New Moon, Solar Eclipse and Equinox

The Sun Total Of Who We Are (Pun intended)

A Story About A Story

The other day, I came across an old box of folders and books. Dusty and gritty, they had been sitting there for a long time. Inside one folder, I stumbled across a story I had written at least 25 years ago. Currently in a writing phase where nothing gets completed, I wondered where that story had gone to. Apart from school, it was the only story I had ever completed. Ideas and plots run thick and fast, even the conclusion to the story, but threading all the details together to make a whole, is a monumental and complex task. All those threads that must be woven together and remembered as the story progresses. It can and will be done, I tell myself. This story, The Lunar Lady, was written as an exercise for a writing course and at a time when great changes were taking place in my life. It was a defining point that significantly contributed to the sum total of who I am today. It was also a finished piece. No loose ends, a satisfying finish. But, like life, it was still full of mystery with not a detail revealed.

Discovering this story on the eve of a solar eclipse – when the Lunar Lady is passing in front of the Sun in very close alignment - in the very last degree of the zodiac, Pisces 29, was no coincidence. It made me think of all that had gone before and all that had gone since. In a nutshell, it made me think of the sum total of who I am today.

There’s no need really to write a big long dissertation on what this eclipse means. Suffice to say, the last degree of the zodiac contains the energy of all the degrees before it. It is the sum total of the great universe and our gone-in-a-flash lifetimes. It is the sum total of who we are. Both the Sun – our core being – and the Moon – our emotional and psychic being – are conjoined – this is a wonderful chance to examine our complicated layers, to peel back the thick and maybe tough skin we have grown through our lifetimes. And yet we forget sometimes why that skin had to grow so tough. All those threads that have become knotted and frayed, broken or forgotten can be picked up. Our Lunar Lady gracefully brings to the attention of the great Sun what we feel at this time in our lives, at this time of the planet’s evolution. She blocks the ego so that we can feel, instead, all the hurts, the wonders, the love or the bitterness.

Given that we are also in the midst of not only an intense New Moon and an eclipse but also the Equinox, when day and night are equal, with great consciousness and intent, perhaps we begin to work with these energies in fresh ways. While we are summing up, we are simultaneously moving forward, we are on a level playing field where the dark inside is equal to the light both metaphorically and physically. Can we pack up the baggage and put it in the attic or better still throw it into the sea and watch it float away, or can we simply read our life stories without having to live through it all over again. Can we finish off the stories we have created with our lives up until now so that we can turn the page and begin writing another. It can be done!

With the beautiful auroras many places on the globe have been witnessing so unexpectedly, I think the Sun is very happy with the Moon.

The New Moon is a solar eclipse at 29 Pisces. It occurs at 10:37pm (NZST +13hrs) tonight.

The Autumn/Spring Equinox occurs when the Sun moves into Aries at 11:46 am tomorrow, March 21st.

Virgo Full Moon, March 6 2015

Today’s Full Moon is in Virgo at 14’50 at 07:05am (NZST +13hrs GMT). It’s an edgy, nervous Moon that gives rise to all sorts of free-floating anxieties and places a huge strain on our nervous systems. The celestial energy is zinging and pinging all over the place and it can be very difficult to know which road to take off the roundabout. Opposite the Sun in boundless Pisces, worries skitter across the mind like clouds across a dark night and, like a scene in some dramatic horror movie, we may be fuelled by all sorts of creaks and groans that, in the end, was just the house settling down after the heat of the day. We may need to work hard now to keep grounded in reality so keep your road-map firmly in hand knowing there is more than one route to get to the desired destination. Yes, we may feel like we are going around in circles achieving very little but we are midway through many journeys now and this is where the roads converge. Pull off the road out of the way of all those erratic drivers who threaten to run us off the road; take a coffee break, Zen out by taking deep breaths every time some thought threatens to cloud logic; focus on grounding the mind by dragging erratic mental energy back into the here and now. Rather than float up and out into an ethereal wilderness, we may need to come back down slowly through the body until we can feel our feet standing on solid ground. Nourishment, physical or spiritual, is what Virgo needs. This way we can calm the rising waves of fear, anxiousness and worry and plan the next leg of the journey so that we do indeed arrive safely.

Another way is to focus on the facts rather than the what-if scenarios that replay over and over again in the dark of the night. Build on small details that fly in the face of the illogical; enter into your own power source and keep yourself contained in that rather than leaking energy and draining your personal battery. For instance, if we are having conflict with someone we may then summon up all the people we are or ever have been at odds with instead of focusing on this one particular situation. Doing this could save a lot of needless worry and all that strain that can be placed on our bodies and our nervous systems during this time of high mental stress. Letting go and trusting is a big ask but if we are aware that Virgo is the sign of the worry-wort, then we have a better grasp of why we feel anxious about real or imagined issues.

Indeed, some of us are very sensitive to the energy that is building in other areas of the sky. Impatient Mars, the planet of assertion and physical acts, is now firmly in his own sign, Aries, and because he is connecting with the South Node (that which is not good for us) and moving rapidly toward Uranus (an even more highly-strung planet who has his own problems with Pluto), there could be a sense of our pasts catching up with us. This can be disempowering. We want results quickly but there are too skeletons or too many variables, too many loose ends to allow this to happen in a calm, orderly fashion. Full Moons are times of release and culmination, and the various threads of cosmic energy are interweaving to bring many things to a conclusion. But it is all highly frustrating with so many planets at awkward angles to each other. We can see where we wish to go but we keep encountering detour after detour, obstacle after obstacle. Some outcomes may be spectacular, some may turn abrupt corners into unknown territories, some require more time than our patience is willing to allow; however, because the Moon is connecting to Pluto in a positive way, as Uranus and Pluto make their last connection in the coming days, we can tap into our own personal power sources and resources. The trick is to avoid forcing issues and instead come back to our own desired goals knowing that there is more than one way to reach them. Know that in the light of the day the end result may simply be very different to how we imagined in the dark of the night. With Jupiter in the Sun’s sign at this Full Moon and at the trailing end of the planetary patterns, truth, justice and the laws of nature will prevail.

Mercury Retrograde 2015

If we can’t feel the cool ripples of air tickling our thoughts, then it may be time to open the windows of our minds and allow the playful currents to riffle and ruffle our mental feathers. With Mercury turning retrograde in airy Aquarius, the breeziness of this sign combined with the intellectual bent of Mercury both add up to a year of examining how we think, react or communicate in relation to our community, groups, teams and clubs that we belong to. What fixed concepts can be altered, adapted or aroused by what takes places now? And, by the same token, what loose concepts can be staked and developed as the year progresses?

All Mercury retrograde phases this year (Jan/Feb; May/June; Sept/Oct) occur in each of the three Air signs. 2015 is a time to expose our minds to bigger and better territories, to allow ideas to flow, to carve out new channels of expression. It’s time to move the compartments of our minds around to make room for what will come at us in the coming months. Studying other people, cultures and communities to see what makes them hum or unique is a very useful and quick way to examine and express our own originality – what makes them/us stand out, what ideas are we introduced to or can introduce to others, how do they make us feel when we are bouncing ideas around versus how do we make them feel? These are all questions to ask in or of social situations. Observing other groups of people that are distinct from our own, or studying standout individuals can help us to observe our own conditioned way of absorbing, processing, interpreting and manifesting ideas from, and into, the world around us. We can explore how ideas took root in the first place and whether these roots still have relevance today.

In January, because Mercury turns retrograde in Saturn-ruled Aquarius, Saturn holds the guidebook. If Mercury is the journey, then Saturn is the nuts and bolts of that journey. He knows the details of each intellectual place we will visit during this first retrograde in Air signs (the following retrograde phases will occur in Mercury’s own sign, Gemini (very potent) and Libra, Venus’s sign). Saturn’s opinion and advice will come from the sign he is in - and having recently moved into Sagittarius, the sign of the big thinker - his opinion will lean towards covering as much territory as we can so that we can bring a suitcase of ideas or details back that can be translated and integrated into the ideas we have stored at home. The trick is not too spread oneself too far and wide, or to collect so many trivial items that we can’t see the wood from the trees; we may need to develop the wisdom to know what baggage to pack, as well as to know what to unpack to make room for the new.

We may need to whittle this down even further by year end, and if we don’t know what to do with the excess, we can always discard or give these ideas to others. Generosity of spirit is also vital to maintaining a humble attitude. With Fire sign transits (Jupiter in Leo/Saturn in Sagittarius/Uranus in Aries), we can often get swept up in the moment and forget to think of others. If we see something on our travels that would help someone else, then that is just as much a treasure. We can discover  this year that there is plenty to go around and that instead of fearing competition we can learn to put our own special touch on something, make it our own. The twist is to understand that the flow of events this year is mercurial and that people, places and projects will need to move quickly and adapt.

This will also be Mercury’s first retrograde phase of 2015. Mercury likes being in Air signs and the upside to this is that humanity may have a chance to catch up with itself as we adapt to and process the huge technological changes that have occurred in the last ten years. Of course, advancements may also accelerate as people’s mental processes increasingly pick up on the electrical currents that are all around us now. 2015 will definitely be of an intellectual, switched on, social nature but we will simultaneously learn to be more discriminating and to switch off from the useless chatter. As a result, it becomes easier to look to the future and actually muster up some sense of motivation for ourselves. By tapping into our own processes and what we have gained from others through prolonged interaction or exposure, whether on social media or physically, we can develop a mental focus and stamina that had been difficult to achieve during the sloshiness of the past two years. It doesn’t matter that there is no end goal, the journey is what is important to us now. The feeling that boundaries are slowly falling away will stimulate and invigorate and we’ll wonder how the barriers prevented us from moving on in the first place.

The more we can get out into the world or bring the world to us via books, documentaries, or by inviting into our lives people who come from worlds that are vastly different to our own culture, creed or community, the faster the process will be. That which is completely different to our own life experience or environment is preferable to staying solely within the community we feel safe in if we are in danger of stagnating or of wading even deeper into philosophies and ideas that are too deeply entrenched to change even when we feel we have outgrown them. Brick by brick, person by person, we can replace walls and barriers with windows or doors where new vistas can expand our souls or enrich our thoughts. In turn, Jupiter, Saturn’s ruler, is in fire-sign Leo, a fixed sign, which means that any changes will become a permanent part of our intellectual realities. We can use the Fiery energy to create new concepts or we can use the fixed energy to further fuel longstanding ideals that are a natural occurrence arising out of the company we keep, the beliefs we have always held or because of the ideology of groups of like-minded people who allow us to express and expand upon limited rules and guidelines. We may need to ask ourselves whether we stay with these groups out of fear of the unknown or whether we truly gain something from them.

Mercury turns retrograde on Jan 22^nd at 17 degrees of Aquarius. Very close to Venus, also in cool, logical Aquarius, we have recently had plenty of opportunity to balance our thoughts as we relate to others. During the retrograde phase, we have a chance to see where we can compromise, strike a deal or simply listen to the other side of the story before deciding which path to follow – on your own or with someone. By the time Mercury turns direct – Feb 12 on the first degree of Aquarius – we will be at the start of a new intellectual journey and it will be time to assimilate or act on what has taken place between Jan 22 and Feb 12. Mercury is very close but not quite up to an opposition to Jupiter as it turns retrograde signalling a need to avoid allowing one’s thoughts to get swept up by the fantastic or unattainable. Take small steps toward the new future without too much commitment. Otherwise, by March, we will find ourselves with more than we bargained for.

The interactive feel and the mental fizzy-ness of all three Mercury retrogrades means that 2015 is the year to communicate and socialise with people and toy with unique concepts will help us to get a sense of the broader concept of our lives.

2014 and April's Grand Cross

2014

2014 is the year of the relationship. Whether we interact with someone on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis; whether they are our neighbour, our lover, our child, friend, employer, employee, customer, sister or brother; whether we know them from a distance or up close, this is the year to reassess what we know, feel and think about human interactions.

2014 is a year of relationship climate change, where our preconceptions fly out the window and anything that we have been passionate about will go through a cooling process that will allow us to stand back, to restructure, to create a more realistic model of what we expect from others and, importantly, what we expect from ourselves. 2014 is a year to cast assumptions aside, to take other people seriously, to perhaps take ourselves less seriously, and to occasionally withdraw from the world of relating when, and if, the going gets rocky. If we are aware that this process is happening and that by late July, we can emerge with a balanced perspective we can be kinder to ourselves and to others. We may experience a kickback, a flashback or karmic backlash from the past, where words and actions come back to haunt us. Whichever way it manifests, if we are aware, if we can be honest with ourselves and can avoid projecting or even avoiding the pain of some past transgression, we can put as much as we can to right the wrongs done to us, or by us, and wipe the slate clean. Perfection and happy endings are the stuff of books and movies. In real life, if we can accept the failings and imperfections of human nature, we can see where the diamonds in our life truly exist.

As we head into the festive season, and throughout the first month of 2014, Venus will be travelling in an uncommon retrograde motion in the melancholic, cold, dry sign of Capricorn. She will square off with her counterpart Mars in mid-January setting the stage for Mars’s own rare retrograde motion in Venus’ sign, Libra, between March 2nd and May 30th. Venus will turn direct on February 1st in opposition to Jupiter, which has already been squared by Mars on Jan 9th, and in conjunction with intense Pluto, so starting with the New Moon on Jan 1st, which involves itself with Mars, Pluto and Uranus, the tension will steadily build throughout January. Like a dam that is full to capacity, life may burst the emotional banks by month’s end.

Austerity measures only last for so long where human emotions are concerned before they turn inward and morph into depression, so the trick is to release the water bit by bit; to open the gates and create channels that will allow the internal energy to trickle through steadily or in stages. That way we can avoid flooding the arena of our relationships with the erratic or impulsive reactions. Another trick is to use the nuclear-like energy as a propellant for creative endeavours; we can also try the head-on approach by patching up broken relationships, broken hearts or finding a way to fulfil a broken promise or agreement. As Venus shilly-shallies back and forth from late to-mid-Capricorn, we will learn from the sometimes selfish Capricorn energy to take other people seriously; that people are not commodoties to be bought and sold or that love can’t be switched on and off at will. We learn where we might have taken a turning that serves our own needs rather than keep to the commitment we promised to someone in a burst of passion. Maybe through the loss of an important connection, we will eventually learn to value not only the other person but our own integrity. If we are the person who is being let down, we have to learn to keep on trusting others and to also to build a buffer around our lives so that, going into the future, we won’t be at the whims of other people.

Venus and Mars are the big guns of relationships and relating, and they will be zig-zagging through the cardinal signs of Capricorn and Libra. Those of us who have Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn clearly defined in our birth charts will experience this energy directly, while other people should look to the segments of their chart that have these signs on the cusp. Not only do we have Venus and Mars travelling through Cardinal signs, but Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto are already ensconced in Cancer, Aries and Capricorn and form the bigger social backdrop that is already in play, and which will be carried into the future over many years. 2014 may be the start or continuance of events that will become clearer over time. In February, Jupiter moves from its intense opposition to Pluto to a second square to Uranus, the first square occurred last August. This aspect will bring a twist to the story where events and characters appear from nowhere. February sees Mercury turn retrograde in Pisces in conjunction with Neptune. Woolly notions take on a life of their own and it is all too easy to be seduced by what we think, hear, read or rationalise to ourselves. By early March we will be ready to rationalise the wispy mental threads, forming them into concrete notions that will still require the final test around mid-March.

April is the pivotal month of the year with the cardinal cross forming that will hold the seeds of great change as this cross forms over and over in the coming years. The Full Moon in Libra, though not directly in line with Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto is nevertheless a potent harbinger of change and drama. The Sun with rebellious Uranus squares Pluto on April 3rd, kicking off the action that will unfold. Mercury joins Uranus around the 15th and by the 23rd, retrograde Mars activates the Jupiter-Pluto-Uranus combo. This is a month to take extreme caution in all matters despite the urgency to act. Mars will turn direct on May 20th and will retrace its path back to a square with Pluto on June 14th and an opposition to Uranus on June 25th. Events then link back to April but on a less intense, but just as significant, level.

Jupiter enters Leo on July 16th. Leaving emotional Cancer after a year’s stay, we enter into a new 12-year phase that was last seen in 2002 – just prior to the mega-boom that hit the property market after a long plateau. This is not to say there will be repetition of the high and lows that were evident then but it will certainly be worth watching what takes place. Saturn turns direct shortly after Jupiter’s entry into Leo and traverses the second half of Scorpio for the last time before entering Sagittarius in December 2014.

October looks set to be the most up-beat month of the year with a grand trine forming between Mars-Jupiter-Uranus in the fire signs, Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. The Full Moon of the 8th in Aries kicks off this positive formation which, while headstrong and idealistic, is full of creative potential, hope and vision.

June 2012

PLANET REPORT: June is a pivotal month that marks a significant shift in global consciousness. We have had not only a solar eclipse in Gemini (in May) that is now leading us to the lunar eclipse in Sagittarius on June 4th (11:13pm) but Venus has also been travelling in retrograde motion through Gemini with a much-anticipated and even rarer transit across the face of the Sun on June 6th. This transit will be visible in New Zealand and Australia and begins at 10:15am and lasts for six hours. Throw the Moon’s Nodes into this heady mix and we can begin to understand why repetitive relationship issues have really brought old karma home to roost. How we have dealt with this is entirely up to us but certainly the opportunity to clear the past of its baggage and its residual effects on our current lives has been presented to us. Obviously, people who have planets that have copped this huge cosmic load will be feeling this the most.  

Right in the midst of this cosmic menu, another big shift occurs! Moving from heavy-bodied, plodding, practical Taurus, the largest planet in our solar system, philosophical, expansive Jupiter, shifts into mercurial Gemini on June 12th. Spending 12 months in each sign on its journey around the Sun, it will remain here until June 26th 2013.

This is the flag that signals that the second half of 2012 will be much swifter and “intellectual” than the first half, and people born under the signs – or containing planets in - Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces will be the first to notice that something different is occurring. Give or take a year or so, people who are also aged around 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72 and 84 will notice - at some point within the next 12 months - that a new cycle or trend is emerging both within and without themselves. While each 12-year cycle is different due to the varying movements of the other planets, looking back at what happened at previous Jupiter in Gemini cycles (by counting back in 12-year increments) clues can be picked up as to what may emerge this time.  

While it may seem that the chatty, breezy energy of Gemini suits the generous qualities of Jupiter, we need to keep in mind that Jupiter is moving through its opposite sign and is therefore considered by astrologers to be in its “detriment”. Jupiter sees life from a lofty, very serious viewpoint and is therefore not comfortable about being brought down to street level on issues that it would normally ponder with a lot more time and thought. Hence, we may find that important issues both in our lives and globally are not given the due respect they deserve and that decisions are made with facts that have not been considered properly. The duality of Gemini also means there may be much more hidden in the shadows. Jupiter is the greater benefic concerned with weightier issues of truth, justice and ethics while Gemini is the imparting of information on an everyday level in a very quick, speedy way.

Whenever we have planets in Gemini, we tend to get a double-edged package of events, situations, feelings and people entering our lives, and for Jupiter we may find that intellectual energy is on the move in a lighter, brighter but much more seemingly “superficial” way. There are fewer boundaries with Jupiter in fluid Gemini and a greater ability to assimilate multiple viewpoints that, unless we are careful, creates an overload of information that swamps our original focus. A surge of ideas and idealistic thinking are great but can also overwhelm our capacity to sort them into context. This makes it extremely difficult to act on them and we may blow a lot of hot air and achieve little unless we are ultra-disciplined and passionate about what want to accomplish. We may spend too much time discussing concepts with little or no action so that, in the end, concepts never leave the drawing board.

There are many sayings that can help to understand how this energy will manifest: ‘’put your money where your mouth is”, “actions speak louder than words” or “all talk and no action” are just a few to keep in mind over the coming months. We may also seek variety in the coming months and find it difficult to focus on one or two projects. This puts us in danger of having too many intellectual irons in the fire. There is a classic warning that astrologers give about Mercurial energy and that is “Jack or Jill of all trades and master of none.”

Jupiter influences our larger worldviews and belief systems. It expands the mind in religious and philosophical contexts, and also creates the desire to get out into the world and experience different cultures first hand. When you place it in every-day detail-oriented Gemini, it is a like trying to fit a major news story into a tabloid-type newspaper. The News of the World comes to mind here! This means that facts become condensed and repackaged in such a way that often the full-story becomes obscured. Media hounds may exploit this to the max! Or, it is like the Wikipedia version of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica - a lot of superficial facts without the substance that is required to become fully and truly knowledgeable. As a metaphor, it could be the person who appears cultured and experienced but who has gleaned all their knowledge from other people or from books and magazines. So, while we will be handed the gift of information, we will need to be extra cautious to be neither long-winded nor trivial. It’s a double-edged package!

In June, Jupiter immediately encounters its counterpart, Neptune, in a brief but major square aspect. Neptune is travelling through Jupiter’s sign Pisces so there is a greater connection than just the aspect. Because Neptune signifies dreams and illusions, this immediately speaks of dispelling any ideas that have become distorted and exaggerated. This self-honesty and clarification is good to have at the beginning of this transit because it clears the way for accurate thought and renews our faith in ideas that have withstood the test of time, research and investment, or we can discard those that will take us off course. Aim high on an intellectual level but only after all the groundwork has been put in.

This is a great year to hone communication and writing skills and focus on improving gaps in education, which may become more apparent if Jupiter is hitting upon planets in our charts as it passes through (not everyone will experience Jupiter as described.) Language is extremely important too – whether we learn to speak in symbols or tongues – or simply become aware of how we come across.

We can be both student and teacher as we fuse our basic learning with higher aspirations and truths. We can build a bridge between our higher minds and what we take at face value as we absorb information from school, society, TV or the internet. We may become very aware of sloppy thinking and intellectual shortcuts, which are not so serious when we use superficial communication mediums such as Facebook and texting but can become bigger problems when people’s lives are at stake. Having said that, we may need to be more cautious about what information we post about ourselves as more and more stories emerge about how these mediums can work against us. Facebook is actually a very good metaphor for Jupiter in Gemini since we may not always realise how far-reaching small comments are or how quickly the tide can turn leaving one feeling vulnerable. Communication is the hallmark of Gemini, and Jupiter represents society at large; being in its detriment, we could find that this means of interacting can work against us while simultaneously stimulating awareness and discussion of bigger issues. Either way, we should be aware of saturation, over-exposure and becoming desensitised to issues and people through constant interaction.

Returning to June, Venus is travelling in apparent backward motion through Gemini until the 28th (NZT) so many of us will already be aware of some of the possibilities and pitfalls mentioned above. Once it turns direct on the 28th – within two days of Saturn also turning direct (25th) – and once we are through the obstacles, delays and review phase that these two planets have brought to the table, we can begin to enjoy the lighter approach. The karmic Moon’s Nodes are soon to shift from the Gemini/Sagittarius axis but not until August, so while Jupiter may have zipped into Gemini, repetitive situations continue to force us to assimilate what other people mean to us and us to them. Bask in the Venusian energy by meditating upon the best in ourselves and others because by August we will be able to move ahead into a brave new world. 

Kapiti News "Your Stars"


Jun 20th-26th

ARIES: Shortly after the solstice on the 21st, life reaches a tipping point. Changes in the home pave the way for the big ideas that will develop in the coming months.

TAURUS: By this time next week, your financial life and sense of security will be on the move. Mark the 27th on your calendar as the day to look toward the future.

GEMINI: If you are not yet feeling Jupiter’s current as it plugs into Gemini, you are bound to after the 27th. You will lose that feeling of wanting to stay put.

CANCER: The solstice on the 21st marks the beginning of your birthday year and with a new moon so close to your sign, it’s time to make personal plans that involve self-development.

LEO: From the 26th, you will be ready to discuss, arrange and think confidently about plans and events surrounding one or two friends, a club, team or group involvement.

VIRGO: In just over two weeks, life will be very different. Professionally, opportunities and openings will present themselves. The trick is to choose the most achievable goals and know your limits.

LIBRA: In just over two weeks, life will become increasingly busy. Plans and ideas that involve travel, academia or the publishing world will gel with where you find yourself in July.

SCORPIO: The coming months are a time for organising and thinking about financial affairs that involve second or third parties. From taxes to insurance to inheritances, can you afford to ignore the details?

SAGITTARIUS: You are realising the emotional stakes that are involved with shared resources, assets, money and other commitments. From the 27th, discussion and dissection will become much easier with others.

CAPRICORN: Professionally, publicly or parentally, life will be on the move by early July. It’s all about getting the right balance but hopefully over the past six months you have achieved this.

AQUARIUS: Vive la revolution! Your radical ideas will surprise those around you but your highly creative nature needs to call on hidden resources. You will even shock yourself.

PISCES: All those domestic ideas that you have had on the back burner will begin to surface so that by the end of June you will have a new game-plan on the table.

May 30-Jun 5th

ARIES: The Full Moon of the 4th may bring disruptions to travel that throw your daily routine off course. A letter, email or phone call brings something to a conclusion.

TAURUS: Money and security are themes that will grow in importance in the second half of 2012. This is a good time to take stock and make a plan.

GEMINI: Your mental energy is high so you may need to consciously calm your mind. Too many distractions may mean that you miss signs and signals that point to new roads.

CANCER: Think emotional issues through with logic. Mercury is now in your sign and can help with complicated situations. Life is full of obstacles that will pave the way forward.

LEO: The full moon of the 4th highlights all aspects of relating, dating and mating. Everyone wins if you keep sight of the big picture with a lover, child or team mate.

VIRGO: Review your life direction and professional goals. Others may throw red herrings across your path so you need to think laterally and double check all information. Honesty is the best policy.

LIBRA: The lunar eclipse at full moon on the 4th rocks the relationship boat. This could be when the birds come home to roost. Honesty rather than defensiveness will get issues resolved.

SCORPIO: Mixing business with pleasure could raise sticky issues with friends or business partners. Avoid entering into agreements or relying on promises that can come unstuck at the last moment.

SAGITTARIUS: Big problems with others can be solved with small solutions. It’s all a matter of perspective, a dash of imagination and an eye for the future. Avoid taking on unnecessary baggage.

CAPRICORN: Continue to revise health and work situations until solutions become visible and the slate is cleaned. Life in this area changes from the 12th so discard the unnecessary or unworkable.

AQUARIUS: The full moon of the 4th brings issues with romance or children full circle. Life is moving so fluidly now that you have to be quick to spot openings and opportunities.

PISCES: From the 12th, activity surrounding home and family will speed up a notch or two. A new 12-year cycle kicks off then. Did you move, renovate or enlarge the family circle in 2001?  

MAY 23RD-29TH

ARIES: Communications are anything but straight-forward and from the 24th what gets said, read or heard will matter a great deal. The trick is to gauge reactions before you speak.

TAURUS: Crunch numbers, analyse financial details, arrange your fiscal books and develop budgets and targets in May so that you ready for the new 12-year era that begins in June.

GEMINI: There’s a stack of planets in your sign and from the 24th life’s pace quickens. Use this time to develop new ideas for the new 12-year era that commences in June.

CANCER: You may be thrown off-course this week when other people’s ideas and viewpoints run counterpoint to your own but this creates the perfect space to spend more time on complex situations.

LEO: Take a step back from a social situation where mind-games and gossip are doing your head in. Major relationship issues are surfacing that will clear the way in June.

VIRGO: Like the lands at the top of the Faraway Tree, every day brings something new. In June, you have a once-in-12-year chance to climb to the top of the tree.

LIBRA:  From the 24th, you will be buzzing with news and views from afar or with regard to travel, education or publishing. Exposure to the wider world is what you need.

SCORPIO: Enlist the help of knowledgeable friends for financial situations that are incredibly detailed or that involve complex discussion or negotiation in readiness for the new era that begins in June.

SAGITTARIUS: It might seem as if there is no end to the high-spirited antics or discussions with a partner, friend or associate but what takes place now clears the air.

CAPRICORN:  Change your mind-set about the vast array of everyday chores. Avoid stopping to think about what you are doing and you will find life rearranges itself without too much effort.

AQUARIUS: Socially, recreationally or creatively, there is so much going on that it is hard to catch your breath or grasp those ideas that have the potential to grow into something big.

PISCES: The foundations of your life appear to be built on shifting sands but in June you will see the potential that emerges out of the chaos of May. Communication can change everything.

May - Venus Retrograde

With Venus turning retrograde in Gemini on May 16th (NZT), I hope these guys think very carefully about any agreements they sign as described in this article. Retrograde until June 28th, Venus rules money, security and what we value, and these aspects are all up for scrutiny from here on in. In Gemini, the power of words will either bind deals and relationships, or, make them fall apart due to discrepancies in thought, opposing values or the discovery of underhandedness.

This applies to our everyday world as well as the larger economies; and of course it will be the countries and people who have Venus trundling over their planets and points that will experience this directly; but how are we to know who is who? The trick is to play it safe between now and the end of June before cementing agreements because by then we will have weeded out the fickle, the false and the feeble. In the treacherous world of finance, there is always the temptation to double-deal and double-dip, and in the sign of duality, this will be more apparent as this phase progress. In our everyday dealings this translates to avoiding gossip, back-biting and checking that the information heard is accurate. Petty intrigues are juicy and, in some instances, provide justification for our own actions but they can also do damage to relationships of value. All this and much more will become apparent in the latter half of 2012.    

Venus trines Saturn as she turns retrograde and offers a small hope that fairness, justice and stability will prevail. The way to achieve this in the sign of communication is making time for lengthy, in-depth discussion. Flippancy and lack of emotional connection will bring out the negative side of the retrograde because this gives space for dormant gripes and grievances to emerge – nek minit, we will face an avalanche of issues jostling for expression! Venus and Saturn also happen to turn direct within days of each other – June 25-27th – so there is potential for solid structures to be built with others, or financially. However, it’s the solar eclipse at New Moon on May 21st (NZT) at 0 degrees Gemini - preceding Jupiter’s entry into Gemini on June 12th for a 12 month stay - that foretells of the new era in communications and ideology that is to about to commence. 

This New Moon involves deceptive Neptune and therefore alerts us to read between the lines, take little at face value and avoid any temptation cover up details or information that is crucial to trust and good communication. What is concealed now is likely to come to the surface as this phase moves on. Honest feedback, giving and taking, are our tools.

Jupiter in Gemini from June 12th for 12 months suggests that the tone of 2012 will be lighter and brighter but much faster moving than the first half of the year. Prepare the ground now by dealing with issues that will arise thick and fast over the next 7-8 weeks. When Mercury enters its own sign, Gemini, on May 24th, the tempo will really pick up and highlight all that is written, spoken, read or heard. A lot of information is bound to surface then. The trick to dealing with these situations is to keep the mind open, while not closing down the heart or the feelings. Once Mercury moves into sensitive, emotional Cancer, the atmosphere becomes decidedly choppy. With the very intellectual flavour of the coming transits, it is all too easy lose sight of our feelings and our compassion for others – Mercury in Cancer will help us see this. Use your own ethical and moral guidelines to keep in touch with one-self and others, and just like these business leaders who are nutting out the details of agreements and pacts with each other, let’s work on the important nuts and bolts that keep our relationships together.http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/6883994/US-firms-to-control-NZ-legislation

MAY 9-15th (as they appear in the Kapiti News)

ARIES: The written or spoken word takes on greater meaning now and what gets said can affect relations with siblings, neighbours or teachers. Think carefully, and rationally, before revealing your ideas.

TAURUS: Your ruler Venus turns retrograde on the 16th in your financial zone. A rare occurrence, be extremely cautious about signing agreements that can affect your security until after June 27.

GEMINI: Venus in your sign turns retrograde on May 16. It’s time to think about what your personal relationships really mean to you. Good communication is the best place to start your journey. Jupiter returns to your sign after a 12 year absence on June 12th.

CANCER: Whatever is happening behind the scenes may need to be discussed. Even though your sensors are on high alert, wait until after June 27th to reveal or act on ideas or advice.

LEO: The coming eclipse (21st) brings a heightened awareness of how communications work within in a team, club, band or social situation. It will take six weeks to work through details.

VIRGO: Your public image, career and general life direction undergoes a review that will take at least six weeks to work through. Communication and what you truly value should be your focus.

LIBRA:  Your ruler Venus goes off air on the 16th giving you space to review the broader canvas of your life. Avoid listening to or spreading gossip. Double check all travel arrangements.

SCORPIO: Review joint finances up until June 27. A change of mind creates a space to crunch numbers, sort through details or think about what is of greatest value to you.

SAGITTARIUS: Venus retrograde and a solar eclipse bring up two issues that have needed to be discussed for some time. Keep it light but explore as many details as possible until June 27.

CAPRICORN: Health, work and your day-to-day routine may go slightly off track but can lead to insights about how much you value your well-being, time and energy. Seek advice where required.

AQUARIUS: Venus stirs up creative ideas that lead to lucrative output. Your romantic, social or sporting life will enter into a review phase that will stimulate change but wait until after June 27 to set these changes in concrete.

PISCES: What happens over the next six weeks will be a precursor to bigger changes that will arrive on your doorstep from mid-June and into 2013. Avoid sweating the small stuff, second half of 2012 will be completely different.

April

PLANET REPORT: Venus entered Gemini at 03:19am (NZT) this morning (April 4th) and tonight, at 10:12pm, Mercury, the ruler of Gemini turns direct.

Mercury - the planet of communication and thinking - is very weak because not only has it been retrograde since March 12 but it is in the sign of its fall, Pisces. Things get a little better for those of us who have had Mercury travelling over planets in our chart, but it requires greater brainpower to sort through facts and focus on detailed work. The devil is in the details but oh how those details slip and slide everywhere. There are a lot of red herrings amongst the pearls but as always it’s may be the angle we view situations that makes the difference. Use the mercurial energy to look at life from top, bottom and sideways.

From here on in, we can expect those situations that have become wedged against a rock or that have sunk to the bottom of the sea to come loose and re-surface. The trick now is to guess which way the tide will take these situations rather than drift along hoping for the best. A skilled sailor knows how to read the currents and tides as well as keep an eye on the weather and instruct his crew.

With Mars also adrift in opposition to Neptune, those of us with planets around 3 degrees of mutable signs: Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces and Gemini need to learn to navigate deceptively calm seas with as many tools, maps, lifejackets and information guides as can be mustered up. The first tool in the kit-bag for this turbulent journey is to be highly conscious of any information that floats past and to research as much as you can. The second is to keep in contact with whoever mans the radio on the shore. If we allow communication to break down, there is little hope of navigating a straight course away from treacherous rips. This means taking little at face value and if something seems odd, pull back and check it out. At the same time, remain open and honest in all dealings.

Mars has been floundering in Virgo since January 24th but is now preparing to turn direct on April 14th. Because it will come to a standstill and turn around on this day in opposition to Neptune, whatever we initiate is likely to flounder. Keep the lifeline firmly in place though until we get through this phase towards the end of April. Highly creative solutions are there – it’s just that we won’t know which solution or direction is the best until we come out the other side.

The headline "Mum who hired killer saw herself as a victim" reminded me of the another side effect of the coming Mars/Neptune opposition. If this transit is affecting our chart we may find that our reasoning processes are faulty and our judgement off-centre. For much of April, hyper-sensitivity may open the floodgate for strange feelings as Mars stations direct in opposition to Neptune (14th). As we are now entering Neptune’s oceanic territory, it is easy to become lost in a sea of self-pity, especially if we discover mistakes, rather than take constructive steps to fix problems in a practical way. It is tempting to justify our own, or another’s, actions with impossible reasoning processes, but this will only lead to further complications. If there was ever a time to wash the slate clean, it is now. Nip any delusions in the bud. Even if there is no obvious solution, or even if we feel embarrassment at past indiscretions, it is better to act now. Take one truthful step at a time until integrity and trust is restored to full capacity. To help put Mars’ influence over relationships into perspective at this time, we might have to ask if we are willing to risk relationships for the sake of avoiding conflict.

2012 seems to be a year where mutable signs – Gemini, Virgo, Sag and Pisces – are highlighted. Venus waits in the wings to have her turn at retrograding through Gemini between May 16th and June 28th (NZT). Again, it will be those people who have planets between 7 and 23 degrees of the above signs who will feel this transit most. Venus always brings relationships and money into focus so prepare to work harder at these areas of life. Saturn is already highlighting this area as it travels retrograde through Venus’ sign, Libra, and the trine from Venus to Saturn as she turns around, suggests that it’s the situations that we are already aware of that will go through a surge of activity. It’s significant then that Saturn also turns direct two days before Venus, on June 25th.

Lunar activity this month also underlines Venus with the Full Moon in Libra on the 17th at 07:20am (NZT) and the New Moon in Taurus on the 21st at 7:20pm (NZT). A lot will surface around the 17th that will bring situations to a head. The New Moon though bodes well for those of us who can see the spiritual nuances that connect us to our possessions and the people who provide stability in our lives. They are the gems that we need to look after with greater care.  

The Sun travels into Taurus on the 20th – Happy Birthday Taurus. With Jupiter in your sign as your birthday year begins, you have a great head start for growing even further than you have since last August. Keep an eye out your annual New Moon on the 21st. 

Horary Charts Available

I am now offering horary readings. If you have a question you would like answered, astrology may be able to provide an answer. 


Because I will set up a chart for the time I understand your question, questions will need to be framed precisely. Please discuss this with me before sending your question as the same question cannot be asked twice so we will want to get this clear from the beginning!


Contact me for more information: horoscopes@paradise.net.nz. 

Mercury Retrograde

Mercury turns retrograde tonight at 8:50pm (NZST +13 hrs) in Aries. Retrograde until April 4th, use this time to create and plan adventures and ventures with the future in mind but hold off putting anything that can be delayed into action until after April 16th. 

Mercury will travel through its opposite sign Pisces, where mental boundaries fall away, between March 24th and April 17th. During this stage our ability to analyse the smaller details becomes harder,  and communication and information becomes unreliable; while ideas and imagination are enhanced (great for artists and writers), for practical matters, we are less than grounded. Facts can become too confusing and mixed up to make sense of the bigger picture. 

Mercury starts its retro motion in close proximity to inventive, rebellious - and sometimes erratic and eccentric - Uranus. This suggests that this is a time when great flexibility of thought is required to keep up with to the quickening of events that seem to pound at our consciousness but which fizzle out as soon as they start. However, keep in mind that there are two instalments to this phase and that Mercury will reconnect with Uranus around April 23rd. Keep an open mind and prepare to think outside the usual boundaries.  

March 2012

PLANET REPORT: March is one of those pivotal months of the year where extraordinary events wait in the wings. Not only will Mercury turn retrograde in Aries on the 12th - inciting, irritating and inflaming the revolutionary kingpin, Uranus - but we will also experience the third - and final - triple Jupiter-Pluto connection. Spanning the months July and October 2011, this last fling between Jupiter and Pluto will be joined by a retrograde Mars in Virgo. Stretching the fabric tight over the cosmic loom, it may seem as if the picture is fully formed and clear, but there is still more to come that will take until May to play out. April is strewn with red herrings and mystifying events too because Mars, while weak and out of sorts, will leave Jupiter and Pluto and work its way toward an extremely vulnerable and sensitive opposition to newly-arrived-in-Pisces Neptune on April 14th.

What makes this even more potent is that Mars will turn direct right on this aspect. Take nothing for granted and prepare the lifejackets to get through this highly nebulous phase, especially once the Equinox kicks off the next quarter when the Sun travels into Aries on March 20th. This chart places a Moon/Neptune/Chiron conjunction in watery Pisces smack bang on NZ’s relationship zone in opposition to Mars in our zone of national identity. What confusion from nature, other countries, corporations or entities will oppose us and add to our lack of confidence?

Looking back at the events of July and October we can get an idea of what may take place. In July, we saw the tragic Oslo Massacre, the final edition of the News of the World after reports of hacking, and the death of Amy Winehouse. Following very closely to the above events, in early August, the London Riots shocked the world, and then in October, the second trine saw optimism rise after a positive rally on the stockmarkets.

Venus in her own sign, Taurus, adds even more events and people to this dramatic backdrop of social significance by completing a grand trine formation to both Jupiter and Pluto on March 14th. Venus and Jupiter add warmth and enthusiasm in March, even optimism in the face of rock solid evidence that life may be improving, but this should be tempered with extreme caution due to the prevailing cosmic conditions over most of April. Mercury turning retrograde on March 12th brings a heated but highly frustrating tone to communications – there is little chance that we will put ourselves in other people’s shoes so viewpoints can become self-centred. The impulse to react with the head rather than the heart is evident as early as the 3rd when Mercury travels into Aries.

While the Full Moon in Virgo on the 8th at 10:41pm seems fairly benign, the New Moon in Aries on the 23rd at 3:37am ignites the Mercury/Uranus connection and stirs the winds of change symbolised by the Equinox into a whirl of activity. 

The End of an Era

After 14 years of writing Planet Report for the Kapiti Observer, the column will be discontinued due to changes within the paper. I will endeavour to write regularly but now that I am no longer writing a full on column to a deadline, the structure may change and become more sporadic. I will try to keep you informed of cosmic activity as and when it happens. I will upload a short piece for March as this is already written.

Thanks for being loyal readers! Check this space regularly, or better still, subscribe to Network Blogs or LIke my Facebook page for regular updates. Just search for Planet Report by Tracey.

Thanks for the lots of kind comments!
Tracey

December 2011

PLANET REPORT: The nicest thing about December, apart from three planets turning direct, is that the New Moon will occur at 07:08am on Christmas Day. Like a present lying wrapped under the tree full of potential and possibility, this practical Capricorn New Moon trines Jupiter in the sign of the Moon’s exaltation, Taurus, just as Jupiter itself turns direct. Jupiter has been travelling in apparent backward motion since late August but now that it has once again returned to - and will turn around at - the beginning of Taurus, we will be able to forge ahead in those areas that relate to our hopes for the future, especially on financial and material levels.

The seeds that were sown between June and late August can now grow to generous proportions if we have followed all the practical clues that have been strewn across our paths. If we have ignored the clues though, then we might find we have bitten off more than we can chew or that opportunities have passed us by. This phase gives us a second chance to give it all we’ve got. We have until June 2012 to make the most of the grounding energy of Taurus.

On the other side of the sky, Mercury, while in its detriment, is also in Jupiter’s sign and turns direct on the 14th – shortly after revolutionary Uranus also turns direct. Up until the 14th, while we need to prepare for the festive season, we need to keep in mind that life is in a state of flux and that what we thought were plans set in concrete suddenly turn to mush. This phase will take skilful planning and sidestepping around unusual and sometimes crazy developments. The whoosh of energy from the 10th-14th though creates a lovely window in time to examine, ponder, philosophise about and sketch a broad outline for 2012.

There is no rush though because Mars’ unusually long journey through detail-oriented Virgo during the first half of 2012 will be a painstaking, perfection-seeking, almost pedantic experience. Mars normally operates on full speed, barely slowing down to give way when obstacles stand in the way, however on January 24th Mars will come to an apparent standstill and then begin a languorous journey back through the skies until April 14th when he resumes forward direction.

As December gives way to January, between January and April, we need to be prepared to shilly-shally and stumble through events that don’t appear to make sense at first glance. We need to proceed with much more caution and diligence than usual. Look at life events, projects and ideas with an appraising eye – let the critic within come forth – and avoid making a move until all the details are in place (probably not until after April). Pay solid attention to detail despite the urge to throw caution to the wind as the holiday festivities begin. We may be plagued by a vague sense of unease if we leave important facts and figures till later.

It’s a tall ask but because Mercury is out of action until December 14th, if we can squeeze in as much activity as we can into that last week before Christmas, we will certainly feel much better having tied up as many loose threads as possible. Keep all receipts for gifts as Mercury is notorious for items not working properly or for giving the same gifts as others. Avoid big ticket expenditure until after the 14th as well!

The Full Moon of the 11th is a total lunar eclipse in the sign of communications and general movement of mind and body, Gemini. It’s a balance between delicate emotions and razor sharp thoughts and we might find ourselves spoiling the festive cheer by over-reacting. A highly strung energy, try to slow down and think carefully before saying or doing anything.

The Solstice occurs when the Sun travels into Capricorn on the 22nd at 6:31pm.  

ARIES: With Uranus turning around in your sign and your ruler, Mars, going off air on January 24th, the period after December 14th represents a great window in time to get your spiritual, physical and emotional housework completed before the energy turns into something more complicated. On the Boxing Day, Jupiter turns around in your finance zone and the things in life that you value best of all. Something that began last June can now move into the next phase and once the New Moon occurs on Christmas Day, you will gain a whole new perspective. Work on health and your well-being over 2012 as that is one area that will be in the spotlight in the first six months. Mercury retrograding in your long distances, academia, publishing and beliefs sector will throw up a few spanners that clog the wheels of progress but inspite of this, you will gain a good perspective on what to strive for in 2012.

TAURUS: Jupiter turns around in your sign on Boxing Day and what a wonderful gift to begin 2012 with. Between then and June, you will be handed all the opportunities in the world to stretch yourself further than ever before. Somehow, it is a lot easier to achieve, expand and grow when Jupiter is in one’s own sign, but it does require effort and a willingness to your roll sleeves up and pitch in. Your ruler, Venus, moves into Aquarius on the 21st and this brings out the quirkiness in other people who are unable to commit to long term strategies with you. As hard as it is to understand, give them space to think and do their own thing. From January 24th, you will enter into strange but productive period in the area of romance, children and spare time activities. There is something about one or all of these areas that requires a perfectionist’s touch. Working on the small details is where you will make a breakthrough so that by July, a child, a lover or a hobby has been thoroughly dealt with or plotted out.

GEMINI: It may feel as if life is conspiring against you but it’s really just a build up of planetary energy that needs expression. For a start, your ruler Mercury is retrograde in your opposite sign Sagittarius. This instantly creates a communication issue or of thoughts that run counter to other people’s ideas. It will pay to be flexible but not so flexible that plans, projects and proposals run into chaos later on due to the lack of cohesion. The eclipse in your sign at Full Moon on the 11th suggests steering away from delicate subjects that are likely to cause words to fly. This is a very sensitive time and hair-trigger reactions are on the rise as the month wears on. Luckily, Jupiter is turning around in an area that suggest inner tranquillity and of having worked on issues that could be hotspots at any other time. Expand yourself intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically so that you can pass through difficulties with barely a flinch.

CANCER: The second half of December is always a tricky time for Crabs as this is the half-way point of your solar year and is usually a time of low vitality. It’s lucky for you that you get to experience this in your own time and at your own pace away from the pressure of your working life. Since you are ruled by the Moon, the lunar eclipse on the 11th also suggests that emotions are going be a fragile balancing act but that by the New Moon on Christmas Day, you will be ready to make resolutions and plans for 2012. It’s great that Jupiter is returning to life on Boxing Day after being out of action since late August. For you this represents a solid opportunity to return to a project or idea that you started developing between June and August. This could be a situation with a friend, band or team mate, or someone who orbits in your social activities. It could also relate to personal dreams and hopes that are distinct from your professional life. It may be time to dust down those old goals. What is there in the back of your life that can be revived and examined in 2012? Watch out for Uranus bearing unexpected gifts on a professional level around the 10th.

LEO: With super Jupiter turning around at the top of your chart on Boxing Day, you can be forgiven for continuing to think about your professional and public life long after everyone has logged off for the year. There are amazing things to look forward to once the year commences as far as your career, trade or job is concerned. This area also relates to one’s mother so for others it could be a parental issue that will soon move into the next phase. Startling developments may also occur when you log on. It could be something like a new website, blog or e-book that you have been working on that will also go through unexpected changes. Having said all that, if peace is what you are after this holiday period, then it looks like you may have to defer your time off! Mars is going to be looping around in your financial zone from January 24th so this is a good month to think ahead and use your coin wisely. You may decide to take on the services of a professional book-keeper or accountant where previously there hadn’t been any need. Whichever way, it’s the balancing of books that will matter in the first six months of 2012.

VIRGO: Mars continues to move through your sign ploughing up the turf so that you can plant seeds after April 2012. His extended stay in Virgo is going to have a big impact on a lot of signs but Gemini, Sag, Virgo and Pisces in particular will be feeling the heat, and this means beginning the year in a cautious fashion. Lucky for you that you have Jupiter on your side turning direct on Boxing Day as this will give you a cushion to fall back on when the obstacles and challenges start to appear from January 24th. In the meantime, you also have to contend with your ruler Mercury being retrograde until December 14th and a lunar eclipse on the 11th – both of these factors impact on the same signs. This suggests a highly strung energy that requires inner calm to deal with. Other people are likely to push buttons and create waves but if you know what is happening, you can keep the stress at bay by not reacting.

LIBRA: Across from your sign Uranus turns direct on the 10th and this rush of energy will create surprising waves and ripples within important one to one relationships. Unexpected developments that will take issues that began last July to the next phase could catch you off-guard if you haven’t been keeping watch on the undercurrents. This could spell a make or break time, but it could also mean that there is much more space to live and love. Some things are not as unexpected as they seem so in some respects you will know deep down that this is the way it should be. You have so much going on in your inner life that will take until next July to work through that you could be quite happy to retreat into your inner sanctum. There is a lot of work to be done but as early as April you will feel much healthier spiritually, mentally, intellectually and physically. People and events from the past may also come back, either into your consciousness or literally, and it will be surprising how strong their hold has been. The New Moon on Christmas Day could mean that a domestic issue finally resolves itself.

SCORPIO: As with Aries, your shared ruler, Mars, is going to do a series of backward flips in Virgo between January 24th and April 14th suggesting an unusually long phase of analysing, critiquing and restructuring that will last until July. Virgo is an intellectual sign that is concerned with the health of wherever it is situated in one’s chart, and this means that your world of friendships, acquaintances, club and team chums will be up for scrutiny in one way or another. This area also relates to your personal hopes and wishes that are distinct from your career and it may well be time to draw up a new game plan that will make you feel much better on an inner level. It could also be that the health of a friend brings out the nurse within you, or you may embark on a get fit regime where you encourage each other to reach your goals. On Boxing Day, Jupiter turns around in your opposite sign Scorpio launching important relationships to another level. Something that was evident last June but then faded into the background will come forward with gusto.

SAGITTARIUS: You will be pleased to know that your ruler Jupiter is on the move on December 26th. In June, it moved into a new sign, Taurus, heralding a new phase in work and health for all Archers. However, in late August things slowed right down when Jupiter went retrograde. As 2012 opens, life is once again humming along in the right direction. Mercury is also in your sign and retrograde as December opens but from the 14th it will also be travelling in a straight line. From then, you have a brilliant opportunity to get your working life back into order, clear the desks for the New Year as well as renew your vitality and take steps to increase your wellbeing. This is definitely a month to make resolutions and prepare a flexible plan because by January 24th Mars in Virgo will loop around in your career zone bringing delays and challenges that will help you create the perfect game plan in the long run. The Full Moon on the 11th is a lunar eclipse in your opposite Gemini in your zone of relationships. This brings sensitivity to all communications that can easily get lost in translation. Keep as cool as a cucumber and try to think about issues before reacting.

CAPRICORN: Happy birthday Capricorn folk! There’s a lovely New Moon in your sign smack bang on Christmas Day at 07:08am and that’s when your New Year will officially start. In a lovely aspect to Jupiter, there are hidden opportunities that will reveal themselves as 2012 kicks in. Children, romance or sports or leisure time activities are in the spotlight so make the most of it. Before that though, Mercury is off air and creating all kinds of mayhem in communication until December 14th. In your zone of confidential and private matters, there is something about the conversations you have with others that draws out your inner thoughts and you need to be prepared to think before you speak. Sudden changes in domestic arrangements may strike around the 10th. Mars will be looping around in your zone of travel, academia and publishing from January 24th and this suggests that time and energy needs to be placed on these areas right up until July 2012.

AQUARIUS: If you are selling, buying or moving house, your best opportunities may come over the Christmas/New Year period. This is when super Jupiter turns around in your home zone amping everything up to the next level. As December begins, use the time up until the 14th to research lifestyle changes in as much detail as possible so that when Jupiter moves forward you are in a strong position to re-launch yourself. There’s a tendency in the first two weeks for communications to become confused and this means we need to double check everything and take extra care with documents and information. In the longer term, Mars is staying for much longer than he usually does in any given area in our charts, for you he will be looping around in your zone of business, finance or property matters that you have in common with other people. Take your time and check everything and everyone out thoroughly.   

PISCES: December is a sensitive month for Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Piscean folk. With Mercury creating stress within our thought patterns, and a lunar eclipse in Gemini on the 11th, it won’t be until the latter part of the month that you will be able to sink into enjoying the holiday period. It’s hard to think straight in the first two weeks of December, and even harder to get straight answers from others, so there’s a real need to slow right down and think carefully in areas that can’t be put off. Your ruler Jupiter turns direct on Boxing Day and this gift from heaven is a solid base from which to spring into 2012. On January 24th, Mars reaches a pivotal point in a phase that will last until July 2012. Carving out the way in key relationships, other people will play a large part in your affairs in the coming months. Agreements and discussions will need to be examined and re-examined many times before a decision can be reached. Take your time and realise that criticism is sometimes a defence mechanism.  

November 2011

PLANET REPORT: Live life as creatively as possible in November! This mindset will provide the antidote to the confusion and uncertainty that will punctuate the weird and wonderful days ahead of the festive season. It will be a colourful journey but there are perils that we need to be alert to as our energy slumps and decision-making abilities stutter.

Right up until December 11th - when the second of two eclipses across Gemini and Sagittarius pass – look at life as an exotic marketplace in a land where the language is hard to understand and where the sights and sounds overwhelm the senses. The colourful characters, situations and events that emerge this month will provide a tempting array of gaudy trinkets that look like the real deal but should be viewed with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. As Mars opposes a turning Neptune on the 10th, glance sideways but keep going from anything and anyone who comes bearing gifts! Accept very little at face value unless you are absolutely sure or you have consulted the travel guide; better yet wait until you have got to a safe vantage point in December before accepting, or making, offers, deals and decisions. The glamour can hide a multitude of underlying problems.

It is also possible to be lured by the opium den of addiction to situations and substances that prolong a myth or give a false sense of reality. Like any high, we have to come down at some point. This is a landing spot month where we would be better to fill our days with carefully selected activities to avoid the deflation or disappointment of high expectations. The Cup is on the mantelpiece and now we need to take stock of the future. Mars moves into Virgo on the 11th and will remain here until early July 2012 - an unusually long time for this faster moving planet. In Virgo, there is a massive clean up ahead physically, mentally and spiritually so check for signs and signals of what requires a healthy dose of cosmic Janola in the coming months.

In the marketplace of life, November contains a lot of haggling to get the best out of dubious situations. Decisions concerning major lifestyle changes are complicated by the tricky details, or the tricksters who cross our path especially when Mercury turns retrograde on the 24th. Until the 14th, take leave and take stock. The fertile Taurus Full Moon on the 11th at 9:17am signals a shift in energy and a climax of matters that began six months ago and, luckily, creates a cautious, practical streak to cope with the general vagueness and wobbliness of this month. However, life will get more emotional by the eclipse at New Moon in Sag on the 25th at 7:11pm which adds fuel to the fire of agitated emotions but also brings an unexpected release so that we can move into 2012 with a refreshed outlook. This phase will be great for looking at the bigger canvas and into the future, and for sorting what needs sorting rather than adding to the pile that the festive season brings. The Sun shifts into Sagittarius at 05:09am on the 23rd.

ARIES: With your ruler Mars shifting into Virgo for an unusually long time from November 11th until July 2012, November is the beginning of a major clean up in your life. Not only is Mars in the sign of cosmic housekeeping but it will travel through the zone of your day-to-day routine, your health and work zone during this extended period. Be a step ahead of the current by looking closely at how diet, exercise and general consumption of the good and bad affects your mind, body and spirit. There will be periods of long hours spent working at gruelling tasks but if you pace yourself, you can achieve so much in the coming months. At work, you might decide to hone your skills or work through issues with co-workers. Around the 10th it is very important to be clear and concise about issues. Communication is very important this month, especially by month’s end when Mercury turns retrograde.

TAURUS: In December, Jupiter will resume normal operation in your sign and you can move into the next phase of self-development and personal growth. Until then, navigating the unusually charged atmosphere of November is the name of the game. At least Mercury and Venus move out of opposite sign Scorpio on the 2nd and 3rd relieving you of the pressure that other people have been placing on you but your annual Full Moon wraps up a six month phase on the 11th. Mars also moves into a favourable position for your sign on the 11th, remaining here for the next 8 months; and while this might not be plain sailing in the area of children, romance or creativity, if you focus on the details and avoid critiquing situations, you will find constructive solutions. This is the month to attend to financial or business matters that involve second parties.

GEMINI: With your ruler going off air on the 24th in opposite sign Sagittarius as well as two eclipses darkening the cosmic doorway on November 25th and December 11th across your sign, the next six weeks are appropriate for clearing up and cleaning out. In major relationships there may be issues that have been simmering below the surface that will emerge and, if so, it is best to work with these situations with good communication and rapport. There will be a general sensitivity this month and it may be all too easy to react before thinking. Mars moving into Virgo packs of a bit of a punch over the next 8 months and for Gemini it will slowly, but surely, spring clean the proverbial cobwebs from home and family dynamics. And though this is not a particularly fun transit, you do have the chance to perfect, polish or finish off a project, renovation or move. You will also learn the art of patience with the people you live with. Organisation is the key and having a plan. The trick is in knowing that Virgo energy tends to get anxious when there is a lack of structure.

CANCER: An interesting month ahead with lunar activity creating a bit of a roller coaster, and strange feelings, situations and people gathering on the sidelines of your financial sector. Get second or third opinions if you are involved with major wheeling and dealing as what you see, hear or read might not be what you get in the long term. The same is true in reverse too: be aboveboard and honest in all your dealings because there are loose seams that could unravel now. Even though the signs that the coming eclipses fall in do not impact immediately upon your own, the fact that you are ruled by the Moon means you have a greater sensitivity to what takes place in the sky this month. Over the course of the next 6 weeks your life may revolve around visits to the dentist or doctor but welcome this as a chance to get on top. Needless to say, this is a month to be precious about your wellbeing. Mentally, you are shifting into a longer period of concentration where communication or the written or spoken word becomes extremely important. The devil is in the details now. But go for gold!

LEO: From the 11th Mars shifts out of your own sign and into your financial zone for an extended period that will take you up to July 2012. On the same day at Full Moon lights up your career sphere and brings a culmination to professional projects that might have begun six months ago. This Full Moon also highlights the bigger issues that have been developing since June. November is a crossroads month where you need to be very aware but also cautious about making big changes too quickly. By the middle of the month we enter into an uncertain phase where it might be better to take a wait and see approach. Focus instead on personal goals, friendships and networking circles as well as children, lovers and the activities you do in your spare time. While the conditions are ripe for bringing issues to the surface, December is the better month to act. Be especially vigilant about the fine print and ask lots of questions! Research is the trick up your sleeve.

VIRGO: Mars’ arrival in your sign is nothing unusual in itself but because it will be looping around and moving back and forth over a period of 8 months, this suggests a long period of focusing upon your physical, mental and spiritual needs. It is also a time for developing confidence and leadership skills that will bring success in the future. As with any retrograde, some of life’s lessons come from trial and error, and while annoying or difficult will mean you can speak from experience. Virgo is the sign of perfection and Mars is the planet of doing; this translates into doing perfectly, whether a skill, diet or project. As it leaves Leo, Mars will oppose Neptune on the 10th and this may highlight hidden issues that will grow in complexity over the coming months. Your ruler Mercury turning around on the 24th in your home zone until December 11th gives you space to clear the home of unfinished projects and prepare for the festive season and 2012. Avoid big decisions about furnishings, electronics or renovating or agreements with family, flatmates and other people who might impact upon your life, until December 14th.

LIBRA: As Mars moves into a very private sphere in your chart for a full 8 months on the 11th, it’s what happens behind the scenes that matters most. Whether it’s a spiritual journey where you consult your inner oracle or whether you take the advice of someone who can throw light on the future, you are concerned with developing and perfecting a deeper part of yourself. Perhaps a situation with a friend that occurs around the 10th will draw out your inner sage and make you more aware of how in control you really are. On the other hand, health is also covered by this zone and you may become more aware of how diet, exercise and sleep affect your day to day performance. With lunar activity highlighting your knowledge zone, you may decide to seek information from places further afield than you usually do. Communications and how you think are very important this month and for some this will relate to study, while for others what you read or hear will have a profound effect. All in all, soak everything up but wait until after December 11th to put theory into practice.

SCORPIO: Happy birthday Scorpio! As your new year takes place, you will be glad to hear that Mars moves from a difficult angle to your sign to a place that takes the spotlight off you so that you can relax a little more. However, do be aware of the time around the 11th when an awkward situation surfaces. Rather than act on what transpires, it is better to hold off making big decisions until the fog lifts and you can see the lay of the land. All might not be as it appears so make no commitment to anyone or anything. Shifting into your zone of friends and your personal dreams, you have a full 8 months to focus on a special group of people, or perfect conditions so that you can achieve a unique goal. The trick is to raise your expectations each time you overcome each hurdle. It will be a slow journey and there is no rush. On the 24th, Mercury goes walkabout until December 14th in your sphere of finances. This is the perfect time to adjust your values, budgets and earning ability, and, most importantly adjust spending. Avoid making big ticket purchases without thorough research.

SAGITTARIUS: A big month is November! Circle the 10-11th as a turning point where everything cosmic leads to the eclipses that fall across the Gemini-Sagittarius axis. Your annual New Moon occurs on the 25th but because it happens to be an eclipse (that will lead to a second eclipse on December 11th) there are changes afoot that could catch you off-guard. On top of that, Mars reaches the pinnacle of your chart on the 11th and will remain in your life direction zone for a full 8 months. This whole scenario in a snapshot suggests that right up until July 2012 you will be in “perfection” mode – perfecting skills, talents or a role – whether you are a parent or CEO – or simply polishing your public profile. It’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty and to look at the tiniest of details within the context of the bigger picture. Mercury also goes retro in your sign from the 24th until December 14th so it could take a while before your birthday year springs into action. Review, revise and recharge!

CAPRICORN: Knowing that it takes sweat and hard work to make it, you will be one of the few signs that can grasp the essence of Mars in Virgo. Tackling the tiniest of details will come easily to you but you have to be careful not to allow this to degenerate into nitpicking, otherwise, the seams can come undone just when the fabric is taking shape. Patience is another virtue of yours once you have got over the initial rush of wanting something. This is good because you have 8 months to cut out the pattern and stitch it all together. That’s the period up until July 2012. In the short term, November contains a brilliant Taurus Full Moon on the 11th that will finally bring about a resolution in a romantic or child-related issue however the New Moon following that is an eclipse in Sagittarius that will bring hidden issues to the surface. Whatever bubbles up will provide clues to the much bigger picture that is taking shape. What transpires then will culminate around the Full Moon of December 11th bringing changes to a work situation and the day to day running of your life.

AQUARIUS: If you have been having a hard time of it lately with other people, you will be glad to hear that Mars will be moving out of your opposite sign Leo on the 11th and that relationships will lose some of the heat that may have been evident. As it leaves though there will be a gnarly opposition to Neptune, which is turning direct in your own sign. November is complicated to say the least, and most astrologers would suggest leaving big decisions or purchases until well into December. And though the passion may cool to more manageable levels, the 11th is the beginning of an 8 month stint that will focus on assets, money, property and business that you have in common with second and third parties. This can be anything from taxes to insurance to the division of shared resources. Cool as a cucumber, you have a few months to work through this process so take your time and avoid being pushed or pushing for results.

PISCES: November is a tricky month for Pisces with so many cosmic events occurring at difficult angles to your sign but it can also be highly creative if you have the right mindset. Easier said than done I know, but if you can take the road of least resistance by not making big decisions that could affect you in the long run, you can coast through this phase with only a case of internal irritability that can easily be worked off. An eclipse on both ends of Mercury retrograde serve to jiggle life up and severely test your patience. Again this leaves space to review the current state of affairs in your life direction and home zones. By December 11th-14th you will get a much better idea of the broader layout of these areas so that you can move into the festive season with a set of revamped ideas. The longer term brings relationship issues – from love to professional – to the fore. The trick is avoiding falling into the sweating the small stuff trap and use this time to etch out the details of agreements, arrangements and proposals.