lunar eclipse

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

Astro Doings May – June 2022

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

May promises to be a busy month with several planets in Aries and a lunar eclipse, which will be visible in the US, if it’s clear. June is a little quieter with three planets changing direction – and of course, the Summer Solstice!

May

Venus is the first planet to enter Aries on May 3rd, followed by Jupiter on the 11th and finally Mars on the 25th. Mars is very strong in his own sign, although Venus is not happy in Mars’ sign and Jupiter is leaving a sign it rules (Pisces). This is a lot of fire energy – enthusiasm, acting without forethought, starting but not finishing, hubris and recklessness. However, it’s also a sign of new beginnings, ideas and initiatives. Like the ram, which is the symbol of Aries, it can feel like you’re butting your head against a wall. The good news is that we have three planets (Sun, Uranus and Pluto) in earth, which can temper Aries’ enthusiasm and lend practical energy to Aries new ideas and projects. The Sun moves into Gemini on the 20th. Gemini is an air sign, focused on communication and learning a little bit about everything. Fire and air work very nicely together – but may not accomplish much of a practical nature.

Mercury begins its second retrograde of the year on May10th at 7:47 a.m. This is the same day that Jupiter enters Aries. Mercury will be at 40 Gemini and on May 24th will “back” into Taurus. These retrogrades last about three weeks and are great times to regroup, rethink, retreat and repair.

Eclipses come in pairs. This total lunar eclipse, which is the pair to the solar eclipse we had at the end of April, occurs on May 16th. The Moon will be at 250 Scorpio. This eclipse will be visible in the US and will begin on the 15th around 9:30 p.m. EDT. Its totality will occur around midnight and the whole eclipse will last about five hours. You can find more information about the eclipse here: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2022-may-16. A lunar eclipse is about endings of patterns and generally have to do with service and giving back for what we’ve received. Those with planets in late degrees (from 22-280) Scorpio, Taurus, Aquarius or Leo or the other water signs, Cancer and Pisces, may feel the impact of this eclipse more strongly. Its impact may last up to five months or so after the eclipse.

The New Moon occurs on May 30. She’ll be at 80 Gemini.

June

This month Mercury, Saturn and Neptune all change directions. And of course, summer officially begins (Summer Solstice). When a planet changes directions, especially one of the outer planets, it stops and sits a bit before it starts moving in the new direction. The degree and sign where it stops may impact your chart more or less strongly, and outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) take longer to get moving in the new direction than inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars).

So, Mercury is the first. It goes direct on June 3rd at 4:00 a.m. He’ll be at 260 Taurus and will move into Gemini on the 14th.

Saturn begins his 4-month retrograde period on June 4th at 5:47 p.m. He’ll be at 250 Aquarius.

And last, but not least, Neptune begins her 5-month retrograde period on June 25th. She’ll be at 250 Pisces. The New Moon occurs on the same day.

When a planet is retrograde, it appears from the earth’s perspective that it is moving from west to east. We know that isn’t what it’s doing but that’s how it appears. The planets’ energies seem to be more inward in their feel and sometimes things are delayed. Saturn represents authority figures, men in particular, and when retrograde your inner critic may seem especially loud. A Neptune retrograde can turn our faith more inward, help deepen meditation practice and/or increase the inner fog!

The Summer Solstice is June 21st when the Sun enters Cancer – sometimes called the longest day of the year. Cancer is a water sign, frequently a homebody and lover of good food. It joins Neptune as the planet in only water in the current line-up. The Full Moon occurs on the 14th at 7:52 a.m. She’ll be at 230 Sagittarius.

Enjoy May and June!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

AstroDoings November – December 2021

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

It’s hard to believe that this is the last AstroDoings for 2021. Where has the time gone? This year ends with two eclipses, one in November and one in December, plus some direction changes.

November

November begins with three planets in water: Sun, Mars, and Neptune. Mercury joins them on the 5th. Three planets are in Scorpio, and Neptune continues her transit of Pisces. Also on the 5th, Venus enters Capricorn, joining Pluto in that sign and Uranus in another earth sign, Taurus. Mars in Scorpio is opposed (on the other side of the heavens) to Uranus, and Saturn in Aquarius squares both planets, creating a fixed (read stubborn) t-square. When planets are in opposite signs, they can operate like a teeter-totter – first one, then the other. With this t-square opinions about anything and everything may be very strongly held without much room for compromise. This tension begins to ease toward the end of the month and into December as Mars, the fastest moving of the three planets, moves away. Those with planets in fixed signs (Leo, Aquarius, Taurus, and Scorpio) may feel the impact of this t-square more strongly.

Partial Lunar Eclipse. There is a partial lunar eclipse on the 19th. The moon will be at 270 Taurus, and the eclipse will last about six hours. It will be visible on the east coast if you want to get up really early in the morning. The maximum eclipse will be at 4:02 a.m. This eclipse will be in an easy flow of energy with Pluto and a challenging contact with Jupiter in Aquarius. This lunar eclipse is about service and ending of old attitudes. In Taurus we can hope that one of the areas is Mother Earth and that some of the innovations (Jupiter in Aquarius) will be realized.

The Sun enters Sagittarius, an optimistic fire sign, ruled by Jupiter, on the 21st at 9:34 p.m. Mercury joins the Sun in Sagittarius on the 24th. The New Moon occurs on the 4th at 5:15 p.m. She’ll be at 120 Scorpio.

December

The last month of 2021 starts off with a bang. Neptune, the planet of fog, illusion, addiction and spirituality, ends its retrograde period on December 1 at 8:22 a.m. EST. She’ll be at 200 Pisces, a water sign, where she will remain for the rest of the month and halfway into January. Those with placements around 15-150 Pisces, Gemini, Virgo or Sagittarius or the other water signs (Cancer, Scorpio) may feel the impact of this shift in direction more strongly. It may be a time to bring our dreams, that have been gestating during Neptune’s retrograde period, to fruition. Or our spiritual progress (or lack thereof) may be more apparent as the planet changes direction.

Total Solar Eclipse. Book your ticket to Antarctica if you want to see this total solar eclipse – or you could just watch it on the internet! The Sun will be at 120 Sagittarius, in a challenging relationship to Neptune’s change of direction a few days before. This eclipse will last about 4 hours and can represent the beginning of a period of payback, selfless service and clarifying the connection between the spiritual and the material. It is also very near the Ascendant of the US chart (Sibley) and may indicate a new way of how we present ourselves in the world. Mars joins the Sagittarius parade on the 13th. 

Mercury, the planet of how we think and process information, moves into Capricorn on the same day. At this time there will be three planets in Capricorn, a Saturn-ruled earth sign that deals primarily with the status quo in the material plane. It is also the sign of the spiritual initiate, slowly climbing the mountain of spiritual understanding. In addition to Mercury and Venus, Pluto continues to move through the sign very slowly. Venus begins her retrograde motion on the 19th at 5:36 a.m. EST.  An important time to focus on loving ourselves, as our appreciation of beauty, loveliness and sensuousness turns inward. Time for great chocolate and long bubble baths.

The Sun enters Capricorn on the 21st at 10:59 a.m. – the Winter Solstice. At this point there are 4 planets in Capricorn: Sun, Mercury, Venus and Pluto. The Full Moon occurs on the 18th at 11:36 p.m. She’ll be at 270 Gemini.  Jupiter enters Pisces, a sign he ruled until the discovery of Neptune, on the 28th.  This leaves one planet in fire (Mars in Sagittarius) and one planet in air (Saturn in Aquarius).  Fire and air are male elements and tend to initiate movement – air with ideas, fire with enthusiasm. Water and earth are female elements that tend to hold onto ideas until they are deemed practical (earth) and emotionally (water) for the best. This may not appear to be a time of innovation or new ways of doing things.

I hope you have a wonderful end of 2021 and joyous holidays.

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

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 November – December 2020

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Hard to believe that this is the last Astro Doings for 2020! November is busy, but December is somewhat calmer. I do hope you’ve been enjoying watching the Moon, Saturn and Jupiter in the night sky in late October.

November

Three planets change directions this month, and Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto continue to stay close together in Capricorn for the whole month. At the end of the month they will be in a challenging relationship (square) with Mars. Capricorn is an earth sign and Aries, where Mars is, is a fire sign.

Mercury: The last retrograde for Mercury in 2020 ends on November 3rd at 12:50 p.m. EST. (Yes, that’s Election Day in the US.) He’ll be at 230 Libra, the sign of balance, relationship and fairness.

Mars. The planet of war, assertiveness, and initiative ends his retrograde motion on November 13th at 7:36 p.m. EST. He’ll be at 150 Aries. Mars is very strong in his own sign and may express itself as being impulsive and combative. Those with planets in Libra, Capricorn, Cancer and of course Aries, may be more impacted by this change of direction. In direct motion, Mars can be more impulsive, action-oriented and combative. However, he can also provide energy to move forward on projects that have been put aside when he was retrograde. At 150 Aries, Mars is exactly opposite Saturn, representing the executive, in the US (Sibly) chart. P.S. I also hope you’ve enjoyed seeing Mars in the night sky. He’s been quite impressive.

Neptune. The planet of fog, illusion, disillusion, compassion, and redemption ends her long retrograde period on the 28th at 7:36 p.m. EST. She’ll be at 180 Pisces. Some of the creative energy that has been gestating internally may be more easily expressed now. We may also become more aware of the fog! Those with planets in the other mutable signs, Virgo, Gemini, Sagittarius and Pisces, may feel this change of direction more than others. This leaves only one planet in retrograde motion – Uranus. Our innovative rebellion continues to be internal during this retrograde period. Great time to break down old patterns. Never fear, he’ll change direction in January.

Eclipses. There is a prenumbral lunar eclipse in November, and if it’s clear we may be able to see it. Eclipses are like energy vortices and are triggered by any planet transiting the degree of the eclipse. The vortex is “open” (sensitive) one month for every hour of eclipse duration.

This lunar eclipse will occur on November 30th at 80 Gemini, conjunct the Uranus in the US Chart. Lunar eclipses are about the endings of eras in how we’ve used the Gemini (or Sagittarius, Virgo or Pisces) energies in our charts. This eclipse will last about four hours. The focus of this eclipse is service, especially in the area of communication and relating. The companion solar eclipse occurs in December (see below).

The New Moon occurs on November 15th at 12:07 a.m. She’ll be at 230 Scorpio. The Sun enters Sagittarius on November 21st at 3:40 p.m.

December

Be sure to watch the heavens in mid-December as Jupiter and Saturn will be 10 apart. They haven’t been this close since 1623 and won’t be again until 2080. In mid-December they both move into Aquarius, the sign of the rebel, the innovator and humankind. It’s an air sign – the element of ideas and communication. There have been very few planets in air this year, so we may see newer (perhaps more radical) ideas about how to address the issues confronting us. Lots more Aquarian energy coming in January and February next year.

Eclipse. The companion eclipse to the lunar eclipse in November is a total solar eclipse. It occurs on December 14th and will last about 5.5 hours. It will not be visible in the US, however. The Sun will be at 230 Sagittarius, as will the Moon since a solar eclipse occurs on a New Moon. Solar eclipses are about new beginnings, and may impact those with planets in Sagittarius, Gemini, Pisces and Virgo more than others. Sagittarius is the sign of the quest for Truth but can also be outspoken and exclusionary. It can also be very lucky!

The Sun enters Capricorn, the Winter Solstice, on November 21st at 5:02 a.m. EST. The Sun will be next to Mercury in Capricorn, the sign of the status quo, structures, and also of the spiritual initiate.

We end 2020 with a Full Moon on December 29th at 10:28 p.m. EST. She’ll be at 80 Cancer near Venus, Jupiter and the Sun in the US chart. It will be interesting to see how the moody, nurturing lunar energy expresses itself at the end of this challenging year.

I hope you have a wonderful and safe end of 2020! On to 2021!

Peace and abundant blessings, Margaret

Astro Doings July – August 2020

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

July and August promise to be a little bit quieter than May and June – good thing!

July

Saturn

The great teacher of the zodiac retrogrades backs into Capricorn on July 2, joining his good buddies Jupiter and Pluto, all at late degrees Capricorn. This is a very powerful combination of planets all in the same sign (called a stellium), and this stellium is sitting on top of Pluto in the second house of values and resources in the US (Sibley) natal chart. For those with planets in late degrees of any of the cardinal signs (Capricorn, Cancer, Aries and Libra) this planetary line up could be challenging. Jupiter and Saturn together can feel like walking with your shoes tied together. Jupiter says, “go for it;” Saturn says, “better wait, better not.” And Pluto says, “what is your deepest fear about this or where is your power in this?”

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

Eclipses normally come in pairs, but every once in a while, we get a third eclipse, a bonus as it were. There is a penumbral lunar eclipse on July 4-5 beginning at 11:07 p.m. on the 4th and ending at 1:54 a.m. on the 5th. It will last just under 3 hours and will be visible in the US, as a darkening of the moon. The moon will be at 130 Capricorn, exactly opposite the natal Sun in the US chart. It will also be in a challenging relationship (square) to Saturn, which represents the executive. (I incorrectly stated that the solar eclipse in June was next to the sun in the US chart. It was next to Venus, the planet of love.) On a personal level, again it is the cardinal signs that will feel the impact of this eclipse, especially placements from 10-160 of Cancer, Capricorn, Libra and Aries. Lunar eclipses are generally about endings of eras and service. The impact of the eclipse will last about 3 months.

Mercury

Celebrate! Mercury goes direct at 4:27 a.m. on July 12! He’ll be at 50 Cancer. He’ll do one more retrograde period in 2020, starting in October.

The New Moon occurs on July 20th at 1:33 p.m. She’ll be at 260 Cancer. The Sun enters Leo at 4:37 a.m. on July 22nd.

August

Uranus

Uranus begins his “backward,” retrograde motion on the 15th. He’ll be at 100 Taurus. He’ll remain retrograde until January 2021. Taurus is the most earthbound of all the signs, stubborn, slow moving, and Uranus’s lightning bolt breakdown of old patterns has a hard time in this sign. However, the good news is that Uranus will help break down old patterns of thinking and it can also provide innovative ways of helping Mother Earth, since Taurus is the sign that is most closely connected to her. When a planet is retrograde it frequently feels like an inner preparatory period, and then action/change occurs when the planet goes direct. Those with planets in the fixed signs, (Taurus, Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius) could be more impacted by this change of direction.

The month starts with a Full Moon on August 3 at 11:59 a.m. The Moon will be at 110 Aquarius. The New Moon occurs on August 18th at 10:12 p.m. She’ll be at 260 Cancer. And the Sun enters Virgo on August 22nd at 11:45 a.m.

Hope you have a wonderful rest of your summer! Stay safe and healthy!

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 January – February 2020

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Happy New Year – and new decade! January has the second in the pair of eclipses. (The first one, an annular solar eclipse occurred the day after Christmas.) And February features everyone’s favorite retrograde!

January

There is a prenumbral lunar eclipse on January 10th. Lunar eclipses occur at a full moon, and generally mark the beginning of ends of eras. The moon will be at 200 Cancer and the eclipse will last about four hours. It will not be visible in the US. Those with placements from 15-250 Cancer, Capricorn, Aries or Libra could feel the impact of this eclipse more than others. Interestingly, this eclipse occurs very close to the Sun in the US Chart.

The next day Uranus, the planet of rebellion and breakdown of outmoded forms and ideas, ends its retrograde motion which began in August. It will be at 20 Taurus and will remain there for the rest of the month. People with planets in early degrees of fixed signs (Taurus, Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius) may feel the impact of this change of direction more than others. It may be a time when inner work, such as the breakdown of old patterns of thinking and feeling done during Uranus’ retrograde period, may be more openly or obviously seen or felt.

 On January 17th, Mercury moves into Aquarius followed by the Sun on January 21st. Aquarius is an air sign, the element of ideas, and we haven’t had many placements in the air element in a while. Aquarius, ruled by Uranus, is the sign of the rebel, the unconventional, the revolutionary. Hopefully in the weeks that these two planets are in air, new and innovative ideas will come forth to solve some of the issues we face and change structures and systems that no longer serve us. The Full Moon occurs on January 24th at 40 Aquarius.

Venus enters Pisces on the 14th and will be next to Neptune in that sign. Pisces is a water sign that seeks to merge with something greater than itself. It is the sign of faith, devotion, addiction and compassion. Neptune is the higher octave or expression of Venus, the planet of love and relationship. Venus says: I love you because you love me. Neptune says: I love you because it is in the nature of love to love.

 February

The first of the three Mercury retrogrades for this year begins on February 17th shortly after midnight. He’ll be at 170 Pisces, conjunct (next to) Neptune, which could make for some foggy thinking and/or spiritual inspiration, and he’ll remain in Pisces for the rest of the month. (He changes direction again on March 10.)

On the same day, Mars, the planet of assertion, aggression, war and initiating energy, enters Capricorn where he will remain through the end of March. He joins Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto in this sign. All these planets will be in the house of values and resources in the US chart. Capricorn is an earth sign, generally concerned with the status quo and creation of plans, systems and structures – very thoughtful, deliberate, sometimes slow to change. It is also the sign of the spiritual initiate, ruled by Saturn, the planet of lessons of all types.

There are no planets in air once the Sun moves into Pisces on the 20th. The Full Moon occurs on the 9th at 200 Leo; the New Moon on the 23rd at 40 Pisces.

I hope your New Year and this new decade get off to a wonderful start!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings January 2019

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Happy New Year! It hardly seems possible that I’m writing the first blog for 2019! This year gets off to a pretty exciting start astrologically speaking, featuring two eclipses and Uranus changing directions. I’ll take them in order.

January 5: Partial Solar Eclipse at 8:28 p.m. ET

Solar eclipses occur at a new moon and can signal significant new beginnings. The Sun will be at 150 Capricorn, and the eclipse will last about 4 hours. However, we will not be able to see it here in the US. Saturn will be right next to (conjunct) the Sun when the eclipse occurs adding additional importance to developing new structures, both personal and global at this time, and overcoming our fears. Since Saturn is next to the eclipse point, the impact of this eclipse will be shorter than the “normal” formula of one month for every hour of the eclipse. Pluto, planet of deep-seated transformation, is also very close to this eclipse degree as well, adding additional power to this event, along with impetus to go deeply into any restructuring we might begin at this time. Those with planets within 4 degrees on either side of 150, especially in Cardinal signs (Capricorn, Libra, Aries and Cancer) may feel the impact of this eclipse more than others.

January 6: Uranus stations direct at 3:26 p.m. ET

The planet of the higher mind, rebellion and destroyer of old forms of thinking ends his retrograde (backwards, inner) motion right after the solar eclipse, adding additional energy to moving outwardly forward with the ideas, impulses and revelations gleaned during his retrograde motion. He will be at 280 Aries, the sign of the warrior (sometimes spiritual, sometimes not). Aries is the sign of the leader, me-first, and fearlessness, which sometimes looks like recklessness or impulsiveness. Again, the Cardinal signs may feel this change of direction more acutely, but for all of us the energy will be more attuned to sharing new visions, impulses and revelations, rather than pondering them. Uranus will continue to move “forward,” i.e. from east to west, until August.

 January 21: Total Lunar Eclipse at 0:16 a.m. ET

As you know, eclipses generally come in pairs, and lunar eclipses occur at a full moon. This one is not only a total eclipse, but it’s also a super moon. The eclipse will be visible in North America, (here’s hoping for clear skies!) and will last about 5 hours. The Moon will be at 00 Leo, since the Sun enters Aquarius the day before. While a lunar eclipse generally focuses on service and letting go of old patterns, this one is at the beginning of the sign, which generally indicates a new beginning. And it’s in a fixed sign, and we haven’t seen too much of this energetic quality — sustaining, abiding, stubborn, feminine in its feel. (Other fixed signs include Aquarius, Taurus and Scorpio.) The Moon will have an ally in Mars, who is at early degrees Aries, and Venus who is at early degrees Sagittarius, both fire signs, so we have a very early flow of energy between these planets (a grand trine). The Moon and Venus are both considered “feminine” planets, while Mars is masculine. So, both types of energy are represented in this big triangle, fueled by an eclipse at the beginning of Leo. Leo is the sign of the divine child in each of us. Perhaps the best use of this eclipse is to release that which holds us back from expressing who we are in truth and moving forward in a new way.

 Elementally, the year starts out with mostly earth and water. The last third of the month includes some planets in the air element (Sun, Mercury). Air is the element of ideas, inspiration and communication, and has been by in large absent with none of the outer planets currently in signs of that element. This will be true in 2019 as well.

Hope you have a wonderful start to a great New Year!

Peace and abundant blessings!

Margaret

Astro Doings July 2018

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Fasten your seat belts! July promises a lot of celestial activity including two eclipses and planets changing direction.  I’ll take them in order.

July 10: Jupiter goes direct at 1:04 p.m. EDT at 130 Scorpio

Jupiter, the planet of expansion (great, unless it’s my waistline!), faith, good fortune with a tendency to exaggerate, ends his retrograde motion and starts moving direct (from east to west, as we see it). He will start moving very slowly at first and will remain at 130 Scorpio for the rest of the month. He will square Mars in Aquarius, although the square will be out of orb by the end of the month. Squares are growth opportunities when planets are in signs of the same quality – in this case fixed. Aquarius is air and Scorpio is water, not the happiest combination. Fixed energy sustains, holds and/or gets stuck! Those with planets at from 8 – 180 in any of the fixed signs (Leo and Taurus are the other two) may feel this change of direction more acutely.

July 12: Partial Solar Eclipse at 200 Cancer at 10:48 p.m. EDT

This is the first in a series of eclipses that will occur in July and August. It will not be visible in the US, and because it’s a partial eclipse with the Moon only covering part of the Sun, it will only last about 3 hours. A solar eclipse is a powerful New Moon and it can signal a new beginning depending on how it impacts your chart. Those with planets from 17-230 Cancer, Capricorn, Aries and/or Libra may feel the impact of this eclipse more than others. I think of it as an energetic funnel that remains in place for one month for every hour of the eclipse. As planets transit (i.e. go over 200 Cancer) they pour their specific type of energy into the funnel, which then impacts other planets in your chart connected to that degree and sign. Think of it as a tuning fork that makes the planet vibrate. This eclipse is very close to the Sun and Mercury in the natal US chart (Sibly). It will be interesting to see how this eclipse impacts our thinking (Mercury) and how we express ourselves (Sun) to ourselves and to the world.

July 22: Sun enters Leo at 5:01 p.m. EDT

Leo is a fixed sign in the fire element. He will create a Fixed Grand Cross with Uranus in Taurus, Jupiter in Scorpio and Mars in Aquarius. It looks like a big X with the Sun and Jupiter on opposite ends of one line and Uranus and Mars opposite each other on the other line. This may feel like we’re all stuck in a rut, because fixed energy can be very stubborn, and a Fixed Grand Cross is a closed figure, making it more challenging for the energy of each planet to express itself. Mars, the planet of initiative, the warrior and energy in general is not happy in a fixed sign – too slow for him. And Uranus, the planet of rebellion, is having a very hard time in the slowest moving sign of the zodiac – Taurus. Those with planets in early to mid-degrees of any of the fixed signs may feel somewhat stalled. On the other hand, it provides sustaining energy for any project you might undertake.

July 26: Mercury stations retrograde at 230 Leo at 1:03 a.m. EDT

Everyone’s favorite retrograde – or at least the most talked about! Mercury begins his second retrograde of 2018 during the very active last week of July, and it will last for about three weeks. Mercury retrogrades are great times to re-group and re-think and re-pose, and it goes along nicely with the Fixed Grand Cross unless you’re in a hurry! We tend not to value periods of repose and reflection, but taking time to pull back, slow down and reflect is a very important activity. Of course, Mercury retrograde does have the reputation for snafus, but these also make us slow down and reconsider.

July 27: Total Lunar Eclipse at 40 Aquarius at 4:20 p.m. EDT

Eclipses come in pairs generally about two weeks apart. (Actually, there is a third solar eclipse this time, which will occur on August 11.) This eclipse will not be visible in the US either and will last about six hours. Lunar eclipses occur at a full moon and generally indicate at time to let go of old patterns and this one will have a particular focus on service. Energetically it operates the same way a solar eclipse does. Those with planets from 1-70 of fixed signs may feel this eclipse’s impact more strongly. The Leo-Aquarius axis deals with balancing the needs of the individual (Leo) and the needs of the group (Aquarius), and this eclipse will also be a part of the Fixed Grand Cross until she moves into late degrees Aquarius early on the 29th.

July has four planets in earth signs: Venus (Virgo), Saturn and Pluto (Capricorn) and Uranus in Taurus. The earth element is generally grounded, detail oriented, and somewhat conservative. There is only one planet in air, the element of ideas: Mars in Aquarius. Jupiter and Neptune are in an easy-flowing relationship in water, the element of emotions and psychic energy. We could either expand (Jupiter) our dreams or be in a bigger fog (Neptune)!

Have a great July!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret