Tag Archives: Jupiter in Gemini

Weekly Forecast June 17: Sun Enters Cancer, Full Moon in Capricorn

Mommy Deerest. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

Mommy Deerest. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

We have an eventful week ahead, with the summer solstice and the biggest Full Moon of the year.

By “biggest,” I don’t mean astrologically, but literally. Next Sunday’s Full Moon in Capricorn occurs just 22 minutes after the Moon reaches its closest point to Earth in 2013. It actually will appear larger in the sky than usual. This is the closest the Moon will get to the Earth until August 2014.

You can find a terrific article about it on EarthSky.org. I love that the author discusses the history and meaning of the term “supermoon” without dissing astrology.

Rather than breaking down the week by individual transits, I’ll discuss the week’s astrology through the Cancer ingress and Full Moon charts. That will be plenty, I’m sure. Starting with the Cancer ingress, I’ve set the chart for Washington and will base my interpretation on the United States, with apologies to my many readers around the world. I have to set the chart for somewhere, and this happens to be where I am. So, with that caveat, let’s have a look.

The Ascendant is 27 Pisces, with ruler Neptune in the twelfth house. The Ascendant in mundane astrology represents the general condition of the nation. This combination smacks of secrecy and deception. Neptune and Pisces also are related to epidemics and mental health. Before declaring that the whole country is going stark-raving mad – or, legitimately, that we have a serious mental health crisis on our hands that could well be called an epidemic – I decided to look up the Sabian symbol.* As it turns out, it’s quite a lovely image: A fertile garden under the full moon. (Gee, could that be Michelle Obama’s vegetable garden?)

There’s no doubt that we’re starting out the season with a debate on the surveillance state, which is described perfectly by Pluto in Capricorn in the tenth house. See last week’s forecast for more on that topic. We also find Uranus, planet of rioting and rebellion, in the first house and still in a fairly close square with Pluto. It’s hard for me to imagine people rioting in this country over privacy issues or even low employment, which also is a tenth house issue. Be that as it may, there does appear to be some serious discontent on the way in the next few months.

Cancer Ingress 2013

Click on image to enlarge

It’s interesting to note that the Sun in this chart is in the fourth house, closely conjunct Jupiter on the fourth-house cusp. In mundane astrology, the tenth house represents the party in power, while the fourth house represents the opposition. The Sun represents the country’s leaders, especially the president. According to the rules of mundane astrology, the leaders of this country, including its president, are more in the camp of the Republicans than the Democrats. Then, as John pointed out in an excellent comment on last week’s post, there’s not a whole lot of difference anymore. And, as it also so happens, Jupiter in mundane astrology represents banks and bankers. I don’t know how they could be any more in cahoots than they’ve been in the past, but this chart suggests an even closer relationship – or, at the very least, a significant event on the way rooted in these shady connections.

We also see a very tight inconjunct (technically, a quincunx) from the Moon to Jupiter and the Sun. The inconjunct says “nothing in common.” You don’t need an astrologer to tell you that our political and financial leaders are totally out of the touch with the people. It’s not so much that they don’t have their interests at heart, but that they don’t even know the meaning of the word “public interest.” However, the Moon and the Ascendant are in perfect harmony, so even if those at the top don’t “get it,” comprehension may be dawning within the public at large. Yes, hope springs eternal.

Despite the “fertile garden” image, there are several indications in this chart of death and sorrow, whether from epidemics, severe weather, or some other cause. Planets on the fourth-house cusp can indicate weather patterns. Jupiter suggests very big ones, and in the air sign of Gemini, we’re probably talking violent winds. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration already has said that we can expect a extremely active hurricane season in 2013. This chart would seem to reinforce that assessment, and I think it’s also possible that the summer’s spectacular grand water trine also could make for some massive storms involving flooding. I concede that weather astrology isn’t my forte, so we’ll have to wait and see.

Venus and Mercury are conjunct by exact degree. Venus represents peace and diplomacy, while Mercury represents commerce and the media. This would seem to be indication of positive developments, but Mercury is stationed, about to turn retrograde on June 26, and neither planet makes aspects to other planets in the chart. Moreover, they are in the fifth house, a sort of “light-weight” placement. Whatever these two have to say likely won’t be taken seriously this summer. However much we value programs to educate and protect our children, it may be that other issues are going to take precedence.

There is more I could write about the ingress, but let’s turn now to the Full Moon, which occurs on June 23. The Moon is in her detriment in Capricorn, but the Full Moon in Capricorn always falls with the Sun in Cancer, the sign the Moon rules. This gives us a week or so of inner angst and collective tension. The word “lunatic” derives from an old belief that people acted crazier at the Full Moon. With the Moon at her closet to the Earth and the motion of the Sun “stopped” as perceived from Earth, I’d say it’s a good bet there will be a lot of craziness. Add to that the connection to the 2010 cardinal T-square by degree, and we’ve got the makings of a perfect storm, be it symbolic or literal.

Full Moon in Capricorn

Click on image to enlarge

As you can see in the chart, the Sun makes a lovely grand trine with Saturn and Neptune, an early reflection of the rare configuration about to take place with Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune. The trine with the Sun will be more exact toward the middle of next week, and then the trine with Jupiter will be exact on July 17. I’ve written before that this astrological phenomenon indicates a window of opportunity to make headway in some of your most cherished goals. You should know by now what they are, and hopefully you’ve been doing the work. In world affairs, this is also a time to make some progress on issues that have been at a standoff. However, the political will to do so must exist, and I’m not sure I’m that optimistic.

At the most fundamental level, Cancer and Capricorn represent mother and father. It’s no accident that throughout history, people have referred to their countries as the “fatherland” or the “motherland.” Governments and their leaders often represented parents, with an expectation that those parents would take care of their children. Many of us still have those expectations, although they vary wildly. At the most basic, we expect our government to protect us from foreign enemies. But it would seem – in this country at least – that what we’ve got is more like Saturn devouring his children. Lest you find this metaphor somewhat morbid, remember that in the Greek version of the myth, the children were saved by mother goddesses Rhea and Gaia, who hatched a plan with Zeus (Roman Jupiter) to give Cronus one hell of a bellyache so he would vomit the children back out. They then overthrew him and became the twelve gods of Olympus.

I’ll end on another personal update, since I know that many of you are still waiting for reports. Also, a couple of readers have written to ask whether there will be a summer StarGuide. I have started writing reports again, but it’s very slow going. I’m hoping I’ll continue to improve, but I’ve learned that I need to stop making promises, because I never know what to expect from one day to the next. I feel better today than I’ve felt in a long time, but I could wake up tomorrow with a splitting headache. In order to get through the backlog, I’ve posted a notice on my report order page that I’m currently not accepting new orders. Of course, I’ll post a new note when that changes.

That means I won’t have the summer forecast up before June 21. It could be two or even three weeks before I have the time to do the prep work. In the meantime, I’ve decided to offer the transit section of the report at a reduced cost of $19 for those who want to know what’s ahead. I can produce these fairly quickly. I’ll post a sample shortly so that you can see what you’ll get. Just so you know, there will be no Full Moon or New Moon interpretations, no “best days” graphs, and no fancy formatting – all the things I do that distinguishes StarGuide from other transit reports you can find online. But for now, it’s the best I can do, and it seems like a workable compromise. [UPDATE: Click here to see the sample report.]

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

* From The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, by Dr. Marc Edmund Jones. The author, an astrologer, channeled this work in 1925 with the help of Elsie Wheeler, a gifted psychic. There’s one symbol one for each degree of the zodiac, and we can use them to gain insight into charts.

Weekly Forecast May 27: Mercury and Venus Conjunct Jupiter

After the Rain. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

Raindrops in the Sun. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

The astrological waters are still a little choppy, but we’ve pulled through the eclipse season, and this week we have some important shifts, along with a fortunate conjunction of Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter.

Venus and Jupiter are the “luckiest” planets in astrology, and while they conjoin every year, a triple conjunction with Mercury is rare. The conjunction occurs in Gemini, which is ruled by Mercury, so the areas that receive the most benefit are likely to be in the realms of finance, business, ideas, knowledge, and communications. Indeed, you might get too much of a good thing.

Mercury conjoins Jupiter on Monday, which is Memorial Day in the United States. Most business will be closed, and if you have to work, you’ll likely have a quiet day. Tuesday could more than make up for it, though, when Venus takes her turn with the Big Guy. The aftereffects will last into Wednesday and perhaps even Thursday.

With Venus in the picture, I think most of the news will be favorable. However, the eclipses could take a month or more to play out, and we’re still well within the hit zone of the Uranus-Pluto square. I truly hope that the Venus-Jupiter conjunction will bring a ray of hope to places in the world that have been ravaged with disasters, both natural and manmade.

Speaking of which, the bridge that collapsed was north of Seattle, so of course I’ve been following that story. Our Department of Transportation is notorious for passing the buck on just about everything, and it appears they’re trying to worm their way out of responsibility by declaring the accident a fluke and blaming it on the driver. The department is on the record as saying the bridge was safe, despite its rating as structurally deficient and functionally obsolete – a rating shared by more than 11 percent of bridges in the United States. Incidentally, the bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis in 2007 also was rated structurally deficient. No cause for concern whatsoever. According to the Federal Highway Administration, it would take until 2028 to repair aging U.S. bridges, at a cost of more than $20 billion annually. We’re not spending anything close to that, and while there’s been some talk that the Skagit River bridge collapse might generate a necessary discussion, I’m not holding my breath. Catastrophes are happening at such a frightening rate these days that we quickly forget the last one and move on to the next.

In January 2008, when Pluto moved into Capricorn, I wrote about the implications for the nation’s infrastructure (you can read in my archive). Saturn, ruler of Capricorn, is about structure, and one of Pluto’s functions is to destroy the rotten and outdated. With Pluto in Capricorn and Saturn in Scorpio, we’ve got a double dose of destruction – all with the purpose of transforming, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Uranus, meanwhile, is a volatile, explosive energy, and he also rules wind storms.

With Uranus in Mars-ruled Aries, it’s important to keep track of Mars. As it so happens, the planet of action and aggression enters Gemini this Friday. Gemini is an air sign, so I think high winds will continue to make headlines. On Saturday, the Sun in Gemini forms a lively sextile with Uranus, which should be mostly positive. This is a signature for still more bright ideas, flashes of inspiration, spontaneous self-expression, and random acts of creativity.

After Mercury and Venus conjoin Jupiter, they both enter Cancer – Mercury on Friday and Venus on Sunday. Cancer is far more touchy-feely than Gemini, which often confuses talking about feelings with the feelings themselves. Mercury in Cancer has the advantage of talking very effectively about feelings, and with Venus in Cancer, too, authentic feelings will surface. This is a nice combination for caring and kind words. You can never have too much of that. As they progress through the early degrees of Cancer, Mercury and Venus will form a grand trine with Saturn and Neptune (exact next week). The big trine comes in mid-July, when Jupiter forms a grand trine with Saturn and Neptune by exact degree, but in the meantime, we’ll get a mini version, and perhaps we’ll even get a taste of things to come. My take is that we’re about to have a wide window of opportunity to turn our big ideas into reality and maybe even make some dreams come true. All this breaking down has to clear the way for something new, right? It wouldn’t be a bad idea to start thinking about what you want in place of what you don’t want. I have been. It’s a discussion that should be taking place now.

In general, this week’s transition might feel something like my day. This morning, I awoke to the sound of rain hitting the leaves outside my window. It remained dreary until a little after noon, when the sun emerged from behind the clouds. Suddenly, it was if it had rained diamonds. And I’ve never heard such hysterically happy birds. I wish I could record them for you. I’m still in a dark place, moving slowly, with a mind that feels like it’s got a few loose wires. But it’s impossible not to respond to raindrops sparkling in the sunlight, birdsong, and the depth of the green after a storm. It’s not for nothing that Seattle is nicknamed the Emerald City. The sunshine didn’t last long (we call these quick appearances “sun breaks”), but it was just long enough for me to snap a photo. Raindrops in sunshine, such an incongruous image. But that may be the way it is for a while.

I leave you with this NASA video of the triple conjunction. If the sky is clear where you are, step outside at sunset and enjoy the show.

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

Weekly Forecast January 28: Jupiter Turns Direct, Mars Enters Pisces

Seeing Through the Mists. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

Seeing Through the Mists. © Pat Paquette, 2013.

Jupiter is waking up, and he’s pretty grumpy. I know how he feels.

As ruler of Sagittarius, Jupiter is said to be in “detriment” in his opposite sign, Gemini. Sagittarius is the seeker who asks the Big Questions in order to find truth with a capital “T.” Gemini is about a lot of information – the more and the more-detailed, the better. For the grand champion of Trivial Pursuit, there’s joy simply in knowing stuff. Better still if it’s trending on Twitter.

Being retrograde in Gemini has been the Big Guy’s worst nightmare. The neurons are firing left and right on information overload, but the left and right sides of the brain aren’t talking to each other. How the hell can you get the big picture if one half can’t or won’t talk to the other?

Apparently, though, Jupiter has been talking to us, and you can listen to him here. This remarkable recording was made by Thomas Ashcraft, an amateur astronomer in New Mexico. In a post on Space Weather (scroll down about halfway on the page), Aschraft is quoted as saying it felt nice to be bathed in Jupiter’s beams. At the time of his recording, Jupiter was in close conjunction with the Moon – one of the astrological aspects most often associated with good feelings. So, let’s see if I have this right: Planet Jupiter sends radio laser beams to earth that penetrate the bodies of human beings and make them feel good, but there can’t possibly be anything to such a ridiculously superstitious pseudoscience as astrology.

Whatever. Where’s my coffee?

In other science news this week (science and technology being a very Aquarius thing), there’s evidence that human DNA is growing. According to some researchers, we’ll eventually have twelve strands of DNA instead of just two. Hmmmm, twelve. Does that ring any bells? We’re mutating! I’ve long believed it likely was happening, probably due to the enormous stress we’re under as a species. Mutations in human genes aren’t anything new. I’ve got mutant blood and toes, and there are plenty of other examples. But to actually change our DNA might suggest a new species of superhumans. I can just hear the theme to 2001.

Kidding aside, we’re experiencing growing pains and have been for quite some time as our consciousness expands. I’ve heard plenty of stories from clients and readers, but last week was off the charts with reports of past-life experiences, meetings with karmic connections, people and animals passing over, and waking dreams. Maybe it was the Full Moon in Leo, which rules the heart. Some astrologers and alternative healers believe we’re going through a collective opening of the heart chakra. The heart is the true seat of the mind; the brain is just a tool. Aquarius, the sign opposite Leo, synthesizes both. Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, is the Awakener, and he is in favorable aspect with Jupiter. What’s more, both planets were favorably aspected to the Full Moon. So, it makes sense that we’d be having these mind-blowing experiences. I know that for some of you they are disorienting and uncomfortable. All I can say is, do your best to stay grounded.

Jupiter returns direct on Thursday after a long nap that began on October 4. Planetary energies are particularly powerful at stations, so this week could be quite extraordinary. Have a look at where Jupiter is transiting your natal chart (or, alternatively, order one of my StarGuide forecasts), and ask yourself whether the activities associated with that house have been stalled since early fall. They sure have for me, and I’m counting on being able to get back on track within the next couple of weeks. It may take that long, too, as it takes the outer planets a bit of time to get moving again following a shift in motion.

There’s other big news this week, too. Also on Thursday, the Sun forms an exact square with Saturn. I mentioned this aspect in last week’s forecast, as it featured prominently in the Full Moon chart. My take remains the same – i.e., that big plans may indeed be able to get off the ground, but that blast-off is going to require an awful lot of fuel. That means more effort on your part and a strong commitment to see your projects through.

Saturn himself is beginning to slow down to turn retrograde on February 18, so if you’re willing to make a commitment now, you can accomplish a lot. And here’s an extra bit of good news: once Jupiter returns direct, all ten planets will be direct until Saturn’s station. Ceres returns direct on February 4, and then all of the asteroids will be direct, too. This is a short window, and it’s the only one we’ll have in 2013, so now is the time to act!

On Friday, both Mars and Venus enter news signs. The erratic energy of Mars in Aquarius gives way to the hypersensitive and sometimes escapist tendency of Mars in Pisces, while the reserved demeanor of Venus in Capricorn turns to a more social but emotionally detached Venus in Aquarius. Sounds like a lot of drinking ending in one-night stands. Or drinking to drown the sorrows of being stood up. Or maybe just a lot of drinking.

Saturn: Whatever you do, do it responsibly.

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

Weekly Forecast December 3: Lunar Aspects, A Brief Respite

Just how big is the Big Guy? A thousand times bigger than Earth. Image courtesy NASA.

The first thing I do when I sit down to write the weekly forecast is to mark up all the week’s planetary aspects in my Llewellyn’s Daily Planetary Guide. Well, I could barely believe my eyes when I saw that there are no major planetary aspects this week!

That certainly makes up for last week, when I pretty much had to write a book, on top of a video explaining the lunar eclipse. The manifestations of the eclipse and the significant aspects surrounding it are still unfolding this week and will continue to do so for another week, possibly even a month, until the next Full Moon, which falls on December 28.

In the meantime, all we have this week are lunar aspects, unless you count events like the Sun quindecile Admetos or Venus inconjunct Eris – which I don’t. The Moon is in Leo on Monday and moves through four signs, as it does in the course of a week, making aspects with the Sun and eight planets along the way. Astrologers who write daily horoscopes often use these aspects, but I tend to ignore them, because they are fleeting, and there’s simply no way to write anything meaningful about them that you can use. You’re more likely to feel the effects of the Moon aligning with a personal planet or chart angle – and even then, only briefly – and that’s not anything I can address in a weekly column. The best I can do is to reiterate the importance of being familiar with your own chart and knowing how to get information about your transits on any given day.

Mercury is picking up speed following his return direct last Monday. I’ve had several stops and starts over the past week, but in general, the frustration is easing up. One of the predictions I made about Mercury’s return direct in Scorpio was that we’d get a flood of details about things hidden, at least since Election Day and possibly longer. Yesterday while browsing the headlines of HuffPo, I came across a long and very detailed article by Julian Assange highlighting stories that have emerged in the two years since WikiLeaks published a vast archive of U.S. diplomatic cables. Although these details aren’t new, the retroactive look at government secrets is very much in keeping with Mercury’s return direct in secretive Scorpio.

On Thursday, Mercury conjoins the lunar North Node, the third pass in his retrograde cycle. If we regard the North Node as a symbol of purpose, destiny, or some other special significance, then Mercury’s back-and-forth crossing of this point should be interpreted as a message containing necessary information about these themes. The biggest event that happened in this period, of course, was the re-election of President Obama. My whole approach to the election wasn’t to support the candidate with the “right” ideology (i.e., the one you agree with) but to accept the right candidate for the extraordinary times we’re in. Although, as an astrologer, I have my view of what the next four years are going to be like, I also know that unexpected events can happen that radically alter the world as we know it, and there’s no way I can predict these events.

In looking at some charts for this week, the only other thing that stands out is a Yod that reflects the lunar eclipse chart and that will continue into next year, with Saturn and Pluto at the base and Jupiter at the apex. This is as good a time as any to discuss Yods. I’ve been changing my mind about them, based on research. When I first heard about them several years ago, I’d had no experience with them and so took it on faith from other astrologers who did have experience that there was something very important about them. I recently came across an old article by Chris Brennan that reminded me of what happens when information circulates the Internet and becomes “fact” by virtue of appearing in so many different places. When and where did this view of Yods come from? It’s not in any of the ancient texts and in fact is a modern invention. In my mind, that makes it untested. In researching how other astrologers come up with their interpretations, I’ve read many good arguments, but there is a lot of disagreement about what Yods mean, if anything. That’s to be expected with a new idea. The same thing is happening regarding the asteroids, which is why I also approach them with caution. Right now, all we have are a lot of theories. Before you can prove anything, you need a theory, so theories are great – provided you keep in mind that they are just that and don’t take them as goddess-honest truth.

Yods are said to be rare, and according to some interpretations, they represent unusually difficult challenges. Who doesn’t have difficult challenges? According to others, they indicate a special purpose or destiny. I haven’t seen any kind of systematic study showing that Yods are any rarer than, say, a T-square or a grand cross. And certainly, those configurations carry much greater weight, as they involve major aspects. A quincunx (sometimes called an inconjunct) is a minor aspect – not to be entirely ignored, but also not to be elevated above major aspects. It’s tempting, as one advances one’s astrological knowledge, to find lesser-known aspects, planets, asteroids, fictitious points in space – whatever – and to hone in on them, simply because it’s something new and carries the aura of advanced knowledge. These new ideas are all very interesting and can add richness and complexity to chart interpretation, but they shouldn’t be regarded as substitutes for the basic building blocks of astrology. The conjunction is still the most powerful aspect, and aspects to personal planets are more significant than outer planetary aspects. Pluto conjunct your Moon? You bet you’re going to feel it. Pluto in a Yod with Neptune and Vesta? Not so much.

I know that a lot of people will disagree with me and might say they have personal experience to prove their point. My response is that it’s extremely difficult to “prove” which astrological aspect correlates to an event or personality trait. It is all too easy to see connections that either aren’t there or that are weak and to miss others that are more compelling. This is one of the biggest dilemmas facing astrologers, and the more planets, asteroids, and chart patterns such as the Yod we throw into the toolbox, the more difficult it is to find the right tool to hit the nail. Sometimes you really just need the hammer, and that’s that.

One thing that’s certain is that we have an exact Sun-Jupiter opposition this evening (December 2, 8:45 p.m. EST), with the Earth in between and Jupiter the closest he’ll be to us until 2021. There’s a terrific article on the astronomy of this event at EarthSky. Financial astrologer Ray Merriman considers this aspect one the key signatures in market reversals. Keeping in mind that Jupiter is in the sign of his detriment and retrograde, it’s nevertheless an annual event worth noting. You’ll notice this aspect most if you have personal planets or chart angles at 9-13 degrees of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces).

Before I go, I want to announce that the StarGuide Winter 2013 Forecast is now available. Turnaround time is three-to-five days, so keep that in mind as you plan your holiday shopping.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chart for New Moon in Cancer

Click on image to enlarge

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

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

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

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

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

Weekly Forecast July 2: Full Moon in Capricorn, Mars Enters Libra

Here in the Pacific Northwest, it’s gloomy and cold, but we’re not complaining much, given that the rest of the world is either burning or under water, with high winds thrown in for good measure.

It’s always tricky pinning weather phenomenon to astrological configurations, but there seem to be strong correlations here. Jupiter, symbol of “big,” is in Gemini, an air sign … and we get high winds. Neptune is in his (some say “her”) own sign of Pisces, and we get floods. The Sun is in Cancer, another water sign. Last week, they were all dancing together in a close dance, and it manifested as weather that perfectly expressed the character of the cosmic dancers.

The fires are something else. Whenever you see the word “wild,” Uranus is an immediate suspect. Uranus is in Aries, the first and most impulsive of the three fire signs. It’s hard not to correlate the wild fires in the Western United States with the Uranus-Pluto square. There are other possible correlations to this signature, too. Ray Merriman discusses the other potential manifestations in his weekly column, and he’s much better than I at explaining financial developments.

The Uranus-Pluto square is with us for the next three years – and, if the 1960s are any indication, the manifestations of it will continue to unfold for a few years after that. As I’ve mentioned before, the most explosive year in that decade was 1968, even though the Uranus-Pluto conjunction officially ended more than a year before. It’s safe to say that the biggest events are yet to come.

This past week has been wild and crazy for a lot of us. We’re exhausted, freaking out over lack of jobs and money, working too hard for what we do have, and finding less and less time to relax and have fun. I’ve been asked several times whether I think it has anything to do with the Uranus-Pluto square. Yes and no. Outer planetary cycles such as these tend to manifest socially, culturally, and globally. But that doesn’t mean that each of us isn’t affected. When everyone is stressed out, it stresses us out even more – especially those who are the least bit psychic or pick up on the emotions of those around them. The water signs and those with Moon in water signs are particularly susceptible to picking up on this collective stress.

To be clear, the planets aren’t “causing” the stress. However, I do believe that the Uranus-Pluto square represents a push for totally overhauling how we live. We can’t keep going to our jobs every day, working harder and getting paid less, paying more and more taxes for fewer services (and paying more for those services in addition), feeling more exhausted and less personally rewarded, and not reach a breaking point. It’s not a question of “if” but “when.”

Chart for Full Moon in Capricorn

Click on image to enlarge

“When” may get a little closer this week with Tuesday’s Full Moon in Capricorn conjunct Pluto and square Uranus. The conjunction is a bit wide – more than four degrees – but it’s close enough for government work, as they say. Pluto, meanwhile, is at the apex of a Yod with Venus and Mercury. No matter how you dissect it, it looks like Pluto is the breaking point in this configuration. Pluto in Capricorn is about big government, authoritarian rule, and the impenetrable power of multinational corporations. On a personal level, there’s a higher-than-normal risk of explosive emotions and quiet implosions. You know yourself better than anyone, so I won’t tell you what you should do if you feel an outburst coming on.

A few hours before the Full Moon, Mars enters Libra, which is also big news. Mars, the planet of action and aggression, has been in diligent but nitpicky Virgo for nearly eight months. Normally, Mars stays in a sign for about six weeks, but due to his retrograde cycle, he has had an extended stay in Virgo. Mars and Venus both went retrograde this year, and in signs ruled by Mercury, who also was retrograde in April. Getting anything done in the first half of this year has been fraught with setbacks, delays, and less-than-stellar feedback. Mars leaving Virgo should help ease up on the obstacles, although Mercury is about to go retrograde toward the end of next week. Still, I don’t think it will be as frustrating as the past six months.

If you’d like to know where Mercury is going to be retrograde in your chart – as well as a lot of other essential information for surviving the summer – I highly recommend my StarGuide Summer forecast. If you order now, I’ll add a few extra weeks of transits to the end of the report, since the season is already well under way. I do have to tell you, though, that my schedule is still very tight, even with classes over the summer, and so my normal turnaround time of two days for reports has stretched to 3-5 days. My consulting hours are reduced, too, so if you’d like a reading, I suggest setting it up as soon as possible. I currently have a wait period of about two weeks.

Getting back to Mars in Libra, my take on this particular passage is that it’s going to somehow activate the entire cycle of Saturn in Libra. Saturn, you may recall, entered Libra in 2010, right as a powerful T-square in the early degrees of the cardinal signs was forming. It peaked in July and August of that year, which many of us remember as a time that was volatile, frustrating, and enervating, even while new doors were opening to us and new directions beckoning. Over the next week or so, as Mars passes through the early degrees of Libra, watch for events or circumstances that somehow link back to the summer of 2010, especially in terms of your closest relationships or important partnerships. Mars will conjoin Saturn in mid-August, an important passage, about which I’ll write more as the date gets closer.

On Wednesday, Mercury, Venus, and Uranus form a lovely sextile-trine arrangement. This is an overall positive configuration that will express itself as surprises in love, money, and communications. Sudden meetings, unexpected phone calls, a text message that makes you sit up and take notice – these are the kinds of events we might expect on a personal level.

There are some other minor aspects this week, but I’m going to stop there so that I can get this forecast posted and hopefully get a few hours of sleep for another grueling week.

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

Weekly Forecast June 11: Jupiter Enters Gemini

Another big week is ahead of us, with Jupiter entering Gemini and the Uranus-Pluto square close to exact – “close enough for government work,” as they say.

And that’s where we’re likeliest to see evidence of the Uranus-Pluto contact. Ray Merriman lays it out in his weekly forecast, so I’ll refer you to him for how the details (Gemini) fit into the big picture (Jupiter). We’re also in for a major cultural shift similar to what we experienced in the mid-1960s, when Uranus and Pluto were conjunct. We even look the part, with the hippie look back in fashion. Maxi dresses, headbands, love beads, and fringed bags are all the rage again.

Right after Jupiter enters Gemini on Monday, Mercury squares Uranus and opposes Pluto. The Messenger brings news, and it’s likely to be big and a little scary. Not that we haven’t seen the handwriting on the wall for more than a year, with the Occupy Movement, Arab spring, turbulence in the eurozone, and the growing threat of global economic collapse. However, Mercury in Cancer implies a more fearful reaction to what’s happening and what may happen in the future. Ruled by the Moon, Cancer’s moods are up one minute and down the next. That tells me that the public mood is going to fluctuate wildly over the next couple of weeks in response to news generated by government and financial institutions.

Communications and relationships continue to be a major theme, and it’s where we have the biggest opportunities to evolve our consciousness. We’re still working through some old issues, some of which may extend “outside time,” which is my way of saying “past lives.” Indeed, more people may become aware of this concept and understand that those lives you think are in the “past” are happening on many levels, all at once. It helps our limited human brain to think of them in order, chronologically, but that’s not the reality. As we open up to the real nature of time, many of us are disoriented and feel “spacey,” like we’re not all here. If you feel like this, don’t fight it, just observe. Keep notes. Record your dreams. And if you need extra sleep, give in to it.

Over the past two years, I’ve had a significant increase in clients coming to me about relationships with people they recognize from a “past life.” These meetings often are the trigger that starts removing the barrier in our consciousness limiting our awareness to one place in space and time. To function “normally,” we need these boundaries. However, humanity has reached a crisis stage that defies solutions within our limited awareness. Even your personal relationships may have reached a point at which both sides are so polarized that you can’t seem to “get it together.” Expanding our concept of time will open us up to new possibilities. And if your experience is anything like mine, you might realize that some of what you needed to know was right there all along, but you just couldn’t see it. It’s a lot like being a dark or dimly lit room and then suddenly turning on the lights. You don’t see anything that wasn’t already there.

Venus remains retrograde in Gemini until June 27, while Saturn in Venus-ruled Libra – the sign of relationships – comes out of retrograde just two days earlier. In other words, they’ll both be stationed, or “stopped,” at the same time, like pausing a movie. I believe this will allow us a chance to understand our relationships and to see them for what they are. Part of that equation will be seeing ourselves more clearly and understanding how we connect.

I’ve anticipated for more than a year that we’d have some kind of mass awakening in June 2012, given the combination of astrological aspects this month. And while the Uranus-Pluto square is huge and strongly suggests global social and cultural upheaval, the retrograde cycle of Venus in Gemini combined with eclipses and a Venus transit has far-reaching implications on a more subtle level. That’s why I made the bold statement in last week’s forecast that 2012 will be history by December 21, the presumed end of the Mayan Calendar.

Which brings me to another point. On Friday, I was explaining all of the foregoing to a friend who’s not much into astrology, and she asked what you do with all of this information. Excellent question. When we know the source of certain conflicts or understand the astrological energies underlying the events in our lives, we can make better choices about how to act or react. In some cases, we might have more compassion. In others, we might decide to risk conflict by provoking a confrontation. Or we may decide to remain patient a bit longer while people and relationships unfold to a point at which solutions will be easier to find.

Getting back to this week, Mercury trines Chiron on Tuesday, just as Chiron is turning retrograde. Again, when planets shift from direct to retrograde and back again, they “stand still” for a period, signifying a sort of freeze frame that allows us to get a good look at what’s going on. For me, Chiron is conjunct my Moon by exact degree, so when he turns retrograde and then is aspected by Mercury, not only will I get a clearer idea of how this life-changing transit is affecting me, but I’ll be able to talk about it in a way that facilitates healing.

The Sun’s trine with Saturn on Wednesday is a potential trigger aspect for events related to last week’s lunar eclipse. Don’t be surprised by an initial confrontation or argument. Sticking with it and working through your differences will be rewarded, likely by renewed commitment. The Venus-Chiron square on Saturday is another potential healing aspect that requires addressing painful memories and old hurts.

On Sunday, Father’s Day, the Moon conjoins Jupiter and Venus. An honest, heart-to-heart talk with Dad over a beer will be the best gift you can give, and it could last you both a lifetime … or longer.

If you’d like to know more about what’s coming in June, I highly recommend the monthly forecast by Rick Levine and Jeff Jawer. It’s one of their best ever, so be sure to listen to the whole thing! And do check out Ray Merriman. All together, you’ll get a broad picture that helps you make the most of the momentous times in which we’re living.

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