Category Archives: Saturday Extra!

Saturday Extra!Random Musing

We 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,

Pat

Saturday Extra: Mercury On Pause

hummer hovering I 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.

posted by Neith . . .

Saturday Extra!When Life Hands You Lemons

Well, it’s not Hollywood calling, but we’ve received a Lemonade Award.

I tried to figure out how this award originated and can’t seem to track it down. So it will have to remain a mystery. However, it is supposed to go to sites that show “great attitude and/or gratitude.” Neith is our local gratitude expert, while my expertise is in giving the Big Pitcher. Sometimes I have an attitude to go with it.

Part of the deal is that you have to nominate 10 sites to pass on the award to. Our nomination came from the mystery gal behind Out the Comet’s Ass. Now, I didn’t see anywhere in the rules where is says you can’t re-nominate the site that nominated you, so we are going to do so. There is no doubt that she would have been in our 10 picks anyway — Neith and I are in agreement on that — so to hell with the rules. We did find 10 nominees, though!

Here are our 10 picks:

1. Tseka ~ One Dance. Our dear friend, mentor, and an amazing artist. Please, if you haven’t checked out her galleries, go to her site. Unfortunately, despite the high quality of the images, you still don’t get the feeling of seeing her work in person. I have, and it has an energy that you feel in every cell of your body and every spark of your spirit. She also has started making gorgeous, reasonably priced talisman pendants. I predict that these are going to be the next big fashion trend.

2. Astrodispatch. Where would we be without Elsa’s daily astro-aggragate? She’s one of a kind.

3. Out the Comet’s Ass. She has more attitude than anyone we know, and she often is right on, in the most off-beat way. Of course this appeals to the Aquarius in me, but Neith loves her, too.

4. Julie Demboski’s Astrology. Always lots to chew on with some of the best insights into the asteroids around.

5. Astrotabletalk. Everyone loves Dharmaruci. And he’s a fellow Aquarius.

6. Ralfee Finn’s Weekly Frequency. I’ve been following Ralfee for years. She’s another Big Pitcher gal.

7. Astropol. Just what it sounds like. Astrologer Terry Lamb decided to blog on astrology and politics. Yay!

8. Love is stronger than pride. Devil Mood, author of this blog, has created a wonderful blend of images and words imbued with a deep love of music. She is also an astrologer.

9. Chrispito’s Astroturf. This is a very personal blog where Chrispito shares her thoughts, photos and images of her artwork in a real, honest way.

10. The Slow Cook. Last but certainly not least, I highly recommend The Slow Cook, hosted by master gardener Ed Bruske, whose urban garden is just a mile from Michelle Obama’s famous plot. This is one of the many blogs sprouting up around the slow food movement, a worldwide effort put fast food in its place. I don’t know how long it would take to grow the lemons to make lemonade, but you’ll sure have fun in the process, and isn’t that what life is all about? Caution: Reading this blog may make you fat. Check out his to-die-for bunless burger recipe.

The terms for the Award are:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Nominate your favorites and link to this post.

Much love to all,
Pat

Saturday Archives: Assorted Pluto Observations

The Hades Moon by Judith Hall When 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.

posted by Neith . . .

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.

Saturday Extra: More On Saturn’s Role In Synastry

Neith's Parents Wedding Photo in 1944 We need Saturn! Without Saturn to teach us about boundaries, to behave responsibly and give us patience, our lives and relationships wouldn’t get off the ground – period, end of story.

There is a very good reason Saturn is exalted in Libra, the sign of relating to the “other.” When the bloom wears off the initial attraction and our partner’s habit of never cleaning up after themselves gets really annoying, that’s when having a solid Saturn aspect or two in the synastry will keep us from throwing them out the door. . . or not, if that is what’s needed.

What Saturn can provide is balance and stability, especially if there are a number of Uranus squares, oppositions, and conjunctions creating excitement and lots of adrenaline rushes. In order to have a relationship at all, you need to be able to be in the same place at the same time. It can be the difference between playing “phone tag” and sitting down for “face time.”

Neptune’s willingness to see all the unmanifested potential is best offset by a large dose of Saturn, too. No matter how creative that person is or how glamorous their appearance, can they pay their bills on time? Not to mention all the unpleasantness of dealing with various Neptune-related addictions. We can still love someone very much who does behave responsibly and is not a “bad boy.”

I have long thought that Saturn’s ability to live in the here and now and to take on challenges one step at a time in a pragmatic manner are a good antidote to Pluto’s obsessions. If you think you will die without that special someone, then check the synastry for a Pluto conjunction or opposition. Saturn can help us learn detachment, because it always emphasizes the rational over the emotional. In fact, learning to delay gratification is considered part of the maturation process, which is totally Saturn.

Saturn will move into Libra at the end of October this year, so consider this a heads up about what is in store for the collective. Between Pluto in conventional Capricorn and Saturn in Libra, I’m willing to say fidelity, commitment, and learning what constitutes a good marriage will start to make a comeback.

posted by Neith . . .

Image: My parents had been married for close to 63 yrs at the time of my Libra mother’s death. Now that’s commitment!

Saturday Extra! Susan Boyle: Prepare To Be Transformed

Susan Boyle's magic moment on Britain's Got Talent. Official photo from ITV.

How did Susan Boyle skyrocket to global superstardom overnight?

At last count, the various Internet versions of her heart-stopping three-minute performance on the reality TV show Britain’s Got Talent had been viewed well over 100 million times. So the first explanation was that new media made her famous. Then why didn’t other talented contestants, notably the precision dance troupe Flawless and 12-year-old singing sensation Shaheen Jafargholi, achieve similar results? Was she that much more accomplished than they?

Most of the commentary on Susan’s performance and the response to it emphasizes the disparity between her appearance and her angelic voice. There are theories that we all love the ugly duckling and root for the underdog. Her plain looks, age, and background all make her an unlikely celebrity, and that alone has mass appeal. Some economists explain the phenomenon as a reaction to tough financial times.

Of course, astrologers weighed in, too, starting with her birth chart and examining transits and progressions. I was amused by the confusion over Susan’s birth data. Tseka and I saw a lot in the April 1 chart, and when the Sunday Times reported that her birthday was June 15, we were left scratching our heads. It now appears that the April 1 chart was correct and that the newspaper got it wrong.

Before I comment on her chart, I’d like you to see the complete lyrics of her song. She didn’t sing the whole thing, presumably due to time restraints. The words are key to understanding what this is really about:

There was a time when men were kind
When their voices were soft
And their words inviting
There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting
There was a time
Then it all went wrong

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
And they turn your dream to shame

He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came

And still I dream he’ll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I’m living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.

In all the analysis I’ve read, there hasn’t been much mention of the song she chose, other than that it was about a dream that died, how this strikes a chord in many people, and so forth. Sure, it fits her life: a difficult birth, learning disabilities, bullied by other kids, later giving up her career to care for sick parents and winding up as an unemployed church worker, living alone with her cat. So the theory goes, we’re touched that her dream didn’t die, and that means there’s still hope for us, too.

I won’t discount that. But it’s still not the whole story. Need another hint? Let’s look at her choice of songs for her interview with Larry King, “My Heart Will Go On,” from the film Titanic, and the song she recorded 10 years ago for a charity fundraiser, “Cry Me a River.”

These songs are about lost love and the wound that results. I’ve been writing about this theme for years, and I’ve felt a growing awareness that we are in a period of deep healing. The separation between the divine masculine and the divine feminine is one of the deepest rifts in the human heart, and it’s so much a part of us that most of us don’t even realize it. Susan is singing about a wound that is many millennia old, that dates back to the time “when men were kind.” And yes, something went terribly wrong.

If astrologers need to stretch to find indicators in her chart of her great success, it’s because this isn’t just about her. It’s about all of us, and it’s about a karmic moment in time. Susan was just the vehicle. That is what angels do. They bring us messages, and these messages can change the world.

There’s a lot I could say about her natal chart, but I’m going to confine my remarks to her lunar nodes, which are one of the leading markers of destiny. With Pluto on the North Node in Virgo, her role is to serve as a transformer. Chiron on the South Node in Pisces speaks of the ancient wound that pervades the collective conscious. She carried it into this incarnation and has lived it for all these years. Her voice came not from her but through her and went straight to the depths of our being. That is why we cried.

Looking at transits, the Jupiter-Neptune Chiron conjunction, boosted by Uranus in mutual reception with Neptune, gives us a clue about the healing power in this moment. The weekend that Susan burst into the collective conscious, Mars was about to conjoin Uranus.

But the biggest factor I see here is Venus retrograde in the last degree of Pisces, the “weeping degree.” Although it’s hard to know the circumstances of the original separation, mythology and religion inform us that the divine masculine abandoned the divine feminine. Now the divine feminine is returning to the world, and with her she brings love. We might think of it as the Second Coming, the opening of the heart.

Susan opened millions of hearts, and the world is going to be transformed as a result. Many of us have felt it coming, but did we ever imagine it would happen this way?

Over the next couple of months, as Susan advances in the competition, Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron move toward exact conjunction and then go retrograde together. At the same time, Venus and Mars will move together toward yet one more conjunction, the third in less than a year. It’s a fair bet that a lot more healing is going to take place.

Meanwhile, the discussion has turned to her makeover. I can understand wanting to preserve that karmic moment, but it can’t stop there, and we can’t and shouldn’t control it. Let her blossom. Even if our heartstrings are being played by marketing experts, she is a real woman and a real healer. Let yourself be transformed.

Pat

Saturday Extra: Thanks for Sharing

Saturday is the end of the week, and so this seems like a good time to look back at some our reader polls and make a few observations.

In our most recent poll, we asked whether you plan by the phases of the Moon. This is one of the simplest uses of astrology, and your answers reveal that most of you are aware of this tool and use it, at least some of the time.

As you may know, Real Astrologers celebrated its first year earlier this month. We definitely considered the phase of the Moon in the timing of our launch (and our Web host, InMotion, nicely humored us, right down to the minute). Would we have been as successful if we hadn’t done so? There’s no way to know the answer to that. But we most certainly have had a stellar first year, with 165,000 page views and still climbing. Our readership spans 120 countries on six continents.

The posts that consistently generate the most page views are Neith’s lunation reports, so it’s not surprising that you are tuned into the lunar cycle. On a day-to-day basis, the Moon’s influence typically is fleeting and not very strong, but if you pay attention, you likely will notice a correlation between events in your life and the New or Full Moon in a sensitive place in your chart.

On April 1, we asked how you were experiencing the Mars-Saturn opposition. Most of you didn’t seem to be too bothered by it, which was a surprise. There were a lot of shootings in the news that weekend, along with an eruption of Mount Redoubt and, a few days later, a devastating earthquake in Italy. But overall, it passed without a global catastrophe or personal trauma for our readers.

Unfortunately, it appears that the Mars-Uranus conjunction is going to be far more disruptive. Already, we’re seeing drama on the high seas as Somali pirates use hostages, including an American merchant marine captain, to ensure their escape from international authorities. It’s hard to imagine how this standoff isn’t going to end badly for someone. Of course, we’ll ask you what’s going on in your life personally in our next poll.

In our poll on March 25, we asked whether you’d forgive someone for bad behavior if they were experiencing a difficult astrological transit. I have to say that I was taken aback by the response. An overwhelming majority of you said no. A lot has been written about the power of forgiveness to heal, and most of us doing spiritual work know this. But are we putting it into practice? Perhaps this is a topic that needs more exploration.

Going back one more week, to March 18, I asked you to vote for the astrological aspect that may have been underlying a friend’s head injury. This was admittedly a tough call, as there was so much going on in his chart. However, the majority of you gave the most weight to transiting Mars, and this was my conclusion, too. Still, I couldn’t help thinking that this guy also just needed a good knock on the head.

Thank you to everyone who has voted in our Wednesday polls. As Neith and I have both said many times, your feedback helps make us better astrologers, and we’re all enriched by the experience.

Pat

Saturday Extra: Is There a Connection Between Pluto and Genius?

Loose Hair by Frida Kahlo Pluto has a well-deserved association with negative behaviors such as obsession, manipulation, and power struggles. But are these traits always bad?

Obsession often precedes acts of genius such as a great work of art or an invention that benefits the collective. These are examples of how Pluto can work through us in a positive way. However, when people manipulate others, often for “their own good,” we see Pluto’s dark side. The type of aspect Pluto makes to personal planets and angles, either natally or by transit, provides clues about how this powerful force will manifest in an individual.

The conjunction brings a deeper intensification of the qualities of the sign in which it is found. When Pluto conjoins a planet or angle, the intensity is exponentially greater. Here is the possibility for either end of the spectrum, from genius inventor to heavy duty manipulator. As with all conjunctions, it is difficult to get perspective on our behavior, because we’re just too close to the situation. Feedback from a friend or loved one can be very helpful or the start of battle royal.

Those with Pluto in a sextile or trine with personal planets or angles have the best chance to manage your obsessions and to be productive without your desire to pursue a specific path taking over your life. You can spend time deeply involved in the act of creation and yet still remember to stop and make dinner for their family. The intensity and drive is softened by the harmony found between the signs and elements involved.

If you have an opposition with Pluto, there are a couple of different ways this can go. Often with the opposition, it can be a person or situation outside ourselves who will brings demands and expectations into our lives. The key to any opposition is keeping in mind that the signs and elements are always compatible, and if confrontation is avoided, then dialogue is possible. Working with a Pluto person can be very challenging but also very rewarding, because they will be very tenacious in pursuit of your mutual goals. However, if there are escalating confrontations between you due to differences in expectations, and stepping back and detaching does not work, then you may need to completely remove yourself from the situation – a totally Plutonian option.

Of all the aspects to work with, a square between Pluto and personal planets is the most difficult and yet the one holding the greatest potential for clarity and growth. It can fuel great creativity and the most persistent obsessions. If the energy generated by this aspect can be channeled into creativity of one kind or another, great things are possible. For example, Pluto square Mercury is wonderful for writers, because they will just keep working until they get it right.

If you have Pluto aspecting personal planets or angles natally, you become accustomed to handling these over time, but Pluto transits can be very unsettling for those with no natal Pluto influences. Typically, Pluto transits are in effect on and off for four to five years.

Many of us are feeling Pluto’s energy intensely as he stations in preparation to turn retrograde on April 4 at 3°18′ Capricorn. Letting go of attachment to a specific outcome is sanity, because that opens the door for the universe to bless us.

posted by Neith . . .

Image: This is Frida Kahlo’s painting, “Loose Hair.” She had a very tight conjunction of Venus and Pluto in Gemini square to Saturn in Pisces, and her genius is undeniable as was the pain she lived with every day.

Saturday Extra: Where Do We Start?

Did you notice that the first day of spring is early this year?

The dates of the equinoxes change from one year to the next, which means that the dates of the astrological Sun signs also change. If you’d like the scientific explanation of this phenomenon, there’s a great article on Live Science.

The equinoxes and solstices are the cusps of the four cardinal signs — Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. But the cusps of the other signs change, too, so if you were born around the dates when the signs change, you can’t rely on the dates given in newspaper horoscopes to get your correct Sun sign. Not that any our sophisticated readers would do such a thing, but I just thought I’d mention it, as this is a bit confusing.

For those born around the dates that the Sun changes signs, including the equinoxes and solstices, the only way to be sure of your Sun sign is to have your chart done. Fortunately, there are some good online astrology sites that let you do this for free. By far the best is the Swiss Astrodienst, which I highly recommend.

What if you were born on a day when the Sun changed signs? Hopefully, you know what time you were born. If not, you may want to get a chart rectification, a technique astrologers use to try to determine or fine-tune birth times. Then you will need to test it over time to see if it corresponds to current transits.

Can you imagine going through you life thinking you’re a Libra, only to discover you’re really a Scorpio? Just think of the psychotherapy you’d need to undo that trauma …

Happy Equinox!

Pat

Image: Spring crocuses. Neith captured these little lovelies turning their faces up to the equinox sun yesterday. I found this bit of trivia on Wikipedia and thought it was appropriate: The financial community sometimes refers to companies or economic sectors that rise early after an economic downturn as “Crocuses” in reference to the flower’s ability to thrive in the late winter or early spring.