Planet Weather for the Week of April 12, 2009

 

NewsBits: Modern Piracy! According to news reports, piracy around the coast of Somalia increased sharply since last Saturday – the day Pluto made its powerful retrograde station. When I heard that, it did not surprise this astrologer. At a planetary station, and particularly one such as Pluto’s, there is a surge of energy and with Pluto it’s about feeling one’s power or empowerment, and in negative ways, overpowering/manipulating others. Pluto’s energy comes from deep at the roots of a need or a desire.

 

The Somalian pirates have had a free ride for years now because shipping companies have willingly shelled out millions in ransom money, for fear of losing many more millions in lost ships or cargo. Since March of 2003, Uranus has been in the sign of Pisces, the vast oceans – and astrologers have wondered about unexpected situations concerning the seas. Mars passing through Pisces at this time has triggered Uranus, resulting in this latest attack, this time involving taking a ship’s captain hostage. Thus far, the pirates have not killed anyone but have focused only on ransom money using their AK-47 and rocket-launched grenades as threats. Somalia is a lawless country with an ineffective and/or corrupt government. The chart for Somalia is set for 7/1/60 @ 12:00AM, Mogadishu. What stands out is the Moon @ 23 Virgo, which is besieged now by Mars/Pisces and Uranus/Pisces opposing it, and Saturn/Virgo loosely conjoining it. In fact, the last Saturn retrograde station was @ 21deg. (12/31/08), very close the Somalian Moon, setting a pattern in motion. On Wednesday 4/15, Mars will conjunct Uranus exactly (see below) and we hope that negotiations go well, granting the safe release of the ship’s captain being held by the pirates. Then again, Mars/Uranus is a volatile and unpredictable energy.

 

SkyWatch: Moon phase of the week: 4/17/09 -- The Moon enters Her Last (aka Third) Quarter phase at 9:36 AM EDT, at 27 degrees of Capricorn. Skywatching events of the week: As was the case last week as well, the Moon continues Her lonely voyage through a segment of the sky devoid of planets, which, except for Saturn (whom She passed last week) are all bunched on the opposite side, mostly near the Sun, with Jupiter, Saturn, Mars (and soon Venus) currently the only visible planets. However, stars are another matter. 4/13 -- The Moon passes about a quarter of a degree to the North of the bright astrological star Antares, named because its reddish hue causes it to resemble the planet Mars, that is, Ares in classical Greek. This is an occultation (eclipse of a star or planet by the Moon) as viewed from Hawaii, southern New Mexico, and parts of Mexico and Honduras, but just a close approach from the rest of continental North America. Unfortunately, their point of closest approach happens after sunrise and moonset as viewed from all of North America except the West Coast. The two will still be very close in the West before dawn as viewed from farther east. 4/18 -- Venus makes a fairly close pass by Mars low in the pre-dawn eastern sky, with dimmer Mars to the lower right of brighter Venus. Space news of the week: Preparations continue for launching NASA's Space Shuttle Endeavor in May on a repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. 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 4/12/09 – Sunday (social fun), Monday (expansive), Tuesday (edgy), Wednesday (difficult, disruptive), Thursday, (productive, organized), Friday (liberating) and Saturday (exhilarating). Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday are the most active energetically and potentially very productive days – more Moon or planetary aspects for engagement with others or projects, and/or producing results. On 4/12/09, the Moon is VOC/Scorpio from 1:28PM to 2:01PM EDT – On 4/15/09, the Moon is VOC/Sagittarius from 12:07AM to 1:27AM EDT – On 4/17/09, the Moon is VOC/Capricorn from 12:42PM to 2:19PM EDT!

 

Planet Patterns & Cosmic Headlines:

 

*Currently Active: Venus Retrograde (Rx) Cycle: Venus turns Direct @ 29 Pisces on 4/17/09.

(Venus was retrograde (Rx) in cardinal, fire Aries and briefly in mutable, water Pices. Venus/Aries turned Rx on 3/6/09. Venus entered Aries on 2/2/09. Venus entered Pisces on 4/11/09.)

All relationships will now straighten up and fly right! NOT. Hey, it’s usually never THAT easy! The important thing to ask is – what have you learned? What could you have learned? What can you still learn? What was the benefit of Venus retrograding? These are big questions, and I’ll attempt a few answers. A retrograde is what I call a Cosmic Pause – to review what you’ve been doing or what may have been unnoticed in your interactions with others. Retrogrades ask us to go deeper and uncover hidden motives, unnoticed or latent material. Sometimes what arises disturbs, and that’s why reaching a final conclusion is best made after the retrograde cycle is over, when you’ve had time to evaluate what happened.  Irritations and concerns may crop up since this Venus Rx is in Aries and tends to spark a bit more than other signs. Pluto/Capricorn was a big player in this Venus Rx cycle, because Pluto formed a square with Venus/Aries three times due to the retrograde motion. The three squares of Pluto with Venus: 2/5/09, 4/3/09, and finally 5/3/09. Pluto intensified the relationship and values action, pushing hot issues even more powerfully and possibly opening some wounds. Venus passes its “shadow,” 15 degree Aries, at which it went retrograde  on 5/21/09, and that completes the Rx cycle as Venus moves on to new degrees.

 

Mars in mutable, water Pisces conjunct Uranus/Pisces @ 24deg on 4/15/09. Once every two years these two planets meet at the same degree. In the sign Pisces, the message is consciousness, the spiritual meaning of life and how we participate or serve each other and our environment. We have become more and more aware of our environment and our mutual effects on each other since Uranus moved into Pisces in March of 2003 (right before the start of war with Iraq). These two planets have met twice before in Pisces in 2005 and 2007, and after 4/15/09, won’t meet again in Pisces for another 84 years! Have you ever noticed that in astrological patterns there are many unique combinations that won’t ever repeat again in our lifetime, the same as your own unique birth chart-map! So, it’s best to gather in the energies and use them in the best way possible to evolve. In this combination, action often takes a surprising or abrupt turn, to somehow wake us up to another way of perceiving. This is also often an aspect of accidental and rebellious activity or the lawlessness of piracy on the high seas. Pisces is the sign of the vast oceans we know, and also the symbolic oceans of consciousness – that nothing happens in separateness but all is unified and works together.

 

*Currently Active Paradigm-Shift Pattern:  Part 2 of 5 – Saturn in mutable, earth Virgo opposite (180 deg. angle) Uranus in mutable, water Pisces on 2/5/09 @ 20 deg.  – Preview: Part 3 of 5 is exact on 9/15/09 @ 24degrees. We’re seeing progress in some areas of construction. In April, Mars/Pisces opposed and will conjunct (see above) both ends of this opposition. It shows where there’s more weakness in the system and potential solutions for repair. The health system is in focus and computerized health records have been put in place for veterans – eventually for all.