going to flare. Already I’ve heard several reports of honking horns, squealing tires, and cutting in line.

Retailers desperate to end the year solidly in the black are offering great deals on their entire stock. I know you’ll be tempted, but remember that Mercury retrograde is not the time to make major purchases. The exception will be if you’re replacing something that’s broken. Even though “return” starts with an “re” — activities normally acceptable during Mercury retrograde — I’d wait until the middle of January to exchange unwanted gifts.

As many of you know, my laptop went belly up a few weeks ago. It wasn’t even three years old. I didn’t have control over the purchase, as a third party helped me purchase and program it for some contract work I was doing at the time. I begged them not to order while Mercury was retrograde, but I was talking to a wall. They thought I was being ridiculous.

Predictably, I’ve had nothing but problems with this machine. It wasn’t delivered on-time. The programming was screwed up. Programs that were supposed to have been installed weren’t, or there were errors. There were connectivity issues. I was tearing my hair out and burst into tears of frustration more than once. (Apparently I wasn’t alone; others who bought the first machines using Vista were similarly upset.)

When I took my computer to the repair shop, the technician rolled his eyes the instant he saw the make and model number. My HP Pavilion evidently is one of a few series made in 2007 that was recalled due to problems with the motherboard. Fortunately, here in the Seattle area, I was able to find a shop with the special equipment required for the delicate repair, but problems apparently remain, and the prognosis isn’t good.

I’ll probably need a new laptop sometime in the next year. If you do succumb to the deep discounts in the next few weeks, at least don’t buy any electronic equipment. If you do, keep all the receipts and opt for the extended warranty. The extra cost will be well worth it.

I’ll have more in my weekly forecast. In the meantime, I hope you can enjoy a quiet holiday weekend and find some of the joy and peace of the season.

Pat

Weekly Forecast December 21: Sun Enters Capricorn, Mercury Retrograde

This is a very big week. And not just because of Christmas.

Today, Monday, is arguably the most important day of the year astrologically and one of the most important days of the entire decade. That’s a pretty strong statement, I know, but I say this because I believe a portal will appear on this day. Anyone who wishes to step through can do so.

Portal to what or where, you might ask? To higher awareness and elevated consciousness, to healing and wholeness, to feelings of connectedness with all things, to greater understanding that brings peace.

Perhaps it is a portal to love.

Today is the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, so it also is the return of the light. From now on, the days will begin getting longer again, even though we may not notice much difference for another month or so.

I sensed the opening portal the week before equinox, when the Sun entered Libra. Inexplicably, I woke up very early that morning and was “called” out of bed to the doors opening out onto my deck. Venus was shining brightly on the western horizon. If I had gotten up any later, I’d have missed her, as she began to disappear in the light of dawn.

There was an important message there, and I suspected it had something to do with love and the reunion of the universal male and female energies. I was at the gate but couldn’t step over the threshold, and although I could see something there, it was out of focus. The message was that I would be able to see more when the portal was fully open.

I began looking for upcoming dates that were astrologically significant. None was more compelling than today. Not only is it the Solstice, but Jupiter and Neptune form an exact conjunction, with the Moon conjoining both a few hours later. Venus is sextile Neptune as well. We’re also coming up on another pair of eclipses, with Venus in conjunction.

There is nothing that I can tell you to do, except to open your eyes and mind to whatever may come your way. In most of the United States, the exact moment of conjunction will occur overnight, so perhaps a message will come to you in a dream. Or, it might come before you go to sleep or upon awakening. I often have revelations in the hypnagogic and hypnapompic states.

There could be developments in the days that follow as well. I believe the portal will stay open for most of the week and possibly through the New Moon solar eclipse on January 14. I’ll let you know if I pick up anything. Please leave a comment if you experience any unusual effects.

In classical mythology, Mercury was the Messenger between worlds. With planet Mercury about to turn retrograde later this week, it’s even more likely that we’ll receive news, flashes of insight and understanding, and breakthroughs in consciousness. These insights may come via someone close to you.

The Sun’s conjunction with Pluto on Thursday also feeds into this phenomenon, as Pluto rules the underworld or, as I like to think of it, the “otherworld” — in other words, invisible realms that are all around us but just outside the conscious awareness of most people.

Now, shining light into dark corners can reveal unpleasant truths, so don’t be surprised if something very uncomfortable comes up. Try to keep your nerve and be still.

On Friday, Venus enters Capricorn, and she’ll conjoin Pluto on Sunday. If you have a romantic partner, new levels of passion and intimacy are possible, but you’ll probably have to work through some issues first, unless you’ve gotten them out of the way already. So many things keep us from connecting with each other, and many of the obstacles, we’re not even aware of. We can become aware of them now.

Also on Friday, the Sun squares Saturn. This is an oppressive energy, but we are more likely to grown and learn through challenges than when everything is going smoothly. I’ll be whining right along with you — I’m tired of hard lessons, OK? But ultimately I’ll take notes and try to figure out what I’m supposed to do next.

For those who celebrate Christmas, family get-togethers could be a bit testy. I don’t know many families who don’t have control issues. Hopefully, seeing them in a clear light will help you figure out the best way to respond, but do be aware that with Mars retrograde and Mercury stationed, tempers will be short, with a high risk of misunderstandings.

Mercury turns retrograde on Saturday morning in the United States. If you need to return a gift, check the receipt to see how long you’ve got, take a deep breath, and have another bite of fruitcake. Even a bad one will be preferable to the lines at the mall.

Better still, sit down with a warm cup of spiced cider, a blank journal, and a fast writing pen. Let the material stuff wait. It will still be there when you’re ready to make an exchange. But the portal has limited hours, and we need to get as much information as we can while it’s open.

Wishing you all limitless love and light this holiday season,
Pat

Image: As promised in my Saturday Extra! post, here’s a photo of my 80s party. I let myself get talked into doing karaoke, first time ever. The song was “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” by one of my favorite 80s bands, Eurythmics. In hindsight, I couldn’t have picked a better song for the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction!

Weekly Forecast December 14: New Moon in Sagittarius, Mars Retrograde

Blewett Pass When I’m traveling by air, I hate it when the plane lands and, for an agonizing few seconds, I’m subject to the negative g-force. That’s the feeling I have this week as Mars slows down in preparation for turning retrograde.

Although there’s a lot going on astrologically this week, the impending retrograde of Mars is what we’re likely to feel the most. That’s because Mars rules our physical energy, and when he’s slowing down (that’s what it looks like from down here anyway), we tend to do the same.

Mars also rules steel and moving parts, which means we’ll see his effect on holiday traffic. With Mercury also slowing down, we can expect mall traffic to be even more of a nightmare than usual. If you find yourself in that situation, stay alert for drivers who may be inclined to take out their frustrations on the gas pedal.

In her New Moon post, Neith already mentioned the dominant aspects of this week, but I’ll run through them here chronologically.

On Monday, the Sun squares Uranus and sextiles Jupiter. Conflicting angles between the Sun and Uranus sometimes suggest accidents and disruption, and while Jupiter may amplify them and make them really big, his lucky influence also can bring happy endings to tense situations. For many people, this planetary combination may indicate an exciting break in routine for something fun and totally unexpected.

On Tuesday, the Sun sextiles Neptune, which is in a three-way conjunction with Jupiter and Chiron. Sextiles tend to be easy, and often they pass without any notice. It’s also going to be just plain difficult to figure out which planetary combination triggers which event, since there are so many planets involved … kind of like trying to determine who caused a 12-car pileup.

Tuesday’s Moon-Venus conjunction makes this my favorite day of the week for a party or for getting together with friends after work for some holiday cheer.

Wednesday is the New Moon in Sagittarius, three degrees from the Galactic Center. Be on the alert for “downloads.” They could come in brilliant flashes of insight, in dreams, while meditating, or by some other means. Be sure to record these messages somewhere so that you can contemplate them over time.

An hour and a half after the New Moon, the Moon enters somber Capricorn and immediately triggers the Saturn-Pluto square. You may feel lonely, isolated, or disempowered under this influence, but it won’t last long.

Venus trines Mars on Thursday, just as he’s close to a complete halt. She’s got a captive audience, so he’ll just have to sit there and listen to her, and then he’ll go off and think about it. If any of you are having “discussions” with a partner who’s lagging a little behind you spiritually or emotionally, be patient and give him or her some space, while continuing to be completely honest about how you feel.

Saturday’s sextile from Venus to Chiron and square from Venus to Uranus promises to bring a surprising breakthrough in healing a rift between you and someone else.

Mars finally turns retrograde on Sunday. If you’re out and about, give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination. Keep your to-do list short and your shopping reasonable, as it won’t take much to get shopped out. The Moon opposes Mars later in the day, increasing the risk of arguments due to overstimulation and fatigue.

Fortunately, we’ll also have Venus in a lovely sextile to Neptune and Jupiter to lift our spirits and help us remember what the holidays are all about. With so much media pressure to show our love through material gifts, we often forget that the best thing we can give is precious moments truly connecting with those we love.

Love, joy, and holiday wishes to all,
Pat

Image: Snow on Blewett Pass, one of the few routes through the mountains separating the Seattle metropolitan area from the vast open stretches of Eastern Washington. Photo by Pat Paquette, all rights reserved.

Weekly Forecast December 7: Mercury Conjunct Pluto in Capricorn

I know I’ve written this before, but now I really, really mean it: We’re in a time of major shifts, and it’s hard to keep our bearings when the ground isn’t steady under our feet.

This can be nerve-wracking or it can be exciting, depending on your point of view. Maybe both at the same time. I concede that, as a fixed-sign person, changes are harder for me to adjust to, and that tends to color my take on what’s happening in the sky. But humans in general don’t like change, even positive changes that we know we need. And all growth requires change.

I see this week as an incubation period. Now that Uranus is direct, all the planets and even the major asteroids are direct until Mars turns retrograde on December 20. We have a short window in which we can advance by light years. That applies to personal development, relationships, career moves, domestic circumstances, and specific projects we may be working on.

On Monday, Jupiter conjoins Chiron for the third and last time, and we also are approaching the final conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune (exact on December 21), not to be repeated for another 13 years. There is a real opportunity for deep healing of old wounds, especially those that are imprinted in our energy field. This is a subtle business, though, so you will have to be very observant and pay attention to understand how this particular aspect is manifesting. If you’ve been working on your own healing for the past year, you’ll see results in the next two weeks. Finally, you can look and see how far you’ve come.

If you need help playing detective and getting to the root of matters, Monday’s Mercury-Pluto conjunction will go a long way toward increasing your understanding. What comes up may not be comfortable, but it will be the truth. We can’t solve problems if we don’t understand what’s causing them.

Because this conjunction is in Capricorn, it also should help with financial issues. Watch for news about scandals involving money. Since Mercury also squares Saturn on the same day, news stories may involve government regulation and industry efforts to avoid having to meet stricter codes. Personally, we may find that the way to resolve issues that come up this week is belt-tightening or some other form of self-discipline.

As I mentioned in last week’s forecast, Mercury is slowing down in preparation to turn retrograde later this month. That means that all aspects this week involving Mercury will have more impact than they normally would. The Messenger enters his pre-retrograde shadow period on Thursday, so start wrapping up all your shopping and mailing. It would be best not to purchase any expensive items or electronic devices after this date.

Fortunately, the Sun is still in fun-loving Sagittarius, and on Thursday, it trines Mars in Leo, another party sign. Early season holiday parties will be lively. If you’re planning one, include lots of music and a place to dance, as well as strings of colorful holiday lights.

Do take advantage of this chance to have a good time, because Mercury and Mars retrograde are going to take their toll this holiday season, in ways that you may not be able to foresee right now. The healing work we do this week will be much more effective, too, if we laugh and have fun.

Wishing you all much love, joy and laughter,
Pat

Saturday Extra! Holiday Planning with Mercury Retrograde

Blizzard in the UK As most of you know, another Mercury retrograde period will be upon us soon, just in time to mess with the best-laid holiday plans.

With Mars also about to go into reverse, the typical delays and frustrations that vex us while Mercury is retrograde could cause temper tantrums and emotional meltdowns everywhere. The holidays are stressful enough as it is, and I’m sorry to have to report that this season may be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Fortunately, since you know about this in advance, you can take some measures to mitigate the worst effects of Mercury retrograde. Indeed, all of you seem to be aware of this already. According to our Wednesday poll, the majority of you are planning to get your shopping and mailing done early, before Mercury and Mars go retrograde and turn all the UPS trucks into pumpkins.

As for holiday shopping and other daily activities, the usual caveats apply and then some. Be absolutely sure to buy all big-ticket items early this month. Hopefully, you even took advantage of all those Black Friday specials and have most of your major shopping out of the way. Electronic devices in particular need to be purchased while Mercury is direct. Watches, a popular gift item, also should be purchased now, as should cars and auto accessories – anything that has to do with transportation.

Most companies don’t make hiring decisions at this time of year, and they may put off important new business until after the first of the year. That will be problematic, as Mercury will be retrograde until January 15. If you get a new job opportunity, hopefully you’ll be able to stall signing the contract until then.

The effects of Mars retrograde are a bit harder to deal with and will take some mindfulness to counter. First of all, we all will need to make a sincere effort to communicate clearly, and when the inevitable breakdowns occur, we will have to resist the urge to blame the other person. Even if it seems like the other person was insensitive or not paying attention, respond with love and kindness, and be willing to forgive and forget. If the person in question really is malicious or intentionally showing you disrespect, that will come out again later, and you can deal with it then.

I’ll have more on Mercury in my weekly forecast on Monday. In the meantime, I wish you all much love and abundance.

Pat

Weekly Forecast November 30: Full Moon in Gemini, Uranus Direct

Cirque du Soleil, by Stu Seeger I’m writing to you this week from another planet. I don’t know yet exactly where I am. Obviously they have Internet access here, but it took some doing to figure out how to make the connection.

Not having a computer at home has been very strange. We don’t realize how much we depend on them until they’re gone. My daily routine has been totally disrupted. With other major changes happening very swiftly in my life, I really do feel like I’ve been transported somewhere else.

It looks like my laptop can be repaired, although it won’t be cheap. I got it while Mercury was retrograde, a long story I’ll relay in a Saturday Extra! post soon.

Meanwhile, a friend brought over an old desktop computer, the kind with a CRT that flickers and makes your eyeballs squeeze. The technology has got to be at least nine years old – ancient, in our swiftly advancing times. It’s strange to regress this way, and it’s also reassuring to know that these older solutions still work. I have a feeling we are going to need them more and more in the future as economic realities force us to downside and revise our priorities.

Speaking of technology, the planet most closely associated with technological advances, Uranus, goes direct this week after being retrograde for five months. Once that happens on Tuesday, we’ll have a window of nearly three weeks in which all the planets are direct, including Chiron and some of the asteroids. This is rare, and I believe we’ll all see major progress in our lives. This will be all the more true if Uranus is prominent in your chart.

On Monday, Mercury squares Uranus. This aspect can be nerve-wracking as it is, but I expect it to be all the more so with Uranus about to go direct. Events can happen suddenly under this influence, and you can forget about your plans working out without a hitch. Since both Mercury and Uranus are associated with electronics and the Internet, the fast pace we experience early in the week almost surely will involve computers, cell phones, and other gadgets we use for instant communications.

Tuesday is the Full Moon in Gemini, one of the two signs Mercury rules. Neith did an excellent post on Saturday about this curious lunation, which is happy on the surface but contains an edgy undercurrent. The handwriting on the wall is getting bigger and harder to ignore or explain away.

Earlier in the day, Mercury sextiles Neptune, a good aspect for intellectual creativity, and Uranus goes direct, which should give us all a mental jumpstart. Also, Venus enters frisky Sagittarius and is ready to party, despite the sobering energy of Saturn in Venus-ruled Libra. We can let loose temporarily and have a good time, knowing all the while that we have duties, commitments, and financial worries.

That said, we can take comfort in those same duties and responsibilities, which help provide structure and meaning in our key relationships. If you don’t identify with that statement, keep your ear to the ground on Friday, when Venus sextiles Saturn.

On Saturday, Mercury enters Capricorn. We may not feel very chatty or communicative, but we’ll want our Internet working fast and efficiently for holiday shopping. Get it all done now, because Mercury turns retrograde the day after Christmas (just in time for all the returns). Yes, another Mercury retrograde is looming. Those of us who have been experiencing major issues with our computers and telecommunications devices may have a hard time imagining how Mercury retrograde could make things any worse than they already are. For many people I know, myself included, it’s as though Mercury has been permanently retrograde for months. Mercury officially enters the pre-retrograde shadow period on December 10.

On Sunday, the Moon in Leo conjoins Mars and opposes Jupiter and Chiron. As Neith noted in her Full Moon post, it will be very easy for us to be insensitive and hurtful, so we will need to practice mindful awareness to stay kind and supportive. That’s a tall order when we’re stressed out by all the demands of the holidays, but sincere efforts will not go unrewarded.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Image: Venus in Sagittarius, expressed perfectly here by two acrobats in the Cirque du Soleil. This photo was taken by Stu Seeger, who photographed the Cirque’s Nouvelle Experience show in Las Vegas in 1994.

RealAstrologers

The astrology of world affairs, human evolution, the future, and the state of the universe.