Gemini

Astro Doings May – June 2021

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Hope you enjoyed the quiet of March and April, as May and June promise to be very busy. We have four retrograde planets and two eclipses in the next two months. So here we go!

May

In the beginning of the month there’s going to be a lot of air energy – ideas, conversation, talk, talk, talk. Mercury and Venus go into Gemini early in the month are joined by the Sun on the 20th. Gemini is the sign of the writer, teacher and communicator. In general, they are fascinated by everything for about five minutes and then move onto something else. They want to sample as much of life as they can without delving into anything too deeply, because it would mean they would miss out on something else that might be equally or more interesting.

Saturn in Aquarius is in an easy flow of energy with Gemini, although Aquarius can be pretty stubborn in its revolutionary way of thinking. While Aquarius is about making significant, revolutionary change in systems, it can be very stubborn about making any personal change. Saturn stations retrograde at 130 Aquarius on May 23rd, which may mean any significant change may be slowed and/or some change is internal and won’t be expressed openly until the fall.

Jupiter starts May in Aquarius but leaves it on the 13th to move in Pisces. Pisces has the same type of changeable energy as Gemini (mutable), but its element is water. While Gemini wants to experience a little bit of everything, Pisces wants to find a way out of earth plane energy which it finds very difficult. To ancient astrologers Jupiter was the ruler of Pisces (and Saturn was the ruler of Aquarius). So both planets are comfortable in the signs they’re in. Jupiter can accentuate the faith side of Pisces and the quest for something higher. Saturn can give form to Aquarius’s ideas about needed changes to outmoded ideas and systems.

The first lunar eclipse of 2021 is a total eclipse and occurs on May 26th. This Super Moon will be at 50 Sagittarius. While most of the five-hour eclipse will occur below the horizon for the East Coast, if you get up really early you may be able to see the beginning of it. (For more information about the eclipses and where they are visible, I recommend https://www.timeanddate.com.) People with planets in early degrees of Sagittarius, Gemini, Virgo and Pisces are most likely to be impacted by the energy of this eclipse. Lunar eclipses are about endings of patterns and about service. Sagittarius is about the quest for Truth and is generally optimistic in its outlook on life.

So if that wasn’t enough, May ends with everyone’s favorite retrograde! Yep, Mercury starts his three-week retrograde period on May 29th. He’ll be at 240 Gemini. Mercury rules Gemini. Be sure to choose your words carefully as miscommunications may abound. However, this is also a time to watch your inner dialog – how you talk to yourself about yourself and others. And of course, computers, travel, etc., etc.

June

As you know, eclipses come in pairs. The first “event” of June is an annular solar eclipse on June 10th. It will begin at 5:35 a.m. EDT and will last five hours. It will be partially visible on the East Coast. Again, check with timeanddate.com for more information. The Sun will be at 190 Gemini. Solar eclipses are about new beginnings, starting new patterns in this case of communicating, educating and experiencing. (Gemini). 

The week of June 20 will be a busy one! The Sun enters Cancer, the Summer Solstice and the longest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere, on June 20 at 11:31 p.m. EDT. In case changing signs wasn’t enough, Jupiter stations retrograde also on June 20. He’ll be at 20 Pisces. He will back into Aquarius at the end of July and remain there until October. One use of this retrograde period in Pisces is to examine our inner faith – what do we believe in? What do we believe about ourselves? And when he moves into Aquarius, what patterns within us and our world would we like to change?

Then Mercury ends his retrograde motion on the 22nd. He’ll be at 160 Gemini. The Full Moon occurs on the 24th. And Neptune stations retrograde on the 25th. She’ll be at 230 Pisces. Like Jupiter’s retrograde in Pisces, this retrograde of Neptune can be used to explore the inner landscape of our faith. We can also explore ways we find it challenging to be on the earth and inner strengths we can use to meet those challenges.

Phew!

Hope you have a wonderful May and June! Happy flowers and growth!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings May – June 2020

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone —

We have a couple of busy months ahead as the planets change direction and even a pair of eclipses!

May 2020

May is a month of threes. It begins with three planets in Taurus, ends with three planets in Gemini and three planets start moving backwards (retrograde – no, not Mercury). In the beginning the Sun, Mercury and Uranus are in Taurus and at the end the Sun, Mercury and Venus are in Gemini. We move from a predominance of earth’s practicality (Taurus) to more air’s ideas and exploration of the mental realm (Gemini). It may feel like the pace has picked up, since Taurus is the slowest moving sign of them all, and Gemini wants to explore all there is – for just a little bit – before it gets bored and moves on to something else.

A word about retrogrades. Astrology is geocentric so it appears to us that at times planets move from west to east rather than east to west. We know that the planets don’t actually change direction, but it appears that way. Planets in retrograde motion tend to express more inwardly. It’s a time of inner work and the changes during that period may manifest when the planet goes “direct,” or starts moving from east to west in our skies. Of course, the “inner” will depend not only on the energy of the planet but also the sign the planet is in, which works as a filter through which the planet’s energy must express. Sometimes the “filter” helps the planet express and sometimes it’s more challenging. And how it impacts you personally depends on how this retrograde interfaces with your natal chart. There are a lot of retrogrades in May and June.

Saturn is the first of the planets to station retrograde on May 11 at 12:09 a.m. He’ll be a 10 Aquarius where he’ll remain for the rest of the month. (He backs into Capricorn in July.) Aquarius is an air sign and deals in novel ideas, destruction of old ways of thinking. It has a harder time expressing in stern Saturn, but Saturn can provide practicality to some of Aquarius’ more innovative (hair-brained) ideas. Saturn represents authority figures of all kinds, especially males, so your inner critic, your father’s or boss’ voice, might be very loud during this retrograde, which ends in late September. However, this may also be a period where you think through a new idea before implementing it. It may also be a time where you look at the changes you’ve made during the recent pandemic to see which of them you want to maintain even as things return to “normal.”

Venus stations retrograde on May 13 at 2:45 a.m. She’ll be at 210 Gemini. This is a fairly short retrograde period. She’ll station direct in June. Venus is the planet of love, the planet of relationship and the planet of beauty. In retrograde motion, she turns all of these inward with the idea to see them in ourselves as well as others. This can also be used as part of the integration of changes made during the pandemic to be more loving toward ourselves and open to new ideas (Gemini). I hope you’ve been joying seeing bright Venus in the evening sky last month and her dance with the Pleiades.

Jupiter doesn’t want to be left out of the fun. He stations retrograde on May 14 at 10:32 a.m. He’ll be at 270 Capricorn, next to (conjunct) Pluto. This is a very powerful conjunction, that has been going on (and will continue to go on) for a while. Jupiter is the planet of expansion, good luck, and optimism in Saturn’s sign (Capricorn). It’s sort of like walking with your shoes tied together. As I’ve written previously Capricorn is the sign of the status quo and systems we’ve developed to maintain this status quo. Pluto calls into question all of it, by looking deeply into the truth behind these structures. In retrograde, again, this could be a time to look at internal structures, ways of being and thinking that no longer serve you with the optimism (Jupiter) that the changes you make will be for the best. This conjunction falls in the house of values and resources in the US chart, and is next to natal Pluto, calling us examine what we value and how we use our resources both natural and man-made. This conjunction has been going on for a while, indicating the need for deep consideration about these issues.

Also on May 13, lest you get bored, Mars, the planet of war, self-assertion and a “me first” attitude moves into watery Pisces at 12:17 a.m. Mars is not at all excited to be in Neptune’s sign – all that watery, emotional stuff – yuck! How is a warrior supposed to deal with that? However, this can be a time of heightened intuition, which is water’s realm, which can be used to guide our headstrong warrior.

Mercury moves into his own sign, Gemini, on May 11 at 11:39 a.m. For the next 17 days, ideas will fly and there will be lots of conversations (chatter?). On the 28th he moves into Cancer and things may slow down a little. For those of us having trouble stilling our mind – monkey mind – this could be a challenging period. In any event there will be a lot of talk about the new ideas being circulated.

The Sun moves into Gemini on May 20th at 9:49 a.m. and the New Moon occurs the next day at 20 Gemini. The Full Moon occurs on May 7 at 6:45 a.m. She’ll be at 170 Scorpio.

June

Thought May was busy? June is just as busy! Three planets change direction and we have two eclipses.

So, let’s start with the two eclipses, lunar and solar. Neither will be visible in the US but depending on where they occur in your chart, you may feel their impact to a greater or lesser degree (or not at all).

The prenumbral lunar eclipse occurs on June 5th from 1:45 p.m. to 5:04 p.m., a little over three hours. The Moon will be at 150 Sagittarius. So those with placements around 150 in Sagittarius, Gemini, Virgo and/or Pisces, the other mutable signs, may feel the impact of this eclipse more than others. A lunar eclipse deals with service to others and an ending of an era in the way you’ve been dealing with the energy of the impacted planet. The influence of this eclipse will last about three months.

Eclipses come in pairs – sometimes in threes, as this one does. The third eclipse (lunar) will occur in early July. The solar eclipse in June occurs on the Summer Solstice, June 21. The Sun will be at 00 Cancer. The eclipse will begin at 11:45 p.m. and will last about 6 hours. Solar eclipses occur at a New Moon, so the Moon will also be at 00 Cancer, and generally represent new beginnings. However, as we all know, new beginnings can be jolting at times. This eclipse occurs very close to the Sun in the US Chart (and Canada’s) so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Attention all those with placements in early degrees of Cancer, Capricorn, Aries or Libra. The influence of this eclipse will last about six months.

OK, now planetary changes.

Everyone’s favorite retrograde – yep – Mercury’s second retrograde of 2020 begins two days before the solar eclipse (June 18) at 12:59 a.m. He’ll be at 140 Cancer. These retrogrades last about three weeks and are wonderful times to repair, regroup, retreat and do some inner reflecting. The energies of both May and June seem to be guiding us into a rather reflective period, both personally and globally.

Two days after the solar eclipse (June 23), Neptune stations retrograde (starts moving from west to east) at 12:31a.m. She’ll be at 200 Pisces. She’s been in Pisces for quite a while now – likes being there, she is said to rule that sign. This retrograde ends in late November. Neptune rules fog, illusion, compassion and redemption – quite a list! This retrograde can be used to deepen our relationship to all that is greater than ourselves. Neptune rules the sea and wants to merge with something greater than itself. The search for this “something” will move inward during this retrograde period, providing a different perspective. Of course, there also may be a lack of clarity, as Neptune also rules fog!

Venus ends her retrograde period on June 25th at 2:48 p.m. She’ll be at 50 Gemini with an easy flow of energy (trine) to Saturn in Aquarius.

I should also mention that Mars leaves Pisces (phew!) and enters his own sign, Aries on the 29th. He’ll be very glad to be in Aries, the sign of the warrior, impulsive, headstrong and sometimes reckless. He will be in a challenging relationship (square) to the Sun and the only planet in fire, which may mean he’ll work extra hard to be sure you notice him.

A busy two months in the heavens! Have a wonderful May and June!

Peace, Margaret

Astro Doings March – April 2020

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

I’m sure you’ve all noticed that the days are getting longer as we approach the Vernal Equinox in March. Yeah! In the next two months more planets will move into air signs, although there will still be a lot of earth. Overall, a fairly quiet two months.

March

While the elements of fire and air come into play in March, until the 21st there are still four planets in Capricorn: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto. The earth element will ground the energy and may also slow it down.

 March 9th: Yippee! Mercury goes direct on the 9th at 11:49 p.m. EDT. He’ll be at 280 Aquarius and will move into Pisces on the 17th. The Full Moon occurs one minute before Mercury stations direct. She’ll be at 80 Virgo.

March 19th:  The Sun enters Aries at 11:50 p.m. – the Vernal Equinox, the first day of Spring. Aries is a fire sign that is enthusiastic, likes to lead, but doesn’t always look before it leaps. It can warm, but it can also destroy. Like all cardinal signs, Aries initiates but doesn’t always follow through with what it starts. And like fire and air signs, it is male in its feel.

March 21st:  Saturn enters Aquarius. Before the discovery of Uranus in 1781, Saturn ruled Aquarius, the sign of the rebel, innovator, destroyer of outmoded ideas and systems. Saturn in this air sign may slow the rebel down a little bit or it may lend more practicality to Aquarius’ at times odd and/or innovative ideas. Saturn will retrograde into Capricorn in July.

March 24th:  The New Moon occurs at 5:28 a.m. at 40 Aries.

March 30th:  Mars moves into Aquarius and is conjunct (next to) Saturn. This may have the feel of walking with your shoes tied together. Mars, ruler of Aries, is the warrior planet that wants to charge forward and get moving. Saturn, the planet of restriction, lack and fear, tends to hold back. Mars says, “let’s do it!” Saturn says, “better not!”

April

In April one more planet will move into an air sign; Venus will be in Gemini. Air is the element of ideas, communication and mental activity. This is a change from what we’ve seen recently when there were very few planets in air signs. However, there will still be three planets in earth (Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto). By April 12th Neptune will be the only planet in a water sign — Pisces, her own sign, where she’s been for a long time.

April 3rd:  Venus moves into Gemini, which will be an easy flow of energy (trine) with Mars and Saturn in Aquarius. Gemini is curious about everything for a little bit and tends to bore very easily. It is, however, a sign of relationship and finds people endlessly although briefly fascinating in all their diversity.

April 7th:  The Full Moon occurs at 10: 35 p.m. She’ll be at 180 Libra, another air sign.

April 11th:  Mercury joins the Sun in Aries, bringing the possibility of enthusiastic but not always well thought out ideas. There may be a tendency to jump to conclusions or not think through all the ramifications of an idea. Aries also carries a warrior vibration, so warring ideas may be more evident.

April 19th:  Things could slow down as the Sun enters Taurus at 10:45 a.m. It will be next to (conjunct) Uranus, the planet of rebellion and the ruler of Aquarius. Taurus is the slowest moving sign of them all – fixed (stubborn) earth and Uranus, ruler of thunderbolts, is not well suited to Taurus’s slow-moving caution. Taurus can be very practical, thinks through ideas and doesn’t jump to conclusions (generally). However, once a Taurean has made up his/her mind, it is very difficult (mostly impossible) to get him/her to change it.

April 22nd:  The New Moon occurs at 3:36 p.m. She’ll be a 30 Taurus, the sign that is the most earthbound and concerned about our planet’s well-being. How perfect for Earth Day!

Happy Spring!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

 

 

Astro Doings May 2018

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

We tend to pay more attention when planets change direction in their celestial dance – direct or retrograde, especially when Mercury is involved! This May all the planets continue in the same direction they were in at the end of April. So, in that sense, it’s a pretty quiet month. What we sometimes don’t pay attention to is when planets change dance partners, aka signs. And in May three of them do just that, not including the Sun who changes partners every month or the Moon or Mercury who change them all the time, because they move so quickly through the heavens.

On May 15th Uranus, planet of rebellion, flashes of intuition, inspiration and light, and of the Higher Mind moves into Taurus at 11:23 am EDT. This is a fairly big deal, since he will be in Taurus until July 2025 when he enters Gemini. Of all the signs in the zodiac, Uranus finds Taurus one of the most challenging. Think about driving behind someone going 15 mph on the highway and you’ll get a sense of this. Uranus rules lightning bolts, flashes of insight, destruction of outmoded form. Taurus is the most stubborn sign of the zodiac, rules form, moves glacially (by Uranus’s perspective), and stops all the time to smell the flowers, eat chocolate and just sit. To Taurus, Uranus feels like the proverbial bee that keeps stinging him in the backside to get him to change or that car behind you that keeps flashing its headlights to get you to move over or go faster. So, since we can’t get Taurus to move over, how can we use this energy to our advantage? First, we can realize that Taurus is an earth sign, so all these brilliant flashes of inspiration will need to have a practical application. In addition, unlike Aries which starts but doesn’t finish, Taurus is a fixed sign, which means it holds the energy until the idea/concept/inspiration is brought into form. (It can also mean stubborn, stuck, and unwilling to change.)  There haven’t been many planets in fixed signs recently, which I believe has contributed to the rather frenetic energy across the globe. Those of us with planets in early degrees of Taurus, Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius may feel this entry of Uranus into Taurus more profoundly. And remember, Taurus has his good buds, Saturn and Pluto, in earthy Capricorn to help him deal with this rambunctious Uranus and to keep his flashes of insight on the practical side.

If that isn’t enough fixed energy, Mars enters Aquarius on May 16. This isn’t as challenging a relationship as Uranus in Taurus, but Aquarius, an air sign, can be quite pig-headed and unwilling to change its mind once it makes a decision about something. It also introduces the air element – the element of ideas — into the celestial mix. We haven’t had a lot of air energy recently, so not a lot of new ideas. Mars here can make us more impatient with those who don’t see our point of view or agree with us. Don’t forget, Uranus rules Aquarius, and Uranus just left the sign that Mars rules, Aries, so there is an interesting connection there. Aquarius is the sign of the visionary, primarily concerned with making things better for the group (world), and Mars (god of war) will provide energy and impetus to make change. However, Aquarius can be quite impatient with the status quo and frequently intolerant of those who don’t see the need for change as s/he does. This could mean new ways of using our Mars energy (the warrior) to make change for the benefit of all (Aquarius). Those with planets in fixed signs are going to get a double whammy the second full week of May.

And last, but certainly not least, Venus enters Cancer on May 19 at 9:11 am EDT. Cancer is a water sign, the Moon’s favorite sign. What’s interesting about this is that Venus creates a big triangle (trine) in water with Jupiter in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces that lasts until mid-June. When planets are in the same element they can communicate with each other easily and understand each other better. Neptune is the higher octave of Venus, both dealing with love and compassion. Venus’s idea of love is more personal – I love you because you love me. Neptune, like the sea, is more vast and universal – I love you because it is in the nature of love to love. Jupiter in Scorpio could provide depth of insight. The water element can make us very emotional and our psychic sense more acute. It also can increase empathy and deep understanding of one another. Emotions could be running very high in the US, which is a Cancer sun-sign country, as is our good neighbor to the north, Canada.

Oh, yeah, the Sun moves into Gemini on May 20 at 10:15 pm EDT. The sign of the twins, Gemini is interested in everything for about five minutes and then wants to move on to something else. An air sign, Gemini is most comfortable in the realm of ideas and is frequently referred to as “the jack of all trades, master of none.”

The New Moon occurs on May 15 at 7:48 am at 240 Taurus and the Full Moon occurs on May 29th at 10:19 am at 80 Sagittarius.

Enjoy the planets dancing!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

 

 

Astro Doings May 2017

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

May promises to be rather quiet, especially compared to April.

Mercury goes direct on May 3rd at 12:33 p.m. He’ll be at 240 Aries at the time. He’ll enter slow-moving Taurus on May 16th, so our thinking may become more deliberate, less impulsive than it was in April.

The Full Moon occurs on May 10th at 200 Scorpio and the New Moon is on May 25th at 40 Gemini. The Sun enters Gemini on May 20th at 4:31 p.m. Gemini is the sign of the twins – and there are definitely two sides to the sign. It’s an air sign that tends to flit from one thing to another and is easily bored. Gemini wants to know a little bit about everything and is generally very restless.

As we go through May, the only planet in water is Neptune. So sensitivity may be a bit lacking. The planets in fire (Venus, Saturn, Uranus) will do very well with those in air (Sun, Mars, Jupiter), but they may have trouble settling down. This fire/air combination frequently looks like the Peter Pan complex – never wanting to grow up or bring their ideas to fruition because everything looks better in their heads. The planets in earth signs (Mercury, Pluto) may slow us down a little bit, but don’t work well with either fire (great way to put it out) or air. However, once these elements agree to work with each other, we could have the practicality of earth applied to the inspiration of fire and the ideas of air. Up to us on how we choose to use these energies both individually and collectively!

Have a great May!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings June 2016

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

The planet that stands out for me in June is Neptune. Attention all Pisceans – this is your ruling planet and she will be at 120 Pisces the entire month. Why? She goes retrograde on June 13th at 4:43 p.m. EDT and basically stops there. She will also be part of a big T (called a t-square, also called a growth opportunity) with Jupiter on the other side of the heavens in Virgo (earth), with Saturn squaring both of them in Sagittarius (fire). Early in the month, the Sun in Gemini (air) will change this T to an X by opposing Saturn and closing the figure. The New Moon on June 3rd will add a little more energy to this X in the heavens (called a Grand Cross). This may result in a feeling of restlessness, an inability to settle down, and needing to choose (but unable to do so) between many different possibilities. Emotions may be very close to the surface and anyone impacted by Neptune may feel somewhat in a fog. It can also be a time of increased compassion. By the way, Saturn (and this big X) is currently sitting on the Ascendant (how we present ourselves) of the US Sibly chart. I’ll leave it to you to figure out what that means!

At the very end of June – the 29th to be exact, Mars, the planet of war and warriors (spiritual and otherwise) goes direct after his retrograde that began in April. He’ll be at 230 Scorpio. Mars is male, initiating energy so things may seem to move forward a little more easily. Scorpio is a water sign and is about what ripples beneath the surface, especially power. Scorps can never been fooled and they have unfailingly accurate insight into others, which can be rather unnerving.

The Summer Solstice, when the Sun enters Cancer, occurs on June 20th at 6:34 p.m. Earlier that morning, we have June’s Full Moon at 290 Sagittarius. Since this occurs at the very end of the Gemini/Sagittarius continuum, it suggests that we have an opportunity to re-visit our ways of thinking about things (Gemini) and to incorporate higher truths (Sagittarius) into our everyday lives.

This is the 65th Astro Doings post, and I’ve decided to take the summer off. Astro Doings, or some form of it, will be back in the fall.

I hope you all have a wonderful summer!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings May 2016

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Happy May Day! As I looked at the astrological calendar for May, I was struck by the fact that most planets are in either fire or earth signs. Looking at this from a strictly practical perspective, fire and earth don’t get along very well. Earth is a good way to put fire out and fire can render earth dry and infertile. However, another way to look at this is practical (earth) inspiration (fire). It is the ability to take our dreams (fire) and realize them in a practical and useful (earth) way. Earth helps us look at the details (Virgo) and plan (Capricorn) how we will implement our insights into spiritual truth (Sagittarius) and into ourselves (Aries). We have a lot of Taurus energy this month, which slows us down enough to look before we leap.

Jupiter, ruler of Sagittarius (and Pisces), ends its long retrograde sojourn on May 9 at 8:16 a.m. He’ll be at 130 degrees Virgo, the sign of harvest and integration. He is on the other side of the zodiac from Neptune in Pisces, and can provide boundaries and balance for our quest to merge with something greater than ourselves (Pisces). It can bring practicality (Virgo) to our dreams (Neptune).

Mercury also stations direct this month – on May 22nd to be exact at 9:20 a.m. He’ll remain in methodical Taurus for the rest of the month. Speed demon Mercury doesn’t particularly like being in slow-moving, deliberate Taurus. However, we can focus on “thinking things through” and on recognizing that thoughts are truly things. Along with Mercury, the New Moon occurs in Taurus on May 6th at 3:29 p.m.

The Sun moves into Gemini on May 20 at10:37 a.m. Gemini looks at both sides of any (and all) continuums and loves to explore the realm of ideas – for a few minutes, anyway, until he moves on to something else. The Full Moon is the next day, providing some balance to Gemini’s flitting energy, by focusing us more on higher truths (Sagittarius).

And don’t forget to watch Mercury pass over the face of the Sun on May 9th starting a little before 7 a.m. EDT (if I’ve done the time conversion correctly). Weather permitting, we should be able to see it in eastern North America. (The last time this happened was in 2006). If you decide to watch it other than online, be sure to protect your eyes from the Sun’s rays. I’m sure there will be more information about this astronomical event as we get closer.

Have a wonderful month!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings November 2015

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

November promises to be much like the end of October with not a lot (and toward the end of the month, no) fixed, sustaining energy. We will continue to have mostly cardinal energy, which initiates, starts, and flits from one thing to another. It rarely finishes what it starts – that requires fixed or sustaining energy. The cardinal signs are Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn. We also have some mutable energy, which also flits and changes what has been started. It’s very changeable and multi-talented energy. The mutable signs are Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo and Pisces.

We’ve all experienced this combination of energies. Think about mornings when you look in your closet and can’t figure out what to wear. You think about this outfit – and maybe even try it on – but it’s not right. So you try another and another – cardinal energy. By now you’re late and probably have a pile of clothes on the floor. So you finally decide on an outfit, but all day long you’re not satisfied with it. You think about different ways to change it (mutable energy), how to fix it and/or what you would do next time. Sound familiar? So for the rest of this year we’ll be experiencing this kind of energy, not being able to settle down, sort of twitchy.

Those of us with a lot of cardinal and/or mutable energy may feel especially restless, unable to focus or find a clear direction. Think of it as a time of experimentation without attachment to the outcome – like trying on clothes. This is not a bad thing – it’s just what is.

The Sun moves into Sagittarius (mutable energy, fire element) on November 22nd at 10:26 a.m. The Scorpio (water, fixed) New Moon occurs on November 11th at 12:47 p.m. and the Sagittarius/Gemini Full Moon occurs on November 25th. Toward the end of November we have a lot of fire and air energy. These two elements do very nicely together, but the combination can be somewhat of the Peter Pan complex of not wanting to grow up. I’m sure you know people (or may be one of them) who have wonderful, visionary ideas about things but yet never seem to be able to bring them to fruition – that’s one way fire and air can work together. At the end of November the Sun, Mercury, Saturn (all in Sagittarius) and Uranus (Aries)are in fire signs. Venus and Mars are in Libra (air

Lest the earth and water signs feel left out, Jupiter and Pluto are in earth signs, Virgo and Capricorn respectively. And there is one planet in water – Neptune is still in her own sign, Pisces. While she is very strong there, Neptune doesn’t have anyone to play with. Neptune and Pisces are both about compassion, redemption, and forgiveness, all of which seem to be in quite short supply in our world currently. Neptune does end her inward retrograde motion on November 18th at 11:32 a.m. she’ll be at 70 Pisces and will stay at 70 through the rest of 2015. Those with planets or other significant points on the chart at 1-140 Pisces, Virgo, Gemini, or Sagittarius (the mutable signs) or the other water signs, Scorpio and Cancer, may feel this change of direction more acutely. For the other mutable signs this will be another “growth opportunity” relationship; for the other water signs it will be an easy flow of energy that we have to pay attention to in order to full benefit from it.

Hope you have a wonderful November and a gratitude-filled Thanksgiving holiday.

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings September 2015

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Hope you all enjoyed your summer. It’s hard to believe that the Autumnal Equinox is upon us (the 23rd at 4:21 a.m.). Things really start to hop the second week in September. Fasten your seat belts.

Direction Changes

Three planets change direction in September, which means that they basically stand still for several days, at the same degree of the zodiac. How this impacts your chart depends on whether or not they “touch” another planet or significant point (like the Ascendant) in your chart. If you’re not sure, you know who to call!

Venus ends her retrograde motion on the 6th at 4:29 a.m. She’ll be at 140 Leo and will tap planets from 4 – 240 of the other fixed signs (Aquarius, Scorpio and Taurus) or the other fire signs (Sagittarius and Aries). She is trine (easy flow) Uranus at the moment. Venus is the planet of love, values, charm and beauty.

Mercury starts his last retrograde of 2015 on the 17th at 2:10 p.m. He’ll be at 150 Libra. Attention those with planets from 5 – 250 in Aries, Cancer or Capricorn, or the other air signs, Aquarius and Gemini. Since everyone wants to know when this favorite retrograde will end, he goes direct on October 9th. Remember, this is a great time to re-think, re-group, re-treat and re-pair.

Pluto ends his five month retrograde on the 25th at 2:55 a.m. He’ll be at 120 Capricorn. Pluto is not known for his speed, but then neither is deep-seated transformation and investigation into everything we’d like to keep hidden from others and ourselves. In retrograde motion Pluto tends to operate more internally, so the changes that have been percolating during this period will now tend to surface, especially for those with planets from 7 to 170 Cancer, Aries, and Libra (cardinal signs) or Taurus and Virgo (earth signs).

And if that’s not enough . . .

Eclipses

The last pair of eclipses of 2015 occur this month, book-ending the Equinox.

Solar: We start with a solar eclipse on the 13th at 200 Virgo. It occurs at 2:41 a.m. and will last a little over 4 hours. Think of an eclipse as an energy vortex that remains open for one month for every hour it lasts. I prefer to use very tight orbs for eclipses, so attention those with planets from 17 to 230 of the mutable signs (Pisces, Gemini, Sagittarius and Virgo). Solar eclipses have a lot to do with beginning new patterns.

Lunar: This lunar eclipse occurs on the 27th at 10:50 p.m. with the Moon at 40 Aries. This is a total eclipse of the moon, lasting about 5 hours, and will be visible in the US – so positive thoughts for a clear night! I should also add that this is another Super Moon, where the Moon is closest to the Earth. Lunar eclipses are about ending old patterns and about service. Attention those with planets from 1-70 Aries, Libra, Cancer, Capricorn.

If you would like more information about how these celestial doings impact you personally, please contact me.

Happy Fall!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings June 2015

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

It’s hard to believe that it’s June already. Time seems to be moving at a breakneck speed! Here’s what the planets are up to in June.

Full Moon: June 2 at 12:19 pm EDT

We begin the month with a Full Moon, where the Moon and Sun are on opposite sides of the zodiac. In this case the Moon is at 110 Sagittarius and the Sun is at 110 Gemini. This Full Moon calls us to balance gathering information (Gemini) and seeking truth and meaning (Sagittarius). We are bombarded by more information than at any time in history, but this easy access to data is not without cost to our nervous system. Data do not bring knowledge or wisdom per se, and we are increasingly become aware that our ceaseless, multi-tasking orientation is actually making us less productive. Focus is difficult to achieve as we flit (Gemini) in a restless search for meaning (Sagittarius).

So, what are we to do? The heavens provide some assistance in the form of a square to this Full Moon (perspective-changing, growth opportunity) from Neptune in Pisces. Neptune expresses herself very powerfully in her own sign, so this is a particularly strong square. (She also squares the Sun, Saturn, Mercury and Mars.) What Neptune encourages us to do is look beyond our multi-tasking, frenetic search for more of whatever, to the numinous, to the transcendent in our search for meaning and wisdom. To do that we need to slow down, focus inward, be quiet and find time in our day for meditation and contemplation. She invites to bring our world back into better balance between our busy-ness and our higher selves. As we all know, meditation helps us to stay present and to respond instead of react. So this is a time to ramp up our spiritual practice.

Mercury Retrograde Ends: June 11 at 6:33 pm EDT

You’ll all be delighted to know that Mercury goes direct this month. However he will remain in Gemini until next month – a very long transit in his own sign. The good news is that this will favor all mercurial things: communication, writing, computers, and thinking. Also, Mercury was the only one in the Greek and Roman pantheon who could access all three levels (Hades, Earth and Olympus) without getting stuck anywhere. So he provides us the ability to integrate all three levels of our being as well. The bad news is that Mercury tends to flit from thing to thing to thing. Gemini hates to be bored, and so learns a little bit about a lot of things and then quickly moves on to something else “more interesting.” The square from Neptune, which will last all month, will provide some balance between Mercury’s speed and help us to carve out time each day to connect with our Higher Selves (and our Higher Mind). I believe that one of the reasons some tend to regard planets in retrograde motion as “bad” is that they disrupt our multi-tasking busy-ness and slows the out-of-control speed at which many of us live our lives. We get caught up in the everyday and lose sight of who we truly are. A retrograde planet, especially Mercury, changes the energy flow and invites us to re-tool our lives and re-flect on who we truly are. Some of us aren’t too sure we want to look inward – afraid of what we might find there.

Neptune Stations Retrograde: June 12 at 5:09 am EDT

OK, so if we didn’t get the hint about taking time to go inward, Neptune will help us along by changing directions at 90 Pisces. She will remain retrograde until November, so we have some time to integrate what she has to teach us about making a habit of meditation and of turning inward. Planets in retrograde motion tend to express themselves more inwardly as a general rule, providing the opportunity to make inward changes that express outwardly when the planet changes direction. Neptune’s time in retrograde motion may also assist us in better understanding our global water crisis, since Pisces is a water sign.

More Water: Saturn retrogrades into Scorpio: June 15

Saturn returns to Scorpio and will remain there until September. Saturn, the most spiritual of the planets of our solar system, has been working on our inner concepts of meaning and truth during his retrograde transit through Sagittarius. Now he moves back into the power sign – Scorpio, ruled by Pluto, planet of the underground, the unseen, the deeply transformative. Coupled with retrograde Neptune, the summer months provide an opportunity for us to come to a deeper (Pluto) understanding of our own divine (Neptune, Pisces) power (Scorpio). This is not power as the world defines it but quiet, personal, inner knowing – very feminine in its feel. Both Neptune and Pluto are feminine planets and water is a feminine element. Saturn’s re-entry into Scorpio strengthens his relationship to Pluto in Capricorn – they are in each other’s sign. This provides a very easy flow of energy, and Capricorn, being an earth sign, provides boundaries for water, which in turn softens earth so it can be more productive. Capricorn is the sign of the spiritual initiate in its highest expression. The inner nature of this summer’s planetary energies may make us feel less energetic or active than we normally think we should be during the summer months. This can be a time of deep transition for those who desire to take advantage of it.

New Moon: June 16 at 10:05 am EDT

This New Moon occurs at 250 Gemini and is joined by Mars and squared by Chiron (who is also in Pisces). New moons represent new beginnings and in Gemini these new beginnings have to do with how we think about things – what our attitudes are – and how those affect everything around us. With Mars in the mix we have an opportunity to rethink our definition of the warrior – to move from the warmonger to the spiritual warrior. Chiron helps heal with deep wounds of the patriarchy and in Pisces to bring more of the numinous, feminine inner knowing into our thinking. It can also signal a new beginning in how we communicate (Gemini) with one another, with the masculine and feminine sides of our own nature.

Yet More Water: Summer Solstice: Sun enters Cancer: June 21 at 12:38 pm EDT

The last third of June provides an interesting conflict between planets in fire signs (Venus, Jupiter, Uranus) and those in water (Sun, Mars, Saturn, Neptune). There will be one planet in earth (Pluto) and one in air (Mercury). Obviously fire and water don’t get along very well – in fact they’re “afraid” of each other. Water puts fire out; fire boils water into nothingness. This elemental tension will last through the first half of July as well. I believe we will feel this tension in the world at large. On a personal level, I think balance is the key and honoring the blessings of both elements for what they bring to us.

Have a great June!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret