Category Archives: General Musing

Second Full Moon in Scorpio – May 19/20

Full Moon in Scorpio 
The Full Moon on May 19 (May 20 in the Eastern Hemisphere) falls at 29° Scorpio, just before the Sun leaves Taurus and enters Gemini. This is called the “anaretic degree” or “critical degree” and marks the ending of a phase. It is an opportunity to review our understanding of the lessons of the sign involved.

Scorpio has been the focal point of this last cycle from Full Moon to Full Moon, and hopefully most of us have had realizations about what we need to let go of or release to the highest good.

The Sun is still conjunct Venus in Taurus, emphasizing appreciation of what we have and the importance of being in the body. When the Sun moves on into Gemini and joins Mercury and Ceres there, air signs will be able to breathe more easily, whereas the earth signs will be reluctant to give up touchy feely Taurus. The fire signs are just happy to have Mars in Leo instead of Cancer! It is a bit dry now for water signs.

One of the more interesting patterns in the sky on this Full Moon is a wide fixed grand cross formed by the nodal axis, the luminaries, and the Chiron/Neptune conjunction in Aquarius. This particular pattern impacts my chart strongly and prompts me to feel the key here is to take advantage of pain to discern what needs tossing from one’s life. It’s a truism that humans change more readily when it’s too painful not to, and the conjunction of Chiron/North Node/Neptune looks very much like just the crew to do that. Aquarius provides the detachment to stand back and observe the source of the pain Chiron is pointing to, while Neptune provides the anesthetic (boy, is this going to hurt when it wears off . . .), and the North Node in Aquarius indicates the path we need to travel toward the greater good. The Scorpio Full Moon gives us the wherewithal to dig deep inside ourselves and haul what we need to review to the surface. May passing through this experience help all of us feel lighter and freer to truly be ourselves.

We are still working with Jupiter sextile Uranus, but in this Full Moon chart, Mercury conjunct Ceres in Gemini is square Uranus. This may be a clue as to why so many are feeling Mercury retrograde is casting a deeper shadow than usual. Once Mercury goes retrograde on May 26, the square to Uranus will widen and won’t begin to close until after Mercury goes direct on June 20. Uranus is essentially standing still now as it prepares to station retrograde on June 28, but we won’t cross that bridge for awhile yet . . . thankfully.

The next chapter following this Full Moon will unfold slowly due to Mercury’s change in direction. Perhaps the best course of action is to keep in mind Scorpio’s theme of rejuvenation and review, as Mercury retrograde is certainly a good time to continue with it. Life has been moving very quickly since the powerful New Moon in Aries, and a breather would do us all good!

Libra is learning Scorpio lessons posted by Neith . . .

Real Astrologers Weekly Poll: Mercury Rx

Pat and I decided to have some fun with a weekly poll on astrology related matters. We would love for all our readers to take part in these. The plan is this: we post a poll early in the week and then we’ll post the results the following week with our thoughts and any comments offered from readers. Who knows? We may even learn something new.

Opinion Polls & Market Research

I am admittedly very fond of astro-data . . . but what can one expect with Mercury in Scorpio on my Ascendant and a Virgo Midheaven. :-D

Any feedback you may wish to add is welcome, especially related to your chart. Thanks! :-D

Libra is curious too posted by Neith . . .

If You Don’t Like What You’ve Got, Change It!

They don't call him the Big Guy for nothing!I’ve been fantasizing lately about a higher being of extraordinary intelligence picking me up by the scruff of the neck, like a giant bird of prey, and dropping me into a new life.

Poof! In one fell swoop, I’d have a bigger apartment with no highway noise, all of my bills would be paid, I’d have the resources to pursue my goals for Real Astrologers, I’d be 20 pounds thinner, and the love of my life would be sitting here next to me. And, of course, I’d be at the top of the enlightenment spiral.

As crazy as that sounds, it just might be possible – not thanks to some giant winged alien, but by taking advantage of an extremely rare astrological phenomenon involving a giant planet.

Jupiter turned retrograde on Friday and will be in reverse (that’s what it looks like from down here) until September 8. Not known as the Big Guy for nothing, Jupiter is larger than all the other planets in our solar system combined, which may be how he got named for the father of the gods.

In astrology, Jupiter represents good fortune and abundance. His retrogrades are relatively benign; we just don’t have his luck to carry us toward our goals. But in a weird sort of way, this retrograde period may be luckier than we could possibly imagine.

The degree of Jupiter’s station – 22 degrees, 22 minutes Capricorn – provides us with an important clue. In numerology, 22 is the number of the master builder, the architect of the universe. Capricorn’s ruler, Saturn, is the planet of manifestation on the physical plane. This tells me that we may be able to use Jupiter’s retrograde period to think about what we truly want and need and to change what’s not working for us.

Individually and collectively, our thoughts play a major role in what gets manifested in our world, whether we’re conscious of them or not. Indeed, unconscious thoughts and beliefs have a nasty way of getting in our face through people and situations that seem to come into our lives randomly. This is the effect of Saturn, who gets a bum rap as the planet of limitations and constraints.

As scientific researchers have learned over the past few decades, matter is energy. The more solid a material object appears to be, the slower that energy is vibrating. Fast and slow are concepts related to time, which in astrology is ruled by Saturn. Put very simplistically, your thoughts interact with invisible energies in the universe, which coalesce according to the blueprint you’ve created with your thought pattern, plus (and here’s the kicker) any related unconscious thoughts and beliefs you’re harboring. Once that energy is manifested on the material plane, it’s locked up and unavailable for anything else. That is the “limitation” of Saturn.

If we don’t like what we’ve got, we have to invest energy into changing it. The more locked in and stuck we appear to be, the more energy it takes to undo it and turn it into something else. It seems to me that Jupiter’s retrograde in Capricorn will be extremely handy for this. Retrogrades in general are good for going back and doing something over, but undoing situations we seem to be stuck with is a tall order. Who better to help us out than lucky Jupiter?

Give it some thought this week and start planning your strategy. I know I will be!

Sign of the FuturePat

P.S. Need a change of perspective? Don’t know how to get unstuck? This definitely would be a great time to get one of our exclusive forecasts!

What your Venus says about the contents of your underwear drawer

 Lilith by Rossetti  
With the Sun and Venus in Taurus now, this Libra person is thinking about all things related to love, beauty, and desire. And what does Venus like more than pretty undergarments? So I’m going to have a little fun with this . . .

Because Venus travels close to the Sun, she is usually in the same sign or one of the two neighboring signs. She represents our sense of aesthetics, our idea of fun and pleasure and is all about our personal style. Of course, aspects from other planets will affect her expression but that’s for another post!

Venus in Aries is not a patient shopper. If she can find a brand that fits and is easy to come by, she’ll stick with it. This Venus is my candidate for having a fire-engine red bra stuck in the back of her drawer that really looked hot in the store but didn’t fit well after she got home. She also goes for active sportswear undergarments. Even those with Pisces and Taurus Suns will be more adventurous with Venus in the sign of the Ram.

Not surprisingly, Venus in Taurus loves silk lingerie – smooth, soft, and sensual. If you want to make your Taurus sweetie very happy, buy her silk to wear against her skin. She is more concerned with the tactile than the visual, although she’ll love muted, earth tones. Earthy Venus in Taurus helps Aries and Gemini Suns tune into their sensual side.

Venus in Gemini, an air sign, is more experimental and willing to at least try on the latest and greatest fad. She will shop just about anywhere and pick up items because they are fun and catch her eye. Gemini has no problem with bright colors and synthetic fabrics as long as it’s new and different. Taurus and Cancer Sun folks will be far more willing to try something new with this Venus in their charts.

Venus in Cancer prefers comfort to fashion. If the climate is on the cool side, this one will go for flannel nightwear. Cancer likes to stay with tried-and-true designs, nothing fancy. She is likely to be the most comfortable with the idea of appearing matronly. A Gemini or Leo Sun will liven up Venus in Cancer considerably.

Venus in Leo . . . think Madonna’s bustier outfits and visible bras in bright colors. This Venus likes her undergarments to be noticed and appreciated and will go for drama and flair to draw more attention to herself. Having Venus in Leo will give both Cancer and Virgo Suns more pizzazz.

Venus in Virgo is more likely to get excited about having undies made using bamboo fibers. Bamboo is eco-friendly, very soft, and naturally deters bacteria – all of which appeal to Virgo sensibilities. Virgo is less likely to be concerned about style and color than Libra, for instance, but it darn well better fit. Venus in Virgo tones down a Leo Sun and has Libra Sun paying more attention to natural fibers over synthetics

Rose by Waterhouse

Venus in Libra is most likely to go for feminine frills with lots of lace on her sleepwear, but it has to be good quality and soft to the touch – Venus rules Libra, too. She certainly won’t turn down pretty silk lingerie or fine cotton lawn nightwear but will prefer softer colors – no fire engine red for this one. Venus is well placed in Libra, and she’ll give both Virgo and Scorpio Suns more feminine sensibilities.

Venus in Scorpio will pick up that daring garter belt to wear with thigh-high black stockings. She’ll also be inclined to wear silk undergarments under a ratty sweatshirt and jeans to titillate her lover’s imagination – or wear nothing at all. Ha! A Libra or Sagittarius Sun will qualify for HOT if her Venus is in Scorpio.

Venus in Sagittarius will opt for functional, if given a choice, because she just wants to put it on and head out the door. Keep the frills to a minimum please and forget the lace – it scratches. Pure organic cotton is on the top of this one’s list. Both Scorpio and Capricorn Sun folks will be willing to lighten up and fuss less for Venus in Sagittarius.

Ms. Venus in Capricorn not only prefers high quality silky lingerie, she also loves the idea of wearing sexy items under her conservative business suit. It’s a good idea to shop for high-end brands if you want to impress this choosy person, because she will look. If she is shopping for herself, Venus in Capricorn will wait for her favorites to go on sale, demonstrating Saturnine frugality. Sagittarius and Aquarius Suns both benefit from Venus in Capricorn’s sense of class and timeless styling.

For Venus in Aquarius, paying attention to what she wears depends on her mood and her lover. For the most part, undergarments are almost an afterthought, with comfort and good fit much higher on the scale than appearance. Like Virgo, she also will go for eco-conscious fibers like organic cotton and bamboo. This Venus will give Capricorn and Pisces Suns an eccentric edgier taste . . . electric blue lingerie anyone?

Venus in Pisces is the sweetheart of them all. Imagination is everything, and she prefers sheer fabrics in luminous colors that create an atmosphere of romance. Venus in Pisces is another who likes softness against her skin and the hidden beauty of lovely under-things that only she knows she’s wearing. This romantic Venus tones down and softens Aquarius and Aries Suns.

Venus rules Libra too posted by Neith . . .

Mercury in Gemini: Can You Just Hear the Twitter?

Wired and TwitteringThere’s no better image of Mercury in Gemini than twittering birds, and it’s no coincidence that we now have Twitter on Real Astrologers.

Mercury in Gemini is tailor-made for Twitter, the new way to keep track of friends and family. The messages are short, sweet, and not too deep. Think of it as a hybrid between blogging and text messaging from your cell phone. We think of it as a mini-blog and a perfect new format for astrology. Thus, Astro-Twitter was born!

You’ve seen it in action … and there will be a whole lot more action when more of you join! Don’t be shy. You don’t need to be an astrologer or even know much about astrology to participate. All you need to do is let us know what you’re doing and how you’re feeling, and we can compare that to what the planets are doing to see how they correlate.

This is also great if you’re from another country and feel a little challenged writing in English. The short Twitter format doesn’t require grammatically whole sentences, and no one will notice if subject and verb don’t agree. So please don’t let that stop you. At last count, Real Astrologers had readers in 34 countries on six continents! We’d love for Twitter to be an international flock, too.

It is very easy to sign up for Twitter, and it’s free. Once you have an account, ping me via e-mail or through Twitter messaging, and I will add you to our list. That’s all there is to it. All we ask is that if you plan to use Twitter for other purposes, please create a separate account and screen name for participating in Astro-Twitter. Otherwise, we’ll be inundated with so many off-topic messages that it won’t be Astro-Twitter. Do you follow me?

Join the fun! Add your voice to our fledgling Astro-Twitter community.

Sign of the FuturePat

P.S. If you’d like to add Astro-Twitter on your own blog, let us know, and we’ll send you the code.

Fashion and Pluto in Capricorn

Trina Turk 'Spencer' tweed vest What’s hot in the fashion industry often reflects what’s happening in society at large, and this year we’re seeing a return to menswear in women’s clothing. I came across an article in USA Today magazine this past weekend about this trend and immediately thought of Pluto moving into Capricorn.

To quote Catherine Chow, co-founder of Tobi.com:  “In these serious and uncertain times, we’re looking for some structure . . . to convey power and confidence.” She is referring the general economic climate, with stocks plunging, home foreclosures spiking, and the big rise in the cost of fuel, all signs of change and turmoil.

For the woman wearing masculine-inspired clothing designs, the idea is to project an image of being in control, the one in charge. What is more Capricorn than that? Capricorn is strongly associated with executives and others at the top end of the ladder of success and with a conservative pinstriped image. With many women in the work force looking to move up the ladder, choosing to project the right image is very important – Capricorn all the way.

We may see the atmosphere lighten up some this summer when Pluto moves back into Sagittarius, but this is not likely to last much past Pluto’s return to Capricorn late in the year. I for one would be delighted to see the last of low-cut jeans and high cut T-shirts, the oh-so-causal look that Pluto in Sagittarius blessed us with.

It will be very interesting to see what the fashionistas will have for us when the 2009 designer collections hit the runways later this year. As a group they seem to have a sense of the prevailing atmosphere. More cuffed trousers à la Katherine Hepburn, classy men’s vests with bow ties, and high-heeled oxfords anyone?

Venus rules Libra too posted by Neith . . .

Not a Moment Too Soon

Caravaggio's Saturnus, 16th centuryThe past six months have been a long, rocky road, but we finally are feeling some positive shifts this week.

The week begins with the New Moon in Taurus, which Neith explored in the previous post. As she noted, it’s not so much about new beginnings, but about evaluating. Taurus traditionally is associated with the second house, which rules income, possessions, and personal values. Evaluating means just that: determining what you value. Are your actions in line with your needs and desires? Or are you working at cross purposes?

Saturn has just returned direct after being retrograde since mid-December. Saturn builds structure in our lives, which is why he is by definition limiting. Once a particular energy is manifested on the physical plane, it is temporarily tied up and unavailable for all other uses. If you don’t like what manifested, then you need to put energy into changing it. Right now is a great time to do so. Saturn in Virgo favors practical, tangible results.

As I noted in a new post on The Pisces Chronicles, if you were born in the late 1950s, Saturn is stationed on or near your natal Pluto. The obstacles are crushing, I know, and the mere thought of manifesting anything positive seems so far away that it almost has no meaning. If you’re like me, you’ve gone into survival mode. Saturn will start picking up speed (relative to the Earth, of course) in mid-May, and you should start seeing some relief, depending on the degree of your natal Pluto and what else is happening in your chart.

On Tuesday, the Moon enters Gemini and conjoins Mercury later in the day. Yes, Saturn is still putting a bit of a damper on life, but we should see lots of movement, especially in activities involving communications. I can’t wait to see what happens on Astro-Twitter. It should be a fun day, so sign up now!

On Friday, Jupiter goes retrograde, and he’ll stay in “reverse” until September 8 – the same day Pluto goes direct, so that will be an interesting double effect, especially since Pluto will be back in Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius. Neith or I will have more later this week about the significance of Jupiter’s turn retrograde. 

As exciting as all of that is, the biggest news of the week is the entry of Mars into Leo on Friday. Mars has been in Cancer for much of the past seven months, and this has not been a good energy for most of us. We are ready for some action! Just be careful, because the sudden burst of Mars firepower will be so strong that it literally could knock you over. Again, it depends on where he is in your chart and whether he’s aspecting any natal planets or chart points.

The Moon enters Leo early on Saturday on the West Coast of the United States and conjoins Mars less than an hour later. This will amplify the emotional intensity of the Mars force – great for certain activities, but the risk of overreaction is high.

The week ends with a delightful sextile between the Sun and Uranus. This aspect favors making positive changes with minimal effort. So if you’re still fine-tuning a new structure in your life, this is the frosting on the cake.

If you’d like more information about how these aspects are impacting your life, consider ordering one of our exclusive forecasts. Neith and I both do them, and we write them from scratch, exclusively for you. You will be amazed by what a difference it makes when you know what’s going on in your chart. And if you’ve ever ordered a computer-generated report, you will be doubly amazed by the difference between those products and a Real Astrologers report.

Have a productive week!
Sign of the FuturePat

New Moon in Taurus – Comfort Rules

 here's some of those May flowers!

The New Moon on May 5 is at 15 degrees Taurus, the midpoint between the two Scorpio Full Moons, making it less about new beginnings than most New Moons. This feels more like the time to evaluate progress and determine if we are doing business as usual or whether we have found better alternatives because if we haven’t, we need to. The atmosphere is conducive to transforming what is no longer viable with a certain degree of grace.

Venus moved into Taurus, where she is supremely comfortable, on April 30 and is still within orb of the grand trine in earth with Pluto and Saturn. For those of us who have been dealing with less pleasant Saturn and Pluto transits, the presence of a happy Venus will sooth the worst of the hurts for now. This especially favors those with lots of Libra and Taurus in their charts . . . Yay!

The Jupiter/Uranus sextile is still operating, and once Jupiter turns retrograde on May 9, the aspect will tighten again. Both of these planets interact favorably with the Taurus New Moon, supporting innovations for various business ventures out there. Jupiter will station at 22° 22′ Capricorn and will provide an opportunity to review what we’ve done since February this year. In numerology, 22 is the number of the master builder of the universe. Combine that with Capricorn’s ability to plan and execute and we have a great opportunity to lay some serious groundwork for where we want to go next.

Another event happening May 9 is Mars finally moving into Leo!  After months and months in watery Cancer, Mars is going to be one happy camper to be back in a fire sign, and all you fire-sign folks out there are going to get a big hit of energy. 

We do have to deal with the square between Mercury in Gemini and Saturn in Virgo, so the agile one will be still be feeling constrained, even though he moved out of methodical Taurus on May 2. Remember to allow extra time for handling communications.

Overall, this New Moon favors creative change, but in a far more tangible way. With Venus, Taurus’s ruler, dancing with Saturn and Pluto in earth, realistic planning and sensible creative solutions will carry the day. And if you have a chance to relax about now . . . Taurus says get a lovely massage with plenty of scented oils and quiet music. Oh yeah, don’t forget the chocolates and a glass of your favorite beverage, either.

Venus rules Libra tooposted by Neith . . .

Pole Dancing on May Day

hotforwords.jpg“It’s every girl’s dream to be on the Internet in her underwear.”

I was at my day job, and the TV was on, tuned to the E! Channel. The show was called The Sexiest Jobs in Las Vegas, or something like that, and the first thing I noticed, besides all the pole dancing, was that the screen was frequently blurry in certain spots.

At first, I couldn’t figure out why they were spending hours on topless dancers, until I caught the gist of the show (I was working, catching glimpses here and there). In one segment, there was a guy talking about how the women who work these jobs make videos and put them on the Internet to get discovered. And that’s when he popped out the quote above.

I was a bit shocked to hear that. I mean, where have I been? I thought girls still grew up wanting to be ballerinas and maybe supermodels, with an occasional astronaut thrown in. It never occurred to me that posing in lingerie for Internet videos was even a profession, let alone a desired one.

But this clearly is a trend, and so I set out to understand it.

Now, I’m not exactly sure that astrology will explain this, but the timing was interesting. The show (a rerun from 2004) was being aired while Mercury was in Taurus – Mercury being the planet of communications, and Taurus being one of the two signs ruled by Venus, planet of love and desire. I admit that this could be a mere coincidence.

The bigger trend at work here appears to be the return of feminine energy to the planet. There’s been a lot of discussion about this in the astro-blogosphere, and we assume that return of the feminine means that we will see a resurgence of values such as nurturing rather than killing, cooperation rather than competition, intuition integrated with logic, and many other attitudes and behaviors that are kinder and gentler.

But what about feminine sexuality?

Tell me that this subject doesn’t make a lot of people nervous. I was squeamish watching hour after hour of firm, smooth cheeks in thongs writhing around a pole. I had to have a talk with myself to understand my discomfort. And I think the simple answer is, we’ve been programmed to believe that it’s bad, so even if we’re cool with it intellectually, we make up “reasons” to object. The biggest is that it’s degrading to women, that it sets up an impossible ideal that most women can’t meet – and that even the women in question didn’t meet until they were surgically enhanced – that we want to be loved for more than our bodies … all the usual suspects.

Enough already. It has to be OK for women to be sexual beings, in any way we wish, and if pleasing men is the objective, that’s OK, too. Ideally, when the masculine and feminine energies on the planet are integrated, the pleasing will be a two-way street. That’s what we should be aiming for, but someone has to go first.

I hope that this is what’s behind the surge of soft porn on the Internet, so I’ve made a pact to allow this energy to flourish. Something to think about as Venus enters Taurus, the day before the sexiest holiday of the year.

Dancing around the May Pole indeed.

Not into conventionPat

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Marina, pictured above, is a 27-year-old Russian philologist and Internet phenom whose video series “Hot for Words” gets millions of hits a week. If I thought I could get millions of hits posing in my underwear, I might try it, too. :-)

Family Power Plays and Pluto

 the view from Pluto 

In many ways families are the microcosm for studying the effects of planets at work in synastry, natally and by transit. I’m watching one unfold in my immediate family between my Aries SO and his younger daughter. She is currently in the early stages of transiting Pluto approaching her natal Capricorn Moon and is heading into the second pass of her Saturn Return. She also has Pluto in Libra conjunct her Ascendant and so far her reaction to that natal aspect is to attempt to dominate and control every aspect of her life . . . . [Yeah, like that will work in the long run!]

Her father and I are about the only people in her immediate family who will stand their ground and not allow her to have her way. Both her dad and I have Mars in Scorpio square Pluto in Leo and we both have a definite “don’t mess with me” vibe. Her Mars is in Taurus exactly opposing her father’s and mine, so the operative synastry aspect here is a T-square with Pluto in Leo at the apex! Her Uranus in Scorpio opposes her Mars and conjuncts her father’s Mars exacerbating the situation with the arbitrary quality Uranus brings to the table. Sure does sound like power plays to me.

The latest episode revolves around her civil marriage ceremony. Instead of opening negotiations and discussing the location with her dad, she announced she wanted to have it on the ex-law’s property at the last minute [Uranus in action] knowing full well he had stated in no uncertain terms he would never voluntarily set foot there again. The reason she gave was this is what her financé wished – like her Capricorn financé ever did anything she didn’t ask?!

The upshot is a typical Pluto power play result . . . no one’s happy, there are bad feelings all the way around and almost every one is “stuffing” their feelings. With Pluto, resolution is often only possible through deliberate disengagement and that is not happening in this situation due to other complicating factors.

Plutonians in the depth of control issues tend not to respond well to confrontation and most must hit their personal “wall” hard enough to choose the path to detachment and sanity. This is what my own experience with Pluto has taught . . . the hard way.

from Aries to Pisces

 

 

A note on helping Plutonians and those in the throes of a Pluto transit to the personal planets and Ascendant in particular – these individuals will not likely respond to offers of help. It’s comparable to dealing with addicts who have not acknowledged their addiction. Until the door is opened a crack by the Plutonian person (they request assistance and feedback), they may not react well to even the kindest, more sincere offer of help.

Libra offers perspectiveposted by Neith . . .