Uranus Stations Retrograde

On July 5th, Uranus stations, and turns Retrograde.  Stations represent periods of intensity, when those things represented by the stationing planet come to a head, or reach a point of overwhelming consequences.  Uranus is associated with energy: electricity, computers, technology.  Therefore with the Summer heat blazing in the Northern hemisphere, expect to see some power overloads, even blackouts, as generators and distribution systems become overloaded.  We can probably expect to see some other things heated up as well.

Further, in the mundane world, Uranus represents freedom from restraint, the necessity for change, even rebellion against the status quo.  And certainly in the sign of Aries, the need for energy independence, the need for reforming our way of doing things.  As we approach the Station, the need for these things will become intensified and reach a climax... and then due to some shocking revelation, the reality of a situation comes home to roost.  It’s no longer a matter of stuff happening to them, it’s happening to us as well. 

Saturn/Uranus aspects also often coincide with periods of economic instability.

As Uranus stations, Saturn is still in the sign of Virgo, the sign of the worker.  Saturn is where we need to be putting our attention.  Paul Krugman stated clearly in his New York Times article, “The 3rd Depression”, that we are stuck in the mind set that it’s the deficit that is bringing the economy down, when in fact it is long term unemployment that is undermining the economy.  He writes:

It’s almost as if the financial markets understand what policy makers seemingly don’t: that while long-term fiscal responsibility is important, slashing spending in the midst of a depression, which deepens that depression and paves the way for deflation, is actually self-defeating.
So I don’t think this is really about Greece, or indeed about any realistic appreciation of the tradeoffs between deficits and jobs. It is, instead, the victory of an orthodoxy that has little to do with rational analysis, whose main tenet is that imposing suffering on other people is how you show leadership in tough times.
And who will pay the price for this triumph of orthodoxy? The answer is, tens of millions of unemployed workers, many of whom will go jobless for years, and some of whom will never work again.

We voted for a President with a platform for change.  Unfortunately it is assumed that the President has as much power as say, Prime Ministers do in European nations.  He doesn’t.  This makes the legislative process in the US look like something of an awkward uncoordinated dance.  Hendrik Hertzberg recently pointed out in his (June 28th) article in the New Yorker that a strong and comprehensive energy and climate bill was passed by the House a year ago.  However, Hertzberg writes:

“That bill languishes in the Senate, where its weaker counterpart is on life support, with the filibuster poised to cut it off.” 

Much like the greatly watered down health care bill, Obama realizes that a perfect bill cannot get through the Senate, and that its all he can do to get a tepid bill passed through.  A ghost of its former self.  Uranus, the planet for reform is retrograde and weakened.  But there are other groups of people who see their ‘way of life’ threatened (Saturn) who are calling for a different type of reform (Uranus). 

There are things that we need to live without, fossil fuels for one.  However, avoiding jobs programs, not extending unemployment, cutting social security, raising the retirement age to 70, in order to solve the deficit?  All of these radical ideas are being bandied about as well by the tea bag groupies.  Changes are going to begin to take form and materialize over the next few weeks.  But what sorts of changes are these going to be?  Saturn, although repressive and orthodox on the one hand, is also reminding us that we need a certain amount of stability from which to orchestrate well thought out changes.  And we must be able to discriminate between those things which are valuable and need to be protected (such as the environment, social security and our fragile work force), and those things which really are stifling and smothering us as a humanity (such as toxic methane gases).  We need change.  But we need to make sure it’s the right change.

The Solstice and the Cardinal Cross

The first Fact of existence is the law of change or impermanence. All that exists, from a mole to a mountain, from a thought to an empire, passes through the same cycle of existence--i.e. birth, growth, decay and death. Life alone is continuous, ever seeking self-expression in new forms. ‘Life is a bridge; therefore build no house on it.’ Life is a process of flow, and he who clings to any form, however splendid, will suffer by resisting the flow.

-Christmas Humphries

With the Summer Solstice arriving early Monday morning, followed by the Lunar Eclipse on the 26th... we usher in the Cardinal Cross.  At the 4 corners we have Jupiter and Uranus at the vanguard in Aries, opposing Saturn.  Pluto is in Capricorn, opposing the Solstice Sun in Cancer.  Cardinal signs have to do with initiation, initiative, innovations and new beginnings.  Although Saturn is still in the last degrees of mutable Virgo, he will move back to cardinal Libra in July, and is close enough to be drawn into the cardinal axis for the Solstice.  When many of the outer planets are placed here, as they are now, the need for dynamic change is not only implicit, but inevitable. 

The Solstice Chart for June 21, 2010 (7:28 AM EDT) has Jupiter and Uranus at the top of the chart when placed in Washington, D.C.  Jupiter/Uranus can bring truths, revelations and opportunity.  Jupiter/Uranus opens doors.  Impediments to progress that have been standing in the way are torn down, or fall away due to circumstances, allowing new initiatives to take place.  There is an unexpected, almost accidental nature to Uranus that alters the perspectives and re-focuses the priorities.  Another thing Jupiter/Uranus brings, is the ability to see that there is always a solution to existing problems, but that sometimes these solutions require a different perspective.  Or a willingness to step out of your comfort zone.  Perhaps circumstances are finally pushing us in the right direction towards considering and fully embracing responsible, renewable energy (Uranus) resources, that will free (Jupiter/Uranus) us of our reliance on fossil fuels that are limited, and have the additional burden of polluting our environment.  This is a truth that has been brought home to bear in extremely graphic and gross proportions recently with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Saturn’s energy is antithetical to most of the other planets.  Jupiter and Uranus are no exception.  Saturn is cold, restricting and conservative.  Jupiter wants to expand, Uranus wants to liberate and start a new revolution.  Saturn is where we are afraid, and/or don’t want things to change.  It is fear of the unknown, and stepping off into the abyss.  Some of this is purely just fear based, and refusing to see another point.  This is evidenced in the rise of the far-right and their perception of change and initiative, as a metaphor for destruction to their way of life.  But Saturn, at this point, is also in the earth and environmental sign of Virgo, and can also be seen as wanting to save the environment against wanton, and aggressive, uncontrolled (Jupiter/Uranus!) actions committed without thought for the consequences.  So, through Saturn, we see the need to conserve, save and control, and we need to ask ourselves what is truly worth saving and conserving in the midst of dynamic change: more tax breaks for the wealthy? deregulation for corporations?  or trying to conserve and maintain a healthy (Virgo) environment for our and our children’s futures.

Pluto in Capricorn compels us to explore the ways in which we have created structures upon which we have become dependent, perhaps to our own detriment. Because we think we are dependent and need these particular structures, and we are limited by what we think we need, Pluto stands as a huge, apparently insurmountable challenge that stands in the way of progress.  We need to ask ourselves, what structures, what stuff are we holding on to simply because that is what we are accustomed to.  If we can recognize those things that need to be discarded, because they stand in the way of progress and reform, then reconstruction and renovation are more easily achievable.  But it’s not easy to let go of, or change what we are used to, and we quake in the face of having to part with those things that we assumed would always be there. 

With the Sun standing in bas relief against the backdrop of Pluto in Capricorn, it becomes apparent as to what needs to be purged, perhaps even demolished, and then renovated and rebuilt.  It’s not that we don’t need structures... it’s just evident that periodically we need to update, and shore up, and rebuild better and more appropriate structures.

Immediately followed by the Lunar Eclipse on the 26th of June, those changes that are not voluntarily made, may be imposed.  Eclipses bring inevitable, even karmic events to bear, and the upcoming eclipse is exactly conjunct Pluto this month.  Symbolically Pluto stands for death and resurrection... an emergence out of the labyrinthine depths into rebirth and renewal.  But in order to make that new beginning, there first has to be a breaking down process, a letting go, a purging.  Pluto also represents the seat of power.  Some say that’s where the big money is.  And Capricorn represents structures, such as government,  corporations, banks, even infrastructures, and physical structures such as mountains and buildings.  Capricorn represents those things that we assume would always be there.   Traditions, conventions, and even habits.  It’s what we are accustomed to.  It’s the way things have always been done.  Pluto begs otherwise.  Pluto shows how too much reliance on certain structures veer towards too much dependence, even fanaticism and extremism... There is an overabundant inequality between the haves and the have nots, and ambition runs rough shod over everyone else in order to claim the prize. 

Later on this Summer, towards the end of July, the Cardinal square will begin to tighten up and get ignited by the presence of Mars which will enter Libra shortly after Saturn does.  From the 27th of July through the 5th of August things will be particularly seething and tense, though we’ll be riding the rocky wave of the Cardinal cross all Summer.  Look for a lot of angry, explosive behaviors towards the end of July.  People will be wanting to take things in their own hands, frustrated with what they perceive to be daunting limitations and repression.  People may be driven to do things that they wouldn’t normally do under other circumstances.  Take chances that may indeed be foolhardy and dangerous.  It would be wise for all of us to take heed and see how our actions are affecting others in every thing that we do... and rather than react to the stress and tension that arises, find positive ways to respond that will not escalate the energy even further out of control.   

Mars is the warrior, the soldier, the gladiators in our midst's, and everyone will seem to be taking up arms at this time.  But sometimes changes do need to be made, and Mars is the great instigator.  Although often weak and overly conciliatory in Libra, it is still a cardinal active sign.  And Libra is the sign of open enmity.  At this point we could easily see the breaking down of certain partnerships or associations, and the establishment of different partnerships.. we may see some strange bedfellows being made, and as the gauntlet is thrown down, someone else is going to choose to pick it up.  It’s going to be a hot, hot Summer.  And everyone is going to be feeling a little feisty.

When anger rises, think of the consequences.
Confucius

New Moon in Gemini

Saturday, June 12th, 2010, 7:14:30 AM EDT

“Louisiana isn’t the only place that has shrimp.” -BP Rep., Randy Prescott

Gemini is the sign of communications, travel, the media, transportation, news, speeches.  It also has to do with ingenuity, expertise and resourcefulness.  With the New Moon you get a surge of new energy, a flurry of excitement.  Interestingly, when the New Moon chart is placed in Grand Isle, Louisiana, one of the first places to be devastated by the oil spill, the New Moon is within only a few degrees of the Ascendant.  This may be that this area of the country is going to continue to be spotlighted in the media over the month ahead... but it also implies a new beginning.  A new beginning that is being thwarted by some, but supported by others. 

When placed in Washington, DC, the New Moon falls in the 12th House, the house of self-undoing, weakness and hidden enemies.  Now, I know everyone loves to blame the media, but in this case it seems to be playing a huge part in this perception of ineffectuality and weakness on the part of the country.  Much of the self-undoing is related to a very vigorous campaign from those within the country itself, and supporting the opposition political party.  It is also undermined by the depressed state of the populace. No New Deal to help out the unemployed, a sham of a health care bill without a public option for the uninsured.  A lot of paperwork, with little to show for it on the ground, leaves little support for a beleaguered administration. 

The 12th House also rules the past.  And this is when that past comes to bite the US in the ass, and where they really have to begin that mass clean up both within and without.  We may all have our own versions of an oil spill in our lives these days... with a lot of catch up to make up for the conditions that have led up to this situation.    But with the US, there’s a lot of history related to ties in the past, with the US government and big oil corporations.  The former Vice President, Dick Cheney, as well as former President George W. Bush had strong ties with big oil.  The Bush administration had an ideological mission to relax governmental regulations on corporations in general.  There was the belief that self-interest would self-regulate.  But, as we have seen, corporations are more than willing to cut corners, often catastrophically, when it comes to the bottom line.  Their self-interest lies in making money, not protecting people’s lives, or the environment.

The effectiveness of the country and the administration, our attempts at stabilizing the economy, for getting its citizens back to work are being undermined, both from within, and without.  Within, through political opposition, that has the country stale mated and backed into a corner.  Without, through its own alliances which are proving to be both deadly and catastrophic.  The general popular outlook is dismal and pessimistic.  This in turn does not help the economy.  And those who are really responsible, say, for the oil spill in the gulf, are trying to escape their responsibilities.  BP, the biggest corporation in the world, does not want, and does not feel, that they have to pay for all the damages they have caused to oceans, the wildlife, and to life in general.

British Petroleum, in an attempt to whitewash their own image has contracted $50M worth of TV advertising.  In addition, BP will be paying $10.5B in dividends this quarter to their shareholders.  This led President Obama to respond:

And what I don’t want to hear is, when they’re spending that kind of money on their shareholders and spending that kind of money on TV advertising, that they’re nickel-and-diming fishermen or small businesses here in the Gulf who are having a hard time.

In addition, Bernie Sanders is pushing a bill to end tax breaks for oil and gas companies. He proposes using the $35B in tax breaks they are given to help pay off the deficit, and help fund energy efficiency and conservation.  He states:

"If there is anything we should be learning from the Gulf disaster, it is that it is time to move aggressively away from polluting and unsafe fossil fuels, which are getting more and more difficult to produce as we move further and further offshore to drill for them,“ he said in a statement. “And, with a $13 trillion national debt, the last thing we need to be doing is giving tax breaks to big oil and gas companies that have been making record-breaking profits year after year after year."

In the New Moon chart, Neptune is involved in a Yod configuration, which is sometimes referred to as the finger of God.  Neptune is at the finger of another Yod in the Lunar Eclipse on June 26th.  The New Moon is also applying to a trine to Neptune in the New Moon chart.  Yod's are referred to as the finger of God, because there are often miraculous if not intensely karmic events associated with the planet at the point of the configuration.  Neptune rules oil, it rules oceans, sailors, people who work on the sea, who make their living there.  Neptune also rules deception, escapism and smoke and mirrors.  Neptune can rule loss, helplessness and hopelessness.  It can also rule divine intervention, being saved, and a willingness to sacrifice for a higher cause.  In mundane astrology, Neptune rules democracy, because it levels the playing field: all lives are sacred, all swim in the same ocean of spirit. 

Neptune is in the sign of Aquarius, and Uranus, one of the rulers of Aquarius, recently entered Aries and is now conjunct Jupiter, the planet of freedom and justice.  With Uranus now in Aries, we will be talking a lot more about breaking away from our dependence on oil (Neptune), being more self-reliant (Aries), and willing to break out in a whole new direction (Jupiter conjunct Uranus in Aries).  We need to seriously explore renewable energies: wind power, solar power, tidal power, wave power, biofuels, algraculture.  As a tree hugging mother of an Air Force Tech Sgt., I am exceedingly proud to say that in March there was the news that the American Air Force had successfully flown planes using clean burning biofuels.  Some of our most innovative inventions have come directly or indirectly through the military.

It is time to step out into new territory, and if this means breaking down old corporate alliances, if this presents the first steps towards the separation of corporation and state... then we will truly see the end of an era and the breaking of a new dawn.  But in order to do this, we are all going to have to be willing to make some sacrifices, to redirect our focus, and consider the sacred value of all of life.  We are all on this planet together, and everything that happens to devastate one area of our planet, inevitably affects us all.

A human being is part of a whole, the “universe.” Our task must be to free ourselves from the delusion of separateness, to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature. - Albert Einstein

the grains of sand...

Mars enters Virgo
June 7th through July 29th, 2010

Most of us think ourselves as standing wearily and helplessly at the center of a circle bristling with tasks, burdens, problems, annoyance, and responsibilities which are rushing in upon us. At every moment we have a dozen different things to do, a dozen problems to solve, a dozen strains to endure. We see ourselves as overdriven, overburdened, overtired. This is a common mental picture and it is totally false. No one of us, however crowded his life, has such an existence. What is the true picture of your life? Imagine that there is an hour glass on your desk. Connecting the bowl at the top with the bowl at the bottom is a tube so thin that only one grain of sand can pass through it at a time. That is the true picture of your life, even on a super busy day, The crowded hours come to you always one moment at a time. That is the only way they can come. The day may bring many tasks, many problems, strains, but invariably they come in single file. You want to gain emotional poise? Remember the hourglass, the grains of sand dropping one by one. -James Gordon Gilkey

Although Jupiter conjunct Uranus in Aries is the really big story this month, this week there are bound to be some distracting tasks, burdens, problems and responsibilities that will need to be tended to, as Mars, the ruler of Aries, moves into Virgo on Monday, June 7th.  Mars in Virgo is environmental activism, and fighting for the right to adequate health care.  It is the organized workers fighting for workers rights, or simply jobs.  Mars in Virgo is the soldier and the policeman whose personal will, and martial skills, are subordinated to the state.  We will be hearing a lot from Mars in Virgo over the next 2 months.  And in order to reap the most out of the miracles that await us, there are still a lot of details to be taken care of, and hard work ahead of us in June and July.

On the positive side, by Mars moving out of Leo, we can now get back in touch with our inner Neptune, and regain some of our lost peace and tranquility.  Neptune’s retrograde motion allows us to revisit our center, our past, our sorrows and regrets, as well as our joys.  And meet them all, not with guilt or shame, but with equanimity. 

However, even as we try to get in touch with our soul center, there are bound to be some distractions.  For as Mars enters Virgo it does so with a lot of busy-ness and perhaps a little angst that could very well be at the expense of Neptune’s inner search, as well as the Jupiter/Uranus intention for excitement, newness, revelation and freedom.  Virgo is where we pay attention to details, and are usually pretty neat and organized, but tossing  the Incredible Martian Gladiator into the room, can rend this area of our lives into a bit of a frothy frenzy of activity for the next 2 months.  To keep the perspective, remember that problems come in single file.  Remember the hourglass, the grains of sand dropping one by one.

Aries

With your ruler, Mars, heading into your 6th Solar House, you can anticipate a lot of sped up activity in the work scene and your everyday schedule.  Your first reaction, as Mars enters Virgo,  is to engage in a lot of frenetic ‘catch up’ activity, waking up early, and working well into the evening.  A lot of this stuff is rote work with deadlines.  What all this activity will do at first, is to distract you from what you are really excited about doing, what you really want to be doing, which could leave you scattered and exhausted, as you are caught between responsibilities and obigations.  But you have to take care of these necessary details in order to get on to the big stuff.  Pace yourself, as if that’s an option for Aries.  Aries tends to work through their pain, at lightning speed, and not listen to their bodies.  Listen!   After the first week of Mars in Virgo, you’ll begin to find your groove, but don’t expect anything to really slow down at work for the next few months.  With Jupiter meeting Uranus in Aries on the 8th, there’s a lot of excitement and anticipation about the future to keep you motivated.  It’s a pity there are just so few hours in a day. 

Taurus

When Mars initially enters Virgo these first few weeks of June, you’ll be faced with a sudden flurry of activity.  It’s enough to have a Taurus dust off their dancing shoes, and get all excited.  There’s something invigorating about having Mars here... in a positive way.  You may even be inspired to take on some sort of exercise regimen... right after that glass of chardonnay.  This is a very good time for Taurus to consider making positive affirmations, or make some sort of constructive changes.... Start riding the bike to work, or try to perfect your moves at the gym, maybe take up tap dancing.  After that it’s off to the bar to hang out with the locals.  All that physical activity is definitely going to have a positive effect on your health, especially after the New Moon.  If you’ve been feeling under the weather, worn out, injured and limp, now’s the time to fix all that... a little reconstructive activity, followed by a little night music and some friends.  It’s time for Taurus to take a break, forget your travails, and kick up your heels.  Look out world, the bull is on the loose for the next few months.

Gemini

Okay, now that you’ve got that transportation issue figured out, chaos breaks out on the home front.  Or so it seems.  Especially around the New Moon when Mars faces off with your ruler, Mercury.  When things are disorganized at home, Gemini’s get very nervous and scattered.  And things are feeling disorganized, and unsettled in the area where you usually expect things to be perfectly scheduled and everything and everyone in their appointed areas.  It gets confusing when Aunt Betty comes over to reorganize the closets, and you can’t find where she put the detergent, and Uncle Fred decides that he wants to move in, with the full drum set.  But first he has to move all the furniture around (to make room for the drums).  It’s time for them to go to their own homes.  You were kind of hoping that home would be your peaceful sanctuary over the next few months, especially since you’ve got all these exciting prospects with work.  But don’t count on it, at least not for the next few months.  Some of this will be good activity, like when you organize the bake sale and have all the neighborhood kids in to help... or doing that yard sale.  Either way, after the New Moon on the 12th, you’ll begin to get a handle on things, and harness that energy constructively to attack your own home project.  So there, Aunt Betty.

Cancer

Cancer is not usually directly confrontational.  It’s all you can do to get them to speak up... but if you give them a reason to over the next few months, watch out.  Normally cautious Cancer has a few things to say these days.  You may feel inclined to push others in order to get a clear answer or decision, or at least some sort of commitment!  If you find that you are pissing off neighbors and friends.... then apparently you’ve made your point.  Sometimes it’s even more impressive when the crab emerges from its shell in uncharacteristic fashion, as you will over the next few months.  You have a lot to say, and say it you will.  Just be careful of not impulsively blurting out something you will later regret around the New Moon on the 12th of June.  It will also seem that you will be running here there and everywhere, may be having to shuttle people around, seeming to drop someone off, to turn around and pick someone else up, pick up the groceries, then drop off the other kid somewhere.  Commuting and transportation issues can arise in the first week after Mars enters Virgo, and then, after that, you will be cruising.... keeping it all under control. 

Leo

Gadget alert!  Give a wide berth to the Best Buy’s and the Hammacher Schlemmer’s, for these will be your Achilles’ heel.  But then again that iPad  seems to just be calling to you.  The gadgetry are enticing you to part with your hard earned gelt.  So be warned.  Arguments with friends over money are possible leading up to and around the New Moon... just don’t get involved in any sort of business deal or transaction that can otherwise be avoided, and do separate checks.  It will be less flinty after the Gemini New Moon on the 12th of June. This is a good time to take care of the necessary details concerning your income or financial state... maybe get some serious advice from an expert and take it to heart.  After the Sun enters Cancer on June 21st, then you can be prepared to engage some intuitive and creative ideas for finding new ways to earn cash.  Just don’t spend it all in one place! 

Virgo

“The Faster I go, the More Behinder I get...” should be your motto for the next few months, as you are besieged by activity.  Obligations and attention to details seem to keep you from being able to see the big picture.  However, these details are necessary in allowing you to make those big changes.  Do not jump into things impulsively, or make drastic decisions without full deliberation before the New Moon on June 12th.  Step back and realize that this is a time in your life for extraordinary change, and don’t settle for less than that due to impatience and nervousness.  You know something big is happening, and it’s just around the corner, just don’t push it before its time has come.  Now is the time to get all the information, and gather all the details... but make sure you have all the facts first... and then create your plan.  If you find yourself overdriven, overburdened at the center of a circle surrounded by dozens of things to do and figure out... then remember the hourglass, and imagine the grains of sand dropping one by one.

Libra

Sleep eludes you.  Mildly irritated and anxious, and knowing that something big is coming in a few months time... you’re desperately trying to tie up loose ends.  So if we see you buried in old bills from the last few decades, or collapsed under a mountain of paperwork... just attack each item one at a time, one day at a time.  The next few months can prove to be a time of frustration and self-denial, and it irks you that you can’t turn the record off in your head.  If things are just too overwhelming, and you’re feeling like can’t get to what you really want to do, focus on what you can get done in front of you.  This is an excellent time for Librans to make plans and prepare for the flurry of activity that’s going to be taking place a few months from now.  Do the research.  Take care of all the necessary details first.  Remember, the better prepared you are, the more graceful and simple you will make it all look when the time comes.  Little will the world know all the preparation that went into it before hand!

Scorpio

Scorpio loves their self-help and motivational groups and meetings.  So if you’re not painting protest placards for some animal or environmental cause, or organizing a union meeting with your fellow workers to reestablish your rights, you will be leading some sort of 12-step, self-help, rediscovering the hidden meaning of your psyche group over the next few months.  Not only will people be amazed at how organized you are, and at how much you are getting accomplished... what you are amazed about is how much self-discovery and learning you are making in the process.  Scorpio rulers Mars and Pluto are working harmoniously together in the Earth signs Virgo and Capricorn... with these two working together in your favor, it’s as if there is nothing that you can’t figure out, no puzzle that you cannot solve, utilizing the probing determination and single-minded focus that only a Scorpio can have. 

Sagittarius

Sagittarians love to be in charge and directing things.  That’s why they often have their own business which allows them a certain element of freedom and control.  The next few months you are going to be called up to the plate and it’s your job to take that leadership position head on.  However, if you push people too hard though, you will arouse their ire, and make them feel antagonized.  There may even be problems with the government if you really overstep your bounds.  However, do not take your eye off the prize.  You will be so busy having to take care of necessary details, and oversee the tedious, that you worry that you could miss a really important opportunity... nothing less than being able to make a whole new start in a wonderfully creative fashion.  However, you need to take care of these details as part of the process.  Just be careful not to spread yourself too thin, and watch out for chronic Sagittarian foot in mouth disease leading up to the New Moon on the 12th of June.  Remember, Sag’s great gift is being able to see the big picture, but if you get caught up in too many details, you won’t be able to see the forest for all the trees. 

Capricorn

It seems that you have a purpose that you are aiming for, and there is very little that you will allow to get in your way.  You are very very directed with Mars in your solar 9th House.  Be very clear about your motives though, because you may be called on to have to defend your views and ideas.  Be prepared, and you will impress even the most stalwart opponent.  However, don’t expect to be able to force other people to see your point of view.  Rather focus on what it is that you can learn from the experiences you have over the next few months.  Knowledge is power, and also allows you to gain a better perspective.  Learn from others’ points of view.  The attention is in the details.  The next few months present opportunities for self-improvement, and also learning how you can be better able to be a force for change in the world around you, provided you are not too forceful with others in the process.  If you see everyone avoiding you, and crossing to the other side of the street as you approach, then this will be a clue.  Capricorn wants to be respected, not feared.

Aquarius

It seems you’re going to have to make some concessions over the next few months, even if you don’t particularly want to. There’s a bit of a sea change in the air, and although on the one hand, things are looking really positive and hopeful... you’re still waiting for the other shoe to fall.  There is going to be some sort of change over the next few months as a result of your actions, or over some sort of conflict with someone else.  This could affect the over all financial picture... and this has you on pins and needles.  Don’t be too anxious to do anything precipitously as yet... just wait and see what the universe has to offer you, and then learn to dance with whatever that may be.  Things will be a lot less tense and anxiety provoking after the Gemini New Moon on the 12th of June, when it will then become apparent as to what you can and should do to try and repair the situation.  Until then it will do no good to try and make things any worse than they already are, anticipate things before they happen, or force things before they are ripe.  Take things one thing at a time, one day at a time, with one foot in front of the other.  And before you know it, you will be on the other side.

Pisces

Pisces people are certainly not the most aggressive people in the zodiac.  So when they come out to take a stand, people have to take them pretty seriously.  Mars entering your 7th Solar house is about you having to contend with, and learn how to eventually positively deal with, conflict.  And aggravation.  Especially as Mars first enters Virgo.  Someone is in a fighting mood, and the energy could get a little out of control at first.  And confusing.  Could even involve some sort of arbitration or litigation.  Pisces always hates confrontation though... but before long, and in league with a willing partner, you can harness this energy to take on even the most daunting challenges.  Now this might require a certain amount of compromising, which you are really not feeling like you want to do right now, but if you must, you must.  And then when you win, you can go back in your corner, and concentrate on finding your inner Neptunian bliss again, and that wonderful future that awaits you, which is where you were when all that aggravation began in the first place, those first few days of June.  Neptune’s retrograde motion allows us to revisit our center, our past, our sorrows and regrets, as well as our joys.  And meet them all, not with guilt or shame, but with equanimity. 

The following poem by Rumi is for everyone, but I present it as a special gift to Pisces this week:

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain all!

Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whomever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

-Rumi

Stepping out of your Comfort Zone

Jupiter conjunct Uranus

June 8th 2010

There was an article in the New York Times 2 years ago by Janet Rae-Dupree about habits, and stepping outside of our usual comfort zone.  Not to the point where you become stressed out and overwhelmed, but by stretching yourself just beyond your comfort zone, and into the awkward and unfamiliar territory of the new and untried.  With Jupiter joining Uranus in the cardinal sign of Aries we are being encouraged to stretch into the unfamiliar, to take a chance, to test our luck in some area of life.  To take a walk on a less familiar path.  Ms. Rae-Dupree quotes William Wordsworth when he said:

“Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting herd.”

If you are willing to take that step, Jupiter/Uranus can bring a fresh and exciting new perspective.  Knowledge, invention and ingenuity bring unexpected success.  It can also bring unexpected opportunity to either solve an existing problem, or relieve yourself of some burden.  The keynote is freedom.  Freedom to explore, to begin that project you’ve been wanting to, to branch out in a whole new direction, to try on your wings.  To be fascinated by revelation, and the changes that it brings.  In some department of your life, things will never be the same again.

Below are some keys to how Jupiter/Uranus might be stretching you.  Be sure to check your Rising sign as well, if you know it. 

Aries

One thing Aries hates, and that’s feeling powerless and unable to solve a problem.  This past week has been miserable as you’ve had to sit back and watch your loved ones suffer, not to mention your own wrenching gut.  However, that’s all about to change.  Or rather you are!  If anyone is being dared to step out of their comfort zone it’s Aries!  Jupiter and Uranus in your own sign are pushing you to begin some grand new adventure.  One that is a truer expression of yourself.  Embarking out in your own direction, you’re more concerned about finding a way to establish yourself independently.  It’s as if you’re intuitively perceiving that you won’t be able to depend on others to be there to help you over the next few years.  So why not do something that you truly love,  that you’re good at, and stretches you creatively as well?  Something that you’ve always wanted to do, but didn’t have the courage to pursue on your own?  Jupiter and Uranus are now giving you the luck and inspiration to go out and try!  Do your own thing, Aries.

Taurus

Taurus has been getting kicked around a lot over the past 10 years or so, so that they don’t know if they’re coming or going.... So the house got gobbled up by a tornado and the place where you’ve worked the past 15 years has gone down the tubes.  Now some thief snuck in last week, behind your back, and stole your last precious possession, your signed Ginger Baker album.  Taurus is in a pretty weird place right now.  The thing is you did everything right, everything according to the books, and still you got screwed.    You’ve already been out of your comfort zone to the point of being stressed out.  Now before you pour yourself that martini, what Jupiter/Uranus is telling you, is that now you need to really let go.  Clear up old resentments, issues and problems that have been festering in your subconscious, and then just let them disperse into the universe.  It’s all about priorities, and what is truly important, and submitting to a higher power.  Taurus hates these types of intangibles... but ultimately what you really want and need is inner peace and security.  As stuff arises, some of it from the distant past... (hey you never knew Aunt Gladys was really a man!)  All of these realizations can be really enlightening, and even pretty hilarious if put in the right perspective, but then you need to let it all go.  And then you will find your inner peace.

Gemini

Yes you were deceived and humiliated, and this has you scattered to the winds, unable to sleep or concentrate.  And then there’s all that bad news, one thing after another!    One thing is true, and that is that you have some pretty amazing friends.  Another thing that is true is that if you want to get something done, sometimes you need a united force.  This is where Gemini can step out of their comfort zone.  Gemini’s are not usually activists by nature.  But what does become apparent, is that one voice in the wilderness can be ignored.  But if you join forces with other people of like mind, who have the same aims and issues, it’s amazing what you can get accomplished!  Nothing less than seeing a cherished dream realized.  Gemini’s are multi-talented.  And you could very well be recognized in your field, in some outstanding or innovative way!  Look for some sort of unexpected opportunity through friends or some group that you are associated with... could be a welcome surprise.

Cancer

Okay, you just spent your last buck, and the bank says there’s no more where that came from.  All you want to do is crawl under a rock and hide, ignoring the dunning calls, and the wolf at the door.  If you pull down the blinds, maybe they’ll think you left town.  But then if you do that you’re going to miss something.  Something miraculous.  And this is where you’re going to have to stretch outside your comfort zone: you’re going to have to be visible.  There is some sort of amazing opportunity hovering around you concerning your professional life or your reputation.  Something that will free up your life in some remarkable way.  Even if it just means changing your hours, or working free-lance, or getting a new computer at work, whatever it is, it will make all the difference.  So don’t worry about the bills, they’re probably going to resolve themselves when Mars goes into your solar 3rd house on Monday any way, there’s something so much more important happening that will eclipse all that.  So open up the blinds and crawl back out from under that rock, before you miss the show!

Leo

People are being very sneaky and deceptive.  Someone is trying to undermine your authority and your first reaction is to be defensive about it.  This seems to have backfired some how, and now you need to recoup your dignity.  Rather than relying on your usual ways of doing things, or making assumptions, remain flexible, keep an open mind.  You could in fact find that your whole point of view is changing, as the result of information that you receive.  If you allow yourself to receive it.  Leo’s can be very stubborn, and are not usually very good at backing down and admitting that they may be wrong, or that there’s a better way of handling things.  Be willing to step outside of your comfort zone.  It’s time for a readjustment, and once that is done, it will open up a whole new world of realizations and knowledge and perspectives.  Keep an open mind!  You’ll be glad that you did.

Virgo

Virgo likes their routines and their patterns.  They like everything to be in its place.  Guess what?  If you’re not willing to move out of your comfort zone, you may just be forced to.  It’s easier if you make some preemptive moves, especially if you see the writing on the wall.  In some respects you feel like you’re diving into the unknown.  But in our article we are cautioned that “You cannot have innovation, unless you are willing and able to move through the unknown, and go from curiosity to wonder.”  Think of it as some sort of exciting Machiavellian adventure in which your old way of life is coming to an end, bringing about a whole new phase of life, with newer and better opportunities.

Libra

Libra is renowned for sitting placidly in the eye of the storm, calmly sipping their chamomile tea, while sniffing the lovely bouquet of flowers.  No one knows what is going on behind that cool calm exterior, how you’ve been worrying about the kids, trying to figure out how to get that new business idea launched, and trying not to freak out when you discovered that your husband has a secret life playing dungeons and dragons, and has decided to segue that into some sort of full-time avocation.  Or that your best friend has just tattooed a huge butterfly across her chest, and has moved in with the motorcycle dude she’s had her eye on.  Actually it’s all rather fascinating.  Give your important people as much room as they need.  The more freedom you give them, the more they will respect yours.  They’re needing to do their own thing right now, and they’ll be depending on you to be there, keeping it real.  You’re being swept along for the ride, which could mean having to redefine yourself in the process.  It’s time for the big guns... Numi makes a heavenly jasmine green tea. 

Scorpio

The home environment has been unstable for some time, and somewhat of a sore spot lately.  Feeling undermined, rootless, and now the basement flooded.  What’s next?  Peace will probably return after Monday when Mars enters your solar 11th house, and you can rediscover your inner Neptune.  In the mean time, Jupiter and Uranus are encouraging you to switch things up a bit.  “Getting into the stretch zone is good for you,” Ms. Ryan says in “This Year I Will... .” “It helps keep your brain healthy. It turns out that unless we continue to learn new things, which challenges our brains to create new pathways, they literally begin to atrophy, which may result in dementia, Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases. Continuously stretching ourselves will even help us lose weight, according to one study. Researchers who asked folks to do something different every day — listen to a new radio station, for instance — found that they lost and kept off weight. No one is sure why, but scientists speculate that getting out of routines makes us more aware in general.”  Jupiter/Uranus are trying to lift you out of a rut, and on to a path for opportunity, growth and change.  Whether it’s learning a new, useful skill that will lead to a better job opportunity, or just changing up your routine... it’s change you can live with.

Sagittarius

I’ve never met a Sagittarius who wasn’t willing to take a gamble... and there is no better time than this to dare to plunge into the unknown.  After a week of one bad news story after another, you’re not going to sit around and wait for the other shoe to fall.  You’ve got your bag packed and ready for adventure, wherever that takes you.  If you have not been allowed to express your inner self as fully as you would like, you will feel especially restless and confined, like a caged wild bird that has had its wings clipped.  Situations and opportunities will arise that will allow you to escape from your cage, although this may seem sudden to others, and totally out of character.  One thing Sagittarius is good at, is stretching themselves out of their comfort zones when they need to.  Could also be a mad infatuation threatening to break off an existing relationship,  especially if you feel that your partner has been too controlling.  You’ll be out of there.  Just remember though, that relationships started at this time, although fascinating and exciting, are not very likely to be long lasting.

Capricorn

If anyone has been anticipating (or perhaps dreading?) the inevitable changes inherent in the Cardinal Cross this Summer, it’s Capricorn.  More ambitious and driven than ever, now that Saturn turned Direct last week, you need to remind yourself now more than ever, that the end NEVER justifies the means.  One area that often suffers when Capricorn gets into ambition mode, is in their personal lives.  If things are disruptive there, if you feel like the rug is being pulled out from under your feet, it’s because Jupiter/Uranus are trying to force you out of a rut.  So if that relationship doesn’t work out, or the landlord refuses to extend your lease, moving out may be the best thing that ever happened to you.  It is usually much easier to initiate changes yourself... so if you realize that perhaps moving to a better locale will not only offer you a great deal more freedom, but also prove to be more lucrative, then go for it.

Aquarius

Aquarius already walks to the beat of a different drummer.  As a result you never quite know how you should act, how you should dress, or what is the right thing to say in social situations.  And if people seem somewhat annoyed with you lately, don’t even pay it any mind.  Jupiter and Uranus are now encouraging you to learn a new skill, something different from what you are accustomed to, and perhaps could even feel a little awkward at first, but will ultimately be very rewarding.  If you face life with curiosity and wonder, then you will discover things that you hadn’t ever realized before.  Kind of like the light bulb thing on top of the head.  If you’re looking for your life to be secure, routine and expected, this is not the time.  But if you’re willing to be flexible, there is so  much to learn that will be of benefit to you in the future.  Your every day world will be a source of excitement and sometimes bewilderment, as you are led to experiences that will literally change your life.

Pisces

Okay, let all the tears out, take a deep breath, and then slowly let it out.  Just a you thought you were entering a period of peace and finding your inner Neptune in the still calm waters of your psyche, you ran into Mars.  Some of you may have even become ill, or just simply anxiety-ridden... either way, it should be less of an issue after Monday.  Actually, through creativity and ingenuity, you are your own greatest resource.  Whether it’s a creative idea that you’re hoping to capitalize on, or an innovative idea whose time has come... at first you fear that you’re going to have to lay out a chunk of change... and you’re a little worried with all the newness of it all.  Well, guess what?  You are in the position of actually making an avocation or hobby into a lucrative vocation... so take the plunge, you may suddenly gain or lose possessions, and money will both come and go, but in the end, this will all be for the best.  It’s time to be flexible, and not depend on the old ways of making money and supporting yourself... the change that comes is definitely change you can live with.