Tag Archives: Jupiter in Pisces

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Gemini, December 21

Reflection of the Full Moon in a pond on Mount Baker. © Pat Paquette 2010.

Living on an island gives a whole new meaning to “missing the boat.”

If you arrive at the dock 30 seconds late, you may have to wait an hour for the next ferry. I’ve slept through the alarm a few times, and when I realized how late it was, I had to make a last-minute scramble to get my butt out the door – wet hair, no coffee, and makeup thrown in a bag for later.

That, dear ones, is how I see the Full Moon lunar eclipse on December 21 – the first eclipse in the new Sagittarius-Gemini series. As we awaken into higher consciousness, we may suddenly realize that our normal routine is useless, and we’ll have to make some very fast changes in order not to miss the boat.

Most of us have a pretty good idea by now where we’re going, or at least in which direction we’re heading. The challenge has been how to get there. Over the summer, under the influence of the cardinal T-square, we initiated new circumstances in our lives but then got stuck. To get unstuck, we had to expand our thinking or change our beliefs. If you managed to get that far, you may now find yourself in a chaotic blur as your inner being and outer world attempt to realign.

The Sun at 29 degrees Sagittarius and the Moon at 29 degrees Gemini form a mutable T-square with Jupiter and Uranus, both back in late Pisces after their brief foray into Aries over the summer. Whereas the cardinal T-square initiates new projects and circumstances, the mutable T-square favors change through adaptation. So, the way I read this is that we’ll need to scramble to make changes in order to adapt to events that came about during the cardinal T-square.

Several hours after the Full Moon, the Sun enters Capricorn and activates the apex of the cardinal T-square, which was occupied by Pluto over the summer. The lunar North Node, a destiny point, also is there, and Mars recently moved over this point. Needless to say, it’s a highly charged area of the sky. Be prepared for difficult issues to come to a head, but then observe closely. What transpires will give you a clue about what comes next and what course corrections you need to make, if any.

In a flip of energies, Jupiter and Uranus are at the apex of the mutable T-square at this Full Moon – yet another sign that shifting is going to occur. Uranus is unpredictable, but with Jupiter in close conjunction, whatever happens is sure to happen big. The open spot opposite Jupiter and Uranus, in late Virgo, is the pressure relief valve, so check to see where this point is located in your chart. That’s where you may see the most positive changes at this eclipse.

The conjunction of Neptune and Chiron form another release point, which is in a flowing sextile-trine pattern with the Sun and Moon. I’ve been writing about these two for several years and their influence in healing. We can’t expect to have healthy and supportive social structures when the individuals who make up our society are sick, asleep, and drugged into emotional numbness. How much shock is enough to wake us up? And will enough of us do the healing work to reach critical mass?

Mercury is the ruler of this eclipse, and he’s retrograde until the end of the month. While we may have to deal with a lot of frustrating delays and miscommunications, I’m hopeful that we’ll also have an opportunity to rethink our response to the summer’s events. Launching new projects while Mercury is retrograde isn’t advised, but research and revision can work out quite well. Mercury is closely conjunct the Galactic Center, and that tells me we could get more “downloads” from the Universe – important information we can use to help us comprehend what’s occurring and to work more effectively toward our new goals.

A few hours after the eclipse, Venus reaches the degree of her retrograde on October 8. Relationships enter new territory, and I think this will be mostly for the better. The problem, as I see it, is that with Mercury retrograde, going back over old ground may be necessary but not necessarily productive. Try it, and if you see that it’s not working, back off until after Mercury returns direct on December 30.

Saturn is unaspected at this Full Moon but is “receiving” from Pluto, Mars, and Ceres in Capricorn, and he’s also exalted in Libra. Whatever we manifest now, there’s a real possibility that it will balanced and fair. Among other things, look for news of environmental issues being addressed in a more fair and balanced way. Saturn will be the ruler of the next New Moon, a solar eclipse at 13 degrees Capricorn on January 4.

The Sabian Symbol** for the Moon at 29°21′ Gemini is, bathing beauties, with the keyword CHARM. We all have natural gifts and talents. They are part of who we are and what makes us unique, and as we develop them to their fullest potential, we become stronger and more confident. When we’re using our gifts as intended, we naturally want what is best for our “highest self,” and we can more easily let go of what doesn’t serve us. Since this is a Full Moon, there’s a strong possibility that many of us will have to let go of something or someone.

For the Sun at 29°21′ Sagittarius, the Sabian Symbol is the Pope, with the keyword SANCTITY. This symbol originally was meant as a testament to the special abilities a person develops as he climbs higher on the social and political ladder. In an era long gone, those who made it to the top were admired for their strength and leadership, and it was recognized that they sacrificed much to make it to the top.

There’s a flip side to this symbol, “inordinate love of self-display and surrender to a lust for power.” That hits the nail on the head in the context of mundane astrology. But there’s a personal message in it, too, which is that getting to the top – whatever that means to you – requires self-sacrifice and, above all, maintaining your integrity.

Pat

** 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 September 20: Sun in Libra, Full Moon in Aries

This year’s cardinal T-square is mostly done, thank goddess, but I’ve been keeping my eye on this week as one exception.

Thanks to Thursday’s Full Moon, for a brief period, we’ll revisit the cardinal T-square, which peaked in early August. I wrote a complete interpretation in my Saturday post, reviewing how this Full Moon mirrors the T-square but also holds the potential to take us beyond the limitations we faced over the summer.

In addition to the Full Moon, the big news this week is the Sun’s entry into Libra, marking the official beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere. The Sun will cross the degrees of the T-square, but one of the biggest obstacles in that earlier configuration, Saturn, has moved far enough away to be less of a constraint. Sun in Libra suggests moderation, so I don’t think we’ll get a power surge but rather the easy movement forward that occurs when you let your foot off the brake.

The Sun’s Libra ingress occurs Wednesday at 11:09 p.m. on the East Coast of the United States. Of course, it will be Thursday already in the Eastern Hemisphere, where many of RealAstrologers’ faithful readers live.

Before entering Libra, the Sun in the final degrees of Virgo opposes Jupiter and Uranus, both of which are retrograde and back in Pisces for the rest of the year. Although they aren’t part of the cardinal T-square, they do form a tight T-square with the Sun and Moon on Thursday, and so their energies can’t be discounted. Also, I expect that the Sun will carry some of their loud, boisterous energy forward into the Full Moon, so we can expect to hear from these two. Wild storms – meteorological, political and emotional – are among the potential manifestations from Tuesday through Friday.

On Saturday, the Sun squares Pluto, newly direct in Capricorn and ready to flex his muscle. This is the most contentious aspect of the week and where I expect we’ll have to revisit old obstacles. There’s nothing to do during Pluto transits except to give up resistance. If you’re trying to hang onto something – a situation, a relationship, a belief – you may need to let it go. At the very least, you’ll need to change your approach. You probably already know where the problem area lies, as this really is just a repeat of issues you faced over the summer. This time, though, you may really need to give up and try something different.

Difficult Sun-Pluto transits also correspond to mechanical breakdowns. If you’ve been avoiding repairs, you may not be able to do so any longer.

Sunday could be emotionally charged, with the Moon in Taurus opposite Venus and Mars in Scorpio. It sounds great for certain indoor activities, but the resulting fireworks may be a little more intense than you bargained for. If you manage to access a deep place in your psyche where difficult emotions have been hidden or repressed, let them come up. The release may leave you feeling like a dishrag, but you’ll feel a lot better when Monday morning rolls around.

Wishing you all much love, courage, and the abundance of the season,
Pat

Image: The new crop of apples has arrived! © Barbara Helgason for Dreamstime.com.

Full Moon in Aries, September 23

Harvest Moon rising over the Cascades, Sept. 17, 2005. © David Haworth, http://www.stargazing.net

The Full Moon in Aries on September 23 revisits the cardinal T-square of 2010 and expresses its powerful potential to set sweeping changes in motion.

Normally, we look to the Full Moon as an outgrowth of whatever was begun at the New Moon, but I don’t see a lot of association here. This Full Moon, which traditionally is called the “Harvest Moon,” appears to be a sort of “early harvest” of the seeds planted during the cardinal T-square, or at least an indication of what the future harvest will look like.

Although the outer planets no longer are in a tight cardinal T-square, this Full Moon fills in the blanks, so to speak. So many people told me over the summer that they felt like they were on the verge of a breakthrough, but they kept bumping up against obstacles. This Full Moon on the dynamic first degree of Aries may be just what it takes to blast through those invisible walls.

The breakthroughs we sensed over the summer were real, but with the T-square blocking the energies symbolized by each of the other planets, we were stuck. Some of us, but not all, were able to find a way out via a personal planet or chart point opposite Pluto or during one of the soft transits (sextiles or trines) from the planets in the T-square. I alerted you to these windows in my weekly forecasts.

The Moon at 0°15′ Aries opposite the Sun at 0°15′ Libra repeats the degrees of the T-square at its peak in early August, both square Pluto. This Full Moon also is square the very powerful lunar eclipse in Capricorn on June 26, which was closely conjunct Pluto. The difference is that Pluto was retrograde back then, and he’s now in a powerful position of waking and returning direct.

The Full Moon on the Aries point reinforces the theme of new growth and emerging from darkness into light. However, since this is a Full Moon, and it’s the day after the equinox, this isn’t a time of birth, but of bringing what already has been born into full realization. It is a time of blooming into fullness, and that includes awakening consciousness on an individual and also broad, collective scale.

Jupiter and Uranus, which were in the first few degrees of Aries during the height of the T-square, are now retrograde and back in Pisces for the rest of the year. But they are still conjunct the Moon by just a few degrees and so are very active participants in this Full Moon. Even retrograde in Pisces, these two are big, loud, and rebellious, especially with Jupiter at his closest approach to the Earth in nearly 50 years. From Tea Party gains to powerful storms in the Atlantic, these two are making themselves felt (maybe all the hot air in Washington is keeping those storms offshore).

Saturn, meanwhile, has advanced to nearly 7 degrees Libra and makes a wide conjunction with the Sun. A lot can be accomplished, particularly in the sphere of relationships. With Saturn separating from the tight square to Pluto, we no longer have powerful forces working against each other, and this is another reason for my optimism that we can start achieving the progress we just couldn’t manage to pull off a couple of months ago.

At 26 degrees Sagittarius, Ceres is in a tight square with Jupiter and Uranus as she moves toward alignment with the Galactic Center and conjunction with Pluto. Ceres, symbol of the cycles in nature, was a major influence in the chart for the BP Horizon disaster. Fittingly, the news headlines talk of the well’s permanent death. But, as with the fateful meeting between Demeter and Hades (Greek counterparts to Ceres and Pluto), the implications will be with us for a very long time.

Ceres also makes a tight trine to Neptune and Chiron, reinforcing the theme of collective healing. Understanding that life experiences come in cycles is one way to feel whole and connected, even when we’re surrounded by darkness, chaos, and confusion.

Mercury, Venus, and Mars are in a wide, separating aspect, and they aren’t major influences in this chart. It’s important to note, though, that Venus is slowing down as she gets closer to retrograde on October 8. She’ll conjoin Mars right before that.

Lastly, I’d like to mention that this is the first of two full moons in Aries this year. After the New Moon in Libra on October 7, we will be back in the cycle of the New Moon in a sign followed by the Full Moon in the opposite sign. The next Full Moon in Aries falls on October 22, the day before the Sun enters Scorpio. It will have a very different feel to it than this one, so stay tuned for a complete report next month.

The Sabian Symbol** for the Moon at 0°15′ Aries is, A woman rises out of water, a seal rises and embraces her. The keyword is REALIZATION. As the first degree of Aries, this is a powerful symbol of the soul emerging from the primordial state of non-existence, or what we might call the “unmanifest.”

According to Marc Edmond Jones, who channeled the Sabian symbols in the early 1920s, this symbol is about “feminine receptivity calling up a more masculine or personal and self-seeking initiative.” Put to positive use, this energy allows us to see life as a field of unlimited experiences we can use to our advantage at any time. Closing yourself to this realization may result in failure to find your true purpose in life, because the ego-self stays stuck in its obsessions.

For the Sun at 0°15′ Libra, the Sabian Symbol is a butterfly made perfect by a dart through it, with the keyword ARTICULATION. Whereas the first degree of Aries is about the soul emerging out of the unmanifest, the first degree of Libra is about emerging consciousness. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate symbol for our time! This symbol is about seeing beyond the material world and living fully, completely, from the heart and soul.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

** From The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, by Dr. Marc Edmond Jones. The author, an astrologer, channeled this work in the early 1920s. There’s one symbol one for each degree of the zodiac, and we can use them to gain insight into charts.

Weekly Forecast September 13: Pluto Direct, Mars Enters Scorpio

Gearing up for movement. © Christian Lagereek Fahraeus for Dreamstime.com

Mercury is direct, and we’re ready to roll!

I thought things would stay fairly quiet last week with both Mercury and Pluto sitting still. However, I underestimated the effects of Jupiter’s return to Pisces. Right on cue, there was an explosion in San Bruno, Calif., which apparently had been waiting for just such a trigger. I’ll discuss this more below. First, let’s have a look at this week’s aspects.

I emphatically don’t expect this week to be quiet, although Monday and Tuesday could be slow and frustrating. Often, the worst traffic jams, Internet delays, and communications snafus occur when Mercury is shifting phase. When the Messenger is stopped (that’s what it looks like from our perspective), everything he rules stops, too. You can plan ahead by leaving a few minutes early for your Monday morning commute and not expecting meetings to go as planned.

Pluto returns direct in early Capricorn on Tuesday, with Mars entering Scorpio later in the day. These two events could deliver a one-two punch. In modern astrology, Pluto rules Scorpio, and so the powerful thrust of Mars will add to Pluto’s return direct. Pluto, remember, has been at the apex of the cardinal T-square all summer, and he has been under plenty of pressure. When that kind of power is blocked and suddenly gets released, who knows what might happen? Powerful earth events would not be a big surprise.

Mars is the traditional ruler of Scorpio, so he’ll be in his own sign after languishing in Libra. Mars doesn’t really like to play nice, and when he’s forced to do so, he tends to take out his frustration in passive-aggressive ways. Enough of that! Mars in Scorpio has tremendous power, and he’s not afraid to show it. Wherever you have early Scorpio in your chart is where you will feel this transit the most.

Mars and Venus are together in Scorpio now, and they’ll meet for the second time this year in early October, right before Venus goes retrograde. When they met in Libra on August 20, many people I know began demanding more give and take in their relationships. That balance may tip again as the desire nature takes over rational considerations. This could be good or bad, but I strongly caution against making compromises that shouldn’t be made. In all things you do, maintain your integrity.

As the week progresses, situations that have been blocked or seemingly insurmountable over the past few weeks may move forward with a sudden start that could leave your head spinning. If you’ve been holding off on signing contracts or starting a new venture, now is your time to make a bold move!

On Wednesday, the Moon in Capricorn conjoins Pluto and then traces the degrees of the cardinal T-square. Even though its influence has temporarily subsided, Pluto stationed with the Moon in conjunction could unleash powerful emotions, at the very least, as we lurch forward.

Mars and Pluto formally align in a sextile on Saturday, so this is another day when we may experience a strong energy surge. As long as we’ve been waiting for a breakthrough, the force of this one may be intense. Unfortunately, that’s how it goes sometimes, so we’ll just have to ride out the turbulence. As I type these words, I’m reminded of the runaway train scene in The Fugitive, the 1993 thriller starring Harrison Ford.

Also on Saturday, Jupiter and Uranus conjoin in Pisces, the second pass of a three-part alignment. The first pass occurred on June 8 at 0 degrees Aries, forming a volatile end of the T-square. Then both planets went retrograde. They’ll meet this weekend at 28 degrees Pisces. This is a heavily charged degree, as it was where Saturn and Uranus opposed one another on April 26. You’ll recall that springs were popping all over the place back then. Among other things, that was about the time that BP’s oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico.

With Jupiter and Uranus back in Pisces, any explosions that happen – literally or figuratively – will be bigger and noisier. Uranus also is back in mutual reception with Neptune in Aquarius, reinforcing themes of collective awakening and wild weather involving air and water.

Jennifer in Austin, Texas, left a comment yesterday asking me about Tropical Storm Hermine. It’s interesting to note that this weather system caused relatively few problems when it made landfall on Monday. It wasn’t until Wednesday that the flooding began to take a toll. Aside from Wednesday’s New Moon, Saturn crossed the degree of the June 26 lunar eclipse in Capricorn. And, of course, Jupiter was just hours from moving back into Pisces.

That said, it’s a tricky business associating earthly events with astrological alignments – especially these days, when the planets are in such a complicated configuration. It’s like saying that one gear causes the machine to move more than the others. And it makes predictions all the more difficult. At this point, we’re all making educated guesses. Some turn out to be amazingly right on, while others are just plain wrong.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast September 6: Virgo New Moon, Mercury Direct

This promises to be another fairly quiet week, although there will be some movement and more than a few hints of what’s coming next.

Mercury is retrograde for another week, keeping us in analytical mode, especially regarding what took place over the summer. We can’t move forward until we resolve certain dilemmas and reconcile conflicting goals and desires. At the very least, we need to accept that we’re conflicted. It’s part of the complexity of the human mind.

I urge you to focus in particular on what seeds you might have planted over the summer … or, as a dear friend of mine says, what roots may be growing under you. It’s a fitting image, given the position of the planets in the cardinal T-square. As I’ve written so many times, the “out” is the point opposite Pluto at the apex, and that would be in Cancer, the sign of home, family, and roots. What tribe do you belong to?

I had two very moving consultations this week, both of which put me into deep contemplation of exactly what we’re evolving toward. With so much going on, sometimes we need to stop and remind ourselves of the obvious. Simply put, we are strengthening our creative muscle and learning to be co-creators with the universal mind – the Mind of God, if you will. We are all a spark of that flame, and the relationship is two-way. We download from the energetic realm, but what we upload is incredibly significant, too.

The result is nothing less than the material world we’re living in, both individually and as a collective. Our thoughts and actions do matter.

Looking at the week chronologically, the Moon enters helpful Virgo on Tuesday in preparation for Wednesday’s New Moon. I wrote a complete analysis on Saturday so won’t go into any more detail here, except to repeat that thoughts you put out into the universe at the New Moon do take root. Be sure what you plant is something you want in your garden. Also, I’d just like to remind you not to start anything new, no matter how tempting it might be, until after Mercury returns direct.

Later on the same day, Venus enters Scorpio, and then retrograde Jupiter returns to Pisces on Thursday. These transits won’t be felt immediately, but they contain those “hints” I mentioned above.

Venus and Mars, symbols of the divine feminine and masculine, have been moving together through Libra, her sign. Now the tables are going to be turned, and very powerfully, as they move through his sign, which he co-rules with Pluto (in traditional astrology, Mars is ruler of Scorpio). This will all take place as Pluto returns direct next week, so we can expect some significant shifting in relationships as well as the overall balance between masculine and feminine energies on the planet.

The interesting thing about Mars as ruler of Scorpio and Venus as ruler of Libra is that their genders are switched, so to speak. Scorpio is a feminine sign, and Libra is a masculine sign, and yet Mars is in his detriment in Libra and Venus is in her detriment in Scorpio. There is a lot of give and take implied here, as well as the message that we all contain both masculine and feminine energies. How can these energies be balanced on the planet if we can’t balance them within ourselves? Many of us are working on this task now, and it’s reflected in society at large. Women got “liberated” and began working in traditionally male fields. Now men are working on finding their feminine side and developing their intuition.

With Jupiter and Uranus back in Pisces, we’re back to cleaning up some remnants of our “old” selves before moving back into new territory. When that happens, next spring, there will be no turning back. In the meantime, note that Neptune and Uranus and back in mutual reception, with Jupiter as amplifier. It will be interesting to see how this impacts the weather. So far, we’ve had a pretty mild hurricane season. Will that change? We’re about to find out…

Just as Jupiter turns to Pisces, Mars in late Libra trines Neptune in late Aquarius. This aspect nicely supports the New Moon in Virgo by encouraging us to help each other and put others before ourselves, in the most positive way. I’m not always an advocate of thinking of others first, because there are too many ways that can devolve into dysfunctional behavior. But when done in the right spirit, it’s uplifting to everyone concerned.

Also on Thursday, the Moon in Libra activates cardinal T-square points, even though the T-square itself has dissipated. Still, certain degrees are now “sensitized,” including the degree of the lunar eclipse on June 26. The Moon will conjoin Saturn on Thursday at that sensitive degree, so be prepared for a flashback to that time period, with a road sign directing you to your next destination.

On Sunday, Mercury returns direct. Enjoy one last lazy day of solitude and contemplation, because everything changes again next week. By the way, if you’ve been having some vivid and strange dreams lately, you can chalk that up to the trine between Mercury and Pluto, just as both are stationed and ready to return direct. Some of mine have been real whoppers!

Wishing you all much love and abundant blessings,
Pat

Weekly Forecast January 11: Solar Eclipse in Capricorn, Mercury Direct

Janus, the Roman god of gates, doors, beginnings, and endings for whom our first month of January is named. We're not only in a new year, but a new decade and a new energy pattern. Expect lots of endings and beginnings now.

This is a landmark week, with enough activity in the sky for a Hollywood thriller.

Not only do we have a solar eclipse, but Saturn turns retrograde, Mercury returns direct, and Jupiter enters Pisces. Whew! Each of these events is significant in itself, but together, they make for some powerful new beginnings with a willingness to experiment.

Taking events in order, Monday the Sun conjoins Venus. Normally this happy combination would translate to fun-filled social gatherings and easy expressions of love and affection. However, both Sun and Venus are still at an irritating inconjunct with Mars, so don’t be surprised if your date or lunch with a friend is marred by a misunderstanding or some other kind of disruption. If that happens, my advice is to try to let it go for now, or you’ll only get yourself deeper in the hole.

Saturn turns retrograde on Wednesday. Many of us noticed a decided change in atmosphere when Saturn entered Libra in late October. Relationships came more in focus, with an emphasis on fairness and equity rather than the perfection demanded by Saturn in Virgo. Alas, we return to that fastidiousness briefly when Saturn returns to Virgo from April 7 to July 21.

In the meantime, we can use Saturn’s retrograde energy to identify relationship issues that may need work over time. And some problems do require constant work and vigilance.

Friday is the eclipse (Thursday on the West Coast of the United States), the second in a pair of New Year eclipses in Capricorn and Cancer. This series began six months ago and feeds heavily into the shift to cardinal energy. Diane wrote a very fine post on New Year’s Day on this trend and will have a full report on Tuesday on the upcoming eclipse, so check back.

In short, the shift to cardinal energy means more action, and that means change. Whereas the fixed signs take their time in deliberating — often to the point of inertia — cardinal signs are quick to react, but this also can mean change just for the sake of change that isn’t well thought-out and doesn’t take the needs of the collective into account. Although we all think we want change, I do caution you to take care what you wish for. There is no doubt that we are in for some big changes, but I don’t see them as entirely positive.

In the short-term, though, Friday’s eclipse should produce some positive changes, some of which might be surprisingly so, as this eclipse not only is conjunct Venus but positively angled to Uranus. Even though it rules a fixed sign, Uranus is associated with innovation and change.

The big wild card in this eclipse is Saturn retrograde. Because Saturn rules this eclipse and turned retrograde just a day before, it could act as a giant braking system. In my fixed-sign mind, that would be a good thing!

Shortly after the eclipse, Mercury returns direct. Keep in mind that when Mercury stations, communications, traffic, and other Mercury ruled activities tend to come to a complete standstill. It would be best to wait a couple more days to sign contracts or make major purchases. That includes exchanging big-ticket holiday gifts. Make Sunday your day to go shopping. By then, the January sales will be in full swing, so you’ll probably get a better deal, too!

Sunday also is the day when Jupiter enters Pisces. With the Moon also entering the sign of the Fishes, we’ll have a lovely Moon-Jupiter conjunction to start off the week —or, if you’re on the West Coast of the United States, to end it. Let’s hope that the seed of this highly spiritual combination will be planted in the collective mind so that all may experience the oneness of all being, even if it’s only in our dreams.

Wishing you all much love and courage in these changing times,

Pat