Planet Weather for the Week of June 3, 2007

                                                                                                                                  

SkyWatch -- Moon phase of the week: 6/8 -- The Moon enters her Last Quarter (aka Third Quarter) phase at 7:43 AM EDT, at 17 degrees of Pisces, when she will be visible in the southwestern sky. Skywatching events of the week: Four planets will be visible above the horizon at or shortly after sunset for this entire week -- Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn in addition to the late-rising Moon. Venus is now bright enough to show through the blue sky soon after sunset and reaches its greatest eastern elongation on 6/9, the latest it sets behind the Sun, not going below the horizon until about 11:30 PM EDT. Venus is the brightest light in the sky after the Moon and the Sun. Meanwhile, Jupiter continues to rise earlier and earlier, about 9:30 PM local daylight time in the U.S. Jupiter shines about one-fourth as brightly as Venus. To Jupiter's lower right is Antares, the red heart of the constellation Scorpius. Rising between Jupiter in the southeast and Venus in the northwest is Saturn, appearing bright yellowish-white between the constellations Leo and Cancer, just west of Leo's brightest star, Regulus. On 6/2, Mercury reached its greatest eastern elongation, setting about 23 degrees behind the Sun and relatively easy to spot low in the West just after sunset. Space news of the week: The Space Shuttle Atlantis is set to lift off from Cape Canaveral this week on its hailstorm-delayed mission to deliver a new set of solar arrays to the International Space Station. The Shuttle carries a total crew of seven. 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/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, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday are the most active energetically and potentially most productive days (depending on what you’re doing!) On 6/4/07, the Moon is VOC/Capricorn from 5:43PM to 7:15PM EDT – on 6/6/07, VOC/Aquarius from 9:46PM to 1:24AM EDT, the next morning! – On 6/9/07, VOC/Pisces from 1:52AM to 5:26AM EDT.

 

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.

 

Mars in cardinal, fire Aries trine (120deg.) Jupiter in mutable, fire Sagittarius @ 15deg. on 6/4/07 @ 10:59AM EDT. The natural, fiery go-for-it attitude of Mars/Aries gets even more of a boost from Jupiter and potentially some exaggeration, extra bravado, willingness to risk, to step out, step up and take the lead, lead the way, be counted, possess courage, and generally fuel your goals and go after what you want. We could say daring is this energy, so if you’ve been holding back from doing something, or setting a goal, this aspect will light a fire under you and in you! There are opportunities here if you are willing to step out of your comfort zone.

 

Venus enters fixed, fire Leo on 6/5/07 @ 1:59PM until 7/14/07. Mars in Aries is already turning up the heat and now comes Venus in Leo. Both the ladies (Venus) and gents (Mars) are feeling the heat. Issues between the sexes and relationships in general become more immediate with fire signs in charge of the show. You may experience impatience and fast moving energy. If you want your relationship to flourish, speed up the pace and the excitement and find novel things to do, places to go, and multiple ways to show that you care. Fire is passion and energy, and that’s the mode that will get you results currently.

 

Sun in mutable, air Gemini opposite Jupiter/Sagittarius @ 14deg. on 6/5/07 @ 7:12PM EDT. This is yet another aspect for expansion and taking a leap. It encourages you to have faith in your goals and seek the opportunities via information to develop your ideas. Sometimes, there is false enthusiasm that blocks your understanding of some important foundational practicalities. If you balance your enthusiasm with enough information to accommodate the consequences of your various plans: A, B, or C etc., then this aspect will move you several places ahead in the game.

 

Sun/Gemini square (90deg.) Uranus in mutable, water Pisces @ 18deg. on 6/9/07 @ 4:09PM EDT. If you need a wake-up call, this aspect will provide one for you! Signifying a shift or a sudden change, these energies seek the truth, and whatever does not meet this criterion tends to self-destruct. Sudden reversals in world affairs as well as in your own life take place in order to have us stop and reconsider the path we are following. Look beneath the event for the message that will help you move more authentically and autonomously.

 

Mercury entered cardinal, water Cancer on 5/28/07 @ 8:56PM until 8/4/07. This is the sign of Mercury’s next Retrograde (Rx), which begins on 6/15/07.  The times run in cycles -- we know that from watching the continuous shifts in the planetary landscape. Mercury retrogrades are no different. In 2007, all Mercury Rx’s take place in water signs. Last February, Mercury was Rx in Pisces (direct in Aquarius, the previous sign). In June, Mercury is Rx in Cancer and does not go back to the previous sign. In October 2007, Mercury goes Rx in Scorpio, and then turns direct in Libra, the previous sign). In a way, we could say the upcoming Mercury Rx is the most pure of the year, since it focuses exclusively in one sign only – Cancer!  I believe this time to be a foreshadowing of Pluto’s entry into Capricorn (Cancer’s opposite sign, which makes one of six zodiacal pairs), on 1/08. Cancer/Capricorn is the axis of responsibility and development through the providing of basic human needs, goods, and services -- in other words, quality of life and foundational stability from which growth can take place. The focus is on family and the closeness or nurturing needs you have. This is the time to take stock, and if there are chinks in the foundation, now is the time to repair them.

NewsBits: Dr. Death Released from prison! Jack Kevorkian also nicknamed “Jack the Dripper,” provided a service – a very specialized kind of service – he facilitated and administered death, at the request of those who were terminally ill with pain and suffering. He invented a lethal injection machine called the Mercitron using sodium chloride or carbon monoxide to help end those who wished to die with dignity from terminal ailments. For doctor- assisted suicide (as it was called), or euthanasia, he was incarcerated in 1999, after three previous acquittals and sentenced to 10-25 years in prison. Just recently freed, Kevorkian claims he will not assist in the death process again, which he promised as a condition of his paroled-release. Kevorkian was born on 5/26/1928, in Pontiac Michigan, time unknown (online bios), a Gemini with Mercury strong in its own sign in Gemini (the mark of the constant thinker and logician). One of the most potent aspects in his chart is a Mars/Uranus conjunction in Aries, along with Jupiter in Aries. This is a man on a mission and typically leads in his field of endeavor. He fought for euthanasia rights most of his career and brought the issue to public attention. Why should people be disallowed the right to end their lives if they are suffering and in terrible terminal pain?