Tag Archives: Venus-Saturn

Weekly Forecast November 26: Mercury Direct, Lunar Eclipse in Gemini

Astrologically, this is a huge week, with three important conjunctions, Mercury turning direct just before a lunar eclipse in Mercury-ruled Gemini, and everything connected.

We’re already seeing the effects of the planetary configuration in the eclipse chart, which is complex and exceedingly rare. The Mars-Uranus square peaked on Friday, and right on cue, there was a huge explosion in Springfield, Mass., followed by a tragic fire on Saturday at a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A small gate. © Pat Paquette, 2012.

I predicted in last week’s forecast that the Mars-Uranus square might be mitigated by the conjunction of Venus and Saturn, favorably angled to Mars and Pluto. In the case of the Springfield explosion, this seemed to be the case. How likely is it that a blast that size in a major city like Springfield would result in no fatalities? According to a story by The Associated Press, officials marveled how the “blast occurred when a day care center next door was closed. The center’s building was heavily damaged.” In the chart timed for the explosion, Venus and Saturn were in the fifth house, which rules children. Vesta, an asteroid named for the Roman goddess who protected the community, was on the Ascendant.

And yet, the chart for the Dhaka fire has almost the same Ascendant, with Venus and Saturn in the fifth house as well, and as we know from news reports, at least 124 people died, most of them women. The only apparent difference in the charts is the position of the Moon, which in the Dhaka chart is at a near-exact inconjunct with chart-ruler Mercury, stationed (stopped) in preparation for returning direct tomorrow. According to news reports, emergency exits were blocked, and the workers were trapped.

This is a good reminder that astrology can’t tell you “what’s going to happen to you.” Our actions do count, and we can affect the outcome of situations. According to news reports, the Dhaka factory was tagged more than a year ago for unsafe conditions – by, of all ironies, Wal-Mart, one of the factory’s leading buyers and a corporation not known for great working conditions. We can choose not to heed warnings, and sometimes we even get away with it. Then, when astrological conditions change, we pay.

What’s so tragic here is that the people who paid with their lives had no voice. That, in a nutshell, is what the Uranus-Pluto square is all about. The more people rise up and protest, the more forceful the backlash from the authorities becomes.

The closer we get to Wednesday’s Full Moon eclipse, the closer the planets will align, with the Sun right at the midpoint between Mars and Pluto on one side and Saturn and Venus on the other. I can’t get over how extraordinary this alignment is, and I expect that the manifestations of it will be equally as remarkable. I see the possibility that it is a small window, a narrow gateway, to accomplishing the impossible and finding resolution to the greatest conflicts facing humanity. I was thinking “war and peace,” when a link popped onto my screen for indie films about war and peace. I just love synchronicities.

In that context, my “big news” is relatively minor. Nevertheless, it was a major accomplishment for me to complete my first video for RealAstrologers. It’s a week later than I planned, with several problems I wasn’t able to resolve, despite several all-nighters. I definitely was tempting fate trying to do work requiring exacting detail during Mercury retrograde, but there was no way around it. With better planning, I’d have had the video done by the first of November, but I’ve also had a backlog of reports. Some of the things that went wrong in the video-making process would have been laughable for an astrologer, if not for the time and frustration – we know that this is exactly what happens with Mercury in “reverse.” I was seriously not amused that my program kept crashing when I was nearly done. Right up until the 11th hour, problems made mountains out of small, routine tasks. But I did have some fun, too, and I learned a ton – a major function of Mercury.

For sure, I’m not the only one who’s been tearing my hair out. On Wednesday, I got the following e-mail from a client:

Normally I heed well your warnings on Mercury retrograde. A week and a half ago I decided to purchase a new fridge, to replace the 30-year-old one in the house … After many problems it was delivered last Saturday and has yet to freeze an ice cube. I have had to toss much food, lose a day’s pay to a repairman, who said he can get a part in December, and lose my mind to the point of getting sick. As it stands right now I will be getting the useless one hauled out and new one in tonight. I will never blatantly disregard your warnings again!

The good news is that we have only one more day of this, and then we’ve got the green light … and how!

Click on image to enlarge

Most of this week’s aspects appear in the chart for the eclipse, starting with Monday’s Sun-Uranus trine. This is where I see the biggest potential for good surprises. We’ve had enough bad ones lately – then, nothing really surprises us much anymore … OK, maybe I shouldn’t have written that. As we found out with Hurricane Katrina, trines can be “good” for something other than humans. Nature is neutral and couldn’t care less how weather affects us. Likewise, the Universe is neutral. Our limited notion of “benefit” is just that – limited.

Also on Monday, Mercury returns direct. This is critically important, given that Mercury is the ruler of Wednesday’s eclipse. Mercury went retrograde in Sagittarius but returns direct in Scorpio, the sign of backroom deals, spies, and corporate secrets. It’s hard to imagine what kind of shocking information will come out in the next two weeks. Will any election results be overturned? The United Nations has declared Washington and Colorado in violation of international treaties for voting to legalize pot. This is just too bizarre for words. And what about Petraeus and Benghazi? I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop – namely, confirmation that the U.S. “consulate” in Benghazi was a CIA outpost, that this was not a secret in upper echelons, and that the Republicans’ faux outrage is a diversionary tactic. As for the impending “fiscal cliff” – well, who knows what surprises lie in store?

Later on Monday, Venus conjoins Saturn, immediately followed on Tuesday by the conjunction of Mars and Pluto. There is some deep symbolic significance here in that Venus and Mars are the quintessential male and female, that each is aligned with a “superpower,” and that those superpowers are virtually indistinguishable, due to their mutual reception. How much difference, really, is there between the one political party and another, one country or another? The polarities anymore are not between political parties or countries, but between social classes – those with political and economic power, and those without it. Protest movements around the world seem to identify more with one another than they do with their own national identities, with fast global communications as a means of connecting. This is the wave of the future.

Venus formally aligns with Pluto on Wednesday and with Mars on Thursday. The one factor that may make an immediate difference in U.S. national affairs is the number of women in Congress. In general (note emphasis), our values are different, with relationships being more important than dominance. I know that there are countries ahead of us in this regard – Iceland, for example. The vanguard is followed by the mainstream.

The one planet I didn’t discuss in my video was Jupiter, who is not far from the Moon in the eclipse chart. The conjunction is a bit wide to have much impact, and Jupiter is retrograde and in the sign of his fall. But there’s a little extra “luck” here nonetheless, plus some amplification of the power of the energies of the eclipse in general. So, even though it’s only a penumbral eclipse and you may not even see it, there’s a better chance that you’ll feel it in some area of your life.

I’m really excited about this week, and I’m especially looking forward to getting my work back on track. One of my first tasks (after taking care of client e-mail and some backlogged reports) will be to create the template for the StarGuide Winter 2013 Forecast. I just love it that some of you have pre-ordered before I even announced it. I’ll have an update in next week’s forecast.

In the meantime, much love and courage to all,
Pat

Weekly Forecast February 27: Mercury Enters Aries, Sun Opposite Mars

Swimming with sharks. © Pavel Erofeev for Dreamstime.com

I don’t know if I’m going to survive this Mars retrograde. To be more precise, life as I know it may not survive this Mars retrograde.

I’m so far behind on my academic work, I’m not sure if I’ll get it all done before the end of the quarter. (For those of you waiting for reports, I’m trying to program in a few hours a week to catch up, so hopefully I’ll be able to respond to you soon.) Beyond that, I’m not sure whether the program in which I’m enrolled will survive the state’s budget cuts. Infighting among classmates and faculty isn’t helping. Everyone is demoralized and depressed.

The good news is that the energy of retrograde Mars in Virgo destroys what isn’t working, clearing the way for new, healthier and more supportive structures to take root. It may turn out that what you fear losing isn’t worth keeping, and if you let go and allow a breakdown to happen, the outcome will be circumstances more conducive to fulfilling your divine mission in life.

Speaking of which, I posted Ruth’s article on Pisces this morning (late, of course; it was supposed to be up yesterday). All of Ruth’s posts are special, but this one is particularly brilliant and resonated with me. With my Pisces Moon, I consider myself an “honorary Pisces.” Even if you don’t have a lot of Pisces energy in your chart, her article is well worth reading.

So, on that note, let’s talk about the most significant planetary aspects this week. First, Mercury enters Aries on Friday, which means that Mercury and Mars officially will be in mutual reception (when each of two planets are in the sign ruled by the other). Mars retrograde in Virgo has felt an awful lot like Mercury retrograde, so I suspect that when these two are linked in this special relationship, the effect is going to be amplified. That means even more error messages, dead batteries, crashed servers, equipment failures, infections, and other frustrating computer glitches.

Mercury also is approaching his own retrograde, starting March 12. I’m always hesitant to say things are going to get worse, but it’s hard to imagine that Mercury in Aries is going to help any. I won’t be surprised if people go from mere yelling to throwing objects across the room at each other, from nitpicking to outright scorn. Start looking now for ways to duck and cover. If you can’t stay out of the line of fire, think up a good flak jacket. Virgo demands precision and accuracy, so one way you’ll be able to deflect criticism is by having your facts straight, with all i’s dotted and t’s crossed.

On Saturday, the noise level goes up another few decibels with the Sun opposing Mars. If you don’t have to work with others, you can get a lot done under this aspect. However, if your work involves collaboration, or if your main area of contention these days is in a personal relationship, be prepared for a hot-and-heavy argument. This is tough, because the nature of this sign-pair combination suggests that someone is at risk of being dumped on. If you find yourself in such a predicament, you might have to shout out your differences.

In some cases, such a release can lead to a peaceful solution. However, it’s more likely that if you have an argument this weekend, you may have to spend time in that uncomfortable state of feeling that no one is on your side and nothing you do is ever good enough. Venus and Saturn are opposed on Sunday, suggesting feelings of isolation and alienation, at least for a few hours. If you feel down, tell yourself it won’t last – and it won’t. These influences won’t last more than a day, as Venus and the Sun move relatively quickly.

On the positive side this week, we have a harmonious sextile from the Sun to Pluto on Tuesday. Use the first two days of this week to clean up messes, whether literal – like the dishes stacked in the sink or the trash blocking the back door – or emotional. You can do a lot to preempt the Sun-Mars opposition later in the week by addressing “messy” personal situations now.

As I mentioned above, I’m trying to carve out some time to fulfill report orders, giving priority to pre-ordered March StarGuide reports. A few of you also are waiting for consultation follow-ups. I just want you to know that I haven’t forgotten about you.

So, as we head into another tough week, just know that you’re truly not alone, that others are facing similar obstacles. We all just need to put one foot in front of the other and keep going.

Wishing you infinite love and courage,
Pat

P.S. If you haven’t done so already, please check out the article in Forbes on financial astrology, quoting Ray Merriman. Good astrologers are priceless in our effort to get more respect for our craft.

Weekly Forecast June 13: Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius, Venus Trine Saturn

This week is dominated by the lunar eclipse at the Full Moon on Wednesday.

The eclipse in the middle of the week brings us to the halfway point between the inter-eclipse period of June 1 to July 1. It’s hard to predict what will happen at eclipses, except to note that they often bring sudden and unexpected change.

It seems to me, though, that we pretty much know the nature of the changes, if not the specifics. Also, the last eclipse in a series tends to mark the wrapping up of an issue that has been the main focus of your life for the past couple of years. So, what I think we’re going to see between Wednesday’s Full Moon eclipse and the solar eclipse on July 1 is a new path coming into view, with a clear message that it leads to a very different place than where we’ve been for the past two years.

That said, eclipses aren’t a time to initiate new ventures or start a new relationship. We’re in a state of disorientation and adjustment. What feels right to you now may not seem like such a good idea in a few weeks. If an opportunity arises, go for it. But don’t try to force something to happen that isn’t unfolding naturally on its own.

Planetary aspects that occur at an eclipse provide us with additional information about how things might shake out. As I mentioned in my eclipse post, there’s a trine from Venus to Saturn, who has just turned direct – a powerful moment. The trine is exact on Saturday, so it will be in the dynamic applying stage at the Full Moon. Saturn is in Libra, the sign of relationships, and Venus rules Libra. So, Saturn is sending his structuring capacity to the planet of love. Commitment among equal partners is a theme here, and I sure hope it spreads.

Mars, unfortunately, is sitting on malefic fixed star Algol, and he’s in an irritating inconjunct with the Full Moon. The planet of war isn’t very strong in Taurus, which also is ruled by Venus. I see this theme playing out in the Weiner scandal. The congressman surely is going to find out that being in a committed relationship with a woman who by all accounts is extraordinary beats the pants off screwing around on the Internet. Men on this planet are learning that their power isn’t diminished by a powerful woman, and women are learning how not to give away their power to “save” the relationship.

Much of what goes on in relationships happens under the surface, and it’s hard to resolve differences if one or both people suppresses their true feelings. On Monday, Venus squares Chiron, signifying painful exchanges. Often this is what it takes to break through to higher ground – and there’s every indication that this is possible now. The inconjunct from Venus to Pluto on Tuesday suggests that sex may be a major source of resentment and will have to be addressed.

Mercury enters Cancer on Thursday and forms favorable aspects to Jupiter and Neptune on Friday. Here’s our chance to connect on a soul level by speaking from the heart about what we want and need. And be sure to listen to what your partner, friend, or family members say they need. You may have to compromise, but at least everything’s above board.

Over the weekend, Mercury forms a cardinal grand cross with Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto. Sunday is Father’s Day, and it’s probably not a good idea to get in a discussion with dad or anyone else about politics. As it is, someone else may confront you about an unresolved issue or a secret you thought no one knew. Fortunately – at least for the coming week – Venus remains the “out” via the trine with Saturn. Love may not conquer all, but it sure goes a long way. It doesn’t take an astrologer to tell you that.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Pat

Weekly Forecast August 2: Jupiter and Mars Square Pluto

Sometimes the way out is up. © Judy Ben Joud/Dreamstime

This is it, kids. It’s peak week for the cardinal T-square — the astrological “week from hell” we’ve been anticipating — with a one-day grand cross thrown in for an additional increase in blood pressure.

I’ve written a lot over the past few months about possible manifestations of the T-square, based on events associated with similar configurations in history, notably in 1989 and, even more prominently, in the early 1930s. The events in 1989 for the most part were well-defined, one-time occurrences, even though some had far-reaching consequences that are still in play.

Conversely, in the early 30s, developments unfolded over several years. In many ways, it was the worst of the two. It almost makes me wish the economy would collapse with an eardrum-shattering sonic boom so we could get it over with, rather than being dragged deeper and deeper into economic depression and worldwide totalitarianism.

If you had a choice, which would you choose? What about in your personal life? Would you rather bite the bullet, suffer acute pain, be done with it, and move on into new territory? Or would you rather suffer low-level background pain continuously over several years, perhaps with an option to numb it until things turned around?

Not that I think we have much choice right now. Under the cardinal T-square, our options are limited. We’re pretty much being forced down a certain path, the only one that’s not blocked. Still, I’m a big believer that there’s always another way out that we just don’t see. When you’ve got four walls closing in on you, sometimes you forget to look up for the escape hatch.

Hopefully you took my advice last week and began confronting the major issues that are standing in the way of your growth and progress. Sometimes all it takes is a new awareness, especially regarding the source of the blockage. Until we identify the source of a problem, we can only treat symptoms and not the root cause.

Getting to the source is this week’s theme, thanks to a high-tension square between Mars and Pluto. Be forewarned that you may have to sit with some discomfort, but if you can stick with it, your chances of getting out of a rut and moving forward are much better.

We’re already hot in the middle of the action as the week begins, with Mars still in close conjunction with Saturn in Libra. On Tuesday and Wednesday, we’ll have a tight T-square with Mars opposed to Jupiter and both square Pluto. If I had to pick the most difficult day during the 2010 T-square, this would be it … although this past weekend was a close second.

The truth can be uncomfortable, which is why many people choose to wear rose-colored glasses or keep their heads buried in the sand. Put another way, waking up can be a painful experience. In my observation, most people wake up to pain first, and then they experience joy and happiness. It’s seldom the other way around.

On Friday, the Moon enters Cancer and closes the open end of the T-square, so that it becomes a grand cross. Emotions could be so intense that some of us might think we’re losing our minds. Some may experience a continuous feedback loop of thoughts going ’round and ’round in their heads. If this happens to you, try to wait out the storm. It will last for several hours, and then it will be gone. Speaking of storms, this also is a prime period for high winds and tropical cyclones.

Later on Friday (Saturday in the Eastern Hemisphere), Venus enters Libra and adds her voice to the cardinal T-square. Venus rules Libra, so she is a very strong voice for beauty, peace, and harmony. We’re in need of these gifts now more than ever, not just in our personal partnerships, but also in the collective and in international relations.

Alas, we may have to fight for them, as the first aspect Venus makes is a testy opposition with “got to be me” Uranus in Aries. You can stand up all you want for your freedom, but you may want to ask yourself, “freedom from what?” The Marlboro man is free as a bird … and alone.

That message will become abundantly clear on Sunday, when Venus conjoins Saturn. For a committed partnership to work, there has to be bona fide give and take. That said, there are imbalances in most relationships I’m observing these days, with one person carrying more than their share of the load. This may be necessary, as we can only carry according to our ability.

Unfortunately, a lot of people are glad to let others carry their load for them, and they always seem to find those who believe it’s their duty. Hopefully Venus and Saturn in Libra will put a stop to that. The willing pack animals among you may need to drop your load in order for your lazy loved ones to step up to the plate. Trust me, you’ll be doing them a favor.

I leave you with this quote by R. Buckminster Fuller, author, inventor of the geodesic dome:

Don’t fight forces, use them.

That’s our mission this week, if we choose to accept it.

Wishing you all the love and courage under the Sun,
Pat

Saturday Archives: Saturn in Synastry – Natal Chart

The World by Toni Allen (represents Saturn) The more I work with people on their synastry with another, the more I realize it all comes back to the natal chart and learning what Saturn has to teach us about loving and accepting ourselves as we are BEFORE we embark on a relationship with another human being.

Saturn has gotten a lot of bad press over the years yet he has been my saving grace more often than not when Neptune, Uranus or Pluto embroiled me in their fun and games. As an astrologer, I look to Saturn in the natal chart to show how the individual handles their responsibilities to others and themselves. In fact, if we don’t learn to be responsible to ourselves first, the chances of us being there for others is not too great.

As a person with a natal out-of-sign Sun/Saturn square, I grew up with one or the other of my parents (Saturn) keeping my nose to the grindstone. We had a small family farm and we all had lots of chores to do. In general people with Saturn in aspect to their Sun, no matter the nature of the aspect, are often given responsibilities at an early age and are pretty much going to be made to attend to them. The effect of a Sun/Saturn aspect on how we relate as adults is often dependant on other aspects to our Suns. If we have a Jupiter or Venus aspect to the Sun natally, we will tend to develop a more optimistic outlook, and be less likely to choose a “parent” for a partner. If not, it may take several Saturn cycles including the Saturn Return to help us realize how valuable we are.

The Moon in aspect to Saturn has a sobering effect on our emotions and habits. We are often like Moon in Capricorn, very cautious and aware of where we fit into our social group; and likely to be “old” when we are young and “young” as we age. With a natal Moon/Saturn sextile myself, I know this pattern well. Saturn can have a dampening effect on the Moon, making one lean towards choosing friends and lovers based on whether they are reliable rather than exciting. That is unless Uranus is also aspecting the Moon, then all bets are off!

Venus in aspect to Saturn?! I have one of those too. With Venus in Sagittarius in the 1st House, having Saturn trine to it probably keep me from doing too many wild and crazy things. However, it’s possible with Venus in aspect to Saturn to be so conventional and hedged about by the need to fit in; all the fun can be drained out of life. This aspect is the one most associated with undervaluing our feeling of being desirable. Here again if we are patient with Saturn’s lessons we can learn how to unfold our wings and transform our self-image. People with Venus/Saturn aspects are sometimes the ones who undertake a healthy diet and exercise program to very good effect – mostly because they stay with it long enough to see real results. We attract partners who appreciate someone who demonstrates reliability, not very romantic but good for lasting relationships with others.

When it comes to Mars/Saturn aspects natally, I have to go with what I’ve observed in others, like my sister who has Mars conjunct Saturn in Cancer. She can work longer and harder without letting up than anyone I know – except for others with Mars in close aspect to Saturn. This aspect can cause deep frustration of the need to act but at the same time it gives great endurance. Mars/Saturn aspects function similarly to Mars in Capricorn, one of the placements of Mars said to give one a steady sex drive but very controlled. This aspect suggests this individual is going to take their time before committing to a relationship but if they do, they’ll be around for the long haul. Sometimes Saturn can give Mars a fear of taking action and lead to a situation of complete impasse.

With an accurate birth time, we can also find out if Saturn is conjunct the Ascendant or Midheaven in the chart. Those with Saturn on the Ascendant tend to present a dour face to the world even if they are fun loving and sociable in privacy. If we wish to draw a partner more in tune with who we are at home, we need to keep in mind to show this self more often. Saturn on the Midheaven is an indicator of someone who is all business on the job even if they are a party animal away from the office. In both these cases, it usually pays to take the time (Saturn) to get to know them in different settings.

This is more or less the cliff notes version of how Saturn works natally. I highly recommend getting a hold of a copy of Liz Greene’s book, “Saturn: a new look at an old devil”. Almost every astrologer I’ve ever talked agrees this book is the definitive source of information on Saturn. My copy is well read because it’s a staple reference book in my astrology library.

posted by Neith . . .