Planet Weather for the Week of September 21, 2008

 

SkyWatch: Moon phase of the week: 9/22 -- The Moon enters Her Last (aka Third) Quarter at 1:04 AM, at 29 degrees of Gemini. This is an especially interesting phase-change astrologically speaking, since this is the day of the September Equinox that marks the start of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and Spring in the Southern. Since the Moon's Last Quarter corresponds to the fourth or last quarter of the Solar year, this seems like a possibly portentious coincidence, especially given the fact the Moon changes phase at a critical degree (29) of a sign. This phase is also a time when the Moon rises around midday and remains visible for the rest of the daylight hours -- always, somehow, a somewhat strange-seeming sight, since we usually associate a Moon in the sky with nighttime. Skywatching events of the week: 9/22 -- This is the day of the September equinox as noted above, exact at 11:45 AM. "Equinox" means "equal night," indicating that night and day are supposedly equal everywhere on Earth. Actually, they're not, though. The Earth's atmosphere affects the apparent rising and setting times of the Sun in such a way that, in most locations, a 24-hour period of equal daylight and darkness happens several days later. 9/26 -- The Moon passes just south of the bright astrological "royal star" Regulus in the constellation Leo, with their point of closest approach coming about 11 AM. Look to the East about an hour before dawn to see the Moon closing on the star. (A morning Saturn will also be just rising below the Moon.) Space news of the week: NASA rolled a second Space Shuttle (Endeavor) out to its spare launch pad last week in historic preparation to back up the Space Shuttle Atlantis on its mission next month to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. Since Atlantis is not traveling to the International Space Station, if, for some reason (such as ruptured tiles like those that caused the Columbia tragedy several years ago) Atlantis gets into trouble in orbit, Endeavor can be launched on a rescue mission. Hopefully this will not be necessary and the Hubble repair mission will successfully extend the life of this remarkable scientific instrument for several more years.  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 9/21/08 – Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 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 9/22/08, the Moon is VOC/Gemini from 1:04AM to 1:49AM EDT – On 9/23/08, the Moon is VOC/Cancer from 5:17PM to 5:13AM EDT (next day!) – On 9/26/08, the Moon is VOC/Leo from 7:20AM to 9:52AM 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.

 

Mars in cardinal, air Libra trine (120deg.) Neptune in fixed, air Aquarius @ 21deg. on 9/21/08 @ 10:58PM EDT. Last week both Venus and Mercury made a trine to Neptune and now it’s Mars’ turn. Trust your intuition – action taken (Mars) in association with Neptune works on the feeling level rather than the purely logical level. Action taken may lead you to unexpected outcomes. There is some magic and mystery with Neptune, as well as some trickery, delusion, and confusion. On the other hand, you may feel illumination and a spiritual dimension at work.

 

The Sun enters Libra – The Autumnal Equinox – on 9/22/08 @ 11:45AM EDT. It’s the time of equal days and nights. Have you ever tried to balance an egg on the Equinox – it is said to stand up, perfectly balanced indicating that there are times in life when we can achieve a perfect or near perfect harmony, which is what Libra so desires. Libra is one of the best signs for seeing things through the eyes of others, or at least making a valiant effort to do so. Because of this trait, Libras are typically well-liked, since their instinct is to smooth over ruffled feathers and return to harmony.

 

Mercury/Libra conjunct Mars/Libra @ 22deg. on 9/23/08 @ 6:51AM EDT. Now comes the weighing and balancing and the logic of Mercury applied to desired action. Still, this combination in these signs will seek the approval of significant others or compromise in any negotiation before launching an important action or making a decision. Conversation may be heated but a measure of respectful listening is also readily available. Remember to be fair in any conversations you have during this time; it will make for smoother resolution.

 

Venus enters fixed, water Scorpio on 9/23/08 @ 10:59PM until 10/18/08. Venus is in detriment in Scorpio (its basic impulse is thwarted) because the need for harmony is compromised by excess passion and strong emotion. Venus in Scorpio has the unique ability to insult, sting, or retaliate in a manipulative and direct way, not caring as much for propriety. This Venus does prefer to tell it like it is, and its directness and oftentimes lack of grace may put gentler souls off.

 

Mercury/Libra turns Stationary Retrograde (Rx) @ 22deg. on 9/24/08 @ 3:17AM EDT. We’ve arrived at the last Mercury retrograde of 2008. We’ve been in the outer shadow (7 – the degree at which Mercury turns direct) since 9/5/08. As always, if you have planets at or near the retrograde and direct degrees, this Merc Rx will affect you much more than others. The tone or expression of Libra has just shifted with Venus, ruler of Libra in Scorpio. There’s a no-nonsense quality and a more passionate and direct interaction, with some attendant sting when things are displeasing. In general most of you know that Merc Rx is not a time to make important or final decision. You may discover new information during the Rx and you may still reach the same conclusion, but it is best to wait until after the Rx, as you will be clearer-headed and better able to synthesize the disparate pieces of information you need to reach conclusions.

 

NewsBits! Federal Bailout of Investment Banks. What’s going on with Wall Street? Well…we’d have to say…Pluto! Pluto in Sagittarius is in its death-throes – death and transformation being a core theme of Pluto anyway, as are financial concerns, big business and resources (to name a few). When Pluto made its Station Direct on 9/8/08 @ 28 Sagittarius, it released the energy it had accumulated since its Retrograde Station of 4/2/08. It had absorbed a great deal of collective energy since that time. A 13-year cycle is ending – that of Pluto/Sagittarius which began in 1995 and these last two degrees of the sign reflect the outpouring of what was hatched and developed during those last 13 years. We are moving toward a 16-year cycle of Pluto in Capricorn, the sign of consequences and responsible action. We’ve had a taste of Pluto at 0-1 degrees of Capricorn between 1/25-6/13/08. Since the Direct Pluto Station, the collective energy is marshaled to resolve what has been building below the surface, and we are called upon to clean up the excesses of the past 13 years. The Pluto station was compounded and exaggerated by another Station Direct on the same day – that of Jupiter/Capricorn. Jupiter’s energy is expansive by nature, and in Capricorn (commerce, the marketplace, large corporations), we saw an expansion of debt. On 9/15/08, came the Full Moon @ 22Pisces in close proximity to Uranus/Pisces bringing volatility and a spilling out of what had been absorbed. It was a few days after the Full Moon that the Fed and the government announced the bailout of several investment banks with huge mortgage debts on their ledgers. It was agreed that these investment banks (three of the five largest in the United States) could not be allowed to fail, or else it would wreak havoc with the rest of the economy. Short selling of financial stocks was banned and many wonder at the government’s intervention in free enterprise. [Especially by Republicans, who’ve been complaining for the past two decades about “government being the problem.”] We have yet to see the result of the bail-out over the course of time. But, the handwriting’s on the wall, and Pluto in Capricorn is exerting pressure to rein in the excesses of the past 13 years. One could easily be led to be fearful in the face of these events, and that is what some wish to capitalize on. The answer, however, lies in problem solving, greater responsibility and careful understanding of the consequences of our actions. Since Late Friday night until early Mon morning, the Moon in Gemini is forming a grand square (4 or more planets each 90 degrees from each other) in the sky, one after the other, with planets in mutable signs – Saturn/Virgo, Uranus/Pisces, Sun/Virgo, and Pluto Sagittarius. We could say this signifies a scrambling for information to resolve a crisis. If you have planets engaged with this pattern, then you too may experience a crisis that needs your attention.