Main Planet Weather e-zine Specials Zodiac Signs Archives Art Gallery MINDWORKS Teaching Dorothy Oja Links
Planet Weather for Weeks 4/8 & 4/1/512
Dear friends: Hope everyone had a wonderful Passover, Easter or whatever you chose to celebrate this weekend!
This is the last FREE issue of Planet Weather!
A big thanks to those of you who have already subscribed. I’m very appreciative! The special subscription rate of $19.95 for 52 weeks of astrological analysis and social, cultural and political interpretation lasts until 4/15/12. Only subscribers have access to consultation specials prices and reports and reports.
PlanetWeather is nearly 15 and will be better than ever! New formats are afoot and gradually being implemented. There’ll be interesting links to share relating to astrological phenomena, guest writers from time to time and special editions for breaking news stories.
After 4/15/12, the rate for 1 year of Planet Weather will be $29.95. Go to www.planetweather.net - click on the Donate (Paypal) button to subscribe. PlanetWeather remains completely free until 4/15/12. I hope you will subscribe now at the special rate of $19.95 or after 4/15/12 for $29.95. I look forward to continuing to provide excellent astrological interpretation, people profiles, and what you’ve come to know as NewsBits: looking at culture, society, and politics, through the astrological lens together!
Planet Weather will always be available to you and
soon you'll be able to purchase single editions too. We're getting up to speed
with new techno-options. My Facebook page, is filled
with interesting posts and a range of astrological information – a stand alone and addition to PlanetWeather
with interesting and timely stories that reflect the planetary energies. Please
‘like” the page and enjoy! http://www.facebook.com/
NewsBits: The Supreme Court and The Affordable Care Act! In the midst of a Mars and Mercury retrograde (Rx) President Obama’s Health Care legislation was argued before the Supreme Court. The court will rule at the end of June, right around the end of the upcoming Venus Rx! What can we expect? Oral arguments began on 3/26/12 at 10AM EDT, Washington, D.C. The Solicitor General fumbled with his answers to questions posed by the Justices, which is not surprising since Mercury and Mars were both retrograde. Will this affect the final outcome? The main issue is the individual mandate which says that everyone must buy health insurance (similar to car insurance in many states and health insurance in MA) so that we are all protected when illness comes, and healthcare can pay for itself. Trying to take the ‘individual mandate” out of the law will destroy the entire program. I’m not sure the Supreme Court wants to be responsible for doing that. The excerpt below by David R. Dow from the Daily Beast, 4/3/12, makes some very interesting points.
“Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, who argued that where economic regulations are at stake, judges must respect legislative decisions aimed at protecting society’s most vulnerable members. Our Constitution, Holmes famously wrote does not enact social Darwinism. If the legislature acts to protect the poor and less powerful, its actions must be respected by the judicial branch.” Dow continues: “And if the Supreme Court strikes down the health-care law…It will be saying that Congress cannot guarantee medical coverage for the poor and then implement a system to pay for it. In other words, the only people entitled to health care are the people who can afford it… impeachment is an option for justices who undermine constitutional values. There are other options, as well. We might amend the Constitution to establish judicial term limits. Or we might increase the number of justices to dilute the influence of its current members (though FDR could tell you how that turned out). In the end, however, it is the duty of the people to protect the Constitution from the court. Social progress cannot be held hostage by five unelected men.”
Here’s the full article link:
In looking at the chart for the beginning of arguments before the high court, The Ascendant is in early Gemini, ruled by Mercury, with Mercury Rx at that time, with the need to review all the details and the likelihood of changing one’s mind after contemplation and consideration. Mars also goes Direct after the hearing, indicating that the tendency to lean in one direction or decision would also be re-evaluated later. Venus/Gemini (ruled by Mercury) entered Gemini 4/3/12 after the hearings and turns Rx on 5/15/12. That’s a lot of retrograde and direct movement while the High Court contemplates the law, the reactions likely from the ruling, the Court’s legacy, and the consequences of ruling The Affordable care Act unconstitutional. Lastly, along comes Jupiter entering Gemini (ruled by Mercury) on 6/11/12. This is lots of Mercury all around – sort of like splitting hairs. Jupiter started out in Taurus in H12 of the chart as the arguments were presented – a kind of inscrutability factor – everyone knows there’s a lot riding on this decision. Eventually Jupiter/Gemini comes to the Ascendant of the chart and the Supreme Court presents it ruling. I’ll go out on a limb and say that The Affordable Care Act will be upheld, although it’s likely to be a close decision. I’d expect the ruling to be announced right around 6/26/12, when Venus turns Direct on the ASC of the Hearing chart, with Jupiter close behind it.
Here’s an amazing
discovery, reminiscent of the work of Masaru Emoto
with water crystals. An inspirational link and some of the magic that Neptune
in Pisces also promises! http://odewire.com/170441/
SkyWatch for the Weeks of 4/8 & 4/15/12:
Moon phase for the week of 4/8: 4/13 -- The Moon enters Her Last (aka Third) Quarter phase at 6:50 AM EDT, at 23 degrees of Capricorn. Skywatching events for this week: 4/10 -- Mercury reaches His Greatest Western Elongation. This means that Mercury rises as far ahead of the Sun as He ever gets, making conditions for viewing this elusive Divine Messenger ideal. Look low to the East before sunrise. All five planets are visible this week, with Jupiter and Venus low in the West after sunset, Mars high in the East, and Saturn arising around sunset.
Moon phase for the week of 4/15: 4/21 -- The Moon enters Her New cycle at 3:18 AM EDT, at 1 degree of Taurus, the sign of Her exaltation. Skywatching events for this week: 4/18 -- The Waning Crescent Moon makes a close pass by Mercury, although their point of closest approach occurs before sunset when only the Moon will be visible. However, look for them to rise together just before sunrise, with Mercury leading the Moon up into the eastern sky. 4/21 -- This is the best night to watch the annual Lyrid meteor shower. The Lyrids peak between midnight and dawn (the following day). They appear to radiate from the constellation Lyra ("the Lyre" – hence their name) and range unpredictably anywhere from 15 to 100 fiery streaks per hour. However, viewing should be especially good this year with no bright moonlight to wash out the fainter trails.
Space News and Weather: Huge dust devil on Mars! NASA recently released a Mars Orbiter photograph of a spectacular dust devil moving across the surface of the rusty planet. Dust devils are basically dust tornados where the rapidly twisting winds raise a funnel of dust (of which there is an abundance on Mars) that the wind currents carry along a track. This Martian dust devil occurred in the especially dusty region of Mars called the Amazonis Planitia (or "Amazon Plains"). Its narrow funnel was 100-200 feet across and was some 10-15 miles long, casting an incredible shadow across the Martian plains. Interestingly, Martian dust devils have actually helped NASA out on occasion by blowing the dust off the Maritan rovers' solar panels and restoring power! 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Week of 4/8/12 – Monday, Tuesday (Pluto Station Retrograde), Wednesday, and Friday the 13th (Mars Station Direct) 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 4/9/12, the Moon is VOC/Scorpio from 2:56AM to 11:12AM EDT – On 4/11/12, the Moon is VOC/Sagittarius from 7:05AM to 1:02PM EDT – On 4/13/12, The Moon is VOC/Capricorn from 1:05PM to 5:48PM EDT.
Week of 4/15/12 – Sunday, Monday (Mercury enters Aries), Thursday (Sun enters Taurus) and Saturday (New 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 4/15/12, the Moon is VOC/Aquarius from 6:42PM until 1:38AM EDT (next day!) – On 4/17/12, the Moon is VOC/Pisces from 10:34AM to 11:59AM EDT (next day!) – On 4/20/12, the Moon is VOC/Aries from 3:35PM to 12:05AM EDT (next day!)
Quote of Note: “One meets his destiny often on the road one takes to avoid it.” – French Proverb
Summary: Weeks when planets make Direct or Retrograde Stations are always loaded – meaning that energy characteristic of the stationing planet is stronger and more pronounced. During the week of 4/8, we have both Pluto (4/10) and Mars (4/13) making stations – big events will be in the news. These two planets have built-in aggression, as well as the power to transform and repair broken systems or discover new cures via research. We will see both but more than likely hear more examples of the negative, destructive energy. Both planets at their stations have explosive or expulsive capabilities. Be alert and pay attention to details.
Cosmic Headlines:
Pluto in cardinal, earth Capricorn turns Stationary Retrograde (SR) @ 9º on 4/10/12 (until 9/18/12). This could be a very intense week because of the natural intensity that Pluto typically applies and when it makes a station – its characteristic energy is accentuated and reinforced. Pluto is the planet of transformation and that can cover a lot of territory. It rules big business, bureaucracies, power and empowerment, strategy, research, pressure, motives and desires. And when Pluto gets obsessed, it won’t easily let go and depending on its focus – it’s energy can be positive or negative. During its retrograde time it retraces the degrees 9-6. Capricorn, Aries, Cancer and Libra, early in those signs will be most affected or anyone with planets at those degrees will be affected via several mathematical angles. Ask your astrologer for advice.
Mars in mutable, earth Virgo turns Stationary Direct (SD) @ 3º on 4/13/12. And now at last the Mars Rx is over. There won’t be another Mars Rx until 3/2/14 – we are glad of that! But wait, the technical part of the Rx is done but the cycle of integration and evaluation is still concluding. Once Mars goes past 23º Virgo on 6/21/12 (the degree at which it turned Rx), we move into brand-new degree territory. Mars finally leaves the sign Virgo (sigh of relief) on 7/3/12. We have had Mars moving through Virgo since 11/10/11! We’ve seen what’s wrong and what needs repair and we look forward to a more balanced outlook and focus on harmony and cooperation once Mars enters Libra on 7/3/12. This does not mean that cooperation will be instantly achieved after 7/3/12, but the desire for it and the working toward it will be more in conscious awareness. In fact, cooperation and negotiation, give and take, will be rewarded, while unfairness will be rejected. So watch the dirty tricks in the political arena! Most people will say “thumbs down.”
Another very interesting link occurs when Mars turns Direct. It will trigger by opposition (180deg.) the exact same degree at which Neptune turns Retrograde on 6/3/12. This can be a moment of unique insight or deep reflection as we come to terms with a medical issue, a chink in the armor of life, an important missed detail, a realignment of your dreams vs. current reality. It does not mean giving up your dreams but re-evaluating your strategy and the ways in which you choose to implement your ideals and dreams. This is an important cosmic moment to observe and pay attention to. It can be a time when you pierce the veils and come to terms and touch the magic in your soul. Take time to honor this moment in some quiet contemplation.
Mercury re-enters cardinal, fire Aries on 4/16/12. We are now on the way to completing the first Mercury retrograde of 2012. The Mercury Rx cycle is fully over once Mercury passes 7º of Aries (its shadow) on 4/23/12. That is the degree at which it originally turned retrograde and we then move to new degree territory that was not part of the retrograde’s retracing. Mercury in Aries is, in short, impulsive speech. So watch how your anger controls your tongue and get a grip on your temper. There is a punching bag at the gym for you!
Recap of the cycle: Mercury turnedDirect @ 23 Pisces on 4/4/12. Mercury turned retrograde at 7 Aries on 3/12/12. Mercury’s pre-Rx shadow was on 2/26/12, when Mercury reached 23 Pisces for the first time. Mercury 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. On 3/23/12, Mercury re-entered Pisces again, (as it slipped backwards). Think back to the lessons and events that preoccupied you during the time of Mercury’s Rx which also coincided with part of the Mars Rx.
We spent a few months immersed in Mercury/Pisces energy which is an emotional position for the planet of mind and logic. Thinking was influenced more by emotional needs met and unmet, stress and anxiety. We may have battled with idealism vs. realism – what we dream of vs. what we actually have. The key is in how you manage your thoughts about the disparities of your life. Pisces is often prone to avoidance behavior too that we may have hidden from ourselves as well as others.
This Merc Rx spanned two signs – in Aries, it concerns how our anger, our fire, can burn away the sweetness and destroy compassion and understanding (Pisces). We needed to understand the balance in the combination of these two signs. Each intrinsic energy can tip out of balance, and each is also necessary. 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.
The Sun enters fixed, earth Taurus on 4/19/12. We are now at the fixed part of the season and it is time to cultivate the seeds we’ve sown in the previous month. This is a deliberate and often stubborn energy that stands its ground and knows its worth. Taurus has a sweetness and generosity and seeks that in return. It avoids conflict but at the same time can be unyielding. The reliability of Earth energy comes through and we may find those others in our lives whom we can truly depend on when we need help.
**Venus Retrograde Alert! On 4/3/12, Venus entered mutable, airy Gemini. Because it will retrograde (Rx) in this sign on 5/15/12, Venus stays in the signs Gemini until 8/7/12 - almost 4 months! This last inner planet Rx of the first half of 2012 continues the Mercury message (Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo, the sign of the Mars Rx). It's all about information and how it is distributed, how it is understood and who is saying what and why. Gemini is a great social butterfly – go out and mingle, share and debate ideas to stimulate new thought and creative invention. Lean on Mars still in Virgo to help sort out the mass of contradictions!
Too much Mercury energy can affect the nerves and indicate anxieties of various kinds, or feeling scattered and stressed.
Once Venus enters the sign 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.
Current 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, when it turns 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 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 turned retrograde on 8/30/11 @10deg.(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. Jupiter turned Direct on Christmas day 12/25/12 @ 0 Taurus.
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 the first 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.