Neptune

Astro Doings November – December 2026

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

         After 14 years of writing Astro Doings, I’ve decided that this will be my last posting of this blog. It’s been fun, but it’s time for me to move on to something else. If you are still interested in receiving monthly updates on astrology I strongly recommend the newsletter from astro.com.

November

            Let’s start with a look at Election Day in the US – November 3. We’ll still have 5 retrograde planets: Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Most of them are either in a fire or air sign, except Mercury who is in Scorpio. Fire and air are compatible – air feeding fire, fire heating up the air. So there could be a lot of volatility around the elections. Interestingly not a lot of emotion, which we associate with water signs in astrology.

         On the 13th, which happens to be a Friday, both Venus and Mercury end their retrograde periods. Mercury at 50 Scorpio and Venus at 220 Libra. When a planet changes direction, it basically stops on that degree for a time, depending on how fast the planet normally moves. If it hits a point on your chart, you may feel this change of direction more than if it doesn’t, but anytime Mercury ends its retrograde period things appear to move forward again.

         The Sun enters Sagittarius on the 22nd.  Sag is a fire sign, ruled by Jupiter, and tends to dash off on a quest of some sort – not unlike Aries – but filled with optimism, not always wisdom.

         The Full Moon occurs on the 24th. She’ll be at 20 Gemini. The New Moon occurs on the 9th at 160 Scorpio.

December

         How did we get to the end of 2026 so quickly? The planets continue their dance through the heavens as always. Venus moves into Scorpio, Mercury moves into Sagittarius and so on.

         On the 10th Saturn ends his retrograde period at 6:31 p.m. He’ll be at 70 Aries next to Neptune – the possibility of giving structure (Saturn) to our dreams (Neptune).

         On the 12th Neptune ends its retrograde period at 10 Aries and Jupiter starts his at 270 Leo. This changing direction of two planets on the same day, which is prevalent this fall/winter, can be rather unsettling, especially if it triggers something in your chart.

         The Winter Solstice occurs on the 21st when the Sun enters Capricorn at 3:50 p.m.  Capricorn is the sign of the status quo but also the sure-footed goat climbing the hill of spiritual growth.

The Full Moon occurs on the 23rd at 20 Cancer; the New Moon occurs on the 8th. She’ll be at 160 Sagittarius.

I hope you have a wonderful end to 2026 and may you be blessed on your journey.

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings September – October 2026

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

         Hope you had a nice summer and are ready for the fall. September and October are pretty quiet.

September

         On the 10th there are lots of doings.  First Venus moves into Scorpio, a water sign, where she will feel things very deeply but secretively. Then Mercury moves into Libra, an air sign, signifying balance or vacillating between extremes. Mercury here will give a tendency to weigh things and look at everything from all angles without moving forward. And then the big change, Uranus stations retrograde, which means he basically stops and then starts to move from west to east in the heavens by our perception. He’ll be at 50 Gemini, where he’s been for a while now. During a planet’s retrograde phase we tend to experience its energies more inwardly. So inspiration may come more from within rather than a stimulus from without. Oh yes, the New Moon occurs on the 10th as well. She’ll be at 180 Virgo. Phew, busy day!

         The Fall Equinox occurs on the 22nd when the Sun moves into Libra at 8:05 p.m., the sign of balance and relationship. Libra is an air sign, so it thinks a lot about relationship, weighs both sides of every issue and seeks balance in all things, but doesn’t necessarily have it personally. Being an air sign, Libra likes the idea of relationship and balance, but doesn’t always achieve either.

         The Full moon occurs on the 26th.  She’ll be at 30 Aries, as the Sun is now in the opposing sign, Libra.

October

            There are a lot of retrograde planets right now (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) and Venus joins the gang on the 3rd.  She’ll be at 80 Scorpio.

         Pluto ends his/her retrograde period on the 15th at 30 Aquarius. We may see a forging ahead with deep-seated change of systems and group ideas that came to us during his/her retrograde period. Aquarius is all about humanity, although it frequently doesn’t relate well on an individual level – very airy and disconnected at times. 

         Never fear, Mercury takes Pluto’s place in the retrograde pantheon on the 24th.  He’ll be at 200 Scorpio. So we’ll have five planets retrograde, where we will feel their energy more inwardly. Rational Mercury has trouble in watery Scorpio that processes things secretly and emotionally.

         On the 23rd the Sun enters Scorpio, and the Full Moon is on the 26th. She’ll be at 20 Taurus. The New Moon is on the 10th. She’ll be at 170 Libra.

         Hope you have a lovely fall.

         Peace and abundant blessings,

         Margaret

Astro Doings May – June 2026

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

         The planets continue their dance through the signs in the next two months. We have a blue moon in May – that is, a month with two full moons in it and a couple of planets changing directions.

May

         May begins with a Full moon. She’ll be at 110 Scorpio. It also begins with three planets in Aries: Mars, Saturn and Neptune. Positively this can be a time of new energy to move forward (Mars); tenacity to see the new pattern through (Saturn) and the new impetus could have a transcendent quality about it (Neptune). Or negatively, we could be in a fog (Neptune) about what to do,  stagnate in fear (Saturn) and/or dash off impulsively in a million potentially destructive directions without thinking (Mars).

         On the 6th Pluto stops and changes direction. She’ll be at 50 Aquarius and will remain there all month and through most of June. Anything in your chart around 5 degrees may be impacted by Pluto’s slow motion. Pluto rules the underground and the potential for deep-seated transformation. When it’s retrograde, this potential is turned inward. A good time for reflection, breaking down of old patterns and innovative new ideas about how you want to move forward in your life (Aquarius).

         Mercury moves into Gemini on the 17th. He is very happy there – lots and lots of ideas, not much follow-through. It can feel like spinning or incessant chatter in your mind.  A good time for writing or journaling.

         The next day Venus moves into Cancer and Mars moves into Taurus.  Busy time in the heavens! Things may slow down some with Mars in Taurus, which is the slowest moving sign of the zodiac.  Stop and enjoy the flowers – or start (Mars) a garden. It is May after all. Spend some time with Mother Earth. 

         And if that isn’t enough that week, the Sun enters Gemini on the 20th.  Communication, writing, flitting are all part of the Gemini energy – exploring everything briefly. Innovation may be easier at this time as the Sun will be next to (conjunct) Uranus and trine Pluto.

         The month ends with the second full Moon on the 31st.  She’ll be at 90 Sagittarius.

         I should mention that starting in mid-May through April 2027 Saturn will be opposed the Saturn in the US natal chart. In mundane astrology – the astrology of countries — Saturn represents the executive and any planetary opposition requires balance. Aries, the warrior, has the desire to move forward and make change. Libra the sign of balance or stagnation. Saturn is very strong in Libra. In the US chart Saturn is in the 10th house – the house of the executive, authority. Transiting Saturn will move through the 4th house — the house of the people.

June

         June is a little quieter but with some interesting combinations of planets.

         On the 1st Mercury moves into Cancer joining Venus and Jupiter in that sign. Cancer nurtures by nature, and as a water sign is very sensitive to its surroundings. It can easily be overwhelmed. This may be a time when people are very touchy. Also remember that the US is a sun-sign Cancer country, as is Canada.

         On the 21st the Sun joins the Cancer club – it’s the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. From now on the days begin to get shorter.  On the 28th Mars leaves Taurus (phew!) and moves into Gemini to join Pluto and Uranus in the air sign club.

         On the 13th Venus moves into Leo, a fire sign. She’ll be in an easy flow of energy with Neptune – both are planets about love. Venus says, “I love you because you love me.” Neptune says, “I love you because it is in the nature of love to love.”  However watery Cancer is a great way to put out the fire of Leo. Conversely too much fire can boil the water away. So tension among the elements here.

         The month ends with Mercury’s second retrograde period of the year. He’ll station retrograde on the 29th at 1:36 p.m. He’ll be at 260 Cancer.  The 29th is also June’s Full Moon. She’ll be at 80 Capricorn. The New Moon is on the 14th and she’ll be at 240 Gemini.

         Have a good spring and early summer!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

 

Astro Doings March – April 2026

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

         Hope you’ve managed to stay warm in this very cold winter. Well, spring is coming, with a lot of Aries energy in March and April. The theme of fire and water is consistent throughout March. Clearly challenging since these elements don’t work together very well.

March

         March begins with the ruler of Aries (Mars) entering a sign that he doesn’t like – Pisces, a water sign that rules the sea. Mars is the warrior, male energy, which is hard to express in the constantly moving waters.  Water generally represents emotions and action-oriented Mars is challenged in Pisces.  On the other hand, Mars’ relentless activity may unleash a lot of uncontrolled emotion, like storm waves in the sea.

         March also begins (on the 3rd) with a lunar eclipse. The moon will be at 120 Virgo. While the eclipse will be visible, if you’re willing to get up really early, the totality will occur below the horizon. It will last about 6 hours, so however it impacts your chart  (if it does) will last for about 6 months. Those with placements in Virgo, Pisces, Gemini or Sagittarius might be influenced by the energy of this eclipse. It is a Dragon’s Tail eclipse which is generally one of service and of releasing old patterns.

         Venus enters Aries at 5:46 a.m. on the 6th. Just as Mars doesn’t like to be in watery Pisces, Venus, the planet of love, doesn’t like to the be in the sign of the planet of war. She joins Saturn and Neptune in Aries. Aries starts but doesn’t always finish, is fiery in its temperament and is generally on a quest of some kind.

         On the 10th Jupiter changes direction – stationary direct at 11:30 p.m. at 150 Pisces. He will remain at 150 for the rest of the month, running alongside Mars and the Sun for a little bit. Jupiter, the planet of faith, does well in Pisces, the sign of faith.

         On the 20th two things happen: the Sun enters Aries, the Vernal Equinox, at 10:46 a.m.  And at 3:33 p.m. Mercury ends its retrograde period. He’ll be at 80 Pisces, next to Mars and Jupiter. At this point there will be no retrograde planets – everyone is full steam ahead.

         The New Moon occurs on the 18th. She’ll be at 280 Pisces.

April

         April is quieter than March, but there’s still a lot of Aries energy – fiery, unsettled, volatile.  Mars and Mercury enter Aries on the 9th and 14th respectively. They will be next to Saturn and Neptune.

         On the 19th the Sun enters Taurus, so we’ll have a little earth energy to ground us, but it’s the only planet in this element. It may be an uphill battle to ground the fiery and airy energy of the rest of the planets.

         Venus enters Gemini on the 24th, with an easy flow of energy to Pluto in Aquarius. And on the next day Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, leaves Taurus for good and enters airy Gemini. Air and fire do well together if you’re looking for a lot of ideas and a lot of enthusiasm without a lot of grounding. I think things will remain rather unsettled – lots of ideas (Aquarius), lots of talk (Gemini), lots of energy (Aries). Direction? Details? Practicality? Grounded?

         The Full Moon occurs on the 1st. She’ll be at 120Libra. And the Full Moon occurs on the 15th. She’ll be at 270 Aries.

         I hope you have a wonderful early spring!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings January – February 2026

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

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

January

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

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

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

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

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

February

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

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

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

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

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

I hope you have a wonderful winter!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings September-October 2025

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Hard to believe that the summer is almost over and that fall is here – well, almost. September is a busy month with two eclipses and planets changing sign. October is a little quieter.

September

The month begins with Saturn backing into watery Pisces from fiery Aries. Questions of faith (Pisces) may arise at this time for those with placements in late degrees of dreamy Pisces. Saturn has been here before, so any unresolved issues may come to the fore during his last pass-through Pisces. And as a reminder, Saturn’s practical status quo energy is not well suited to escapist Pisces, which has a lot of trouble dealing with this plane and will try to escape into a more pleasant (by its perception) place.

On the 6th the planet of rebellion, higher level thinking of all kinds, Uranus, stations retrograde in Gemini. Gemini rules communication of all kinds, so with this change in direction, communication may be disrupted or unclear.  When a planet is retrograde we tend to experience its energies more inwardly. You may find you journal more, as a way of inner communication, or that the nature of your journaling changes. This is just one example of how this retrograde might feel to you.

On the 7th we have the last lunar eclipse of the year. The Full Moon will be at 150 Pisces. It is the longest total lunar eclipse in several years, lasting over 5 hours, which means its impact will last about 5 months. Unfortunately we will not be able to see it in the US, but that doesn’t mean you won’t feel the energy of it. It is a Dragon’s Head eclipse, which often offers new opportunities and acts as an amplifier. (The Dragon’s Head indicates that the eclipse occurs in the same sign as the lunar nodes – in this case Pisces.). The inrush of energy can be somewhat disruptive, especially if you have placements near 150 in Pisces, Virgo, Gemini or Sagittarius or the other water signs, Cancer or Scorpio.

Just before the Autumnal Equinox (first day of Fall) Mercury enters Libra (on the 18th). Libra is a cardinal air sign, that seeks balance, frequently swinging from one extreme to another. It is said that Libra’s speeds are “like hell” and “not at all.” Lazy Libra frequently lives up to its reputation, but again it seeks equal balance in all things. It is also the sign of relationship – our first attempt at it anyway, so Libra seeks balance with the “other.” But Libra is about romantic relationship and does not do the “nitsy-gritsy” of relationship, unless other signs are involved. 

Also before the Equinox on the 22nd, we have the last solar eclipse of the year. Eclipses, as you know, come in pairs. The Sun will be at 290 Virgo. This is a Dragon’s Tail eclipse, which generally denotes a time to balance the ledger, and a time of selfless service. (A Dragon’s Tail eclipse occurs when the eclipse is in the opposing sign of the lunar nodes.) The ruling planet of this eclipse is Mercury, the planet of communication of all types. It is a partial solar eclipse, which again will not be visible in the US, but can be felt, and will last about 3 hours. Any placements that you have at the end of any earth sign (Capricorn, Taurus) or other mutable signs (Gemini, Pisces, Sagittarius) may be impacted by this eclipse for the next 3 months. I would refer you to Celeste Teal’s excellent book on eclipses for additional information and insights.

The Sun enters Libra at 2:19 p.m. on the 22nd.

October

October is much quieter than September. We get a breather. . .

On the 13th two things happen: Venus moves into her own sign, Libra, and at that point there will be no planets in earth signs. This may impact many things including focusing on Mother Earth and/or developing practical solutions to issues. There is a lot of air and some water, so a lot of ideas and emotions flying around, but no groundings.

The second thing that happens on the 13th is that Pluto stations direct (basically stops) at 10 Aquarius, ending his retrograde motion. Attention to all those with placements at early degrees of any of the air signs (Libra, Gemini) or any of the fixed (aka stubborn) signs (Leo, Taurus, Scorpio) as this change of direction may impact you. Pluto is the ruler of the underworld and Aquarius is the sign of the rebel. So what part of your rebel is seeking to be expressed at this time? Pluto doesn’t move very fast. She’ll be a 10 through November.

On the 22nd, Neptune retrogrades into Pisces, the sign she rules and joins Saturn in the sign of faith and illusion.  The Sun enters Scorpio also on the 22nd, adding more water to the mix. Neptune, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury and the Sun are in water signs. That’s a lot of water – emotions may be running high this month.

The Full Moon occurs on the 6th. She’ll be at 140 Aries. The New Moon occurs on the 21st. She’ll be at 280 Libra.

Have a wonderful early fall!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings July – August 2025

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

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

Saturn/Neptune Conjunction

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

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

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

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

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

July

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

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

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

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

August

August is a bit quieter. Good thing!

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

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

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

I hope you have a wonderful rest of your summer!

Peace and abundant blessings.

Margaret

Astro Doings March-April 2025

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Hope you are having a good winter so far. This spring promises to be an active one, at least astrologically speaking.

March

Hang onto your hat! March is going to be very busy with planets changing direction and sign and two eclipses. So let’s take them in order.

1st: Venus begins her retrograde motion at 7:36 p.m. at 100 Aries. Any time a planet changes direction it sits on the degree it was on when the change began before it starts the new motion. Sort of like a fan that changes direction. So Venus will be at 100 Aries for about a week. When a planet is retrograde, we tend to experience the energy more inwardly. Venus doesn’t like to be in Aries – it’s Mars’s sign, but maybe we can put more energy (Aries) into loving ourselves and each other (Venus retrograde).

14th: Total Lunar eclipse: 230 Virgo. This eclipse will be visible in the US – if the sky is clear and if you’re a night owl! It begins just before midnight and ends at 6 a.m. This eclipse is about service and letting go of old patterns. For those with planets or other points in the charts at late degrees Pisces, Gemini, Sagittarius and of course Virgo may feel the impact of this eclipse more fully.

15th: Mercury begins his first retrograde period of 2025 at 2:46 a.m. He’ll be at 90 Aries and will back into Pisces at the very end of the month. Just a reminder that a Mercury retrograde is a great time to repair anything and also to retreat and regroup, but be sure to read any contracts very, very carefully before you sign.

20th: Vernal Equinox, the Sun enters Aries. The Sun will join Mercury, Venus and Chiron in Mars’s sign. Aries initiates, but doesn’t always finish and generally has lots of enthusiasm. But like all cardinal signs (Libra, Cancer and Capricorn are the others) its energy is like a flash in the pan and it’s gone. All fire signs are on a quest of some kind and Aries’ quest is for Self.  Like Jason and the Argonauts, the myth most closely associated with Aries, Aries likes to “travel” with a band of like-minded people.

29th: Partial Solar eclipse: 90 Aries. It will be visible in the Northeast and will last four hours. Solar eclipses are about powerful new beginnings. Those with placements in early degrees Aries, Libra, Cancer or Capricorn may be more aware of this energy. It could also bring a powerful burst of new energy to everyone.

30th:  Neptune enters Aries. There’s a lot of Aries energy this March! Now the planet of illusion, spirituality, addiction, escapism has joined the Aries club, leaving the sign she rules (Pisces) where she’s been since 2011. (She’ll head back into Pisces in October and return to Aries in January 2026.) When one of the outer planets changes signs, this is a big deal and a big shift in energy. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and what implications it has.

April

Phew! Made it through March!! April is quieter.

7th: Mercury ends his retrograde period. He’ll be at 260 Pisces and he’ll move back into Aries on the 16th.  Interesting to note that Mercury will be next to Saturn, Venus and trine Mars when he changes direction. A lot of water which has to do with emotion. . .

12th: Venus ends her retrograde period also. She’ll be at 240 Pisces and won’t enter Aries until the 30th.

18th: Mars enters Leo at 12:21 a.m. Leo is a fire sign and will be trine Neptune in Aries and opposed Pluto in Aquarius.  There’s a lot of water (emotion) and fire (enthusiasm, volatile) energy this month and not a lot of air (ideas).  Of course, water and fire don’t get along very well and frequently cancel each other out.

19th: Sun enters Taurus at 3:56 p.m. The only other planet in earth is Uranus (also in Taurus).  Not a lot of practicality or grounded energy, but maybe Taurus will slow down the frenetic pace of March with some practical solutions and an increased concern for Mother Earth!

Hope you have a wonderful early spring!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings July – August 2024

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Hope you’re having a good summer so far. July and August look pretty quiet with the planets moving as they have been, dancing to the music of the heavens.

Saturn and Pluto continue their retrograde motion without changing signs. Saturn remains in Pisces, and Pluto is in early degrees Aquarius.

Neptune stations retrograde on July 2 at 6:40 a.m. at 290. She’ll remain in Pisces until 2025.

Mercury moves into Virgo at the end of July, Venus into Leo in mid-July and Mars into Gemini towards the end, joining Jupiter in that sign.

Mercury goes retrograde on August 5th. He’ll be at 40 Virgo. He stations direct on August 28th at 210 Leo. Venus moves into Virgo in early August and edges into Libra at the end of the month.

New Moons: July 5th; August 4th

Full Moons: July 21st; August 19th

Hope you have a wonderful summer!

Peace and abundant blessings!

Margaret

Astro Doings November – December 2023

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

It’s hard to believe that this is the last Astro Doings for 2023. Seems like I was writing the first one just yesterday! We have some planets changing direction during November and December but still end up with three planets in retrograde motion by the end of 2023.

November

This month begins with 4 planets in retrograde (i.e. moving from west to east by our perception.) They are Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, and they’ve been retrograde for several months. There are three planets in water (Mars, Saturn and Neptune) and three planets in earth (Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto). There is only on planet in an air sign – Venus in Libra.

In addition, Sun/Mars in Scorpio oppose Jupiter/Uranus in Taurus. Both Taurus and Scorpio are fixed signs, meaning their energy can feel stubborn, slow-moving but sustaining. Opinions at this time can be deeply entrenched and compromise is hard to find with opposing fixed signs. Scorpio sees deeply and understands and uses power. Taurus finds change almost impossible, although it can be more easily focused on Mother Earth and earthly concerns. The energy during this time may seem stalled. When the Sun, Mercury and Mars enter Sagittarius, a mutable fire sign, towards the last third of the month, the relationship with Jupiter and Uranus will change. Now, Sun, Mercury and Mars are in an incompatible sign (fire) with Jupiter and Uranus (earth). In addition the quality of Sagittarius (mutable, changeable, restless) does not easily get along with the fixed (stubborn, sustaining) energy of Taurus.  And there is only one planet in air (the sign of ideas, relationships), and that’s Venus in Libra. So we’re not likely to see any new ideas or any ideas about relating to one another.

Saturn is the first planet to change directions. He’ll station direct on November 4 at 3:03 a.m. EDT. He’s at 00 Pisces. When a planet changes directions it tends to stop and pulse energy on the degree (and sign) that it’s in. Saturn is also at what we call a critical degree of a sign. In this case it’s at the beginning of Pisces, a watery sign – intuitive, psychic, often overwhelmed by this plane – and it is considered the sign of faith. Pisces people have a very difficult time with this plane. Saturn here may provide structure to our faith or inhibit it in some way.

Otherwise, November is pretty quiet. The Sun enters Sagittarius on the 22nd at 9:03 a.m. Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the planet of expansion, optimism and general good fortune. Sagittarians tend to look before they leap and speak before they think. Overall they are seeking truth in all its forms. The US chart (Sibley) has Sagittarius rising and these characteristics of the American psyche may be more evident with the Sun in Sag.

The New Moon occurs on November 13th at 4:27 a.m. She’ll be at 200 Scorpio. The Full Moon occurs on November 27th 4:16 a.m. She’ll be at 40 Sagittarius.

December

December is a little bit more active with three planets changing direction. And more planets are in water and earth, which are compatible elements. There will be no planets in air in December, as Venus enters Scorpio early in the month.

The first direction change is Neptune on December 6 at 8:20 a.m. EST. She’ll be at 240 Pisces. She’s been retrograde for 5 months and in Pisces since 2012. Perhaps with this change of direction, our faith will be stronger and our fog clearer!

The second is everyone’s favorite – Mercury. This is the last Mercury retrograde of the year – yipppeee! He’ll station retrograde on December 13th at 2:09 a.m., and he’ll be at 80 Capricorn. He’ll back into Sagittarius on the 23rd.  And yes, we’ll begin 2024 with Mercury retrograde.

And last, but certainly not least, Jupiter stations direct on the 30th at 9:40 p.m. He’ll be at 50 Taurus.

The Winter Solstice, when the Sun enters Capricorn, occurs on December 21st at 10:27 p.m. At that point we’ll have 5 planets in earth – Sun, Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto – a time for practical solutions and perhaps a focus on our beloved planet! There will be 3 planets in water: Venus, Saturn and Neptune.

The New Moon occurs on December 12. She’ll be at 200 Sagittarius. The Full Moon occurs on December 26th at 7:32 p.m. She’ll be at 40 Cancer.

I hope you have wonderful holidays and the very best in the New Year! I’ll see you in January.

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret