Tag Archives: cardinal T-square

Holy T-Square, Batman!

The cardinal T-square is at its peak, and right on cue, springs are sproinging all over.

My computer went belly up on Sunday night. It was nice enough to wait until I’d posted the weekly forecast, and then, ka-boom. I had a bit of a warning last week and should have followed my own advice to back up my files right away, especially since this has happened to my computer before (the one that was purchased during Mercury retrograde). I mistakenly thought I had more time. We always think there will be more time.

We’re out of time. This is it.

This morning I was talking about the T-square to a friend, who said that her husband’s computer blew up the same night as mine. It has been diagnosed as officially dead, and the repair shop is working to retrieve the data on his hard drive. My machine will be next in line. This was after losing the power steering on their car the week before. I suspect that one of them, at least, has a T-square transit to the second house, which rules our valuable possessions.

If it seems as though your life is going to hell in a hand basket, look for the out across from Pluto. That would be wherever you have three degrees Cancer in your chart. If you have a planet or chart angle there, it will further describe your path, which may be quite narrow, and you may not have a lot of choices available. If there’s an empty space there, you’ll have more options.

Now, there’s another possible escape hatch, but the window will be very short – from approximately noon to 7:30 p.m. EDT today (Wednesday), while the Moon is in early Gemini, at an easy angle to Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars. The Moon in Gemini favors talking through emotional difficulties in order to make sense of what’s going on. Just don’t get lost in words or mistake talking about feelings for actually feeling. If you can speak from the heart openly and honestly, it can help increase your awareness and release pent-up frustration.

If you’re presented with a possible short-cut route today, take it! Normally, I advise carrying the load and doing the work, but during this short window today, you may get a lucky break. To determine where it might come from, look at your natal chart to see where the early degrees of Gemini fall.

If no break is offered, you may be faced with a situation in which the only way out is through. That is happening to many people I know, and it’s a tough position to be in. It will last for another month, at least, too. So you’ll need to just hang in there and keep your nerve.

It will be interesting, by the way, to see how well BP fares with its attempt to shut off the Gulf of Mexico oil gusher for good. If it works, it will work spectacularly. If it fails, it will be even more spectacular.

Much love and courage to all,
Pat

Weekly Forecast August 2: Jupiter and Mars Square Pluto

Sometimes the way out is up. © Judy Ben Joud/Dreamstime

This is it, kids. It’s peak week for the cardinal T-square — the astrological “week from hell” we’ve been anticipating — with a one-day grand cross thrown in for an additional increase in blood pressure.

I’ve written a lot over the past few months about possible manifestations of the T-square, based on events associated with similar configurations in history, notably in 1989 and, even more prominently, in the early 1930s. The events in 1989 for the most part were well-defined, one-time occurrences, even though some had far-reaching consequences that are still in play.

Conversely, in the early 30s, developments unfolded over several years. In many ways, it was the worst of the two. It almost makes me wish the economy would collapse with an eardrum-shattering sonic boom so we could get it over with, rather than being dragged deeper and deeper into economic depression and worldwide totalitarianism.

If you had a choice, which would you choose? What about in your personal life? Would you rather bite the bullet, suffer acute pain, be done with it, and move on into new territory? Or would you rather suffer low-level background pain continuously over several years, perhaps with an option to numb it until things turned around?

Not that I think we have much choice right now. Under the cardinal T-square, our options are limited. We’re pretty much being forced down a certain path, the only one that’s not blocked. Still, I’m a big believer that there’s always another way out that we just don’t see. When you’ve got four walls closing in on you, sometimes you forget to look up for the escape hatch.

Hopefully you took my advice last week and began confronting the major issues that are standing in the way of your growth and progress. Sometimes all it takes is a new awareness, especially regarding the source of the blockage. Until we identify the source of a problem, we can only treat symptoms and not the root cause.

Getting to the source is this week’s theme, thanks to a high-tension square between Mars and Pluto. Be forewarned that you may have to sit with some discomfort, but if you can stick with it, your chances of getting out of a rut and moving forward are much better.

We’re already hot in the middle of the action as the week begins, with Mars still in close conjunction with Saturn in Libra. On Tuesday and Wednesday, we’ll have a tight T-square with Mars opposed to Jupiter and both square Pluto. If I had to pick the most difficult day during the 2010 T-square, this would be it … although this past weekend was a close second.

The truth can be uncomfortable, which is why many people choose to wear rose-colored glasses or keep their heads buried in the sand. Put another way, waking up can be a painful experience. In my observation, most people wake up to pain first, and then they experience joy and happiness. It’s seldom the other way around.

On Friday, the Moon enters Cancer and closes the open end of the T-square, so that it becomes a grand cross. Emotions could be so intense that some of us might think we’re losing our minds. Some may experience a continuous feedback loop of thoughts going ’round and ’round in their heads. If this happens to you, try to wait out the storm. It will last for several hours, and then it will be gone. Speaking of storms, this also is a prime period for high winds and tropical cyclones.

Later on Friday (Saturday in the Eastern Hemisphere), Venus enters Libra and adds her voice to the cardinal T-square. Venus rules Libra, so she is a very strong voice for beauty, peace, and harmony. We’re in need of these gifts now more than ever, not just in our personal partnerships, but also in the collective and in international relations.

Alas, we may have to fight for them, as the first aspect Venus makes is a testy opposition with “got to be me” Uranus in Aries. You can stand up all you want for your freedom, but you may want to ask yourself, “freedom from what?” The Marlboro man is free as a bird … and alone.

That message will become abundantly clear on Sunday, when Venus conjoins Saturn. For a committed partnership to work, there has to be bona fide give and take. That said, there are imbalances in most relationships I’m observing these days, with one person carrying more than their share of the load. This may be necessary, as we can only carry according to our ability.

Unfortunately, a lot of people are glad to let others carry their load for them, and they always seem to find those who believe it’s their duty. Hopefully Venus and Saturn in Libra will put a stop to that. The willing pack animals among you may need to drop your load in order for your lazy loved ones to step up to the plate. Trust me, you’ll be doing them a favor.

I leave you with this quote by R. Buckminster Fuller, author, inventor of the geodesic dome:

Don’t fight forces, use them.

That’s our mission this week, if we choose to accept it.

Wishing you all the love and courage under the Sun,
Pat

Ask Real Astrologers: How Can I Create My Own Transit Chart?

This week’s question comes from Dan in North Carolina:

Although I’m a fairly recent subscriber, I was drawn to a number of your interpretations. I do have a question for you. I can’t quite understand how to do “overlays” of recent events on my natal chart, such as Uranus in Aries or the more recent solar eclipse. Any quick way I can reach my own understanding of how I interpret various astrological events based on my natal chart would be appreciated. Perhaps this is a complicated question…?

Dan, this is a great question, and I’m sure many readers would like to know how they, too, can do some of their own chart interpretation. It is a bit complicated, but it’s well worth making the effort, so I’ll walk you through the steps to create your own transit chart.

First, I should explain to those not familiar with the term what a “transit” is. At the moment you were born, the planets were in a specific pattern in the heavens. This “freeze-frame” of planetary motion is your birth chart. As the planets continue to move over time, they form mathematical relationships to the planets in your birth chart. By overlaying the transiting planets onto your birth chart, we create a transit chart, which we can use to tell us how cosmic forces are playing out in your life.

By far the best site on the Internet for getting your chart is Astrodienst. You’ll need to register and create an account, but it’s free. They also offer a limited amount of interpretation (with a paid subscription, you get a bit more), from some of the world’s best astrologers.

To get a transit chart on Astrodienst, click on the “Free Horoscopes” tab at the top of the page, and then scroll down to “Extended Chart Selection” on the right. A page will come up with chart selection options. Under “Methods,” you get to choose a group. The default is “Circular Charts,” which is the style most people are familiar with. I prefer Pullen, because it’s easier to read. But for the purposes of this tutorial, we’ll stay with Circular Charts.

Right under “Circular Charts,” you’ll see a drop-down menu. The default chart is “Natal Chart Wheel.” If you click on the arrow to the right, you’ll see lots of other options. Under the heading “Prognostic Methods,” you’ll see “transits.” Click on “Natal chart and transits*”. The asterisk on some of the options means that you have to select a date. To select a date, keep going down the Extended Chart Selection page to “Options.” You can enter any date you wish there.

This is where it gets a bit complicated. All of the dates used on this site give the transits for midnight, Universal Time. The East Coast of the United States is five hours behind UT, so you have to take this into account. Usually, if you want transits for a certain date, entering the following day for the transit chart works. For example, to get your transits for the solar eclipse on July 11, you would type in July 12. Then click on “show chart.” You’ll see the transits on the outside of the wheel, in green.

The process is similar for Pullen; there are just fewer options to choose from (less confusing!). On the Pullen chart, your natal planets are toward the inside of the wheel, and the transits are toward the outside.

When I write my weekly forecasts, I often recommend that you check your natal chart to see which houses the aspects I’m writing about fall in. Many of you have written specifically to ask how the cardinal T-square will affect you. Well, now you can do a little of your own astrological analysis!

I would like to issue one word of caution, though, about using the interpretations on Astrodienst. Although I rate them the best on the Internet, they take each aspect and transit by itself. What you end up with is a cookbook approach that doesn’t give you a whole picture and in some cases even gives you conflicting information. The only way to get an accurate big picture is by consulting a professional astrologer. If anyone is having this issue, please contact me for a personal reading. I offer half-hour consultations by phone, which should be plenty enough to help you clear up any confusion you might encounter when you use these online resources.

You also could study astrology, as many of you already are doing. Of course, you have my wholehearted support there!

Speaking of support, I’d like to thank you again, Dan, for sending a generous donation to RealAstrologers, especially since you only recently found the site. To everyone else who sent contributions, I also remain grateful. To those who haven’t donated yet, would you please consider taking a moment to click on the “Donate” button to the right? It will take you to a PayPal page where you can make a secure payment. With your contributions, I’ll be able to make some changes to the site that will make it even more interesting and useful. I’m working on a couple of ideas and hope to have news for you soon.

Thanks for writing, Dan, and best wishes for a wonderful, abundant future.

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!

Elements of the Cardinal T-Square: Finding the Way Out

Air Signs. © Pat Paquette

What does it tell you when you keep hitting the same obstacle over and over again?

Some people complain and blame their lack of success on others or on external circumstances. Some think they haven’t worked hard enough, so they grit their teeth and redouble their efforts, using the same tools and techniques. Some will make a superficial change here and there. Others will give up entirely.

There are times when giving up is the best thing to do. I say that not to encourage anyone to be lazy, but because in that moment of giving up, we open our hearts and minds to the new information necessary for growth and advancement.

When the same old ways of thinking, being, and doing aren’t working, it’s time to make radical changes. If we won’t voluntarily make those changes, either because we aren’t aware enough to make them or because we’re actively resisting change, external circumstances will force us to take in new information and move in a different direction.

This is a lesson that many of us are learning during the cardinal T-square.

Change, even when it’s positive, can be disorienting and downright distressing. For many people, it’s so distressing that the temptation to go back to the old, painful way of life is too powerful to resist. The human mind is hard-wired to repeat familiar patterns, and that’s what we’re fighting against now. Getting onto a new path truly feels like an uphill battle.

If there’s anything positive in the cardinal T-square, that’s where I see it. Until forced to change, most human beings won’t do the required work, usually because the initial change is so upsetting that it seems more painful than the situation that was causing them so much suffering. In medical terms, it’s called a “healing crisis.”

Action and discipline … not the most fun combination under the stars, but a very productive one.

I even see some potential good in this week’s conjunction of Mars and Saturn. These two since ancient times have been considered the “malefics,” and there’s a good reason for that. Transits of Mars and Saturn very often do correspond to accidents, tragedy, confrontation, and war. But Mars is the planet associated with action, and Saturn at his best is about discipline and structure. Action and discipline … not the most fun combination under the stars, but a very productive one.

When planets are in square or opposition, we look to sextiles and trines as our “way out.” Last Sunday’s Full Moon provided such an opening. There will be another this Friday when Mercury trines Pluto, who’s at the apex of the T-square and thus under the most pressure.

Mercury is about communications. In Virgo, discussions can be very practical and helpful. Pluto, meanwhile, represents everything hidden, forbidden, and scary. When we face these demons, transformation happens. Talking with someone you trust can help you get in touch with your deepest fears, longings, and desires. Sometimes just owning these things is enough to propel you into a different orbit.

Friday could be a very trying day for everyone, but if you keep in mind that the challenges you face may be trying to get your attention in order to nudge you in a different direction, you can use these forces to your advantage. As I mentioned in my weekly forecast, planetary aspects are only going to get more difficult in the next few weeks. Talk about it, get it out, and confront the unpleasant truths lurking under the surface. If you do the work now, you can save yourself more grief later.

Pat

Weekly Forecast July 26: Mars Enters Libra

This is a big, busy week filled with uphill battles and other challenges, but the good news is that we’ll have some energy and discipline to do the work.

As the week begins, we’re still under the influence of Sunday’s Full Moon in Aquarius, which should have helped us find creative ways to surmount the obstacles in our path. With the outer planets at conflicting angles for most of the past year, many of us have felt stuck between a rock and a hard place, with fewer and fewer options for breaking free and moving into new territory.

For most of us, forward movement not only is possible, but likely. Sunday’s Full Moon was a lovely gift in this regard, and I truly hope you all are able to use it to get out of the difficult circumstances you’ve been writing to me about. There’s a further promise of movement this week when Mars joins Jupiter, Uranus, and Saturn in the cardinal T-square, which will dominate the sky for the next several weeks.

Taking the week chronologically, on Monday Saturn opposes Uranus for the fifth and final time in this 45-year cycle. The first opposition was on Nov. 4, 2008 — Election Day in the United States. What will happen to bring this opposition full circle? I’ll be looking for major news from the White House, something totally unexpected (or bigger than expected). Individually, we should be able to resolve a confounding situation that began around November 2008 or, at least, to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

On Tuesday, Mercury enters Virgo, one of the two signs he rules. Virgo is helpful, practical, and down-to-earth, but there also can be a neurotic perfectionism that turns interactions with others into a running critique. This is a good time to reflect on your motivation and to make sure your own house is in order before criticizing others. Note that Mercury will turn retrograde in Virgo in mid-August and as of next week will be in pre-retrograde shadow. To the extent possible, sign contracts and make major purchases now. Otherwise, you may have to wait until the middle of September.

On Thursday, Mars enters Libra, the sign of his detriment. Hopefully, this is going to work to our advantage, as the aggressive side of Mars is tempered in peace-loving Libra. This transit could correspond to diplomatic solutions over more saber-rattling in hot spots of the world. Still, there is cause for concern, as Mars will oppose Uranus on Friday and conjoin Saturn on Saturday. Mars and Uranus make an explosive pair, while a Mars-Saturn conjunction favors military action.

Of all the planets in the T-square, Saturn has the most power right now. He’s in the sign of his exaltation, so he’s extra-receptive to the energy of Mars in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn, which Saturn rules. By contrast, Mars is debilitated, and Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto are all retrograde.

In our daily lives, relationships take precedence, and we’re working through issues such as who does what, how the load is shared, and whether we have balanced, equal partnerships. Achieving balance in relationships starts with our own inner balance. If one partner is “off,” the other needs to compensate. This is fine when both parties agree to it. But usually they don’t, and that’s where we get in trouble. Confronting imbalances without being confrontational is our task this week.

There’s no doubt that Friday is going to be tough all around. The Moon in early Aries is liable to fuel emotional knee-jerk reactions and lots of screaming, “It’s all about me!” If ever there was an aspect for a collective emotional meltdown, this is it.

Fortunately, Saturn in Libra is associated with fairness, justice, equality, and the legal muscle to back it up. With some energetic input from Mars, we can work through thorny issues and step up to challenges with less fear of failure. If we’ve had difficulties making changes, the Mars force can help us blast through the obstacles. Indeed, events in the next two weeks may force us to stretch beyond our limitations, whether self-imposed or external.

Do try to confront difficult issues this week, because next week it will be even harder to get past the power struggles. The work may be hard, but putting it off and making excuses will make it even harder down the road.

If you’d like to take a look in the sky to see this historic alignment, here’s a sky map for Friday, July 30, courtesy of spaceweather.com.

Wishing you infinite love and courage,
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

Full Moon in Aquarius, July 25

There’s a certain exuberance to the Full Moon in Aquarius this Sunday that suggests movement, and lots of it. It could be the out that we’ve all been looking for, the “open sesame” that magically creates a door in the brick wall we’ve been hitting for so long.

The Sun in Leo opposite the Moon in Aquarius forms one axis of a mystical rectangle. The crossing axis has Saturn in Libra and Mars in late Virgo in one corner, opposite Jupiter and Uranus in Aries in the other. And so, while this Full Moon isn’t part of the cardinal T-square, it connects with it directly via sextiles and trines — soft aspects that create a path for the blocked energies of oppositions to flow.

Uranus is the ruler of this Full Moon, and he’s less than a day away from an exact opposition with Saturn, the fifth and last pass of this contentious pairing. Uranus is the rebel who bucks convention, the freedom fighter, the innovator, the spark of genius, the awakener.

Saturn, conversely, is the authoritarian, the disciplinarian, the lord of time and the material world, the enforcer of structure and order. With Saturn and Uranus in opposition since Nov. 4, 2008 — Election Day in the United States — many of us have felt solidly stuck, while certain elements in society have become increasingly polarized. The Full Moon in Aquarius provides a release for the pent-up rebellious energies of Uranus.

What will be unleashed? And what will we find on the other side of that door? Many of us are going to experience an awakening of some sort, and that could open the door to solutions that have eluded us so far. Indeed, when we expand our point of view and see problems from a broader perspective, we can come up with creative new ways of solving them.

While the Moon in Aquarius represents detached, cool reason, the Sun in Leo symbolizes the heart, joy, and the celebration of life. It is who we are at our core, where our higher mind shines through us. When the challenges facing us are so tough that we throw our hands up in defeat, that’s often the moment when we break through to the knowledge of who we are and what we’re here for. That, in turn, gives us renewed hope and the will to keep pushing ahead.

Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter form a T-square with Pluto in Capricorn. As I noted in this week’s forecast, we’re on the final ascent to the peak of the T-square, which is at its most powerful during the last week of July and the first week of August. Climbing is hard work, and we’ve got a bit more to go. Hopefully, we’ll be able to rest at the top and take in an awesome view, but I think it’s possible that the awe may have some shock to it.

This also means that the Sun is inconjunct Pluto, which is not a happy arrangement. An informed, knowledgeable, enlightened, and empowered populace is a threat to government corruption and corporate greed.

There is one other opposition in the Full Moon chart, between Mercury in late Leo and Neptune and Chiron in late Aquarius. When those in power are challenged by the truth, the response is often to confuse the situation by overwhelming the public with meaningless facts and to deliberately pit their opponents against each other. Our collective wound makes us susceptible to this kind of cynical manipulation, so it is all the more imperative that we work to heal our hearts and minds.

Venus at 17 degrees Virgo is square Ceres at 21 degrees Sagittarius. I’m not sure how this might play out, but it seems sad, somehow. Venus, the planet of love and desire, is in her fall in Virgo, and the square with Earth Mother Ceres represents a conflict between two archetypal feminine figures. We’ll just have to watch the headlines to figure this one out.

The Sabian Symbol** for the Moon at 2°59′ Aquarius is a deserter from the navy, with the keyword DEFIANCE. For once, Marc Edmond Jones doesn’t need any translation. He wrote, “This is a symbol of human independence carried to a point of extreme rebellion against things as they are, here emphasized in a disregard of all consequence for the sake of immediate liberation of the spirit.” This image might apply equally well to the Saturn-Uranus opposition. Once we awaken to the truth, living under the old rules becomes suffocating, and we’ll take radical steps to extricate ourselves.

For the Sun at 2°59′ Leo, the Sabian Symbol is a woman having her hair bobbed, with the keyword DECISION. When a woman drastically changes her hairstyle, it’s usually because she has gone through a personal transformation. The haircut is a conscious decision, a means of showing the world that she is a different person. What could be more Leo than that?

We’re becoming different people as new doors open in our hearts and minds. I have a feeling we’ll be changing a lot more than just our hair.

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.

Weekly Forecast July 19: Saturn Enters Libra, Full Moon in Aquarius

Got your crampons on? Fastened tight? Good, because this week we begin our climb straight up the face of the cardinal T-square.

We’ve been waiting for Saturn, the leader of our party. He had to return to Virgo for a few supplies, but he’s due back at base camp Libra on Wednesday, when we’ll get further instructions — specifically, who we’ll be climbing with and how we’re going to share the load.

As I mentioned in my Saturday Extra! post, Saturn will be on the Ascendant in Washington, D.C., the moment of his ingress. It remains to be seen whether this manifests in the short-term, or whether it represents what the United States will experience during the two years that Saturn is in Libra.

On Thursday, the Sun enters his home sign of Leo, ruler of the heart. The Latin root for “heart” and “center” are the same, and it also is the root of the word “courage.” Thus, to encourage someone is to give them heart. It’s one of my favorite words, and we’re all going to need to give each other a lot of encouragement as this T-square unfolds.

The last aspect that the Sun and Saturn make before entering their respective new signs is an inconjunct with Chiron, who as of Tuesday is back in Aquarius, sign of the collective. This places Chiron at the apex of a Yod with the Sun and Saturn at the base. To be able to set our sights high and encourage each other to keep climbing, we’ll have to confront our wounds, collectively and individually.

Most of us are wounded in some way. As I was re-reading Eckhart Tolle last week, I came across his comment about how the human mind is inherently dysfunctional. Our egos essentially make us an insane species, he says. He talks about the “pain body” and the ego’s investment in remaining wounded.

Some of us are more wounded than others, which means that the load isn’t going to be distributed evenly on this trip to the top. We want as many of us to make the climb as possible, so those who can carry more will have to do so. Conversely, those who really do need help will need to ask, and in a clear, direct manner, without whining. Some people don’t like to ask for help, because they think they might be perceived as weak. To avoid that impression, they sometimes resort to manipulative tactics to get others to carry their load for them. That won’t work anymore.

If you truly are doing your best, no one can ask more of you, but the point is that we’re climbing to a field of higher consciousness, where our best is far beyond anything we could ever have imagined. We need to stretch and grow. If we were climbing a mountain for real, we’d accept sore muscles and fatigue as a given. So it is with the climb to your higher mind.

Some people are so wounded that they won’t be able to make this trip, and that’s going to be extremely painful for all concerned. We don’t want to leave loved ones behind, and yet we can’t hold ourselves back. It’s an excruciating choice to have to make, but that’s part of what the conflicting energies of this T-square are all about. And we’re probably not going to have the luxury of time to weigh all the pros and cons. The climbing party leaves at the crack of dawn. You’re either geared up and ready to go, or you’re not.

On Friday, the Sun in Leo trines Uranus, who’s retrograde and somewhat diminished but still feisty enough in Aries to create a crisis or two. “Fires to put out,” we might say. Or maybe “shock and awe.”

At the same time, Jupiter is stationed to turn retrograde in Aries on Friday. We’re going to feel this shift, possibly as a financial event of some kind. The Big Guy squares Pluto on Saturday, the first of three exact squares between these two, both of which are associated with money, power, and influence. Corporate giants like BP definitely fall in this category, so we may see major developments in the Gulf of Mexico at this time, perhaps as a result of government enforcement or legal action. But, as I’ve repeated several times, there are so many variables in this equation that predicting with any confidence is simply impossible.

Sunday is the Full Moon in Aquarius, which forms a mystical rectangle with Saturn and Mars on one leg and Jupiter and Uranus on the other. This could be the magic “release point” of the Saturn-Uranus opposition. In addition, the previous Full Moon coincided with a lunar eclipse, so this lunation is the 30-day marker, which sometimes is the trigger point for delayed eclipse-related events. I’ll have a detailed analysis of the Full Moon later this week.

In the meantime, I’d like to leave you with a lovely image of Venus aligning with Mercury, Mars, and Saturn, taken at Point Venus in Tahiti. You’ll need to squint at your screen a bit to see them all (Venus is the brightest object) but it’s still an amazing photo.

Wishing you all limitless love and courage,
Pat

Saturday Extra! Saturn Enters Libra, T-Square Powers Up

Next Wednesday, July 21, Saturn enters Libra — or, more precisely, re-enters. Once this happens, we’ll be in the final ascent toward the peak of the 2010 cardinal T-square.

The Lord of Karma briefly stepped onto the Scales from October 29 to April 7. Since then, he’s been finishing up his business in Virgo, where he taught us practical lessons like taking our Omega-3, paying attention to the environment, and doing our duty to help others. He also served as an anchor to keep the volatile energies of the cardinal T-square in check.

Once he enters Libra, it’s going to be a whole new game. Cardinal energies favor swift, targeted action. Libra is an air sign, so we might expect some violent wind storms and probably a big shift in political and financial winds, too. Saturn in Libra will enforce balance. If we’re out of alignment in any way, we’ll have to adjust accordingly.

There’s a lot more I could write about Saturn in Libra, but the most compelling issue is that the cardinal T-square is now fully activated and powering up toward peak output in late July and early August. In the first degree of Libra, Saturn will be tightly opposed to Uranus at 0 degrees Aries and Jupiter at 3 degrees Aries, and he’ll square Pluto at 3 degrees Capricorn. Jupiter is stationed, two days from turning retrograde on July 23. That’s a whole lot of shifting going on.

The biggest bang may be heard in Washington, D.C., where Saturn will be dead on the Ascendant at the moment he enters Libra. Saturn rules the government, while Jupiter rules the banks and the justice system, and Uranus is associated with explosions, political protest, and unexpected events. All three planets will be in a tight square to Pluto, which rules subversive elements, espionage, and the very wealthy and powerful.

There are way too many variables in there to make a reliable prediction, but I’ll be watching the news headlines. Whatever happens, it looks as though President Obama will play a major role.

Saturn is said to be “exalted” in Libra, where he demands peace, social justice, diplomacy, equality, and fairness. Although Saturn is very challenged in this T-square arrangement, he’s the strongest of the outer planets, since he’s direct and in the sign of his exaltation. All of the other planets are retrograde or stationing. That said, he’s getting slammed from all sides, and Mars is approaching conjunction with him as well. All in all, it looks like we’re in for some dramatic developments.

From July 31 to August 20, Venus and Mars both will be conjunct Saturn, and that could have implications for male-female relationships everywhere, perhaps even for the balance of masculine and feminine energy on the planet as a whole. I’ve written a lot about this imbalance, which appears to be slowly correcting.

I’ll have more about these aspects in my upcoming weekly forecasts. Be sure to check back often!

Pat