Planet Weather for the Week of April 20, 2008

SkyWatch – Moon phase of the week: 4/20 -- The Moon reaches perfect fullness at 6:25 AM EDT, at zero degrees of Scorpio, the astrological sign of Her fall (because it is opposite Taurus, the sign of Her exaltation). This Full Moon has many names among Native American traditions, including Pink Moon for the wild phlox that blooms around this time, Egg Moon, and Fish Moon, marking the time when the shad come upstream to spawn. Skywatching events of the week: 4/22 -- The Lyrid meteor shower peaks around midnight Eastern time. The Lyrids appear to radiate from the constellation Lyra, the Lyre (hence their name). Lyra is very low to the northeast for most U.S. observers at the peak time, and, unfortunately, rises about an hour after sunset, followed by a nearly Full Moon, which will "wash out" the fainter meteor trails. 4/23 -- The Moon passes extremely close to the bright astrological "Royal Star" Antares when both are below the horizon for U.S. skywatchers, but look for the Moon approaching Antares (from the West) before dawn. Space news of the week: Astronomers have discovered the coolest ever "brown dwarf" -- coolest in the literal sense that is. A brown dwarf is a kind of "failed star" that is not quite a planet either but is somewhere in between. This brown dwarf is only slightly hotter than the surface of Venus, further blurring the already blurry line between brown dwarfs and planets. As dwarfs go, maybe a good name for this one would be Blurry.  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 4/20/08 – Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday are the most active energetically and potentially most productive days – more Moon or planetary aspects for engagement and/or producing results. On 4/22/08, the Moon is VOC/Scorpio from 4:54AM to 5:07PM EDT – on 4/24/08, VOC/Sagittarius from 5:38PM to 5:47AM EDT (the next morning)!

 

PlanetPatterns:

The following planetary energy patterns flavor the day and are felt or experienced often hours before and after their exact culmination. They remain effective, certainly until the next major planetary pattern comes along to shift the energy gears.

 

The Sun in fixed, earth Taurus trine (120deg.) Pluto in cardinal, earth Capricorn @ 1deg. on 4/20/08 @ 2:54PM EDT.  As planets enter a new sign these days, they all have to meet with Pluto. This time, the Sun in Taurus makes an easier relationship to the Dark Lord. It’s time to take stock of your financial matters and all practical concerns that are pressing, or those that interfere with your sense of well-being. The angle of connection is an easy one, but don’t lose the opportunity to understand, secure, and increase your power in terms of your value on all levels. How can you maximize your net worth?

 

The Sun/Taurus trine Saturn in mutable, earth Virgo @ 1deg. on 4/21/08 @ 9:05APM EDT. After meeting with Pluto and discovering/uncovering desires pressing or latent, Saturn will help you organize and make a firm plan. Again, because the angle is an easy one, it does not impel you quite so strongly but still, don’t miss the message. Plan your work and work your plan. Stay committed to and focused on your top priority. Otherwise, don’t expect the results you dream of.

 

Mars in cardinal, water Cancer trine Uranus in mutable, water Pisces @ 21deg. on 4/22/08 @ 10:47AM EDT. This is typically an aspect of rebellion, or at the very least one that seeks a stronger personal truth or authenticity, and it happens in the midst of a VOC on Pennsylvania Primary Day. You can bet there will be some sort of snag. The way this aspect typically works out first is through restlessness, and then a desire to create something new, something beyond the ordinary, beyond the normal routine, something to shake us up and have us think along new neural pathways. Sometimes this desired energy, if not channeled properly, becomes an accident of some sort – again with the purpose of waking us up out of our persistent and stale routines, and certainly anything that confines our creative or authentic spirit.

 

Venus in cardinal, fire Aries square (90deg.) Mars/Cancer @ 21deg. on 4/23/08 @ 2:07PM EDT. This aspect stimulates the sexes and mating. Desires and energies run high, which often get a bit intense and out of bounds. The aspect speaks of sparks and they can kindle something new, rekindle something that has grown dormant, or create a flare-up of angry feelings based in not getting something very much wanted. Don’t be caught off guard, pay attention to what’s got your attention, know the root cause and where you want to take the lead.

 

Venus/Aries square Jupiter/Capricorn @ 21deg. on 4/23/08 @ 9:36PM EDT. Devil may care and throwing caution to the wind are par for the course with this excessive aspect of Jupiterian delight. Ok, so you overeat. If you do, make sure you enjoy it and get rid of the guilt. Make up for it the next day and enjoy some needed indulgence. Life is short. Eat dessert first. Timing can be problematic because enthusiasm and forward momentum meet various constraints.

 

Mars/Cancer opposite (180deg.) Jupiter/Capricorn @ 22deg. on 4/24/08 @ 9:23AM EDT. This is generally a positive condition bringing optimism, but please, not at the expense of some level of practical understanding. Then again, sometimes one has to take the risk and just go for it. It’s your decision to make because you will be dealing with the consequences.

 

NewsBits: Midwest Earthquakes; The Pope Meets with Victims of Priestly Abuse; Polygamy; Prelude to Pennsylvania. As we said last week, there was much in the news, much to report, and much to ponder this past week. This is atypical earth activity and the first to this extent in 40 years – the Earth in the Midwest (Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Ohio and Kentucky and as far as Georgia) decided to shake at about 5.2 on the Richter scale. Pluto in Capricorn is rattling and loosening our foundations in more ways than one, so it’s best to pay attention and secure your base operations in preparation for further shifts to come. Pope Benedict the XVI made his first Papal visit to the US and had a historic meeting with victims of sexual abuse from Catholic priests. It seems almost surreal these days, to watch the long queues of males gathered around the Pope and dressed in crimson robes and various other ritual garments and realize that perhaps there is something wrong with this picture. Perhaps there are important political historical roots we ought to acknowledge as we view the bevy of (supposedly) celibate males ruling the Church. It seems so out of touch with what we have come to discover. Where are the women in this picture? Then we see the women/mothers involved in the polygamist child- custody battle dressed in high-collared, prairie type dresses to their ankles floating across the lawns around the Texas courthouse.  Their seeming innocent and pure ways belie abuses of young girls given over to much older men in their sacred marriage ceremonies. In this tableau, we wonder, where are the men? Pluto in Capricorn is also an assessment of society, the culture, and the segments and factions that make up what it is currently. The throwbacks to past habits and patterns are seen in present time in an eerie, surreal display, making us wonder. Then again, we can all understand the confusion and heartache of children separated from their parents. This situation does not have easy answers and will likely mushroom into an even bigger fiasco. We are graced with the full Moon at 0 Scorpio early Sunday morning, stirring our deepest emotions and gut and reflexive instincts (Pluto in Capricorn – what leader shall we have at this moment in time?) and it is with various and deeply held feelings, the people of Pennsylvania go to the polls with a VOC Moon from early morning until 5:07PM EDT. Hillary will most likely win this one but Obama is closing the gap and the beat goes on.