Prior Astrology Forecasts

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January 2012 Forecast

Whatever your Sun Sign, this forecast will help you make the best use of each month’s astrological energies. Events are most powerful on the dates listed. However, their influence will be active for at least several days before and after. All dates and times are in the U.S. eastern time zone.

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

1/9. Full Moon in Cancer
1/14-27. Sun-Jupiter-Saturn T-square
1/17. Jupiter semi-sextile Uranus
1/20. Sun enters Aquarius
1/23. New Moon in Aquarius
1/23. Mars turns retrograde (thru 4/13)
1/24-31. Mercury-Jupiter-Saturn T-square

THE STORY SO FAR

All planets are direct. The healing of opposing viewpoints through unconditional love and compassion is supported through 2/25 by a Wedge aspect pattern peaking on 1/10. And the overriding energies of revolutionary transformation (a Uranus-Pluto square), as well as universal love, compassion and spiritual awakening (Neptune in Pisces), will be active for years to come.

Detailed Forecast

1/1 (Sun). Mercury in Sagittarius can overdo the verbosity, and its square to Mars could set the stage for verbal attacks. Instead, use this aspect to energize your thinking, and to express Sagittarius' natural hope and optimism. This could also energize mental forays into philosophy, religion and foreign cultures.
        A Venus-Mars biquintile can help create sparkly magic around relationships and creative expression!
        New inspirations about productivity, maturity and time management are available with the Capricornian Sun quintile Saturn.

1/4 (Wed). Unconventional creativity and fresh relationship strategies are in the air with Aquarian Venus quintile Jupiter.

1/7 (Sat). Don't pick a fight with your significant other just because Venus and Mars are quincunx! Instead, focus on what adjustments you can implement to make your relationship even better. With Venus in Aquarius and Mars in Virgo, take these creative inspirations, carefully work out the details, and implement them with gusto!
        It's an ideal day for Law of Attraction visualizations: Mercury, ruler of the mind, is in inspiring Sagittarius. And it's sextile the two planets that archetypally represent the manifestation process: Neptune (imagination and visualization) and Saturn (crystallization into the physical world). (To read my concise “Law of Attraction Made Simple” article, click here!)

1/8 (Sun). Mercury transits Capricorn today through 1/27. Rather than wallow in pessimistic or gloomy thoughts, take this opportunity to bring renewed focus, discipline and maturity to your thinking, writing and speech.
        Mercury may be in serious Capricorn, but its trine to Jupiter can bring an optimistic, celebratory vibe to your thinking. And if Mercury's square to Uranus makes you feel as if you're being inundated with 1000 simultaneous Twitter feeds, try this invocation to quickly and easily achieve peace of mind. From that calm place, it will be much easier to receive the intuitive flashes that Uranus is sending!

1/9 (Mon). The January Full Moon shines forth at 2:30 AM (18°25' Cancer). Consider how “full-filled” you are in the areas of nurturing, healing, home life, family, and emotional sensitivity, and make appropriate adjustments.
        This Full Moon has two notable aspects. The sextile from Mars energizes the life areas mentioned above, and can add some sexual sizzle to the rising emotions always associated with this lunation. At the same time, a Chiron sesquiquadrate might bring up some old wounds to be healed.
        The Sabian Symbol for this Full Moon is, “A fragile miss, representative of proud old blood, is wed in a marriage ceremony by a priest to the eager youth of the new order.” A far cry from the current US political climate, this symbol reminds us that old ways of thinking can harmoniously merge with new ways of being. However crazy the world around us may appear, we can always choose to enter harmoniously into union with the all-that-is – which unconditionally loves everything, old and new, without exception.
        It's an ideal time to give or receive sage advice on practical matters with Capricornian Mercury sextile Chiron.
        With the Capricornian Sun quintile Uranus, experiment with innovative approaches to traditional problems – especially if the solutions pop in via intuitive flash!

1/12 (Thu). It's a high-energy day for detail-oriented productivity, with the Capricornian Sun trine Virgoan Mars!

1/13 (Fri). It's a fabulous day for artists of all stripes. A Venus-Neptune conjunction in Aquarius radiates inspired creativity, while Venus' trine to Saturn can help ground these visions into practical manifestation. Visualizing and manifesting in the relationship and financial areas is also supported by these aspects.
        The challenge here can be Neptune's ability to sow fog and confusion. Formal use of the Law of Attraction, including the all-important “karma-free safety clause,” will ensure that what you call in truly serves the highest good of all.
        Capricornian Mercury also conjoins Pluto today. While it may seem most efficient to just “tell it like it is,” remember that your message will be most easily received when you also consider the emotional impact of your words!

1/14 (Sat). Venus transits Pisces today through 2/7. Potential challenges of this period include viewing your beloved through rose-colored glasses, and making important financial decisions without sufficiently contemplating the downside risks. More pleasant possibilities include an enhanced ability to experience soul-level blending with those close to you, receiving intuitive guidance in money matters, and enjoying increased creative inspiration from your Muse!
        All of the scenarios in the preceding paragraph can be charged up by Venus' sextile to Jupiter. Venus-Jupiter contacts also tend to amplify whatever's going on in important relationships, so that you can see the lay of the land more clearly.
        The Sun, currently in Capricorn, enters into a T-square with Jupiter and Saturn today. Until it peaks on 1/20, this aspect pattern can fuel accomplishment and productive social engagement. (Since Jupiter and Saturn are the social planets.) From 1/20 until the T-square dissolves on 1/27, the Sun will be in Aquarius. With this shift, the T-square will empower themes such as originality, ingenuity and service to the greater good.
        While T-squares (a 180° opposition and two 90° squares) are tremendous energizers, they also tend to bring challenge. But it's rising to meet these challenges that can take you to your next level of growth!

1/15 (Sun). It's easy to have inspired thoughts about practical matters with Capricornian Mercury quintile Saturn!

1/16 (Mon). Any relationship challenges that arise with Venus conjunct Chiron are opportunities in disguise. Emotional pain usually has deep roots, and it's easier to pull them up when the wound is freshly "watered". Our egos aren't very good at healing themselves, but tools such as this invocation can invite Spirit in to do the job for you. (Invoking the divine is especially appropriate with Venus in Pisces!)
This aspect also supports mentoring, all types of healing, financial counseling, and refining your creative inspirations to the height of perfection!

1/17 (Tue). The stage is set for the enthusiastic manifestation of fresh inspirations, thanks to a semi-sextile connecting Taurean Jupiter and Arean Uranus. And, since these planets move more slowly than most, you have until mid-February to maximize this opportunity!

1/19 (Thu). Challenges have definitely been known to arise with the Sun square Saturn. But the rule with Saturn – as well as with Capricorn, the Sun's current sign – is that someone or something has to embody authority. If you don't embody it yourself, some kind of external power will show up to lay down the law for you. This challenge is your invitation to step into your own power.
If your energy feels depleted, consider taking some “hermit time” for contemplation. But if productivity must be maintained, using your willpower to get started might just convert Saturn from a wet blanket weighing you down to a robust trade wind in your sails!

1/20 (Fri). The Sun transits Aquarius today through 2/18, radiating originality, genius, the humanitarian spirit, and intuitive flashes!
        Work toward positive transformation in your relationships, finances and creative output with Venus sextile Pluto. With Venus in Pisces, intuitive guidance in these areas should be easier to access.
        With Capricornian Mercury quintile Uranus, there should be intuitive flashes aplenty to guide you in your worldly affairs.
        The T-square described on 1/14 peaks today, and changes its basic meaning is the Sun shifts from Capricorn to Aquarius.

1/21 (Sat). Let your authentic self shine forth with the Aquarian Sun sextile Uranus!

1/22 (Sun). The urge for authentic self-expression may feel overwhelming with the Aquarian Sun square Jupiter. This aspect can also create an urge for enthusiastic and unconventional revelry. It can be easy to fall into excess with this aspect, so be careful not to overload your plate!

1/23 (Mon). January's New Moon occurs at 2:39 AM (02°41' Aquarius). New beginnings in originality, genius, unconventionality, technology, revolution, paradigm shift and humanitarianism are supported.
        As the moon conjoins the Sun, it increases the power of the T-square that started on 1/14. And the New Moon's sextile to Uranus, the modern ruler of Aquarius, makes the whole Aquarian vibe even stronger.
        This Full Moon's Sabian Symbol is, "A deserter from the Navy stands suddenly aware of a dawning truth: freedom is never the result of compromise."
        In this context, the Navy represents any large, powerful and tradition-bound institution which perpetuates delusional thinking. (Oceangoing activities are ruled by Neptune, whose dark side includes fog, confusion and deceit. Let me also note that I have no issues with the US Navy; I'm just interpreting a Sabian Symbol here!) The deserter is doing the right thing: breaking away from blind acceptance of groupthink and seeing the world from a new, more realistic perspective.
        Our deserter is realizing that "freedom is never the result of compromise." So ask yourself what you need to "desert" in order to achieve the freedom that your soul is calling for. The Golden Age now dawning will be characterized by each person following their own intuitive guidance, with order maintained more by synchronicity than hierarchy. Why not choose to be one of the forerunners, and start living your own Golden Age right now?
        Capricornian Mercury is trine Mars today, energizing focused thinking and concise, straightforward communication.
        Finally, Mars turns retrograde at 7:53 PM today, and will turn direct again on 4/13. Mars' backward turn will take place entirely within Virgo, beginning at 23° and ending at 4°.
        During this period, lasting nearly 3 months, reflecting on action can sometimes be better than doing the deed. Obviously, you can't just put your life on hold for this long, but additional reflection before acting, and enhanced attention to detail and precision as you do, can help lead to superior outcomes. This is also a good time to contemplate how you use the Martian energies of sexuality and aggression, and how well you're managing the Red Planet's more challenging manifestations, such as anger, violence and impulsiveness.

1/24 (Tue). Why settle for one T-square when you can have two? Mercury joins the Sun in squaring both Jupiter and Saturn today. But since Mercury is moving so much faster then the Sun right now, its T-square will only last half as long: it starts today in Capricorn, peaks on 1/28 as it enters Aquarius, and wraps up on 1/31.
        The overall effect will be similar to the Sun's (click here for a refresher on that T-square). The main differences are that the challenges represented by the Sun will tend to be about self-identification and vitality, while Mercury's obstacles will be more about independent thought and self-expression.

1/27 (Fri). Mercury's square to Saturn, part of the T-square described in the prior entry, may bring up the challenges to independent thought and self-expression mentioned there. But it can also be a boon to focused, disciplined thinking and communication.
        Mercury transits Aquarius today through 2/13, facilitating original thinking, unique self-expression, mental breakthroughs, and easier reception of intuitive flashes.

1/28 (Sat). It's another Mercury day. Its sextile to Uranus carries the same archetypal meaning as its entry into Aquarius, described in the prior paragraph. And its square to Jupiter can supercharge thinking and communication. This could lead to verbal gaffes, so be sure to maintain a filter between your brain and your mouth!
        The Mercury-Jupiter-Saturn T-square peaks today, as mentioned on 1/24.

1/30 (Mon). Creative inspiration can be significantly empowered by the quintile connecting Piscean Venus and Pluto. Positive transformation in your relationships and finances is also supported.

December 2011 Forecast

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

12/6. Jupiter sextile Chiron
12/10. Uranus turns direct; Full Moon lunar eclipse in Gemini
12/13. Mercury turns direct; Jupiter semi-sextile Uranus
12/15-24: Jupiter-Saturn-Venus T-square
12/20-22: Venus-Mars-Jupiter Thor's Hammer
12/22: Sun enters Capricorn/Winter Solstice
12/24: Capricorn New Moon
12/25. Jupiter turns direct

THE STORY SO FAR. Mercury remains retrograde through 12/13; try to delay starting important projects and major purchases until 12/14 (or, ideally, until after the 12/24 New Moon). The healing of opposing viewpoints through unconditional love and compassion is supported 11/25 through 2/25 by a Wedge aspect pattern peaking on 1/10. And the overriding energies of revolutionary transformation (a Uranus-Pluto square), as well as universal love, compassion and spiritual awakening (Neptune in Pisces), will be active for years to come.

VOID-OF-COURSE MOONS

Detailed Forecast

12/1 (Thu). Plan on the empowerment and practical transformation of relationships, finance and creative expression, with Venus conjoining Pluto in Capricorn.

12/2 (Fri). The image of a roaring bonfire radiating intense heat comes to mind with the Sagittarian Sun square Mars. This energy could be used to disastrous excess, with primal urges for sex or violence flaring out of control. Better to focus on exercise, athletics, positive sexuality or the carefully calibrated use of this superabundant energy to move forward on your quest!
Throw some creativity into the mix as well. With Capricornian Venus quintile Saturn, your creative output can be fueled by abundant productivity!

12/4 (Sun). Sagittarian Mercury gets a double play today, conjoining the Sun and squaring Mars. This lights a fire under your ability to deepen your general learning, philosophical explorations and spiritual understanding. Passionate discussion and debate are great under these aspects, but try not to let enthusiastic verbal exchanges flare into arguments!

12/5 (Mon). The current structures, systems and status quo may feel like an uncomfortable fit with Mars semi-square Saturn. Be sure to think through alternative suggestions before speaking up, and present them diplomatically. And remember that any Mars-Saturn aspect can fuel productivity!
With the planetary lovers Venus and Mars in trine, plan a romantic get-together, or at least do something creative! With both planets in earth signs, this is an excellent time to work on foundational issues in your relationships, and to experience greater energy and flow in your financial dealings.

12/6 (Tue). A four-month sextile between Taurean Jupiter and Piscean Chiron reaches a peak today, amplifying mentoring and spiritual healing. The influence of this aspect began on 11/10 and will last through 3/13. This aspect also has the flavor of worldly exuberance, supported by the easy flow of intuitive wisdom.

12/8 (Thu). This Thursday is brought to you by the quintile family, featuring a Mercury-Jupiter biquintile and a Sun-Neptune quintile. Given this combination of planets and aspects, this day sparkles with creative inspiration and intuitive connection!

12/10 (Sat). Uranus ends a five-month retrograde, going direct at 1° Aries. Anything in your chart in the last two degrees of a mutable sign (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces) or the first four degrees of a Cardinal sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) will feel this station with special power. Be sure to follow your intuitive flashes, even if they're calling for revolution and paradigm shift!
        Today's Full Moon is also a total lunar eclipse! Occurring at 9:36 AM (18°10' Gemini), you can begin by contemplating how “full-filled” you are with your learning, communication, and relations with your siblings and neighbors.
        Since the effects of this eclipse will be felt for several months, its aspects suggest that we be mindful of the appropriate use of our assertive and sexual energies, but stride forth boldly in those areas that require our energy and leadership (Mars square). And remember that relationship challenges always show, first and foremost, where we need to work on ourselves (Venus quincunx)!
        This lunation's Sabian Symbol is, “In a museum, a large archaic volume reveals a traditional wisdom.” Since Gemini loves to gather information, this could be a hint to benefit from valuable indigenous teachings that have been largely forgotten in modern times.

12/11 (Sun). It's a double-quintile day, featuring 72° angles between the Sun and Chiron, as well as Venus and Uranus. Set aside some time to connect with your Muse and your Higher Self!

12/13 (Tue). A Jupiter-Uranus semi-sextile, though moderately challenging, still encourages innovations and breakthroughs in your spiritual path. Lucky breaks are associated with this planetary duo, which you can also use to amplify your own special qualities. This aspect is strong through mid-February.
Mercury retrograde ends at 8:43 PM. But, since new projects launch best under waxing moons, try to wait until after the New Moon on 12/24 for important new beginnings.

12/15 (Thu). A T-square aspect pattern, comprised of Jupiter, Saturn and Venus, is active today through Christmas Eve, peaking on 12/20. Since Jupiter expands and Saturn contracts, it suggests the wisdom of keeping both relationships and money issues in balance during this time frame.

12/16 (Fri). Keep an eye on your more primal impulses for the next week: with Virgoan Mars sesquiquadrate Jupiter, the wild horses of sexuality and aggression may be chomping at the bit! Focusing on win-win expressions of sexuality and leadership can direct this energy more positively, as can exercise and a focus on serving others.

12/18 (Sun). Few people look forward to a Venus-Saturn square, but we all need an unflinching reality check on our relationships and money issues from time to time. This is an ideal time to wake up from your illusions and deal with how things really are are in these areas.

12/19 (Mon). The expansiveness of the Sagittarian Sun is balanced by a sextile from down-to-earth Saturn. In short, a great day for productivity!
        A Mercury-Jupiter biquintile can flow sweet inspiration to your thinking and writing.

12/20 (Tue). A fresh approach to relationships and creativity may serve you well as Venus transits Aquarius today thru 1/13. And be sure to follow your intuitive flashes in these areas!
        It's an especially good time for spiritual immersion, inspired creativity and flowing unconditional love to others with the Sun sextile Neptune.
        The Jupiter-Saturn-Venus T-square that started on 12/15 peaks today and wraps up on Christmas Eve. As noted on 12/15, since Jupiter expands and Saturn contracts, it suggests the wisdom of keeping both relationships and money issues in balance.
        A square between Venus and Jupiter, which is part of this T-square, will help to magnify both the best and worst qualities of your key relationships.
        The relationship focus receives further impact with a Thor's Hammer aspect pattern (a 90° square and two 135° sesquiquadrates). Featuring Venus, Mars and Jupiter, it starts today, peaks tomorrow and ends on 12/22. Be sure to “hammer out” any relationship issues that arise!

12/21 (Wed). Venus' sextile to Uranus carries pretty much the same archetypal message as her entry into Aquarius yesterday: consider a fresh approach to relationships and creativity, as well as allegiance to your intuitive flashes about them.

12/22 (Thu). The Sun enters Capricorn at 12:30 AM. With the Sun also trine Jupiter and square Uranus today, the Winter Solstice Chart for the USA indicates plenty of revolution, paradigm shift and transformation for the next three months. This provides a superabundance of both challenge and opportunity!

12/23 (Fri). A sextile between the Capricornian Sun and Chiron suggests a mature, consistent approach to healing and mentoring.

12/24 (Sat). December's New Moon occurs on Christmas Eve at 1:06 PM (2°34' Capricorn). New beginnings in business, career, industrious accomplishment and reputation building are all supported.
This lunation's aspects suggest that opportunity (Jupiter trine) will be strongest by embracing paradigm shift, being true to yourself, and being guided by your intuitive flashes (Uranus square). It is now imperative to release everything that has outlived its usefulness (Pluto conjunction), while embracing new ways that promote harmony, fairness and sustainability (Venus semi-sextile, trine from Taurean Jupiter).
This New Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “The human soul, in its eagerness for new experiences, seeks embodiment.” This reflects the growing awareness by many that the spiritual path is now less about transcendence or escape, and more about operating as a spiritual being who is having a human experience.

12/25 (Sun). Here's a ray of sunshine in troubled times: Jupiter, the planet of hope, optimism and celebration, turns direct on Christmas Day. Planets are strongest when changing directions, so Jupiter's uplifting energy should help bring a special joy to this holiday season!

12/29 (Thu). With a Sun-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn being the year's last significant aspect, close 2011 by consciously embracing the practical transformations that most serve you and those around you.
And with Mercury quintile Neptune, remember that the more you bring your mind into alignment with divine will, the more powerful you, and the service you can provide to others, becomes. Let your intuition guide you as we move deeper into these unprecedented times of light-speed change!

12/31 (Sat). None of us is clever enough to live an optimal life without a little help from our friends. So, with Sagittarian Mercury quintile Chiron, be open to mentoring or healing from those who can help you. Or give some to others!

November 2011 Forecast

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

11/1. T-Square peaks (Neptune-Chiron-Mars-Venus-Mercury)
11/7. Mars opposes Neptune
11/9. Neptune direct
11/10. Taurus Full Moon; Chiron direct
11/11/11. Saturn quintile Pluto
11/12. Mars opposes Chiron, quincunxes Uranus
11/16. Mars trine Jupiter
11/20. Sun square Neptune
11/21. Grand Trine peaks (Pluto-Jupiter-Mars)
11/22. Sun enters Sagittarius
11/23. Mars trine Pluto
11/24. Mercury turns retrograde; T-square peaks (Neptune-Chiron-Mars-Sun)
11/25. Solar Eclipse (New Moon) in Sagittarius

THE STORY SO FAR. Retrogrades: Neptune thru 11/9, Chiron thru 11/10, Uranus thru 12/10, Jupiter thru 12/25

VOID-OF-COURSE MOONS

11/1 (Tue). A five-planet T-square, active 10/28 through 11/4, is peaking as November opens. Leonine Mars is opposing Neptune and Chiron, and all three are squaring Mercury and Venus in Scorpio. On the challenging side, illusions, deception and wounding are possible in relationships and communication. On the upside, strong healing energy is available in these areas, and it can be easier to experience powerful transformation and connect with the divine in others.
        Part of this configuration, a Mercury-Neptune square, is exact today. Taken as a stand-alone aspect, it can amplify the possibility of confusion or deception in your thinking or communication. But it can also be used to let your thoughts be saturated with intuitive insight, divine union and/or creative inspiration!
        A second aspect pattern also peaks today: a Quintile Yod, active 10/30 through 11/2. Here, there's a quintile between the Scorpionic Sun and Leonine Mars, and both planets biquintile Uranus. Quintiles and biquintiles are about divine inspiration and magical connection, so this Quintile Yod can be used to light up and empower creative activities -- especially those that reflect your unique genius!

11/2 (Wed). Venus and Mercury both race into Sagittarius today, and just eight hours apart! Venus will move on into Capricorn on 11/26, but Mercury will stay in Sagittarius until 1/7 due to its retrograde on 11/24. These planets' Sagittarian residence will amplify the energies of questing, celebration, enthusiasm, higher education, foreign travel, and attention to religion and/or philosophy. Relationships can be more adventurous, and communication more loquacious.
        Venus also squares Chiron today, which can provide a major opportunity to clear stuck energy and heal old wounds. You can facilitate this process by maintaining a high level of integrity and honesty with others, and allowing yourself to feel whatever is arising within you.

11/3 (Thu). Next to square Chiron is Mercury. Be mindful not to wound others with your words; focus instead on activating healing and mentoring through your words and actions.
        Trines to Uranus are up next, with Venus and Mercury now making the aspect just six hours apart. Be sure to follow whatever intuitive flashes you're receiving around relationships, creativity and finance, as well as writing and communication.

11/5 (Sat). Watch for adjustments that will help you move forward with your goals, with Venus and Mercury both quincunx Jupiter (and now making their aspects just over two hours apart!). Once again, the themes stimulated by Venus and Mercury are money, personal expression, relationships, learning and communication.

11/7 (Mon). You can pour fresh energy into your spirituality and creative expression with Leonine Mars opposing Neptune. Plenty of juice is available for activities that consciously combine physicality and spirituality, such as tai chi, yoga, tantric sex and ecstatic dance. To avoid fanaticism and illusion in relationships, stay attentive to your flow of intuitive guidance.

11/9 (Wed). Neptune turns direct today at 28° Aquarius. This is a great time to move forward with spiritual and/or creative activities, especially those that have been gestating during the last five months or so. Planets are most powerful when changing directions. Therefore, anything in your natal chart in the last five degrees of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius) or the first two degrees of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces) will feel Neptune's spiritualizing or dissolving influence with special strength.
        A powerful Grand Trine in earth signs – consisting of Taurean Jupiter, Virgoan Mars and Capricornian Pluto – empowers productivity and accomplishment today thru 11/29, peaking on 11/21. This energy is also useful for sexuality, sensuality, focused transformation, and diving into even the most challenging projects with enhanced drive, determination and focus!

11/10 (Thurs). November's Full Moon shines forth at 3:16 PM (18°04' Taurus). Consider how “full-filled” you are with your possessions, self-esteem, sensual experience and connection with Mother Earth.
        This Full Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “A new continent is rising out of the ocean.” It's easy to see this as a metaphor for the new divine consciousness now emerging on our planet, as the Golden Age continues its initial rollout. Let this image inspire you to allow new consciousness, joy and potential to arise within you!
        Just one day after Neptune's turnabout, Chiron turns direct at 0°38' Pisces. This is a great time to focus on the healing and resolution of any old wounds you've been working with, especially during the last five months or so, and to move forward with new energy to give or receive mentoring and/or healing. (With Chiron in Pisces, spiritual and/or creative mentoring and healing are especially supported.) Sensitive points in your natal chart in the last three degrees of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius) or the first three degrees of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces) will feel this energy with extra power.
        Finally, Mars enters Virgo through 7/3 – an unusually long stay of almost eight months! (Mars usually spends about two months in each sign, but will be retrograding within Virgo late January through mid-April.) You can use his long-term residency to energize new or continuing activities in the areas of health, service, attention to detail, and systems and procedures.

11/11/11 (Fri). One would hope for a significant astrological event on such a numerologically striking day. And the universe delivers with Libran Saturn quintile Pluto, radiating inspired, productive creativity for the rest of the month!

11/12 (Sat). Mars is making two challenging aspects today: an opposition to Chiron and a quincunx to Uranus. To avert negative possibilities, including accidents and wounding, meticulously examine whatever psychological baggage is arising, and take immediate action on your intuitive flashes!

11/15 (Tue). Creative inspiration is abundantly supported with Sagittarian Venus quintile Neptune. You can also pick up intuitive insight around relationships and money issues.

11/16 (Wed). Mercury makes its own quintile to Neptune today, which can make your mind more sensitive to overall intuitive guidance. With Mercury in Sagittarius, this is particularly conducive to “big picture” thinking.
        There are many ways to use the trine of Virgoan Mars and Taurean Jupiter, which is exact today and strong for a week on either side. For starters, there's amplification of initiation, leadership and sexuality. Increased good fortune in business dealings is also possible, as is a sense of “Energizer Bunny” productivity. As always, your results depend upon your focus!
        This trine is part of a Grand Trine aspect pattern which also includes Pluto; see the 11/9 entry for details.

11/17 (Thu). Creative refinement of your artistic projects, relationships and finances is supported with Venus quintile Chiron. It's also a good time for healing and mentoring in these areas.

11/19 (Sat). Still copycatting Venus's every move, Mercury quintiles Chiron today. This combination is great for inspiration and the intuitive refinement of your thinking.

11/20 (Sun). The urge for the transformative bliss of altered states may be strong with the Scorpionic Sun square Neptune. See if you can fulfill it by channeling your creative muse or connecting with the divine. (The more you do this, the less you have to deal with Neptune's more challenging qualities of addiction, confusion and inertia!)
        This Sun-Neptune square is part of a larger configuration: a T-square, in effect today thru 11/27 and peaking on the 11/25 Solar Eclipse. It consists of Mars opposing Neptune and Chiron, with everyone squaring the Sun.
        This aspect pattern can stimulate wounding experiences, which are more often psychological than physical. While these can be unpleasant, they also create wonderful opportunities by making the original, deeper wound available for healing. (You may find this healing invocation helpful.) Thus, the upside of this T-square becomes mentoring and healing, especially those modalities with a spiritual component.

11/21 (Mon). Today is the energetic peak of the Grand Trine in earth signs that started on 11/9, and whose influence continues through 11/29.

11/22 (Tue). The urge to acquire can run out of control during the passage of Venus, ruler of earthly desires, through Sagittarius. But she's only in the sign for a few more days, and today's sextile to Saturn can provide harmonious restraint.
        Speaking of Sagittarius, the Sun enters this larger-than-life sign today, radiating joy, celebration, enthusiasm, love of knowledge, humor and the adventurous spirit of the quest!

11/23 (Wed). The Sun moves less than one degree into Sagittarius before squaring the wounded healer Chiron. Since this aspect is part of the current t-square, I refer you to that interpretation for a fuller understanding.
        The Sagittarian Sun also trines Uranus today, comfortably supporting the expression of your unique qualities. Activities that challenge the status quo can also “Occupy” those drawn to revolutionary change!
        On its own, today's trine between Virgoan Mars and Pluto describes a strong, easy flow of power, sexuality and precisely calibrated initiation. But it's actually two-thirds of the Grand Trine described on 11/9, which remains powerful for another week.

11/24 (Thu). We usually think of “making a list and checking it twice” at Christmas, but this year it also applies to preparations for the US holiday devoted to gratitude. That's because Mercury turns retrograde on Thanksgiving Day at 2:19 AM. (It turns direct again on 12/13 at 9:42 PM.)
        During this time, try to avoid starting major new projects. And all those big box retailers, who are starting their Black Friday sales earlier than ever this year, certainly don't want you remembering that major purchases are best avoided during Mercury retrograde! (It isn't the end of the world if you can't resist that exceptional bargain. It just makes it more likely that some sort of adjustment, such as a repair, return or refund, may be involved later on.)
        During this Mercury retrograde period, make sure that you are understanding and being understood, be prepared for the increased likelihood of delays and breakdowns, and back up critical data. (There are now several reputable online services that offer automatic, ongoing and unlimited data backup for around $60 per year.)
        Every astrological event, no matter how tarnished its reputation, has its upside. All Mercury retrogrades are good for completing projects that were already underway, making repairs, and introspection. This Mercury retrograde is ideal for reflection on Sagittarian themes, since its entire retrograde is in the Sign of the Archer. With Mercury conjunct the North Node of the Moon and Venus as it stations, contemplation of life purpose, relationships, finance and creativity is also energized.
        There are several other significant astrological events on Thanksgiving Day. A quincunx between the Sagittarian Sun and Jupiter could have an excessively expansive effect, so be careful about talking too much or proselytizing your pet beliefs. But with both Sagittarius and Jupiter involved, it won't take too much of an adjustment for high spirits and celebration to become the day's dominant energy.
        The possibility of unexpected psychological wounding is made more likely by a Uranus-Chiron semi-sextile. Because they're moving at similar speeds, these two planets are engaged in an extended relationship: with only one exception, they've been making this semi-sextile twice a year since 2009, and will continue doing so through 2015!
        Since they're activating each other during most of this time frame, it's good to keep in mind that all the emotional challenges they trigger are coming up for a reason: to spur the healing of the original wound underlying the current flareup. So remember that every irritation is also an opportunity! (Many of my clients have found this invocation effective for rapid emotional and psychological healing.)
        This is one of those “when it rains, it pours” days: on top of all the day's other challenging events, the power of the current t-square peaks today!
        And yet, amidst all this intensity, the day's final aspect shines forth like a sunbeam through the overcast: a harmonious sextile between Sagittarian Venus and Neptune. This strongly flowing connection between the planets of human love and divine love can do much to soothe any ruffled feathers. Their energy can help you see the divine beauty at the core of even the most dysfunctional personality, inspire you to new creative heights, and help you connect more consciously to the divine.

11/25 (Fri). November's New Moon is also a partial solar eclipse at 1:10 AM (2°36' Sagittarius). For starters, new beginnings in Sagittarian areas are supported with special power, since a solar eclipse acts like a New Moon on steroids!
        This eclipse is strongly aspected, which gives it a multi-layered effect. Most significantly, the current T-square is now even stronger, with the Sun-conjoined Moon adding a fifth planet to the configuration! Take carefully considered action to support your ideals and bring healing to challenging situations (Virgoan Mars opposing Neptune and Piscean Chiron, all of whom square the Sun and Moon). There's a sense of easy-flowing paradigm shift that serves the collective (Uranus trine), and abundant hope and new possibilities (Jupiter quincunx)!
        The Sabian Symbol for this eclipse is, “Two men playing chess.” This supports the importance of strategy and meticulous planning before taking action. It can also serve to remind us that, from a certain perspective, life is just a game. Don't lose your perspective by taking it too seriously!
        With a Grand Trine and T-square already in play, you'd think we have enough aspect patterns going on. But the universe sees fit to add one more to the mix: a three-month Wedge, active today through 2/25 and peaking on 1/10. This is formed by a Jupiter-Saturn opposition and soft angles from the Neptune-Chiron conjunction: a trine to Saturn and a sextile to Jupiter.
        This Wedge's centerpiece is the Jupiter-Saturn opposition, which is best managed by finding a harmonious balance between Jupiter's urge to expand and Saturn's desire to contract. When a glacier expands and contracts, cracks form in the ice. The same thing happens when events puncture the fragile armor of our psyches. This is when the healing power of Chiron in Pisces and Neptune can dogsled to the rescue. As our deeper psychological wounds are exposed, we can invoke the divine – or use whatever modalities are most effective – to heal them. On a more material level, this aspect pattern is custom-made for creating financial prosperity with the Law of Attraction!

11/26 (Sat). It's an all-Venus day, starting with her entry into Capricorn. She'll stay there thru 12/20, bringing a more practical, results-oriented flavor to relationships, creativity and money issues. Her square to Arean Uranus may light a fire for paradigm shift in some of these areas, while her sextile to Chiron suggests that healing and mentoring may also be part of this picture.

11/27 (Sun). Capricornian Venus trines Jupiter today, bringing an easy flow of good fortune into relationships, creative expression and material matters. This aspect also re-energizes the Grand Trine which started on 11/9 and wraps up next week.

11/28 (Mon). Mercury quintiled Chiron back on 11/19, and it's doing it again as it retraces its steps. Just as before, this combination is great for inspiration and the intuitive refinement of your thinking.

11/30 (Wed). Sagittarian Mercury's next rerun, from 11/16, is a quintile to Neptune. Once again, this aspect can make your mind more sensitive to overall intuitive guidance, and can help promote “big picture” thinking.

October 2011 Forecast

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

10/11. Full Moon in Aries
10/23. The Sun enters Scorpio
10/26. New Moon in Scorpio
10/28. Jupiter trine Pluto

THE STORY SO FAR. Retrogrades: Neptune thru 11/9, Chiron thru 11/10, Uranus thru 12/10, Jupiter thru 12/25

VOID-OF-COURSE MOONS

10/3, 1:38 am - 4:17 am (Capricorn)
10/5, 1:58 am - 11:20 am (Aquarius)
10/7, 6:08 pm - 9:15 pm (Pisces)
10/8, 12:51 pm – 10/10, 8:59 am (Aries)
10/12, 8:09 pm - 9:37 pm (Taurus)
10/15, 6:52 am - 10:16 am (Gemini)
10/17, 6:18 pm - 9:39 pm (Cancer)
10/19, 11:31 pm – 10/20, 6:07 am (Leo)
10/22, 8:35 am - 10:42 am (Virgo)
10/23, 4:48 pm – 10/24, 11:51 am (Libra)
10/26, 8:19 am - 11:10 am (Scorpio)
10/28, 7:50 am - 10:47 am (Sagittarius)
10/30, 9:31 am - 12:40 pm (Capricorn)

Detailed Forecast

10/1 (Sat). You can boost your vitality factor with a Sun-Jupiter quincunx. Just be careful not to overextend yourself!

10/3 (Mon). Indulge your flair for the dramatic, or take the spotlight for a worthy cause, with Leonine Mars square Jupiter. Or, with so much fiery energy abounding, at least do something fun that works up a sweat!
        Indulge your Muse with Venus, dignified in the creative sign of Libra, making an inspired quintile to Pluto! The channel can also be open for insights about relationships and finance.

10/6 (Thu). With Libran Mercury conjunct Saturn, creative thinking can crystallize into productive strategies. This is also a good time for serious, but harmonious, discussions.

10/7 (Fri). Abundant divine inspiration is available for your creative efforts (artistic or otherwise) with Libran Venus trine Neptune. You'll also find it easier to connect with the divine within yourself, and in everyone and everything around you!

10/8 (Sat). Let your creative thinking probe deep with Libran Mercury quintile Pluto.

10/9 (Sun). Venus is in Scorpio today through 11/2. While this can unearth the issues that need transformation in your relationships, creativity and finances, it also allows for profound soul blending in your relationships! On a similar note, Venus' trine to Chiron can help you more easily heal any wounds in these areas. (Feel free to try this invocation.)
        Creative writing – even of the nonfiction variety – is supported by a Mercury-Mars quintile. Ditto for inspired thought and more eloquent speech!

10/10 (Mon). With Venus quincunx Uranus, what positive paradigm shifts and adjustments can you bring to your relationships, creativity and finances? Be sure to honor any intuitive flashes firing in these areas!

10/11 (Tue). October's Full Moon illuminates the sky at 10:06 PM (18°24' Aries). Make adjustments if you're not completely “full-filled” with your assertiveness, sexuality, athletic regimen, and ability to get things started. This lunation also has a strong “reality check” flavor, with Saturn tightly opposing the Moon. If challenges are arising, take a realistic look at what's actually happening. From this objective perspective, you can more effectively take action to bring the situation into harmony.
        This Full Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “A magic carpet hovers over the depressing reality of everyday life in an industrial area.” This striking juxtaposition of images reminds us how perspective colors perception. This bleak industrial scene could bum you out if your awareness is limited to the physical world. But from magic carpet level – a metaphor for a more awakened consciousness – things are simply seen and accepted as they are, with no negative emotions or thoughts. From which level are you viewing the world?

10/12 (Wed). Your mind can receive the flow of intuitive insight more easily with Mercury trine Neptune. And, with Mercury in Libra, your Muse may be singing to you loud and clear!

10/13 (Thu). This week's strong series of Venus aspects continues with a sextile to Pluto. Financial abundance could be at hand, since both Pluto and Scorpio, Venus' current sign, can represent great wealth! Powerful and harmonious transformation in the field of relationship and creativity are other possible manifestations of this aspect.
        Mercury is in Scorpio today through 11/2, helping your mind dig deep into whatever mysteries or occult subjects most fascinate you.
        If today's Sun-Saturn conjunction has you feeling funky, throwing yourself into a project may lift your spirits – this aspect is excellent for productivity! Alternatively, a feeling of depression may simply be trying to slow you down enough to receive an important message, and may be happy to move on once you've received it.
        Finally, a Mercury-Chiron trine makes this an excellent time to consult with a mentor, or give sagely advice to others!

10/14 (Fri). Tune into your intuitive flashes as Mercury quincunxes Uranus, even if they're calling for unexpected course adjustments. And, with Venus opposing Jupiter, observe your relationships carefully: whatever's going on, good or bad, will be highlighted. This can also be a time of increased financial luck, as well as abundant creative energy!

10/16 (Sun). Don't just obsess about sex with Scorpionic Mercury sextile Pluto: research, detective work, shared resources and mental transformation can also productively occupy your thoughts!

10/17 (Mon). Exercise extra caution as Mars makes a sesquiquadrate (a minor hard angle) to Uranus, since this can be an explosive combination. On the high side, be sure to act immediately on your intuitive flashes: those rare thoughts that you absolutely know to be true the instant they arrive.
        Mental powers also get a significant boost with Mercury, the planet of mind, opposing expansive Jupiter!

10/18 (Tue). Creative inspiration may be flowing abundantly, particularly in writing and mental matters, as Mercury biquintiles Uranus.

10/21 (Fri). Connecting with Source, receiving creative inspiration, and connecting with the divine in others all come more naturally as the Libran Sun trines Neptune.

10/23 (Sun). Tread carefully around unstable people or situations: a Mars-Pluto sesquiquadrate can be volatile! Instead, focus on enjoying the life-affirming pleasures of exercise, athletics and sexuality.
        Also today, the Sun enters Scorpio, radiating a month's worth of power, wealth, psychological intensity and transformation opportunities!

10/24 (Mon). Transformation and healing can occur more easily with the Scorpionic Sun trine Chiron.

10/25 (Tue). How do you know what adjustments to make as the Sun quincunxes Uranus? Through Uranus' intuitive flashes, of course!

10/26 (Wed). It's Energizer Bunny time with high-energy Mars sextile perseverant Saturn. And with Mars in Leo, you can have long-burning fuel for your creative output!
        October's New Moon is at 3:56 PM (03°02' Scorpio). New beginnings in the Scorpionic qualities mentioned in the second paragraph of the 10/23 entry (power, wealth, psychological intensity and transformation opportunities), as well as research, detective work, sexuality, and shared resources of all kinds, are timely now.
        This lunation is made even more intense by aspects from most of the slower planets. You can focus on stepping into your gifts as a healer and/or mentor (trine from Chiron), releasing everything that doesn't move your life in a positive direction (sextile from Pluto), and courageously embracing the qualities that make you special (quincunx from Uranus). And the opposition from Jupiter amplifies all of this, and adds a strong measure of hope and optimism into the mix.
        This New Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “A youth holding a lighted candle in a devotional ritual gains a sense of the great 'other world'.” You can have a similar experience right now by speaking this simple invocation: “Spirit, please grant me the maximum awareness of the nonphysical realms that serves the highest good, right now, thank you.” Then focus on your breathing, let divine grace take over, and feel what happens! (For an invocation primer, click here.)
        Finally, relationships, sexuality and creativity are dynamically empowered by a Venus-Mars square. With Venus in Scorpio, rich rewards could await you if you're willing to dive into the depths!

10/28 (Fri). There's a lot of astrological action today!
        Most significantly, an earthy trine between Taurean Jupiter and Capricornian Pluto can empower financial opportunities for several weeks, and also serve as an all-purpose energizer for whatever you want to focus on. This is one of October's most significant aspects!
        Narrowing our time window to a few days, let your mind probe deep (but avoid verbal confrontation) with Scorpionic Mercury square Mars.
        You might want to review the Scorpionic expressions in the 10/26 New Moon entry: the fact that everything described so far today involves either Scorpio or Pluto (Scorpio's modern ruler, who embodies the same energies) is just a warm-up! The Scorpionic Sun makes three aspects today, including a sextile to Pluto! And its quintile to Mars and opposition to Jupiter just fan the flames. Make this a day for full-on empowerment and transformation, and find positive outlets (including physical ones) for all this vital energy!

10/31 (Mon). Halloween brings us a square between Scorpionic Venus and Neptune that could offer tricks or treats: deception or illusion in relationships or financial matters, or empowerment of creative inspiration or divine connection. (It could also inspire some very cool Halloween costumes.) As always with astrology, the results of an aspect depend on your intention and consciousness!

September 2011 Forecast

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

9/1. Sun/Jupiter/Pluto Grand Trine peaks
9/12. Pisces Full Moon
9/13. Mercury/Jupiter/Pluto Grand Trine peaks
9/15. Mars/Venus/Neptune Yod peaks
9/16. Pluto turns direct
9/18. Venus/Uranus/Pluto T-square peaks
9/23. Sun enters Libra
9/27. Libra New Moon; Sun/Uranus/Pluto & Mercury/Uranus/Pluto T-squares peak

THE STORY SO FAR. Retrogrades: Pluto thru 9/16, Neptune thru 11/9, Chiron thru 11/10, Uranus thru 12/10, Jupiter thru 12/25

9/1, 1:36 pm - 2:49 pm (Scorpio)
9/3, 3:42 pm - 5:05 pm (Sagittarius)
9/5, 8:31 pm - 10:05 pm (Capricorn)
9/7, 4:36 pm – 9/8, 5:44 am (Aquarius)
9/10, 1:32 pm - 3:28 pm (Pisces)
9/12, 9:46 pm – 9/13, 2:51 am (Aries)
9/15, 1:11 pm - 3:26 pm (Taurus)
9/18, 3:09 am - 4:08 am (Gemini)
9/20, 12:34 pm - 2:55 pm (Cancer)
9/22, 9:23 pm - 9:57 pm (Leo)
9/24, 10:40 pm – 9/25, 12:51 am (Virgo)
9/25, 5:09 pm – 9/27, 12:52 am (Libra)
9/28, 9:52 pm – 9/29, 12:07 am (Scorpio)
9/30, 10:18 pm – 10/1, 12:42 am (Sagittarius)

9/1 (Thu). September opens in the midst of a Grand Trine aspect pattern that began 8/26 and finishes 9/3. This equilateral triangle includes the Sun, Jupiter and Pluto. This configuration could manifest as enhanced wealth and/or power. Other possibilities include a flowing and accelerated process of transformation or psychological clearing, or an abundance of joy, celebration and enthusiasm. With the Sun in Virgo, your analytical powers could also be boosted.

9/2 (Fri). A Sun-Jupiter trine, part of the Grand Trine discussed on 9/1, is exact today.

9/6 (Tue). Physical inspiration can come your way with Mars quintile Jupiter. Whether you're doing something athletic, sexual or mundane, trust your body to find creative new ways to do its thing! Inspired approaches to leadership and project initiation may also be yours for the receiving.

9/7 (Wed). The inspirational energy continues with two biquintiles: Mercury-Uranus and Mars-Neptune. These aspects cover many varieties of inspiration, but creative writing, intuitive leaps, and sacred sexuality have special support!

9/8-14. Learning and communication get one boost after another during this seven-day period! Balance your amplified mental powers with mind-quieting activities to allow intuitive input as well.

9/8 (Thu). Here's an invocation that will help you make the best of today's Mercury-Neptune opposition: “Spirit, please help me receive the flow of divine knowledge consciously, easily and continuously throughout this day, to the greatest extent that serves the highest good. Thank you.” With Mercury in Leo, the sign of creativity and performance, plenty of creative inspiration is also available!

9/9 (Fri). Mercury enters Virgo today and stays through 9/25, broadcasting the energy of fine-tuning, detail work, service to others and health awareness.

9/10 (Sat). A Mercury-Chiron opposition can make you aware of old psychological and emotional wounds that are ready for healing. (This invocation may help you clear them.) Since the opposition is the angle of relationship, it's also a great time to give or receive mentoring and/or healing.

9/11 (Sun). The 10^th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks opens with a harmonious Venus-Mars sextile. This can help relating and creativity to flow strongly and smoothly.
        It's also a good day to allow intuitive flashes or other sources of awakening to adjust your thinking, with a Mercury-Uranus quincunx.

9/12 (Mon). If an important truth needs to be communicated, it can be done so precisely and in a spirit of service with Virgoan Mercury trine Pluto.
        September's Full Moon shines forth today at 5:27 AM (19°17' Pisces). Take note of how you're doing with your spiritual union practices, divinely inspired creativity, and light flow to others. Any issues with Pisces' dark side manifestations, such as substance abuse or excessive escapism? Make adjustments as needed.
        This lunation's tightest aspect is a square to the Nodes of the Moon. This makes it a good time to examine whether your creativity and spirituality – and life in general – are serving your life purpose. The Moon's opposition to Venus supports reflection on relationships, creativity and financial matters.
        This Full Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “A table set for an evening meal.” This image has all the dishes, glasses and cutlery in place. With all the food still offstage, it would seem to speak of preparing for, and expecting, bountiful abundance.
        The universe tends to show up according to our expectations. Are your dominant thoughts and visualizations focused on lack or prosperity?

9/13 (Tue). A flowing Grand Trine (an equilateral triangle), active 9/11-15, peaks today. Consisting of Pluto (wealth and power), Jupiter (luck and expansion) and Mercury (mental activity and commerce), it occurs in the accomplishment-oriented earth signs. So this is a great time to be focusing on business opportunities! Learning and communication of all kinds are also empowered.

9/14 (Wed). As Venus quincunxes Neptune, tune into your intuitive guidance to see what adjustments would help your relationships, creativity and/or finances. Focused effort toward divine union and connecting with the divine in others can also be fruitful.
        Venus is also in Libra, one of the signs she rules, today thru 10/8. This puts an energetic spotlight on relationships and creativity!
        Today's Mercury-Jupiter trine is part of the 9/13 Grand Trine interpretation.

9/15 (Thu). A configuration called a Yod, or “Finger of God,” is active 9/13-15 and peaks today. (There's a sextile between Mars and Venus, and both planets make quincunxes to Neptune.) Making whatever adjustments deepen your relationship with Source is an excellent way to use this. Divinely inspired creativity, sacred sexual practices, and consciously relating to the divinity within others are also supported.

9/15-30. Fasten your seat belts: the entire second half of September is a whirlwind of broad-spectrum intensity! The Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars are making numerous aspects to the sky's most powerful planets: Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. And the vast majority of the connections being made are challenging.
        In plain English: vitality, sense of self, learning, communication, relationships, finances, creativity, assertiveness and sexuality are all being tested during this period. Foundations will be checked for solidity and durability. Old wounds that are ripe for healing will be stimulated. Paradigm shifts will be called for, illusions will be shattered, and that which no longer serves you will be called on to change for the better or vamoose.
        For those who embrace growth, transformation and evolution, the second half of September is a golden opportunity! To make the best of it, welcome the intensity with open arms, seek mentoring and healing as needed, follow your intuitive flashes, continuously solicit Spirit's inner guidance, and proactively eliminate from your life all that doesn't serve the highest need of all concerned.
        Other than that, not much going on. ;-)
        Particulars to follow.

9/16 (Fri). A Venus-Chiron quincunx is an excellent time to watch for your unhealed psychological wounds being triggered by others. (Try this simple invocation to rapidly heal them!) Used mindfully, this aspect can also be useful for healing and mentoring work, as well as fine-tuning creative projects.
        Pluto turns direct today at 5° Capricorn, a powerful time to initiate transformation and release what no longer serves you. Anything in your natal chart between 2° in 8° in cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) will get an extra-strong dose of this energy, since planets are most powerful when changing directions.

9/17 (Sat). Watch for any fanatical tendencies within yourself, which can be stimulated by a Mars-Neptune quincunx. On the high side, any activities which combine spiritual energy and physical activity, such as tantric sex, tai chi, chi gung, yoga and ecstatic dance, are supported. And be sure to take action (Mars) when you receive intuitive guidance (Neptune)!
        What paradigm shifts can you bring into your relationships, creativity and finance as Venus opposes Uranus? Give highest priority to the ones that just pop in as intuitive flashes!

9/18 (Sun). How can you bring more wealth and empowerment to your relationships, creativity and finances as Venus squares Pluto? The first step might be to release everything that no longer serves you, and bring transformation into those areas that are still a mixed bag.
        Mars is in Leo today through 11/10, empowering initiation and a positive warrior spirit in the areas of creative expression, leadership and just having fun.
        Two aspect patterns peak today. The most intense is a T-square, active 9/14-21. (Venus is opposing Uranus, and both planets are squaring Pluto.) Yesterday's entry on Venus opposing Uranus and today's on Venus squaring Pluto give you the idea: the doors are open for revolutionary transformation in relationships, creativity and finance!
        Today's other peaking aspect pattern is something completely different: a Quintile Yod, active 9/16-19. (Jupiter quintiles Neptune, and both planets biquintile Venus.) Artists of all stripes can reap inspiration from this magical aspect pattern!

9/21 (Wed). With Leonine Mars quincunx Chiron, you can refine your creative expression, possibly with the help of a mentor. Positive adjustments in the realm of exercise, athletics and sexuality are also supported.
        You can fine-tune how you connect with Spirit with the Virgoan Sun quincunx Neptune. (Here's the fastest and most powerful DIY technique I know!) Your ability to be of divine service, even if it's just asking Spirit to flow light through you to serve someone's highest good, is also enhanced.

9/22 (Thu). Jupiter's quincunx to Venus can highlight whatever needs your attention in the area of relationships, creativity and finance.

9/23 (Fri). Celebrate the Fall Equinox as the Sun enters Libra today at 5:05 AM US Eastern time. Until 10/23, the energy of relationship, creativity, equality, harmony and balance can be harvested.
        The Fall Equinox chart, which shows the world's dominant energies for the next three months, features a T-square between the Sun, Uranus and Pluto. But this is nothing new: since these seasonal charts are always drawn for the moment when the Sun enters a cardinal sign – and since Pluto and Uranus are spending several years in early cardinal degrees – we can expect still more of the revolutionary transformation that has marked recent world events.
        You can make the best of this Uranian energy by developing your unique skills and talents, using them for the common good, and following your intuitive flashes. On the Pluto side, continually release whatever impedes your evolution, and routinely embrace the powerful opportunities for transformation that are now so abundant!
        The Moon and Mars are tightly conjunct in Leo in the Fall Equinox chart, indicating fiery emotions and dramatic outbursts. (Can you say “US politics”?) Use this energy positively by supercharging your activities with enthusiasm and making time to celebrate!
        Venus and Saturn are conjunct in Libra. This will give necessary reality checks to all important relationships, letting you see which ones need to be released or adjusted. It also indicates strong working partnerships, emphasizing the Aquarian ideal of working with others instead of going it alone.
        Finally, in this Fall Equinox chart, Virgoan Mercury is conjunct the Sun. This not only emphasizes the importance of communication in these critical times, but reminds us to be clear, precise and service-oriented in our thinking.
        Also today, it's easier than usual to act on your intuitive flashes with Mars trine Uranus. And with Mars in flamboyant Leo, you can strut your stuff for all you're worth!

9/24 (Sat). You can make adjustments to support the health of your body and your relationships with the Libran Sun quincunx Chiron.
        Mental confusion is possible with Mercury quincunx Neptune, but so is clear intuitive guidance. It all depends on how clear a connection you've developed with Spirit!

9/25 (Sun). Mercury is in Libra today through 10/13, paving the way for harmonious thinking that can understand all sides of an issue. Relationships may also be more on your mind!
        The Libran Sun also opposes Uranus today, opening the door for paradigm shifts and intuitive flashes in your relationships and creativity.

9/26 (Mon). It's a good time to adjust your thinking – particularly about relationships, creativity and finance – with Libran Mercury quincunx Chiron.

9/27 (Tue). There are an extraordinary number of astrological events today! Let's get to it:
        Right use of sexuality, assertiveness and leadership become critical with a Mars-Pluto quincunx. Try to avoid situations where anger, volatility and violence are likely to flare.
        Thinking can become a bit chaotic under a Mercury-Uranus opposition – a great reason to operate from your intuitive flashes instead!

        September's New Moon occurs at 7:09 AM, at exactly 4° Libra. This is a great time for new beginnings in relationships, finance and creativity.
        Because of its intense aspects, this New Moon radiates the energy of adjustment for healing (Chiron quincunx) and powerful new beginnings in thought (Mercury conjunction) and action (Mars sextile).
        But the most intense aspects speak of revolutionary transformation: Uranus and Pluto form a T-square, peaking today, which includes the Sun, Moon and Mercury! This potent energy, which fired up on 9/21 and lasts through 10/2, is an invitation to follow your intuitive flashes, embrace your uniqueness, release everything that doesn't support your evolution, and allow Spirit to saturate you with its intelligence and power!
        This lunation's Sabian Symbol is, “A group of young people sit in spiritual communion around a campfire.” This can easily be taken as an encouragement to connect with Source in a group setting. Just remember that youth has as much to do with attitude as age!

        Finally, two biquintiles (Mercury-Jupiter and Sun-Neptune) put creative magic in the air.

9/28 (Wed). Three planets – the Sun, Mercury and Pluto – are all over each other today! The Sun and Mercury both square Pluto in the morning, then conjunct each other in the afternoon. The meaning of these events was partially covered in the 9/27 T-square interpretation. In addition, watch for strong mental stimulation and powerful opportunities to transform your thinking and sense of identity!
        Mercury also biquintiles Neptune today, adding a dash of creative inspiration to your thoughts.

9/29 (Thu). The mental stimulation keeps on coming with Mercury sextile Mars. Just don't let passionate thinking lead to verbal attack!
        Use a Venus-Saturn conjunction to take a good hard look at the practicality of your key relationships. This aspect makes it easier to set aside emotion and gauge whether a given relationship is providing a sufficient return on your investment of time and energy. Also take a realistic look at your creative and financial affairs.
        This pragmatic vibe is counterbalanced by a Venus-Mars quintile, which can let you feel a given relationship's inspiration and magic. Be sure to include this “fairy dust factor” in your Saturnian calculations!

9/30 (Fri). There's plenty of energy available today with a Sun-Mars sextile, made more flowing and harmonious by the Sun's placement in Libra.
        Even if your mind is overflowing with brilliant ideas, beware of excessive verbalization under a Mercury-Jupiter quincunx!

August 2011 Forecast

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

8/2. Mercury retrograde
8/4. Neptune enters Aquarius
8/9. Mars squares Uranus
8/11. Mars opposed Pluto
8/13. Full Moon
8/23. Sun enters Virgo
8/26. Mercury turns direct
8/28. New Moon
8/30. Jupiter retrograde

THE STORY SO FAR. Retrogrades: Pluto thru 9/16, Neptune thru 11/9, Chiron thru 11/10, Uranus thru 12/10

8/1, 2:20 am - 4:43 am (Virgo)
8/3, 5:22 am - 6:06 am (Libra)
8/4, 2:54 am – 8/5, 7:59 am (Scorpio)
8/7, 11:15 am - 11:22 am (Sagittarius)
8/9, 4:25 pm - 4:39 pm (Capricorn)
8/10, 4:34 pm – 8/11, 11:49 pm (Aquarius)
8/14, 8:26 am - 8:55 am (Pisces)
8/15, 4:22 am – 8/16, 8:03 pm (Aries)
8/19, 7:50 am - 8:38 am (Taurus)
8/21, 8:00 pm - 8:55 pm (Gemini)
8/24, 5:34 am - 6:32 am (Cancer)
8/25, 9:05 am – 8/26, 12:10 pm (Leo)
8/28, 1:12 pm - 2:15 pm (Virgo)
8/29, 6:15 pm – 8/30, 2:27 pm (Libra)

Pluto and Uranus come within 1° of their applying square (a 90° angle) in early August. These two planets were conjunct during the 60s, and were primarily responsible for the revolutionary transformation which dominated that volatile decade. Although they will make seven exact squares in the years 2012 through 2015, we've been feeling their building influence at least since the global financial crisis of 2008. Now that we're in “The 60s, Part 2,” it's time to embrace revolutionary transformation as the new status quo!

8/1 (Mon). Venus trines Uranus and quincunxes Pluto today. Stay receptive to intuitive flashes regarding relationships, creativity and finance, and stand ready to make adjustments in these areas as well.
        A Sun-Jupiter square can fire up plenty of energy, but can also invoke an excessive sense of grandeur. Be careful not to over-extend yourself!
        With both Venus and the Sun in Leo, the effects of these transits can be dramatic. Don't play to the cheap seats it doesn't serve your cause.

8/2 (Tue). Mercury retrograde begins at 11:50 pm, ending on 8/26 at 6:03 pm. If possible, avoid starting major new initiatives or making major purchases under this energy. Otherwise something significant may have to be redone down the line. Also pay special attention to travel details, communications, and technology, and be sure to back up your important data!
        This is an excellent time for reflection -- especially, this time around, on spiritual union and divinely inspired creativity. (Mercury tightly opposes Neptune as it stations.) Mercury retrograde is also great for making repairs and completing existing projects.

8/3 (Wed). Mars enters Cancer today and stays through 9/18. You can either fight with your family, or actively radiate nurturing and compassion to all who come within your orbit.
        Mars also trines Neptune, easing the way for action in the areas of spirituality, divinely inspired creativity and acting as a conduit for divine light and love.

8/4 (Thu). Neptune finishes its first foray into Pisces today, returning to Aquarius through 2/3/12. Take advantage of this encore presentation of spiritual experimentation, breakthroughs in divine consciousness and inspired creativity.

8/5 (Fri). Your awareness of the importance financial, creative and relational issues in your life may be amplified with Venus square Jupiter. Your ability to see practical, mature responses to them is supported by a Sun-Saturn sextile.

8/7 (Sun). Venus, tracking close behind the Sun, makes her own sextile to Saturn today. This supports creative productivity, clearheaded thinking about finances and a pragmatic approach to relationships.

8/8 (Mon). Mercury enters Leo today for an unusually long stay, through 9/8. (Its month-long residency is because it's currently retrograde, and will turn direct in Leo.) This is a great energy for creative expression, especially forms such as writing, speaking and singing which involve words.
        Mercury also opposes Neptune today, increasing the flow of divinely inspired creativity and making it easy for the mind to receive intuitive input.

8/9 (Tue) & 8/11 (Thu). Be careful with the volatile energies crackling through the week of August 8! Cancerian Mars squares Uranus on Tuesday and opposes Pluto on Thursday. To avoid accidents or violence, within your family or out in the world, act mindfully and steer clear of unstable people and situations. (Mars' Tuesday trine to Chiron, the wounded healer, adds yet another cautionary note here.)
        Harness this energy for the good by acting immediately on your intuitive flashes. These energies can also be positively expressed with exercise, sports, high-side sex, and expressing your inner leader or warrior. Mentoring and healing are supported by the trine to Chiron. And if Pluto calls for transformation in your life, embrace it!

8/13 (Sat). The August Full Moon shines forth at 2:57 PM (20°41' Aquarius). If you're not completely “full-filled” with your individuation, uniqueness, ingenuity, “weird factor” and humanitarian service, then make appropriate adjustments. Also note how you're balancing your individual needs with those of others, since Venus tightly opposes the Moon.
        This Full Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “A woman disappointed and disillusioned, courageously facing a seemingly empty life.” Far from being negative, this symbol portrays that essential period in the awakening process when one can finally break free of false beliefs. Many people can only envision a matchbox future, tragically compressed, excessively planned and seemingly destined. This woman faces a refreshingly clear and unbounded vista, with sufficient silence to hear her intuitive guidance's infallible wisdom. May we all be fortunate enough to reach this point in the journey!

8/16 (Tue). A rare triple conjunction of the Sun, Mercury and Venus occurs today between 23 and 24 degrees of Leo. Bring positive focus to anything near those degrees in your horoscope! With the planets of creative expression, communication and shining forth into the world in the sign of the spotlighted performer, it's a fabulous time to strut your stuff! This is also great energy for relaxing and having fun.

8/18 (Thu). There's plenty of primal juice available with Mars sextile Jupiter. With Mars in Cancer, it's a great time to get stuff done around the house!

8/20 (Sat). There's plenty of creative inspiration in the air with Leonine Venus biquintile Uranus. You might even catch an insight about relationships or finance!

8/21 (Sun). It's a Venus kind of day! Her opposition to Neptune opens the gates for divine union, creative inspiration and connecting with the divine in others. Her semi-square to Saturn allows all this to have practical grounding. And her entry into Virgo, through 9/14, makes it easier to take a practical approach to creativity, relationships and money.
        The urge for altered states may be insistent, with Venus opposing Neptune today and the Sun opposing Neptune tomorrow. Drugs, alcohol and escapism may beckon, but the natural highs mentioned above – spiritual union and expressing divinely inspired creativity – are far more satisfying. Experience ecstasy now with this invocation: “Spirit, please saturate me with the maximum amount of bliss that serves my highest need, right now. Thank you.” Say it, passively observe your breathing, and feel what happens! (For more on this and other "Ask and Receive" invocations, click here.)

8/22 (Mon). The second paragraph of the 8/21 forecast, regarding the urge for altered states, applies just as much today with the Sun opposing Neptune. Click here for a refresher!

8/23 (Tue). The Sun transits Virgo today through 9/23, radiating the energy of precision, service, health and humility.

8/24 (Wed). Observe your relationships carefully today (Venus opposing Chiron and quincunxing Uranus) and tomorrow (Venus trine Pluto). If your buttons are getting pushed, invite Spirit in to heal the areas where you feel disharmony within yourself. With Venus in Virgo, it can be easier to see the details and patterns of your relationships now. What paradigm shifts and transformations would help them? Even in your best relationships, how can you experiment and shake up old patterns? You can apply this thinking to your finances and creativity too!
        What obsolete structures in your life have outlived their usefulness? With Saturn sesquiquadrate Neptune, it's a good time to let them go. Saturn-Neptune aspects also empower the Law of Attraction.

8/25 (Thu). There can be a sense of struggling against a difficult obstacle with Mars square Saturn. With Mars in Cancer (family) and Saturn in Libra (relationships), this could be taking place in your home, or might involve relatives. Yesterday's advice on relationships might help. Mars-Saturn aspects can also be very productive, with lots of fuel for the long haul!
        Mars also aspects Neptune today (a sesquiquadrate), further energizing any Law of Attraction work you might be doing.
        Today's Venus-Pluto trine is discussed in yesterday's interpretation.

8/26 (Fri). Mercury, retrograde since 8/2, turns direct today at 6:03 pm. Ideally, wait at least until 8/29, after the New Moon, to begin important new undertakings.
        Today's Sun-Chiron opposition is discussed in tomorrow's entry.

8/27 (Sat). The Sun is aspecting outer planets like clockwork right now! It opposed Chiron yesterday, quincunxes Uranus today and trines Pluto tomorrow. This can manifest as transpersonal forces working on the ego. With the Chiron opposition, even the best relationships can stimulate old wounds: this technique can help release them quickly. Intuitive flashes stimulated by the Uranus quincunx may call for adjustments that the ego resists, but in my book intuition trumps ego every time. And tomorrow's Sun-Pluto trine, while calling for transformation, will also make change relatively easy to accomplish!

8/28 (Sun). August's New Moon occurs today at 11:04 PM (5°27' Virgo). The next two weeks are a good time for new beginnings in health, assisting others, revising systems and procedures and learning “sufficient perfectionism.”
        Additional themes include bringing healing to key relationships (the Moon conjuncts Venus and opposes Chiron) and opening to an easy flow of abundance (the Moon is in a grand trine configuration with expansive Jupiter and wealth-giving Pluto!). And connecting to Spirit more deeply is emphatically highlighted with the Moon opposing Neptune!
        This New Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “A merry-go-round.” To me, this symbol both acknowledges the “amusement park” nature of human existence in Maya's illusory realm, and points out that we can have a great time while we're here! Understanding that the physical plane is fundamentally a mirage, and that we are each a deathless spiritual being choosing to have this extraordinary human experience, can help us relax and put the “merry” back in merry-go-round!

8/30 (Tue). With Venus trine Jupiter, your attention may be drawn to relationship issues and opportunities that can benefit from your attention. Observe them well while they're magnified. This aspect can also bring financial opportunity and creative inspiration!
        Jupiter is retrograde today thru Christmas Day, empowering long-term reflection on the meaning of your life journey -- and how to experience more abundance, joy and celebration!

July 2011 Forecast

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

7/1, Solar Eclipse (New Moon)
7/2, Jupiter sextile Chiron
7/7, Jupiter trine Pluto
7/9, Uranus retrograde
7/15, Full Moon
7/23, Sun enters Leo
7/30, New Moon

THE STORY SO FAR. Retrogrades: Pluto thru 9/16, Neptune thru 11/9, Chiron thru 11/10

7/2, 1:38 am - 5:44 pm (Leo)
7/4, 12:18 am - 9:17 pm (Virgo)
7/5, 8:20 pm – 7/6, 11:55 pm (Libra)
7/8, 2:30 am – 7/9, 2:33 am (Scorpio)
7/10, 9:06 am – 7/11, 5:48 am (Sagittarius)
7/12, 8:21 am – 7/13, 10:15 am (Capricorn)
7/15, 2:40 am - 4:32 pm (Aquarius)
7/17, 8:24 am – 7/18, 1:14 am (Pisces)
7/20, 7:15 am - 12:27 pm (Aries)
7/23, 12:12 am – 1:00 am (Taurus)
7/25, 9:12 am - 12:36 pm (Gemini)
7/27, 8:36 pm - 9:13 pm (Cancer)
7/28, 7:04 pm – 7/30, 2:17 am (Leo)

7/1 (Fri). From an astronomical perspective, today's partial solar eclipse at 4:54 AM (09°12' Cancer) is no big deal. According to NASA's website, “This Southern Hemisphere event is visible from a D-shaped region in the Antarctic Ocean south of Africa (see graphic). Such a remote and isolated path means that it may very well turn out to be the solar eclipse that nobody sees.” But astrologically, it's an entirely different story!
        This lunation is first and foremost a New Moon in Cancer. This supports new beginnings in home, family, nurturing and working with unconscious material for several months to come.
        The aspects to this eclipse could hardly be more intense! The conjoined Moon and Sun form one corner of a Grand Cross aspect pattern (which peaks today and is active 6/26 thru 7/3). The luminaries form a 180° opposition to Pluto, and also make two 90° squares to Saturn and Uranus. This signals that it's time for traditions and systems that have stagnated to be retired and replaced with revolutionary new approaches. This is especially true in the Cancerian areas mentioned above: home, family and the unconscious.
        CORRECTION: I originally gave the wrong Sabian Symbol for this eclipse, and apologize for the error. The correct Sabian Symbol is, "A large diamond in the first stages of the cutting process.”

7/2 (Sat). There's a lot going on today! Confused communication is a possibility with Mercury quincunx Neptune, so make sure you're understanding and being understood. However, this aspect also supports mental adjustments that will help you more easily receive a constant flow of intuitive guidance and bliss!
        If more challenges than usual seem to be coming your way (Sun square Saturn), resolve to meet them with increased discipline and persistence.
        On a more flowing note, spiritual healing and inspired mentoring are strongly supported for another three weeks with Jupiter sextile Chiron.
        Finally, Mercury is in Leo through 7/28, supporting creative expression through writing, speaking and singing.

7/4 (Mon). Venus is in Cancer today through 7/28. This supports relating with your family, and enjoying healing, nurturing exchanges with others as well.
        On Independence Day, the cosmos are set up for you to declare independence from the illusion of being an isolated human! Connecting with your divine source, and the divine in others, can flow easily, thanks to a Venus-Neptune trine. (This aspect is also excellent for abundant creative inspiration.) Plus, your mind will be more open to the clear certainty of intuitive guidance and dynamic creative expression with Leonine Mercury trine Arian Uranus.

7/5 (Tue). Be mindful of your words, and the unspoken energy behind them. This is due to three challenging Mercury aspects, all happening today: a quincunx to Chiron, a square to Jupiter and a quincunx to Pluto! Even if speaking the truth, strive to do so in a way that makes your insights easy for others to receive. If the mental energy gets too intense, you can always chill out in the intuitive, trans-mental realm by using this simple technique.

7/6 (Wed). President Obama recently tapped into the US Strategic Oil Reserves. With Mars trine Saturn, you'll have plenty of your own reserve power on tap. It could be Energizer Bunny time, and Mars is in Gemini, so have a wide variety of projects ready to tackle!

7/7 (Thu). The potential for favorable financial outcomes peaks with Jupiter (expansion) trine Pluto (great wealth), but is strong all month because these are slower-moving planets. With Jupiter in Taurus, this same aspect can also enhance sensuality and help you unearth the roots of any challenging self-esteem issues.
        Finances can sometimes go to one extreme or the other with Venus square Uranus, so be sure to follow your intuitive flashes! Relationships and creativity can also receive exciting paradigm shifts under this aspect.

7/8 (Fri). Observe your important relationships closely now. With Venus trine Chiron and opposing Pluto today, and making other significant aspects on Thursday and Saturday, chances are good that both the strengths and weaknesses in your significant relationships will be magnified. This can help you determine whether a specific relationship meets the cultivated, healed or released. (Ditto for creativity and finance.)

7/9 (Sat). Luck can be amplified when the two classic benefics – Venus and Jupiter – connect with a harmonious aspect such as today's sextile. Taken in context with all the other Venus aspects going on the last couple of days, this also can create a significant amplification of whatever's going on with your relationships, creativity and finance.
        Mental focus and disciplined performance are supported with Leonine Mercury sextile Saturn.
        Uranus turns retrograde today and continues backpedaling through 12/10. Any significant points in your chart between 2° and 7° of the cardinal signs Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn can be strongly affected by this station. Especially in the life areas represented by these points, be open to revolutionary breakthroughs and be sure to follow your intuitive flashes!

7/10 (Sun). Just hanging out with your family may provide you with unexpected inspiration with the Cancerian Sun quintile Jupiter.

7/11 (Mon). Harmonious mental stimulation and a potpourri of creative expression is in the air with Leonine Mercury sextile Geminian Mars.

7/13 (Wed). It's reality check time for relationships, money and creativity – especially within your family environment – with Cancerian Venus square Saturn. Does something need to be weeded out so you can improve your focus?

7/14 (Thu). Take immediate action on your intuitive flashes with Mars quintile Uranus. With Mars in Gemini and Uranus in Aries, this is also a great time to experiment and embrace unconventionality in your sex life.

7/15 (Fri). A Full Moon shines forth at 2:40 AM (22°27' Capricorn). Take stock of how “full-filled” you are with the state of your job, career, calling and reputation, and how much much recognition you're receiving for your efforts.
This Full Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “A soldier receiving two awards for bravery in combat.” (There's some recognition!) Capricorn can be about toeing the line and not rocking the boat. Do you have the bravery to combat the pressures of conformity? There are abundant rewards for following your passions, natural talents and inner guidance!

7/17 (Sun). Divinely inspired creativity and connection with Source are made easier by a Sun-Neptune biquintile.

7/20 (Wed). Artists, dancers, musicians and other channelers of creativity can thrive under an inspiring Venus-Jupiter qunitile.

7/22 (Fri). Another inspiring quintile – this time between Saturn and the Sun – supports the smooth manifestation of your visions.

7/23 (Sat). The Sun transits Leo today thru 8/23, radiating the energy of leadership, “strutting your stuff,” playfulness, risk-taking, and enjoying some well-deserved R&R.
A craving for experience that transcends five senses and three dimensions can be strong with a Sun-Neptune quincunx. It was once true that “liquor is quicker,” but now you can invoke the ecstasy of your divine presence even faster with this simple “Ask and Receive” process! Keeping to high-side Neptune expressions (divine union, energy channeling and creative expression) can also minimize its dark-side manifestations of confusion and lethargy.
The two most creatively inspiring planets – Venus and Neptune – are joined by a magical biquintile. Sing, muse, sing!

7/24 (Sun). All things Martian are stimulated for several days with Mars semi-square Jupiter. To avoid anger, impetuousness and violence, focus on exercise, athletics, positive initiation and healthy sexuality.

7/25 (Mon). Easier receptivity to intuitive flashes, as well as juiced-up creativity, are available with Leonine Mercury biquintile Uranus.

7/26 (Tue). A Uranus-Chiron semi-sextile could activate old wounds, even in a shocking or unexpected way. This is a blessing in disguise if you use this powerful invocation to have Spirit immediately heal whatever comes up. This aspect also supports spiritual healing and awakening, as well as breakthroughs in your ability to receive inner intuitive guidance. And it remains strong for many months to come!

7/27 (Wed). Relax and let your natural genius, stimulated by a Sun-Uranus trine, flow into all that you do. The same wounding/healing vibe described on 7/26 is accented by a Sun-Chiron quincunx, while the subtle refinement of relational, creative and financial issues is energized by a Venus-Chiron biquintile.

7/28 (Thu). Venus pulls a triple today! Her transit of Leo thru 8/21 will make it easier to strut your creative stuff – just don't let it inject any “drama queen” energy into your relationships! Her Saturn quintile is excellent for getting productive with your creative output, while her Neptune quincunx could be inspiring – as long as it doesn't space you out!
        We also have another sign entry today: Mercury enters Virgo for an unusually brief stay. (Mercury returns to Leo on 8/8, after going retrograde on 8/2 at 11:50 pm.) While Mercury is in Virgo, mental precision and a focus on service will be empowered.
        Finally, a Sun-Pluto quincunx asks us to make whatever adjustments are needed to abet our evolution. With the Sun in Leo, this can also energize creative expression big-time!

7/29 (Fri). Try to avoid making important decisions now, since the potential for mental confusion is strong with a Mercury-Neptune opposition. However, internal spiritual work can be very rewarding!

7/30 (Sat). July's second New Moon is at 2:40 PM (07°15' Leo). New beginnings in benevolent leadership, creative performance and appropriate relaxation are supported.
        This lunation receives numerous intense aspects, including a conjunction with Venus, a trine from Uranus, and a square from Jupiter. Most significantly, the Sun and Moon form the tip of a yod (“Finger of God”) aspect, with Chiron and Pluto on the "back end". All of this can add up to a sense of urgency around relationships (Venus). As much as possible, make sure the people you're spending time with are supporting your positive transformation (Pluto) and personal breakthroughs (Uranus).
        This New Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “An activist is stirring up discontent by spreading his revolutionary ideals.” If this sounds like you, remember that virtually all the people now revered in the history books were reviled when they first proposed their breakthroughs!

7/31 (Sun). If any relationship buttons get pushed about now, it could be a Venus-Chiron quincunx conspiring to make you aware of which psychic wounds most need your attention. (Did you try that healing invocation mentioned on 7/26?) It might be helpful to focus on Chiron's other qualities, such as mentoring and healing.

June 2011 Forecast

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

6/1 Solar Eclipse (New Moon)
6/3 Neptune turns retrograde
6/4 Jupiter enters Taurus
6/8 Chiron turns retrograde
6/8 Jupiter sextile Neptune
6/12 Saturn turns direct
6/15 Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon)
6/21 Sun enters Cancer
6/28 Mars square Chiron

6/3, 4:09 am - 4:37 am (Cancer)
6/5, 1:34 am - 11:04 am (Leo)
6/7, 11:27 am - 3:35 pm (Virgo)
6/9, 10:24 am - 6:32 pm (Libra)
6/11, 4:05 am - 8:35 pm (Scorpio)
6/13, 1:44 pm - 10:40 pm (Sagittarius)
6/15, 11:31 pm – 6/16, 2:00 am (Capricorn)
6/18, 4:08 am - 7:49 am (Aquarius)
6/20, 4:23 pm - 4:47 pm (Pisces)
6/21, 10:51 pm – 6/23, 4:25 am (Aries)
6/24, 6:07 pm – 6/25, 4:54 pm (Taurus)
6/27, 12:25 pm – 6/28, 3:57 am (Gemini)
6/30, 3:33 am - 12:14 pm (Cancer)

6/1 (Wed). June opens quite dramatically, with a solar eclipse! This “New Moon on steroids” occurs at 5:03 PM at 11°01' Gemini.
        For starters, new beginnings in learning and communication are supported for the next six months. Your efforts are also blessed by enhanced persistence and ease of accomplishment, thanks to a tight trine to the eclipse from Saturn. This will be especially true if you make good use of the loose square from Chiron by bringing about healing and seeking out wise counsel where appropriate.
        Solar eclipse paths often show where significant world events will take place, or have recently occurred. This eclipse covers the far northern latitudes, including parts of Canada, China, Greenland, Iceland, Japan, Norway and North Korea. Japan's continuing nuclear crisis and Iceland's most recent volcanic eruption are two examples that come to mind.
        This lunation's Sabian Symbol is “A black slave-girl demands her rights of her mistress.” Most of us are enslaved only by our limited thinking, and are in fact entitled to a vast cornucopia of rights: extraordinary abundance on all levels, unlimited divine consciousness, and the moment-by-moment guidance of our own intuitive wisdom. And all that's required to “demand” these rights is to simply ask Spirit for them and allow them in!

6/2 (Thu). Mercury enters Gemini, one of its two home signs, thru 6/16. This empowers learning and communication of all kinds!
There's also a “Quintile Yod,” effective June 1-4, which peaks today. This triangle, formed by one quintile (72°) and two biquintiles (144°), empowers divinely inspired creativity and spiritual connection. One interpretation of the planets involved – Mars and Chiron, with Saturn in the “power position” – is that a good way to work with any old psychological wounds (Chiron) coming up right now is to take a persistent “Energizer Bunny” approach (Mars is in Taurus). This can result in a more harmonious new structure for them (Saturn in Libra).

6/3 (Fri). If your fuzzy seems thinking ;-) while Mercury squares Neptune, try leading with your intuition instead. Which decision feels right?
Neptune turns retrograde today for over five months, thru 11/9. Since Neptune is reversing course around 1° Pisces, and planets are most powerful when stationing (changing direction), anything in your chart very early in mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces) or very late in fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius) is getting a major hit of Neptunian force. If tempted to indulge an addiction or become an “escape artist” (spending excessive time in fantasy land), remember that Neptunian energy also loves life-affirming activities such as meditation, channeling creative inspiration and flowing love and light to others.

6/4 (Sat). A significant astrological event – Jupiter's entry into Taurus – occurs on 6/4. For the next 12 months, all things Taurean will be amplified so that you can see what's really going on and make appropriate adjustments. These include money, personal resources, sensuality, nature, persistence and “just being.”
With Mercury sextile Uranus, enhanced receptivity to intuitive flashes and original thinking are also strong.

6/5 (Sun). If any suffering arises, can you see that it is not the situation, but your thoughts about it, that are the cause? Can you practice “loving what is,” as Byron Katie teaches, so that situations lose their negative emotional charge? Two Mercury aspects raise these thoughts: a square to Chiron and a quincunx to Pluto.

6/7 (Tue). It's a great time to brainstorm for great business ideas – as well as practical solutions in all areas – as Mercury trines Saturn.

6/8 (Wed). Chiron turns retrograde today thru 11/10. Reflection on the areas in which you would benefit from healing and/or mentoring – or how you can heal or mentor others – is supported. If a situation brings up a negative charge in you, try this "Ask and Receive" technique to dissolve it in record time!
Achieving “the marriage of Heaven and Earth” in your life is supported all month, but especially now as Taurean Jupiter sextiles Piscean Neptune. Ask to receive spiritual bliss and intuitive guidance as you go about your daily doings – the results may surprise you! Manifesting what you desire through the Law of Attraction also has special support this month, since Neptune and Pisces rule visualization, Jupiter is a natural amplifier, and Taurus rules that which is physical and tangible.

6/9 (Thu). A sesquiquadrate (135° angle) between Taurean Mars and Capricornian Pluto could boost sexual desire, anger or prodigious productivity. Which of these you experience depends on where you focus your attention!
Venus enters Gemini today, where she remains thru 7/3. This placement supports communication in relationships and variety in creative expression.

6/10 (Fri). Make sure you're not harboring delusions about important relationships. At the same time, the potential for soul-deep blending with those you love is enhanced. Both possibilities come courtesy of a Venus-Neptune square.
A Mercury-Uranus quintile can potentiate a magical connection between your rational mind and your intuitive flashes from Source. Are you asking your inner wisdom what you should do? And are you following its guidance when it lets you know?

6/12 (Sun). Learning and communication get extra support as the Sun conjunct Mercury.
        Intuitive flashes are available to guide you in relationships, creativity and finance as Venus sextiles Uranus.
        Finally, Saturn turns direct at 11:52 pm. This is a generally auspicious time to start moving ahead with any new structures or business plans you've been contemplating. Since this is occurring at 10° Libra, any sensitive points in your chart from 7-13° in the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) are receiving an extra-long dose of Saturnian force. Should any challenges arise, face them with the upside Saturnian qualities of good planning, persistence and discipline!

6/13 (Mon). Are people close to you “pushing your buttons” right about now? Be grateful – with Venus square Chiron, they're just showing you where there's an opportunity to do healing work on yourself. Otherwise, you wouldn't have become irritated in the first place!
        To accomplish this healing on your own with maximum speed and ease, click here.
        Today marks the peak of an intense T-square, with Saturn, Uranus and Pluto forming a triangle made of squares and oppositions. Active from 5/13 through 7/21, the key message of this aspect pattern is to let go of all structures that no longer serve the highest need of all concerned. Your intuitive flashes will show you what new paradigms can best replace them.

6/14 (Tue). With Taurean Mars sesquiquadrate Saturn, there may be some tension between the desire to get something rolling and the amount of inertia you must overcome. If your goal is worthwhile, determined persistence can be the key to success.
        What adjustments are needed in your relationships, creative pursuits and finances? What do you need to release in order to maximize your power and wealth in these areas? These are good questions to ponder and act upon as Venus quincunxes Pluto.

6/15 (Wed). A total Lunar Eclipse obscures the Full Moon on 6/14 at 4:14 PM, at 24°23' Sagittarius. (Unfortunately, it will not be visible in North America.) For the next six months, take stock of how you're doing in the archetypal journey from student to sage, living life as an adventurous journey, experiencing and learning from foreign points of view, and embracing joy and celebration. With Mercury opposing the Moon, also check in on how you're doing with your learning and communication.
        This eclipse occurs just 3° from the Galactic Center. This highlights the part of the sky from which, according to the ancient Mayans, new creation energies pour forth. This currently includes the uplifting energy of the new Golden Age. The Mayans call this new era the “Age of Flowers” – how bad can that be?
        This lunation's Sabian Symbol is, “A chubby little rich boy rides upon a hobbyhorse.” This could be seen as an image of innocent childhood play, or a metaphor for a spoiled society losing itself in escapist fantasies. If the latter, the tides of history would seem to show that it's time to awaken from our immature delusions. There are far greater joys than those provided by excessive consumption!

6/16 (Thu). Mercury is in Cancer today through 7/1. How much can you allow the energy of nurturing and healing to permeate your communications?

6/17 (Fri). Mercury trines Neptune and sextiles Jupiter today, predisposing the mind to divine inspiration, spiritual awareness and an optimistic outlook.
        Today marks the peak of a T-square, consisting of Mercury, Uranus and Pluto, which is effective 6/16-18. If old mental patterns and beliefs are being shaken up, could it be because Spirit is trying to replace them with truer and more helpful ways of thinking? My clients tell me that their intuitive flashes (Uranus' way of communicating) have never misled them – have you followed yours lately?

6/18 (Sat). A Venus-Saturn trine encourages a practical, systematic approach to relationships, creativity and finance.
        Today's Mercury-Uranus square is part of the T-square described in the 6/17 entry.

6/19 (Sun). It's a great time for your mind to engage with a mentor or healer – or perform these services yourself – with Mercury trine Chiron.
        Today's Mercury-Pluto opposition is part of the T-square described in the 6/17 entry.

6/20 (Mon). Mars is in Gemini today thru 8/2, firing up learning and communication.
        Today marks the peak of a Grand Cross, which is active 6/19-21. Three of its corners consist of the Pluto-Uranus-Saturn T-square discussed on 6/13, while Mercury holds down the fourth corner of the cross. The basic meaning of the T-square, revolutionary transformation of outmoded structures, is unchanged. The addition of Mercury suggests learning, thinking and communication as an ideal focus area for these activities. With Mercury in Cancer, consider focusing this energy into how you deal with your own family.

6/21 (Tue). The Sun is in Cancer 6/21 thru 7/22, radiating the energy of nurturing, healing, and emotional sensitivity.
        Believing your own thoughts can be a dangerous habit! With Mercury square Saturn, reality check your beliefs – not only for veracity, but for practicality and relevance to your goals.

6/22 (Wed). It's a great time to take a variety of actions to fulfill your visions, with Geminian Mars square Neptune. Just be careful that your dream isn't a delusion! Activities that bring spiritual energy into physical activities also receive abundant support under this transit.
        The Sun is also trine Neptune today, which is ideal for spiritual union activities, manifesting your creative inspiration and flowing divine love and light to others.
        Creativity gets an additional boost with Venus quintile Uranus, which can also bring helpful intuitive flashes regarding relationships and finance.
        A Sun-Uranus-Pluto T-square peaks today, and is active 6/19-25. What revolutionary transformations of your ego are you being intuitively prompted to manifest?

6/24 (Fri). Writers rejoice: your muse should be singing loud and clear under a Mercury-Jupiter quintile! In fact, communications of all kinds may have a magical quality.

6/25 (Sat). Feelings of expansiveness, joy and exuberance are common with a Sun-Jupiter sextile.

6/26 (Sun). You'll feel energized by following your intuitive flashes under a Sun-Uranus square, but may feel nervous and angry if you don't! A Mars-Jupiter semi-sextile can boost your physical vitality, so get out and burn some energy!

6/27 (Mon). With the Sun trine Chiron, be mindful of opportunities for mentoring or healing – whether you're the giver or the recipient.
        It's an especially good time to take immediate action on your intuitive flashes with Mars sextile Uranus. Also notice whether your actions are authentic expressions of your unique qualities.

6/28 (Tue). Ready for an intense Tuesday? You've got it, thanks to three high-powered transits!
        We open with a Sun-Pluto opposition, radiating the energy of deep transformation. With the Sun in Cancer, examine what needs release, transformation or empowerment in your family structures.
        A Jupiter-Uranus semi-sextile is next in line, with Jupiter amplifying Uranus' energy of revolutionary paradigm shift. This energy can also help you accomplish breakthroughs within your existing spiritual path, or help you break out of a religious structure that no longer serves your highest need.
        With Jupiter in sensual Taurus and Uranus in sexual Aries, experimentation and breakthroughs in these areas is also supported. (An example would be discovering the night-and-day difference between “normal” sex and sacred tantric lovemaking!) This Jupiter-Uranus semi-sextile is a longer-lasting aspect, which has been building for a month and will slowly diminish in intensity for a month more.
        Our final Tuesday aspect is a Mars-Chiron square. This aspect can trigger old wounds, especially emotional or psychological ones, so that they can finally be healed. (For a free, simple DIY technique to rapidly facilitate this healing, click here.)

6/29 (Wed). To put the icing on the cake after yesterday's intense energies, the universe offers us a Mars-Pluto quincunx! This aspect has been associated with sudden outbursts of long-simmering rage, so steer clear of volatile people and situations if possible. However, with Mars in Gemini, you can make good use of this energy by taking a variety of actions to make the adjustments needed for your own transformation. Or how about a playful lovemaking session devoted to experimenting with new techniques?
        Here's some big-picture advice for dealing with the last four days of June. The more you embrace transformation, the less you'll experience anger. The more you call in Spirit to handle your healing, the less you'll suffer. And the more you follow your intuitive flashes, the clearer your path will be.

May 2011 Forecast

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

5/1 Mars conjunct Jupiter
5/3 New Moon in Taurus
5/11 Venus/Jupiter/Mercury triple conjunction
5/17 Full Moon in Scorpio
5/20 Mars and Mercury trine Pluto; Mercury conjunct Mars
5/21 Sun enters Gemini
5/23 Venus-Mars conjunction

5/1, 11:21 am – 5/2, 2:00 am (Taurus)
5/3, 2:51 am – 5/4, 1:11 pm (Gemini)
5/6, 4:13 pm - 10:33 pm (Cancer)
5/9, 2:53 am - 5:37 am (Leo)
5/11, 3:04 am – 10:00 am (Virgo)
5/12, 10:52 pm – 5/13, 11:58 am (Libra)
5/15, 12:02 pm - 12:33 pm (Scorpio)
5/17, 7:09 am - 1:24 pm (Sagittarius)
5/19, 10:18 am - 4:17 pm (Capricorn)
5/21, 5:05 pm - 10:33 pm (Aquarius)
5/24, 3:41 am - 8:25 am (Pisces)
5/25, 2:15 pm – 5/26, 8:38 pm (Aries)
5/29, 6:28 am - 9:03 am (Taurus)
5/31, 11:38 am - 7:58 pm (Gemini)

5/1 (Sun). Physicality, sexuality and high-energy activity receive a major rev-up around the 1^st with the triple conjunction of Mars, Jupiter and the Moon. The urge to start something new may feel overwhelming, but postpone major new projects until after the New Moon on the 3rd if at all possible!

5/2 (Mon). A quincunx of Saturn to the Taurean Sun may slow your momentum. Dogged persistence, combined with jujitsu-style adjustment, should get you moving forward again – assuming that you're engaged in appropriate action!

5/3 (Tue). May's New Moon arrives today at 2:51 AM (12°30' Taurus). New beginnings relating to sensuality, the natural world, the five senses, personal resources, self-esteem and “just being” are supported. This lunation's aspects suggest that you should be open to making adjustments to existing structures as you move forward (tight quincunx from Saturn), and be aware that releasing that which does not optimally serve you can open the door to increased wealth and power (loose trine from Pluto)!
This New Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “A Porter Carrying Heavy Baggage.” As you look at your own life situation, are there ways in which you can lighten up – physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually – so that you feel less burdened? (On a personal note, I'm currently selling, donating, recycling or discarding most of the things I don't really need, and the unburdening process feels great!)
Divine inspiration is also in the air today, along with easier connection to Source, thanks to a Sun-Neptune qunitile.

5/7 (Sat). Stay open to inspiration around healing, mentoring and fine-tuning with the Sun quintile Chiron.

5/8 (Sun). Subtle inspirations that can help you with in the realms of productivity, maturity and responsibility can come to you more easily with a Sun-Saturn biquintile.

5/9 (Mon). Clear, direct communication within your important relationships is supported with Mercury conjunct Venus. This is happening in the volatile sign of Aries, so whatever the other person does, strive to keep your end of the conversation civil and respectful.

5/11 (Wed). This has the potential to be an unusually lucky day, since the two classic benefics – Venus and Jupiter – are conjunct! If exact timing is important, 10:42 AM is the magic moment when they come together. Actions initiated around this time, especially those that relate to relationships, money, creativity and communication, can benefit from this auspicious energy. (I list communication because this is actually a triple conjunction, which also includes Mercury!)
Mars enters Taurus today, where it will remain thru 6/20. This lays down a productive background energy of energized persistence. Mars in Taurus is also great for relaxed, sensual loveplay which honors the entire body as an erogenous zone.

5/12 (Thu). With Taurean Mars sextile Neptune, it's a great time to take persistent action on your dreams and visions. This energy is also ideal for integrating subtle spiritual energy into your everyday physical activities.

5/15 (Sun). Matters relating to finance, creativity and relationships may benefit from a steady, deliberate approach today through 6/9 while Venus transits Taurus.
        Mercury also enters Taurus today, where it will remain thru 6/3, encouraging a steady, methodical, down-to-earth approach to learning and communication.
        This makes four personal planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars and the Sun – in Taurus thru 5/20. What an amazing time to focus on the Taurean qualities of sensuality, persistence, immersion in nature, enjoyment of fine cuisine, and being instead of doing!

5/16 (Mon). With Mercury and Venus both sextile Neptune, you'll benefit by requesting intuitive guidance on matters that relate to our currently emphasized themes: relationships, money, creativity and communication. Then muster up the courage to follow it!
        Mercury and Venus are also conjunct in Taurus today. Harmonious communication is supported, especially if you take a calm, methodical approach.

5/17 (Tue). May's Full Moon shines forth today at 7:09 AM (26°13' Scorpio). Ask yourself how “full-filled” you are in the areas of personal transformation, occult practice, research and investigation, psychology and joining resources with others, and make appropriate adjustments.
        This Full Moon has the potential to be intense and challenging, since it receives perdominantly challenging aspects from most of the outer planets. But its very lack of subtlety makes it easy to identify the areas where you need to focus.
        Outdated structures (Saturn semi-square)? Repair or discard. Is something you don't truly need dissolving out of your life (Neptune square)? Let it go. Are you receiving instructions from your Higher Self (Uranus trine)? Follow them to the letter!
        This Full Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “A Military Band Marches Noisily On Through The City Streets.” One function of military bands is to generate excitement and support for aggressive campaigns, and there are plenty of those these days! Remember that you always have a choice whether to cheer on the parade – or maintain your peace and equilibrium as it passes by.

5/18 (Wed). Abundant, steady energy is available for mentoring and healing with Taurean Mars sextile Chiron.

5/19 (Thu). Mercury sextiles Chiron a day after Mars, amplifying opportunities for mentoring and healing.

5/20 (Fri). Chiron receives its third sextile in three days, this time from Venus. Mentoring and healing activities are reinforced even more strongly!
        When was the last time you and your lover took several hours just to adore and luxuriously stimulate every inch of each other's bodies? There's great energy for this with Taurean Mars trine Pluto. Or you could choose to get a whole lot of work done instead!
        Mercury is also trine Pluto today, smoothing the way for transformational, down-to-earth communication. (Or sweet whispers in your lover's ear...)
        There's a reason Mars and Mercury are both trine Pluto today: they're conjunct in Taurus! This can energize volatile communication, especially if your self-esteem or security feels threatened. But it can also positively energize communication, particularly around practical matters.

5/21 (Sat). The Sun is in Gemini 5/21 through 6/21, beaming the energies of learning, communication, playfulness, tricksterism, variety and verbosity.
        Sensual and erotic energy is once again in the air, with Taurean Venus trine Pluto. This aspect also supports financial abundance and creative inspiration.

5/22 (Sun). The more you tune into your intuition, the less likely it is that a Sun-Neptune square will catalyze illusion or deception in your life. On the high side, focusing on divine connection, creative inspiration and loving others unconditionally are strongly supported!

5/23 (Mon). With Venus and Mars conjunct in Taurus, giving energy to your important relationships will help solidify their foundations. If touch or sensuality are appropriate, be sure to include them. A “Steady Eddie” approach to money and creativity is also supported.
At the same time, a Mercury-Saturn quincunx has the potential to bollix communication, so make sure that you're both understanding and being understood.

5/24 (Tue). Are there any unsound structures in your important relationships? With a Venus-Saturn quincunx, any that exist may come to your attention – providing wonderful opportunities to repair and strengthen worthwhile partnerships. If old psychological or emotional wounds are surfacing, are you calling on the divine to heal them for you?

5/25 (Wed). Intuitive flashes may be heating up with the Sun sextile Uranus, as well as an urge to individuate and serve the collective.
If you feel your vitality waning, a simple adjustment may be all it takes to get a Mars-Saturn quincunx to energize you instead!

5/26 (Thu). Major creative inspiration is flooding the ethers, with Taurean Venus quintile Piscean Neptune. Extraordinarily, everything involved here – the planets, signs and aspect – support your muse! Connecting with your divine source, and feeling the divine glow in others, is also easier with this aspect.
Perhaps your creative process will have a cathartic component, with a Sun-Chiron square potentially bringing up old emotional baggage.

5/28 (Sat). Thoughts, not circumstances, cause suffering: which habitual ways of thinking are causing you the most dis-ease? With the Geminian Sun quincunx Pluto, it's a great time to identify and adjust them!
Ready to manifest some of your dreams and visions into reality? With Taurean Mars quintile Neptune, the time is right!

5/30 (Mon). Mentoring and healing – perhaps through body-centered modalities – is supported with Taurean Venus quintile Chiron.

April 2011

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

HEADLINES

4/2 Mars enters Aries
4/3 New Moon in Aries, Mars-Uranus conjunction
4/4 Neptune enters Pisces
4/9 Pluto retrograde
4/11 Mars square Pluto
4/17 Full Moon in Libra
4/18 Mars opposes Saturn
4/20 Sun enters Taurus
4/23 Mercury retrograde ends

VOID-OF-COURSE MOONS

It's best to avoid starting important new projects or making major purchases during these times. "Business as usual" is the best strategy for these periods, which occur when the Moon has made its last major Ptolemaic aspect but has not yet moved into the next sign. Learn more about working with void-of-course Moons here.

4/2, 12:52 am - 7:16:49 am (Aries)
4/4, 9:51 am - 7:47 pm (Taurus)
4/5, 7:03 pm – 4/7, 7:23 am (Gemini)
4/8, 10:24 pm – 4/9, 5:03 pm (Cancer)
4/11, 8:06 am - 11:39 pm (Leo)
4/13, 3:59 pm – 4/14, 2:42 am (Virgo)
4/15, 4:49 pm – 4/16, 3:00 am (Libra)
4/17, 10:45 pm – 4/18, 2:20 am (Scorpio)
4/20, 12:54 am - 2:51 am (Sagittarius)
4/21, 12:58 pm – 4/22, 6:26 am (Capricorn)
4/23, 8:14 pm – 4/24, 2:00 pm (Aquarius)
4/26, 7:28 am – 4/27, 12:59 am (Pisces)
4/27, 3:53 pm – 4/29, 1:35 pm (Aries)

4/2 (Sat). Mars enters Aries and will remain through 5/10, which puts five planets in that fiery sign throughout April. You can avoid Aries' dark side – anger, impatience, combativeness and impulsiveness – by focusing on its high-side qualities of initiation, positive sexuality, enlightened warriorship, boldness and courage.
Also today, a Venus-Pluto sextile encourages positive transformation in relationships, creativity and finance; Pluto also provides plenty of raw power for you to use as you wish. With Venus in Pisces, ask for the flow of intuitive guidance in these three areas.

4/3 (Sun). April's New Moon occurs today at 10:32 AM (13°29' Aries). With six planets in Aries at this moment, new beginnings in the high-side Aries qualities mentioned above are especially supported! Aspects to this lunation suggest a powerful sense of new hope (Jupiter conjunction), tempered by a recognition of realistic limitations and responsibilities (Saturn opposition). Since Saturn and Jupiter are the two “social” planets, new projects that involve others get some extra juice.
        This New Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “A serpent coiling near a man and a woman.” The serpent, a Scorpionic animal, is associated with transformation, such as when the serpent sheds its skin. The serpent is also a metaphor for kundalini, which coils at the base of the spine until it spirals up to the top of the head during the enlightenment process. Man and woman can represent opposite polarities, which are transcended during awakening. All in all, a very hopeful symbol!
        A Mars-Uranus conjunction in Aries, also today, powerfully reinforces this New Moon's theme of new beginnings and powerful paradigm shifts. This high volatility combination is like rocket fuel: it can launch you to the stars or, if you're not careful, blow up in your face!
        Today's final significant aspect is a Sun-Saturn opposition, adding a helpful dose of maturity, responsibility and long-term planning to the current megadose of Arean impulsivity! If a significant obstacle stand in your way, consider whether it's time to call on your inner divine power to help you stand up to those opposing forces.

4/4 (Mon). A major astrological event – Neptune's entry into Pisces – occurs today. Neptune will remain in Pisces, its home sign (except for a few last months in Aquarius this fall and winter) for the next 14 years. Both Neptune and Pisces represent divine union, divinely inspired creativity, and unconditional love and compassion – all qualities that will be prominent in the Golden Age now unfolding, and which you can magnify your own life now!

4/6 (Wed). The conjunction of the Sun and Jupiter, which happens every 13 months, is always a time of expanded vitality and exuberance. Since it's occurring in Aries, it radiates even more energy and excitement. Plan some high-energy activities!

4/7 (Thu). Consider what adjustments are needed in your most important relationships as Venus quincunxes Saturn. With Venus in Pisces (divinely inspired creativity) and Saturn in Libra (personal creativity), focused creative effort may also be abundantly rewarded!

4/9 (Sat). Pluto turns retrograde today at 7°30' Capricorn. This is a great time to reflect on how you're using power. Is yours coming mainly from the ego level, or are you acting as a conduit for the infinitely more powerful flow available from your divine source? (You can tap into this divine power with my “Ask and Receive” guided invocations.) Have you noticed how everything you try to control also controls you, by requiring the expenditure of your valuable time and attention?
        Because planets are most powerful when changing directions, anything in your natal chart at or near 7° of the cardinal signs – Capricorn, Aries, Cancer and Libra – is receiving an extra-powerful dose of Pluto's transformational energy. Voluntarily releasing all that does not serve you is the best strategy for receiving Pluto's gifts of wealth and power!
        The Sun and Mercury are also conjunct today, supporting learning and communication.
        Finally, a T-square begins today and runs for over three weeks, through 5/2. This is a triangular aspect pattern of growth through challenge, created by two opposing planets (180° apart) making a 90° square to a third planet. This T-square features a loose square between Saturn and Pluto. The aspect pattern is completed by Mars, Mercury and Venus trading places in Aries as they oppose Saturn and square Pluto.
        The main theme of this T-square is the destruction or recycling (Pluto) of old, outmoded structures (Saturn), like the caterpillar surrendering its body to fuel the birth of a beautiful butterfly. Letting go of everything that has outlived its usefulness, which creates space for new abundance and blessings, is an excellent strategy for the avoidance of suffering during this process!

4/11 (Mon). The week either side of today can be explosively volatile, since a Mars-Pluto square can be a “powder keg” aspect. Proceed with extreme caution and diligent mindfulness, and tread carefully around potentially dangerous people or situations. Harness this energy positively with new beginnings, joyful sexual expression, high-energy workouts and assertive action for worthy causes.
        There's also a Mercury-Jupiter conjunction in Aries today, powerfully boosting learning and information sharing. This aspect could make it easy to get lost in your enthusiasm about what you're sharing. Given today's other aspect, be sure to notice how it's being received!

4/12 (Tue). Divinely inspired creativity gets a boost from today's Venus-Pluto quintile. Also be open to intuitive hits about relationships and finances.

4/17 (Sun). You may become aware of areas in which you can benefit from mentoring and healing around this time as Jupiter semi-squares Chiron. If you're the one providing the mentoring or healing, your abilities may enjoy a subtle boost.
April's Full Moon shines forth today at 10:44 PM (27°44' Libra). For starters, take stock of how you're doing with your relationships, creative expression, diplomatic skills and social life.
This Full Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “A man becoming aware of spiritual forces surrounding and assisting him.” Key aspects to the Moon make this possible for each of us, especially a trine from Neptune, soft angles from the lunar nodes and a loose opposition from Jupiter. If you like, phrase this symbol as a request -- “Spirit, please make me aware of the spiritual forces surrounding and assisting me, to the greatest extent will serve my highest need” – then relax and see what happens!

4/18 (Mon). With Mars opposing Saturn, persevering against resistance may ultimately result in a strong wind at your back. But you will only benefit from this “Energizer Bunny Effect” if your efforts are focused in alignment with your highest needs, so be careful not to impulsively launch yourself against an unmovable obstacle! This effect is strong for about a week either side of this date.

4/19 (Tue). Take advantage of the strong mental stimulation provided by a Mars-Mercury conjunction -- just don't go to the dark side and use it to launch verbal attacks! With Mercury still retrograde thru 4/23, this energy is particularly good for reflection and planning.

4/20 (Wed). The Sun is in Taurus today through 5/20, radiating tranquility, sensuality, love of nature, and slow, steady accomplishment.
The Sun also sextiles Neptune today, promoting easy connection between you and your higher self and the subtle energies in the world around you. This aspect can also be creatively inspiring!

4/21 (Thu). Venus is in Aries today through 5/15. Consider being more assertive and pioneering in your relationships, finances and creativity during this time. To avoid conflict in your relationships, channel your coupled energies more into passionate physical activities.

4/22 (Fri). Pay special attention to your relationships, creativity and finances during the last week and a half of April – Venus is making a series of potentially challenging aspects, starting with today's Uranus conjunction. If challenges and reality checks arise, ask for intuitive guidance in making the transformations that will serve the highest need all concerned. These Venus aspects are also part of the T-Square aspect pattern described in the last two paragraphs of the 4/9 entry.

4/23 (Sat). Mercury Retrograde ends today at 6:04 AM, opening the door for new projects. (All things being equal, however, new initiatives fare better during waxing moons – the next one begins on 5/3.)

4/24 (Sun). Mentoring and healing, whether you're the giver or the receiver, are strongly stimulated by a Sun-Chiron sextile.

4/27 (Wed). The second of those challenging Venus aspects I mentioned occurs today: a powerful Venus-Pluto square! See the 4/22 entry for details.
The Sun trines Pluto today, making the release of what no longer serves you easier. This can also help you open to the flow of divine power and wealth!

4/30 (Sat). The third and final potentially challenging Venus aspect previously mentioned occurs today, as Venus opposes Saturn. Again, see the 4/22 entry for details.

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

HEADLINES

3/4. New Moon in Pisces
3/11. Uranus enters Aries
3/19. Full Moon in Virgo
3/20. Sun enters Aries; Spring Equinox
3/28. Jupiter opposes Saturn
3/30. Mercury Retrograde (thru 4/23)

THE STORY SO FAR: Saturn is retrograde thru 6/12.

3/3, 9:37 am - 11:48 am (Pisces)
3/5, 11:34 pm – 3/6, 12:15 am (Aries)
3/8, 11:04 am - 12:54 pm (Taurus)
3/11, 12:26 am - 12:33 am (Gemini)
3/13, 9:11 am - 10:31 am (Cancer)
3/15, 6:06 am - 3:34 pm (Leo)
3/17, 4:00 pm - 4:55 pm (Virgo)
3/19, 2:11 pm - 4:05 pm (Libra)
3/21, 2:35 pm - 3:18 pm (Scorpio)
3/23, 4:08 pm - 4:47 pm (Sagittarius)
3/25, 9:25 pm - 9:59 pm (Capricorn)
3/27, 11:18 pm – 3/28, 7:01 am (Aquarius)
3/30, 6:22 pm - 6:39 pm (Pisces)

3/1 (Tue). You're more likely to receive strong intuitive flashes relating to relationships, finance and creativity as Venus sextiles Uranus. If your inner voice prescribes a paradigm shift in any of these areas, you'd be wise to follow doctor's orders!
Venus also enters Aquarius today through 3/26, carrying these intuitive flash/paradigm shift energies forward for another 3-1/2 weeks.

3/2 (Wed). If today's Mercury-Saturn quincunx is handicapping your logical mind, take a hint from Mercury's Piscean placement and ask your intuition to guide your decision-making.

3/3 (Thu). Lots of vital energy is available with Piscean Mars sextile Capricornian Pluto, particularly for activities such as Law of Attraction work which integrate the spiritual and physical worlds. These planets also pack a strong sexual charge, so make sure that you and your sweetie set aside some special time for intimate connection or sacred sexual practice.

3/4 (Fri). March's New Moon occurs today at 3:46 pm (13° 55' Pisces). New beginnings in spiritual union practices, divinely inspired creativity and flowing divine energy to others are supported. This message is reinforced by the presence of six planets in Pisces!
This New Moon's conjunction to Mars give extra power to new beginnings, and its conjunction to Mercury supports the learning and communication that will be part of the process. A quincunx to Saturn means that some extra effort and adjustment may be required to get your new initiatives up and rolling.
This New Moon's Sabian Symbol, “A Lady Wrapped In A Large Stole Of Fox Fur,” now carries an air of political incorrectness that postdates its creation. However, it still implies receptivity (the lady), abundance (the expensive stole) and security (the warmth the stole provides). This could speak of the abundant blessings that flow to those who remain receptive to Spirit, and the security that only a strong Spirit connection can provide.

3/6 (Sun). A Piscean Sun quincunx Saturn can be very productive, especially if you visualize the desired end result, stay flexible, and persevere through all obstacles.

3/9 (Wed). Your mind's ability to receive intuitive flashes is especially strong, thanks to a Mercury-Uranus conjunction. Be sure to ask Spirit for guidance on questions large and small, and have the courage to follow its guidance!
Your mind may also be firing a bit faster than usual, since Mercury also enters Aries today. Its sojourn in this sign will last much longer than usual – through 5/15 – since the next Mercury retrograde (3/30 thru 4/23) will take place entirely within Aries. Verbal attacks are a dark-side manifestation of Arean Mercury, so strive to keep your speech true, helpful and kind.

3/10 (Thu). Good fortune flows more easily into relationships, finance and creativity as the two ancient benefics – Venus and Jupiter – form a powerful and harmonious sextile.

3/11 (Fri). A major astrological event – Uranus' entry into Aries – occurs today. This intiatiates a new 84-year journey through the zodiac for the planet of paradigm shift, revolution and sudden awakening. Since Aries is about new beginnings and strong starts, this is a powerful energy of powerful, rapid and unprecedented structural changes. And Uranus will transit Aries for for over seven years, so fasten your seat belts!

3/13 (Sun). You can probe deeply into hidden truths with Mercury square Pluto, but remain mindful of the distinction between fascination and obsession!

3/14 (Mon). With Mars quincunx Saturn, persevere if your actions seem to encounter initial resistance. At a certain point, that uphill climb can turn into a downhill coast!
Relationships, creativity and finance receive grounding and support with Venus trine Saturn.

3/15 (Tue). Mental energy is jazzed by a Mercury-Jupiter conjunction. It's a great time for learning and sharing information, but don't talk some poor soul's ear off!

3/18 (Fri). Communicating too forcefully could generate resistance, due to Mercury's opposition to Saturn. Don't compromise your core truths, but do try to express them diplomatically.

3/19 (Sat). March's Full Moon shines forth today at 2:10 pm (28°47' Virgo). Contemplate how “full-filled” you are with how you're serving, how your routines, systems and standard procedures are working, and your health.
With this Full Moon opposing Uranus and quincunx Neptune, this lunation asks you to be open to intuitive flashes and paradigm shifts. And its square to the Nodes of the Moon suggests that you serve only in ways that bring you genuine fulfillment.
The Sabian Symbol for this Full Moon is, “A Seeker After Occult Knowledge Is Reading An Ancient Scroll Which Illumines His Mind.” Just remember that, with the veils between worlds growing ever-thinner, this "scroll" is as likely to appear before your mind's eye as your physical ones! (Then again, in this internet age, that "scroll" could be what you're doing as you ingest esoteric wisdom from your computer screen!)

3/20 (Sun). Welcome the Spring Equinox as the Sun enters Aries at 7:21 PM, radiating the energy of initiation, sexuality, assertiveness and leadership.

3/21 (Mon). The Sun conjuncts Uranus just half a day after entering Aries, betokening a Spring season full of surprises, revolution and paradigm shifts. Be particularly open to intuitive flashes and paradigm shifts that help you be more true to yourself in the next few days.

3/24 (Thu). A Saturn-Neptune sesquiquadrate (a 135° minor hard angle), strong through 4/17, will help to dissolve all structures in your life that have outlived their usefulness. This energy can also empower your Law of Attraction work, so get busy visualizing!

3/26 (Sat). Connecting with the divine realms, the divine in others, and expressing your divinely inspired creativity are powerfully supported by a Venus-Neptune conjunction. Just be careful not to overidealize your beloved!

3/27 (Sun). Venus transits Pisces today through 4/20. Since Neptune and Pisces represent the same letter of the astrological alphabet, my comments on the Venus-Neptune conjunction on 3/26 also apply here.

3/28 (Mon). Embrace the challenge of personal transformation as the Sun squares Pluto – it will greatly empower you! But with the Sun in Aries, be careful not to let anger or impulsive sexuality get the better of you.
Also today, a significant astrological event occurs: Jupiter opposing Saturn. This will be strong for several weeks. It calls for a harmonious balancing of expansion and contraction, enthusiasm and seriousness, adventurous new paths and still-useful traditions. With Jupiter in Aries and Saturn in Libra, also be sure to find a balance between your needs and the needs of others.

3/29 (Tue). With Venus conjunct Chiron, the time is right for the mentoring and healing of relationships, creativity and money issues.

3/30 (Wed). Mercury goes retrograde today at 4:47 pm, and turns direct again on 4/23 at 6:04 am. During this time, avoid starting major new projects, and be especially attentive to travel details, communication, and technology. Back up critical data!
Mercury Retrograde is an excellent time to complete projects, make repairs, reflect and contemplate. Since this retrograde takes place entirely in Aries, reflect especially on initiation, sexuality, assertiveness and leadership.
Also today, you can use a 45° Jupiter-Neptune semi-square to boost your spiritual consciousness, divinely inspired creativity and universal compassion. And with Jupiter in Aries, don't just think about these things – take action on them!

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

Your Sun Sign Has Not Changed! Despite recent assertions from certain incompletely educated astronomers, your Sun Sign is still the same, and Western astrology still works just fine. My brief article at http://itsallgoodastrology.com/articles.htm#signChange clarifies the situation.

HEADLINES

2/2 Aquarius New Moon
2/8 Chiron enters Pisces
2/13 South Node enters Gemini / North Node enters Sagittarius
2/18 Leo Full Moon; Sun enters Pisces
2/25 Jupiter square Pluto
2/27 Saturn sesquiquadrate Chiron

2/1, 2:32 pm - 6:23 pm (Aquarius)
2/4, 1:12 am - 5:25 am (Pisces)
2/6, 2:14 pm - 5:47 pm (Aries)
2/9, 2:31 am - 6:24 am (Taurus)
2/11, 2:27 pm - 5:22 pm (Gemini)
2/13, 10:20 pm – 2/14, 12:50 am (Cancer)
2/16, 2:07 am - 4:16 am (Leo)
2/18, 3:36 am - 4:40 am (Virgo)
2/20, 2:18 am - 4:02 am (Libra)
2/22, 3:35 am - 4:30 am (Scorpio)
2/24, 6:15 am - 7:47 am (Sagittarius)
2/26, 1:09 pm - 2:33 pm (Capricorn)
2/28, 11:04 pm – 3/1, 12:15 am (Aquarius)

2/2 (Wed). With Venus square Uranus, stay open to paradigm shifts and sudden awakenings in your relationships, finances and creativity.
        Venus is also sextile Neptune, energizing divine connection, soul blending with earthly inhabitants and divinely inspired creativity.
        Mercury is also connecting with Uranus, but by sextile. Be sure to ask your higher self's input whenever there's a decision to be made, since intuitive flashes come more easily under such aspects!
        To round off a very busy day, the New Moon at 9:31 pm (14°Aquarius) provides fresh energy for invention, genius, individuation, service to society and letting your freak flag fly! New Moons are always great for starting things, and this one's aspects – a conjunction from Mars and a trine from Saturn – make for a strong start and good perseverance.
        The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon, “A Train Entering a Tunnel,” gives the sense of plunging into something mysterious and unknown, very much like the times we now find ourselves in. Ultimately, our best choice is to barrel ahead and see what lies on the other side!

2/3 (Thu). If a relationship is in need of some healing, a flowing Venus-Chiron sextile can help. Fix-ups involving finance and creativity are also supported.
        These same areas of life can also be blessed with creative insights and stability, thanks to a Venus-Saturn quintile.
        Mercury transits Aquarius 2/3 through 2/21, making it easier for sudden insights and strokes of genius to penetrate human brains.

2/4 (Fri). Today's Sun-Mars conjunction is like an astrological booster rocket – use it to help your New Moon projects surge forward! This is also great energy for leadership, sexuality and assertiveness.
       Venus also transits Capricorn today thru 3/1, which can help provide practicality, discipline and maturity in the areas of relationship, finance and creativity.

2/5 (Sat). Give yourself opportunities for innovative mental expansion with Aquarian Mercury sextile Jupiter!

2/6 (Sun). There's plenty of “steady as she goes” energy with both the Sun and Mars trine Saturn, so plan for productivity!
And with Venus square Jupiter, anything requiring your attention in the areas of relationship, creativity and finance – whether it's opportunity or challenge – may become prominent.

2/8 (Tue). Chiron enters Pisces for a stay of over seven years today, giving long-term support for the energies of spiritual mentorship and divine healing. “Maverick” approaches to spirituality are also energized.

2/9 (Wed). Ready for a soul-deep connection with someone? If you're both willing and able, you can take both sexual and platonic relationships deep with Venus conjunct Pluto. This energy can also help you transform or release problematic relationships, as well as situations in the financial and creative realms.

2/11 (Fri). I do Western Astrology, not Mayan Astrology, but this information is too important not to include here.
        Depending on whom you believe, today may or may not be the beginning of the Ninth Wave of the Mayan Long Count Calendar. (Also depending on whom you believe, that calendar may end one cycle and start a new one -- the Age of Flowers -- on Oct. 28, 2011, rather than the Winter Solstice of 2012.) The Ninth Wave is the final and most accelerated period of universal evolution in the Long Count Calendar -- 20 times faster than the previous wave! -- and peaks a cycle lasting more than 5000 years.
        Carl Johan Calleman, one of the most respected authorities on the Mayan Calendar, initially proposed today as the beginning of the Ninth Wave. Later, based on new information, he revised its start date to March 11, 2011.
        Whether or not the Ninth Wave really begins today, a huge number of people believe that it does. Since consciousness shapes reality, this widespread belief could be enough to start manifesting its effects, even if the real start date is still a month away. As many of us are already experiencing, these effects include accelerated spiritual awakening, the destruction of outmoded structures (such as the current Arab democratic uprisings) and their replacement by more enlightened systems. The purpose of the Ninth Wave, according to Calleman, is to lift the entire universe into Unity Consciousness.
        As Calleman says in this excellent article about the Ninth Wave, we are being asked to "shift completely from asking for things for ourselves and what we as egos or individuals may want from 2011 to what our egos may do to serve the delivery of the divine plan. The ninth wave of unity would then be calling for a complete shift in our way of being, to manifesting unity consciousness, which is the intended end result of the cosmic plan. If this is to happen, it may also call for extraordinary cosmic energies to fulfill the cosmic plan. In fact, maybe the ninth wave will be a Judgment Day that will save the world."
        For another article by Calleman, about the Ninth Wave start date, click here.

2/13 (Sun). About every year and a half, the transiting Nodes of the Moon change signs. Using Mean Node calculations, that shift happens today as the South Node enters Gemini and the North Node enters Sagittarius, where they will remain thru 9/1/2012.
During this period, the journey from Geminian themes to Sagittarian ones is highlighted. So, rather than just gathering random information like a Trivial Pursuit enthusiast, focus on goal-oriented learning that leads to greater philosophical understanding and religious enlightenment. Rather than just traveling locally, let the world be your destination. (This global travel can be mental and spiritual as well as physical.)
Think not just of your local affiliations (family, neighbors, tribe, city, state or country) but of more expansive affiliations – your fellow humans, the beings in the mineral, plant and animal kingdoms, extraterrestrials, and the vast realms of noncorporeal beings whose presence grows ever more prominent as the spiritual veils continue to thin.

2/14 (Mon). With Aquarian Mercury trine Saturn, simple words that clearly communicate your unique message trump extravagant verbosity this Valentine's Day. This energy also supports mental focus and mature, innovative thinking.

2/17 (Thu). Divinely inspired creativity, spiritual union and flowing divine love to others are all empowered by a Sun-Neptune conjunction. Focus on these if you're tempted to overdo drugs, alcohol or other non-life-affirming escapes.

2/18 (Fri). February's Full Moon is at 3:36 AM (29°20' Leo). Contemplate how you're doing with your creative expression, leadership skills, willingness to take risks, and chill-out time.
        This Full Moon aspects every planet in the sky, which gives it great power. The additional opportunities added by these connections include intuitive empowerment, spiritual healing, sacred sexuality, and an increased ability to be conscious of yourself as a light being operating a physical body. (These interpretations are based on tight oppositions to the Moon from Mars, Neptune and Chiron, as well as a quincunx from Uranus.)
        This Full Moon's Sabian Symbol, “An Unsealed Letter,” suggests secrets being revealed. These could include any of the things in the previous paragraph, and definitely speaks to the great truths now being revealed to the world – the greatest of which is the unprecedented ease with which we can each now experience our own divinity!
        A Venus-Saturn square asks us to take a serious look at our relationships, creativity and finances. Decide whether you're seeing an area of strength to be fortified, a weak area to be restructured, or an area where you need to cut your losses. Call on your creativity and intuitive flashes to assist you – they're ramped up by a magical Venus-Uranus quintile.
        Our final major event today is the Sun's entry into Pisces, where it radiates the energy of divine union, divinely inspired creativity and universal compassion.

2/19 (Sat). Mentoring, healing and maverick action are supported by a Sun-Chiron conjunction.

2/20 (Sun). Three planets are conjunct in late Aquarius today – Mercury, Mars and Neptune – which may be giving you a powerful urge to communicate what you're thinking! But be sure you're speaking from the clear flow, rather than some enthusiastic delusion. This is an excellent time for prayer and spiritual contemplation, as well as receiving divine wisdom within. It's also ideal for activities which combine physical action and spiritual energy, such as ecstatic dance, tantra, yoga, tai chi and chi gung.

2/21 (Mon). Mercury is in Pisces today thru 3/9, making it easier for the mind to receive intuitive downloads, visualize and receive divinely inspired creativity.

2/22 (Tue). You can productively turn your thoughts to healing and mentorship as Mercury conjuncts Chiron.
Also today, Mars enters Pisces thru 4/1. This radiates the same energy as Mars' conjunction to Neptune on 2/20, and so gives us over a month of the same opportunities for activities which combine physical action and spiritual energy. As described above, these include ecstatic dance, tantra, yoga, tai chi and chi gung.

2/24 (Thu). With Mars conjunct Chiron, it's time to take action in the areas of healing and mentorship.

2/25 (Fri). There are four noteworthy aspects today, but the giant among them is one of 2011's most powerful astrological events – a Jupiter-Pluto square in the cardinal signs of Aries and Capricorn, strong 1/29 thru 3/21.
Though unquestionably intense and challenging, this also holds abundant opportunity. As the most challenging single aspect of 2011, it calls for some sort of amplified death-and-rebirth process. To harness this energy positively, release and surrender all that doesn't serve you, and actively seek positive transformation.
The other three aspects involve the Sun conjunct Mercury, followed by both planets sextiling Pluto. The overall sense of this is powerfully energized learning and communication, with a special emphasis on diving deep into the uncensored heart of the matter. With the Sun and Mercury in Pisces, the area being explored might be spiritual or creatively inspired, and intuition might play a large part in the process.

2/27 (Sun). Any Saturn-Chiron connection holds the potential for challenges in the areas of healing and mentorship, and their current sesquiquadrate (a 135° angle of minor irritation) is no exception. But this connection also opens the door for a mature and disciplined approach to bring healing and wisdom to any old wounds that arise for healing in the weeks around this aspect.

2/28 (Mon). Creative visualization, artistic productivity and bringing “chop wood, carry water” spiritual consciousness into your daily life are all supported by the Piscean Sun biquintiling Saturn.

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

HEADLINES

1/2 Jupiter semi-sextile Neptune
1/4 Solar Eclipse (New Moon), Jupiter conjunct Uranus
1/12 Jupiter semi-sextile Chiron
1/19 Full Moon in Cancer
1/20 Sun enters Aquarius
1/22 Jupiter enters Aries

THE STORY SO FAR: All planets are direct. Anything in the 26-28° range of any sign is getting hyper-stimulated, since four slower planets are at those degree numbers: Neptune and Chiron in Aquarius, and Jupiter and Uranus in Pisces.

1/2, 9:09 pm – 1/3, 2:40 am (Capricorn)
1/5, 7:16 am - 11:09 am (Aquarius)
1/7, 3:51 pm - 9:58 pm (Pisces)
1/10, 6:13 am - 10:25 am (Aries)
1/12, 9:48 pm - 10:38 pm (Taurus)
1/15, 7:47 am - 8:24 am (Gemini)
1/17, 12:58 pm - 2:30 pm (Cancer)
1/19, 4:27 pm - 5:17 pm (Leo)
1/21, 1:58 pm - 6:12 pm (Virgo)
1/23, 3:08 pm – 7:00 pm (Libra)
1/25, 5:04 pm - 9:17 pm (Scorpio)
1/27, 10:01 pm – 1/28, 1:56 am (Sagittarius)
1/30, 5:11 am - 9:05 am (Capricorn)

1/2 (Sun). The first significant aspect of 2011 is Piscean Jupiter semi-sextile Aquarian Neptune. The aspect contains some tension, but so does a springboard – which, guided by your concentration, can launch your consciousness into sudden spiritual breakthroughs!

1/4 (Tue). There are usually two solar eclipses in any given year, but in 2011 there will be four! The first one occurs today at 4:03 AM (14° Capricorn).
        A solar eclipse is always a New Moon. New beginnings are supported with special power here, especially in the Capricornian themes of work, career, reputation building, and becoming more mature, responsible and wise. With Pluto conjunct the eclipse, your new initiatives will work even better if you make it a point to simultaneously jettison or transform whatever no longer supports your endeavor. This eclipse's tightest aspect is a square from Saturn, so don't automatically give up if you encounter significant resistance. Persistence may reap rich rewards!
        The Sabian Symbol for this eclipse is, “An Ancient Bas-Relief Carved in Granite Remains a Witness to a Long-Forgotten Culture.” For me, this immediately brings to mind the Mayans, and their stone-engraved Long Count calendar. One 5000+ year cycle ends and another (the Age of Flowers) starts on the Winter Solstice of 2012. This reminds us to avoid the dark side of Capricorn – mindless adherence to tradition and the status quo – and remember that it's sometime the wisest and most responsible course of action to branch out in radically new directions!
        This eclipse isn't the only major event today: Jupiter and Uranus are conjunct, and both planets trine Venus! This is incredibly auspicious: ancient astrology considers Jupiter and Venus to be the two luckiest planets, the trine represents easy, effortless connection, and Uranus can bring sudden awakenings. The universe is definitely opening the year with a powerful portent of wonderful breakthroughs!
        This day's other important aspect suggests an excellent strategy for sensitizing yourself to the intuitive guidance you'll need to make the most of this year: a Venus-Neptune square, which can be used to empower your relationship with Spirit!

1/5 (Wed). Is friction arising in any of your key relationships? Then use Venus' square to Chiron to examine what unhealed wounds are being brought up for healing and release within you. Use your powers of discrimination and intuitive guidance to determine whether to stay the course and let a relationship catalyze healing, or whether it's better to exit a relationship that's consistently hurtful or abusive.
There's also practical magic in the air today, with the Capricornian Sun quintile Uranus and Jupiter. Ask for intuitive flashes to guide even your most mundane decisions!

1/7 (Fri). If a Sun-Saturn square has you feeling challenged or depressed, it may lift your spirits to apply yourself to a practical task. Or take some quiet time to reflect and plan.
Venus – ruler of relationships, money and creativity – transits the expansive, abundant and lucky sign of Sagittarius through 2/3. Watch for (or create) opportunities in all of these areas!

1/10 (Mon). Mercury, ruler of the mind, gets a double hit of intuitive help today – it sextiles Neptune, bringer of intuitive flow, and squares Uranus, bringer of intuitive flashes. Raise your antennae!

1/11 (Tue). Mercury's at it again today, squaring Jupiter and sextiling Chiron. If your brain is hungry for knowledge and mentoring, it's a great time to indulge it!

1/12 (Wed). With “do it now” Mars sextile Uranus – the sender of text messages from your higher self – it's a great time to take immediate practical action on your intuitive flashes.
Two slower planets connect today: Piscean Jupiter makes a 30° semi-sextile to Aquarian Chiron. The weeks around this aspect are especially good for spiritual awakening, healing old wounds and doing meticulous work on breakthrough projects. Also consider expanding your horizons by spending time with cutting-edge people!

1/13 (Thu). With Capricornian Mars sextile Jupiter, lots of energy and endurance are available now. Get busy with what needs doing!
Mercury transits Capricorn today through 2/3, helping us focus our minds on practical matters.

1/15 (Sat). Mars transits Aquarius today through 2/22. This has a similar effect to Mars aspecting Uranus (see 1/12), who is the modern ruler of Aquarius, so the basic advice remains the same: take immediate practical action on your intuitive flashes. This is also a great time to put fresh energy into connecting with the groups of people who can help you awaken in whatever ways are most important right now!

1/17 (Mon). Flashes of intuitive insight can assist you in practical matters with the Capricornian Sun sextile Uranus.

1/18 (Tue). Deep thought, research and occult contemplation are well supported with Mercury conjunct Pluto.

1/19 (Wed). The Full Moon at 4:21 PM (29°27' Cancer) may not be as strong as our recent eclipses, but it's still a powerful lunation!
        Take stock of how things are going at home, with your family, and in your emotional life in general. Assertiveness and sexuality may also be important themes, since Mars opposes the Moon. With the Moon also receiving a trine from Uranus and a quincunx from Neptune, stay open to intuitive guidance as you make any necessary adjustments in these areas.
        This Full Moon's Sabian Symbol, “A Daughter of The American Revolution,” suggests respect for traditions that remain useful, while still embracing the paradigm shifts needed to spring forward. It also suggests that the higher qualities of feminine energy – receptive, sensitive and intuitive – are central to the new reality now coming forward.
        Also take advantage of the lovely mix of expansiveness and productivity peaking today, courtesy of a Sun-Jupiter sextile!

1/20 (Thu). The Sun enters Aquarius today, radiating the energy of individuality, uniqueness, genius and humanitarianism.

1/21 (Fri). The creative juice is flowing strong with Venus quintile Neptune. This is also a wonderful energy for connecting with your divine source, and the divine in others.

1/22 (Sat). One of 2011's major astrological events occurs today as Jupiter enters Aries. This energizes a new 12-year cycle as Jupiter begins another journey through the signs.
        This is the energy of doors being flung open, new frontiers being pioneered, and fired-up sexuality. This is also ideal for new beginnings in matters ruled by Jupiter, such as religion, philosophy, politics and legal matters. This will last through 6/4, so catch it while it's hot!

1/23 (Sun). Relationships, finances and creativity all receive stabilization from Venus' sextile to Saturn. Venus' quintile to Chiron also makes this a good time to fine-tune these areas, perhaps with assistance from an expert.

1/25. Intuitive guidance in practical matters flows easier with Capricornian Mercury quintile Uranus.

1/26. Saturn is retrograde today thru 6/25. Be sure that your actions during this period are supported by sufficient planning and reflection.
        Free expression might be challenged with Mercury square Saturn, but there is also ample energy for mental discipline and fine discrimination!

1/27. Inspired solutions to everyday problems are facilitated by Mercury's quintile to Jupiter.

There are no major astrological events in January after 1/27.

While everyone is affected by these global transits, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

HEADLINES

12/3 Mars square Uranus
12/5 New Moon in Sagittarius; Uranus direct
12/7 Mars enters Capricorn
12/10 Mercury retrograde begins
12/13 Mars/Mercury/Pluto triple conjunction
12/21 Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon) in Gemini; Sun enters Capricorn (Winter Solstice)
12/29 Mars square Saturn
12/30 Mercury Retrograde ends

THE STORY SO FAR: Uranus turns direct on 12/5.
Anything at 26° is getting hyper-stimulated, since Neptune and Chiron are at 26° Aquarius, Uranus is about to station at 26° Pisces, and Jupiter returns to 26° Pisces in late December!

12/2, 3:09 am – 9:45 am (Scorpio) am
12/4, 7:14 am - 1:01 pm (Sagittarius)
12/6, 4:47 pm - 6:17 pm (Capricorn)
12/8, 8:08 pm – 12/9, 2:32 am (Aquarius)
12/11, 6:09 am - 1:42 pm (Pisces)
12/13, 7:36 pm – 12/14, 2:16 am (Aries)
12/16, 6:42 am - 1:50 pm (Taurus)
12/18, 4:37 pm - 10:39 pm (Gemini)
12/21, 3:14 am - 4:24 am (Cancer)
12/23, 2:26 am - 7:52 am (Leo)
12/25, 4:29 am - 10:16 am (Virgo)
12/27, 7:21 am - 12:39 pm (Libra)
12/29, 10:05 am - 3:51 pm (Scorpio)
12/31, 2:57 pm - 8:23 pm (Sagittarius)

12/1 (Wed). Communication should flow more easily than usual, thanks to Capricornian Mercury sextiling Scorpionic Venus. This is also a sweet financial aspect, since all the planets and signs involved have commercial or financial meanings!

12/2 (Thu). Sacred sexuality is deliciously supported with a Mars-Neptune sextile (which might or might not involve sex on tile!). Other activities which make conscious use of subtle energy in physical activity also get a boost, including ecstatic dance, yoga, tai chi and chi gung. Then again, you could simply act (Mars) on your intuitive guidance (Neptune)!

12/3 (Fri). With a volatile Mars-Uranus square, you'd be wise to dust off your anger management skills – if not for yourself, then for those you may have to deal with! Use this energy more positively by acting immediately on your intuitive flashes.
Mars makes two additional aspects today. Its sextile to Chiron energizes mentoring and healing, while its quintile to Saturn adds a touch of stability to the mix.

12/5 (Sun). The urge to get rolling with new projects and ideas may be strong the first few days of December – blame all those Mars aspects! However, your undertakings may enjoy better outcomes you start them after today's New Moon at 12:36 PM (14° Sagittarius). Sagittarian New Moons are ideal for new beginnings in religion, philosophy, foreign travel and cultures, and new quests of any kind. Initiatives started under this New Moon will have enhanced durability.
        This New Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “The Groundhog Looking For Its Shadow On Groundhog Day.” Since it obviously isn't Groundhog Day (that's February 2), the moral of the popular movie Groundhog Day comes to mind: strive to become a better person, and you won't have to keep reliving your old karma!
        With Mercury conjunct Pluto in Capricorn, it's also a good day for research, and for communicating that which has been hidden in a practical, compassionate way.
        Finally, Uranus turns direct today at 27° Pisces. Find anything in your natal chart that's 24° or higher in a mutable sign (Pisces, Gemini, Virgo or Sagittarius): it's now receiving a strong and sustained hit of Uranus' energy of revolution, paradigm shift and awakening!

12/6 (Mon). Be alert for inspiration and mentorship on your spiritual path as the Sagittarian Sun quintiles Neptune and Chiron.

12/7 (Tue). Enhanced stability and productivity are available as the Sun sextile Saturn. Plus, Energizer Bunny endurance is more available 12/7 through 1/15 as Mars transits Capricorn.

12/8 (Wed). Want to go deeper in your relationships, express your creativity more authentically, or make more money? Increased opportunity for all of these is strong as Venus sextiles Pluto.

12/10 (Fri). Mercury is retrograde today at 7:04 AM thru 12/30 at 2:20 am. The usual cautions apply: avoid starting major new projects, take extra care when traveling, back up critical data, and make sure that communications are clear. Mercury retrograde periods are ideal for reflection, planning, and finishing things you've already started.
Mercury is conjunct Pluto and Mars as it turns retrograde in Capricorn, asking what practical steps you can take to replace outworn structures in your life with new ones that serve you better!

12/13 (Mon). Retrograde Mercury conjuncts Pluto and Mars in Capricorn today, asking you to consider which of your life structures remain genuinely helpful, and which require revision or elimination.
This triple conjunction has Mercury, Pluto and Mars all conjoining within a 10-minute window: 11:05 – 11:15 pm US eastern time! Together, Mars and Pluto radiate sexuality and power. Since they're in Capricorn, you could use this to take a frank and practical look at your sexuality – perhaps you and your partner can learn some new sacred sex techniques out of Urban Tantra. There can be an “Energizer Bunny on steroids” effect lasting the entire week, which you can use to get a lot of great work done on projects already underway.

12/16 (Thu). Take advantage of the ultra-expansive square of the Sagittarian Sun and Piscean Jupiter with this cool exercise. Ask to be saturated with divine light, then breathe it in. When full to bursting, ask for your aura to expand like a balloon so you can hold more! Repeat until completely blissed out. (Bonus: this exercise works no matter what the planets are doing!) On a more mundane level, this square can pump up the energy of the Mars-Pluto conjunction already in effect. And it's great for philosophical and religious exploration!

12/18 (Sat). Divine energy is more easily available with the Sun sextile Neptune, and intuitive flashes may be insisting on your attention with the Sun square Uranus! It's a great day to meditate, or do whatever connects you with Spirit.
Mercury is in Sagittarius today thru 1/13, helping our minds turn more easily to thoughts of higher education, religion, philosophy and people and cultures unlike our own.

12/19 (Sun). Communication, lightheartedness and curiosity are strong with the Sun conjunct Mercury. And two quintiles to Saturn, from these same two planets, encourage the manifestation of your creative inspirations!

12/20 (Mon). Has your intuition ever led you wrong – even once? I thought not! So why not trust the urgent messages it's sending you now, with Mercury (human mind) square Uranus (divine mind)? Any mental agitation you may be feeling may be due to you resisting an intuitive flash!
Mercury is also sextile Chiron, creating an ideal environment for mentoring.

12/21 (Tue). It's extremely rare that a lunar eclipse aspects every single planet in the sky – but the one happening today does. It's also extremely rare for a lunar eclipse to occur on the the same day as the Winter Solstice – but that's happening too! Do you think maybe this eclipse might be especially significant?
        Lunar eclipses are always Full Moons, and this one occurs at 3:14 AM at 29°20' Gemini. For starters, Gemini Full Moons are about taking stock of how you're doing with your learning, communication, playfulness, and need for variety.
        The most important aspects to the Moon during this lunar eclipse – including oppositions from Mercury and Pluto -- suggest that transforming your thinking, or communicating your transformative thoughts to others, is a major theme for the next 6 to 12 months. Inviting divine love to saturate your heart (trine from Neptune), and releasing emotional resistance to your intuitive flashes (square from Uranus), are also suggested by these aspects.
    This lunar eclipse's Sabian Symbol is, “A Parade Of Bathing Beauties Before Large Beach Crowds.” To me, this suggests being willing to put yourself out there to let others benefit from your natural gifts. The Aquarian Age has arrived, and one of its major themes is for each of us to serve others with our unique talents. From this perspective, everyone in the crowd takes their turn as a “bathing beauty”, and is applauded for their special contribution!
        As mentioned above, today is also the Winter Solstice, when the Sun enters Capricorn. There, it radiates energy available for productivity, accomplishment, and mature, responsible behavior.
        As if all that wasn't enough, Mercury also sextiles Neptune and squares Jupiter today! This is great for creative imagination and divine connection, but be careful not to let your mouth get ahead of your brain!

12/25 (Sat). The only notable aspect on Christmas Day is a lovely one: Capricornian Mars quintile Jupiter. You can use the inspiration this combination provides to translate the jovial Christmas spirit into practical action!

12/26 (Sun). With the Sun conjunct Pluto, the day after Christmas is a good time to turn your thoughts from gifts received to personal transformation and empowerment. The more you release whatever you don't need – materially, emotionally and mentally – the more room Spirit will have to make you wealthy with the possessions, feelings and thoughts that will best serve you now!

12/27 (Mon). Take immediate action on those intuitive flashes with Mars quintile Uranus!

12/29 (Wed). Even if you're mainly chilling out this week, you may want to make good use of of the sustained productive energy made available by Mars squaring Saturn!

12/30 (Thu). Mercury retrograde ends today at 2:21 AM. For most of us, the decks are now clear for new projects, although you might be better off waiting until after the New Moon on 1/4. More cautious souls may prefer to delay new projects until Mercury clears its shadow on 1/18.

While everyone is affected by these global transits, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

HEADLINES

11/5      Chiron turns direct
11/6      New Moon in Scorpio
11/7      Neptune turns direct
11/18    Jupiter and Venus turn direct
11/21    Full Moon in Taurus
11/22    Sun enters Sagittarius
11/29    Mars square Jupiter

11/2, 8:37 pm – 11/3, 1:20 am (Libra)
11/4, 7:34 pm – 11/5, 2:17 am (Scorpio)
11/6, 11:45 pm – 11/7, 3:29 am (Sagittarius)
11/9, 7:36 am - 8:38 am (Capricorn)
11/11, 2:57 pm - 5:33 pm (Aquarius)
11/14, 1:34 am - 5:26 am (Pisces)
11/16, 11:38 am – 6:00 pm (Aries)
11/19, 12:33 am - 5:06 am (Taurus)
11/21, 12:28 pm - 1:47 pm (Gemini)
11/23, 4:57 pm - 8:15 pm (Cancer)
11/25, 10:45 pm – 11/26, 1:03 am (Leo)
11/28, 3:30 am - 4:35 am (Virgo)
11/30, 6:18 am - 7:17 am (Libra)

THE STORY SO FAR: Five planets are retrograde as November opens: Chiron (thru 11/5), Neptune (thru 11/7), Jupiter & Venus (thru 11/18) and Uranus (thru 12/5).
Venus went retrograde on 10/8, and turns direct on 11/18. As stated last month, this is a better time to reflect on Venusian activities – relationship, creativity and finance – than to make major new beginnings. A special focus on your committed sexual relationship(s), shared resources and occult practices is supported.

11/1 (Mon). Relational and creative transformation are stimulated as Scorpionic Venus sextiles Pluto. And a Venus-Uranus biquintile puts an extra creative sparkle into the air!

11/4 (Thu). Break the ice with that deep, intense or sensitive conversation you've been waiting to have. With Scorpionic Mercury trine Jupiter, the communication energy is fantastic!

11/5 (Fri). Chiron turns direct today at 26° Aquarius after a five-month retrograde, infusing fresh energy into healing and mentoring.

11/6 (Sat). November's New Moon occurs today at 12:52 am (14° Scorpio). New beginnings in transformation, occult practice, psychology, sexuality and shared resources are especially supported. The current communication theme is reinforced by this lunation's Sabian Symbol, “Telephone Lineman At Work Installling New Connections.”
At the same time, be careful to be clear with others: squares from Mercury to Neptune and Chiron make muddled communication a possibility. But with Mercury also trine Uranus, your pipeline to your Higher Self is primed for your calls out, as well as intuitive flashes firing in!

11/7 (Sun). Spiritual practice and divinely inspired creativity get a special boost around the 7^th as Neptune turns direct.

Venus (retrograde thru 11/18) is in Libra today thru 11/29. She radiates harmony, equilibrium, creativity and sociability while dignified in one of the signs that she rules!

11/8 (Mon). Whether you want to dive into creative expression or connect with your divine source, today's biquintile between Libran Venus and Piscean Jupiter will support you!
Mercury is in Sagittarius today through 11/30, a great setup for a questing and adventurous mind!

11/9-11 (Tue-Thu). Is your life purpose in harmony with your work in the world and the structures in your life? This is a good question to ponder as the North Node of the Moon, currently at 4° Capricorn, receives a conjunction from Pluto, a semi-square from the Sun and a semi-sextile from Mercury! Take a hint from the Pluto conjunction and transform or release anything that isn't moving you toward where your soul wants you to be.

11/15 (Mon). Get productive – there's expansive “Energizer Bunny” energy (Sagittarian Mars) sextiling balanced endurance (Libran Saturn)!
But wait, it gets better – a Sun-Jupiter trine is one of astrology's most energizing aspects. Even this Scorpio Sun will be wanting to walk on the sunny side of the street!

11/16 (Tue). Thanks to a Mars-Neptune quintile, there's an especially smooth connection between your intuitive wisdom and your ability to put it into action.
Healers and mentors may find that inspired action comes more easily, with a Mars-Chiron quintile.

11/17 (Wed). Learning and communication benefit from the best of both worlds today: expansion from Sagittarian Mercury, while Mercury's sextile to Saturn provides discipline and focus.

11/18 (Thu). Your ability to go deep into your core – psychologically and spiritually – is empowered as the Scorpionic Sun squares Neptune. Creative inspiration, another Neptunian manifestation, might be downright urgent!
        A Sun-Chiron square may bring out your inner maverick, or draw you toward mentoring and/or healing.
        Mercury is also contacting Neptune and Chiron, but via a quintile. This can ease two-way communication between you and your Higher Self.
        Also today, both Jupiter and Venus turn direct. This opens fresh energy for taking action in the areas of religion, philosophy, politics, relationships, creativity and finance!

11/19 (Fri). A trine between the Scorpionic Sun and Uranus is great for following intuitive flashes that encourage personal transformation.

11/20 (Sat). There's strong mental stimulation with Mars and Mercury conjunct in Sagittarius. Rather than talking too much, or using words as weapons, wax philosophical or do some writing!

11/21 (Sun). November's Full Moon shines forth today at 12:27 pm (29° 17' Taurus). How are you doing with “just being,” connecting with the natural world, and savoring your five senses? Most of the solar system aspects this Full Moon, including all of the slower planets, so its power will be unusually intense. To be specific, the Moon squares Neptune and Chiron, sextiles Uranus and Jupiter, sesquiquadrates Saturn and biquintiles Pluto!
The Sabian Symbol, “A Peacock Parading On The Terrace Of An Old Castle,” certainly supports those who prefer a flamboyant Full Moon celebration! Perhaps it's also encouraging us to show our true colors, even in more traditional settings.

11/22 (Mon). The Sun is in Sagittarius today thru 12/21, radiating the energy of religion, philosophy, politics, world travel, and higher learning.

11/25 (Thu). Thanksgiving Day could be quite the talk-a-thon with Sagittarian Mercury square Jupiter. Remember that there can be many correct approaches to Truth!

11/27 (Sat). Mercury is quite busy messenger, aspecting four planets in one day! With sextiles to Neptune and Chiron, a square to Uranus and a quintile to Saturn, human mind connects more easily to divine mind than usual. Make an effort to connect, and honor what your intution tells you!

11/29 (Mon). Abundant energy for physical activity and athletics, as well as religious and mind-broadening activities, is available as Sagittarian Mars squares Jupiter. And add creative inspiration and relationship magic to the list, since Venus is biquintiling Jupiter.
Venus also reenters Scorpio today, where she will remain through 1/7/11. This gives us another chance, following her recent retrograde, to transform relationships, and take our romantic partnerships to a profound level of soul-connected sexual intimacy.

11/30 (Tue). Mercury is in Capricorn through 12/17, empowering mental discipline, focus and productivity. Also, be aware that Mercury goes retrograde on 12/10!

While everyone is affected by these global transits, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

Although the Cardinal Climax is technically over, its energetic influence continues through most of September. Its core theme is to release absolutely everything that has outlived its usefulness, while embracing new hope, transformation and paradigm shift.

HEADLINES

10/3    Venus conjunct Mars
10/7    New Moon in Libra
10/8    Venus retrograde
10/22    Mars square Neptune & Chiron, Full Moon in Aries
10/23    Sun enters Scorpio

10/2, 11:22 am - 2:22 pm (Leo)
10/4, 9:53 am - 4:01 pm (Virgo)
10/6, 12:43 pm - 3:53 pm (Libra)
10/8, 9:38 am - 3:53 (Scorpio)
10/10, 2:27 pm - 6:10 pm (Sagittarius)
10/12, 8:08 pm – 10/13, 12:18 am (Capricorn)
10/15, 5:49 am - 10:25 am (Aquarius)
10/17, 2:49 pm - 10:53 pm (Pisces)
10/20, 6:26 am - 11:24 am (Aries)
10/22, 9:37 pm - 10:31 pm (Taurus)
10/25, 3:49 am - 7:49 am (Gemini)
10/27, 10:20 am - 3:16 pm (Cancer)
10/29, 3:49 pm - 8:40 pm (Leo)
10/31, 5:02 pm - 11:53 pm (Virgo)

THE STORY SO FAR: Four planets are retrograde as October opens: Chiron (thru 11/5), Neptune (thru 11/7), Jupiter (thru 11/18) and Uranus (thru 12/5).

10/1 (Fri). Mercury makes three major aspects today! Learning and communication are tremendously energized, but not all of the energy will automatically be harmonious.
Confirm that you're being clearly understood, and be open to receiving information from your intuitive flow (Mercury quincunx Neptune). Avoid wounding words, while being open to giving or receiving mentoring (Mercury quincunx Chiron). Finally, beware of motormouth syndrome, but take advantage of the enhanced mental energy available (Mercury opposing Jupiter).

10/2 (Sat). The opportunity to link your human mind (Mercury) to divine mind (Uranus) is strengthened by their opposition – the angle of relationship!

10/3 (Sun). The energies of relating, creativity and sexuality come on strong as feminine Venus conjuncts masculine Mars in steamy Scorpio! Can you and your sweetheart swirl into the depths of tantric ecstasy by embracing positive transformation in your relationship?
The ability to communicate effectively about all this is facilitated by the beginning of Mercury's passage through Libra, which lasts through 10/20.

10/4 (Mon). Verbal and literary creativity can be inspired today, with Libran Mercury biquintile Neptune and Chiron.
Mercury is also the focal point of a T-Square, which peaks today and is active the 2nd thru the 6th. As it opposes Uranus and Jupiter and squares Pluto, it opens the door for the revolutionary transformation of old thought patterns. Prior ways of thinking about relationships and creativity are especially open to change, since Mercury is in Libra. Be sure to follow those intuitive flashes!

10/5 (Tue). A Mercury-Pluto square (part of the T-Square discussed on 10/4) facilitates deep thought, probing research and conceptual transformation.
Piscean Jupiter makes a 30° semi-sextile to Aquarian Chiron, energizing new hope through the healing of old wounds around belief systems and religion. Spiritual healing and intuitively guided mentoring are also supported.

10/7 (Thu). October's New Moon is at 2:44 pm (14°23' Libra) today. What new beginnings in relationship and creativity are appropriate now? Just be aware that, with the Sabian Symbol “Circular Paths,” the path you embark on may not be straightforward! With the Moon conjunct Mercury and Saturn, don't refrain from learning and communication in these areas; rather, strive to be direct and straightforward.

10/8 (Fri). Venus is retrograde today at 3:05 am thru 11/18 at 4:18 pm. This is a better time to reflect on Venusian activities – relationship, creativity and finance – than to make major new beginnings.
        And with Venus in Scorpio, a special focus on your committed sexual relationship(s), shared resources and occult practices is supported. The insights you gain during this period of introspection can be profound!
              The Sabian Symbol for Venus' retrograde is, "A Telephone Lineman At Work Installling New Connections." Whether you interpret this as communicating more clearly in your current relationships, or reaching out to new people, it certainly suggests taking an interactive approach to this Venus Retrograde period!
        Who's the final authority on what you think and say? Let it be you, especially if you're challenged in this area with Mercury conjunct Saturn.
        Finally, the ability to connect with Spirit, and be revolutionized and inspired by it, is also especially strong now with Piscean Jupiter semi-sextile Aquarian Neptune.

10/9-12 (Sat-Tue). Feeling “pecked to death by chickens"? A flock of irritating minor hard angles may be responsible: Mercury is making sesquiquadrates (135° angles) to Neptune and Chiron and a semi-sextile to Venus, Mars is semi-square (45°) Pluto, the Sun is semi-sextile Mars, and Venus is sesquiquadrate Uranus! However, a simple invitation to Spirit can bring in flow and inspiration instead.

10/14-15 (Thu-Fri). Take advantage of the magically amplified creativity, and ability to connect with the divine, generated by the Libran Sun and Mercury's quintiles to Pluto!

10/16 (Sat). Communication and learning – especially in partnership – is strong with Libran Mercury conjunct the Sun.

10/18-22 (Mon-Fri) Overview. “My mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts." Is it a Vulcan mind meld, or your mind merging with Spirit's? This work week, it can be the latter if you choose! You also have the opportunity to identify with Spirit as part of your core identity now.

10/18 (Mon). With Libran Mercury trine Neptune and Chiron, your mental endeavors can be both creatively inspired and meticulously crafted.
With the Libran Sun quincunx Jupiter, you may feel an extra measure of energy. You can hold any amount if you just make yourself bigger! Imagine your aura expanding like a balloon, and you might be astronished to discover your true capacity. Still, remember to stretch, not overextend!

10/19 (Tue). Your thinking about relationships (Mercury in Libra) could be revolutionized (quincunx to Uranus) if you're receptive to intuitive lightning strikes now.
The Sun is trine Neptune and Chiron. This can ease your ego's connection to divine oneness and your muse's creative inspiration, as well as mentoring and healing.

10/20 (Wed). Mercury is in Scorpio today thru 11/8, accentuating mental forays into the occult, sexuality (sacred and otherwise), transformation, and deep research.
A Sun-Uranus quincunx could create some nervousness or agitation – unless you're following your intuitive flashes!
Abundant energy is available with an energizing Mars-Jupiter trine. Get physical! With Mars in Scorpio, the Scorpionic activities listed at the beginning of today's entry are especially supported.

10/21 (Thu). Mental creativity is juiced by today's Mercury-Jupiter biquintile.

10/22 (Fri). Fanatics of all stripes may be proclaiming their messages with special fervor with Mars square Neptune. Strive to have your actions guided less by dogma and more by the subtle flow of intuitive guidance.
        Mars is also square Chiron. While wounding (physical or otherwise) is possible, focus instead on taking strong action to give or receive healing or mentoring.
        A particularly intense Full Moon shines forth at 9:36 PM (29° 32' Aries). It's in the passionate, “just do it” sign of Aries, and is energized by all of the outer planets and then some: the Moon opposes Mercury and Venus, trines Pluto, sextiles Neptune and Chiron, and semi-sextiles Uranus! Evaluate how you're doing with your assertiveness, sexuality, physical body and warrior spirit, then get started on any needed adjustments now!
        This powerful Full Moon has a seemingly placid Sabian Symbol: “A duck pond and its brood.” As an animal totem, part of the duck's message is to immerse yourself in the emotional field (water) and navigate it smoothly: a helpful reminder in light of this lunation's intense energies! The brood of ducklings reminds us that charged emotions give birth to similar feelings. Be mindful of your habitual emotional patterns, and remember that the feelings you fertilize and nurture with your attention will be the ones that predominantly color your life.

10/23 (Sat). The Sun enters Scorpio at 8:35 AM, radiating the energy of transformation, investigation, hidden mysteries, sacred sexuality and profoundly connected partnership.

10/24 (Sun). Got intuitive flash with Mars trine Uranus? Act on it without delay!

10/25 (Mon). Mercury's conjunct Venus: an ideal time for soul-deep, harmonious communication with those you love!

10/26 (Tue). Up for some change? You can embrace it more easily with the Sun sextile Pluto and biquintile Uranus!

10/27 (Wed). Your law of attraction affirmations get a little extra oomph with Saturn making a 135° sesquiquadrate to Neptune.

10/28 (Thu). Latch onto the bold spirit of adventure in the air with Mars in Sagittarius 10/28 through 12/7.
Finally, the Sun and Venus are conjunct in Scorpio. Release the relationships that aren't mutually beneficial, transform the ones that can be saved, and soul-deepen the ones that are strong!

While everyone is affected by these global transits, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

HEADLINES

9/8 New Moon in Virgo
9/9 Jupiter retrogrades into Pisces
9/12 Mercury Retrograde ends
9/13 Mars quincunx Uranus & Jupiter
9/14 Pluto turns direct
9/18 Jupiter conjunct Uranus
9/22 Sun enters Libra (Fall Equinox)
9/23 Full Moon in Aries

9/3, 1:41 am - 2:52 am (Cancer)
9/5, 4:32 am - 5:47 am (Leo)
9/7, 4:18 am - 5:54 am (Virgo)
9/9, 4:59 am - 5:02 am (Libra)
9/11, 1:16 am - 5:23 am (Scorpio)
9/13, 7:53 am - 8:53 am (Sagittarius)
9/15, 2:52 pm - 4:31 pm (Capricorn)
9/18, 1:14 am - 3:36 am (Aquarius)
9/20, 9:10 am - 4:16 pm (Pisces)
9/23, 1:53 am - 4:49 am (Aries)
9/25, 9:12 am - 4:18 pm (Taurus)
9/27, 11:03 pm – 9/28, 2:12 am (Gemini)
9/30, 6:37 am - 9:47 am (Cancer)

THE STORY SO FAR: Six planets are retrograde as September opens: Mercury (thru 9/12), Pluto (thru 9/14), Chiron (thru 11/5), Neptune (thru 11/7), Jupiter (thru 11/18) and Uranus (thru 12/5).
Although the Cardinal Climax I've been writing about for the last two months is technically over, its energetic influence continues through most of September. In a nutshell, the Cardinal Climax -- a planetary firestorm superfueled by the energies of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto -- is the most powerful astrological aspect pattern of our lifetimes! Its core theme is to release absolutely everything that has outlived its usefulness, while embracing new hope, transformation and paradigm shift.

9/3 (Fri). Lots of energy is available for service, detail work, clerical tasks and communication with the Sun conjunct retrograde Mercury.

9/4 (Sat). Divinely inspired creativity, divine union and soul deep connections with others are all flowing more easily with Venus trine Neptune.

9/5 (Sun). Venus trine Chiron is an easy and harmonious time for mentoring and healing work. Artists can use it to fine-tune their masterpieces, and it's also a good time for crunching financial numbers and bringing order to your finances.

9/7 (Tue). Listen for intuitive flashes, and be open to paradigm shift, in relationships, creativity and finance with Venus quincunx Uranus.

9/8 (Wed). The August New Moon is at 6:30 AM (15°40' Virgo). This is an ideal time for new beginnings in health and service to others, and is also great for getting organized and creating or improving new habits and methodologies. With Venus semi-square the new moon, check in with your important relationships to make sure that they're based on equality!
Relationships can go to a more deep, passionate and intense place today through 11/7 while Venus is in Scorpio. The same can be said for creativity, while the planet of money in the sign of great wealth offers tantalizing financial possibilities!
Venus is also quincunx Jupiter today, bringing expanded energy to relational, financial and creative issues. Be prepared to make any necessary adjustments!

9/9 (Thu). Jupiter retrogrades from Aries into Pisces today, where it will remain through 1/21/2011. Jupiter enlarges whatever it contacts, so more energy is available for activities involving spiritual unity, divinely inspired creativity and flowing divine light to others!
With Mars trine Neptune, it's a great time to blend the physical and the spiritual – consider tai chi, chi gung, ecstatic dance and sacred sexuality as possibilities. This is also a time when the flow of the intuitive guidance can easily translate into assertive action.

9/11 (Sat). Mentorship, healing and wisdom-giving gain support as Mars trines Chiron. With Mars in Libra, this energy can also be used to fine-tune relationships and creative expression.

9/12 (Sun). You can connect with your lover with special intensity, thanks to a Venus-Pluto sextile. This is also a time of enhanced creativity and financial opportunity.
Mercury Retrograde ends today at 7:09 PM. With Mercury direct and the Moon waxing, the decks are clear to initiate new projects!

9/13 (Mon). The yellow caution flag is out with Mars quincunx Uranus and Jupiter! Use extra caution to avoid accidents or mishaps, and try to steer clear of people or situations where sudden flare-ups of anger or violence are likely. However, the same energy can be used positively by making whatever adjustments are needed to take immediate action on your intuitive flashes!

9/14 (Tue). Pluto, which has been retrograde since 4/6, turns direct today at 3° Capricorn. Any sensitive natal points early in Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) will get an extra dose of transformational power! More broadly, this is a good energy for moving forward with significant change and empowerment.
This energy is reinforced by Mars' entry into Scorpio, where it will remain through 10/27. As Mars transits Scorpio, extra energy is available for transformation, research, occult activities and sacred sexuality.

9/15 (Wed). Fairy dust is in the air around the 15^th: Venus is biquintiling both Uranus and Jupiter. Call in some magic for your creativity and relationships!

9/18 (Sat). A wave crests today that can be used for religious paradigm shift, joyful humanitarianism, and radical happiness: a Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in Pisces. This energy remains strong through January, so you have plenty of time to reap its fruits!
With Mars sextile Pluto, that “extra energy for transformation, research, occult activities and sacred sexuality” that started on the 14^th gets an extra boost. Dive in!

9/19 (Sun). Your higher self, angels and guides are knocking insistently on the door, thanks to a Sun-Neptune quincunx. Won't you let them in?

9/20 (Mon). “Applied wisdom” is today's theme, with the Virgoan Sun quincunx Chiron, planet of mentorship.

9/21 (Tue). There's a big opportunity for joyful paradigm shift around the 21^st, with the Sun opposing both Jupiter and Uranus. The vibe is even stronger, since Jupiter and Uranus are also receiving magical biquintiles from Mars. Receive and trust the intuitive flashes trying to get your attention, then dare to expand into a larger, more authentic version of yourself!

9/22 (Wed). The Sun enters Libra today, radiating the energy of love, balance, beauty, harmony and sociability. This event also marks the Fall Equinox, exact at 11:09 PM.

9/23 (Thu). September's Full Moon shines forth at 5:17 AM (00°15' Aries) – time for your annual evaluation of how you're doing as an initiator, warrior and sexual being. Any needed adjustments will be easier to make and usual, since this New Moon lines up with the planetary “T-square” configuration formerly known as the Cardinal Climax. (The Moon is conjunct Jupiter and Uranus, square Pluto and loosely opposing Saturn.)
        All of this energy from aspecting planets, plus the fact that this Full Moon occurs in the first degree of the first sign of the zodiac, may give it more “get it rolling” energy than one would normally expect from a Full Moon!
        The Sabian Symbol for this Full Moon is, “A Woman Just Risen From The Sea; A Seal Is Embracing Her.” The fact that it is a woman “just risen” indicates the beginning of a new receptivity. For me, it is a hopeful symbol of the new consciousness now flowering across the planet: receptive, nurturing, and loving.
        As an animal totem, the seal has a complex range of meanings. The ones that seem most meaningful here include playfulness, grace and the ability to function in two separate worlds: the seal performs essential activities both on land and in the sea. Symbolically, this can represent a seamless marriage of the physical and spiritual.
        Some people were expecting more dramatic global events from the recent Cardinal Climax configuration than the ones which have actually manifested. But historically, in similar but less powerful configurations involving the same planets (in the 1960s and 1930s), the big changes didn't really gather momentum until Saturn had transited forward out of the configuration. That is happening now as this hopeful symbol occurs. Since radical paradigm shift has become essential for humanity's evolution and survival, I believe that we will now begin seeing more clear markers of these essential transformations.

9/25 (Sat). With the Sun square Pluto, the transformation and release needed for you to open to more power from the divine may be a hot topic! Remember that spirit is your constant and abiding ally, and calling on it for assistance is especially easy right now with the Sun also biquintile Neptune and Chiron.

9/30 (Thu). Feeling especially depressed or challenged with the Sun conjunct Saturn? You can master the situation with maturity, discipline and a willingness to do the necessary work. Some “hermit time” may also help you reflect on your situation and make new plans.

While everyone is affected by these global transits, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your personal horoscope.

HEADLINES

8/3 Jupiter squares Pluto
8/9 New Moon
8/13 Uranus retrogrades into Pisces (technical end of Cardinal Climax)
8/20 Mercury Retrograde thru 9/12
8/21 Saturn square Pluto
8/24 Full Moon

VOID-OF-COURSE MOONS

It's best to avoid starting important new projects or making major purchases during these times. "Business as usual" is the best strategy for these periods, which occur when the Moon has made its last major Ptolemaic aspect but has not yet moved into the next sign. Learn more about working with void-of-course Moons here.

8/1, 11:55 pm – 8/2, 4:14 am (Taurus)
8/4, 8:45 am - 12:56 pm (Gemini)
8/6, 5:22 pm – 5:51 (Cancer)
8/7, 2:46 pm – 8/8, 7:24 pm (Leo)
8/10, 3:10 pm - 7:02 pm (Virgo)
8/11, 8:04 pm – 8/12, 6:44 pm (Libra)
8/14, 4:06 pm - 8:28 pm (Scorpio)
8/17, 1:25 am - 1:35 am (Sagittarius)
8/19, 9:59 am - 10:19 am (Capricorn)
8/21, 9:09 pm - 9:39 pm (Aquarius)
8/24, 4:30 am - 10:12 am (Pisces)
8/26, 10:00 pm - 10:51 pm (Aries)
8/29, 4:48 am - 10:37 am (Taurus)
8/31, 7:14 pm - 8:21 pm (Gemini)

THE STORY SO FAR: Five planets are retrograde as August opens: Pluto (thru 9/14), Chiron (thru 11/5), Neptune (thru 11/7), Jupiter (thru 11/18) and Uranus (thru 12/5).
August opens in the midst of the Cardinal Climax. In a nutshell, the Cardinal Climax -- a planetary firestorm superfueled by the energies of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto -- is the most powerful astrological aspect pattern of our lifetimes! Its core theme is to release absolutely everything that has outlived its usefulness, while embracing new hope, transformation and paradigm shift.

8/1 (Sun). Let your creative juices flow with help from today's biquintile of the Leonine Sun and Pluto!

8/3 (Tue). The energy of the Cardinal Climax gets a kick in the pants with today's Jupiter-Pluto square! Powerful through mid-September, this is a potent catalyst for powerful new beginnings. You can also use this energy to give a new burst of energy to an existing situation. Dark side possibilities of this square include extreme violence or megalomania, so stay on the high side!

8/4 (Wed). Mars wades into the heart of the Cardinal Climax today, opposing Jupiter and squaring Pluto. This takes the opportunities and cautions described on 8/3 and kicks them up to a whole new level! This is a potentially explosive time, so exercise an appropriate level of caution. Remember, however, that it also takes a massive explosion to launch a rocket into space. The key is to have the detonation planned, controlled and properly directed. Whatever can benefit from fiery, high-octane energy – be it sex, passionate creative expression, athletics, a bold financial undertaking, or the timely destruction of something whose time has come – it won't get much hotter than this!
Even if the sex sets off skyrockets today, it doesn't guarantee that your partner is a keeper – not with Venus quincunx Neptune, anyway. Relationship matters can be a bit fuzzy under this aspect. So unless you're getting a crystal-clear intuitive signal, postpone any important relationship decision-making if possible. However, there is a big green light for sacred sexual practice with the right person!

8/6 (Fri). Venus' quincunx to Chiron is good for refinements and adjustments in relationships, creativity and finance.
And Venus' entry into Libra, where she'll transit thru 9/8, will push the energy of relationships and creativity more into the forefront.

8/7 (Sat). Next on Venus' social calendar is an opposition to Uranus, as she follows Mars into the heart of the Cardinal Climax. While relationships, finances and creativity may experience more volatility, the opportunity for breakthroughs, awakenings and paradigm shifts is also strong – especially if you follow your intuitive flashes!

8/8 (Sun). Got relationships? With Venus conjunct Saturn, the strong ones can get stronger foundations, while the shakier ones may well be tested to see if they're worthy of your continued time and attention.

8/9 (Mon). Venus continues her extraordinary string of aspects with an opposition to Jupiter, providing fresh hope and expansion to relationships, finance and creativity.
The Cardinal Climax's New Moon is, appropriately enough, in the fiery sign of Leo! It happens on the 9th at 11:08 PM (17°24' Leo). Given what's going on with Venus, new creative beginnings are especially supported. Leo New Moons are also great times for new initiatives relating to leadership or generosity.
This New Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “A chemist conducts an experiment for his students.” This symbol beautifully reflects what a grand experiment humanity is currently engaged in, as well as the extraordinary alchemical possibilities that lie the open before us. Don't settle for just being one of the students, though: now is the time to make your entire life a grand experiment!

8/10 (Tue). Venus squares Pluto today, engaging the Lord of the Underworld's tremendous power. Be open to any needed transformation in the three Venusian life areas that you may very well have memorized by now – relationships, finance and creativity. Once that process is complete, the doors will be open for you to receive Pluto's gifts of wealth and power!
Just when you thought there couldn't be any Venus aspects left, she pulls out a biquintile to Neptune! This radiates divinely inspired creativity and facilitates conscious union with the divine.

8/11 (Wed). Whichever of its names you choose to use – quadriform, arrowhead, Thor's Hammer or God's Fist – we've got us a strong aspect pattern today!
        I'll call it an arrowhead just to keep things simple.
        An arrowhead's stressful, dynamic energy is caused by its challenging aspects: a 90° square and two 135°sesquiquadrates. In this case, the Sun is at the tip of the arrowhead. Pluto is at one back corner, while Uranus and Jupiter occupy the other back corner.
        If the names of these slower planets sound familiar, it may be because I've talked about them so much as part of the Cardinal Climax. This means that this arrowhead provides yet more stimulation to this world-shaking aspect pattern.
        So what does a leonine Sun do when simultaneously stimulated by Pluto, Uranus and Jupiter? For starters, he gets intensely bright, and struts his creative stuff on the spotlit stage for all he's worth! Then, if he's smart, he opens himself to transformation, paradigm shift and radical expansion. But he steers clear of power trips and excessive volatility, and keeps reminding himself that whatever gifts, talents and other positive attributes he possesses flow from the divine.
        Then he can launch into the world like a blazing fire arrow, dynamically radiating his talents in a way that serves the highest need of all!

8/13 (Fri). The Cardinal Climax technically ends as Uranus retrogrades into Pisces late today, but I wouldn't count on the intense energy letting up much just yet. Continue releasing, transforming and paradigm shifting!

8/16 (Mon). Hope or despair? Joy or sorrow? Expansion or contraction? If areas of your life seem polarized between these extremes as Jupiter opposes Saturn, you may find that the first choice in each pair will serve you better. These are also the two main planets of business astrology, so be sure to look for opportunities in the world of work!

8/20 (Fri). Divinely inspired creativity is available like a flowing waterfall, thanks to a Sun-Neptune opposition and a Venus-Mars conjunction. The latter aspect may help you find new possibilities in challenged relationships as well.
Reflect on those relationships – along with everything else of importance – during the Mercury Retrograde period that starts on the 20^th at 3:58 PM. (It lasts through 9/12 at 7:09 PM.) Mercury retrograde is always a time to be especially careful about travel, communication, technology and data. Delays and glitches in these areas may be more common than usual. Be sure to back up your critical data!

8/21 (Sat). What things, people and concepts have outlived their usefulness in your life? Voluntarily releasing them as Saturn squares Pluto may save you from having them taken away without your consent. This is also a time when business ideas with a solid foundation can be supercharged by a fresh infusion of energy and capital.
Part of this energy may come from a consultant or advisor, whose presence is supported by a Sun-Chiron opposition.

8/23 (Mon). Are you experiencing jangling nerves, tapping foot syndrome or nervous tics? The less desirable manifestations of a Sun-Uranus quincunx can be alleviated by making adjustments to follow your intuitive flashes!
The Sun enters Virgo today. Good timing, too: with all the intense things that have been going on this month, we'll all need some of Virgo's organizational energy and attention to detail! Helpful service, another Virgo specialty, will be appreciated by many at this time.
Law of Attraction aficionados may find their visualizations receiving some extra sparkle, thanks to today's Saturn-Neptune biquintile. (Neptune supports visualization and imagination, while Saturn supports physical manifestation.)

8/24 (Tue). The August Full Moon peaks on the 24^th at 1:04 PM (1°25' Pisces). Even more than most Piscean Full Moons, this is a time to feel how well you're able to connect with Spirit and receive the flow of creative inspiration and intuitive guidance.
        This Full Moon is intensified by aspects to all of the Cardinal Climax planets: it conjuncts Neptune, semi-sextiles Jupiter and Uranus, sextiles Pluto and quincunxes Saturn. However, since the most challenging hard angles are not represented, the energetic intensification should only be moderate.
        The Sabian Symbol for this Full Moon is, "A squirrel hiding from hunters." While this might initially bring up thoughts of fear and imminent doom, isn't it true that we must all face physical death eventually? Perhaps a message we can take from this is to adopt a squirrel's naturally playful disposition, no matter what grim possibilities might seem to be hounding us.
        Happiness is fundamentally a state of mind, largely independent of one's temporal situation. Truly, the physical world is the most illusory realm of all -- everything in it is impermanent and will eventually perish, even entire galaxies and the Universe itself. Only in the spiritual realms do we experience our fundamental immortality. So, while the secreted squirrel is taking appropriate cautionary measures to preserve its fleeting physical existence a bit longer, it has made sure to have a lot of fun, leaping amongst the trees, while in its little furball body. The Buddhists say that one cannot fully live until one has embraced the reality of one's own inevitable death -- and so, in a roundabout way, this Sabian Symbol -- "A squirrel hiding from hunters" -- can be a wake-up call to a more rich and fulfilling life.

8/26 (Thu). Step out and serve with your full primal power as the Virgoan Sun trines Pluto today.

8/28 (Sat). Relationships and finance get a boost of creative empowerment with Venus quintile Pluto.

8/31 (Tue). Physical activity and new relationship energy get a magical boost with Mars quintile Pluto.

While everyone is affected by these global transits, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your birth chart.

VOID-OF-COURSE MOONS

It's best to avoid starting important new projects or making major purchases during these times. "Business as usual" is the best strategy for these periods, which occur when the Moon has made its last major Ptolemaic aspect but has not yet moved into the next sign. Learn more about working with void-of-course Moons here.

7/3, 7:18 am - 9:45 am (Aries)
7/5, 5:25 pm - 8:30 pm (Taurus)
7/8, 2:10 am - 3:52 am (Gemini)
7/10, 7:32 am - 7:40 am (Cancer)
7/12, 7:49 am - 8:55 am (Leo)
7/14, 6:23 am - 9:16 am (Virgo)
7/16, 9:46 am - 10:26 am (Libra)
7/18, 10:26 am - 1:43 pm (Scorpio)
7/20, 7:43 pm - 7:50 pm (Sagittarius)
7/23, 12:51 am - 4:40 am (Capricorn)
7/25, 10:20 am - 3:40 pm (Aquarius)
7/27, 11:47 pm – 7/28, 4:01 am (Pisces)
7/29, 11:45 pm – 7/30, 4:43 pm (Aries)

THE STORY SO FAR: Three planets are retrograde as July opens:Uranus Pluto (thru 9/14), Chiron (thru 11/5) and Neptune (thru 11/7).

7/1 (Thu). Your mental powers are stimulated by Mercury's sextile to Mars, making this a good time for learning, thinking and communicating.

7/2 (Fri). Unconventional healing and cutting-edge mentoring are supported by the Uranus-Chiron semi-sextile, exact today. However, this is a long-term connection: these planets have been making this aspect for several months, and will continue doing so through September.
Chiron is also associated with fresh wounding, and it's not too much of a stretch to imagine that the Gulf oil spill – a shocking and unexpected (Uranus) wound (Chiron) to our ecosystem – was partially brought about by this planetary connection. (It's also noteworthy that Chiron is in Pisces, which rules both oil and the ocean!)
To avoid fresh wounds of your own, be sure to follow your intuitive flashes (Uranus' preferred method of communication), as well as the sage advice of wisdom-givers (Chiron).

7/3 (Sat). Mercury's quintile to Saturn lends both creativity and stability to your mental processes.

7/5 (Mon). There are two creative connections today: Venus biquintile Uranus and Mercury biquintile Neptune. Whatever your creative modality, plenty of inspiration is available!
Uranus turns retrograde today at 0°35' Aries. Planets are most potent when stationing, so anything in your natal chart very early in cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra & Capricorn) or very late in mutable signs (Pisces, Gemini, Virgo & Sagittarius) will be intensely stimulated by Uranus' energy of paradigm shift, sudden change and “letting your freak flag fly.” The whole world will also feel this energy more powerfully at this time.

7/6 (Tue). Revise and refine your thoughts and writings with Mercury biquintile Chiron.

7/7 (Wed). Creativity gets a magical boost with Leonine Venus biquintile Jupiter! This positivity and good fortune can extend into your finances and relationships as well.

7/8 (Thu). Is the person you're smitten with truly your soulmate, or are you just looking through rose-colored glasses? With Venus opposing Neptune, you might be hard-pressed to tell. If in doubt, have you and the person you're attracted to spend some time with people who are good judges of character, and have good relationships themselves. Then, later, check back in with that person on your own and get their honest opinion of your (potential) partner.
Venus-Neptune aspects such as this are also excellent for creative expression, and for connecting with your Higher Self. (That's one relationship you can always be sure of!)
There's also another Neptune aspect today: a quincunx to Mercury. If you're experiencing mental confusion, try giving your left brain a break and asking for the answer direct from Source! This aspect can also inspire your writing and thinking.

7/9 (Fri). Mercury is downright hyperactive today, making no less than four aspects!
        Its sextile to Saturn is good for mental stability, long-range planning and serious thought. But its entry into Leo, where it will transit through 7/27, marks a time when sharing your voice with the public – literally through speaking or singing, or metaphorically through writing or other less direct means – is supported.
        Its quincunx to Chiron suggests making mental adjustments, based on input from a mentor or other giver of wisdom. And Mercury's strongest aspect of the day – a trine to Uranus – will make receiving guidance through intuitive flashes more easily.
        The Cancerian Sun also quintiles Saturn, supporting creative and responsible solutions to family matters.

7/10 (Sat). Today, it's Venus's turn to aspect some of the same planets Mercury contacted yesterday!
        She starts by entering Virgo through 8/6. This energy is helpful for analyzing and fine-tuning relationships, finances and creativity, as well as extending service to others.
        Her opposition to Chiron reinforces everything in the paragraph above. While wounding in the context of relationship is possible with this aspect, healing old wounds in the context of the current relationship is an even better use of this energy.
        Finally, her quincunx to Uranus suggests being open to paradigm shifts or quantum leaps in your key relationships, as well as new directions in finance or creativity. In all these areas, let your intuitive flashes guide you!

7/11 (Sun). A Mercury-Jupiter trine supports learning and communication of all kinds harmoniously and easily. This could come in handy, since Mercury's quincunx to Pluto could encourage you to speak your mind about challenging truths and forbidden subjects!
        But today's biggest news is a Solar Eclipse at 3:40 PM (19°23' Cancer). A Solar Eclipse is a New Moon by definition. So, for starters, it's a good time for new beginnings in matters relating to your home, the people you live with, and working with your own emerging unconscious material.
        Since a Solar Eclipse is like a New Moon on steroids, its effects can last anywhere from six months to a year. (In fact, many people experience the effects of eclipses several weeks before they occur!) So even if issues in the above areas don't manifest today, keep an eye out for them during the coming months.
        This eclipse is sextiled by Mars, indicating the appropriateness of assertive action -- as long as it's carried out harmoniously.
        The eclipse's Sabian Symbol is “Venetian gondoliers doing a serenade.” This image suggests creating more closeness in your relationship by lavishing your spouse or live-in partner with some of the same romantic attentions as if you were still dating.
        In a more psychological sense, since serenades are songs of love, it suggests flowing unconditional love to whatever comes up from your subconscious – no matter how ugly or repellent it may seem. In my experience, flowing divine love to something which seems undesirable tends to either dissolve it, transform it or send it packing!

7/13 (Tue). Analyzing your finances, and making appropriate adjustments to increase your prosperity, is well-timed under today's Venus-Jupiter quincunx. Plus, the vibration of enhanced wealth is amplified by a Venus-Pluto trine. The same adjust-to-empower approach can be applied to relationships and creativity as well.

7/14 (Wed). A pair of biquintiles – Sun-Neptune and Mercury-Pluto – make it easier for you to receive creative inspiration and connect with your Higher Self.

7/16 (Fri). If you'll visualize whatever healing is needed in your family situation, today's biquintile connecting the Cancerian Sun and Chiron will help you bring it about. Hint: the more you see a disharmonious situation saturated with divine love, the faster it will heal!

7/20 (Tue). Chiron, which has been dipping its toe into Piscean waters since 4/20, retreats back into Aquarius today. (It will reenter Pisces on 2/8/2011, settling in for over seven years.) Alternative healing, unconventional wisdom and a maverick approach that suits your unique talents will be supported for almost 10 months!
With the Sun quincunx Neptune, your divine source and creative inspiration are eager to connect with you! Will you make the adjustments needed to connect with them?

7/21 (Wed). Some kind of health challenge is possible with Saturn quincunx Chiron. But with Saturn still (barely) in Virgo, the challenge might be mental. (The words of the Na'vi shamaness from Avatar, as she meets Jake Sully for the first time, come to mind: “We will see if your insanity can be cured.”) This is a good time to examine what insane (e.g., unsustainable, life-destroying or inappropriately self-centered) concepts remain unquestioned in your own mind.
        But there's another even more significant Saturn event today: his reentry into Libra! He made an advance inspection 10/29/09 through 4/6/10 before retrograding back into Virgo, but now he's settling into Libra through 10/5/2012.
        Unto itself, Saturn in Libra can highlight the challenges in problematic relationships so that issues can be resolved or the relationship released. But he can also, metaphorically speaking, add rooms or whole new levels to relationships with solid foundations. Focused work and discipline are rewarded in the areas of relationship, finance and creativity during this period.
        From a broader perspective, Saturn's entry into Libra marks the arrival of the most powerful astrological alignment of our lifetimes!
        This aspect pattern is called a “T-square”, a triangle made up of one 180° opposition and two 90° squares. The opposition is made up of Saturn (tradition, old structures) on one side, and the conjunction of Jupiter (hope, new beginnings) and Uranus (revolution, paradigm shift) on the other. And all three planets square Pluto (transformation, death and rebirth).
        This T-square has been building for the last couple of months. It will be powerful through 9/21, and especially potent today through 8/12. That's when all these planets are in cardinal signs, representing new beginnings, and will be dubbed the “Cardinal Climax.”
        Its basic message? The modification or destruction of old structures that have outlived their usefulness, and their replacement by necessary new paradigms. (One example: the urgent need to rapidly transition to clean energy technologies, as evidenced by the catastrophic Gulf of Mexico oil spill.)
        This T-square is a wake-up call to the Aquarian Age. This new era's higher possibilities include awakening, rapid enlightenment, appropriate use of technology, routine intuitive guidance, and each person's unique talents serving the common good. I have witnessed a new Golden Age being born on the inner planes, and believe that it will soon manifest physically. The main question is how rough we're going to make the transition! (Hint: start with “Love your neighbor as thyself.”)
        To navigate this T-Square successfully, release anything and everything that does not serve your highest need. This includes objects, concepts and people. Consider yourself a work in progress, and strap in for an unprecedented roller coaster ride of accelerated evolution and rapid personal transformation!
        Your old ways of being in the world may no longer work. At such times, your most reliable source of guidance is your own intuition. Strengthen your “divine GPS” now, so that you can easily receive its crucial turn-by-turn directions when it counts!
        And don't expect a return to “normalcy” once this T-square breaks up. Uranus and Pluto – the two planets who brought us the 1960s during their conjunction – are ushering in a new round of revolution, radical change and extraordinary breakthroughs as they square each other thru 2015. Consider the current T-square a warm-up for this mind-boggling period of light-speed change and mass spiritual awakening.

7/22 (Thu). Whatever the weather, it's a sunny day: there are three significant events today, and they all involve our solar system's fiery furnace!
        The first, Sun quincunx Chiron, basically adds energy to yesterday's Saturn-Chiron quincunx. So read the 7/21 entry if you'd like a refresher.
        The Sun also enters Leo today, the sign that it rules. This radiates the energy of leadership, creativity, performance and entertainment.
        Finally, a Sun-Saturn sextile provides plenty of energy for industriousness, accomplishment and endurance.

7/23 (Fri). To all of yesterday's Sun events, add a trine to Uranus today! This energy supports letting your unique individuality shine for all to see, and increases your receptivity to intuitive flashes.
Your “Eureka!” moments are additionally empowered by a Mercury-Uranus biquintile.
Finally, Jupiter turns retrograde today through 11/18. This is a good time to contemplate the meaning of life and make plans for foreign travel and future adventures!

7/25 (Sun). Today's Jupiter-Pluto square, in Aries and Capricorn, is part of the Cardinal Climax discussed in the 7/21 entry. Unto itself, however, it can provide tremendous power for new beginnings and new hope! There's a danger of overreaching under this energy, however, so make sure that any grandiose plans you're planning to carry out are achievable. Widescale destruction is another possible interpretation – which can be good if the thing being destroyed has outlived its usefulness, and can be replaced by something better!
        There's a Full Moon today at 9:36 PM (3° Aquarius). You can use it to look at how you're doing in terms of developing, embodying and freely expressing your unique gifts and talents. Are you using them selfishly, or using them in a humanitarian spirit to help others?
        This Full Moon is receiving strong aspects from all of the Cardinal Climax planets: a trine from Saturn, sextiles from Uranus and Jupiter, and a semi-sextile from Pluto. Since most of these are “soft” connections, they make it possible for you to work with these intense and transformative energies more easily. Under these stunningly powerful energies, resisting change can make you feel helpless and overwhelmed; embracing it will help you feel inspired and powerful!
        This Full Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “A deserter from the Navy stands suddenly aware of a dawning truth: freedom is never the result of compromise.”
        Let me preface my interpretation by saying that it is in no way intended to dishonor those who have chosen the path of military service. I honor and respect those who bravely risk their lives in order to defend their country.
        In this context, the Navy represents any large, powerful and tradition-bound institution which perpetuates delusional thinking. (Oceangoing activities are ruled by Neptune, whose dark side includes fog, confusion and deceit.) The deserter is doing the right thing: breaking away from blind acceptance of groupthink and seeing the world from a new, more realistic perspective.
        Our deserter is realizing that “freedom is never the result of compromise.” If our current global civilization desires freedom from the looming catastrophic consequences of our current path of environmental devastation, then it cannot compromise on one key point: the still largely unquestioned premise of continuous growth must be abandoned. The current corporate and national growth paradigms must be replaced by sustainability models. If we continue consuming more resources each year than can be regenerated, the consequences will be horrific beyond our capacity to imagine.
        On a more personal level, ask yourself what you need to “desert” in order to achieve the freedom that your soul is calling for. The coming Golden Age will be characterized by each person following their own intuitive guidance, with order maintained more by synchronicity than hierarchy. Why not choose to be one of the forerunners, and start living your own Golden Age right now?

7/26 (Mon). Speaking of delusional thinking, Mercury opposes Neptune today! If your logical mind seems fuzzy, asking for answers and information directly from your Higher Self may prove more productive. This is a great energy for creative writers and channelers.
        You'll have plenty of energy at your disposal today, since the Sun is connecting to two powerful planets. Open yourself to empowering transformation with the Sun quincunx Pluto, and stay alert to prosperity opportunities with the Sun trine Jupiter.
        Speaking of delusional thinking yet again, it's all too easy for those still bound to their egos to embark on a crusade for The One True Way with Mars quincunx Neptune. But if you've already established a strong connection to Spirit, taking intuitively guided action is a more realistic possibility. Activities that combine physical activity with spiritual energy are supported now: possibilities include tai chi, chi gung, ecstatic dance and sacred sexuality.
        The day closes with one of the most powerful events of the year: Saturn opposing Uranus. An essential component of the Cardinal Climax (see the 7/21 entry), this represents the conflict between the powers-that-be struggling to maintain the status quo and the upstart forces of revolutionary change. This is the fifth and final Saturn-Uranus opposition in this series, which started on Election Day in November 2008 when Obama, the first black US president, was elected.
        In your own life, you'll make things a lot easier by proactively releasing everything old that has outlived its usefulness: things, relationships and ways of thinking. Stretch yourself to embrace positive new paradigms, and above all let yourself be guided by Uranus' intuitive flashes!

7/27 (Tue). Fine-tune your thinking and writing, and engage with mentors and wisdom-givers, as Mercury opposes Chiron.
Mercury is in Virgo today through 10/2: an unusually long time, due to its upcoming retrograde. (That will be 8/20 thru 9/12 – mark your calendar now!) Mercury rules Virgo, so the energies of discernment, perfectionism, service and “keeping it natural” will be more readily available.

7/28 (Wed). With Mercury quincunx Uranus, be ready to adjust your plans if they conflict with an intuitive flash.

7/29 (Thu). If someone gives you advice and you're tempted to bite their head off, try to restrain yourself: you may just be feeling Mars quincunx Chiron. You can use this energy more productively by taking action to empower your health or proactively giving or seeking wise counsel.
Mars is in Libra today through 9/14, supporting assertive action in the fields of relationship, creativity and finance.

7/30 (Fri). Turning your mind to research, the occult or your committed relationship would be timely with Mercury trine Pluto. In fact, mental activity is generally juiced due to Mercury's quincunx to Jupiter. (Be careful not to over-communicate!)

7/31 (Sat). Today's Mars-Saturn conjunction is the ultimate Energizer Bunny transit: Mars' energy combined with Saturn's endurance you let you go and go and go. (How fortunate that it's in Libra, the sign of relationship!)

While everyone is affected by these global transits, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your birth chart.

It's best to avoid starting important new projects or making major purchases during these times. "Business as usual" is the best strategy for these periods, which occur when the Moon has made its last major Ptolemaic aspect but has not yet moved into the next sign. Learn more about working with void-of-course Moons here.

6/3,10:56 am - 1:34:37 pm (Pisces)
6/6, 1:50:19 am - 1:50:44 am (Aries)
6/8, 9:14 am - 11:42 am (Taurus)
6/10, 3:51 pm - 6:12 pm (Gemini)
6/12, 7:35 pm - 9:52 pm (Cancer)
6/14, 8:39 pm - 11:56 pm (Leo)
6/16, 11:25 pm - 6/17, 1:42 am (Virgo)
6/19, 1:05 am - 4:14 am (Libra)
6/21, 7:29 am - 8:15 am (Scorpio)
6/23, 11:33 am - 2:11 pm (Sagittarius)
6/25, 7:34 pm - 10:23 pm (Capricorn)
6/28, 5:56 am - 8:53 am (Aquarius)
6/30, 6:04 pm - 9:11 pm (Pisces)

THE STORY SO FAR: Two planets are retrograde as June opens: Pluto (thru 9/14) and Neptune (thru 11/7).

6/1 (Tue). There's plenty of creativity and divine inspiration in the air with the Sun quintile Jupiter.

6/2 (Wed). Two more quintiles keep the creative buzz and spiritual downflow coming! A Venus-Saturn quintile is great for getting productive with your creativity and finding inspired solutions to relationship issues. A Sun-Uranus quintile amplifies your ability to receive intuitive flashes.

6/3 (Thu). An intense aspect pattern peaks today and is in effect the 1st through the 5th. I could not find a name for it, but the fact that it's made up entirely of hard and semi-hard angles makes its meaning clear enough!
        One could think of it as a sort of Squished Grand Cross: not as strong as a true Grand Cross, but still fundamentally challenging. Like so many of the aspect patterns dominating the sky this year, it carries the theme of releasing that which has outlived its usefulness, and paradigm shifting into new realities that serve the greater good.
        Technically speaking, this aspect pattern is an oblong rectangle consisting of two oppositions, two quincunxes and two semi-sextiles. Moving counterclockwise around the perimeter, we have Saturn quincunx Neptune/Chiron, Neptune/Chiron semi-sextile Jupiter/Uranus, Jupiter/Uranus quincunx Mars, and Mars semi-sextile Saturn. Internally, Saturn opposes Jupiter/Uranus, and Mars opposes Neptune/Chiron! All four elements are contained, so its effects could be quite far-reaching!

6/4 (Fri). With Mars opposing Neptune, anything which merges the physical and spiritual is supported. Possibilities include tai chi, Chi Kung, yoga, sacred sexuality and ecstatic dance. But however great your enthusiasm, beware of becoming fanatical!
        Chiron turns retrograde today, and backpedals for five months through 11/5. Planets are most powerful when changing direction, so this is an excellent time to be conscious of issues involving childhood wounds, healing and mentoring. (This is especially true if you have sensitive natal points early in mutable signs or late in fixed signs, since Chiron is stationing at 1° Pisces.)

6/6 (Sun). A new 12-year cycle kicks off as JUPITER ENTERS ARIES, the first sign of the zodiac. Jupiter will stay in Aries through 9/8 before retrograding into Pisces, then will return to Aries 1/22 thru 6/4 of 2011.
        Considered in isolation, this is a powerful time for new beginnings of all kinds, but especially for those involving the physical body and the awakening or empowerment of your inner warrior. But because Jupiter is joining Uranus in early Aries, there is also a powerful amplification of the energies of revolution and paradigm shift. Intuitive flashes will also be transmitting more powerfully, so put up your antennae!

6/7 (Mon). Be extra cautious, since accidents, hair-trigger tempers and sudden conflicts could manifest with Mars quincunx both Uranus and Jupiter today! However, it's an excellent time for physical activity and taking immediate action on your intuitive flashes.
        Mars also enters Virgo today, which he will transit through 7/29. This combination supports physical activities requiring great precision and enthusiastic energy directed toward serving others.
        Finally, a Venus-Neptune biquintile adds a touch of creative inspiration and divine connection to the mix.

6/8 (Tue). Jupiter and Uranus are conjunct in early Aries today! As I said in the 6/6 entry, this juices up the energies of revolution and paradigm shift, and fires up those intuitive flashes. In addition, this combination suggests new beginnings and/or breakthroughs in your religious path and philosophy of life, as well as an urge to explore different ways of life through adventurous journeying (physical, mental or spiritual). These energies will remain strong through January 2011.
       Taurean Mercury is also trine Saturn, a supportive energy for doing business and thinking things through in a steady, methodical way.
        We also have Mars opposing Chiron. With Mars' quincunxes to Jupiter and Uranus still strong, and with Chiron's potential for inflicting wounds on physical and other levels, you are still advised to proceed with caution and avoid unnecessary risk. On the brighter side, this aspect is great for making new beginnings or infusing new energy into healing or mentoring activities.

6/9 (Wed). Mercury squares Neptune today. This is part of the T-square peaking on 6/10; see that entry for details.
        There's a sprinkling of fairy dust in the air today, courtesy of two biquintiles (Mercury-Pluto and Venus-Chiron). This magical energy is ideal for creativity and divine connection.

6/10 (Thu). A T-square with powerful mental effects peaks today, and is active the 6th through the 13th. It's made up of Neptune and Chiron opposing Mars, with everybody squaring Mercury!
        The result is a fascinating mixture of energies. On the challenge side, your logical mind might feel a bit fuzzy (Neptune square Mercury). Bringing all the planets into the interpretation, some might even feel as if they're under attack from hidden enemies. Continuing our recent cautionary theme, the Mars-Mercury square suggests that you be leery of verbal disputes or attempts at mental domination.
        Of course, all this can have an upside as well. The Neptune-Mercury square could also be the dynamic engagement of intuitive flow into your conscious mind. Giving or receiving mentoring can be energized by the Mercury-Chiron square, which is exact today. And the Mars-Mercury square could simply manifest as increased energy and enthusiasm for communication. As with all things astrological, how you choose to harness these energies has a major impact on how they manifest!
        Mercury has plenty going on with this T-square, but its love of multitasking and variety is going over the top today! For starters, it enters Gemini, which it will transit through 6/25. Mercury rules this sign, and while in it will radiate the energy of learning, communicating and “sticking 10 different fingers into 10 different pies.”
        Mercury also sextiles Uranus and Jupiter today, helping you keep a positive mental attitude and making the mind more receptive to intuitive flashes.

6/11 (Fri). Mercury squares Mars today; see the 6/10 T-square entry for details.

6/12 (Sat). The June New Moon occurs at 7:14 AM (22° Gemini). New beginnings in learning, teaching, speaking, writing and other mental activities are supported, as are new initiatives with siblings and neighbors.
        “Dancing couples in a harvest festival” is this New Moon's Sabian Symbol. This resonates beautifully with Gemini's energy of pairing, as well as its love of sociability. It's also a timely reminder, in this time of unprecedented paradigm shift, of the importance of community. It also reminds us of the magnificent harvest awaiting us at the end of this challenging process: a world that has reclaimed the sacred and honors its “all one” interconnectedness.
        A Venus-Saturn sextile is good for relationship stability, artistic productivity and dealing realistically with your financial situation.
        Finally, Mercury quincunxes Pluto, an ideal energy under which to surrender outdated paradigms and give birth to new ones!

6/13 (Sun). A Yod, or “Finger of God,” has been building since the 11th, and both peaks and ends today. This aspect pattern consists of three planets: in the current incarnation, Venus sextiles (60°) Saturn on the back end, with both planets making quincunxes (150°) to Neptune at the tip of the yod's narrow triangle.
        This Yod is tailor-made for activating the Law of Attraction for financial prosperity. Neptune rules imagination and visualization, Saturn rules physical manifestation, and Venus represents money! You can also use your manifestation power for relationships and creativity, Venus' other main themes.

6/14 (Mon). Venus enters Leo today through 7/10. Think drama, showmanship and sequins!
        The Love Goddess is also trining Uranus, opening the door for intuitive flashes to guide your relationships, creativity and finance.
        It's all about Venus today: she also quincunxes Chiron. Should your relating uncover any sensitive psychological areas, take the opportunity to heal them.

6/15 (Tue). Venus continues her aspect run with a trine to Jupiter. Luck can be with you, especially if you follow your intuitive flashes!
        Appropriate sexual activity is smoothly supported with Virgoan Mars trine Pluto, as are all physically focused activities and carefully planned new initiatives.

6/16 (Wed). Let Spirit put its two cents' worth in before making decisions now: a Mercury-Uranus quintile stands ready to transmit intuitive flashes into your brain!

6/17 (Thu). With Venus quincunx Pluto, be open to recognizing and releasing whatever does not serve your key relationships. It's also an ideal time for any financial adjustments that are needed.

6/19 (Sat). With the Sun squaring Saturn (see the Grand Cross description on 6/24) and trining Neptune, a passive attitude could result in depression and spaciness. But a proactive combination of visualization and sweat equity could move you powerfully toward your goals. Be sure to make time to connect with Spirit!

6/21 (Mon). The Sun enters Cancer at 7:28 am. This is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, so celebrate! The Sun's passage through Cancer, which lasts through 7/22, is a good time to focus on nurturing, healing, food and domestic affairs.
        Symptoms of a mismanaged Sun-Uranus square (also part of the Grand Cross described on 6/24) include nervousness, fidgeting and chaotic life events. The antidote? Vigorous exercise and, above all, following your intuitive flashes!

6/22 (Tue). A Sun-Chiron trine is a wonderful time to give or receive mentoring and healing. Creativity is also stimulated with Venus' biquintile to Pluto.

6/23 (Wed). Even if you feel like you can take on Mickey Rourke, don't mistake yourself for Iron Man: it may just be the overconfidence of a Sun-Jupiter square. (Also part of the Grand Cross described on 6/24.) Still, do put this abundant energy to good use!

6/24 (Thu). A GRAND CROSS, which can be an intensely challenging aspect pattern, is in effect the 21st thru the 26th, peaking today. This one packs a punch, with the Sun making hard angles to Pluto, Uranus, Jupiter and Saturn! Mercury is also part of this mighty aspect pattern the 24th to the 26 as it conjuncts the Sun.
        Stand ready to jettison all physical and conceptual structures that don't serve your highest need, especially in domestic and family affairs. Good fortune is part of the mix, especially if you leave quiet time to receive the intuitive flashes which stand ready to guide you!
        A Mercury-Saturn square is part of today's Grand Cross. Considered independently, it can support intense mental discipline as long as you're not letting someone else control would you can think or say!
        Mercury is also trining Neptune, an energy of flowing creativity and easy divine connection.

6/25 (Fri). Mercury enters Cancer today through 7/9. Use its time there to make your communication more sensitive and nurturing.
        Two of the Grand cross' aspects are exact today: Mercury square Uranus and the Sun opposing Pluto. See the 6/24 entry for details.
        Mercury trines Chiron today, an ideal setup for mentoring and healing words.

6/26 (Sat). A Mercury-Jupiter square is great for mental stimulation; just be sure you're not talking someone's ear off! It's also part of the Grand Cross we've been discussing.
        Speaking of the Grand Cross, you could hardly ask for a more dramatic ending to it than a LUNAR ECLIPSE! This occurs at 7:30 am (5° Capricorn). Astronomically, this eclipse (which, by definition, is also a Full Moon) is no big deal, since it's only partial. But it's big news astrologically, since the Moon is tightly conjunct Pluto (death and rebirth), and the Moon makes challenging aspects to all of the other Grand Cross planets!
        The energies laid down by eclipses last at least six months. Thus, this eclipse is helping to lay the energetic groundwork for the “Cardinal Climax” coming in early August. (The Cardinal Climax, a world-rocking “T-square”, will be the most powerful aspect pattern of our lifetimes! It will include the same slower planets aspecting this eclipse: Pluto, Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter.)
        To make the best use of these energies, carefully analyze all of the key structures in your life: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Once you identify the ones which are not serving the highest need of all concerned, either repair them or release them. Let go of greed and embrace community. Release fear and embrace love. If you feel unable to do something from the personality level, remember that the divine can accomplish anything: ask Spirit to assist you!
        The Sabian Symbol for this eclipse is, "Indians on the warpath. While some men row a well-filled canoe, others in it perform a war dance."
        This resonates powerfully with the Sabian Symbol for last month's New Moon, which was, “An Indian warrior riding fiercely, human scalps hanging from his belt.” My interpretation of that symbol was, "Think of the warrior as yourself racing toward your divinely guided destiny, and the scalps as the aspects of yourself which, Kali-like, had to be slain for you to grow into the full magnificence of your evolved self!"
        I get a similar sense from today's "warpath" symbol, but on a more social level. It's easy to think of this symbol as literally meaning war between nations, and with so many tense spots around the world one can't rule out that possibility.
        But this symbol doesn't have to manifest that way. Rather, we can choose to use the resources in our "well-filled canoe" -- our ingenuity, compassion, energy, physical and financial resources and desire to make a better world -- to wage war on humanity's common enemies. These include global warming, social injustice, the suicidal obsession with growth and profit without regard for its environmental and social cost, and the pernicious illusion that we are separate from our brothers and sisters in human, animal and plant bodies. Once one wakes up and experiences the unity and interdependence of all things, one loses the desire to do harm to other living beings. One "wages war" against ignorance and greed, with the purpose of creating peace, harmony and balance.

6/27 (Sun). June's final major aspect, Saturn quincunx Neptune, repeats this theme. Neptune-Saturn combinations can represent the dissolution of outmoded structures. But they can also stand for the conscious use of imagination, visualization and spiritual power (Neptune) to help make adjustments to old structures or create better ones. Come be part of the solution!
        A Mercury-Pluto opposition can help take your thinking deep and transform it for the better.

6/28 (Mon). Two days remain in June, but today's Sun-Mercury conjunction in Cancer is the month's last significant aspect. This is an excellent energy for learning and all types of communication. If you've been holding back an important message, now is an excellent time to send it out with a healthy measure of nurturing, healing energy.

While everyone is affected by these global transits, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your birth chart.

5/3 (Mon). Your mind has an enhanced ability to probe into the depths, alone or in conversation with others, with Mercury trine Pluto. Mercury's Taurean placement also makes this a good time for financial opportunities.

5/4 (Tue). With Venus quintile Uranus, let your creativity respond uninhibitedly to your intuitive flashes. Also stay open to Spirit's guidance in bringing about paradigm shifts in important relationships.
Physical energy is abundant with the Sun square Mars – expend it in exercise and productive activity rather than picking fights!
Communication and writing receive a lovely combination of inspiration and productivity with Mercury biquintile Saturn.

5/7 (Fri). There's plenty of positive energy for relationships with Geminian Venus sextile Leonine Mars – with these planets in air and fire signs, affairs could even turn passionate! Creativity and harmonious initiation are also supported.

5/11 (Tue). Mercury retrograde ends on the 11th at 6:27 PM. Difficulties you may have been experiencing around travel, communications or technology should start easing up. However, wait until the New Moon on the 13th to start major new projects: they tend to to fare better when launched under a waxing Moon.

5/13 (Thu). May's New Moon occurs on the 13th at 9:04 PM (23°09' Taurus). New beginnings in finance, sensuality and relating with nature as a sentient intelligence (think Avatar) are supported. The aspects to this New Moon – a trine from Saturn, a square from Neptune and a sextile from Jupiter -- suggest that your new ventures will enjoy solid support and good fortune if you make Spirit an active partner!
This New Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “An Indian warrior riding fiercely, human scalps hanging from his belt.” Think of the warrior as yourself racing toward your divinely guided destiny, and the scalps as the aspects of yourself which, Kali-like, had to be slain for you to grow into the full magnificence of your evolved self!

5/17 (Mon). The most important things about your key relationships – be they flowing or challenging – may be spotlighted with Venus square Jupiter. This aspect could also make it easy to overdo things – especially with Venus in variety-loving Gemini! – so keep moderation in mind.
Physical energy, vitality and general exuberance will also be amplified with the Sun sextile Jupiter.
Now that Mercury has turned direct, it will be repeating many of its recent aspects. The first example is its biquintile to Saturn, and the interpretation is the same as it was on 5/4: communication and writing receive a lovely combination of inspiration and productivity!

5/18 (Tue). Venus is part of two challenging aspect patterns from the 13th through the 23rd: a T-square peaking today and a Grand Cross peaking on the 21st. (The T-square includes Saturn opposing Jupiter and Uranus, with everybody squaring Venus!) If there's a weak point in any of your key relationships, it may will show itself during this time. Let your intuitive flashes tell you whether a given relationship needs to be released, transformed, or just taken to the next level of wonderfulness! Creativity will also be both energized and challenged.
Relationships may be particularly challenged right about now, with the T-square's Venus-Saturn square exact today and its Venus-Uranus square exact tomorrow. Let whatever's coming up show you where a more solid foundation is needed in your partnerships. At the same time, with Venus trine Neptune, your ability to achieve profound soul-blending with those you're close to is easier than usual. The energy of steady productivity is also available, thanks to a Sun-Saturn trine.

5/19 (Wed). Does today's Sun-Neptune square have you craving altered states? Union with spirit and manifesting your divinely inspired creativity are two great ways to achieve them.
        Mercury trines Pluto again today. As I said on 5/3, your mind has an enhanced ability to probe into the depths, either alone or in conversation with others. Mercury's Taurean placement also makes this a good time for financial opportunities.
        Today's Venus-Uranus square is part of the T-square described on 5/18, and often has the specific effect of creating challenge wherever paradigm shift is needed in relationships. Trust your flashes of insight, but beware of impulsive financial decisions!
        Venus also enters Cancer today, or she will stay through 6/13. Her placement here can help bring a soothing, nurturing quality to relationships and creativity.

5/20 (Thu). With all the challenge to relationships in the air, it's nice that they can also benefit from the healing and mentoring energy provided by a Venus-Chiron trine!
The Sun enters Gemini late on the 20th, radiating the energy of learning, sharing information, love of variety, eternal youth and tricksterism.
Intuitive flashes may be especially strong with the Sun sextile Uranus; I've yet to meet a client who told me that they ultimately regretted following one!

5/21 (Fri). The Grand Cross mentioned on 5/18 peaks today; please refer back to that entry for its basic interpretation. With Venus now in Cancer, relationships with family and those with whom you live may be particularly affected.
Moving counterclockwise, the Grand Cross includes four squares: Venus-Saturn, Saturn-Pluto, Pluto-Uranus/Jupiter, and Uranus/Jupiter-Venus. Since a Grand Cross consists of four squares and two oppositions, it also includes a Venus-Pluto opposition and the opposition of Saturn to Jupiter and Uranus. The Grand Cross is considered the most powerful and challenging aspect pattern in astrology, so take it seriously. But also remember that the greatest challenges, when courageously faced, also provide the greatest opportunities for growth and empowerment!
As if a Grand Cross wasn't enough, there's also a Sun-Chiron square today. It may help you see what most needs healing within yourself, and help provide energy for its return to wholeness.

5/23 (Sun). With Jupiter opposing Saturn (part of the Grand Cross) exactly today, you may feel torn between old established habits and the new directions your intuition is leading you. All of my experience suggests that the intuitive path will serve you better.
Another element of the Grand Cross, the Venus-Pluto opposition, is also exact today. Its meaning has already been covered in the Grand Cross interpretation.

5/26 (Wed). While being open to self-transformational adjustment is one of today's themes (Sun quincunx Pluto), creative inspiration and divine connection is doubly emphasized (Mars biquintile Uranus and Mercury quintile Neptune).

5/27 (Thu). May's Full Moon shines forth on the 27th at 7:07 PM (7° Sagittarius). How satisfied are you with your activities in the realms of higher learning, foreign travel, philosophy and religion? This is the time to evaluate and adjust.
        This Full Moon's Sabian Symbol is, “Cupid knocks at the door of a human heart.” At this extraordinary time in history, however, Cupid is offering not just human romantic love, but the indescribable bliss only available from the unconditional love of the divine. Can you open to it?
        A major astrological event occurs today as Uranus enters Aries. He remains thru 8/13 before retrograding back into Pisces, then re-enters Aries on 3/11/11 for a stay of about seven years.
        The movement from Pisces to Aries is the transition from dreaming to doing. Thus, we are now entering the time when paradigm shifts, revolutions and breakthroughs on all levels will play out not just in our imaginations, but in the physical world. Another excellent way to use this energy is to take immediate action on your intuitive flashes!

5/28 (Fri). A Jupiter-Neptune semi-sextile may create some irritation if your religious path doesn't support a divine connection you can feel for yourself. Excessive idealization and deceptive illusions are also possible, so be sure to reality check anything that seems too good to be true.
It's a good day to refine your writing and your critical thinking with Mercury quintile Chiron.

5/30 (Sun). Saturn turns direct today at 2:09 PM, making it easier to begin new business-related projects. Those with Saturn strong in their natal charts will breathe a special sigh of relief.

5/31 (Mon). Neptune turns retrograde today, an excellent time for meditation, expressing divinely inspired creativity, or flowing divine light to others.

Whatever your Sun sign, this forecast will help you make the best use of each month’s astrological energies. Events are most powerful on the dates listed. However, their influence will be active for at least several days before and after. All dates and times are in the U.S. eastern time zone.

While everyone is affected by these global transits, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your birth chart.

4/2, 8:55 am - 12:54 pm (Sagittarius)
4/4, 4:58 pm - 9:08 pm (Capricorn)
4/7, 4:19 am - 8:52 am (Aquarius)
4/9, 5:45 pm - 9:49 pm (Pisces)
4/12, 8:52 am - 9:32 am (Aries)
4/14, 3:23 pm - 6:56 pm (Taurus)
4/17, 12:58 am - 2:09 am (Gemini)
4/19, 6:21 am - 7:40 am (Cancer)
4/21, 10:08 am - 11:43 am (Leo)
4/23, 11:35 am - 2:26 pm (Virgo)
4/25, 2:21 pm - 4:18 pm (Libra)
4/27, 3:46 pm - 6:30 pm (Scorpio)
4/29, 8:40 pm - 10:37 pm (Sagittarius)

THE STORY SO FAR: Saturn remains retrograde thru May 30.
April 1-10, the door is open to new financial possibilities. Stay open to synchronicity and intuitive guidance to maximize your opportunities!

4/1 (Thurs). Creativity and divine connection are made easier through mid-April with Jupiter quintile Pluto. This can also be a good time for financial dealings, especially if you bring in the power of visualization!
With Mercury sextile Chiron, giving or receiving helpful advice is supported.

4/2 (Fri). Mercury will be in Taurus today through 6/9. Turning your mind to money matters, sensuality and connecting with the earth should be easier during this time. Mercury's unusually long stint in Taurus is due to its upcoming retrograde, 4/18 through 5/11, which takes place entirely in the sign of the bull.
Mercury is also quincunx Saturn: don't be surprised if a mental challenge or two comes your way!

4/3 (Sat). At first blush, A Venus-Mars square might bring a lovers' spat mind to mind. However, when consciously channeled, this aspect can heighten the excitement in your relationship, intensify erotic electricity, and energize creative inspiration for artists of all types.

4/4 (Sun). Venus square Mars yesterday, Venus trine Pluto today! Both Mars and Pluto carry a sexual charge, so that theme continues. A new energy Pluto brings to the party is flowing transformation, so look at what positive change you can bring to your important relationships.

4/5 (Mon). Arguments and confrontations are more likely with Mercury square Mars – particularly with Mercury in stubborn Taurus and Mars in fiery Leo! Resolve instead to keep your discussions vibrant but controlled.
Creative inspiration should flow more easily with Venus biquintile Saturn.

4/6 (Tue). Pluto, the planet of death, rebirth and empowerment, is retrograde today thru 9/14. It's always especially potent when changing directions, so think in terms of releasing or transforming whatever isn't harmonious or helpful. Sensitive points in your natal chart around 5° of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) will be affected by Pluto's station.
Pluto trines Mercury as it turns, encouraging a harmonious flow of deep thought and communication.

4/7 (Wed). Saturn will backpedal into Virgo today and stay through 7/21 (before an extended journey through Libra thru 10/6/2012). Saturn in Virgo is a great time for setting up or fine-tuning systems, procedures and habits in both your personal and professional life. A focus on service or healing is also supported.

4/8 (Thu). Creative magic is in the air as the two planets most associated with creativity make a magical connection (Venus quintile Neptune). This energy is also great for connecting with your divine source and feeling the divine in the beings around you.

4/9 (Fri). Venus quintiles Chiron today, adding the energy of refinement and precision to the inspiration already in the air.

4/10 (Sat). Be on the lookout for dark emotions such as anger and jealousy as Leonine Mars quincunxes Pluto. Intense exercise, soul-deep sexuality and dramatic expression are a few ways to make good use of this energy.
A Mercury-Neptune quintile puts creative energy in the air, particularly as it relates to writing and verbal communication.

4/12 (Mon). Be ready to deal with any unresolved psychological issues around the 12th (Saturn quincunx Chiron). Fresh wounding is also possible under this energy, so avoid unnecessary risks. This is a long-lasting energetic connection – all the way thru early August – so also be mindful of its upside: traditional healing opportunities, making adjustments based on the advice of “wise elders,” and using discipline to hone self-perfection.

4/13 (Tue). The two planets that rule intuition make an exact connection on the 13th (Uranus semi-sextile Neptune), so leave yourself enough quiet time that you can hear that small still voice. Trying a new approach to connecting with Spirit, or innovating within your current path, is also supported. This is another long-term opportunity, since these planets will stay connected for 12 more months!
Your chance to be more of a mental maverick is up with Mercury quintile Chiron. Gaining inspiration through meetings with mentors is also supported.

4/14 (Wed). April's New Moon occurs on the 14th at 8:29 AM ( 25° Aries). This is an especially powerful time for new beginnings of all kinds, including those relating to your physical body and the first impression yo give to others.
The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is, “The possibility for man to gain experience at two levels of being.” I and many others know from personal experience that it is possible to be simultaneously conscious in the physical and spiritual realms. If you will open to this possibility and ask for the ability, you can be synchronistically guided to have this experience for yourself!

4/17 (Sat). Good fortune in love and money comes easier with Venus sextile Jupiter.

4/18 (Sun). With the Sun sextile Neptune, creative inspiration and easier connection with your divine source are enhanced.
Mercury goes retrograde today at 12:06 AM (13° Taurus), remaining in reverse through 5/11 at 6:27 PM (3° Taurus). Mercury retrograde is a better time for planning and introspection than for initiating new projects. Reflecting on the Taurean themes of self-esteem, sensuality, finances and connection with nature are supported during this Mercury retrograde. Be especially careful when traveling, and make sure that your valuable data is safely backed up.

4/19 (Mon). An aspect pattern called a Yod, or “Finger of God,” peaks today. (It's effective 4/16 thru 4/20.) It includes the Sun, Neptune, Chiron and Saturn. One great way to use this combination of planets is by visualizing what you desire. Neptune rules imagination and the etheric realms, Saturn loves to bring energy into form, and the Sun makes it personal.

4/20 (Tue). The Sun is in Taurus today thru 5/20, a great time for focusing on the Taurean themes in the 4/18 entry.
Also today, Chiron enters Pisces for an initial visit through 7/19. Energy healing and spiritual mentoring (possibly from your own higher self!) are both energized during this period.

4/21 (Wed). Now that Mercury is retrograde, it will be repeating many of the aspects it recently made. One of these is today's quintile to Chiron; see the 4/13 entry for details.

4/22 (Thu). Relationships and creativity are magically energized with Venus quintile Mars.

4/23 (Fri). Venus is in a hot zone as she squares Neptune and sextiles Uranus. Because of Neptune, watch out for deception or rose-colored glasses in relationships, but also stay open to the possibility of soul-deep connections. Let your intuitive flashes guide you. Creatively, both aspects open the door to the flow and flash of divine inspiration!

4/24 (Sat). Venus aspects two more slow planets today! Her trine to Saturn can lend stability to relationships, creative expression and finances, while her biquintile to Pluto can both empower creativity and help create new financial possibilities.

4/25 (Sun). Venus is on quite the roll lately: today she squares Chiron and enters Gemini! The square to Chiron presents the opportunity for healing, whether that refers to the relationship itself or old wounds that it's bringing up. And her tenure in Gemini, thru 5/19, can encourage a broad range of socializing and creative eclecticism. (Verbal or written creativity is especially supported by a Mercury-Neptune quintile.)
Arguments or fiery differences of opinion can be stoked by a Mercury-Mars square, so work to stay harmonious even if you're passionate about your ideas. And a Sun-Pluto trine can be a fantastic energizer for whatever needs doing.
There's also plenty of fairy dust in the air, thanks to a Golden Yod configuration formed by Venus, Mars and Pluto. (It's active 4/23-25, and peaks today.) This can bring magical empowerment to relationships, and is great for sacred sexuality where appropriate.

4/26 (Mon). One of the major astrological events of the year happens today: Saturn opposing Uranus! This is the fourth such occurrence in a series of five that started on election day (11/4/08) and will have its final exact alignment on 7/26.
The effect of this dynamic opposition, which lasts about two years, is an epic battle between the outworn status quo and the new paradigm that has come to replace it. One need look no further than Washington, with Republicans and Democrats seemingly locked into opposing positions on health care reform (and just about everything else) for a classic example of this dynamic at play. Willingly embracing new paradigms in your own life when their time has come will make your own experience of this energy far less stressful!

4/28 (Wed). April's Full Moon occurs on the 28th at 8:18 AM (9° Scorpio). Use it to take stock of how you're doing with your shared resources, committed romantic relationship(s), psychological explorations, occult practices and research projects. Emotions may run unusually high, even for a Full Moon, because of the challenging aspects to the Moon from Mars, Venus, Mercury and Jupiter. You may feel a strong urge to make changes now, but wait two weeks for the next waxing moon if you possibly can.
The Sabian Symbol for this Full Moon is, “A dentist at work.” I frankly don't know what to make of this – and that's the tooth!
Mental activity of all kinds is supported by today's Sun-Mercury conjunction.

4/29 (Thu). Relationship challenge is par for the course with Venus quincunx Pluto. If things get a bit stressful, view it as an opportunity to introduce needed transformation into the relationship.

4/29 & 4/30 (Thu & Fri). April ends with more fairy dust to inspire your creativity and divine connection (Venus quintile Jupiter on the 29th, and the Sun quintile Neptune on the 30th).

Whatever your sun sign, this forecast will help you choose how to best use each month’s astrological energies! Events are most powerful on the dates listed. However, their influence will be active for at least several days before and after. All dates and times are in the U.S. eastern time zone.

While everyone is affected by these global transits, you will be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate natal planets and other sensitive points in your birth chart.

3/1, 12:37 pm - 7:33 pm (Libra)
3/3, 3:44 pm - 9:13 pm (Scorpio)
3/5, 11:32 pm - 3/6, 2:37 am (Sagittarius)
3/8, 6:14 am - 12:15 pm (Capricorn)
3/10, 5:00 pm - 3/11, 12:44 am (Aquarius)
3/13, 7:58 am - 1:45 pm (Pisces)
3/15, 08:01 pm - 3/16, 2:33 am (Aries)
3/18, 7:23 am - 12:31 pm (Taurus)
3/20, 3:42 pm - 8:30 pm (Gemini)
3/22, 9:49 pm - 3/23, 2:17 am (Cancer)
3/25, 12:40 am - 5:40 am (Leo)
3/27, 3:04 am - 6:59 am (Virgo)
3/29, 2:56 am - 7:23 am (Libra)
3/31, 8:14 am - 8:42 am (Scorpio)

THE STORY SO FAR: We have two retrograde planets right now: Mars thru March 10 and Saturn thru May 30.

3/1 (Mon). Mercury is in Pisces the 1st thru the 17th . Any mental fuzziness is more than offset by the opportunity for your mind to receive a flowing waterfall of intuitive information!
Arguments or disagreements can sometimes flare with Mercury quincunx Mars (today) and Saturn (tomorrow). Instead, use this energy to energize productive and disciplined mental activities.

3/2 (Tue). The Law of Attraction is magically empowered now through mid-March, thanks to Saturn's biquntile to Neptune. This is a great opportunity to bring some inspiring change into your life!

3/3 (Wed). With Venus conjunct Uranus, excitement and innovation trump predictability in relationships, creativity and finance. Also be sure to follow any intuitive flashes you get in these areas.

3/4 (Thu). Mental spelunking – taking your mind into the depths, alone or with others – is supported with Mercury sextile Pluto.

3/5 (Fri). Creative thinking is energized with Mercury biquintile Mars.

3/7 (Sun). Kicking off relationships and creative projects (or injecting new energy into them) is supported now thru the 31st with Venus in Aries.
Passionate fire between lovers can ignite easily with Venus trine Mars. Creative energy also runs strong.
Mental energy is powerfully stimulated with Mercury conjunct Jupiter. Be careful that your mouth isn't running ahead of your brain!

3/9 (Tue). With Venus opposing Saturn, it's reality check time for all important relationships – romantic or platonic. Give more energy to the ones that are helping you move your goals forward, and which have (or can develop) a solid foundation. This energy can also help you be a Steady Eddie creatively, once you push past your initial inertia!

3/10 (Wed). Make good use of the mental boost provided by today's Mercury-Pluto quintile.
Mars, who reverses course about every 18 months, goes direct today after being retrograde since 12/20. This has been a good time to contemplate how you express aggression, sexuality, and leadership. Now, however, it's time to take your new insights and put them into action!

3/11 (Thu). Do you fully own your share of the power in your relationships, or have you surrendered it? As Venus squares Pluto, your life events may show you. This is also a powerful (and volatile) time for sacred sexuality and financial empowerment.

3/14 (Sun). Intellectual activities of all kinds are powerfully energized as the Sun conjuncts Mercury.

3/15 (Mon). There's a New Moon on the 15th at 5:01 PM (26° Pisces). New beginnings in spirituality, divinely inspired creativity, and flowing divine energy to others are supported. Your brain's ability to receive intuitive flashes is significantly energized, so be sure to ask for divine guidance in all of your decision-making. (And leave enough quiet space in your brain so that you can hear the answer!) You may feel some resistance to doing this, but persevere: your efforts will be rewarded!
Synchronistically, the Sabian Symbol for this New Moon refers to one: “A New Moon reveals that it's time for people to go ahead with their different projects.” The key word here is “different”: are you pouring your precious energy into someone else's vision when your intuition is calling you to blaze your own trail?

3/17 (Wed). What's a good remedy if the Sun-Uranus conjunction has you feeling erratic energy or unpredictable vitality? Follow your intuitive flashes, and dare to embody and express who you really are!
Mercury is in Aries 3/17 through 4/2, stimulating new or revitalized energy in learning and communication. These same manifestations are given an extra boost today, due to Mercury's trine to Mars.

3/18 (Thu). Watch out for communication challenges, both in your interpersonal dealings and with technology, as Mercury opposes Saturn. Confrontational language could backfire on you now. If you haven't backed up your critical data recently, you'd be wise to do so before the 18th.

3/20 (Sat). Spring arrives on the 20th as the Sun enters Aries, radiating initiation, sexuality and assertiveness. Mercury also squares Pluto today: rather than using words as weapons, turn your mind to research or diving into the depths of psychology or occult practice.

3/21 (Sun). You may feel as if you're driving the brakes on around the 21st: there's a sense of abundant energy with the Sun trine Mars, but forward motion may feel impeded with the Sun opposing Saturn! If you really need to get something done, determined persistence may see you through. Getting involved with a project may also lift any sense of melancholy you may be feeling.

3/22 (Mon). The brakes come off as Mars sextiles Saturn. In fact, you may feel a bit like the Energizer Bunny!

3/25 (Thu). Have you, like Michael Jackson's “Man in the Mirror,” been wanting to make a change? With a Sun-Pluto square calling out for core-level transformation, now's a great time to do it!

3/29 (Mon). The Full Moon on the 29th (10:25 PM; 10° Libra), which conjoins Saturn and squares Pluto, may show you the state of your important relationships by bringing up any unresolved challenges. Release any relationships that have outlived their usefulness, and focus on any transformation required by the rest.
This lunation's Sabian Symbol is, “Having passed safely through narrow rapids, a canoe reaches calm waters.” Much like the famous phrase, “This too shall pass,” this symbol reminds us that, once our moment of testing is over, a period of respite and rejuvenation awaits.

3/30 (Tue). With Venus sextile Chiron, keep an eye out for people who may be able to offer you healing or wisdom – or to whom you can bequeath these gifts.

3/31 (Wed). You may want to drift into wishful thinking with Mercury sextile Neptune. But, with Venus quincunx Saturn, it's important that you stay focused on any adjustments required by your important relationships.
Venus will also be in Taurus today through 4/24, radiating the energy of tranquility, harmony and sensuality.

2/1, 11:18p – 2/2, 8:42a (Libra)
2/4, 4:28a – 11:56a (Scorpio)
2/6, 11:12a – 7:04p (Sagittarius)
2/8, 11:59p – 2/9, 5:44a (Capricorn)
2/11, 7:39a – 6:24p (Aquarius)
2/13, 11:33p – 2/14, 7:23a (Pisces)
2/16, 9:33a – 7:31p (Aries)
2/18, 10:53p – 2/19, 5:56a (Taurus)
2/21, 7:16a – 1:48p (Gemini)
2/23, 12:30p – 6:29p (Cancer)
2/25, 12:49p – 8:09p (Leo)
2/27, 3:16p – 7:53p (Virgo)

THE STORY SO FAR: We have two retrograde planets right now: Mars thru March 10 and Saturn thru May 30.
&n