Mercury in Gemini: Can You Just Hear the Twitter?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pat

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

Fashion and Pluto in Capricorn

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

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

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

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

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

posted by Neith . . .

Not a Moment Too Soon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a productive week!
Pat

New Moon in Taurus – Comfort Rules

here's some of those May flowers!

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

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

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

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

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

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

posted by Neith . . .

Short Compatibility Report Sample: Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi

reach out with Love

This is an example of a Compatibility Short Report looking at the natal charts first for an idea as to how each individual responds in relationships and moving on the synastry aspects between the charts. I’ve chosen Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi because a) they have been married for many years and b) this will show how much information is available using one good birth time and one unknown birth time. [I was not comfortable writting this report addressing Patrick directly as is my normal practice . . . weird but true] Here is a link to view this report: Sample Synastry Report for Patrick Swayze & Lisa Niemi

The Relationship Snapshot Report will cover essentially the first portion of the Short Compatibility Report, the natal charts and shorthand look. This still can answer the question of whether the relationship is one worth pursuing, or why it isn’t. We can also figure out if relationship issues are best resolved by working on your own “stuff” too.

If you have complete birth data for both parties, then it may be worthwhile to go with the Full Compatibility Report which includes a discussion of the Composite chart derived from the mid-points of both charts. The Composite chart can be easily relocated to where you are currently living. When I calculated a Composite chart for my husband and I based on our location rather than birth places, the Sun, Venus, Jupiter stellium moved from the twelfth house into the first – a huge difference in how the relationship is perceived by others. In other words, it is obvious to all who meet us we are a happily married couple because it’s right there for everyone to see!

When I can find a celebrity couple with good complete birth data for both people, I will do a sample of the Composite chart section of the Full Compatibility Report. If anyone knows of such a couple, please point me in their direction – who they are doesn’t matter, good birth times do! [Now you know my priorities . . . good data!!]

posted by Neith . . .

patrick-swayze-natal-chart.pdf

lisa-niemi-natal-chart-unknown-birth-time.pdf

Pole Dancing on May Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But what about feminine sexuality?

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

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

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

Dancing around the May Pole indeed.

Pat

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

Slogging Through the Obstacles

This is an exciting week, with major astrological shifts that should leave everyone feeling a lot better. I’m more than ready to get out of this stuck space, and I know you all are, too.

The week begins with several planets in their detriment or fall, including Venus, Mars, and Jupiter. As I noted in last week’s SkyWatch post, when planets are in their detriment or fall, the energies they embody are somehow “off,” and we feel it. Venus has been demanding and selfish in Aries, while Mars is paranoid, moody, and passive-aggressive in Cancer. In Capricorn, Jupiter turns into a workaholic, when he’s so much more jovial as master of ceremonies.

Although Mercury isn’t technically in detriment or fall in Taurus, this isn’t his best sign, and this will be doubly true when he squares Neptune on Tuesday. Slow, foggy, and confused thinking will be the order of the day. Have you ever been on the phone and momentarily forgotten who you were talking to? It’s like that…

On Wednesday, Venus enters Taurus, which is one of the signs she rules. We should start seeing signs of beauty, grace, and a general return of yumminess, with fewer selfish demands, especially among couples.

Thursday is May 1, celebrated as May Day and known to the ancient Celts as Beltaine, when virgins were deflowered, and it was OK to mate with someone other than your spouse. Venus trines Pluto, which is sure to create some irresistible temptation. And if you’re looking to make it more permanent, her trine with Saturn later in the day could bring just what you’re looking for. Saturn is about to turn direct, too, so this will be a powerful day for romantic commitment.

Saturn turns direct on Friday at 8:07 p.m. on the West Coast of the United States. He’ll take a week or two to start moving forward, but we all are going to start seeing some real progress in areas that have had us stuck for months. As I noted in a new post today on The Pisces Chronicles, the simultaneous station of Jupiter in Capricorn and Saturn coincided with an interesting experience over the weekend that seems to have bumped me up a notch on the consciousness spiral. Among other things, I made some progress in a couple of areas where I’ve been desperately stuck. Could the chant to Ganesha (pictured above) have had anything to do with it? He’s apparently an expert on dealing with Saturn issues.

Earlier on Friday, Mercury enters Gemini. Seeing as how we’re interacting primarily in cyberspace, we’re going to feel this, and I’m betting it will be almost instant. Look for lots of communications activity this weekend.

Sunday will be deliciously lazy and sensual, with the Moon exalted in Taurus trining Pluto and Saturn, then conjoining Venus – all in preparation for Monday’s New Moon. Effects of the New Moon can be felt within three days before or after peak fullness, so we should start seeing the results of all the painful breaking down we’ve been going through since the Full Moon in Scorpio.

So hang in there, and keep in touch. One of the ways we learn about how astrology works is through the stories you leave here. And don’t be shy, even if English is not your native language. RealAstrologers.com is a truly international website, and it’s always exciting for us to hear from the four corners of the planet.

Much love and manifold blessings,
Pat

Family Power Plays and Pluto

the view from Pluto

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

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

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

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

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

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

posted by Neith . . .

Seeing Double with Mercury

You just have to love it when planets act out their astrological roles.

In astrology, Mercury rules Gemini, the sign of the Twins. Under his influence, people and events often arrive in pairs. Mercury also is known as the trickster (which we’ll see more of in a few weeks, when he turns retrograde in Gemini), and it seems that he had some of our ancestors tricked into believing there were two of him.

That’s because of his elusive visibility. There’s a great article by Joe Rao on Space.com with some fascinating history and Mercury trivia (another Gemini specialty). According to Joe, the next few weeks are an excellent time to view Mercury, because he’s far enough from the Sun to get a good look at him.

Here is Joe’s article. Just don’t forget to come back, OK?

One reason to do so is our exclusive Mercury Retrograde Watch. We keep you apprised of retrograde dates and shadow periods, which often can be as chaotic as the retrograde phase itself. There’s a shadow period coming up shortly, so bookmark this page and check back frequently for updates!

Pat

The Second House in Synastry: Follow the $$

going to the heart of the matter

With the Sun and Mercury now in Taurus with Venus joining them May 1, it’s a good time to consider how the second house works in synastry.

Taurus is the ruler of the second house and is noted for being fond of material things like good food, silky fabrics, and a healthy bank account. One of the most contentious areas in relationships is often money – or, rather, our attitudes about money, shown by the second house.

One of the reasons an accurate birth time is important in determining compatibility is that it establishes where the Ascendant falls, which in turn determines how the chart wheel is laid out, including what signs fall in each house.

If the Ascendants in both partners’ charts are harmonious, chances are very good the signs on the second house will be, too. For example, someone with Aries rising usually has Taurus on the second house cusp; if the partner’s chart has Leo rising, then Virgo will be on the second. Taurus and Virgo are both Earth signs and share similar ideas of how to handle money . . . thriftily!

Likewise, if the partner’s Ascendants are in conflict, the signs in their second house likely will clash, too. A Scorpio rising person with Sagittarius in the second house stands a good chance of running into disagreements with a Leo rising person with Virgo on the cusp of the second house. Sagittarius and Virgo have completely different styles for handling their finances. Sagittarius is inclined to trust luck a little too much for Virgo’s careful style. [What do you mean you bought a new SUV for a run to the mountains?!]

Planets in the second house strongly influence our values and attitudes about possessions, too. Saturn’s presence indicates extra caution with spending and handling material goods, even if the sign on the cusp is noted for being more free and easy. Likewise, Jupiter in the second house suggests generosity, even if he’s in one of the more parsimonious signs.

In synastry, if one person’s Saturn conjoins, squares, or opposes a planet in the second house, it can make the second house person feel like their spending habits are constantly being questioned – not good. Difficult Jupiter aspects often indicate that a couple will be excessive in their spending, even if they are able to maintain some discipline on their own.

Astrology is a great tool for identifying potential sore points in this sensitive area and helping discuss them, but it still is up to the individual to take the necessary steps toward resolution. Either Pat or I will be glad to offer our insights as we are both very experienced in the area of chart compatibility and do synastry reports.

posted by Neith . . .