Tag Archives: New Moon

Weekly Forecast December 15: Uranus Turns Direct, Solstice New Moon

White Solstice. © Gretchen Friedrich, 2014.

Events in the coming week, plus Saturn’s entry into Sagittarius the following Wednesday, make for a nerve-wracking, exciting, stressful, hopeful, overwhelming end to a year that has been “all of the above” and more.

Oh, and did I mention stressful?

I got a call yesterday from a friend who has been in the same administrative job for 20 years that, while hectic, has been predictable, for the most part. She told me that the past few months have easily been the worst in her professional life, largely due to a new computer system that was supposed to be the latest and greatest but turned into a nightmare. To give me an idea, she said Continue reading →

Weekly Forecast November 17: Sun Conjunct Saturn, New Moon in Sagittarius

Cotter Bridge. © Gretchen Friedrich, 2014.

This week, the Sun leaves the murky territory of Scorpio and enters jovial Sagittarius. But I’m not breaking out the champagne.

Sagittarius is known as the sign of the truth-seeker, which sounds noble enough. The problem, as I see it, is that when we look for truth – often with a capital “T” – what we really want is validation for our beliefs. It’s amazing how the mind can bend and twist with the deftness of a circus contortionist to fit reality to its preconceived notions. I’ve often found that there’s more truth hiding in the shadowy depths. Continue reading →

Weekly Forecast May 26: New Moon in Gemini, Venus Enters Taurus

Begonias. © Pat Paquette.

This past week has been weird, almost like a Mercury retrograde period, but with more irritation.

Since Friday, Mercury has been in the “shadow” period before his next retrograde begins on June 7. Sometimes we experience the manifestations of the retrograde during the run-up. Many of you have noted that in the past. I think that will be all the more true this time, with Mars just coming out of retrograde and moving back toward a T-square with Uranus and Pluto. Both Mercury and Mars are moving very slowly (what it looks like from here on Earth), with corresponding events such as delays in transportation, missed and confused communications, errors in telephone and online orders, and so forth. Continue reading →

Weekly Forecast January 27: New Moon in Aquarius, Venus Direct

Chinese New Year Poetry, by Peter Morgan.

Right on cue, the news headlines are increasingly dramatic as we head into another cardinal T-square this week.

Retrograde Jupiter has been approaching opposition with Pluto, and he’ll also form an exact square with Uranus in late February. That means we’re under the influence of this volatile configuration yet again, and for the entire month. Mercury turns retrograde on February 6, adding to the disruption in the weeks ahead.

I suppose the good news is that we’ve been in such disarray that we’re used to its being the rule rather than the exception. Besides that, many of us have been in need of positive change for a long time now, and there are indications that we can realize some of what we’ve been hoping for while planetary energies are in such a state of flux. Although a little stability would be comforting right about now, it’s not compatible with the major shakeups that need to happen for us to get where we want to go. Likewise, the changes we want to see in the world can’t happen without turbulence.

Thursday’s New Moon in Aquarius is a perfect setup for positive developments to emerge from disorder. Not only is Aquarius the sign of innovation and unconventional ideas, but the New Moon makes a dynamic sextile with Uranus, the ruler of Aquarius. In other words, the New Moon provides an outlet for the combative energies of the T-square. You can see it easily in the chart; look for the blue line emanating from the apex of the triangle.

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The other two blue lines in the chart connect Jupiter and Pluto to Chiron. I’ve been writing for some time about the Pluto-Chiron sextile, which has been in effect since early 2012 and represents transformation and healing of deep wounds, in individuals and humanity as a whole. The trine from Jupiter to Chiron provides an additional boost. I know it doesn’t seem like humans have learned much in 5,000 years and that we’re an inherently violent species, but statistics show otherwise. On the whole, we’re getting smarter and more peaceful. Then, you’d never know it reading news headlines written to maximize advertising revenue. Even though we’re smarter overall, “Suicide Bomb Kills 30” still gets more readers than “Man Saves Baby in Bombing Attack” (he might get a mention in the 18th paragraph).

This New Moon also holds the potential for rewards missed at the difficult New Moon in Capricorn on January 1. Usually, the New Moon begins a new cycle, with a culmination, resolution, or landmark event at the Full Moon. However, that New Moon was all about endings, and the Full Moon in Cancer on January 15 was more about clearing space for something new to develop. This New Moon is much more promising, and new doors should start opening. What those doors lead you to depends on where the New Moon falls in your natal chart.

Also, Venus has been retrograde since December 21, which corresponds to some delays, especially regarding finances and relationship matters. Venus turns direct on Friday. Whatever might have been stalled will be freed up to move forward. Venus stations direct in close conjunction with Pluto, so she’s also part of the cardinal T-square. This pair signifies intense desire, especially for money or sex. However, Capricorn is frugal, practical, and patient, with the ability to control primal urges. If you’ve had to let go of something or if you’ve been enduring excruciating delays, the shift after Venus begins moving forward could be startling.
Earlier on Friday, the opposition from Jupiter to Pluto is exact. A few hours later, Mercury enters Pisces, although he’ll only dip his foot in the water before turning retrograde on February 6 and returning to Aquarius on February 12. I’ll have more about that next week.

Considering how challenging the New Moon on January 1 was, this week’s New Moon could feel more like New Year’s. As it so happens, it’s the Chinese New Year, marking the beginning of the Year of the Wood Horse. The last Wood Horse year was 1954; it takes 60 years to cycle through the twelve Chinese animal signs and five elements (fire, earth, metal, water, and wood). The Western astrological sign that corresponds to the Horse is fast-paced Gemini. I have no idea what that means in terms of forecasting 2014, except that Gemini is an Internet wiz, so we can Google it and find a forecast from a real Chinese astrologer.

May all your wishes be fulfilled,
Pat

Weekly Forecast December 2: New Moon in Sagittarius, Mars Enters Libra

The last couple of weeks have been fairly quiet – at least, compared to the tumultuous summer and early fall. The activity picks up this week, but the mood should be positive and upbeat.

The biggest disappointment last week was the mob out shopping on Thanksgiving evening – no big surprise, given the over-the-top indulgence of Thursday’s Venus-Jupiter opposition. I was hoping, as were several of my friends, that there would be a huge public backlash against retailers that moved Black Friday sales back a day. Alas, compulsive shopping won out, with unruly crowds, fights, and damaged merchandise. What’s next? Three-day sales starting on Wednesday? Marathon shopping week with a quick break for a McTurkey meal and deep-fried pumpkin pie in a cardboard tube?

Speaking of pie, my gluten-free, nondairy pumpkin pie turned out quite good, although it took a few failed experiments to get the ingredients right. A couple of dinner guests said they liked the crust better than regular pie dough. No one even noticed the milk substitute. Several of you have written to me suggesting that a gluten-free diet might improve my health. The New Moon is always a good time to start new ventures, so perhaps it’s time to make that switch.

The chart for Monday’s New Moon in Sagittarius is friendly overall. The Venus-Jupiter opposition remains active, but it’s waning and relatively benign. The Uranus-Pluto square is still lurking in the undercurrent, but the tension has a release valve via a trine flowing between Uranus near 9 degrees Aries and the New Moon just shy of 11 degrees Sagittarius. The Archer aims for the truth, and sometimes that means thinking beyond our belief system. Some people aren’t even aware of what they believe, because it’s so ingrained in us from an early age. Aries is the pioneer who fearlessly ventures into new territory. By questioning our beliefs, widening our perspective, and being willing to try something new, we can find creative, innovative ways to tackle problems that have defied solutions. Remedies could be surprising, and they could come totally out of left field.

Jupiter, the ruler of this New Moon, is retrograde, but he’s in Cancer, the sign of his exaltation. Moreover, Jupiter and the Moon are in mutual reception, so they work together and strengthen each other. This is a perfect time to examine how culture and national identity form our belief system. For example, many Americans believe that the United States is the most democratic country in the world and that anyone who questions our system of government is unpatriotic. I know that readers of RealAstrologers are beyond that simplistic worldview, but you get my drift.

Cancer also is associated with family, which plays a powerful role in establishing our beliefs. You probably don’t need to think too hard to come up with beliefs your family programmed into you that you later discovered weren’t entirely true. For a clue about what beliefs you might be ready to examine, look at where Jupiter is transiting your natal chart, by house and also in aspect to natal planets. For example, if Jupiter is transiting your fifth house, you might want to examine your beliefs about the proper way to raise children. With Jupiter in your second or eighth houses, beliefs about money could be an area to focus on.

Saturn and Jupiter also are in a trine (exact on December 12) – yet another aspect reinforcing productivity and practicality. Jupiter’s exuberance and tendency to do overdo everything is already somewhat tempered by his retrograde motion. With Saturn and Jupiter in a friendly trine, optimism remains, but with realistic expectations and the ability to do what it takes to meet commitments and obligations. Big ideas with a realistic strategy and discipline are much more likely to succeed.

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Mercury and Mars are both about to change signs, but in the New Moon chart, they form a sextile in Scorpio and Virgo (exact on Tuesday). This practical, productive pair reinforces problem-solving abilities by combining deep insight with no-nonsense action. I’ve often said that we can’t find lasting solutions to any problem unless we identify the source. This can be difficult, especially for those who prefer not to go beyond surface appearances. Sometimes, avoidance is out of fear that the remedy may be too difficult or uncomfortable. Mars in Virgo won’t waste time sugar-coating whatever Mercury in Scorpio dredges up and doesn’t much care whether the medicine tastes bad.

On Wednesday, Mercury enters Sagittarius, the sign of his detriment. I’ve never quite understood why Mercury isn’t happy in truth-seeking Sagittarius. It would seem like a good match. However, Mercury’s home sign of Gemini (opposite Sagittarius) is associated with minute details and knowing a little about many subjects, whereas Sagittarius is the big-picture sign, concerned with broader patterns and inherent meaning. Put another way, the truth is more than a collection of details and facts. With Mercury in Sagittarius, there’s also an element of blurting out the truth without thinking about how it might affect others. When a woman asks her husband, “Honey, do I look fat in these jeans?” … well, you know.

Mercury squares Neptune on Friday. Neptune recently turned direct and is still moving slowly (from our perspective). Take care in making agreements, as there is some risk of a lack of clarity or even intentional misleading. We may experience something like a mini Mercury retrograde, with misunderstandings, lost e-mails, and so forth. I also need to mention the usual caution about using alcohol or mind-altering drugs, as you might experience something other than your normal reaction. Mercury-Neptune contacts are good for dreams, even if they aren’t entirely comfortable. I’m a big fan of dream work, and when I have dreams that are disturbing in some way, I make special note, because there often is a “message” that’s trying to get through. Think of it as a note from yourself to yourself.

On Saturday, Mars enters Libra, the sign of his detriment. On one hand, this is a signature for the warrior for justice, especially for women and girls. On the other, negotiations could go nowhere, despite a lot of back-and-forth. Mars knows what he wants, and “compromise” is not in his vocabulary. Perhaps he can be forced to do so, but he’ll seethe quietly until he’s in a better position to get his way. In deliberative bodies such as the U.S. Congress, agreements may be more elusive than ever, and this could be the state of affairs for many months. Mars is going to be in Libra until – are you ready for this? – late July, due to his retrograde cycle.

In personal relationships, you’ll need to be mindful of who wants what. Sometimes we go along with the other person even though it’s not what we want, whether to avoid a flap or because we want to “be big about it.” However, if this happens too often, resentment can build up, and eventually it comes out in one form or another. Some people just get fed up and walk away. In relationships that really matter to you, have a talk this week and explain the potential minefield ahead. Perhaps you can make a pact to be direct and honest, even in matters that don’t seem like a big deal at the time, and agree that you won’t accuse each other of being petty or trivial when such things come up. If you’ve got a demanding partner who always insists on getting his or her way, it’s possible that you could right the balance in the next six months.

That said, be prepared for some conflict – and remember, conflict is not always bad. Just the other day, I was talking to a woman who lamented that she’d had a fight with her boyfriend over the weekend. Eventually, she added that they aired several grievances, and the relationship was strong than ever. I thought it was interesting that, when asked whether she’d had a good weekend, she focused on the fight and added the strengthening of her partnership almost as an afterthought. I concede that it does take a lot of courage to bring up contentious subjects, especially if you think it will damage the relationship. If you value the relationship, being direct and honest is the highest form of respect, both for yourself and for your partner. I know you know this, but practicing it is another matter entirely. Heavy discussions are just plain hard, and we’re heading into the party season, when we’d rather eat, drink, and be merry. Goddess knows we’ve earned it.

Before I go, I’d just like to mention Comet ISON again. It looked for a while there like it didn’t survive its close encounter with the sun, but something did survive. As I type, the latest word from astronomers is that they’re waiting until ISON gets far enough away from the sun to determine what’s left of it. I’ve been asked whether I attach any astrological significance to this event. There is definitely something symbolic about it. I have a few ideas forming but will wait until we get a better idea of its condition.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast December 10: Uranus Direct, New Moon in Sagittarius

Ice on Fisher Pond. © Pat Paquette, 2012.

We’re well into the holiday party season, but we’re not partying like it’s 1999. I guess that’s because it’s 2012, and people are anxious about more than a Y2K bug.

I’ve been getting nearly 100 hits a day on an old Q&A post I wrote in response to a kid in Saskatchewan who asked, “Is 2012 really going to happen?” It’s so funny to see this search phrase turning up repeatedly in Google. What exactly does that mean, “Is 2012 really going to happen?” Not only is 2012 happening, it’s almost done. Then 2013 is going to “happen.”

So, OK, I know what he really meant, and I addressed those concerns in my response, which probably was way over his head and way over the heads of anyone with little or no knowledge of astrology. Fact is, there’s nothing simple about 2012. Something important is happening. There’s a major planetary shift occurring, and while it’s not limited to 2012, this has been an exceptional year in an exceptional astrological cycle. The Uranus-Pluto square continues for another three years, with the last square occurring in March 2015 and the period of waning influence lasting another year after that. You don’t need to be an astrologer to understand that we are in extraordinary times, and even those who aren’t spiritually inclined can sense it.

I’m working on a 2013 forecast and accompanying video that I hope will provide some relief from all the anxiety.

In the meantime, the holiday spirit should pick up this week with amplification of the Sagittarius vibe. Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius loves to have a good time, and parties are definitely their thing. On Monday, Mercury returns to Sagittarius after dipping back into secretive Scorpio on his retrograde path. Then we have a spritely New Moon in Sagittarius on Thursday, and Venus joins the party on Saturday. The only bummer in all of this is that Jupiter is retrograde, and in Gemini, the sign of his detriment. It’s sort of like having the Big Guy at your party, but he’s getting over a bad case of strep throat, popping antibiotics, and worrying about all the paperwork piling up on his desk. It does put a bit of a damper on the festivities.

There’s an additional reason to exercise some discretion this week. Right after entering Sagittarius, both Mercury and Venus form a square with Neptune – Mercury on Tuesday and Venus on Sunday. Neptune rules dreams, delusions, and altered states, whether through meditation or mind-altering substances. Although these two squares are quick and relatively harmless, they do increase the likelihood of miscalculating your limit and misinterpreting what you see and hear. Maybe that guy you meet at your fourth trip to the punchbowl really is the soul mate of your dreams, but it won’t hurt to check him out for a week or two before running off to Vegas.

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The biggest news this week is Uranus returning direct within a few hours of the New Moon. The Awakener is waking up, and we won’t know until he does whether he’s going to ask for nice cup of coffee or bolt out of bed swinging a hammer. He’s in a close fire trine with Mercury at wake-up time, so I suspect he’ll come out swinging and ready to ratchet up his Awakener role a few notches. Our beliefs are being shaken up, and yet integrating the new information into our thought matrix is hard to do. There’s a reason we have mental defense mechanisms. Without them, we’d have breakdowns – and that’s exactly what’s happening for many people right now, in one form or another. We live in exciting times, but they are incredibly stressful.

Part of waking up is being reminded of what we’ve repressed. Mercury squares Chiron on Friday, triggering dormant memories and old wounds we’d rather not think about, especially during the party season. It’s hard to go to a festive event where everyone is making merry and to feel like you’re the only one who can’t get into the holiday spirit. It’s OK. You have my permission to feel grumpy and out of sorts. Rather than trying to stuff it down so you won’t make others feel bad, talk about it with someone you trust or write about it in your journal. You may be surprised by what comes up in the process. There’s a reason for the phrase “rude awakening,” but it beats staying in state of delusion.

Then, there’s always the blue pill.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast June 18: New Moon in Gemini, Uranus Square Pluto

In honor of the Solstice, at a time when you can't count on tradition anymore. © R.G. Ojéda

It would be tempting to predict that all hell is going to break loose this week, but outer planetary aspects don’t work that way.

I’m referring, of course, to the Uranus-Pluto square, which is exact on Sunday, June 24 – the first of seven exact alignments between now and 2015. You may recall that we came very close to an exact square in July 2011. The fact is, we’ve been feeling this alignment for more than a year now, and we’ll be feeling it for the next few years. It is the defining aspect of our time.

To get an idea of what this aspect signifies, we need only look back to the beginning of the cycle, the Uranus-Pluto conjunction in the mid-1960s. The aspect peaked in 1965 and 1966, and yet the year we remember as the most volatile from that decade was 1968. If you were too young to remember that year or weren’t born yet, I highly recommend a documentary film called 1968 with Tom Brokaw. You can find it in segments on YouTube. The first part alone will give you the general idea.

Two words you often hear to describe that era – “revolution” and “transformation” – are spoken by people with no interest in or knowledge of astrology, and yet these are the keywords for Uranus and Pluto. Funny how that works. According to astrological theory, the crises and conflicts we’re experiencing now have their roots in the sweeping changes that occurred back then. Much has been written about how the 60s drug culture contributed to the awakening of the collecting consciousness. And we can bet that law enforcement authorities, faced with the Occupy Movement and other mass protests, learned a lot from the riots in the 1960s. With Pluto in Capricorn, expect crackdowns against unrest to be faster, heavier, and more brutal. Governments learned from experiences in the 1960s that media control is vital. If you watch 1968, you may be startled by the raw footage that came out of the Vietnam War. Those shocking images motivated large numbers of people to protest in the streets. We don’t have anything like that coming from Iraq or Afghanistan. You need only look at what happened to Julian Assange to foresee what will happen to anyone who tries to expose the truth independently.

In any case, major events that marked the 1960s – the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, the growing civil rights and women’s movements – occurred over time and not on or near an exact date that Uranus and Pluto aligned. Incidentally, pardon me for taking an American view of things. There were sweeping changes around the world in the 60s. France had its own version of 1968. I don’t mean to suggest that the changes here were any more important than elsewhere or that the United States is the world center of revolution and transformation. If anything, the world is a much smaller place than ever, thanks to instant communications over the Internet.

So, with that long introduction, let’s have a look at this week. There are several other planetary aspects to suggest that changes will come fast and furious in the short term.

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On Tuesday, we have another New Moon in Gemini. This is the second in a row. The first one occurred with a solar eclipse on May 20. At first glance, the Uranus-Pluto square dominates the New Moon chart. However, what draws my eye is the sextile from Uranus to Venus, exact by degree (technically called “partile” in astro-speak). Venus still has another week in retrograde phase before turning direct on June 27. Saturn, meanwhile, turns direct in Libra on June 24. In the final degrees of Gemini, the New Moon has a “looking back” flavor to it, not unlike a retrograde. We’re still in critique mode, especially regarding our closest relationships, as we review what we didn’t do so well and what we might do better in the future to get more of what we want and less of what we don’t want. As I’ve mentioned before, the review may include experiences in other dimensions of time or space – more commonly called “past lives.” Awareness of these parallel relationships is helping us clean up some difficult karma so that we can move on, either by entering a new phase in a current relationship or getting closure in some other way.

The Venus-Uranus sextile typically brings a surprise element into the picture. It may not be pleasant, given that Venus is retrograde and inconjunct Pluto. However, if you can keep your nerve through the discomfort, you may come out in a pleasantly surprising place in another week or two. For some of you, the discomfort may simply be the waiting and uncertainty. It’s hard not knowing how things ultimately will shake out. The Venus-Uranus sextile is exact on Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, Mercury squares Saturn and the Sun enters Cancer. Saturn is moving very slowly right now (what it looks like from down here anyway) as he gets close to changing direction. The square from Mercury likely will bring all the worst flaws into sharp focus, be they personal weaknesses, relationship issues, the need for improvement in your work, or other problems. It will be hard to see the bright side, so try as best you can to balance out all the negatives with something positive. Make a list if you have to, even if it seems like an exercise in futility. Mercury’s waxing sextile with Mars (exact on Thursday) will help. Overall, Wednesday could be quite an emotional day.

The Sun’s entry into Cancer marks the summer solstice and longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Normally, this would be the highlight of the week, but there are too many other major aspects happening that overshadow the seasonal landmark. For me, it’s an outward sign that the academic year is over after a hair-raising final quarter in which I lost not one but two (and almost three) hard drives with all my work on them. That means no rest this summer. I start an internship next week, and will have to spend the next several weeks reconstructing my final project, which, ironically, is about astrology.

Incidentally, I’m working on the StarGuide Summer Forecast this week and will have it up soon. The July monthlies also will be available, for those of you who have pre-ordered. I’ll post an announcement when they’re ready. And, while my consultation hours will continue to be limited, I will have greater availability in the next few months.

Last but not least, the Sun and Neptune form a dreamy water trine on Saturday. It’s a great day for a picnic at the beach or poolside. If you don’t have access to a beach or pool, set up the sprinkler in your backyard. Keep your dream journal handy, as intuition is high and open for major downloads.

Wishing you all infinite love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast May 18: New Moon in Gemini

Tiger Twins This week is about communications, whether looking backwards or forward, at the big picture or the trivial, the spiritual or the mundane. It could come as a flood of words or deafening silence that tells you everything you need to know.

If that sounds a little schizophrenic … well, we may indeed feel that way, with Mercury still retrograde, Saturn direct after several months retrograde in one of the signs Mercury rules, and a New Moon in the other sign of the Messenger. With that kind of energy filling our airwaves, mixed messages may seem like the goddess-honest truth and vice versa.

Still, Gemini is one of the more enthusiastic and dynamic signs, and with the Sun entering Gemini on Wednesday (Mercury’s day) and the New Moon on Sunday, we won’t remain stuck in the ruts that Mercury retrograde in Taurus might otherwise suggest. That said, it may be one step forward, two steps back for the next couple of weeks. If you’re an impatient type, that may be preferable to no action at all.

On Monday, the Sun conjoins Mercury, setting the tone for the rest of the week. On Wednesday, right as the Sun is entering Gemini, Mercury squares what Neith affectionately refers to as “Neptune & Co.” Since he’s working his way backwards, he starts with Neptune, then squares Chiron 12 hours later, and then a few hours later squares Jupiter. He tops it all off by forming a sextile to Uranus, which should create a noticeable buzz. Let’s just hope it doesn’t sound like a dentist’s drill.

Jupiter himself is approaching conjunction with Neptune, but that’s not until next week. This week, on Saturday, he conjoins Chiron. Wednesday’s square from retrograde Mercury provides the set-up for an unprecedented healing opportunity. We are healing deep wounds that may go back to early childhood and perhaps even farther. Many of us have been receiving messages in many forms about what this healing involves. It’s not the same for everyone, although the recurring theme I’m seeing most is a healing of the split between male and female energies. Regardless of your gender preference, you may start to see deep changes in your relationships. Some unions will become closer and more fulfilling, while those that have outlived their purpose will dissolve. If this happens, let go and put out a conscious intent to clear that space for something new and better.

The week closes with the New Moon on Sunday, May 24, at 3 degrees Gemini. This is close to the degree at which Mercury went retrograde, and Mercury rules this New Moon, so while we generally expect new beginnings at the New Moon, positive developments may be delayed, and our patience may be tried. I also see a possibility that we will think we’ve lost something, or something may happen that causes us to give up hope, but that this will be a cover for new energy attempting to manifest into your material reality. Anytime we are in healing mode, there’s a certain amount of internal confusion, and this can temporarily distort our vision.

Check back on Tuesday or Wednesday for Neith’s New Moon report.

Wishing you all courageous hearts and much love,
Pat

Image: These Sumatran tiger cubs were born late last summer and are seen here at six weeks old in a zoo in Krefeld, Germany. Could there be a better image for the New Moon in Gemini than baby tiger twins? Photo by Sascha Schuermann for Agence France-Presse/DDP.

Weekly Forecast April 20: New Moon in Taurus; Mars and Venus enter Aries

Major shifts take place this week, and I’m sure all you sensitive folks with highly attuned antennae are going to feel it.

This is going to be the week we resolve an issue that has been hanging over our heads and holding us back. With that resolution, we can move forward into new territory and, if we look back at all, at least it will be with no regrets.

We begin the week with the Moon in sensitive Pisces, with Venus and Mars moving close to conjunction. That aspect is exact on Tuesday. For romantic relationships, especially, this is a moment of truth. What do we want from our partners? We have to start by being honest with ourselves about what we want and need. Do we long for the impossible, or are we not aiming high enough?

For me and for others who have experienced a soul union with another, only this deep level of connection will do. While that may be hard to find, settling for less out of necessity or for practical reasons would be equally impossible and could have disastrous results. This moment of clarity has come to me only in the past few days, and it has been accompanied by many tears, not unlike going away on a long journey to a new and exciting place, knowing that you are leaving loved ones and a way of life behind, perhaps forever.

Right after the Venus-Mars conjunction, the Moon conjoins Uranus and carries the energy of radical change forward to Venus, just as Mars is entering Aries and the new territory. The Moon meets Mars right after this shift on Wednesday, so be prepared for your world to be rocked.

Venus enters Aries on Friday, but due to her recent retrograde phase, she is moving far more slowly than Mars and won’t catch up to him for nearly two months. This in itself is a rare phenomenon, as Venus and Mars typically meet only once every couple of years. When they meet again in Taurus on the Summer Solstice, it will be their third meeting in less than a year. I do believe this is significant for love relationships and for correcting an energy imbalance on the planet.

Later on Friday, we have the New Moon in Taurus in a lovely earth trine with Pluto. This New Moon will be ruled by Venus, and since she will have just moved into Aries, we can look forward to new beginnings on many fronts. Of course, Neith will have more shortly, so come back and look for her post.

On Sunday, Mars squares Pluto, and unfortunately this raises the specter of raw power plays. Again, I think these will come out mostly in relationships. However, just remember that all conflict isn’t bad. If you can maintain your awareness, you not only can get through the storm, but you can learn important information about yourself and the other person or situation.

Wishing you strong hearts, with much courage and love.
Pat

Image: The Pain of Love, by William Adolphe Bouguereau, 1899.

Weekly Forecast December 22: New Moon in Capricorn Conjunct Mars and Pluto

Winter, by Maxfield Parrish Happy Solstice!

Here in the frozen North — and I do mean frozen — the longest night of the year is upon us. From now on, the days will begin to lengthen, and we know that the warmth and light of the sun will return, dark and dismal as it is now. It is no accident that the fathers of the Christian church made this ancient pagan holiday the birthday of Jesus, whom they called the Light of the World. Jesus more likely was born in the spring, not on Christmas, but no matter.

Where I live, the winters typically are pretty mild. If we get snow at all, it melts within a day or two. But we’re under a foot of snow, and everything is at a standstill — appropriate for the Solstice, which means sun at a standstill. I walked home from work last night, trudging up the unplowed hill with my bag over my shoulder, much like the hunter in this Maxfield Parrish painting trudging through the snowy woods.

Saturn-ruled Capricorn trudges on, doing what must be done. We’ll experience a lot of this theme over the next few years with Pluto in Capricorn, especially the year after next, when he’ll be squared by Saturn and Uranus. At that point, we will have to switch our focus from amassing wealth to meeting basic needs. Already, the economic downturn is causing many people to stop and think about what they really need and what they can do without. The answer to that question is, “a lot.”

Speaking from experience, I can assure you that we don’t realize how wasteful we’ve been until we begin living more frugally, and while that’s a scary prospect for many in privileged Western societies, I can also tell you that it’s exactly what many people need to wake up spiritually, to be enlightened or “come into the light.” Let me add, for those who haven’t heard me say it before, that “spiritual” is not a moral position to aspire to, but a way of seeing the invisible energies that flow through the Universe. They exist, they are real, and they impact our lives. There is nothing with wrong with wanting stuff, but too much emphasis on the material limits the vision.

With that long introduction, let’s talk about this week.

Although the Sun conjoins Pluto on Monday, most of the activity doesn’t happen until Friday and Saturday, with the entry of Mars in Capricorn and the New Moon at 6 degrees Cap, not far from Mars and Pluto, which conjoin on Sunday. Mercury and Jupiter also are in Capricorn, although in later degrees. Still, this is a lot of Capricorn, so we are going to get a full frontal view of what this sign is all about. Government, business, military, and authority in general all fall under the auspices of the Sea Goat.

In our personal lives, authority usually is represented by parents and employers. Saturn will be stationed about to go retrograde at the New Moon, so I expect that we will spend the next several months revisiting these issues. Neith will have more on the New Moon on Tuesday, so be sure to check back.

The ongoing Saturn-Uranus opposition will be active this week on many levels. Watch for developments on Wednesday, when Mercury forms a favorable sextile to Uranus, and on Friday, when Mercury trines Saturn. If you don’t know yet how this major aspect is impacting your life, you’ll get clues this week.

While all of this high-powered business is going on, Venus quietly conjoins Chiron on Tuesday and Neptune on Saturday. Although most people need a crisis or a series of crises to awaken, that a-ha moment tends not to come when we’re under the gun, but when we’re in a relaxed “in-between” space.

We can wish for world peace all we want, but it won’t happen until the prerequisite is met, and that is the awakening of the collective mind. That is my deepest hope and wish for this holiday season.

Holiday love and blessings to all…

Pat

Image: Winter, by Maxfield Parrish.