OK IT IS ALMOST OVER -

I know - I heard it all and it has happened to me. My computer was so bad last Friday that I had to reboot ten times to get it to do anything and to do it all at once. This Mercury retrograde was long and ugly but today - YES TODAY- Mercury stations direct which means she stops her seemingly backward movement. Tomorrow, July 2 she starts heading in the right direction again. Send off the fire works. 

This year has been fraught with distant planet “battles” and we will have another skirmish in July. On July 4, the Sun opposes Pluto and then makes a square to Uranus on the 8^th.  This is the tail end of the Grand Cross of April that brought us the Malaysian plane and the Ukraine. June’s squares brought up Iraq again. What will July bring? I don’t know. However, I do not like crosses and squares to all of those change planets around a national holiday. Then again, maybe the disaster was the Hobby Lobby decision. It will only remain a disaster if we don't remember it on election day, however...the best way to change things is by getting thee to the polls, no?

:)

The Joy and Healing Possibilities of a Mercury Retrograde.

It takes the Sun 225 million years to revolve around the Milky Way center. Keep that in mind because now I have to tell you that Mercury will retrograde from June 7 to July 2 this year. See now it is not 225 million years in retrograde so no worries! 

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will know that I hate the doom and gloom energy that surrounds so much of astrological writings these days. Retrograde periods are a good time to go inward and explore that energy in our chart. We have an aversion to slowing down and assessing our talents in this society as we think we need to be always “on point.” We are so “go, do, move, be.” Instead of “think, assess, learn who you are and improve the inner self!” Retrogrades tell us to go within, assess and improve. As much as we moan about them, retrogrades are necessary evils. They are pointers to areas which need improvement in our lives. We have the choice of complaining or doing something about our issues!

With her permission, in fact, it was her idea; I am sharing the chart of Mari McCarthy, the dynamo behind CreateWriteNow, www.createwritenow.com.  Mari’s mantras are Create Your Life Write Now with Mari, and Journaling for the Health of It! She is a no nonsense journaling coach who helps motivated people who want to do to the work to get the most of their lives. She is a teacher who lives the lesson every day and has turned her Mercury retrograde around and now shows others how to do the same.  

Mari was born with her Mercury retrograded in her fifth house, the house of creativity and expressing our inner talents. With the Mercury in reticent Capricorn, an astrologer would immediately say this is a person with self-expression problems, someone who does not want her voice heard or cannot make it heard. That was the beginning of Mari’s story but not her current story. Through intense introspection, hours of journaling work – which she now teaches her client, and sheer courage, she has found the karmic and current life roots of that retrograde and has more than set that Mercury energy on a direct path again.

While as a child, she was afraid to express herself, always allowing others to be her voice Mari is now a fierce advocate for herself. She has literally found her voice – her singing voice - that she never felt had value and she has taken to the recording studio.

She didn’t stop there, however. Mari also has applied her journaling energy beyond “just" finding her voice and now is literally journaling her way back to physical health.  (Notice that Capricorn, ruler of her retrograded Mercury, opens her sixth house of health.) She wouldn’t let the health problems caused by this energy debilitate her and every day she is on a return path to wellness.

Mari has not only reversed her Mercury retrograded action, she has taken her lessons learned and paid them forward to people willing to do the work with her.  It is a classic case of karmic lemons into lemonades.

Mari and I became instant friends, having found each other through our work. One of the things that made me like her so quickly was that she didn’t give off the energy I see so often of “oh I can’t do anything because I have this retrograde here and that retrograde there.” Instead she was glad to see the retrogrades so that she could concentrate her energy on them. She had already been doing so much work on herself and now she said the chart was truly like a road map. Creative music to my ears!

So instead of complaining about the inevitable problems of a Mercury retrograde, use that inward energy to do that inner work necessary to correct your expression issues. While you are at it check out Mari’s website, CreateRIghtNow.com.

February - Retrograded Mercury - The Winter Season of the Planetary Cycle.

 OK I am telling you now and I don't want to hear the complaints – remember, one, it isn't my fault and two; there are benefits to a retrograde. Nothing in the universe is all good or all bad – there are gifts in every placement.

 Mercury is going retrograde on February 6 while it is still in Pisces and does not get out until February 28^th when it is in Aquarius.  Yes, it is the entire freaking month but again I didn’t do it!

Before the freaking out ensues over missed messages, screwed up computers, phones that go wack-a-doodle, travel plans disintegrate, remember there is a benefit to that retrograded or backwards energy.  When Mercury is in retrograde, it is a time that we must slowdown in order to prevent disaster. What is wrong with that?

Mercury in retrograde is a time when we can rethink situations – old habits, old response mechanisms.  In this day of instant communication and immediate responses – what is wrong with a bit of introspection? Use the “backward time” of Mercury to reassess old through patterns and responses to learn where you can improve.

While this may seem counter-intuitive, think of this retrograde period as a great time to restart a stalled project. Is your closet half-organized and half-frightening disaster area? Fix it now.  Do you still have holiday cards from 2012 to complete?  Dive in.

In a society that looks only forward and insists on relentless pushing forward there is really nothing wrong with slowing down and going through some checklists. Think of a retrograde of the winter season of a planet. Winter is a time when we are supposed to hibernate, rest and prepare for the rebirth of spring. We don’t do that anymore. We live in the same speed all of the time – it isn’t healthy.

If you are having a “bad” retrograde period, take a breath and figure out where you are pushing too hard. That is the area you need to reassess – pull back and clean up before you charge ahead later.

NO - Mercury Is Not in Retrograde But.................

it might feel like it. I have gotten several calls from people complaining about blown circuits and miscommunications and computers getting Biblical on them. The repeated refrain is, "Is Mercury in retrograde again?" Nope. Actually the answer is just the reverse, we have too much Gemini energy roaming around and it is overloading the circuits.

Right now we have Mercury in it's natural ruler of Gemini as well as Lilith, Jupiter, Venus and, of course, the Sun. That is a lot of quick, verbal energy flying through the air in very close in, personal planets. If ever the adage, "Think before you speak" is beneficial it is now. Slow down, calm down and remember Mercury is fast and will be moving out of most of these signs by the end of June.

Saturn Turned Inward

Saturn is making its slow, deep turn retrograde in Scorpio where it will remain until earlt July. 

This is a perfect time to explore your limitations and fears. Where Saturn is your in chart is where you feel restricted.  A retrograde is already an inward motion - we are to take the energies of that planet and explore and examine their meaning.  With a retrograde in Scorpio - the most intense and inward looking planet - we are getting a double influence of energy demanding that we do some deep exploration.

Where is Saturn in your natal chart? Where is it by progression? Examine those houses and see the issues that you haven't addressed, where are you over-committed, where have you been unable to say "No, I need that time for me."  Basically, where do we feel at loose ends in the areas controlled by these houses?

It is easy to blame problems on retrogrades but when we use the energy and the transformative power of a sign as powerful as Scorpio to find what structures you need to build to make your life run more efficiently.

Get Your Ooky Spookey Hats On: A Pisces Stellium

March is Pisces month!!! More than usual, we have a Pisces-Palluza this month. Mercury is part of a Pisces stellium that includes Neptune, Venus, Chiron, the Sun, and Mars! (A stellium is five or more planets in a house or sign or both!) This is a great time to get in touch with your subconscious; to take a ride on the Astral Railroad. This is a great time for healing that taps into the deeper recesses of the mind, to do dream therapy to take that spiritual "risk."  Healing that uses water is also something to consider now - any type of water rejuvenation vibrates well to Pisces. 

Just don't get lost in the escapism that Pisces can bring - the procrastination or the feelings of be put upon and "martyred" by someone or something. 

Use this time for the benefits the Pisces can bring which is an amazing awareness of the spiritual realm that is all around us. 

"Road to Eternity" Courtesy of Arlenew.com

 

Full Moon Tonight

Tonight, February 25th is the so called "Ice Moon," the February full moon. Of course, if you live in the D.C. area  you get no snow or ice or winter...but I digress.

A moon is "full" when it is furthest from the Sun. As you can see in the chart below, the Moon is tucked away in the 12th house and all the way across the chart, the Sun is in the 6th. When the Moon escapes the light of the Sun it can shine most brightly over us.

The Moon is in Virgo in the 12th, the house of secrets. Remember too the we are in a state of retrograded Mercury. So please, please watch for communications missteps, words not said or words expressed in anger instead of peace. This is the time to think twice before criticizing and bringing up old hearts and to really, really think before you speak!

Yes Mercury Is Going Retrograde Tomorrow!

and will stay that way until March 17 - so get ready for the communication problems, the cell phone issues.
Also, this is a time to beware of signing contracts. Be sure to leave extra time to get to work and just slow down. Retrogrades are times to go within and examine issues. Mercury issues are communication, learning and exchanging information. How do we do that? Can it be improved. Make the retrograde work for you!

What's going on with Giza and the planets tomorrow?

courtesy of Arlenew.com

The past few years we have had some interesting planetary shifts - Neptune into Pisces, Pluto into Capricorn, etc. Tomorrow night is another unique planetary alignment - one that allegedly happens only once every 2700 years. On the evening of December 3  - tomorrow night - local time, over the pyramids of Giza, Venus, Saturn and Mars will align directly over each pyramid of Giza. 

Frankly, I have a hard time believing like some folks that the pyramids were built just for this once every two thousand year occurrence. I have no doubt these ancient structures like many in other parts of the world were built to track the planets but I don't place any special emphasis on this. 

It is interesting however to know that this is happening. Closer to home, however, These three planets are all in Scorpio and on the East Coast are in the 5th and 6th houses - the houses of creativity and health. This would be a perfect time to use the expressiveness of Mercury, the artistic talent of Venus and the tenacity of Saturn to go inwards (a Scorpio thing) and find how you can work on these areas. I mean pyramids are cool but I like working on things I can relate to a bit more!

Thanksgiving Chart

So many people say Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday yet we squish it more and more between the two more commercial events - Halloween and Christmas. Make your Thanksgiving special by really enjoying it and not using it as a just a jumping off point for the fat man in the red suit.

This year the Sun will move into Sagittarius on Thanksgiving Day - so we will be moving from the inward energy of Scorpio to the expansive energy of Sagittarius - a good thing for a day of family and friend celebration.

Now here is the little secret that is so exciting. Neptune has just moved into the sign that it rules, Pisces. This is the start of a very spiritual time and the more attuned you are to the spirit side of life the more you will feel it. Pisces vibrates to the 12th house - the house that is literally our connection to the universe. This I think more than anything else caused the outpouring of people to the voting booths during this past election. It was a matter of we are tired of the remaining evangelical shadow from when Pluto was in Sagittarius - we are now more open to the idea of we are all the children of God.

Of course there is a shadow to everything and Pisces in Neptune can lead to more escapism  - more of the birth of "other realities. However, think of the beautiful part of Pisces and Neptune and be grateful on Thanksgiving for any connection you may have to the universe.

OH and Mercury will be in retrograde so be prepared to stuff a roll in the mouth of that annoying relative who won't shut up -- and keep thinking of Neptune!

Happy Thanksgiving all!

A Final Word on Retrograded Mercury on Election Day

OK yes, Mercury is going to go retrograde (it will appear to go backwards in the sky) around 6 P Eastern on election night. AND the last time Mercury went retrograde - in fact the only time it went retrograde on a US election day was in 2000. (The one other time it was already in retrograde was in 1960.)

We all have nightmares of a repeat of 2000 but really circumstances don't repeat exactly.In addition, this year  Mercury will be in "mutual reception" with Jupiter. That means that Jupiter is in Mercury's ruler Gemini and Mercury is Sagittarius, Jupiter's ruler.

What all this means to me is that we are going to have to watch things very carefully when the votes are being counted. Mercury retrograde is very good a screwing up computers and telephones and all things that carry information electronically. With the Jupiter influence things will be in inflated and bigger.

Jupiter is also the sign of religious zealotry so I would watch for the hard religious right to be up to some tricks

Note to all Democratic poll workers - if something looks odd trust your gut and investigate!

I personally feel the only way Romney can "win" is to steal this but hey, it isn't like it hasn't happened before. He has a lot of zealots on his side.

The good news is that his Mercury is more debilitated than the President's. Also, I am counting on Pluto which is in Capricorn and has been doing it's work shaking up authority figures who are hiding secrets (Jerry Sandusky, Lance Armstrong etc.) I am counting on Pluto to bring any organized vote stealing to public view.

Mercury Retrograde on Election Day - I think I've Got It!

A few weeks ago I mentioned that Mercury will go retrograde on election day and the only other time it had done that was in the year 2000. Well, we all remembered what happened then! A lot of astrologers are saying we will have another close election with "hanging chads". Sorry folks that is too easy. I know history repeats itself but it doesn't duplicate itself for goodness sake.

I think the communication problems that always come about with a retrograde Mercury will surround itself around current Republican voter suppression tactics in swing States. Currently, the GOP leadership in Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are doing their best to keep Hispanics, African Americans and the elderly off of the voting polls.

Even in current lawsuits are successful in stopping this outrage, there are going to be many people confused about what they need to bring and this is going to cause a ton of provisional ballots being cast. Provisional ballots are paper - they are sometimes hard to fill out. Also, how much you want to bet there won't be enough to go around.

This is where Mercury will take its toll. Hopefully not enough to let these despicable tactics make a difference in the outcome but this is going to be the "paper chase of 2012."

Mercury Goes Retrograde on Election Day - Remember 2000?

 

I am starting to look at the 2012 election – turns out Mercury goes retrograde on election day. Now we have had elections during a Mercury retrograde but the only other time that Mercury turned retro right on election day was in 2000! You remember 2000 don't you??

Personally, I don't see history repeating itself exactly but I would keep a very close eye on election machines and missing ballots and all sorts of things that can go bump in the Universe.

I am still comparing the candidates. Both have strengths and weaknesses that day. Romney has a few more weaknesses but one really good placement that has me a bit hinky. I need to look more closely but I just have to share the "good news."

Blame it on Mercury

Cell phones on the fritz, Blackberry not working right? Yes, I have heard the news reports too - which made me run to my trusty astrology software to confirm what I assumed..... Mercury is back in retrograde position.. When a planet retrogrades, whatever area it influences goes a little haywire...Mercury controls communications - and thoughts and education (good luck to anyone taking a final exam this week.) Hang on -- it will be straightened out on Jan 4, 2010. Happy New Year ALL!