Full Moon in Pisces, August 24

The Full Moon in Pisces on August 24 offers another portal or “way out” of obstacles we’ve been facing during the cardinal T-square.

The Full Moon typically indicates endings, and in the last sign of the zodiac, this lunation helps us clear out what is no longer working in order to make room for dramatic changes to come. The action may be stalled for a few weeks, no thanks to retrograde Mercury, but we nonetheless can explore the opportunities and prepare to let go of situations and relationships that are holding us back.

The limitations and challenges many of us are confronting are related to the
cardinal T-square, and they are tough indeed. Many seem to have no resolution. Words my clients use to describe their situations include stuck, overwhelmed, at a crossroad, caught in the crossfire. Even those who are having a positive experience have a sense of events unfolding too quickly.

At the apex of the T-square, Pluto is taking all the heat. Pluto symbolizes death, rebirth, and transformation, but this cycle has been blocked by the opposed energies of Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter, all of which are still in tight aspect at the Full Moon.

I’ve mentioned a few times that one way out of a stuck situation is to look at the space in your chart opposite transiting Pluto. That will remain true for the duration of the T-square. However, this Full Moon offers a powerful out via a lovely earth trine from Pluto to the Sun in practical Virgo and a sextile from Pluto to the Moon in otherworldly Pisces.

As we get nearer to the Full Moon, you suddenly may see the source of an obstacle, allowing you to more effectively free yourself of whatever or whoever has been holding you back. Or, those limiting circumstances simply may dissolve, leaving you free to transform or transcend. In some cases, the urgent need to let go of these things may stem from a new approach you began at the New Moon in Leo two weeks ago.

Neptune, ruler of this Full Moon, is at 27 degrees Aquarius, placing him in a moderately close, out-of-sign conjunction with the Moon at 1°26′ Pisces. He’s also closely conjunct Chiron at 28 degrees Aquarius. I’ve written a lot over the past several years about the collective healing effects of the Chiron-Neptune conjunction, especially where old wounds from our past are concerned. This alignment sends a powerful message of clearing “old stuff” in order to evolve under the pressure of the T-square.

Mercury retrograde in Virgo, the sign opposite Pisces, actually may be beneficial in this regard. Combined with the Full Moon in Pisces, it’s a great time to access your higher consciousness via daily chores, service to others, exercise and meditation, all with mindfulness. When we quiet our minds, a space opens up to receive answers. Likewise, a window opens for the images we hold of what we’d like to attract or create in our lives.

Mars and Venus are still in fairly close conjunction, which was exact on August 20, an hour before Mercury went retrograde. This suggests that issues of balance and cooperation in relationships will remain throughout Mercury’s retrograde phase and will need to be revisited. The conjunction took place in Libra, ruled by Venus, so it is the feminine energy that was strengthened.

In the Full Moon chart, Venus is approaching a sextile with Ceres, ruler of the cyclical nature of life. Some of us may need to “go under” temporarily in order to rebalance and heal. Ceres herself is approaching a third and final conjunction with Pluto at the apex of the T-square, an alignment deeply symbolic of transformation through delving inside ourselves and confronting all the scary things that lurk there.

The Sabian Symbol** for the Moon at 1°26′ Pisces is a squirrel hiding from hunters, with the keyword CAUTION. This is about self-preservation, but we’re not talking about the ego self. Your first duty is to your higher purpose, whatever that may be, and that requires acting in your own best interests.

For the Sun at 1°26′ Virgo, the Sabian Symbol is a large white cross upraised, with the keyword GLORIFICATION. At its best, this symbol represents offering your unique gift in service of humanity. You can’t do that if you allow yourself to be bound by what others want and expect of you.

Freeing yourself will not be without some risk, and it may entail some pain and sorrow, too. But it is part of our growth collectively and as individuals.

Love and courage to all,
Pat

** From The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, by Dr. Marc Edmond Jones. The author, an astrologer, channeled this work in the early 1920s. There’s one symbol one for each degree of the zodiac, and we can use them to gain insight into charts.

Ask Real Astrologers: Will I Ever Have an Intimate Relationship?

This week’s question comes from Dee in Maryland:

Since my Sun is in Libra, I understand that a major focus in my life is on relationships. However, intimate and romantic relationships seem to be the most difficult thing for me. I have only had about two boyfriends ever and they were pretty much incompatible, thus short-lived.

So, being a pretty much independent (solitary) person for most of my life, I’ve been recently feeling a yearning to become more partnership orientated. I’m sure that some other aspects in my chart have something to do with this paradox. Do you see anything there that could shed some light? I feel that maybe I’ve been too idealistic in my search for partners and am a little guarded in general to the possibilities.

Beautifully stated, Dee – and so perfectly Libra. Incidentally, you not only have Sun in Libra, but it’s in the seventh house, traditionally associated with Libra, in conjunction with Mercury. That’s a lot of Libra!

Your chart is not so horribly relationship-challenged that you are destined to be alone forever, but I do see a couple of difficult aspects. Fortunately, you can overcome these challenges with a bit of work.

The first issue I see is that you have Saturn in your fifth house, which rules romance and pleasure. Saturn is a limiting influence, and his position in the birth chart indicates where we are the most insecure and fearful. Moreover, he’s in Cancer, which is the sign of his detriment. Cancer is emotionally sensitive and thus tends to be cautious and protective. All of this tells me that you may feel very vulnerable in love and afraid of being hurt.

Your Saturn also is “afflicted” by a square to Uranus, which is where you get that independent streak. Taken to the extreme, you may go to great lengths to let others know how much you don’t need them in an attempt to hide just how vulnerable you feel. In your mind, showing your soft underbelly would be akin to giving them the gun and ammo and showing them exactly where to shoot. And yet, to form deep, intimate relationships, we must let others see our most vulnerable places. If you could work on this area, I think you’d see some favorable results.

The second potential difficulty I see in your chart is that Mercury, ruler of your seventh house, is retrograde. Lots of people have Mercury retrograde in their birth chart, and this alone doesn’t mean you have difficulty with relationships. But when he’s retrograde in Libra and rules your seventh house, then there’s a potential stumbling block.

In addition to doing some work to overcome your fears regarding intimacy, you might also work on understanding where others are coming from. This would help you realize that they feel vulnerable, too. We all have a dual capacity for hurting others and being hurt. The need for balance in that regard should be easy to grasp for someone with all of your Libra!

As for why you’re delving into these issues now, I’d “blame” Saturn again. He’s currently transiting your seventh house, and so your attention is being focused on relationships and the fact that you’re not finding fulfillment in this area of life, which indeed is critical for Libra.

Since you’ve started studying astrology, you might use it as a tool to help you with these issues. I’d also recommend a complete reading to help you understand more about your birth charts and current transits. I do telephone consultations, but if you’d rather see someone in person, do a search to find out who’s available in your area.

I know you will find true love, Dee. Thanks for writing.

Pat

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. You must use this form to contact me, or I won’t get your question. I do read all of your questions, although I am sorry that I can’t answer them all. If you need immediate guidance or in-depth advice, please contact me for a private consultation. THANKS!

Mercury Retrograde: Slowing Down

Late summer at Point Robinson. © Pat Paquette, 2010.

Mercury turns retrograde on Friday, and I’m unabashedly recommending that the entire world go on vacation.

The cardinal T-square remains in full swing, keeping us on a treadmill but not necessarily going anywhere. Just about everyone I talk to these days senses that a breakthrough is right around the corner, but they’re being held back by something. We’re gritting our teeth, straining, trying to lift that heavy weight. So why not just drop it for a bit?

Here in the United States, we’re nearing the end of summer vacation, and the kids are about to go back to school. It’s a perfect time to get out of town. Most people are taking trips closer to home due to rising gas prices and the uncertain economy. Consider it an opportunity to discover or rediscover the attractions in your own backyard. It’s a nice Mercury retrograde theme.

If you’ve got school-age children, I hope you’ve got all your major purchases long out of the way. Small things like notebooks and writing supplies are fine to buy at the last minute, but keep all of the receipts and make sure you check them for errors. If you have to buy big stuff, definitely keep those receipts, and keep in mind that ordering online could get complicated.

I was able to get my new computer system up and running before the Messenger went into reverse, and it has made a world of difference. My last computer was purchased for me through a third party during a Mercury retrograde period and was nothing but headaches. It died last November. I managed to get it repaired, but the same problem happened again a couple of weeks ago (a defect in the motherboard that HP knew about, ignored, and refused to make good on). Mercury retrograde is a great time for repairs, so I might try to have it fixed again and keep it as a backup, although it will never be reliable.

The interesting thing about this Mercury retrograde is that it will have no connection whatsoever to the T-square until Mercury stations direct at 5 degrees Virgo on September 12. At that time, he’ll be in nice earth trine with Pluto, who’s sitting at the apex of the T-square. That will be the time to return to our projects with renewed energy and commitment. A little effort at that time will go a lot farther.

Until then, Mercury will operate as a loner for the most part. The exception will be the first week in September, when he’ll be conjunct the Sun in Virgo. If we’re going to experience any of the usual delays, frustrations, computer crashes, and other Mercury retrograde mischief, these will be the dates to watch.

Happy Mercury retrograde!
Pat

Weekly Forecast August 16: Venus Conjunct Mars, Mercury Retrograde

Escape. © Pat Paquette, 2010

The sand under our feet continues to shift this week, with the cardinal T-square still at peak power and Mercury turning retrograde. There’s also a lovely conjunction of Venus and Mars.

Actually, I consider it all as good news. After this week, the T-square will wind down for the rest of the year, with the exception of a brief period around the Full Moon in Aries on September 23. Venus and Mars conjoin in her home sign, which I see as a step toward restoring the balance between masculine and feminine energies on the planet.

Even Mercury retrograde could have benefits. Life has been moving so fast that a slow-down would be most welcome, with time for revisions, repairs, and catching up on tasks we’ve been putting off for weeks, if not months. It’s also a great time to take a vacation or a short break to escape from the pressure.

Taking the week chronologically, Jupiter opposes Saturn on Monday, the second of three passes and one of the most important components of the T-square. This opposition, along with Uranus in Aries, has been responsible for that feeling of driving with the brakes on. Many of us seem to be on the verge of a breakthrough, but something is holding us back. And maybe there’s some kind of logic in that, as moving forward before we’re ready usually costs us in the long run. Saturn says we have to pass all of our exams before we can graduate.

At the exact moment that Jupiter and Saturn are in opposition, Pluto is on the Ascendant in Washington, D.C. Pluto, remember, is at the apex of the T-square and thus represents a point of extreme pressure. Jupiter represents the nation’s banks and wealth, while Saturn represents government structure and bureaucracy, and Pluto represents big business, as well as overall financial and political power. The position of the United States as the world’s only superpower is being challenged, and that makes the country’s economic decisions critical not just to the national economy, but to its standing in the world. Watch the headlines out of Washington this week for new developments in an ongoing story.

On Thursday, the Moon enters Capricorn and amplifies the cardinal T-square by aspecting Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto all within a few hours. The Moon’s influence is fleeting, but it can help us become more aware of what we want and how our current circumstances may be helping or hindering those goals.

On Friday, the Moon squares Venus and Mars, just as the cosmic lovers are conjoining in Libra, the sign of balance and harmony. I know that many of you are trying to find balance in your love relationships and committed partnerships and that you’re having difficulties. It’s not surprising, given all the tension and conflict in the sky right now. This week, look for breakthroughs, and rejoice even in the small victories.

Later in the day, Mercury turns retrograde at 19 degrees Virgo. He’ll return to 5 degrees Virgo before returning direct on September 12. Wherever he’s retrograde in your natal chart is where you can expect to experience the most delays and frustration, but it’s also where you’ll find the best opportunities for slowing down and revising your flight plan. It’s also where you may experience déjà vu moments.

On Saturday, Saturn squares Pluto, the third and last pass of this vital component of the T-square. In our individual lives, this difficult aspect represents where we’re experiencing a battle of conflicting authorities, be they our internal drivers or external people and circumstances. Whether the source of this conflict is internal or external, it’s holding us back from making the changes we’d like. This is the aspect most closely linked to the painful transformations many of us have been experiencing.

In the world at large, it’s a marker for economic difficulties as well as conflict between government regulators and big business.

The Sun enters Virgo on Sunday. It’s time to clean up after the party and to get serious about our diets, fitness, housekeeping, and studies. This is especially true with Mercury retrograde in Virgo.

I’m reminded of the old maxim, “Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.” No matter how you cut it, we’re chopping and carrying. Practicing mindfulness while we’re engaged in seemingly mindless activities is an excellent way to expand your consciousness.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Caption: Escape. © Pat Paquette, 2010.

Saturday Extra! Global Warming or T-Square, You Be the Judge

Ride of the Valkyries. Illustration by Arthur Rackham, 1910.

It occurred to me recently that scientists can’t have failed to notice the extraordinary lineup of planets in the sky this summer, and they certainly have read the same headlines I’ve been reading about fires, floods, and other earth events. That begs the question, when will they start putting two and two together?

Apparently, not until hell freezes over.

In my rounds of the news headlines on Thursday, I found this gem, by veteran Associated Press writer Charles J. Hanley:

Floods, fires, melting ice and feverish heat: From smoke-choked Moscow to water-soaked Iowa and the High Arctic, the planet seems to be having a midsummer breakdown. It’s not just a portent of things to come, scientists say, but a sign of troubling climate change already under way.

So much for the cardinal T-square. Turns out it’s all due to global warming. Dang.

But wait, there’s more:

The weather-related cataclysms of July and August fit patterns predicted by climate scientists, the Geneva-based World Meteorological Organization says — although those scientists always shy from tying individual disasters directly to global warming.

Hmmm. Overall, the natural disasters of the summer are a sign of climate change, but we can’t blame it for any particular one. If we can’t link any of them individually to climate change, how can they collectively add up?

They don’t, of course. That’s not to say that climate change isn’t happening and that it isn’t a serious threat to all life on the planet. Nor are climate change and the cardinal T-square mutually exclusive. It’s just that this is an extraordinary summer, as reflected in the astrological pattern, and that’s why we’re seeing these unusual events, along with others that clearly aren’t related to climate change, such as mega-earthquakes in Haiti and Chili and the BP oil gusher. The world economy also is taking a hit.

It wouldn’t matter if God himself descended from Heaven on a beaming ray of sunshine and explained the connection. These guys have themselves so convinced that astrology is “superstitious pseudo-science” that they’d submit to waterboarding before conceding there might be something to it.

Then, they need to justify their own existence so they can keep feeding at the public trough, a benefit astrologers aren’t likely to enjoy in my lifetime. As the AP article explains:

The experts now see an urgent need for better ways to forecast extreme events like Russia’s heat wave and wildfires and the record deluge devastating Pakistan. They’ll discuss such tools in meetings this month and next in Europe and America, under United Nations, U.S. and British government sponsorship.

We know for a fact what they won’t be discussing.

Pat

Ask Real Astrologers: Is It Time to Address Soul-Less Sex?

This week’s question comes from Osk in Loveland, Colorado:

I’m a Libra, with Libra Rising and Mercury in Libra, too, and I’m loving having Saturn traveling through Libra. I feel now it’s my time to tell people to stop being irresponsible about their soul-less sexual behavior.

Being born in a time of sexual exploration, I am wondering if people are ready to hear, not from a religious point of view, but from an energetic point of view, what really is going on. I just feel like the whole Western world is in bottomless, hellish pit regarding sex. Now, when people are starting to see their dysfunctional money behavior, how about sex? Both are eighth house issues, right? I want to make a website about this.

P.S. I’m a girl. :-)

Osk, I about fell off my chair when I read your question. I love it! And you’re so right on! My short answer to you is a resounding “yes, absolutely!” Create that website and let’s get this show on the road.

I totally agree with you about the abuse of sex in our society. It goes hand-in-hand with the lingering inequality between men and women, which ultimately has its roots in the imbalance between masculine and feminine energies on the planet. This imbalance has persisted for millennia and has had many other pernicious side effects. So many of our Western myths and legends revolve around this separation, including the stories of the Holy Grail.

I believe we are in a period of correcting that imbalance, so your idea for a website on the topic is timely indeed.

I also believe there’s a connection between material greed and sex. This theme is repeated throughout the Grail legends. As you’ll recall, only the knight with the pure heart was able to find the sacred vessel. For centuries, men regarded women as possessions. This did start to change in the 1960s, when we had an incredible stellium of planets in Aquarius, followed a few years later by a conjunction between Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, and Pluto, modern ruler of Scorpio. It’s no coincidence that the subject is coming up again, with Uranus in a tight square with Pluto for the next few years. Saturn in Libra also has been square Pluto, so perhaps the balance we’re seeking is temporarily in conflict with pervasive lust and greed.

We’ve still got a lot of correcting to do, so a website devoted to the topic would be a true service to humanity. A quick look at your chart tells me that you are ideally suited to take on this important task. By the way, among your credentials, you forgot to list Venus in Scorpio.

You just had a lovely New Moon in your tenth house of career and public life, which normally would be a great time for a new project like this. However, Mercury is about to go retrograde and will be in retreat until September 12. You wouldn’t want to launch any Mercury ruled activity during this period. It would be great time to write some sample posts, research your topic, experiment with site design, and so forth. Then you can prepare to launch after Mercury turns direct. If you wanted to wait a bit longer, there will be a New Moon in Libra exactly conjunct your Ascendant on October 7. That date gets my vote! How wonderfully symbolic it would be.

Send us a note when you’re up and running so that we can check out your new venture.

Wishing you much love, courage, and the best of luck, Osk! And thanks again for sending this great question.

Pat

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Resourceful

Scarlett O'Hara's curtain dress. The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas is seeking donations to restore this costume and four others worn by Vivien Leigh in Gone With The Wind.

I’ve been scouring the news headlines daily for evidence of the cardinal T-square manifesting in real life. Goddess knows, there’s plenty to be found: floods in Pakistan, mudslides in China, a broken glacier in Greenland, and record heat and fires in Russia, compounded by the threat of radioactive smoke.

As if that’s not enough, Scarlett O’Hara’s dresses are on the brink of ruin. In tatters. So worn and fragile that they’re not fit to be seen in public. The Harry Ransom Center, owner of the collection, is trying to raise $30,000 to restore the dresses in anticipation of the 75th anniversary of Gone With the Wind in 2014.

There you have it, folks. It’s what happens when Venus (feminine beauty) conjoins Saturn (durability) opposite Jupiter (tradition, opulence, and the biggest anything), square Pluto (regeneration). We’d like to restore these dresses, but gee, where are we going to get the money? Uranus and Jupiter retrograde in Pisces ought to come in very handy for that, Pisces being the sign of the past and the collective unconscious.

Sarcasm aside, there’s some wonderful symbolism in this story. First, let’s take the character of Scarlett O’Hara, one of the most despicable heroines ever to come out of Hollywood. She is selfish, self-serving, spoiled, and vain. She steals other women’s husbands. And yet, we root for her. Despite her many flaws, we admire her iron will to survive when the world is collapsing around her and others lack the strength to carry on.

The curtain dress perfectly symbolizes Scarlett’s dual resourcefulness and deviousness. Faced with losing the family plantation unless she can come up with the cash to pay an enormous property tax, she resorts to her feminine wiles to land a man with money. Alas, she has nothing to wear! Without a shred of sentiment, she tears down her dear, departed mother’s curtains and orders Mammy, her slave nursemaid from birth, to make her a dress. Her plot works, and her property is saved, at least for the time being.

Scarlett O’Hara and her curtain dress may turn out to be our inspiration as the global economy continues to languish under the T-square and society as we know it changes forever. Those of us with Scarlett’s pragmatism and resourcefulness will have a leg up. Those who don’t know they have it may discover it.

Unbearable stress can push us to grow in ways we never anticipated.

Pat

P. S. Just for the heck of it, I looked up the birth data for Vivien Leigh, the actress who played Scarlett. Ironically, she has a cardinal T-square in her natal chart with Venus in Libra at the apex. Noted for her exceptional beauty, she considered it an impediment to being taken seriously in her profession.

Weekly Forecast August 9: New Moon in Leo, Uranus Enters Pisces

Does it feel to you like we’re laying the groundwork for big changes ahead? It sure feels that way to me.

The cardinal T-square is still up and running at full power, although this week we lose one of the major players as retrograde Uranus backtracks into Pisces. Events won’t be quite so explosive for awhile. Still, I wouldn’t drop my guard just yet. There’s plenty of activity to keep us busy and even a bit overwhelmed.

Other than Uranus returning to Pisces — on Friday the 13th, no less — the biggest news this week is Monday’s New Moon in Leo (Tuesday in the Eastern Hemisphere). As I noted in Saturday’s New Moon post, we can give ourselves a welcome break by doing something completely different, if only for an hour or two. Try to stay fully present in those moments, because there’s a real opportunity to manifest them in multiples.

Working to create a new way of being and doing is especially important if you’ve been trying the same thing over and over again, without success. Sometimes we don’t realize that we keep repeating patterns, or we may think that we’re doing something differently when it’s really just the same old behavior in updated clothing. Like dating a new guy and thinking, “This one is so different,” only to find out several months or years later that he’s just like the last guy and the one before him.

Worse still, he’s just like your father.

So if we don’t want to keep repeating the same patterns, we need to consciously intervene and do something radically different, something we’ve never tried and perhaps even have been afraid to try.

In matters of the heart, we’ll have opportunities galore this week to reverse behaviors that have gotten us nothing but heartache. Venus, fresh from conjoining hardworking Saturn on Sunday, opposes Jupiter on Monday and squares Pluto on Tuesday. Normally, I’d issue warnings not to overindulge or get carried away with lust, but Saturn’s influence here allows us to take a hard look at what we’re doing and why so that we can change what hasn’t been working for us. Awareness is sometimes all it takes to point us in a new direction.

On Thursday and Friday, the Moon in Libra aspects Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Pluto, Venus, and Mars in rapid succession. I expect we might get a “summary” of our T-square experience to date, which could help us see the continuum that we’re on, as opposed to looking at our lives as a series of seemingly unrelated events.

Sunday’s Moon in Scorpio is for quiet contemplation and plotting your next move. Or, you might just want to sleep off the T-square hangover and rest up for the next round. It’s not over yet, and we’ve got another Mercury retrograde coming up, too.

Speaking of which, the T-square calendar I posted two weeks ago had a couple of dates wrong. I’ve updated that post with the correct information.

Love and courage to all,
Pat

New Moon in Leo, August 9

The New Moon in Leo on August 9 (August 10 in the Eastern Hemisphere) is unusually rich with symbolism for making creative changes in our lives.

It falls on Monday, the beginning of a new week, named in honor of the Moon. It’s in a lovely trine to Ceres, a symbol of the cyclical nature of life. And its relationship to the cardinal T-square – or, more precisely, its lack of relationship – suggests that we can get out of an endless feedback loop and into an entirely different way of being and doing.

The Sun, symbol of the heart and who we are at the core, is in his own sign of Leo, where he shines the brightest. The Moon in conjunction with the Sun reflects your heart back at you, allowing you to see your unique gift to the world and to appreciate your creative mind. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a creative person, you create through your mind. This is an awesome, wonderful thing – the best trait of the human species. The true heart of the lion is not selfish and greedy, but radiates love and abundance for the well-being of everyone around him.

The T-square, meanwhile, is raging around us full force, with Jupiter and Uranus in tight opposition to Saturn, Mars, and Venus, all square Pluto in Capricorn. We’re facing the same old challenges, spinning our wheels and feeling exhausted by seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

This New Moon offers us an opportunity to set all of that aside and focus on something else. Perhaps you’ll have a chance to go play and leave all your cares behind for a few hours. Or you’ll suddenly hear the joy and laughter of children, and it will bring you to that place, if only for a moment. If you have a creative outlet, put your whole heart into it and be amazed.

If there is any relationship at all between the T-square and the New Moon, it can be found in the space opposite the Pluto at the apex. That space is in Cancer, and Cancer is ruled by the Moon. Why not let something new into that space? What we focus on is what we attract. So, however temporarily, allow yourself to focus on something entirely different at this New Moon. Then watch to see what pings back.

The trine from the Sun and Moon to Ceres in Sagittarius suggests renewal through seeing the bigger picture. Although each of us is a complete individual with unique talents and gifts, we are conduits for the “mind of God.”

If relationships are your hardest challenge, you’ll have some additional support from Venus and Saturn, who are the strongest players in the T-square right now. Mars is in his detriment in Libra, and all of the outer planets except Saturn are retrograde. Saturn is not only direct but exalted in Libra, and Venus is in her own sign and also “receiving” from Saturn. This tells me that romantic commitment is possible, as is redressing imbalances in relationships.

Mercury, meanwhile, is in his own sign of Virgo, although as many of you know, I’m a proponent of making Ceres the modern ruler (or at least a co-ruler) of Virgo. He’s slowing down, in preparation to turn retrograde on August 20, and the only aspect he makes in the New Moon chart is a wide square to Ceres. I’d say this is a reminder to pay attention to details but not to get lost in them. Otherwise, you risk missing out on all the fun.

The Sabian Symbol** for the Sun and Moon at 17°24′ Leo is a teacher of chemistry, with the keyword INSTRUCTION. One of the objectives of astrology is to help us use the invisible energies of the cosmos to our benefit, but first we must understand how they work. We’re learning now, as we watch events unfold from one of the most dramatic astrological configurations of a lifetime.

As a good friend of mine is so fond of saying, “It’s all a learning experience.”

Wishing you all the courage of the lion,
Pat

P.S. This is definitely the time to write your abundance check!

Ask Real Astrologers: Will the T-Square Affect My Surgery?

This week’s question comes from Chet in Frederick, Maryland:

I’ve had several kidney surgeries since last year and have another one scheduled for August 19. I just heard about the cardinal cross and found information on your site. Now I’m worried. Should I wait?

Chet, I’ve had some similar inquiries about health problems. The first thing I have to tell you is that I’m not a specialist in medical astrology. And, of course, I’m not a doctor. I have no idea how serious your condition is, and you didn’t tell me how critical the timing of your surgery is. With those caveats, here are a few general observations.

For the timing of any matter, including surgery, astrologers cast what’s called an “electional chart.” We look at all the aspects in the chart, with special attention to the sign and phase of the Moon, as well as aspects to the ruler of the matter in question. For surgery, that would be Mars. The sign and ruler of the body part to be operated on also are important. The kidneys are ruled by Libra and its planetary ruler, Venus. There are many other criteria, too numerous to list here.

For an electional chart, we use the time and location of the surgery rather the patient’s birth chart, although I do check the individual’s transit chart just to make sure there are no obvious conflicts. The problem with this T-square is that both the electional chart and transit charts are likely to be extremely challenged, and that is why I’ve been recommending to my clients that if critical procedures such as surgery can be postponed until late September or beyond, to take that option.

The problem, as we all know, is that most people have no control over surgery dates. They have to take the date when the surgeon is available. This is all the more true if the surgery is urgent and can’t wait. Moreover, it’s extremely unrealistic – a bit ridiculous, even – to expect that all non-essential surgery will be postponed this summer to wait out the T-square.

So, what do you do? Indeed, you’ve asked a very important question, Chet.

The first thing I want you to do is to stop worrying. Surgery is stressful enough without adding the weight of “bad astrological aspects” to the mix. In an ideal world, we’d like to have the planets on our side. That goes for any endeavor. Under the T-square, it’s just not possible. So we have to carry on with our lives, with the astrological storm raging around us. When we have no choice in a matter, we have to give up control and trust in our higher consciousness.

What I can do for you and anyone else who may be interested is to cast an electional chart and provide some details about what you might expect. For example, there are indicators of whether the surgery will need to be repeated (important in your case, Chet) and whether you’ll have a fast or difficult recovery. Sometimes we can identify the likelihood of post-op infection. If you’re working with a new surgeon, we can get some important information about this person. It does appear, Chet, that the two of you are of one mind regarding this procedure, so that should help allay some of your fears.

I hope that helps. Thanks for writing, and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Pat

RealAstrologers

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