Tag Archives: cardinal T-square

Weekly Forecast October 7: Venus Enters Sagittarius, Sun Square Jupiter

Aerial artist Ginger Ana Griep-Ruiz performs for Cirque du Soleil. More info and links below.

As of last week’s New Moon in Libra, we’re heading into the eclipse zone, with a Full Moon lunar eclipse on October 18 and a powerful total eclipse of the Sun on November 3.

Libra is the sign of compromise, harmony, and balance, but the mood the world over is anything but harmonious. House Speaker John Boehner reportedly told fellow Republicans in a private meeting that they were “locked in an epic battle.” It’s interesting that he uses the language of war. Wars sometimes are fought for ideology, but usually it’s about who gets more land, more wealth, and more power. And in epic battles throughout history, the kings and generals cared about the people only insofar as there were enough troops to die for “their country.”

One thing emerging from this whole mess is that increasing numbers of people aren’t willing to sacrifice themselves for this corrupt and power-hungry bunch. People are starting to question long-held beliefs about their government. Many of our assumptions are long-outdated, ideas we learned in civics class that we continued to parrot without critical examination. And despite the polarization in Congress and heated debates on news forums, I see more and more people breaking out of party dogma. Many Democrats are disappointed in President Obama for not making good on his promise of change, for giving in to criminal financial interests, and for expanding the surveillance state. On the Republican side, many are embarrassed by the right-wing nut jobs who have hijacked their party. It seems that the epidemic of insanity is shocking some people into reason. If there’s common ground to be found, this may be where it is.

Although we’re heading into another band of turbulence, there is one bright spot this week. On Monday, Venus leaves Scorpio, the sign of her detriment, and enters sporty Sagittarius. Sagittarius still isn’t the best sign for Venus, and she makes an edgy square with Neptune on Thursday that could further mess with our grasp of reality for a couple of days. In general, though, she should help smooth out ideological debates, and some of the heaviness we’ve been feeling might lighten a little. Make time for some fun and games. If you’re into sports, get together with some friends and watch a game. I know that some people are very serious about their favorite teams, but for the most part, competition in sports is fun and friendly.

On Tuesday, the Moon and Venus conjoin in Sagittarius, which could help make the Mercury-Saturn conjunction on the same day more productive. Mercury and Saturn conjunct in Scorpio could be extremely effective in snapping people back to reality. That might even include enough members of Congress to get the government up and running again. However, stark reality can be too much, especially when we realize how bad we’ve allowed circumstances to get by stubbornly hanging onto political ideology. The same applies for any other beliefs that have prevented us from moving forward. Looking in the mirror can be hard. Venus and the Moon in truth-seeking Sagittarius can help bring optimism. After all, you can’t solve a problem when you refuse to admit it exists or don’t understand its source. If you’re in any circumstances that fit this description, try to get some insight on Tuesday, because it will be harder to see the reality by the middle of Wednesday.

On Saturday (October 12), the Sun squares Jupiter. I’m somewhat concerned about this jarring aspect. The T-square between Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto in August corresponded to tragic turmoil, including the chemical weapons attack on the outskirts of Damascus. Even though Jupiter has moved well out of range of that configuration, the Sun “carries forward” energy from the Uranus-Pluto square to Jupiter. This is another pressure-cooker transit, although I’m hopeful that some of the issues that erupted in August can be addressed productively, perhaps because facts come to light.

While browsing the news headlines this morning, I found an interesting analysis about Arab Spring, which correlates perfectly to the Uranus-Pluto square and T-square with Jupiter. It included a quote by political scientist Shadi Hamid, director of research at the Brookings Doha Center. Speaking about the Middle East, he said, “Democracy is not a matter of principle or faith for most people. It is something they believe in to the extent that it brings good results. … If democracy does not bring those things, then people lose faith in the democratic process.”

“That’s part of the story in the past three years,” he said. “When push comes to shove, many say, democracy is fine in theory, but is not actually improving our lives. If the generals can promise us a greater degree of security and stability, we prefer that instead.”

Food for thought.

I do believe that good will come out of the global turmoil in that pressure transforms. I wrote a lot about that last week. If we look back at the transformational periods in world history, we see that the changes didn’t happen overnight but took many years. And I don’t know of any major shifts that occurred without violence and upheaval. In Earth time, three or five years or even a hundred years is insignificant. The human mind can’t grasp that reality, even if we understand it intellectually. However, we at least can ponder it in our attempt to understand how everything is connected, which is where we have to go, not just to resolve our differences, but to gain a greater awareness of dimensions beyond normal human perception.

Looking ahead, on October 18, we have an eclipse, the first in a new series in Aries and Libra. On October 14, we also have an alignment of Mars, Regulus, and comet ISON. You won’t be able to see the latter without a telescope, but I still think this is a major astrological event that could signal a change in leadership or political alignments, perhaps both.

We’ll know soon . . .

Much love and courage to you all,
Pat

About the image: Venus in Sagittarius is more about outdoor sports, but I still love this shot. I think of it as “adventurous balance.” Here’s how the show describes her act:
Descending gracefully from the heavens, her effortless beauty is part mortal, part Goddess; connecting the earth and sky.

Cirque du Soleil Mystère
Watch a breathtaking performance on YouTube.

Weekly Forecast September 30: New Moon in Libra, Sun Square Pluto

Weighing the Harvest. © Mafoto for Dreamstime.com

Astrologers have known for a long time that we were in for a difficult stretch between 2012 and 2015, so in some ways, the enormous pressure weighing on the world isn’t a big surprise.

We’ve also said that the pressure would force many positive changes on humanity, and that is indeed turning out to be the case. It’s hard to see the good when we’re being tossed about and struggling to survive (some more than others). Likewise, it can be hard to appreciate positive developments when they come at such an exorbitant price. But that is the nature of transformation, and it’s a very Plutonic concept. Suffering produces an alchemical reaction, and that is really what transformation is all about. It’s true for individuals, and it’s true for the collective.

Amidst the mass shootings, wars, and other tragedies, we are witnessing some stunning breakthroughs. In the past week, the international community managed to agree on a plan for the Syrian government to destroy its chemical arsenal. Syria earlier this month asked to join the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Its membership officially begins on October 14, four days before a lunar eclipse in Aries, the sign of war, with the Sun in Libra, the sign of peace.

Equally as remarkable, the leaders of the United States and Iran spoke for the first time since 1979. Although President Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani didn’t agree to a much-anticipated meeting at the United Nations on Tuesday, they spoke by telephone for about 15 minutes on Friday. Following the conversation, hopeful messages appeared in English on the Iranian president’s Twitter feed (the effusive tweets later were replaced with blander messages). Rouhani has a website in seven languages and a Facebook page, too. Talk about a “charm offensive.”

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned Putin’s 13-degree Libra Sun and its relation to the planetary signature underlying this summer’s extreme events. As it turns out, Rouhani has Venus at 13 degrees Libra. Libra is skilled in the art of compromise, and Venus in Libra disarms through charm. Rouhani’s Sun is at 19 degrees Scorpio, squaring natal Pluto. It’s a safe bet that the charm is serving the power agenda of a shrewd, calculating politician. Incidentally, Venus was at 19 degrees Scorpio during the telephone call between Rouhani and Obama. You gotta love astrology.

Comparing the charts, it appears that Rouhani and Putin genuinely like each other. Rouhani may even admire Putin, and they will find it easy to remain committed to one other. Obama and Putin also have an understanding, both with Moon in Gemini less than a degree apart (provided we have the right birth time for Putin). One might say they even come from the same “soul tribe,” and Putin’s lunar nodes on Obama’s Ascendant/Descendant further suggests that these two have been around the karmic block together a few times. Conversely, the relationship between Rouhani and Obama appears to be a flirtation, and Rouhani may end up becoming a thorn in Obama’s side. Looking at these three charts, along with when official meetings took place, I think it’s possible that Russia might have done some serious behind-the-scenes negotiating to patch up relations between the United States and Iran. I’d also bet my bottom dollar that major geopolitical shifts in the Middle East will come out of all of this, and it could be soon, given the coming eclipses and the rare conjunction of Mars the Warrior, Regulus the King, and comet ISON, discovered by a couple of Russians. Perhaps there’s even something symbolic in its invisibility to the naked eye. Talk about power-brokering behind the scenes…

There was another big breakthrough on Friday at the U.N, which announced that a new report shows that human impact on global climate change is “unequivocal.” If they’d only make a similar statement about Fukushima and get the international community involved in the cleanup. . .

As for Congress, it’s hard to say. Libra is the sign of compromise, and Venus, the ruler of this week’s New Moon, is in the seventh house of partnership in the chart cast for Washington, D.C. However, the New Moon forms a tight cardinal T-square with Uranus and Pluto, which turns compromise on its head. That said, there’s an “out” in the supportive sextile from Pluto at the apex of the T-square to Mercury, Saturn, and the North Node. Jupiter in the third house, while not closely involved in this formation, also could be a mitigating factor. The third house rules the media, Internet, and public information in general. It’s always helpful to remember that what politicians say for public consumption may have little to do with the horse-trading that goes on behind closed doors. It’s public posturing and political theater, and some of it (some people would argue most of it) is intended to distract the populace.

Given the high-stakes conflict indicated in this chart, it’s quite possible that failure to reach an agreement will cause a government shutdown. It has happened. If you’re up for some wonky reading, check out the Congressional Research Service report on what a government shutdown would mean. But it’s also possible that information could come to light that stabilizes the situation and prevents damage to an already limping economy. One can always hope.

There was a terrific article in The Guardian on Friday about Seymour Hersh, a Pulitzer-Prize winning reporter who broke the story about the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War. Hersh was my hero in journalism school, and he’s still my hero for saying that 90 percent of editors in publishing should be fired. On Saturday, there was an article by Glenn Greenwald noting how the television networks distort the news. It bears repeating that the range of news sources available to anyone with an Internet connection broadens our ability to piece together what’s really going on. Of course, there’s also a lot of bad information out there. One needs to know how to judge the reliability of sources. That’s a task that will be made easier by Tuesday’s trine from Mercury in Scorpio to Neptune in Pisces. Watch the headlines for revelations of deep, dark secrets, possibly by a writer with a nose for sniffing out that sort of thing.

Click on image to enlarge

Otherwise, the entire week is pretty much a lead-in to the New Moon, which is exact at 8:34 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Friday. On Tuesday, the Sun forms an exact square with Pluto. This is so not about compromise, even with the Sun in Libra. Depending on where the Sun and Pluto are in your chart, you may want to forego sensitive discussions, especially regarding work. In personal relationships, don’t push your point of view. It’s not like your bank account will shut down if you and your partner can’t agree on how to spend your money. Don’t let ego get in the way of compromise. Do you want to be “right,” or do you want to get the best deal possible?

On Thursday, the Sun opposes Uranus. Events may force a breakthrough of some kind, and new information could be part of the equation. If the Sun and Uranus make favorable angles to personal planets in your chart, sudden events a few days on either side of Thursday could be to your advantage.

The sextile between Mercury and Pluto is exact on Sunday, October 6. This is a good day all around for resolving conflicts through communications. Mercury is just a degree from the lunar North Node, which can indicate an event that is destined or that serves a significant purpose. This can apply to you personally as well as to the collective. The North Node currently is in Scorpio, sign of death, transformation, and rebirth.

Just over a month from now, there is a total eclipse of the Sun in Scorpio, conjunct Saturn, and with Mercury retrograde in Scorpio. This is intense, although I realize it’s hard to imagine how much more pressure we can bear. During a recent visit to my doctor, she told me that people are coming into her office in tears, at the end of their rope. That eclipse will square my Sun, with Saturn in a square by exact degree, so I’m feeling the pressure in a big way. In fact, I turned on my laptop yesterday only to discover that the keyboard died. I can get an external keyboard, but it was a reminder that my computer is reaching the end of its useful life, when I can least afford to buy a new one and when I suddenly have a flood of report orders. I’ve got a temporary solution rigged up, but it’s costing me time and energy.

For those of you who would like to order the StarGuide Fall 2013 forecast, my current turnaround time is about two weeks. To make up for the delay, I’m providing an extra couple of weeks of transits.

We’ve all got to hang in there. If we can make it through to mid-November, the pressure will lighten up — not entirely, but at least we’ll be able to breathe normally.

Much love and courage to you all,
Pat

Weekly Forecast August 26: Venus Opposes Uranus, Mars Enters Leo

Rocky Path. © Osk Ingad Alden, 2013.

As I was researching the news headlines to write this post, I was reminded of the tagline for the television series, The X-Files: “Trust No One.”

It used to be that you could always trust The New York Times to deliver the facts, but those days came to an abrupt halt after it came out that its reports about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq were completely untrue. Based on unnamed government sources, the articles bolstered the case for the Bush administration to invade Iraq.

Democracy is based on an informed citizenry, but where are we to get reliable information? I barely believe a word I read anymore. The corporate media can’t be trusted. Media watchers blame the failure to investigate and report government wrongdoing on post-9/11 hysteria, but that was 12 years ago. As I see it, Pluto’s entry into Capricorn in 2008 is the bigger indicator – even more so since Saturn entered Scorpio last October, putting Saturn and Pluto in mutual reception (each in the sign ruled by the other). This is Big Brother on steroids. It’s no surprise that as governments become increasingly authoritarian, they set all scruples aside and spare no expense in going after the whistleblowers. Add Uranus into the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for deadly suppression of rebellion. And then along comes Jupiter and inflames situations even more.

Several events in the past week can be traced back to late 2010 and early 2011, when Uranus was moving toward the square with Pluto, and Jupiter in Aries conjoined Uranus and then “carried forward” his energy to a square with Pluto. In February and March 2011, with the square between Jupiter and Pluto close to exact, Mubarak resigned in Egypt, protests broke out in Syria, and a powerful earthquake caused a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant. As Jupiter approached opposition to Pluto earlier this month, Egypt experienced the worst political violence in recent history. A massive underground reservoir of radioactive water began leaking from the Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean. In Syria, chemical weapons killed at least 350 and injured thousands more. It appears that the government is responsible, but it has officially denied it and blames the attack on anti-government rebel “terrorists.” As I type, the United States is moving an additional Navy destroyer to within target range of Syria, and the Obama administration is considering its “options.” There’s hardly a mention anywhere of the Israeli government, even though it defies credulity to think they aren’t involved big-time.

In addition to those breaking stories, Bradley Manning, who has asked to be called Chelsea from now on, received a 35-year sentence for blowing the whistle on military abuses in Iraq. The British police – apparently with the approval of the Obama administration – detained the partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald and confiscated his laptop and other electronic devices. A few days later, sensitive intelligence information was mysteriously leaked to another British paper, which quoted an unnamed source and said the material was contained in the files copied by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. It looks an awful lot like a government plant.

There’s so much lying going on that we don’t know what to believe. So most people believe what makes the most sense to them, given their experience, political beliefs, mental filters, and other biases. You have to wonder whether Homo sapiens has devolved into Homo dementis.

I do think we may get some clarity this week, and I also think it’s possible that political crises can be defused, at least temporarily.

Through the middle of the week, Venus transforms the cardinal T-square of Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto into a cardinal grand cross. Although this sounds kind of scary, it could turn out to be beneficial. Venus in Libra is the diplomat of the zodiac, and while a square to Pluto suggests power struggles, diplomacy may win out … this time. That won’t always be the case. Reason and clarity prevail with Mercury in his home sign of Virgo. The Sun also is in Virgo, which may help tone down some of the rhetoric and posturing. Virgo is analytical and wants “just the facts.”

Both the Sun and Mercury sextile Saturn and Jupiter this week, and they also trine Pluto – Mercury on Wednesday and the Sun on Sunday (September 1). The trine is a favorable aspect, and when it connects to a planet in a tense formation like a square or opposition – in this case, Pluto – it provides a pressure valve to release pent-up energy. Mercury is the communications planet, so I’m hopeful that the release will be in the form of the factual news and information we’ve been waiting for. Maybe there still is a news organization on the planet with the integrity to report the real news. For that matter, The New York Times might even redeem itself by working with the Guardian on the NSA story. That’s not to say it’s all going to be good news, but at this point, we just want to know what’s really going on. People are tired of the secrets and lies.

Now, before that happens, we have an opposition from the Sun and Mercury to Neptune. It will be over by Tuesday, clearing the way for the truth to come out. Matters could be somewhat obscured on Sunday and Monday, though. Or, perhaps some facts will be revealed that are so seriously disturbing that many people will prefer to remain in denial – more than usual, anyway. This is all the more likely with Venus opposing Uranus on Monday. The truth could be downright shocking.

I also need to mention that Mars enters Leo on Tuesday. Mars hasn’t been a happy camper in Cancer, and when he changes to a compatible fire sign, his entry could be dramatic. There’s also the possibility of some saber-rattling here, although, taken together, all the other aspects this week suggest that the pissing contests will be toned down for now. Next week, different story.

What I’ve written above also can apply to our personal lives. Perhaps a frank discussion about a relationship will result in information that helps you make an objective, rational decision. Or you could defuse a tense situation at work through an honest dialog that sticks to the facts. A level playing field can be restored upon the revelation of secrets intentionally kept in order to tip the balance of power. Depending on where they fall in your chart, Venus and Uranus could signal love at first sight, a sudden financial opportunity, or an unexpected social invitation.

Before I go, I want to tell you about a disturbing experience I had earlier this week and to ask for suggestions. I was doing a Google search and came across some text that looked an awful lot like my writing. Imagine my shock when I clicked on the link and found a blog displaying all of my posts since last October, in their entirety, without any attribution, and with only one faint, unidentified link back to RealAstrologers. There were posts by a couple of other astrologers as well, and the site was plastered with obnoxious Google ads. After spending more than an hour trying to find out who owned the blog and how to contact him, I wrote a terse e-mail giving him 48 hours to remove all of my content from his site. He replied that it was “completely legal” to repost RSS feeds! He did, however, comply with my request.

It is most certainly not legal to post someone else’s work and make it look like original content. However, as I investigated my options, I discovered that web scraping, as this is called, is not uncommon, and the only way to prevent it is to truncate my RSS feed.

When the Creative Commons license first came out, I supported it and attached it to all my work. The idea behind it is that sharing information enriches everyone and creates a more informed community. I also believe that the way to cope with the enormous stress we’re all facing is to band together. But when I come across people like this who feel entitled to take whatever they want, I’m not inclined to want to share freely. Moreover, Creative Commons licenses just encourage stealing. The whole thing was all the more infuriating in that I spent more than two days researching the applicable law rather than catching up my work.

Truncating my RSS feed means that all of you who have been receiving my forecasts via e-mail would get only a short paragraph and would have to visit my blog for the rest of the article. That would be my best protection, but it would be an inconvenience for my subscribers. A Facebook reader suggested adding a copyright notice to each article, so I thought I’d try that for a while and see how it goes. Meanwhile, if anyone has any other suggestions, please contact me or leave a comment. And if you come across any violations, please let me know right away.

Much love and courage to you all,
Pat

Weekly Forecast August 12: Venus Enters Libra

Dew on Cattails. © Gretchen Friedrich, 2013.

In terms of astrological aspects, this week is fairly calm. But we remain in the period of a tumultuous T-square with Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto.

The only two major aspects this week are a harmonious trine from Mercury to Uranus and the entrance of Venus into her home sign of harmony loving Libra. Saner minds may prevail, however fleetingly.

Mercury in Leo trines Uranus in Aries on Wednesday (Thursday in Europe and points east). Mercury and Uranus have a natural affinity, as both rule air signs. Leo and Aries are fire signs, which are more visceral and act on gut instincts. This combination of Mercury and Uranus is conducive to intuitive thinking, maybe even a spark of genius, that can withstand rational analysis. The good news here is that Mercury provides a temporary “out” from the tension of the T-square. The pressure of the T-square has been bearing down on all of us, and those of you who are particularly sensitive have felt it even if there’s no noticeable manifestation in your lives. For you, there may be some small bit of relief this week.

In world events, the U.S. government continues to launch drone strikes on “suspected terrorists” in Yemen. In last week’s forecast, I commented that the astrological charts indeed showed some trouble, possibly radiating from the Middle East, and that it was connected somehow with the United States. When no terrorist attack materialized, I questioned my analysis … until I realized that what I was seeing was right; I just had the roles switched.

If I’m right about the astrological underpinnings of this trend, it’s not going to end anytime soon, and there may be an increase in the violence next week, when Jupiter squares Uranus. That said, this is a long-term astrological trend that continues on and off through next May. Outer planetary aspects can manifest at any time during their period of influence. I know I’m not the only person deeply disturbed by the notion that someone can be targeted and killed on suspicion of an unspecified crime that government authorities say might happen. I cringe when I read comments on news articles by people who support this measure as a way to prevent deadly terrorist attacks. Fortunately, there seem to be as many people who believe in the principle of innocence until proven guilty. What we’ll do about it is another question. Uranus in Aries can take to the streets in mass protest, but it’s not a good combination for follow-through. Complicating matters, it’s entirely possible (and some say likely) that drone strikes are increasing the possibility of retaliation against the United States. The T-square hasn’t had its final say yet.

On Friday (Venus day), Venus enters Libra, the sign of balance and harmony, which is under her rulership. Libra is the sign of diplomacy, and I do think there’s hope that diplomacy can cool off some of the hot spots in the world. Venus in Libra also is going to transform the T-square between Jupiter, Uranus, and Pluto into a grand cross starting at the end of next week and lasting until the end of the month. Now, this might sound ominous on the face of it, but T-squares are inherently unstable, and a fourth planet to “close” the loop can be grounding. The point opposite the apex can be a “out” for tense energies. In this case, I can’t think of a better out than diplomacy. We may have a situation in which the antagonists are unable to move forward but, temporarily at least, unable to do further damage. This could apply to weather, as well. NSA surveillance also comes to mind. President Obama said on Friday that he would order a review of government intelligence gathering. This week, he’ll have a chance to show whether he really means it.

Personally, the Mercury-Uranus trine may not show up in your life unless they are making close aspects to personal planets in your chart. In that case, you may see a short increase in communications, especially e-mail, and ideas may come to you in rapid succession. Write them down, because they may be so fleeting that you forget them.

It’s more likely we’ll feel Venus in Libra, and probably as a balancing, stabilizing influence, especially in close relationships. Conflict isn’t always a bad thing; sometimes you need it to clear the air and get out of a rut. But there are times for conflict and times for compromise. Venus in Libra favors the latter. Agree to put differences aside for now and just enjoy being together. Find ways to support one another. Create some happy memories to balance out the sad ones. If you’re single, make a point of noticing beauty in the people and places around you, or seek it out elsewhere. Focus on it, burn it into your memory.

Speaking of burning beauty, don’t forget that this week is the peak of the annual Perseids meteor shower. It has been too overcast the past two nights in the Seattle area (big surprise there), but I sat on my deck on Thursday night and saw a couple of spectacular fireballs. In between, I got to sit quietly under the stars and just listen.

Much love, beauty, and courage to you all,
Pat

Weekly Forecast August 5: New Moon in Leo, Jupiter Opposite Pluto

Normally I’d be the first one to dismiss the recent U.S. terror alert as a ploy to convince people that intrusive government surveillance is justified. But given this week’s astrology, I’m not so sure.

On Friday, the U.S. State Department announced it would close 22 embassies and consulates for a day and issued a warning to travelers. It didn’t explain the unprecedented move, other than to say there’s an imminent threat of an attack by al Qaeda, particularly in Yemen.

The timing certainly is suspicious. Two days earlier, a new report in the Guardian revealed the most damning evidence to date that the National Security Agency, despite its denials, maintains vast databases of detailed information on U.S. citizens that can be easily accessed without a warrant. Further, there’s growing support in Congress to limit NSA spying.

As if that’s not enough, reports are beginning to surface in the media that the attack on the consulate in Benghazi was related to illegal CIA activities and that conflicting stories by members of the Obama administration were attempts to protect the CIA. This isn’t new information; alternative news sources had the story long ago, but it’s finally going mainstream.

All in all, that would give the administration plenty of incentive to concoct a new crisis intended to instill fear and convince people that the heavy surveillance is for their own protection. Judging from the comments on news websites, a majority isn’t buying it. It just smells so obviously political.

Ironically, there just might be something to the warning – at least, from an astrological perspective. And who knows, maybe someone in government actually did consult an astrologer … um, OK, probably not. Astrologically, this is one of the most dangerous periods of the year, with Jupiter forming a T-square with Uranus and Pluto for most of August. Adding more weight to the possibility of a threat, Interpol also issued a warning, the reason being the alleged escape of allegedly hundreds of alleged terrorists from prisons in Libya, Pakistan, and Iraq. Absent confirmation by an independent source, I guess we have to take their word for it.

Click on image to enlarge

The Jupiter-Pluto opposition isn’t exact until Wednesday, but you can see it in the chart for Tuesday’s New Moon in Leo. Mars also is involved, although the influence began waning after his square with Uranus last Wednesday. As it so happens, the Jupiter-Pluto opposition is exact just as Jupiter is rising over Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, with Pluto on the Descendant. So it’s entirely plausible that violence could erupt in these locations or emanate from it. The line extends through Eastern Europe, as well.

The question is, “dangerous” for whom? It’s hardly a stretch to imagine increased violence in the Middle East or North Africa. But that doesn’t necessarily mean a terrorist attack. It could be another wave of deadly protests, financial collapse, more train or plane crashes, violent weather, or all of the above. Upon reading the State Department’s broad warning, I was struck by how much it’s like an astrological prediction. I’ve seen indications in clients’ charts of increased risk of accidents, but I sometimes hesitate to mention it to them – not because I worry it might be a self-fulfilling prophecy, but because it doesn’t do much good to tell someone, “Be careful, you might have an accident.” There’s a reason they’re called accidents. No matter how careful you are, you can’t foresee all possibilities, nor can you control the carelessness of others. Likewise, what good does it do to tell travelers to exercise caution for the next month? Should they not use public transportation anywhere in the world or visit popular tourist attractions? Avoid everyone wearing a backpack, especially if they look Middle Eastern? Not go to bars known to be terrorist hangouts? It’s hard to know the purpose of such an extensive warning but not hard to imagine ulterior motives.

Despite what I wrote above, I do believe it’s possible we’re being played. It would be a gamble, for sure. If the administration wins – if they manage to “foil” a major attack – they’ll have to jump through hoops to convince the public that the threat was real and even more hoops to prove that NSA spying caught the bad guys. If they lose and don’t stop a major attack, it’s even more of a risk. Then, it’s possible they don’t give a rat’s ass about public opinion but are attempting to keep Congress in line. I won’t discount the possibility that the biggest danger we face in the coming months – indeed for several years ahead – isn’t from terrorists but from our own government and its corporate sponsors.

I’ve been pondering whether the current planetary configuration indicates an attack (if indeed there is one) from a bona fide terrorist group or whether it looks more like an inside job. Obviously, the inside job would be more outrageous, but both are diabolical acts intended to kill people for political reasons. They both look the same on the outside, and I’m not sure how I’d tell the difference in a chart. Pluto’s involvement in the T-square suggests covert, shadowy operations, but that could refer to terrorist groups with or without links to the CIA and other Western intelligence agencies.

If and when an event occurs, the chart could provide more specifics, and I’ll try to post an analysis as quickly as possible. In the meantime, let’s take a look at the New Moon chart and aspects for the rest of the week.

The first thing you might notice in the New Moon chart is that Pluto is near the Ascendant in Washington – the mirror of the chart for the Jupiter-Pluto opposition in the Middle East. Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury all are in the seventh house, which in mundane astrology signifies open enemies as well as allies. The New Moon is in the eighth house, in a waning trine to Uranus in Aries in the third house. Uranus signifies protests, riots, and explosions. The third house is associated with local transportation – subways, commuter traffic, intercity railways, etc. – and communications, including Internet traffic. The eighth house is associated with Scorpio and death. It also rules loans to and from other countries. Jupiter rules national banks and the official state religion. Rather than speculating on all the possible scenarios, I’ll leave that to you.

I know that many of you want to know how the New Moon will affect you personally. As usual, that depends on where it falls in your natal chart, and that has little to do with your Sun sign. If you’re an early degree Rising Leo, then the New Moon will fall in your first house, a wild card you can use to advance any number of goals, particularly if they’re relationship-oriented. If you have planets near 14 degrees Leo or Sagittarius, they will be positively aspected by this New Moon. Planets near 14 degrees of Scorpio, Taurus, or Aquarius will be tensely aspected, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything negative. It could simply be an indication of new developments in a challenging situation of which you already aware. Also, think back to what was going on in your life near the solar eclipse on May 9. Eclipse events sometimes don’t unfold until three months later.

You’ll feel the Jupiter-Pluto opposition personally if you have a transit from Jupiter, Uranus, or Pluto to a personal planet in your chart. In that case, you’ll have a complicated multiple transit that is beyond this column to explore. I’m not doing written reports yet (I’ll have news about that in a few weeks), but I am available for a limited number of telephone consultations. Use the contact form in the sidebar to contact me if you’d like to schedule a reading. If you don’t have a transit to a personal planet but have an idea of how the Uranus-Pluto square has been playing out in your life, look for major developments this week at the New Moon. Although we’re in a tense period overall, it’s possible that individual breakthroughs could be quite positive. The biggest danger may be too much of a good thing. Take care not to bite off more than you can chew. It’s also possible that a change, however positive, could come at an inconvenient time or require major adjustments, some of which could be upsetting.

Looking at the rest of the week, Mercury enters Leo on Thursday after spending an unusually long stay in Cancer. The Messenger typically blows through a sign in two weeks, but he spent two months in Cancer due to his retrograde cycle. As long as Jupiter and Mars remain in emotionally driven Cancer, decisions based on feelings will continue to rule the day. We may notice a small difference with Mercury in Leo, although reason may not be restored until Mercury and the Sun enter Virgo later this month. By then, Venus will be in her own sign of Libra, which also should help restore some balance, especially if events in the next week or two cause widespread fear and panic.

On Sunday (August 11), Mercury squares Saturn, a challenging aspect that nonetheless is conducive for heavy mental lifting and reasoning through problems. Sometimes looking out for Number One requires tough self-discipline, but it will pay off in the long run.

Much love and courage to you all,
Pat

Weekly Forecast March 25: Full Moon in Libra

Swinging Bridge near Oark, Arkansas. © Gretchen Friedrich, 2013.

Swinging Bridge near Oark, Ark. © Gretchen Friedrich, 2013.

We’re heading into a wild and crazy week, with an active Full Moon that triggers volatile planetary energies set in motion in the summer of 2010.

You remember that one, right? The infamous cardinal T-square that marked new directions and the start of turbulent journeys for so many of us, myself included. Now, before you get your panties in a twist, let me say right off that I don’t think we’re going to have a repeat of those events. In fact, I think there’s a good possibility that we might make rapid advances that seemed far away and nearly impossible back then – the operative word being rapid.

It’s the old “feast or famine” metaphor. Events may occur that aren’t crises in themselves, but when piled together, are more than we can deal with, or at least, deal with and stay sane. My best advice is to take a lot of deep breaths and keep going. It’s OK to be afraid. Just don’t let fear stop you.

I should also say that there’s a good possibility the most noticeable manifestations of this Full Moon will be on a collective level rather than an individual level. We’re already seeing some of it. Ray Merriman has a great column this week talking about global finances and the crisis in Cyprus. As he points out, these developments most certainly correlate to the cardinal T-square and, more precisely, to the square between Uranus and Pluto, which will continue for another three years.

Individually, it’s more likely that you’ll experience a sudden jump in activity related to the houses where the Full Moon is located in your chart. If you don’t know how you read your own chart, I spell out possible scenarios for you in my StarGuide monthly and seasonal forecasts. If you order right away (like now), there is a chance I might be able to get your report to you by Wednesday. As usual, I have a backlog of 2-3 days, so please keep that in mind. I do each of these reports by hand and have to cast transit charts for you for each New and Full Moon.

Click on image to enlarge

Speaking of which, let’s have a look. As you can see, the Sun and Venus are in conjunction by exact degree opposite the Moon, with Mars and Uranus only a few degrees away. All five bodies are in a square with Pluto – Mars by exact degree. I’d plan to be hiding under my bed if it weren’t for the sextiles and trines (the blues lines) providing outlets for the this highly charged energy. Imagine, if you will, a raging torrent hurdling through a canyon, about to slam into a dam. With no outlet, the force of all that water hitting the dam would smash it to bits. But what if, right before the dam, there are a bunch of little canyons leading off in various directions? And what if some of those pathways led to areas much in need of water? Further, what if you had a boat just sitting there on dry ground, waiting for the water to rise so that you could sail out to sea? I think you get my drift…

The only scary part is that we don’t have a lot of control here but can only go with the flow and hope that the work we’ve done over the past three years has put us in a position to benefit from this powerful energy surge. That said, even though we’re in the wake of the Full Moon already, I think there’s still time to get your boat in working order and point it in the right direction, if it isn’t already.

I don’t know that it would be all that helpful to discuss individual aspects in this chart, since there are so many of them and they are all interdependent. The important points are that Uranus and Pluto signify revolution and breakdown, and events around this Full Moon could feed into that process. The outlets feed into Saturn, Mercury, and Jupiter. Saturn is about structure, discipline, and commitment, essential ingredients for advancing our goals. Mercury in Pisces represents thinking intuitively and tapping into buried memories, perhaps even of other lifetimes. We’re in the post-retrograde shadow period, still working out issues that arose in early February, especially regarding communications and gadgets that connect us. Mercury remains in mutual reception with Jupiter in Gemini, great if you’re working on big writing or publishing projects. Pluto and Saturn form a Yod with Jupiter (the green dotted lines), but I’m ignoring it, not only because I’m on the fence regarding the significance of Yods, but because there are too many major aspects in this chart to either worry about a Yod or to be able to link it to any particular outcome. For that matter, it will be near impossible to link any aspect this week with a particular event, because there’s no way to isolate them.

Ray Merriman, incidentally, mentioned in his column that he’s got a two-way transit of Jupiter and the North Node, just as he’s reaching a pinnacle of his life’s work. So, you see, just because this Full Moon packs frightening power, it doesn’t automatically translate to a major catastrophe in your life.

I would love to hear from all of you about your experiences this week. You do have to register (unfortunately, it’s necessary to prevent abuse), but it’s fast and easy.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast September 24: Venus Square Mars, Full Moon in Aries

Shadows of a fallen empire. © Claudio Balducelli for Dreamstime.com

This week is all about the build-up to the Full Moon on Saturday (Sunday if you’re in Europe). There’s no question that it’s worrisome, if not a little scary.

At 7 degrees Aries, the Moon is in a very close conjunction with Uranus. Yeah, OK, he’s the “Awakener,” and maybe the big surprise is that we’ll all wake up with lotus flowers springing out of our third eye. However, Uranus is still in a close square with Pluto – which means that the Full Moon itself is square Pluto, and that’s why astrologers are looking at this one with some concern. What we have is a cardinal T-square (very easy to see in the chart, below), not too different from the one we experienced over the summer of 2010. And, actually, we might get some idea of what to expect with this Full Moon by looking back to that time.

The correlations of the Uranus-Pluto square are plain to see, and astrologers actually did foresee the coming social upheaval and government backlash. No one was able to predict exactly how or where, but the proverbial handwriting was on the wall for those who could read the language of the sky. My read is that we’ve barely seen the beginning. The protest and rebellion is going to get worse, and that means the backlash will get worse, too.

This past week, police in riot gear were waiting for the Occupy protesters on Wall Street. According to some reports, there were so many cops that they were blocking traffic. Protesters who never left the sidewalk were arrested, handcuffed, and thrown in jail. Their offense? Blocking traffic. The authorities know that people are getting restless, and they’re ready. This is just one manifestation of the Uranus-Pluto square, but it’s definitely one of the most visible.

The Full Moon amplifies these energies. As I mentioned in last week’s forecast, the Uranus-Pluto square is a long-term aspect, and so we don’t necessarily see immediately events on the days when the square is exact, as it was last week. However, outbursts can occur when the movement of another planet acts as a trigger. Often, the trigger is Mars – planet of action – and there will be a Mars-Pluto conjunction on November 27, the day after Mercury returns direct. Astrologers are eyeing the U.S. presidential election, which occurs the day Mercury turns retrograde. We can expect irregularity in polling – possibly something similar to the 2000 race in which former Vice President Al Gore won the popular vote, but George W. Bush won the election. If something like that were to happen in 2012, there could be rioting in the streets or worse.

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In the meantime, we have this Full Moon, which falls on the Uranus side of the Uranus-Pluto square. With Uranus retrograde, we can expect to see a lot of repressed anger released, and explosively. There’s also an urge to be free of oppressive conditions … or just to be free of whatever. If you haven’t noticed, there’s a lot of anger right now, and people are looking to blame anyone they can for it.

Now, despite my concern, I do believe this Full Moon could bring some positive developments, relatively speaking. In the second half of 2010, many of us suddenly switched gears and took a new direction, one more in line with who we are and what we’re here to accomplish. The “right path” nonetheless has been a bumpy road – hardly surprising, since we’re pioneering new territory. We’re making progress, but I don’t know of anyone who’s been having an easy time of it.

I can’t help thinking about the former Kate Middleton, now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. This is someone with predominantly cardinal energy in her chart. Her husband, Prince William, has both Sun and Moon in early Cancer. Their wedding spectacle took place during a cardinal T-square. She married into royalty and may be the queen of England some day, but last week, she had to suffer the indignation of topless photos splashed all over the tabloids. On top of that, many are blaming her for being stupid enough to remove her bikini top outside. Several clients have asked me how the Uranus-Pluto square might affect them personally. There’s an example, albeit with the caveat that we don’t know where Uranus and Pluto are transiting Kate’s chart, because her birth time is unknown. We do know where it’s falling in William’s chart, though. This can’t be easy for him, either.

Another possibility with the Full Moon is an environmental disaster or “earth event,” such as an earthquake, violent electrical storms, volcanic eruption, etc. I’ve never been good at predicting weather events through astrology, but I see the build-up of tectonic pressure as something akin to repressed emotions. The Earth needs her release, too. Interestingly, the “out” for this T-square is the early degrees of Cancer, and Ceres enters Cancer this week. Although her position is wide to the T-square, her presence likely will be felt. Astrologers are still working to understand the role of Ceres in personal and mundane astrology, but there does appear to be a strong correlation between Ceres and the environment, especially as it pertains to the food chain.

Another theme as this Full Moon is the wrap-up of relationship issues and the degree to which we will commit to working through challenges. With Saturn in the final degree of Libra, the relationship sign, we’re finally gaining some clarity. This week, Venus and Mars form a square (exact on Thursday), highlighting issues of sex and control. Issues may come to a head at the Full Moon, although I think it’s more likely that we’ll continue to waffle until after Saturn enters Scorpio on October 5.

Just as a reminder, my StarGuide Fall forecast is available and can help you determine where these aspects are falling in your chart. I’m happy to say that everyone who ordered before September 22 received their forecast in time for the new season. I’ve still got a backlog of other reports and have a longer-than-usual turnaround time (about a week), so if you order now, I probably won’t be able to get your report to you by September 29. But there’s a lot of other information in the forecast, including my interpretation of the eclipses coming up in November.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast September 17: Uranus Square Pluto, Sun Enters Libra

Pluto in Capricorn, 1776. Not far from where the Occupy Wall Street Movement was launched in 2011, protesters in 1776 responded to the Declaration of Independence by pulling down the statue of King George III. Painting by Johannes Adam Simon Oertel, c. 1859.

The pressure continues to mount this week as Uranus forms another square to Pluto – this time, right as the former planet comes out of his annual five-month retrograde.

This is a long-term aspect that will continue into 2015, so I don’t expect that we’re going to see sudden explosions and violence when the square is exact on Wednesday. Outer planetary cycles don’t work that way. Indeed, we’re already seeing possible manifestations, including the assault on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi and the Chicago teacher’s strike. It’s worth noting that the Occupy movement is planning demonstrations on Wall Street this week to commemorate its first anniversary. Police already have made arrests, and it’s a safe bet that cops in riot gear – the quintessential image of Pluto in Capricorn – will be at the ready.

All of the above notwithstanding, we may see sudden “outbursts” of Uranus-Pluto energy on days when another aspect triggers an event – sort of like a dry field waiting for one errant driver to toss a cigarette out the window at just the right moment in just the right wind conditions. For astrologers and serious astrology students, there’s a valuable opportunity to learn how these aspects correlate to events – a study known as “mundane astrology.”

As it so happens, Mercury in Libra opposes Uranus and squares Pluto on Thursday, which means that we’ll have a temporary cardinal T-square. You’ll remember the T-square from the summer of 2010, when it dominated the astrological charts. Mercury in Libra represents justice (at least in theory), balanced thinking, and diplomacy, but the Messenger is up against two warring heavyweights, and his voice is likely to be drowned out by inflammatory rhetoric. Put another way, the tension is too great to be eased by soothing words and promises. There’s something visceral going on with Uranus in Aries conflicting with Pluto in Capricorn. Repressed anger can’t be talked out, especially when it has been accumulating for centuries.

The Sun enters Libra on Saturday, which is the fall equinox (spring in the Southern Hemisphere). Next week’s Full Moon will be in a close T-square with Uranus and Pluto. If there is to be any immediate fallout, I would expect it to happen within a few days of the Full Moon on September 29. Incidentally, this is a potentially challenging Full Moon for everyone. If you haven’t already done so, you may want to order your StarGuide Fall forecast. I’ve been getting a lot of orders for this report, so my turnaround time is now a week to ten days on new report orders. I’ve posted a notice on the order page indicating that I’ll give priority to Fall forecast orders, but there’s still a possibility that I won’t be able to get it to you before the September 22. Those of you who have ordered Starguide but still haven’t received it will get it before Friday.

The only other aspect of note this week is a sextile from Venus in Leo to retrograde Jupiter in Gemini. This could be helpful for finances, depending on where these two fall in your chart. Romance may get a little spark, too, but I wouldn’t expect major developments unless either of these planets is in a sensitive position in your chart.

Speaking of relationships, we’re in the final countdown of Saturn in Libra, which I wrote about in last week’s forecast. I didn’t mention, however, that as he approaches the first degree of Scorpio, Saturn forms an applying trine to Neptune in Pisces. These two have very different energies, but combined in a positive way can be a real tour-de-force. I expect we will have more “past-life” revelations, some of which may help us grow past the stuck places we’ve been and finally attain some peace of mind regarding difficult relationships. Compassion and sacrifice also play a role. Ask yourself what you’re willing to do for true love.

Love and courage to all,
Pat

Weekly Forecast July 16: Mars Square Pluto, New Moon in Cancer

Violent awakening of Christ Consciousness, from the cutting-edge animated film short I, Pet Goat II. See end of article for the link to watch the video.

Thanks to Mercury retrograde, all of my weekend plans fell through. And I do mean thanks! It’s been nearly a year since I had two days in a row to take my time reading e-mail, work at a speed that doesn’t make my hair fly in the air, and spend an afternoon cooking up good things in the kitchen.

I’m also counting on this retrograde to work fast and efficiently to recreate the documentary project that I lost when my hard drive crashed the day before the final cut was due in class. I still haven’t fully recovered from the shock, so maybe we can add “recover” as another fun activity for those oh-so-annoying retrogrades.

Unfortunately, the break isn’t likely to last, as this week could contain a fast and furious game-changer. Maybe more than one. Not only do we have a New Moon in cardinal Cancer, but Mars makes an exact T-square with Uranus and Pluto, all in cardinal signs. That suggests a major shift, and Uranus and Pluto generally are about breakdowns. The good news is that there are clear signs that the breakdowns contain breakthroughs, and those could come swiftly.

Mars squares Pluto on Tuesday and opposes Uranus on Wednesday, but the planet of action was within “striking distance” of Uranus and Pluto last week, so we’re already feeling the shift. I talked to several people who were having total breakdowns, thinking it was Mercury retrograde. I won’t say that wasn’t a factor, but crises and nasty circumstances that had nothing to do with computers or electronics were likely an expression of the Mars-Uranus-Pluto aspect, especially since Uranus was stationed retrograde on Friday. Difficult aspects between Mars and Uranus are explosive, and Mars-Pluto contacts can express themselves as violence. But, birth is a violent process, so it’s not a foregone conclusion that the only result of this powerful astrological configuration will be destruction. Although there’s a strong likelihood that something in your life will fall apart this week (if it hasn’t already), there’s an equally strong possibility that something new will sprout up before the ashes are cold.

The wild card this week is Jupiter. The planet of big currently is in the sign of small, so I wouldn’t count on Steven Spielberg snapping up your screenplay, but who knows? Stranger things have happened. You shouldn’t have to wait long for a hint of how the week is going to play out, as Mars forms an easy trine to Jupiter on Tuesday – before his exact contact with Pluto. That’s why I think it’s entirely possible that something new will form before the old structure is totally blown apart, whatever it may be. “Structure” can apply to your career, finances, relationships, or your life in general. If you know how to read a chart, you can look at where these planets fall in your natal houses for a better idea of how you’re responding to these volatile energies.

Click on image to enlarge

Thursday’s New Moon in Cancer is perfectly timed to bring new forms into existence. The only downside is that the Sun and Moon form a fairly close square with Saturn in Libra, suggesting a challenge of some kind. My take is that you’ve probably butted up against this obstacle already and know what it is. The challenge may be in finding a workable solution. For that, you (and any others involved) have to be committed, willing to do the heavy lifting, and ready to take on the responsibility.

The biggest day for opportunities is Saturday, when Jupiter sextiles Uranus. With Jupiter in Gemini, it’s possible that more than one door will open to you. How do you know which one is the right one? On Sunday, the Sun enters Leo, his home sign, symbol of the heart center and courage. Part of the shift we’re going through is finding ways to be more authentic and live what’s in our hearts. It definitely takes courage.

The T-square begins winding down at the end of the week, but retrograde Mercury makes aspects to Mars on Sunday and then Jupiter and Uranus next week. Don’t worry if you missed anything. There will be opportunities to go back, take a second look, make corrections, and patch up misunderstandings. My only caution is that if you have new opportunities that involve making deals and signing contracts, be sure you read all the fine print and know what’s involved. If you can wait to ink the deal until the second week in August, better still. But that’s not always practical, so if you’re compelled to move forward, at least take precautions like getting a second opinion or doing additional research.

Before I go, I want to tell you about an exciting new animated short film that has created a buzz on the Internet. It’s called I, Pet Goat II and is largely the work of Montreal animation artist Louis LaFebvre. As a work of art, it’s cutting edge and mesmerizing. But it also has a message, one that’s very similar to what I’ve written about since starting my first blog in late 2005. You’ll have fun trying to identify all the hidden symbolism, which has many conspiracy theorists foaming at the mouth about the Illuminati and the NWO. Just the sort of thing I love, and I think you will, too.

Wishing much love and courage to all,
Pat

Weekly Forecast June 25: Venus and Saturn Direct, Sun Opposite Pluto

We’ve passed the first Uranus-Pluto square, which was exact early Sunday morning in the United States. I’ve been paying special attention to the news headlines, but as I noted last week, this outer planetary cycle has long-term effects and tends not to manifest as a discrete event.

One thing I did notice last week, though, was blood on the sidewalks. I have a rolling backpack on wheels, and twice last Wednesday had to swerve to avoid going through blood. As I was pondering this weird coincidence, a man came limping up the hill toward me with one pant leg soaked in blood from the knee down. Seattle isn’t an especially violent place, as cities go, and I was walking in relatively safe areas. The real kicker was on Friday, when I ducked into Macy’s downtown to use the lady’s room. The first open stall had a blood-soaked tissue and red smears on the counter. It definitely wasn’t lipstick. By then, I was totally freaked out. Whether this is a peculiar manifestation of the Uranus-Pluto square or some other broad trend, I don’t know.

If I had to pick one event this past week that I feel confident correlating to the Uranus-Pluto cycle, it would be the elections in Egypt. What came to be known as “Arab Spring” began in December 2010, a few months after the peak of a cardinal T-square. Uranus and Pluto were within three degrees of a square at that time. They came within a degree of one another in August 2011. So this cycle is already well underway, and we’re already seeing it manifesting in world political, social, and financial trends. Again, I call your attention to events that rocked the world in the mid-1960s to get an idea of what we can expect over the next few years.

This summer could be especially turbulent, with exact alignments of Uranus and Pluto on June 24 and again on September 19. The second one occurs just as Pluto is coming out of a retrograde cycle – a very powerful moment. We may get more hints of things to come this Friday, when the Sun opposes Pluto and squares Uranus, forming a cardinal T-square. Remember, cardinal T-squares are all about change, and with Uranus involved, the changes could come rapidly and out of left field.

It’s interesting to note that when this T-square is closest to exact, Venus makes a close sextile to Uranus. Venus in Gemini and Saturn in Venus-ruled Libra both come out of retrograde this week, making it an especially powerful time for relationships and finances, with communications being key to success. Unless Uranus and Pluto are hitting personal planets or key points in your natal chart, you’re probably not feeling this square too much in your individual life, except perhaps as part of a broader trend. Not so for Venus and Saturn. If you want to know where these two are in your chart and how they’re manifesting, I recommend ordering the StarGuide Summer Forecast. (Keep in mind that it could take 3-4 days to get your report, depending on when you order.) July reports are available, as well.

Looking at other particulars this week, Jupiter squares Neptune on Monday, with Neptune and the Sun in a water trine. This aspect could correlate to Tropical Storm Debby. I just read that national hurricane forecasters are somewhat perplexed, as the meteorological programs they use to track storms show conflicting results. “We must be ready to make a change of the forecast track at any time,” this morning’s 10 a.m. report out of Miami said. That pretty much sums up this week’s astrological forecast and, indeed, the outlook for the rest of the summer.

Also on Monday, Mercury enters Leo and then will begin to slow down (relative to Earth’s orbit) in preparation for turning retrograde on July 14. We’ll be in the pre-retrograde shadow as of this Thursday, so start thinking about wrapping up your business, backing up your computer data, and getting major purchases out of the way.

The Messenger’s first order of business is a sextile with Ceres, who just entered Gemini. Perhaps this will provide us with a bit more information about the functions of Ceres in individual and mundane charts. The jury’s still out for me regarding her significance, although we can get some clues from her mythology. There does seem to be a correlation between Ceres and the environment, particularly the food chain. Watch for headlines to that effect and let me know if you find anything unusual.

On Friday, the day of the T-square activity, Mercury forms a sextile with Jupiter. Normally, this is a fun aspect, and it is Friday. Still, with the Sun and Pluto in opposition, take care who you party with, and definitely make sure you have a ride home if you’ve had too much to drink. A night in the clink doesn’t sound very fun to me, and there likely would be blood involved.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat