Saturn Transits - Ya Gotta Have Jokes

One of the blessings of astrology is that it helps you mark what potentials are coming to you and where you are in life. It marks our aging.

Saturn transits in particular can be especially noteworthy and challenging because they take no prisoners. Saturn does what it is going to do and if you do not want to accept the lessons, take responsibility and mature, you can find yourself suffering with a deep depression. In reality, there is always some degree of depression, even if you are wise to what the Universe is asking of you and following the path.

That is because Saturn....The Parent, The Teacher, The Taskmaster...makes you realize some parts of you and your behavior must die so you can mature and be an even better you...and that happens with age.

Buying a motorcycle, a red sports car, or the latest skimpy fashions will not help you escape the lessons, as many people in their 40s find out. You need to dress appropriately (but not like a decrepit senior citizen!) and use that motorcycle or car money to pay for twice-annual sessions with a good astrologer and/or life coach and some time away retreating to get on track.

But most of all you need to have a sense of humor. When things are particularly challenging, stop and look at yourself. Are you 43 and wearing a shirt that exposes things better left undercover? Are you wearing a hairstyle that should have been left with the decade it came in with? Are you feeling terrified and dissatisfied riding that morotcycle or sports car but don't know why you are doing it? You thought you were "stylin" when really you are providing more laughs than The Comedy Shop.

Are you hanging out with people who are jsut too young for you at the moment. It cna be as siple as being 27 or 28 and approaching your first Saturn Return, and coming to the realization that 24 and 26 year olds are just in a different place. Last month a 28-year old Virgo man I know with Sun, Mercury, Venus and Saturn in Virgo commented to me as he was leaving a party we were at, that he was going home. He smiled wryly and said "I'm old".

I smiled, too, as I was standing outside enjoying the fresh air and not participating in the mostly early 20s crowd at the indoor party.

He looked tired and I realize that much of his tiredness came from having Saturn in Virgo transiting conjunct his Mercury and near his Sun for nearly the last year and that he is only a few months from an exact conjunction on his Sun and Venus this summer 2008 and his actual Saturn Return in Virgo in autumn 2008. His next 12 months until summer 2009 will be very challenging.

He knows nothing about astrology but he realizes internally it is time to grow up and put off childish behaviors. He is graduating from univeristy, will be needing to make a decision about work and the woman he is living with marriage?). And of course with Saturn knocking on him he is morephysically tired, even...he feels Saturn in his body, in his BONES.

Stop. Look in the mirror. Laugh at yourself. You have been making a fool of yourself. Have a good hearty laugh....and then let it go! Let go of the clothes, the cycle the car, the crazy relationship, the dissatisfying religious community etc. Put on something fashionable but comfortable, get a car you enjoy driving and are not embarassed in, and start doing the things that resonate within you as "right"...not what you think will make you fit in with some group of people to whom you have given too much importance. And again, laugh at yourself.

Oh! Take some pictures or have a friend or family member take some pictures of you in that midriff shirt, hotpants, gold chains, and Duran Duran hair on your motorcycle. You will have something to to make you smile when you need a lift.

Full Moon in Scorpio - May 20, 2008

Full Moon in Scorpio
May 20, 2008 4:11am CEDT

May 19, 2008 7:11pm PDT

29º Scorpio 27’

This Full Moon is a Blue Moon, the second one in Scorpio for the year. It is because of this Blue Moon that we are about to hear some rare truths!

Scorpio has as one of its archetypes The Snake. Snakes shed their old skin periodically, revealing a shiny new one. It is time to shed your old, dead skin and let the newness come to the surface.

This Full Moon occurs as part of a Grand Square between the South Node in Leo, Neptune in Aquarius and Sun/Venus in Taurus. In this configuration, Neptune in Aquarius is playing a strong role, calling for spiritual awakening and for the layers of deceit and delusion to be ripped off. It is time to reject false claims and people who say they want change or are bringing change but do nothing of the sort.

Saturn in Virgo is now direct and we are still being demanded to get our affairs in order and to work hard to do it. Such hard work and organization will bring healing to ourselves, others and the planet. Rules and regulations are actually NOT a bad thing. Structure is not a bad thing. Saturn is comfortable in Virgo because of this, as Saturn rules and like hard work and perseverance. It is time to take responsibility for your role in relationships with other human beings, projects at work, and your larger community.

With Jupiter in Capricorn (Capricorn is ruled by Saturn), we have the opportunity to see some positive and joyful fruits of our labor even now, rather than having to wait until the transit of Saturn in Virgo is done in mid June 2010.

The South node is karmic, revealing the pull from and to the past. It represents the old ideas that and habits that we must shed in order to grow. This Leo South Node is about clinging to old desires for selfish amounts of attention, instant gratification and over-emotionalism. Now is the time to head toward the Aquarius North Node and it is a call for cool, rational thinking, concern for humanity, and willingness to try new and innovative methods of handling everything from personal relationships to politics and the environment.

Scorpio has as one of its archetypes The Phoenix. In the mythological story this creatures burns to ashes but rises again. Burn off you old karma under this Full Moon. Literally light a candle and release the old ideas and thoughts, behaviors, relationships and ways of relating. Then step forth into new (and yes, scary!!) ways of being.

How much longer can you blame someone else for being lonely if you reject those who are interested in you out of fear and naïveté about relationships? It is time to learn intimacy and you only learn it by doing. How much longer will you complain about the environment but not join an organization that is doing something to make changes? How much longer can you take the position of powerless victim instead of releasing the past, standing in your strength and being yourself, no matter what others may think?

The Scorpio Moon urges you to bring the painful things to the surface and heal them once and for all. Take responsibility for growing spiritually, emotionally, in your relationship life, and with your family, friends and co-workers.

A Nodal Narrative, Part I

Relationships are always intriguing. We learn about ourselves through other people, which can be enjoyable or painful or a whole range of emotions. Today I will share with you a narrative which may be helpful your in understanding more about yourself and about astrology.

This will cover the nodes of the Moon (North and South Node) and some information about characteristics of Leo and Aquarius and some lessons in synastry (couple's astrology).

This narrative involves an Aquarius Sun man and his girlfriend. He has a Leo North Node one degree inside her 1st house (individual, self, initiative, ego) conjunct her Ascendant, and conversely that puts his Aquarius South Node 1 degree inside her 7th house (marriage, partnership, open enemies, others) and conjunct her Descendant. He also has an Aquarius Sun and Venus inside her 7th house; however we will focus on the nodes of the Moon in this situation. His Gemini Moon is also conjunct her Gemini North Node. His Gemini Moon is also conjunct my Gemini North Node. I will look at that aspect at a later date. For now, he is the nodal person in this narrative.

The Nodal Narrative: The relationship has both romantic/sexual overtones and friendship elements to it. When they met under Sun in Leo, she felt a WHAM and knew this man would be someone significant and with whom she would likely have a relationship or significant memory of, all her life. His presence felt very much like “destiny”.

Their relationship immediately began with what became a significant common interest and that was a particular group in which she was involved as a leader and to which she invited him to participate as a leader. Over several months, at first unbeknown to her, he took the position of passively going along with members of the group in criticizing her, and some points he was secretly participating in gossiping about her, undermining her leadership. (She realized he was doing it shortly after he began doing it, although he denied it; later he voluntarily admitted it to her, as though finally fully realizing what he had done and how it made things worse, and he apologized to her for it). The criticism centered on her confident,  individualualistic personality and ability to take initiative. Her Leo Ascendant and 1st house come through very strongly. She is not arrogant; simply individual, and she has the emotional maturity confidence that comes from life experience. She also had been impervious to the criticism and ventured into other pursuits when she realized members of the group were not only being critical but had no alternative solutions that would bring the criticism to a halt. In short, they simply were getting off on being critical and making complaints. When she moved onto new, yet related pursuits, this man with the Aquarius South Node (which you remember, is inside her 7th house of partnership, marriage and open enemies) tried to pull HER into line with the group of criticizers and force her to feel that their approval was important, by telling her “Someone asked, ‘Who authorized her?’ and I was wondering myself what you are up to”. At that point she realized how stuck he was in needing group approval (his Aquarius South Node) and she responded with two things:

First, she told him she did not need anyone’s authorization nor did she need to submit her activities and life activities to him or a group so that they could be aware of what she was doing and approve of it.

Second, she asked him why he was so afraid to stand by her, defend her and move away from such a gossipy, jealous, complaining group of people. She told him she thought he was much too wound up in needing other’s approval in his life. He admitted she was correct and said he is trying to change that within himself. He also agreed she did not owe him any information as to what she was doing with her daily schedule and life in general.

For now, let’s first look generally at the nodes of the Moon and what they represent, then specifically at the Leo/Aquarius nodes of the other person in this situation. In the future I will revisit this situation with the woman as the nodal person, using her Gemini North Node and Sagittarius South Node in the narrative.

The North Node: The sign and house of the North Node represents circumstances and activities that usually feel unfamiliar. It is the shadow side of the South Node sign, and it is the key to getting your dreams fulfilled. This is why the North node reveals an area of tremendous growth potential in your life. In short, you are drawn to personal growth and change in this lifetime by the North Node, and pulled back in time to past-life energy by the South Node. The North Node brings you opportunities to connect with others who can lead you out of your own particular South Node bad habits and repetitive behavior. Here is where you can find new ways of being, potential friends and allies, undeveloped talents, and soulfully awakening experiences. You will undoubtedly attract people who help fulfill or represent your North Node potential -- just this man has attracted me into his life. Be aware that you might project your dreams (especially your South Node dreams) upon them, thus failing to live up to your own potential and falling back into your negative South Node habits. You can avoid this pitfall by recognizing and realizing the potential within yourself!

The South Node: The sign and house of the South Node represents habit patterns from childhood or from past lives. This is where and how you have a tendency to totally overdo things. In a synastry chart (or relationship) this is an area where you may project these habits onto your partner and-or inject them into your relationship. These are comfortable patterns, but they often get in the way of you having the kinds of connections you want with other people. Your South Node indicates an area of longing, but also of massive talent and gifts. The trick is channeling those gifts properly. There is a longing there, a craving that is very strong. The nature of this longing is shown by the sign of the South Node. For example, in Aquarius, the craving is for approval from the group

The North Node in Leo represents the spiritual call for you to strike out in your own individual and creative path without fear. You need to make a conscious effort to deal with individual others in a more personal, involved, and loving manner, rather than falling back on reason and intellect which detaches us from our feelings. You are being called to acknowledge the uniqueness of individuals and to be willing to stand by those individuals rather than go along with the group. This placement means you must learn to take personal risks, which requires a certain amount of self-confidence, will help us to achieve inner balance and happiness. Growth in this lifetime for you means you must stop rationalizing your feelings in your head and start acting from your heart. Leo is an extremely creative sign, and to try to “blend in” with the group as an Aquarius South Node prefers cuts off a very real part of you that longs for expression. You will undoubtedly attract people with strong Leo placements (Ascendant, Sun, Moon) who are in your life to help fulfill or represent your North Node potential. Be aware that you might project your dreams (especially your Aquarius South Node dreams) upon them, thus failing to live up to your own potential and falling back into your negative South Node habits. You are starving yourself and preventing fulfillment of your dreams by giving up your individuality to the group. You can kill a relationship with your partner, mate or friend if you project this energy onto them by not supporting their daring and dreams of individual achievements. You find your true sense of belonging when you affirm your individuality or another's individuality, or take the risk of standing out from the crowd. When you do this you attract the right group of friends to you for your spiritual growth.

The South Node in Aquarius represents a strong urge to belong in a group. Your old pattern is to make your way by “fitting in,” letting go of your ego to promote a cause, and letting the energy of a group carry you. You try and find this sense of belonging by remaining a spectator in life rather than a participant. This position suggests you have a tendency to a) rely on others who may let you down, b) come across as impersonal or distant in your dealings with others, c) to be fearful of being the center of attention and standing out as an individual, to fear taking risks, and to fall back on peers and community at the expense of your own individuality. With this position, we need to avoid falling into the easy trap of worrying about what others think about you. You worry about having everyone speak well of you and you want to be everyone’s friend. You can easily alienate individuals when you over-emphasize equality to the point that you will not acknowledge an individuals' uniqueness. In the process you can lose a valuable relationship. You can too easily lose touch with your own heart by rationalizing your feelings, and become overly involved with the group or other people's problems at the expense of your inner needs for attention or at the expense of a relationship with a person who has a stronger individual sense of self and/or self-esteem. An example would be going along with the crowd in excluding or labeling as “bad” the confident individual who chooses to be or do something different from the group.

Finally, think about this -- The North Node is the head containing the mouth through which things pass to the South Node where you find the hungry stomach. You can fulfill the longing of the South Node through the passage of healthy energizing actions through the North Node. If you feed through “empty calories” of weak behaviors and old familiar patterns, the South Node is never fulfilled and it regurgitates (vomits!) or gives painful emotional and spiritual heartburn/acid reflux and you are still hungry in your soul.

---

Reefer Madness

As the planet Saturn traverses through the constellation of Virgo health issues are coming up for intorduction and review. Rules and regulations (Saturn) about health (Virgo), especially the health of women and by associaiton their children, are in the news. Since September 2, 2007 we have heard about reviews of drugs and hormones used to treat menopausal women. Now the federal government in the USA has released a report in which is it proclaiming a message it sent in 1936 under the polar transit of Saturn in Pisces: marijuana among teens causes depression adn mental illness. It is

Reefer Madness!!!

It was financed by a church group, produced and released in late 1936 under Saturn in Pisces. The original titled was "Tell Your Children". Shortly thereafter in 1937, still under Saturn in Pisces it was retitled "Reefer Madness".

If you have never seen it, it is in the public domain and you and get a copy of the black and white film for about $1-$5. It showsteenagers getting involved in murder, becoming depressed, committing suicide, having (horrrors) pre-marital sex and getting raped and quickly becoming mentally ill....all because of marujuana.

There is one memorable scene where a girl who has smoked it become crazed while playing the piano...faster and faster and faster.

I used to show this film at church as an icebreaker to talking about drug use in our senior high group. It never fails to get laughs and start conversation.

A film called "Cocaine Madness" was produced shortly after this. These two and some other films on marijuana and drugs in general were mass produced by the US federal government at that time as propaganda in the drug war of that time.

Here is a link to the article about it: Reefer Madness.

How much effect do you think this old/new claim of marijuana and mental illness will have?

The Saturn Return

When we turn 18 or 21 we are considered in many societies to be adults. We make changes and start crafting the life we believe we should live. But then we reach our late 20s and things begin to change. Our carefully made plans, our marriages, our careers and our sense of purpose begin to crumble or blockade us. We begin thinking that perhaps we have not done all we should have or could have done to grow up – now we are faced with the choices we have made. This is all no surprise to an astrology consultant. Why? You see, in astrology this is one of the most important times of your life – your arrival at adulthood, called the Saturn Return. It occurs for everyone between ages 27.5 – 30.

This period occurs when the planet Saturn completes its cycle through your natal chart and returns to the sign it occupied when you were born. You will feel it even more intensely when it arrives at the degree it occupied when you were born. Now you will make choices that bring old situations and relationships to an end and open the door to new opportunities and connections. The U.S. Census Bureau lists the highest divorce rate between as occurring between ages 28 - 30.

Very typically this is a challenging time when things that you realize things you once held dear now have no meaning for you. You may have married in your early 20s and now that marriage no longer works because you and your partner are not the youths you were when you you’re your vows. It is a time of inward examination and reflection. It can be a time of isolation and loneliness. It is also the time when you can steer your course towards the role in the world that you always wanted to have. What do you want, need, and desire? During the Saturn Return you gain clarity about that and take actions to make it happen. Your friends and family may not understand your need for solitude and your more serious nature, but it is quite normal.

You should be aware though, that if you find yourself being depressed and unable to begin to navigate in any direction for an extended period of time, it is wise to seek an astrology consultant, a psychotherapist or counselor. Depression can result form resisting that messages that the Spirit it trying to send you. Your natal Saturn sign and house is an indication of what you must change at this time in your life and what possible challenges you could face as you strive to mature into an adult. This maturity involves defining yourself in your own terms, but within a structure of society that allows you to move forward.

First Saturn Return

It is not surprising that at the first Saturn Return many people divorce someone they wed years before, choose to marry for the first time, have a baby, buy a home, return to school, change careers and do something that is relevant to your sense of purpose, or get serious about saving for the future.

Vincent Van Gogh evolved from a minister to an artist during his first Saturn Return. Sometimes people do not change so drastically, but will undertake a new direction or specialization within a chosen field.

If you have been planting seeds for several years in alignment with your values, the Saturn Return can be a time of reaping the harvest. Your efforts bear fruit. William Faulkner published his first novel at age twenty-nine. Drew Barrymore took a break from acting because she found fulfillment in being a very public political motivator of young adults in a move to encourage them to take on the adult responsibility of voting.

If you have been fulfilling someone else’s expectations and working in a career that has nothing to do with your inner calling, this is the breaking time. Things will begin to feel stagnant and dead. It is not surprising that you may even get terminated from a job before you decide toe pursue your true dream. Becoming an entrepreneur at this time is quite common. This is only a very difficult time if you are resisting and trying to stay stuck in your habits. You will find all that is extraneous to your life being pruned, so that you can grow stronger, live longer and live well. It will take perseverance on your part and no small amount of hard work, but it will be profitable.

Relationship Redux?

Intimate relationships and family relationships are significantly affected by the Saturn Return. Most married people will question their commitment. If a bond is healthy, based on mutuality, interdependence, and honesty, it will likely pass the test and continue for many years. The couple may decide to take on the responsibility of becoming parents. However a marriage begun before the partners knew themselves and their values is likely to end in divorce by the time the Saturn Return is complete. On the other hand, relationships that start during this period may have a "fated" or "karmic" quality about them. In family relationships, if there is a parent-child relationship or sibling connection that is not based on mutual respect for each other as adults, now is when the big confrontation will occur. If the importance of acknowledging each other as individuals and adults occurs the bond is made even stronger; if not, estrangement is likely to occur and may remain this way for decades.

The Heat Is On

You have heard the story about the science experiment where a frog is placed in a jar of water and a flame is lit beneath it, and the water slowly gets hotter. Many times the frog will sit there, not even realizing it is going to die because it will boil to death. Since you were born, Saturn has been slowly turning up the heat. You felt its heat at age seven. Then you felt it again at 14 and 21. Have you been laboring at a “Joe job” that brings you money but no fulfillment? Have you been working in a career that is what your family expects of you but is not the unusual, risqué profession that would bring deep satisfaction to your soul? Are you living in fear and trepidation at the unknown future ahead of you if you change? Well, now at age 28 the water in the jar is about to boil – will you jump out of the jar and start heading in the direction that better suits you? Will you remain in the jar and boil to great injury or death? This is a time of life where disappointments and frustrations are positive indicators of what needs to be removed from your life. It is a positive indicator of growth.

“Who am I?” is what you ask during this time. Anxiety, insomnia, irritability, depression and anger may be on a constant circuit in your life at this time as you try to discern a path. If you stop and realize that you are at a turning point in your life and that it is quite acceptable – no, mandatory – that you are disturbed enough to take extra time to think about yourself and your life and the new way you want to live, you will come out of this time period with much wisdom.

The Second and Third Saturn Returns

Saturn governs responsibility, practicality, seriousness, maturity, limitations, and structures. Integrating these characteristics is necessary for a successful Saturn Return. Resisting and remaining mired in inappropriate relationships, careers and situations can leave one spiritually bereft, psychologically depressed and emotionally hopeless on the other side of age 30. Learn the lessons of Saturn the first time. Should you not, the SAME problems will come knocking on your door during your second Saturn Return at about ages 56 – 58. They will not only knock, they will barrel past you and sit in your living room and you will have an even harder time than you did in your first Saturn Return because now you are stuck in your ways. If you live long enough, you will get a third Saturn Return at age 84-86. Handle it right the first time and this third and final one (given the current human life span) will be a breeze – you will be an incredibly wise person who is valued and sought by others as a teacher and mentor.

Saturn in Virgo: Blame it on the PMS!

Another man with the surname Petersen is in teh news now, suspected of killing his missing wife.

The man, a police officer, admits he is controlling - which qualifies as abuse - but says that his wife's PMS (Pre-menstrual Syndrome) "contributed" to their marital problems. He specifically says he is and was not abusive....only controlling.

Wooooooooweeeeeee! How long?! How long?! How long will men blame thier violence against women (emotional , mental or physical) on a woman's sexuality? How long will the fallacy of women losing their sanity each month because of their menstrual cycle persist and be used as a defense for abusing women?

With Saturn in Virgo, I wonder if we will see the rates of homicide against women rise between now and June 2010 to be more than in the few previous years?

All women who have menstrual cycles are pre-menstrual. And post-menstrual, too. From a spiritual point of view, the time before your menstrual is a powerful period, one that involves being able to be more in touch with your intuitive knowledge, and to powerfully state what you know. Men only wish they had that power once a month, LOL.....

In some cultures, a woman's menstrual time is considered to be so powerful and so sacred their is a place for wome to go once a month to be alone or with other women. In some cultures, the men leave the town/village. I know some intuitives who only give readings once a month, when they are just before and during their menstrual periods and they are highly prized and highly paid for their very accurate readings.

Want to bet Mrs. Petersen told Mr. Petersen the truth about himself and their abusive marriage once a month? Want to bet she stood up to his controlling abuse once a month? Want to bet he was SCARED of her once a month because when you are abusive, having the truth laid out in front of you by someone is frightening? Want to bet he felt her eyes searing into his controlling soul and her voice speaking out words that left him no place to hide?

I will win the bet.

Read the news story yourself here: Missing Petersen woman

Virgo and Aquarius: A Relationship of the Mind

It has been a significant time for me as of late.

First, Saturn in Virgo has been socking it to my Sun in Virgo.

Second, I told The Dane clearly and plainly of my interest in him and he did not run.

And finally, I have learned that I was right. The Dane is an Aquarius.

In fact among his placements, he has Sun and Venus in Aquarius, a Moon in Gemini, and Saturn in Libra.

I was doubly right -- he is coming up on his first Saturn Return in late 2009. His 1st and 7th houses are large, encompassing 63 degrees and three signs. His self vs The Other is where most of his focus is in life. If I have calculated his chart corrrectly, Saturn is already transiting his 7th house and his Saturn Return will occur in this house of marriage, partners, and open enemies. Oh this is going to be a challenging relationship, journeying with him to and, maybe through, his Saturn Return. Already, I can see the changes: the tiredness, the increasing depression, the significance of a relationship in his life right now, and really, always.

My Leo Ascendant and Virgo Sun are in his 7th, and my Pluto is in his 7th cusping his 8th house by seconds and my Mercury in Virgo occupies his 8th. Whatever the relationship it is destined to be an intense one. So far we have had some rather long conversations, with me doing most of the talking. We talk ALOT and seem to agree on amny subjects and enjoy sharing perspectives.

Right now we are also dealing with an intense situation with involving third parties outside the relationship, including his Sun in Virgo (10 degrees) male friend who is very critical, insecure and cowardly mutual acquaintance. This one is going to be trouble I can tell as we live in a land where culturally the men are generally quite passive with women and can tend to listen to their male friends more communicate with the woman to whom they are relating. The Dane's Virgo friend is soon to experience his Saturn Return and is living with a Sun in Virgo woman he complains about at times. I have heard him comment at various times about not being able to quietly have a hangover because he lives with her. I have lsuspected they will marry before the end of 2009 or break up rater hard. This very critical Virgo tells The Dane to stay focused on his graduate studies (they are writing a master's thesis together) and not get involved in a relationship (which would mean, do not get involved with me). In our conversation last night, I laughingly commented that to The Dane that he is already married to this guy, that he has a wife.

Because I am older than a child, my natal Mercury Rx in Virgo is now direct as a progression. Otherwise I might find it very inhibiting to talk to The Dane. However I am talking up a storm when I am with him -- sometimes amazing myself at the amount of material I have to share in a given conversation. In some sense this is surprising and I am waiting for the challenge one day as his natal Saturn in Libra Rx is in my 3rd house of communication and specifically, opposite my Aries Moon. What effect will he have on my communication with others? My communication with people of foreign cultures (opposing my 9th house). My writing? My conversations with him? Legal issues? I see possible spicy or tense conversations on the horizon.

For now, The Dane keeps me mentally and verbally on my toes. Hmmm, I could get to like this one.

Love, Delusions and Confessions

German Girl confessed today.

She is the German exchange student I talked about earlier. She was born and raised rather poor in what was East Berlin. She is studying Communication for a semester here at the university.

She confessed with a whisper that she has "feelings of love" for The Dane...who she says also has the same feelings of love for her. She says she knows this because while we were on the trip to Bornholm he helped her (and everyone else) while we were climbing some steep rocks during a hike. The Dane went up first and helped people up, as I stood in the back making sure everyone did get up the hill. She also tells me he gave her special looks. German Girl then told me I am sworn to secrecy and must not tell The Dane about her "feelings of love". But if he also has "feelings of love" for her, why must I keep the secret? Hmmm.

Of course I said nothing to her about my thoughts towards The Dane.

She has a boyfriend at a prestigious British university studying to be a lawyer, who is rather unhappy with her demands on his time and her demands for their relationship to be solidified into marriage (and soon, children). She is unhappy with the lack of attention she gets from him. She said is hoping to get something going with The Dane, so then she can break it off with her boyfriend and have another relationship to go to; she will "show" her boyfriend she can get someone else.

Someone recently told me there are 2 million more women than men in Germany. I think I am getting the picture. She is on a hubby hunt.

German Girl has a Sun and Mercury in Leo, Ascendant in Virgo, Pisces Moon, Venus in Cancer, and like The Dane, she has a Saturn in Libra. She is a 1.5 years younger than him.

She is a soft-spoken person , very librarian-like, can be very pleasant in tone when in conversation. The Sun in Leo expains the magenta-red hair. I noticed she is very secretive, very emotionally sensitive (Pisces Moon, Venus in Cancer), quite depressed (views life as quite bad), and possessive. Her tongue is biting and arrogant. She blurts out rude statements at people sometimes and does not seem to notice she is so harsh. Maybe that is a German thing? Or just a personality thing? Who knows.

This confession of hers feels like a dirty secret and a bit disturbing.

Saturn in Virgo 2007-2010

The Reign of the Harvest Goddess

The day has arrived - September 2,2007!!!

I have been waiting for this day! I love Virgo energy and find it to be so much more than the stereotypical Virgo-bashing passages I read so often. Virgo can now flex her muscle in a big way, much like She did in the late 1950s through the 1960s in the world.

Sepember 2, 2007, is a MAJOR day in all our lives! Saturn ingresses or enters the constellation of Virgo. For nearly the next three years, our lives will be flavored with the energry and interests of the Harvest Goddess, The Nurse, The Accountant, The Organizer.

Saturn is entering Virgo while Venus is retrograding. This Venus in Virgo transit is a notable one, occurring only once every 18 months. First, Venus was in Virgo, then it stationed retrograde and returned to Leo where it is now. The humility of Virgo is influencing the analysis people are conducting about their current and past relationships...and such Virgo humility is appearing in stark contrast to the ego of Leo. The retrograde motion is slowing and on Septemer 8, only six days after Saturn enters Virgo, Venus will station direct and begin transiting back to Virgo where it will remain for several weeks.

For those who have Sun in Virgo, Pisces, Gemini and Sagittarius, it will be an especially active and memorable time. Are you READY for the changes it will bring YOU as an individual?
How will The Harvest Goddess do this?


Religion/Spirituality, Alternative Medicine, The Environment
We will see much seeking of spiritual teachers and teaching, a resurgence in organized religion, alternative spirituality becomes more appealing. There will be acceptance and implementation of clean ecological foods and ways of eating; the rise of alternative medicine, natural healing, an increased use and recommendation of supplements, vitamins and minerals in place of prescription pharmaceuticals. Health and alternative healthcare will arise and serious changes will be made. Watch what happens with water, bottled water grains, bread and the price of bread!!) and more support for ways to avoid surgery and prescription medicine. Look back to the Virgo influenced 1960s and late 1970s, though, and recall the rise of the guru, Eastern spirituality, cults and religious groups like Dianetics (which is about correcting your flaws - how Virgo!).

Spiritual advisors and clergy will become very important to people under this Saturn in Virgo period as people seek to organize and find meaning in the spiritual so as to better guide their lives. People want a sense of purpose. Now that the fatuous ego has been downsized under Saturn in Leo, people want to do something with the humble spirit that remains.


Escapades and Escapes: Drugs and Alcohol
Purple hazes, white rabbits, mellow yellows, green tambourines etc...There is not too much revelation here when you look back at the Virgo inspired 1960s: non-prescription alternative drug experimentation exploded onto the scene. "Freeing your mind" sounds like something good to do when there is such a strong Virgo influence. After all, it supports free love and serving others by sharing yourself and your possessions, right? Hmmm. While Uranus and Pluto were transiting Virgo, LSD acid trips and marijuana was the drug of choice to elude reality while being convinced you were getting deeper into it. The rates of drug and alcohol use rose then and in the late 1970s we added many different pills to the mix. Tranquilizers and anti-depressants became the popular drug of choice in the late 1970s, with people needing to escape while claiming it helped them to cope with reality. It will not be surprising if people, angry over the last few years of strife, war and politics, repress that anger into depression and then seek a pill to deal with it. Alcohol (more of a polar Piscean influence) is also more easily accessible than a prescription drug so that could be another way of escaping. Mix some pills together, smoke a doobie and wash it all down with some beer or wine. Chill, dude. The fact is the issues that will arise under Saturn in Virgo will be challenging, conflicted and painful - will you strive to stay conscious and deal openly with them or will you hermit yourself in a cave of artificial safety and numbness? If you have indications in your chart (planets in signs or aspects) that indicate a pre-disposition for drug and alcohol use this is a time to be aware. Check your Virgo and Pisces placements.


Service, Servanthood, Martyrdom
Virgo is the sign of teh Servant and certainly sevice and sevanthood are hallmarks of The Harvest Goddess. In the Virgo influenced 1960s the Peace Corps rose to prominence and volunteerism became something people did in greater numbers than ever beofre People sought to help one another to live beter lives and to share resources. The movement went around the world. We may well see such organizations in existence and some new ones, become very active.
We also could see martyrs - people "dying for the cause". How will we also cope when more people are forthcoming about sexual expressions like BDSM and its aspect of sexual submissives and slaves who gain sexual and spiritual saisfaction from submitting their bodies and lives to another person. The expression"hurts so good" could take on new meaning. Of course this could also be a revelation of both healthy and unhealthy mental process taking place. Who can determine this? Well, it will take an analyzation (Virgo) of this sexual issue to make an informative conclusion.


Women's Bodies, Women Legal Rights
Could we cure or prevent women's diseases such as breast, cervical and ovarian cancer? How about a vaccine to prevent HIV/AIDS? How about dramatically decreaing teh amount of hysterectomies performed on woen (removing the organs that make them distinctly female) by the use of supplements that naturally heal uterine fibroids and endometriosis? What would the make dominated medical profession do if the profits from performing hysterectomies dramatically decreased (there could be some anger and resistance there from the American Medical Association and other medical organizations exemplifed by them trying to destroy the companies that produce the alternative healing solutions!).

We could see laws arise around issues affecting women's bodies, health and lives in general. Remember the Equal Rights Amendment arose in the USA so there would be legal consequences for not paying women the same as men, but in under Saturn in Virgo it faltered and was effectively "killed". Does this now portend restrictive rules about abortion, the new drug that prevents cervical cancer in females etc.?

Saturn (male) in Virgo (female) - will men in power use their power to prevent, minimize or eliminate gains made by women, human rights for women or things which simply would make women's lives more equal to those of men?

Keep in mind since women are the primary caretaker of children in the world, children will be affected by whatever affects women and women will be affected by whatever decisions are made about children!


Lying, Telling the Truth and Their Rewards
Where you could perhaps charm your way out of a lie with some bravado at other times, now you will see the axe fall on your neck. We will see the rise people who tell the truth about things while witnessing the fall of people who lie and present a facade about who they are, their job etc. There will be many stories and issues about truth, and doing the right thing: we will see lots of folks exposed as liars - sometimes forcefully and explosively - and there will be harsh punishment for the lies (resignations, firings, immense shame, etc). Those who practice telling the truth from the start will be elevated - promotions, support, new jobs, more responsibility, lots of love from others, justice prevailing etc.


Good Sex/Bad Sex, Promiscuity and Sexual Dis-ease
Sexual issues of a deeply personal nature and possibly related to "taboo" or "hidden" sexuality in some form (discussions of sex and sexuality in general, issues about virginity, people's feelings of shame about sex, people who are living hypocritical lives (regarding general sexuality, child molestation, BDSM, bisexuality, homosexuality, transvestism, rape and sexual assault)......all these thing will come to light under Saturn in Virgo.

Look back to the 1960s, and the late 1970s, though, and recall that under Virgo/Saturn in Virgo influence we saw the explosion of free love (sex for the pure pleasure of it or in some cases promiscuity), the proliference of the birth control pill and the emergence of what became known as HIV/AIDS. The latter occurred under Saturn in Virgo - perhaps Saturn reigning in the excesses of irresponsible sexuality (unprotected sex)?

In the last few months, people have reported to me that friends they know who are bisexual or homosexual and not too careful with their sexual practices seem to be following in the path of gay friends they had as a child (yes, chilren/young teens are sexually active). If you recall, by the time Saturn arrived in Libra in teh early 1980s many people then exploded with sexual disease (HIV/AIDS) and died. We must be careful not to be too complacent now and end up watching more friends die of sexually transmitted diseases over the next 6 years. Start practicing safe sex under Saturn in Virgo if you were not before, so that you reap good rewards from your sexual activities, not disease and death (dis-sease and death being Saturnine energies).

The evolved thing to do under Saturn in Virgo is for us to work to eliminate dis-ease about our sexuality. We will have the chance to be open about all forms of sexuality, be open about sexual abuse in all forms and use this openness to have a more healthy sexual ethos in our communities, homes and personal lives. When we find sexual abuse we must deal with it and not push it underground nor punish the powerless victim (punishment and victimization are Virgo energies). We must stop repressing and hiding in our sexual closets for it warps our spirits and cuts off our relationships with other people.

Under Saturn in Virgo this could be the time when those adult who are sexually late bloomers or immature in expression come into their own - healthy, regular sexual relationships, releasing of inhibitions from the past, first-time late marriages etc.

People hiding certain sexual behaviors - especially people with strong Virgo planetary placements - the bell will now toll for thee!! The truth will come out, leak out, fall out, be blown out etc. In fact, some of this began in late July as Saturn transited the final 10 degrees of Leo.


Organizing our Lives, Cleaning Out Our Closets and More
This world will get better organized (but then could that be bad in the form of creating too much red-tape bureaucracy?) Oooh, Virgo is a great oganizing energy.

Cleanliness will be an issue and you will find it in these areas: water, water safety, agriculture (clean, ecological food), more personal hygiene products, hospital cleanliness, germ warfare, disease research, or possible new diseases spring up or new cures being found regarding germ-based diseases


Virgo as Woman: the Ultimate Self-Contained Human Being
Women are wonderful. Once it is implanted her her womb, women spend 10 months nurturing a seed into human life. Women are the primary caretakers of other human beings. Women are workers, servants, mothers, lover, wives, partners, leaders, multi-taskers and well, everything. Women know how to take care of themselves sexually without needing to invade or control another person's body. Virgo, the Harvest Goddess, is the only female human zodiac sign. She is about being self-contained: about being able to live alone if necessary, about being able to handle whatever needs to be handled while having a delicate femininity. In the clear brown eyes of the earthy Virgo woman is someone who CAN do it all and do it well, to the amazement and sometimes irritation of others. She works hard, worries long and manages to pull it all together. Her love is practical, earth-shaking on a deep level and solid.

Think that intellectual, picky woman with her brown hair pulled back into a bun is a boring, frigid Ice Queen? Think again. Look again. Her clear brown eyes sparkle deep and her brilliant mind and throaty laugh from the heart will capture you while her sensitive spirit and her innate knowledge of ou bring you a deep satisfaction that if you treat her well, you will always be taken care of well. And did I mention the earth-shaking love making that starts with a tremor deep within?...........

Analyzing for Right Knowledge
Look back to 1977-1980 to deeply understand the times in which we will be living these next 33 months until early June 2010.

We will strive to "do the right thing" very consistently in this period. We will analyze, intellectualize and devise ways to do things better and more "uprightly". Yes it cold be irritating sometimes in some places to some people. Overall, however, it will be the right thing to do and we will know it.


Your Personal Saturn in Virgo
Call or write me to get a personalized consultation and learn your best moves under this influence. It would behoove us all to understand how we are or could be affected so we know how best to handle it.

Saturn is not a planet to be taken lightly and the changes He brings are lasting ones.
If you ARE a Virgo - this is a time when things can finally fall into place in your life for a lasting period of time (30 years!). Make it a GOOD 30 years!

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Pisces 2007

Eclipses of the moon (lunar eclipses) are traditionally seen as bad omens but really they are not. Women and family are more likely to be affected AND at the center of actions than are men. You see, the Moon governs the feminine, emotions and relationships. The effect is more personal.

Mutuable signs
If you are a Pisces, Virgo, Gemini or Sagittarius, this lunation will be very significant for you.

The Lady Vanishes
What I have observed over the years is that when there is a lunar eclipse, particularly during a Full Moon, a woman is eclipsed from someone’s life. If you are male you may likely find yourself putting and end to a relationship with a woman you know is not meant to be in your life anymore, whether she is a friend or a lover. If you are female, you will likely find yourself on the receiving end of a rather abrupt break in a relationship. Of course you could do the breaking, but the former is more likely.

Emotions and Egos
This total eclipse is at 4°46' Pisces. If you have Pisces planets within 3 degrees, or Virgo planets opposite this degree you will be feeling it rather heavily. Beware of letting the ego and emotions get tangled into an ugly mess! This lunation can prompt a significant change.

Health will be a prominent issue in this eclipse – as it will between now and June 2010. During this lunation – especially and in the week to follow, there will be a pervasive attempt to hide the pain you feel one feels in the ego - to dull the pain and escape from the reality of broken relationships and emotional sorrows through drugs and alcohol. Psychosomatic illnesses and hypochondria will rise. Physical illnesses with no obvious cause will be seen.

With the aspects of the Full Moon in Pisces, Venus retrograde in Leo, the Sun and Mercury in Virgo opposing Uranus in Pisces, it is not a good time to work on newsletters or other forms of communication nor to do anything with the finances of an organization. You will also want to lay low where it concerns group activities. However, if you will wait until the Solar Eclipse on September 11, you will then be able to make some significant headway. For now, just let what you have already planned take place.


Embracing the Eclipse
With Venus retrograde at this time, it is an even better time to recall the past, examine your part in it, forgive yourself and others and release it. Let the past be the past so you can have a present and a future. Instead of picking at the scab repeatedly, relax, allow yourself to heal and watch the transformation begin. While this is what we SHOULD do, it also needs to be said that many will not. There is temptation to be a martyr and sink into self-pity instead of accepting the reality and moving forward. Others may attempt to revive dead things such as broken relationships. Love affairs that have broken recently are just that, BROKEN. They will not fix. Trying to start a new relationship or revive one that has broken down will result in all kinds of trouble and horror in the weeks and months to come.

The Sun is in Virgo so a discriminating tone is in the air and may provoke feelings of distrust and anger. Mercury is also in Virgo, opposite Uranus and turmoil will abound. This is the time to take a philosophical approach to all matters in your life and learn to shrug your shoulders. Do not make any decisions. Listen to all sides and take notes.

Lightning Bolt? No Accident!

With Progressed Venus conjunct my natal Sun, a common love/marriage transit, I have known that I, during this time, meet a very special man who "fits" and who I "fit". This happens for all of us who have this progression.

As many of you who know me personally realize, I am a passionate person but I respond with calmness, coolness and moderation in the face of dramatic events.

This was my response today when The Dane walked into the room and plopped down in a chair. I had to give a presentation to other students about the international students organization I chair/coordinate (Aries Moon 9th house) and he came to listen, as a mentor/tutor to new students.

I am sure that he did not see it but when he plopped into that chair, hair wild and curly, skin red and brown with sun, sweating and out of breath, a bolt of lightning shot from that chair across the room to where I was sitting on the desk. "Damn, such a cute guy" I said to myself. But there was more than a recognition of cuteness.

Something is afoot. I will know this man the rest of my life. And I think he will be quite special to me. A partner? Me, the Independent Eccentric Virgo Woman get partnered at this point? I think he is younger than me (pre-Saturn Return?) and I am not so sure about equal maturity levels, compatible goals in life etc with what I assume is an age difference. Why get involved with a younger man, and especially if he is pre-Saturn Return, as I suspect? That will be a trial and tribulation not only fo rhim, but for me unless I am constantly detaching. At most the age difference is older sister to younger brother, but it is the Saturn Reutrn issue that scares me. Those of us who have already had our Saturn Return know what a challenge that time of life is, beginning from the entire year before it at age 27/27.5 until the actual Return date. Anyone willing to go through it again? Ick!!!

Anyway...significant Transits and Progressions for me on this day? Progressed Venus conjunct N Sun, Tr Venus conjunct N Sun, Tr Moon conjunct N Juno, Tr North Node 7th house, Tr Pluto conjunct N. Vertex 5th house.

Hmmmm, this looks like this meeting between me and The Dane is no accident!

I will keep you abreast of what happens with him, whatever it may be.

Love's Unfinished Business - Venus Retrograde 2007

VENUS IN VIRGO RETROGRADE

Time to Complete Love's Unfinished Business

Now that the Sun has entered Leo we are nearing the month of August and some significant planetary movements.

First up we have sensual Venus stationing retrograde, something it only does once every 18 months. Venus will do this on July 27, 2007 at 3° Virgo (or more precisely, 2° Virgo 56'), and this retrograde period will last until September 8, 2007, By then the planet of love and sensuality stations direct at 16° Leo 36'. That forward motion then continues until October 11, when she returns to 3 °the 3rd degree of Virgo, where she first made her station (this is called the "Shadow Period"). To recap, that is, Venus is retrograde July 27-September 8.

This Venus in Virgo transit will be a challenging one because it will makes demands on you about the men and women you have been in relationship with, about love. The demands are coming from Saturn which will also be making a stand by moving from Leo into Virgo. (More about Saturn in Virgo is coming soon!). This movement of Venus began at the beginning of July and will extend into the middle of October. (then Virgo's ruler, Mercury is in retrograde again).

How will this affect you? With Venus going retrograde, August, September and half of October will be time for a review of your love life and relationships in general. Virgo demands honesty, practicalityand uprightness in love. The past is important. Who do you REALLY love? Is there a woman or man in your past who you have run away from, rejected or refused to commit to because of fear and dishonest "reasons"? Now is the time when you must face the music. With the influence of Saturn, it is decision-making time - and making the choice for that person may well be the "right" choice and the best choice. Are you in a "relationship" shaped by and grounded in a foundation of secrecy, guilt, control, sexual obsession or some other fragile reason? Making a choice to commit to that person will bring you pain that will be long and memorable and not to your liking in any way until you, again, making things "right".

One example: At hte center is a Virgo male who is a closet bisexual and transvestite who wears women's clothing and wants to be the dominated submissive in BDSM sex play. He connects online with a dominatrix. This woman's last such relationship ended when the man, her "slave" finally would not comply with her persistent demands for marriage and financial support. She is still looking to get married, hopefully toi a man who wants to take the submissive role. They have cybersex for a few months then she travels to his country to live with him. They live out their fantasies in front of a webcam and in BDSM clubs for an online BDSM community in what is called a TPE 24/7 (Total Power Exchange). They have also agreed to do this under a year long Mistress/slave contract. Now months into it. they argue frequently about finances and struggle over who will be in control. She tells her BDSM chatroom friends that it is th greatest relationship in teh world; he knows he will never marry her but he is staying silent to avoid conflict for the remainder of the contract. He also hides their relationship and his sexual orientation from his family and friends. So, what happens to such a relationship under under Venus retrograde (and Saturn in Virgo)? Does this relationship have any real foundation for a lasting relationship of decades? Can it stand the test of honesty, openness and dealing with everyday life like children, extended family and building a life together? Or is it really only a guilt-ridden and secret relationship hidden from everyone? Virgos do not really get away with making the wrong choices, LOL. They suffer for it, unlike some other signs which bounce back better.

If you have Sun, Moon, Venus, Saturn or Ascendant in Virgo this will be an especially personal transit. For Virgos in general this is a part of a marriage and commitment transit. If you have Sun or Venus in Virgo, do not be surprised if the best and "right" decision of commitment that brings life happiness involves another Virgo! Of course it may not be. Do not be surprised if both or one of you is well past the "normal" marriage age. All good things come in time and later in life is Virgo's time. Why? Two things: 1) Virgo is said to be truly the only sign that another Virgo can marry and it definitely works out well and 2) Virgo women and men are THE most self-contained people in the world and tend to marry later in life - 30s and 40s.

I will go deeper into Saturn in Virgo in another article, but know that Saturn's arrival into Virgo signifies the start of many marriage, divorces and pregnancies/births by Virgos between September 2007 and June 2010.

Venus in Virgo retrograde will call upon us to go back and take care of unfinished love business. *ouch* Typically in retrogrades we are forced to deal with deep feelings that have their origins in past events. It is an opportunity to gain insight into your style of relating, whether sexually, creatively, or financially. The deep feeling will be activated internally but can be difficult to express to ourselves or others while Venus is retrograde. When the retrograde is done (early September in this case) we can give voice to what is uncovered.

Is there or has there been a Virgo in your life that you were involved with at some point? Your thoughts will wander back to that person to reconsider. After everything is weighed a solid and honest committed relationship can result that will involve love, security, service, caring, friendship and a lasting partnership.

Have you been feeling there is something missing in your life and you want the partnership that a marriage brings? Then it is time to put aside the obfuscations and lies you have used to keep the two of you apart (or for you to face that Virgo who has been doing the same thing) and get married.

When Virgos are presented with the truth, no matter how "deep, dark and ugly", it can open a whole new world of light - like the kind sparkle in a Virgin's eyes.

Virgo will take care of you and you will never be wanting as Virgo loves to serve. That is the general nature of a commitment made under Saturn in Virgo - a commitment made to and with a person who embodies the Virgoan calling of service

As director Spike Lee said....it is time to DO THE RIGHT THING.

So review and undo the false relationships that have no solid foundation for a future. Analyze the facts, take into consideration the truth about yourself and the other person. Speak openly and honestly and let love into the space between you. Make a good choice for love and stick to it. It may mean reaching back and calling, visiting or writing that old girlfriend, it may mean you meet a new man in October 2007 who embodies Virgoan characteristics and marry him, and hey, it is time!


BASIC BACKGROUND

A little insight on Virgo and Venus:

Virgo is the planet whose archetypes are The Analyzer, The Sacred Prostitute (Vestal Virgin), The Servant, The Harvest Mother, The Nurse. This is a feminine sign and men with Sun in Virgo have something about them that is quietly graceful and feminine. It could be in, for example, the gliding walk of model-turned-actor Virgoan Sean Connery, or the charmingly intelligent looks of Virgoans Mark Harmon and Richard Gere. Virgo is also sexy too - besides those three men, think Virgoans Sophia Loren and Beyonce Knowles!

Venus reveals our values. The Goddess of Love rules emotions and feelings, fashion, sense of humor, anything artistic and aesthetic, fashion, the pursuit of pleasure, forms of desire such as money/wealth, social attitudes, love, marriage,romance and commitment, Venus symbolizes female relationships and social interactions at every level.

Service is Love - Venus in Virgo (July 14, 2007)

Venus in Virgo

Service is Love

Get your love in order! We are blessed with Venus in Virgo from July 14 through August 8. In communion with the New Moon in Cancer, this ingress of Venus into Virgo lends us full support in taking care of the details of love. Love is not always dreaming and floating on air. It is doing the “little things” for each other. It is a time when we find ourselves doing practical things to help our partners. We make ourselves more available to our lovers than at other times. For those in a bad relationship it is a time of being able to look at our relationships with the eyes of practicality and make sometimes tough decisions to end things or to note where we can make improvements.

Let’s take a moment to say something else about Virgo. The superficial word about Virgo is that it is all about milquetoast men and frigid women who are life-long bachelors, sexual virgins or inexperienced with sex, prudish, think sex is disgusting, shy, guilt-ridden, and who spend their lives as be-spectacled librarians and accountants. But Virgo is an Earth sign and that means Virgos are not just analytical (noticing the little things), practical and concerned about hygiene in a relationship; it means Virgos are sensual people who know how to make the earth quake! They are not necessarily virgins and can be quite sexually free, merging with a partner with some delight. Reserved? Once you have proven yourself to be a trustworthy and caring person, analytical and observant Virgo lets the wall down and is willing to do what it takes to make a partner happy. Service is an excellent expression of love.

As the Sun transits into Leo a few days into this Venus transit, some of the expressions of love could be quite elaborate and showy. During this Venus in Virgo cycle it would be easy to feel guilty about enjoying love and other pleasures too much, but indulge yourself anyway. Notice how people respond to your attempts to make them happy and notice how you respond in kind. Do not, however, worry yourself to death over things not being perfectly expressed. Stay in the moment and enjoy it.

Mercury Retrograde in Cancer 2007

There is no place to run, no place to hide from June 16 to July 9. Why? Because we are facing a Mercury retrograde in Cancer.

Mercury retrograde is a planetary movement that occurs three times per year for three weeks at a time. This retrograde travels from 12 Cancer back to 3 Cancer, conjoining on June 28 at 7 Cancer. Our subconscious signs, signals and messages will come out into the light and affect our daily lives. We will even gain a better understanding of the perceptions we have been holding of our lives. What is false will be the subject of confrontation. You must decide how you want to communicate regarding your responsibilities, relationships, and reputation.

Mercury in Cancer translates into communicating about relationships. Mercury retrograde in Cancer is a clarion call from the Universe to review relationships of all kinds, including the one we have with ourselves. Are you expressing your true feelings or repressing them? Are you revealing your needs? Are you being authentic in your everyday life? What is not working for you? What needs to change? What rut do you need to get out of? What makes you anxious, afraid and insecure (Cancer is a sign with an innate sense of insecurity)? How can you become emotionally powerful and less self-protective in your relationships? How can you create healthy emotional boundaries through communication?

This retrograde is trine the retrograde point of the last Mercury retrograde in February, thus it offers us the opportunity to better understand the revelations we had at that time when we had to prove our value and our abilities. This retrograde point falls within a degree of where Mars will station and transit retrograde on November 15, 2007. What you learn during this retrograde will resurface between November 2007 and April 2008.

Jupiter Transits Sagittarius

Jupiter is about to be IN THE HOUSE.

That’s right. On November 23, 2006, Jupiter comes home to the sign it rules, Sagittarius. This transit occurs once every 12 years and last for about 13 months. This means this transit of Jupiter in Sagittarius will last until the end of December 2007. Jupiter’s transit through this sign empowers us to feel more optimistic, hopeful, adventurous, and interested in matters of faith and spirituality. Our inner world is expanded.

We humans categorize our lives in terms of what is familiar and what is strange or different. We view things in terms of “us and “them” or “other”. For the last few years Jupiter has been transiting through the signs of the zodiac that represent “them”, taking the focus off us. We are being offered the opportunity to expand our world through our connection with others. With Jupiter in Libra we learned about expanding and enhancing our relationships and partnerships, how to create negotiate, the benefits of beauty and balance. With Jupiter in Scorpio we learned about sharing bodies and souls, as well as our material possessions with others. It was an intense learning experience. With Jupiter in Sagittarius we will learn about the values and beliefs of “them” (just as “they” will learn the same about “us").

The good news is that Jupiter can make this learn look and feel fun. The bad news is that if we over-expand, Jupiter can bring the pain of excess.

Jupiter, the big red planet, is your jolly, rich grandfather, coming to visit. He rolls up in the driveway in his luxury car with a booming laugh, lots of hugs, many bags of sweet candy and lots of money in his pockets. He is here to dispense his wisdom and lots of good cheer.

They key is, do not overlook the wisdom in an attempt to enjoy all the obvious goodies Jupiter brings. The wisdom is actually the most valuable gift he is bringing. There will be more about that in a moment.

A closer look at the naturally expansive nature of Jupiter reveals a tendency to increase our desire to better understand our world through education, religion and spirituality, legal issues, culture and philosophical principles.

Everyone will approach this in a different way. For some this may mean learning foreign languages, learning about other cultures, traveling long distances to get an education, studying concepts that are “foreign” to us or studying under someone who is of a different culture.

International politics and current events will be in the forefront during this transit on a personal and global level. Just as Saturn’s mission is to enhance our world through contraction - removal of people, places and things that are unnecessary and hinder our growth – Jupiter’s mission is to expand our world. What is happening in places other than our backyard will be noticed unlike previous times and such distant and/or global events will have a more noticeable effect on individuals.

Remember that gift of wisdom mentioned earlier? That is crucial in any Jupiter transit but now more so than ever while Jupiter is in the sign it rules. We must not be naïve in our belief in others or in our faith in ourselves. We must not be too puffed up with pride or too cocky in our behavior. We must be realistic and then make a decision to move forward. We must measure how much we have and what we can possibly learn so we can grow and progress. The door of opportunity is available to us in many areas, and now is the time to go to/return college, take a night course, learn a foreign language, study another culture, investigate a new spiritual path, open yourself to the ideas and philosophy of others and/or connect with people of cultures, backgrounds or ethnicities different from ourselves. During this time, those who heed the wisdom and take risks to grow will find themselves highlighted in a big way, perhaps even on the international stage.

If you want to make the most of Jupiter in Sagittarius, look to where Saturn in Leo is transiting your chart. The key to the wisdom is in Saturn. Jupiter expands and Saturn contracts, so they balance one another. The key to a successful and healthy life is maintaining balance. The lessons of Saturn in Leo and Saturn in Virgo will show the ways in which you should shape the way you expand your life under Jupiter in Sagittarius. All work and no play, or too much play and no work will result in pain – emotionally, psychologically, intellectually or physically.

PERSONALIZED REPORT: If you would like to know how Jupiter in Sagittarius is opening the door to your wildest dreams, how you can best take advantage of this energy over the next year and what Saturn in Leo and Saturn in Virgo are revealing about how to shape your progress, order a report today. It can be purchased in the shop.

Sun in Leo Trine Pluto in Sag

The powerful Sun in Leo is trine equally powerful Pluto in Sagittarius and we are getting a visual of life (the joie de vivre of Leo) intertwined with death (the endings of Pluto). George W. Bush is doing some chest-puffing in the form of threatening to wage yet another war, this time on Iran, because they are choosing to arm themselves with nuclear weapons.

Another war. Another war? Another war! Oh god, another war. With resignation, yes, another war.

Chalmers Johnson spoke of this as one of the sorrows of empire that would be visited upon the world as the United States of American continued on an imperialistic and militaristic path. Here in his book "The Sorrows of Empire" he says

The sorrows of empire are the inescapable consequences of the national policies American elites chose after September 11, 2001. Militarism and imperialism always bring with them sorrows. The ubiquitous symbol of the Christian religion, the cross, is perhaps the world's most famous reminder of the sorrows that accompanied the Roman Empire--it represents the most atrocious death the Roman proconsuls could devise in order to keep subordinate peoples in line. From Cato to Cicero, the slogan of Roman leaders was "Let them hate us so long as they fear us."

Four sorrows, it seems to me, are certain to be visited on the United States. Their cumulative effect guarantees that the U.S. will cease to resemble the country outlined in the Constitution of 1787. First, there will be a state of perpetual war, leading to more terrorism against Americans wherever they may be and a spreading reliance on nuclear weapons among smaller nations as they try to ward off the imperial juggernaut. Second is a loss of democracy and Constitutional rights as the presidency eclipses Congress and is itself transformed from a co-equal "executive branch" of government into a military junta. Third is the replacement of truth by propaganda, disinformation, and the glorification of war, power, and the military legions. Lastly, there is bankruptcy, as the United States pours its economic resources into ever more grandiose military projects and shortchanges the education, health, and safety of its citizens. All I have space for here is to touch briefly on three of these: endless war, the loss of Constitutional liberties, and financial ruin.

….....If the likelihood of perpetual war hangs over the world, the situation domestically in the United States is no better. Militarism and imperialism threaten democratic government at home just as seriously as they menace the independence and sovereignty of other countries. Whether George Bush and his zealots can ever bring about a "regime change" in Iraq or any other country is an open question, but there is no doubt that they already have done so within the United States. In keeping with the Roman pretensions of his administration, Bush often speaks as if he were a modern Caligula (the Roman emperor who reigned from 37 to 41 AD and who wanted to appoint his horse to the Senate). In the second presidential debate on October 11, 2000, Bush said, "If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." A little more than a year later, he replied to a question by the Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward, "I'm the commander--see, I don't need to explain--I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being president. Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don't feel like I owe anybody an explanation."(1)

(George W. Bush has Mercury in Leo, so what a perfectly arrogant Leo communication that is; he also has Venus, Pluto and his Ascendant in Leo. You can possible view that as a tendency towards preening in the spotlight)

Bush and his administration have worked zealously to expand the powers of the presidency at the expense of the other branches of government. Article 1, Section 8, of the Constitution says explicitly that "The Congress shall have the power to declare war." It prohibits the president from making that decision. The most influential author of the Constitution, James Madison, wrote in 1793, "In no part of the Constitution is more wisdom to be found than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace to the legislature, and not the executive department. ... The trust and the temptation would be too great for any one man."(2) Yet, after September 11, 2001, President Bush unilaterally declared that the nation was "at war" against terrorism, and a White House spokesman later noted that the president "considers any opposition to his policies to be no less than an act of treason."

During October 3 to 10, 2002, Congress's "week of shame," both houses voted to give the president open-ended authority to wage war against Iraq. It permitted the president to use any means, including military force and nuclear weapons, in a preventive strike against Iraq as soon and as long as he--and he alone--determined it to be "appropriate." The vote was 296 to 33 in the House and 77 to 23 in the Senate. There was no debate; the members were too politically cowed to address the issue directly. Thus, for example, Sen. Pete Domenici (R-New Mexico) spoke on the hundredth anniversary of the 4-H Club; Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Kentucky) talked about the Future Farmers of America in his state; and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-California) gave Congress a brief history of the city of Mountain View, California.3

Equally serious, the Bush administration arrogated to itself the power unilaterally to judge whether an American citizen or a foreigner is part of a terrorist organization and can therefore be stripped of all Constitutional rights or rights under international law. President Bush's government has imprisoned 664 individuals from forty-two countries, including teenage children, at a concentration camp in Guantánmo, Cuba, where they are beyond the reach of the Constitution. It has also designated them "illegal combatants," a concept unknown in international law, to place them beyond the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war. None of them has been charged with anything: they are merely captives.

1. (1) Bob Woodward, Bush at War (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2002), pp. 145-46.
2. (2) James Madison, as quoted by Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-West Virginia), October 3, 2002, speaking in opposition to a resolution granting the president open-ended authority to go to war whenever he chooses to do so. See John C. Bonifaz, "War Powers: The White House Continues to Defy the Constitution," TomPaine.com, February 4, 2003.
3. (3) Winslow T. Wheeler, "The Week of Shame: Congress Wilts as the President Demands an Unclogged Road to War" (Washington: Center for Defense Information, January 2003), p. 17.

Chalmers Johnson is the president of the Japan Policy Research Institute in California and author of Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire. This essay is an excerpt from his forthcoming book The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic (New York: Metropolitan Books; and London: Verso).

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We are at war in Iraq because Cancerian Bush used the office of president to try to destroy the man he said tried to kill his father. Bush has a Leo Ascendant and now the chest-puffing and roaring goes even further....and the U.S. people may find themselves forced to kill not just Iraqis, but Iranians to satisfy Bush's prideful bloodlust and thirst for power. There are sure to be more American deaths. One wishes Johnson were wrong.

On a personal level, this aspect will light up the two houses where you have the transiting Sun in Leo and transiting Pluto in Sagittarius. They will most likely be four houses apart, if you know how to read chart houses. That means the issues of those two houses will be strongly activated today and in the next few days. Before acting or saying anything dramatic, try to THINK first, for something may well be forced to die in order for something else to come into being or grow. Maybe in the long run it is not worth it.

Saturn in Leo is working its way down through Bush's 12th house and onto his Ascendant. Saturn is coming out of the dark and will do its work on Bush (and everyone with a Leo Ascendant or first house Leo planets) in public. There are some hard lessons coming to Bush as 1) he loses face as Saturn sits on his Ascendant, then 2) Saturn conjuncts his Mercury and curtails his arrogant communications, then 3) Saturn conjuncts his Pluto in Leo and smacks him down, taking away some of the power he thought he had and finally 4) he loses even more of the love of the people when Saturn comes to his Venus in Leo. If you have a Leo Ascendant or first house Leo planets, are you preparing yourself for what is to come? Those of you in the Pluto in Leo generation are going to find Saturn in Leo particularly challenging!

It need not be negative. Be sure to purchase the Saturn in Leo report so you can gain a better handle on things. Stop or prevent endless wars in your individual life.

Ego Illusions (Sun opp Neptune)

Today there is a major aspect building that will be exact just after 8am PST/12noon EST/2pm GMT. That aspect is SUN opposite NEPTUNE. But, you ask, why should I be concerned?

The Sun represents identity, ego and self. Neptune represents dreams, illusions, veils, spirituality, creativity etc. How this combination is likely to manifest today as the two planets comes into exact opposition is what I call EGO ILLUSIONS or EGO DELUSIONS.

People will be quite willing to get into fights and do or say negative things based on lies, illusions and deceptions or delusions. Chests can be puffed up over much of nothing. Because it is a Sun in Leo and Neptune in Scorpio this could mean some loud "roaring" and some deceitful, sneaky actions.

What is your best path today in light of this? Stay to yourself, intentionally be humble, spend time writing or doing something creative. Keep silent and do not get caught up in your or someone else's delusions. Sometimes you must just let things pass by without comment or excuse yourself from participation in something for a very vague reason.

This aspect will strongest as it builds and then it will be in force for the remainder of the day. Take it easy!

It is a day to be sure that YOU are doing the best thing and not being misled by rose-colored glasses or intentional deceit. The aspect's effect will be strongest as it builds to its exact point and then will begin to wane, but you can expect to feel it for about 12 hours. If something should occur, it is possible that the actions of today could reverberate through the week.

Peace, Truth, and Love

Barrett

Beyond Pluto: A 10th Planet Revealed

Astronomy and its inseparable component, astrology, have a new planet to contend with, it seems. Astronomers say they have found a planet beyond Pluto. This leads to some interesting thought as to what role it plays in the natal charts and therefore lives of we homo sapiens..... Just as the Sun, Moon, Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Pluto and the asteroid Chiron have visible effect, so would this planet..............


A US astronomer said Friday he had discovered a 10th planet in the outer reaches of the solar system that could force scientists to redraw the astronomical map.

If confirmed, the discovery by Mike Brown of the respected California Institute of Technology would be the first of a planet since Pluto was identified in 1930 and shatter the notion that nine planets circle the sun.

"Get out your pens. Start rewriting textbooks today," said Brown, a professor of planetary astronomy, announcing what he called "the 10th planet of the solar system," one that is larger than Pluto.

"It’s the farthest object ever discovered to orbit around the sun," Brown said in a conference call of the planet that is covered in methane ice and lies nearly 15 billion kilometers [nine billion miles] from Earth.

"I’d say it’s probably one and a half times the size of Pluto," he said from CalTech, based in Pasadena, near Los Angeles, referring to what until now has been the most distant planet in Earth’s solar system.

Full story.......

Riding July's Grand Trine Wave

This weekend, July 15-17, will be quite intense! Why? We have a grand trine occurring between the fiery signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius and the planets Mars, Venus and Pluto.

A grand trine is a powerful positive aspect in astrology which focuses on 120 degrees between planets. For this summertime grand trine, Mars in Aries, Venus in Leo and Pluto in Sagittarius are aligned 120 degrees apart between 21-23 degrees. If you know geometry, this gives you an equilateral triangle (a triangle with equal sides and angles). Aspects of 5 degrees or less in orb in a natal chart is interpreted to have a strong effect on a person over their lifetime; in a current transit or progressed chart a 2 degree orb is usually used.

If you are born with a grand trine you typically have a rather easy go of it in some area of life. Some people born with more than one are the people we see who coast through life and have things handed to them on the proverbial silver platter.

Mars is the mythological God of War, governing energetic action and sex; Venus is the mythological Goddess of Love (also known as Aphrodite); Pluto is the mythological God of Hell/Death. Hell/Hades and death are simply states of transformation. These three energies come together to form a grand trine within two degrees over the three day weekend. You may feel their influence approaching as much as three days before and you may still feel them as much as three days after the aspect ends on Sunday.

What does it mean for you in the “real world”? You could find yourself getting quickly, deeply caught up in a compelling relationship or liaison that feels almost “fated”. He or she may feel like “The One” and you cannot pull yourself away from their powerfully captivating aura. It is this good? Well while Mars and Venus bring lots of good sex and romance, Pluto is going to make it the most intense sex and romance you have had in a long time, if ever. In fact it could simply be a deep connection that takes you quickly into the void and then ends just as rapidly with no drawn out conclusion. You won;'t have much time to ask "Is this the right thing". You waded out into the water.....sensing "something" was going to happen. Go into each encounter this weekend with your eyes open and no conditions. It means going into the wave with no fear, hopping on your board and riding it into shore, enjoying the ride.

Blessings!

Barrett

Saturn in Leo 2005

Change is inevitable. The world continues to spin on its axis and the effect of it on our lives is what we each decide to make of it. Saturn is changing signs from Cancer to Leo. Are you ready?

SATURN IS ENTERING LEO at 5:34am PDT/8:34am EDT/2:34pm GMT on Saturday July 16, 2005 for two-and-a-half years, after a two-and-a-half year sojourn in the sign of Cancer. But perhaps sojourn is not a word that adequately describes what Saturn does as it transits through any sign. Saturn’s orbit is slower than those of the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter. While it moving so slowly through a sign, it does some serious work on you, giving you the energy to redefine and refine yourself in some area of your life. If you resist it can be painful; if you are mature about it and do the right thing, it is rewarding.


FROM CUB TO LION/LIONESS:

Saturn last entered Leo at 10:11pm June 4, 1976/1:11am June 5, 1976 (EDT)/7:11am GMT on June 5, 1976. It was a time of assessing what was in our individual and collective hearts and what we needed to do to recover from the wounds we had suffered during the time of Saturn in Cancer. How were we going to heal? What did we know we had to have the courage to address? Where did we need to be brave? What needed to be cleansed from our hearts? Where were we being stubborn? Where were we creating frustration? Were we ready to open our hearts? What did we need to learn and did we need to return to school for an education in something? Where was your ego over inflated? What did we not learn morally and ethically the previous few years while Saturn was in Cancer? Whatever it was we were forced to reap the consequences of our actions; either we reaped reward and advanced because we had acted honorably and forthrightly, or we reaped scorn, obstacles, ridicule and reprimand because we had acted immaturely in our own self-interest and self-protection and most likely lied about it the entire time by claiming we were doing it for the interests and protection of others. Now we must start maturing. Like the Jack Nicholson line in the movie “The Shining”, Saturn is saying “Honey, I’m home”.

The same things life themes that occurred about thirty years ago are playing again and will get top billing.

There are ways to handle this energy in a mature and positive manner, depending on where your natal and transiting Saturn are located. Saturn may be the Lord of Karma, but it is also The Teacher and empowers us to DO THE RIGHT THING in our lives. When you do, Saturn is the planet that brings the energy of reward.

If you want to know how it will affect us all collectively and YOU individually, you can purchase the indepth 11-page PDF article for only $7 via this blog (right hand side) or in the Healing Universe Shop: Saturn in Leo 2005 article

Blessings!

Barrett