Category Archives: General Musing

Saturday Extra!All About Eclipses

We’re between eclipses, so this seems like a good time to provide more information for those who are interested.

I often refer to a “series” of eclipses. Joe recently left a comment asking me to explain what this means. When astrologers refer to a series of eclipses, usually we are talking about those falling in a particular sign pair over a period of 18 months to two years. A new series often starts before the previous one ends, as is happening now. This occurs as the lunar nodes approach the cusp of a new sign. As Joe noted in his comment, the lunar nodes move backwards, in the same direction as retrograde planets.

Using the current eclipses as an example, the lunar eclipse on July 7 was the first eclipse in a new series in Capricorn and Cancer. There are two more eclipses in this series in 2009: a solar eclipse at 29 degrees Cancer on July 21 and a lunar eclipse at 10 degrees Cancer on December 31. Next year, there are three more eclipses in this series, which will end with a solar eclipse in Cancer on July 1, 2011. Meanwhile, there is one eclipse left in the outgoing series, a lunar eclipse at 13 degrees Aquarius on August 5. The Aquarius/Leo series began on February 6, 2008.

In a normal year, there are four eclipses. Typically, a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse occur two weeks apart, and then about six months later, there is another pair. However, there are six eclipses in 2009, making this a very unusual year. There also will be six eclipses in 2011. I’ve read that extraordinary events happen in six-eclipse years, but I haven’t done enough research to verify this yet. If anyone wants to spend a few hours Googling, I’d love to have your input on this.

As I mentioned in my brief response to Joe’s comment, the sign pair in which the eclipses take place is determined by the lunar nodes. Eclipses always take place at the New Moon or Full Moon. At the New Moon, the Sun and Moon are conjunct, and the Moon is between the Earth and Sun, which causes a solar eclipse. At the Full Moon, the Sun and Moon are in opposition. The Earth is between the Sun and Moon, and this produces a lunar eclipse.

Usually (but not always) the Full Moon brings culmination, resolution, or endings, while the New Moon brings new beginnings. This is also true for eclipses, but the effect is much more powerful. Endings tend to be final, with no going back. New beginnings can be equally as dramatic. Change can happen so quickly that we are thrown off balance. For people with a lot of fixed signs in their charts, this can be particular uncomfortable, as we tend to resist change more than others.

As I explained in yesterday’s Q&A column, where you feel this effect depends on the houses in your natal chart in which the eclipse pair falls. If the cusps of these houses are in the mid-degrees of a sign, which is often the case, you may have four life areas that could be affected instead of two. For example, if your Rising Sign is 15 degrees Capricorn, the new series of eclipses will fall in your first and seventh houses, along with the twelfth and sixth houses. That’s a lot of ground to cover, with nearly unlimited possibilities.

When I do consultations, I look at what else is going on in the chart to try to determine how the eclipses enter into the picture. Still, eclipses can bring changes that are so sudden and unexpected that outcomes can be hard to predict.

I’ve also noticed over the years that the two-week period between eclipses can be quite turbulent and unsettling. Since we have three eclipses in a row this year, that period is extended to a month. We’re all going to have to do our best to maintain our health and sanity!

Much love and courage to all,
Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Image: Total eclipse of the Sun on August 11, 1999, as seen in France. Image by Luc Viatour.

Real Astrologer’s Poll: How is it going with Neptune & Co?

We had Mercury square Neptune & Co in April, May, and June; and today Venus is squaring the Aquarius stellium. Mars takes his turn next Monday.

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I know I have felt like my mind has been in a fog bank with occasional moments of clarity and inspiration because the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction is sitting in my third house. What about the rest of you?

Libra loves balancetposted by Neith . . .

Ask Real Astrologers: Did I Miss the Career On-Ramp?

This week’s question comes from Stan in California:

My finances are shot, I’m collecting unemployment, and I have no interest in getting my license to start my own private practice in clinical psychology, as I have “burned out” on being a clinician. I want to make a shift to academia for the intellectual stimulation and challenge and be in a place where I can teach. I know I have the ability and experience and that I need to refresh my knowledge base. Yet, in the last six months, I don’t feel like I’ve done enough, read enough, or retained enough to feel to feel as knowledgeable and as confident in an interview as I felt when in grad school. All I know is that I don’t feel like I’m making progress. Have I missed a sign post and thus headed in the wrong direction? I feel that there are some positive energies in play, yet I don’t feel that I have been able work with them. What am I missing?

Aquarius expounds . . .

Pat’s response:

Stan, first let me say hello to a fellow Aquarius/Rising Aquarius! Second, I can tell you that your natal chart indicates an innate talent for psychology, and you can have a powerfully transformational effect on your clients. In fact, you might even be a little scary for some people, as you can see deeply into their psyche.

This also means, however, that you can burn out easily, as you may have difficulty keeping your own psychic boundaries intact. I would say, off the top of my head, that your best solution is daily physical exercise. This will help you blow off the psychic clutter than you pick up from confused and wounded people.

If you’ve seen your chart, you may know that the rare conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune is taking place right on your Ascendant. This alignment is opening doors on deep healing. As you probably know from your work, this can be a painful process, and in your case, it is going to continue for the rest of the year. I don’t think you will be able to see your way clearly until this process is over. By next January, you will have a much better idea of your direction, and you’ll also have Jupiter in your first house to help you find great opportunities for advancement.

Aquarius is the sign of the future, and many of us are ahead of our time. I believe that your unique role will be in finding new perspectives on human psychology that will help heal humanity, starting with yourself. One of the topics I’ve written about extensively is the wound between male and female energies on the planet. You have a close conjunction of Venus and Mars in your first house, and Uranus (your ruler) currently is transiting these planets. Uranus is the Awakener, so I believe that you will be awakened to the dual nature of this energy in everyone, and this new information somehow will be of great use to you in your practice.

The very best of luck to you, and thanks for writing!

Libra ponders . . .

Neith’s response:

Stan, as Pat noted Jupiter-Chiron and Neptune have just crossed your Ascendant and are now in your first house. The other transiting planet in your first house is Uranus in Pisces, currently stationing at 26? Pisces preparing to come back over your natal Mars-Venus conjunction. This is a great deal of activity in your first house stressing the possibility of doing a major overhaul of your image among other things.

Your natal Mars-Venus conjunction is also the tip of a Yod, or Finger of God, with Pluto in Leo in your sixth house sextile the Saturn-Neptune conjunction in Libra in your eighth. This pattern pulls together the elements that make you an excellent psychologist from compassionate Pisces to transformative Pluto and to have Uranus about to make its second pass over the tip, it makes complete sense to me you feel the need for change. The third and final pass will come during the first three months of 2010.

It is likely Neptune crossing your Ascendant has obscured matters because Neptune is extremely good at that. My recommendation would be to see if you can sort through the mish mash of expectations, both yours and those of others, over the next few months and see if you can work with those that put you, the nurturer, first. This is all part of an ongoing theme in your chart where Neptune and Uranus are pulling you in different directions. I’m sure you are familiar with the concept of nurturing the nurturer but this is my sense of what’s needed now.

Perhaps when Jupiter moves back into your twelfth house at the end of July and reduces the cacophony in your first house, it will be easier to find your sign post. Jupiter is pretty darn loud at times.

Best of luck in finding your way into academia!

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. You must use this form to contact us, or we don’t get your question. Be sure to fill out all the fields, and please spell out the month of your birthday. If you don’t know your time of birth, indicate “time unknown.” Thanks!

Ask Our Readers: How About That Mercury-Neptune Square?!

Mercury in Taurus has been square to Neptune in Aquarius three times over the past couple of months: the first time on April 25 just before Mercury went retrograde, then on May 23 during the retrograde period and the final square was yesterday, June 9.

This celestial event totally messed with my sense of time. I literally have not known what day it was more than once! Yesterday I happily dated checks June 8, for instance.

Now Mercury is direct and we may find out over the next week or so if those amazing, brilliant ideas and insights we had were nothing but pipe dreams or the real deal.

Do you think you will come out of this time having made great progress or none at all?

Please share your thoughts with us!

Libra, relationship specialistposted by Neith . . .

Weekly Forecast June 8: Mercury Square Neptune

big-illusions.jpgWe 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,
Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

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.

Saturday Extra!Random Musing

susan-boyle-finals.jpgWe are going through an energy shift, there’s no doubt. Signs of the change stream in constantly. I thought I’d take this opportunity to share a few random thoughts and observations with you.

The predominant astrological signature for this shift is the conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune, with Mercury in a square just as he’s coming out of retrograde. Chiron and Neptune have just turned retrograde. The ongoing mutual reception between Neptune and Uranus, with the latter moving toward a second opposition to Saturn later this year, tells us how there is connection between seemingly unrelated issues in our lives.

My take on all of this is that those of us whose wounds are near the surface and ready to clear out have been helped enormously by this healing window. I’ve heard several stories from friends and clients confirming this trend. Once this deep healing is assimilated, we will experience corresponding shifts in our external world.

For those who are only vaguely aware of the deep wounds or who are actively suppressing them, this is the wake-up call. The next Jupiter-Neptune conjunction may be the crisis, and then the final one hopefully will bring about the shift. Mercury’s square to Neptune & Co. is helping to identify the issues. This isn’t always pleasant, especially for people who don’t make the connection between what they’re carrying around with them and the situations they keep getting into. It’s really hard to process this without feeling guilt and blame.

As I was pondering this development, I read the news that Susan Boyle came in second in the final competition of the reality TV show Britain’s Got Talent. Part of Susan’s appeal was the idea that dreams can and do come true, even for people who don’t seem to have a snowball’s chance in hell. The day after her loss to a group of young male break dancers, headlines screamed about broken dreams. I didn’t see it that way.

In her exuberant audition, Susan said her dream was to become a professional singer. As a result of her overnight fame, she was hounded by the media, which led to a breakdown in her apparently fragile mental state. She was admitted the following day to an upscale mental health clinic in London, where hopefully she will be able to learn to cope with fame. She obviously is a sensitive person, and this means she will need to learn to protect herself, as many sensitive celebrities must do in order to keep their sanity. So, the way I see it, this is her opportunity to heal a very old wound, which in turn will help her realize her dream of earning a living with her angelic voice. The sad part is, her voice was not nearly as inspirational while she was under stress. What grabbed us in the first place was her singing directly from a pure heart, but the pressure she was under caused her heart to close, and we couldn’t feel that connection anymore.

Neptune and Jupiter together are about big dreams, but often we are blocked by something inside us. It could be a wound that we are not aware of, and most of the time, there’s an element of fear involved. Before we can move into the dream, we must overcome that fear.

For many of you, the wound and fear have to do with a love relationship. I’ve written a lot about this theme and about the connection between the Chiron-Neptune conjunction and healing our relationships. I’ve received some incredible e-mail over the past couple of weeks from people who are going through intense relationship healing. And just look at the comments on this blog over the past two weeks. I want you all to know that I am reading every word and in empathy with you all, as my own experiences are similar.

To those of you who are suffering in relationships, I want to throw the possibility out to you that the person who appears to be causing this reaction may have come into your life precisely to bring your deepest wound to the surface. To heal, we often have to re-open those old wounds. Emotionally, we often have to relive them. If someone has brought your wound to the surface, send up a note of gratitude to the universe, because you are blessed. The wounded energy can be released, freeing you of a load you’ve been carrying around for many years, perhaps all of your life. New patterns can now enter your existence.

I also want to second Mem’s comment this morning about what a supportive community this blog has become. That was always our intention, and we are grateful to all of you for making it so. When Mem and others are brave enough to talk openly of their fears, it creates an opening for healing.

Finally, I’d like to leave you with a song I heard on the radio the other day. I started laughing at the lyrics and went online to look them up. The song is called “Incomplete,” by Alanis Morissette. It seems like a fitting anthem for these astrological times.  (I tried to embed the video in this post, but for some reason WordPress doesn’t like it and keeps changing the code. So just click here for the video and lyrics. )

Much love and courage to you all,

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Saturday Extra: Mercury On Pause

hummer hoveringI don’t usually use the same post on Neithnet as here but this image was so perfect for the current state of affairs in the sky, it seemed like the thing to do.

Between Mercury stationing direct today, Chiron stationing retrograde, Neptune stationing retrograde yesterday and Saturn, while now direct, still barely moving, I’m stuck in neutral along with lots of other people. Maybe this is affecting me more because it’s a third house/Mercury event in my chart. Neptune and Chiron are both in my third house and Mercury is opposing my natal Mercury from the sixth house.

The Sun is in Gemini revving everyone up to talk, talk, talk but nothing is coming out! Well, maybe a whole lot of nothing. :::grin::: Personally I’m getting all these wonderful ideas that whip across the front of my mind and disappear into smoke. Oh, sometimes I’m making a note here and there but will have to review this info at a later date when the fog lifts.

This photo of a hummingbird at the feeder illustrates this well – going a gazillion miles an hour and going nowhere. Getting a good shot here and there is actually a pretty good use of Neptune in the third.

Let’s see if next week will be better than this last one.

Libra, relationship specialistposted by Neith . . .

Ask Real Astrologers: Venus Needs Help!

This week’s question comes from Fumi in London, England:

I have the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction squaring my Venus/ Ascendant, whilst Uranus trines my Venus/Ascendant for the rest of 2009. I am quite confused as to how this is likely to play out. I also am dealing with the ongoing Pluto square to my natal Moon. I am hoping for a fresh and liberating start romantically (Uranus) but am weary of the Neptunian illusion that the square indicates.

Libra ponders . . .

Neith’s response:

Fumi, it is understandable that confusion reigns now, with Neptune & Co. sitting in your third house. Also, the sign on the cusp of your seventh house, Taurus, is ruled by Venus, and Neptune & Co. are creating a T-square with your Ascendant-Venus and transiting Mercury (retrograde for another day) conjunct your Descendant. This is not favorable for clear thinking about romance.

After Mercury makes the final square to Neptune on June 10, the Neptune fog will thin some, and Uranus will remain at 26° Pisces until the second week in August. The biggest drawback of Neptune squaring your Venus-Ascendant may not be your lack of clarity, but the expectations others are projecting on you. You can either forego romance this summer or relax and have fun with this.

Pluto in the second house squaring your Moon in the tenth has to be bringing into focus what is truly of value to you. Do you still enjoy your career? Does it bring you the emotional satisfaction it did initially? If not, are there changes you can make, even if it means living more frugally for awhile? Many times when we spend time making do with less, we find it is not the hardship we thought it would be.

Perhaps the best thing for all of us who have been struggling with Neptune & Co., including myself, is to look at the lighter side of things and to keep in mind that the fog will lift eventually.

Aquarius expounds . . .

Pat’s response:

Fumi, confusion is not always a bad thing! Or, as an old friend of mine used to say, “I don’t know” is a good place to be. How many people do you know who are quite sure of themselves … and wrong?

The key thing to remember about Neptune transits is that your ego boundaries are dissolved, and this is particularly true when Neptune squares your Ascendant. It’s also important to keep in mind that Neptune is traveling with Jupiter and Chiron — what Neith is referring to with her shorthand “Neptune & Co.” Chiron and Neptune together provide a powerful opening for healing deep and ancient wounds, while Jupiter amplifies this effect and helps us expand into greater spiritual awareness.

The combined effect for you and for many others will be to heal an internal wound that has made it hard for us to connect on a soul level with a romantic partner. There are many things that keep this from happening. Two of the biggest obstacles I see are attachment to a particular outcome and trying to control another person. It’s easy to fool ourselves into thinking that we aren’t controlling when we’re just doing so on a very subtle level.

Because you also have Uranus trine your Venus and Ascendant, a surprising new romance could come into your life, and this will be an opportunity for you to observe your behavior and response. I don’t believe it’s bad to become attached to someone; in fact, I totally disagree with this notion that we somehow can love with all our hearts and yet not be attached. Again, the key is to be bonded with that person and yet to resist controlling them or where the relationship goes. These are fear responses, and fear is the enemy of love.

This is not a personal judgment of you. To the contrary, I believe that we suffer from a collective wound in this regard, and I find it deeply gratifying that more and more people see it and want to work on it. Aquarius is the sign of the collective, and Neptune & Co. in Aquarius means that we have an unprecedented opportunity to do personal growth work that will have a huge impact on the collective. That is our mission, if we choose to accept it.

You, dear friend, are sitting in the catbird seat. I wish you much love and courage. Keep in touch with us, and let us know how it goes.

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Saturday Archives: Assorted Pluto Observations

The Hades Moon by Judith HallWhen I was looking for something to post from my archives, I came across this one on Pluto and found it contained another example of a chart with the generational Yod we wrote about in yesterday’s Ask Our Readers post! By the way, I highly recommend “The Hades Moon” by Judy Hall for anyone with a natal Moon-Pluto aspect. 

With Pluto on the brain, it seems like I keep running across examples of how he operates both by transit and natally these days. I’m also reading “The Hades Moon” by Judith Hall. It’s scary how much I recognize from my own life from that book!

What I’ve read so far in “The Hades Moon” is helping me see how much subtle manipulation was going in my life coming from both my dad’s mom and my mother. They both were prone to praising the absent relative in front of the present one, creating rivalries among the other family members. According to Judith Hall, this is typical behavior of those with Pluto in aspect to the Moon. I’m fairly sure my mother had a Moon in Pisces trine to Pluto in Cancer.

Here is an example of Pluto at work: natal Moon conjunct Pluto and Jupiter in Virgo, both squared by transiting Pluto in Sagittarius. This is from the chart of a relative of mine and is one point on the base of a Yod (sextile Neptune in Scorpio, with Saturn in Aries as the apex). She has a serious case of tunnel vision. Whatever course she has determined for herself is all she will allow herself to see. An analogy that occurred to me is this:  she lives in a bubble with a reflective inner surface even though it’s clear from the outside looking in. All her hopes and fears are reflected back to her amplified by Jupiter. Transiting Pluto square to her Virgo stellium has intensified her fears and caused her to withdraw even more into her nuclear family unit (husband & two children). What’s going to happen when Saturn in Virgo starts moving over that point makes me quail as I’m sure it’s going to be painful. Could it be with Saturn as the focus of her natal Yod, a Saturn transit could help her start to gain some understanding of what has happened?

One of my personal challenges has been to accept that no matter how much I wish-will otherwise, people I love must find their own path, and if that path doesn’t include growth by my definition, so be it.

Here is another example of a natal Pluto aspect, in this case Pluto exactly conjunct Ascendant. This individual lost a close friend to suicide in high school, and a year or so later was the first person on the scene of a fatal motorcycle accident of another friend. The rider almost completely decapitated himself on a guy-wire and died within minutes. She told me she moved the head closer to a natural position to prevent others at the scene from seeing how devastating it was. I was seriously impressed by her courage under fire as she was 19 years old at the time. This young woman just finished a Masters degree in hospital administration and was hired by the State to evaluate how well state-funded health care is working. All I can say is watch out!!!

Astrology has been an excellent tool for myself and many others to sort out family dynamics and start healing old wounds.

Libra, relationship specialistposted by Neith . . .

Ask Real Astrologers: Do Transits Trigger a Yod?

This week’s question comes from Mari in Lawrence, Kansas:

I have read that transits can activate Yods. What effect would you expect that a generational transit like a Uranus opposition would have on a Yod with a Uranus-Neptune sextile inconjunct Saturn?

Libra ponders . . .

Neith’s response:

Mari, this particular Yod is one you share with many others making it a generational pattern, and an uncomfortable one at that.

Let’s face it, Saturn is just not happy in Aries, and as the apex of this pattern, Saturn is the focal point. Aries is all about action, the more direct and uncomplicated the better, and Saturn’s favored approach is slow and steady. Frequently those with Saturn in Aries will choose between passive or aggressive behaviors instead of being firmly assertive.

Virgo and Scorpio are the signs on the base of the Yod, and in this case, these two may actually be more supportive than is typical of inconjunct signs. Both of these signs prefer to work quietly but effectively behind the scenes, often in service oriented healing professions. A mature expression of Saturn in Aries is very similar to Saturn in Capricorn; self-directed, well organized and willing to do what is necessary to keep everyone on task. The Saturn-Uranus opposition in Virgo and Pisces has been, and will continue to help those of you with this Yod shed some of your old self-defeating behaviors and step forward as the gifted leaders you are.

In your chart, Mari, you have no personal planets conjunct any of the points of the Yod but your Moon does fall close to the mid-point between Pluto and Neptune, opposing the apex planet, Saturn. Since the Moon also rules your Sun sign, it is a key factor here. Following your feelings and intuitions closely will help you figure out the best path to take over the coming months.

There is a great deal more going on in your chart but this is not the format to discuss it. I recommend contacting either Pat or I for a more in-depth response, if you wish.

Hang on tight and do your best to stay grounded during this time, Mari! Best of luck!

Aquarius expounds . . .

Pat’s response:

Mari, I don’t know that there is any special magic to transits activating Yods. Of course you are going to feel a Yod more if any of the planets forming this configuration are being transited, especially by an outer planet that may stay near a particular degree for weeks or months at a time.

I suspect that you are strongly feeling the current Saturn-Uranus opposition, which is being compounded by the conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune, with Neptune and Uranus in mutual reception. As Neith noted, you actually have two Yods in your chart, and both of them are being directly impacted by this complex set of transits.

Further, in your birth chart, Saturn and Neptune, both of which are at the apex of a Yod, are inconjunct, and transiting Saturn and Neptune currently are inconjunct, or will be this fall. I expect that this will have deep karmic significance for you and that this will be a transformational year, both internally and in your external circumstances. If there’s a big disconnect between your dreams and wishes and what has materialized in your life so far, you should be able to get these two sides of yourself working in tandem. Just be prepared for some turbulence, as radical change typically doesn’t happen without it.

Wishing you the very best.

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. You must use this form to contact us, or we don’t get your question. Be sure to fill out all the fields, and please spell out the month of your birthday. If you don’t know your time of birth, indicate “time unknown.” Thanks!