Mercury

AstroDoings March-April 2021

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Hi Everyone

March and April are pretty quiet with no planets changing direction in March and only one in April. Phew!

March

The big doing in March, of course, is the Vernal Equinox when the Sun enters Aries, and we begin Spring and a new astrological year. This takes place on March 20 at 5:37 a.m. EDT. For the rest of the month, the planets continue their celestial dance. Jupiter and Saturn are in Aquarius, squaring (challenging relationship) Uranus in Taurus. Uranus and Pluto are the only two planets in earth. The Sun (until it moves into Aries) is in Pisces with Neptune, which may feel like a softening of the energies. Pisces tends to soften, create fog but also dissolve boundaries. Mercury joins them on the 15th. Mars enters Gemini on the 3rd and will square the planets in Pisces, especially at near the end of the month. He will have an easy flow of energy with Saturn, since they are both in air signs. With Mars in chatty Gemini, there will be four planets in air, which means there will be a lot of “communication,” or talking, some of which may be important. In any event there will be a lot of talking! Later in the month with the Sun and Moon in Pisces, people may be more thin-skinned.

The New Moon occurs on the 13th at 5:21 a.m. She’ll be at 230 Pisces. The Full Moon occurs on the 28th at 1:22 a.m. She’ll be at 80 Libra.

April

As we begin April, only the Sun and Venus will be in Aries. As the month progresses there will be four planets in Taurus, the slowest, most stubborn earth sign of the zodiac: Sun, Mercury, Venus and Uranus. Taurus is very interested in and protective of Mother Earth, which might bode well for new green energy initiatives. But it does mean that we can all get stuck in our thinking and ways of doing things. Fortunately, all this earth will be softened by Neptune’s continued transit through Pisces and Mars’ entry into Cancer on the 14th. Jupiter and Saturn continue their transit through Aquarius, the sign of the innovator and revolutionary. The good thing with all the earth signs is that the ideas will have practical implications and a realistic chance of being implemented!

Pluto stations retrograde (i.e., starts moving from west to east in the heavens as we perceive it) on the 27th at 4:04 p.m. EDT at 260 Capricorn. When a planet is retrograde, we tend to experience the energies more inwardly and is a time to reflect and repose. Since Pluto is (and has been) transiting the house of values and resources in the US (Sibley) chart, its retrograde period may provide an opportunity for us to re-assess our values and who we want to use our resources and talents. And since it’s Pluto, this review will be a deep one and may cause some deep-seated reassessments. A retrograde period of any planet is a good time for any activity with “re” in front of it – re-assess, re-vise, re-view, re-pair, and re-pose. It’s a balance for the action when planets are in direct motion.

The New Moon occurs on April 11th at 10:31 p.m. EDT. She’ll be at 220 Aries. The Full Moon occurs on the 26th at 11:32 p.m. She’ll be at 70 Scorpio.

Happy Spring – and enjoy the flowers!

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 November-December 2019

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

It seems hard to believe that I’m writing the last Astro Doings for 2019, but here we go.

November

Two planets station direct in November: Mercury and Neptune. Mercury ends his last retrograde for this year on the 20th at 2:12 p.m. He’ll be at 110 Scorpio and will remain in Scorpio for the rest of the month and into early December. Communication and travel may become easier, although our thinking (Mercury) may be clouded (influenced) by our emotions and in some instances a quest for power (Scorpio). We may also think (Mercury) more deeply (Scorpio) and stay attached to our attitudes and opinions, since Scorpio is a fixed (stubborn) sign.

Neptune ends her five-month retrograde on the 27th at 7:33 a.m. She’ll be at 150 Pisces. Neptune has been in Pisces, the sign she rules, for a long time. Neptune rules fog and illusion and Pisces finds navigating this plane very challenging. However, Neptune also rules compassion and redemption, and Pisces seeks to merge with something greater than the personal self. Neptune squares (challenging relationship) the Ascendant of the US (Sibley) chart, at 120 Sagittarius. It could represent a softening of how we present ourselves to the world, or it could contribute to a lack of clarity on how we present to the world and who we believe ourselves to be – or both!

Saturn and Pluto continue to “run” together in Capricorn with an easy flow of energy from Uranus in Taurus. Mars will oppose Uranus when he enters Scorpio on the 19th. In general, an opposition calls for balance between the planets and the signs they’re in. When the Sun enters Sagittarius, a mutable, fire sign, on the 22nd he will join Jupiter in adding some fire to the mix of earth and water. Once again, we have no energy in air, the element of ideas.

The Full Moon occurs on the 12th at 190 Taurus and the New Moon occurs on the 16th at 40 Sagittarius.

December

The year ends as it began with a solar eclipse. This annular eclipse occurs on the 26th at 40 Capricorn, opposed Venus and Jupiter in the US Chart.  Those with planets 3 degrees on either side of the eclipse in Cancer, Capricorn, Aries and Libra may feel the impact of this opportunity for new beginnings for service. The eclipse will last about five and half hours but will not be visible in the US.

Jupiter enters Capricorn on the second. By the end of the month we’ll have five planets in this earth sign, ruled by Saturn, which is focused on the status quo, systems and in its highest expression, spiritual growth.

The Winter Solstice occurs on the 21st when the Sun enters Capricorn at 11:20 p.m. From here the light begins to return slowly as the days get increasingly longer. The Full Moon occurs on the 12th at midnight. She’ll 190 Gemini. There is no New Moon in December, but there is a lunar eclipse to start the New Year, so stay tuned!

I hope you have a joyous holiday season and a healthy and happy New Year.

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings February 2019

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Hi Everyone

I don’t think in all the Astro Doings blogs I’ve written that I’ve seen such a quiet month as this February. All the planets are going direct (east to west); no one is changing direction.

There will be four planets in fire (Mars, Jupiter and Uranus) and three planets in earth (Venus, Saturn and Pluto) – all in Capricorn. Generally, these elements don’t work very well together, but when inspiration (fire) is practical (earth) this combination can work wonders.

After the 18th when the Sun and Mercury move into Pisces, they’ll join Neptune, so we’ll have three planets in water. Mars will move into Taurus, so we’ll have four planets in earth. I should note that Mars, like Uranus who will move back into Taurus next month, does not like being in an earth sign to begin with, let alone such a slow moving one! Earth and water work very nicely together. Water softens earth and makes it more useable; earth provides boundaries for water.

The New Moon occurs on February 4 at 4:04 p.m. She’ll be at 150 Aquarius; Full Moon (also a super moon) occurs on February 19th a 00 Virgo; the Sun enters Pisces on the 18th at 6:04 p.m.

The Chinese New Year is February 5th; year of the Boar.

Enjoy the quiet!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings December 2018

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Hi Everyone

It’s hard to believe that this is the last Astro Doings for 2018. December is pretty quiet by comparison to other months this year. Once again, there are no planets in air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius). Air is the element of archetypal ideas and breath.  Air signs can be very detached, very mental and lacking in emotional depth. Their detachment can allow them to work with others, even if they don’t agree with them.

Mercury will station direct (start moving from east to west) on December 6th at 4:22 p.m. ET. He’ll be at 270 Scorpio and will move into Sagittarius on December 12. He’ll be right next to (conjunct) Jupiter for the rest of the month. Sagittarius is a fire sign that enthusiastically seeks Truth, so our ideas (Mercury) may be bigger than life (Jupiter) and not always “realistic.” In the beginning of the month, up to the Winter Solstice, the Sun will also be in Sagittarius. The only other planet in fire is Uranus, retrograde at late degrees Aries. Aries is the sign of the warrior and a quest for expression of his/her true self, without much consideration of others.

There are currently three planets in water signs: Venus, Mars and Neptune. Mars and Neptune are in Pisces, and Venus will enter Scorpio on the 2nd.  Water represents emotions and psychic information and is one way to put fire out. (The other, of course, is earth, but we’ll get to that a bit later.) Emotions, as they have been for a while now, may continue to run high. However, Pisces can be the sign of empathy and compassion, an understanding of others, not from a mental perspective, but from our feeling nature. Mars is not happy to be in gentle Pisces. He rules Aries, after all, and he will enter Aries on the 31st at 9:20 p.m. ET.

The Winter Solstice is December 21st at 5:23 p.m. ET when the Sun enters Capricorn and we celebrate the return of the Light. Saturn and Pluto join the Sun in Capricorn. (You’ll recall that Saturn, planet of restrictions, lack, fear, and spiritual lessons, rules Capricorn, so there is a very easy flow of energy here.) Capricorn is a sign of planning, caution, ambition, and patience. Capricorn’s planning and patience can make him/her seem slow and unwilling to change. Not so, but Capricorn people don’t go willy-nilly into anything, like Aries people might. They understand the value of repose, which I believe most of us struggle with at times. Hence our dislike of Mercury retrograde periods. Capricorn knows how to step back and evaluate before moving forward.

The New Moon occurs on December 7th at 2:20 a.m. ET. She’ll be at 150 Sagittarius. The Full Moon occurs on December 22nd at 12:49 p.m. ET. She’ll be at 00 Cancer.

I hope you have a most joyous holiday season celebrating the return of the Light and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings August 2018

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Hi Everyone

Hope you had a good July and have enjoyed seeing Mars at its closest in the evening sky. Things don’t slow down much in August with a solar eclipse and 3 planets changing direction! I’ll take them in order.

 August 7 at 12:49 p.m. EDT: Uranus stations retrograde at 20 Taurus.

Uranus, the planet of rebellion, innovation and destroyer of outmoded forms, will turn his energy inward during this retrograde period that will last for the rest of 2018. This can be a wonderful period to breakdown old, entrenched patterns of thinking and attitudes. Remember that Taurus is the slowest moving and most stubborn sign of the zodiac. These patterns will be well established, but if they are no longer serving you (or the world), Uranus’s inner focus can help break them down. Conversely, we may not see many new innovative ideas come forward during this period. Uranus will back into Aries for the final time in November, but more on that later.

August 11 at 5:58 a.m. EDT: Partial Solar Eclipse at 180 Leo

This is the last in this series of eclipses – and the last in 2018. This solar eclipse can signal new beginnings of creativity and self-expression and will last about four hours. Those with planets or other placements in their charts from 15-210 Leo, Aquarius, Taurus, Scorpio, Aries or Sagittarius may feel the impact of this eclipse more than others. Leo is the sign of the Divine Child within each of us and this eclipse, along with the eclipses in July, may provide the impetus for us to express the positive attributes of Leo: loyalty, creativity, trust and joy.

August 19 at 0:25 a.m. EDT: Mercury stations direct at 110 Leo

YIPPEEE! Mercury ends his second retrograde for 2018. Coupled with the solar eclipse, we all may able to express that which we gestated and/or learned during Mercury’s retrograde more easily as he goes direct. Sometimes it can be difficult for us to use these periods of repose, facilitated by Mercury’s retrograde motion, but now we can move forward to express who we are in truth, having integrated what we gained over the last three weeks. Mercury has one more retrograde period in 2018 – in November/December.

August 27 at 10:05 a.m. EDT: Mars stations direct at 280 Capricorn

Mars ends his two-month retrograde period, which may be somewhat similar to Mercury’s change of direction. However, Mars is impulsive, head-strong and action-oriented. He is the god of war in Greek mythology, so there may be less thinking before we act, especially in the areas of institutions and systems, which Capricorn rules. However, Mars is very helpful in starting an exercise regime and getting us off the couch! Mars is currently transiting Pluto in the US (Sibley) chart in our second house of resources (both natural and other) and values. Hopefully this conjunction will provide the energy (Mars) to delve deeply (Pluto) into what we value, what the original values were when this country was founded and help create structures (Capricorn) to support those values.

Other doings of note:

Venus, the planet of love, beauty and peace, enters her own sign (Libra) on August 7th.  Libra is the sign of relationship, balance and an increased awareness of others. By the last third of August, she will be the only planet in an air sign – element of ideas and inspiration.

The Sun enters Virgo on August 23rd right after midnight EDT. Virgo is the sign of harvest, on every level, and integration. Virgo can get lost in the details of any situation and can also be a perfectionist, but the true meaning of the sign is to express ourselves fully and to be at one with our spirit.

The Full Moon occurs on August 26th at 7:56 a.m. EDT. She’ll be at 30 Pisces and in a wide free-flowing relationship with Neptune.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings September 2017

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Hi Everyone

Good news! September will be quieter than August – no solar eclipse! For most of the month, until the Autumnal Equinox on September 22nd, there will be a lot of Virgo energy. Virgo, an earth sign, is the sign of the harvest and has a lot to do with gathering all the different parts of ourselves into one integrated whole. She is discerning, discriminating, analytical and can get lost in the details. However, she’s also the one who will remember the forks and napkins for the picnic! I believe we can use this time to integrate the insights gained during last month’s volatility. We need fire energy to wake us up, but now comes the time of assimilation and integration.

Hallelujah! Mercury goes direct on September 5th at 7:30 a.m. He’ll be at 280 Leo, but will move into Virgo on the 9th. Mercury does well in Virgo; he likes to analyze and categorize. However, this also means that we can get into analysis paralysis easily and just spin without moving forward. Having said that, Mercury’s energy can also help us organize the gains made last month.

The Sun enters Libra on the 22nd at 4:02 p.m. Libra is the sign of balance – they’d like to have some, but most often Libra’s energy works like a teeter-totter. Libra can’t stand to be by him/herself; it is the sign of the “other” as we move outward from ourselves to others – for Libra, one at a time. S/he hates crowds. While this is the sign of relationship, it is the only sign with an inanimate object as its symbol – the scales. For me this speaks to the fact that Libra is about relationship in the head – the ideal of “perfect” relating to a “perfect” other. Smelly socks, gym clothes and dirty hands are not included in Libra’s vision! Libra is an air sign, after all, and air loves the realm of ideas.

Lest we think we can kick back and eat bonbons this month, Pluto, planet of deep seated transformation, the underground, all that we’d like to keep hidden from ourselves and others, goes direct on September 28th at 3:33 p.m. (I was struck by the time she goes direct. I’m sure numerologists would have something to say about three at three levels.) Pluto’s been retrograde since April, so the gains made during this long, inner transit can now be expressed more outwardly. She’ll be at 170 Capricorn where she’s been for the last two months and she’ll stay at that degree through October and most of November. Speed demon she’s not! Those who have planets from 12-220 in Libra, Aries, Cancer or, of course, Capricorn may feel this shift in direction more strongly. On a larger scale, Capricorn rules structures and systems. Issues, which have been brewing below the surface for the last five months, may become much more obvious and volatile with this change of planetary direction.

The Full Moon occurs on September 6th at 130 Pisces, right next to Neptune. The Moon, as you know, rules the tides and Pisces and Neptune rule the sea. Water may be, or continue to be, an issue. Also water and the Moon are associated with emotions, which may be running very high during this time.

The New Moon occurs on September 20th at 270 Virgo, providing a fresh start in our continued integration efforts.

Let’s joyously welcome the new season!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings May 2017

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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 April 2017

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Hi Everyone

Feel like changing direction? Going inward for greater in-sight? Great! So do the planets this month. A total of four – yes four – of them change direction in April; three go retrograde and one goes direct.

A word about when a planet changes direction – no matter which way it occurs. It basically stops in some cases for a day or two; in others (like the slow moving outer planets) it can stay at the same degree for weeks or months. If you happen to have a planet or other sensitive point(s) on your chart within 5 degrees on either side of the degree the planet is at when it changes, this planet will be activated. It’s rather like a tuning fork, so the planet starts to vibrate and do all manner of things to get your attention. And if it’s in a challenging relationship with other planet(s), you could have a lot of energy coming at you all at once.

As you’ve heard me say before, retrograde motion is when the planet appears (key word) to be moving from west to east across the sky. We know it isn’t really, but from the earth’s perspective it looks that way. Practically, it means that we experience the energy of the planet more inwardly and/or the focus of the energy of the planet, colored by the sign it’s in, is inward. So it’s a great time for reflection, retrospection and internal change, especially if it’s one of the outer planets. It may feel like nothing’s moving and you’re stuck.

When a planet goes direct, it may feel like it’s gotten out of reverse, which it has in some respects. You may be able to express the energy of the planet more freely and more outwardly. And you may feel less stuck around the energies the planet represents.

So who’s doing what? In order. . .

Saturn: The planet of delay, fear, lack, lessons and yet the great teacher of the zodiac goes retrograde on April 6th at 1:06 a.m. He’ll be at 280 Sagittarius, a mutable fire sign. Attention those with planets in Gemini, Virgo or Pisces the other mutable signs – or Leo and Aries the other fire signs. The latter will be an easy flow of energy (trine); the former – more challenging, growth opportunities! Our inner critic may be hyperactive during this time, depending on how it impacts your chart.

Mercury: Everyone’s favorite! He goes retrograde on April 9th at 7:15 p.m.  He’ll be at 50 Taurus and he’ll slide back into Aries on April 20 at 1:37 p.m. He goes direct again on May 3rd. Good time for retreats, re-thinking, re-focusing, and re-pairing. Be sure to double check your taxes if you file after April 9th. There’s no problem doing that – just go over them carefully. Attention to the fixed signs (Leo, Aquarius and Scorpio) for growth opportunities in how you think and the other earth signs (Virgo and Capricorn) for an easy flow of practical, down-to-earth (literally) thinking and planning.

Venus: She is the one going direct. She changes on April 15th at 6:17 a.m.  She’ll be at 270 Pisces, a sign she really likes to be in. Again attention for adjustments required for the other mutable signs (Virgo, Gemini and Sagittarius) and easy, flowing (it’s water after all) to Cancer and Scorpio. (See March Astro Doings for more information about Venus.)

Pluto: The planet of deep-seated, slow moving, transformation goes retrograde on April 20th at 8:46 a.m. She’ll be at 190 Capricorn – she’s been there all month and will be there all of May as well. Cardinal signs this time are up for adjustments leading to internal growth (Aries, Libra and Cancer), plus the other earth signs to help ground the growing (Taurus, Virgo). On a personal level, this retrograde can be wonderful time to become aware of deep thought patterns and attitudes that have been long buried. This can be a time to bring them to light and heal them. Globally, I think we’ll continue to see a weakening in structures or systems that no longer serve us.

Phew! The Full Moon occurs on April 11 at 2:08 a.m. She’ll be at 210 Libra. The New Moon occurs on April 26th at 8:16 a.m. She’ll be at 60 Taurus. And finally the Sun enters Taurus on April 19th at 5:37 p.m. The Taurean energy may slow us down some – take time to smell the flowers! Also a more practical bent to our thinking perhaps! Or we may have a raging bull! Time will tell.

Have a great April!

Peace and abundant blessings

Margaret