Tag Archives: Galactic Center

New Moon Solar Eclipse in Gemini, June 1

© Pat Paquette, 2011.

The New Moon on Wednesday, June 1, is the first of three eclipses that occur one right after another in June and July. Changes happen very fast now.

At 11 degrees Gemini, this New Moon is ruled by normally speedy Mercury, who’s not so speedy in slow and deliberate Taurus. Nevertheless, eclipses tend to bring abrupt change, usually too fast for comfort. It looks to me like many of these changes will be positive, but there will be hurdles to jump, too.

Although there’s going to be a shift in the next few days, as of this New Moon, Venus still dominates the sky. All of the planets deposit to her except Neptune, who is way out there in a world of his own as he stations retrograde. Perhaps that’s why so many of us have been feeling spacey and “not all here” for the past week or so. I’ll have more on these shifting energies in my weekly forecast.

The most compelling thing I see about this New Moon is that new patterns are visibly manifesting on the planet and in our lives, and this process will accelerate in the next six weeks.

In my Full Moon post, I discussed the symbolism of Medusa, the scary monster who turned men to stone but who in reality was an ancient, wise goddess. With Venus “in charge” of this New Moon eclipse, feminine energy not only is rising, but we’re beginning to see it integrating with its polar opposite. Isn’t it interesting that we’re seeing so many powerful men being called to account for sexist and abusive behavior toward women? If that’s not an encounter with Medusa, I don’t know what is.

Gemini is, of course, the sign of polar opposites. At the Gemini New Moon, we assimilate new information we downloaded on Wesak – all the more so this year, with not one but three eclipses directly following the opening of a portal. The New Moon typically represents new beginnings, and an eclipse is like a supercharged New Moon. In Gemini, polarized opposites can be integrated into a greater whole.

What makes me particularly optimistic about this New Moon is its favorable angle to Saturn, who’s slowing down in preparation for returning direct on June 12. Although Saturn has a well-deserved reputation as the planet of tough lessons, he also rules the physical plane. Nothing could manifest without the structural foundations that Saturn represents. And while Saturn forms a difficult cardinal T-square with Pluto and Uranus, the trine from the New Moon represents an easy path for frustrated energies to flow.

At 10 degrees Libra, Saturn is stationed right on the fixed star of Porrima. It gets a little complicated here, because Porrima is in the constellation of Virgo. This discrepancy is due to precession, which I’ve explained in previous posts.

Porrima, at the Virgin’s waist, was named for a Roman goddess of prophecy who actually may have been two sisters, one who looked forward and one who looked back. In a case of “as above, so below,” it so happens that Porrima is a binary star – a fact that couldn’t have been known when the star was named. To Persian astronomers, this star was known as Zawiat al Awwa, which meant the “turn,” signifying the point where the line of stars in Virgo bends.

So, here we have Saturn at a particularly powerful stage of turning direct, in Libra, the sign of balanced relationships, conjunct a star that represents a turn in the road, where we can look both behind us and ahead.

I’d say something very interesting is about to manifest for many of us in the next six weeks. For those recently out of a relationship, you’ll be able to look back and see the situation for what it was and, at the same time, to look forward to what’s next.

In my previous post, I also mentioned Aldebaran, the “eye of the bull” and symbol of the third eye, which is associated with psychic powers and the ability to see into other dimensions. At the eclipse, the Sun and Moon are within two degrees of Aldebaran.

Ophiuchus also gets a foot in the door at this eclipse. The lunar North Node, which determines when and in what sign eclipses occur, is closely conjunct Imad, the star at the Serpent Bearer’s foot, which dips down across the ecliptic. Imad means “pillar” or “support.” Snakes represent wisdom and healing through higher consciousness, which requires that you’re grounded and on solid footing. The North Node also will be close to the Galactic Center, the source of radio waves that I believe convey intuitive knowledge to those with the sensitivity to hear.

I should mention that Mercury will be square Neptune at this New Moon, not a combination for clear and concise thinking. As you’re downloading all that new information, keep in mind that you won’t have very effective filters. Those of you who are exceptionally psychic may be so overwhelmed that you find it hard to function normally. Solitude and rest will help. It’s also likely that some false information and delusionary thinking will creep in. You won’t know which is which until a few days have passed, so don’t jump right into anything new without allowing time for processing.

I leave you with this image of Saturn conjunct Porrima, photographed by Astro Bob:
Spring’s newest ‘double-double’ star

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

P.S. Be sure to write your abundance check!

Weekly Forecast March 21: Sun Conjunct Uranus, Venus Enters Pisces

Grand Coulee Dam. The first concrete was poured on Dec. 6, 1935, with Saturn (structure) in Pisces (water), and Uranus square Mars and Pluto. © Pat Paquette 2011.

This promises to be an exciting week, starting right out with an electrifying conjunction of the Sun and Uranus in Aries. I just hope my circuits can stand it.

If I had to describe this transit in one word, it would be “revolution.” Not that you need astrology to tell you that movements around the world for freedom from oppression will continue to build. I am somewhat concerned about what will happen next week, when Mars enters Aries and Mercury turns retrograde. Mars is the planet of war and conflict, and he’ll be on the side of the revolutionaries. Eventually – by the second week in April – they’ll provoke authoritarian governments and their corporate backers to take extreme action against them. It will be very interesting to see which side the United States supports in individual countries in the Middle East.

In our individual lives, the Sun-Uranus conjunction brings surprises and a break from our normal routine. At its best, it can help us blast through blocks that are holding us back. That’s the good side of this transit. The danger is that you may feel an urge to do extreme things like telling your boss to go to hell, without considering the consequences. For an idea of how this might manifest in your life, look at where Uranus currently is transiting your chart. Most of you have enough of an understanding of astrology that you probably know this already. If you’re in your early 20s or early 40s, be extra mindful not to act on selfish impulse.

There are no other major planetary aspects until Saturday, when Venus conjoins Neptune at 29 degrees Aquarius. The following day, she enters Pisces, sign of her exaltation. Venus is a lower vibration of Neptune, so her entrance into Pisces right after their conjunction should provide us with some early insight into what will happen when Neptune himself enters Pisces on April 4. Neptune’s counterpart in ancient Greece was Poseidon, who ruled over the sea, fresh water and earthquakes.

Venus is happy in Pisces, the sign of mystical union and merging into the underlying source of all things. She doesn’t seek love for physical gratification, adoration or financial rewards, but to merge into oneness with her partner.

Speaking of which, Mars remains in Pisces until April 1, and he’s being “fed” by planets in Aries, the sign he rules. Although Mars in Pisces can be a warrior for the poor and underprivileged, he also will fight on the behalf of religious beliefs. Let’s hope his energy is channeled into helping the thousands left homeless by the earthquake in Japan and not fanning the flames of religious conflict in the Middle East.

Overall, we’re a step farther into Aries territory and a Brave New World. However, with Mars still in Pisces, one foot remains in the past. This week, we continue to evaluate our past and decide what to keep and what to leave behind. It’s never too late to throw unneeded baggage overboard, especially if it has been weighing you down and preventing you from moving forward.

There is one other interesting astrological event this week that I’d like to discuss, and that’s the conjunction of the lunar North Node and the Galactic Center. Indeed, this may be the most important transit of the week, if not the entire month, as it portends the opening of a portal into higher consciousness. The conjunction isn’t exact until March 31, but the North Node is now at the same degree as the Galactic Center at 27 degrees Sagittarius and will remain there until the end of the month.

What’s really intriguing is that the North Node turns direct for a few hours on Friday, March 25. The lunar nodes normally are retrograde in motion, but every now and then, they turn direct. It’s like the opening of a doorway, and when this occurs in conjunction with the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy – the source of powerful radio waves – it’s hugely significant.

As if that’s not enough, the Moon conjoins the North Node a few minutes after it turns direct! Keep a notebook with you on Friday, and write down any dreams you have Friday night. The nodes are direct from 1:57 p.m. PDT on Friday to 5:30 a.m. PDT on Saturday.

Finally, I’d like to remind everyone that there’s just one more week to go before Mercury turns retrograde. Even though Mercury is in pre-retrograde shadow, he’s not officially retrograde yet, so there’s still time to sign papers, close accounts, and take care of anything else of that nature. Wrap up as much business as you can this week.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat