Tag Archives: grand water trine 2013

Weekly Forecast December 9: Mercury Trine Uranus, Jupiter Trine Saturn

December sunset over Vashon. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

This week’s aspects are largely positive – emphasis on large, seeing as how Jupiter is involved.

The main event is Thursday’s favorable trine between Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter is about growth, expansion, and exuberance, while Saturn is about limitation and structure. Usually, we think of “limitation” as a bad thing, but without limits, we’d have chaos. Structure itself is a limit. Think of the foundation and frame of a new home. It says, “This home is this size, in this place, built to withstand the worst weather in this region.” There may be some room for interpretation in the blueprint, but you’ve got a set plan. Once you decide on this design, all others are ruled out.

The characteristics of Jupiter and Saturn obviously are at odds, and with difficult aspects between these two heavyweights, conflicts can erupt between forces for broader inclusion and systems designed to maintain the established order. However, when they are working in harmony, great things are possible. Left to his own devices, Jupiter can go way overboard and attempt to do too much, too fast, ending in a crash-and-burn. With the discipline and patience of Saturn, ambitious goals are more likely to end in success.

If you’ll recall, Jupiter and Saturn were in a rare and powerful grand water trine in July. Back then, Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune were all in the early degrees of the three waters signs. Neptune remains in early Pisces, but Jupiter and Saturn have advanced to the mid-degrees of Cancer and Scorpio, and will form two more trines, one this week and another toward the end of May 2014. This positive connection is something we can hang onto against the backdrop of the ongoing Uranus-Pluto square – and it is still very much active, as we can see in the uprising in Kiev.

Even though Neptune is no longer part of the grand trine, the Moon in Pisces fills in for Neptune in a grand water trine on Monday. The Moon moves through signs quickly, so this “lucky” configuration won’t last long. Still, there’s something nicely symbolic about the Moon in the sign ruled by Neptune (according to modern Western astrology). It’s as though Neptune will be there in spirit. Look for developments related to events in July, both collectively and in your personal lives. If you began a project or relationship back then and have experienced setbacks, just a little effort this week can move you forward – and you do have to make at least some effort.

I posted a note on Facebook yesterday saying I’d be late with this week’s forecast (I was struggling with the onset of a migraine) but that the week would be another positive one in general. Three readers left comments saying their weeks hadn’t been positive. I have to tell you that the previous week for me was not kind, either. So this is a good time to remind everyone that positive aspects such as the Jupiter-Saturn trine are no guarantee that you’ll have a great week, especially if you’re experiencing a challenging transit to your natal chart. My forecasts are in broad, general terms, and a quick look at the headlines confirms that the past few weeks have been relatively calm. The biggest news was the loss of a giant among men who passed peacefully at age 95, with tributes to remind us of what it means to sacrifice for truth and justice. The second biggest story, at least in the United States, was a gigantic snowstorm at a time of year when it does tend to snow. Of course, the folks who skidded off the road or froze to death likely didn’t have a “relatively calm” week.

Speaking of accidents (and I’ve written this before), it’s hard to predict accidents with astrology. We can see the tendency or indications of an accident-prone period, but that doesn’t guarantee an unfortunate outcome. Further, admonishing someone to “watch out for accidents” isn’t necessarily helpful. A few years back, I had a client who fell on a loose stair step and shattered her hip. There was no way she could have seen that coming, even with a word of caution to “be careful.” At times like this, being an astrologer can be very frustrating.

Back to this week, Mercury trines Uranus and squares Chiron on Tuesday. The trine with Uranus is signature for fast thinking and impulsive ideas. This is the light bulb flashing over your head, the eureka effect (just don’t slip getting out of the bathtub). Thoughts are so fleeting that you may forget them, so keep a notebook handy and write them down. Don’t assume you’ll remember them later.

The Mercury-Chiron square also has a positive side, in that human suffering comes into greater focus. With Chiron in Pisces, we can have compassion for those less fortunate, but we won’t necessarily do anything about it. Sometimes we just don’t know what to do. I genuinely hope that we’ll see at least one headline this week concerning solutions to poverty, unemployment, and help for victims of wars and natural disasters.

I usually don’t write about quincunxes, but I do want to mention the Mars-Neptune quincunx on Friday. Mars is in Libra, the sign of his detriment. Mars operates best when he can be direct and get straight to the point, and Libra is too considerate of others to do so. Not that Libras don’t get what they want by other means, and that’s the risk here. Neptune can be fuzzy and confused, if not downright deceptive. The question is often asked in relationship counseling whether it’s OK to lie to a partner and under what circumstances. My general take is that if you’re lying to spare your partner’s feelings – and you need to be ruthlessly honest with yourself about your motivation – then it’s appropriate. If you’re lying to spare your own feelings or because you don’t want to get caught doing something you shouldn’t have been doing – especially if you agreed not to do so – then it’s time to put on your big-boy/big-girl pants and ‘fess up.

I’ve written that I’d have something to say about comet ISON, but I’m continuing to hold off, because observers still aren’t sure what happened to it. They’re waiting until what’s left of it gets farther away from the sun to determine whether it’s dead or mostly dead. After an initial announcement that it was dead, they said they’d called it too soon and that it appeared that something survived and was growing. That would have been symbolic indeed. Sadly, it now appears that there’s nothing left but a cloud of dust.

ISON watchers have compared the comet to the mythological Icarus, who flew too close to the sun and then fell into the sea and drowned. It’s a tempting comparison, but in the myth, Icarus was foolish and disregarded warnings. If you believe that comets are messengers from the far reaches of our solar system, then you have to believe that they are somehow conscious (or “whoever” sent them is conscious) of the danger awaiting them at perihelion. If ISON truly is dead-dead, then this had to be something of a suicide mission, important enough to sacrifice itself for. More as the story develops…

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast October 21: Mercury Retrograde, Sun Enters Scorpio

Wet chill and dead leaves clinging to the trees are sure signs that we’re about to enter Scorpio territory. Or, I should say, that it’s about to get more intense.

Saturn and the lunar North Node have been in Scorpio for just over a year. Mercury is about to go retrograde in Scorpio on Monday. With the Sun moving into Scorpio this week, it hits us that we’re entering the darkest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the mythological descent into hell, one of the oldest stories in history.

We did get some good news last week … sort of. The U.S. Congress voted to reopen the government and raise the debt limit. But I don’t know anyone who’s overjoyed about it. We’re feeling wrung out from the stress and fear, and angry that we’ve been played yet again. The astrology of this period is indeed intense, and so I couldn’t dismiss the possibility of a default and all the implications. But the entire time, I was thinking that this was just more political theater, with a script written like a Hollywood movie in which the hero beats death at the eleventh hour to save the girl and kill the monster. And the writers made sure they created an opening for the sequel. Like Aliens, maybe. We thought the horrific monster was slain, only to find that there’s an entire nest of them, and they multiply like – well, like insects.

The primal fear for one’s very survival is a Scorpio concern, and in true Scorpio fashion, it can be manipulated by those hoarding the money and power in order to hang onto what they have – because they, too, fear for their survival. Tyrants, bullies, and control freaks typically don’t see themselves as perpetrators, but rather as victims and targets. Paranoia is another Scorpio trait.

Scorpio simultaneously draws us in and terrifies us with its mysterious power, which ultimately is the power of life and death. It requires us to let go, without any hint of what might be on the other side if we do. There are more taboos associated with this sign than any other. Thus, the powerful myth of the descent into hell. Usually, it’s portrayed as the “hero’s journey,” but I always like to point out that one of the earliest stories ever written down was about the goddess Inanna. Not coincidentally, she was sometimes portrayed with a scorpion beneath her wedding bed. All of these stories, by the way, originated with the stars, constellations, and the changing seasons. The point of the underworld journeys is that the hero or heroine returns with magical powers, usually the power to heal. That is what we often forget. It’s so easy to get caught up in all the dark drama.

I’ve written a lot about the healing aspect of Scorpio, especially in reference to Ophiuchus, the so-called “thirteenth” constellation of the zodiac. Ophiuchus isn’t an astrological sign and never will be, despite all the silliness in the media a few years back. But we might consider it a “hidden” side of Scorpio. Depending on how you calculate it – and this is a tricky business – Ophiuchus accounts for roughly two thirds of Scorpio, from about 10 to 29 degrees. So, while the Sun and the North Node currently are in Scorpio, Saturn and Mercury are in the “Ophiuchus degrees.” Moreover, Saturn is in a sextile with Chiron, named for a mythological centaur with connections to Ophiuchus.

So, as we head into the darkest time, it’s always helpful to remember that this is where we’ll find our real power. It’s cliché by now, but it’s true that to find our power, we first need to discover and own our dark, “shadow” side. In terms of the collective, we’re going through a period in which we’re beginning to understand that humans are capable of horrific cruelty. By definition, that means we all have that potential somewhere deep inside of us.

Mercury turns retrograde on Monday at 18°24′ Scorpio. He’ll remain in “reverse” until November 10. In classical mythology, Mercury (Greek Hermes) guided souls to the underworld. He was the only god who could come and go freely. We experience this phenomenon every day in sleeping and waking – slipping into the unconscious and returning to consciousness when we wake up. The dream state is where we can encounter our deep psyche, although the images sometimes require a lot of work to translate into comprehensible messages. While Mercury is retrograde in Scorpio, we have a special opportunity to connect with parts of ourselves that may be hidden or buried.

Overall, this Mercury retrograde could be difficult, due to its timing with the eclipses and the Uranus-Pluto square, which is exact on November 1. Watch the headlines for scandals and state secrets exposed. It’s possible that some of what’s discovered could cause a serious public backlash, if not outright protests.

As I mentioned in a previous post, take precautions to ensure that your own secrets are safe. Double-check that you have the right e-mail addresses before hitting “send” and that you’re sending faxes to the right number. All the usual cautions apply: Back up your computer data, and take special care with your cell phone. At this point, you should have important business wrapped up, especially contractual agreements. Of course, we don’t always have a choice, and businesses that depend on contracts can’t just stop for three weeks three times a year. With Mercury in Scorpio, it’s possible that there are hidden terms and conditions, so be sure to read the fine print and ask lots of questions. If you don’t understand the answers, keep asking.

The Sun enters Scorpio on Wednesday at 2:10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time – late Tuesday on the West Coast of the United States and points farther west. I mentioned dreams above. Pay special attention toward the end of the week, as the Sun will be in a trine with Neptune in Pisces, another sign associated with the deep psyche and ancient memories. These can include glimpse of past-life experiences. In general, the veil between the worlds begins to lift in late October. Some of what comes into our field of conscious awareness could be shocking in its intensity.

We’ll also have a very brief revisit of the summer’s grand water trine when the Moon in Cancer forms a trine with the Sun and Neptune on Thursday. Think back to what was going on for you starting in July. It probably wasn’t a one-time event that was neatly concluded in a month’s time, but more likely an ongoing situation that will continue to unfold. Later this week, you may get hints of future developments.

I want to end by saying that although next week’s astrological aspects are the most turbulent of the year, we’re in that zone now. Events associated with eclipses, especially powerful ones, can manifest a month or more in advance, and up to three months afterward. Some astrologers extend that period to six months, depending on a host of factors. If it’s any consolation, most of you already know what issues you’re dealing with in this eclipse cycle, since we’ve been in it for a year. Put another way, even though the other shoe may be about to drop, at least we know which shoe we’re talking about and approximately where it might land.

Much love and courage to all,
Pat

Weekly Forecast July 22: Sun Enters Leo, Full Moon in Aquarius

Creatures of the Sun. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

Creations of the Sun. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

In contemplating what to write this week, I’m at a loss to come up with anything new.

The news gets more and more depressing. The Obama administration has given itself a free pass to keep spying on the world, U.S. citizens included, while Edward Snowden is trapped at the Moscow airport, and Bradley Manning faces life in prison. Did you see the photos of him leaving the courtroom at Fort Meade? Why does such a little guy need to be surrounded by beefy, gun-toting guards? Obviously, he scares the bejeesus out of some powerful people.

News headlines get multiplied by orders of magnitude on the social media. I have to tell you, I’m burned out on the constant stream of posts screaming, “Oh my god, have you heard what they’ve done now?” I get it! Everyone with a brain connected to a heart gets it. Those without that connection aren’t going to get it, no matter how many times the message is repeated on Facebook or how loud it’s shouted. Really, it’s not much different than trying to convert someone to your religion.

OK, so we know it’s bad. The police state is so far advanced that it’s too late to fight without risking life and limb. Even more frightening, many of the 99 percent defend it. Yet, every now and then, between the predictable comments on news articles, an intelligent voice in the wilderness asks, “OK, but what can we do about it? Venting in comments and on the social media does nothing.”

So here we are, looking over a deep chasm, the bridge collapsed and rusting, and no way across. Which brings me back to where I started. I’ve been saying all of this for so long that I feel like a broken record, and I don’t have any new answers. All I can do is look at planetary movements and form some kind of an educated guess about how long the current situation will last. Unfortunately, the news isn’t good. We’re in for several more years of turmoil, and things are going to get worse before they get better. You don’t need to be an astrologer to know that. In the meantime, we need to get our priorities straight, examine our values, revise our goals, and work within our communities – not necessarily in that order.

Of all those strategies, finding your community is the hardest, especially if you’re a free thinker. The trick is to maintain your individual voice while working for the common good. Humans are social animals, and most of us do care about our fellows. I’d venture that a good majority are even willing to give more than they get back – provided, of course, that they feel they’re giving to a worthy endeavor. But we don’t like being just another cog in the wheel, especially when that wheel powers a destructive machine.

This is precisely the message of Aquarius, sign of Monday’s Full Moon. Aquarians (of which I am one) tend to be freethinking individuals who don’t go along with the groupthink, and yet this is the sign of humanitarian causes, community action, and our human “family.” Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité. I’ll talk more about the Full Moon, but first let’s have a look at the general lay of the land.

This week we’re in the in-between zone of last week’s dreamy grand trine and a tense cardinal T-square. In both configurations, Jupiter and Mars play a key role, and we start right out on Monday with an exact conjunction of this dynamic pair. Indeed, Monday is the biggest day of the week. Right after the conjunction of Mars and Jupiter, Venus enters Virgo, then the Sun enters Leo, and just over two hours later, we have our first Full Moon in Aquarius of the summer. Yes, there will be another on August 20.

Mars and Jupiter are conjunct not only by latitude but also in declination. In other words, they will be extremely close to each other in the sky, which isn’t always true of conjunctions. This makes the aspect all the more powerful. In earlier times, this combination in the birth chart of a prince was considered a good sign that he would be a strong king, bringing the country wealth and military might. I’m not a big fan of European royalty, but I can’t help notice that Queen Elizabeth has a close conjunction of Mars and Jupiter in Aquarius. If Baby Cambridge is born in the next few days, she (I’m hoping) also will have this signature. Incidentally, if Kate has the baby right before the Full Moon, it could still be a Cancer. That was my bet, but we’ll see. (Tomorrow’s Full Moon was my third choice.)

Click on image to enlarge

Mars and Jupiter conjoin at 6 degrees Cancer, which is still quite close to trining Saturn at 5 degrees Scorpio and Neptune at 4 degrees Pisces. The trine continues through the first week in August, so there’s still time to work with these flowing energies to find solutions to tough problems before the window starts to close. Indeed, the Full Moon might add some urgency. The chart to the right is kind of messy, but if you look closely, you can see a faint red triangle from the Sun and Moon to Saturn. That’s a square, and while we’d normally consider a Full Moon squaring Saturn to indicate trouble, any crisis that might arrive could come with a brilliant solution, perhaps not short of a miracle. Remember, Saturn is the traditional ruler of Aquarius (before Uranus was discovered in 1781), and he represents structure. Now, with Saturn in Scorpio and in mutual reception with Pluto, any structures we build these days are subject to immediate collapse. However, a sound, workable plan initiated since late June could put a strong foundation under your project.

The closer a planet is to the Sun, the faster it appears to move in the sky. While Jupiter is pulling away from the grand trine slowly, Mars is quickly heading for his next connection, which is a cardinal T-square with Uranus and Pluto. Mercury currently is closest to the third leg of the T-square, so we’re getting a glimpse of what’s ahead. Later this week, Mars opposes Pluto, and we descend into the belly of the beast. Mars squares Uranus next week, and then Jupiter comes along in early August. This is one of the stormiest astrological periods of the year, second only to early November. The one consolation I can provide is that you probably already know how the Uranus-Pluto square is manifesting for you personally – if it is, which isn’t a given – so whatever comes at you, while it may seem out of the blue, likely will be part of a ongoing crisis and not an entirely new situation.

Right before the Full Moon on Monday, the Sun enters Leo, sign of individualism and will. Leo has a reputation, not undeserved, as “self-oriented,” but the Full Moon in Aquarius reminds us that individuals form communities, and successful groups value the creativity and individuality of all their members. When the group itself becomes more important than the individuals in it, it’s a slippery slope to forced allegiance and tyranny. It’s interesting that we get a Full Moon both at the first degree of Aquarius and again near the last. That’s nearly a month to contemplate the concept of communities made up of empowered individuals.

Turning to Venus, she’s not at her best in Virgo, and on Friday, she opposes Neptune. The conventional interpretation of Venus opposite Neptune is delusions in love (on a date night, no less). Again, however, we’ve got a mitigating circumstance via a sextile to Saturn that makes it possible to see clearly and make sound decisions. That could be anything from recognizing a one-night stand for what it is and enjoying it while it lasts, to realizing that the guy or gal of your dreams has been sitting under your nose all along, and you were too scared, proud, or downright stupid to notice. On Sunday, Venus sextiles Jupiter, another fine day for settling into a realistic partnership. Positive Venus-Jupiter combinations also can be terrific for your finances, depending on where they’re transiting your chart.

To sum up, we’ve got our work cut out for us for the next few weeks, but we’re not without the resources to get it done.

I leave you with a stunning video that could change how you think of Saturn forever. And this is just the trailer:

In Saturn’s Rings

Wishing you all much love and lion-hearted courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast July 15: Grand Water Trine, Mercury Direct

“Not a morning person” doesn’t even begin to describe me. On a good day, it takes three to four hours to jumpstart my lacertian metabolism.

In other words, waking up is a bitch. Until the sun rises in your brain, memories of past lives, childhood trauma, unforgotten insults, and the awful things you’ve done to others dance in your head like ghosts on a grave at midnight.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that as humanity wakes up, the trauma in the collective unconscious is unleashed in the world and manifests as unspeakable acts of violence. The good news is that increasing numbers of people finally are hearing the alarm clock. The bad news is that the collective metabolism is worse than mine. And there’s no guarantee, actually, that people will get up and get moving. We might just decide to stay in our jammies and lie around watching re-runs of Arrested Development.

It’s hard to remain optimistic with all the grave headlines in the news and the dawning realization that we’re not heading toward a global police state, we’re already there. We know we need to act, but we don’t know what we should do or even can do, without risking everything, including our lives. Several years ago, I read a study showing that workers in oppressive job environments end up depressed. (Needless to say, it wasn’t conducted in this country. If anyone can find it, feel free to leave a link.) Is it any coincidence, then, that we have a serious mental health crisis in the United States? An estimated 11 percent of Americans take antidepressants, the third most commonly prescribed medication. More people die of suicide than gun violence or terrorist attacks.

I truly want to believe that we’re on the threshold of a leap in human consciousness, possibly so significant that we might mutate in to a higher species. But I also know from history that we’ve been in that place before, and the transformation either was aborted or sabotaged. The example that comes immediately to mind is the revolution that was taking place in Occitania in the 12th century. The region was the first to emerge from the Dark Ages, with flourishing music, literature, and a culture that respected women. The Church wasn’t having any of it, and conspired with the king of France to overrun the region, slaughter much of the population, and burn dissenters as heretics. So much for the revolution.

We can’t take it for granted that an evolution in human consciousness will happen all by itself. It faces enormous pressure by those who stand to lose the most. We need to support each other in waking up and staying awake. By “support,” I don’t mean attempting to convince others that they need to “wake up” and think like you. Spiritual awakening is a deep, mysterious internal process. It’s not going to happen by shouting down people who don’t agree with your politics.

Over the past few weeks, as the summer’s grand trine approached, we’ve seen some incredible acts of heroism and inspiration. Edward Snowden blew the whistle on NSA’s data collection, Wendy Davis literally stood up to the good ol’ boys in the Texas legislature, and Malala Yousafzai faced world leaders with a powerful call for equal education.

Click on image to enlarge

The chart to the left shows the grand trine (blue triangle) between Saturn, Neptune, and Jupiter. You also can see the looming cardinal T-square (red triangle). On one hand, we have a favorable configuration, filled with opportunity and hope. On the other, we have a difficult configuration, filled with conflict and dread. One might be tempted to conclude that the opportunities won’t be as great or that they will be extremely short-lived and overshadowed by disaster. The way I see it, it’s precisely through the conflict that the opportunities and breakthroughs will come. Isn’t that usually the case? Only when we face impossible obstacles do we come up with miraculous solutions. Or, as a friend once said to me, people tend not to change until their back is pushed so far against the wall that their asshole is sucking plaster. Sounds like an effective wakeup call to me.

As I write, we’re already feeling the influence of this extraordinary trine. We did have something like it in 1967, complete with Uranus and Pluto in a revolutionary aspect. But that trine wasn’t as close is this one, which is aligned to the exact degree from Monday to Wednesday. There have been other trines between these three planets, too, but not in water. I don’t know how many centuries we’d have to go back to find another like this. In short, it’s exceptional.

After forming an exact trine with Saturn and Neptune on Wednesday, Jupiter advances a degree, but we’ll still be able to ride this incredible wave through the weekend and on into next week. On Saturday, Saturn and Neptune form an exact trine. Mars, meanwhile, has just entered Cancer and traces the path of Jupiter until he finally overtakes him next Monday (July 22). The energy begins to drop after that, but we’ll feel this positive vibe until the end of the month.

Right in the middle of all of this, Uranus turns retrograde on Wednesday, which means he’ll start moving back toward an exact square with Pluto in early November. As Jupiter advances, he’ll turn the square into a T-square. We had a taste of it already a couple of weeks ago, when Mercury passed that degree. It’s not too much of a stretch to imagine that greater numbers of people will suddenly “get it” and that protests against repression, corruption, and injustice will get bigger and louder as the glow of the grand trine wears off and the reality of the T-square sets in.

Speaking of which, for those disappointed by the ruling in the murder trial of George Zimmerman, stayed tuned. The jury has spoken, so it’s not likely the verdict will be overturned. However, at the moment the jury announced its decision, Mercury was retrograde and the Moon was void of course. Typically, this indicates that something is going to change. I just read that the Justice Department is looking into a criminal civil rights violation, and Zimmerman also faces civil penalties. This isn’t the end.

Mercury finally returns direct on Saturday, and not a moment too soon. Maybe it will end the spate of stupidity and ignorance requiring public apologies. It seems like many of them had to do with racist remarks. The trickster has been retrograde in Cancer, which is associated with family and ethnic roots. Then there was the story about the student who absentmindedly dropped an envelope with $400 into a mailbox. The envelope was unsealed, and the only thing written on it was “deposit.” Classic Mercury retrograde. I’m guessing she had a lucky transit or two to compensate, because the Postal Service tracked her down and returned her cash.

Wishing you all a wondrous week filled with love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast July 8: Saturn Direct, New Moon in Cancer

A Water Baby, by Herbert James Draper, 1900.

To anyone familiar with astrology, recent events, however shocking, make perfect sense.

A couple of days ago, I read an essay on Counterpunch by Israeli writer and peace activist Uri Avnery on the situation in Egypt. Avnery starts out by declaring the 1968 cultural revolution in Paris as the forerunner of events all over the world today. He goes on to ask, “Why now? Why in so many totally different countries? Why in Brazil, Turkey and Egypt at the same time?” He considers the possibility that it’s something in the Zeitgeist – the spirit of the age – but concludes that it’s more likely a result of instant communications via television and the social media.

It’s really too bad that academics dismiss astrology. Otherwise they’d understand the outer planetary cycles underneath the dramatic events taking place in our time, which we indeed can trace back to the Uranus-Pluto conjunction in the mid-1960s.

I’ve been thinking a lot about these outer cycles, especially as they pertain to repeating patterns in history. I’ve been working under a theory that the “apocalypse” is a lifting of the veil, and that the “veil” is the mechanism in our brains that limits our perception to this particular place in space and time (which we call “reality”). As our perception broadens to include other dimensions of reality, it’s as though the actions of our past are a legion of demons escaping from hell. I can’t think of anything happening today that doesn’t have a parallel in human history – our collective past.

At the end of his article, Avnery broadens the idea of Arab Spring and asks if there’s not a “Human Spring.” I believe there is and that we’ll see it happen over the next five to ten years. By the time Pluto enters Aquarius in 2024, the world is going to be a very different place. (Actually, he dips into Aquarius in 2023 but then turns retrograde and returns to Capricorn until January 2024.)

With so much violence and unrest in the world, it’s hard to believe that the positive aspects on the way over the next few weeks will have much of an effect, especially since they are relatively short compared with the astrological signature behind the upheavals. Not to sound like a Pollyanna, but I do believe that the approaching grand water trine heralds some strongly positive developments to counterbalance all the chaos. And while it’s true that the trine will start dissipating by late July, giving way to an even stronger conflicting configuration, I nevertheless believe that it can have some far-reaching effects, both globally and individually. That’s why it’s so important to take advantage of this short window, which also includes Monday’s New Moon in Cancer.

Before I discuss this week’s aspects, I want to mention one important factor in the chaotic events of the past week. In last week’s forecast, I mentioned that the T-square formed by the Sun, Uranus, and Pluto would provide a glimpse of events during the more energetic T-square with Jupiter in mid-August. It’s a pretty safe bet that the violence is going to escalate. However, Saturn’s station retrograde gave the past week a powerful punch that will be waning by August. Unfortunately, Saturn’s station will be felt for another week or so, as he returns direct on Monday.

Saturn’s return direct can coincide with dramatic events, especially the destruction of infrastructure. But it can apply to societal structures as well. As I wrote last week, Saturn in Scorpio can represent structures that are rotten and ready to break down. Given the mutual reception between Saturn and Pluto, Saturn’s station feeds a blast of energy into the Uranus-Pluto square, which last week was temporarily a T-square. Nowhere was that more evident than in the ousting of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. Mercury retrograde can account for some of the false news reports and communications difficulties among competing factions, but I attribute the overall failure to install the kind of democratic government demanded by the Egyptian people to this strange combination of Saturn in Scorpio and Pluto in Capricorn. It’s as if a new structure is torn down almost as soon as it is built.

The good news there is that there is plenty of room for experimentation. Using Egypt as an example, a popular uprising resulted in the resignation of Mubarak in February 2011 and the creation of a new government that in theory was supposed to replace a dictatorship with a democracy. It didn’t quite work out that way, and rather than waiting for elections, millions of people took to the streets declaring that the experiment had failed and that they needed to start over. Although attempts to form a new government are faltering, I see the grand trine as a ray of hope that they might succeed.

Likewise, we have a short window to find creative solutions to longstanding conflicts in our personal lives. You do need to put some effort into it, and you need to be clear about your overall goals.

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Saturn returns direct just two hours before Monday’s New Moon in Cancer. You can easily see the grand water trine becoming more exact (the blue triangle), even as Jupiter approaches an exact square with Uranus and Pluto (the red triangle). I read this as a clear and straightforward message: Through conflict and breaking down what is no longer working, opportunities arise for new ways to live and interact with each other in a spirit of community and cooperation. Connecting to the natural world is part of the equation.

At the New Moon, Mercury is conjunct the Sun by two degrees (exact on Tuesday), and he’s exactly halfway through his retrograde cycle. This is often when we start feeling the retrograde the most, so do take extra care this week, especially at home. Back up your computer data, and if you’re running extra air conditioning, be sure you don’t overload the circuits. Unfortunately, I don’t have any good advice for how not to blow an emotional fuse. Be clear in your communications. To do that, you need to be clear with yourself about how you feel. If you’re confused or unsure, postpone discussions until after Mercury returns direct on July 20. That’s a long wait, so do let others know you need more time rather than just staying silent. It’s a sure bet that someone will misunderstand your silence for lack of concern or worse.

On Saturday, Mars enters Cancer and approaches conjunction with Jupiter. Although Mars isn’t at his best in the sign of the Crab, he’ll give some extra energy to the Jupiter leg of the grand trine. This is mostly good news, but I do hold out a bit of concern that the grand water trine could coincide with severe storms and flooding.

With so much upsetting news in the headlines, it may seem frivolous to pay any attention to celebrity news, but I do want to mention that we’re getting close to the birth of the first child of the William and Kate. The official due date for Baby Cambridge is July 13, but reporters already are staking out their ground and taking absurd measures to make sure they don’t miss any detail of the story. I wouldn’t assign much significance to this event if it weren’t for the extraordinary chart this child will have – a chart that all children born around this time will share. These water babies will reach maturity in the 2030s and will leave a very distinct mark on the world. Baby Cambridge likely will have a major impact on the UK government.

Lastly, I’d just like to give a quick update to those who are still waiting for reports. I have started writing again, but the going is very slow. At my best, I was able to do two reports a day. It’s now taking me two days each. I’ll try to e-mail everyone this week with an ETA. I can’t apologize enough, but there was little I could do. Even astrologers go through long transformational periods, and having some idea they’re coming doesn’t soften the impact. In the meantime, if you’d like a transit report, I’m offering a three-month forecast for $19. (Click here to go to the order page or here to see a sample for President Obama.)

Wishing you all infinite love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast June 24: Jupiter Enters Cancer, Mercury Retrograde

Solstice Sunset. Looking northwest on Puget Sound, 9:20 p.m. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

When I was in kindergarten, I refused to drink my milk.

My teacher, Mrs. King, made me sit alone at a table in a dark corner until I finished it. For everyone else, it was playtime. When this strategy failed to work, she sent me home with a note telling my mother I had a problem with authority.

I lived out in the country, an hour’s bus ride from school. Every day on the way home, while all the other kids played and shouted, I leaned my head against the cold glass. I never mentioned it to anyone – probably because I had no idea that I had a headache or that this was abnormal. One day, it was so bad that I about passed out when I got home. I remember my mother carrying me up the stairs. Still, no one thought it unusual. Back then, milk was considered the perfect food, and I lived in the second-largest dairy state in the nation (behind Wisconsin). My father was a dairy farmer. No one suspected that I was allergic to milk.

I finally figured it out at 21, still well before dairy allergies were studied and publicized. As a child, all I could say was that it was “yucky” and I didn’t like it. Adults, however, had all the power, and I was forced against my will to do something that was bad for me. It likely was one of the defining moments in my childhood development.

It’s no coincidence, then, that I sympathize with protestors around the world who are rightly upset with tyrannical governments who insist they know what’s good for the population better than the people themselves. Instead of being forced to sit in a corner, those who don’t go along with the program get water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets. They get thrown in jail. And right now, it seems that they are overpowered.

As a child, I didn’t have the knowledge or the vocabulary to fight the appropriately named Mrs. King. Even if I had, I doubt she would have listened, as the notion that milk could be bad for a child was simply too outrageous to believe. I knew instinctively that something was wrong, but that didn’t count. Collectively, we know instinctively that something is very wrong, despite what we’re being told and what many of us have believed for so long. Whistleblowers like Bradley Manning, Julian Assange, and Edward Snowden are supplying knowledge, and yet the truth is too outrageous for many people to believe. For many, it’s easier to believe outrageous lies.

By now, even people who don’t believe in astrology must be wondering whether there is something going on “up there” to account for the increasing number of protests and riots around the world. That something, as you know, is the Uranus-Pluto square, with Uranus in volatile Aries and Pluto in domineering Capricorn. Police in riot gear are a perfect image for Pluto in Capricorn.

And yet, Pluto is also about revealing hidden secrets – all the more so with Pluto in mutual reception with Saturn in penetrating Scorpio (mutual reception occurs when each of two planets is in the sign ruled by the other). Snowden’s revelation of NSA spying on U.S. citizens is a manifestation of the same energy as the massive anti-government protests in Brazil and Turkey. In Brazil, the spark that lit the fuse was a 9-cent increase in public transportation fare. In Turkey, it was a plan to turn a city park into a shopping mall. I often wonder what it would take to light a fuse under this country. Apparently, being spied on isn’t enough.

Last week, I was listening to an interview with Ralph Nader, a longtime consumer advocate and former presidential candidate, talking about a federal minimum wage.

“Thirty million workers in this country are making less today than that workers made in 1968, inflation-adjusted,” Nader said in an interview with Aaron Maté of Democracy Now. “… [T]he question is: Is our society so inert, is our society so surrendering of any kind of civic sovereignty, that we cannot get a minimum wage equal to 1968?”

Nader goes on to denounce President Obama, asking whether there has been “a bigger con man in the White House.” Whatever you may think of Nader, you have to give him credit for a sense of humor in the title of his latest book, I Told You So. He has made many predictions over the years that were ignored or dismissed. As an astrologer, I know how he feels.

[headline h=”4″]This week’s forecast[/headline]This week, we have two major shifts, both in Cancer, a sign very much concerned with security and patriotism. On Tuesday, Jupiter enters Cancer, the sign of his exaltation. The following day, Mercury turns retrograde in Cancer.

When I think of Jupiter entering Cancer, Gustav Holst’s Planets suite inevitably takes over my brain. (You can listen online or download a very fine version for free here. Be sure to read the copyright notice.) Jupiter has been in detriment in Gemini and so not as jolly as his big, expansive character would like. He’ll more than make up for it in Cancer, although I wouldn’t put it past him to stir up some massive storms. He may get overly patriotic, too, and he’ll definitely be big on national security, especially when it comes to foreigners. These less desirable qualities may come to the fore in August, when he forms a T-square with Uranus and Pluto. But for the next month, he forms a rare and highly favorable grand trine with Saturn and Neptune, and there will be unprecedented opportunities to make some much-needed changes. We’ll have to act fast, because the window is short.

Mercury turns retrograde on Wednesday at 23 degrees Cancer. This is a good time to look at your past, particularly in terms of how your childhood and early home life shaped you as an adult (thus, the personal anecdote above). Ethnicity sometimes comes into play. I also like to consider past lives. Conventional psychoanalysts like to pin all of our complexes on bad potty training or inadequate bonding with mommy and daddy. We come into this incarnation with a chart, which can express itself in unlimited ways. For some of us, being born at that exact moment can be traced to our karmic past.

Mercury turns retrograde just a degree shy of natal Mercury in the chart of the United States (Sibly) and will be in close conjunction with the U.S. Sun when he turns direct on July 20. It’s likely that any discussions of Snowden’s revelations will occur in the context of damaging national security. Most of our political leaders, including the president, say Snowden is a criminal and should be extradited for prosecution. There likely will be discussions about how to prevent future leaks.

Also on Wednesday, we have a lovely grand water trine with the Sun in Cancer, Saturn in Scorpio, and Neptune in Pisces. Keep your antennae up, and you’ll get some hints about the good things to come when Jupiter steps into the Sun’s place in mid-July. In the meantime, deep feelings may surface by day or night this week. Pay attention to your dreams. Write down your goals and aspirations. If you’re a writer or artist, this is an incredibly fertile time for you. Have a notepad handy wherever you go to write down flashes of inspiration.

On Thursday, Venus leaves Cancer and enters Leo. This is a showy, flashy Venus who loves bling and being the center of attention. She’s glamorous, but unfortunately more into style than substance. But sometimes style is what we want. I have to say that I’ve always had great haircuts while Venus was in Leo. If Venus is in Leo in your birth chart, you’ll soon have your “Venus return.” The Venus return chart can be a great tool for looking at where love or money (or both) will show up in your life over the next year or so.

On a final note, in case you missed my announcement last week, I’m offering a Summer 2013 transit report in place of StarGuide, which I’m not going to be able to prepare for at least two weeks, possibly longer. If you don’t want to wait, you can order your transits now, I’ll apply the cost toward the full report once it becomes available. (Click here to view a sample.)

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast June 10: Saturn Trines Neptune, Venus Opposes Pluto

The Boston Massacre. Detail of an engraving by Paul Revere, March 1770.

In my down state, I’ve been watching a lot of movies, borrowed from our terrific local library. Last week, I found the seven-part miniseries John Adams, which first aired on HBO in March 2008.

Despite historical inaccuracies typical in Hollywood productions, the miniseries is a decidedly unromanticized version of history and rightly won several awards. Based on the biography by David McCullough, it’s an excellent portrayal of the conflicts among colonial leaders, not all of whom were ready to take up arms and fight for their rights. There were those who strongly preferred negotiations to war and who feared that uprisings in Massachusetts would subject all of the colonies to a deadly crackdown by the British.

The first episode begins with the Boston Massacre, in which a crowd agitated by the growing tyranny of England provokes British soldiers into opening fire. The soldiers are charged with murder, and the only lawyer who will defend them is John Adams, who goes against his countrymen on the principle that everyone deserves the right to a fair trial.

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know where I’m going with this, yes?

The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770, with Pluto in Capricorn. The Uranus-Pluto square had occurred more than a decade earlier, in late Pisces and Sagittarius. Incidentally, the square in March 1758 occurred with Pluto conjunct the Galactic Center – just a bit of interesting astro-trivia there. I mentioned the Boston incident in a post in August 2011 that actually was about a Michael Lutin presentation at the National Press Club in 2008. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

The HBO miniseries was broadcast less than two months after Pluto’s entry into Capricorn in January 2008. Talk about synchronicities. Michael Lutin’s Press Club speech (which you can watch in my August 2011 post) followed an article he wrote for Vanity Fair magazine about the implications for the United States of Pluto in Capricorn. What I remember most from his speech – which has reverberated in my mind many times over – were his words, “You’re all under surveillance.”

Well, well, well.

Mikey predicted it would all go down in 2011. He was off by a couple of years, but so what? His predictions ring uncannily true, including his opinion that it didn’t matter who won the White House in 2008. Of course, we already were under heavy surveillance when he gave that presentation, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist or even an astrologer to know it. The bomb dropped by The Guardian on Wednesday, followed by even bigger ones, wasn’t really news to anyone who’s been paying attention.

As I type, the whistleblower has come forward. Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old employee of a contractor for the National Security Agency, is inevitably being compared to Private Bradley Manning, who is on trial for leaking classified information on the war in Iraq. Rather than being hanged for treason – the punishment of choice in colonial America – Manning has been imprisoned for three years awaiting trial and, by all accounts, tortured by cruel and inhuman means. We have, after all, progressed toward a more civilized society, especially here in the United States, land of the free and home of the brave.

Back to John Adams, he eventually became the new nation’s first vice president and second president, although history sort of seems to have forgotten him in favor of more classic heroes such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and even his own cousin, Samuel Adams. John Adams was by all measures conservative. Yet, he called a spade a spade, and he was one of the most vociferous supporters of fighting for independence, once it became apparent that negotiating with the British would solve nothing – and he figured that out early on. That, I believe, is the critical lesson for us now.

In an interview with The Guardian, Snowden said he would have gone to the media sooner, but he was waiting to see whether President Obama would curb some of the abuses of the NSA. When he not only failed to do so but expanded the program, Snowden made his move. To an astrologer, it’s no coincidence that the revelation came with Uranus in a close square to Pluto. The big question now is how the American public will react. Very clearly, this isn’t an abuse that can be remedied by voting out one political party in favor of another – a point, by the way, that I made several years ago and for which I was soundly flamed by Obama supporters.

I don’t know precisely where this is all going to lead, but I do know that we have more explosive times ahead. As I’ve remarked before, the influence of the Uranus-Pluto square will last for another five years at least. After that, we’ll march steadily toward the Pluto return of the United States in 2022. In the meantime, we’ll also experience a conjunction of Saturn and Pluto in 2020, and in 2026, Saturn and Neptune conjoin in Aries. I have extensive thoughts on what these transits will entail, but I’ll save them for another time.

Surveillance of the citizenry is very definitely a signature for Pluto in Capricorn, and it’s interesting to note that publication of the extent of the abuse occurred with Mercury in opposition to Pluto and square Uranus. Also, warrior Mars in Gemini made a square to Neptune, planet of fog and deception. Note, too, that Mercury was approaching conjunction with the United States Sun, and the Uranus-Pluto square isn’t far from making contact with the U.S. Sun (exact in April 2014). From an astrological perspective, it makes perfect sense that the news broke last week. I confess that I couldn’t have predicted it exactly (especially in my current condition), but I did note in last week’s forecast that we’d likely have some shocking headlines:

Collectively, I think we’ll see more jarring headlines – not that anything could shock us anymore, but the extent to which we’ve been deceived and lied to could be a revelation to many.

Looking at the week ahead, Venus follows on the heels of Mercury by opposing Pluto (Tuesday) and squaring Uranus (Wednesday). Venus in Cancer is a soft influence, and yet in a T-square with Pluto, she can’t be expected to do much to soften the recent blow. If anything, the powers responsible for this gross invasion of privacy may try to further defend the program on the grounds of national security: “We’re keeping you safe from terrorists,” etc. Internet companies such as Google and Facebook also may try to reassure their users. We’ll see how many people buy it, and how well the government will be able to persuade its citizenry to fight among themselves instead of aiming their anger where it rightly belongs.

The other big aspect of this week is the trine of Saturn and Neptune, second of a three-part transit. The first occurred in October 2012, and the third and final pass will fall on July 19 as part of the grand trine with Jupiter. Trines in general are highly favorable, and grand trines even more so. My only worry is that storms involving precipitation and flooding could be exaggerated; after all, nature doesn’t share our subjective notions of “good” and “bad.” An unimpeded path for us also can be an unimpeded path for a hurricane. But do make what you can of it, starting now. Don’t wait until July to decide how you want to use this rare gift of cosmic energy.

Speaking of energy, mine is still low, but the good news is that I feel like I finally bottomed out this past week. It’s been a very hard place to be, and I don’t feel like I’m out of the woods yet. The demons are following me out of hell and nipping at my heels. Short walks, doing little tasks in my apartment, and lying on the couch watching movies have been my best strategies. Chocolate is nice, too, but unfortunately, all this lying around has exacerbated my weight and blood pressure – issues I’ll need to address once I have the strength to get out more. If you recently ordered a report and have not heard from me, expect an e-mail in the next day or two. My deepest apologies, and my heartfelt appreciation for those of you who have been so patient, understanding, and concerned for my well-being.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast June 3: Neptune Retrograde, New Moon in Gemini

Collapsed bridge on the Skagit River, Washington. Photo courtesy Washington Department of Transportation.

It seems it’s human nature to believe the latest disaster is the worst ever and that more catastrophes than ever before are befalling the planet. I’m not sure this is true, but it’s safe to say that we’re living in unprecedented times.

Skeptics would say we simply have more reporting than ever before, that being connected to the Internet 24/7 results in a barrage of disaster stories from around the world. Still, given the headlines, one might reasonably conclude we’re in the middle of the Apocalypse, even though that was supposed to have come and gone in 2012.

I’ve written a lot about breakdowns, both collective and individual, and in an attempt to present the positive with the negative, I’ve also broached the subject of rebuilding. Otherwise, all this talk of breaking down gets depressing, especially when plans for rebuilding keep falling through or changing without warning.

However, the truth is that we can’t start rebuilding until the breakdown is complete. That, I believe, is the message of Pluto in Capricorn in mutual reception with Saturn in Scorpio. Saturn, remember, is the planet of structure and careful, step-by-step progress. But Pluto is about breaking down and transforming. You might think of it as trying to rebuild a house on a worm-eaten foundation. The only way to ensure the integrity of the structure is to pull out everything and rebuild from the bottom up. In societal terms, we’ve got a patch job on top of a patch job on top of another patch job. It’s no wonder that the whole thing is crumbling.

Saturn and Pluto remain in mutual reception until December 2014. During that time, Uranus continues to form a square with Pluto. The last exact alignment will occur in March 2015, but we’ll continue to feel this far-reaching aspect for another two or three years after that. Uranian energy is volatile, explosive, and unpredictable. When you combine these energies, you get … well, exactly what we’ve got.

In addition to the deadly tornadoes, fires, and floods, recent protests around the world have turned violent, with the police backlash that is the hallmark of the square between Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn. Uranus rules Aquarius, the sign of equality, and many of the protests have their roots in inequality and injustice. In fact, this isn’t the first time we’ve had a society based on such vast disparity. I’m constantly reminded of medieval Europe, when the nobility taxed the peasants and took food off their plates to support wars in the Holy Land – the Middle East. It really does make you wonder if the energies of the universe are in an endless spin cycle, manifesting the same patterns over and over again.

There are some significant differences this time around, though, which is why I say we’re in unprecedented times. At the end of the Crusades, world population was about 6 percent of what it is today. News traveled by messengers on foot and horseback, if it traveled at all. With our instant connections, news now reaches large portions of the world’s 7 billion people instantaneously. Our polluted environment also is unprecedented. Although cities in the Middle Ages were crowded, filthy, and disease-ridden, there was always somewhere else to go where the air and water were clean. We’re running out of somewhere elses and are now talking about terraforming Mars.

How could anyone not be anxious, tense, and depressed? As far as I’m concerned, stress is an appropriate, healthy response to what’s happening in our societies. You have my permission to be anxious and stressed out.

I know that I’m not the only one experiencing a physical or mental breakdown, and I have to believe that this is all part of the cosmic pattern. The collective is made up of individuals, and so unfortunately, we have to break down along with the social structures. As I’ve mentioned in the past, this process is not unknown. Alchemists, shamans, and healers have known for millennia about this mysterious subconscious phenomenon. In some cases, it can be induced through ritual and artificial means, but that’s the exception rather than the rule. Normally, this process takes place over time, and there’s no way to force it, speed it up, or otherwise control it. It’s Plutonic, and that means you have to give in and let it have its way. Trying to hold on just prolongs unnecessary suffering. There are times when we need to hang in there, but other times when it would be better to just give up.

We have an excellent opportunity to look back at the lessons of human history when Neptune turns retrograde this week. As I write, he’s stationed at 5 degrees Pisces, preparing to shift motion on Friday. Among other things, Neptune rules dreams and the deep psyche. This is also where past-life memories live. Destructive patterns often keep repeating themselves until we become aware of them and take active measures to change. Yet, sometimes the underlying source is so deeply ingrained that only a Plutonic transformation can crack it. Either way, I’m optimistic that we can make deep changes in the coming two months, given the positions of the outer planets. Neptune turns retrograde in a trine with Saturn by exact degree, which I think will help us identify and work with the old, outdated patterns that keep us stuck.

On Monday, Mercury trines both Neptune and Saturn. Mercury is in Cancer, which is a water sign and more intuitive. We like to think that our thoughts are rational and objective, but they more often than not are driven by feelings and fundamental needs. The mind can rationalize anything, but truth lies in the heart and soul. One of the ways we can be more authentic and true to ourselves is by allowing our true feelings to surface. Mastering your emotions emphatically does not mean stuffing them down, but allowing them to surface in a safe place so you can be aware of your motivations and adjust your actions accordingly.

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The rest of the week’s major aspects are reflected in the chart for Saturday’s New Moon in Gemini, so let’s have a look. The first thing you see is the big blue triangle. That’s a grand trine, with Venus, Neptune, and Saturn. The bigger grand trine will happen in mid-July, when Jupiter will occupy the position of Venus. But this week’s grand trine with Venus will be quite lovely, too. Even though there’s a lot more breaking down to come, and even though it may not be time yet to rebuild, we can start laying the groundwork. What do you really want? Are your thoughts, actions, and behavior consistent with what you most want? If not, what can you do to align them more closely? I make it sound easy, but it’s not. This is the work of a lifetime and probably more than one. The problem is that many of us think we know what we want, but when we get it, we discover it doesn’t make us as happy as we thought we’d be or that we really wanted something else.

The Uranus-Pluto square is still very active, and it becomes a cardinal T-square with Mercury in a close square with Uranus and opposition to Pluto. Venus is a few degrees shy of Mercury, but will form the same T-square next week. Throughout the week, try to be mindful of what you want out of your closest relationships. If you don’t feel supported, why not? If you could have an ideal family, team, or tribe, what would it look like and why? Would getting it require a few adjustments, or do you need an overhaul?

Collectively, I think we’ll see more jarring headlines – not that anything could shock us anymore, but the extent to which we’ve been deceived and lied to could be a revelation to many. I think we’ll see more protests, too, especially over women’s issues.

Mars squares Neptune in this chart as well, with the exact aspect occurring on Friday. In mundane astrology, Mars rules war, terrorism, and fires. However, with a trine from peacemaker Venus to Neptune, I think it’s possible that we’ll be able to avoid some of the most negative manifestations of this worrisome square. In any case, there’s so much going on in this chart that it will be difficult to associate events with a particular aspect. I’m not one to argue this point, because there’s simply no way to prove it.

The Sun and Moon in Gemini are otherwise unaspected, and even though Mars and Jupiter are in Gemini, the overall feel of this New Moon could be more like Cancer than Gemini. What we read, what we hear, and what we think is less important now than what we feel and our sense of belonging. Ethnicity, patriotism, and family values trump facts and figures. We’re all out of our comfort zone in a big way these days, and as much as I recommend accepting that reality, I can’t argue against taking comfort where you can find it.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast January 14: Venus Conjunct Pluto, Sun Enters Aquarius

Frosty Fingers of Saturn. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

There was a noticeable shift at the New Moon on Friday. A lot of ickiness dissipated, leaving emptiness in its wake. But nature abhors a vacuum.

I’ve been working purposefully to draw what I want into that space, and I hope you are, too. If you’re following RealAstrologers on Facebook, you saw that I posted a reminder to write your New Moon abundance checks – which I unfortunately neglected to mention in last week’s post. Things are piling up here, too, and sometimes I feel like I need two of me to keep track of everything. On second thought, make that three – two to get it all done while “one of me” takes a vacation on a sunny beach sipping drinks with little umbrellas in them.

I did mention last week that I was about to put the StarGuide Winter 2013 forecast on sale, which I did mid-week. One of the features of this report is my interpretation of each New Moon and Full Moon of the season – where it falls in your chart and what types of activities are favored for you. So, for example, if this recent New Moon fell in your second, tenth, or sixth house, you’ve got the wind at your back to ask for a raise, find a new job, or improve your working conditions. Because we’re in an astrological period suggesting overall belt-tightening, improvements could come through cutting out things you really don’t need or finding cheaper alternatives. Working with the cycles of the Moon is an age-old technique, once considered “magic.” Now, we view it as simply a way to work with available energies, much as you’d work with weather conditions to plant, nurture, and harvest crops.

Of course, we also work with larger planetary cycles, both individually and collectively. If you watched my 2013 video, you know about two very big cycles coming up this year: the grand water trine with Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, and the Uranus-Pluto square. I just love what Ray Merriman had to say about them in his forecast for this week:

…[I]t won’t hurt for our leaders to choose a path that believes in miracles as opposed to grievances. It will hurt if leaders give up the role of being kind and compassionate. It’s a choice astrologically between the Jupiter-Neptune-Saturn grand trine, and the Uranus-Jupiter-Pluto T-square, with Mars making it a grand square [in 2014]. One is compassion and working together, while the other is war and divisiveness. The leaders have a choice to make.

Everything he writes about our leaders is true for us individually as well. You’ll have a choice between working to release blocks, however painful and disorienting that process might be, or blaming everyone else for the world’s problems, thus allowing yourself to stay stuck. One common situation where we see this dynamic is within relationships. It’s always the other person who needs to grow, get enlightened, or whatever. Taking responsibility for ourselves is an important underlying theme in the mutual reception between Pluto in Capricorn and Saturn in Scorpio. Those who tend to take more responsibility than they own – and there are more than a few of you – will need to work in the reverse, releasing whatever it is in your energy field that keeps you bogged down with problems that aren’t yours.

We’ll get several opportunities in the coming week to visit these issues, with Venus aspecting Chiron, Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn from Monday through Thursday (Jupiter squares Chiron on Tuesday). Are you clear about what you want? When what you want involves an exchange with another person, are you clear up front, or do you find clever ways to manipulate the other person to give it to you? Sometimes you need to say “no” to requests from others, and sometimes they need to say “no” to you. Underhanded manipulation robs others of their choice. This may be appropriate in certain professional circumstances, but it can kill trust in an intimate relationship, and when trust is gone, the foundation crumbles. Even in casual friendships or in a work environment, withholding information that would allow others the right to choose how they want to interact with you is a subtle but serious form of disrespect. I understand that it takes a lot of courage to open up and speak your heart, and it does leave you open to the pain of rejection. The reward is that you when you make a connection based on truth and honesty, it’s stronger and far more gratifying.

I’m sure you can think of a gazillion variations on this theme, and it’s likely you’ll find yourself in one or more of them this week that will require you to make a choice. If you act with courage and conviction, then a payoff late in the week could be very sweet.

On Friday, the Sun conjoins Mercury at 28 degrees Capricorn, and then they both enter Aquarius on Saturday, marking a radical shift. Mars has been Aquarius since Christmas Day, in mutual reception with Uranus in Aries. If you don’t feel the buzz over the weekend, I’ll eat my bootleg yoga pants (too cold for shorts). Whereas Capricorn represents hyper-responsibility, Aquarius is the ultimate commitment-phobe who hates anything that even remotely smells like obligation. That’s why it’s known as the sign of the future, of thinking out of the box, walking to the beat of a different drummer. It can all be a bit much for those who need stability and familiarity, but with that kind of thinking, we’d have never put a man on the Moon – space travel being one of the activities associated with Uranus, the modern ruler of Aquarius.

Spend this week tending to practical concerns, especially anything to do with your financial bottom line or your closest relationships, because the following week is going to be wide open, with “anything goes” and “goddess only knows what.”

Sunday, incidentally, also is officially Inauguration Day in the United States, although the formal celebration will take place on Monday, January 21. The stage is set for change, and we can help it along by making sure our actions – and interactions – are consistent with the type of world we want to create.

Wishing you much love and courage,
Pat