Tag Archives: Saturn-Uranus opposition

Julian Assange: The Man Behind WikiLeaks, Part II

Having established in Part I that this horoscope describes our man rather well, let’s see what was happening around the times of various WikiLeaks disclosures that rocked the planet.

To start with, WikiLeaks.org was registered on Oct. 4, 2006. This happened at a time when Jupiter and Saturn were forming a square aspect in the sky; the finance-political disaster that is currently holding the globe in its grip was already brewing and about to enter the next stage.

Transiting Jupiter had just crossed Assange’s Ascendant – for him, it was a time to expand and to “come out.” Meanwhile, transiting Saturn was traversing Assange’s tenth house, indicating a time to assume some kind of leadership and to take on great public responsibility. Unfortunately, Saturn in the tenth house can also indicate “falling from a great height.”

In December 2007, WikiLeaks published material pertaining to Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. prison colony that President Obama still hasn’t shut down (to read the analysis of that transit, as well as a more comprehensive timeline, click here). Then, on April 5, 2010, video footage from 2007 was published, showing innocent Iraqi civilians and two Reuter journalists being shot dead from a U.S. Apache helicopter. Photographic images belong to the realm of Neptune, which was forming an active connection to Assange’s Jupiter at the time. Meanwhile, transiting Mars was sitting on his Midheaven, so it’s no wonder Assange gave us images of a war crime.

In the heavens, there was still an opposition between Saturn and Uranus going on, affecting all of us in some way and indicating that the rift between the conservative powers that be (Saturn) and free-spirited, innovative forces of progress (Uranus) was getting wider. On the day of publication, this was highlighted by an explosive Moon/Pluto conjunction in karmic Capricorn. Where the public is concerned, Assange certainly seems to pick his moments.

This trend continued with the publication of the Afghan War Log Files on July 26, 2010. Saturn/Mars and Uranus/Jupiter were opposing each other on the potent equinox axis of 0° Libra/Aries, and all four of them were heated up by Pluto, the planet of extremes.

The real bombshell, however, came on November 28, 2010, with the release of 250,000 cables sent to and from U.S. embassies all over the world. Assange’s chart tells us that he had been sitting on this information for a length of time. Transits suggest that yet another bout of the compelling urge to share bad news with the world had taken place as far back as late September and early October, when Sun, Mercury and Saturn activated Assange’s genial but very uncomfortable and almost compulsively rebellious Sun/Uranus combination.

For once, though, Saturn’s influence may have made him consider the consequences. Going through various possible scenarios, he must have realized that he would create a lot of enmity against himself and his affiliates among a large group of very powerful people. During October, these three planets were moving through Assange’s twelfth house, indicating a time of reflection and of hatching new plans.

On the day of publication, Pluto was exactly conjunct the North Node in Capricorn, the sign of political and financial hierarchy and of karmic debt. The collective was hit by fate big time, and those exposed in the documents may have felt like Judgment Day had arrived.

[headline h=”5″]Sexual Misconduct Charges and Extradition Hearing[/headline]

Meanwhile, Assange was fighting on a different front. Since late August he had a charge of sexual misconduct hanging over his head in Sweden, where he had applied for residency in view of that country’s laws protecting whistleblowers. When he allegedly forced himself on two Swedish women, Venus and Mars were moving across his natal Uranus, indicating the possibility of sudden and short-lived affairs, as well as a compelling drive towards unusual sexual practices. The Sun was traversing his tenth house and opposing his natal Mars; riding on his prominent social status as main speaker at a conference on media and war, his ego was pumped up, and he likely felt unusually strong physical urges as well.

The Swedish authorities on August 21st dropped the charges after one day of investigation. But following a lawyer’s appeal, the case was re-opened on November 18, 2010, an international arrest warrant was issued on November 20th. On that day, the Sun, Assange’s “public status planet,” shed its light on his natal Jupiter, the planet of international affairs and ruler of Assange’s fifth house of romantic involvements.

In giving himself up on December 8, Assange may have succumbed to a fleeting depression, with the Moon opposed his natal Sun. He was released on bail but was put under house arrest. The extradition hearing has been set for February 7 and 8.

As of this writing, the exact time of the hearing hasn’t been published. But assuming that UK courts open at 9 a.m., Uranus, Jupiter and the Moon will be on the Ascendant, which would make the interference of protesters likely (view chart here). The judge, signified by stern Saturn trying to find the correct balance in Libra, will not be stirred by public opinion, as indicated by a Moon/Saturn opposition on the second day of the hearing. We also have a flowing trine aspect between Saturn in Libra and a conjunction of Sun and Mars in Aquarius. The judge will have no problem putting a halt to Assange’s work, blocking his assets, and keeping him under arrest.

No matter what the British judge decides on February 8, with Saturn traversing Assange’s twelfth house, he is shown as Assange’s “secret enemy.” Saturn also indicates that this case, and possibly house arrest and/or incarceration, could drag on until summer 2014.

Meanwhile, the current Jupiter/Saturn cycle of global finances will peak in the last of five oppositions at the end of May 2011. If he hasn’t done so before, I expect Assange to publish the secrets of international banking around that time, or else we might by then be experiencing the global consequences of his revelations.

Helene

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Helene Schnitzer is an astrologer living in Glastonbury, England. Her specialities include Traditional, Horary and Hellenistic Astrology, and Astro*Carto*Graphy. Click HERE to read her full bio.

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,
Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Weekly Forecast May 24: Uranus Enters Aries, Full Moon in Sagittarius

Lewis and Clark on the Lower Columbia, by Charles Marion Russell, 1905.

The preparation phase is over. As of this week, the wagons are loaded, and we begin our journey to somewhere else. We’ve heard about it and read about it, but until we actually make our way to this new and mysterious place, we won’t know what’s in store for us.

Uranus enters pioneering Aries just after the Full Moon on Wednesday. This is a major milestone in the building cardinal T-square. Jupiter enters Aries next week, and the two will form a conjunction on June 8.

We can imagine our pioneering ancestors leaving the comfort of the familiar and venturing into the unknown, lured by a better life, wide-open spaces, land of their own, and the bounty of nature. Some of them just wanted adventure or were called by a primal human need to go beyond the limits of the known world. Those who survived the hardship of the journey paved the way for others behind them, as explorers and immigrants have been doing since time immemorial.

For this week’s image, I chose a painting of the Lewis and Clark Expedition by Charles Marion Russell. Not only does this historical event represent the spirit of Uranus in Aries, but it also took place during a Jupiter-Uranus conjunction. Jupiter, Uranus, and Mars all were conjunct in Libra when the party left Pittsburg on August 31, 1803 — which, incidentally, was a rare six-eclipse year. Lewis and Clark were dispatched by President Thomas Jefferson to cross the Louisiana Purchase, which had been acquired from France earlier that year, effectively doubling the size of U.S. territory.

Expansion, of course, is the realm of Jupiter. Although the Big Guy currently is conjunct wild, unpredictable Uranus, which might lead to explosive growth in all things, he’s also opposed to Saturn, which limits and constrains. Jupiter opposed Saturn yesterday (May 23), in the first of three oppositions between now and the end of the March 2011.

All activities this week are very much still under the power of this influence, which I wrote about in last week’s forecast. From Monday to Wednesday, we can expect a lot of financial developments, including news of regulatory bills before the U.S. Congress. The legislation ostensibly is aimed at preventing another banking crisis like the one that occurred in 2008. However, it’s hard to believe much is going to be fixed. The astrological signature of that meltdown, the Saturn-Uranus opposition, isn’t over yet and is about to be complicated by a tight square to Pluto in late July. Moreover, the square between Pluto in Capricorn and Uranus in Aries will continue into mid-2015.

On Thursday, we have the Full Moon in Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius, briefly emphasizing mutable rather than cardinal energies. Although a lot of change can happen during mutable periods, mutable signs also are adaptable, so this could present us with a short window to adjust to recent shifts before more change comes piling on.

And so it will, with Uranus entering action-oriented Aries less than three hours after the Full Moon. I’ll have more on Uranus in Aries in a post later this week.

Neither Uranus nor Jupiter will remain in Aries for very long. Both turn retrograde this summer and return to Pisces until next year. But they will be in Aries in late July and early August, when the cardinal T-square will be at peak power.

While these noisy transits are occurring, Saturn quietly returns direct in Virgo on Sunday. His first order of business is to put severe obstacles in the path of Jupiter and Uranus, who would leap into anything without so much as a cursory look. This will apply to everything from natural disasters to political unrest and financial activities. We actually may thank our lucky stars that Saturn is such a stick in the mud, as it may be he, in the end, who prevents all hell from breaking loose.

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

Weekly Forecast May 17: Sun in Gemini, Jupiter Opposite Saturn

As above, so below. Detail of Fall of the Titans, by Dutch painter Cornelis van Haarlem, 1588.

There will be plenty of action this week, although it may seem somewhat chaotic and directionless much of the time.

The week begins on solid ground, with the Sun in the last degrees of Taurus making positive contacts with Jupiter in Pisces on Monday and Saturn in Virgo on Tuesday. These aspects favor material results. While the building opposition between Jupiter and Saturn will be felt as conflict between expanding our options and playing it safe, the tension between these two finds a creative outlet in the Sun. Wherever the last degrees of Taurus are in your chart is where you will find your biggest inspiration.

Also on Monday, Venus squares Jupiter, and then over the next two days trines Neptune and squares Saturn and Uranus. This could be a recipe for going overboard with marathon texting, too much junk food (or worse), and unrestrained impulse shopping, which you will regret sorely the next day.

Or, it could bring a totally unexpected opportunity to make an investment in your future. If you’re in the market for something in particular and stick to buying only what’s on your list, you could do very well early in the week.

After all that activity, Venus glides into watery Cancer on Wednesday, and her first order of business will be to oppose Ceres and Pluto this weekend. The Moon will be in Libra, which means we’ll have a cardinal T-square for a few hours.

Normally I wouldn’t rank a T-square with the Moon as much of an influence, but with the bigger configuration looming in the next two months, this one bears watching. The Moon will be at the apex of the T-square, in mutual reception with Venus. Hard aspects between Venus and Pluto typically translate to sexual tension and passion. In Cancer and Capricorn, the desire to possess and control could be overwhelming, and this makes Moon in Libra extremely uncomfortable. Be prepared to get called out on hidden motives. We all have them, but most of us would rather not admit it.

Mercury makes the last of a three-part trine with Pluto on Wednesday, which will help us access the secret recesses of our minds and the deep truths buried there. We may not like what we hear, but self-knowledge is self-empowerment. We all have a shadow side.

On Thursday, the Sun enters Gemini, and then we’ll be in mutable territory for the next two weeks. I started to write “solidly in mutable territory,” but nothing is solid or firm about the mutable signs. Think of trying to pour a bowl of warm Jell-O onto a plate, and you get the idea. Or like a symphony tuning their instruments. There’s no theme or focus. We’re all over the map and mixing our metaphors.

Chiron, which recently entered Pisces, is part of the mutable trend and represents deep spiritual wounds in the collective caused by millennia of man’s inhumanity to man. As we wind up the Age of Pisces and head into the Age of Aquarius, we need to reclaim our interconnectedness, not just with each other but with the invisible forces of the cosmos, which some call “higher realms.”

The Moon enters Virgo on Friday and makes contact on Saturday with Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus, all in mutable signs. On Sunday, Jupiter opposes Saturn, the first of three passes of this opposition. Only the first will be in mutable signs. The next two, on Aug. 16, 2010, and March 28, 2011, will be in Libra and Aries and will play a key role in the cardinal T-square we’ve been hearing so much about.

It’s hard to overemphasize the influence of this opposition and its role in intensifying the power of the cardinal T-square. Political and economic unrest is almost certain and, in fact, has started already, well in advance of the peak period of the T-square in July and August. We’re seeing it most prominently in financial markets. The opposition is magnified by the conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus, which is taking place concurrently with the Jupiter-Saturn opposition, and by the square of all three to powerful Pluto in Capricorn.

These are extraordinary times, and no matter where this planetary configuration falls in your chart, you will feel the pressure. For some, it will manifest as unbearable tension that forces you to grow and change. For others, it could bring unimaginable opportunities, totally out of the blue, but these will hold their own set of challenges. Sweeping change is, by definition, disruptive, and humans are wired to stick to the safe and familiar. That simply will not be possible in the months to come.

That is the main reason why I sign off my weekly forecasts with a wish for much love and courage. We’re all going to need it.

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Weekly Forecast May 10: Mercury Direct, New Moon in Taurus

Work Interrupted, by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1891

Although there aren’t many major planetary aspects this week, what we’ve got promises to bring a flurry of activity.

Mercury has been retrograde since April 18. On Tuesday, the Messenger stations direct at 2°39′ Taurus, in an applying conjunction with the Moon and tight trine with Pluto in Capricorn. The Moon is still in the waning phase, so it would be smart to wait until after Thursday before moving forward with activities put on hold during Mercury’s retrograde phase.

With the Moon and Mercury conjoined in a trine to Pluto, we have an opportunity to get deep insight into the transformational processes that are occurring in our individual lives and for the planet as a whole. This is where we may get a glimpse of what the future holds for us, if only for a fleeting moment. Pay close attention to dreams, psychic flashes, or unusual events that happen on Wednesday.

Your message from the universe could come through another person, too. I call these events angels. Think about it. The image of angels as winged beings goes back millennia, before Christianity and Judaism, even before Greek mythology. The wings symbolize air, and air represents thoughts or ideas.

In Homer’s Odyssey, Athena, goddess of wisdom, appears to Odysseus’s son Telemachus in the form of Mentor, a trusted friend that Odysseus leaves in charge of his household while he’s off fighting in the Trojan War. Athena, you’ll recall from Mythology 101, sprang from the head of her father, Zeus, fully formed. This image gives us more clues about her identity as a thought form or mental energy. The name “Mentor” stems from the Indo-European word for mind or thinking. Minerva, Athena’s Roman counterpart, gets her name from the same root.

So, when someone gives you important information, you are being visited by an angel, and the message is a valuable gift. I unabashedly predict that angels will be flitting all about on Wednesday!

Traffic and communications typically move slowly a day or two on either side of a Mercury station, but events will begin to unfold rapidly after the Mew Moon, which peaks at 9:04 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday. The Moon will carry forward the energy released by Mercury’s return direct, so be prepared to hit the ground running.

After Thursday, we’ll be so busy that we may not have time to breathe, let alone think. Do essential chores early in the week, and clear your schedule, to the extent possible. It wouldn’t hurt, either, to think about what you’d do if the opportunity of a lifetime came through. This will be the reality for many of us. Trouble is, all opportunities that come to us now will have a hitch. It could be quite a big one. So you’ll need to know what you can live with and what would be a deal-breaker.

The Moon in Gemini on Friday and Saturday favors communications and is great for signing contracts, too. Perfect timing, because those were activities that didn’t go so well while Mercury was in reverse mode.

Sunday’s Cancer Moon favors tending to family matters. Enjoy a good, home-cooked meal or at least a cup of your favorite tea. Despite the flurry of activity on Thursday and Friday, you should be able to find some time to wind down. Practice your favorite stress-reduction technique.

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

New Moon in Taurus, May 13-14

The Nebra Sky Disk, found in 1999 near Leipzig, Germany, has been dated c. 1600 B.C. and depicts the Sun or possibly Full Moon, New Moon, Pleiades (in the constellation Taurus), and solstice points.


The New Moon in Taurus on May 13 is a time to celebrate beauty, abundance, and the cyclical dance of life.

It also is a stark reminder of the realities of living in a material world. For some of us, being “spiritual” means denying the physical body or getting our minds off material things. Although it’s true that many people place too much importance on money and possessions, going to the opposite extreme isn’t to our advantage, either. If we weren’t meant to have a physical body, with all its attendant joys and sorrows, we’d be disembodied beings of light in some other quadrant of the galaxy.

At 23°09′ Taurus, the Sun and Moon are in a wide trine with Saturn in late Virgo and a sextile with Jupiter and Uranus in Pisces. The Saturn-Uranus opposition is still big news. Even though it’s separating, the contact remains close enough to be a major influence, and Jupiter’s impending conjunction with Uranus is acting as an amplifier. I’ve written about the cardinal T-square of summer 2010, but we may not have to wait that long to witness some extraordinary global events.

At the Full Moon in Scorpio on April 28, we had an opportunity to let go of whatever needed releasing in preparation for these new circumstances. For some, the letting go may not have been voluntary. If something was taken from you then, the New Moon is your door to a new beginning.

Venus, ruler of this New Moon, is at 22°47′ Gemini, in a wide mutable T-square with Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter. The mutable signs — Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces — are highly changeable, and swift change is what we can expect. This is a great time to initiate changes, but they may happen with or without any deliberate action on your part.

Pluto also is in a wide square with Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter in this chart, and that gives the appearance of a grand cross. However, with Pluto in the cardinal sign of Capricorn and the others in mutable signs, it’s technically not a cardinal grand cross. It’s a sort of “hybrid grand cross,” and perhaps that’s key to understanding events around this lunation. It’s a setup to events this summer, some quick rearranging before the big move.

One reason I think we’ll see some very fast action in the next week is that Mercury will return direct on Tuesday, two days before the New Moon, and he’s in mutual reception with Venus. Energy that got blocked at the last New Moon may suddenly kick in.

The Sabian Symbol** for this New Moon is a mounted Indian with scalp locks, with the keyword COMMAND. This may seem like a violent image for peace-loving Taurus, but it isn’t about conquest. Rather, it’s about recognizing the genius of our “enemies” and acquiring it for our own benefit — acquisition being a very Taurus trait. Put another way, imagine if we were in Iraq not for the oil but for the ancient wisdom and knowledge of one of the oldest civilizations on Earth. Incidentally, that is where astrology originated.

Inherent in this symbol is the concept of working with nature to fulfill our highest potential. Our physical bodies are our connection with the material world, and our senses can guide us toward our highest goals and aspirations if we use them to their fullest advantage. We can’t be fully present in the moment without them.

Keep those antennae up, and enjoy the ride!

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

[Note: The New Moon falls on May 14 in the Eastern Hemisphere.]

** 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 May 3: Sun Square Mars

Peaceful reflection. © James A. Weythman.

Most of this week’s aspects are fairly low-key, given what we’ve been dealing with over the past several months. It’s a great time to take a short vacation.

Mercury is still retrograde and making mischief with travel plans, especially if you’re on a business trip. But now that he’s speeding along in reverse, the logjams are clearing. Travelers waylaid by the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland are making their way home, and at least one airline that refused to reimburse passengers the cost of meals and lodging was forced to recant.

Still, there are a lot of mix-ups over airline policies to sell tickets to new passengers, while stranded customers are being told they have to wait for an available seat. It may take until the next Mercury retrograde, which begins on August 20, for everyone to get due compensation.

We also are still very much in the shadow of the Saturn-Uranus opposition. I wrote a post some time ago on what you might expect in your personal life during this transit, and that still applies. These themes will continue to play out in your life until this fall.

Otherwise, this week’s aspects are fleeting and won’t last more than a few days. Taking the week chronologically, retrograde Mercury trines Pluto on Monday. Watch for headlines for more news of violations in the banking industry and other embarrassing revelations for global financial institutions. Personal revelations could be humbling, too, particularly if you’ve got skeletons in your closet.

On Tuesday, the Sun in Taurus squares Mars in Leo. With the “ego” planets in conflict, there’s a risk that what starts as a simple disagreement will end in a defensive standoff. Some of us will express ourselves loudly and angrily, while others will make their feelings known in a passive-aggressive manner. The silent treatment is every bit as loud and angry as yelling obscenities at someone, and it can provoke serious backlash. The Moon adds more fuel to the fire when she enters Aquarius on Wednesday.

Things calm down after the middle of the week, and we can relax for a bit. Venus forms an easygoing sextile to Mars on Friday. Too bad this influence doesn’t last longer, because it converts to more-harmonious relationships of all kinds. If you’re feeling more creative than usual, do something with your ideas. At the very least, write them out in detail. Likewise, if you find a good financial opportunity, do some research. With Mercury retrograde, now isn’t the time to act, but you could stumble on some extremely valuable information that will be your ace in the hole next week.

The Moon is in gentle Pisces from Friday to Sunday, making this a weekend to rest, recuperate, and reflect. The Moon conjoins Jupiter and Uranus and then a few hours later opposes Saturn, so if you’re celebrating Mother’s Day, breakfast or brunch are the best alternatives for fun and surprises.

I’m taking my own advice and going out of town this week. I’ve left several posts scheduled, so you won’t miss me.

Wishing you a joyful week of love and abundance,
Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Saturday Extra: The Cardinal T-Square and Immigration Law

Riot police at the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix. Photo by Ross D. Franklin for The Associated Press.

Arizona’s new illegal-immigration law and the protests it unleashed stand out as an early indicator of how events will unfold during the cardinal T-square of 2010 and 2011.

Gov. Jan Brewer signed the law on April 23, just as Saturn and Uranus were approaching exact opposition in Virgo and Pisces, the fourth contact since November 2008. It is scheduled to go into effect in late July or early August, right around the fifth and last opposition of Saturn and Uranus on July 26.

By that time, both planets will be in early cardinal signs, in a tight square with Pluto. We can expect more protests, possibly more violent, and the federal government likely will intervene as well.

Of course, Mercury also was retrograde at the signing, and that makes it more likely that there will be changes, if the law isn’t repealed altogether. But even if it is, powerful forces have been set in motion that will continue to play out until 2012 and beyond.

The new law makes it a punishable crime to be in the United States illegally and gives police in Arizona the power to stop and question people they suspect of being illegal immigrants. The backlash was swift and severe. According to news reports, protestors stormed the state capitol and drew comparisons with Nazi Germany.

Gov. Brewer, a Republican in a historically conservative state, said the law was needed because the federal government wasn’t doing enough to fight illegal immigration and lawlessness along the border with Mexico. Other states are considering similar measures.

The Obama administration reportedly is considering a legal challenge. Many civil rights groups also are threatening to sue, saying that the law will lead to racial profiling and harassment of Hispanics and anyone who looks like one. From there, it’s only one step to legal authority to stop anyone, for any reason or no reason at all. If it seems like we’re on a slippery slope toward a police state (many people argue that we’re already there), it’s not just paranoia.

Once Saturn and Uranus move into action-oriented cardinal signs this summer and form a close square with Pluto, the playing field will expand. It’s likely that the federal government will intervene at that time. In a T-square, the planet at the apex takes the “heat.” Pluto will be squared not just by Saturn and Uranus, but simultaneously by Jupiter, Mars, and Venus. Immigration and legal issues fall under the provenance of Jupiter, which was approaching conjunction with Uranus when the law was signed.

But what does Pluto in Capricorn represent? The “conventional” interpretation is that it’s about Big Government and Big Business. If so, the situation in Arizona — as well as other protests breaking out around the world — may be an early test of this power.

That said, we must take care in connecting the various astrological players in this unfolding celestial drama to earthly counterparts. For example, it’s tempting to assign Uranus to the Democrats and Saturn to the Republicans, but that would be an error in our thinking. The planets in signs represent forces of nature, which express themselves through humans and through the Earth herself.

Here’s something else to think about: As long as Pluto is checked by Saturn in Libra and Uranus in Aries, we may be under surveillance but not under totalitarian control. That could well change in 2012, when Saturn enters Scorpio and begins to “cooperate” with Pluto, through both a friendly sextile and mutual reception.

At that point, the people may be on their own to battle the combined forces of business and government, and our definitions of “conservative” and “liberal” may become totally meaningless.

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Ask Real Astrologers: Should I Build a Bunker?

Looking for AnswersThis week’s question comes from Svetie in Coffs Harbour, Australia:

After three harrowing years of Saturn in Virgo, I’m dreading this retrograde transit. If I’m not mistaken, it was my second Saturn return. Will it treat me a bit gentler during this retrograde, or should I build a bunker now?

Svetie, we all may need a bunker here shortly!

Seriously, you are indeed in a challenging period, but not due to a Saturn return. That happened quite some time ago and is long past. What’s happening now is the conjunction of transiting Saturn and your natal Sun at 26 Virgo.

And that’s not all. Your natal Saturn is at 26 Gemini, so you’re also experiencing a Saturn square. To complicate matters still further, transiting Saturn and Uranus are opposite one another and formed an exact contact at 28 degrees Virgo on April 26. It was the fourth pass of this opposition, and we’ll get a fifth one later this year in Libra and Aries.

Of the five passes of Saturn and Uranus, the one that touched your chart most directly was on Sept. 15, 2009. That was a whopper, no doubt about it. Although some of the same elements are present now, including Mercury retrograde, Saturn has moved past your Sun. On his retrograde path, he will return to 27 degrees Virgo but no further. Sure, that’s way too close for comfort, but you got through the direct hit and lived to tell about it, so you’ll survive the next one.

Uranus is another story. He’ll return to 26 Pisces and will hover around that degree until January 2011. What’s more, he’ll have Jupiter in tow to amplify his disruptive nature. However, all disruption isn’t bad. Wildly exciting developments and growth opportunities can be just as destabilizing as exploding relationships and detonating careers, and they are every bit as possible … make that “likely.”

Fortunately, you’ve got a lot of mutable energy in your natal chart (mutable signs are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces), and that means you are adaptable and open to change. Still, I don’t doubt that you’re under heavy stress and would like some stability. That probably isn’t going to happen for awhile. You may not need a bunker so much as an RV with all the amenties.

Best of luck to you, Svetie, and thanks so much for writing. Let us know how it goes.

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

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Weekly Forecast April 26: Saturn Opposite Uranus, Full Moon in Scorpio

Iceland volcano erupts

A volcano erupts under Eyjafjallajökull glacier in Iceland on April 14, 2010. Photo by Ingolfur Juliusson for REUTERS.

Question: What’s the difference between a Saturn-Uranus opposition in Virgo and Pisces and the same opposition in Libra and Aries?

Answer: I don’t know. But we’re about to find out.

It’s not often that we get this great opportunity to get out of the lab and into the field. I’ve been studying charts, and theoretically, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between a Saturn-Uranus opposition in mutable signs, cardinal signs, earth and water, or air and fire. It’s all explosive, and it’s disruptive on a global scale, as we’ve seen in the past two weeks.

Saturn and Uranus have been in opposition since late 2008. Actually, they’ve been in opposition since forever — their astrolological attributes are as different as two planets can get. Saturn is about structure, stability, established hierarchy, limitations, and constraints. Wild and unpredictable, Uranus rules rebellion, freedom, human rights, space travel, technological breakthroughs, electricity, and sparks of creative genius.

Simply put, Saturn is order and Uranus is chaos.

So what happens when they oppose one another in the sky? Well, their first exact contact of this cycle was on November 4, 2008 — Election Day in the United States, and we all know how that turned out. After the initial euphoria, many hoped-for changes failed to materialized, and the Obama administration is under heavy fire from both sides of the aisle as his popularity rating continues to plummet. He’s taking heat in particular for his healthcare plan, which even has led to violence against lawmakers who approved it. A new grassroots rebellion is rising among political conservatives.

Wait — rebellious conservatives? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Not when Saturn is opposed to Uranus!

This conflict will intensify as Saturn and Uranus continue their opposition into late July and early August, by which time they both will have changed signs and will be part of the explosive cardinal T-square with Pluto at the apex. In the meantime, they form an exact alignment today (Monday) at 28 degrees Virgo and Pisces. There will be one more exact contact on July 26, at 0 degrees Libra and Aries.

In other news this week, we have the Full Moon in Scorpio on Wednesday. I’ve already written about this event, so there’s not much more to say. Later in the day, Ceres turns retrograde. She never quite made it to an exact conjunction with Pluto. That will take place later this year and will bear watching. I’m still not ready to make pronouncements about what Ceres transits mean, but I know that a conjunction with Pluto is significant.

On Sunday, the Moon in Sagittarius squares Saturn and Uranus, briefly forming a mutable T-square, and then carries that energy forward to Pluto in Capricorn later in the day. If you’re having your own personal crisis with Saturn and Uranus, you could go into meltdown phase. The Moon in Sagittarius generally is optimistic, but it’s hard to think positive when you’re dodging falling debris.

Wishing us all an abundance of love and courage,
Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat