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Weekly Forecast October 15: New Moon in Libra

New Moon Over the Sea. © Algol for Dreamstime.com

Generally speaking, this week should be more serene, with plenty of opportunities to get new and existing projects off the ground.

Monday starts right out with the New Moon at 22 degrees Libra, the sign of balance and harmony. For many of us, finding balance has been a struggle for the better part of the past two years as our lives took unexpected new directions. For me and for many clients, it has felt like being carried along on a current that’s way too fast and too turbulent for comfort. All we’ve been able to do is to hang on and do our best to remain open to new possibilities. It has been exhausting.

This New Moon is a reminder to try to restore some semblance of balance, even if it’s brief. If you allow yourself a little time for rest, relaxation, or fun activities, your body/mind will suck it right up and nourish the parts of you most in need of care. With Saturn and the lunar North Node in Scorpio, we’re heavy into the transformation process, where breakdowns are accelerating to provide energy for new growth. I’ve been through this process several times in my life, including the breakdown that had to occur to transform me from a reporter into an astrologer. If you’ve never been through this before, it can be a terrifying process. But I’m here to tell you that the cycle is just that – a cycle. And it has been written about ever since writing was first invented. The difference now is that we’re going through it together as a collective.

In the chart for the New Moon, Saturn is still in a close trine with Neptune, which I see as a positive sign that we can turn dreams to reality. The key here is to find the balance between these very different energies. Neptunian dreams can be empty fantasy, but they also can be so creative and imaginative that they only seem impossible to people with no vision. Saturn’s influence helps supply the discipline to turn the vision into a solid plan to make it happen. Filmmaking is an excellent example, and there couldn’t be a better sign of the times than Cloud Atlas, the new Wachowski blockbuster about to hit theaters. This was a film the industry said could never be made. Not only did they make it happen, but the film got a ten-minute standing ovation last month at the Toronto Film Festival … and Larry Wachowski is now Lana.

As with filmmaking, millions of people have great ideas, but making them happen takes planning, hard work, skill, and collaboration (a nice Libra word). Saturn and Neptune are great for combining vision with discipline, and the New Moon in Libra is a good time to start.

Yet another reason I feel so optimistic about this week is the trine on Monday from Uranus to Mars in Sagittarius, which provides an outlet from the stress of the Uranus-Pluto square. This is an action-oriented aspect, an energetic combination favoring taking risks and doing something unconventional. This can apply (and likely will) to revolutionary movements and to individuals, as well, and the definition of “revolutionary” is broad. One bold move can produce a radical change in your life. Thursday is a particularly good day for action, when the Moon conjoins Mars.

Click on image to enlarge

Libra’s ruler is Venus, who is in aspect with Mercury and Jupiter in the New Moon chart, with Mercury and Jupiter in an edgy quincunx. Venus is in Virgo so not quite “herself,” and Jupiter is in his detriment as well. This combination is sort of like going into a big housecleaning job and suddenly becoming obsessed with polishing the silver. There’s no harm in it, and details do matter. But if a job needs to be done, you might have to keep kicking yourself in the behind to stay focused on the big picture and take care of the details in order of priority.

Mercury, meanwhile, is in deeply intuitive Scorpio, where he turns up small details like where the bodies are buried. Mercury and Venus in soft aspect suggest that criticism can be useful and should be encouraged. Put another way, identifying flaws and weaknesses in a project or relationship can save you headaches and heartaches further down the road. If you need a competent critique to help strengthen your work, ask for it this week from someone you can trust. You might need a double-rum punch or a brownie sundae afterwards, but go ahead. Then get to work.

If you’d like to know where all the action is happening in your chart, check out the StarGuide Fall 2012 forecast, now 20 percent off.

Next week, life gets even more intense with the Sun’s entry into Scorpio – all the more reason to enjoy this week, count your blessings, and take advantage of new opportunities, however great or small, that come your way.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast August 15: Retrograde Mercury Conjunct Sun and Venus

Way to the top. © Dragoneye for Dreamstime.com

This should be a much quieter week – thank goddess, as we all need a break from last week’s violence.

I can’t add much to the discussion about the riots in England. Astrologers for many years have been predicting violent social upheaval as a function of the Uranus-Pluto square. The aspect isn’t exact until next year, but for most of this month, they track just a degree from each other, with Mars fanning the flames of unrest. As frightening as the riots were, they are an indication of more to come. If you want to know the details, I highly recommend an article by Nick Campion, reigning king of mundane astrology, in the August/September issue of The Mountain Astrologer. Every world leader ought to be reading this right now. Campion notes that France, Germany, China, the UK, the United States, and the EEC all have their Sun in cardinal degrees that will be directly contacted by Uranus and Pluto in conflict.

Mars continues to move through the degrees of the Capricorn-Cancer eclipse series, which began in July 2009 and ended on July 1, 2011. Because it coincided with the cardinal T-square and grand cross, the changes we normally go through during eclipses were all the more upsetting. As Mars goes through these degrees one by one, we may be asked to revisit particular events in the past two years. Below are the dates that Mars crosses eclipse degrees:

August 17 – 9 degrees Cancer, solar eclipse of July 1, 2011 (last in series)
August 18 – 10 degrees Cancer, lunar eclipse of Dec. 31, 2009
August 24 – 13 degrees Capricorn, solar eclipse of Jan. 4, 2011
August 26 – 15 Capricorn, lunar eclipse of July 7, 2009 (first in series)
September 2 – 19 Cancer, solar eclipse of July 11, 2010
September 11 – 25 Capricorn, solar eclipse of Jan. 15, 2010
September 18 – 29 Cancer, solar eclipse of July 22, 2009

This Thursday, just as he’s crossing the degrees of two eclipses, Mars makes a flowing sextile with Jupiter. I want you to pay particular attention mid-week to any events that reflect what was happening in your life around those two eclipse dates … and then note whether you are handling that situation much differently this time around.

I’ve begun noticing this effect, and it’s very interesting. Situations indeed are coming up that correspond to eclipse-related events, but I’m seeing increasing signs that something has shifted, allowing those of us who have been paying attention to choose a different response this time and thus achieve a different outcome. In other words, we’re beginning to understand how what we manifest changes when we align with our true purpose in life. This is where astrology is an indispensible tool.

(Find out more about your purpose and destiny in Soul Journey, my new karma report.)

Mercury’s retrograde phase is adding to the chaos and confusion, but it’s also helping us think back to these previous dates and, if necessary, revise our beliefs. This is a good week for it, with Mercury, Venus, and the Sun all conjunct on Tuesday. It’s an especially good time for soul-searching regarding relationships. So many of you have come to me with gut-wrenching partnership challenges. The next few weeks could bring you some stunning insights, not the least of which is how you’ve grown as a result of the trials of the past two years.

On Sunday, Venus makes an opposition with Neptune, one of the classic “rose-colored glasses” aspects. With Venus in Leo and Neptune retrograde in Aquarius, there could be issues with society’s idea of what constitutes beauty and sex appeal versus what we’re really here for. You can spend all the money you want on cars, clothes, makeup, and the right “toys,” but as the old song goes, it won’t buy you love. In fact, it’s hard for true love to survive in such a materialistic climate.

Venus gets more practical when she moves into Virgo later on Sunday, but she’s not really happy there, either. Nitpicking isn’t conducive for love, and I have yet to see a fashion ad featuring a model in sweats, no makeup, and unwashed hair cleaning up cat vomit. This is the woman who will be there for you when you’re sick and overloaded at work. She’s not into all the bling, but is genuine and sincere. Ironically, two of the sexiest women of all time, Sophia Loren and Brigitte Bardot, both have Venus in Virgo (they were born within a week of each other in 1934). Although the sixties images of them with the big hair and heavy eyeliner don’t match our idea of Venus in Virgo, earlier photos of them reveal women who were down-to-earth and real.

Speaking of goddesses, I’m hoping to post an article this week on Vesta . Like some of you, I’m fascinated, if not a bit obsessed. Maybe it’s because I’m about to have my Vesta return?

Wishing you a week of insight, courage, and lots of love,
Pat

Weekly Forecast September 21: Sun Enters Libra

This should be a fairly quiet week, and yet it won’t be without movement. Shifts continue to take place, but overall they’re less jarring.

We still have just over a week left to Mercury retrograde, and while certain events may be happening without any effort on your part, don’t be too confident or too fast to embrace them. Changes are still likely, as well as delays and perhaps a change of heart by others. Or you may change your mind about something you thought was a done deal. And, of course, all the usual caveats still apply: no signing contracts, making major purchases, or starting important new projects. Stall, if you can, until the middle of next week.

Venus, meanwhile, has entered discreet Virgo, not her favorite sign. From the tone of your comments, most of you have not been out partying all night for the past several weeks, and yet for one reason or another, you might need a reminder to treat your body right by increasing your exercise, eating more vegetables, and reducing your intake of fat, sugar, and toxic substances. I swear, I gained three pounds this weekend just by looking at a piece of chocolate cake. OK, so I didn’t just look. But who gains three pounds in a weekend?

If you need help rebalancing your system, the Sun’s entry into Libra on Tuesday also will help. This is the equinox — fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the southern half of the world — when the days and nights are of equal length. Libra is ruled by Venus, and we can use the Sun’s passage through Libra to find harmony and balance within ourselves. For many of us, planetary influences since last spring have pushed us past our limits and created a lot of stress. We need to regain our center.

The Sun squares Pluto on Wednesday, which may provide us with yet another glimpse of what we might expect with the impending cardinal T-square between Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto. The Moon joins the pattern on Friday, when she conjoins Pluto in Capricorn. Keep your antennae up this weekend for anything that seems new or unusual. If you’re asked to stretch outside your comfort zone, try it.

On Thursday, Mars conjoins Comet Lulin in Cancer. I admit that I don’t have a solid grasp of what this means, as we don’t know enough about Lulin yet. This mysterious visitor appears to be working on a subtle level, urging us to look back at where we’ve been before we can move forward. Moving backward through Cancer suggests looking back at our childhood and genetic roots for clues about what we need to know.

Wishing you all lots of love and a much-needed break,
Pat

Image: This Venus doesn’t eat her vegetables but wears them on her head instead. Maybe she needs a lesson in hair styling from Leo? This creation was modeled at a fashion show by Colombian designer Laura Martinez earlier this year. Photo by Raul Arboleda for Agence France-Presse.

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse, August 16, 2008

Full Moon in Aquarius reflections
The lunar eclipse at the Full Moon this Saturday is the second of the pair of eclipses this month, with the Sun at 24°21′ Leo and the Moon at 24° 21′ Aquarius.

During a lunar eclipse, the Earth is between the Sun and Moon, and the Earth’s shadow falling on the Moon causes the eclipse. The qualities of the Moon are enhanced, and a lunar eclipse can allow us to get in touch with our subtle emotional motivations without the interference of the Sun’s brilliance.

The Full Moon in Aquarius is conjoined with Neptune, further emphasizing empathy and helping us raise our awareness of spiritual matters, if we so choose. Here is an instance when we are better served by courting Neptune’s higher qualities by finding some form of meditative activity to pursue. This can be as simple as walking in as natural a setting as possible. Walking by a stream, lake or the ocean would be especially healing under this Full Moon, because it would bring the mutual reception of Uranus in Pisces (water sign) semi-sextile Neptune in Aquarius (air sign) into play.

At the New Moon on August 1, the Sun in Leo was accompanied by the Moon, Mercury, and Venus all in Leo. Now only the Sun remains there, and Mercury and Venus have joined Mars and Saturn in Virgo. This is a natural progression from the passion and heat of Leo into the more practical, service-oriented sign of Virgo and a strong indication that we need to start devoting more time to taking care of business and less to playing . . . sigh.

Mercury is still within orb of Saturn but is pulling away quickly. From now until Mercury moves into Libra on August 28, we have a great opportunity to deal with all Mercury related matters, because Mercury shines in detail-oriented Virgo. In fact, if you have tasks that take mental acuity and can schedule them before the end of the month, it would be a good idea, since we have a Mercury retrograde coming in September.

Saturn, Venus, and Mercury in Virgo are trine Jupiter in Capricorn and form a grand trine with Vesta in Taurus – all in all presenting an opportunity to manifest tangible results. Both Vesta and Virgo are concerned with healing and recharging our internal batteries, and Jupiter will be happy to provide the means to enable us to do so. The ongoing Chiron-North Node conjunction in Aquarius is part of this healing theme but more on the societal level, unless that conjunction directly aspects your chart. In that case, you are no doubt already aware of where your wounds are.

If you have planets or chart angles close to 28° in the mutable signs, the waxing square between Mars in Virgo and Pluto in Sagittarius will ignite anger-related issues and make sure you know that it’s past time to let go and move on. Remember, anger is one of the stages of the grieving process. The cycle of death and rebirth is as old as time and still doesn’t get any easier, but Pluto is inexorable in demanding his due, so practice releasing what needs releasing with a modicum of grace.

The Sabian Symbols for the Full Moon add their usual measure of richness to the mix. For the Sun at 25 Leo it is, A large camel crossing a vast and forbidding desert, with the keyword ADEQUACY; and for 25 Aquarius it is, A butterfly with the right wing more perfectly formed. The keyword for 25 Aquarius is UNIQUENESS.

The first symbol suggests we are up to handling the challenges presented by this pair of eclipses, as difficult as they may seem. We have the reserves and the resources inherently, and part of the process is acknowledging that fact. The symbol for the Moon emphasizes the need for transmutation of emotional energies as part of the healing process. It is often our very uniqueness that can be our salvation.

As this eclipse cycle draws to a close, please remember a couple of things. First, we can’t start healing until we recognize that the problem exists and, second, please remember that we are all human and have frailties, so forgiving ourselves as well as others is an essential component for healing. Be well, and practice kindness to all.

posted by Neith . . .

What your Venus says about the contents of your underwear drawer

Lilith by Rossetti
With the Sun and Venus in Taurus now, this Libra person is thinking about all things related to love, beauty, and desire. And what does Venus like more than pretty undergarments? So I’m going to have a little fun with this . . .

Because Venus travels close to the Sun, she is usually in the same sign or one of the two neighboring signs. She represents our sense of aesthetics, our idea of fun and pleasure and is all about our personal style. Of course, aspects from other planets will affect her expression but that’s for another post!

Venus in Aries is not a patient shopper. If she can find a brand that fits and is easy to come by, she’ll stick with it. This Venus is my candidate for having a fire-engine red bra stuck in the back of her drawer that really looked hot in the store but didn’t fit well after she got home. She also goes for active sportswear undergarments. Even those with Pisces and Taurus Suns will be more adventurous with Venus in the sign of the Ram.

Not surprisingly, Venus in Taurus loves silk lingerie – smooth, soft, and sensual. If you want to make your Taurus sweetie very happy, buy her silk to wear against her skin. She is more concerned with the tactile than the visual, although she’ll love muted, earth tones. Earthy Venus in Taurus helps Aries and Gemini Suns tune into their sensual side.

Venus in Gemini, an air sign, is more experimental and willing to at least try on the latest and greatest fad. She will shop just about anywhere and pick up items because they are fun and catch her eye. Gemini has no problem with bright colors and synthetic fabrics as long as it’s new and different. Taurus and Cancer Sun folks will be far more willing to try something new with this Venus in their charts.

Venus in Cancer prefers comfort to fashion. If the climate is on the cool side, this one will go for flannel nightwear. Cancer likes to stay with tried-and-true designs, nothing fancy. She is likely to be the most comfortable with the idea of appearing matronly. A Gemini or Leo Sun will liven up Venus in Cancer considerably.

Venus in Leo . . . think Madonna’s bustier outfits and visible bras in bright colors. This Venus likes her undergarments to be noticed and appreciated and will go for drama and flair to draw more attention to herself. Having Venus in Leo will give both Cancer and Virgo Suns more pizzazz.

Venus in Virgo is more likely to get excited about having undies made using bamboo fibers. Bamboo is eco-friendly, very soft, and naturally deters bacteria – all of which appeal to Virgo sensibilities. Virgo is less likely to be concerned about style and color than Libra, for instance, but it darn well better fit. Venus in Virgo tones down a Leo Sun and has Libra Sun paying more attention to natural fibers over synthetics

Rose by Waterhouse

Venus in Libra is most likely to go for feminine frills with lots of lace on her sleepwear, but it has to be good quality and soft to the touch – Venus rules Libra, too. She certainly won’t turn down pretty silk lingerie or fine cotton lawn nightwear but will prefer softer colors – no fire engine red for this one. Venus is well placed in Libra, and she’ll give both Virgo and Scorpio Suns more feminine sensibilities.

Venus in Scorpio will pick up that daring garter belt to wear with thigh-high black stockings. She’ll also be inclined to wear silk undergarments under a ratty sweatshirt and jeans to titillate her lover’s imagination – or wear nothing at all. Ha! A Libra or Sagittarius Sun will qualify for HOT if her Venus is in Scorpio.

Venus in Sagittarius will opt for functional, if given a choice, because she just wants to put it on and head out the door. Keep the frills to a minimum please and forget the lace – it scratches. Pure organic cotton is on the top of this one’s list. Both Scorpio and Capricorn Sun folks will be willing to lighten up and fuss less for Venus in Sagittarius.

Ms. Venus in Capricorn not only prefers high quality silky lingerie, she also loves the idea of wearing sexy items under her conservative business suit. It’s a good idea to shop for high-end brands if you want to impress this choosy person, because she will look. If she is shopping for herself, Venus in Capricorn will wait for her favorites to go on sale, demonstrating Saturnine frugality. Sagittarius and Aquarius Suns both benefit from Venus in Capricorn’s sense of class and timeless styling.

For Venus in Aquarius, paying attention to what she wears depends on her mood and her lover. For the most part, undergarments are almost an afterthought, with comfort and good fit much higher on the scale than appearance. Like Virgo, she also will go for eco-conscious fibers like organic cotton and bamboo. This Venus will give Capricorn and Pisces Suns an eccentric edgier taste . . . electric blue lingerie anyone?

Venus in Pisces is the sweetheart of them all. Imagination is everything, and she prefers sheer fabrics in luminous colors that create an atmosphere of romance. Venus in Pisces is another who likes softness against her skin and the hidden beauty of lovely under-things that only she knows she’s wearing. This romantic Venus tones down and softens Aquarius and Aries Suns.