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Planet Weather for Weeks 2/12 & 2/19/12
Breaking News:
Whitney Houston Dead in L.A. – More about this sad
story on my new page on FB http://www.facebook.com/
NewsBits: The Highest Price for Freedom: Syria! The Syrian people are paying the ultimate price – their lives – and the world is dragging its heels while more and more people are slaughtered by a brutal regime. Russia and China adamantly use their veto power against a United Nations Resolution for intervention.
The chart we’ll use for Syria is 11/13/70 Damascus, Syria, the date for the coup inserting Assad into power. The time quoted is only given as “dawn,” so we’ll use a Solar chart – which is when the Sun is rising in the East (the Ascendant). There are two other charts listed in Nicholas Campion’s The Book of World Horoscopes, but the one for the Assad Coup seems the most responsive to current planetary positions in the sky.
Syria’s chart has a number of very strong conjunctions (two or more planets close together mathematically, mostly in the same sign). Typically conjunctions pack a great deal of energy. First, Syria has a Venus/Jupiter/Sun conjunction in Scorpio, opposite a Moon/Saturn conj. in Taurus, which is also a Full Moon condition. Then there is a Mars/Uranus/Libra conjunction and lastly a Mercury/Neptune/Sagittarius exact conjunction @ 0deg. The fixed sign opposition Taurus/Scorpio shows the stubborn and unyielding entrenchment of both sides and the brutality and violence than comes from the inability to compromise in this sign pair. Mars/Uranus in the chart is a signature of rebellion in and of itself and shows the brilliant innovation inherent in the energy of this country, and that action is most ignited once inequality tips too far out of balance. The Mercury/Neptune conjunction shows that its people have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and it is this aspect that is and has been triggered most since March of 2011 – just weeks before Neptune first entered 0 Pisces (4/4/11) and made an exact square to Syria’s Mercury/Nep conjunction. That lasted until 8/4/12, when Neptune moved back into the last three degrees of Aquarius and focused itself on Syria’s North Node @ 29Aquarius crisscrossing that point a few more times (first time March 2011) before once again moving to 0 Pisces on 2/3/12. It was also March 2011, that Uranus moved into Aries for the duration of its cycle (7 yrs.) and made a strong trine (120deg.) aspect to Syria’s Mercury/Neptune conjunction. The stimulus was too strong and too much – to not be expressed.
It’s horrific watching and knowing what’s happening to innocent civilians in Syria, and the International community moves so slowly to stop the slaughter. The recent Station of Saturn @ 29 Libra (2/7/12) combined with another exact aspect pattern in Syria’s chart – its Pluto @ 29 Virgo inconjunct (150deg.) to its North Node most likely brought the plight of the Syrian people front and center with calls for resolution and intervention – the responsibility factor (Saturn). The upcoming Mercury Rx @ 7 Aries (3/12/12) is another trigger joining Syria’s Chiron. Then Jupiter/Taurus is getting ever closer to the degree span of 15-20 where Syria’s Scorpio/Taurus opposition planets are located – this could well bring help but does not kick in until the end of March. Jupiter will magnify the issue, whatever the state of things are then, but also hopefully offer options and relief and probably financial support.
SkyWatch for the Weeks of
1/29-2/5/2012:
Moon phase for the week of 2/12: 2/14 -- The
Moon enters Her Last (aka Third) Quarter phase at 12:04 PM EST, at 25 degrees
of Scorpio. This is the "daylight Moon" that rises ahead of the Sun
and is usually visible throughout most of the day in clear weather. Skywatching events of the week: 2/12 --The waning Moon
passes near Saturn, their point of closest approach coming when both are well
below the horizon. However, the two will rise together about an hour before
midnight as viewed from the US East Coast, with Saturn leading the Moon up into
the eastern sky.
Moon phase for the week of 2/19: 2/21 --The Moon starts Her New cycle at 5:35 PM EST, at 2 degrees of Pisces. Look for Her slender crescent low in the West after sunset a day or two later. Skywatching events of the week: 2/25 -- The waxing Crescent Moon makes a close pass by Venus. Their point of closest approach occurs before sunset as viewed from the US East Coast, but the two will set together well after sunset, with the Moon following this "evening star" Venus downward to the western horizon. Go out! Look up!
Knowing when VOC Moons occur is key to planning your successful week!
The Void-of-course (VOC) Moon is a kind of limbo. As it reaches the end of a sign, the Moon makes no major aspect to another planet before it enters the next sign. VOC is best for less outcome-oriented activity, since VOC often means detours, distractions, drifting, or delays. If you want specific outcomes, or if timeliness is critical, don’t use a VOC Moon time. VOC is best for processing, imagining, creating, and open-ended activities, like parties, research, or cleaning your desk/closet for instance! It is said that when a new action is initiated during VOC, “nothing will come of it,” or energies go in unplanned directions, which may not necessarily be negative.
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Week of 2/12/12 – Sunday, Monday (Mercury enters Pisces), Wednesday, and Friday are the most active days energetically – more Moon or planetary aspects for engagement with others, projects, and stimulation for producing results, or demands/challenges on your energy. On 2/12/12, the Moon is VOC/Libra from 4:09PM to 5:01PM EST – On 2/14//12, the Moon is VOC/Scorpio from 12:04PM to 7:56PM EST – On 2/16/12, the Moon is VOC/Sagittarius from 11:03PM to 12:03AM EST (next day!)
Week of 2/19/12 – Sunday (The Sun enters Pisces), Tuesday (New Moon Pisces), and Friday are the most active days energetically – more Moon or planetary aspects for engagement with other or projects, and stimulation for producing results, or demands/challenges on your energy. On 2/19/12, the Moon is VOC/Capricorn from 4:22AM until 5:28AM EST – On 2/21/12, the Moon is VOC/Aquarius from 11:17AM to 12:31PM EST – On 2/22/12, the Moon is VOC/Pisces from 9:24PM to 9:48PM EST (next day!)
Quote of Note: (For Valentine’s Day!) -- “We always think when we’re in love that it is like nobody else’s love, but I suspect we’re more like everybody else at those times than at any other.” – Elizabeth Jane Howard, English novelist
Summary: In the next two weeks, two planets (Mercury then Sun) are igniting Neptune, newly installed in Pisces, so we are experiencing a spike in this energy, which can be initially manifest as confusion or overwhelm, as we swim in the soup of many possibilities and much tugs at our attention. Retreat, breathe and keep revising your priority list for each day and be sure you have enough downtime. Over-stimulation is rampant! Pisces is glamor, illusion and show-biz, artists of all kind – As we experience more of Neptune/Pisces influence, we hear of Whitney Houston’s untimely death. The golden-voiced diva struggled with addictions.
Planet Patterns and Cosmic Headlines (Detail):
***Mercury enters mutable, water Pisces on 2/13/12 until 3/12/12 – when Mercury turns retrograde at 7 Aries, which means that Mercury re-enters Pisces again, (as it slips back) on 3/23/12 and finally finishes its time in Pisces on 4/16/12. Whenever we have a retrograde planet, it extends the time it remains in one Zodiac sign and we are immersed with this energy, in order to learn its finer points. In Pisces, we may discover where we‘ve been blind to an aspect of ourselves, or in another. We learn to have compassion and understanding and not expect everything to be perfect, or to be the way we want it to be. The other side of that is recognizing what your boundaries are and being clear with others about your bottom line. Your feelings do matter.
As soon as Mercury enters Pisces, it immediately conjuncts Neptune @ 0deg. on 2/14/12, and just in time for US Valentine’s Day. With this combination our thoughts may wander and we’d like to be inspired. We may wax poetic, and in general, it may be easier to be romantic. The other side of this is disappointment, when something doesn’t turn out exactly as you had dreamed it would. Be careful of falling into that pit, since it’s not a good place to land. Be appreciative for efforts expended and strive to make it better next time, if it does not meet your expectations. You may be privy to secrets or hear something you were not meant to hear. This is a highly sensitive and emotional combination, so be kind when you have something difficult to say.
The Sun enters Pisces on 2/19/12 until 3/120/12. And now the Sun joins Neptune and Mercury in Pisces, so this is apt to be an especially sensitive time for all. Pisces is idealistic and romantic but also hypersensitive and easily disappointed. People may tread on your dreams or laugh at your magic and you will have to find your inner strength to soothe your bruised spirit. You are not what others label you, unless you believe them. Or, you may provide inspiration for others who need it most. There’s always someone worse off than you.
Currently Active Paradigm-Shift Patterns -- Back Stories: Repeats and elaboration of the major current configurations affecting all of us.
Mars is Retrograde (Rx) in Virgo! Mars turned Rx in Virgo on 1/23/12 @ 23 deg. until 4/13/12. Mars entered mutable, earth Virgo on 11/10/11, and remains in Virgo (including its retrograde time) until 7/3/12! It’s significant that the first half of 2012 is dominated by a Virgoan theme at the same time that Neptune is entering Pisces for the next 14 years (see below). In short, the two energies are opposite. Virgo is about the details and Pisces about the unity of the whole. Both are necessary and need to be balanced. It’s easy to be overwhelmed when Mars Retro makes us aware of the many loose ends we’ve left hanging or the many tasks that seem to suddenly demand out attention.
Let this cycle teach you how to manage your stress level better. Pace yourself and stop when you find yourself obsessing – take a break then and switch to another activity, one that relaxes you. Virgo is one of the signs that govern health, as in the positive functioning of the body, as well as your schedule. Do you have play time and friend time built into your schedule, as well as a good diet, regular exercise and enough sleep? Virgo is the delicate system or mechanism (body/mind/spirit) that allows us to function well. Make sure you maintain it regularly so that it can do its job well.
Currently Active Paradigm-Shift Patterns -- Back Stories: Repeats and elaboration of the major current configurations affecting all of us.
Neptune re-enters mutable, water Pisces on 2/3/12 for the next 14 years until 3/31/25. It’s time to sing a different tune. Neptune in the very last sign of the Zodiac requires nuance and subtlety for one thing and a lot of faith for another. In fact you may be tested on your faith. Neptune is sticky and tricky (the title of one of my old lectures on Neptune). It is the search for meaning even in the midst of things dissolving around you and events that seem inexplicable. Neptune is the power of the water; it takes everything in and brings it back in another form entirely. It breaches all barriers and so on a mundane level we may find out secrets about people, places and things that have long been hidden.
Neptune is the intoxication with the ideal and all that takes us beyond the harshness of mundane life. And that’s why it’s also associated with addictions. There’s a yearning in Neptune for beauty and union with tastes and glimpses of the divine, with magic, with grace, forgiveness and compassion. This renewed emphasis on the urge to transcend will likely bring a surge of new music, film, and a renaissance in all other art forms.
Saturn turns Stationary Retrograde @ 29 Libra on 2/7/12 until 6/25/12. Re-evaluate your position and your relationships. Saturn has been traveling in the sign of the scales (balance) for about 2 years and it will leave in October 2012. But before it does that it has one more retrograde cycle. Along with Mars also retrograde, things slow down but also tend to break down. So, the opportunity is to rebuild the foundation step by step. First though, evaluate and remind yourself of the criteria you are using to make your plans. It’s possible you’ll need to revise and reassess them. Relationships are still in the crosshairs of scrutiny with Saturn/Libra. Some have broken down and new ones have formed. Typically imbalances in a range or arena create the friction in relationship and the balance of give and take is tipped. Sometimes the scales cannot rebalance themselves but at other times, when both parties have the will and commitment, the relationship is renewed and becomes even stronger.
Saturn in Libra addresses the questions of balance, fairness, relationships, negotiations, and compromise. With Saturn there is always evaluation, some testing of standards met or not, and have we achieved what we set out to do in certain areas of our life? If we feel we are out of balance, then we will want to rebalance, or renegotiate the contracts we’ve made. Saturn will be backtracking now, to refine those imbalances and to test the rebalancing that you’ve begun. What is it exactly that makes for harmony and contentment in your life? All Libras, Aries, Cancers and Capricorns are feeling this testing the most.
Saturn entered cardinal, air Libra on 10/29/09. The full cycle lasts until 10/6/12. This is a 2.5-year Saturn-sign cycle. Saturn is exalted in Libra. This so-called “essential dignity” means there’s more of a commitment to promote cooperation and harmony among equals. Or, we can say, that is the primary striving in this combination. The collective will be more focused on what is fair and equitable and what is not. Generally, the message is to find the imbalances and rebalance as needed. Where are you giving your commitment and attention? Are the returns you receive what you really want? If not, then adjust those commitments and relationships for greater equality and fairness. Saturn in Libra also asks – what matters and what is valuable? When there is real value, it is easier to make a commitment for a longer time and with greater attention and intention. All major relationships and, in particular, those with Libra/Aries Sun, Moon, or Ascendant, will be put to a greater test. Saturn in a cardinal sign is more proactive than in other signs, and you may find that you seek order from recent chaos and productivity from prior stress and mess.
Jupiter Stationary Direct @ 0Taurus on 12/25/11, Christmas Day! Whatever good was held back or delayed will now move toward you, that is – if it was already heading in your direction to begin with! Ask your astrologer to map this out for you. A planet changing direction is always a big event, and with Jupiter, the biggest planet in our Solar system, expect magnification of events – maybe even exaggeration, and also some surprises. Jupiter/Taurus is generous with whatever resources it has and is patient and enduring. Jupiter entered fixed, earth Taurus on 6/4/11 and stays until 6/12/12. Jupiter stays in Taurus without moving back into the previous sign, even when it turns retrograde on 8/30/11(it remains in Taurus), which only happens about every three Jupiter cycles (3 years)! Most of the time when Jupiter turns retrograde in any sign, it moves back into the sign before and then its retrograde cycle spans the two signs. We might speculate that this can grant us greater relaxation and stability from the fast and furious and sudden changes that we’ve all witnessed since the beginning of this year, at least, while Jupiter was in fiery Aries. Stable and practical with a certain amount of sweetness, abundance, or favor is the message of this giving Jupiter in a Venus-ruled sign. There are possibilities, if we are willing to look for them and allow them.
Neptune turned Stationary Direct on 11/9/11 until 6/5/12! The scandals leaked out – Herman Cain’s sexual harassment skeletons and child rape abuses at Penn State University. With this surge forward again, Neptune left the sign Aquarius not to return for another 164 years! Neptune is now in Pisces, where it Stationed @ 0deg. on 6/3/11 and sat at 0 degrees between 4/4-8/5/11. On 2/3/12, Neptune returned to 0 deg. Pisces and continus its journey through Pisces for the next 14 years, until 3/31/25. We can only imagine what changes in the culture and our sensibilities this will bring. There is a grand focus on the environment and greater sensitivity within the web-like network that binds us closer together than ever before. New visionaries will emerge, as well as new ways to believe and questions of what to believe. The way in which each one of us is connected to and responsible for every other living being on this planet will become increasingly and utterly apparent.
Neptune is a dissolving energy and expresses the power of the water! Neptunian themes include: paranormal experiences, illumination about some life themes or experiences, and secrets leaking out, or even some funky illness. Neptune energies can also manifest as melancholy as we review dreams that may not have materialized, make necessary adjustments, all the while maintaining our faith in life, spirit and the meaning of it all.
With Neptune’s foray into Pisces, we have the third outer planet making a sign change since January 2008, setting in motion a series of conditions and events that have global long-term effects. Neptune is entering the modern rulership of its own sign Pisces and expresses itself quite naturally here according to its intrinsic nature. We can expect the need for greater sensitivity and environmental protections, as the harm we have done to the planet becomes more obvious. We may witness the formation of new religious groups and a reformation of existing religion as we know it. Secrets may be exposed and more leaks of information that some people may not wish to be revealed. On the positive side, new artistic accomplishments will flower in all fields, especially music, but all across the artistic spectrum. In essence it is a cultural call for greater refinement and attunement to what we often take for granted or fail to notice.
Neptune was discovered in 1846, and entered Pisces on 4/26/1847 through 1861. Oddly enough, Uranus was also in Aries (although farther along in the sign) when Neptune entered Pisces for the first time (since its discovery). This is only the second time, after Neptune came into our consciousness awareness, that Neptune is transiting Pisces! Both Neptune and Pisces are tricky. They operate on a completely different level. Pisces is known for its hyper-sensitivity, compassion, diffusiveness, spirituality, dream-like imagination, second-sight, idealism, patronage of the arts, and the ability to dissolve barriers of all kinds for greater unity. Negative manifestation includes: dissipation, neglect, addictions, deception, drugs, theft, scandals, and secrets. A few highlights of Neptune’s last transit through Pisces include: new social movements, such as Marxism, emancipation of slaves, the start of the US Civil War, the California Gold Rush, the Romantic movement in music, and transcendentalism.
We had four months of Neptune in Pisces in 2011, which we have not experienced for 166 years! As we begin to integrate with this complex novel energy infusion, you may notice a greater sensitivity or subtlety. Neptune dissolves barriers and that is one of the reasons a positive Neptunian response often allows greater compassion for human error and human frailty. Neptune deals with the unseen and the unnoticed and often accounts for spiritual breakthroughs and even paranormal experiences. I believe that this transit of Neptune through Pisces will loosen the boundaries between the material realm and the spiritual or energetic realms. Many of us will experience more than can be easily explained through the measurable functions of science. This can be a time of high magic but also the stripping away of illusions and deceptions and unless one has a strong inner core, the disillusionment we find may destabilize us. Practice faith in the joy of being alive and the true mysticism of that fact alone, no matter what your religious beliefs may be. Neptune is magical and a component of magic is addiction, as we seek to recreate the transcendence of blissful states that allow us to escape the harsher realities of everyday life.
Pluto turned Stationary Direct @ 4 Capricorn on 9/16/11 until 4/11/12. Anytime an outer planet slows down, stops, and reverses direction, its characteristic energy is amplified. Pluto is our slowest moving planet [Yes] and for several years now it has been processing the growing discontent with systems that have failed us and failed to provide the kind of security society expected. We’ve experienced various breakdowns collectively and personally yielding quite a bit of instability and insecurity. This station could very well deal with financial issues and the pragmatic concerns of unemployment, but more directly where the money is, who is holding it, and why lending isn’t forthcoming. It is quite possible that a bottleneck will open and more money will flow to fuel jobs and fund business. At least these seem to be the issues surrounding this Pluto Station. (The gold bubble and Germany’s bailout in the Euro crisis with defaulting Greece.)
Uranus re-entered Aries on 3/11/11, and remains there until May 2018. This is the biggest news of March and beyond, and heralds a new upward spiral in social and cultural evolution. In the summer of 2010, Uranus teased us by parking itself and remaining only at 0deg. Aries (the powerful degree of the Spring Equinox) from 5/27-8/13/10. Now it’s fully engaged. Any planet in the first sign of the Zodiac wants to start a fire, begin something new, innovate, and create or reinvent something in its own image. This combination can certainly be aggressive, bold, courageous, willful, and because of the influence of Uranus, unexpected and explosive. Most of the previous text was written well before the popular uprisings (conflagrations) in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and other parts of the Middle East. We are seeing the effects of individuals asserting themselves in their striving for personal freedoms that they believe are their birthright. Repressive regimes will no longer be tolerated. Aries represents the new and renewal – as it emerges from the dreams of the previous sign, Pisces. It burns with the fire of justice and courage to be free at any cost.
General editing and science editor, John Flagg.
Opinions and interpretation/analysis expressed are the sole intellectual property of Dorothy Oja.
PW emerged from transcripts of a weekly radio show in 1996.
MINDWORKS -- Dorothy Oja --
Let me help you manage your planets!
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MINDWORKS services include: Timing and Electional work (dates for surgery, weddings, business openings etc.), Composite/Davison Relationship and Couples analysis, Children's Profiles and private tutoring. Meta-Coaching sessions involve eliciting the astrological and sacred dynamics of your chart to empower realization of your goals and find satisfaction in self-expression. An active writer for national magazines and online sites, collections of Dorothy's articles are available upon request. Dorothy writes a weekly ezine, Planet Weather, published for the past 15 years for enthusiastic subscribers, which includes social, cultural and political commentary. She has frequently appeared as a guest on TV, hosted her own radio shows and has been interviewed in the print media. In October 2000, Dorothy published her text, Compatibility & Conflict for Romantic Relationships, as a computer interpretive report, followed by Compatibility & Conflict for Friendship and Business in October 2002. Her first book, Planetary Resonance was released in May 2012. Dorothy currently serves the community as Chair of the ISAR Ethics Committee including Ethics Awareness Training.