Planet Weather for the Week of  November 12, 2006                                                                        

SkyWatch – Moon phase of the week: 11/12 -- The Moon enters her Last (also called Third) Quarter phase at 12:45 PM at 20 degrees of Leo, just after Moonset on the East Coast but still visible further west during her final major change of this cycle. Friday, 11/17 -- the Leonid Meteor Shower this year unfortunately reaches its peak near noon but observers may catch a few Leonids before dawn, high overhead in the constellation Leo. Their radiant or point of apparent origin is the Lion's head. All week: -- with the other planets continuing to be bunched near the sun (as viewed -- or rather NOT viewed -- from the Earth), Saturn remains the only planet readily visible in the night sky. The Moon will be approaching Saturn as she nears her Last Quarter phase but their point of closest approach takes place when both are well below the horizon. Space news of the week -- On 11/8, Mercury passed directly between the Sun and the Earth, an event known as a "transit of Mercury." This is not really a skywatching event, since special equipment is needed to observe it. However, astronomers get all excited by these transits because they allow them very precisely to measure Mercury's size, orbit, and even, this time around, the planet's tenuous sodium atmosphere as it appears basically as a small black dot passing across the Sun's face. This transit of Mercury was visible throughout most of the Western Hemisphere. The next transit of Mercury will not happen until 2016. Go out! Look up!

This week Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday are the most active and possibly the most productive energy days. Friday is potent with Venus changing signs and Mercury going direct, and another strong planetary aspect. The longest Void-of-Course (VOC) Moon time, during the day – is on Wednesday @ 5:41PM until 9:14PM EST. 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 day. VOC is best for processing, imagining, creating, parties and other open-ended activities.

Venus in fixed, water Scorpio square (90deg.) Saturn in fixed, fire Leo @ 24deg. on Sunday, November 12, 2006 @ 7:19PM EST.  This aspect adds a serious note to relationships or negotiations – bringing up issues of responsibility, reliability, affordability, and other pragmatic and concerns about workability. Because it’s a square, it can bring things to a head or force a decision. The big issues and the priorities (whatever they are) are paramount and there’s a natural assessment of pros and cons that takes place. It’s an excellent time to formulate goals based on those assessments.

Mercury Rx Scorpio trine (120deg.) Uranus in mutable, water Pisces @ 10deg. on Monday, November 13, 2006 @ 12:29PM. This creative aspect brings good ideas, but because Mercury is still Rx, these are ideas that will need further research to mature.  It’s a moment of realizations and a wider awareness, of perhaps something that’s been under your nose, out of sight and out of consciousness. An excellent aspect and time (with many planets still in Scorpio) for researching. The awareness gained can also be well-used in understanding the human dimension of negotiations. In other words, everyone wants something, and knowing what they want can only benefit the negotiation.

Venus/Scorpio conjunct (0deg.) Jupiter/Scorpio @ 24deg. on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 @ 3:35PM EST.  This could be your lucky day – the two traditional benefics of the Zodiac merge and thereby create more of a good thing. If you have planets at or near (within a degree or so) of 24, you are likely to have an opportunity. There’s joy in this aspect because it typically means you can get what you want – so if you’ve asked nicely, today you may be gifted. Another take on the aspect indicates that strong desires are reinforced, so set your sights and Scorpio determination to get what you want most. And…as they say, be careful what you ask for!

The Sun/Scorpio square Saturn/Leo @ 24deg. on Friday, November 17, 2006 @ 12:58AM EST. And here we are with another 24 degree aspect! This aspect begins a very powerful day of shifts and changes that you will feel as you go through your day in one way or another. Remember that these aspects are dependent on how they relate to your own planetary conditions. This aspect is often indicative of a power struggle and the need to reassess one’s rules, regulations, and parameters. Perhaps this is Democrats and Republicans shifting their power balance. The aspect addresses quality of life and the need to address those hard questions of survival and how people are managing to live meaningful lives.

Venus enters mutable, fire Sagittarius on Friday, November 17, 2006 @ 3:02AM EST until 12/11/06. Venus is the first planet to break ranks with the Scorpio grouping we’ve been dealing with since 10/24/06. As Venus enters a fire sign, it regains a natural optimism and energy and in Sagittarius it’s ready to take advantage of every opportunity and expand on the ideas that emerged in the Scorpio stew. This Venus can go to extremes and push the envelope but it does this so exuberantly that it seems as though everything will be fine. Being positive is great but make sure you have somewhere to land.

Mars/Scorpio square Neptune in fixed, air Aquarius @ 17deg. on Friday, November 17, 2006 @ 2:01PM EST. Neptune often bring disappointments if ideals are too high, or if our dreams are not supported in some way. Of course, we can always dream. and magic happens. But the tricky part of Neptune is that there is soul energy at work, and unless we understand the deeper workings of our soul, we may not be in sync with what we need or we may inadvertently deny our real needs. This aspect then will show us something about the contract we’ve made with our soul and where we’ve been blind. In the mundane world, this can be a secret leaking out, political manipulations or yet another scandal breaking in the news. Unfortunately, there is also a kind of melancholy attached to the aspect that comes from feeling out-of-control circumstances and the inability to ease suffering.

Mercury/Scorpio turns Stationary Direct @ 9deg. on Friday, November 17, 2006 @ 7:25PM. Mercury turned Rx @ 25 Scorpio on 10/28/06. Although technically, Mercury will now be in forward momentum, the real movement in situations and projects will be more readily apparent when Mercury passes its “shadow,” the degree at which it turned retrograde, which happens on 12/4/06. Get ready to come out of confusions and confirm the results of your research. Having repaired what was broken means that you can now forge ahead more easily and expect significant forward momentum. If you’ve done your research, you will be poised to capture the day and equipped to maximize your influence.

NewsBits: Dems Win House and Senate! Planet Weather was fairly sure of one house of Congress, but two – what a huge victory for consciousness and the Democratic Party! From PW 11/5/06, “With Mercury/Scorpio retrograde, there is an excellent chance of a political reversal/reshuffling/recycling in the US House of Representatives and/or the Senate, that’s beyond all the bad press and scandals on the Republican side of the aisle.” From PW 10/8/06, “The House Ethics Committee is investigating and [Mark] Foley’s resignation appears to be another indication that the mid-term elections will be favorable for Democrats.”  So…the vote clearly shows how deep the resentments and feeling had run and how much people wanted a change. People woke up to some unavoidable, stark, real facts, used the vote to express their discontent, and that’s just how democracy is supposed to work! The Scorpio stellium (5 planets in this stinging sign), digging deep and long, worked in the Democrats favor – the political tide has shifted. The work to correct past grave errors has finally begun.

Nancy Pelosi Makes Herstory!  Americans, by giving the majority vote to Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, made it possible for Nancy Pelosi to become the first woman Speaker of the House. This feisty Aries (3/26/40, Baltimore, MD – time unknown), also has Jupiter in Aries, so she enjoys being the first to blaze a trail, which she has certainly accomplished in spades with this election. She will be a leader for other women to follow, and the world will be watching her performance. Aries does love to be on top and first in progress. In addition, Mars, the ruler of her Aries Sun, is placed in sturdy and dependable Taurus. She will not give ground on what she truly believes in. Her Venus also is strong and in its own sign of Taurus – she does understand the art of compromise and working well with others. Her Moon in Scorpio is powerful, but it is a Moon that does not easily forget betrayal. Nancy will be wonderful to observe, as she develops into her new role.

Rumsfeld Resigns (or gets the axe)! With the handwriting clearly on the wall, President Bush went to his contingency plan and that was to axe Donald Rumsfeld, who has managed to alienate most of the military (not to mention a good majority of US citizens). The prevailing aspect that shifted Rumsfeld’s fortunes was Saturn/Leo conjunct his Jupiter – that’s like putting a pin in a balloon! Saturn has been steadily moving between his Leo Mercury and Jupiter, and the Scorpio groupings squaring Saturn (and finally Rumsfeld’s Jupiter) – well, it was just too much and something had to go. Things had reached critical mass when Saturn made a station @ 11 Leo exactly on Rumsfeld’s Mercury @ 11 Leo, last November. This was a marker saying that he was out of sync in his thinking/perception with the other heavy-hitter thinkers around him. The pressure was on and, as Saturn moved closer to his Jupiter, down came the axe.