Planet Weather for the Week of April 22, 2007

SkyWatch – Moon phase of the week: 4/24 -- The Moon enters her First Quarter phase at 2:36 AM EDT, at 3 degrees of Leo. Skywatching events of the week: 4/22 -- The Lyrids meteor shower reaches its peak about 6 PM EDT, unfortunately before sunset. Additionally, the meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Lyra (the Lyre), which rises in the Northeast only several hours after the Lyrids peak. There will also be a fairly bright Crescent Moon, so best viewing likely will come after moonset in the late evening through dawn. The Lyrids are not one of the more spectacular meteor showers of the year, but can they can produce up to 20 streaks per hour, although this number will diminish after the peak. 4/25-26 -- There will be a nice trifecta of celestial lights, with the Moon passing between the planet Saturn and the bright astrological star Regulus in the constellation Leo. The Moon will first pass very close to Saturn about 6AM, and then very close to Regulus about 5 AM on the following morning, actually passing in front of both planet and star in turn as viewed from near the Arctic circle for a rare double occultation. Space news of the week -- A NASA contract worker took a handgun inside an office building at the Johnson Space Center and fatally shot a hostage before killing himself. A second hostage escaped with minor injuries. This may not be space news exactly but it is space-related as well as simply very strange-seeming somehow. Go out! Look up!

Knowing when VOC Moons occur is a key to planning your astrological 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, or delays. If you want specific outcomes or if timeliness is critical, choose another time if possible. VOC is best for processing, imagining, creating, and open-ended activities, like parties, research, or cleaning your desk or 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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This week, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are the most active energetically and potentially the most productive days (depending on what you’re doing!) The Moon is VOC/Cancer on 4/23/07 – 5:10AM to 7:38PM EDT – on 4/26/07 VOC/Leo – 3:01AM to 5:24AM EDT – on 4/28/07 VOC/Virgo – 3:14PM to 5:45PM EDT.

Mercury in cardinal, fire Aries sextile (60deg.) Neptune in fixed, air Aquarius @ 21deg. on 4/23/07 @ 12:15AM EDT. When Mercury is active (as it is this week) the mind is active, and you’ll want to talk or others will talk more openly to you. You’ll want to learn, be curious, inquisitive, maybe a little restless, or possibly find you have more errands than usual. Other than that, Mercury’s connection to Neptune may have you drifting away in your imagination or working on a dream scenario – or simply taking some relaxing time. Pay attention to your

night-dreams too.

Venus in mutable, air Gemini square (90deg.) Mars in mutable, water Pisces @ 13deg. on 4/23/07 @ 1:30AM EDT. Venus in Gemini is flirtatious; add Mars into the mix and things get hotter. This can mean the natural excitement of meeting interesting new people, potential partners, having a great time with your main squeeze, or needing to confront an issue and possibly one that you’d rather avoid with Mars in elusive Pisces.

Mercury/Aries trine (120deg.) Pluto Retrograde in mutable, fire Sagittarius @ 28deg. on 4/26/07 @ 1:05PM EDT.  Now Mercury plots and plans with Pluto. This can be intense or at least certainly focused. You can come across with great certainty and express a spontaneous opinionated diatribe. Communication is laden with emotion and strong feelings. You have the chance to go beyond chit-chat and get to the source of an issue. You may make a decision that has bigger than expected consequences.

Venus/Gemini square (90deg.) Uranus in mutable, water Pisces @ 17deg. on 4/26/07 @ 11:19PM EDT. An unexpected connection or a surprise can make your day. You’re likely to resist sitting still and want to change your routine in some way. This is an aspect for personal freedom – feeling confined or restricted won’t work well today. You reveal something in conversation that you might not have wanted to. You reveal more than is needed. You may hear something that was meant to be a secret. Venus/Gemini tends to gossip, but be careful about spreading rumors.

Mercury enters fixed, earth Taurus on 4/27/07 @ 3:16AM EDT until 5/11/07.  After identifying your goal with Mercury in Aries and putting energy into the initiative, Mercury in Taurus is interested in securing the pragmatic parts of your plan. This may mean money, a contract negotiation, a raise, or strengthening your plan for workability and marketability. Additionally, this position of Mercury wants to enjoy the goodies you’ve been chasing in Aries. You won’t want to move quite as fast but you will be deliberate in continuing to pursue what you want.

Venus/Gemini sextile (60deg.) Saturn in fixed, fire Leo @ 18deg. on 4/27/07 @ 4:06PM EDT. Here’s an opportunity to make a decision or a commitment – certainly to consider the consequences of an association or something you want. This aspect suggests making a choice from several options by weighing the pros and cons and carefully deliberating.

Venus/Gemini opposite (180deg.) Jupiter Retrograde/Sagittarius @ 19deg. on 4/28/07 @ 8:43AM EDT. Once a decision is made (yesterday’s Venus/Saturn aspect), often more opportunities arise. This aspect could also undo what you so carefully decided yesterday. Take the time to think through your decisions and what will be expected of you as a result. There’s joy and fun in this aspect too, as well as being a bit over the top. Maybe that’s just what you need right now! In any case, there is opportunity and more than one option available.

Domestic Carnage. When the last eclipse (3/18/07) @ 28 Pisces squared (90deg.) Pluto at its station retrograde degree (3/31/07), the scene was set for violence. This past week it manifested in the slaying of 33 students and teachers at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, VA, by an alienated South Korean student and loner. Pluto is at the last few degrees of Sagittarius and intends to drive home its message – part of which has to do with what’s wrong with our school system and why aren’t we reachig these disturbed kids early enough? Last Wednesday, more innocents died in several bombings in Baghdad – over 300 in 4-5 separate car bombings – more lives lost and for what? The lack of accountability on the part of people actually responsible for  such atrocities is astonishing. We hope there will be more focus on the accountability with Pluto’s entry into Capricorn – we’ll get the first taste in January 2008 – not so far away anymore. Cho-Seung Hui was born on 1/18/84 in Seoul, North Korea, time unavailable. Cho was born around a Full Moon, with the Moon in its own sign of Cancer, making home, family, belonging and acceptance very important. The Moon is separate from an otherwise tight grouping of 9 other planets, increasing the sensitivity expressed by the Moon. Cho had a very difficult Pluto conjunct Mars in Scorpio with Saturn close by, also in Scorpio. His feelings (and resentments) evidently ran deep and strong and eventually turned violent. He had 4 planets in Sagittarius including an exact Jupiter Uranus conjunction @ the critical 29^th degree. He died during his second Jupiter return cycle (every 12 years) and with Pluto pressing down on his Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in Sagittarius. His “creative” writing was cry for help that was not heeded. His alienation became unbearable as the volcanic Scorpionic energies finally exploded. We mourn the senseless loss of life.

Supreme Court Injustices. Bush’s Supreme Court appointees have acted according to their records and their conservative bent. The Bush administration is intent on saving the lives of unwanted fetuses with very questionable futures (misfits in the making) and regulating women’s rights, but has absolutely no qualms or conscience about orchestrating a mission that has killed and continues to kill thousands of innocent people in Iraq, and over three thousand of our youthful generation of troops (Pluto in Scorpio group). Something has to change – our country’s values are way out of kilter. Pluto in Capricorn, we hope, will place more focus on accountability and the need for integrity.