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Planet Weather for Weeks 3/25& 4/1/12
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NewsBits: The Senseless Death of Trayvon Martin! Shot by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain who was licensed to carry a concealed weapon, Trayvon Martin was walking home in the rain, hood up after buying a bottle of tea and skittles, to finish watching an NFL game at his father ‘s girlfriend’s house. Zimmerman, an active advocate for neighborhood safety, felt Martin was acting suspiciously. And this is how a true tragedy of mythic proportions was forged – mistaken identity, and fearful suspicion, potential racial stereotyping and possibly over-eagerness – that culminated in the death of a 17-year-old young black man.
President Obama said, "I think all of us have to do some soul searching to figure out how does something like this happen," said Obama. "And that means we examine the laws and the context for what happened, as well as the specifics of the incident."
In the most intimate act of taking a human being’s life, the connections between victim and killer are eerie. The fated synchronicity that brought these two people together at that particular time with such a tragic result can be seen in the contacts between the two charts.
Trayvon Martin was born on 2/5/95 in Miami, FL, time unknown. Trayvon was an Aquarian with Mercury/Aquarius and Mars/Leo. Unless Trayvon was born after 8PM, he has the Moon in Aries.
George Zimmerman was born on 10/5/83 in Manassa, VA, time unknown. Zimmerman is a Libra with Mercury/Virgo and Mars @ 3 deg. Virgo – the exact degree at which Mars will turn Direct on 4/13/12. This is an example, of how one can be responsive and sensitized to planetary degree points (especially Station Points) before the actual Station takes place. This condition in Zimmerman’s chart placed more focus on his actions, or his willingness to act, or perhaps his impulsiveness (Mars). Transiting Mercury was @ 23 Pisces, the degree at which it would later turn Direct too, giving credence to the “shadow” or foreshadowing cycle of planets! Transiting Mercury triggered by opposition Trayvon’s Chiron and Zimmerman’s Mercury, both in Virgo! Zimmerman’s Moon is either Virgo or Libra, we can’t be sure (50-50).
Some of the connections that tie these two together (within a few degrees) are Trayvon’s Mars/Leo conjunct Zimmerman’s Venus/Leo – Trayvon’s Chiron/Virgo is conjunct Zimmerman’s Mercury/Virgo. Both were born with Jupiter in Sagittarius. For those who use asteroids: both have the asteroid Vesta in Gemini, they have Ceres exactly opposite each other in Leo/Aquarius and Zimmerman’s Ceres is conjunct Trayvon’s Mercury/Aquarius. It seems likely (more than 50%) that Trayvon’s Moon was in late Aries, which would link it to an opposition with Zimmerman’s Pluto late Libra – and that is certainly a transformative contact. In addition, Zimmerman’s Pluto/Libra is square Trayvon’s Uranus/Capricorn. These are many connections, which clearly resulted in a deadly mistake in false and confused identification with Mars retrograde. It’s interesting to note that the event did not become national news until both Mercury and Mars were Rx together. Trayvon Martin was born with both Mars and Mercury Rx!
The transits that triggered these two charts are: primarily Neptune/Pisces exactly square Trayvon’s Pluto/Sagittarius and transiting Saturn/Libra opposed Trayvon’s Moon/Aries (most likely) and conjoined Zimmerman’s Pluto/Libra = an indelible and permanent condition. Trayvon Martin was pronounced dead at 7:30PM, with the Moon at 4 Taurus exactly opposite Zimmerman’s Saturn/Scorpio.
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SkyWatch for the Weeks of 3/25 & 4/1/12:
Moon phase for the week of 3/25: 3/30 --The Moon enters Her First Quarter phase at 3:41 PM EDT, at 10 degrees of Cancer, the sign of Her rulership. 3/25 -- The waxing Crescent Moon passes near Jupiter, with their point of closest approach coming just before sunset as viewed from the US East Coast, when both are low in the western sky. 3/26 -- The waxing Crescent Moon will "carry light" from Jupiter to Venus, with the closest approach to Venus occurring in mid-afternoon as viewed from the US East Coast. On both nights after sunset, treat yourself to the beautiful sight of Jupiter, Venus, and Moon all slowly setting together in the western sky.
Moon phase for the week of 4/1: 4/6 --The Moon reaches perfect Fullness at 3:19 PM EDT, at 17 degrees of Libra. In Native American and folklore traditions, this Full Moon is known as the Pink Moon for the pink phlox, one of the earliest wildflowers of Spring. Other names are the Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon after the time when the shad make their way upstream to spawn. This is also the Paschal Full Moon, the first full Moon after the Spring Equinox and the sky-sign that determines the dates of Passover and Easter. Skywatching events of the week: 4/3 -- The nearly Full Moon makes a close pass by Mars an hour or so before sunset as viewed from the US East Coast when both are still below the eastern horizon. Look for them to rise together around sunset. 4/7 -- The newly Full Moon makes a close pass by Saturn just before the two rise together in the east shortly after sunset as viewed from the US East Coast.
Space News and Weather: The Sun Erupts! Recent solar activity in the form of multiple solar flares has been at an unusually high level during the past several weeks, showering Earth with the largest dose of high-speed particles we've experienced in seven years since the last solar cycle peaked. Last week, the Sun blew enough energy our way to power every home in New York City for two years, according to NASA scientists (who love this kind of statistic). Fortunately, this time around, the active Sun caused fewer disruptions to infrastructure such as electric and electronic grids than expected. It also produced dazzling auroral displays much farther south than usual in the Northern hemisphere and farther north than usual in the Southern hemisphere. 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 3/25/12 – Tuesday, Thursday, 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 3/27/12, the Moon is VOC/Taurus from 12:35AM to 6:43AM EST – On 3/29/12, the Moon is VOC/Gemini from 2:05PM to 7:07PM EDT.
Week of 4/1/12 –Tuesday (Venus enters Gemini), Wednesday (Mercury turns Direct!), Thursday and Friday (Full Moon) 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 4/1/12, the Moon is VOC/Cancer from 12:20AM until 4:35AM EDT – On 4/3/12, the Moon is VOC/Leo from 9:47AM to 9:53AM EDT – On 4/5/12, the Moon is VOC/Virgo from 1:37AM to 11:32AM EDT – On 4/7/12, the Moon is VOC/Libra from 6:15AM to 11:18AM EDT.
Quote of Note: “Be humble for you are made of earth. Be noble for you are made of stars." Serbian proverb
Summary: The week of the 3/25/12 is likely to be somewhat calmer, few dynamic planetary combinations. However, during the following week of 4/1/12, energy accumulates again, as we approach the Full Moon, Venus changes into Gemini, Mercury makes its Direct station, and Mars remains Rx a bit longer. Details below.
Cosmic Headlines:
***Mercury is Retrograde (Rx). Mercury turns Direct @ 23 Pisces on 4/4/12. This week, on 3/23/12, Mercury re-enters Pisces again, (as it slips backwards). Mercury turned retrograde at 7 Aries on 3/12/12.
The Mercury Rx cycle is fully complete once Mercury passes 7 deg. of Aries (its shadow) on 4/23/12, where it originally turned retrograde. Mercury’s pre-Rx shadow was on 2/26/12, when Mercury reached 23 Pisces for the first time, and where it will turn Direct on 4/4/12. Mercury first entered mutable, water Pisces on 2/13/12 and remained until 3/2/12 when it entered cardinal, fire Aries and made its retrograde station there.
Whenever we have an inner or personal planet like Mercury, Mars, or Venus retrograde, it extends its typical time in one Zodiac sign, and we become immersed in this extended energetic pattern to learn its finer points. In Pisces, we may discover where we’ve been blind to an aspect of ourselves, or in another, or in a specific situation. And since this Merc Rx spans two signs – in Aries, it concerns how our anger, our fire, can burn away the sweetness and destroy compassion and understanding (Pisces). We need to understand the balance in the combination of these two signs. Each intrinsic energy can go out of balance, and each is also needed. Pisces can be prone to the “poor me” victim syndrome, and Aries can be thoughtless and impulsive. At best Aries leads courageously and Pisces soothes and inspires.
Noteworthy: Retrograde times are also times we find things, rediscover something, remember a friend when you pick up an object that relates to them somehow, or a scent may trigger memories. Bargains are often available but be careful because you may not see as clearly during a retrograde.
The most significant aspect this week is the square between Sun/Aries and Pluto/Capricorn @ 9degrees on 3/29/12. With these energies we want to apply the force of will to overcome obstacles. There’s vigor and great vitality in Aries, the first sign of the Zodiac, as well as invention as it meets the status quo and the old habits of bureaucracy (Capricorn) – wherever we might find that – outside of ourselves or within as our old habits clash with new needs and changing systems. This aspect can be used to update, breathe new life into something, polish an idea, project, or concept, and even right a wrong!
*Venus enters mutable, air Gemini on 4/3/12. This is the sign of Venus’ Retrograde on 5/15/12. Heads up! Once Venus enters the signs where it retrogrades the cycle has begun and the clues as to what this cycle will mean for you begin to emerge – so stay alert. Venus retrograde is linked to both Mars and the current Mercury retrograde – they all share station points at 23 degrees of mutable signs. If you have any planets within a degree or so of 23, then you have been and are in the crosshairs this first six months of 2012. Venus is always about values, what we value, and who we value. Mutable signs see more sides of an issue and often have more difficulty in deciding what they want. A Venus retrograde will make indecision abundantly clear, and then because none of us enjoy staying in a state of indecision – the retrograde will help us sort through the variables and eventually help us reach conclusions.
Mercury turns Stationary Direct @ 23 Pisces on 4/4/12 (See above!) We breathe a sigh of relief and adjust ourselves to go over the same ground for a third and final time (the path a retrograde traces). This retrograde traces the path between 23 Pisces and 7 Aries. Looking at that part of your chart and the planets this portion of the Zodiac brackets gives indication of the work at hand for you.
Full Moon @ 17 Libra on 4/6/12. This Full Moon is preceded hours before by a powerfully emotional square from Pluto – granting this Moon more intensity than usual. Because Venus rules this Moon/Libra, balance and fairness are at issue and emotions that have been stuffed will most likely arise. Relationships seek to regain balance and harmony after adjusting for equality.
Current 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.
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, when it is Direct again @ 22 Libra. 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/Aquarius 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 soon leaves the sign Aquarius not to return for another 164 years! Neptune is now moving steadily toward 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 returns to 0 deg. Pisces and will then continue 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.
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.