Venus

Astro Doings July-August 2021

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Hi Everyone

July

The first half of the month will be dominated by a fixed T-square with Mars and Venus opposing Saturn, which is squaring Uranus. (The Saturn/Uranus square, which began last month and will continue into 2022.) Mars and Venus are in Leo, Saturn is in Aquarius and Uranus is in Taurus. All four planets are in fixed signs. Fixed energy sustains, can be stubborn, and is feminine in nature. The interests of the individual, represented by Mars (planet of war) in Leo, must be balanced against Saturn in Aquarius (the sign of the collective). Saturn, of course, brings restrictions, delays, and fear. Leo is a fire sign and Aquarius is an air sign, so while they may not change their thinking on anything (sound familiar?), the elements work well together. Mars and Saturn must also deal with Venus in Leo, which represents a great need to be loved and to love, and is often the peacemaker. Enter Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, in Taurus, an earth sign and the most stubborn and slow moving of all the signs. Uranus breaks down old, outmoded ways of being and thinking and Taurus doesn’t want to change anything. One way of looking at this is to think of these four planets stuck in an elevator between floors. They each have different points of view (fire, earth and air) but have to figure out a way to work together so they can resolve the problem — not easy since they’re so stubborn. In mid-July Venus and Mars move out of orb (too far away) and the T-square returns to “just” being a square between Saturn and Uranus, which is rather like walking with your shoes tied together – Saturn representing the status quo and Uranus representing change and revolution. However, the Sun enters Leo on the 22nd and by the end of the month through mid-August will again create a fixed T-square with Saturn and Uranus.

The New Moon occurs on July 9th at 9:17. She’ll be at 180 Cancer. The Full Moon occurs on July 23 at 10 Aquarius. And Jupiter retrogrades back into Aquarius on the 28th.

August

The Saturn/Uranus square gets another “tweaking” shortly after the Sun moves out of orb for a T-square. On the 19th Uranus stations retrograde at 9:40 p.m. This means, that from our perspective, he moves from west to east, which is how Saturn is moving. So, maybe, at least they’re moving in the same direction now, instead of one planet going one way and the other going another way. Uranus will remain at 140 Taurus through September. Attention all who have planets or other points on your chart from 10-200 in fixed signs (Taurus, Scorpio, Aquarius, Leo) or in the other air signs (Libra, Gemini). We tend to feel the impact of retrograde planets more inwardly. Uranus rules the higher mind and Taurus doesn’t like change. Perhaps this is a time for inner reflection on patterns that no longer serve you and calling on your higher mind to find creative and innovative suggestions for change.

When the Sun enters Virgo on the 22nd it will join Mercury and Mars, creating a stellium in Virgo. A stellium is three or more planets in the same sign. Virgo is another earth sign and is concerned with harvest – both of plants and of self. Virgo analyzes and categorizes. It can get lost in details and tends to analysis paralysis. But its attention to detail can be most helpful in any kind of planning.

The New Moon occurs on August 8th at 160 Leo. The Full Moon is on August 22 at 290 Aquarius.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

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 April 2019

Margaret Lassiter 1 Comment

Hi Everyone

Hope your new year (astrological) is off to a good start. Three planets start their fairly lengthy retrograde motion during April. This retrograde motion, which appears “backwards,” balances the forward thrust of Spring energy. April may be experienced as a very inner time, depending on how these retrogrades impact your natal chart. The first third of the month is pretty quiet, so enjoy!

April 10: Jupiter stations retrograde at 1:00 p.m. EDT at 240 Sagittarius

Jupiter is the planet of expansion, good fortune, and optimism. Being the largest planet in our solar system, he can seem bigger than life, and he is currently (and will remain) in his own sign, Sagittarius, the quester for Truth, but not known for its diplomacy. When Jupiter retrogrades, several things can happen. We can become less optimistic, more reserved and our quest for truth can enter a more inward and withdrawn phase. We may want to be alone more; it can be good time to deepen our meditation practice, and on the global stage there may be less optimism about how things are going to turn out and the “us versus them” attitude can be more pronounced. Jupiter will remain retrograde until August.

April 24: Pluto stations retrograde at 2:45 p.m. EDT at 230 Capricorn

Pluto begins his six-month retrograde back through Capricorn this month. As with all planets moving from west to east, as we perceive it, the energy expresses itself more inwardly. Pluto, as you all know by now, is the planet of deep-seated transformation, and all change begins inwardly before it expresses outwardly. Old, firmly entrenched attitudes and fears can be transformed during this period. On the global stage it could mean that some of the structures and systems (Capricorn) that we have created could implode (retrograde motion) rather than explode. Time will tell. Pluto’s retrograde motion will end in October, and he will still be in Capricorn.

April 29: Saturn stations retrograde at 8:55 p.m. EDT at 200 Capricorn

Well, this is pretty exciting – having both Saturn and Pluto station retrograde within days of each other, next to each other (conjunct) in the same sign! And they will remain next to each other throughout the retrograde period. (Saturn retrograde ends in September.) So, you’re asking, what does this all mean? Saturn represents male authority figures, both personal and global, fear, lack, restriction, lessons – sounds fantastic, right? But without limits we wouldn’t grow. Pluto represents transformation, so between them they can provide energy to transform (Pluto) our fears, quiet the inner critic (Saturn) so that we can truly utilize this inner time to loosen the hold of the personality and move more into our truth as spiritual beings. While these energies will impact us all, those with planets in Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn will be most affected by these energies, but Capricorn makes some connection with some part of most everyone’s chart, I believe. On the global stage, April appears to me to be a time of restriction, fear, obvious evidence of structures that no longer work, and eventually a common realization that the old structures need to be changed to serve the highest and best for all.

The Sun enters Taurus on April 20 at 4:55 a.m. He will be right next to (conjunct) Uranus, planet of rebellion, the higher mind, and destroyer of outmoded forms. Taurus is an earth sign (the most stubborn of them all) and is an easy-flowing (trine) relationship with Saturn and Pluto. This month will have a lot of earth energy with so much planetary energy in this element. It may be a time of great healing for our beloved planet. Mars is the only planet in an air sign (Gemini), so the realm of ideas and the mental plane is still not well represented. Venus, the planet of love, and Neptune, the planet of compassion and redemption, are in the same water sign (Pisces), until Venus moves into Aries on the 20th.

The New Moon occurs on April 5th at 4:50 a.m. She’ll be at 150 Aries. The Full Moon occurs on April 19th at 7:12 a.m.  She’ll be at 290 Libra.

Hope you have a wonderful April!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

Astro Doings February 2019

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

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 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 November 2018

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Hi Everyone

November has three planets changing direction, two of them on the same day! And I’ll provide details on the celestial dance on Election Day in the US.

Election Day

The Sun will be trine (easy flow of energy) Neptune, planet of fog, illusion, compassion and redemption. Both planets will be in water signs (Scorpio and Pisces, respectively) so psychic energy will abound and emotions (water) may be running high. Those with planets in water may be more strongly affected by this trine. The Moon will enter Scorpio at 8:02 ET that morning, and Jupiter will be at late degrees of the sign, so lots of Scorpio energy – power, insight, and also healing.

Uranus, planet of rebellion and destroyer of outmoded forms, will back into Aries, sign of the warrior, ruled by Mars, god of war at 1:50 p.m. ET. Uranus is currently going “backwards” or retrograde, which means the energy can be expressed more inwardly.  However, Uranus is happier in Aries than he is in slow-moving Taurus, so his lightning bolt energy may be more forceful, especially for those with planets in fire signs (Aires, Leo and Sagittarius) or in cardinal signs (Libra, Cancer, Capricorn).

Direction Changes: November 16th

Venus: Venus stops and starts moving forward at 5:50 a.m. ET. She’ll be at 250 Libra, her own sign – the sign of relationship, “others,” fairness and balance.  Venus is the planet of love at the level of “I love you because you love me.” Neptune, the higher octave of Venus, says “I love you because it is in the nature of love to love.”  This change of direction could signal a more direct expression of tolerance and fairness towards one another. However, Libra is an air sign, so the emphasis is relationship in the head, not necessarily in the heart. Those with planets in later degrees Aries, Cancer and Capricorn or other air signs (Gemini, Aquarius) may feel this change more strongly.

Mercury: Last retrograde of 2018! He stations (stops) at 8:33 p.m. ET and will be at 130 Sagittarius. As I’ve stated many times before this is a time for reflection and repose, something that not many of us are good at. Perhaps we can use this three-week period to reflect on what we have to be grateful for in preparation for the holiday season, and to see the truth (Sagittarius) within.  Mercury will station direct on December 6th.

Direction Change: November 24th

Neptune: The planet of compassion, redemption, fog, illusion and the underworld ends her retrograde motion at 8:09 p.m. ET. She’ll be at 130 Pisces, where she has been for a long time – and will continue to be for most of the rest of this year. This change of direction may provide a more open and “direct” expression of our compassion for one another, as a result of turning our compassion inward during her retrograde period. As we are more understanding of ourselves, it becomes easier to be more tolerant of others. During this divisive and hate-filled period, this would be a welcome change.

Other Doings this Month:

Mars moved into Pisces on the 15th, adding energy and initiative to this watery, inward, other-worldy sign. It could also signal more intense storms. He will be square (growth opportunity, stress-filled need for cooperation) to Jupiter, who enters his own sign (Sagittarius) on the 8th. Fire (Sag) and water (Pisces) can have a tough time dealing with each other, as you can imagine, but fire can bring inspiration and water can bring emotional/psychic insight to our endeavors.

The New Moon occurs on the 7th at 150 Scorpio (11:02 a.m.) – a new beginning after the elections? The Sun enters Sagittarius on the 22nd at 4: 02 a.m. and the Full Moon occurs at 0:39 a.m. at 00 Gemini – more potential for new beginnings!

Have a great November and a lovely Thanksgiving.

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret

 

 

Astro Doings October 2018

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

Continuing the quiet trend after a very busy summer, October promises to be pretty subdued, but deep. From the 10th on most planets will be in water (Mercury, Venus, Jupiter in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces), three in earth (Uranus in Taurus; Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn) and one (Mars) in air. Earth and water are considered to be feminine elements — sustaining, abiding, nurturing.

Pluto stationed direct at the very end of September, on the 30th at 10:01 pm EDT. He was at (and still is at and will continue to be at) 180 Capricorn. No speed demon this one, so those with placements in Aries, Libra, or Cancer from 13 – 230, and Capricorn of course, may feel this change of direction more deeply.  When a planet moves in direct motion, it can express more openly, with an outward focus, as opposed inwardly when a planet is retrograde. Pluto rules deep-seated transformation and Capricorn is the sign most associated with structures, the status quo, and systems. These can be personal or societal.

Venus stations retrograde on October 5th at 3:05 pm EDT. She’ll be at 100 Scorpio and will move back into her own sign, Libra, at the beginning of next month. Scorpio feels very profoundly and for a long time; Venus is the planet of love. This can be a time to become more aware of how we love ourselves, first, and then others – or don’t. It can also be a time to pamper ourselves and be more tolerant.

The Sun moves into Scorpio on the 23rd at 7:23 am. Scorpio is an extremely perceptive sign – you can’t get much (if anything) past them! And they look deeply within themselves and others. A powerful healing sign for those with the courage to look deeply and remove that which is holding them back and/or is destructive.

The Full Moon occurs the next day at 10 Taurus. The New Moon occurs on the 8th at 11:47 p.m. She’ll be at 150 Libra.

Hope you have a wonderful October!

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 June 2018

Margaret Lassiter Leave a comment

Hi Everyone

In addition to the longest day of the year this month, two planets change directions.

Neptune, planet of illusion, fog, compassion and the higher octave of Venus, stations retrograde (astro-speak for stops and goes backwards) on June 18 at 7:27 p.m. EDT. She’ll be at 160 degrees Pisces and will remain there for the rest of the month. Those with placements around 160 may be more impacted by this change of direction. She is still in an easy flow of energy with Jupiter, who is retrograde in Scorpio (another water sign), and when the Sun goes into Cancer (the third water sign) there will be a grand trine in water. Emotions will be running high, and maybe water. However, Neptune retrograde also presents an opportunity to turn our compassion on ourselves, as we delve deeply (Scorpio) into patterns that no longer serve us. Neptune’s energy is unconditional love – we love because it is in the nature of love to love. I am reminded of the sermon at the royal wedding when Reverend Michael Curry said: “Imagine our governments and countries when love is the way.”

Mars, planet of energy, initiating projects and war, stations retrograde on June 26 at 5:05 p.m. EDT. He’ll be at 90 Aquarius, the sign of rebellion and destroyer of old forms of thinking or just old forms of anything. By the last third of the month, he will be the only planet in the air element, so the realm of ideas will not be as prominent. (There will be a lot of earth along with the water. Good thing – earth provides some boundaries for water and water softens earth.) Mars retrograde can provide an opportunity to break down old patterns of thinking (Aquarius) that have us stuck in a rut.

From the 13th on, when Venus enters Leo, there will be more fixed energy with Venus opposing (calling for balance, awareness of others) Mars in Aquarius. By the end of the month, Jupiter in Scorpio will make a fixed T-square. A square is a growth opportunity between planets in signs of the same quality, in this case fixed. Fixed energy sustains; it can be quite stubborn and slow-moving, but without it nothing would manifest. Attention those with fixed signs in your natal charts – a growth opportunity may be coming your way, especially for those with planets in the middle of the sign (100 to 200). And Uranus is in the fourth fixed sign, Taurus, but is still too far away to be a part of this fixed configuration. However, all four fixed signs: earth (Taurus), water (Scorpio), fire (Leo) and air (Aquarius), are dancing together this month.

The Summer Solstice occurs on June 21 at 6:07 a.m. EDT when the Sun enters Cancer. Cancer is a water sign, mostly concerned with home, hearth and good food. The New Moon occurs on June 13 at 3:43 p.m. at 220 Gemini; the Full Moon occurs on June 28th at 0.53 a.m. EDT at 60 Capricorn.

Have a wonderful June!

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret