Category Archives: Forecasts

Weekly Forecast June 29: Uranus Turns Retrograde

This is going to be a chaotic week, and all the crying we didn’t do last week or that got blocked for whatever reason may come pouring out now. And this is just the beginning.

Big boys can and do cry. So do big girls, men and women, kings and queens, and everyone in between. There’s too much pressure behind the dam, and sluicing off some of it surely is in order.

I’ve been writing for months about the core wound. Most of us have one, something that permeates our being and keeps playing out in our lives in some variation, even after we’ve identified it and worked to release it. We also have a collective wound, and this, too, manifests in infinite ways. Both will get a workout this week on many levels, and that’s why I’m telling you to go ahead and cry if it hurts. This is one way to find release. There are many others, and we’re well into the process. In the coming weeks and months, there will be more re-opening, cleaning out, closing up, and returning to wholeness.

Uranus turns retrograde on Wednesday. Aquarius and Pisces (Sun and Rising) will feel this the most. It’s slow going for me and at least one other Rising Aquarius I know. We’ve just got no wind in our sails. Just as Uranus is turning retrograde, he is touched by a square from Mercury in Gemini and a sextile from Venus in Taurus. You would have to be very astute to discern the effects of either of these individual aspects, because they are part of a broader configuration that also includes the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction, which will get a favorable trine from Mercury and a difficult square from Venus. This will take place on Wednesday and Thursday. Mars will square Neptune & Co. starting late this week. I have an image of the surgeon’s knife.

There are so many ingredients in the cosmic soup pot this week that detecting any particular one is difficult. But we sure do taste the combined effect. Once again, I believe that those of us who are working through our core issues will feel this strongly. The image that comes to mind is biting the bullet. There’s no anesthetic. We’re going to have to just feel the pain. And when the operation is over, we can cry as much as we need to.

I will be the first to admit that I fear pain. But it is a necessary part of the growth process. It has a tempering effect. It is a sacrifice, and when we sacrifice willingly, something is always gained. The danger is getting addicted to pain. We don’t want that to happen, of course. I’ve written about this before, and many of you have responded with stories that reaffirm this notion.

On Friday, Mercury enters Cancer, and he opposes Pluto on Saturday. Our emotions are our barometer. They are our first clue that something is wrong. But identifying the source of the problem isn’t always easy, and a majority of the time, we attempt to treat symptoms and not the underlying source. With Mercury and Pluto facing off, we may have a confrontation, internal or external, and it won’t be comfortable. But if you hang in there, you will get some extremely valuable information that ultimately will empower you.

Venus enters Gemini on Saturday, making for a very social weekend. It’s Independence Day in the United States, a big weekend for barbecues and family get-togethers. With all the heavy astrological energies in play, having Venus in the light-hearted sign of the Twins will help boost the fun factor.

Speaking of heavy energies, we’re beginning to feel the gravitational pull of the Moon lining up with the Earth and Sun. Cancer and Capricorn will be most vulnerable to the new series of eclipses, which starts next week. Neith will have more on this as we get closer to next Tuesday’s lunar eclipse.

Wishing you all strong and loving hearts,
Pat

Image: The Young King of the Black Isles, by Maxfield Parrish, 1906. Originally appeared as a frontispiece for Collier’s “Arabian Nights VIII,” May 18, 1907.

Weekly Forecast June 22: New Moon in Cancer

No whining this week. If you’re upset and crying, just stop it now!

OK, that’s not me talking. That’s my evil twin, who has been taken over by Pluto in Capricorn. The Lord of the Underworld in the sign of stern Capricorn has zero tolerance for any show of emotion whatsoever. Under severe strain? Too bad. Pluto in Cap doesn’t care.

I’m telling you this because you are likely to be met by this seemingly heartless attitude as we head into a new week. The New Moon on Monday falls in Cancer, sign of mother, nurturing, and strong emotions, with Pluto in very tight opposition. On one hand, we may feel teary and overwhelmed, while on the other hand, we may butt up against someone who has no sympathy for this kind of behavior. Perhaps it will be a faceless bureaucrat who gave your appointment to someone else because you were 30 seconds late, and you can’t get another appointment for two weeks. Or the cop who doesn’t care that you were driving 5 miles per hour over the speed limit because your mother is having a medical emergency on the other side of town.

Or you may just not find an ounce of sympathy among friends and others you normally rely on when you are feeling dejected and need a shoulder to cry on. At least make sure that you are not the one denying yourself sympathy and forgiveness. That happens, too, and way more often than it should.

On the positive side, you may find out that you are a lot tougher than you think. While we would rather have a soft helping hand, it’s nice to know that when there’s absolutely no one available and we’re on our own, we can manage. We don’t want to become the Marlboro man, happiest when alone on the range, but neither is it desirable to be too reliant on others, too much of the time. Balance is key.

If you haven’t already read Neith’s excellent analysis of this New Moon, check it out. As she points out, we’re heading into a new eclipse cycle, and so the time between this New Moon and solar eclipse on July 21 is a critical period for healing in order to move forward.

Fortunately, we also start out the week with Venus and Mars still in close conjunction, with both at a favorable trine to Saturn. Venus-Mars conjunctions are felt in romantic relationships, so while you may have power struggles and be denied the sympathetic ear you’re looking for, messages of love may come through other behaviors that indicate solid commitment and support. Don’t discount these things, just because they aren’t what you had in mind. As the old Rolling Stones song goes, you can’t always get what you want, but if you try, sometimes you get what you need.

We’ll spend most of the rest of the week adjusting to new circumstances or people in our lives, but at least we’ll have a little breathing space.

On Sunday, Saturn conjoins Ceres. Our good friend Tseka is watching this alignment very closely, as are many of us. Ceres is still largely an unknown presence, but I believe we will learn some important information about her meaning in the next couple of weeks. Conjoined with Saturn, we might expect to see older women in the news, especially those with a lot of experience and wisdom.

Much love and courage to all,

Pat

Image: Midsummer Eve, by Edward Robert Hughes, c.1908. Solstice was on June 21, but we’re still under its magical influence this week.

Weekly Forecast June 15: Summer Solstice, Venus Conjunct Mars

This week begins with Jupiter at a dead stop as he shifts into retrograde mode, while Mercury returns to his home sign of Gemini and begins to pick up speed. The result could be the kind of agitation we feel when our minds are spinning out of control but we’re too tired to move a muscle.

I could barely get off the couch yesterday, except to bake a batch of oatmeal cookies. I could have eaten them all, but fortunately got sick after the second one. With Jupiter in the first house, just looking at a cookie will make you gain five pounds. A friend said it felt like her body had been “unplugged.”

Seriously, though, this means that Jupiter, Neptune, and Chiron are all retrograde until early November. Our healing processes will continue, but on a more subtle level. On one hand, we may be better able to go all the way back to the source of our wounds, thus allowing healing at a deeper level. Or, for some, there may be resistance to the initial wakeup call or escape into denial. I see that happening with a couple of people I know who have the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction in a sensitive place in their charts.

It’s safe to say that many of us are going to feel a little discombobulated this week. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but our minds and bodies may need a few days to adjust to the energy shift.

As for that “something big is coming” feeling, several of you left comments on my Saturday Extra! post saying you felt it, too, but your point is well-taken that we’ve heard this before, and nothing happened. With Jupiter now retrograde, I’m wondering how this unfold. Jupiter retrograde periods aren’t associated with the frustrations, delays, and relationship difficulties we tend to experience when Mercury or Venus are retrograde. It’s simply that the growth and expansion halt or slow down. If you’ve been in a period of sweeping change, the break might feel good. A pause may even be beneficial for those who are resisting growth. For some people, especially fixed signs, the more they feel pressured, the more they resist. If this sounds like you, the pressure is off now for several months, which should help you more easily assimilate new information.

We should know more on Wednesday about how retrograde Neptune & Co. is going to affect us, as the Sun will form an easygoing trine with all three planets in turn. If we need to assimilate new information, this will give us a boost, as the Sun can have broad-spectrum healing abilities. Perhaps this will manifest as a sudden awareness of what needs to heal and what we can do about it.

Of course, since Uranus is traveling in a semi-sextile with Neptune & Co., this also means that the Sun will square the Magician, and that could mean that awareness comes as a result of a disruption or upset.

I am happy to report that the rest of this week’s aspects are much lighter and happier. Mercury comes out of shadow on Tuesday and moves into new territory, so wherever he is in your chart, you may experience increased activity or communications. This past Mercury retrograde has got to be one of the weirdest I’ve ever experienced, so it will be interesting to see what happens next.

On Saturday (late Friday on the West Coast of the United States and later time zones), the Sun enters Cancer, which is the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Whether you live north or south of the equator, the moment when the Sun stands still is a gateway to higher consciousness. The Sun rules the heart. Open yours and see what good things flow in.

On the same day, Venus conjoins Mars, their third and final meeting in less than a year. This time, they are in Taurus, which means they are in her territory. In relationships, love and desire prevail over lust and the need for conquest. With our hearts already opened to the energy of the solstice, I think this could be a day filled with magical memories for many of us.

Wishing you all open hearts brimming over with love,
Pat

Image: This magical photo was taken at last year’s Summer Solstice at the Kokino megalithic observatory in Macedonia. The observatory was discovered in 2001 and is estimated to be 3,800 years old. Photo by Ognen Teofilovski for REUTERS.

Weekly Forecast June 8: Mercury Square Neptune

We begin this week in the wake of the Full Moon, and just as we start feeling our stomachs settle, Mercury squares Neptune & Co., forcing us to face any remaining fears.

If you are feeling the shift that has taken place, you also may feel the pace speeding up. Energy moves into matter in a set process, and I sense it happening, although so far I’m mostly seeing hints of results, but not much that is tangible.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been feeling old energy patterns clearing out. This may involve letting go of people, places, or possessions that are dear to us, which can be a painful process. The Full Moon is a good time for endings, so get rid of what no longer supports or feeds you, and clear that space for something or someone who does.

Venus is now in her own sign of Taurus, and on Monday she trines Pluto in Capricorn. Venus-Pluto contact can bring out jealousy and possessiveness, but trines are among the easiest aspects to deal with. In earth signs, the more sensual nature of this combination will be felt. You may have noticed it over the weekend.

Other than that, the rest of the week is mostly about the ongoing conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Mercury forms a square with all three, the third and final pass in a three-part aspect that began on April 25, before Mercury went retrograde. With the Messenger now direct and gathering speed, this square to Neptune & Co. should feel very different than the last two. If we’ve been operating without all the information we need, the facts finally will come to light. For some of us, the truth that emerges may be unpleasant or uncomfortable.

Still, there is a good chance that these new facts may just as easily liberate us, as Mercury also sextiles Uranus, the planet of freedom, which is in mutual reception with Neptune. For many people, holding onto a dream can become a burden. We also can cling to just plain wrong ideas about people and situations, which may in turn cause us to act in a way that isn’t consistent with reality. We may have to eat our words or apologize profusely, but once it’s over with, we’ll feel lighter.

The Moon enters Aquarius on Thursday and goes back over this same territory on Saturday. However, whereas Mercury is more rational and logical, the Moon looks through the lens of emotions. Thoughts and feelings are two different perspectives on the truth. Honor your own feelings and those of others.

My advice to myself during this internally turbulent period has been to remain as detached as possible from any particular outcome, and likewise not to fear a certain outcome. When we brace ourselves for being hurt, we close up our hearts and shut out the good that can come. Or we fail to see the blessings in disguise. Sometimes losing something turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to us.

Wishing you all courageous hearts,
Pat

Image: This mighty big illusion was created by the reflection in a window of a man passing a giraffe Lego sculpture in Berlin, Germany. Photo by Maya Hitij for The Associated Press.

Weekly Forecast June 1: Venus Enters Taurus, Full Moon in Sagittarius

Are we still on the same planet? This week has a very different feel to it.

To start with, Mercury is now direct. Even though he’s not moving very fast, his forward motion has a ripple effect on Saturn, who recently went direct in Mercury-ruled Virgo. In a way, it’s as though both of these planets have gone direct at the same time. This week, we should see movement on many fronts. Indeed, it may be faster than is comfortable, depending on where these two are transiting your chart.

As Mercury gathers speed this week, he’ll return to an exact square with Chiron and Neptune, the third and final pass of a three-part aspect. If you’ve been dealing with confusion, or if you’ve felt that someone was withholding important information from you, it should come out soon. Keep your antennae up, but be careful with things you pick up intuitively, as Neptune messes with that particular skill in us. We can feel things quite strongly, only to find out that we had our wires crossed big-time. Your intuition is a good guide, but wait to act on it until the hard facts surface.

Neptune and Chiron have just gone retrograde, so this is a particularly powerful time for messages of healing old wounds. I received several reports of people feeling lighter after last week. I certainly feel like my load has been lightened. With clearer channels, we can more directly and powerfully affect our external circumstances.

At the same time, we might feel a little lazier than usual, with Mars in Taurus. Maybe you’ve seen the bumper sticker slogan, “My get up and go got up and went.” Well, that pretty much describes Mars in Taurus. Many of us need a rest, though, so don’t fight it. Grab your remote and watch back-to-back reruns of your favorite television serial. For me, it will be the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. I’ve been known to watch all six episodes in a night!

Speaking of romantic relationships, this should be an interesting week, as Venus and Mars are in mutual reception. That means she’s in his sign, and he’s in hers. This is a rare opportunity to put yourself in the other’s shoes, which could go a long way toward healing rifts between you and a loved one. If you experience any major developments with a romantic partner, leave a comment here, as I’d love to have your feedback. And thank you, by the way, to everyone who shared their observations and experiences in last week’s forecast.

On Tuesday, Venus sextiles Chiron, Neptune, and Jupiter. This is such an easy aspect that it may go unnoticed for many of us. However, those of us who have been going through internal healing may notice some ripple effects in their relationships. Even subtle internal changes can significantly affect how we interact with others.

On Thursday, Mars trines Pluto, adding more fuel to our personal and collective transformation. This is a good time to examine your motivation, especially when it comes to others. It’s human nature to want to control the circumstances around us to some degree, but manipulating others to get what we want can backfire. Practice the fine art of being bonded to another person without being attached to any particular outcome.

On Friday, the Sun squares Saturn, and we may feel some tension for a day or two on either side. This aspect typically involves authority figures, such as your boss or parents. If you are the boss or a parent, you may be in a situation in which you have to exert your authority. If you must, be kind and be fair.

Venus enters Taurus on Saturday and begins winging her way toward her third conjunction with Mars in less than a year. This one is going to be very different than the others, and I think we all will be pleasantly surprised. Much of the tension we’ve been feeling in our romantic relationships should lighten up so that we can enjoy each other. As I see it, sensual pleasures are the reason we incarnate. I don’t know about you, but if it weren’t for sex and chocolate, I’d prefer staying in a disincarnate state in another part of the galaxy.

Sunday is the Full Moon in Sagittarius, and this should be a big one, with delayed results from the New Moon on May 24, while Mercury was retrograde. As usual, Neith will have a full report, so check back mid-week.

Wishing you all much love and courage,

Pat

Image: Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle in the outstanding BBC production of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I love this story as a metaphor for Venus and Mars in mutual reception. Then, I just plain love this story!

Weekly Forecast May 25: Jupiter Conjunct Neptune, Mercury Direct

BREAKTHROUGH ALERT!

I have a feeling that, for many of us, life won’t be the same after this week. Maybe you have a sense of this already.

As the week begins, Mercury is still retrograde but is heading down the home stretch. He stations direct on Saturday (Sunday in the Eastern Hemisphere). In the meantime, we should start seeing the effects of the New Moon in Gemini, even though the results may be delayed by a week or so. Good news is always welcome.

On Tuesday, Mars in Aries forms a rapid-succession sextile with Chiron, Jupiter, and Neptune in Aquarius, providing still more fuel for this turbo-charged three-way conjunction. Mars in Aries is a strongly masculine force and represents action, initiative, and forging into new territory. In last week’s forecast, I wrote about the unprecedented healing potential of the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction. Mars helps you boldly go where few have gone before but where more and more of us are headed.

Jupiter conjoins Neptune on Wednesday, the first of a three-part conjunction that is one of the most significant astrological aspects of 2009. The next will occur on July 10, and the third and final pass takes place on December 21, Solstice Day. Typically, the first pass of a three-part aspect coincides with a new issue or set of circumstances in our lives. The tension builds at the second pass, and often we experience an obstacle or challenge. We find resolution at the third and final pass, or sometimes the problem simply fades away.

Stories from friends and clients tell me that we are going through a subtle but very powerful shift, and we have started seeing the signs of it over the past few months. Deep changes usually don’t happen without accompanying turmoil as our body/mind readjusts to accommodate the new information. I liken it to rearranging furniture. You tend to trip over it in the dark until you get used to where it is. Once that happens, you can relax into it and enjoy the new way of being.

Many of the stories I’m hearing have to do with relationships. I don’t know what made me do it, but I gave in to one of those cheesy ads for relationship help for women and ordered an e-book. I’m sending it back, but I’m not sorry I took the chance on it in the first place. There were a couple of good points about taking responsibility for your own baggage and not attempting to manipulate or control the other person — all advice that Neith and I give consistently.

What I didn’t like about it was the implication that women have to get themselves totally together, resolve all their issues and essentially heal themselves before they can expect to get and keep a man, and they shouldn’t expect any help from men. The author described how “most men” are wired emotionally, and I guess if I were a man, I’d be insulted. It was sad, really, and I was left wondering why a woman who had herself that together would even give this type of man a second thought. The kind of man who would interest her wouldn’t be so insecure as to need to keep her in a box with so many rules for acceptable dating behavior.

The fact is that both genders have deep wounds that go back to ancient times, and we need to help each other heal (regardless of your gender preference). Just as you have to jump into the water to learn to swim, you have to dive into the emotional messiness of a relationship to learn about yourself and your partner. The key, of course, is that you both have to be willing to go there. My best advice to anyone having relationship challenges is to talk to your partner and be very clear about whether he or she wants to do the work with you. If not, you can’t force it, or you risk deepening the wound, both yours and theirs.

On Friday, Neptune turns retrograde, with Chiron following on Saturday and Jupiter just a couple of weeks from turning retrograde. For the conjunction to happen while all the players are in slow motion makes it all the more powerful. We might actually be able to see what is happening rather than experiencing it as a big blur.

Mercury returns direct on Saturday as well, which I expect will unleash a torrent of delayed activity — if not this weekend, then next week.

Last but not least, Mars enters Taurus on Sunday, which means he will be in mutual reception with Venus for a week, until she enters her own sign. I like this configuration for working through relationship issues, especially between opposite sexes. She’s in his shoes, and he’s in hers. There’s no better way to understand another person.

Wishing you all hearts with wings,
Pat

Image: Air Castles, by Maxfield Parrish, 1903. Jupiter and Neptune may help us realize our dreams, but they might burst a few bubbles, too. It’s all part of the healing process.

Weekly Forecast May 18: New Moon in Gemini

Tiger Twins This week is about communications, whether looking backwards or forward, at the big picture or the trivial, the spiritual or the mundane. It could come as a flood of words or deafening silence that tells you everything you need to know.

If that sounds a little schizophrenic … well, we may indeed feel that way, with Mercury still retrograde, Saturn direct after several months retrograde in one of the signs Mercury rules, and a New Moon in the other sign of the Messenger. With that kind of energy filling our airwaves, mixed messages may seem like the goddess-honest truth and vice versa.

Still, Gemini is one of the more enthusiastic and dynamic signs, and with the Sun entering Gemini on Wednesday (Mercury’s day) and the New Moon on Sunday, we won’t remain stuck in the ruts that Mercury retrograde in Taurus might otherwise suggest. That said, it may be one step forward, two steps back for the next couple of weeks. If you’re an impatient type, that may be preferable to no action at all.

On Monday, the Sun conjoins Mercury, setting the tone for the rest of the week. On Wednesday, right as the Sun is entering Gemini, Mercury squares what Neith affectionately refers to as “Neptune & Co.” Since he’s working his way backwards, he starts with Neptune, then squares Chiron 12 hours later, and then a few hours later squares Jupiter. He tops it all off by forming a sextile to Uranus, which should create a noticeable buzz. Let’s just hope it doesn’t sound like a dentist’s drill.

Jupiter himself is approaching conjunction with Neptune, but that’s not until next week. This week, on Saturday, he conjoins Chiron. Wednesday’s square from retrograde Mercury provides the set-up for an unprecedented healing opportunity. We are healing deep wounds that may go back to early childhood and perhaps even farther. Many of us have been receiving messages in many forms about what this healing involves. It’s not the same for everyone, although the recurring theme I’m seeing most is a healing of the split between male and female energies. Regardless of your gender preference, you may start to see deep changes in your relationships. Some unions will become closer and more fulfilling, while those that have outlived their purpose will dissolve. If this happens, let go and put out a conscious intent to clear that space for something new and better.

The week closes with the New Moon on Sunday, May 24, at 3 degrees Gemini. This is close to the degree at which Mercury went retrograde, and Mercury rules this New Moon, so while we generally expect new beginnings at the New Moon, positive developments may be delayed, and our patience may be tried. I also see a possibility that we will think we’ve lost something, or something may happen that causes us to give up hope, but that this will be a cover for new energy attempting to manifest into your material reality. Anytime we are in healing mode, there’s a certain amount of internal confusion, and this can temporarily distort our vision.

Check back on Tuesday or Wednesday for Neith’s New Moon report.

Wishing you all courageous hearts and much love,
Pat

Image: These Sumatran tiger cubs were born late last summer and are seen here at six weeks old in a zoo in Krefeld, Germany. Could there be a better image for the New Moon in Gemini than baby tiger twins? Photo by Sascha Schuermann for Agence France-Presse/DDP.

Weekly Forecast May 11: Saturn Turns Direct

As Mercury continues on his retrograde path, everyone I know is experiencing missed phone calls, faxes that don’t go through, traffic jams, appointment mix-ups, and all of the other typical effects.

An outing I took on Saturday turned into a comedy of errors, but fortunately I was able to laugh about it. Better still, I had lunch with a friend I hadn’t seen in more than a year, and we had a great time catching up on the news.

Among other things, she told me a story about a community meeting she went to last Wednesday, just as Mercury was stationing retrograde. The director went off on one of his usual insensitive tangents, and for the first time since she has been involved with the group, she interrupted and told him how hurtful his remarks were. He was mortified and apologized profusely, and there were tears all around as everyone kissed and made up. Mercury turned retrograde just a few degrees into my friend’s first house. Moreover, she’s a Taurus, and Mercury will be returning to her sign this week.

So you see, there are benefits to Mercury retrograde, too, and we needn’t worry about opening our mouths at all for fear of offending someone or being misunderstood, even when there’s a risk of conflict. I suspect that after Mercury re-enters Taurus this Wednesday, we’ll have more opportunities to address unresolved issues and heal old rifts.

Even the square from Mercury to Neptune and Chiron could end up producing positive results, despite traditional interpretations that this aspect brings confusion and misunderstanding. That might well be the case initially, but with Venus in Aries, taking the initiative to clarify and speaking from the heart may be just the right approach, as my friend discovered.

On Sunday, May 17, the Moon conjoins Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune and squares Mercury. All of the above notwithstanding, I wouldn’t choose this day to have a heavy discussion. If someone else corners you into it, make the best of it by thinking before you open your mouth. The clearer you are with yourself about how you feel and what your motivations are, the better you’ll be able to express it to others in a way they can hear.

By this time, Saturn will be direct as well, and that could help matters enormously. Saturn turns direct on Sunday in the Eastern Hemisphere, late Saturday here on the western side of the world. It will take him some time to stretch and wake up, but we still should feel some positive effects fairly quickly. Saturn’s return direct, along with the New Moon in Gemini at the end of next week, might help mitigate some of the more annoying effects of Mercury retrograde.

Saturn’s return direct in Virgo is a good time to contemplate his role in Roman mythology as ruler of the Golden Age of Man. Many cultures and religions around the world have different versions of this tale. Christians describe it as the Garden of Eden. According to the Greeks and Romans, this was the earliest age of humanity, a period when the gods came and went among mortals, when everyone was happy and had everything they needed without working. Humans died, but without pain. They simply went to sleep, and their spirits became higher beings, which we might call angels.

It all fell apart when Jupiter overthrew Saturn and took over as father of the Olympian gods.

This might come as a surprise, since Saturn in astrology is not considered a symbol of ease, harmony and abundance. To the contrary, he is considered a limiting influence under which we have to learn painful lessons and work extra hard to get ahead. It’s almost as if they had the roles of Saturn and Jupiter flipped. But it does make an odd kind of sense, when you consider that Saturn is lord of the material universe. Without structure and order, there can be no abundance.

The ancient Romans revered Saturn as a god of the harvest, much as we think of Ceres, who I’d like to see elevated to modern ruler of Virgo. Maybe we’ll hear more about this as Saturn and Ceres approach conjunction in late June.

In the meantime, much love and courage to all,
Pat

Image: The Golden Age, by German painter Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1530. Given the dour religious climate at the time, this is a remarkably happy and light-hearted scene — and hardly what we’d imagine of a world ruled by Saturn.

Saturday Extra!The Healing Potential of Mercury Retrograde

Going back, reviewing, and looking through archives are always good activities when Mercury goes retrograde, as this process can help us identify unresolved issues from our past and integrate the new information.

What better way to do that, I thought, then to go back through my archives on The Pisces Chronicles (which, I’m sorry to say, is going to have to stay down for several more months). As I was browsing through my old articles, I found a post I wrote last May, when Mercury went retrograde in Gemini. Here’s an excerpt:

Mercury goes retrograde tomorrow, and while it won’t be as difficult as last February’s retrograde, it could be far more interesting.

As I noted in my latest post on RealAstrologers.com, Mercury and Neptune go retrograde within half an hour of each other, and they’re in a close trine. In addition, Chiron went retrograde this morning, also tightly trine Mercury and in conjunction with Neptune and the North Node. What does this mean? (Post continued below…)

Chiron and Achilles

Mercury rules communications, commerce, and traffic flow. When he’s retrograde, we tend to experience frustration and delay in these areas. Neptune is the planet of psychic phenomena, vision, and spirituality, but there also is an element of confusion, delusion, and being out of touch with reality. You never really know which it is until you’re out the other side.

Chiron, which was discovered in 1977 and named for the centaur in Greek mythology who mentored heroes and gods, is associated with healing body, mind, and spirit.

Putting these three energies together, I see unprecedented potential for healing our underlying energy fields, what some call the “higher mind.” Whether it comes from “above” or “below” doesn’t matter. The point is that it’s invisible energy that provides the building blocks for our material existence. When you release blockages and negative patterns from your underlying energy field, you tackle many problems at their source instead of just curing the symptoms.

Since Mercury is about communications and our thought patterns, we have an opportunity here to step back and take a look at how erroneous beliefs might be tripping us up. These beliefs may be about ourselves, others, or the world we live in. This review process falls within the category of activities that work better during retrograde periods.

The North Node is about our destiny and purpose. There’s no higher purpose right now than healing the planet, and to do that, we have to heal ourselves at the same time. This extraordinary astrological configuration is providing us with a three-week window to do just that.

This year, Mercury went retrograde in a close trine with the lunar North Node but square Neptune and Chiron, with Jupiter also in the mix. Jupiter will be exactly conjunct Chiron on May 23 and Neptune on May 27, with Neptune turning retrograde on May 28 and Chiron turning retrograde on May 30 — the day Mercury returns direct. Jupiter turns retrograde two weeks later, on June 15.

The theme I wrote about last year is still in effect, if not more so. We can use that energy for deep healing, and many people I know are doing just that. One friend has had back problems all her life and decided last month to start working with a chiropractor last month to get the constant pain and aggravation under control. I just received an e-mail from her that the effort was wildly successful. She is pain-free for the first time in many years, which is of course extremely liberating. The back is literally our “support system,” so I am sure that this development will impact many other areas of her life in the weeks and months to come.

Incidentally, I have not seen her in over a year, and we reconnected just as Mercury was turning retrograde.

I see from comments left on previous posts that some of you are going through healing processes, too. To all, I wish the positive, healing effects of the extraordinary planetary energies in play.

Much love and courage to all,
Pat

P.S. Stay tuned for news of my consultation status …

Image: The Education of Achilles by Donato Creti, 1714 (Musei Civici d’Arte Antica, Bologna). The mythological Chiron was a mentor to heroes and known as a great astrologer.

Ask Real Astrologers: How Much of Scorpio Is Ophiuchus?

This week’s question comes from Rich in Boston, MA:

How many degrees of the second half of Scorpio is Ophiuchus?

Pat’s response:

This is a really great question, Rich, but unfortunately not as straightforward as it might seem. There are two separate astrological systems at work here, and we need to translate between the two. Before I can do that, I need to provide some technical background.

The zodiac is the belt of constellations along the ecliptic, the path of the Sun in the sky. Although we count twelve signs of the zodiac, there actually is a thirteenth constellation, Ophiuchus, also called the Serpent Bearer. Continue reading →