Planet Weather for the Week of July 27, 2008

SkyWatch: Moon phase of the week: 8/1 -- The Moon enters Her New cycle at 6:13 AM EDT, at 9 degrees of Leo. This New Moon will also cause a solar eclipse. This is not a spectacular eclipse, being only partial along most of its path and visible only across an arc from the northeastern corner of northern Canada, where it will start around sunrise, to Greenland to Siberia. Still, astrologically speaking, an eclipse is an eclipse, and observers along the northernmost portion of its path will see a total eclipse, the first in over two years. Skywatching events of the week -- Bright Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn remain in high relief throughout a week of not much else besides the solar eclipse happening. Space news of the week: The European Space Agency's (ESA's) COROT planet-finder satellite has found its first planet -- a body about the size and mass of Jupiter orbiting a star about the size and mass of our Sun. The only difference is that the planet orbits the star in a little over nine days, where Jupiter takes roughly 12 years to make a circuit of old Sol. Astronomers call these giant Jove-sized planets (of which a sizable number have been discovered by various means) "hot Jupiters" because of their proximity to the stars they orbit. Apparently, hot Jupiters are much more typical throughout the Milky Way galaxy (or, at any rate, easier to spot) than our own much cooler one. 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 7/27/08 – Sunday (social), Wednesday (afternoon ET), Thursday, and Friday are the most active energetically and potentially very productive days – more Moon or planetary aspects for engagement and/or producing results. On 7/27/08, the Moon is VOC/Taurus from 12:52AM to 11:55AM EDT – On 7/29/08, the Moon is VOC/Gemini  from 11:25AM to 1:12PM EDT – On 7/31/08, the Moon is VOC/Cancer from 1:30AM to 2:22PM EDT – On 8/2/08, the Moon is VOC/Leo from 2:59AM to 4:59AM 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 gears.

 

The Sun in fixed, fire Leo conjuncts (0deg.) Mercury/Leo @ 6deg. on 7/29/08 @ 4:05PM EDT. It’s all about YOU! Well, in a way it is. You do have to live your life, no one else can do that for you, and Leo energy understands that. Every decision you make sets something in motion and adds threads to the tapestry of your life. Mercury’s merging with the Sun will propel you to wonder what your life is all about and how you can communicate that to others. Just don’t bore people with your entire, minutely detailed story, unless they actually ask you for it, OK? What is it that you are actually communicating about yourself and the life role you play?

 

Venus/Leo opposes (180deg.) NeptuneRx in fixed, air Aquarius @ 23deg. on 7/ 31/08 @ 12:30PM EDT. This is a romantic opportunity, sensibilities are softened – life may seem dreamy or hazy, melancholy or even confused. This aspect often brings yearning after some cherished ideal or nostalgic remembering of sweet, gentle, kind moments in the past. This can be expressed as a missed opportunity to show your softer side, so keep your compassionate antennae attuned. The aspect speaks to magic and mystery, cajoling and enticing. Use the energy accordingly. Heart strings are played and expressions of love are either yearned for, given or received. In the news, we may hear of sensationalistic escapades of famous names and possible alcohol or other drug-induced fantasies, since Neptune indicates escapism. Yet, there are many ways to escape the harshness of life and art, beauty, poetry and magical interludes are other, safer options.

 

Total Solar Eclipse @ 9 Leo on 8/1/08 @ 6:13AM EDT. If you have any planets or points near this degree, the eclipse will sensitize those planets for a long time. Eclipses are a foreshadowing of important events related to the contacted planet or angle for at least the year to come. Eclipses work in distinct 19 year cycles, so go back to events in the past and glean some understanding of a similar event you may be dealing with in the present. On the Leo/Aquarius axis – the themes are those of creative and joyful living, with respect for all that lives, in the embrace of universal humanitarian spirit. Put simply, it is about love. When one feels deep love within, there can be no hurt done. Expression, creativity (love) flows, pours outward. Leo is a fixed sign, meaning that it cuts its grooves a bit deeper than non-fixed signs and asks you with this eclipse to examine whether your life is moving on the trajectory of your choice. If not, what are you going to do to change it? Until you make a clear determination, it will simply be easy to continue as you have been. Eclipses come in pairs and the next one, a Lunar eclipse is due on 8/16/08. Eclipse cycles (extended patterns of multiple and various types of eclipses) have very long lives. They begin at one of the poles of the Earth and travel toward the opposite pole, a process that takes centuries to complete. The particular cycle to which this eclipse belongs began on March 10, 1179, and the characteristics of that day are still felt in the current eclipse. Some of those themes concern breaking out of difficult or negative situations into one more positive with more options. Worries may clear suddenly and it’s important to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. (Eclipse series themes extracted from – The Eagle and the Lark by Bernadette Brady).

 

NewsBits: Obama’s Charisma Abroad! Obama, true to his Leo Sun, has been playing well all over the world stage. His latest speech in Berlin took place after the Sun moved into Leo and evidently revved him up more than usual. He delivered quite a 26-minute Presidential speech of global unity, even though he is, at the moment, still running as a candidate for the office of the Presidency. He’s received rave reviews so far, everywhere he landed, much to the chagrin of John McCain, who stayed home! At the moment Obama is in his Solar Return cycle, his birthday is 8/4, and he is also in his Mars return cycle, since Mars is in Virgo, his own birth Mars. His exact Mars return takes place on 8/7/08. We may hear about his running mate around that time. As Mars in the sky reaches an exact conjunction with Obama’s birth Mars, it also exactly opposes Uranus, which has been sitting at exactly 22deg. since 5/16/08. Uranus made its retrograde station @ 22deg. on 6/26/08. So, since 5/16/08, Uranus has been in opposition to Obama’s birth Mars! With the Mars return, this focus will be emphasized greatly. This kind of Uranian transit is often very unpredictable, electric, and even accident-prone, at times. Obama has seemed to use it to expand his influence internationally and extend his enlightening message of a new order and direction. The Mars/Uranus opposition aspect is exact on 8/6/08. We can expect some explosions, exposés or unusual circumstances to take place in the week leading up to this pattern in the sky. Mars/Uranus is rebellious and inventive and in many ways out of the ordinary. Another interesting fact is that this potent aspect of awakening and truth-telling happens right in between the two August eclipses, first solar, then two weeks later, lunar. Keep alert; something is emerging out of the fabric of society, something that is likely to shock or surprise.