Capricorn

Astro Doings January – February 2026

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Happy New Year! I hope it is a wonderful one for you and yours!

January

January begins with the first Super Full Moon of the year – the Wolf Moon on the 3rd at 5:03 a.m. She’ll be at 130 Cancer and right next to Jupiter. Let’s hope there are clear skies where you are!

January also begins with five planets in earth signs – four in Capricorn. They are the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars with Uranus in Taurus. Jupiter and Neptune are in watery Pisces and there is only one planet in air – and that’s Pluto Aquarius. (We’ll fix that in February when several planets join Pluto. More on that later.)

So there is a lot of earth energy for the first two-thirds of the month. Earth is practical, slow-moving and Capricorn in particular is focused on the status quo, corporations and systems in general, and it is Saturn ruled. Cautious, deliberate and slow to change are good ways to describe Capricorn. The rings of Saturn have often been equated with fear or restriction. There is a New Moon at the very end of the sign (280) at 4:57 p.m. on the 18th.

Things begin to change on the 19th when the Sun enters Aquarius and is next to Pluto, the planet of deep-seated transformation and the underworld.   There weren’t too many new and innovative ideas in the early part of the month, but Aquarius is the sign of the inventor, the destroyer of old forms (thought and otherwise).  Mercury, the planet of thinking and communicating, joins the Aquarian party on the 20th, Venus on the 18th, and Mars on the 23rd.  Air signs, of which Aquarius is one, like to communicate and with Aquarians’ tendency to innovate, such as AI, we may see changes in how we communicate with each other.

Other big doings in January is Neptune’s leaving Pisces for good and entering Aries on the 26th at 12:37 p.m. This is the second outer planet to change signs recently. (The other is Pluto.) She’ll be in Aries for a long time (2038), and she is not particularly happy in Mars’ sign.  However, it can mark a new beginning as Aries is the first sign of the zodiac. Every planet has to deal in one way or another with Neptune as it changes signs. Neptune is the dreamer; Aries is the warrior, initiator. Maybe it’s time to put our dreams into action.  Anyone with placements in either late degrees of the water signs or early degrees of the fire signs may feel this shift of energy more profoundly. It will take Neptune some time to get adjusted to her new energy “home.”

February

So, this month begins with five planets in Aquarius, so lots of air, lots of ideas floating around.  So Geminis and Librans will be celebrating along with their Aquarian colleagues.

The month begins with a full moon (not a super one!) at 130 Leo at 5:09 p.m. And then on the 3rd Uranus (the ruler of Aquarius and the challenger of all form) stops and turns around (direct) at 9:33 p.m. He’ll be at 270 Taurus, an earth sign that basically hates changes. Both Aquarius and Taurus are “fixed” signs, which means they both tend to stay with their ideas or attitudes until they are thoroughly convinced to change. This may take some doing. . . .When a planet changes directions, it basically sits on the degree, in this case 270 for a while. Uranus will be at 270 Taurus until mid-March. So, attention all who have placements in your chart on or around 270 especially in Taurus, or the other fixed signs (Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius) or the other earth signs (Capricorn, Virgo.)

On the 6th, Mercury, the fastest moving planet, begins the exodus from Aquarius into Pisces, followed by Venus on the 10th, and the Sun on the 18th.  They will all be in an easy flow of energy with Jupiter in Cancer. All are water signs – emotional, intuitive, psychic, but not generally swayed by abstract or concrete thinking.  They follow how they feel, rather than how they think.

On the 17th lots happens. It’s the Chinese New Year (of the Horse), it’s Mardi Gras, and Ramadan begins. There is also an annular Solar eclipse at 280 Aquarius.  The eclipse will last about 5 hours, so if it impacts your chart it will do so for about five months. We will not be able to see it in the US. A solar eclipse generally indicates significant new beginnings in the area of your life (astrological house) where the impacted planets are.  Remember that any planet at late degrees Aquarius, Leo, Taurus or Scorpio could be impacted by the eclipse. 

And on the 26th Mercury begins his first of three retrograde periods. He’ll be at 220 Pisces.  It ends on the first day of Spring – March 20. A Mercury retrograde, as I’ve written before, is a wonderful time to do anything with “re” in front of it – re-treat, re-group, re-think. . . .You can sign a contract or buy a new appliance. Just be sure to read the fine print before you sign.

I hope you have a wonderful winter!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings November – December 2025

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

HI Everyone

It’s hard to believe that 2025 is coming to an end as I write the last Astro Doings for the year.  There will only be one planet in an air sign as the year ends, and that is Pluto in early degrees Aquarius, so the realm of innovative, humanitarianly focused, ideas may be in short supply.  November promises to be a very busy month, December less so.

November

There are three planets moving into retrograde motion this month, and lots of planets in water.

7th: Uranus backs up into Taurus at 9:22 p.m. This is his last pass in the sign of the Bull. Taurus is a fixed (aka stubborn) earth sign – lover of beautiful things, chocolate and Mother Earth. Hopefully during his last pass in Taurus, Uranus, the planet of the higher mind, will come up with some innovative solutions to heal Mother Earth.

9th: Mercury starts his last three-week retrograde period at 2:02 p.m. He’ll be at 60 Sagittarius and will back into Scorpio on the 20th, conjunct (next to) the Sun.

11th: Jupiter begins his retrograde period at 11:41 a.m. He’ll be at 250 Cancer.

A word about retrograde planets. This is all a part of the celestial dance. When planets are retrograde we tend to experience their energy more inwardly or with more difficulty. For example, Jupiter is associated with good fortune, prosperity and optimism. When he’s retrograde, we may feel less optimistic and economies may seem less productive.

Also during this time there are five planets in water signs – lots of emotions, touchiness, psychic information but not a lot of reasoning, enthusiasm or practicality.  Starting on the 20th through the end of the month there is a grand trine (aka a big triangle, representing an easy flow of energy) in water with Mercury in Scorpio, Jupiter in Cancer and Saturn next to Neptune in Pisces. Oh yes, and a New Moon at 280 Scorpio.  When this happens the energy tends to spin around the triangle, going around and around but not out. 

27th: Saturn ends his retrograde motion at 10:52 p.m. He will sit at 250 Pisces through most of December, getting his bearings as it were.

29th: Mercury ends its last retrograde period of the year at 12:38 p.m. He’ll be at 200 Scorpio.

Phew!! Quite a month.  Oh yes, the Sun enters Sagittarius on the 21st at 8:36 p.m. and the Full Moon occurs on the 5th at 8:19 a.m. She’ll be at 130 Taurus.

December

The month begins with three planets in Sagittarius: Sun, Venus and Mars. Sag is a fire sign on a quest for Truth – generally optimistic, outspoken, and adventurous.  Overall this last month of the year is much quieter than November – a good thing!

10th: Neptune stations direct at 7:21 a.m. at 290 Pisces. This is another step in the dance but adds a little boost to the water energy, which is having a tough time with all the fire. Now, obviously fire and water signs don’t get along at all, and yet they must as they are all part of the dance. So Neptune changing directions just might add another splash of emotion to put fire’s enthusiasm out. But, on the other hand, too much fire can boil water away and emotion, compassion with it.

21st: Sun enters Capricorn at 10:03 a.m. — the Winter Solstice. The Sun joins Mars and eventually Venus in this earth sign of the status quo. Even though Capricorn is a cardinal sign, which likes to initiate things, it does so after much deliberation and after being convinced that the change is a good one.

The Full Moon occurs on the 4th at 6:14 p.m. She’ll be at 130 Gemini. And the New moon occurs on the 19th at 8:43 p.m. She’ll be at 280 Sagittarius.

I hope you have a wonderful end to 2025!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings July – August 2025

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re having a good start to your summer. July looks to be quite busy – August a little less so.

Saturn/Neptune Conjunction

I want to begin by talking about the Saturn/Neptune conjunction in Aries, which actually began last month. It will last until early next May using a pretty wide orb.  At first glance this seems to be a strange couple: Saturn, an earth sign, the ruler of order, status quo, authority figures and big business, and Neptune, a water sign, the ruler of dreams, otherworldliness, unable (or unwilling) to cope with this plane. Neptune seeks to escape this plane in a positive (meditation, spirituality) or negative (drugs, alcohol) way. Saturn seeks to maintain its version of order.

Both planets are very unhappy in Aries, the fiery sign of new beginnings (spring), quests, movement, excitement. It is a restless sign, always seeking something new. The energy of Aries does not fit easily with the energy of either Saturn or Neptune.

In astrology planets have signs that they “rule,” such as Neptune in Pisces or Saturn in Capricorn. They also have another sign that they like to be in, which is called their sign of “exaltation.” Sounds pretty cool, eh? And of course, the opposite sign to their sign of “exaltation” is their sign of “fall.” Saturn in exalted in Libra, because Libra is the sign of balance and perfect balance is stagnation, which Saturn loves. Now the opposing sign to Libra is Aries. So Saturn is not happy in the sign of the initiator, innovator, let’s get going and be ready to do battle. Neptune likes to dream, vacate the earth plane and generally hang out, so moving forward – or moving at all, except escaping – is not something Neptune likes to do, being happier in the realm of emotions. These two will back into Pisces in the fall, and Neptune will definitely have the upper hand when that happens until February when they’re both back in Aries. Saturn is also unhappy in Pisces, although the water of Pisces may soften the rigidity of Saturn.

But there is perhaps another way to look at this planetary combination. Neptune is the mystic, and more esoterically Saturn is the sure-footed goat that climbs the mountain of spiritual growth. And Aries energy can be used as an impetus (or a kick in the you-know-where) to move to another level of spiritual understanding and a different view of our world and ourselves. . . and that view would get another perspective when these two re-enter Pisces for the last time this fall. And their retrograde periods could signal a more inward focus. All fire signs are on a quest – and for Aries it is the quest for High Self – our higher understanding of who we are in truth. And he doesn’t let anything get in the way of his completing his quest.

Those with placements in early degrees Aries, Cancer, Capricorn and Libra may feel the impact of this conjunction more than others. And also late degrees Pisces, Virgo, Gemini and Sagittarius when both planets are again in Pisces. You might also look at where this conjunction occurs in your chart (which house), as this could be an area of impact of this conjunction.

July

Three planets station retrograde this month, including everyone’s favorite – Mercury. So, from the top:

On the 4th in addition to fireworks, Neptune stations retrograde at 20 Aries at 5:34 p.m. On the 13th, her buddy Saturn stations retrograde at 10 Aries at 12:07 a.m.  And on the 18th Mercury stations retrograde at 150 Leo at 3:59 a.m. (He goes direct on August 11.) Lots of fire here.

On July 7th Uranus moves into Gemini, where he is much happier. (He will back up into Taurus in November.) Gemini is an air sign and much better suited to Uranian energy than Taurus. There could be a frenetic quality to the energy, as Gemini likes to flit from thing to thing, but the ideas could be more visionary in their scope. Venus moves into Cancer on the 30th at 11:57 p.m. She will square (challenging relationship) the Saturn/Neptune conjunction in Aries. Cancer is a water sign and Aries is a fire sign – need I say more? And Venus and Mars are very different energies as well.

The Sun moves into Leo, the sign it rules, on the 22nd at 9:29 a.m. The Full Moon is on the 10th at 4:37 p.m. She’ll be at 180 Virgo. The New Moon occurs on the 24th at 3:11 p.m. She’ll be at 20 Leo.

August

August is a bit quieter. Good thing!

On the 6th Mars moves into Libra. Not only does Mars oppose the Saturn/Neptune conjunction in Aries, which he rules, but he is most unhappy in Venus’ sign of relationship and balance. However, he has Saturn and Neptune and Venus to play with. He also is trine Uranus in Gemini, so there may be more energy (Mars) put into balancing some of the ideas and chatter from Uranus in Gemini.

On the 11th Mercury ends his retrograde period at 3:30 a.m. He’ll be at 40 Leo. Phew! And Venus joins him in Leo on the 25th.

On the 22nd the Sun enters Virgo and the next day there is the New Moon at 00 Virgo, signaling the beginning of the change of season. Virgo is the sign of the harvest – the harvest of self as well as all those great veggies. The Full Moon occurs on the 9th. She’ll be at 170 Aquarius.

I hope you have a wonderful rest of your summer!

Peace and abundant blessings.

Margaret

Astro Doings January – February 2025

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Happy New Year, Everyone!

I hope you had wonderful holidays and that 2025 brings many blessings to you.

January and February bring some change in direction for a couple of planets and by the end of February there will be no planets in retrograde motion!

January

We begin the month with the Sun, Mercury and Uranus in earth signs – practical, deliberate, not rushing into anything. We have Venus, Saturn and Neptune in water – a lot of emotion and three planets are in Pisces, the sign of faith, addiction, illusion and disillusion. I should mention that Pisces is the sign of Venus’ “exaltation.” Sounds neat, eh? Well, Venus is the planet of love and in Pisces she has an opportunity to express her love beyond one-on-one relationships. At the beginning of the month we also have Mars in Leo opposed Pluto in Aquarius. Both planets are in fixed (read stubborn) signs, so the New New Year could start off with power struggles, the same as we saw at the end of December.  Mars will retrograde back into Cancer on the 7th, and while it will still be opposed Pluto, it won’t be as strong.

Finally we get some air in here on the 19th when the Sun enters Aquarius, joining Jupiter in Gemini and Pluto in Aquarius. Mercury goes into Aquarius on the 27th and we have a new moon in Aquarius on the 29th. She’ll be a 90. Aquarius is the sign of the innovator, rebel and visionary. It can also be said of Aquarians that they can be quite aloof, cold and disinterested. But air is the element of ideas, and Pluto promises the beginning of new ideas, as well as breakdown of old, deeply held ideas, and Jupiter in ever-curious Gemini will keep the conversation going.

Uranus goes direct at 11:22 a.m. on the 30th. He’ll be at 230 Taurus. Uranus is the planet of the higher mind and is also the ruler of Aquarius. We can hope that any new ideas that arise during this period will be beneficial to mankind and Mother Earth and that they will be practical (Taurus).

The Full Moon occurs on the 13th at 240 Cancer.

February

Jupiter and Mars change direction in February and by the end of the month there will be no planets in retrograde motion. So charge ahead with all the understanding and insights gathered during retrograde periods! It won’t last long. Two planets station retrograde in early March. . . . Otherwise February is pretty quiet.

On the 4th Jupiter changes directions at 110 Gemini, moving in the same direction as the Sun, Mercury and Venus in air signs. And on the 23rd Mars changes directions at 170 Cancer, going direct with the Sun, Saturn and Neptune in water signs.

Water and air generally make fog, but water can soften the seeming hardness of the airy realm of ideas.  It can also confuse the issue. We’ll have to see how this plays out. The US is a Sun-sign Cancer country with several placements in the sign in the area of foreign policy and foreign investments. It will be interesting to see how these planetary placements influence activities in these areas. Remember, the stars impel, they don’t compel.

The Full Moon occurs on the 12th at 8:53 a.m. She’ll be at 240 Leo. The New Moon occurs on the 27th at 3:46 a.m. She’ll be at 90 Pisces.

Hope you have a wonderful start to 2025.

Peace and abundant blessings, Margaret

Astro Doings November – December 2024

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Hard to believe that this is the last Astro Doings for 2024. In the last two months of the year, Saturn and Neptune end their retrograde periods, Pluto changes signs, and we have the last Mercury retrograde.

November

The month begins with a New Moon at 90 Scorpio. At the same time, we have a complicated, closed figure, called a kite. Mercury, Neptune and Mars all trine (easy flow of energy) at very late degrees of their respective water signs (Scorpio, Pisces and Cancer), making a big triangle. And Pluto in Capricorn is sextile (opportunity) to the ends of the triangle, sort of “flying” the kite. There is a lot of emotion with this much water. Pluto in earthy Capricorn provides some boundaries although it could also suggest that emotions are impacting our values (Pluto in the 2nd house of the US chart) and institutions (Capricorn). Since all four planets are at late degrees of the signs they’re in (28-29 degrees) this suggests an ending of some sort powered by emotion. I would refer you to the Quality of Time article on the Astrodienst website (astro.com) for further information. Suffice it to say that when a figure is closed in astrology it generally means that the energy has a hard time expressing itself, sort of like a balloon filled with air that can’t get out. It can feel rather frustrating. Mercury will move out of orb, dissolving the kite, by November 10.

On the 3rd and 4th, Mercury and Mars move into fire signs (Sagittarius and Leo respectively). Fire is enthusiastic, volatile and inspired; it can warm you or burn you. This change of sign also weakens the kite although the planets are still in orb. But fire and water/earth don’t mix well, adding to the charged nature of the energy at this time.

On the 19th Pluto leaves Capricorn for good, entering Aquarius at 3:29 p.m. Aquarius is a fixed (aka stubborn) air sign and likes to operate in the realm of ideas, especially those that are visionary and potentially beneficial to all. We are in the Aquarian age of brotherhood. With Pluto entering this sign, we can anticipate (over its long transit through the sign – through 2044) changes, innovation and upheaval as we hopefully come to truly recognize that we are all one. Aquarians, by the way, are all about change as long as they don’t have to make any personal changes.

The Sun enters Sagittarius (another fire sign) on the 21st at 2:56 p.m. and Mercury starts his last retrograde of the year on the 25th at 9:42 p.m. He’ll be at 220 Sagittarius.

The Full Moon occur on the 15th at 4:28 p.m. She’ll be at 240 Taurus. This is the same day that Saturn stations direct at 9:20 a.m. at 120 Pisces. Pisces is the sign with two fish swimming in opposite directions unaware of the other one.  It is the sign of addiction and faith – quite a contrast. Saturn provides structure and limitation and asks us to examine our attitudes toward the sign he’s in. He represents the father and all authority figures.

December

Like November, December begins with a New Moon at 90 Sagittarius. Unlike November, December also ends with a second New Moon on the 30th. (See below.) The beginning of the month also features two planets changing direction: Mars and Neptune. Mars, the planet of war, stations retrograde on the 6th at 7:01 p.m. He’ll be at 60 Leo, opposed Pluto in Aquarius. On the 7th Neptune stations direct at 6:43 p.m. She’ll be at 270 Pisces, along with Saturn. When a planet changes direction, it stops and sits on the zodiac degree where it “stations,” aka stops before changing direction. It pulses there and if it’s near a point or planet in your chart it can really emphasize it.  Venus enters Aquarius on the 7th at 1:13 a.m., joining Pluto. It will be interesting to see how the planet of Love (Venus) works with the planet of the underground and deep-seated changed (Pluto). Pluto is named for the Roman god of the underworld (or Disney’s dog, whichever you prefer.) However, the energy of this planet of deep transformation is feminine. So we have two feminine energy planets in the male air sign, Aquarius.  Should be fun to watch, unless of course you have placements in early degrees Aquarius (or Leo or Taurus or Scorpio)!

Mercury ends his retrograde motion on 15th at 3:56 p.m. Yippeee!  He’ll be at 60 Sagittarius. The Full Moon is also on the 15th at 9:32 a.m. She’ll be at 230 Gemini.

The Winter Solstice occurs on the 21st when the Sun enters Capricorn at 4:21a.m. From then on the days get longer! Capricorn, an earth sign, is the sign of the status quo. The second New Moon occurs on the 30th at 5:27 p.m. She’ll be a 90 Capricorn.

I hope you have wonderful holidays and all the best in 2025!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings September- October 2023

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Hope you had a wonderful summer! September and October are going to be busy with planets changing direction, lots of retrograde planets and eclipses.

September

September begins as August ended with six retrograde planets:  Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Five planets are in earth signs until the Equinox and all the qualities are represented (cardinal, fixed and mutable). The Sun and Mercury are in Virgo; Jupiter and Uranus are in Taurus; and Pluto in Capricorn. That’s a lot of earth energy – grounded, practical, slow-moving, and/or determined. We have two planets in water: Saturn and Neptune are in Pisces, the sign of faith, fog, illusion, and escapism. Mars is the only planet in an air sign (Libra), the element of ideas and the sign of relationship. Venus is the only planet in a fire sign (Leo), the element of passion, grandeur, and a sense of unworthiness.

September 3-4

Venus is the first planet to end her retrograde motion on the 3rd at 9:20 p.m. EDT. She’ll be at 120 Leo. On the 4th Jupiter, the planet of expansion and good fortune, stations retrograde at 10:10 a.m. He’ll be at 150 Taurus, next to Uranus. Neither of these planets are comfortable in slow-moving earthbound Taurus, but she is the sign most closely associated with Mother Earth, property, and possessions. Uranus invites us to change our outmoded thinking and attitudes. In retrograde motion, Jupiter may slow down our tendency to leap before we look and our “good fortune” may seem slower to arrive during this period. When a planet changes direction, it sits on the degree of the sign it is in when the direction change occurs. Outer planets tend to sit on that degree for a long time; inner planets start moving again more quickly. When this change of direction is near a placement in your natal chart, it can bring intense energy there.

September 15

Mercury ends his retrograde motion at 4:21 p.m. He’ll be at 80 Virgo. Mercury is comfortable in Virgo, as he likes to categorize and analyze and be very busy thinking about things.  But then, of course, there’s analysis paralysis!

September 23

The Sun enters Libra at 2:50 a.m. This is the Autumnal Equinox. He joins Mars in Libra, the air sign of balance and relationship. Libra tends to want peace at any price and generally has extremes of energy – moving rapidly or not at all.  It is ruled by Venus, the planet of love. Mars is not happy in this sign of balance as he wants to charge ahead into battle. Mars often doesn’t take into consideration the opinions of others, which Libra always wants to balance.

But it can be a good thing for the God of War to be in the sign ruled by the planet associated with Love (Venus) – a different kind of balance.  

The New Moon occurs on September 14th. She’ll be at 210 Virgo. The Full Moon occurs on the 27th. She’ll be at 60 Aries.

October

October features the last two eclipses of the year and five planets in water towards the end of the month (Sun, Mercury, Mars, Saturn, and Neptune). Water is the element of emotions and sensitivity – and also floods and rain or lack of water. It will be a switch from all the earth in September, but water softens earth, so perhaps entrenched ideas and patterns may soften. Or we’ll have a lot of rain and be over emotional!  It can go either (or both) ways. . ..

October 10

Pluto ends her retrograde motion at 9:10 p.m. She’ll be at 270 Capricorn. She’s been retrograde since May. (A note about pronouns when referring to Pluto. The planet was named for the god of the underworld, but its energy is feminine. So I’ve chosen to use she and her when referred to Pluto.) When an outer planet changes direction it can signal a time when the lessons learned during the retrograde (introspective) period are more visible and insights are acted upon.

October 14

There will be an annular solar eclipse, which is often referred to as the Ring of Fire. It will be visible from Oregon to Texas in its totality in the US.  Other parts of the US will be able to see part of the eclipse. It will last about five hours, and the Sun will be at 210 Libra. This eclipse occurs rather close to Saturn in the US chart, which is at 140 Libra, representing the executive and to some degree our position in the world. This eclipse is about service and payback, especially in the area of relationships of all kinds – to each other and to the planet.

October 28

This is a partial lunar eclipse that will be visible mostly in Europe and Africa, but some parts of the eastern US will be able to view part of it before the Moon drops below the horizon. It will last about four hours. The moon will be at 50 Taurus. Lunar eclipses generally signal the beginning of an ending of a pattern and occur on a full moon. (Solar eclipses occur at a new moon.) The Moon is said to be exalted in Taurus, meaning that here she is closely involved with the world of form and Mother Earth. The Moon also represents our emotional nature, and Taurus tends to hang on to everything and anything longer than is necessary or healthy. This eclipse may represent a time to let go of what is no longer serving all of us in the way we feel (key word) about things and each other. The Moon will be opposed to Mercury and Mars in Scorpio – think teeter totter/balance. Emotions will also be running very deep and sometimes secretively.

The Sun enters Scorpio on October 23rd at 3:04 p.m.

Happy Fall, everyone!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings May – June 2023

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Hope you enjoyed the hybrid solar eclipse. It was spectacular online! May has the second eclipse of the pair – a lunar eclipse.  (They always come in twos, and sometimes in threes!) There’s a lot of fixed energy in May – read sustaining and/or stubborn, so things may seems slow to move forward.

May

Pluto is not so sure about this change of signs from Capricorn to Aquarius that happened in March. So, on May 1at 1:09 p.m. EDT, the planet starts its 5-month retrograde period. It will be at 00 Aquarius and will remain there for the whole month. Aquarius is an air sign, an innovator, destroyer of outmoded forms and stubborn—or sustaining—to put a more positive spin on things.

On the 14th at 11:17 p.m. Mercury ends his retrograde period at 50 Taurus, squaring Pluto. Taurus is an earth sign – and one of the most stubborn of the zodiac. Taurus is very practical with a “show-me” attitude, and Aquarius is the sign of the innovator, the rebel. So you can see how they might not get along too well! Then on the 17th Jupiter joins the party, entering Taurus, right on top of Mercury.  Don’t forget that Uranus is also in Taurus, so that’s three planets in the same sign. We call that a stellium – lots of stubborn, practical energy, but no one wants to change their mind!

Then on the 20th at 11:31 a.m., Mars enters Leo, another fixed sign. This time the element is fire, and it’s on the opposite side of the heavens from Uranus. Think teeter-totter. Balance? And everyone is ganging up on all that staid Taurean energy. Fire wants to get things moving – is enthusiastic and sometimes reckless – and earth is a great way to put fire out.

Meanwhile, on May 5th there will be a lunar eclipse at 140 Scorpio. Might just as well have all the fixed signs at the party! Scorpio is on the other side of the zodiac from Taurus and is a water sign. The water may soften Taurus some, and earth does provide boundaries for emotional water. The eclipse will last about four hours and is not visible in the US. (We have to wait until next April for a full solar eclipse to cross the US and Canada.)  If it impacts your chart, the impact will last approximately four months. This eclipse is about service and giving up old patterns that no longer serve us. 

The New Moon occurs on May 19th at 280 Taurus. The Sun enters Gemini (phew, not a fixed sign!) on May 21st at 3:09 a.m. Gemini is an air sign of changeable quality (mutable). Gemini likes to explore everything for about five minutes. It is the sign of the writer and the teacher.

June

Venus has been feeling left out of the fixed sign party, so she enters Leo on the 5th and is opposed Pluto, squares Jupiter and is next to Mars. Venus and Mars in the same sign can feel like walking with your shoes tied together, or it can feel like balance between masculine and feminine energies. 

On June 11th Pluto decides it’s had enough of this Aquarian stuff and backs into Capricorn, which is much more familiar. It won’t return to Aquarius until January 2024. Capricorn is an earth sign, rules the status quo and major structures. Pluto’s long transit in Capricorn, from 2008 when it first entered the sign to now, has contributed to major changes (or identifying the need for change) in many major institutions and systems. I believe Pluto’s return to Capricorn may finish any changes that weren’t made earlier and/or identify additional changes. These may look like more upheaval.

Saturn stations retrograde (moves from west to east in the sky from our perspective) on June 17 at 1:27 p.m. He’ll be at 70 Pisces. Pisces is a water sign that has a very difficult time managing on this plane. Saturn rules structure – he is the ruler of Capricorn – so it’s a challenge for him to be in the watery realm of Pisces. This may be a time to examine what we truly believe and ramp up our meditation practice. It’s an inner time for sure.

The Full Moon occurs on the 3rd at 130 Sagittarius. The New Moon occurs on the 18th at 260 Gemini.

And the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year and the beginning of summer, occurs on the 21st when the Sun enters Cancer, another water sign.

Enjoy the spring and beginning of summer!

Abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings March-April, 2023

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

I hope you enjoyed the relatively quiet February, because March and April promise to be very busy with lots of changes. So, let’s get started.

March

Every planet except Uranus and Neptune changes signs during March. That’s a lot of change! The major one is the hand off of the sign Aquarius from Saturn to Pluto – sort of like a relay race. They do appear to drop the baton, however, since Saturn enters Pisces on March 7th and Pluto enters Aquarius on the 23rd.  When outer planets change signs, it’s a big deal because they move so slowly. Saturn through this sign has brought delay, restriction, and fear, as he generally does in whatever sign he’s in. It’s also noteworthy that Saturn is the ancient ruler of Aquarius, so his energy expresses easily in this sign.  Aquarius is a fixed sign so it tends to remain stubbornly rooted in its opinions, but is also the visionary and one who is not afraid to change the status quo. So the baton passes from restriction and the status quo to the rooting out of deep-seated attitudes that are no longer viable.

This is the first time that Pluto has been in Aquarius since he was first discovered in 1930. So no one knows what deep-seated transformation Pluto will bring to the sign of the Water-bearer. Aquarius is a little confusing (or is it confused?) since it’s called the Water-bearer, but it’s an air sign . . . . We do know that Pluto’s transit through Capricorn has brought many challenges to established systems and ways of being of all sorts. It’s going to take Pluto a bit to settle down in his new environment. He’ll retrograde back into Capricorn a couple of times before he settles into Aquarius for good (or for the next 20 years) in November 2024. Aquarius is the sign of the rebel, the innovator, the destroyer of old forms. I would expect to see some upheaval in the areas of electronic media, Internet, and humanitarianism. Pluto removes (sometimes not gently) outmoded ways of being. Time will tell what other areas Pluto will use the Aquarian light of innovation, rebellion, and concern for mankind as a whole to change (or at least bring to our attention) systems and attitudes that no longer serve us as a whole (or personally).

Let’s not forget about Saturn, now in Pisces, the sign of faith, illusion, fog, spirituality, and escape. He joins the Sun, Mercury, and Neptune. Pisces is a water sign that finds navigating the earth plane challenging at times, impossible at others. It’s represented by two fish swimming in opposite directions, unaware of each other. Saturn’s transit through this sign can strengthen our faith in the benevolence of the universe, or it can become more rigid and stringent in the rules and practices of our faith. It can be a call to re-examine our spirituality, as well as being on the earth in a kinder more compassionate way. It can also mean more restrictive laws about addictions of all kinds.

Other planets change signs in March:

  • Mercury moves into Aries on the 19th. Lots of new ideas, but can be rather scattered. Aries likes to start but not always finish.
  • Venus moves into Taurus on the 16th. Venus rules Taurus, so she’s very happy here. Lots of love to Mother Earth, appreciating beauty in all its forms.
  • Mars moves into Cancer on the 25th. Well, the god of war isn’t too happy in the Moon’s watery world. He’s likely to churn up our emotions or our initiatives may get drowned out by our emotions. Also of note, Mars will transit the Venus, Jupiter, the Sun, and Mercury of the US chart next month.
  • And the Sun moves into Aries (the Vernal Equinox) on the 20th. Time for new initiatives and ideas. Aries is also the sign of the warrior.

The Full Moon occurs on March 7th at 160 Virgo. The New Moon occurs on March 21st at 00 Aries.

April

Phew! Got through March. . .. April chugs along very nicely, no retrograde planets and only the speed demon planets, Mercury and Venus, change signs. Until. . .the 20th and 21st.

The first solar eclipse of 2023 occurs on April 20th. It is a total solar eclipse, but will not be visible in the US. The Sun and Moon will be at 290 Aries. The eclipse will last about five hours, so it will be active in people’s charts by transit for the next five months or so.  Solar eclipses generally indicate new beginnings, changes in attitudes, and brings an influx of new energy. This is just before the Moon and Sun enter Taurus. Aries is impulsive, energetic leader, who doesn’t always think things through. People with planets or other points in their charts at late degrees Aries, Libra, Cancer, or Capricorn may feel the impact of the eclipse more than others.

And the next day – it’s everyone’s favorite retrograde! Yep, Mercury stations retrograde on the 21st at 4:35 a.m. He’ll be at 150 Taurus. These retrograde periods, of which there are three each year, last about three weeks and represent times of repose, retreat, reflection. . . Of course, if we’re not into repose, this retrograde can bring frustration, delay, and confusion if we try to push the river or get something done in a hurry.  So, as much as possible, try to relax into this retrograde period – re-lax, re-treat, re-pair. . . .

And don’t forget Mars’ transits to the US chart all month. There could be a lot of anger, dissention, and disagreement both nationally and internationally.

The Full Moon occurs on April 6th at 160 Libra.

Hope you have a wonderful March and April!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings January – February, 2023

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Happy New Year! I hope this new year brings you all good things!

January

Well, 2023 begins with three planets in retrograde motion (seemingly moving from west to east). They are Mercury, Mars, and Uranus and all three end their retrograde motion during this month. So, there’s lots of intense activity going on. As I’ve said previously, when a planet changes direction, it stops before it starts moving in the other direction. It’s rather like a fan that changes direction, if you think of how a fan stops and just pulses before it starts moving in the opposite direction. So the degree and sign where the planet is when it changes direction is getting a lot of energy thrown at it, and if it’s near a planet or other placement in your chart, it could impact you.  Let’s look at them in order.

Mars: January 12 at 80 Gemini

Mars ends his retrograde period in the chatty sign, Gemini, on January 12th at 3:56 p.m. EST. He’ll be at 80 Gemini, which is the sign of the teacher, the writer and communicator. It’s an air sign that’s fascinated by everything for about 5 minutes. Scattered is another good adjective for Gemini, who bores easily and is endlessly seeking something new. It also happens to be right on top of Uranus (planet of rebellion and higher-level thinking) in the US (Sibley) chart. In mundane astrology (the branch of astrology that studies countries), the sixth house, which is where Uranus is in the US chart, is the house of public health, epidemics, health service, military personnel, workers, and trade unions. There will be restlessness during Mars’ transit of Gemini, which may be more obvious or overt during his direct motion.

Mercury: January 18 at 80 Capricorn

Yeah! Mercury ends his retrograde period on the 18th at 8:12 a.m. EST. Communication will hopefully be more straight forward and clear. And your computer may work better! (Well, we can hope.) Results of inner work done during Mercury’s retrograde period may become more obvious to you now. Capricorn is an earth sign that likes to plan, likes to feel secure in the way things have always been done, but is also determined to achieve his/her goals, whatever they are.

Uranus: January 22 at 140 Taurus

The planet of rebellion, higher level thinking of all kinds and destroyer of outmoded form(s) ends his retrograde on January 22 at 5:59 p.m. EST. Now, Uranus is not particularly happy in slow-moving Taurus, an earth sign noted for not changing its mind or moving from its chair. However, this placement could lead to innovative ways of working with (rather than against) Mother Earth. Being the most earth-bound of all the signs, Taurus is very interested in Mother Earth and her well-being. The slowness of Taurus can slow Uranus’s innovative ideas down long enough to become reality or at least to be thoroughly explored. Taurus is also only interested in practical ideas or solutions, which may tame some of Uranus’ tendencies to be somewhat far-out.

For the rest of January and all of February, all planets are in direct motion, that is, moving from east to west by our perception. It also means that the energies of the planets are more outwardly focused.  That does not mean, however, that all the planets will get along during these two months! Saturn and Uranus will continue to square each other – Saturn in Aquarius (ruled by Uranus), which is fixed (stubborn, sustaining) air and Uranus in Taurus, which is fixed earth.  Jupiter moves into Aries, ruled by Mars. Jupiter tends to make us “very” whatever sign he’s in. Aries is the warrior, with fiery enthusiasm and a lack of caution.

The Sun enters Aquarius on January 20th. The Full Moon occurs on January 6th at 6:08 p.m. She’ll be at 100 Cancer. The New Moon occurs on January 21st at 1:29. She’ll be at 10 Aquarius.

February

February is pretty quiet.

From February 9-18 the Sun is next to (conjunct) Saturn, both in airy Aquarius. This may mean delays/restrictions (Saturn) in implementing innovative ideas that benefit mankind as a whole (Aquarius). Mercury enters Aquarius on the 12th and squares Uranus on the 19th. (The Sun and Saturn also square Uranus, planet of rebellion and ruler of Aquarius).

At the same time, Venus is next to Neptune, both in watery Pisces. Pisces, in general, finds it very difficult to deal with this plane and seeks to escape one way or another. Neptune, ruler of fog, illusion and disillusion, rules Pisces. It is said that Neptune is the higher octave of Venus. Venus says, “I love you because you love me.” Neptune says, “I love you because it is in the nature of love to love.” 

The Sun enters Pisces on February 18th at 5:34 p.m.  The Full Moon occurs on February 5th at 1:29 p.m. She’ll be at 160 Leo. The New Moon occurs on February 20th at 2:06 a.m. She’ll be at 10 Pisces.

Have a good winter! March promises to be more exciting, so enjoy the relative quiet!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings November – December 2022

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

I can hardly believe that I’m writing the last Astro Doings for 2022. Where has the year gone?

November

November has some challenging planetary placements, most notably a powerful t-square that involves between five and six planets. It also has a total lunar eclipse, on November 8, the date of the US mid-term elections. This is the first time in our history that this has happened.

T-square:  A t-square consists of an opposition and a square in the shape of a T. Hence the name. On one end are the Sun, Mercury and Venus in Scorpio and in opposition (on the other side of the heavens) is Uranus in Taurus and squaring everyone is Saturn in Aquarius. You’ll note that all the signs involved are fixed, which can mean stubborn, entrenched and/or sustaining. At least there is some compatibility in the quality of the signs, but not so much in the elements. Earth (Taurus) and water (Scorpio) work well despite their opposing approaches to things. Air (Aquarius) not so much….. Scorpio gets an addition boost of water with Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces, which they both rule. (Jupiter is the “ancient” ruler of Pisces.) So there is a boat load (ha,ha) of emotional, watery, sensitive, and entrenched energy in this line up. Those with placements in mid-degrees of any of the fixed signs, including Leo, may be more sensitive to this configuration. The T-square dissolves around the 23rd when the Sun, Mercury and Venus move into Sagittarius, a mutable fire sign. Saturn continues to square Uranus however.

Total Lunar Eclipse:  To add to the T-square festivities, on November 8th the Moon will be next to Uranus in Taurus, opposed the Sun, Mercury, and Venus. This eclipse is visible in the US if you’re willing to get up around 3-4 in the morning on the East coast (and assuming the skies are clear). This eclipse occurs on the Moon’s south node, which means that has a lot to do with payback and selfless service. It will last for about 6 hours which means planets around 160 will remain sensitive to any transit over them during the next 6 months.

On November 22nd the Sun moves into Sagittarius and Jupiter ends his retrograde motion in Pisces. He’ll be at 280 and will stay there for the rest of the month. The New Moon occurs the next day and Jupiter changes directions (goes direct) at 6:02 p.m. He’ll be at 280 Pisces.

December

Two planets change direction during December: Neptune and Mercury, and while the month starts with some energy in fire signs, it ends with most planets in earth and only two in air signs.

Neptune: ends its retrograde period on December 3rd at 7:15 p.m. ET. She’ll be at 220 Pisces. after Jupiter moves into Aries on the 21st she’ll be the only planet in a water sign.

Winter Solstice: occurs when the Sun enters Capricorn, a cardinal earth sign, which will occur on December 21st at 4:48 p.m. ET. He’ll be joined by Mercury, Venus, and Pluto in the same sign. Capricorn has to do with the status quo, practicality, and large institutions. Capricorn is considered by some to be the sign of the spiritual initiate, like the sure-footed goat, climbing the mountain of spiritual understanding. Mars and Saturn (the ruler of Capricorn) are in air signs (Gemini and Aquarius, respectively).

Mercury: begins his last retrograde period of 2022 on December 29 at 4:32 a.m. ET. He’ll be at 240 Capricorn. He’ll end his retrograde period in January.

The Full Moon occurs on December 7th at 160 Gemini. The New Moon occurs on the 23rd at 10 Capricorn.

I hope you have wonderful holidays and all the best in the coming year.

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret