Tag Archives: cardinal cross

Weekly Forecast August 30: A Brief Cardinal Cross

Quiet above, quiet below. © Pat Paquette, 2010.

There’s not a whole lot going on this week, astrologically speaking.

The cardinal T-square is winding down, and Mercury retrograde has a lot of our activities on hold. And, for once, there are no major planetary aspects. That’s right – all week!

The week begins almost in slow motion, with the Moon in Taurus on Monday and Tuesday. If you don’t feel like going into the shop or office, you’re definitely not alone. For those still on vacation, savor the chance to be lazy and do nothing.

Wednesday and Thursday are a bit busier, with the Moon in Gemini. Try to give yourself a little extra time to get from one place to another, and expect some little glitches in communications and travel. It will be hard not to get frustrated, so take a few deep breaths and don’t take things personally.

Friday is our trouble spot of the week, when the Moon in Cancer squares Jupiter, opposes Pluto, and squares Saturn, all within a few hours. This means we’ll temporarily experience a cardinal cross. It also happened last time the Moon was in Cancer, on August 6.

So what’s the difference, you may ask, between a cardinal cross and a T-square? Well, it’s all pressure. But with the grand cross, there can be a lot of movement but no real progress – in other words, a lot of wasted energy – unless there’s an outlet. As it so happens, the Moon moves into a tight sextile with the Sun and Mercury before the end of the day, providing a perfect outlet for our pent-up urge to do something, anything, just to get out of the same old rut. The Sun and Mercury are exactly conjunct on Friday as well, and both in a wide trine with Pluto.

The problem is, with an outlet to Mercury in “reverse,” we could end up spinning our wheels and getting ourselves even deeper in the hole unless we’re mindful of exactly what we’re trying to do. I suggest planning ahead for Friday by making a list of things you want to re-do. Review, repair, revise, reconsider … go back and revisit ideas you had a few weeks or even several years ago. If it didn’t work the first time, try it again – perhaps a bit differently, but not necessarily. Pay special attention to details you may have overlooked before.

The key to successfully negotiate this tricky energy is to resist starting any new projects or ventures. That includes upgrades to your computer – even if you’ve been putting it off all summer. What will work this time is to give serious attention to an old project.

If nothing like that comes immediately to mind, then use this week to relax, recharge, and regroup.

Much love and courage to all,
Pat

Saturday Extra! T-Square Calendar

The Penetrating Light. Mount Rainier National Park. © Pat Paquette

Many of you have written to ask when the cardinal T-square takes place, and at what degrees. There’s no definitive answer, because several planets are involved, and the aspects between them occur over several weeks.

Here is a list of the major aspects of the peak cardinal period, which began in earnest when Saturn entered Libra on July 21 and will begin to dissipate when Jupiter leaves Aries on September 9. I’ll write more about each of these transits and also offer some interpretation in future weekly forecasts and mid-week posts, so check back often.

July 21 – Saturn enters Libra, initiating a very tight cardinal T-square. Read more …

July 26 – Saturn opposite Uranus at 0 degrees Aries, fifth and final pass since Nov. 4, 2008. Read more …

July 29 – Mars enters Libra.

July 30 – Mars in Libra opposes Uranus at 0 degrees Aries, the first of Mars aspects to the planets in the T-square. The Moon enters Aries and aspects Uranus, Mars, Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter, all within a six-hour timeframe.

July 31 – Mars conjoins Saturn.

Aug. 2-4 – Jupiter squares Pluto, Mars opposes Jupiter and squares Pluto.

Aug. 6 – Very tight grand cross at 0-3 degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), with the Moon in Cancer closing the loop. Within a five-hour period, the Moon aspects Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Pluto. A few hours later, she squares Mars at 5 degrees Libra. Venus enters Libra.

Aug. 7 – Venus opposes Uranus at 0 degrees Libra/Aries.

Aug. 8 – Venus conjoins Saturn at 1 degree Libra.

Aug. 9 – New Moon at 17 degrees Leo, with Venus opposite Jupiter and square Pluto.

Aug. 12 – Moon in Libra aspects Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Pluto within five hours.

Aug. 13 – Friday the 13th. The Moon conjoins Venus and Mars in Libra. Uranus retrogrades back into Pisces. Read more …

Aug. 16 – Jupiter opposes Saturn at 2 degrees Aries-Libra.

Aug. 19 – Moon in Capricorn squares Jupiter and Saturn, conjoins Pluto in less than two hours.

Aug. 20 – Venus conjoins Mars in Libra, Mercury turns retrograde at 19 degrees Virgo.

Aug. 21 – Saturn squares Pluto at 3 degrees Libra-Capricorn.

Aug. 27 – The Moon in Aries amplifies the T-square, aspecting Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn all within a four-hour period.

Sept. 3 – The Moon in Cancer completes a grand cross, and aspects Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn within six hours.

Sept. 9 – Jupiter re-enters Pisces. This means there no longer are outer planets in early Aries until January 2011, when Jupiter will return to Aries. The outer planets will still be in a T-square arrangement, but not all in the cardinal signs. The cardinal T-square dissipates until Part II in 2011. Read more…

Pat

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

As the cardinal T-square approaches its peak, I’m receiving many questions from readers wanting to know how it’s going to affect them personally.

How will the grand cross, August 6th timeframe, affect my astrological sign and therefore me? ~ Stephanie, Manhattan, Kansas.

Can you give your insight about what the current planetary transits mean to me? I also know a little about astrology. I am a Cancer with Mercury in Cancer as well. I have three planets in Libra and, not to mention, I am an Aries Rising. My life is in total mess right now. I lost my job, and my relationship with my parents and family is in chaos. I am in huge debt. Even my love life is in total huge question.
~ Ann, United Arab Emirates

Stephanie, you are a Virgo, but you didn’t supply a birth time, so we don’t know what sign is on your Ascendant. This makes it impossible to know what houses in your natal chart are being affected by the cardinal T-square, which briefly will become a grand cross on August 6, when the Moon is in Cancer.

Still, I thought your question was worth taking, because it allows me to explain a few things about Sun sign astrology and why knowing your birth time can change chart interpretations considerably.

First, there is no way to say that “all Virgos” will be affected the same way by the T-square/grand cross. Although many popular horoscopes make predictions by Sun sign, the degree of your Sun is very important. Early Virgos will not be affected in the same way as late Virgos.

In your case, you have the Sun in the early degrees of Virgo, so on Aug. 6, the Moon-Pluto opposition actually will be quite nicely positioned relative to your Virgo Sun, and this could turn out to be advantageous for you. It’s a great time to make positive changes in your life, and if you are facing serious challenges, you should be able to summon the strength, motivation, and resources to push through them.

With a birth time, we not only would have the house positions of the planets, but we would know what other planets and key chart points were being activated by the T-square. Then it would be possible to determine which areas of your life are most affected and where you could apply your efforts to make the best use of this cosmic wind to your back.

Ann, you have six planets and all four chart angles in cardinal signs, so one might think you would be getting slammed on all sides by this planetary configuration.

However, as I pointed out to Stephanie, degree counts. As it turns out, your chart angles are in the later degrees of the cardinal signs and so will not be activated by this T-square, and the only planet you have in the early degrees of the cardinals signs, where the T-square is taking place, is Mercury at 0 degrees Cancer.

That’s plenty difficult enough, though. It means that all of the T-square planets are in conflict with your natal Mercury, which rules communications and some social interactions. When Pluto is opposite Mercury, we can get into situations in which we try to subtly or not-so-subtly pressure others into thinking as we do. Naturally, this meets with resistance, and it can be severe enough that relationships break down entirely.

As with most Pluto transits, it is necessary to learn detachment and to relinquish control over others. In some cases, the tables are turned, and we feel constantly pressured to think like someone else. If this is what you’re facing, then you have no choice but to stand up for yourself and not give in, but it sure can wear you down.

Saturn square Mercury is in some ways even more troublesome, as you tend not to be able to communicate very well, and then you end up feeling lonely, isolated, and unloved. It’s probably not true, but that’s how you feel, and for Cancer, feeling is believing.

Aside from the T-square, it’s important to note that you are approaching your first Saturn return, which everyone experiences around 28 or 29 years old. If you have been moving in the right direction in life, this milestone transit can be validating. If you’re off course or on the wrong track entirely, everything in your life can break down at this time, and you might meet severe hardship and locked doors everywhere you turn. It’s all important information to tell you that you need to follow another path toward fulfillment of your life’s purpose.

My first Saturn return was hell; I experienced all of the issues you list and then some. But it made me realize that I had to make significant changes in my life. Once I did that, many doors opened for me. I truly hope this will be the case for you, too.

Thank you both for writing. Wishing you much love and courage.
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!

Weekly Forecast June 21: Sun Enters Cancer, Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Capricorn

Stars being born in the Orion Nebula. Composite of images from the Hubble Space Telescope, by C.R. O'Dell of Rice University and NASA/ESA.

I’ve been writing a lot about the cardinal T-square of this summer. Well, as of Monday, June 21, summer is here, and the T-square kicks in immediately.

The Sun’s entry into Cancer officially marks the beginning of summer (winter in the Southern Hemisphere). As the Sun moves through the early degrees of the Crab, it will form conflicting aspects with Uranus and Jupiter in early Aries and Pluto in early Capricorn, forming three legs of a triangle pattern, or T-square, made up of cardinal signs. The cardinal signs are characterized by impulsiveness, action, and change. That is why astrologers have been predicting sweeping worldwide changes in 2010 and 2011, when the cardinal T-square and cross will be active.

The 2010 Cancer ingress is all the more dramatic, because it occurs just five days before a lunar eclipse in the same degree as Pluto. Is the world going to end? Of course not. And, chances are, the sky is not going to fall on our heads. As I mentioned in my post on the eclipse, there could be positive developments and breakthroughs for many of us. If you’ve been stuck and in need of a good push, get ready to start moving again.

But I believe it’s safe to say that the next two months are going to bring shocking developments that we cannot imagine now and that thus will be impossible to prepare for. The likeliest time for these events would be at the peak of the cardinal build-up in late July and early August.

However, with the Sun’s entry into Cancer this week, we may start to get some clues. It is no coincidence that most of us identify primarily with our Sun sign. The Sun represents our center, our heart, our core energy. Events in the next couple of weeks will take root in our hearts, and who knows where that could lead?

Shortly after the Cancer ingress, the Sun squares Uranus in Aries. The fires and explosions in the headlines over the past couple of days are possible expressions of this aspect, but Uranus is a wild card and unpredictable. It is safe to bet that whatever happens will be big. That’s because Jupiter, the amplifier, is just a couple of degrees from Uranus. The Sun forms an exact square to Jupiter on Wednesday.

Even without the involvement of Uranus, Sun-Jupiter contacts tend to involve extremes, over-the-top behavior, and recklessness, although they can be very lucky, too. And, while Saturn is still in mutable Virgo, he’s close enough to opposition with Uranus and Jupiter that I am hopeful this will be a stabilizing influence.

You should know by now what areas of your life are being most heavily impacted by this complex configuration. Still, there’s a strong possibility of surprise developments this week.

Mercury, meanwhile, is about to enter Cancer on Friday. As he moves through the last degrees of Gemini on Wednesday and Thursday, he opposes Ceres in Sagittarius, squares Saturn in Virgo, and trines Neptune in Aquarius. More environmental bad news may be on the way, and the dialog intensifies about what it all means and what we can do about it.

After entering Cancer, Mercury squares Uranus and Jupiter, repeating the Sun’s contacts of a few days earlier. If we didn’t get the message the first time around, we’ll have another chance. Events may come in pairs this week.

Both the Sun and Mercury also trine Chiron in early Pisces. The Healer is separating from his conjunction with Neptune but still close enough for the two to signify collective healing on a deep level. I am encouraged by this aspect and believe it is a continuing factor in the cardinal build-up. It’s more of a side issue at this point, but we shouldn’t ignore this influence or let the opportunity pass for healing deep wounds from our past.

Tension will build during the week as we approach the Full Moon lunar eclipse in Capricorn on Saturday. We’re moving into the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon, and we’re also pulled in several directions at once by an extreme configuration of planets that, as far as we know, has not occurred in recorded human history (if anyone out there can find a date, please drop me an e-mail!).

I wrote a long post on Saturday about this eclipse and won’t repeat myself here, except to say that we’re approaching the rapids and need to hang on tight. Think about who and what constitutes your safety net or personal flotation device.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Ask Real Astrologers: Terrified by the Cardinal T-Square, Help!

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

I’ve had my chart done by an astrologer for this summer and I’m now terrified. The exact words were, “Imagine the worst and then more!” So, as you can imagine, I’m really concerned and am wondering if it’s just me this is all going to affect and if there is anything I can do to avoid it. I am a real optimist normally and love change and action, but somehow this is all giving me a real sinking feeling. Help!

Alison, first let me say that I’m sorry you had this experience with astrology. The point of having your chart done shouldn’t be to scare the s%!# out of you. When we see difficult transits coming up — and you do have them — we need to stop, take a deep breath, and ask how we can prepare.

Before I comment on that, though, I’d like to reassure you that the events of this summer are affecting the entire world, not just you. The cardinal T-square, which at times will be a grand cross, is something we haven’t witnessed on this planet since history began. It’s big, and already it’s translating into sweeping events such as the BP oil spew, the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull volcano, escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, and global financial crises, to name a few. And we’re just getting started…

As for avoiding the effects, that won’t be possible or even desirable. I believe that many of the challenges and conflicts we’ll find ourselves in this summer will help us grow and evolve. We’re on the threshold of bumping up to the next level of human consciousness. The stresses on the planet and on humanity demand that we stop doing business as usual and find new ways of thinking and being. This is our challenge collectively and as individuals.

As for your personal chart, I’m guessing the reason your astrologer made such a dire prediction is that you have a Sun-Mars conjunction in the early degrees of Capricorn, with Mercury and Venus not far away. Pluto currently is moving through the early degrees of Capricorn, and when the planets shift into position this summer, he’ll be at the apex of the cardinal T-square, with Uranus, Jupiter, and Saturn in a square. In early August, Venus and Mars will join this powerful alignment.

Simply put, you’re in the thick of the action. However, this isn’t really news. You’ve had Pluto transiting your natal Mars for more than a year already, and we’ve even had two rounds of the Saturn-Pluto square, which occurred in mid-November 2009 and early February of this year. So you’ve already taken a few hits and survived.

Now, there is no doubt that this summer’s aspects are going to be even more intense, and there could be bigger challenges in your life, possibly related to your health or job. However, it’s not a given that something “bad” is going to happen. It may simply be a case of your being forced to make some very big changes in your life, and change by definition can cause us distress, as humans tend to fear the unknown.

Keep in mind that Pluto transits are the worst when we attempt to hang onto people and situations that no longer serve our best interests. Things can really backfire if you try to control others to do your bidding when they would rather not.

I wish you lots of courage, Alison. Please stay in touch and let us know how it goes, OK?

Before I go, I’d like to note once again that I’m getting many questions these days, no doubt because you all are worried about how astrological events this summer will play out for you. It is a difficult time for everyone. I can answer some of your questions here, but if you’re in need of immediate guidance and detailed advice, please contact me for a private consultation. I do individual forecasts as well as relationship counseling. If you’re outside the United States and would like a live reading, I have Skype and Gmail video chat.

Hang in there, everyone!

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. Be sure to fill out all the fields, and please spell out the month of your birthday. If you don’t know your time of birth, indicate “time unknown.” You can also use the drop-down menu above under “About Us” to get to the question form. THANKS!

Weekly Forecast November 9: Saturn Square Pluto

Transition If you think Friday the 13th is scary, try it while Saturn is squaring Pluto. I’m shaking in my boots.

OK, not really. But this isn’t going to be an easy week. It’s not that I think anything terrible is going to happen, just that we’re shifting into the cardinal energies now, and that means big changes are on the way. For a heavily fixed-sign person like me, it means more stumbling over the rearranged furniture. Some people are just better at adapting than others.

The cardinal signs — Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn — mark the beginning of a new season, at least in Western thought. In astrology, they are traditionally associated with the four chart angles. When transiting planets cross these angles in our natal charts, we typically experience major life events, changes, and breakthroughs.

Likewise, with four out of the five outer planets heading into cardinal signs, we can expect these changes to happen on a planetary scale. Since several of these planets will be in conflicting squares with each other, we also know that powerful forces will be working at cross purposes, each trying to dominate and gain the advantage over the others. It is going to be tense, chaotic, and maybe scary.

This week, we get an advance glimpse of this trend, when Saturn in Libra squares Pluto in Capricorn. The square is exact on Sunday, but we’ll feel it all week and into next week, too. The Moon in Libra on Thursday and Friday will activate this energy, so watch for clues on those two days. Who are you with? What are you doing? What news do you receive? Even if it doesn’t seem that significant, take note, because this may be part of a growing trend in your personal life. Keep an eye on the news headlines, too, because we may catch a glimpse of the global trends.

Taking the week day by day, we start with a sextile between Venus and Pluto overnight on Sunday (just after midnight Monday morning on the East Coast of the United States). We all know that Venus and Pluto make a sexy pair, although there can be obsession and jealousy, too. This is all the more likely with Venus in Scorpio. If you’re willing to go into some dark places in your psyche, you can use this aspect to grow, and this could be the seed of personal transformation.

For most of the day Monday, the Moon is in Leo, and she opposes Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune. Jupiter is gaining speed now and soon will make a last exact conjunction with Chiron and Neptune. Our healing has been slow and painful, but now we’re beginning to see results. I know quite a few people (myself included) whose lives are starting to turn around.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Mercury in Scorpio squares Chiron and Neptune, making this a good time to talk about our healing process. Some wounds may never heal, but if we at least are aware of them and accept them as part of who we are, we can move forward lighter and less encumbered. For better or for worse, the Sun further illuminates our healing process this week when it squares Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune.

Mercury and the Sun also trine Uranus this week — Wednesday for Mercury and Saturday for the Sun. If you’re willing to shine the light into the dark corners of your heart and mind, you’ll probably find that what’s lurking in there isn’t so scary after all. If you’ve been going through a difficult time, remember that none of it is outside the human experience. Your responses are normal and understandable, including any discomfort you may have for feeling that way to begin with.

Sunday is the Saturn-Pluto square. Since the normal work week is Monday to Friday, I’m guessing that most of you will feel this more acutely next week. Just be aware of the buildup this week, though.

As usual, if you experience any noteworthy events that you believe are linked to any of these broad energy trends, leave a comment. Those of you who are part of the Real Astrologers community know that you’re not alone. Even though others aren’t experiencing exactly what you are, we’re on parallel paths, and often the emotions are the same, even if the names and places are different.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Image: A patron is reflected in a sculpture entitled “Transition,” by Satu Bushell. The work is part of the Sculpture By The Sea exhibition in Sydney, Australia. Photo by Daniel Munoz of REUTERS.

Ask Real Astrologers: What Is the Significance of a Cardinal Cross?

This week’s question comes from Anya in the United States:

Hello and thank you for your kind work. I have been told that I have a cardinal cross in my chart, and am wondering what that means, if it is so. I appreciate your time and consideration of this question.

Libra ponders . . . Neith’s response:

Anya, a cardinal cross in your chart means you have four planets, one in each cardinal sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) aspecting each other. A grand cross has four 90° angles and two oppositions and it is a powerful but stable pattern.

Because it is in the cardinal mode, you most likely are very good at initiating action and may be a natural leader. However, unless you have other planets and angles in either fixed or mutable signs for balance, finishing what you start may be a problem.

A grand cross also means you have four planets evenly spaced around your chart wheel, and whenever transiting planets are in the cardinal signs you will have one corner of the cross being conjoined, squared or opposed. The Sun will conjoin each planet in the grand cross four times during the year, and this can be a great learning tool for you, since the Sun’s transits are brief.

If you wish to learn more about your chart, you can get a free chart at Astrodienst. You can also get some interpretations, but they are computer-generated and no substitute for a reading from a real astrologer. Either Pat or I can give you more feedback, if you wish to order a report. Astrology is a wonderful tool to learn more about who we are and why we do what we do.

Pat’s answer:

Anya, this is a great question. Since you didn’t supply any birth data, we will assume that you indeed have a cardinal grand cross in your chart, but let me just comment that, to be technically a grand cross, the planets forming the cross must be among the eight planets (yes, Pluto counts!) plus Sun and Moon. Chiron and the asteroids don’t count, nor does the Ascendant or Midheaven. In my chart, for example, three planets are in the early degrees of Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio, with my Aquarius Ascendant directly opposite. But this is still just a T-square, not a grand cross.

So with that caveat, the classic interpretation of a cardinal grand cross in the natal chart is just as Neith describes. Of the three types of grand crosses — cardinal, fixed, and mutable — this is the easiest to have in your chart. You may be very dynamic and active, but it’s easy to just spin your wheels and not get anywhere unless you have an outlet for all this wonderful energy. To discover where your best outlets are and how to take advantage of them, look for sextiles or trines to the planets forming the grand cross.

As Neith noted, a reading with one of us is a good way to determine how these planetary configurations operate in your life and when they may be activated. I currently am not accepting new clients, although my schedule is starting to lighten up, so anyone who would like a reading with me, stay tuned…

Wishing you much love and luck, Anya, and thanks for taking the time to write.

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