© Fred Espenak, 2000. More at http://www.Mr.Eclipse.com.
Once I let go, I was carried along by the current, which while dangerously fast, buoyed me up and allowed me to keep my head above water. I overcame my fear by trusting that I would land in the “right” place.
There are times when we need to fasten our seatbelts, hold on, and ride out the turbulence. Then there are times when being restrained is dangerous, and staying in one place subjects us to a terrible battering by Continue reading
Swinging Bridge near Oark, Ark. © Gretchen Friedrich, 2013.
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
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
The "Spirit of Progress" balances atop a building in downtown Chicago. This photo was taken in September 2009, but it's a perfect expression for the Full Moon in Libra with Venus in Gemini. Image credit: Paul Beaty for The Associated Press.
Friday’s Full Moon isn’t helping. Research has shown that the Full Moon affects our behavior, and usually not kindly. We might expect the Moon in Libra to be an exception, Libra being the sign of peace and harmony. However, the chart for this Full Moon is fraught with conflict.
The dominant feature of the chart is a tight T-square with Venus, Mars, and Neptune in the early degrees of the mutable signs. We’re adjusting to recent changes, and it’s not a smooth process. Change by definition is disruptive, and even positive changes can take some getting used to. If changes happened outside your control, then adapting will be even more unnerving. At the same time, the growing square between Uranus and Pluto threatens major shakeups in the collective that will have a ripple effect on our individual lives. (If you ordered the <a title="StarGuide " href="https://realastrologers.com/forecasts/starguide-monthly-and-seasonal-forecasts"StarGuide Spring forecast, you’ve already got my take on how this planetary arrangement could play out for you.)
A couple of different things can happen at the Full Moon. A project or relationship that began at the New Moon can reach a critical stage, or an issue can crop up that is related to the house in your natal chart where the Full Moon falls. I’m betting that for most of us, it will be the first scenario. The reason I say this is that Mercury has just gone direct. The New Moon in Aries on March 22 was a real sparkler – or, rather, it would have been, if both Mercury and Mars hadn’t been retrograde. With Mercury now direct, developments that normally would have taken place around the New Moon may occur now. Or – sorry to say this – you may have to wait until the next New Moon, on April 21. By then, Mars will be direct again, too.
Since Libra is the sign of relationships, I expect that many of you will experience major developments in a close partnership. Again, these changes aren’t likely to be entirely comfortable, and in fact you may have to move through some conflict in order to restore the balance between you and your partner. Rehashing details is going to be a real temptation, but it will be hard to recall exactly who said what and when. What comes out of your partner’s mouth may be so inconsistent with what you remember that you wonder what they’ve been smoking. As important as details may be to your circumstances, they’re going to be difficult, if not impossible, to pin down, so you might just want to forget about them for now and move forward. Generally, I don’t think this is a good idea, as people tend to set things aside to avoid having to be honest and vulnerable. This time, however, it may be the only way to make any progress at all.
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The Sun and Moon also are in close alignment with Vesta, which I think is quite interesting, given that NASA’s Dawn spacecraft currently is flying by Vesta and sending back phenomenal images of the asteroid’s pockmarked surface. There’s no consensus among astrologers about the meaning of Vesta in the chart – or, indeed, any of the asteroids. I believe the attention we’re giving Vesta and Ceres through the Dawn mission will lead to clarification about their roles in astrology, both in the charts of individuals and in mundane astrology.
Since I’m discussing asteroids, it’s also worth mentioning that Juno is conjunct the North Node in Sagittarius – which means she’s opposite Venus at the apex of the mutable T-square. It’s often helpful to look at what’s opposite the apex to find the “out” in difficult situations correlating to a T-square. Named for the wife of Jupiter in classical mythology, asteroid Juno naturally is associated with marriage and partnership in astrology. Although I have the same reserve in assigning any particular role to asteroids until we have more empirical data, it’s probably safe to assume she has something to do with committed partnership. Moreover, it might turn out to be about soul mates and the concept of “sacred marriage.” Juno on the North Node opposite Venus on the South Node would seem to suggest that the way out of obsession and raging hormones is to understand the truth of how we’re connected with a soul mate across the boundaries of space and time.
When I come up with a plausible theory, you’ll be the first to know.
© Benis Arapovic for Dreamstime.com
Maybe it’s just an average day on CNN and I haven’t been paying attention. But I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that we’re seeing manifestations of the Mars-Pluto square that began building up last week.
It’s not an overstatement to call this aspect violent. Mars in his own sign of Aries has his finger on the trigger and doesn’t need much of a reason to pull it, while Pluto just went retrograde and is at a standstill, making him more powerful than usual when the square peaks on Monday.
To an astrologer, it’s no surprise that police are shooting at protestors, while authoritarian rulers hole up in fear and international forces fire away at the wrong targets. When you’ve got this much angry energy surging through the collective, it has to have an outlet.
On a smaller scale, we’re at a higher risk of getting involved in power struggles this week, especially over money and control. It’s possible to channel Mars energy into physical work and vigorous exercise. However, with Pluto in the mix, it’s almost impossible to avoid getting caught up in anger and resentment.
Put another way, Mars in Aries might not be such a bad boy if he weren’t up against all these heavyweight outer planets. In a period of less than three weeks, Mars will have conjoined Uranus in Aries, squared Pluto in Capricorn, and opposed Saturn in Libra. Each of these aspects alone would be difficult enough to negotiate, but with all three together, it’s a wonder we’re not all killing each other. On second thought …
Mercury retrograde in Aries complicates matters still further. On Monday, right as he’s halfway through the retrograde phase, he crosses back over Jupiter. The previous Mercury-Jupiter conjunction was on March 15, while Mercury was direct. I recall having a lot of communications difficulties back then, too. Everything got worked out, but there were several issues going on all at once, each of which required several phone calls to straighten out.
When Mercury and the Sun conjoined this past Friday, I experienced a mix-up in connecting with someone that would have been comical if it was in a movie script. While I was e-mailing my contact afterward to find out what happened, my Internet modem suddenly went haywire, and I was without service for a couple of hours until my provider isolated the problem. I expect similar disruptions this week. By next week, when Mercury and Mars meet, matters won’t get resolved quite so easily or politely.
For the rest of this week, Mars moves away from Pluto and toward an opposition to Saturn, which is exact next Monday, right after the Full Moon in Libra. Relationships may be tumultuous. As intimidating as this sounds, there could be a silver lining. When anger builds up between two people and has no outlet for expression, the relationship is harmed, sometimes irreparably. As difficult as it is to deal with anger – yours or your partner’s – airing it could be just what you need to get back on track and become closer. The key is in being heard.
The Moon will be in Libra for most of the weekend. In the hours following her entry into the sign of balance and harmony, she’ll make contact with all of the planets involved in last summer’s cardinal T-square. She conjoins Saturn late Saturday evening, and then on Sunday opposes retrograde Mercury and, finally, the Sun – her last contact before moving on to Scorpio.
The Full Moon normally brings endings, resolution, and culmination. I’m hopeful that the troubled relationships so many of you have written to me about will indeed find some resolution, even if it’s an understanding that it’s time to let go and move on. Hopefully, you can arrive at a mutual decision that leaves both people feeling whole and OK about yourselves. If that’s not possible, do what you have to do to restore the balance in your own life, and let your ex worry about his or her own.
These are difficult times, but we will get through. By the end of next week, some of the pressure will be released, and we’ll get even more of a break when Mars, Mercury, and Venus enter Taurus in mid-May.
In the meantime, let’s do our best to remain open-hearted, kind, and compassionate.
Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat
Mount Fuji cherry trees in blossom outside my door. Photo by Pat Paquette, all rights reserved.
It’s a truth universally accepted in astrology that the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) are the most likely to fight change. Regardless of whether you’re predominantly fixed, cardinal, or mutable, you are a human being, and our brains are wired to stick with what we know. Sure, your Venus in Gemini might go for a different hairstyle every day of the week, but you know what I’m talking about.
Many of you have written to me in the past couple of years complaining that you’re stuck in a boring, dead-end job but don’t want to break out. A couple of readers have admitted outright that they never would make the same kind of money in a more interesting profession. Many of you are stuck in dead-end relationships but can’t let go.
On some level, you may want to stay where you are — better the devil you know than the one you don’t know. But I also know that many of us fit my analogy of flies beating against the glass. They can see the light out there but just don’t know how to get there. Their fly brains don’t understand the concept of glass. The only way they get out is with the help of a higher being, one that is sympathetic enough to free them rather than swatting them dead.
Those higher forces are kicking in now, thanks to the increasing intensity of the cardinal T-square, which peaks at various times between now and 2012. Today’s Full Moon in Libra is a stepping stone to the next turbulence zone, which occurs around the Full Moon lunar eclipse on June 26.
Remember, cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) are characterized by initiating change. They are the movers and shakers of the zodiac, the pioneers, the drill sergeant screaming, “Move your ass!” We might not like it, but that’s how we get stronger and more confident … if the stress doesn’t kill us first!
This week, I reckon we’ll all come to the conclusion that we’re not dead, despite seriously scary g-forces. Literally, I’ve been struggling just to stay standing since my back injury a year ago, but with a new and very talented therapist, I’m beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
I won’t elaborate on the Full Moon here, since I posted a detailed report on Saturday. The rest of the week should be fairly calm by comparison, allowing us to catch our breath. Mars is picking up speed, too, which is helping us to get the energy and motivation we need to accomplish all the tasks we’ve let fall by the wayside since the beginning of the year.
Better still, Venus leaves Aries on Wednesday and enters Taurus. You’ll immediately feel the difference as the planet of love and symbol of the divine feminine goes from the sign of her detriment to the sign she rules. It’s time for chocolate, roses, good food, good wine, and every other sensual pleasure known to humanity. I sometimes joke that the only reason to incarnate on the material plane is for sex and chocolate. Otherwise, I’d be happy as a disembodied being of light in another quadrant of the universe.
Thursday is April Fool’s Day and time for some much-needed laughs. Just take care that you don’t joke at someone else’s expense. With Mercury square Chiron that day, there’s a high risk of hurting someone’s feelings, and that defeats the whole purpose of this light-hearted tradition.
Mercury joins Venus in Taurus on Friday, and the weekend could be somewhat tense as both Venus and Mercury square Mars, with Venus trine Pluto just as the planetary symbol of underworld forces is stationed to go retrograde. If you’re romantically involved with someone, expect to experience a conflict between sexual attraction and emotional disconnection. Pluto typically gets what he wants, so you’ll probably give in to the physical urges. That’s OK, as long as you address your emotional needs when conditions are more favorable.
Even in non-romantic relationships, you may feel an emotional tug-of-war beneath the surface. I’m usually in favor of being open and direct, but this weekend, hold back a bit and wait for a more suitable time to talk. With Pluto turning retrograde, the potential for deep insight is very high. My best advice to you is to let go of attachment to any particular outcome, because what you get instead could be vastly superior.
Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat
© Jaroslaw Grudzinski/Dreamstime.com
Our personal lives are undergoing a series of shifts and aftershocks, too. Monday’s Full Moon at 9 degrees Libra is the culmination of a cycle of readjustment as we leave behind old ways of being and doing so that we can move ahead into new territory.
This Full Moon and the New Moon in Aries on April 14 mark the halfway point between eclipses in Capricorn and Cancer, and we’re at a critical turning point. With the Moon in Libra opposite the Sun in Aries, our main focus will be on how we balance our own needs with those of others. This is never easy, particularly if you have been raised to put others before yourself.
Many of us are rethinking the load we’re carrying and how much additional weight we can support when others don’t do their part. How willing are we to keep doing a job that’s not ours? This could apply to picking up someone else’s dirty socks, constantly bailing out financially irresponsible relatives, or, for that matter, bailing out banks with our tax dollars. At some point, we just can’t do it anymore.
Women of my generation were raised to put husband, kids, boyfriends, boss, and everyone but themselves first. Old patterns don’t change overnight, but there will be some reckoning on this count, thanks to Venus, the ruler of the Full Moon, in me-first Aries. Admittedly, she’s not at her best in Aries, precisely because the divine feminine she represents is expected to be soft, sweet, conciliatory, and other-oriented. Well, forget that!
At the same time, Mars, ruler of Aries, is in ego-centered Leo. Now, Leos, don’t take offense. As I wrote in my weekly forecast, there’s nothing wrong with a healthy ego, and that’s part of my point here. A strong sense of self is prerequisite to so many things in life, and it can make relationships a lot easier when you directly tell others what you want and need. That doesn’t mean you’ll get it, but at least you’ll be clear about why you’re fighting. People often don’t want to be direct about their needs because they fear confrontation.
You probably won’t be able to avoid conflict right now, so you might as well speak up for yourself. The Sun and Moon are in a cardinal T-square with Pluto, and retrograde Saturn is part of this configuration, too. I’ve written a lot about the changes coming as a result of this T-square, and change simply can’t happen without conflict. Globally, conflicts are heating up and moving toward a boiling point in the next few months.
For now, though, we’re attempting to restore some semblance of balance after being knocked off our feet. Make that your goal between now and the New Moon in Aries, when new directions will be more apparent. We’ll need to be ready to hit the ground running and change on a dime.
One last consideration is that Venus and communications planet Mercury are in a close sextile with Neptune and Chiron in Aquarius, reinforcing the message that the way to deep healing is by communicating your needs and desires. Again, it doesn’t mean you’ll get everything you want, but you certainly won’t get it if you don’t ask.
The Sabian symbol* for the Moon at 9°17″ Libra is a canoe approaching safety through dangerous waters, with the keyword COMPETENCY. Simply put, the more you go through challenging situations, the better you get at handling them.
For the Sun at 9°17″ Aries, the Sabian symbol is a man teaching new forms for old symbols, with the keyword INTERPRETATION. Ancient wisdom isn’t written in stone, but is subject to continual reinterpretation as humanity evolves and expands in conscious awareness. And what we believe deeply impacts how we connect with the world and everyone in it. Changing our fundamental beliefs is part of the global shift that’s taking place.
Wishing you all fearless love,
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.
The Full Moon is always about bringing two different agendas, represented by the Sun and Moon, into balance. When the Moon is in Libra, this is particularly emphasized. Libra is the mediator of the zodiac, offering a fair, even-handed point of view.
Jupiter in Aquarius is closely trine the Full Moon at 19? 53′ Libra and sextile the Sun at 19? 53′ Aries, giving this lunation an optimistic tone and asking everyone to continue to take the big picture into account. We are still in a time of new beginnings, but now the Libra Moon says we need to take into consideration what others are thinking and feeling rather than forging ahead in true Aries style.
We also need to consider Venus, Libra’s ruler, and Mars, ruler of Aries. On the Full Moon, Venus is still retrograde in Aries and Mars is in Pisces, which tones down his more aggressive side. What this says to me is this is not the time to push our agendas and demand results. Plus, Venus is still recovering from her second exact square to Pluto on April 3 and may be feeling somewhat bruised. Pluto in Capricorn is very set on reining in Venus’s desire to indulge in what he sees as frivolities. (We still have one last exact square between these two on May 2.)
Mars in Pisces is exactly inconjunct the Libra Moon, and with both of those signs preferring to conciliate and negotiate, attempts to confront others can lead to all kinds of avoidance behaviors on their parts. If you Mars types find this discouraging, remember your day is coming on April 22, when Mars moves into Aries. By then, Venus will be direct and on her way back into Aries, arriving on the April 24. Then it’s stand back and let ‘er rip!
The same rectangular pattern we saw at the Full Moon in Leo on February 9 appears on this Full Moon, with Mars in Pisces rather than Uranus holding down one corner. Fire is represented by Aries instead of Leo, and Libra is the air sign, not Aquarius. Saturn in Virgo is the same. This pattern has the same feeling of dissonance and the need for resolution as we felt before. What area of our lives is demanding deconstruction in order to be rebuilt on a new and better foundation? If we follow the sour note to its source and do the work, we may be able to prevent further deterioration. Another question may be, is this situation worth saving, or would it be better to let it go all together?
A grand trine in earth with Pluto in Capricorn, Mercury in Taurus, and Ceres in Virgo adds lovely harmonious overtones. It is appropriate for Pluto and Ceres to be on speaking terms when spring is arriving in the Northern hemisphere and nature is showing off her spring clothes. This is the season when Persephone rejoins her mother after wintering in the underworld. For us mortals, the grand trine gives an opportunity to mend fences and put together plans for where we want to go next. Of course, since earth is the element, good sense and practicality rule the day.
We still find Neptune and Chiron traveling together semi-sextile Uranus. The ongoing background theme is to remember to be compassionate and stay aware of the importance of thinking globally while acting locally. Innovative ideas benefiting the greatest number of people will be well-received now. The best use of the Neptune-Chiron conjunction in Aquarius is always to take the high road, because negative behaviors and attitudes are very likely to backfire.
There is a great pair of Sabian symbols for this lunation. The first one is for the Sun at 20 Aries, “A young girl feeding birds in winter,” with the keyword HOSPITALITY. There is a purity of intent in this image, a simple example of caring with no agenda that it would behoove all of us to emulate in these trying times.
For the Moon at 20 Libra, the Sabian symbol is, “A rabbi performing his duties,” with the keyword HERITAGE. Even though the ongoing opposition between Saturn in Virgo and Uranus in Pisces has abated some in intensity, it is still humming away in the background. This symbol offers the idea that we can draw upon the richness of traditions (Saturn) and use those to inspire us to create new ones (Uranus) – a timely reminder that life is a process, never static.
Remember to be respectful and kind to others. It certainly won’t hurt and it may just throw your enemies off their stride!
posted by Neith . . .
**Please read Pat’s weekly forecast for this week, April 6, for her thoughts about this week.
Image: This painting, The Return of Persephone by Frederic Leighton, fits so well with the grand trine in earth I couldn’t resist using it.
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