Planet Weather for the Weeks of 8/22 and 8/29/10

 NewsBits:  Where We Are.  The long-awaited Cardinal Climax T-square, exact on 8/1/10, is the first aspect in a phase that lasts for many years (see full detail below). The most obvious event that took place near 8/1/10, was the record-breaking, worst-ever flooding in Pakistan. One fifth of Pakistan’s land mass flooded, more than 2,000 have died, more than 20 million people are homeless and suffering as a result. The numbers of people affected are more than the South Seas Tsunami, Katrina, and Haiti combined, and now cholera is breaking out. In classes and discussion of the Cardinal Climax formation, we noted that the empty place, or fourth leg of the pattern is in Cancer, ruled by the Moon which symbolizes the people’s concerns and all of our basic needs – such as food, clothing, shelter, and the basic comforts of our humanity. Often that open space shows where the action will be directed, in part. The planets and their relationship with each other certainly pointed to something big shifting; sometimes those shifts come in less obvious ways, and in the case of the Pakistan monsoon floods – an extremely obvious manifestation.

Iran’s “Ambassador of Death.” Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced this Sunday his country’s first domestically built unmanned drone bomber aircraft, which he named “ambassador of death.” The aircraft is capable of carrying up to four cruise missiles and has a range of 620 miles – fortunately too short to strike Israel. Ahmadinejad claims the aircraft if a deterrent and for defense purposes and to “keep the enemy paralyzed in its bases.” The unveiling and announcement comes a day after Iran fueled its first nuclear reactor, aided by Russia. In addition to these alarming Iranian developments, Iran also test-fired a new liquid fuel surface-to-surface missile, the Qiam-1, with advanced guidance systems, just last Friday. Iran’s nuclear and armament advances point to another message of the Cardinal Climax – the matter of shifts in our alliances and the need to develop new strategies for dealing with all important relationships in a changing world. Ahmadinejad has threatened world-wide repercussions if Iran were to be attacked. The part of the planetary configuration that deals with allies and alliances is the oppositions between Aries/Libra, including Uranus/Jupiter/Aries and Mars/Saturn Libra. This sign pair is naturally about the way we engage with others to meet our own needs and to respect the needs of others. The square to Pluto/Capricorn shows the urgency or the weightiness of these issues in our modern world and the impending crises that have already occurred and those that are poised to happen if we do not negotiate with wisdom and global concern. More than ever, we are seeing what I am coining the “domino effect” – everything that happens has a continuing effect as it touches the next situation inevitably.

Senator Al Franken and Net-Neutrality. Let’s go to something domestic now, but no less global and the issue, as Franken spoke of it – Net-neutrality and new rules for an Internet-based culture. In speaking to the Federal Communications Commission, Franken said, “We can’t let companies write rules that they’re supposed to follow because if that happens those rules are going to be written only to protect corporations.” He was referring to Verizon and Google pushing for a “policy framework” that they had written for Internet business/technology. He also addressed the corporate take-over of our media – companies who are merging and then own  huge amounts of media outlets. This was in regard to the Comcast/NBC proposed merger. This last matter is clearly the tension of Pluto in Capricorn and big business vs. the people and the necessary renegotiations of those relationships (Aries/Libra).

SkyWatch:

Moon phase for the week of 8/22: 8/24 -- The Moon reaches perfect Fullness at 1:05 PM EDT, at 1 degree of Pisces. In Native American and folk traditions, this is the Corn Moon (sometimes the Fruit Moon) in anticipation of the proverbial Harvest Moon up next. Skywatching events of the week: 8/27 -- The Full Moon makes a close pass by Jupiter. This astrological conjunction will be perfectly placed for viewing, as their point of closest approach occurs shortly after midnight on the US East Coast when the two are high in the sky.

 

Moon phase for the week of 8/29: 9/1 -- The Moon enters Her Last (aka Third) Quarter phase at 1:22 PM at 9 degrees of Gemini. Skywatching events of the week: Not much happening. Mercury is now about to go "under the beams" -- that is approach the Sun (as viewed from Earth) to the point where He is no longer visible. Otherwise, Saturn, Mars, and Venus all continue setting in a neat row, one following the other not long after sunset. (Of the planets visible to the unaided eye, Jupiter is a laggard, rising late and setting early.)

 

Space News and Weather: The Moon may be shrinking! Recent NASA lunar orbiter results have suggested that the Moon is far from a dead world, at least geologically. Scientists previously thought that most of the action in this department took place billions of years ago but recent observations suggest otherwise. Just to put things in perspective though, the rate of lunar shrinkage has been estimated to be roughly 300-400 feet per billion years. Well, that's a wrap. (News source: spaceflightnow.com.)  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 8/22/10 – Monday (Sun enters Virgo), Tuesday (Full Moon), and Friday are the most active or important days energetically – more Moon or planetary aspects for engagement with other or projects, and stimulation for producing results. On 8/24/10, the Moon is VOC/Aquarius from 4:30AM to 10:11AM EDT – On 8/26/10, the Moon is VOC/Pisces from 9:59PM to 10:49PM EDT.

Week of 8/29/10 – Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are the most active or important days energetically – more Moon or planetary aspects for engagement with other or projects, and stimulation for producing results. On 8/29/10, the Moon is VOC/Aries from 4:48AM to 10:35AM EDT – On 8/31/10, the Moon is VOC/Taurus from 7:13PM to 8:19PM EDT – On 9/3/10, the Moon is VOC/Gemini from 1:40AM to 2:50AM EDT.

Summary: The next two weeks are about season transition and doing your best with Mercury retrograde activities – reviewing, revising, rethinking and repairing!

Quote of Note: Two actually – one for Virgo and one for the Full Moon: “Take your work seriously but yourself lightly.” C.W.Metcalf. “The best way to make dreams come true is to wake up.” ~ J.M. Powers

The Sun enters mutable, earth Virgo on 8/23/10 until 9/22/10. Virgo begins the planning and the sorting that typifies the last stretch of a year. Focus on organizing yourself for the change in season and the adaptation that naturally follows and is required of you. Virgo-time can be sobering – it is after all an Earth sign and its eye is most often on what is present and manifest. Unfortunately, sometimes Virgo focuses only on what is wrong, or where the mistakes and imperfections are. This habit can lead to self-recrimination and self-defeat –as in not measuring up to some standard. The other side (and there always is another side) is the ability to spend time perfecting those small details that often make all the difference. Most of the time, during which the Sun is in Virgo this year, Mercury, its ruler, will be retrograde, also in Virgo. This can make for an edgy month, with the effort to tie up loose strings sometimes making more of a mess. No despair, please – it’s best to take your time, focus, prioritize, and wend your way through. This too shall pass and you may be better for the trip.

The Sun/Virgo trine Pluto retrograde (Rx) in cardinal earth Capricorn @ 2deg. on 8/26/10. Pluto fuels the Sun with its current retrograde ruler and puts more weight and intensity toward your life situations. You may need to deal with “death” in that Pluto asks us to go to the source and in that process there is a purging or letting go metaphorically and actually of things and sometimes people whose cycle in our lives has ended. We need to be graceful in allowing what is leaving to pass, without the grasping and holding on that is often the case. Yielding is one of the lessons of Pluto and that is one of its consciousness messages during its contact with the Virgo/Sun. Another of its messages is empowerment – that indeed we become stronger when we recognize and acknowledge the core of ourselves and the principles that guide us and that we adhere to.

Venus in cardinal, air Libra trine (120deg.) Neptune Rx in fixed, air Aquarius @ 26deg. on 9/4/10. Venus in its own sign accentuates the attributes of beauty, harmony, and engagement in relationship. The trine with Neptune brings wistfulness, and the dreams that pull at us from our deeper soul-source. We are reminded, in case we have forgotten, of the yearnings that we feed upon in the quietest moments of our existence. We must resolve those yearnings by paying attention and penetrating the mist that often accompanies them.  How realistic is your yearning? Does it matter? Can you put the dream aside, or would you rather pursue it. These are very private questions that always require soul-searching and almost always demand compromise. For those involved in the arts or music – you can get lost in the mysteries and magic of life and feel inspired by what is transmitted within the ethers and many-chambered world of Neptune. Expect serendipity and blissful coincidence, and some doses of melancholy.

** Mercury Turned Retrograde on 8/20/10 @ 19 Virgo, and turns Direct again on 9/12/10.  Mercury entered mutable, earth Virgo on 7/27/10, and stays in that sign until 10/3/10. Picky, picky, picky and details, details, details – get ready for an addede dose of scrutiny and minute detail parades. This retrograde is extra long in Virgo because it never leaves Virgo during its retracing backward movement. So, we will experience 9 weeks of our minds focused on productivity and where the systems in our life are functioning and where they are failing. Mercury makes a trine (easier contact) with Pluto/Capricorn early in the cycle (7/30/10) which sets the tone of the whole cycle. It indicates in-depth research and analysis of where the flaws and problems are in the smooth functioning of the various parts of our lives. It can also indicate obsessiveness, or simply not giving up until the solution is found, which is much more likely to happen after the processing of the actual retrograde is done. Additionally, Mercury rules Virgo, so every effect it has while retrograde in this sign will be strengthened by this fact.

Mercury reached its “shadow point” on 7/31/10 @ 5deg. – that is the degree at which it will turn direct on 9/12/10. Mercury clears the full retrograde cycle on 9/26/10 when it passes the degree, 19, at which it turned retrograde on 8/20/10. After that, the process of integration fully begins.

Mercury Rx makes a conjunction with the Sun/Virgo on 9/3/10, and that may offer some clarity in the midst of processing. Its final major aspect is an inconjunct (150deg. aspect) with Neptune Rx/Aquarius on 10/3/10; that one is after it has turned direct again and is near the end of its transit through Virgo. This final aspect can be a confusing one, or provide an illumination of some truth that was previously elusive. Still, this type of aspect contains the stress of adjusting disparate energies, thoughts or ideas. The antidote to lots of Virgo and the need to work overtime to get things done the “right” way – is to yield and practice flow, letting go, and simply doing your best, while getting your needed rest. Worry creates illness. Discovering the problem and alleviating stress by action is the better alternative. Patience with the idiosyncratic nature of life and people is also an integral factor in this pattern.

Currently Active Paradigm-Shift Patterns:

The Cardinal Climax! The current Cardinal Climax consists of three planets, Pluto, Uranus, and Saturn all connected in a challenging aspect in the early degrees of cardinal signs. The cardinal signs are all about action and courage and forward momentum – each in their own distinct way. The challenging aspect is called a T-square – which means that Saturn/Libra is opposite Uranus/Aries and both square Pluto/Capricorn. If you draw lines between these planets you get a T-formation.

So, let’s review this configuration and start with the opposition (re-balancing and opposing forces at work) – Saturn/Libra is opposite Uranus/Aries – in spring and fall, and sunrise/sunset signs. This opposition is the fifth and final one between these two planets and the only occurrence of the aspect in this sign pair. There is tension between the old, familiar pattern of doing things (Saturn) and the innovative or modern, updated way (Uranus). We’ve seen this tension play out in the most obvious way when Obama was elected President (the first opposition between these two planets took place on US Election Day). The upshot of this is that a tremendous amount is expected of this President. He ran on a platform of “change” and even though some think it is too slow – the process is taking hold. One major condition, universal healthcare, has begun for the United States during the Saturn/Virgo and Uranus/Pisces oppositions.

The essence of the cardinal Climax takes place between 5/26/10 and 10/5/12 when all three planets we mentioned are positioned in cardinal signs and are in what are called “hard” aspect to each other (opposition or square). Steps leading up to the Capricorn Climax began with our outermost planet Pluto entering cardinal Capricorn on 1/24/08, then Saturn entering cardinal Libra on 10/29/09, next Uranus entering cardinal Aries on 5/26/10. Five oppositions (180deg. angles) formed between Saturn/Uranus (see full detail below) between 11/4/08 and 7/26/10. Three Saturn/Pluto squares (90deg. angles) take place between 11/15/09 – 8/21/10. Jupiter added energy to this astrological Molotov cocktail when it entered Aries on 6/6/10 and conjoined Uranus/Aries on 6/8/10.

Two major parts of the cardinal climax take place after 2010:  Uranus/Aries square Pluto/Capricorn is exact 7 times starting on 6/24/12 and ending 3/17/15! On 12/20/17, Saturn enters cardinal Capricorn and the three planets are in cardinal signs once again until 3/6/19. During that time segment Saturn/Capricorn conjuncts Pluto Capricorn on 1/12/20.

The high point of this phase of major shift and passage in human culture took place on 8/1/10. It is at that time that Mars/Libra and Jupiter/Aries also joined the tableau and added emphasis and ignition to what we’ve described before. We are entering a new season, even though this may not be immediately apparent – energies have to integrate, and yet, something big is brewing. We’ve seen a horrific preview of what neglect and greed has wrought with the Gulf Oil Spill that has rippling effects (so to speak) for years to come. We cannot afford to be so short-sighted. Will we learn from this monumental disaster? Cardinal signs represent renewal and change on fundamental levels. We can only change the culture by raising our own consciousness of how to live on this overcrowded planet with such diverse ideas and opinions. How can we protect the resources that we all need to live and thrive? We do have much more control over the management of our personal lives. So, the questions are – what do you want to change and why? Where is the tension between old and familiar habits and the need to adapt to new knowledge, understanding, and patterns that are healthier for growth?

The last time we had a configuration of this type – the same three planets in early cardinal signs, was 1929-1934, the time of the US Great Depression. History never repeats exactly but we can be sure that huge change is upon us, and the exact result is not always immediately apparent. Watch the signals and signs and stay alert to your own inner needs and changes. We’ll continue to discuss these patterns in future issues of PW.

Jupiter entered mutable, water Pisces on 1/17/10 (until 6/6/10 when it enters Aries – and then it re-enters Pisces again on 9/9/10, after retrograding back from Aries). Jupiter moves swiftly into and through Pisces without stopping for a breath and heads right into fiery Aries to 3 degrees before it stops and makes its first retrograde station on 7/23/10 @ 3 Aries – whew! Jupiter changes signs annually and is the traditional ruler of Pisces (before Neptune was discovered). The expansion characteristic of Jupiter applies to the network of life itself and the fact that somehow we are all interconnected – the concept of the living, breathing sea of humanity. We are all in the same boat (the Ship of Fools) on that vast sea, and all in our own way are searching for meaning. What then does it all mean? – This will be a question that occurs more frequently with Jupiter traveling through Pisces. Although possessing a strong spiritual and idealistic component and the urge to seek or undertake a vision-quest, this same energy can lead to confusion and deception – whether self-deception or through others. Jupiter in Pisces plays on human nature’s desire to believe in something good, something bigger and better than oneself – whatever that may be. In that sense, it is also connected to glamour, the arts, and all that serves to inspire, beguile, or seduce us away from the harsh realities of the mundane. In that vein – drugs, alcohol, and other dissipating adventures also beckon. Do seek inspiration during this time of the sort that does not destroy body or soul, but instead uplifts and offers compassionate understanding to the plight of being human that we all must endure. Find a way to give back or to volunteer to make something better for someone or something through your own benevolence.

Saturn entered cardinal, air Libra on 10/29/09. The full cycle lasts until 10/6/12. Saturn retrogrades back into the last three degrees of the previous sign, Virgo, from 4/8/10-7/22/10. What can we expect? Possibly not much until the energy starts to merge with the collective. But let’s speak to the greater implications of a new 2.5-year Saturn-sign cycle. Saturn is exalted in Libra. This so-called “essential dignity” means there’s more of a commitment to cooperation and harmony among equals. Or, we can say, that is the primary striving in this combination. The collective will be more focused on what is fair and equitable and what is not. Generally, the message is to find the imbalances and rebalance as needed. Where are you giving your commitment and attention? Are the returns you receive what you really want? If not, then adjust those commitments and relationships for greater equality and fairness. Saturn in Libra also asks – what matters and what is valuable? When there is real value, it is easier to make a commitment for a longer time and with greater attention and intention. All major relationships and, in particular, those with Libra/Aries Sun, Moon, or Ascendant, will be put to a greater test. Saturn in a cardinal sign is much more proactive than in other signs, and you may find that you seek order from recent chaos and productivity from prior stress and mess.

Saturn in cardinal, air Libra square (90deg.) Pluto in cardinal, earth Capricorn. This aspect takes place three separate times and continues the theme of systems breaking down, which is also defined in Pluto’s entry into Saturn’s sign of Capricorn. Part 1 took place on 11/15/09, part 2 on 1/31/10, and the final square lands on 8/21/10. Besides the breakdown of systems or habits, this aspect places focus on a resource we wish to develop or that needs repair. It does ask for commitment to a deep desire or need and is rarely an easy path to tread.

 

Copyright 1997-2010 Dorothy Oja -- All rights reserved ? General editing and science editor, John Flagg.

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MINDWORKS services include: Timing and Electional work (dates for surgery, weddings, business openings etc.), Composite/Davison Relationship and Couples analysis, Children's Profiles and private tutoring. Meta-Coaching sessions involve eliciting the astrological and sacred dynamics of your chart to empower realization of your goals and find satisfaction in self-expression. An active writer for national magazines and online sites, collections of Dorothy's articles are available. upon request. Dorothy writes a free, weekly ezine, Planet Weather, published for the past 12 years for enthusiastic subscribers, which includes social, cultural and political commentary. Dorothy has frequently appeared as a guest on TV, hosted her own radio shows and has been interviewed in the print media. In October 2000, Dorothy published her text, Compatibility & Conflict for Romantic Relationships, as a computer interpretive report, followed by Compatibility & Conflict for Friendship and Business in October 2002. Dorothy currently serves the community as Chair of the ISAR Ethics Committee including Ethics Awareness Training.