Planet Weather for the Week of August 9, 2009

NewsBits: North Korea releases Journalists. Detained since March 17, 2009, by North Korea, journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were released on August 4, 2009, with the diplomatic help of former President Bill Clinton. The two journalists entered North Korea illegally without a visa while filming refugees along the border with China. They were subsequently sentenced to 12 years in a hard labor camp much to the dismay of their families and the world. We do not have a birthdate yet for Euna Lee age 36, who was born in South Korea and came to the US to attend school. Laura Ling is a Chinese-American born on 12/1/76 in Carmichael, CA (time unknown). In looking at Laura Ling’s chart, we find a fiery personality.

Ling has a grand trine in fire (all 3 fire signs occupied by planets) and her Mars, Sun, Neptune and Mercury (in that order) are all in the adventurous sign of Sagittarius. Her Moon is in fiery Aries and her Saturn in fiery Leo. Fire energy has a certain fearlessness and boldness. Another significant aspect in her chart is her Moon opposite Pluto in Libra. This energy pattern means that some very intense emotional experience will have to be processed at some point in the life. By all reports, the nearly five months of detention and sentencing by North Korea was harrowing. The two women were separated and did not have much contact with each other. The emotions they must have gone through not knowing what would happen to them, or if they would ever be released, are unimaginable.

Of course, the astrological conditions on the day the two women were detained are significant and explain how something like this could have taken place. For one thing, the sky pattern Saturn/Virgo opposite Uranus/Pisces that we have been following since 11/08, squared Laura Ling’s Mercury/Sagittarius and on 3/17/09, the Sun/Pisces was also involved. We can describe this pattern as mental stress or unexpected problems in gathering information, since Mercury was her birth planet most affected. Mercury/Pisces on that day squared Ling’s Neptune/Sagittarius exactly, creating confusion, misunderstanding, and, in this case, disappearance. Venus being retrograde in Aries around Ling’s Moon and opposite her Pluto stimulated the difficult emotional aspect existing in her birthchart. Jupiter in Aquarius was exactly opposite her Saturn in Leo, adding another layer of unexpected mishaps and possibly bad judgment on her part about venturing too close to danger. Although Pluto @ 3 Capricorn was making an easier aspect to her North Node @ 3 Scorpio – this condition was still reflective of an intense emotional or political situation she could easily be involved in and in combination with the other factors described above did indeed create an international story and a political chess game being played for her and Euna Lee’s release.

SkyWatch: Moon phase of the week: 8/13/09 - The Moon enters her Last (aka Third) Quarter at 2:55 PM at 21 degrees of Taurus. This Moon rises late (just before midnight at the start of the phase) and sets early (around noon). This is the "daylight Moon" that people often see riding down the western sky in the morning with washes of blue where Her darker portions (the so-called “lunar maria" or “seas” – actually ancient lava beds) usually display themselves at night. Skywatching events of the week -- August is sometimes called "meteor month" and this is "meteor week". The Perseid meteor shower, one of the more spectacular skywatching events of the year, happens this week, peaking on the nights of 8/11-12. The Perseids, appearing to originate in the constellation Perseus, typically average around 60 streaks an hour or about one a minute. This year, some of the fainter ones will be washed out by bright moonlight but the Perseids should still provide a good show. Perseus, along with the Perseids, rises in the East in late evening just a bit before the Moon. Lie back! Enjoy! Space news of the week: The Kepler Space Telescope, launched into Earth orbit several months ago, just passed its first observational test with flying colors, registering the light of a Jupiter-like, so-called "gas giant" planet orbiting a star a thousand light years away. Scientists expect Kepler, with this kind of sensitivity, to detect even Earth-sized planets orbiting other stars -- that is, if there are any out there (and the expectation is there are many, many!) 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 8/9/09 – Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday 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 8/9/09, the Moon is VOC/Pisces from 8:44AM to 4:23PM EDT  – On 8/11/09, the Moon is VOC/Aries from 4:04PM to 12:50AM EDT (next day!) – On 8/13/09, the Moon is VOC/Taurus from 11:17PM EDT to 6:25AM (next day!)

 

Planet Patterns & Cosmic Headlines for the next few weeks:

 

Summary:  Mars takes the week, meaning that your energy is reduced, concentrated, realigned, and then let loose. Get ready for some heady conversations and fascinating news.

 

** Merc Retrograde (Rx) alert! Mercury entered mutable, earth Virgo on 8/2/09, and although Mercury won’t go retrograde until it enters the next sign Libra, it will retrograde back into the last 9 degrees of Virgo. Mercury first passes the so-called “shadow point” the degree at which it turns direct again after being retrograde.  Mercury turns Retrograde @ 6 Libra on 9/7/09, and then turns Stationary Direct on 9/29/09. The full retrograde cycle lasts until October 14, 2009, when Mercury returns and passes its retrograde (shadow) degree of 6 Libra. So, prepare yourself for a time to readjust, reassess, renovate, redirect, and in general, separate the wheat from the chaff. (Mercury rules the sign of Virgo with its harvest symbolism.) We will be challenged to put things in order and we may be frustrated with all those loose ends. Step back and look at the forest as a whole instead of all the trees. Keep your life in perspective and live in the moment, creating soothing, loving interludes.

 

Mars in mutable, air Gemini square (90deg.) Saturn in mutable earth Virgo @ 20deg. on 8/10/09. This aspect can bring energy and/or a situation to a halt. At the very least, this pattern means to evaluate and go slower, reassess, pace and plan. People balk under this aspect usually due to some fear or insecurity about possible consequences. This can also be a harsh reality-check.

 

Mars/Gemini trine (120deg.) Jupiter in fixed, air Aquarius @ 22deg. on 8/13/09. This aspect, on the other hand, is completely the reverse of Mars/Saturn. It’s a big green light to take advantage of opportunities with the potential to be overly optimistic and overdo, or to overextend oneself. There’s a  free flow of information, and many options and opportunities are available to move ahead.

 

Sun in fixed, fire Leo opposite (180deg.) Jupiter/Aquarius @ 22deg. on 8/14/09. Taking risks is the name of this game, with a fair amount of enthusiasm and joie de vivre thrown into the mix. There is an element of social consciousness and multi-culturalism and simply the ability to find joy in the ordinary and extraordinary process of life. There may be displays of ego because someone wants to be heard. Think of a trumpet.

 

*Currently Active Paradigm-Shift Patterns: 

 

*Jupiter in fixed air Aquarius conjoined (0deg.) Neptune/Aquarius for the second time @ 26 deg. on 7/10/09. Jupiter and Neptune are still in the throes of their second conjunction – still both very close by degree. The first of three conjunctions (meeting in the same sign and at the same degree) between these two planets took place on 5/27/09, and the third and last takes place on 12/21/09. As noted in previous issues of PW, it is rare (and important) to have these two planets that meet by conjunction about every 12 years make this aspect three separate times in their single cycle. The last triple occurrence of this sort was in 1919-1920, marking the end of World War 1. The next time will be in 2047 –2048! This conjunction is meant to bring hope and to inspire us to a wider understanding of what the meaning is of the lives we have lived and wish to continue to live. Expect some amazing synchronicity to appear in your life. Be aware of all meetings with others, events and involvements, and what these may say to you, as well as the purpose of your life.

 

* Part 2 of 5 – Saturn in mutable, earth Virgo opposite (180 deg. angle) Uranus in mutable, water Pisces took place on 2/5/09 @ 20 deg.  – Preview: Part 3 of 5 is exact on 9/15/09 @ 24degrees. The first four oppositions between these two planets take place in the signs Virgo/Pisces, and the last one is in Aries/Libra in July of 2010. The first opposition took place on 11/4/08! It’s important to understand where this is taking place in your chart, the adjustments that are required of you, and how you will reconstruct habits in a specific area of your life. This is a pattern of adaptation and analysis of what works and what does not.  This challenging and often stressful aspect breaks things into their component parts in order to rebuild them on a more solid foundation. Individually your system may fracture, so that you can put it back together in a more workable fashion. Ask your astrologer to further clarify this important pattern and how it is operating in your life.