New Moon in Taurus, April 24-25, 2009

New Moon: photo by Michael Myers The New Moon in Taurus is one of my favorite lunations, because Taurus enriches our senses and our lives. Here in the northern latitudes, we are surrounded by new growth, beauty, and the wonderful green smells of spring.

For those of us who live in our heads, the New Moon in Taurus can pull us back into our bodies, for a change.

At 5°03′ Taurus, this New Moon squares the degree of the solar eclipse at 6°29′ Aquarius on January 26, providing an opportunity to evaluate our progress (or lack thereof) since that time. Aquarius focuses on the ideal and Taurus on the physical reality, making this lunation the perfect time to see if we’re living in la-la land or the real deal. If we aren’t seeing the progress we’d like, then how do we adjust our vision? Is idealism standing in the way? Are we cutting off our nose to spite our face? Keep in mind that compromise is not a dirty word.

As Jupiter approaches conjunction with Neptune and Chiron, we are going to be challenged to stay in touch with reality. We are aided by Mercury in pragmatic Taurus, squaring this stellium in Aquarius. Still, it’s tough going. This aspect reminds me of those cartoons in which the character runs off the cliff and stops in mid-air before dropping straight down. The proliferation of misinformation available on the internet has reached staggering proportions, and we need the grounding provided by Taurus to sort this out. It’s all about having good, solid information on which to base our decisions.

The sextile between Uranus in Pisces and Mercury in Taurus can aid in the search for ways to resolve the issues raised by the square between Mercury and the Aquarius planets. Taurus is noted for taking a position and sticking with it, but if anyone can gently persuade the Bull to change his mind, it’s Pisces – master of subtlety and the indirect approach. In other words, avoid butting heads and direct confrontations, if possible.

Another dynamic square is between Venus and Mars in Aries with Pluto in Capricorn. Venus is now direct and newly returned to Aries, which will kick-start creative projects put on hold six weeks ago. Mars moved into Aries on April 22 and is a totally happy camper for a change, because this is the sign he rules. I see Pluto squaring these two as generating a huge amount of energy as well as a preview of possibilities coming up next year when Uranus moves into Aries, squaring Pluto. So hang on to your hats and be prepared for lots happening in the next few weeks.

Saturn in Virgo plays a background role in this chart, providing another planet in earth to support the earthy Sun, Moon, Mercury and Pluto. Earth is the dominant element of this New Moon chart, making it a great time to treat yourself to a massage, indulge in aromatherapy, or fill your home with fresh flowers and beautiful music.

The Sabian symbol for this New Moon is 6 Taurus, Cantilever bridge across a deep gorge, with the keywords CONQUER OBSTACLES. Even the most creative leap needs to be counterbalanced by roots in reality. If we wish to build connections across what divides us, we need to reach out with compassion and practicality.

The importance of forgiving ourselves and those we love is something to keep in mind now and over the coming months as the conjunction between Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune tightens. Our imperfections illuminate our beauty rather than detracting from it. We have the practicality of well-grounded Taurus energy supporting us now, so use this time well. Practice forgiveness and kindness daily!

Note: The New Moon falls on Friday, April 24, in the Western Hemisphere and Saturday, April 25, in the Eastern Hemisphere.

posted by Neith . . .

**Please read Pat’s weekly forecast for this week, April 20, for her thoughts on events in the sky.

Of course, today is the day to write your New Moon abundance checks! Here’s how.

Image: New Moon, only 6 hours old – photo by Michael Myers from his website, The Moon.

Weekly Forecast April 20: New Moon in Taurus; Mars and Venus enter Aries

Major shifts take place this week, and I’m sure all you sensitive folks with highly attuned antennae are going to feel it.

This is going to be the week we resolve an issue that has been hanging over our heads and holding us back. With that resolution, we can move forward into new territory and, if we look back at all, at least it will be with no regrets.

We begin the week with the Moon in sensitive Pisces, with Venus and Mars moving close to conjunction. That aspect is exact on Tuesday. For romantic relationships, especially, this is a moment of truth. What do we want from our partners? We have to start by being honest with ourselves about what we want and need. Do we long for the impossible, or are we not aiming high enough?

For me and for others who have experienced a soul union with another, only this deep level of connection will do. While that may be hard to find, settling for less out of necessity or for practical reasons would be equally impossible and could have disastrous results. This moment of clarity has come to me only in the past few days, and it has been accompanied by many tears, not unlike going away on a long journey to a new and exciting place, knowing that you are leaving loved ones and a way of life behind, perhaps forever.

Right after the Venus-Mars conjunction, the Moon conjoins Uranus and carries the energy of radical change forward to Venus, just as Mars is entering Aries and the new territory. The Moon meets Mars right after this shift on Wednesday, so be prepared for your world to be rocked.

Venus enters Aries on Friday, but due to her recent retrograde phase, she is moving far more slowly than Mars and won’t catch up to him for nearly two months. This in itself is a rare phenomenon, as Venus and Mars typically meet only once every couple of years. When they meet again in Taurus on the Summer Solstice, it will be their third meeting in less than a year. I do believe this is significant for love relationships and for correcting an energy imbalance on the planet.

Later on Friday, we have the New Moon in Taurus in a lovely earth trine with Pluto. This New Moon will be ruled by Venus, and since she will have just moved into Aries, we can look forward to new beginnings on many fronts. Of course, Neith will have more shortly, so come back and look for her post.

On Sunday, Mars squares Pluto, and unfortunately this raises the specter of raw power plays. Again, I think these will come out mostly in relationships. However, just remember that all conflict isn’t bad. If you can maintain your awareness, you not only can get through the storm, but you can learn important information about yourself and the other person or situation.

Wishing you strong hearts, with much courage and love.
Pat

Image: The Pain of Love, by William Adolphe Bouguereau, 1899.

Saturday Archives: The Inconjunct in Synastry

It's all about balance. With sentimental Venus in Pisces soon to conjoin Mars in Pisces in the sky romance is in the air, so I decided to pull this article on one of the more difficult synastry aspects to work with. Yes, rather contrary but I’m a Libra and like to present the other side of the story. :-)

There has been discussion about the Inconjunct (150° degree aspect) in synastry and soul mates but I’m not going to go there since this is outside my personal experience realm. I’m going to discuss the possibilities inherent in everyday interactions when people have the personal planets inconjunct by sign in synastry. We are under the aegis of earth now and it’s nuts and bolts, not ideology, that is asked for.

A reasonably typical scenario is when two people are attracted to each other with red hot chemistry shown by strong Venus-Mars aspects between them. However when we look at the way the Luminaries (the Sun & Moon) and Mercury relate we find the inconjunct showing up. Let’s start with what happens when the Luminaries are inconjunct.

If person A has Sun in Gemini and person B has their Moon in Scorpio, the Gemini Sun will feel like all their efforts to relate are falling into a black hole of the Scorpio Moon. Gemini likes to keep things light and chatty and someone with Moon in Scorpio goes for brooding and secretive. There is a stark difference in style here and the possibility of the Sun person inadvertently offending the Moon person just by walking their walk and talking their talk is high. There is a better chance for the relationship to succeed if person B’s Sun is conjunct, sextile or trine person A’s Moon because it will give them a way to work around the differences shown by the inconjunct.

When the Moons are inconjunct, the greatest obstacle is the nature of the way the Moon operates in our charts. The Moon shows our habit patterns and our emotional response, often in an unconscious way. For instance, someone with Moon in Virgo is going to have difficulty living around a Moon in Aries person. Virgo is inclined to be very private about what they feel and slow to commit while fiery Aries just jumps right in and wants to know when they can move in! Earth and Fire have very different priorities around the home. Practical workarounds usually require lots of space, patience and negotiation. It’s also helpful if there are flowing aspects to the Moons from other planets in the synastry.

Mercury inconjuncts I do know a little about because that I have experience with. My Mercury in Scorpio is inconjunct my SO’s Mercury-Jupiter conjunction in Aries. The saving grace for me is Mercury is very strong in my chart and communicating well has been a long time focus for me, otherwise the frustration level would be much greater! Here’s an example: my mind is very slow to wake up, so telling me something important first thing after I wake up is usually not a good idea. Mercury in Aries wakes up totally engaged and ready to rock and roll. We learned to wait until I’ve been up for at least an hour before talking over critical matters – but it was tough to break our instinctive patterns of communicating.

Mars-Venus inconjuncts often indicates difficulties in timing. One person is exhausted, has other demands on their time or they just aren’t in the mood, etc. If the rest of the synastry is great, this can be consciously worked around even if it doesn’t feel very romantic.

Patience and a good astrologer can be very helpful when it comes to sorting out ways to work with inconjuncts in synastry. Knowing what’s going on is often the key to helping us be more understanding and considerate of each other. So if your lover is frustrating the heck out of you and you want to gain some insight as to ways to resolve it, collect your birth data and see an astrologer . . .

posted by Neith . . .

Image: Seeking to find balance is what this image portrays quite well.

Ask Real Astrologers: Transits to a T-Square

This week’s question comes from Salome, presumably somewhere in Ohio.**

My question is in regards to transiting planets that conjunct planets that are in a T-square. I currently have Chiron and Neptune on my natal Venus and will have Jupiter hovering over it in the immediate future. My natal Venus afflicted as it is in a fixed T-square involving the Moon & Pluto. How possibly could the transiting planets manifest? Would I be able to somehow heal (Chiron) my love life (absolutely dreadful), but face myself with delusions (Neptune) along the way? Would the upcoming Jupiter conjunction exasperate my T-square, making them more pronounced?

Neith’s response:

Salome, you have more questions than we have space to answer in this format so we’ll respond to only a couple of them here. I will take a crack at your fixed T-square with Venus, the Moon, and Pluto.

An important factor to keep in mind with any T-square is that the opposition is always in complementary signs and elements. In your case, you have an earthy Moon opposing Pluto in water with both of them square your airy Venus. In other words, it is your Venus in detached, quirky Aquarius battling it out with a Moon-Pluto opposition that is quite happy with keeping things the same day after day.

Neptune and Chiron are pulling away from your Venus at this time, giving you a break from the confusion and discomfort, but Jupiter is closing in and will exactly conjoin it the first part of May. Don’t be surprised if you feel the need to express your uniqueness in some way during this period. Keep in mind you also have your Sun in Aquarius, and the desire to stand out from the crowd is part of who you are.

When Jupiter was triggering the Moon-Pluto opposition the second week in April, did you notice you were moodier than usual? Female friends and relatives may have been particularly annoying, too. Jupiter encourages us to dream big and set our goals high, as well as to see the humorous side of life. But he can blow things out of proportion, too.

This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about your chart and yourself, Salome. The fact you are questioning and studying says a lot about who you are in the process of becoming.

Good fortune on your journey!

Pat’s response:

Salome, I don’t have much to add to Neith’s analysis, but I will address your general concern about predicting events when there are so many variables involved.

When we have a T-square in the chart, regardless of its character (cardinal, fixed, or mutable), the planet at the apex of the triangle takes most of the heat, so to speak. So when that planet is activated by transit, we can expect significant events to crop up in our lives. The nature of these events depends, of course, on the sign, house placement, and transiting planets, and on other planets involved in the T-square.

That’s already a lot of pieces of the puzzle to put together, and as you rightly note, your Venus is being activated by Neptune, Chiron, and Jupiter all at once. As if that weren’t enough, transiting Neptune and Uranus are in mutual reception, with Uranus crossing your Descendant. I think it’s fair to say that relationship issues are going to come to the fore, but predicting the various ways this might come to pass would require an in-depth, thorough analysis by a skilled astrologer, and that is beyond the scope of this column. And even if this were a private consultation, I would caution the client that planetary energies can manifest in many different ways. The more planets and transits are involved, the more possibilities there are. Our own will and willingness to work plays a role, too.

As Neith noted, you obviously are willing to look at these things, and that is one of the biggest factors working in your favor.

Thanks for writing.

**We took this question without a location, but please include your current location in your e-mail to us, and remember to spell out the month. The reason for the latter is that some countries put the day first, and we’ve had to re-do questions after finding out that we misread the data.

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. We are getting some really great questions but unfortunately can’t use many of them, as they are missing information. If you’d like us to consider your question for this column, you must include your day, month (spelled out), year, and place of birth, and time if you know it. If you don’t, indicate “time unknown.” Thanks!

Ask Our Readers: Tracking the Mars-Uranus Conjunction

We’ve received several comments on our weekly forecast about how things are going for you this week. For the most part, we’re seeing jitters and a high level of discomfort.

It was pretty much a given that tensions would rise with Somali pirates, who now are threatening to go after American ships and kill their crew. This is one of those situations that could escalate into a far more serious situation than imagined, which is entirely in keeping with the unpredictable nature of Uranus transits.

Meanwhile, North Korea is defying international pressure to back off developing nuclear weapons. At the same time, Iran has indicated that it would like to work with the international community on the same subject. Go figure.

On the personal level, I took some steps to mitigate my computer problems, and I’m at least able to type an entire post without interruption. But this is just a band-aid, and I’ll need to find a longer-term solution.

I’ve written many times, and it bears repeating, that it’s hard to determine which astrological marker is making itself felt in any given situation, especially when there’s so much going on at once. Venus is stationed in preparation to return direct on Friday, and several people have commented to me over the past six weeks that they’ve been experiencing situations that we would expect with retrograde Mercury. So my Internet connectivity problems probably are more related to that, while the overheating and sudden shutdowns are clearly a Mars-Uranus issue.

What’s happening for you? We’re particularly interested in knowing what develops as Mars separates from Uranus. In our experience, events tend to flare up the most after direct Mars contact — unlike the Full Moon, for example, which we tend to feel more strongly as the opposition between Sun and Moon builds.

As you describe what’s happening, remind us of your Sun and Rising signs, and tell us which house in your natal chart the Mars-Uranus conjunction falls, if you know it. For me, it’s early in the second house, so I’m on pins and needles regarding finances, but I also know that this doesn’t necessarily mean a sudden catastrophe. It could as easily be a sudden windfall. I’ll let you know, and please do the same!

A big hug to all,
Pat

Weekly Forecast April 13: Mars Conjunct Uranus, Venus Direct

Cosmic explosion I’ve started typing this forecast four times, and each time my computer shut itself off without warning. There no doubt is a logical explanation, such as overheating or a virus, but with Mars just having entered my second house and about to conjoin Uranus, you bet I’m dreading the worst.

Speaking of overheating, there are several hotspots in the world, and they just keep getting hotter. Our brave freighter captain was rescued, but the Somali pirates who took him hostage are dead and their crewmates are mad as hell and threatening to take no prisoners next time. There are riots in the street in Thailand.

Mars-Uranus conjunctions typically herald some sort of explosion or explosive situation, but this one is particularly potent, because it is also amplifying the energy of the Saturn-Uranus opposition. The high seas drama between lawless pirates and one of the world’s strongest military forces is a perfect manifestation of this astrological imprint, but we’ve still got two days to go until the conjunction peaks on Wednesday, so we can expect even more disruption.

Venus, meanwhile, is stationed at 29 degrees Pisces as she prepares to return direct on Friday. I have this image of her with a screaming hangover. Despite being back in the sign of her exaltation, it’s been a tough six weeks in Aries, and now she’s waiting for Mars to show up next week for The Talk. I sure hope they get some things worked out and that it translates to smoother relationships here on Earth. But I think some hearts are going to be broken, too.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Sun in Aries sextiles Chiron and Neptune in Aquarius. Hopefully this will inject a little healing energy into the mix. Often breakdowns and explosions occur because there is an imbalance that needs correcting. If this is what’s happening, globally or personally, we should get some insight into the situation on Friday, when Mercury trines Saturn.

The Sun leaves fiery Aries on Sunday and enters placid Taurus. That should help calm things down, too. However, we’ll remain in the Uranus-Neptune loop all week, as all planets in the chart, including the Moon, deposit to these two. This has kept us in an edgy trip that appears to be helping us heal and evolve but that is extremely disruptive. This pattern will change once Mars enters Aries on April 22. With Venus and the Moon accompanying him into his home sign, we should feel a major shift. It may be bumpy, or it may be the breath of fresh air we’ve all needed. Maybe both.

Until then, much love and courage to all,
Pat

Image: Explosion in the binary star system RS Ophiuchi, which occurs every 20 years or so. Image by David A. Hardy.

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

Ask Real Astrologers: Why Does This Relationship Feel Fated?

This week’s question comes from Maya in New York:

I’m curious to know if there’s an important significance to having one person’s first house fall in the other person’s seventh and vice versa? My Ascendant falls in my boyfriend’s seventh house (conjunct his Saturn). While the degree of his Ascendant actually falls in my sixth house, the degree of my Descendant is intercepted in his first house. I don’t know what this means, but it seems like this should be significant. Our relationship feels highly “fated” to me.

Neith’s response:

Maya, the synastry aspects most associated with the feeling a relationship is “fated to be” are conjunctions involving the Saturn, Moon’s Nodes, and the Vertex. My personal preference is to keep the orbs small for all three of these – only two to three degrees as a general rule. These aspects usually ask us to pay attention and learn some things about ourselves via the relationship.

We are familiar with Saturn’s lessons of taking responsibility, being reliable, etc. Often, Saturn in synastry will bring us face to face with our insecurities, asking us to deal with them. As I’ve said before, hard aspects to Saturn are very common in lasting partnerships.

The Moon’s Nodes and the Vertex in synastry inform us of a potentially transformative interaction. Frequently, partners with synastry aspects to these points comment that they feel a sense of recognition and familiarity. Something else that can come into play is a deepening feeling of obligation over time, particularly if one person does all the giving, receiving little in return.

It’s also very common to see a combination of sweet and sour aspects in synastry – lovely Mars-Venus aspects along with kisses from Jupiter to sweeten the deal and make us want to stay around, backed up with the “fated” aspects. Other factors in our natal charts and in the synastry can help us determine our tolerance for accelerated personal growth. There is a very good reason Saturn is exalted in Libra, the sign of relating to others, because there is no better way to learn and grow than through actively participating in a long-term, committed partnership.

Good luck with this one, Maya!

Pat’s response:

Maya, this is a great question. You are right to suspect that flipped Ascendants and Descendants are significant in synastry charts. Alone, this isn’t enough to indicate an enduring relationship or a karmic connection, but if other aspects support it, it is certainly a major source of attraction. There’s a sort of mirroring effect, and often we look for partners that mirror who we are.

Technically, you and your boyfriend do not have flipped Ascendants and Descendants, because, as you note, his Ascendant and Descendant fall in your sixth and twelfth houses, respectively. But your Ascendant and Descendant do fall in his seventh and first houses, and this is not a bad aspect to have, either.

The “Big Three” markers in any birth chart are the Sun, Ascendant, and Moon. When any of these are in a partner’s first or seventh houses, you feel a connection, and these configurations often are present in the synastry charts of committed couples as well as in the charts of long-term friends. As I mentioned above, there must also be other factors present in the synastry chart to indicate a strong romantic relationship.

Wishing you both much love and courage, and thanks for writing.

Real Astrologers Poll: Do You Plan by the Moon?

Phases of the Moon, by Michael Myers Neith’s lunation reports are the most popular posts on Real Astrologers, which makes us wonder whether our readers actually plan according to the phases of the Moon. Take our poll, and then if you haven’t read it already, check out Neith’s post on Thursday’s Full Moon in Libra.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Pat

Image: Composite of the Moon over four days, by Michael Myers. Check out Michael’s website for more great photos!

Full Moon in Libra – April 9, 2009

The Return of Perspehone by Frederic Leighton The Full Moon is always about bringing two different agendas, represented by the Sun and Moon, into balance. When the Moon is in Libra, this is particularly emphasized. Libra is the mediator of the zodiac, offering a fair, even-handed point of view.

Jupiter in Aquarius is closely trine the Full Moon at 19? 53′ Libra and sextile the Sun at 19? 53′ Aries, giving this lunation an optimistic tone and asking everyone to continue to take the big picture into account. We are still in a time of new beginnings, but now the Libra Moon says we need to take into consideration what others are thinking and feeling rather than forging ahead in true Aries style.

We also need to consider Venus, Libra’s ruler, and Mars, ruler of Aries. On the Full Moon, Venus is still retrograde in Aries and Mars is in Pisces, which tones down his more aggressive side. What this says to me is this is not the time to push our agendas and demand results. Plus, Venus is still recovering from her second exact square to Pluto on April 3 and may be feeling somewhat bruised. Pluto in Capricorn is very set on reining in Venus’s desire to indulge in what he sees as frivolities. (We still have one last exact square between these two on May 2.)

Mars in Pisces is exactly inconjunct the Libra Moon, and with both of those signs preferring to conciliate and negotiate, attempts to confront others can lead to all kinds of avoidance behaviors on their parts. If you Mars types find this discouraging, remember your day is coming on April 22, when Mars moves into Aries. By then, Venus will be direct and on her way back into Aries, arriving on the April 24. Then it’s stand back and let ‘er rip!

The same rectangular pattern we saw at the Full Moon in Leo on February 9 appears on this Full Moon, with Mars in Pisces rather than Uranus holding down one corner. Fire is represented by Aries instead of Leo, and Libra is the air sign, not Aquarius. Saturn in Virgo is the same. This pattern has the same feeling of dissonance and the need for resolution as we felt before. What area of our lives is demanding deconstruction in order to be rebuilt on a new and better foundation? If we follow the sour note to its source and do the work, we may be able to prevent further deterioration. Another question may be, is this situation worth saving, or would it be better to let it go all together?

A grand trine in earth with Pluto in Capricorn, Mercury in Taurus, and Ceres in Virgo adds lovely harmonious overtones. It is appropriate for Pluto and Ceres to be on speaking terms when spring is arriving in the Northern hemisphere and nature is showing off her spring clothes. This is the season when Persephone rejoins her mother after wintering in the underworld. For us mortals, the grand trine gives an opportunity to mend fences and put together plans for where we want to go next. Of course, since earth is the element, good sense and practicality rule the day.

We still find Neptune and Chiron traveling together semi-sextile Uranus. The ongoing background theme is to remember to be compassionate and stay aware of the importance of thinking globally while acting locally. Innovative ideas benefiting the greatest number of people will be well-received now. The best use of the Neptune-Chiron conjunction in Aquarius is always to take the high road, because negative behaviors and attitudes are very likely to backfire.

There is a great pair of Sabian symbols for this lunation. The first one is for the Sun at 20 Aries, “A young girl feeding birds in winter,” with the keyword HOSPITALITY. There is a purity of intent in this image, a simple example of caring with no agenda that it would behoove all of us to emulate in these trying times.

For the Moon at 20 Libra, the Sabian symbol is, “A rabbi performing his duties,” with the keyword HERITAGE. Even though the ongoing opposition between Saturn in Virgo and Uranus in Pisces has abated some in intensity, it is still humming away in the background. This symbol offers the idea that we can draw upon the richness of traditions (Saturn) and use those to inspire us to create new ones (Uranus) – a timely reminder that life is a process, never static.

Remember to be respectful and kind to others. It certainly won’t hurt and it may just throw your enemies off their stride!

posted by Neith . . .

**Please read Pat’s weekly forecast for this week, April 6, for her thoughts about this week.

Image: This painting, The Return of Persephone by Frederic Leighton, fits so well with the grand trine in earth I couldn’t resist using it.

RealAstrologers

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

New Moon in Taurus, April 24-25, 2009

Weekly Forecast April 20: New Moon in Taurus; Mars and Venus enter Aries

Saturday Archives: The Inconjunct in Synastry

Ask Real Astrologers: Transits to a T-Square

Ask Our Readers: Tracking the Mars-Uranus Conjunction

Weekly Forecast April 13: Mars Conjunct Uranus, Venus Direct

Saturday Extra: Thanks for Sharing

Ask Real Astrologers: Why Does This Relationship Feel Fated?

Real Astrologers Poll: Do You Plan by the Moon?

Full Moon in Libra – April 9, 2009